Have you ever wondered why you're having trouble controlling your weight? Your fitness plans are going great and you have your diet under control, but all is not right. Eating is in our nature. We must eat in order to survive. But, it is something we have to be able to control. Unfortunately, we don't always control it as well as we think we do.

The trick to controlling your diet is becoming aware of the nature of eating. Food is there, so we think we have to eat. This happens all the time, but just because there's a bowl of chips on the counter doesn't mean that you have to munch on them.

Take into account what you're eating

Control isn't the only preventative measure you must take in controlling your eating habits. Awareness plays a big part in your diet. You can eat a small amount, but still consume your daily calorie limit in a single sitting. Become aware of what foods contain particular nutrients, vitamins, and calories by understanding and reading labels and nutritional data.

Particular foods may not be your problem though. You may be underestimating how much you're eating as well. Keep in mind that containers don't always contain a single serving. This is why it's so important to read labels thoroughly. Many food products will advertise their daily values in multiple servings. This means that you might be consuming a can of your favorite fruit cocktail that you thought only had 32 grams of sugar, but which actually has 64 grams total in the can if there are two servings in a single can. Be aware of what you're actually putting into your body by being aware of what you're eating.

Watch out for tasty situations

Of course, the next step is resisting temptation. Keep a few of these particular situations off of your agenda if you have difficulty resisting the urge.

First of all, avoid places that offer excessive food, such as restaurants. This would include the ultimate source of food stuffs- the buffet. These locations might allow you to get your money's worth, but they can leave you feeling obligated to continue eating until you feel full (which usually means that you've packed too much in).

Another location that often leads to eating a little too much is a party. These can definitely be fun, but they usually result in excessive eating and drinking, which is generally their purpose. Beware of finger foods even though they are in small portions, they can be easily picked up and eaten throughout the course of the event.

A habit that many people have is snack time. This happens throughout the day, often in front of the television or any of those in-between times. Eating when we are preoccupied with work or entertainment often results in our inability to register how much we've actually eaten. This becomes worse when we eat from large packages, such as a bag of chips. You can help this particular situation by not eating directly from a container. Instead, preset yourself a serving on a plate or bowl so that you don't get carried away.

This doesn't mean that you have to eliminate these locations from your plans, but you should be aware that you will be more likely to eat more when you are there. And if you're aware of it, then you'll be able to resist eating more than you need to.

Do the math

This all comes down to analyzing your results. If you've been faithful to your fitness plans and diet, then maybe there is still something wrong. Keep in mind that ten calories as a variable each time you eat can add up significantly at the end of the day. Days add up to weeks and so on. If X + Y isn't equal to Z, then you need to recalculate.

So, next time you find yourself in a tasty situation where food is all around, be aware of what you put into your body. Awareness is the first step in prevention. The rest is up to you and your determination to accomplish your fitness goals.

Originally posted on: https://articlebliss.com/Article/858211/I-Don-t-Eat-That-Much.html

 

Overnight Oats 3 Ways | Easy + Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Most Common Mistakes Made While Losing Weight

The moment you want to lose weight you know that it is necessary to eat healthier and exercise more. You start full of energy and discipline, but it is always more difficult than you initially thought.

That belly just gets in the way and the pounds don't fly off at lightning speed. Keeping up with your new lifestyle demands a lot from you. How can you continue to maintain this and prevent the most common mistakes while losing weight?

The most common mistakes made during weight loss

The first mistake during weight loss that many people make is counting calories. Most people see losing weight as a punishment which means they can eat fewer calories. It even goes so far that most people write down what they eat and how many calories are in it.

In a strict food diary, you keep track of what you ate for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

The snacks are not allowed, so write them down as little as possible.

The problem with this kind of food diaries is that it doesn't really work to lose weight. It only makes you aware and maybe even stressed about what you eat in a day.

Eat fewer calories

The big problem with reducing calories is that in the long term it is impossible to get less than 1200 calories. Just like holding your breath, lowering your calories cannot be sustained.

