Weight Loss for Couch Potatoes - Don't Get up, I'll Explain...

Summary:

 

How to use emotional re-programming (natural self-hypnosis) to transform food cravings into exercise cravings. Explains how behavior patterns are created and how to change patterns to achieve effortless and permanent weight loss.

 

Article:

 

You're fat and you know it! Now I'm going to tell you something you don't already know. 

 

You think you already know why you're fat but you don't. You think it's because you just don't have enough time and motivation to exercise. You think it's because you love food and don't quite have enough willpower to cut back sufficiently. You don't have a clue!

 

The real reason you're gaining weight is going to shock you: it's because you have the mind of a well-trained athlete. Don't laugh quite yet. Have you ever noticed how fast athletes gain weight when they retire from competition? It's freakish. The same reason that athletes are good at sports later causes them to bloat -- they have especially "trainable" subconscious minds. If you understand the mechanism then you can learn to control your weight without diet, suffering or an inhuman exercise schedule.

 

Weight Loss and your Athletic Mind

 

Before I continue, I should say that it is true: the immediate cause of weight-gain is what you eat and how you live. I'm not preaching any pseudo-science here. However, controlling what you eat and how you live is elusively difficult and I will show you why. If you think you can change your behavior pattern with sheer willpower -- then you just haven't really tried yet.

 

Sure, you and I pride ourselves in being rational adults, in control of our choices and our destiny. But that's just a load of crap. In truth, we rarely ever do anything that brings us discomfort in the short run. You think otherwise? Go take a straight-cold shower just to prove who is in control. Go without solid food for two days. It won't hurt you, but it will make your body angry. And the fact of the matter is that we are usually slaves to response patterns established by our bodies. Sorry but it's true.

 

The Key to Controlling your Body is to Control Your Mind

 

Training your body is all about training your mind. We're not talking calculus here, we're talking about your sub-conscious mind -- where deep emotions, established patterns, habit and instant responses live. You are a trinity of sorts, 1) a lazy body, 2) a clever and fickle conscious mind and 3) a lumbering but steady subconscious that does most of the work around here.

 

You probably know already that the subconscious mind provides emotional responses to reinforce "good" behavior (like eating pizza) -- but what you might not know is that the subconscious is also responsible for all athletic ability. Even the simple stuff like walking or typing is a constant interaction of conscious commands and unconscious responses. For example, when you learn to shoot a basketball, what you are actually doing is using the conscious mind to burn in a pattern which develops into a subconscious skill-set. When you've truly mastered a move, you "no longer have to think about it". If you're still thinking about the mechanics of a dance step -- it's a sign that you have not "learned it" yet. That is, your subconscious cannot yet take over. Once you have "learned" the skill, your conscious mind need only call out the command and the subconscious does the action.

 

To better understand your psychology, let's liken your mind to a couple animals: imagine a Chimp riding on the back of an Elephant. The subconscious mind is like a slow dumb strong elephant while your conscious mind is like the clever fast chimp.

 

Chimp (Conscious Mind)

• Fast

• Clever

• Creative

• Forgetful

• Thinks he's in control

 

Elephant (Subconscious)

• Slow

• Not creative

• Slow learner with a vast memory

• Awesome reflexes (ok so the metaphor's not perfect)

• Usually in control 

The Willpower Myth

 

The nice thing about this little metaphor is that it allows me to point out the absurdity of the whole concept of "willpower" in the sense of the conscious mind overwhelming the subconscious with a show of brute force. Seriously, just imagine the chimp wresting the elephant. Where's the "brute force" of the chimp? The elephant's just going to sit on him and the game is over. That, by the way, is exactly where every diet ends when supported by willpower alone. The subconscious is a powerful part of your mind. You can control it through persuasion but not with brute force.

 

The Elephant, the Stick and the String

 

In Indonesia, elephants are used in construction work because they are so powerful and yet obedient. All day long the elephant moves hundreds of tons of stone and wood and at night he taken to his bed of straw and tied up. Do you know how big the rope is required to hold an elephant? It's just a little string tied to a stick driven into the ground.

 

You see, when the elephant was very young, he was tied with the same stick and string -- and he was too little to pull free. For the rest of his life, he remembers this and never questions the superior strength of the little stick and string. Think about it.

 

What are you really capable of? To be blunt, you have no idea. Your limitations are defined by childhood experience -- and bear no relation to your adult capabilities. Like the elephant, you are emotionally tethered by childhood ideas. Most of your adult personality is just a protective cage built by a scared child. What would you give to have the power to redefine yourself?

 

Now for the good news: you're not just an elephant, you're also part chimp! That could have sounded better but never mind. Your mind has a small, clever, conscious aspect that gives you the ability to reprogram your entire mind. That's right, your conscious mind (the chimp) has the ability to completely re-write and take control of your entire mental reality.

 

This ability defines humans -- it makes us the most flexible animals on earth and it allows us to train our minds to do amazing things. From playing concert piano to extreme sports, the vast power of the mind is tapped by this uniquely human capability.

