Category: Weight Loss Tips

You can easily gauge your water, sugar and salt intake on a daily basis. Understanding how much of each you need will help you lose weight and keep it off.

Water is the Source of Life

You can drink as much water as you like. You are encouraged to drink six to eight glasses of water a day. This can be clean tap water or bottled water, depending on where you live and work. You can drink coffee and tea without sugar, artificial sweeteners, cream or non-dairy substitutes. Clear liquids are always recommended. Soft drinks are discouraged.

If you want to measure your water intake, look for a cute app on your Smartphone that waters a plant every time you drink water. This is a fun game if you have time for it. If not, keep an insulated container on your desk or work area and just take note when you fill it.

You can purchase a liter container and keep it with you. Try to refill it with water several times during the day. Water washes out toxins in your system. Yes, the more water you drink – the more trips to the bathroom – but this is necessary to keep liquid moving through your system.

Salt Intake

Your body is made of liquid and salt, so some sodium is necessary. More salt may be necessary if you exercise and sweat.

Salt helps to retain water and that can lead to high blood pressure. Many women find they retain water certain times of the month. Eliminating salt can lower temporary water retention prior to menstruation.

The daily recommendation for sodium is 2.3 grams. Salt is in just about everything you eat. Forget about the salty chips. Add a little salt to food if necessary but try to use the seasoning blends that don’t contain salt. Salt is in many foods including cheese and crackers. Read packaged food labels for sodium content.

You can measure out 2300 milligrams of salt into a plastic bag and use only that amount to season food. You may eventually find that you don’t need it.

Sugar

Eliminate all processed sweet products from your diet including soft drinks. Drink tea and coffee without sugar. You will lose weight. Your sugar can come from fruit and vegetables, not candy, cookies and cake.

Write down any processed sugar products that you eat in a day. You will eventually find that you don’t want them.

Free Consultation at NYC Weightloss Solutions

You can learn more about recommended daily water intake, sodium and sugar requirements with a complimentary consultation at NYC Weightloss Solutions. Call 212.759.8118 to schedule an appointment – or – click the icon below.

 

Food cravings are caused by a combination of biological and psychological factors.

Commonly craved foods include:

• Sugar-laced confections including candy bars, cakes and pastries
• Salty foods including chips
• Sugary drinks
• Ice cream and other rich dairy products
• Chocolate

These cravings are not unusual. Your tongue has receptors for sugar and salt. Most people experience the desire for certain foods with little nutritional value.

Emotional Eating Disorders

Emotional eating is a serotonin response. This is a neurotransmitter produced by the gastrointestinal tract that makes people feel better by releasing serotonin into the brain. Sweet, rich foods release this mood hormone to make you happy while downing that dish of ice cream or a candy bar.

These are comfort foods, high in calories, sugar and saturated fats. Comfort foods include ice cream, whipped cream confections, puddings, cakes and soft cookies. Sweet chocolate is a comfort food.

Emotional problems such as personal rejection, depression, lack of confidence and the loss of someone or something special can drive people to seek comfort in food. The emotional problems are infinite since comfort foods can also be substitutes for love and affection.

Sweet foods and some salty foods that are easily absorbed also release endorphins into the brain. This works like an opiate to relax people. Many processed foods high in sugar, salt and fat become addictive due to endorphins. The result is impulse and binge eating.

A Vicious Cycle

Fat cells contain leptin, a hormone that tells people when they are full. It works with other enzymes in the intestinal track to send messages to the brain. Leptin also tells people when they are hungry.

The more fat tissue you have, the more leptin is released into the brain. Sugar and many processed carbohydrates continually trigger leptin to make you feel hungry.

Overcome Overeating

Stay hydrated by drinking water and other clear liquids that do not contain sugar and additives. Clean tap water and bottled water contain mineral salts that your body needs. Green, black and herbal teas consumed without sugar or artificial sweeteners will give you flavor and help you feed full.

Avoid sweet foods and processed foods. Stick to a balanced diet that will make you feel full and release the right amount of hormones that will keep you from overeating.

