Low Fat Deceptions

Be careful with low fat food claims. A lot of it's hype and marketing. Even though they've lowered the fat content, many food manufacturers raise the sugar levels (or don't lower them.) And if sugar is not burned off, it can also turn into fat.

We are so conditioned to watch for fat and calories that we often ignore the sugar content. So before you deem a food as "healthier" just because it's lower in fat, be sure to check the sugar as well.

Here's a great article regarding this very issue.

Free, At-Home Workouts

A common email I receive is from people who want sample workouts they can do from the comfort of their homes.

Now I normally go to the gym 4 times per week, but there are some days when I just don't feel like packing that gym bag and heading over there. So I found an alternative.

If you have a digital cable package you probably have "On Demand" TV. These are pre-recorded programs that your cable company allows you to watch when you want.

Most cable companies have some sort of "On Demand" button you can select on your remote and this will bring up the show categories.

Look for "Fitness" or "Exercise" and you'll be pleasantly surprised to find a variety of workout programs you can do right in your home. (I have Time Warner and the channel is called "Exercise TV").

For example I just did a 2-mile walk workout that combined cardio and walking. It was fun, easy and I worked up a nice sweat.

So if you don't have access to a gym or don't feel like making that trip to the gym (especially those of us in the Northern Hemp. who are heading into winter and the days are getting colder and shorter).

Turn on your TV and check for the "On Demand" option, push that coffee table to the side and treat yourself to a fun workout without leaving your home!

It's The Total Package

A lady emailed me today because she wanted to know how much green tea she had to drink to get a flat stomach.

I want to make it clear that while certain products like green tea have been known to help people lose weight, there is not one food or a quick solution to getting a flat stomach.

While there may be certain foods that help burn more calories than others (green tea, for example), flattening your stomach is done through a combination of a healthy diet and consistent exercise.

Consuming one type of drink or food is not going to make the difference by itself.

The Miracles of H20!

While the 10-15 pounds I've put on over the past few years has attributed to the problems of keeping my lower stomach flat, bloating is also a big problem for me. You will be surprised at how drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day can help.

I drank 4 liters of water yesterday to flush my system out (that's equivalent to 16 eight oz glasses) and it's amazing at what it does for my lower stomach.

If your tummy weight seems out of proportion with the rest of your body, often times it can be bloating. And even if you are trying to lose large amounts of weight, water should be a part of your daily diet.

Not only will it help flatten the stomach, but it's one of the keys to a healthy life.

Think bloating may be part of your problem? Read my stomach bloating tips here.

Burned Out on Healthy Eating?

One of the reasons people have trouble sticking to a healthy eating plan is they expect too much of themselves and experience burnout after the first few days. Suddenly they're back to their old eating habits and the weight loss struggle continues.

Stop being so hard on yourself. Here's a great strategy that will help you stay on course and keep you motivated.

Tummy Tip Wonders!

I keep receiving numerous e-mails from people who have subscribed to my Tummy Tips and have lost weight as a result of simply following the advice and making adjustments here and there. This is very encouraging.

If you haven't described to my weekly Tummy Tips, you can do so here.

Kudos To The Abs Diet Book!

I got an email this morning from a lady who was thrilled with David Zinczenko's book, The Abs Diet. (I've left her name and e-mail off for privacy purposes)...

I just wanted to thank you so much for your advise on The Abs Diet. I have been on the Atkins diet and I did really well with it, but then I reached the point of being bored with it and just plain frustrated because it seemed to be getting harder and harder to stick with.

I was looking for something that would give me a wider variety of food and after reading the Abs Diet book, I just knew I could enjoy this diet. The recipes are quick and easy but the good thing is you can come up with your own as well. I just started this diet or new way of eating today and so far I'm really enjoying it.

Thank you so much,
S----

Get The Abs Diet Book here.

Food Is Not Always The Enemy

I don't think people realize how much of a role self esteem plays in losing weight and the ability to keep it off.

If you've ever wondered why it's so hard to get motivated to exercise and/or keep the pounds off, perhaps you need to dig deep and explore the real problem. Read this article.

Weight Loss Gone Too Far

I'm all in favor of living a healthy lifestyle and finding a weight that's healthy for your individual body frame, but weight loss can go too far. In fact, it already has for many people.

I receive an influx of disturbing e-mails from teens every week who are obsessed with being thin, even though they are a healthy weight. But can you blame them if this is what our society accepts?

I was so glad when Tyra Bank's started the "So What!" campaign because I think it's exactly what this weight-conscious world needs. Read more about it here.

Flat Stomach Happy Foods

There's so much talk about what kinds of foods you should eat to achieve a flat stomach. But keep in mind, foods can also have a major impact in your mood.

Joy Bauer's book, Food Cures, provides outstanding information on healthy eating that will benefit your stomach as well as your mind.

For example, here are 10 foods that researchers found to be great for weight loss and mood lifting...

1. Wild salmon (rich in omega 3 fats and vitamin D)

2. Spinach - (rich in folic acid and soluble fiber)

3. Skim milk - (rich in Vitamin D and B12)

4. Ground flaxseeds (rich soluble fiber, omega 3 fats and folic acid)

5. Blackberries (rich in soluble fiber and folic acid)

6. Omega 3 fortified eggs - (rich in omega 3 fats, Vitamin D and B12)

7. Sardines ( rich in omega 3 fats and Vitamin D)

8. Soybeans - (rich in soluble fiber, folic acid and omega 3 fats)

9. Beans (rich in soluble fiber and folic acid)

10. Brussels sprouts (soluble fiber and folic acid)

Plus an extra for good luck!

