I Plan My Meals Before I Shop

Before I go to work, while I’m having coffee, I plan dinner. If there’s something in the freezer I need I’ll take it out and put it in the refrigerator. Normally, I remember I always write down the menu and take it with me. If you’re organized enough to do this a day or two ahead then if you’re missing anything from the menu you’ll have time to pick it up.

If you learn to stick to the planned menus then you can actually save money on food. It means a few more trips to the store, but the inventory of groceries around the house will start to shrink. This is a good thing and yes the kids need snacks, but this will give you the opportunity to make some healthy choices. When you wait until the last minute to shop, you don’t have time to make the proper choices, you end up buying anything just to get out quick. I wish I could count the times I nearly got run over going to the checkout line.

Fruit is great snack food, it has sugar but it's good sugar, its natural sugar. It’s all the processed foods that are causing our health problems. Try to avoid processed food. On the morning show, a health guru was talking about the six meals a day plan I wrote about in an earlier post. Maybe some of you thought I was crazy, but it’s true.

Never skip breakfast, but be careful that you’re eating the right thing. Eggs are great, but only one yolk, the rest whites. toast is good, but not white bread or bagels, it’s just empty calories, whole grain bread, and fruit. It’s very important to eat but eat good food and avoid food that does have nutrition. Get something for your food dollar.

Go back and review earlier posts where I discuss the six-meal plan. It won’t hurt to read it over again. There’s a lot of truth in that post. Remember you’re not eating to fill your stomach with things that taste good, you’re eating to give your body enough nutrition until you eat again.

The six-meal-a-day plan wants you to save the calories for solid food and only drink zero-calorie drinks like water. Of course, today we have zero-calorie flavored water that's unsweetened. This new drink has taken over a complete aisle in my grocery store. Five years ago zero-calorie water was sold with a dose of artificial sweeteners. But in this last decade, a company from Wisconsin introduced LaCroix carbonated water. It was flavored water with zero calories and no artificial sweeteners, no carbs, and no sodium. It was flying off the shelves. Now there are hundreds of companies copying their product. No one has to drink soda any longer and the soft drink companies are feeling it. 

The six-meal-a-day plan wants you to consume 300 calories per meal every 3 hours, starting the first half-hour after you get up. I had to make a change to the schedule to fit my schedule, so I cut out the last meal. I'm in bed early and get up early so 5 meals every 3 hours worked better. I could go a little over on the calories per meal like 320 or 330 calories, but I was only eating 5 meals. I was consuming about 1600 or 1650 calories per day and that worked for me. 

The idea behind the diet plan is that it's hard for most of us to digest a large meal. One hundred years ago or maybe longer ago the 3-meal plan would fit into a person's work schedule. This schedule had nothing to do with your health. Science didn't decide that this was the best way to eat, Europeans bought this to America because this was the way they ate growing up. Today, because of the weight problem that most of us have, we understand that eating large meals or consuming a lot of calories at one time only causes problems for your digestive system. 

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search “howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight”.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

Why A Drastic Cut In Calories Is Harmful

In our fast-paced society, the Very-Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD) is quickly becoming the chosen fad or method of weight loss. It even comes with a guarantee of shedding those unwanted pounds yesterday.

Extreme measures of weight loss may be warranted and prescribed during a medical crisis. This would be understandable. However, applying drastic weight loss methods for the everyday person may not be safe or healthy.

Many very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) are now being covered by insurance plans. This has made it even more appealing for people to sign on the dotted line. Not usually understood is only part of the VLCD program may be covered by insurance. The diet shakes are the largest part of the VLCD and a costly pay-out-of-pocket product.

Be cautious about any diet making unrealistic weight-loss claims. Extreme weight loss programs may severely restrict food intake and recommend drinking shakes in lieu of eating. Studies on very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) do show rapid weight loss but not without adverse health risks. According to other research, once the VLCD plan is completed, the weight is gained back plus more. These starvation-type diets are very risky and should only be tried with a doctor’s supervision. You have to take supplements and your doctor will know what you need.

The human body requires nutrients from lean proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Proper portions of these macronutrients are essential for good health. Individual calorie requirements will differ per person based on overall lifestyle and activity levels. This is where your doctor comes in. He’ll know how much to cut your calories.

Personally, I think these diets should be avoided. I always recommend going vegetarian for a couple of weeks. During that time buy some protein powder at the grocery store to supplement your required amount. Get plant protein while going vegetarian and in the 3rd week or 4th week eat some seafood and chicken breasts. After one week of eating some meat or seafood (about 4 oz. a day), go back to the vegetarian diet for a couple more weeks. While on the vegetarian diet, be careful of dairy. Dairy is high in animal fat and can add body fat. I stick to “plain Greek yogurt”, that’s my only dairy. You can add fresh fruit like berries. On a mostly vegetarian diet, you don’t have to count calories. Just avoid bingeing. I eat small quantities about 5 times a day and I don’t add sugar and an only very little salt (sea salt). One more thing, don’t drink calories except for your protein shakes, don’t drink anything with calories.

