Signs Your Computer is Making You Gain Weight

As people spend more time sitting in front of computers, they spend less time moving and exercising. People are exercising their “mouses” more than their bodies. They are gaining weight even if they aren’t eating more!

Calories in exceed calories out
Just a decrease in the number of calories burned can pile on the pounds. However, less activity isn’t the only issue. Many people work on their computers without taking breaks. They work and eat at the same time, and it’s usually high-calorie food that is easy and quick to eat. Studies have found that given the choice, computer users will invariably choose candy bars over carrot sticks to power them through an online work session. A healthy, quick, and easy alternative is nuts—just pre-pack reasonable portions into small plastic bags so you don’t overindulge, or you can sometimes buy pre-packaged portions at your local supermarket.

Those at risk
People who appear to be at greater risk for computer-influenced weight gain are those who have received promotions and find themselves suddenly working lots of extra hours; people who are bored with their jobs and consider surfing the internet a physical sport and addicted online game players.

Some top telltale signs
Chances are, if you use a computer for work or fun, you could be at risk for gaining weight. The following telltale signs have been compiled from experts all over the world to help you figure out if your computer is making you fat. You may want to see if you, or anyone you know, have experienced any of these common indicators:
1. Are there food crumbs on your keyboard?
2. Have you stopped going to the mall and done most of your shopping online?
3. Do you IM or email the person who works at the desk next to you?
4. When you are asked to choose between playing solitaire online or a rousing game of volleyball, do you usually choose solitaire?
5. Do you ever want to “cut and paste” things that you are reading in an online magazine or newspaper?
6. Have you sat at the same desk for four years and worked for three different companies?
7. Do you have more friends in the online world than in your real world?

Online interventions
While it’s awfully tempting to sit at the computer browsing the Internet or working on projects without taking a break, it’s not exactly good for us. There are options for skipping breaks or postponing them, which are tempting. There is now software available for your computer that will tell you when it’s time to take a break or you can set your own timer so you remember to do so.

Use your computer for good
Being an active member of an online community allows you to use your online status to connect with others who are trying to lead healthy lifestyles too. There are tons of groups and news feeds to connect with others for both exercise and healthy eating. By connecting with a supportive community of people who are interested in helping each other use the computer to lose weight and live healthy lives, you are now using your computer for something good.

Make the Most out of Family Dinners

How often do you eat dinner together as a family? If your family is like many American families, you probably don’t eat together often. Beyond the obvious social benefits, it’s important to keep in mind that gathering your clan around the table as often as possible can offer appreciable health benefits. Research shows that children who eat three or more meals a week with their families are 12 percent less likely to be overweight, 20 percent less likely to eat unhealthy foods, 24 percent more likely to eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, and 35 percent less likely to engage in disordered eating behaviors. Furthermore, families who dine at home rather than eating out generally consume 500 fewer calories per meal than they would eating a similar meal in a restaurant — a boon to maintaining a healthy weight. Follow these tips to help make your family mealtimes a priority — and a pleasure:

1. Set a weekly mealtime schedule and menu. With everyone’s varied schedules, gathering your family for any meal may be challenging, but setting a regular time for dinner can make it easier for family members to be there. Additionally, creating a weekly meal plan can both simplify meal preparation and generate enthusiasm for the upcoming dishes. If outside commitments do begin to get in the way of the communal table, you can rearrange the schedule, but making dinnertime a priority will help teach your children — at any age — that dining together as a family is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

2. Remove distractions from the dining room. With televisions, radios, computers, and smartphones dominating our everyday lives, there are many distractions keeping us from having an uninterrupted meal. Unless you set rules, someone is bound to receive a text, answer a phone call, respond to an email, or zone out peeking at the TV in the other room, rather than engaging in a mealtime conversation. To help ensure an enjoyable dining experience, ask all your family members to switch off any electronic devices that might interfere with your meal or better yet leave them on silent in a different room.

3. Start a conversation. If silence typically reigns at your dining table, come prepared with some conversation-starters for your family. Ask each family member who’s old enough to share how their day went and what their plans are for the rest of the week. Start a discussion about current events, books, or articles anyone has read recently, or any upcoming events. Mealtime should be harmonious, so don’t allow arguing or teasing at the table.

