Calorie Burning Tips

These are just a few habits you can embrace to start revving your metabolism right away. You may have heard stories about people who have lost dozens of pounds simply switching to diet soda or walking a few minutes each day. These are all small habits that contribute to a big difference and increase your metabolism over time.  You will make weight loss quicker and easier by increasing your metabolic rate and burning more calories.

1) Move More

Sedentary people burn about one-third less calories per day.  By simply taking every opportunity to move can make quite a dramatic difference to the amount of calories you burn in one day. Small movements will add up over time to lots of calories.  The trick is to keep moving throughout your day. Write the word ‘move’ on post-it notes and put them in places you’ll notice them when you’re sitting still. Then, take every opportunity to move – here’s some ideas for burning extra calories:

Tap your feet
Swing your legs
Stand up and stretch
Move your head from side to side
Change position
Wriggle and fidget
Pace up and down
Use the restroom upstairs
Park in the furthest corner of the parking lot
Stand up when you’re on the phone and step from side to side
Clench and release your muscles

2) Eat Little and Often

Evidence suggests that eating small meals every 2-4 hours will keep your metabolism burning faster than larger, less frequent meals. When you eat small amounts often your body is constantly working to digest and absorb food which requires energy. 

3) Eat Fat

If you want feel good and keep the fat off you need to first put it in.  Fat not only tastes good our bodies need it to work efficiently.  By consuming several servings of ‘healthy’ fats every day you will actually increase your calorie burning potential.  Try incorporating fats like Flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, olive oil, avocados, salmon, albacore tuna, nuts and seeds into your diet daily.

4) Drink Cold Water

Evidence shows that your body might expend more calories trying to raise cold water to the temperature of your body then hot beverages. And overall being well hydrated will help your body’s metabolic processes burn quicker.

5) Exercise With Weights

Training with weights boosts your metabolism in a number of ways. By lifting weights you will build muscle tissue. And muscle tissue is metabolically active, so it requires calories even when at rest and so it helps to increase fat-burning enzymes in your body.


6) Spice up

Eating hot spices might speed up your metabolism.  Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day can help boost metabolism and keep blood sugar levels in check. Can’t stand the thought of cinnamon in your morning cup of coffee? Spice up with cayenne, crushed red pepper or wasabi.

7) Eat More Protein

Protein requires a more complex chemical breakdown by your body in order to be digested and used as fuel. For example, 100 calories of protein may take up to 30 calories to process.   Protein also takes longer to digest and helps to stabilize blood sugar for longer periods of time  and this can help you to not overeat later in the day.  Eat a portion of protein at every meal and as part of your snacks and you will increase the total number of calories you burn each day.

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How to Not Let Stress Affect Your Weight

Is stress affecting your weight loss battle?

Stress brought on by dieting is added to the personal and work life stresses that we face every day, often resulting in a "vicious cycle" of increased stress and increased food intake. People under stress tend to engage in self-defeating and unhealthy behaviors such as binge eating and there is strong biologic evidence that stressed-out people may tend to put on the pounds faster. "I'm stressed, therefore I eat." Many people complain that they overeat in response to workplace or personal stress. If this sounds like you, read the following tips for managing stress-related overeating to help you check this unhealthy habit.

1. Practice waiting. Postpone your instant gratification when hunger hits. Tell yourself you'll wait 10 to 30, minutes to eat. Chances are good if your cravings are only stress-related, they'll disappear when you allow yourself to become distracted.

2. Keep a food journal of what you eat each day. Knowing you have to write down every snack or nibble can be a good way to remind yourself to think before eating.

3. Enlist a friend's help - ideally one who also is tempted by stress-related cravings. When you feel like eating, write him/her a quick note or make a phone call.

4. Keep yourself nourished. Eat regular, healthy snacks to maintain your energy level. Skipping meals while under stress only prompts you to eat more, and unhealthily, when you do get around to eating.

5. Post some reminder messages wherever you're likely to see them when stress-related cravings begin. Use any message that works for you. Examples might be "Are you really hungry?" or "Think about why you're eating."

6. Physically remove tempting food items from your home or office. Never go shopping while hungry and always make a list of food items prior to shopping; bring home only what you feel good about eating.