 

Ok, so what does all this have to do with weight loss?

 

Remember, the elephant learns and repeats patterns of behavior that are taught to it - so the real question is "how to teach the subconscious". Here's the simple single trick that people need to understand. If you understand this simple principle then you can be the master of your own mind. You will also understand why our educational system doesn't work (but that's another article entirely).

 

Our subconscious mind ignores most of what we tell it because we bark at it in the wrong language. The language of the subconscious mind is EMOTION. Using the barometer of our emotion, the subconscious mind is able to determine the importance of any particular behavior. For example, say that you're trying to learn a new skill. You're working hard to learn but you are not enjoying the task and your emotions are saying "this sucks, I wish I were elsewhere, how much longer is this going to take?" Well, it's going to take a lot longer because you're broadcasting to your subconscious mind the message "ignore this activity, just move along, there's nothing to see here." What was your emotional state, and how easily did you learn in high school?

 

It may not feel like it but you're in full control of your conscious emotions. And this is the fundamental method of programming the subconscious mind. It is, without a doubt, a form of natural hypnosis. Whereas traditional hypnosis works by moving aside the conscious mind, emotional programming works by using the conscious mind - but to the same effect.

 

Now for the dark side: remember how I mentioned that have three aspects? Body, conscious and subconscious? Well, as it turns out, your body is busy programming your subconscious mind all the time. For example, you're hungry so you bite into a slice of thick cheesy pizza -- at which point your body screams out (on an emotional level) "this is good activity, very very good activity". Food cravings are actually subconscious patterns based on years of such programming.

 

Thankfully, the mind is fully re-programmable.

 

Now that you understand the basic mechanics of programming your mind, you can put it into practice right away. What you are going to do is to replace food cravings with exercise cravings. This technique is fun and very powerful because, rather than working against years of food programming, you're going to do some mental Ju-Jitsu and simply translate an existing food craving into a desire for exercise. Magic? It's better!

 

It's quite simple: first of all you're going to stop eating for a while (non-sugared drinks are ok). This is not a diet plan, we're not yet trying to lose weight. We're just trying to stimulate a hunger response. Now, when you begin to feel the initial sense of hunger, do this:

 

Breathe in deeply, relax, and feel the hunger -- then don't think of food. Instead, imagine yourself doing sit-ups and absolutely loving it. That's right, visualize yourself hungry and doing sit-ups and let a feeling of joy and satisfaction flood over you. Then return to whatever you were doing.

 

In a few minutes, when the next pang of hunger comes, repeat this mental exercise. Keep it up for an hour or so and then go have a light snack. While you are eating (especially while you are eating) visualize yourself doing sit-ups and loving it. Associate in your imagination hunger, food, situps and joy.

 

Hunger, Food, Sit-ups and Joy? He's Crazy!

 

Perhaps, but what you are doing is linking a desirable behavior to a very well established response pattern. You will be amazed at how you can use this technique to stimulate a deep urge to do sit-ups. The mind is truly amazing.

 

By the way, after a few days go ahead and give into the urge to do some sit-ups. As you exercise, make sure to continue the emotional feedback by "letting" yourself enjoy exercise. If you feel yourself not enjoying the process, take control of your emotions right away or stop exercising. It's not worth sabotaging your work to burn a few extra calories.

 

Don't push your body, push your mind! Your mind is the only gymnasium that really matters. Eventually, your mind will push your body and you will be able to enjoy the process.

 

I remember several years ago when I first experimented with this technique. As I started craving sit-ups, I realized that doing sit-ups would physically relieve any sense of hunger for an hour or so. I thought I had stumbled upon the strangest diet plan ever, the "silly, happy, sit-up diet". But really, what I had discovered was the ability to consciously sublimate deep cravings to accomplish a desired objective. If you're interested in exploring this technique I strongly suggest you download a self-hypnosis MP3 audio called "Appetite Zapper". It will step you through the process of taking complete control of food cravings:

 

Appetite Zapper MP3: http://weight-loss.wendi.com

 

The mind is amazing but it just doesn't come with a user's manual. Most of the time it works pretty well on autopilot so we rarely learn to pop the hood and explore its full potential. That's a shame because most of what we want in life - success, happiness, health, good relationships, the satisfaction of achievement - these things are all within our reach and the only thing holding us back is, you guessed it, a string and a stick.

Weight Loss Drug - Ideal Cure for the Ailment Called Obesity

Obesity carries danger of harmful diseases with it. It’s better to cure it at the right time. In this article you will learn how weight loss drug can work as an effective solution to obesity and other aspects of weight loss drug.

 

Nobody likes to be called “obese”. Just because you have few extra pound of body weight, you are counted to be obese. Obesity must have put you into many embarrassing moments, but you could do nothing? Tried a lot many medicines and other weight reducing products, but nothing could help. No need to feel the humiliation anymore weight loss drug is here to cure the obesity. 

