7 Habits of Ineffective Weight Watchers

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Inspired by the famous book its time to discuss some top 7 habits of all those ineffective weight watchers. Previously on the blog we covered the 5 reasons why people don't lose weight mostly with respect to diet and exercise, but in this post we'd break down the most crucial habits of anyone who has been attempting to watch their weight but in vain.

Habit 7: Lose the excuse - When wishing to lose the pounds on your waist and hips the first thing one must lose is the nasty habit of giving an excuse for repeated failure, lack of time, lack of space, lack of everything the world has to offer. There is only one thing lacking to stay in ship shape and that is attitude and integrity.

Habit 6: Speaking of Integrity -  A little waver here or there can cost a month long or even longer sabbatical from the goal accomplishment. Integrity to exercise especially to stick to the assigned routine and take responsibility towards any slacker is the key to reach the goal post. If you cheat own it, if you want to win abide by it. Show some integrity for your own dignity, that's the mantra.

Habit 5: Just Cardio on a treadmill - OMG! that is so old school to do just a treadmill for weight maintenance and fitness. I mean this ain't the 90's people we're in 2011 our bodies have come of age and how. We live in an era where exhaustion comes easier than energy, we need much more strength and stability than our fathers and grandfathers did, that's our world can't blame it alone but need to overcome it. Just cardio has never worked and never will to get an envious body and great fitness, as it needs to be supported with strength & resistance training. Those who are sheer lazy of taking pain with resistance training should also know that its not only about the body beautiful we're talking about but more importantly the body strength and vitality for years to come. Weight watchers make this one mistake unabashedly and later suffer the lack of a toned and strong body as well as the bursting happy hormone.

Habit 4: The DIET - It will never cease to repeat itself on the list of doing it all wrong to keep ship shape. Many try their tricks off the sleeve and fail miserably but most who do go the right path in seeking professional help do't really adapt their diet with the workout regime. Fitness regime depends a lot on your diet and vice-verse but rarely is this given due importance and rather treated as separate entities. If your diet lacks in pre exercise protein quality there ain't much one can expect from the outcome of that particular session. Similarly if it isn't equipped with enough protein-carbs energy post workout the rebuild and repair would also suffer.

Habit 3: Hydration - Either its done over the top or its taken to drought limits during weight loss periods. Hydration is necessary to repair, rebuild and rejuvenate the body into the desired shape as much as the food eaten or the fitness regime undertaken. Hydration or the lack of it leads to toxicity and acidity in the body which in turn leads to metabolic stress. We all are now aware how metabolic stress can hamper hormonal function essential to keep the fat metabolism along with other metabolic activity in check.

Habit 2: Overdrive - Getting on an overdrive with anything for a short stint and then burning out isn't a good strategy even to lose weight or keep it under check. Many come looking forward to lose as much as 20 lbs of weight in just a month and if turned around disappointed claim that the professional advise wasn't good enough. Crash workout or crash dieting or both together for a short period will show you great unbelievable results of your wish, however they will be unbelievable because they won't last longer than you can say "I don't believe it".

Habit 1: No Diet only Workout - What goes in must show out but even if you expend it in energy currency there is a limit to what and how much you can burn out. It isn't all about just the weight or the look because in good shape or bad your body will reflect your inner health outwardly and you need to take care of the health quotient.

Habits are hard break but if there really was an option between those habits or yourself what would you stick to? 

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5 best ways to diet & not lose weight

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Mirror Mirror on the wall... tell me has the diet been going wrong? The thought of listing out the top 5 must not's to lose weight that people invariably practice as a must have is as tempting as a dessert and we've got just a list for you weight watchers. Take it from those who see people go wrong and brag about it all the time almost every waking moment, the best diet tips could sometimes come from those who do it all wrong and blame it on the diet for getting no satisfaction. Find out the best 5 ways to diet and yet not lose enough weight.
#5 - Diet but No exercise or vice versa: Counting these people is like counting how many hair does one have. There are versions of these faux pas makers too like only cardio or only weight training or none or bouts of either. The reason this is one of the best ways not to lose weight is because the depot of fat that needs mobilization cannot occur uniformly and adequately without regular planned workout. When we workout adequately balancing both cardio and strength training we not only burn fat by enhancing our muscular strength but also by increasing endurance. Exercise not only helps burn fat in a momentum but also facilitates the body's priority to divert nutrition and blood flow where needed the most and adds up on strength.

#4 - Skipping meals: Its one of the most popular ways to try to lose weight but it always back fires on those who practice it. Skipping meals is equivalent to forced starvation or fasting. It motivates the body to store as much energy source in it so as to be able to use it for later when the body is made to starve/ fast. This invariably stores more fat and converts whatever excess sugar into fat to be deposited in the body as reserves. Whenever meals are eaten they would be eaten in excess due to previous fasting or if not then the body really goes into overdrive to not waste any nutritional source for energy but keep storing it while breaking down the body for energy. Whenever you feel like enough weight has been lost by skipping meals and want to go back to eating normally the body snaps out and adds up on a load of sudden energy gain making you even more fatter than you started out.

#3 - Crash/ Fad Dieting: Crash and burn is not how its done to be fair and honest. Fad diets or crash diets that can only last you for a week or two take away from the body more than the weight loss they promise. Going through one fad diet into another or sticking to the same leaves the body under nourished from vital minerals, vitamins, proteins and even carbohydrates and essential fats. The south beach, general motor, baby food, HCG, Atkins, cayenne pepper - lemon juice are all but ways and means to offer temporary delusions and not permanent solutions for a healthier you. Infact it gets you into a vicious cycle of not eating normal food filled with rich nutrients like omega 3 fats, Vitamin B complex, phyto-chemicals, amino acids, Vitamin C, A, D & E, zinc, mangnese, iron, calcium etc for weeks at a stretch leaving your body malnourished. Fat loss becomes a very distant possibility if the body isn't fulfilled with common nutrients itself for the enzyme & hormone function.

