BEWARE OF BINGE EATING AT NIGHT

Night Binging: What’s Happening

Binge eating mostly happens in the evening and you become someone else. In the evening you are probably tired and stressed, and that is why you should use your rational hours of the day planning your evenings in order to eat moderately. When you eat supper, you gorge yourself with everything you have at home such as sandwiches, ice cream, etc. Try not to keep sandwiches, ice cream or other fattening, unhealthy food at home. Be sure to buy in advance the ingredients you need to prepare a large, tasty salad, so that you can have a big meal that is not fattening and unwholesome for your body.

The main goal here is to get healthy, wholesome and reasonable eating habits. If you do this in the first place, your body weight will go down to a level that fits your physical constitution.

The alternative to escaping the anguish by binge-eating is feeling the anguish. This can provide useful information that you might need for accurate estimates in life. Be curious about what can come out of your feelings and ideas if you desist from gorging yourself with food.

Lie down and focus your attention inside of yourself. Be brave! What you feel may not be pleasant. But these unpleasant feelings usually die away after a while and afterwards you are enriched with a new understanding of your inner feelings and you will feel generally better.

It takes about 10 to 15 minutes of deep breathing exercise for the cravings to dissipates if it is still there get-up and prepare a large salad.

Think About All Of The Steps Involved:

1. The thought enters your mind that you want to cheat. (REFRAME NOW!) Ask why and make a better decision.
2. You decide to take action on the thought. (IT’S STILL NOT TOO LATE!)
3. You stand up. (YOU ARE ABOUT TO MESS UP ALL YOUR EFFORTS!)
4. You walk over to the fridge, door (to go to the store), or phone (to order food). (THINK AGAIN!!!)
5. You open the fridge door, grab your keys and unlock the door, or dial the phone (after looking through your pile of menus and picking one out). (POINT OF NO RETURN!!!)
6. You reach into the fridge and start searching around, walk out your door to the store or sit and wait the fast food delivery man.
7. YOU JUST LET YOURSELF DOWN.

These are definitely a lot of steps! And there are many in between I have probably missed as well. So as we see here, there are 7 opportunities to reason with your own mind, and think "ok, do I really want to kill all my hard work in the gym by eating something that will only award me temporary satisfaction, and make me look/feel worse?" In the heat of the moment, the binge eater is sometimes likened to an animal that cannot control itself, acting on instinct only, without regard to what is going on.

He consumes simply for the sake of consumption, and receives his satiety from this fact, and this fact only: he will not stop until he is absolutely stuffed and will award his palate with a plethora of different tastes to fit his liking.

Train the Mind

The solution here is to first learn to train the mind to eat for "nutrition" and not for "taste". Eventually, upon successive training, the mind will register this, and begin to understand that those foods provided by nature, and not chemically derived by man, are the ones which will be most fulfilling, because they will allow the body to naturally carry out its metabolic processes in the fullest form, the way it was designed to do.

“Furthermore, foods occurring in nature will provide more of a nutritional benefit which will allow the body to reach its desired state of leanness, or muscular developments at a much faster rate than chemically designed food such as potato chips and candy.”

The second part of the solution is to realize that just as we saw up above, there are many steps between the time you "think" of eating something not on your dietary regimen, and the time you actually put the food into your mouth. It is necessary to dispel the thought at an earlier step, and not allow yourself to commit the thought to action if you cannot have control.

Lastly is the concept of "moderation". If you are going to have something that is not on your plan, then make sure that you don't go all out and destroy all your hard work. Learn to achieve satisfaction from a bite of something, and then fill yourself up with something a little more nutritious late night, such as a chicken breast along with a salad with balsamic vinegar and garlic.

Remember, the satisfaction which junk food provides is a pseudo-satisfaction, which is temporary. It occurs only in the mind, and not in the body. Train your mind to find satisfaction from doing your body good, and you will be well on your way to achieving all of your goals when it comes to building the physique of your dreams. I myself am victim to the "wolfs call" so to speak. I sometimes go through the same thing, but the key is awareness, awareness, awareness.