Exercise daily with walking, a workout or other activity. A brisk walk for a half hour stimulates your metabolism and your circulation. Exercise does not make you hungry and it can help your digestion.

Get Help with Food Cravings at NYC Weightloss Solutions

Trained nutritionists at NYC Weightloss Solutions can help you overcome food cravings and put you on track to healthy eating. Click the icon below to sign up online – or – call (212) 759-8118 for a free consultation.

 

Eliminating processed foods from your diet will help you lose weight and lower blood pressure. Processed foods are high in sodium (salt), sugar, artificial food coloring and flavors, preservatives, additives, and other chemicals you body does not need. The Weight Loss Coaches at NYC Weightloss Solutions want to help you eliminate processed foods from your diet so that you can lose weight the healthy way.

Eliminate Processed Foods

Sodium is a major ingredient since salt does work as a preservative with some foods. Sodium is found in most processed foods including:

• Canned soups and vegetables
• Dried packed foods including soups and dips
• Salad dressings and condiments
• All products with soy
• Processed meats

While your body needs some salt, it does not need the excessive amounts found in processed foods. Salt holds in liquid and upsets the normal electrolyte balance needed for good health. Water retention leads to high blood pressure and other problems.

Many overweight people are given diuretics to force liquid waste out of their systems. Too much salt is holding in liquid waste that needs to be expelled. Many people taking diuretics may say that they are not adding excessive salt to their foods. They do not realize that sodium in processed foods is part of the problem.

Lose Weight Without Processed Foods

Eating natural foods including fruits and vegetables, is the key to permanent weight loss and management. You are cutting out the processed sugar as well as salt. Natural sugar or fructose is found in fruits.

This is not to be confused with high fructose corn syrup, a processed food found in many products, especially soft drinks. This form of sugar is one of the culprits leading to obesity and type-2 diabetes. Sugar substitutes are chemicals that you body does not need, either.

Hydrogenated corn oil is another culprit in processed food. Extra hydrogen is added to vegetable oils to make them solid at average room temperature. This does not help your digestion.

Artificial flavorings are chemical creations of the real flavors. Preservatives such as MSG are high in salt and chemicals your body may reject. Food coloring makes gelatin and other foods look pretty. The colors are derived from chemicals rather than natural foods.

An example: A strawberry flavored drink may not contain any real strawberries. It has artificial flavor and color. This will be evident on the label in very small, fine print.

Learn How to Eliminate Processed Foods From Your Diet

Your body will benefit from cutting out processed foods by giving you more energy. You will be eating foods that stimulate your metabolism and don’t make you sluggish. Your body will digest food faster.

Learn more about eliminating processed foods at NYC Weightloss Solutions. Your Weight Loss Coach will lead you through a change in lifestyle that includes eating whole foods .Call 212-759-8118 for a free consultation – or – click the icon below to sign up online.

NYC Weightloss Solutions offers several healthy Fall Season Recipes on our website. You can discover many more on the Internet. Fall is the beginning of the over-eating season and people watching their weight are challenged to eat healthy foods.

Two Healthy Fall Season Recipes

Tropical Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Casserole

This is the harvest season with many squash varieties available for healthy fall season recipes. This one uses pumpkin and it can be served for Thanksgiving in place of the sugared sweet potato dish.

Ingredients:

• Four baked and skinned sweet potatoes
• The meat from one medium pumpkin boiled or baked
• Nutmeg
• Clove
• Cinnamon
• Fresh grated ginger and tumeric
• Canned or fresh pineapple

Puree the cooked sweet potatoes and pumpkin in a blender with a little pineapple juice. You can substitute orange juice or coconut water. This is your only sugar. Season to taste with spices, including fresh ginger root. You can fold in pineapple chunks or use them to decorate the top. Pour the puree into a casserole dish and heat at 325-degrees just before serving.

You can used canned sweet potatoes and pumpkin but the fresh foods taste better. The ginger and other spices add flavor. You can also use mangoes or papaya instead of pineapple and top it with unsweetened coconut flakes.