#2 - Reversing to old diet: Many people lose 20 pounds or more of their weight and switch back to their pre-weight loss diet and lifestyle as if this period of weight loss will be running long because of their time & money investment. Can it get any more illogical than that? The time and energy you have put into getting your body acclimatized to a lifestyle and diet that allows higher metabolic rate and burns fat more quicker why would you want to take it away just for momentary temptations?

#1 - Diet without professional help: There is a reason why this ranks on top of the charts because for every person who is looking to lose or manage weight there will always be 10 unqualified professionals to give two bits of their supposed tips. A very successful cardiac surgeon Dr. Hariawala from Harvard Medical once said in his oration "free advice is risky as compared to an advice with a fee, if you want to seek help for skin problems don't go to a cardiologist seek a dermatologist and vice versa". If you want any health related help seek the concerned professional like a registered dietitian not a person who had a successful experience with the professional. Paying for health advice and following through till completion is something most population in the world are wary of or just not habituated to. Nevertheless this #1 reason will always leave you wondering somewhere down the road what did you do wrong in losing weight when your friend/ relative succeeded with the same diet. Because diets like exercise are different for all individuals and there is no two ways about this.

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What is a true power lunch ?

Its chic to talk about having power lunches with your colleagues or boss, but how many of you really know what a power lunch really means? Is it just a concept or is it practically real too? Power lunch is not about having lunch amidst top CEOs or something that only C -segment people in Wall St, Mumbai, Honk Kong & London can do, it is what the meal consists of and that is energy boosting nutrients.

What's for lunch? - If you have your lunch anywhere around 2.30 pm onwards you're in for big troubles in life and that is an affirmation. A good powerhouse lunch should be scheduled between 12 pm - 1.30pm that is when your body needs its fuel and you get to enjoy your food too. The primary lookout for any power lunch is how well can you kick your now slowly slugging metabolism for the next 5 hours and not go into a drowsy spell. A colorful bowl of salad comprising of good amounts of deep reds/ purple and greens with an ounce of high protein ingredients like oily fish, lean poultry, eggs, soy, cottage cheese or lean cheese should be your first handsome course. The idea of a heavy salad is to fulfill the need of high fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in its organic raw form as much as possible along with a dosage of protein to balance the insulin secretion further. Do not go for any fat base dressing, stick to vino or vinegar variety. For a main course if you are into breads go for whole wheat or multi-grain and keep it lean, fresh as far as possible. If rice is on the menu for the day then make sure it is packed with a lot of veggies and lean meat or plant protein. This supplements the rice with high fiber and low glycemic index food that keeps the drowsy spells at bay. A good portion of meat or fish or other protein would be the size of a deck of cards which is either grilled or sauteed along with some veggies. Do not wash the meal with any fruit juice no matter how well its packed with vitamins and minerals it is but good food- wrong time- wrong reason.

Dissecting the power lunch - What is so powerful about the power lunch or a sample of it mentioned above? The low glycemic index foods that do not surge up the insulin levels in the blood there by regulating the slow and steady release of glucose to the tissues. This helps in many ways than just fat loss, it helps in slowing down gastric emptying and keeps you satiated for long. The metabolic push provided with the high fiber, high protein and adequately supplied antioxidants and minerals in the lunch boosts the body's energy for another 5 hours. Vegetables form the most important aspects in boosting the metabolic rate and not just the lean meat, fish or other protein, but the way the vegetables/ meat/fish are cooked are dominant in deciding the metabolic rate of the body too. Too much of fat or sugar while cooking could hamper the nutritional value and its content as well as slow down digestive process and metabolic rate. The more organic and light the ingredients of the lunch the more powerful it gets. The minerals & vitamins and phytochemicals in the salad that we mentioned are real role models to facilitate the entire working, digestion, assimilation of all nutrients of the lunch as a whole.

Hopefully you enjoy your lunch hour with a wholesome delicious meal. Bon Appetite!!

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Breakfast like a King

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By now everybody who is anybody knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day as the saying "Breakfast Like a King" is been rubbed on your brain with every cereal box commercial. Usually the city goers breakfast like a pauper and eat dinner like a king unless of course you are one of those who take breakfast on the go over the subway or cab or bus or even your car. But why do you need this meal to be eaten like a king and more importantly what are the ingredients you ought to be taking in the healthiest breakfast? In this post we discuss the most essential nutrients of a breakfast and how every culture and cuisine can offer healthy breakfast.
The Perfect breakfast: No such thing as the perfect breakfast for all it really depends on your individual needs for nutrition. But having said that every breakfast must fulfill certain requisites of nutrients no matter what and that would be termed as perfect breakfast if at all that is what it is. The best breakfast is the one where you feel enriched, energized completely to survive you till pre lunch. It definitely must brighten your day as you step out into the world which means it should be delicious and yes healthy food can be as delicious as unhealthy food. 

Top Breakfast Nutrients: #1 Protein - It ranks number uno for a simple reason that this nutrient is much needed for your body to rejuvenate, rebuild and carry on the entire day's activity based on the first shot of protein and amino acids it can get. Proteins also give the metabolism a good kick start and balance the insulin secretion and hence fat breakdown.

#2 Carbohydrates - If you think healthy food has low carbs, think again. The perfect balance of protein with complex and simple carbohydrates is what gives your breakfast its title "Perfect". Complex carbs with the fiber content are much needed to keep the satiety and offer long lasting supply of glucose to the body which helps curb the hunger pangs and also stops the ping pong insulin secretion. Simple carbs like fructose and lactose (if not intolerant) offer the instant sugar that is needed to break the fast from the previous dinner.

#3 Iron & Vitamin C - Well they go hand in hand as Vit C helps in the absorption of iron should there be equal amount of calcium in the meal. Iron is best absorbed during the morning time usually in the first meal and also utilized in the body effectively. The RBC's hemoglobin needs iron for the uptake of oxygen molecules and the less the absorption of iron the less the oxygen carried in the blood. Iron is also required for various other enzymes and other cellular functioning. Vitamin C on the other hand comes handy whenever you can take it as its the top antioxidant to combat the daily free radical stress. Vitamin C is also essential for our skin, nails and immune structure as without it things may fall apart.

