December Weight Loss Tips - Two Foods to Avoid for Successful Weight Loss

'The holidays are quickly approaching - And upon my diet, quickly encroaching.' ~ Thin Thin

Click here to view November Weight Loss Tips

Need to ditch a few unwanted pounds? You can accomplish successful weight loss by simply decreasing two foods in your daily diet: Sugar & Fat.

Sugar and Fat are very pricey when it comes to caloric content, and when the numbers on your scales are controlled by calories - via the amount of calories consumed and the amount of calories expended through activity and the energy used by the body for its live-giving functions.

Sugar is one of the Mood Swings in the big old circle of Weight Maintenance. Although some studies indicate that sugar consumption isn't responsible for the excitability in youngsters, sugar is quickly put into action once it enters the body and is commonly known as 'quick energy'. How effected are you by sugar consumption? That's the most important answer.

We'll suggest other areas of the daily diet that can be altered to assist you in achieving healthy, permanent weight loss success, but first let's examine the Sugar Factor and the Fat Factor - starting first with calorie content of each. Make note that the carb grams contained in sugar (a simple carb) closely mirror the sugar gram content of sugar.

Here are a few questions, suggestions, weight loss tips and personal experiments that can assist in weight loss, as well as a healthier body:

Set aside two days for breakfast. On the first day, eat a food rich in sugar content such as a donut, a Danish pastry, pancakes with syrup or a toaster tart. Throughout the morning, take special note of how you feel. Jittery? Racing? How is your concentration level? How satisfied are you in regards to hunger? What is your over-all mood?

The following morning, try any of the following for breakfast:

- 1 serving of oatmeal + 1/2 cup of milk + 1 teaspoon of brown sugar + 1 slice of whole grain toast + 1 teaspoon of margarine (about 350 calories)

- 1 egg scrambled or poached or boiled or sunny-side-up or hard-cooked + 2 slices of microwaved bacon (blot off visible fat) + 1 slice of whole grain toast + 1 teaspoon of margarine + 1/2 cup of milk (about 300 calories)

- 1 plain small bagel + 1 serving of cream cheese + 1/2 cup of milk + 1 small banana (calories will vary depending upon the bagel brand; about 350 calories when using a 130 calorie bagel)

Again - take special note of how you feel. Is your hunger satisfied? What is your over-all mood? Concentration level?

Sugar is associated with happy situations and is generally the star of most celebrations. What's a wedding without a wedding cake? A birthday without a birthday cake? The holidays without desserts? Autumn without caramel apples? Summer without apple pie? Spring without Easter eggs? And winter without hot chocolate cocoa covered in sweet marshmallows? Valentine's Day without a candy-filled heart? Why that would be one sad Cupid.

So YES, sugar is sweet and YES it can be a part of our diet and YES, sugar can make life sweeter in more ways than one. Sugar can also execute a brutal, crushing blow to our weight scales when we allow it to rule our daily diets.

Weight Loss Tips to Keep Sugar in its Proper Container Include:

Cut back on the amount of sugar that goes into those favorite, every day drinks like coffee and tea. Opt for sugar substitutes if possible.

Avoid juice and opt for the real deal when it comes to fruit intake.

Choose unsweetened cereal at the market over sweetened cereals.

Add a sugary punch to your cereal, salads and other foods that require sweetness by using dried fruits. Although high in sugar content, they do contain nutritional value. A one-third cup of dried cranberries contains about 130 calories and a little goes a long way. Try adding dried cranberries to raw baby spinach and the sweet punch can satisfy the taste buds without the need to add a lot of salad dressing to the salad - which brings us to the old Fat Vat. As a note, the fats listed below contain zero fiber grams. Also note that all oils contain about 120 calories per Tablespoon and about 14 grams of fat per Tablespoon. Experiment by placing 1 Tablespoon of your favorite solid margarine onto the end of a knife so that you'll have a good idea in the future of how much fat you are adding to your food.

* Coconut Oil that has been hydrogenated is typically used in commercially prepared coffee whiteners and whipped toppings.