Football Chili

Fall is college and professional football time. This chili recipe is filling and it’s great for munching on while watching a football game. Make it in any amount to the delight of your guests.

Start with:

• One package of dried red beans
• One package of dried black beans
• Two garlic cloves
• Two or more hot chili peppers
• One 32oz can of tomatoes
• Two or more fresh tomatoes
• Fine herb mixture
• Salt
• One or more onions chopped

The day before cooking, hydrate the beans in a bowl of water to which you have added a pinch of salt, crushed garlic cloves and the cut-up chili peppers. The beans will absorb the heat from the peppers.

A least 12 hours later, drain off the water and rinse beans. Place in a pan or slow cooker and add the tomatoes. Add onions, any vegetables and very lean cooked meat as options. Simmer until the beans are soft. Taste while it is cooking and add herbs and more salt and seasonings if desired. Puree some of the beans in a blender for a thicker sauce. Serve with grated cheese.

This is a low-fat and filling healthy fall season recipe that is an alternative to canned chili, chips and other foods people eat while watching games. You won’t need to order pizza.

Maintain Your Target Weight

NYC Weightloss Solutions counselors are here to help you maintain your weight during the fall and holiday eating season. Call (212) 759-8118 to schedule a free consultation.

 

You can set diet goals and a timeframe for reaching them, but targeting the end of the year is a popular way to measure your accomplishments. It gives you celebrations for the New Year.

Diet Goals Year End 2016

Here are a few goals for a diet-in-progress:

• Show a realistic weight loss
• Maintain the weight loss through the holiday eating period
• Increase exercise time
• Continue working on eating healthy

Diet Goals and Exercise
NYC Weightloss Solutions does not believe in yo-yo dieting that includes binge eating during the holidays. We want you to establish healthy weight loss goals that include daily exercises.

You don’t have to do the same exercise routine every day, but you should spend a half-hour or more really moving. This includes walking, running, swimming, or playing your favorite sport. Set a realistic goal of adding another 15 or 20 minutes to your daily exercise time before the end of the year.

You need exercise to burn fat, tone muscles, and condition your cardiovascular system. As the days get shorter and colder, you may want to consider joining a health club if you are not already a member. Community centers also offer exercise and conditioning programs.

Many people have jobs that keep them at a desk working a computer. People with jobs that require them to be on their feet get more exercise. If you have a desk job, set a goal to stand up, stretch, and walk for a few minutes every hour.

Set Realistic Process Goals

Take it step-by-step with gradual changes to your lifestyle. You are not going to completely change your eating habits or desire for certain foods overnight.

Set a goal to add more vegetables to your meals over the next three months. Increasing the amount of water you drink by two glasses and lowering your consumption of sugary soft drinks are other goals.

These goals will eventually become part of your lifestyle. Your body will become accustomed to exercising. You will get in the habit of drinking more water and enjoying certain fruits and vegetables without being aware of the changes.

You can count calories, measure and weigh food and track everything you eat. Or, you can simply note the progress when you look in the mirror and know that you are on track to reach your desired weight.

Stay Focused on Diet Goals

NYC Weightloss Solutions counselors work with you every step of the way to keep you focused on your short- and long-term goals. Our goal is to help you change into a lifestyle of healthy eating habits.

Click the icon below – or – call 212-759-1881 for a free consultation. We can get you started on a customized diet plan that will help you lose weight and keep it off.

TV, radio, Internet, and social media commercials constantly encouraging people to consume processed foods loaded with sugar and additives. Impulse eating is responsible for the increase in obesity among adults and children. Adults and children have been conditioned to eat meals in front of the television since the introduction of TV dinners in the 1950’s.

Studies on Impulse Eating and Commercials

People are subliminally encouraged from early childhood on to respond to television and other media ads for processed foods. Food advertising accounts for approximately 50 percent of the ad time on programs designed for children. It starts with sweetened cereals for toddlers and moves on to candy bars, cookies, chips, and fast food chains. Children usually see more than a dozen junk food ads within a four-hour period of TV viewing.