#4 Essential Fats - Omega 3 & 6 of fats are the most essential to help us fight stress, build our immunity and basic cellular structure, give our skin, hair their health as well as regulate hormones and enzymes. The protective agents that they play for our pulmonary, neural and cardiac organs goes without saying.

#5 Zinc & Vitamin B - Vitamin B is the basic nutrient we need to kick start our day with energy boost as its the vitamin that is responsible for energy generation, metabolism, DNA synthesis and structure, protein synthesis, hemoglobin and iron uptake, neural activity and enzyme activity. Zinc on the other hand is the mineral present in most enzyme structures and/ or helps to activate an enzyme in certain cases. It is also a good antioxidant and helps the repair of skin, hair and damages within the body. Zinc has been proven to be one of the most important minerals in the body for this same reason.


Healthy Breakfast Ingredients: Now that we know about the nutrients we must have in our breakfast it is equally crucial to know the food that actually bears these top 5 nutrients. These could be found in all cuisines and cultures.
Protein - Chicken, Egg whites (hen/duck), soy bean, tofu, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, cottage cheese, yoghurt, tuna, turkey, skim milk, millets.
Complex Carbs - Whole wheat, oats, oat meal, corn meal, rye, ragi (Indian millet), bajra / jowar (Indian millet), red rice, unpolished rice, lentils, sweet potato, vegetables.
Simple Carbs - Fruits, avocado, skim dairy, honey, squash.
Iron - figs, egg yolk, lean poultry, watercress seeds, spinach, brussel sprout, rice flakes, raddish / coriander greens, parsley.
Vitamin C - Berries, oranges, avocado, sprouts, lime, lemon, pomegranate, red / black grapes, collard greens, brussel sprouts, raddish greens, kiwi, horse raddish.
Essential Fats - almonds, walnuts, olive oil, rice bran oil, coconut oil, sesame seeds, salmon, tuna, figs, avocado.
Zinc - Banana, sweet potato, almonds, walnuts, lean poultry, fish, eggs, milk, sesame seeds, oats, fruits.
Vitamin B - unpolished rice, whole wheat, soy, oats, rye, bran, corn, fish, millets, egg yolk, skim milk.

Now that you know what ingredients you should be looking out for breakfast and how important are these ingredients especially to kick start your day and your metabolism, hopefully you will be eating breakfast like a king and not a pauper.

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The Weight Plateau Diet Abuse & Facts

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They say the universe has a great sense of humor, that sometimes making your dreams come true can seem like a nightmare. One such instance is that of a weight loss when people guide themselves into a diet and exercise without any professional help or some professional help and then the inevitable happens. WEIGHT PLATEAU.
Early Weight loss - The first 2 months of weight loss are the most glorious if done to the tee. First and foremost the body is just about adapting to a lower calorie daily intake and is shedding off water content from the body due to physical workout and adjusting the metabolic activity. Beyond the fact that the first 2-3 weeks of your weight loss is predominantly water loss and little fat loss. The easiest way to lose weight is to shed off the excess water which inadvertently happens in the first few weeks giving us the impression that we are shedding off excess fat. In the next few weeks after the body has acclimatized to the water loss, low caloric intake and workout it slowly begins to mobilize the fat deposits stored in the adipose tissue. But fat isn't so easy to come off without the right amount of push to the metabolism and insulin regulation. Earlier on in the first 2 months of weight loss you cut back slowly and unevenly, but even if you eat absolutely like the diet recommends your insulin would need sometime to balance its act with a lower carb diet than before. Lowering carbs in your diet takes the insulin lower making the body mobilize fat more easily. However any further lowering in the carbs and the fat breakdown leads to acidity and ketone bodies in the blood and thats a bad news for liver and kidneys.
Approaching the Plateau - Slowly and steadily your body over the weeks takes on the fat burning process seriously than before and it catches up with momentum and makes sure your metabolism is in full swing with your diet and more so even if you have an odd day with a meal you'll be covered for a day. There comes a point after 3 months or more when the fat has been reduced to a level where the metabolic activity has come on par or complacence with the body fat present and needs to be on a turbo charge to go on another overdrive. This is the time when the plateau weight approaches and gets stuck like a broken record for days on leaving you wondering what's going on? Many people question their entire effort upto now and conclude that this is how far they can go as far as losing weight is concerned. When you do reach a plateau in your weight it means that the effort you put in with workout and diet together is now equivalent to your metabolic rate and if more fat has to be burn out it needs a kick start to the current metabolism. To kick start your metabolism at an already higher rate needs some good professional intervention of radical short term dietary changes and workout changes.

Plateau breaker diet - A good plateau breaking diet will not last for more than 48 hours and will give enough protein, simple sugars with high fiber and vitamins, minerals as nutrients to energize the body while starving it of fat, sodium, sucrose to cause a shift change in the body's total caloric intake but more so to push it to burn the fat and excess carbs in the body due to the lack of energy from the total diet. The workout would involve a little more on the cardio and weight training intensity as compared to previous sessions. The idea is to force the body into an overdrive of metabolism and in order to do so the body should get acclimatized to intensified workout with a sudden change of diet which is on the lighter side of the usual low cal diet regime. The body has nowhere to go with a sudden drop in diet energy and increase in the intensity of the workout but to break out of the plateau without starving or alarming measures.

Health Contraindications & Abuse of Plateau Diet - Its a old bad habit of many people who realize how powerful a plateau breaking diet is to get out of the rut of the whole weight stagnation to abuse the diet. This diet is abuse on their own terms and or as prescribed or recommended by a professional dietitian. Abusing the diet more than once a month for covering up for all the bad food days while keeping your weight in check is not only a temporary way to weight loss but also very dangerous to your body internally. The diet is meant to give the body a sudden jolt of metabolic rate and therefore does not extend for more than 48 hours with enough care and counseling done before and after the time. This means the diet is not for all whenever and wherever, it is to be taken according to prescription only. The health contraindications for this diet are plenty beginning with hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, low blood pressure, if taken more often as twice in 90 days. This diet although very stringent gives you enough energy to survive for 2 days but not more and definitely not more frequently.