 

Weight loss drug as the name implies is the drug tailored to help overweight people lose that extra weight quickly and too with complete ease. Losing weight is no more difficult and horrifying with weight loss drug.

 

One can find several type of weight loss drug in the market namely Phentermine, Xenical, Adipex, Meridia, Ionamine and the list endless. Different weight loss drug have different features that stand them separate from others. Weight loss drug helps in losing weight either by working as an appetite suppressant or fat absorber; it totally depends on you that which one you find the most suitable as per your body requirement and resistance. Consult your doctor on which weight loss drug will satisfy your aspirations to the best. In case you don’t want to waste your time in fixing an appointment with the doctor and visiting him. Online pharmacist or druggist is a perfect alternative who work with various online pharmacy websites. Most of the website will provide you this service free of cost. 

 

As a coin has two sides, same is the case with weight loss drug. Few side effects may occur due to weight loss drug usage but can be minimized by keeping the precautions in mind. Follow the guidelines and reduce weight with ease. 

 

With the invention of Internet the whole scenario has changed. Pharmaceutical industry has also got influenced by it, that too on a large scale. Internet has become a centre place where both sellers and buyers can interact with each other. You can book your order for the needed weight loss drug by just filling a small online form available at various websites. 

 

Always look for quality weight loss drug that are approved by FDA. If you want to get the weight loss drug at a price that suits your pocket to the best. You must collect catalogues from several online suppliers and then compare their offers; this will help you get the desired weight loss drug at the best price helping you reduce that extra pound of weight without pinching your pocket. 

 

Mark an end to all the embarrassments and guilt feelings that you have been facing because of your obesity with weight loss drug. Make sure to follow the instructions and weight loss drug prescription given to you to ensure best results out of weight loss drug.

Weight Loss Discussion - To Be Or Not To Be Fat??

Show me a female who can sincerely admit that she is happy with her appearance in every way. Someone, who wouldn’t change a thing about herself/himself even if it was as easy as just wishing it. Unless that person is a bold one living-on-some-mountain monk, I don’t think that that kind of person exists. 

 

Our physical shape is dictated to us as well as anything else is: dress according to the latest fashion, date the coolest guys (also make sure your parents like them), read the right books, eat the right food. What is the right food, I wonder. Do you open your refrigerator and a carton of milk jumps out of it into your lap, screaming: “I am good for your heath! Drink me! ... And quit staring at that chocolate cake!!!”.

 

No help from groceries? Need not worry, because precisely at this point, tones of real good articles and health books emerge to your assistance. Before you know it, your head is overloaded with useful advises of the greatest diets, best cosmetics and the safest birth control accessories - this is when you lose control instead of gaining it. Your head is spinning, ready to blow up any second, too much information (this would be a good time for me to advise you on a really-really good diet, Just kidding). 

 

This is the point when you should stop. First thing first, take a deep breath. Have you ever considered that perhaps you need not a diet? (Shame on me, I know) But still, could there be any chance at all that all you need is the right nutrition? I’m sure you’ve all heard about dystrophy - an unpleasant disease that turns a beautiful body into a living (in the better cases) skeleton. Dystrophy, as other such mischief, often arises from the notion that if you are not a top-model-skinny-creature, girl, you are fat. Do yourselves a favor, before starving yourselves to death, throw away a couple of fashion magazines, I am sure you’ll feel better right away.

Weight Loss Diets: How To Make Them Work

 

Do conventional diets help us to reduce weight? Does the food composition of weight loss diets matter? How important is support when losing weight? Linda Smith, an experienced dietitian and nutritional consultant outlines the issues and provides answers.

 

As we all know, weight loss diets are big business. And looking at the statistics, it's easy to see why. Currently, an estimated 58 million American adults are overweight (BMI 25+), of whom an estimated 40 million are obese (BMI 30+), 9.6 million are seriously obese and 6 million suffer from super-obesity (BMI 40+). Worldwide statistics on overweight are equally alarming, as reflected in the new word "globesity". In China, the number of overweight people has risen from less than 10 percent to 15 percent in just three years. In Brazil and Colombia, the figure of overweight is about 40 percent - comparable with several European countries. Even sub-Saharan Africa is seeing an increase in obesity, especially among urban women. In all regions, obesity appears to escalate as income increases. And the higher the incidence of obesity, the higher the incidence of weight-related disease, including: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders like insulin resistance, and cancers of the breast and colon.

 

Conventional Diet Methods

 

Both the US Surgeon General and the Dietary Guidelines For Americans (2005) issued by the US Dept of Agriculture emphasise the need for calorie control and increased physical exercise to reduce the overweight epidemic, but evidence suggests that conventional diet methods do not provide significant weight reduction, due to poor compliance. Surveys show that annual weight loss resulting from convention diet and exercise programs averages less than 8 pounds per annum, while in a 4-year follow-up study of programs incorporating the use of obesity drugs, behavior modification, diet and exercise, the final average weight loss was 3 pounds. This apparent failure of conventional weight loss methods is often contrasted with the 30-40 percent average weight loss following bariatric surgery.

