I have found that getting into the habit of healthy eating is very hard.  Harder than I ever thought it would be to be totally honest.  One day I eat healthy the next day I don’t and so on.  Two things that I have found that help me with my healthy eating is portion control and planning my meals.

Meal planning has not always been easy for me and there are still days I struggle with meal  planning.  I have found that my biggest struggle with meal planning is that our family always seems to be so busy and the days I do have something planned that takes some time to cook, that when it is actually time to cook it I don’t have enough time to cook because of other things going on in our lives.

But I have decided that since I am going to shed these unwanted, unneeded pounds than I have to start by eating much better.  Eating less and healthier, that is my goal for this week.

To help me meal plan for this week I have a couple different things I want to share with you.  First is an app for my iPad called Pepperplate.  It is a great app that not only helps me plan my meals, but I can create my grocery list, and add recipes all in one great place.  They have this for your pc, your iPhone and your iPad.  It is something I would totally suggest.   The second thing is Choose My Plate.  Which helps remind me of my portion control. I have printed off the plate and have it on the refrigerator so that I always remember the portions and how much I should be eating of what.

Below is my menu for the week.  I will also make sure I have a fruit and veggie at every dinner meal.

10/03/11 Menu

Monday:

Lunch ~ Turkey Wrap

Dinner ~ Pork Tostadas

Tuesday:

Lunch ~ Grilled Turkey Sandwich

Dinner ~ Chicken Penne

Wednesday:

Lunch ~ Chef Salad

Dinner ~ Meatball Subs

Thursday:

Lunch ~ Turkey Hoggies

Dinner ~ Steak Fajitas

Friday: 

Lunch ~ Steak Wrap

Dinner ~ On the go

Saturday:

Lunch ~ Ham, Mac and Cheese

Dinner ~ Baked Chicken, potatoes, and Peas

The first step to getting motivated when all hope is lost during the process of losing weight is to know and completely understand that weight loss is challenging in itself.

There are many different aspects to weight loss.

While we do know some basic information about the process, there is still quite a bit that we are still learning.

We learned in part one that weight loss is more than simply changing what you eat and becoming more active.

It is about developing habits.  Habits take time to develop.

Weight loss is also about making lifestyle changes and going through behavior modification. In this section, you will learn some productive tips to losing and regulating weight. Not only will these steps reinforce hope in a seemingly hopeless situation, but they will allow you to experience a higher level of success in your weight loss endeavors.

The following highlights the most productive tips:

1.    Metabolism is highly important when it comes to losing weight and keeping weight off. One of the best ways to increase your metabolism is to actually eat more. That’s right! You should consume several small meals a day instead of eating two to three large meals. This will keep your metabolism high all throughout the day, which will result in burning a large amount of calories.
2.    Medical professionals have established that muscle mass is productive to eliminating fat from the body. If you want to burn more fat, you should engage in building muscle. There are several ways to do this. You may lift weights; engage in aerobics, swim, hike, or even bicycle. The trick is to make certain that you choose an activity that you thoroughly enjoy performing. By doing so, you will likely stick with the activity and experience a higher level of success.
3.    If you want to lose weight and keep it off, it is important to ensure that you consume a high amount of water. Most medical professionals agree that eight glasses of water is appropriate for maintaining an optimal level of health. However, if you are attempting to lose weight, it is important to up this amount to about ten to twelve glasses of water a day. Not only will it help in flushing your digestive tract more quickly, but it will also keep you full for longer periods of time.

As you can see, weight loss is a challenging endeavor. It is very easy to lose motivation when you are not seeing the results that you desire. However, it does not have to be that way. Simply understand that the mechanisms associated with weight loss and regulation are extremely challenging. Simply follow the weight loss tips contained in this article, learn to develop healthy habits, and understand that lifestyle changes and behavior modification is essential.

By doing so, you will find the hope that you have lost.

If you are reading this, it is likely that you have made several attempts to shed unwanted pounds, only to find that you have been completely unsuccessful in your endeavors. It is likely that you constantly feel as if you are running after something, but it is always just out of your ability to grasp it.

There are countless books and websites that specifically highlight ways to lose weight.

We are literally swimming in a sea of weight loss tips, advice, and information.

