3 Tips for Mastering Holiday Parties

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If you’re not trying to look like Santa Clause this holiday season, then you should adopt a strategy for making it through holiday parties and festivities. While it may be tempting to forget about the diets or weight loss programs you’ve been following, straying completely can set you back a significant amount once the holidays are over. Instead, try a few of the following tips for enjoying yourself at holiday parties without going too far overboard.

1. Keep the pre-party sampling to a minimum. Whether you’re hosting the party or just bringing a dish, don’t get carried away with sampling the goods. You can easily consume hundreds of calories that will send the post-party calorie tally through the roof. Don’t cook or prepare food on an empty stomach—have a balanced snack beforehand that includes hunger-satiating fiber or lean protein. Or if you’re on the go and picking up goods at a bakery or specialty grocery store, have weight loss products on hand, such as Control Crisps or a protein bar to stave off hunger and make it easier to pass on the sampling.

2. Don’t sample freely. If you’re cooking or already at a party, don’t sample from the buffet—this can spell disaster for even the best weight loss programs. If you’re dying to taste something, put it on a plate. When you grab appetizers or hors d’oeuvres without putting them on a plate, you’re going to lose track of how much you’re eating and ultimately overindulge.

3. Navigate carefully. While the buffet table, bar and passes appetizers can be hard to keep track of, if you do a once over and plan both your splurges and the healthy foods to fill up on, it will be easier to practice moderation. Fill the majority of your plate with veggies and lean protein, and select a few of your favorites to indulge in. If you’re already feeling hunger pangs before the party starts, try some weight loss products designed to reduce hunger and regulate blood sugar, such as Drizzles or Protein Chips.

5 Ways to Recover From Thanksgiving

If you’re like most Americans, there’s a big chance that you may have overdone it a little this weekend. Those creamy gravy, buttery potatoes, rich casseroles and pumpkin pie are not the foods we typically recommend for easy weight loss programs. If you’re feeling bloated, heavier and a little bit upset, there is action you can take to get back on track today. Read on for some stellar tips from our weight loss clinics for recovering from a Thanksgiving binge.  

Eat like today is a normal day. Instead of trying to compensate by eating substantially less than you did this weekend, eat like it’s just a regular day. You actually do more harm than good when you try to balance out a previous binge—if you drastically restrict your caloric intake, you may end up overeating again. Have a healthy breakfast and eat lots of lean protein and fiber to fill you up.

Work it out. Don’t give in to the urge to hibernate—that coupled with overeating is a combination that won’t help you achieve success with easy weight loss programs. Hit the gym or go for your usual run today and stay consistent with your workouts throughout the week. Don’t skip exercise no matter what!

Avoid food that’s hard to digest. Stay away from processed foods this week, as they can cause distress within your digestive system. You may also want to avoid dairy products like milk and cheese until you feel like you’ve recovered from Thanksgiving.

Boost your water intake. Our weight loss clinics always recommend drinking lots of water when you’re trying to lose weight. Water will help flush away some of that bloated feeling and will fill you up to prevent future overeating.  

Stay positive. A little positivity goes a long way! Don’t be hard on yourself for getting off track for a few days and know that you have the power to move forward with your goals again. 

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Exercise and a Low Carb Diet

While a diet low in carbohydrates and calories is critical for weight loss success, exercise can be very beneficial to the process and can expedite your results. Consistent exercise helps with weight loss because it boosts your metabolism and burns calories that would otherwise be stored as fat. Exercise also helps regulate your blood sugar levels, which is very important when you’re dieting and using weight loss products.

Regular physical activity boosts our overall health, releases endorphins to improve our moods, increases muscle tone and helps prevent many chronic illnesses and diseases including cardiovascular disease and strokes. When we work out, it strengthens our heart muscle and improves blood flow, which ultimately bolsters our heart’s working capacity. In addition, exercise lowers our blood pressure and LDL “bad” cholesterol.

When an exercise program is combined with a diet low in carbohydrates, you’ll see much faster results—the key is to make sure that your physical activity is consistent. Some engage in physical activity every single day. If that is not possible for you, aim for three to four times a week in the beginning and increase that amount over time.

All types of exercise will be beneficial, from sports, exercise classes and weight lifting to cooking, gardening and other household chores. For best results, try to incorporate each of the three essential forms of exercise training into your regimen: cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training. Aim for 30 minutes to an hour per session, mixing it up and increasing your activity in duration and intensity as time progresses. This will enhance any weight loss products you are using and help to rev your metabolism if it gets sluggish due to a plateau in your routine.

For strength training, try a weight or resistance training program. To get your cardio fill, hit a high-intensity kickboxing or Zumba class, hit the treadmill or elliptical, or go jogging. For flexibility training, try yoga or Pilates classes. Our options are truly unlimited when it comes to different types of exercises—the key is to choose activities you like and will stick with.