 

Food Composition of Diets

 

Fashion sells products, and weight loss diets are no exception. First we had low-fat diets, which were promoted as heart-friendly ways of reducing weight. Unfortunately, this message was interpreted by consumers as "all fats are bad, all carbs are good", and led to an unhealthy overconsumption of refined carbs. With the relaunch of Dr Atkins "New Diet Revolution", the fashion pendulum swung the other way. Now carbs were the enemy, not fat.

 

After Atkins came the South Beach Diet, which offered us a more moderate low-carb approach. Now, it is GI diets - based on foods with a lower glycaemic response - that are high fashion and, being scientifically more beneficial, are likely to remain so for some time. However, while the food composition of diets may change, the basic law of weight loss remains unaltered: calorie expenditure must exceed calorie intake. To this extent, provided a diet is calorie-controlled and includes foods from all food groups, the exact composition of foods remains no more than a matter of personal taste.

General Eating and Exercise Habits

 

When assessing the effectiveness of conventional dieting methods, due regard must be paid to general eating habits. In America at least, these do not appear to be helpful. Despite the mounting evidence of weight-related ill-health, social eating habits continue to develop in unhealthy directions. Value-for-money "supersizing" continues to attract customers, while fast-food sales continue to rise. And the continuing demand for "instant" food only inspires the food industry to produce more and more refined food options bulging with nutritional deficiency and calorie-overload. Is it any wonder that levels of diet-compliance among average dieters is so low? Meantime, an estimated 78 percent of Americans do not meet basic activity level recommendations, while 25 percent are completely sedentary.

 

Is Support the Answer?

 

If conventional diet programs remain less than perfect ways of tackling overweight in the face of engrained eating habits, it would be misleading to write them off completely. Not only does research data from the US National Weight Control Registry demonstrate that long term weight reduction is perfectly achievable, a number of diet programs, especially medically-supervised clinic-based programs, are consistently effective. What distinguishes these diets is the level of counseling support which subjects receive. Nowadays, this support can be provided in various ways, including: mandatory group meetings, one-on-one sessions, online forums or chat-rooms. And it seems to work. For example, according to recent studies, the average weight reduction for a 10-12 week clinic-based obesity program involving meal-replacement diets, exercise and counseling support is 5.5 pounds.

 

Finding More Support

 

If getting proper support is one way of improving conventional diets, dieters need to rethink their approach. Instead of focusing attention on finding the optimal eating-plan, they need to look for programs offering optimal support. Weight Watchers is an obvious choice but diets organised around the workplace or other social groupings may also provide natural help. Online programs with forum support might also be considered. In any event, there is no substitute for a reliable dieting partner.

 

Adopting Healthy Habits

 

Given the fact that losing as little as 7-10 percent of body weight can improve many of the problems linked to being overweight, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, some obesity experts advocate a less formal approach to calorie control. They recommend adopting certain healthy habits rather than following a specific diet. An example might be a 200-calorie-a-day reduction achievable by taking a moderate 30 minute walk, and switching from (say) whole milk to skimmed milk. This saves 73,000 calories a year - the equivalent of 20 pounds of body fat. The commercial response to this approach is already visible in programs such as the "Three Hour Diet", which recommends regular eating to maintain a regular rate of calorie burning. Expect to see more weight loss programs like this, which emphasise specific habits.

 

Conclusion

 

Current levels of overweight and obesity require urgent attention. To be effective, conventional diet programs need to provide optimal support rather than optimal food composition, in order to facilitate diet compliance. For people who are unable or unwilling to follow a specific weight loss plan, making small but specific changes may be sufficient to achieve significant improvements in health.

Weight Loss Diets - A Review Of 4 Popular Diets

 

There are a number of diets available, but here I review four which are popular at the moment. 

 

1000 Calorie Diet 

 

Trying the 1000 calorie diet is only advisable for one week, due to your body entering starvation mode and conserving fat. Overdoing the 1000 calorie diet is counterproductive to your body so try to stay on it for only 1 week. After 1 week you will lose between 3-5 pounds. The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. After 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your body’s metabolism from slowing down. Here is a simple 1000 calorie daily menu. 

 

Breakfast 

 

• Banana sandwich made with 2 slices of wholemeal bread and a small banana. 

• Small glass of orange juice 

 

Snack 

 

• 1 pot of low fat yoghurt (preferably fruit) 

 

Lunch 

 

• 1 wholemeal roll filled with tuna and low fat mayonnaise (use tin tuna in spring water) 

• Mixed lettuce salad, red or yellow sweet peppers, spring onions 

 

Snack 

 

• 1 bag of lower fat crisps 

 

Dinner 

 

• Roast chicken breast (without skin) 

• Potatoes, mashed with 30ml semi-skimmed milk 

• Broccoli (all vegetables steamed or boiled) 

• Carrots 

• Gravy (made from granules) 

 

Evening 

 

• 1 low calorie hot chocolate drink made with powder and water 

 

Drinks Throughout The Day 

 

• Diet coke, water, black coffee or tea without sugar 

 

The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. Remember after 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your body’s metabolism from slowing down. 