While the information is quite abundant, the waters of the sea that surround us are often quite turbulent. It is important that you understand that the core mechanisms that assist in regulating weight loss are relatively complex. While we may feel as if all hope is lost as far as achieving our weight loss goals, it is important to understand that we are just starting to uncover the secrets behind true success.

In evaluating the theories that abound on weight loss, we find that as we continue to learn, we uncover the fact that we still have a lot more to learn.

Medical professionals are consistently uncovering the fact that a true weight loss system or regulation system is extremely complex. Most individuals that make an attempt to lose weight often blame themselves for the fact that they are not successful in their endeavors.

However, as we continue to learn more about the process of eliminating and regulating weight, we are finding that it is not the fact that we are not trying hard enough or putting enough general effort into the process, it is just that we, as a human race, still have quite a bit to learn about the process of eliminating weight as a whole.

In addition to the general lack of understanding that surrounds truly effective and long-term weight loss, many individuals focus too heavily on the foods that are consumed and the physical exercises that are engaged in to lose weight.

We all need to understand that dieting is not just a matter of becoming more physically active or consuming foods that are healthier.

It requires behavior and lifestyle modification.

It is about getting in the process of developing healthy habits over time. It has been established that it could take anywhere between one and two years to develop sound habits.

This is especially true when it comes to habits that surround losing weight and keeping the weight off on a long-term basis.

Companies that specialize in weight loss products, such as creams, pills, ointments, shakes and other products give each of us the impression that there is a “Magic” solution to losing weight and keeping it off.

Once we have tried to make dietary changes and have adjusted our level of physical fitness and we find that we are unsuccessful, we often turn to these products. Unfortunately, we often find that we are continuously experiencing failure.

Most of us do not stop to think that perhaps the advertisements associated with these products are false.

No, we turn it inward and start to blame ourselves.

The first step to overcoming the hopelessness associated with weight loss is to stop turning the blame inward. The mechanics of weight loss and the regulation of weight are highly complicated. We are still learning quite a bit about this process.

In part two coming up, we will be reviewing steps that are found to be productive for weight loss.

Are you getting bored with your traditional workout? Is going to the gym just too bothersome?

Well then why don’t you get your next great workout at the local dance hall?

Dancing is not only fun to do –  it’s great exercise too!

There’s nothing that gets your heart pumping like dancing.  You don’t have to be good, you just have to move around.  The simple act of moving your arms and legs around is enough to get you a great cardio workout.  Studies have shown that ballroom dancing is almost as effective at working your heart as common workouts such as running.  It also doesn’t matter much what kind of dancing you’re doing, whether it’s ballroom, country line dancing, or even belly dancing.  You can even just dance around your living room to the radio (also a great way to work out with the kids!)

Dancing works all the different muscle groups.  Activities like jogging and swimming feature repetitive movements that work the same muscles over and over.  That’s why it’s easy to tell a runner from a swimmer, just by looking at what muscles on their body are developed.  Unless you do the same dance over and over, you’re going to be doing various different movements.  This allows you to work all your different muscle groups giving you a great total body workout you’ll be able to see in a mirror.  This is also a great motivation to take classes and try new styles of dance.

Normally, workouts can be a bit boring, and boredom is actually one of the most common reasons for quitting an exercise program.  With dance, not only do you get to listen to music that is fun and entertaining, dancing can have the benefit of being a social event.  If you have one or more people there with you, you can enjoy the conversation and excitement, you’ll probably completely forget you’re working out.  Try getting a group of friends to go dancing once a week with you.  You can even use the fact that it’s a great workout as a selling point to convince them to join you.  Just be careful, depending on the venue, you may be encouraged to drink.  Don’t burn off all your calories just to add them back with alcohol.

Dancing makes a great family activity.  You can use it as a time to bond with your spouse or your children.  Remember, they need to get regular exercise too!  If you want to get closer to your spouse, sign up for some lessons you can take together.  And while you can’t take kids out to a lot of dance clubs, you can get a kids dancing tape, teach them to dance at home, or just play around to the music on the radio.  It’s a great way to exercise while stimulating their creativity.

So what are you waiting for?  Why not change a workout this week to a fun time dancing?