** This type of Industrial Coconut Oil is typically used as the basis in commercially prepared ice cream coatings.

*** This type of Industrial Coconut Oil is typically used in commercially prepared candy coatings, oil sprays and commercially roasted nuts.

* Palm Kernel Oil is typically used in commercially prepared non-dairy whipped toppings and contains 0.500 grams of trans fats and 0.500 grams of total trans-monoenoic per Tablespoon.

* Soy Oil contains 4.646 grams of trans fats and 4.031 grams of total trans-monoenoic per Tablespoon and is commonly used in commercially prepared foods including the following: popcorn, tortilla shortening, frostings, fillings, non-dairy butter flavorings, and vegetable flavorings. Industrial refined Soy Oil is typically used for  wok cooking purposes and light frying purposes.

** This type of  Soy Oil (partially hydrogenated) Palm is commonly used in commercially prepared frostings, icings and fillings.

*** This type of  Soy Oil (partially hydrogenated) & Cottonseed is commonly used in commercially prepared flour tortillas and contains 4.190 grams of trans fats and 3.711 grams of total trans-monoenoic per Tablespoon.

**** This type of  Soy Oil (partially hydrogenated) is commonly used in commercially prepared popcorn and as a vegetable flavoring; it contains 1.758 grams of trans fats and 1.306 grams of total trans-monoenoic per Tablespoon.

+ This type of  Soy Oil (partially hydrogenated) is commonly used in commercially prepared non-dairy butter flavoring and contains 1.843 grams of trans fats and 1.362 grams of total trans-monoenoic per Tablespoon.

++ This type of  Soy Oil is commonly used for woks and light frying purposes.

WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FOR REDUCING FAT IN THE DAILY DIET FOR SAFE, PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS

Fat adds flavor to food and can assist in keeping the body satisfied for longer periods of time, but boy oh boy - does it reek havoc on our good health when we fall into the old Fat Vat. While some fat is required for optimal health (fat adds luster to hair and nails while protecting vital organs) too much fat equals too much fat in the daily diet and too much fat in the body, and once those fat cells start plumping-up, so do our weight scales along with our bodies. Too much fat consumption can also lead to severe, life-threatening issues such as heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

So how can we keep fat limited in the diet? Here are a few Weight Loss Tips that can assist:

Opt for the healthier fats. One only needs to look at our Fat Calorie & Nutrition Information Chart above to recognize the healthier fat choices.

Rather than making a grab for the butter, experiment with herbs and spices - and yes, extracts found in your kitchen pantry.

Do a bit of Label Gazing while at the market. Calories do matter and govern the number on our weight scales, so the fewer calories contained in our fat choices, the better. Opting for the lower calorie versions of margarine can equal lower numbers on the weight scales and a trimmer body.

Kick the frying pan to the curb. And if you have a food that tends to stick, rather than flooding the food in oil, opt for cooking spray instead.

If you can't do without your favorite brand of oil, butter or margarine, aim to decrease the amount slathered onto your food. With time and effort, you may be able to cut your standard serving amount in half - or more!

On those rare occasions when you do include a 'fried food' in your diet meal plan, commercially prepared foods do provide the calorie count as well as the fat gram count and may be a better choice than home-fried foods.

Always blot off visible oils from foods when dining out.

Opting for the 'whipped' versions of fatty foods such as margarine, butter, cream cheese and peanut butter can save a lot of calories while retaining the flavor of their full-blown counterparts. Simply put, the whipped versions are identical in flavor and contain added volume meaning serving sizes contains less calories.

Trim visible fats from meats and opt for the leanest cuts available when the budget allows.

Keep in mind that although nutritional labels more often than not list the cholesterol content of fat as zero, that this information does not equate to 'zero bad cholesterol' taking root in the body due to fat consumption.

WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FOR THE DAILY DIET FOR SAFE, PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS

Other areas of the daily diet where fat and calories can be saved, thus contributing to safe and healthy weight loss include:

Opt for skim dairy products over regular. An added health benefit is the Calcium Factor as well as keeping the Fat Vat under raps. Here are just a couple of examples:

YOGURT: By opting for the non-fat yogurts you'll be consuming less calories while adding more protein, more calcium and significantly less fat to your body.

1 cup of skim non-fat yogurt contains 127 calories, 13.01 protein grams, 0.41 fat grams and 452 mg of calcium.

1 cup of whole milk yogurt contains 138 calories, 7.88 protein grams, 7.38 fat grams and 275 mg of calcium.

MILK: By opting for reduced-fat milk you'll be consuming less calories while adding more protein, more calcium and significantly less fat to your body.

1 cup of low fat (1%) milk contains 105 calories, 8.53 protein grams, 2.38 fat grams and 314 mg of calcium.

1 cup of whole milk contains 149 calories, 7.69 protein grams, 7.98 fat grams and 276 mg of calcium.

Always keep in mind that foods which remain closest to their natural state contain the fewest calories. A healthy sweet banana containing about 100 calories can soar to Planet Oblivion when topped with vanilla cookies, pudding and whipped cream.

December Weight Loss Tips - Is the Taste of Food Worth Weight Gain?

'The holidays are quickly approaching - And upon my diet, quickly encroaching.' ~ Thin Thin

"Is the taste of food worth weight gain?" and, "How delicious is delicious?"

There is nothing quite like the fragrance and flavor of hot bread unfolding from the oven on a winter's day. Or actually - on a spring, summer or fall day. Smear on a generous amount of butter and ooh-la-la, we're suddenly in Flavor Paradise. Add your favorite jam or preserves and oh my, we've taken our delicious bread to yet another flavorful level. Or, we can opt to take our hot bread in a totally new direction by adding cheese, and perhaps some herbs and so forth. So many flavorful options!

Other delicious common food-favorites that pop to mind include: warm cookies, vanilla pound cake, decadent chocolate cake, candies of all shapes and sizes, cream-filled bakery delights, muffins, pies, donuts, pastries - and the list goes on and on and on.

Just thinking about all the wonderful foods that can be created in today's common kitchen can trigger weight gain if those thoughts have us running to grab the goody loot. Scents can accomplish much the same, specifically those fragrant oils that appeal and beckon the appetite. If an individual is seeking to gain weight, scented oils can certainly accomplish such. Sugar cookie oil in a decanter filling the room with luscious scents can keep one running to the Dessert Pantry all day and all evening long.

But at some point, one must pause and ask, "Is the taste of food worth weight gain?" and, "How delicious is delicious?"

Sure, it's hard to justify that a common raw carrot tastes eons better than a creamy dessert. If it did, everyone would be grabbing carrots to munch on rather than cookies, candy, cakes, pies and other tantalizing desserts. Weight gain and obesity could evolve into a health issue of the past.

And although desserts are King when it comes to loaded-calorie-content - chiefly due to sugar and fat content, other appealing food favorites are also hefty in this department; gravy, oils - including margarine and butter, salad dressings, fatty proteins and cheese. Even foods that are generally considered healthy foods can trigger significant weight gain; a couple of examples include nuts and seeds.

And although the innocent carrot might not make the taste buds scream WOW, they can certainly accomplish a lot of great things for the body in the area of nutritional benefits. Of course, not only healthy carrots - but other healthy foods as well including other fresh vegetables, fruits, low fat dairy foods, lean proteins and whole grains.

So the next time you are faced with temptation and a sugar cookie beckons, before satisfying your appetite, ask yourself, "Is the taste of this sugar cookie (or whatever goody is doing the beckoning!) worth the calorie content? Could I satisfy my hunger with a healthier food choice? How many calories have I consumed today? Will this goody shove me over the Weight Gain Cliff? Is the taste of this food worth weight gain?"

Taking pause to consider the best food choices in meeting your body's nutritional needs equals a healthier body, a stronger body, a more-fit body, and a leaner body. And the choice is entirely up to you!