None of us are perfect, but we all have the ability to control the thoughts which enter our heads, and the way we control those thoughts determines our successes or failures in life

Remember that what is in your subconscious and is not serving you, should and must be replaced by something that does.

Get Your Copy of Mind Over Body

The Five Stages of Exercise Adoption

“What fits your extremely busy schedule better, exercising one hour a day or being dead twenty four hours a day?”

What Stage Are You In?

1- Pre-contemplation

At this stage you are not even thinking about exercise and have no intention of becoming more active, moreover you are most likely not even reading my book Mind Over Body: The Key to Lasting Weight Loss Is All In Your Head!

Not a very good stage to be at!

2- Contemplation

You are thinking about exercise, but are not engaging in it. The Amydyla is firing up neurotransmitters in the brain causing you to stay in a comfort zone. The key is to focus on the outcome of your goal. If you are fearful you mostly likely to revert back and if you are empowered by thinking of the outcome, you most likely to be empowered.

You are reading my book and are most likely to apply its concept. There is not time frame in this stage as you are the one to make a choice to start.

3- Preparation

You are getting ready to start an activity or are exercising on occasion, but it is still a new habit. At this phase you are applying the principles of my book to overcome obstacles leading you to revert back to old habits. You are ready to step-up and increase activity level.

At this stage you are overcoming any obstacle. It starts at week 3 or 4 from beginning of behavior changes.

4- Action

You are exercising regularly for at list 12 weeks, and it has become a ritual.

This phase is a good phase to be at and you are most likely to stick with it.

5- Maintenance

You have a ritual of exercising that is longer that 6 month. All new habits are now automatic. It is a part of you to be healthy and fit.

It is now your second nature, it is “automatic” It’s a new you! This is the best stage to be at.

Copyright © 2007 by Nordine Zouareg

WHAT IS THE BEST AEROBIC EXERCISE FOR BEGINNERS?

There is no best for everyone. Fitness is very individualistic. While some exercises might burn more calories. It is most important to choose one that you enjoy. I usually suggest some form of walking or stationary recumbent bicycling to start. Even if you enjoy the activity, it must be something you are capable of handling. For example, you may love to walk, but if you have a knee problem, this won't be your best choice of aerobic exercise. Talk it over with a professional to find the activity that is enjoyable and safe.

8 Reasons You Aren't Reducing Weight

In a high tech world, there’s a whole slew of ways to determine whether you’re reducing body fat on your diet and exercise regimen. The favorite traditional methods of measuring body fat include underwater weighing and skin calipers. The newest rage is a specialized bathroom scale that sends infrared beams through your body to determine how much of your body weight is actually fat and how much is lean body mass; muscle and bones.

Still, the most tried and true device, and possibly the most accurate way to determine if your dieting efforts are working – is the old fashion bathroom scale! If you’re reducing weight on the scale, you’re also reducing fat. Sure, if you’re dropping more than 3 pounds per week or your energy levels are waning, you’re likely to be shedding some valuable muscle also along the way.

However, if you’re reducing 1-2 pounds every 1-3 weeks, and your energy and strength levels are stable, you’re likely shedding almost exclusively fat. That said; let’s explore the top reasons why people fail to see the body trimming results they hope to achieve.

The 7 roadblocks that keep many frustrated are outlined below. Fix or avoid most of these troublesome 7, and your fat reducing will be so smooth.

1) Too Many Carbohydrates.
I’m no fan of strict low carb diets, but any additional carbs above and beyond those needed to saturate your muscles with glycogen have a good probability of being stored as body fat. While bodybuilding training requires a high carb intake, many novices and intermediate trainees simply do not train hard enough to justify a massive carb intake. Depending on your size and level of training intensity, split your carb intake into 5 servings per day and aim for 30-60 grams of carbs per meal to shed fat. Start at a higher intake such as 60 grams of carbs per meal. If you reduceweight, continue with 60 grams per meal. If you fail to lose, drop to 50 grams per meal.