It is also not realistic to lose weight because it is necessary to avoid the right calories from your food. You need a balance of the right nutrients before you can lose weight successfully.

Fat-free food

We get to see the same message again and again in different advertisements. Fat is unhealthy and therefore we have to eat low-fat foods. Fats cause the veins to silt up and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The unhealthy fat that you eat is immediately converted into body fat. This reasoning is wrong. The above story seems very logical but that is not the case. It may sound silly but it is perhaps the most important nutrient during weight loss. Fat may contain 9 calories per gram but it is better for your body than sugar.

Fat does not disturb your hunger mechanism. By eating fats your body will become fuller faster and you will eat less. In addition, low-fat meals are tasteless. Food producers add sugar to give it more flavor. Sugar is a real fat thickener that makes you eat more. Low-fat or fat-free food does not help you lose weight.

Running

In every magazine about health and weight loss, there are several articles about the many benefits of running. Running is healthy and will help you fight disease and help you get a tighter body.

That is of course true. By exercising you speed up the heartbeat, this is healthy because it strengthens your heart and blood vessels. However, when losing weight, running is not recommended due to the following reasons.

By making the same movement every day you increase the risk of hurting your joints. Especially if you have to carry a heavyweight, this is very bad for your joints.
By exercising your body makes a stress hormone, cortisol. If you exercise for a long time, your body will produce a high level of cortisol. This high cortisol reduces your fat burning.
By running for a long time, your blood sugar level is greatly reduced. After exercise, it is so low that it is necessary to supplement it quickly. The quickest way to supplement this is to take a sugar-rich drink or eat something sweet.
This is the reason that you always feel like eating sweet things after exercise. Exercising is healthy for your body but the best sports are short intensive sports of around half an hour.
Carbohydrate-rich food

The products that you should avoid when you lose weight are carbohydrate-rich products. It is not the only food that makes us overweight but we eat too many carbohydrates a day. Carbohydrates are found in bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, noodles, rusks, crackers and crackers.

These carbohydrates are processed into sugars in your body, these sugars increase your blood sugar levels enormously. Your body produces the hormone insulin through these sugars. This hormone processes the sugar from your blood. This process causes a sugar crash. After your body has processed this you get hungry again and the circle starts again.

If your body makes this circle too often, your body cannot make it anymore. This will ensure that your insulin becomes resistant. This insulin resistance is the cause of type 2 diabetes and prevalence. So avoid carbohydrates as much as possible.

Start at the right moment

When we start something we always want to do well. We are waiting for the right moment. If this moment comes, you know for sure that you are going to do it right. The problem with these kinds of intentions is that there is no right moment. It never comes true.

It can sometimes take weeks, months or years before you take steps. It's okay to enjoy it once at a birthday or party. These are no reasons not to start a healthy lifestyle today. Just start today and discover how far you get.

Start losing weight today

If you wait for a perfect moment you will never take action. If you just start, you will see that you are going much further than you initially thought. Do not wait for the right motivation, trust that if you start today you will automatically develop this motivation.

Successful weight loss is choosing a good program, developing a healthy lifestyle and continuing this until it becomes normal to eat this way. Always choose a program or method that you trust and just go for it. Start today and make no more mistakes while losing weight and ensure a slim, fit and healthy body.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10216315

My 3 Month Bikini Body Weight Loss Transformation with Freeletics Running

Post Pregnancy Weight? Use The Latest tech

GETTING BACK TO YOU

Recently the focus has all been about your beautiful baby. It starts with those ‘double lines’ and from there it’s all about celebrating, eating for two (or three), maternity wear and birthing. And once you get your perfect little miracle, your life revolves around feeding, sleeping and nappy changes.

It’s easy to see how mums can slip out of the limelight and let their family take centre-stage as they work around the clock to keep everything afloat. But there comes a time when you want to feel like you again. You’ve got the hang of ‘running’ your family and looking after bub, but when you look in the mirror, it’s a different body looking back at you; it may be the miracle of life, but pregnancy can have very un-miraculous effect on the body.