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Recipes for Weight Loss Programs – Hot & Sweet Potato Fries

The following recipe for Sweet Potato Fries is perfect for this time of year—and it’s healthy and delicious. Medical weight loss clinics recommend incorporating sweet potatoes into your diet because they are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which has wide-ranging benefits. This recipe makes an ideal side dish for those on a diet or working with any weight loss programs, as it is hunger-satiating, nutrient-rich and decadent tasting.

Medical weight loss clinics recommend getting beta-carotene into our diets because it is a potent antioxidant that can boost our overall health and wellness. A member of the carotenoid family, beta-carotene helps combat the free radicals that cause disease and chronic illnesses. Much research shows that increasing the consumption of antioxidants such as beta-carotene can boost our immune systems and protect against cardiovascular disease and various forms of cancer.

Try out this delicious, healthy recipe and let us know how you like it!

Ingredients:
4 medium-sized Sweet Potatoes, peeled
2 sliced Jalapenos
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
½ Teaspoon Chili powder
½ Teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil. Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges approximately a quarter inch thick. Combine the cornstarch, chili pepper and Himalayan Sea Salt in a bowl, and then toss in the sweet potato wedges. Coat them lightly and then arrange them onto the baking sheet.

Spray a little more olive oil onto the wedges and then sprinkle with a little more of the cornstarch mixture. 

Bake the wedges for approximately 10-12 minutes or until they brown very slightly. Take them out and flip them over, spritz a little more olive oil, and then sprinkle the jalapeno slices over them. Bake them for about eight more minutes or until golden brown and serve.

Click here for more healthy recipes that are perfect for weight loss programs.

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Killer Fat Burning Activities

Exercise plays an essential role in the effectiveness of easy weight loss programs and our overall health. When you’re trying to lose weight, you can boost your results by engaging in fat-burning activities. You’ll increase your lean muscle mass, which revs your metabolism and boosts caloric burn. If you combine the fat-burning activities below with a healthy diet and weight loss products, you’ll reach that dream number on the scale faster than ever and get in great shape during the process.

Running. Runners tend to be lean with toned legs, glutes and core muscles, the muscles that burn both fat and calories more efficiently. If you jog for 30 minutes, you can burn up to 375 calories, depending on your pace. Do intervals, incorporate hills and run on the beach whenever you can to boost the fat and caloric burn even more.

Jump rope. Jumping rope is a killer calorie burner and strengthens both the upper and lower body. It also boosts cardiovascular health and improves muscle tone. A regular jump rope routine coupled with a healthy diet and weight loss products can help you get in shape and lose weight quickly and efficiently.

Dance. Dancing revs your metabolism and keeps exercise fun. Faster rhythms like Latin or hip-hop raise your heart rate while toning. Make sure to use your arms to increase the fat burn and body sculpting benefits.

Walking. Walking at a vigorous pace will get your heart rate up while toning your legs. It’s good for the spine and is very relaxing, making it a great activity for overall wellness and easy weight loss programs  Increase the intensity by pumping your arms and speed walking to maximize the effects.

Strength Training. Strength training is key for building lean muscle and as you gain muscle, your body burns calories more efficiently.

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5 Tips for Keeping Halloween Weight Gain at Bay

Halloween is an awesome holiday. You get to let loose and be someone else for a night, while complete strangers give you candy. It’s a favorite holiday for many, but for those striving for success with diets and weight loss products, it brings about temptation and can cause unnecessary stress.

Halloween is the start of the feasting season, when our weight creeps up on us. But if you stay on track with a diet low in carbohydrates, you can set yourself up for success while still enjoying yourself during the holidays. Below are a few tips shared by some popular weight loss experts.

Be prepared. Keep in mind that you’ll be faced with temptation when you least expect it. Stores will hand out free samples to keep you in their stores and there will be candy dishes in many of the businesses your frequent. Those “bite-sized” candy bars may be little, but many of them pack more than 100 calories each. Make sure you are full before you go shopping or run errands and be ready to pass up the free treats.

Have a bottle of water with you at all times. The more water you drink, the more likely you’ll be to avoid snacking when you’re not hungry.  Plus, many people mistake thirst for hunger, so try to stave off what you think are cravings by hitting the bottle.

If you must indulge, have the good stuff first. If you decide to have one treat with your meal, eat all your veggies and lean protein first. The order we eat affects how full we get, so fill up as much as possible on voluminous vegetables so you can stay on track with a diet low in carbohydrates.

Buying candy for trick-or-treaters? Do not buy your favorites, no matter how small the size. It’s too easy to mindlessly eat them, and close to impossible to just eat one. Buy things you don’t like, if possible, and get yourself some weight loss products designed to curb sugar cravings to satiate that sweet tooth.

