Inspired by Beauty

Friday

Avril Lavigne is a vegetarian & eats small mini meals all day to keep her low blood sugar in check.

NEW! Slim Fast caramel chews! Each pouch contains 6 individually wrapped pieces, has 100 calories, 3.5g of fat & 6g of protein!

I got an email today w/ this picture, which read... "Dear Inspired by Beauty, I have recently dropped about 8 lbs, & just wanted to send you my picture, your site gives me motivation!" -- Thats awesome! Good job on the weight loss! You look great! :)
By the way...Today, June 27th is National Orange Blossom Day. Have an orange! (Medium sized orange has about 80 cals).

Smart Eating

*Take time to chew your food: Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors & feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
*Avoid stress while eating: When we are stressed, our digestion can be compromised, causing problems like colitis & heartburn. Avoid eating while working, driving, arguing, or watching TV (especially disturbing programs or the news). Try taking some deep breaths prior to beginning your meal, or light candles & play soothing music to create a relaxing atmosphere.
*Listen to your body: Ask yourself if you are really hungry, & stop eating when you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. Eating just enough to satisfy your hunger will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling your best, rather than stuffing yourself into a “food coma”!
*Eat early, eat often: Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, & eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early in the day gives your body time to work those calories off. Also, eating small, healthy meals throughout the day, rather than the standard 3 large meals, can help keep your metabolism going & ward off snack attacks.

Work in an office & sit all day? Follow these steps to get some more activity in your work day!

Go for a walk...in the office.
Hand-deliver that report or discuss an issue in person instead of through email.
Wear comfortable shoes to work. Keep a pair of dress shoes in the office & put them on only when you really need to.
Fill your water bottle. Drink it and refill it often. (This might result in a few extra trips to the bathroom, but that's okay)!
Take the long way to the water cooler.
Have your lunch away from your desk.
Go to the cafeteria or walk to a nearby park. You won't be the only one brown-bagging it.
Socialize & exercise. Grab a co-worker & walk around the block. Raining? Walk up & down the stairs.
Need to run an errand? Walk if possible or drive only part way & walk the rest of the way.
Make frequent visits to the fax machine or copier, rather than taking one big trip.
Offer to take out the mail, or pick it up from the mailbox.
I am sure there are many other ways to keep more active in a sedentary job, these are just a few ideas! Do what you can to get up, & get moving! :)

Tips to live by

*Eat breakfast! This gets your metabolism going.
*Eat as slowly as you can. It takes your body around 20-30 minutes to realise it's full. Chew until the food dissolves in your mouth.
*Become a vegan or vegetarian.
*Count to 100 if you're having a craving. Hopefully it will go away.
*Put your fork down between every bite.
*Take anti heartburn pills if you're really hungry. They neutralize the acid that builds up and makes you hungry.
*Keep a bin near you when you eat. If you feel you are going to over eat, throw the rest of the food away.
*Wear a rubber band around your wrist, snap it against your skin when you're tempted to eat.
*Drink diet soda. It'll help fill you up.
*Clean something gross, you'll lose your appetite.
*Brush your teeth. The taste of toothpaste will be horrid with the taste of food.
*Every calorie counts. When you're sitting, shake your leg, tap a pencil, never stop moving.
*Drink a glass of water every hour, not only will it make your stomach feel full, it will also give you great hydrated skin. Cold water burns more calories, while warm water makes you feel full.
*Throw away the foods you think you'll binge on.
*When going out, only take out the amount of money that you'll need. Nothing extra. That way you won't be tempted to spend it on food.
*Sitting up straight and having good posture burns 10% more calories than when you slouch.
*If you feel like eating, eat "negative" calorie foods only.
*Take a sip of water between every bite.
*Stay cold. Your body burns more calories trying to warm you up.
*If you're binging, don't swallow the food, spit it out.
*Eat your meals on smaller plates.
*Get comfy in bed, being comfy means you won't want to get up to get food.
*Sabotage your food. Adding too much salt etc works great.
*Go shopping and try on clothes that you wish you could fit in to. Its great motivation!
*If people start saying they're worried about your weight loss, get really upset and say how mad you get every time somebody comments on your skinny body. Complain a lot about how you wish you could gain weight so people will stop making rude comments.
*If you eat, ONLY eat when people are watching.
*Obesity is disgusting. Remember that.
*Keep in mind - If your skinny friend eats a lot, that DOES NOT mean that you can do the same.
*Watch what other people, especially fat people, eat and feel superior because they're feeding their bodies and getting fatter.
*If you're hungry, spin around until you feel queasy.
*Chew sugar free gum. It keeps your mouth busy!
*If you eat, remember to sit down in the same place every day. Somewhere solitary; not in front of TV or computer. Eating in front of TV distracts you from your body's fullness signals, and you're more likely not to notice what you're eating.
*If you feel like you want to eat, go to a friends house that you cannot just raid the fridge at.
*When you get hunger pains, curl up in a ball. It really helps them go away.

Increasing your metabolism

Tips on increasing your metabolism -
-do muscle building exercise
-eat frequently
-never fast...try to eat 1000 cals a day if you can, or at least as many as you can, keep in mind you can lose weight eating 1600 cals a day, the 2468 is good if you cant cope with larger amounts
-do different types of exercise (to keep your body from adapting to any specific type of exercise
-eat some wholegrain carbs
-make sure there is a tiny bit of fat in your diet (unsaturated fat like in fish or olive oil is best)
-drink 8 glasses of water a day
-dont use laxatives, (if you do, use natural laxatives)
I find what helps my metabolism to keep going is eating fiber cereal, prunes, raspberries, and blueberries (they contain lots of fiber, amd all are low fat)! *Info given by Josie*

Abusing & Giving up laxatives

If you abuse laxatives:
-it upsets your digestive system so you get pain, cramps, exhaustion, bloating, and alternating periods of diarrhoea and constipation.
-if you use laxatives often, you need to take more and more for them to take effect.
-if they are used excessively, they can cause ‘atonic colon’, where the digestive system literally gives up and the food stays in you.
-excessive laxative use can lead to laxative poisoning - your skin gets an itchy rash, you get a high fever, and your body swells up. This can last for as long as several months.
-it can lead to a lack of potassium causing backache, weakness, paralysis, irregular heartbeat, heart attacks, drowsiness, memory loss and spasms.
-it can also cause a lack of magnesium - causing fits, tremors and hallucinations.-it can cause anaemia
-laxatives can become highly addictive
Giving up laxatives - tips:
- try switching to a healthier alternative like herbal laxatives, lax teas, prune products or fiber pills (keep in mind these aren't healthy to abuse either, but are an improvement upon normal laxatives). (I use milk of magnesium, or castor oil).
- alter your diet to include high-fiber foods such as fruit, vegetables and wholegrains to counteract any constipation you experience when coming of the laxatives
- drink plenty of water, take diarrhoea replacement salts and/or eat bananas to try preventing strain on the heart from dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
- throw out any laxatives at home and make it difficult for you to obtain more
- cut down slowly - only allowing yourself a certain number per day *Info given by Josie*

Inspired by Beauty

Friday

VISIT ME!

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It's all about CONTROL

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Smart Eating

Work in an office & sit all day? Follow these steps to get some more activity in your work day!

Best foods...

Tips to live by

Increasing your metabolism

Abusing & Giving up laxatives

Recommended Height to Weight Ratio Chart