7. Take time for yourself every day. Whether it's 10 minutes to reflect and relax, or whether it's some fun activity that will revitalize you, it's critical to do it. Health is not just physical, mental well-being is just as important, you deserve to mentally de-stress everyday!

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7 Tips to Health and Weight Loss 4 Kids

1 Role Model –Your heath and weight directly effect your child’s health and weight.  Children with just one overweight parent have a 25% risk of becoming an overweight or obese adult.  If both parents are overweight the risk of becoming an overweight adult jumps to 50%.

2 Be Positive- No one enjoys receiving negative feedback.  Talk to your child with compassion and encouragement. Instead of saying, 'Lose weight', say, 'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies'.  Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you cannot. Say, 'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,' not 'Don't eat that.'

3 Make healthy eating a family affair - A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. Children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't, the study showed. Also fill your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, and things for everyone to snack on.

4 Eat Breakfast – A breakfast that consists of protein, starch and fat will keep your children more alert during school.  Studies have shown that weight loss is much more difficult in people who skip breakfast.

5 Make time for physical activity - Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

6 Don't say diet - Put your child on any diet and you are setting them up for an eating disorder - whether binge eating or closet eating or another type of disorder.  Lifestyle changes have proven to be the most effective to lose weight and keep it off.

7 Avoid portion distortion - When serving the food try to portion out meal on dishes and avoid buffet-type or family-style eating.  When exposed to so much food it is easy for your eyes to be bigger than your stomach.  Resist the first temptation to have seconds then check in with yourself to see if you are really hungry.

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7 Tips to Help Your Kid Develop a Positive Self-Image

Try these 7 tips to foster optimism and resilience in your overweight child:

1) Believe in your Children.  Assure your children that you are on their side and that you expect then to be the best person that they can be, although you don’t expect them to be the best at anything.  No one is perfect.

2) Find other adults who believe in your children.  Teachers, aunts, uncles, neighbors and friends can help you make a positive difference for you overweight child.  Other adults that can see beyond the weight and also believe in your child can help your child take control of their lives.

3) Encourage your children to stay interested in activities.  Let them know that their interests are valuable and deserve to be developed, whatever it is.

4) Celebrate your children’s winning experiences and help them to accept defeats graciously.    Let your child know that you appreciate their efforts and positive attitude win or lose.  Positive attitude and effort is for more important than victory.

5) Encourage upbeat conversations about the future.  Assume they are going to college and thinking about good careers.  Let your child know that you believe they are capable.

6) Be a role model for perseverance.  Be sure your children hear you say that some tasks are difficult, but that you are not a quitter.

7) Facilitate family fun and laughter.  A family that can joke, laugh, and lighten up their day’s with humor can help to prevent negativity and tension.

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7 Top Foods to Include in your Kid’s Diet

Here is a list of the top 7 healthiest foods to feed your kid and why it’s so healthy:


1. Oatmeal: A fabulous breakfast food, full of B vitamins, iron, zinc and calcium. Old-fashioned oatmeal offers plenty of carbohydrate for quick energy and high fiber.  Add berries and honey to make it a delicious perfect food for those fast-paced school day mornings! 

2. Yogurt: Kick your child's dairy consumption up a notch and include yogurt on the menu. A great source of calcium, yogurt is easier to digest than regular milk, and the cultures (check the label to make sure they're in there!) are very beneficial to good colon health. Watch it on the sugar content though.  A great idea is to buy plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with fresh fruit!

3. Broccoli: it is one of the best vegetables for anyone, especially growing kids.  It has loads of calcium, potassium, beta-carotene and a wide variety of the B vitamins.  If your child is not a fan of plain vegetables include broccoli in a casserole or put a little shredded cheese on top to add flavor.

4. Protein: One size does not fit all when it comes to protein. The fact is that growing kids need protein to keep growing. How you're going to give it to them can vary widely, according to your preferences. Good choices include legumes, beans (combined with a grain to make a complete protein), soy products like tofu, eggs or lean meat, fish or poultry.

5. Whole Grains: The best nutrition is found in whole grains. Brown rice and whole wheat bread are a quantum leap over their white counterparts and offer necessary fiber, minerals and vitamins.  Choose grain products with the words “whole”, “unbleached” and “intact” or “ground”.