Hit a healthy event instead of only going to parties with tons of alcohol. There is a wide range of fun 5K runs taking place these days—there’s no better time to run with the zombies at one of the Run for Your Lives events or similar ones that take place all over the country.

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Fall Weight Loss Ideas

Now that the often hedonistic days of summer have ended, there is no better time to start easy weight loss programs. All the vacations, picnics and barbecues are replaced with a return to structure and an urge to hibernate just a little. With the kids back in school and the days getting shorter, it’s actually the perfect time to launch a new weight loss regimen and exercise routine.

Here’s your chance to take advantage of the pretty weather, get outside to watch the seasons change, enjoy the bountiful fall foods and stock up on some weight loss products, so you can become a healthier, leaner version of you.

The best time to eat most produce is when it’s in season, as flavors are at their peak. Hit the farmers’ markets for some of rich colorful produce that arrive during fall. Pumpkin, winter squash and sweet potatoes are all excellent sources of beta-carotene and taste scrumptious this time of year. Some great ideas for those following easy weight loss programs: use apples to make desserts or slice them and add them to salads, swap mashed potatoes for nutrient-rich cauliflower, and get cranberries into the mix, whether in your salads or fruit bowls.

Fall is also a great time to eat more soup, which is an excellent way to fill up a little before your entrée and increase your intake of vegetables. Stick with broth versions, as opposed to the more fattening cream versions. Make some fresh soup and freeze the rest for a later date.

Whether you’re on a diet, working with weight loss products or just need to improve your health, fall is an excellent time to get outdoors and enjoy the changing seasons. The air is a little cooler and feels fresher, and if you start a new regimen now, you’ll be more inclined to stick with it during the colder weather months. Go for a run, take walks, hop on your bike and hike the nearest trails.

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Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

Are you ready for your Halloween costume or is the fit a bit more snug than you remember? If the latter is true for you, then it may be time to use some of the strategies that play an essential role in some of the most successful easy weight loss programs.

Making small changes is a great way to ultimately transform your lifestyle into a healthy one that requires less effort to lose and maintain weight. While it seems like you may lose weight faster by completely overhauling your current dietary habits, often times adopting a few smaller changes at a time is more manageable and easier to maintain for the long term.

Here are a few changes we recommend to members of our weight loss clinics:

Eat breakfast every single day. Make sure to eat or drink something within a half hour of waking up in the morning. You need to rev your metabolism and get your body out of starvation mode—if not, there’s a good chance that you’ll overeat later in the day, which will throw even the best easy weight loss programs out of alignment.

Eliminate one fat from your diet every week. By slowly eliminating the unhealthy fats from your diet, you’ll have less to burn and will boost your overall health. Start alleviating foods that are loaded with unhealthy fats such as cheese, butter, chips and French fries, as opposed to foods that boast healthy fats, such as those that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon, tuna, avocados and nuts. Try this simple change to save hundreds of fat calories each day: swap out your fat-laden coffee creamer with a non-fat version.

Skip the Soda. Weight loss clinics typically recommend increasing water consumption to achieve success with diets. Take things a step further by swapping out the empty calories you get from soda with water and lemon.

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5 Reasons to Eat Cherries

You read that right—the top weight loss clinics recommend eating superfoods, and the latest discovery in the superfood chain is cherries! They’re delicious and go with so many different types of foods, but did you know how good they are for you? Even though one cup of cherries has only 90 calories, it provides three grams, one gram of protein and packs an antioxidant punch like few other foods. They’re a perfect food for those aiming to reduce calories through easy weight loss programs.

If you want some evidence of the benefits of eating cherries, read on! Our favorite weight loss clinics ranked their top five reasons for incorporating more of these tasty superfruits into your diet.

1.     Got a sweet tooth? Cherries will stave off that sweet tooth and help fill you up with their fiber content. They’re the perfect alternative to those sugary and calorie-laden options in the vending machines or any empty calorie foods like potato chips and other snack fare. Cherries’ glucose content is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, which helps regulate your blood sugar and results in increased energy.

2.     Cherries are loaded with anthocyanins, antioxidants with killer anti-inflammatory properties that also help combat free radical damage. Anthocyanins reduce the risk of heart disease a and also expedite muscle recovery and reduce soreness after workouts, so you can work out again that much sooner.

3.     Cherries are a great source of cyanidin, an antioxidant that combats free radicals and helps our systems function properly. 

4.     Eating cherries helps you get your Zzzz—and getting adequate sleep is critical to having success with diets. They are one of the few foods that melatonin, an antioxidant that produces the hormone that helps regulate our sleep cycles, occurs in naturally. They are one of few foods that melatonin naturally occurs in.

5.     In addition to all the antioxidants cherries boast, they are superb sources of fiber, which is essential to a healthy, low carb diet. They also have a high content of beta carotene, which bolsters our immune system, protects against toxins and improves both skin and eye health. Cherries are also excellent sources of protein, potassium, folate, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C.