December Weight Loss Tips - To Market, To Market - What Foods Reside in Your Market Cart?

'The holidays are quickly approaching - And upon my diet, quickly encroaching.' ~ Thin Thin

How healthy is your Market Cart? Does it have a loose wheel? Does it wobble and list as it's going down life's pathway? Does it squeak or bump? If so, it's time to re-examine the foods placed into the cart. Doing such can lead to better health and a longer life, and a body that feels better all over.....

Most of we-humans get on 'kicks'. Our lives are filled with phases whether it involves a particular activity, hobby, personal interest, professional interest or foods in our daily diet. We can certainly learn a lot about our level of health simply by taking a good look at our shopping cart the next time we visit the market.

Let's take a quick peep into Dieter Delta's Daily Diet Life and see what her market cart frequently contained throughout the years and how her choices contributed to weight gain:

When Dieter Delta entered her college years, she got on a cereal kick. She enjoyed cereal for breakfast, lunch, dinner and throughout most of the day. Although many cereals are generally a healthy whole-grain choice, cereals that are sugar-coated can contain significant calories and lead to quick weight gain, particularly when paired with whole milk. A one-cup serving of a sugar-coated cereal served with 1 cup of whole milk can contain close to 300 calories. But rarely does a Cereal Lover embrace a single serving of cereal. One typically has 'a favorite bowl' which is often filled to over-spilling, a bowl that may contain two to three servings of cereal over the recommended serving size allowance. And in Dieter Delta's case, she had one of those penguin-embossed cereal bowls which easily held three servings. Her morning routine consisted of filling the bowl half-full with cereal and milk. In the end, Dieter Delta had consumed three servings of cereal and three servings of whole milk for a whopping 900 calories. Unfortunately, Dieter Delta also chose to add more sugar to her cereal causing her breakfast calories alone to soar high over the 1,000 mark. Weight Gain Touchdown! Weigh to go!

In Dieter Delta's mid-twenties, as she graduated from college, she also graduated to new food favorites. At one point, she enjoyed eating boxes of pudding each week which were prepared with whole milk. While milk is a very healthy food choice, servings must be controlled because even healthy food choices can generate weight gain. In Dieter Delta's situation, she was enjoying one large box of pudding daily with the box containing six serving sizes - close to 1,000 calories.

Dieter Delta got hooked on candy bars and other decadent desserts in her thirties and forties. And in her fifties, she developed a love for cheese. From nachos to cheese pizza to fried jalapeno peppers filled with cheese, Dieter Delta dived directly downward where her level of health was concerned, and where her weight scales were concerned - up, up, up and yes, up again 'out in the wild blue yonder, soaring high, into the sky'.

From the age of fifty going forward, Dieter Delta wasn't a picky eater and most any food would do to satisfy her appetite. She had developed a passion for rich foods and enjoyed generous servings of butter with her meals in addition to sugarary drinks - sweet tea, sweet soda and sweetened juices. If her vegetables weren't covered with a sauce, dressings or cheese, she would most assuredly avoid them. And she enjoyed her starches with a lot of cream sauces and melted cheese. As to desserts, they had become the bulk of her daily calories.

Needless to say, Dieter Delta's unhealthy food choices combined with her over-consumption of healthy food choices eventually ended-up colliding to create major health woes which could have been avoided.

Keeping Dieter Delta in mind, can you remember what your shopping cart held on your last trip to market?

Did your shopping cart contain more commercially prepared desserts than fresh, canned or frozen fruits? And were those canned goods low in sodium content while remaining as close to their natural state as possible? Were canned fruits void of commercial syrups and added sugar?

Did your shopping cart contain whole grain choices that were low in sugar and fat content OR did your shopping cart contain less healthy choices such as sugar-coated cereals, donuts, pizza dough concoctions, fried hush puppies and other fried dough wads?

Did your shopping cart contain lean proteins OR did your shopping cart contain commercially prepared proteins such as Salisbury steak smothered in gravy, fried chicken and mashed potatoes drowning in butter and gravy, or lasagna choking in five-ten-or-fifteen different cheeses?

