Get mentally fit for weight loss!

There are literally thousands of diets and weight loss systems throughout the world; pills, shakes, soups, fads, carbohydrates, calories, fats, sugars, you name it. They are all available to you in the interest of helping you lose weight, change your body shape or size or changing the way your body feels. What most people don’t realise that they all pretty much have one thing in common. You need to change your mental state before you can make any of them work!

Yes, you may find it a surprise but pretty much 99% of people looking to lose weight have actually subconsciously “chosen” the state their body is in. At the end of the day, YOU alone are responsible for putting the fried chicken in your mouth, YOU are responsible for NOT going for a walk this morning and, most importantly, YOU are responsible and have control of your thoughts, emotions and motivation.

Changing your mental state will help you change your physical state, as the old saying goes “you have to change what is on the inside to change what is on the outside”. Many people don’t actually give a lot of thought to what is going on inside, about how they are stopping themselves from doing things and how they can make changes (small or large) that will create a positive difference in their lifestyle.

Find out what pain you have to break through to create more pleasure within your body and your mind. Not physical pain, but mental pain. What is it you have to deal with in order to remove the excess baggage (weight) you carry around with you?

When you find out what is holding you back from making changes in your life, body and diet, you will find that dieting no longer becomes about food and exercise, it becomes a lifestyle. With the right mental changes you will find that you CAN drink wine, go out for dinner and eat cheese, ice-cream and chocolate, however you must also use balance and thought and consume only in the right moderation.

Everyone has the ability, motivation and power to make almost any change positive and successful. Tapping into your mental state, deciding to make a few changes and acting out these changes is what will make all the difference!

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines.  Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Don't Give Up On Weight Loss

Many of you have given up on weight loss. I've been there and it feels like you are at wits end. You don't know what to do. You've tried it all. Now you believe it's impossible for them to lose weight.

I quit!

Take heart, it is not that bad. I'm happy to tell you that after decades of struggle I've taken and kept off 45 pounds. More importantly, my weight is stable, health superb and physical shape great.

I tell you this simply to illustrate the fact that you don't have to give up on weight loss. YOU can lose weight with a little guidance and faith in yourself.

First of all, relax. There is no fast, quick way to weight loss. Realizing this means any small change will take effect over time. Time is on your side.

If we look at people who have been successful at weight loss and maintaining that loss, a couple of things are very apparent. These two factors are present in the lives of most of them:

1. They do some form of aerobic exercise 5 to 7 days per week. It's as simple as talking a walk each evening. Do it minimally 5 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes at a time.

2. They have developed more healthy eating habits. Healthy eating habits are also very important. More fruit or vegetables instead of candy cake and pie on 5 days out out 7 make the difference.

I've had many clients tell me that their daily exercise puts them in a "healthy" frame of mind and helps them to make better food choices. Bottom line, when you are exercising consistently, youreating habits are better.

I firmly believe that a major factor in most peoples frustration with weight loss is that they haven't been told the truth about exercise. You see, twenty minutes, three days per week isn't going to cut it for weight loss. If you're serious about weight loss, then you have to get serious about exercise.

I've seen this work for many people who had given up on weight loss. It worked for me. It can work for you.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines.  Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Choosing The Right Diet For You

There are so many different and varied diets floating around today that it can be quite difficult to make a decision regarding which one is right for you when you feel it’s time to lose weight. Some diets emphasize low fat while others insist low calories are the way to go. Still yet, other diet gurus are adamant that in order to meet your weight loss goals you must cut out all forms of carbohydrates. One diet seems to combine factors from at least two other well known diets with claims to produce an optimum fat burning weight loss program. Then there are the various other diets that have circulated around the world for years with numerous success stories such as the cabbage soup diet and the cider vinegar diet. Which diets really work and more importantly; which diet is right for you?

One of the most important factors you must consider when contemplating any diet plan is whether you will learn how to eat healthy and nutritionally sound through the plan. Unfortunately, a number of different diets that boast incredible results do so through nutritionally bankrupt methods. Often referred to as fad diets, these weight loss programs encourage you to indulge in eating habits that can do more harm than good.

Many weight loss programs promise almost instantaneous results and for awhile at least; it seems as though your weight loss dreams may have finally come true through the presence of this type of diet. Then the sad reality sets in. You realize there is no possible way you can stay on this diet for the rest of your life. This is an important factor to consider; because ideally you should be looking for a healthy weight loss and maintenance program not a diet. Although a very low-calorie, high or liquid diet or even a diet that only lasts for a few days may allow you to initially lose some weight, you will inevitably find that your weight loss problems recur when a vengeance at a later point. Instead of looking for a miracle cure, look for a weight loss program that can help you to achieve your goals on a permanent basis.

For those of us who would prefer to avoid exercise like the plague, any weight loss program that promises we can reach our goals without that dreaded E word is a lifesaver. Unfortunately, long term weight loss simply isn’t possible without taking part in a sensible exercise routine. Sad, but true.

When considering engaging in any weight loss program or diet, always ask yourself the following questions 1. Will I learn to take part in a healthy, nutritionally sound eating plan through this diet? 2. Is this a diet I can stick with long term? and 3. Does this diet combine sensible eating with moderate exercise?