6. Nut Butters: Peanut butter and other nut butters are great fast and easy foods for kids. Kids need fat (it's a good fat if it doesn't have hydrogenated oils mixed in it) and they need the protein.  Try spreading almond or sunflower seed butter on crackers, toast or celery sticks for a quick and nutritious snack.

7. Fresh Fruit: My personal choice would be cantaloupe in the melon department. Vitamin C, beta-carotene, bits and pieces of B vitamins and trace minerals and calcium fill every juicy bite. Any in season fresh fruit is sure to be packed with healthy goodness!

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Weight Loss Tips for Kids and Their Families

Here is a sure-fire list of diet dos and don'ts to help your family triumph over obesity:

1. Be a ‘healthy’ role model. The number one thing that parents can do is to be a good role model for their children, Parents so often unknowingly set their kids up for failure.  If there are chips, cookies and Twinkies and no fruit or vegetables when your kids look for snacks, how can they succeed?  Line your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, easy things for kids to snack on besides ‘junk food’.

In a 2000 survey conducted by the CDC, close to 80% of adults reported eating fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily -- not good role-model behavior.

2. Be positive. Don’t tell your child to ‘lose weight’ say, 'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies’. Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you should limit eating. Say, 'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,' not 'Don't eat this or that.' Instead of saying, 'We have to exercise,' say, 'Lets go to the park.' Use positive words and phrases when talking with your kid.

3. Make healthy eating a family affair.  Create family meals together and for the entire family. Do not single out an overweight family member with special diet food.  Your entire family can benefit form healthy eating regardless of weight.

A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. The study showed children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't.

4. Avoid portion distortion. When serving food you must use portion control, buffet-type or family-style situations tends to promote overeating.  Fill up on salads and cooked vegetables  at meals and always wait 10-15 minutes before having a second helping.  Second helpings should only be taken if truly hungry.

5. Start the day off right with a good breakfast. A bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt with a granola or breakfast bar, or an English muffin with peanut butter, rather than a doughnut or muffin. A healthy breakfast will put your family on the healthy track for the rest of the day.

6. Make time for physical activity. Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

7. Try again.  Weight loss and healthy eating is not easy.  There will be times when you and your family will struggle with this new lifestyle.  It is important to keep trying.  Failure is certain if you are not trying.

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5 Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

#1 Don’t Skip Breakfast

The morning meal jump starts your metabolism and helps to prevent bingeing later in the day.  A cup of coffee does not count – the caffeine and added sugar may give you a bit of energy and suppress your appetite for a little while it is sure to back fire into severe hunger and you will be more likely to overeat later.  Breakfast should include complex carbohydrates like whole grain (granola or oatmeal), along with some protein and fat (low-fat yogurt or milk), will keep your energy levels even and hunger in check.

#2 Eat more often

Get into the habit of eating every three to four hours or at least four times a day.  Eating frequently stabilizes blood sugar, when blood sugar drops too low you want to eat…a lot.  By keeping your blood sugar stable you can control your appetite and keep you metabolic rate high.  When you go many hours without eating your body will compensate by slowing down to conserve energy…this effect hurts your weight loss efforts.

#3 Eat protein at every meal

Protein will help to reduce your appetite, it takes more energy and time to digest, in effect you feel full longer than eating carbohydrates alone.  Research shows that eating more protein can help you lose weight without cutting calories.  Try these protein possibilities: turkey on whole wheat; hummus and pita; vegetarian chili; fruit and nuts; or protein snack bars that contain 12 or more grams of protein.

#4 Hold off on snacking

Many of us grab a snack for quick energy when we are feeling tired.  But do not confuse true hunger with fatigue.  If you are feeling tired go for a 15-20 minute brisk walk.  This will raise your heart rate and give you a boost of energy.  Follow it up with a large glass of cool water.  If you are truly hungry have a protein and complex carbohydrate rich snack like; whole wheat crackers and peanut butter or cheese.

#5 Consume enough for your body’s needs

Eating too little slows your body’s metabolism the same way eating to infrequently does.  If you want to lose weight, do not slash your calories too drastically.  Instead, cut out some of the extras in your diet – things like soda, juice, packaged goods or candy.  Processed foods tend to be high in fat and calories and low in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

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