2) Too Much Protein.
Surprise! This factoid is tied to carbohydrate restriction. When dieting to lean down, carbohydrates ought to be slowly reduced. However, many dieters take an overly aggressive approach in hopes of making miracle-type progress and cut back too far in the carb department.

When you restrict carbs, your protein intake should increase. But – and this is a big one – over compensating by eating too much protein can also prevent fat loss by contributing to a calorie surplus. As a rule, shoot for .74 to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day while trying to add weight and muscle. When ripping up, start chopping away at your carbs and increase the protein to 1.25 to 1.50 grams per pound of body weight. Anything more- will just be stored as fat.

3) Skip The Late Night Carbs.
Don’t believe the conflicting research. The fact remains, carbs eaten at night are less likely to be burned off as fuel and are more likely be stored as body fat. That means; forego the pasta, potato or rice at meal 5 (your final meal of the day) for lean proteins like fowl or fish, along with a side dish of veggies. Or enjoy a simple protein shake that provides you with high quality protein.

4) Wrong Breakfast.
Want to get lean and eat a lot? Eat more at breakfast. Of your 5 daily meals, the one that is least likely to end up on your hips, thighs and lower back is the first one. In the morning, muscle glycogen stores are lower than during any other part of the day. When glycogen stores are low, your body’s capacity to take carbohydrates and store them as body fat is hampered. So pack in the carbs at breakfast –along with 20-40 grams of high quality protein to jump-start your day. And don’t worry about getting fat.

5) Too Much Cardio.
What happens to the guy or gal who performs 1-2 hours of cardio a day? They send their body into a tailspin, a state where the "starvation hormones" secreted by the body skyrocket (it’s your body’s survival mechanism, a response to too much exercise!) causing fat cells to try to hoard their energy! Moderate cardio is the way to go. Four to five 20-40 minutes sessions per week is all that it takes. Any more than that and you run the risk of reducing precious muscle tissue, which negatively affects your metabolic rate and your ability to train.

6) Never "Cheating" on Your Diet.
Once in a while you should let loose and give yourself a break from the rigors of dieting and scale watching. In fact, it’s helpful in reducing weight. That’s because continual dieting eventually leads to roadblocks where the body responds by slowing its metabolic rate. Strict dieting also takes its toll on you mentally, and can leave you feeling deprived. That’s a bad combination! Taking in a couple of high calorie meals once every 7-10 days not only provides a mental break from dieting, but helps you side-step roadblocks by preventing the body from entering a starvation state where the metabolic rate slows.

7) Paying Attention to the scale only.
Ok this may sound contradictory, but the scale is not the "end-all" measurement of progress. You also monitor a couple of other things, primarily energy and strength. If you’re reducing weight and you have plenty of energy and strength, you’re reducing body fat – guaranteed. On the flip side, if you’re reducing weight yet feeling really tired or are seeing constant drops in the weights you use during your workouts, then you’re likely also burning off muscle tissue. If no energy and a loss in strength is the case, then you’re likely violating several of the above tips and will need to rectify them to get back on track.

And there you have it. Avoid these obstacles to reducing weight and enjoy your new lean body!

Fitness Obsession

We are infatuated with fitness. We pay attention to our waistlines. We get liposuction. We get breast implants. We buy special cosmetic products. We try our best to look and feel our best. We tighten our skin, harden our bodies, increase our cardiovascular endurance and increase our lung capacities. We try to keep ourselves fit. But what about our spiritual fitness? There is no supplement for spirituality. There is no reduced calorie spirituality. There is no “Quick Fix” for seeking the goodness that is within ourselves. The path is taken when you are on it. My personal experience with the fitness obsession started the minute I lost touch of my inner self. I wanted to please the world I thought people were expecting me to be at a top level all the time but in reality it was not so, people loved me then as they love now, they don’t need to see me in a super shape, I just have to be me, love me and love them, be in balance, that’s all it takes. Love is the door to your spiritual, mental and physical fitness. See yourself as a gift. This doesn't change, regardless of whether you get outside validation or not. Know and remember that you are God's gift to the world in the form you are.