When you find a diet or weight loss program that meets all of these conditions, you know that you have found the right diet for you. As with any diet, it’s always a good idea to check with your physician before engaging in any weight loss program.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines.  Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Basics of Losing Weight

Failed diets and out of control obesity may lead you to believe that losing weight is difficult but it is quite easy, at least on paper. The only thing you need to do is keep the calories that you burn greater than the calories that you eat. So why is this article so long?

Your first step is to figure out how many calories you are burning each day. There are a few formulas that have come out over the years that estimate how many calories you burn per day based on your sex, age, weight, height and physical activity. When using these formulas, keep in mind that the number you get gives you an estimate not a number that never changes day to day. It will fluctuate.

Safe weight loss is considered 1-2 pounds per week. While it is possible to lose more, it is extremely unhealthy to do so. So how many calories do you actually have to cut out of your diet? One pound of body fat equals about 3500 calories. If you want to lose one pound in a week, you need to cut 3500 calories out of your diet per week. While this might sound like a lot, per day it comes out to a 500 calorie deficit.

Your next step is to ask yourself how you want to get rid of any unwanted weight. You can cut 500 calories out of your diet per day, or increase the amount of calories you burn by 500 calories per day. A combination of these two methods is the best way to go.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines.  Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

Beat the Carb Cravings

Anyone who’s been on a low carb diet will tell you that the first week is the hardest. Some report actual physical symptoms of carb withdrawal, like irritability, headaches, and lack of energy. Others say it’s the emotional struggle to stay away from rice, bread, pasta, potatoes the staples that they’ve grown used to serving with every meal.

These carb cravings can easily tempt you into giving up on your diet altogether. Don’t. You have so much to gain (or in this case, lose): think 10 pounds in the first two weeks, as some diets claim, and a visible reduction of tummy handles. (Hey, you’ll be able to fit in a smaller size of jeans!) So how do you survive the battle against bread? Here are some tips:

Indulge in the right food

One of the advantages of low carb diets is that you don’t starve yourself. You can eat very well, just stay away from certain types of food. How does help beat the carb cravings? If you’re not ravenous, you’re less likely to raid the fridge in a mad fit of hunger. You can also replace a high-carb snack (like a chocolate bar) with an equally tasty bag of peanuts, and not feel deprived.

Veteran low carb dieters actually advise keeping stashes of low-carb diets in their desk drawers, or by the television the places where most people get the desire to munch on something. Keep the portions small, just enough to make you feel that you’ve had a treat, without actually turning into a binge. You’ll need a lot of small plastic bags, or tiny plastic containers. Another tip: prepare
the individual servings beforehand, preferably after eating a meal so you’re not tempted to put more than you should.

Keep yourself busy

Most of us eat not out of hunger but habit. You’re bored, stressed, or you’re killing time before you take on the next item on your to-do list. Avoid temptation by keeping your mind on something you enjoy. Some dieters carry a book around, others start a hobby like scrapbooking which will let them pass long hours without even thinking about food. For those who work at the office, and need something to keep them away from the vendo machine, bookmark a website that you can browse until the snack attack passes.

Look for other forms of recreation

It’s become customary to make meals the center of any recreational activity: eating chips while watching a movie, going out to dinner with friends. While you’re still getting used to the low-carb regimen, pass up the invitation to have drinks after work and invite everyone to watch a play, hit the badminton courts, or attend a museum opening.

Get a diet buddy

Dieting becomes more fun when you have a diet partner to give encouragement, praise you for every lost pound, and even help you scout for the low-carb friendly restaurants in your area. Don’t know anyone? Go online and join a dieter’s forum. Exchange recipes, share thoughts, and hey, even make new friends. You’ll still feel the carb cravings, but somehow, saying no is a little easier.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines.  Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

5 Tips for Losing Five Pounds a Week!

Does any of the following sound familiar?

You desperately want to lose weight, but you’ve tried so many different diets and failed over the years that you’ve grown discouraged.

Let’s face it, most diets aren’t easy to maintain -- they’re designed to get weight off … not for your personal convenience. And once you go off the diet, the weight comes right back, along with a bit more.  Thus, you end up worse off than before.

No matter what diet you try – from the cabbage soup diet to the Master Cleanser to low-fat diets such as the Atkins Diet – one of two things usually happens:

• You lose some weight – along with your sanity as life becomes an unbearable drudge of boring food and not enough of it.

• You don’t lose weight because you just cannot stick to that diet.

In either case, you feel bad … discouraged … maybe even like a failure. But, take heart, losing weight is possible. In fact, here are five simple yet sound tips that when followed could easily enable you to lose five pounds, or more, a week!

Tip #1 – Cut the Carbs! Cutting down on your carbohydrate intake, particularly white carbs (that is, carbs from white bread, potatoes, etc.) and instead eating more high quality lean proteins (such as chicken and fish) is a great way to drop a few pounds quickly. But don’t cut carbs completely! You should still eat fibrous carbs, such as berries, spinach and apples.