11. Sunflower seeds - (rich in soluble fiber and folic acid)

To learn more about healthy eating and foods that are good for you mind and body, get Joy's book, Food Cures.

Beware of The Whole Grain Claim

I got a very helpful e-mail today from Mike Geary, author of "The Truth About Six Pack Abs".

Lots of cereals (and other carb products) are now plastering the phrase "Whole Grain" across the front of the box to make you think their products are made entirely with whole grains. Mike explains that while they may add some whole grains, a lot of these companies are still using mostly refined flour and sugars.

He also gave a great tip on how to tell if a carbohydrate source is actually good or not. Check the label and make sure there are at least 2-3 grams of fiber per every 10 grams of carbohydrates. While this is not the golden rule, it can be applied to most carb products.

If you want to receive Mike's useful eating and exercise tips, you have to buy his book. I must admit, I've learned a lot from him in the past few months.

I'd Be Happy If I Were Thinner

I will be writing an article for my site on this shortly, but I HAD to blog on this topic because I think it's super important.

I was watching an Oprah show that I had "Tivoed" yesterday. She had a woman on there who had gastric bypass surgery. She had been overweight for most of her life and just knew that if she lost the weight her life would be better and she'd be happy.

Turns out the opposite happened. Since her stomach was reduced to the size of a walnut, she could no longer use food for comfort so she turned to drinking. She drank so much that she began tearing her family apart and her oldest daughter (who was 20) says she wished her mom was fat again.

The point is so many people think the weight is what's keeping them from being happy, when really the weight gain is just a symptom of a deeper issue.

I get e-mails from people all the time who say "If I could only be skinny, then I would love myself" or "If I could just lose 50 pounds, then I'd be happy." But in reality the food addiction or weight gain is a symptom of a much larger problem.

If you don't love yourself, then weight loss is not going to change your life. Gastric bypass surgery will help you lose the weight, but it doesn't change your thoughts about yourself. Or if you are really emotionally wrecked over something in your past, then weight loss won't cover it up. It will continue to resurface in your life in other ways.

Just some food for thought. Stay tuned to my site because I will be writing a more in depth article on this topic, because I think it affects more people than most people even realize.

Fed Up With Teens & Weight!

I am a little disturbed by the number of healthy teens who e-mail me because they are obsessed with being thin. I'm not talking about teens who have legit weight problems. I'm talking about the ones who are in a normal weight range, but are obsessed with looking like celebrities and even going to the extremes of copying their diet plans.

Many are dieting and damaging their body's metabolism before they reach the age of 13. And what they don't realize is they are making adulthood even more difficult when it comes to weight management.

It is sad. Parents, please wake up! Your already-healthy children are reading magazines and are aspire to look as thin as some of these unhealthy celebrities.

They are getting teased at school for their size and e-mailing me for help. I'm sorry but I won't give them dieting advice. Not to be mean, but it's too difficult for me to determine via e-mail if the weight loss desires are truly necessary or stem from low self esteem.

Plus, young people should seek advice from a licensed professional when it comes to weight loss and dieting and I am not a physician.

We live in a weight-obsessed society. And while my site, flat-stomach-exercises.com does discuss tips for flattening the stomach and lose weight, I want to point out that it's for people who really need it. It's not for already-healthy or too thin teenagers who think something's wrong with their bodies.

It's time to start teaching our young people to love themselves and to stop believing they have to have a super thin body to fit in and be accepted.

I was teased as a child for being too thin and I remember thinking I had to gain weight to fit in. When I look back on those days, it wasn't that I was that unhappy with my body, but I was comparing myself to my peers instead of loving myself enough the way I was.

Even though I had the opposite problem of many teens today, the point is that I still wanted to fit in. I felt something was wrong with me if I didn't look like everyone else, and that's the same thing many of these teens who want to lose weight are feeling. Society glamorizes being thin so children grow up thinking that's the only way to be.

We've got to stop the war on weight and start teaching young people to love themselves. And if you are a teen, please read this article.

Need Some Workout Ideas?

One of the reasons people stop working out is they get frustrated and bored with their workout routines. After all, there's only so many crunches and side bends you can do right?

Well, on January 23, 2007 a new site called workoutpass.com just launched. I think with the explosion of web video we are going to see a lot more sites like this. Very cool.

For one membership fee, you receive access to hundreds of different kinds of workout routines and you choose the ones you want to view. The workouts are neatly organized by category/exercise type and many of them have videos that show you how to do the exercise.

I promise you'll never get bored again with your workout if you try this site. There are even sample tour videos you can view so you see what you get for your money. Pretty neat. :-)

Weight Loss Goals For 2007

Wow! I wasn't prepared for the great feedback I would receive on my weight loss goals for 2007 article. I wrote it because I had received so many "new years resolution weight loss" emails so I figured I'd sum up a few tips for success.

Thanks to everyone for the great feedback. Probably one of the most important tips is Tip #10 that talks about your sugar intake. A report here on my local news station just reported that 80% of people ignore what they drink when trying to lose weight.

People forget that sugar in drinks can be just as fattening as cookies or cupcakes - especially if you consume a lot of sugary drinks in a day (soda, fruit juice, kool-aid).

Yes, it is possible to drink your way to added weight and some people consume up to 800 calories per day in their drinks alone.

I'm glad you enjoyed the article and here's to a healthy and happy 2007!