Shedding your baby-weight is famously difficult, and it’s made all the more challenging when you don’t have time in between mummy duties to eat well and exercise. Celebrities seem to bounce back in a matter of weeks adding to the despair – are they just extremely fortunate?

TRIED AND TRUE METHOD

It always comes back to the classic weight loss duo – diet and exercise.

First step to reaching your post-baby body goals is to make time to eat well. Preparation is key here. Plan ahead, do the right shop and avoid eating on the fly. Mason jars are a life-saver, they seal in the freshness of a salad for up to 5 days in the fridge, just keep the dressing separate and load your ingredients in. Make sure to include protein and plenty of veggies to fuel your body.

Exercise can be particularly difficult post-pregnancy. Walking is the single most effective and easiest method to get your body moving after birth and shed some weight. Take bub out in the pram, chuck on some sports shoes and get out there and move. It can help clear your mind, and is good for your body inside and out. If you feel up to it, and when you get the all clear from your doctor, you can introduce some more intense sessions. Listen to your body, fuel your body and mind with healthy food and try to get the best quality sleep you can.

Interrupted sleep can cause blood sugar levels to rise, and more weight gain, so make sure you get (if you can) the right rest.

I NEED A LITTLE HELP

We all know that there are some parts of the body that appear resistant to your body goals. Even more so post pregnancy. Diet and exercise just simply isn’t enough to restore your bod back to pre-pregnancy glory. This is when mums can take advantage of some breakthrough tech.

“Freeze your ass-off, literally!”

Cryolipolysis is a cooling technique that targets pockets of fat.

“Diet and exercise are important in maintaining your weight and overall health. Unfortunately, irrespective of how well people eat or how much they exercise, some of us still have stubborn pockets of fat that just won’t budge. Our treatments specifically target these trouble areas to eliminate the fat and tighten the skin” says owner of Australia's leading fat freezing clinics, Samantha Barak Light.

It works by an applicator head sucking in an area of skin, and subcutaneous fat, and reducing the temperature in a precise way. The fat cells ‘die’ eliminating up to 30% of fat in the area.
For larger areas of the body, fat cavitation works a treat – it uses ultrasound technology to liquefy the fat cells. It’s an immediate 1cm loss and works well on larger areas of the body (more than 3 cm of fat) rather than focusing on pockets of fat like with cryo.

Whether you’re going to follow a strict plan of diet and exercise, or cut a few corners with technology, the important thing for mums is to find something that works with the family routine.
There is no substitute for following a healthy lifestyle, drinking plenty of water and resting well but there are no rules to suggest that you can only get the body you want with diet & exercise. It’s 2018 after all, we don’t have robot nannies (yet) so take advantage of the latest tech to get the shape you want instead.

Originally posted on: https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/post-pregnancy-weight-use-the-latest-tech

10,000 SQUAT Challenge in 30 Days | Joanna Soh

"Why Am I NOT Losing Weight"? This Is A Common Lament From Dieters Who "Are Doing" The Right Things

"Why am I not losing weight"? This is a common lament from dieters who feel they are doing all of the right things but still not seeing the results they want. How can this be? You're trying to lose weight but the numbers on the scale seem to be stuck in a puddle of super glue. What's going on?

Let's look at a few possibilities:

1. If you have successfully lost weight and suddenly the loss comes to a screeching halt when nothing has changed, consider this: you may have reached your ideal weight and your body is trying to tell you so. Sometimes we have notions about how much weight we want to lose and completely overlook the fact that our particular body build, metabolic rate, height, and other factors determine when weight loss should stop (assuming of course that one is in good health). Consult your health care provider to determine your ideal weight.

2. You may have lost pounds quickly in the beginning of the diet but the loss has stopped because you were on a crash diet. The loss that you experience from unhealthy diets is mostly water weight. The loss is typically rapid in the beginning and may be causing vitamin and mineral depletion. Failure to lose more may be your body's way of trying to hang on to whatever it can to try to overcome a deficiency.

3. In the beginning of your diet, did you enthusiastically include exercise as part of your program? Have you stopped? Losing weight is a two-fold approach of reducing calories consumed (the food you eat) and an increase of calories burned (exercise). You may have reduced, or even eliminated, exercise time.