 

Vegetarian Diet 

 

A well balanced vegetarian diet provides many benefits for the body. Some of those benefits include a reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as: 

 

• Obesity 

• Coronary artery disease 

• Hypertension 

• High blood pressure 

• Diabetes 

• Some types of cancer and more... 

 

Your vegetarian diet, must be planned well. If not your body could end up in need of some vital nutrients. Some of these nutrients essential for the body are: 

 

• Protein 

• Minerals (zinc, calcium, iron) 

• Vitamin B12 

• Vitamin D 

 

Protein sources include, tofu and other soy-based products, legumes, seeds, nuts, grains, and vegetables 

 

Experts say that in order for a balanced vegetarian diet, you should eat nuts and whole grain cereals for good sources amino acids. 

 

Greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli are a good source of calcium. 

 

For sources of vitamin b12 which comes from animals, can be substituted with fortified breakfast cereals and fortified soy drinks. 

 

Sources of iron are red meats, liver and egg yolks which are all high in cholesterol. Spinach, dried beans and dried fruits are all good vegetarian sources of iron. 

 

A vegetarian diet is healthier than a meat diet. However this does not mean that you have the right to stuff your face with crisps, chocolate and chips every day. Your balanced diet should include all of the above, i.e. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, dairy produce and soy. Below is a table of some calorie controls in a vegetarian diet: 

 

• Food Group 1200 Calorie 1500 Calorie 1800 Calorie 

• Vegetables 5 servings 6 servings 8 servings 

• Fruits 3 servings 3 servings 5 servings 

• Grains 2 servings 3 servings 4 servings 

• Dairy 2 servings 2-3 servings 2-3 servings 

• Beans, Nuts and Seeds 5oz 6oz 7oz 

• Total Fat 30-35g 40-50g 50-60g 

 

You can find a massive rage of diets on the internet free of charge! A vegetarian diet is an all-round healthier option, and can go a long way to helping you on the road to losing weight. 

 

Abs Diet 

 

The Abs Diet works on the theory that every 1lb of muscle gained, your body intern burns an extra 50 calories per day. So if you can build an extra 10lb of muscle your body will then burn an extra 500 calories per day. Using the Abs Diet your body will burn more energy by eating the correct foods and exercising the correct way. Losing 500 calories per day will lose you 1lb of weight per week. Expect to lose up to 12lb in the first two weeks followed by 5-8lb in the forthcoming two.

 

The Abs Diet allows you to eat 6 meals per day which consist of 12 power foods, such as: chicken, turkey and other lean meat, olive oil, beans and pulses, almonds, low fat dairy products, green vegetables, oats, eggs, wholegrain bread, whole grain cereals, berries, and protein powder. All other food is a not allowed. 

 

For 6 weeks you will eat a series of 12 power foods, which provide the body with all the fibre and minerals you need to stay healthy and build muscle. Along with the diet you will do a 20 min workout three times per week, which will aid in the fat burning. 

 

The Abs diet is mainly aimed at men, however women are encouraged to participate. The range of foods you can eat is still good and you do get an exercise program out of it. Also some very good looking Abs, health and sex life. The full diet book is: The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko from all good on-line book stores. 

 

The Kellogg’s Cereal Diet 

 

One of the simplest diets around at the moment is the Kellogg’s Cereal Diet. It is not a crash weight loss diet which will lose you pounds upon pounds; however it will allow you to get into those jeans that are 1 size to small. 

 

To start the Kellogg’s Diet all you have to do is, eat one bowl of Kellogg’s Special K or Cornflakes for breakfast, and also one for a replacement lunch or dinner. That’s all! Carry this on for two weeks then you will see the results. Expect to lose around 3-6lb. 

 

Whist on your diet, Kellogg’s allow you to have the same drinks and snacks as you usually would, but recommend that you eat a well-balanced meal every day, with more fruit and vegetables. Another tip from Kellogg’s, is to keep a food diary to monitor and keep you aware of your current eating habits.

Weight Loss At Work: Non-Food Rewards

The e-mail comes out at noon. "To celebrate your hard work this week, there is cake and ice cream in the big kitchen at 3 today. Be there!"

 

The universal reward for hard work always seems to be food: cake and ice cream, a catered lunch for in-service training sessions, pizza for the overtime crew, bagels and cream cheese to brighten up a bleak Monday morning.

 

Food seems to be the perennial favorite for any kind of work reward because it is universally accepted. Some of us (we hard core dieters) may pass on the sweet stuff but usually find something allowable. In a world where two thirds of us are overweight or obese, is there nothing else available as a gift that cuts across all individual interests?

 

Recently, we had a whole week at my company devoted to employee appreciation. The primary rewards were, of course, food but other things were added: a company baseball cap, a hiking water container, a lunch bag, and a handwritten note of thanks to every employee from their supervisor. The cap was a bust for those of us with any modicum of fashion sense; the insulated flask and bag were food related, and the handwritten notes were superfluous - good supervisors show their appreciation of hard work constantly while a handwritten note from a harsh supervisor, no matter the "thanks" stated, means diddly squat to a resentful employee.