Children consumed 45 percent more food on average after exposure to TV advertising, according to recent studies. Adults also consumed snacks, even though they were not hungry, after watching food advertising. This encourages binge eating, a disorder leading to obesity.

Those who spend four hours or more in front of the TV are usually sedentary and less likely to exercise. This encourages weight gain and other health problems.

TV Snacking

Food and drink companies sponsor sporting events and prime time entertainment on television. It is a multi-billion dollar industry. Ads for the Super Bowl can cost a company a million dollars for a 30-second spot.

That beer or potato chip commercial during the baseball or football game may send you to the kitchen for a beer or soda and chips to consume during the remainder of the game.

It is easy to tap on a Smartphone and order that great looking pizza you just saw on the TV. It will be delivered. You might decide to drive through a local fast food restaurant for a burger or tacos during half-time.

How to Avoid Impulse Eating and Commercials

Here are a few ideas:

• Turn off or mute the TV during commercials
• Try to avoid eating while watching television
• Get up and do a few minutes of exercises while the ads are shown
• Leave the room and drink a glass of water during ad breaks

Spend more time exercising and less time in front of the TV, even during your favorite prime time entertainment season. You can record programs and fast-forward through the commercials on replay.

Get Help from NYC Weightloss Solutions

Our counselors at NYC Weightloss Solutions are aware of the continuing problem of impulse eating and commercials. We will develop a healthy eating plan for you that will eliminate impulse eating, leading to weight loss and a firmer body through exercise. Call NYC Weightloss Solutions at (212) 759-8118 or click on the link below for a free consultation.

Making a few simple and small adjustments to your meals saves calories and guides you toward healthy eating habits.

Here are a few suggestions to help you to lose weight the healthy way:

• Serve smaller portions and eat slowly
• Listen to your stomach and stop eating when you are full
• Don’t let yourself get too hungry so you won’t binge
• Put more emphasis on salads, vegetables, and low fat dairy products
• Serve very lean meat, poultry, and fish
• Cut back on butter, salt, and sugar
• Snack on healthy food
• Drink more water

Adjustments to Meals with Portion Control

It is easy to take a smaller helping of food at all meals. Part of successful weight loss is learning not to stuff yourself while improving digestion. Knowing when to stop can keep you from binge eating at any meal or when you snack.

Eat and chew slowly. Do not eat in a hurry. People who “grab a bite” often eat more than they need and experience indigestion. They grab food loaded with sugar or unhealthy starches because they believe it will be filling.

If you normally eat a sandwich for lunch, try half a sandwich and a green salad tossed with olive oil and vinegar.

Cutting Back

Use less sugar in your coffee and non-fat milk if you add milk to your coffee. Forget those non-dairy creamers. They are loaded with sugar and chemicals.

Drink water instead of sodas. A glass of water or 100% natural juice will rehydrate you after a workout. Add a slice of lemon to water.

Sports drinks are loaded with sugar and salt. Sugared sodas made with food coloring and artificial flavors contribute to the current obesity epidemic. Diet sodas are not any better since they contains chemicals as sugar substitutes.

Eat nuts and seeds for a snack instead of chips. Nuts and sunflower seeds have B vitamins and other nutrients. They usually have less salt than chips. An apple or other fruit makes a good snack.

Eat Complex Carbohydrates

Trade in the white rice for brown rice. Throw out the sugared cereal and eat unsweetened cereals, oats, quinoa and whole grain breads. Foods high in fiber will fill you up faster and improve your digestion.

Beans are high in vitamins, fiber and protein. This includes black beans, white and red beans along with peas and string beans.

Adjustments to Meals Improve Your Health

Our goal at NYC Weightloss Solutions is to help you enjoy healthy food with tasty recipes. Starting with simple and easy adjustments will lead to larger changes in your eating habits.

Our professional dietitians will get you started on the road to healthy eating and weight loss. Call us at (212) 759-8118 or click below to schedule a free consultation and learn how make a few simple adjustments to your meals.