Tip #2 – Stop Eating Processed Foods! Instead eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Often, people who are used to eating a lot of junk food will discover they can actually a higher quantity of delicious fruits, vegetables and whole grains without gaining any weight.

Tip #3 – Cut Down on Your Sugar Intake! In particular, watch how many sodas or juice drinks you consume. The sugar in these beverages can add up quickly and these drinks aren't filling. You should also watch out for "fat-free" products. Sugar is often used to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is removed. You will also want to be careful about how much sugar you add to coffee and tea.

Tip #4 – Drink More Water! Water naturally helps to suppress your appetite and drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day will help you lose weight and burn fat. On the other hand, if you don't drink enough water every day, your body may store water and fat that you don't need. To determine how much water you should drink: multiply your bodyweight by .66 to get the required number of ounces per day.

Tip #5 – Exercise More Often! The healthiest way to lose weight is to exercise. Someone who increases the amount they exercise, but maintains the same diet and calorie intake, will almost certainly lose weight. Plus, excessive sweating from cardio activity, such as running, walking and using aerobic gym equipment, will help you de-bloat and lose inches and pounds quickly.

But a word of caution, if you haven’t exercised in a while be sure to check with your physician first and also be sure to start any exercise program slowly.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines.  Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!

10 Secrets to a Fit Family

It's no secret that many parents and their children are overweight. These 10 simple ‘secrets’ can help you change your family's lifestyle so that you can all become fit and healthy.

1) Eat Whole Grain Foods

Processed and refined grains, such as white bread, white rice, cereal, pasta, and other foods made with white flour have a high glycemic index, low amounts of fiber, and less vitamins and minerals as foods made with whole grains. Making the switch to whole grain foods, including whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and cereals made with whole grains, are an easy and healthy way to make your family's diet more nutritious.


2) Limit Soda and Fruit Drinks

Soda and fruit drinks have low nutritional value and a lot of calories. At about 150 calories per 12 ounce serving, your kids will gain an extra pound about every 3 weeks if they drink just one can of soda each day.
Cutting back or eliminating soda, fruit drinks, and even fruit juice, can be a good way to get rid of a lot of extra calories and leave room for your kids to eat more nutritious foods.


3) Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Most children don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and that usually means that they are eating other less nutritious foods. With a high fiber content and lots of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. And because they have lots of water in them, eating fruits and vegetables can help you to feel full and satisfied so that you don't overeat.


4) Eat More Foods with Calcium

A common mistake people make when trying to lose weight is that they stop drinking milk, eating cheese and yogurt. Calcium is important to build healthy bones and to help you lose weight. You should encourage your kids to drink low-fat milk, eat portioned amounts of cheese and yogurt to help lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.


5) Be More Active

Everyone knows that part of the cause of the current obesity epidemic is that people are much less active then they used to be. Getting kids involved in organized activities, which can be either team or individual sports, and cutting back on the amount of time in front of the TV, computer and playing video games will burn calories and improve fitness levels.

Family activities are also a good way to be more physically active. Even simple things, like walking across a parking lot, using stairs, and going for short family walks or bike rides, can make a big difference.


6) Know Where Calories Come From

While you don't necessarily need to do daily calorie counts, keep a diary of what your family eats for a few days can help you see where extra calories are coming from. Are your kids overweight because of the calories they get from a bedtime snack or those two glasses of Kool Aid or soda he drinks? Or maybe because his portion sizes are too large?

If you know where your kids' calories are coming from, you will know where to make changes and how you can cut back, especially on foods that have a lot of empty calories.


7) Learn About Carbs

Carbs get a bad wrap, especially with all of the proponents of high protein diets, like the Atkins and South Beach Diet. Not all carbs are created equal. While it is a good idea to avoid foods that have refined such as white bread, foods made with white flour, and foods and beverages sweetened with sugar, other carbs should be part of a balanced diet.

Instead of avoiding all carbs, just learn about how to choose foods with ‘good’ carbohydrates, which includes fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain foods.


8) Learn About Fats

Like carbs, there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fats. Instead of making the mistake of trying to stick to a low fat diet, and simply substituting other foods that are often just as high in calories, you should eat foods that have ‘good’ fat in them. This includes foods with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. On the other hand, you should avoid saturated fats and trans fats.


9) Choose Healthy Meals when Eating Out

Even if your family eats healthy at home, if you eat super-sized fast food meals a few times a week, they are probably still at risk for becoming overweight. If you eat out a lot, review the nutritional facts of the restaurant's menu and watch your portion sizes. Calories and fat quickly adds up when eating out!


10) Stay Motivated!

Most people know what they need to do to be healthier however, eating healthy and exercising is not easy.   Education about the specifics of a healthy diet, getting the whole family involved, and setting goals, can help your family stay healthy and fit.  Hire a personal trainer or seek the counsel of a dietitian to keep you on the healthy track.

As with any alternative health remedies, consult with your physician before discontinuing any prescribed medicines.  Abruptly stopping taking your prescription medicine could have serious and long-term effects on your health.

For all of your healthcare needs, from supplements and vitamins to medical equipment, we encourage you to visit www.ProCareNow.com! You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest!