Weight Loss Blog – by John Schmidt

The drastic calorie reduction of fast weight loss diets producing fast weight losses slows the body metabolism.  The metabolism decline begins within 24 hours, and in two weeks the metabolic slowdown can be as much as 20 percent. One doctor stated: “Your metabolism will slow to a crawl on so few calories.”  You will feel the effects and find yourself irritable and fatigued.

In addition up to 70% of your long-term weight loss will be muscle, not fat.  When dieting you want to lose fat, not muscle. Muscle tissue is the bodies best calorie burner. Losing muscle slows your metabolic rate.  The metabolic rate is the measure of energy used to maintain routine bodily functions. Example important functions such as breathing and cell repair. This accounts for approximately 60 to 75 percent of energy consumed by the body.

This metabolic decline is why dieters often stop losing weight after a few weeks of severe dieting. One woman, who since she was 16 had kept her weight down by dieting, gained 25 pounds with the birth of her first child but quickly lost it.  She then gained 50 pounds after the birth of her second child and could not lose it. 

At one point she went to a weight-loss clinic where she was cut to 500 calories a day.  She lost ten pounds the first month, two the second month and nothing the next two months despite faithfully following the program. When her calorie intake was raised to 800 per day, she steadily gained 2 pounds per week till she had gained back the 12 I had so painfully lost.

In addition to a slowed-down metabolism, an enzyme, lipoprotein lipase, that regulates fat storage, may become more active in storing fat after crash dieting. For both these reasons, some people regain lost weight when normal eating is resumed. In fact, the majority regain the weight they lost. Statistics show 95 percent for the very obese and 66 percent overall. The weight regained, however, is mostly fat, not lost muscle, which means a reduced metabolism that encourages more fat storage.

Overweight and obesity is associated with a number of health hazards. It may impair both cardiac and pulmonary function, modify endocrine function, and cause emotional problems. Hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance, and hypercholesterolemia are more common in overweight individuals than in individuals of normal weight.

Thus, it is not surprising that obesity may contribute to acquired disease and mortality in individuals. Yes at hand is hypertension, stroke, type II or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, some types of cancer, and gallbladder disease. In addition overweight and obesity is also considered a risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease

Overeating is the simple reason for obesity. There are so many researchers on obesity sounding out the same warning loud and clear “Do not use fast weight loss diets!” and “Do not overeat!”  For most overweight and obese people it is their accumulation of excess weight through a prolonged excessive consumption of calories.  Cherish your body.

To your weight loss success, health and happiness,
John Schmidt – Weight Loss Nutritionist Coach

The short down and dirty, as they say,  answer is we eat too much food and do not have enough physical activity. What exactly is the problem? The situation is simple to determine. The entire American population is trapped into negative thinking. Remember years ago when you told someone that you had it made. Yes you could not wait to tell someone that you had a desk job. You had it “made in the shade” as they used to say. No strenuous work and sit in a chair all day and make a lot of money.

That is part of the problem for the overweight. How did the overweight get overweight? Employment and eating habits and yet a third reason personal attitude. More and more people than ever work at sedentary jobs. Rows of office cubicles filled with inactive bodies yes they have it “made in the shade” as the saying goes. Inactive office workers have replaced rows of soil with people digging and planting and fertilizing as they till the fields. Even activity-intense manufacturing jobs have largely left our shores to other countries.

Sedentary employment, over eating and a care less attitude on the individuals part is the problem. We have the growing epidemic of the overweight, obese and morbidly obese on the rise

To lose weight you need to increase activity and decrease calories. Theoretical equations sound good for sure. But if losing weight really were this simple, why does the collective overweight of the United States continue to grow?

These employment shifts are great for business, but the downside to performing mental work rather than physical work is that our national body has turned flabby. Staying in shape used to be a no-brainier, the happy by-product of a working life.

Now it requires a personal commitment to an after-hours exercise program, one that steals time away from family and leisure. What about the countries ever-increasing reliance on fatty convenience foods, which have all but swept traditional well-balanced meals off the family dinner table.

The healthful shape of the Food Pyramid has been cast aside. In come the unhealthful shapes of buckets of take-out chicken, convenient boxes of Happy Meals and bags from drive-thru windows. Even dinners prepared at home can contain high amounts of fat when mothers rely on prepared packaged foods, such as vegetables in cheese sauces and meal-in-a-boil-bag entrees.

Losing Means Winning:

In this day and age, people believe that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is actually in the long run, the easiest. By now, most people should know that fad diets and get-thin quick schemes do not last.

