For Weight Loss Success Love Yourself Enough to Eat Healthy

I know that it SEEMS like we eat comfort food because we love ourselves and want to pamper ourselves...and maybe SOMETIMES that is true.

I contend that more often our comfort food and grabbing "convenience" foods in order to save time is really because we are not loving ourselves enough to make healthy choices.

We wouldn't knowingly poison our kids or our pets, yet we are willing to poison ourselves with food that we know will make us sick.

Eating healthy does not have to take a lot of time, or cost a lot of money--and one of the best things is you don't have to be fanatical about it...you don't have to be perfect! *Whew!*

The healthier I eat, the lower my grocery bill! And making fresh, healthy meals can be quite quick, if you stick to a few dishes and keep the number of ingredients down. I don't try to make the dinner of Ozzie and Harriet...I have too much going on to have a salad and a vegetable and, the list went on and on. So I make maybe 3 things.

Often I make enough of one or two dishes to last several days...I call that "Planned Overs"...that saves a lot of time, which I know is a precious commodity for most of us.

Here is one of the tricks to not wasting a lot of produce and still getting all the nutrients that your body needs: don't try to buy one of everything. Instead, choose enough for a couple of days. Try to get some variety of color in your produce too...that helps you get a wider array of vitamins. Then the next time you go shopping try a few different items. That way you get the variety without having to make so many dishes all at one time.

Go for stealth shopping...the goal is to get in and out quickly. Cruise the outside of the store (that's where the fresh stuff usually is) and stay out of the middle unless you have something specific on your list that you need, like some canned or frozen item to supplement your fresh produce.

Take care of your body...show your body that you love yourself enough to feed it the good, healthy foods that it needs to function at its peak. Do that and your body will reward you with energy, vitality and you will drop excess fat, too!

Weight Loss Success: Happy Meals Will Go Toyless

Not by voluntary measures, but as a result of Santa Clara County's action, fast food restaurants there will no longer be able to include toys in meals targeted at children, if the meal is high in calories, fat or sugar.

This is the first ordinance of its kind in the nation--one that should be applauded by anyone concerned about the health of the next generation of Americans.

No doubt, the supervisors will be booed by some, but it won't be the first time. This health conscious county helped forge the path that led to fast-food chains being forced to post the calories of items on their menus.

Kids are easily influenced by the toys and prizes in the various meals. For parents it can be a challenge to steer a child to make healthy food choices without the added pressure of refusing a particular toy!

The law only affects restaurants in unincorporated parts of the county, but let's hope it is a growing trend!

Maybe one day even our fast food can be healthy food!

Fast Food Spoils Weight Loss Success

OK, you may have seen the movie Super Size Me...one man's quest to demonstrate how fast food restaurants contribute to obesity and overall poor health in this county.

Well, recently a study was done in Sweden that seems to confirm the findings. In this month-long study, thin young adults ate two of their daily meals at a fast-food restaurant.

At the end of the month, these Swedes weighed in at, on average, 12-15 pounds more than when they started!

Weight gain was not the only health issue, the subjects also became more insulin resistant. This could mean that they are heading towards diabetes.

Admittedly, the participants also reduced the amount of exercise they did for that month, so it is not just eating the fast-food that did it, but it certainly was a part of the equation. And don't think that ordering a salad is the solution--many of the fast-food salads have as much fat, calories and salt as a burger and fries.

Just imagine if these thin people gained 15 pounds in a month...if you have a fast-food habit, think what you could lose!

The best bet for weight loss success--limit, not eliminate--fast-food meals if you like them. Eating more fresh produce, fewer fried foods, and dropping the soda (regular or diet) habit will help you to achieve your health goals.

It isn't about putting fast-food off limits...it is about being aware of what we are eating and making conscious choices about what we put in our bodies. Reaching for foods that fuel our bodies in the best ways...allowing our brains to think and our muscles to be strong. Having a burger and fries once in a while isn't going to make you fat...but it appears eating this way on a regular basis can.