4. Have you been drinking more beverages to satisfy a desire to be munching? That's fine...however, just make sure that your drinks have not been sweetened with sugar. Sugar-sweetened beverages can cause a weight gain of 15 pounds in one year. They may be off-setting your efforts at weight loss. (If you have problems with "not munching"...go ahead and munch to your heart's content. Just be selective about what you munch on. Choose low-fat and low-calorie items such as fruits and veggies, chunks of reduced fat cheese, yogurt, and whole wheat crackers. Be careful to include these calories in your daily intake.)

5. You are expecting too much. Healthy weight loss occurs at about 1-2 pounds per week. (Keep this in perspective before you decide it's not fast enough...the weight did not accumulate "overnight" and it won't go away that way either.)

Set reasonable goals for yourself and follow a healthy diet to lose weight in a steady manner. You'll look great by next year at this time!

Originally posted on: https://articlebliss.com/Article/854718/Why-Am-I-NOT-Losing-Weight-This-Is-A-Common-Lament-From-Dieters-Who-Are-Doing-The-Right-Things.html

OVERNIGHT OATS » 5 ways, healthy & easy

5 Reasons Why You Are Not Losing Weight on a Ketogenic Diet

When you are in ketosis, your body burns fat and uses it for energy in an efficient manner. This process makes the keto diet an ideal choice for those who are looking for an easy way of losing weight. However, if you are following this diet and are not losing weight, chances are that you are not in ketosis. Given below are some common reasons for not losing weight on the ketogenic diet.

1. Not Reaching Ketosis

Typically, most keto dieters don't lose weight because they don't achieve ketosis. And the reason that they don't achieve ketosis is that they don't reduce their carb intake. According to experts, your carb intake should be only 5 to 10% of your caloric intake.

Most keto diets require dieters to reduce at least 20 grams of carbs per day. And that's why they may not be able to burn fat. You can buy a home testing kit and use the test strips to find out if your urine contains ketones. If the test result is positive, you are in ketosis.

2. Consuming a Lot of Protein

Most low-carb diets do allow some amount of protein. If you think a keto diet refers to a high protein, low-carb diet, you need to think again. The thing is that this type of diet may not help you reach ketosis as your body can't break down the excessive amount of protein to get amino acids, and then convert the amino acids into sugar.

When on a keto diet, you get your calories from fat. And fat should be at least 55% of your caloric intake.

3. Eating a Lot of Acceptable Carbs

You can have some types of carbs when on the keto diet, such as dairy and nuts. Typically, these foods are rich in fat and nutrients. Therefore, they can be an ideal addition to your diet. But the problem is that they have carbs in them.

Therefore, it's not a good idea to have a lot of these foods. Ignoring this advice will prevent you from maintaining ketosis.

4. Eating Maltitol

Usually, sugar alcohols are fine for keto dieters. They offer sweetness but don't increase the number of carbs in your body. But it's important to keep in mind that some types of alcohols do contain carbs.

For instance, maltitol is a type that is not allowed on this low-carb diet. Technically, it's low GI sugar but has an impact on your blood sugar levels. Therefore, it may prevent you from achieving ketosis.

5. Taking Too Many Calories

If you eat more calories than you burn, you won't be able to shed those extra pounds. In fact, if you consume a lot of calories, you may gain fat even if you have achieved ketosis.

Foods that contain a lot of fat have more calories compared to foods that are rich in proteins and carbs. Therefore, it's important that you monitor the calories you consume on a daily basis. If you stick to a balanced diet, you may achieve your goals.

So, these are a few reasons you may not be able to lose weight on your keto diet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10222901

Full day of Eating - Extreme Fat loss Diet - Lose 10 Kg

7 Smoothies Made with Avocado You Have to Try

Avocados are great and they can be eaten in almost anything. The newest trend is to add avocados to smoothies. They have a silky texture but not an overbearing taste which makes them an ideal choice for your smoothie ingredients.