That is the same example that you did not become good at your job overnight. You did not become a skilled parent by reading a book in a single weekend. You can not become the healthy, fit person you want to be overnight. Only long-term change can do that. When exercising becomes as habitual as brushing your teeth you will succeed. When you change your attitude about what is on your plate becomes automatic. Cherish your body.

To your weight loss success, health and happiness,

John Schmidt – Weight Loss Nutritionist Coach

Scientific studies continually suggest eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.  Eating normal everyday fruits and vegetables is a major factor in preventing the above diseases.  The above mentioned common cancers, heart disease and stroke are diseases that kill most Americans.  Fruits and vegetables are rich in disease fighting antioxidants such as vitamin C, fiber and beta-carotene.

For everyone nutritional experts recommend eating a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Wow is that possible?  Most of us eat on a three meal day.  However in reality only about 30 percent of adults meet that goal.  Getting five servings a day of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to prevent many of today common diseases.  Yes diseases such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Avoiding heart disease, cancer or stroke is a good reason to eat more fruits and vegetables. Today we consume too many processed and fast foods containing little or no food value for our bodies.  However if that is something out of your thinking to begin eating more fruits and vegetables, consider the immediate health benefits.  You body will have more energy, you will be better looking.  You will be feeling better and losing weight.

MEALS:
So start to incorporate nutritionist suggestions in all your meals.  Add fruits and vegetables to every meal!  For breakfast add raisins or bananas to your raw oatmeal cereal. Try eating a cantaloupe for breakfast. Drink orange juice, grape juice, apple juice or a vegetable blend like V8. Make sure you eat at least one veggie with lunch and two at dinner. If you can not take your vegetables plain, consume them as soups, mixed dishes and salads. Fruit makes a great post-lunch dessert.

You do not have to restock your refrigerator and pantry to start eating more fruits and vegetables. If you make a burrito, add a few more onions and tomatoes. If you have a can of vegetable soup, toss in 1/2 cup of frozen peas. Even if you are having ice cream, put strawberries on top. Pizza is a perfect for added broccoli, mushrooms and more. Try adding vegetables to spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti sauce can be canned, frozen, dried or fresh.

It is not true that it costs more to eat healthy.  Fruits and vegetables give you the most nutrition for your money. And if you cut back on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables, you will save money on your grocery bill. Nutritional supplements do not equal fruits and vegetables.  Vitamins may give you a few protective compounds; they do not come close to the real nutrition.  Fruits and vegetables contain thousands of different beneficial elements.  Your creator has provided the right food for us.

To your weight loss success, health and happiness,

John Schmidt – Weight Loss Nutritionist Coach

Like most overweight persons they gain our weight slowly.  Yup just a few pounds a year. Usually starting in their 30’s. Occasionally they would diet and lose a few pounds.  Then they discovered only to gain them back again and extra.  When this happened to one fellow he had the feeling that nothing would work, so why try?

Overweight persons need to break this cycle of learned helplessness.  Start your diet, not with your waistline, but between the ears.  Change the way you think about food. This may call for some harsh honesty; however without it your diet is doomed right from the word go.

In his case, keeping track of everything he ate and drank for a week was an eye-opening experience. True, he usually ate lightly at mealtimes and that was good. However, in the evening excessive snacking undid what was accomplished by self-control during the day. After adding up the calories of cookies, nuts, peanut butter, and cheese after supper, he was astonished. The total calories consumed while just snacking a little here and there were huge and significant. In addition worse than that, those snacks were loaded with substantial fat and sugar. For him no diet was possible until the evening snacks were eliminated.  Sound familiar?

The next painful realization for him was that he would not lose weight and keep it off unless he eliminated all alcoholic beverages from his diet. You see alcohol is high in calories and easily turned to fat. The larger issue was glasses of wine in the evening weaken his self-control and resolve not to snack. Therefore a glass of wine is not just a glass of wine.  It can also be eight cookies, chips and a bowl of nuts.  He discovered that herbal teas are excellent substitutes. Now, even after reaching his target weight, he drinks less alcohol than before.

 Well he had to face it, being overweight is a serious problem. Everybody should treat overweight as a serious problem.  People are dying of heart attacks every day due to being overweight. Statistics could be cited about the dangers of each extra pound, but the problem is not statistics. The problem is widows and orphans. The problem is children growing up without their daddy and a wife without her husband. Think about it.

Once he had made up his mind – between his ears- to lose weight he employed these listed ways to win the battle of the bulge. Honest evaluations convinced him of the value of firm guidelines during his weight-loss period of his diet.    