 

The HAS to be something else, doesn't there? We human beings have few things totally in common and eating is the primary universal. Other common bodily activities such as urination and defecation are not easily translatable into some kind of reward system. We are all involved in physical activity, to some degree, but that is often more a chore than a delight.

 

When it comes to our other senses, we all differ so much that one person's pleasure is another person's pain: music, perfume, pictures, or massages are differential tastes rather than general givens.

 

Money is almost always acceptable but the small amounts that would be individually generated to replace a free dessert or snack would be so minimal that their reward value would be insignificant.

 

So what can those of us on a permanent diet, and alarmed about our co-workers’ increased girth, suggest?

 

How about plants? Small individual pots or a larger department shrub would save our waistlines while adding to the health and aesthetics of our environment. I calculate, just within my call center, that if a plant had been given to each department, instead of an edible goodie, for celebrations over the past 5 years, that I would now be working in a lush rain forest of exotic plants where the stale re-processed air conditioned air would be purer, more humid, and a thousand times fresher. Morale booster and health benefits in one fell swoop!

 

How about the gift of time? In our overly busy pressured lives, who would not be immensely grateful for a free hour here or there. Rotate it through each department, letting one or two people leave early on a Friday afternoon. That would means something and would carry no cost so upper management should be ecstatic.

 

Instead of a handwritten note, how about getting Supervisors to perform their subordinates work duties for an hour or so, once in a while? Can you imagine the morale boost for an employee to get off the telephone, or the machine, or the computer, and shoot the breeze with friends for an hour while their duties are performed by their supervisors? And if mistakes are made - so much the better. It creates a sense of equality and inter-relationship between workers and supervisors that is generally lacking in a corporate environment.

 

How about free "Get out of jail" cards for every line worker? Each person gets one free card and additional cards can be given by supervisors for outstanding work, ensuring that the better workers have more cards. The cards can then be used as excuses for small transgressions - coming in a little late, leaving early, making minor mistakes. With the use of the card, a worker avoids verbal coaching, warnings, or being put on report. And let employees use their cards for co-workers who may need them - think of the teambuilding that would accomplish!

 

Flexibility of hours, assignments, and days, is another area where workers will universally respond: not to money, or food, but to accommodation of individual needs. Give each employee a wish card and then allow them to use it to get something they need.

 

What does all of this accomplish? It allows for employee rewards without fats and carbohydrates. Now isn't that worthwhile?

 

P. S. I'm recommending this to my company. I'll let you know if they buy it!

 

Sponsored Article

Weight Loss As An Added Bonus

The truth is that the astounding weight loss being achieved on the green tea diet is just one of the numerous miracle-like benefits of simply drinking green tea. Green tea diet is also widely recognized as a substance that can protect against many different cancers such as stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, cancer of the colon, oral cancer, prostate cancer, and breast and cervical cancers. Another antioxidant in green tea diet is also being studied as a potential cure for cancer. The green tea diet is actually a dietary supplement which is composed of natural ingredients such as green tea. 

 

Due to the popularity of recent findings, green tea has almost become synonymous with weight loss and diet. For instance, instead of drinking coffee and cream which area high in calories, green tea weight loss programs can not only save you from taking in too much calories but also let you take in several healthful substances like polyphenols and flavonoids. There are a large number of remedial benefits of drinking Green Tea and research has confirmed that consuming a small amount like just one cup of Green Tea a day can greatly assist in weight reduction and fat burning. The great thing about the weight loss benefit of green tea extracts is that it does not have any adverse side-effects. 

 

Green tea diet supplements are all the latest rage in the weight loss industry today. With its countless health and weight loss benefits, these dieting supplements are fast replacing ephedra as the leading weight loss product in the market. Although green tea weight loss supplements also contain caffeine this doesn't seem to have the negative effects found in other products with caffeine. People who use these supplements in studies will lose approximately 2 1/2 pounds per month. Yes, believe it or not, more and more often you’ll find green tea (or green tea extract) included in the compilations of many of the more popular weight loss supplements today. 

 

As opposed to black and oolong tea which undergoes full oxidization, green tea diet is only gently steamed, preserving the natural antioxidants in its original form. A green tea diet is one of the easiest lifestyle changes to make. The green tea diet is no different that it not only recommends but requires the use of simple exercises to be completed along with the consumption of the dietary supplements.

 

Weight Loss And The Proper Nutrition

Approaching the matter of nutrition and weight loss, we have to emphasize the two basic issues that nutrition itself is a culture of eating proper food in a proper manner. Let’s start with the first, proper food.

 

All cells and tissues in our body are formed by the food we eat. And also food is the energy source for our body functions. So, this can explain why proper food is so important.

 

Food is one of our strongest motivators. And unfortunately, most of us consider food to be a source of pleasure only!

