During the first few months of the New Year, the gym where I attend is more crowded than normal. It’s filled with people who are determined to lose weight. They come to the gym religiously but after a few months you don’t see them anymore. Why have they failed? In most cases, they didn’t have a plan. They have a desire to lose weight, but they really didn’t think of how they were going to accomplish this. After the first few months they become disappointed and stop working out.

People make all sorts of excuses as to why they cannot work out. Injuries, lack of time, hate exercise, or they don’t have a gym membership. I’ve worked as a physical trainer, and occasionally I still train people. The excuses I’ve heard are many. I’ve found that if a person really wants to work out it they can. They need to get past the main person that is holding them back, themselves. Along with the physical workout, they need to engage in a mental workout. Your mind is powerful if you continually tell yourself you cannot do something in most cases you won’t its self-fulfilling prophecy.

For example, one of my workout partners has used injury as an excuse of why he cannot have an effective workout. What was his excuse? A leg injury, Initially I didn’t question him about t; however, as time progressed I felt the need to learn more about this injury. In his case this injury had happened over four years ago.

In my mind, I suspected part of what was holding him back from working his leg was himself, but I told him to check with his doctor to see whether he could work out his left. After he received the approval from his doctor, I gave him additional leg exercises. In his case, he had the ability to work out harder with his legs, but his mind told him he couldn’t. What are his results? He’s getting a better workout because he isn’t using his legs as an excuse. He realizes that even with his old injury he can still work out.I’m not saying everyone who say they have an injury cannot workout. That’s something your health care provider has to decide. I do believe that many of us hold ourselves back because in our mind we believe it cannot be done.

If you want to lose weight set realistic goals be positive. If you face minor, setbacks don’t let those keep you down. We all make mistakes. Pick yourself up and keep moving.Question: What’s holding you back from losing the weight? What’s holding you back from exercise?

Technorati Tags: weight loss, exercise, New Year’s Resolution

Besides weight loss what are some of the health benefits of exercise?

Boosts the Immune System
Did you know doing moderate exercise will actually boost your immune system? Yes, it’s true. Doing some moderate form of activity actually increases the macrophages (those are the cells that attack bacteria.) Research has proven that if you consistently work out exercise can lead to a significant boost in your immune system.

I know for a fact that this is true with my daughter and me. We are rarely sick; however, if we are under the weather we bounce back the next day. I’ve observed this with my father also. He exercises a lot and although he doesn’t make all the healthy choices that I do he rarely gets sick. My mother and brother are a different story. Any germs that are going around will find a great home in their bodies. Simply, because their bodies cannot fight off the infection they don’t make healthy choices regarding their food choices, and they don’t exercise.

Improves Your Mood
If I’m facing a challenging situation with a project or my personal life I know that I need to hit the gym. One of the reasons why I’m in the gym more now is caused by my business, freelance work, and personal life is very challenging right now. Making sure I get my butt to exercise is an excellent way to release the stress and the occasional frustration I experience.

Several years ago I read an article that said exercise helps stimulate certain brain chemical.  This stimulation can help you feel happier and more laid back after your workout. If you continue to exercise, and make healthy eating choices you’ll most likely look better, which could lead to making you feel better about yourself. I’ve always been self-confident; however, the more I work out the better I feel about myself.

Better Sleep
I’ve noticed when I exercise I sleep much better. Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster.

The beauty of exercise is that you don’t have to go to the gym to get into shape. You can do simple low impact exercises at home. The benefit is that not only will it improve your health you most likely will feel good about yourself also.

Technorati Tags: exercise, weight loss, health

I originally posted this at my website The Raw & The Cooked. If you are looking for an alternative to the sugary drinks that is delicious without packing on a lot of pounds why not trying something that is naturally sweet and delicious. Even though this smoothie includes greens it’s still sweet. This recipe is easily customizable if you don’t like a particular fruit substitute it with something that you do like.

I’ve finally decided on the direction that I want to take with Weight Loss Diva’s and I’m eager to work on the upcoming features.

Rather than refer people to my website The Raw & The Cooked. That website is strictly about food recipes. The majority are low in calories and they all are healthy, delicious, and fairly simple to make. I’ll also include simple meals that you can make at home. I’ll also include the nutritional information with the recipe because I know some people to maintain their goals do be attentive to them.

Eventually I would like to include a section where people can give testimonials on what has worked for them. If you have any suggestions please feel free to leave them in this post. I have seven websites and at times updating them can be a challenge especially since I only do this as a hobby. It’s something I truly enjoy writing about. I think updating a few times weekly will be the best option.

I’m currently working on an article that looks at natural suppressants for weight loss. In my brief article Does Apple Cider Vinegar Help You Lose Weight I wrote about one product that people have used in their goals to reduce their weight. It’s important to note that this is only part of it to effectively lose weight naturally you need to be proactive and focus on what you are eating. Start reading those labels.

If you haven’t already thought of ways you can introduce simple, low calorie meals into your daily regime now is the time to do so. If you are a child that is looking for ways to lose weight you might have to talk with your parent or guardian and ask for assistance in helping you reach your goal, especially if they are cooking the meals. If your beating yourself up because of the food choices you have made try not to do that. It can be hard. Take baby steps.

Technorati Tags: Weight Loss Diva’s, The Raw & The Cooked, weight loss, diet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynXGA6fCEgU

I thought I would include this video. I stumbled upon it last year a few months after I switched to an all raw diet. Although the reasons I switched to raw foods was not for weight loss I noticed improvements. I was mildly surprised since I’m already very healthy.

