Having you been during endless cardio workouts and still struggling to lose weight?

Next week JJ Virgin will be going into detail on 5 simple steps you can put into action NOW to have the body, energy, and confidence for this summer and beyond!

Here’s a little of what she’ll be covering . . .

1. Burst to Blast Fat
2. Eating by the Plate
3. How to create your metabolic SPANX
4. What to look for in meal replacement shakes
5. How sleep impacts weight loss

Continue reading ‘Top 5 Tips to Burn More Fat from Celebrity Nutrition & Fitness Expert JJ Virgin’ »

When you eat breakfast in the morning do you find you are hungrier throughout the day? I recently had someone comment that this was what they experienced and for that reason they choose not to eat breakfast.

So, let’s address why this may happen and what you can do if you find eating breakfast increases your hunger.

First of all, there are two potential reasons breakfast can increase your hunger later in the morning.

1. Higher metabolism

When you do not eat breakfast the body naturally adapts and conserves energy by slowing your metabolism and decreasing hunger. This adaptive function can lead to bad habits of not eating breakfast then also skipping lunch because you just don’t feel hungry and not eating your first meal until the middle of the afternoon. The major benefit of eating a healthy breakfast is to jump start your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day to promote weight loss. This elevated metabolic rate may cause feelings of hunger mid-morning. It is okay to satisfy this hunger with a small snack, such as a handful of mixed nuts.

2. High carbohydrate breakfast

Continue reading ‘Does breakfast make you hungry?’ »

Have many diets have you tried . . . and failed? Are you ready to stop the dieting roller coaster and gain control of what makes you overeat?

Emotional eating is one of the major causes of overeating, weight gain, and weight regain and one that many traditional weight loss plans and diets fail to address. For many smart, busy women, it’s the root of their overeating problem.

Next week at the Virtual Health Retreat, Dr. Melissa McCreery will explain what emotional eating is, what you need to know about it, and how to prevent it from sabotaging your weight loss plans. She’ll also tell you the steps you can take to take control of your eating and begin to create effective and lasting change in your health and make peace with food.

Here’s a little of what she’ll be covering . . .

• Why diets don’t work and the missing ingredient you need to be effective
• How to identify what you are really craving (if you are overeating, you MUST break this cycle!)
• How to create your own customized blueprint for making peace with food-once and for all

Continue reading ‘3 Tips to Stop Emotional Eating (Before it Sabotages Your Next Weight Loss Plan!)’ »

Researchers periodically evaluate data from NHANES (National Healthy and Nutrition Examination Survey). Recently rates of obesity were compared over the past 50 years.

Between 1960-1980 the number of adults who were obese stayed relatively stable. Between 1976-1980 and 1988-1994 data the number of obese adults in the US increased 8 percentage points. Then between 1999-2000 data reported further increases in the number of U.S. obese adults.

Well, the latest research has been analyzed again and the good news is that the percentage of obese women did not significantly increase between 1999 and 2008.

If obesity is not longer increasing, that is great news; but the fact that 68% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese and 32% of U.S. school children are above the 85th percentile BMI-for-age leaves plenty of room for concern.

It’s still critical that individuals who are overweight or obese take steps to lose the extra pounds. Obesity is a major health risk increasing risk for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) between 25-29.9.
Obesity is defined as a body mass index above 30.0.

Don’t know where you fall? Here’s a how to calculate your BMI:

Weight divided by height divided by height x 703 = BMI

Here’s an example:

Height = 64 inches
Weight = 150 pounds

150 divided by 64 divided by 64 x 703 = 25.7 (overweight)

The first step is to evaluate your situation and outline a plan of action. A Mini Diet Makeover will complete this for you – http://www.lisanelsonrd.com/minidietmakeover.html.

Have you been successful losing weight? I’d love to hear your story. You can share your story as a comment below.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
1-A-Week Weight Loss Tips
http://www.weightlosswithlisa.com

Current recommendations are to consume 25-35 grams of dietary fiber everyday. Here are 4 benefits you’ll receive from achieving the recommended intake.