Did your shopping cart contain more chips than vegetables? Did your shopping cart contain more processed vegetables than fresh vegetables?

Did your shopping cart contain more full-blown dairy products than skim varieties? Did egg nog rule? Whole milk? Regular sour cream, yogurt and cream cheese?

So buck-up little dieter! You know what to do! Soar down the market aisles using your wise thoughts, opting for the healthiest foods possible. After all, your body deserves such. Some weight maintenance and weight loss tips for savvy market shopping include:

Head your basket to the fresh produce section and load up! Plan your daily diet around a healthy mix of salads and keep the dressings on the light side. One of my favorite salad dressings is balsamic vinegar which contains a measly 5 calories per serving.

As to non-salad vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and so forth - aim to roast, boil or steam and use minimal fat at the table. Roasting vegetables with just a small tab of olive oil brushed-on can bring out the delicious earthy flavors of vegetables for minimal fat calories. Grind-on a bit of cracked black pepper and sprinkle-on just a dash of salt.

Opt for whole grains, the leanest cuts of proteins and be sure to make fish a big part of your diet plan. When most people think of proteins, meat pops to mind - but there's a wonderful world of healthy vegetable proteins out there that can take your diet to a whole new level of health! Basic beans are one of the healthiest vegetable protein choices on the planet. Cheap too!

Avoid the bakery section as well as the commercially prepared cookie section of your local market like the plague! Although your taste buds may insist on cookies, candy and so forth - your waist-buds^™ don't need all that fat and calories. Instead, retrain those taste buds by running to the fruit section. Fruity dieters equal healthier dieters.

December Weight Loss Tips - Holiday Weight Gain Concerns

'The holidays are quickly approaching - And upon my diet, quickly encroaching.' ~ Thin Thin

It's extremely difficult to totally avoid all the delicious treats circling the Diet Village during the holiday season. Tasty Christmas cookies, pies, cakes, flans, tarts, rolls, pastries and so forth can make the mouth water just thinking about them.

And although these yummy desserts and treats are loaded with flavor, unfortunately, most come mined with calories which can lead to unwanted weight gain.

How many calories does it take to gain a pound?

It's important to note that the body uses a certain number of calories per day based on current weight, height, muscle mass, activity level, gender, age, ethnic background, climate and so forth. Weight gain does not ensue until we feed the body more calories than it is using. Any extra calories - even if from an innocent cucumber, are stored in the fat cells to be used when/if needed at a later date.

Therefore, it takes 3,500 EXCESS calories to gain one pound of weight.

While that may seem like a lot of calories, it doesn't take long for calories to add-up quickly when it comes to holiday desserts. Here are just a few examples:

When/if you enjoy holidays treats, here are some Weight Loss Tips that may be of help in keeping weight gain away:

- Try your best to find out how many calories are contained in the goody you're enjoying (before you eat the goody).

- If you plan on enjoying a piece of cheesecake during the day, consider ways that you can trim breakfast, lunch and dinner calories to allow for the cheesecake calories.

Example: Dieter Dana plans to enjoy a slice of Raspberry Cheesecake which contains 400 calories. Her diet plan is based on the following:

Breakfast: 300 calories, Lunch: 500 calories, Dinner: 500 calories, Snacks: two per day for a total of 100 calories. Dieter Dana's total daily calories allowed on her current diet plan equal  1,400 calories.

Dieter Dana has decided to eat 1 egg and 1 slice of toast for breakfast with 1 pat of margarine/butter. Her calories for breakfast now total 200 calories.

Dieter Dana has decided to enjoy her for lunch menu, as planned. She has decided to skip snacks, thus adding 200 more calories she can work with towards her cheesecake treat.

For dinner, Dieter Dana skips the bread and margarine on her menu to account for the last 100 calories needed in order to enjoy her cheesecake without going off of her diet plan.

While this is not a situation that Dieter Dana should repeat on a daily basis, she can indeed work around her diet plan to include holidays treats.

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