Smoothies made with avocado have real substance as opposed to other unfulfilling smoothies. They also have many health benefits. Avocados are rich in proteins, fiber, good fat, and potassium. They are known to aid in digestion, prevent bad breath, and maintain a healthy, good looking skin and hair. Your eyes, heart, and liver will also benefit from the avocado (Read more).

1. Avocado & Banana Smoothie

This is one of the most common combinations of smoothies made with avocado. The health benefits of avocados, bananas, and honey are already well-known. This smoothie will give you the energy you need to start your day and is extremely easy to make. It is delicious while keeping its nutritional values. It can be adjusted to fit your needs and preferences. For example, you can use almond milk instead of the orange juice and you will also have a rich protein content.

Ingredients: 1 avocado, 1 banana, ¼ cup honey, 2 ½ cups ice, 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 ½ fresh orange juice from 3 oranges.

2. Avocado & Strawberry smoothie

Only use low-fat yogurt and milk to help with your weight loss efforts. Strawberries are known to boost your immune system due to their Vitamin C content and help treat arthritis and gout due to their rich content of antioxidants and detoxifiers. Avocado will improve your heart’s health by balancing blood lipids due to their fatty acid composition and help provide a healthy skin, eyes, and hair.

Ingredients: 150g halved strawberries, ½ peeled and cut avocado, 4 tbsp low-fat natural yogurt, lemon or lime juice, honey, and 200ml milk.

3. Grapefruit Almond Smoothie

This smoothie is low in calories but rich in vitamins A and C. It is made with great ingredients that are full of antioxidants and boost health by lowering cholesterol and managing blood pressure. The almonds add healthy fats and the protein your body needs so much and the coconut water gives it a great flavor

Ingredients: 1 cup peeled the grapefruit, ½ pitted the avocado, 1tsp pomegranate powder, 4oz grapes, 3 tbsp almonds, 1 cup of coconut water, 1 cup ice, and 1 ½ oz swiss chard.

4. Blue Lavender and Avocado Smoothie

You know the lavender scent has a calming effect but you might not be aware that eating the lavender flowers will have the same effect. The other ingredients in this smoothie have other health benefits. The blueberries have the highest levels of the antioxidant anthocyanin and also improve cognition and relieve stress.

Ingredients: 1 chopped pear, 1 oz blueberries, ¼ pitted avocado, ½ tsp lavender, ¼ cup gluten free oats, 1 cup ice, 1 cup water and ½ tsp maqui berry powder.

5. Vanilla and Avocado Smoothie

This recipe will boost your energy helping you get ready for the day. It is rich in potassium and thus helps your muscular function. Low levels of potassium will make you feel weak and tired and you can get the potassium you need.

Ingredients: 1 chopped pear, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp lucuma powder, ¼ pitted avocado, 1 tbsp hemp seed, 1 cup ice and 1 cup vanilla almond milk.

6. Pistachio Cream Pie

This smoothie will help lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels by providing the potassium your body needs. Pistachios are full of fiber and will be a great help in your weight control efforts. The spirulina is rich in Omega-3 and calcium.

Ingredients: 1 banana, ½ pitted avocado, ½ tsp spirulina, 1 cup ice, 1 tbsp pistachios, 1 cup vanilla almond milk and 1 ½ red Russian kale.

7. Avocado and Melon Smoothie.

This smoothie is an excellent source of protein, vitamin C, B12 calcium, fiber, potassium, and iodine. The melon is a great source of antioxidants and helps stop free radical damage to your body. This smoothie has anti-inflammatory properties and will also help you prevent heart disease.

Ingredients: 1 peeled and cut avocado, 1 cup melon chunks, 1 cup fat-free milk, 1 tbsp honey, ½ cup apple juice, 1 cup fat-free yogurt and as much lime juice as you need.

Avocados can be combined with various ingredients and this way you will never get bored with your smoothies. Every morning you can quickly make a smoothie that is as healthy than the one you had the day before but tastes differently. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients to find your favorite one.

Originally posted on: https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/7-smoothies-made-with-avocado-you-have-to-try