1. Lower cholesterol and stabilized blood sugar/insulin levels.

2. Regularity to prevent constipation and diverticulosis (small out-pouchings from the large intestine).

3. Reduced risk of colon cancer.

4. Increased satiety – you’ll feel full when eating less calories and fat to promote weight loss.

Some of the best fiber sources include fruits and vegetables!

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
How to Lower Cholesterol in 8 Simple Steps
http://www.lowercholesterolwithlisa.com

Aging throws some hurdles into your heart health and weight loss plans. For one your metabolism drops every decade as you age. Here are some mistakes to avoid if you want to see success:

1. Eating the same way you did 10-20 years ago.

Your metabolism (the rate you burn calories) decreases about 2% every 10 years beginning at age 30. If you continue to eat the same amount year after year you will gain weight.

2. Skipping meals.

May temporarily “save calories”, but you’ll quickly replace the calories as hunger leads you to overindulge at the next meal. Skipping meals can also cause your metabolism to slow down.

3. Jumping from fad diet to fad diet.

Fad diet should be synonymous with “bad diet”. There’s no research to back up the claims that eliminating this food or adding that one will cause you to lose weight. Nor will eating at only certain times of the day give you the long term results you seek.

4. Keeping unhealthy snacks within reach.

If you only have potato chips and sweets in your cupboards you are not setting yourself up for success. You must keep fruits and vegetables and healthy high fiber snacks on hand if you are to be expected to include more in your diet.

What are some of your habits that are sabotaging your success? I’d love to hear them. Share as a comment below.

Here’s a link to 1-A-Week Weight Loss Tips – http://www.weightlosswithlisa.com.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Best Weight Loss Plan
http://www.bestweightlossplan.org

When trying to be heart healthy and lose weight a salad can be a great choice to include as a regular part of your meal plan – either as a vegetable side or the main entrée.

However, a salad can quickly become a weight loss disaster if you make the 7 mistakes below!

Mistake #1 – Selecting iceberg lettuce.

Iceberg lettuce is one of the most common forms of lettuce you’ll find in grocery stores and salad bars. Unfortunately iceberg lettuce provides minimal nutrients (mostly crunchy water). Select dark green, leafy lettuce varieties, such as romaine and endive. Also, greens like spinach and arugula provide added nutrients to your salad mix.

Mistake #2 – Skimping on fresh vegetables.

You can afford to splurge on fresh vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Fresh vegetables are low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals.

Mistake #3 – Skipping the protein.

If your salad is your entrée it’s important to add some protein, such as chopped eggs, nuts and seeds, beans, or shredded meat (turkey/ham/chicken/seafood). Refer to How Much Protein Do You Need to Lose Weight? for a review of your protein needs.

Mistake #4 – Choosing a cream based soup.

Soup is often included on salad bars. Cream based soups tend to be high in calories and fat. Opt for broth based soups instead.

Mistake #5 – Loading up on salad toppings

Croutons, sesame noodles, and bacon bits are a few common salad toppings. These topping should be used sparingly. They provide minimal nutrients and are high in calories.

Mistake #6 – Selecting a high fat, high calorie salad dressing.

Now, if you’ve avoided the first five mistakes, you don’t want to ruin your nutritious salad with a poor dressing choice. Opt for vinegar based salad dressings or low fat/calorie salad dressing if available and use sparingly. Tip: Dip your fork in a small cup of salad dressing before every bite instead of pouring the dressing on your salad. You get great flavor with every bite and use significantly less dressing.

Mistake #7 – Making too many trips to the salad bar.

Even if your salad bar includes unlimited trips it’s not necessary to go back multiple times – which can be very tempting. Decide in advance how many trips you’ll make and stick with your plan. Even though a well-balanced salad is a healthy choice, too much of a good thing can quickly turn bad!