 

Our bodies are not fixed statues - they are always in process, which we call metabolism.

 

Perception, memory and all the intricate complexities of bodily functions are possible because of having or producing enzymes, hormones and a thousand other wonders - that are produced in the body from what we eat.

 

As a source of energy our body uses carbohydrates (sweets), fat and protein. To be more specific, carbohydrates are the source of immediate energy, proteins are the body building blocks, and fats are the high-energy storage. But these roles sometimes overlap.

 

And faulty nutrition is the usual cause of illness!

 

At the same time, with correct choices we can prevent many food-related diseases such as heart attack (!), stroke, essential hypertension, diabetes and - even cancer!

 

More than a century ago, Ellen G. White, in "Counsels on Diet and Foods", shared her observation: "At mealtime cast off care and anxious thought. Do not feel hurried, but eat slowly and with cheerfulness, with your heart filled with gratitude to God for all His blessings". Isn’t it wonderful?

 

Just let me share with you part of our experience with nutrition and weight loss. If you haven't had any previous experience of following the simple principles I suggested when discussing how to reduce the amount of daily food, you might find them difficult to follow, but this is just on the face of it.

 

In reality it is much easier than it seems! And I promise, I’ll teach you how to master it. Because this issue of how to practice eating habits is essentially an important one!

 

The same food or eating process itself can bring you joy and fullness of life, or, on the other hand, if taken wrongly, can cause considerable damage to your health and even shorten your life!

 

How does overeating or eating the wrong food cause harm? The answer is: whatever food that our organism is not able to digest normally, becomes poisonous to us. Thus any poison will shorten our life!

 

This is the reason, why I suggest that my clients practice this: before starting to eat, gently close your eyes for a few moments, forget all your problems for a while and give yourself a smile! And then you can start eating.

 

Another recommendation is this: when eating, try to keep your eyes gently closed (or just turn your eyes away from the served food), while slowly chewing a small portion of food in your mouth.

 

Believe me, this process will bring you much more flavor, and benefits at the same time. Because just by doing this small thing you will lessen the portion of consumed meal by three to five times!!! (As I have already mentioned)

 

I would emphasize the importance of taking time to eat. When eating, if possible, make it a social occasion to communicate with your family or with your friends. But! (Always, there are some "buts"). If you decide to improve your eating habits, see if the company would be appropriate at this time, especially at the beginning. For this reason, it is better at first to have all the changes stabilized, so that you can resist any temptations...

 

But even when in difficult situations, we should never compromise basic principles of good nutrition. Always watch what you eat or drink!!! A well-mannered person will know how to do this without compromising friendly relationships.

 

As we do this, we will have the added benefits of alertness, clear thinking, and a perception that is fully aware of life’s joyful events. But real joy comes from facing reality and patiently dealing with whatever life has to offer. If we take time to learn what is good for us and make a serious effort to put it into practice, we can expect to be rewarded with extra energy and a longer and happier life!

 

Let’s take a look at sweets. Which are conglomerates of simple sugars, most important of which is glucose. This simple sugar is the supplier of the most bodily energy. Penetrating into the blood stream it meets the constant need of all the cells. Due to insulin, glucose is able to pass through the cell membrane and become available for use.

 

At the same time, our bodies are capable of properly handling only a limited amount of simple sugars in a given period of time. When exceeded (if we eat too many sweets), the pancreas is forced to work overtime producing insulin for converting excess sugar into fat.

 

Small amounts of sugar will not do this, but we must remember that there is hidden sugar in most processed food and drinks. And this is the problem - we usually eat far more sweets than our pancreas can cope with!

 

Let’s see how we can avoid this problem. When we plan our diet we should give preference to the natural source of sweets, like fruits, then wheat, rice, potatoes, beans, and other starch-containing foods. Because these vegetable foods require quite a long period of time for to be digested, and simple sugar is released gradually. This allows our body to process this energy in an orderly fashion.

 

Latest scientific researches have revealed that: consuming excessive sugar (too many sweets) can lead to such problems as:

 

• Constipation.

• Causing dental caries by providing an ideal culture medium in the mouth, and by slowing down the internal fluid circulation in the teeth.

• Depression of the immune system, by interfering with the germ-killing capacity of white blood cells.

• Promotion of adult-onset diabetes.

 

Now we come to the practical application of the above for the weight loss. With the exception of some fruits the ideal diet will include only a minimal amount of sugar, and provide an abundance of complex carbohydrates such as those found in vegetables and whole-grain pasta.

Weight Loss and Phentermine

In this article, the author has tried to show that phentermine is not the magical drug that people were always looking for. In fact, no such magic pill does exist. However, among the existing weight loss drugs, phentermine has performed the best. Get more information on phentermine in the following article.

 

How close are researchers in their discovery of a magic pill for weight loss? When Phentermine was introduced for the first time, people thought that they have finally found the drug that they were always looking for. In fact, there is always the euphoria whenever a new weight loss drug is launched. Over-weight, unlike other illnesses takes time to be cured. Besides the treatment is often too onerous demanding too much perseverance from the individual. With every drug that is launched, people expect that they will be relieved from weight without this struggle. Does phentermine reach the expectations of people?