(1) The right food,

(2) At the right time,

(3) In the right amount,

(4) With the right exercise.

(5) Avoid all snacks in the evening.

(6) Avoid all alcoholic beverages.

Perhaps you know someone like him, physically active in youth but now given to irregular exercise. Blood pressure borderline high, serum cholesterol a somewhat high, 40 pounds overweight and still believing that the overweight problem is not that serious.

To your weight loss success, health and happiness,

John Schmidt – Weight Loss Nutritionist Coach

http://www.skyrocketweightloss.com

Actually as everyone trying to lose weight knows losing weight is simple.  Yes the rule is your body must take in fewer calories than is being used. This is a simple weight loss truism.  Weight loss dieters struggle with that truth.  Many will eliminate breakfast in order to cut down on calories.  Skipping breakfast is the worst thing they could do for their body.   The best eating schedule in any weight loss program should be 5 to 6 meals a day.

In turn we want to avoid large calorie meals. Take in meals that are low in calories and provide a balance of protein and carbs along with proper vitamins and minerals. In addition, by eating 5 to 6 meals per day keeps your blood sugar levels consistent.  This meal program will maintain your over all health and your energy level throughout the day.

If losing weight and getting healthy is your primary goal then understanding where you are is your reality.  You can take steps toward your primary goal. You are faced with many food choices throughout the day. Now make choices that support your primary goal of losing weight and getting healthy. Does a salad or a cheeseburger support your primary goal? You can start making the right choices now to reach your primary goal.

Everyone has lapses from time to time.  If you have a lapse how can you recover?  In studies conducted it was found that even a small weight gain was hard to turn back.  Studies have shown that those who regained the most weight were least likely to take it off again. That is powerful incentive for you to act quickly on your relapse. So keep weighing yourself regularly. Start weighing yourself every day.  Remember daily weigh-ins helps to avoid weight gain or regain.

1.  Do Not Panic.  Do not despair. Examine what brought on the lapse.

2.  Stay Calm.  Remind yourself, “One slip-up can be rectified.

3.  Refresh your vows.  Remind yourself of how far you have come.

4.  Learn Success.  What overcame you causing your lapse and what to do different?

5.  Restart Your Program Right Away.

6.  Call For Backup.  Seek help from those who are supportive and want you to succeed.

 Remember A Lapse Is Temporary - And these are ways to help you get back on track.

 Forgive You – We are all human not perfect, seek consistency move forward.

 Log Your Food - The first day after a minor lapse log all the calories the day before.

 Weight Loss Journey - I am going to be conscientious every day.

 Change Pace – Talk with friends take a walk etc. 

 Support Person - Confess your lapse to your support people for encouragement.

 To your weight loss success, health and happiness,

John Schmidt – Weight Loss Nutritionist Coach

Have you heard red wine is good for you?  No, never may that happen some have said!  However, it is true that red wine has a quality that it behooves us to examine.  Yes you have probably heard that a chemical “Resveratrol”, has been discovered in red wine and the skin of grapes.  OK big deal you say?  What does that mean for us?    Can we live longer than 100 yrs, 200 yrs etc?  No way you say?  Is there also a permanent solution to my overweight situation?

Well scientists have discovered Resveratrol and that chemical could just melt all your fat away? Not quite.  The results however, are very encouraging and impressive and we should sit up and take notice.  Scientifically sound research and studies are flurrying from the world’s scientific community and showing that there is much promise in Resveratrol.  Well what exactly did the scientists find?

Barbara Walters’s investigative report examines Dr. David Sinclair, Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School.  Dr. Sinclair explained that he believes to have “found one of the ‘genetic keys’ that will reset our biological clocks.” Dr. Sinclair stated after testing thousands of cells searching for a control chemical that would activate age-controlling genes, Dr. Sinclair has finally found it.

What does this mean to the average American?  Well for one thing say the experts, if we could just activate this gene with a certain chemical, we may be able to live significantly longer lives and feel and look younger, even at older ages.  More media fluff?  More broken dreams?  Not according to the studies results.

What the scientific community is saying is yes we have found the elusive switch that seems to turn that gene on has been identified as Resveratrol.  This discovery and announcement has turned upside down the scientific and popular community to the core.

The really big question is “How does Resveratrol work”?  Studies have consistently shown that Resveratrol is so effective because it “activates” the genes. Resveratrol causes your body to “copy or mimic the effects of a low calorie diet without actually being on one.” OK then it is helpful for losing weight as well as increasing your lifespan?  The answer is yes.  Today all types of people are taking Resveratrol daily. According to the concise studies, you can increase your healthy lifespan.  If you’re in your 80s you’ll be acting like you are in your 40s.”