Receive a step by step plan to promote heart health and weight loss with a Mini Diet Makeover. As a special New Year’s bonus you’ll receive a complimentary copy of the Calorie Counter for Dummies. Learn more here – http://www.lisanelsonrd.com/minidietmakeover.html

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
http://www.lisanelsonrd.com

THIS MONTH ONLY – When you sign up for a Mini Diet Makeover you’ll not only receive a personalized diet plan outlining the steps you must take to achieve your goals, but you’ll also receive a complimentary copy of The Calorie Counter for Dummies.

Here’s to a fitter and healthier 2010!

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Healthy Tips
http://www.hearthealthmadeeasy.com

This is the year you are going to be successful! You just need to rethink a few of your ideas regarding healthy eating. To be successful with your healthy eating and weight loss plan you need to keep it simple.

Here are three tips to get you started on the right path this year:

1. Focus on nutrient dense foods.

   Select nutrient dense foods to promote your overall health and weight loss. The nutrient density of a food is measured by the amount of nutrients a food contains versus the number of calories. For example, fruit is very nutrient dense while potato chips have a low nutrient density.

2. Lose the diet mentality.

   Diets typically backfire. If you lose weight by following a diet it’s very likely you will gain the weight back. Studies even show you will gain back more weight than you lost. Following a diet can lead you to start obsessing about food and eventual binge-eating patterns. Instead of “going on a diet”, focus on healthy new eating habits.

3. Eat well-balanced small meals.

   Keep your metabolism high by eating 5-6 small well-balanced meals everyday, instead of the standard 3 large meals with no snacks. This allows your body to burn calories efficiently versus storing extra energy as fat. Shoot for a small meal or snack every 3-4 hours.

As a special New Year’s bonus you’ll recieve a complimentary copy of the Calorie Counter for Dummies when you sign up for a Mini Diet Makeover. Learn more here – http://www.lisanelsonrd.com/minidietmakeover.html

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD

New Year’s is just around the corner and you know what that means. . .New Year’s Resolutions! Every year you set a goal to make a change for the better. This should be a time of great excitement; however, you may be approaching it with a sense of dread instead. Will you achieve your goal? Or will it end up being another resolution that falls to the wayside?

The statistics are not very encouraging. Most people give up on their New Year resolutions within three weeks. According to one discouraging study, only 8% of American’s actually achieve their New Year resolutions!

How will you keep yourself motivated and make this the year you achieve your goals?

Here are five tips to stay motivated:

1. Set realistic goals.

Set a goal you know you can achieve. If you are currently inactive, it’s unrealistic to set a goal to run 5 miles three times a week. Instead, set a goal you can achieve, such as “I will walk 30 minutes 3 days a week.” Realistic goals can be motivating because once you achieve your goal you can set a new one! This allows you to “see” the progress you’re making. Which brings us to the next important strategy. . .

2. Set measurable goals.

Measurable goals make it possible to track your progress. For example, instead of setting the goal “I will eat out less this year” change it to “I will eat out no more than once a week this year”. By setting measurable goals you can easily track if you are sticking with your goals.

3. Write your goals down.

Writing down your goals makes them “real” versus keeping a mental list. Post your resolution where you will see it everyday as a reminder and added motivation.

4. Tell a friend.

Share your goals with others. This provides a sense of accountability. It’s much easier to let yourself down, but when you’ve shared your plan with someone else, there’s often an increased desire to succeed.

5. Reward Yourself!

When you achieve a goal, reward yourself. It’s important to recognize your accomplishments and treat yourself. Just make sure your treat is in line with your goal. If you want to lose weight, this isn’t the time to treat yourself to an ice cream sundae. Consider other small rewards you’d enjoy, such as a good book, new music CD, or new pair of shoes.

As a special New Year’s bonus you’ll recieve a complimentary copy of the Calorie Counter for Dummies when you sign up for a Mini Diet Makeover. Learn more here – http://www.lisanelsonrd.com/minidietmakeover.html

All the best,

Lisa Nelson RD