Down the rabbit hole & back - Getting habitual with abusing the diet will get into a vicious cycle of losing weight and gaining it right back. Besides that the amount of nutrient depletion and water depletion it causes over time. When you stay on this diet for long enough a cardiac problem, thyroid hormone dysfunction and liver dysfunction and don't get started about the skin, hair, eyes and bones.

To get the plateau breaker diet to work for your Weight Loss Program use it only under prescription and not on your discretion for better results and healthier life.

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Lose Weight after Pregnancy

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At the risk of sounding too cautious let me inform you that it isn't feasible by people who have no nanny, chef, housekeeper, hair & make up staff and personal trainer to lose weight gained during pregnancy in just 3 weeks post delivery as claimed courtesy our celebs in 90210 zip code. However it is unwise to immediately hop on to the weight loss band wagon because Heidi Klum has done it thrice by now. Understand that your body has gone through well realistically almost a day long trauma in labor and if not then surgery in C section give it a breather for once. Here are some must knows every girl should keep in mind while entering this phase and yes the husband is going to do whatever it takes to stop you from losing weight asap post pregnancy so never tell him about it and yet get your hot body scientifically healthy way.

#1. The Natural Weight loss is Breast feeding - If you haven't already read my post on lactation diet I had mentioned how breast feeding is nature's way of shedding the excess weight gained. While producing milk the body utilizes its fat stores and carbohydrates to form the composite of breast milk mobilizing excess body fat. Do not over eat during lactation you only need 500 Kcals in excess to your non pregnancy dietary recommendation as compared to the 300 Kcals during pregnancy. The rest will be taken care by your body's hyper metabolism during the first 3-4 months of lactation. 

#2. What really gets you fat post pregnancy - Apart from the hormonal changes that occur so as to allow your body some breather from the physical exhaustion that can affect metabolism too. It is sheer tiredness while keeping the baby safe and sound not to mention the overnights. Your metabolism will sloppy down once it gets too comfy with the tiredness causing you to sleep whenever you can and have no energy to workout later on. Agreed that the baby really gets the biological clock topsy turvy and plus the noise, the clothes, the baby food, the diapers list goes on, but take a moment to keep your goal intact. You must give your body high fiber food and more hydration with fruits and veggies along with fluids to keep the metabolism kicked up during this phase. Sleep deprivation can be accustomed within 3 months of back up time that you have immediately after delivery. You must get your back up with food, fluids, sleep and energy on the ready by the first 3 months after delivery. Use the next 3 months to get your body stablized with enough energy, nutrition, metabolic regulation. You are totally ready after 6 months to lose that fat that no longer is required by you nor your baby, get started with a healthy yet leaner custom made diet plan that keeps in mind you and your baby's nutrition & of course the fitness regime that will obviously start out slow and go on to a steady moderate until your ready for an intense workout. 

#3. Maintain a good diet - I am going to come clean with this fact you have only the first year to lose tat baby weight and anything more than that is more excess baggage than you can handle. If you are a C section mom or a natural birth mom give your body a good protein rich, essential fat, moderate carb high fiber diet. Fiber will regulate the gastrointestinal system allowing slower gastric emptying therefore regulating insulin secretion and fat absorption as well as metabolism. Considering the body has a lot of damage control to do since the birth be it abdominally, internal tissues, muscle strength, blood volume, immune system precursors, bone strength a diet that will provide enough essential amino acids as well as antioxidants inherently in the protein food is a deal maker. Similarly to kick the metabolism a diet rich in good fats, and protein with antioxidant rich complex carbs makes sure you are prepared to lose that weight in the healthiest way possible. If you can keep up with the nutrient richness in your diet along with not gorging on excess fat "for the baby" food you and your baby will be well taken care of. Breast milk will surely depend on your diet but nobody said your diet is going to harm its nutrient content because you can provide rich breast milk and keep your fat and sugar intake in check simultaneously. We are not in the 1950's anymore so be fully aware of what works and what doesn't and trust me loading your diet with fat for the sake of breast milk is not either of the solution. 

#4. Fitness Or Fun - You have so much on your plate after a child is born you travel time for all intensive purposes. Your body and mind however cannot live up to it for long and they both need a time out. When you start out to lose the weight after pregnancy take it easy especially if you have had a C section delivery its always best to take it easy and then gear up. One needs a good stretching, lighter cardio and functional training to work the exercise into the body's functioning. Its also important you opt for more fun activities that benefit you in exercise as much like a sport or biking, exotic dancing, lighter pilates, power yoga, ice skating, roller skating, swimming, aqua sports, aqua resistance training. Stress is the first thing that needs to leave your body and mind if you intend to be a happy mother and a sexy woman again. 

#5. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise - Do not and I repeat this do not let anybody's opinion of you and your body get to you. There will be many who will ridicule you, tell you that you cannot look great post delivery or that its natural for women to look out of shape after child birth and that you're crazy for trying to lose the excess baggage after 6 months of your child's birth. You deserve to feel and look exactly the way YOU and only you desire. So if your desire is to be desire and envied by everyone including your partner you must get on the plan after the first 6 months of postpartum. Every women of any age has the capability, passion, and the right to look as beautiful and sexy as she wants to don't let anyone tell you any different. All you need is a moment of decision to go for the kill (read kill excess fat). Once that decision is made dive right in and come out a dazzling and gorgeous woman you were born to be. 

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How to lose holiday weight this new year?