Obviously starving ourselves does not appeal to many people.  Wait; do not panic because starving ourselves from time to time is really healthy for you.  Why can that be said?  Starving yourself causes your body to activate these genes and switch into a survival mode whether you are overweight or normal weight. That is where Resveratrol comes in.  Yes with supplementing with Resveratrol it appears that we may be able to reap those same benefits without the suffering.

This is not some crazy hyped up finding concerning Resveratrol. There are solid scientific studies, solid facts, and solid science results that support the potential for Resveratrol.  Yes Resveratrol can change our lives. The Resveratrol studies and results are very promising for all.  Resveratrol with Acai will get you to your normal weight along with regular exercise.

In Barbara Walters’ investigative report, she describes one experiment in which a mouse was given a high dose of Resveratrol. According to the report, that mouse quickly turned into a “mini Olympian, running twice as far as the untreated mouse…”

In addition the mice given Resveratrol were able to eat “a high fat, fatty diet, and live just as long as a lean, healthy mouse.  This means that the mice given Resveratrol didn’t get heart disease, cancer, even osteoporosis. To top it off it was also found that mice supplemented with Resveratrol usually lived 30% longer than the untreated mice.   These studies with mice support the concept that Resveratrol makes the body to act as if it were on a low calorie diet.  

Well that is great for the mice but the following question that comes to mind is crucial.  Is Resveratrol safe for humans? So far the wonderful results point to yes for human consumption. Resveratrol can be purchased without the need of a prescription. Another fact revealed in the Barbara Walters’ report showed, Resveratrol successfully treated type 2 diabetes. Yes you can purchase Resveratrol right on line.

To your weight loss success, health, and happiness,

John Schmidt – Weight Loss Nutritionist Coach

Perhaps your kitchen was designed with today’s wonderful open floor plan.  Yes now-a-days kitchens really stretch out. Kitchens encompass living room, dining room and family room etc.  The kitchen becomes one large space. Sure turn on the TV while you are eating or get up for an extra treat snack whenever we feel the urge.  It is all there for the convenience of taking without thinking.

Now maybe you don’t have one of those large spread out kitchens but you could still have a kitchen weight gain predicament lurking over you.  Your kitchen is the heart of your home, but it might also be at the heart of your overweight condition.  Let’s examine your kitchen from head-to-toe so to speak. There may be evidences that your kitchen is sabotaging your waistline.  These simple fixes will get the scale moving in the right direction for you.

To start out examine your kitchen and eliminate all of the unhealthy snack foods from your house.  In the large open kitchen layout and watching your TV you may get the sudden urge for munchies.  If you choose to buy anything junky, buy it in single serving sized containers.  That way you won’t have any left in the house afterward. If you bake just leave enough to have a small treat. Therefore, if the temptation isn’t there you will not be able to give in to it. 

Usually we have a habit of filling our plates and finishing what’s on them. But since the 1970s, Dinner plates have grown 25 percent over the years, to 12 inches or more in diameter. Eat off a plate about 2 inches smaller and you’ll serve yourself 22 percent fewer calories per meal, which can mean a 2-pound weight loss in one month. 

Use your salad plate to hold higher-calorie meats or pasta, and load up your dinner plate with veggies. Also if you plan to buy new plates, select plates that are 10 inches in diameter.

Here is another kitchen thought concerning drinking glasses.  You will drink more soda and juice when using short, wide glasses than with tall, skinny ones.  That’s because we focus on the height of beverages when pouring a portion. Americans in general drink about 350 calories a day.  Example when you pour just 2 extra ounces of OJ every morning and you could gain 3 pounds in one year.

Use skinny glasses for soda and juice, and fill wider ones with water and other calorie-free quenchers. When it comes to your weight loss efforts what you drink has a greater impact than what you eat: Studies show that you could lose 1 pound in six months just by cutting out one sugar-sweetened drink serving a day.

To your weight loss success, health and happiness,

John Schmidt – Weight Loss Nutritionist Coach

There is no “magical” answer to weight loss.  Yes your may have a chosen your weight loss plan however, you need to cooperate with your plan.  Yes let us face it you have to discipline yourself to change your eating habits and add exercise in order to succeed.

 What will make you decide to lose weight this time?

You may be having a lot of medical issues due to your overweight condition.  You decided you couldn’t live like this any more.  Stop waiting for someone to cure you decide to get healthy.  You have tried everything!!  Diet pills, exercise, supplements, purging, cabbage soup, starvation… you name it, you probably tried it.  You may have been looking for some magical answer that would take off those pounds while you were sitting around eating fast food.  What you will find is that there isn’t any magic answer!

