Does Weight Loss Have to Cost so Much?

People spend small fortunes to shed pounds and look better these days. But does this looking better and being healthy really have to cost so much? I don’t think so.

A new study has shown that simply drinking water before each meal can help you lose weight. Yes, just plain old tap water, or bottled water if you prefer.

This method of weight loss is called “preloading.” You drink two 8- ounce glasses of water before each meal. The idea is that you will feel fuller so you will eat less. The group in the study lost 15.5 pounds average in three months.

Drinking water is probably the safest thing that’s come along in a long time in the weight loss programs. Water is something we need anyway and most of us don’t drink enough of it. This “preloading” with water gives us the water we need for our bodies to work properly and helps us shed pounds at the same time. Now that’s a one-two punch!

Bananas...mmm, good stuff

We’ve all heard the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well a banana a day might just lower your blood pressure, or at least help keep it at a safe level. Bananas are a tremendous source of potassium , potassium is one of the essential minerals that helps us maintain normal blood pressure.

Bananas help in other areas as well. They help in fighting heart disease, stroke and promote healthy bones. Since many adults don’t drink as much milk as they did when they were children their bones need all the help they can get.

Even without knowing all the benefits of bananas, you can be assured that they are a very healthy and tasty snack for any age.

Easier at Home

Eating healthy in most peoples minds usually means eating foods you don’t like. Well that doesn’t have to be the case. Sometimes we just have to find things that are healthy that we do like and make sure they are available to us. Often times we find ourselves with a sudden hunger pain or craving and the only thing we can get right then is a candy bar from a machine. At home we have quite a few more choices and options we can choose from.

In between meals at home if you start to feel a little hungry…drink yourself a glass of water. Not only do we need the water to help our bodies function properly but the water will keep us from feeling empty inside. If in ten or fifteen minutes you are still hungry you might try a light snack like an apple or orange.



Sometimes people think that skipping meals is the way to go. This is not a good idea and often times it works against you. By the time the next meal comes around you are really hungry and then eat too much too fast. Breakfast is certainly a meal that should not be skipped. Our breakfast is the fuel our bodies need to get our day started off right.

Snacks such as chips and candy bars can actually be ok every now and then as a reward to yourself. Many find however that once into the healthy lifestyle of eating right they no longer have such harsh cravings for junk food, uh…I’m not quite there yet. Healthy eating habits are developed over time, just as the unhealthy habits were. Keep your chin up and remember this, every apple you eat or every time you don’t go back for seconds you have made one more step in the right direction. Have a great day!

One step at a time

Breaking bad eating habits for most of us is an ongoing continuous challenge. Junk food is readily available everywhere you look. It is in vending machines where we work, in schools where we learn and at the service stations where we buy gas. Almost every store I can think of keeps a junk rack right next to the check out counter…this is for our convenience of course.

With so many choices for us to make seemingly at ever turn of our day, how do we get away from eating this stuff? If you are like me I can’t just quit all my favorite snacks at the same time, I don’t have that kind of willpower going for me…I applaud you if you do. Instead of trying to break all your bad habits at once, why not try to start some newer good habits?

Most of you are probably familiar with the children’s cartoon “Frosty the Snowman.” If you are then you will most likely remember a song he sings about putting one foot in front of the other. Well that’s a pretty good way to get anywhere…one step at a time. How many of you throw your spare change in your car ashtray or in a jar when you get home? While you may only put a small amount in at a time it adds up faster than you think. My favorite way of thinking about how things add up is when I mow the yard. I look at the big ole’ yard that needs mowing and begrudgingly get started. But before I know it after making round after round it is all mowed and once again looks great, hmm…one step at a time.

With the one step at a time theory fresh in your mind set you a new goal for tomorrow. If you drink three or four sodas at work try replacing one of them with water or juice. Do this for a few days and replace another one and so on and so forth. So much of our diet is simply out of habit and habits can be changed. Continue to set goals and you will find as you reach them you will begin to find the strength to keep moving forward. Good luck…see ya next week.

Breaking Old Habits

Most diets for most people are very hard to follow. For most of us have spent most of our lives eating what we want when we want it. This is not an easy habit to break…but it can be done. A gradual change in eating habits can make you look better, feel better and be better.

To begin your change to healthier eating you need to plan ahead. If you are a person who eats lunch everyday at work out of the vending machines, well…that’s not good planning. Take the time to prepare yourself something a little more nutritious…you deserve it.

As you get on your way to gradually changing your bad eating habits over to good healthy ones, you may have to un-learn some things you were taught as a child. If you were like me you were taught to always clean your plate. Studies have shown that this is not really a good practice. If a child is full he or she needs to stop eating…doesn’t matter if the plate is clean or not. Grownups are the same way. Problem with grownups is that they fix their own plates and more than often put way more than they need on it.

If you still think you should belong to the clean plate club, simply put smaller portions on it. Doesn’t have to be tiny portions just smaller than before. This way you can gradually begin to eat less and still feel satisfied. These small steps will put you on the road to bigger steps and help give you the confidence to continue forward.

Healthy eating...why bother?

Ever wonder why in the world there is so much made of eating healthy? I mean…when I eat a big fat cheeseburger I feel fine. Not to mention the large order of fries and a milkshake to wash it all down…so what’s the big deal anyway? Well the deal is that eating big fat cheeseburgers all the time along with greasy fries will shorten my lifespan considerably. Ok…I guess it is a big deal after all.

If eating healthier causes us to live longer then I guess by letting our kids see us eat healthier has to classify as setting a good example. Kids often emulate their parents in both good and bad habits. Good eating habits is one we definitely need to pass on. I see too many children these days being raised on “Happy Meals.” Ugh…poor little arteries.

Eating right has many other benefits that are often overlooked. The proper diet can help control things like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and many more. Eating right also simply makes you feel better…both mentally and physically. You have more natural energy and you don’t tire out as quickly as someone who lives on junk food. Why rely on high powered energy drinks to help you get through your day when a simple dietary plan can do the same thing…only in a much healthier way.

Well we have covered many reasons to eat better but one many don’t realize is that in the long run it will save you lots and lots of money. Eating fast food all the time is very expensive. Cooking for yourself is more cost friendly and much healthier too. In time a person who eats a good balanced diet will spend less time in the doctors office which will once again save you money.

We have only just touched the surface on this subject and I hope you’ll come back soon for my next post is already in the works. Any comments are welcome…lowell