4. Share the kitchen. Once a week, have someone besides the parents help with a meal. It can be a fun way to teach older children and teens about healthy eating. Let your child help pick the healthy recipe, shop for the food with you, and prepare the dish (with your help only if necessary). Even younger children can participate to a lesser degree, making sandwiches or wraps, or simple fruit desserts, for example. Getting kids involved in food preparation from an early age has been shown to promote healthy eating habits throughout life.

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Tips to Stay Motivated

If you find yourself getting discouraged, remember that it was your enthusiasm and spirit that gave you the big push to lose weight in the first place. Since staying motivated and inspired for the long haul is crucial to reaching your goals, it’s important to try to reestablish the drive and momentum you had when you started. Stay on the right track with these key tips for maintaining your motivation — particularly when you hit a slump!

Become your own personal cheerleader. If you’ve slipped on your healthy eating plan and eaten a cookie or two, don’t beat yourself up over it. Having a negative attitude about your mistakes only sets you up for future failure. Be confident in your ability to reach your goals and celebrate your successes — no matter how big or small — with some self-congratulatory pats on the back. Remember what a strong person you are, especially when you set your mind to doing something as important as losing weight and keeping it off.

Make a commitment. We all get bogged down with work, family matters, and life in general, but it’s essential to make time to focus on what you really want and need. If you’re having trouble committing to your healthy eating plan or your new exercise routine, just remind yourself about why you want to lose weight, and then find ways to keep your goals firmly in mind. It could be hanging up a before or after picture or seeing that piece of clothing out that you want to get back into.

Return to the basics. Sometimes we get so caught up in our everyday diet challenges that we forget about the basics. Make sure you’re eating three balanced meals a day (that means never skipping breakfast!) and at least two snacks. To avoid getting bored with your meals and snacks, strive for variety. If you know you’ll be on the run and won’t have time to prepare a healthy snack or meal, plan ahead so you are prepared.

Take on a Challenge. When you’re struggling, remind yourself that countless others have felt the same and, yet, they were able to find a way to move forward and reach their goals. You can too! Seek support, motivation, and advice from me or consider joining in one of my monthly fitness or nutrition challenge groups. By having a support system to cheer you on through your struggles and successes, you are more likely to stick with the plan and move closer to achieving your goals.

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Nutrition Tips That Make You Fat

Everyone has a different idea about the best way to eat healthy and drop pounds. However, if you feel like you’re frequently dieting yet seeing no results, you may be surprised to find that some common diet advice isn’t really working in your favor. Here are some top nutrition tips that could be making you fat:

Fat-free snacks are better for your waistline.
Instead of snacking on highly processed, fat-free snacks that are basically empty calories, satisfy your hunger cravings with healthy fats. Avocados, olives, nuts and seeds are good choices. Reduced-fat versions of snacks typically have been stripped of one quarter of their original healthy monounsaturated fats, and to replace that flavor, the brand adds in fillings, additives, and sugar — all for the same amount of calories.

Fruit has too much sugar to be healthy for weight loss.
Eliminating fruit from your diet when trying to lose weight makes no sense. Dropping fruit like a bad habit will force you to miss out on a whole lot of filling fiber, which studies have directly linked to long-term weight loss. Don’t be afraid to reach for an apple, pear or banana if you’re in need of a snack.

Eating after 8 p.m. makes you fat.
Having a snack after 8 p.m. doesn’t mean the food will automatically go to your hips. Late-night snacking gets a bad rap because often the foods that are consumed late at night are calorie-dense foods (chips, ice cream, pizza, and other junk food) and may be in excess calories to your daily caloric needs, which translates to weight gain. The important thing is how much you’re eating and what you’re snacking on, not the time it enters your system.

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Stress Busters

Here are 8 super quick easy ways to help you de-stress when all you have is 10 seconds.

1. Deep breaths. Sometimes all you have time for is a deep breath—sometimes that’s all you need. Inhale for five seconds, filling up your lungs to full capacity. As you take your breath in, allow your belly to expand outward. To exhale, open up your mouth and empty your lungs.

2. Laugh out loud. Have you ever had a really good laugh that brought tears to your eyes? Afterwards it feels like you have taken 20 deep breaths of fresh, pure mountain air. That’s because laughter is known to release the “happy chemicals” dopamine and endorphins in your system. Subscribe to some feeds for a laugh of the day.