 What changes are you willing to make?

 The most important change for you is to actively examine your diet, activity, lifestyle, and attitude!  You have to take the “bull by the horns” so to speak.  You have to take action and believe in yourself and become victorious.   You cannot approach weight loss with a “we’ll see” attitude.  You can do this if you just will make a few changes – eat healthy, eat less and exercise more.  You must also have stick-to-activeness.  You have to believe that you are worth the effort no matter how hard it is going to be.

 How can Acai help you lose weight?

When you first start the weight will come off gradually.  The scales will start to move in the right direction.  When you are faced with tempting parties etc. you can make wise choices because you believe in yourself.  Remember the first 3 months will be the most challenging.  You will need to re-train yourself to live and eat healthy.  Get your attitude in gear – drink more water, eat more vegetables, go for a walk, stop all snacking, log your food.  Once you have your new habits in place, it will be easier as time goes on.

 How long will it take to see results?

It will normally take about 2 weeks to see your first results.  The following weeks will prove to have good results as the weight keeps coming off.   In time you will actually like a picture of the new you.   You will know in your heart that you are a success. You have learned that life is what you make it!  You have made your life something wonderful by believing in you and your abilities to conquer your overweight condition. You will have a surging confidence that you never had before.  Just think you will smile more; laugh more; dress up more etc.

Everyone has relapses and they can be challenging.  You might have a night out with friends, a holiday celebration or a week-long vacation. You indulge, you enjoy life and you have a wonderful time. The trick is to not feel guilty about it. Just start the next day back on track and living healthy. If the scales have gone up, it doesn’t matter as you are in control and back on track!

Summary!

Believe in yourself. You are worth the effort. Know that you are not alone. Every feeling you are experiencing has been felt by others. Accept the gains. They are not failures, just gentle reminders to get back on track. Drink water. Your entire body will thank you. Smile. You are beautiful!

To your weight loss success, health, and happiness,

John Schmidt – weight Loss Nutritionist Coach

Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables?

Antioxidants are most commonly known for their anti-cancer properties.  What is some antioxidants available right in your own kitchen?  Look at this cinnamon, red peppers, nutmeg, curry powder and more.  Now studies show that they may also have cholesterol-lowering benefits as well. So be generous in your home cooking and include these outstanding antioxidants in your diet.

Fruits for health and weight loss?

Recently studies have found that fruits are also found to provide antioxidants along with cholesterol lowering qualities.  Fruits for Weight Loss and health are apricot, berries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, guava, lemon, melon, mandarin, orange, peach, plums, watermelon, strawberries, Açaí etc.

What researchers noticed was that those who consumed fruits provided positive evidence of reduced LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is also responsible for arteriosclerosis which can lead to a heart attack, the main cause of death in both men and women in the U.S. It has been concluded that the antioxidant power of fruits in your digestive system helps improve and maintain lowering the bad LDL cholesterol.

Your everyday diet plays a crucial role in lowering your bad LDL cholesterol. Also in a fruit rich diet you will gain antioxidant-rich benefits. Fruits in your diet are a healthy behavior change that’s simple and delicious to the taste.

More and more Americans are embracing healthy eating for their own health improvement. In addition the antioxidants in fruit will aid you and provide protection against illness.  In addition to strawberries, nutritional supplements are also a popular way of ensuring proper antioxidant intake.

Vegetables for health and weight loss?

Are there any special vegetables providing health and weight loss?  Yes! It is true that certain vegetables and fruits are good for health in general but also weight loss.  There is no secret about this fact as nutritionists have found over the years the many benefits of vegetables.

It is well known that vegetables possess very low calories. They do not add to body fat, whatever amount you eat. They do not increase body weight. On the other hand, if you eat these in plenty, then you will improve your health as these are loaded with nutrients like vitamins, carbohydrates and antioxidants.

If we accept that there are such fruits and vegetables, and then the question arises, what are these foods with special properties? Studies have tested various vegetables found the following to possess wonderful properties. The vegetables shown to reduce weight are asparagus, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, radish, spinach, etc.

You should note that your body should get all the necessary nutrients and minimum number of calories for healthy functioning. You can include these fruits and vegetables listed above in your diet and reap the maximum advantage of their benefits.

To your weight loss success, health and happiness,

John Schmidt – Weight Loss Nutritionist Coach

 http://www.skyrocketweightloss.com