Its that time of the year when the year begins. Firstly let me wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year from Wellness & I and hope you are filled with health  this year. The first day of the year and you wonder how on earth did you end up gaining those many Lbs and immediately resolve to lose weight this new year. The holiday season only began end of November, right? Is it humanly possible to gain so much weight in a month let alone to lose it in the coming months before Spring/ Summer rises upon us and its time to wear those light clothes that reveal how plump you really have become? No fret as I tell you how you can stick to your New Year Resolution to lose weight.

Secret #1 - Take small steps towards losing the holiday weight. Don't hop on the whole wagon out of sheer burst of New Year enthusiasm and then fail miserably. Most people do not end up losing the weight either in general if they're obese or just the holiday weight for a simple reason that they adopt a crash diet from the word GO. Later on they realize that these strict diets do help in losing weight instantly as much as gaining it once you're off them. Of course they are and why wouldn't they be? You were consuming 3000-4000 Kcals a day for over month or more and suddenly you are onto 1400 - 1500 Kcals a day, you are bound to lose weight (water and carbs) like you shed your clothes. But your objective is to lose inches and thats possible when you lose fat. So go easy with the diet and get it custom made for you.

Secret #2 - Balance a workout regime thats effective and fun. People often misconstrued that cardiovascular is the end all be all of any weight loss workout. They go running, walking, biking but forget that there can be so much more to losing weight and it can be fun too. Your daily routine could have many resistance and cardiovascular exercise combinations that could help your lose weight. Its not a hard and fast rule that you enroll into a gym on Jan 1st but yes its highly important and safe if you get a professional help to chart out your regime and guide you at first. If you live near a beach then surfing could be a new thing to learn and it shapes you up real good, or a beach volleyball game over the weekend with your friends will keep you all in ship shape, swimming is another great resistance combined with cardio workout. If you play or like sports like tennis, basketball, football (soccer), rugby, squash, water basketball you are very much in the domain of a perfect resistance + cardiovascular workout. But if you are in a big city where rush hour is more than these sports time then biking, resistance tube + medicine ball workouts in your home can be a better option too. Take up an exotic dance class you'l like it and will work for you if you keep on to it.

Secret #3 - Drop the excess baggage. I know it feels like you are full of it but what I mean is to drop the excess portions and excess food items consumed as a holiday habit. Sugar is not only a major loader but also it speeds up ageing making your skin sagging in the late 20's and 30's, same goes for hydrogenated fat and fat from red meat. Stick to healthy options and I mean stick to them like glue under all circumstances. It is easy to say I will stop sugar to lose weight trust me it takes a lot of presence of mind to act upon it when situation demands and it demands in awkward places. Drop the excess teas/coffee/drinks/soda/gum/mints and you will see the difference.

Secret #4 - Store the good stuff in advance. If you need to eat right you need to shop right. Make sure first day of the new year you have all the food stuff needed for just a week other than oil, and dry stores. Do research to find out where in your neighborhood do you get organic produce, healthy options for food with sugar, animal fat, preservatives, MSG, etc. You must also keep a hawk eye for food fortification of calcium, vitamin Bs, C, E, D, iron, selenium, zinc, magnesium as these are vital as antioxidants in our body. Do not shop for more than a week because more food in the house means more food consumed. Always make sure you have all the required food items stored on the previous weekend i.e saturday not sunday because haste makes a total waste of your diet plan.

Secret #5 - Do not be a slave to the scale. Give yourself an inch loss target rather than scaling weight loss. Weight loss can be achieved by water loss, sugar loss not just fat loss. however inch loss comes with an assurity of fat loss accompanied with adequate ancillary weight loss. Mark a target of losing 1.5 lbs per week that is all it will take to stay true and focused without being tired, bored and slacking towards the end of the first month in your NEW YEAR RESOLUTION to Lose Weight. Have fun this new year and be sure to write to me for a consult to help you with your regime at consultation@wellnessandi.com

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Happy New Year & Wish you Wellness !!!!

To fulfill your New Year resolution sign up for our Fat Loss Programs that suit you.

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30 days to slip into New Year Eve Dress

Thanksgiving left overs are now over and done with. Lose that festive weight .....

 Take a weight loss challenge with our Fat Loss Program to slip into your favorite New Year Eve Dress. Waltz into the new decade with a healthy New YOU by regular live video counseling, ebook, fitness videos and motivational counseling to maintain a steady wellbeing through life. Get your own personal wellness coach to be with you whenever, wherever by a click of an appointment. No barriers of geography or time zones will stop you to connect live with your very own personal lifestyle coach.

Contact on mailer details above or email us at consultation@wellnessandi.com

Wish you wellness.

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Lemon Juice in warm water help Weight Loss ?

I am always hounded with so many myths floating around weight loss and its secrets, so I decided to put an end to one of the most annoying yet popular tips to weight loss and that is drinking lemon juice in warm water early morning to burn fat in the body. If you are one those who practise it and believe that this figuratively burns the fat read closely to the real reason behind it.

Firstly you are waking up from slumber when you have this cup of warm water and lemon juice which means your body is awakened by the tangy taste of lemon. Lemon and water especially warm water is a gastrointestinal function mover. The concoction helps in bowel movements, which is invariably helpful for proper excretion and also helps in future digestion since it avoids bloating, pain, diarrhea, constipation. It helps to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract to function normally by stimulating adequate motility and thus completing digestion. Good digestion is the key to most metabolic basic needs to kick start each day. A good metabolism ensures faster breakdown of energy or fat stores. We all are aware that metabolism kicking is the most important aspect of weight loss which is based on great digestion of food without any hiccups of bowel movements that leads to unnecessary weight retention in form of fluid, gas or solids.

Well all one needs to get a healthy and easy weight loss is to keep your basics clear and rooted. Lemon in warm water or any of the tips are not solely or entirely going to aid in weight loss or fat burning as they might have told you. If the body which takes time to fatten up would have lost weight so easily it would be extremely hazardous for us. You must thank your body it takes a while to lose the weight or the repercussions aren't pleasant to watch. Hopefully I have demystified some myth about everyday weight loss and if you truly need to lose the excess baggage you can do so without any barrier of time, distance yet have a custom made plan for you with personalized counseling online at Wellness & I.