 

Phentermine continues to be popular until today. It is one of the most purchased weight loss drugs all around the world. Around 50% of the weight loss drugs have phentermine as a major ingredient in them. In spite of this, the popularity of phentermine has not been because it reached people’s expectations. It was an advancement over the drugs at the time in the weight loss segment. 

 

Phentermine is helpful to treat the overweight condition. Phentermine is an appetite suppressant that belongs to the class of drugs known as Anorectics. They affect serotonin levels in the brain and thus decrease food cravings. In this manner, the individual feels lesser consumption of food and calories. 

 

Phentermine does not make tall promises. It does not claim to be a magical pill. People who use it will however find acceleration in the rate of reduction in fat. Therefore, taking phentermine along with balanced diet and daily workout will surely give positive results. People who are suffering from obesity and obesity related diseases must only use phentermine pills. Those who are undergoing medication for heart problems will be advised to stay away from phentermine.

 

Phentermine is available in two different formulas. These are immediate release or time-release formulas. Phentermine pills with an immediate release formula create an immediate impact. As soon as they are taken, they will enter the blood stream and begin the action. Time-release Phentermine capsules differ from these, since they will release the medicine into the body over an extended period of time, which spans over 8 to 12 hours.

 

It is advised that people who are undergoing treatment with phentermine tablets or capsules may not engage in hazardous and difficult work like driving, operating machinery etc. The period of use of phentermine will be for shorter terms such as 12 weeks.

 

Even after a patient stops using Phentermine, one's body will not be acclimatized to this immediately. It will need time to adjust, with the time depending on the quantum of Phentermine being used and the period of use.

 

Use of phentermine does not mean that we stop eating properly or lead a sedentary lifestyle. Phentermine will work well only if individual gives continued attention to these two aspects of life.

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Weight Loss and Motivation

If you are attempting to fight fat, it is simply not enough to begin an exercise program. You must also be able to stick with it. This can be challenging, especially if you have spent most of your life as a couch potato. You may find exercise to be boring or a chore. And you may be wondering whether your exercise program is really worth the effort.

 

It should be noted that the key to a successful exercise program is perseverance. This means that you need to commit to it for the long haul, in fact, it is best if you commit to it for the rest of your life. Certainly, it can be difficult at times. But in the end, it is well worth the effort you exert.

 

Staying motivated may begin with having a tangible goal. For instance, if you are basically inactive when you start your program, you should aim to burn off 500 calories a week. If you are fairly active when you start exercising, your goal should be 1,000 calories. But you must also have a long-term goal. This might be doubling the amount of calories you burn within six months of commencing your exercise program.

 

You might consider starting an exercise log. Here, you will record exactly what kind of aerobic, anaerobic, and stretching exercises you do each week. Be sure to include the number of repetitions you’re performing with each exercise. This way, you’ll have a concrete chart for your progress. Seeing how well you’re doing can be truly inspiring and can keep you going when you find it difficult to go on.

 

Another effective motivational strategy is to join a group that engages in some kind of exercise. For instance, you might become a mall-walker or you might find a local square dance club to join. Other possibilities include hiking groups, golfing groups, softball teams, or even ping-pong teams. The fact that you are part of a social network will help to keep you motivated.

 

You might try psyching yourself out by using a computer screensaver which says, “Get moving.” Or you might post a “get moving” sign on your refrigerator. In other words, you should be constantly reminded of the value of exercise. You might also invest in home exercise equipment such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer, or free weights. The amount of money you spend could be a powerful incentive for making sure that you use the equipment on a regular basis. You should also place the equipment in a prominent place so that you have to pass it often. After a while, you’ll find no excuse not to exercise. 

 

You might also consider investing in exercise videos or DVDs. These allow you the convenience of exercising in the privacy of your own home. They can also give you an electronic “exercise buddy” who can help keep you inspired even on rainy days when you don’t feel like exercising at all.

 

Another effective idea is to place your athletic shoes near the door so that you are reminded of the need to walk rather than drive. You might also consider rewarding yourself for keeping with your exercise program. Your reward could be as elaborate as a cruise or as small as a treat from the dollar store. The idea is to make sure that your accomplishment is celebrated.

 

While we’re on the topic of celebration, seriously consider throwing a party once you’ve reached an exercise milestone. You can serve nutritious snacks and beverages and even encourage your guests to come in their athletic wear in order to build upon the party’s theme. Sharing your joy can help to motivate you to continue your physical activities. 

 

It should be said that there is no right way to exercise. But you do need to make sure that whatever you do is effective and that you’re sufficiently motivated to do it. By following just a few simple tips, you can ensure that your exercise routine is not just a fad, that it will continue over the long term. Remember that you may face setbacks from time to time, but that shouldn’t stop you from continuing to try to reach your exercise goals.