You are an indispensable part of God's plan. If you don't fulfill your role joyously, even if it is unpopular, you will not have done God's work as fully and completely as you could. Assume the possibility that everybody's signed up in advance for the roles they play right now, with the cooperation of everyone being affected by those roles. Self-judgment and guilt will no longer have any place to stick. The dance that we do is one that encourages us to remember and directly connect with the source of all life here in this world.

Imagine feeling better than you ever have. Imagine looking better than you ever have.
Imagine the physical vitality spilling over into every aspect of your life. If all of your workouts, diets, and efforts have not gotten you to the fitness level you want to be at, there may be a missing connection; a connection with self.

You see dieting is not just what you eat. What are you really feeding your body? What is your mind feeding it? What is your spirit feeding it? "This will all eventually show up in your physical state of being. The way you think and feel will affect the way you look. Your fitness level is very much controlled by how you think and feel. Your body is a direct reflection of the inner soul. What are you really carrying around? It may be more than a few extra pounds. Blocking emotion and carrying negative thoughts can cause you to carry extra weight. Weight can actually be armor built up to create a wall that actually keeps you from being who you really want to be. Break through that wall and you will begin to create the physical body you want to achieve. If our physical being is our car that we ride in, it is the mind and the spirit that drives it.
I have not only lived this philosophy but I teach its practice to everyone who is concerned about their total health and fitness.

Copyright ©2006 by Nordine Zouareg

http://www.nordinez.com

4 Habits That are Making You Fat, Sick and Unhappy – Without You Even Knowing it.

1. Defeating Though Process:

Thinking that food can make you feel happy is actually not entirely correct, it is the emotion attached to the food you eat that makes you eat more of it.

Mindful tip: stop and think about the food you eat; their maybe an association with a previous happy event you are trying to recreate subconsciously. Be conscious about the link between the food you eat and the emotion you are feeling in the moment. Drinking a glass of water and waiting 15 minutes till the craving stops can do amazing things.

2. Skipping Breakfast

Most people who skip breakfast thinking it will help them to lose weight are dead wrong.

The truth is that skipping breakfast actually lowers your metabolism so that at your next meal you'll be likely to overeat.

Furthermore, the food you eat on a lowered metabolism is more likely to be stored as fat.

Mindful tip: Never! Never! Never skip your breakfast. You need to BREAK (the) FAST by consuming high quality protein, carbohydrates and fat. Breakfast is the most important of all your meals.

3. Staying Up Late

Unfortunately for most us who are business owners, working late or simply cannot go to bed early enough, staying up late can set off negative effects on your body composition therefore creating unwanted stress and hindering in your process to reducing weight.

Sleep is vital for recovery. If you don't get enough sleep, your body won't build as much lean muscle mass - no matter how much time you spend in the gym. Less lean muscle mass = slower metabolism.

Furthermore, when you are sleep-deprived, levels of the stress hormone "cortisol will increase." The connection between cortisol, stress and obesity is well documented, but problems don’t stop there.

Several researches shows that cortisol related fat storage tends to be around the vital organs - the worst possible place to store fat in your body, in fact you don’t have to be obese to have huge amounts of fat stored around your organs. Stress does that if left unmanaged.

If that's not enough, lack of sleep is also linked with lower Growth Hormone levels, low testosterone levels, glucose intolerance (diabetes), a weakened immune system, low energy, cardiovascular disease, etc…

Mindful tip: This is NOT to be taken lightly! Get a full night's sleep (7 to 9 hours), but make sure your place of rest is peaceful and pitch dark. Your natural sleep hormone, melatonin, is suppressed when there is too much light. Bed is made for two things; sex and sleep so stop thinking.

4. Dehydration

Not drinking enough can make you fat as water is essential for flushing fat cells and toxins from your body. Caffeine and alcoholic beverages should not be substituted for water.

Mindful Tip: You can’t reduce fat if you’re not drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.

Copyright © 2006 –Triple Impact, LLC