Click here to get information about easy weight loss programs.

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5 Ways to Curb Late Night Hunger

It’s the middle of the night and you just scarfed down half a pizza and a coke. You may feel a little shameful afterward but don’t worry, you’re not the only late night binger. Research shows that a large number of people hit their refrigerators for late night snacks, many of which will throw even the best weight loss plans off.

Fortunately, there are some strategies that can help keep these late-night cravings at bay. Try some of the tips below that were shared with us by one of the top medical weight loss centers in the country.

Get on a regular routine that starts off right. Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up—preferably a half hour, if possible, to jump start your metabolism. Then make sure you eat something within every five hours. This will help regulate both your metabolic rate and your blood sugar levels, which helps prevent overeating at night and makes it easier to stay on track with your weight loss plans.

Eat dinner later. If you find yourself snacking into the later hours, try pushing dinner back an hour or a half hour. This leaves less time to snack before going to bed.

Pack some fiber into dinner. Strive to have both soluble fiber, which stabilized blood sugar, and insoluble fiber, which makes you feel fuller longer and helps you resist and urge to snack.

Avoid temptation. Even those of us with the best willpower and determination may not be able to resist those baked goods, potato chips and other empty calories. Make it easy on yourself and keep tempting, fat and sugar-laden treats out of the house. 

Pre-Plan Your Snacks. Research by medical weight loss centers shows that individuals tend to crave the snacks they plan for. So plan to eat some apple with almond butter for a snack, and chances are that you’ll crave it.
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3 Ways to Recover from Summer

Many of us work hard to get into summer shape—we sign up with programs at weight loss clinics, follow a low carb diet and work out religiously. But then, once summer is in full effect, we relax a bit, head out on vacation and enjoy the festivities typically associated with summer. Some even do worse and binge eat and imbibe way too much. The good news is, all is not lost—you can climb back on the weight loss wagon more seamlessly than you think.

If you’re ready to get back on track with whichever diets or easy weight loss programs you were following, here are three tips to help you make the transition and recover from an epicurean summer.  

Don’t skip. If you’ve been decadent for the last month, you may feel like skipping meals to try to “make up” for all the calorie-laden meals you’ve had recently. This is the worst thing you can do! When you skip meals, it throws your metabolism off kilter and makes you feel even hungrier, which can ultimately lead to overeating. Instead, plan some healthy meals that incorporate protein, especially breakfast. Opt for healthy foods recommended by weight loss clinics such as eggs, fruits, veggies and Greek yogurt to satisfy your appetite through the day.

Get moving. If you’ve been lax due to a vacation or just slowed down because of the heat, jump back into your exercise routine as soon as possible—meaning today. No excuses! Exercise will help burn some of those excess calories while elevating your mood and putting you in a positive mindset, which ultimately helps you make better choices when it comes to meals.

Write down your goal. Writing down a goal helps you achieve it, as it becomes real and verifiable. This is an excellent practice for those following easy weight loss programs. Get specific—don’t just commit to losing 10 pounds. Write down that you want to lose five pounds by October 1 and work out 4-5 times per week for the entire month. 

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How to combat emotional eating

People gain weight for a variety of reasons, but one of the most difficult to combat is emotional or stress eating. It’s a behavior that we use for coping and lifting our moods when dealing with stress or when we’re upset. While emotional eating may boost our moods, it only creates a momentary shift that is quickly replaced by shame and guilt—and a larger number on the scale. It’s no wonder that there are so many weight loss programs and diet products in the marketplace today. 

When you eat just because you’re hungry, you typically don’t feel guilty afterwards. With emotional eating, you may experience a rush that quickly fades and is replaced with negative feelings. Thankfully, there are many weight loss products in place that can help you learn how to identify those behaviors and deal with them.

Log it. Keeping a food diary is an excellent way to figure out what triggers emotional eating for you. In addition to logging every single thing you eat, including condiments and beverages, you should make a note of how hungry you feel, using a scale of 1 to 10 or something similar. Next write down what you’re feeling so that you can decide if you’re eating because you’re truly hungry or if it’s a coping mechanism or an attempt to make yourself feel better.

Acknowledge your feelings. Own up to your feelings and accept them. Know that it’s okay to not be in a good mood all the time or to feel depressed or sad. Don’t judge your emotions, just accept them and let them pass.

Find new ways to cope. When you feel stressed out or upset, instead of heading to the refrigerator, think of something else to do. Make a list of activities that you enjoy—it can be anything from going for a walk outside, hitting the gym, playing with a pet, reading a book or just calling someone close to you who is a good listener. You can also meditate, listen to music or do something nice for yourself, like get a massage. If you’re truly hungry, but worried about overeating, you may want to try some diet products that are tasty and satisfying. Once you adopt new healthier habits, you’ll be able to combat your weight gain.

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