• Steam your food instead of fry them.
• Skin your chicken.
• Replace chocolate bars with apples,oranges, strawberries or any other fruit that you like.
• Use smaller plates to help you reduce the portion.
• Dance, clean up the house, do some gardening…anything that can make you ‘move’ and not just sit down…
• Swimming…isn’t it tempting in such a hot summer like this?
• Make a note on everything you put into your mouth…it will be your food diary.
• Chew the food slowly.
• Drink more water. Remember, w-a-t-e-r…not soft drink.
• Read your food label, avoid those with too much fat.
• Don’t use pills.
• Turn a healthy habit into your lifestyle.
• Join some diet groups to get some motivation.

Many people trying to lose weight failed the program only because they’re not patient enough. They keep checking the scale.

Try to stay away from your weight scale. It’s not that you can’t check your weight out at all. You can hide it somewhere, forget about it, then take it out every 2 weeks.

Also, don’t ever wish to get the result in such a short time.

That way, I bet you’ll reach the goal easily.

And, to praise yourself with the great result, take a picture once in a while. Just like this lovely lady. Look at her, she looks great. It took her years, but, she definitely looks good, now!

So, besides a strong will, what you need is a huge patience!

1. Imagine the food that you really really wish to eat
2. Get rid of that imagination and replace it with your goal: to be able to wear 2-size-smaller jeans, for example
3. Stick to the goal and imagine a good smell that’s not related to food, such as an aroma of beach, flower or grass plus imagine yourself looking good in that 2-sizesmaller jeans
4. Write down the aroma on a piece of paper. Keep one in your wallet or stick it on your fridge. Read it whenever your desire of food comes.

These tricks are suggested by Marika Tiggemann from the Flinders University, Adelaide.

Wow, Christie! You sound so inspirational.

You seem to be determined to stick on your goal to be back in the 240’s. And, yes, I’m sure that all the weight watchers agree with your holiday advice and will follow it.

Therefore, you are awarded “THE HEALTHY BLOGGER THIS WEEK!” by Healhifica.com.

You deserve it, girl.

Congratulations!

…yet I was invited to dine in a restaurant.

• I ate fruits before leaving home. So, I never went to a restaurant feeling hungry.
• I walked to the restaurant. If it happened to be far away, I took a bus or a cab half the way, then continued the trip by foot. And, if my dining partner(s) (or my date–ok I admit it) didn’t mind, we went home walking.
• I ordered water. Simply water. No alcoholic beverages since they could contribute more calories and stimulate my appetite.
• I got my appetizer doubled. Doubled salad, most of the time.
• I shared the food with my dining partner(s). Sharing foods means sharing calories, right?
• I chatted a lot while eating. It could make me eat more slowly so it gave more time for my brain to send the ‘full’ signal to my stomach. This was important to make me stop eating even before I consume too much food!

Try! And, if the tips help you, too, let me know!

I’m impressed by Lynne’s last two sentences at her blog written on the 19th of October:

If we’re going with this metaphor then I figure that I didn’t come this far only to turn around and go back to where I started. I want to see the view from the top of the mountain!

I believe those should be the words that any dieters must keep in mind.

Many dieters stop their effort and finally end up in frustration just because they find out that they go back to where they started. And, worse, they give up!

Glad to know that Lynne made the best decision and is committed to her goal.

And, that makes Lynne our HEALTHY BLOGGER THIS WEEK!

Not only she managed to be on track but she can also inspire others dieters and weight watchers!

Congrats, Lynne, you deserve it!

I knew this book from a friend who found it amazing since she managed to lose weight by following all the tips she got from the book.

French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. Have you ever heard? Or even ever tried?

The title of the book is quite interesting, also the cover design. I bought it right away to discover how it helped my dear friend. FYI, she adores food and all this time, she’s been trying to lose weight–which I thought a little bit necessary for her own health–but she never ended up in a success. She even got frustrated and ate more then she used to.

Then, I found out what made her love the book so much and ended up getting slimmer. The book simply allows you to eat foods that you love. Yes, it does. It’s like a wonderful way of living for food lovers.

Actually the point is to live a balanced, joyful and healthy life. If you have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, have a vegetable-based lunch–or take an extra walk and pass on the bread basket at dinner.

You might have known that, but this book could be a great way to lead you there. It provides such delicious yet easy-to-prepare recipes and easy-to-read instructions that might make you think it’s simply a novel not a ‘diet book’ you usually skip in the bookstore.

How can you skip a book that tells you to enjoy food yet helps you lose weight?

It seems like these two weight watchers, Anne and Sarah, are also indulging themselves with foods they like.

What about you?

For the last few months, you’ve been on a diet and exercising. Yet, you don’t feel like losing an inch or two. You’re still wearing your old large pants.

Why is that?

The answer could be one of these below, or even all of them:

• You’re the biggest enemy of water. Well, you should make peace with water if you really want to lose weight. It’s your work-out partner. It helps you transport nutrients to your muscles and keep your metabolism ticking over. Get yourself now a tall glass of water!
• You’re lack of sleep. Oh no! You know what? Those who sleep only four to seven hours a night for six or more nights in a row have higher glucose and insulin levels. What that has to do with your diet program? Guess what, surplus insulin boosts body-fat storage! Now, get some more sleep!
• You give too much credit to yourself. Say, you have lost 5 pounds. You feel great and you think you should celebrate the loss. Well, chips, pizzas, chocolate biscuits, or beer are not the best way to give credit to your diet success. You’d better keep trying and do it harder to reach the goal of 10 pound loss. If you take back the fat you’ve lost, you’ve wasted your great effort.

Now, think back…and check out which one of those is the reason to your failure in dieting?

Aerobic Dancing is booming now. Not only it can get your shape back, it’s also healthy and fun to do!

You can move your body along with the music that you like. It can be pop, latin, reggae, hip hop, etc. Although it’s not designed for dancers, aerobic dancing is quite challenging. You might feel as though you’re performing while firming your body and strengthening your cardiovascular system.

It would be great. Especially for you who feel reluctant to exercise. It can be a wonderful option to try.

May be at first, you won’t feel like the dancing queen. Just like Y. But the point is that you should keep trying no matter what. Who knows, after a while, maybe you could beat Jennifer Grey from Dirty Dancing and be the Dancing Queen…

Come on, Y…you can do it!