Wish you wellness.

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Have you lost weight with only Exercise & No "DIET" ?

  

So are you one of those many people who proudly boast about how they lost oodles of weight by just exercising and not restricting themselves of all the goodies in food? Well unfortunately this post will burst that happy bubble you've lived in so far.

Lets unravel the whole Non restricting Diet concept shall we?

Is it all about your calorie intake really? - When people say " I eat whatever I want to but I make sure I burn it out with exercise" who are they kidding ? If only the body needed calories and used calories we'd be living on alcohol, candy  or sugar syrup all our lives and no harm would be done so long as we exercise it out. The fundamental principle of energy in = energy out is a must to maintain your ideal body weight however we have a human body and mind to run here and it ain't no calorie counter alone. Our body essentially converts one form of energy into another and whatever it can't, it stores up as fat. Now having said that it completely depends on our food to provide it with essential nutrients it cannot produce on its own like peptides, amino acids, fatty acids, certain saccharides (carbohydrate molecules), antioxidants like vitamins, minerals, acids, and many more. These are essential not only because the body cannot produce it, but also because these are molecules that are used for building, strengthening, repairing, rejuvenating, flushing out toxins, fighting pollution or any harmful agents externally/ internally. If you do not focus on providing these to your body, well it has no choice but to show you the ugly picture eventually. By eating excess fat, sugar, preservatives, not organically fished or produced sea food, meat, milk, dairy or eggs you are bringing in more pollutants to your body than you could naturally possess. Make no mistake these pollutants are the root cause of all our diseases apart from high fat/ sugar diets we consume.

Are you being fooled?  So what really happens when they lose weight ? Sure enough they at first like everyone who loses weight undergo water loss in the first 2-3 weeks because it takes the body a month to acclimatize to the amount of energy lost each day due to exercise and therefore also a week or two for accommodating water loss due to dehydration . Yes some amount of fat loss does occur but it won't be a steadily declining one since the intake of energy isn't going down or remaining constant either. What you often see as a weight loss is nothing but fluctuating water content in the body and some amount of fat loss. What you don't notice in these cases is the exhaustion the body has to be put under due to not good nutrition and a lot of exercise. Most of the times these people are so aware of their bad eating habits that they exercise over an hour everyday without a weekly break of 48 hours. This sends the body to plateau and exhaustion since it doesn't get enough nutrients to repair and rejuvenate after the exercise instead it gets the same food as it did before which is devoid of nutrients due to the way of cooking. One of the two is happening here either you are fooling your body or your body is fooling you. In the long run nothing constructive comes out.

Nutrients Missing in Food - When people are on a non - restrictive diet they usually take leisure in their food and don't pay attention to how it was cooked. In a restrictive diet specific for weight loss or otherwise only the bad stuff is restricted but not completely avoided and is self taken care of the correct amount of micro nutrients as well as macro nutrients. While eating all you want and exercising later lets you munch through all the wrong varieties like deep fried, sugar coated, salty, preserved or canned, buttered or cheese laden, you name it and you have it. Like in my previous posts I have repeatedly mentioned that anything with excess fat will run into trouble while getting absorbed in the intestine. Similarly excess of anything that will not allow bio-availability (available for absorption) of nutrients like protein, vitamins, minerals is doing you no good to eat it. It isn't only important to eat in limits of calories but also what is available in the form of nutrients to your body. Losing and gaining weight depends on how healthy your body is overall not just what shows on the scale. There are many people who are fooled by the thought and idea that since one loves food the only way out to a healthy lifestyle is burn it out but if only it were this simple many people like me would be out of work. If you need proper customized plan for your lifestyle to take care of your health needs do take a free trial consultation over live video / voice chat or discover the Online Wellness Programs.

Wish you wellness.

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What does the brain have to do with hunger pangs?

Ever wonder how come you get hungry at the precise time everyday? Or how you end up gorging on the wrong food aka Fat Diet or Sugar Diet when you are ravenously hungry and can't seem to decide what is right food from the wrong one. When you lengthen your hunger signal do you end up eating more than you would have if you hadn't ? The answer to your curiosity is very simple and precisely the fact that if you wish to lose weight by fooling your body into starvation better watch out for the backfire in the strategy because your body is much more smarter than you think. Today I will unleash the truth of your vicious cycle from curbing food or wrong food and ending up more fat than you were.

Impulse Diet - The brain controls hunger because it has the control center for it which is in the hypothalamus situation below the mid-brain and above the brain stem. It basically controls hormonal secretions of the body but also is a center for pleasure, pressure, thirst, hunger. Now what exactly does it do to make us hungry and to stop us from eating. Neurologically speaking the nuclei for stimulating hunger sends the impulse to the Gastrointestinal system to send the body hunger stimulus and in extreme cases hunger pangs. The head feels lighter and geedy because it is the decrease in brain glucose level that instigates the nuclei in the hypothalamus. The blood glucose being less for the brain to utilize it any further leads it to send out hunger signals to the body to start eating and increase the glucose level in the blood. Thereby if you miss out on the hunger signals initially the body becomes impatient to increase glucose levels and tends you to go for anything that is available at that moment. Whenever you starve or delay your meal time for any reason you will either eat high sugar or high fat food due to the desperation of your body to fill it with fuel or you will tend to over eat the right food which is also not recommended for fat loss program or weight management.