3. Put a smile on your face. The simple act of smiling releases chemicals that not only reduce stress but also promote a healthy immune system. When you smile at someone they typically smile back—also a great stress reliever and positive reinforcement for you to smile more.

4. Aromatherapy. Lavender odorants are associated with significant levels of reduced stress. You can purchase a little jar of lavender oils or a little sachet at most health food stores. It’s easy to keep in your purse, car, office, or home. Bring it close to your nose, take a deep breath in, and breathe out the tension and stress in your body.

5. Give someone a compliment. It doesn’t take very long to find something good in another. It takes your mind off of your stresses. The great thing about this is the more often you do it, the easier it gets. Who knows, you may be able to throw out two compliments in 10 seconds if you keep it up.

6. Five jumping jacks. One way to take control of the stress in your life is through physical activity. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. Research proves time and time again that one of the best behavioral techniques to combat stress and anxiety is to engage in physical activity. If you only have 10 seconds, jumping jacks are the perfect full-body movement to sneak in. Jump away.

7. Kiss someone. Kissing and touching loved ones help you feel connected, safe, and less stressed.

8. SCREAM!!!! YELL your loudest. When you feel like you just can’t take it any longer let out a loud SCREAM! Whether we are conscious of our own stress or not, screaming is a great way to release tension. So get out there and SCREAM!
Often times it’s hard to know how you feel. People survive their busy lives by living on autopilot, zoned out, not even remembering how they got home from work. Consumed with this stressful life, we sometimes go days without realizing that our shoulders are big rocks sitting next to our ears. The key to combating stress is to be aware of your body and how it feels. Check in with yourself several times throughout the day—even more on high stress level days. Integrate some of these simple 10 second stress busters and you’re on your way to a calmer, happier, and healthier you.

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Common Diet Mistakes

Take a look at some common diet mistakes and how to avoid them.

Skipping Breakfast – There are a number of youngsters who believe that skipping breakfast is their top priority on their diet list to lose that extra flab. You should know that skipping breakfast in one of the worse diet mistakes one can ever make. There is a diet myth that not having breakfast encourages your body to burn fat. However, the truth is that thin people eat breakfast and fat people don’t. You should know that when you miss breakfast it leads to overeating later in the day. This is because blood sugar drops during mid-morning, making one more compulsive around food. Not a big breakfast fan? Consider Shakeology to start your day – easy, quick and a dose of dense nutrition! (learn more at http://www.shakeology.com/michelevaron)

Weekend Fantasy – Those of you who are on a strict diet for five days in a week and love to indulge in those chocolate cakes and pastries on the weekend is not a good idea of a diet. This is one of the most common diet mistakes people do to lose weight fast. One should not indulge in weekend blow outs since five days of restraint, and two days of freestyle will make you gain all the weight you might have lost throughout the weekdays eating healthy.

Fat Phobia – There are some people who believe to avoid all foods which contain fat. One should know that a certain amount of fat is very essential for the body and that fat is necessary to be stored in the body. It is believed that successful dieters get 30 per cent of their daily calories from fat.

Diet drinks – One of the common things you would see in a diet chart of one who is wanting to lose weight is that of diet drinks. It is only a myth that diet drinks have no calories but the truth is that they do. A common diet mistake people committed among those who want to lose weight is that they feel diet drinks will not impact any weight, but its completely the opposite, not to mention all the artificial stuff diet drinks contain.

Crash diet – These crash diets are a common mistake people who want to lose weight follow. For those of who planning to go on a crash diet should know that it will work for a short term, but it will hinder weight loss in the long term.

If you want to lose and keep it off, slow and steady wins the race by exercising and eating clean at least 80% of the time. Hard work, dedication and commitment will help you succeed! Consider an accountability partner/weight loss coach like me to help you stay on track and keep you motivated too!

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Tips to Lead an Awesome Life

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. & while you walk, SMILE.
It is the ultimate antidepressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. When you wake up in the morning, pray to ask for
guidance for your purpose, today.
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food
that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past,
negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Forgive them for
everything !
11. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
14. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what
their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years,
will this matter?’
17. Help the needy, Be generous ! Be a ‘Giver’ not a ‘Taker’
18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
19. Time heals everything.
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
21. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your
friends will. Stay in touch.
22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
23. Each night before you go to bed ,Pray to God and Be thankful
for what you’ll accomplish, today !
24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
25.Share this to everyone on your list to help them lead a happier
life…!!!!

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