You are determined to rid yourself of unwanted fat. If you would like to do something for your health and well-being, NYC Weightloss Solutions is the right place for you.

Getting Rid of Unwanted Fat in a Welcoming Environment

NYC Weight Loss Solutions’s experienced weight loss team offers:

• A personal touch within a charming boutique environment
• One-On-One Coaching
• 3 Customized Diet Solutions to choose from
• Metabolic Makeover Diet Plan
• Lipo Ultrasound Body Sculpting – the Ultimate Fat Burner

1. Exercise

Start with spot exercises to work on the waist, tummy, hips, and thighs. Getting rid of excess fat means working on the areas where fat collects on your body. You can lose weight, but the skin and muscles around the areas where you lose the fat must be toned to avoid drooping skin.

This includes the sit-ups and leg exercises working the fattiest parts of the body. Working out at a gym with exercise equipment will definitely help to strengthen and tone these areas.

A regular cardiovascular exercise routine is necessary to burn fat cells throughout the entire body.

• Speed walking
• Bicycling
• Cycle spinning
• Swimming
• Aerobics
• Zumba or other dance

These activities bring up your heart rate and work to strengthen and tone your muscles.

2. Diet with the Right Foods

NYC Weightloss Solutions can provide the best menus and prepared foods designed to speed up your metabolism. Healthy food products accelerate weight loss by burning fat, especially when you exercise.

You will find a quick start diet plan that takes off 10-15 pounds in three weeks. There is a metabolic makeover helping in getting rid of unwanted fat quickly. But, this isn’t a crash diet. Your detailed healthy eating program has to be followed consistently to keep the pounds off.

You will learn how to better understand labeling on packaged food products. Eliminate products with ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, and other additives. These ingredients slow your metabolism and lead to rapid weight gain.

3. Drink Water

Recent studies have proven it is easier to lose and keep weight off when you are well hydrated. These studies have shown that people with weight problems, including obesity, do not drink much water. Plain water should be consumed during the day. Unsweetened coffee, herbal teas, and natural juices will stimulate your metabolism and keep you hydrated. These should be in addition to substantial water intake.

4. Commit to a Healthier Lifestyle

Losing unwanted fat is all about your whole body wellness. It is your life and you want to prolong it with a healthy lifestyle including smart eating and daily exercise. Don’t carry around that excess unwanted fat a day longer.

5. Consider the Advantages of Lipo Ultrasound.

You can quick start getting rid of unwanted fat with our Lipo Ultrasound Body Sculpting system that is non-invasive. The ultimate fat burner uses ultrasonic waves to break up fatty deposits.

More Resources on How to Get Rid of Unwanted Fat

NYC Weightloss Solutions counselors will help you stick to your diet and exercise plan even after you have reached your targeted weight. Learn more about getting rid of unwanted fat along with other helpful weight loss tips. To schedule your free consultation with one of our nutritionists, please click the icon below – or – call NYC Weightloss Solutions directly at (212) 759-8118.

Your diet for weight loss must include lifestyle changes. Remember: you are eating for good health and a long life. You are not living to eat. Embrace whole body health and wellness through a positive change in your daily lifestyle with some common sense tips.

Diet Tips for Weight Loss

Here are four simple diet tips to help you Lose Weight the Healthy Way and keep excess pounds off for good.

Stay Hydrated

Drink about eight glasses of water a day and avoid alcohol. Alcohol causes dehydration quickly. Recent studies have shown a close connection between a lack of hydration and obesity. People who consume large amounts of water along with fruits and vegetables are less likely to be obese. Most fruits and vegetable contain water so they are helpful for hydration, but not a substitute for water.

Diet drinks with sugar and artificial sweeteners should be avoided. As a substitute for soda, combine sparkling water with natural, unsweetened fruit juices. This will give you a light, refreshing carbonated drink to satisfy your craving for sodas. Drink plenty of fruit juices, herbal teas, coffee and energy drinks.