My former co-worker lost 80 pounds in about six months by mainly eating an all raw diet. I included a simple meal plan that she found effective she was able to eat a lot of food because fruits and vegetables are naturally lower in calories. She was ecstatic.

I gave her my copy of Alissa’s Cohen’s book Living On Live Food and purchased another. I’ve never struggled with my weight loss but I found the book to be inspiring.

It’s 574 pages and loaded with simple recipes along with numerous testimonials from people who have converted to eating all raw or a high amount of raw foods.

Many of the testimonials came from people who wanted to lose weight, not only did they lose weight but they also experienced noticeable health improvements.

I liked the book so much that I went on and purchased the Living On Live Foods DVD. There are two. On these DVD’s she shows two women how simple it is to make some of the meals. The ladies were amazed at how simple and delicious these raw food meals were.

The problem I faced on an all raw food diet was weight loss, lol. This was something I did not want to do however when I started adding more fats to my meals such as avocados, nuts, and seeds, and included more fruit smoothies into my daily routine. The weight returned.

Technorati Tags: weight loss, raw foods, Raw For 30 Days, Alissa Cohen, Living On Live Foods, Living On Live Foods DVD

Raw Zucchini Pasta

I have a friend that loves pasta but has always been concerned with the amount that she eats since she knows she’s putting on unnecessary pounds. I suggested that she should make raw veggie pasta.

She would still get her noodles, but they would be low carb since the noodles are made out of vegetables. The above pictures is zucchini pasta. How was it made?

Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer

I use the plastic spiral vegetable slicer that I’ve listed above to make my noodles. My daughter calls it “the winder”

Creating noodles with the spiral slicer is simple, and it’s a much healthier alternative to traditional pasta. My friend and former co-worker lost 80 pounds in I believe 6 months. She lost the weight by sticking to mainly an all raw vegan diet. It was quite a change for her since she wasn’t even vegetarian.

The meals that I assisted her in preparing were simple on tastes but flavorful and they were packed with nutrition. Her first meal of the day was a smoothie. This simple meal was one of her favorites. I shared the simple recipe with her and I’m passing it along to my readers.

Raw Zucchini Pasta

1 Medium Zucchini
1 Medium onion thinly sliced
2 cups of pasta sauce

Directions

1. Using your plastic spiral vegetable slicer “spiralize” your zucchini
2. Place in a large bowl adding the thinly sliced onion
3. Cover with pasta sauce
4. Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: raw zucchini pasta, raw pasta, raw vegan, low carb meals, diet, fat loss, food, recipes

She said it was cleansing. I tried it forget about cleansing that stuff was hard for me to drink!

A few years ago I started looking for natural ways to cleanse and low and behold I stumbled upon Apple Cider Vinegar. It seems that Apple Cider Vinegar not only works as a natural laxative it also is considered to be a *natural fat burner*.

What to Buy

You should purchase *organic apple cider vinegar*. You want the vinegar that has the mother (enzymes) floating around. You will know that the product has the mother if you see something resembling stringy globs floating inside the bottle. It’s a good thing.

If your not keen on drinking the apple cider vinegar you can purchase the apple cider vinegar capsules.

How It Works

Apple Cider Vinegar helps detoxify the liver which plays an important role in weight loss. I have heard that it aids in speeding up metabolism and I’ve read that it helps burn the calories.

I take apple cider vinegar daily. I add two teaspoons to a cup of water. I sip it slowly. If it too acidic you can add a natural sweetener, like honey or agave nectar to the mix) I’m at my ideal weight it does seem to curb my appetite and it also helps keep me regular. I think of it as my *natural laxative*.

Technorati Tags: apple cider vinegar helps weight loss, natural fat burner, mother, apple cider vinegar capsules, natural laxative

Alright so we know that choosing salads can be a healthy way to shed those pounds while loading your body with vital vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately you can have some salads aren’t healthy based on the amount of fat and sodium they can contain.

How Can I Make A Healthy Salad?

Make sure you add plenty of vegetables and fruits in your salads. some examples are spinach, carrots, cucumbers, grated carrots, onions, dandelion greens, apples, oranges, and cranberries. Not only is the salad colorful but it’s also packed with vitamins, fiber, and other minerals

Spice it Up

I usually eat salads daily there was when I didn’t like them at all. I add whatever fruit or vegetable I’m craving. Today I’ve been craving greens in a major way so I’ll be adding later this week I’ll ease up on the greens and toss apples, grated carrots, raisins, and walnuts into the blend. I add vegetables and fruit that I’m interested in so it never gets boring.

If you’re looking to lose weight or simply improve your healthy don’t forget to add salad to your menu. Eating a healthy salad is an excellent way to keep the calories down and shed those unwanted pounds.

Technorati Tags: weight loss, diet, fat loss, fat loss, healthy diet

Healthy salads are filling, naturally low in fat and calories. If your looking for healthy meals that will help you with weight loss or your just looking for healthier food choices make a salad.

A healthy salad is loaded with nutrient dense foods that are good for your health. If you’re not doing so already kick it up a notch and start adding more greens to your salads. You will receive a boost on your fiber intake (think of it as your natural laxative) and it also gives you a healthier option than the meals that many of us are guilty of eating.

Hidden Calories In Salad Dressings

Be aware of what you are putting on your salads. Read the labels! Many are high in fat and sodium. Choose a healthy salad dressing. I’m sure you’ve seen the enticing commercials for salad dressings. Make sure you read the labels many are high in fat & sodium content which isn’t good for you it sort of defeats eating a low calorie meal.

Next Article: What’s Makes A Salad Healthy?

Technorati Tags: weight loss, healthy diet resource, diet, weight loss diva’s, healthy weight loss, healthy salad dressing