Traffic Signal for hunger - Now that we know how we get hungry we need to know how does the brain stop us from eating any more. When you are ingesting food there is a hormone called CCK or cholecystokinin  which literally means 'bringing the bile from the gall bladder', now what CCK does is it slows down the passage of the food from stomach into the duodenum for proper digestion of fat and protein in the small intestine. Once it slows the gastric emptying it slowly gauges the amount of food entering the intestine and sends signals to the hypothalamus to send out an impulse of satiety or fullness. When you experience satiety you tend to stop eating and the body makes you realize the physical load in your stomach and intestine so as to stop you from eating anymore. Also the fat cells in the body release the hormone leptin to indicate the brain to stop eating and start burning the fat for fuel. CCK also inhibits ghrelin the hormone that stimulates hunger in the stomach. Now of course you'd want to know if this mechanism of stop signal exists in our body how come we overeat and don't feel fullness once adequate food has been ingested. When you et fast due to extreme hunger or starvation you will eat large portions of food in lesser time. The faster and greasier you eat the faster the passage of the food from stomach to small intestine and the later it takes CCK to slow down emptying of the stomach into the intestine. If CCK acts upon late due to the speed and quantity of food ingested in lesser time then you miss out on the satiety que as they come later when you have over done eating already. During weight loss you are always advised not to skip meals and eat slowly this is your reason - Satiety Que. People who have high fat food have faster gastric emptying than those who have good amount of fiber and who chew their food well, because the fiber slows the emptying as well as chewing properly helps in giving out proper signals from the gastric system to the brain inorder to stop eating.

So now you know how and why you must listen intently to your hunger and satiety que to lose weight or maintain it through life. For fat loss program contact at Wellness & I.

Wish you wellness.

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I AM Beautiful ....only if it is from within

I was watching an episode of GLEE this weekend because Mercedes Jones was going to sing one of my favorite songs "I am Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera. It was about the character Mercedes joining the cheerios and been asked to lose 10 pounds in a week since she was well "FAT" and that made her ugly. For those who aren't Glee watchers here is the story background which is why I am motivated to write about it. Mercedes starts going on a anorexic restrictive diet of water, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, lime, and Ipecac (vomiting drug) as suggested by her coach. Half way down the week she faints due to low blood pressure and just before that happens she sees all the kids in the cafeteria as food items. Now I don't know how many of you have had this experience either directly or indirectly but I have had people who had to be brain washed about what is the apt way to cut down weight and how much time is the right time to do it.

Many girls in pre teens and teens go through this heinous problem of starvation to cut fat out of their body and look thin well or try to. Unfortunately they succumb to these gimmicks of restrictive diets or fads or any short cut to their solution when they are most pressured or they need results by lets say end of the week. Seriously ? how long did it take them to put on that kind of weight or even those few extra pounds and expecting that the body would just lose it all because you want it that way is irresponsibly ridiculous. The healthiest way to come to your desired weight and shape is to eat right by a professional dietitian's advice only since they have the in depth know how and why how of your bodynomics and what you should be doing. Next step would be physical workout of minimum 30 min and maximum 45 - 60 min and take this one down if you think working out longer will help its a distant possibility to remain healthy. Your body needs only a certain amount of energy from the appropriate sources depending on your metabolic rate and to burn stored fat it can only be efficient within 1 hour of exercise anything more is sheer exhaustion (waste of time & effort).

Girls, you need to really understand that if you want your desirable shape and weight, you need to start from the inside out not other way round. If you don't do whats right for your body in the long run you will ruin all remaining gifts of life as a woman like looking blushingly beautiful. Your skin tone, hair, nails, bone structure can go for a toss if you do what Mercedes did in Glee and many girls like her. You will definitely end up older from the inside since your body depends on anaerobic respiration all the time due to lack of energy from food and therefore it starts ageing faster. It won't take it too long, much earlier than your 30's when you start looking saggy with your face and arms and nobody wants to be looking like a 50 year old when your just in your 20's. When losing weight make sure you do not lose more than 2 pounds a week and 10 pounds a month. Drink a lot of healthy fluids specially water and live a happy, beautiful life in your beautiful body. Remember always you are beautiful no matter what they say but if you truly are from the inside. If you have any query or want to get yourself into ship shape please feel free to contact me.

Wish you wellness.

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10 Fat Loss Diet Myth Busters

Over years health professionals like dietitians, wellness and lifestyle coaches, fitness trainers, have a constant battle wedged in their profession - The myths of Fat Loss and its Diet. Needless to say people who are fighting their own weight issues buy into the myth faster than the truth. Reality is easier to live by than the myths but myths always paint a picture of convenience and thats the problem. Today once and for all lets shed all the mind blocks, all the psychological barriers to gain a healthy and fit body you all desire but perceive it next to impossible to achieve. We shall go through 10 such myths that have given a chill down my spine too when I realized people actually were made to believe it through media, celebrity and grapevine in general.

1. Obesity is genetic therefore there is only so much you can do about it - If this excuse suits you to explain why you haven't been successful in reducing inches on your waist so be it but don't spread the wrong word around because it ain't true for even a million dollars. Obesity has genetic origin but it doesn't equate to the fact that you can't be at your ideal body weight with the desired body fat percentage. The genetic excuse won't help you in anyway because like every disease this one too has a cure and a prevention and your genes won't suppress your hard work and smart thinking. Anybody and make no mistake of this ANYBODY who is overweight to obese can very well bring their fat percentage down to the acceptable level with the right diet and lifestyle suiting their metabolism.

2. Wight loss diet cannot be adapted to for life - Many people who take up a weight loss diet have done it the wrong way or find it unacceptable that their new healthy way to eat is for life. When you go on a weight loss diet that takes you more than 30 pounds down there is a system and method how you are suppose to adapt your new lifestyle to your diet called the weight management diet which is nearly close to a weight loss one. However weight management diets do include occasional off chart foods they restrict it during most of the days and teach you how to adapt a high fat menu into a low fat one. Once you have achieved weight loss through the correct diet and exercise and lifestyle changes believe you me it stays for life only if you continue or maintain it as prescribed.

3. Starchy food have fat in them therefore they are fattening - Nope!! No potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, rice floor foods, bananas, squashes, beetroot, raw plantain, yams, or any of the foods that contain starch or carbohydrate dense has the kind of fat you were expecting it to possess. However the reason why it leads you to gain flab is because excess sugar in the body enters the fatty acid cycle where it gets converted into fat and stored as adipose tissue. If you have a well balanced carbohydrate diet this would not occur even if you eat the above perceived fattening foods.

4. Weight loss diet = less meals - My clients stare at me with utter shock when I demand they eat at least 6 meals a day in order to lose weight. Do not worry all dietitians face same stares as the most popular misconception of losing weight is to starve. May I sneak you a secret if you will ? Prevent the hunger from time to time and you will lose the fat, stay hungry, skip meals and voila you're back to where you began. The scientific reasoning for this is your body is smarter than you like it or not and if you keep it starving it will either make you binge and pig out on your next meal or if you eat less in any meal it will go into storing whatever energy it gets from food and not utilize the food as burning fuel. This causes fat storage obviously because the body can only store fat since your body protein starts breaking down in order to generate energy. So remember this equation carefully HUNGER = Weight, 6 small meals = FIT BODY.

5. No Carbs Diet is good for Weight loss - It would be rather sad to see someone qualified advising this to those on a even a 90 - 100 pound weight loss diet. I'll tell you why, because carbohydrates is the most important bio molecules that fuels the body's metabolism to generate energy. All your vital organs need glucose as primary fuel agent. If there is a devoid of glucose in the body there are severe repercussions which will give your weight issues a run for its distress in the body. No matter what diet you go on do not and I repeat do not go for cutting out carbs completely from it. Unless you want to barter weight loss for kidney or liver dysfunction then may be you can think about it.

6. NO FAT DIET is the best way out - Fat that we eat if derived from a vegetable source doesn't contain cholesterol and trans fats. It is the quality and quantity of fat that we consume that affects our body. Even on a weight loss diet a minimum of 10 gm or 2 tsp of oil should be consumed for basic body metabolism and lubrication. Curtailing fat totally for the duration of your weight loss regime is highly unhealthy and leads to other vitamin deficiency like Vitamin A, D and E which are needed as antioxidants.

7. Fat burner pills an herbs help burn fat - Fat burners in any form, be it pills, syrups, herbs, gels etc are only metabolism interfering agents. They interfere with your thyroid gland function and hormonal function to catabolize (breakdown) fat but lead to severe metabolic and hormonal problems for future. They are not fat burners you want to get acquainted with to lose weight.

8. More hours of workout give better results - Isn't it ironical that each myth we have busted has the exact opposite fact to it. This one is no exception. Exercise done within 45 minutes is where the body starts burning fat once its over but if you extend to more than an hour it gets no time to burn fat instead it starts breakdown of muscle too and exhaustion begins. Your body would rather store energy if you exhaust it than burn fat. Anything over 45 min of exercise is a waste of energy quite literally. I always finish my workout with warm up and cool down well within 35 min of moderate intensity and no waste of time between.

9. Lime and honey in hot water help burn fat - Whoever started this one as to be told that neither have effect on fat metabolism but have good effect on digestive system. This recommendation is good to clear and give motility to the digestive track. Fat burning is done on higher levels and it needs physical, nutritional and hormonal push to it.

10. Gyms are a temporary solution to weight loss - Sure they are, but let me phrase that one correctly. Temporary gyms are temporary solutions to weight loss. Its just like saying temporary breathing is temporary supply of oxygen to the body, or temporary eating is temporary energy to your life. Exercise so be it in a gym is a lifestyle and life long requirement of your body. Exercise makes you a happy person, a better body and disciplined personality. Exercise is not an option to health weight loss or no weight loss.

I hope some light has fallen on a dusty issue. If you wish to get yourself a custom made lifestyle plan with diet, fitness regime and positive thinking enroll with our Online Wellness Programs for FAT LOSS.

Wish you wellness.

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ENDORPHIN – the chocoholic effect of exercise in your body

Lets start with the word ENDORPHIN and what does it translate into physicality?
ENDORPHIN – is a neurotransmitter acting like a hormone released from your brain which blocks the P substance that indicates sense of pain to the brain thus acting as natural pain killer. But more importantly what it stimulates in the body is a ‘feel good factor’ or happiness or mood regulation also seen as a relief in mental illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and types of depression. There is a red alert to this though too much of it is not healthy.
So how does this endorphin get triggered in the body to be released by our brain? And how long does its effect last?

Endorphin release can be stimulated by various factors such as adequate exercise, eating foods that release endorphin in restricted quantity like chocolate, walnuts, cocoa products, herbs. The safest way is to get your workout shoes on and get going for anywhere between 20 – 45 min daily for not more than 6 days a week. Remember your body is not a robot that’s on autopilot it needs rest for a good 24 hour break from exercise. The effect of endorphin released by exercise can last for at least 18 hours post workout if done regularly in a periodic manner. What our body and brain requires is the effect of exercise not to be confused with the daily routine exertion that we put ourselves through. I have been asked this question almost every time I recommend or prescribe a fitness regime ‘ I HAVE A VERY ACTIVE LIFE AS I MY WORK INCLUDES A LOT OF PHYSICAL RUNNING AROUND SO WHY DON’T I LOOSE EXTRA POUNDS OR FEEL ENERGISED AT THE END OF THE DAY?’. Let me put this as simply as possible, energy and endorphin release to effect our mood regulation and body functions around almost 18 hours a day need a trigger of 45 minute workout. Anything beyond that mark will be addressed by the body as exertion and not effective utilization of the built up energy. Exertion leaves our body in a state of fatigue and there’s no ‘feel good factor’ about that. I will be addressing the topic of fatigue later on.
Endorphin has also been seen to affect the sexual drive, memory, learning and body temperature. So now that we know we can last our manually triggered mood regulator for at least 18 hours what do we eat to trigger it?

A little piece of dark chocolate a day has also the effect on endorphin release, similarly resvetrol in red wine after consuming 60 ml or 2 fl oz a day can benefit in endorphin release, aromas in food with infused herbs like rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme etc and spices have also shown some effect in release of the neurotransmitter. I always go for something that’s natural and controllable and that for sure is exercise regime. That’s my endorphin boost for the day.

Wish you wellness.

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