Eat Slowly

New Yorkers lead a fast-paced lifestyle. It is time to slow down and enjoy the taste of each morsel of food you intake. Take pleasure in the preparation of your food. Make generous use of spices and seasonings stimulating metabolism. Check out some of the great recipes from NYC Weightloss Solutions.

Don’t skip meals

Have pre-prepared healthy snacks on hand when you are hungry in between meals

Enjoy fruits, vegetables, nuts, and protein-rich foods enhancing your energy

Exercise

Dieting will help with weight loss. You want to get rid of the stomach, thigh, and buttock fat. To avoid being left with sagging skin after a substantial weigh loss, you need to do body sculpting exercises along with cardio. You may not like sit-ups, crunches, hip rolls,and push-ups, but these help strengthen and tone those areas where you want to lose fat.

Walking, swimming, or strengthening at the gym are important to tone all of your body. Follow the advice of your NYC Weightloss Solutions nutritionist regarding exercise with your diet for weight loss. This is especially important if your job keeps you seated most of the time.

Attitude Change

You are dieting for your better health and a trimmer look. You should always have a positive feeling about yourself regardless of the size of your clothing. The best diet for weight loss includes healthy foods and drinks taking place of the empty calorie foods.

Embrace Whole Body Goodness

Embrace the concept of healthy eating for whole body goodness. To schedule your free consultation with one of the nutritionists at NYC Weightloss Solutions, click the icon below – or – call (212) 759-8118.

There are several alternatives to butter on the market that many people unknowing pass over at the market. Over the years, through advertising, we have been swayed toward margarine and other butter substitutes. These products have ended up being just as unhealthy for our bodies. There are several other alternatives to butter providing tastier and healthier options.

Tasty Alternatives to Butter

Try one of these tasty alternatives to butter. You will soon find one – or each – of them preferable to butter. Several oils offer more food value.

These include:

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Peanut oil and other nut oils

Olive Oil

Olive oils has been used for cooking, medicine, and skin moisturizers since ancient times. Olive trees are found throughout the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. Olive oil has always been a basic ingredient to cook foods in these regions. The popularity of olive oil has spread throughout the world – including America. Olives are grown in warm regions of the United States, Mexico, and Latin American countries.

Olives and their oil are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. Olive oil can reduce inflammation. Squalene and lignans are components of olive oil used in cancer treatments.

Olive oil is beneficial to the heart and blood pressure. It is high in saturated fats helping to lower bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Triglycerides refer to blood sugars making olive oil beneficial for certain types of diabetes.

The list of benefits is endless and there are many types of olive oil on the market. Light and heavier olive oils can be used for stirfry cooking, salads, dips, and spreads. Drizzle a combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on a salad for a sugar-free dressing. Add a garlic clove to a bottle of olive oil for more flavor. Garlic stimulates the metabolism. Pour olive oil and seasonings on a baked potato in place of butter.

Coconut Oil

This is another one of the alternatives to butter offering a subtle, tropical flavor to foods. It is used in stirfry cooking and requires only medium heat. Coconut oil solidifies in temperatures below 76 degrees Fahrenheit and spreads like butter on bread.

• No cholesterol
• Contains the saturated fat encouraging HDL or the good cholesterol level in blood
• Helps with thyroid problems and possibly wards off ailments associated with natural aging
• Smells and tastes good
• Works as a wonderful skin moisturizer and a base oil for making soap

Peanut Oil

This tasty oil is only for people who DO NOT HAVE NUT ALLERGIES. Peanut oil is high in Vitamin E and phytosterols that benefit the heart. Oleic acid – found in peanut oil, olive, and coconut oil – increases your good HDL cholesterol. Peanut oil is commonly used in Asian cooking to add the flavor we enjoy from our favorite Chinese restaurant.

Other nut oils include walnut, almond, and hazelnut. Sesame seed oil sprinkled on steamed vegetables enhances flavor more than butter.

More Alternative Dieting Tips

Learn more about alternatives to butter and other frowned upon flavor enhancers by scheduling a free consultation with one of the nutritionists at NYC Weightloss Solutions. Click the icon below to sign up online – or – call (212) 759-8118.