A sedentary person would require much less caloric intake compared to a marathon runner for example. Regardless of lifestyle, the human body needs calories from the major food groups to function at optimum levels and to be healthy. Very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) can restrict essential nutrients and place a person at risk for adverse effects and health issues.

Energy needs for a body at rest (Basal Metabolic Rate) remain fairly consistent and responsible for seventy percent of calories burned each day. To calculate your basal metabolic rate, multiply ten calories for each pound of body weight for a woman and eleven calories for a man.

A 130lb woman would burn 1300 calories at rest per day. More energy is required for digestion and absorption (thermogenesis) ranging from one to eight hundred additional calories per day. Physical activity calories also offer the largest variable per person demanding even more caloric intake. Don’t over-estimate your activity. One hour of heart-pumping exercise will only burn about 300 calories, even if you’re experienced at a strenuous workout.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a woman should consume no less than 1200 calories per day and a man no less than 1800 calories. Also indicated extreme caloric restrictions signal the body to conserve calories and significantly reduce our metabolic rate. Very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) allow for consumption of only 500-800 calories per day and place the body into self-starvation.

Very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) require a person to be under the care of a physician due to possible health risks.

Some adverse effects may include fatigue, dizziness, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, and increased overall cholesterol. Research has indicated more serious health effects may include gallstone development.

Very-low-calorie diets(VLCDs) promise rapid weight loss but not a lifestyle of keeping it off. Studies show weight loss with VLCDs is commonly regained once the program is completed. Participants are not learning how to eat healthily or exercise consistently.

The safest way to lose weight is by implementing healthy methods. Nutrition and fitness education is important. Learn how to buy and prepare healthy foods and include a regular exercise program. It will be proper nutrition and exercise knowledge allowing lifelong sustainable weight loss.

Instead of overspending on packaged shakes for a temporary fix, a better investment plan would be to locate a qualified personal trainer and/or certified nutritionist. They will be able to offer substantially more quality education for a lifetime of good health,

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search “howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight”.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

There's No Magic Pill For Weight

Everyone looks for the easy way to do everything. We look for the App to change the stations on the TV, we look for the App to open the garage door, the App to do our Taxes, but for losing weight there’s no easy way. Did You ever do a search: “lose weight” and see all the different websites that have the answer for quick or fast weight loss. Just buy this or eat this or take these pills and the weight will melt away. It won’t happen and if you lose weight it usually comes right back.

I lost weight by changing my diet and I never went back. And if I’m on vacation or go to a family gathering and I do slip up and eat something that’s fattening, if I go right back to my meal plan the next day, any extra fat you added will disappear fast. When I changed my diet and started to eat fresh, mostly vegetables and some fruit, eating more nuts and not eating that food I use to eat, the food that put the weight on in the first place, I got my system back to normal. I didn’t realize what was happening but after my body returned to normal, I feel better, I felt more alive and I had more energy. I’m not a vegetarian, I do eat meat, but I stick to white meat chicken or tuna or wild salmon.

My trick to losing weight is to eat as little animal fat as possible. White meat chicken has some yellow fat on the outside of the meat and it’s easy to remove, so you are eating meat that’s 95% fat-free. Fat on a fish is almost the same, the fat lays outside the meat under the skin. The advantage to eating fish is you get the nutrients from the Omega-3 fatty oil in the fish and salmon and tuna are rich in Omega-3. Other seafood has fish oil and minerals but for my money, I’ll buy wild salmon and tuna. I think you get more nutrients for your money. Red meat and even pork have animal fat marbled through the meat. Some red meat is leaner than others but all animal meat contains animal fat. It’s a good source of protein but you can’t avoid the animal fat and that’s the part your system doesn’t process very well and will turn most of it into Body fat and store it.

Yes, humans have always eaten animal meat, but throughout history, man has never had a very long lifespan. On average, we probably live longer today than humans have ever lived before, but having said that, science has no idea how long humans could live if we could eliminate disease and illness.

Now we know that science can’t remove all diseases and illnesses in the next century, but we can change our diet and become healthier and whether science knows that or not eating healthy is the answer to longevity. That and exercise for your body and your mind will definitely keep you fit and active for many years to come.

It would be nice to avoid all those health problems our grandparents had. And by eating healthy I know I’m going to live a better, longer life.

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search “howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight”.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

28 Days To Shrink Your Stomach

Have you strayed from your weight loss goals this year but still want to get in shape? Give the 28-Day Shrink Your Stomach Challenge a try! This weight loss program is designed to decrease your bloat, burn fat, and shrink your stomach in just one month. Plus, the diet is flexible — you can start it whenever you want to! Print out the chart to put on your refrigerator so you can start weight loss the right way, with healthy balanced meals and an exercise routine. If the Plank Challenge is too difficult for you, there are other exercise routines you can do. Just go to the “doctoroz.com” website and look for this “Shrink Your Stomach” plan.

The facts are that you have to shrink your stomach if you want to lose weight. To lose weight you cut the calories by eating better, fresh food that has fewer calories and increases your activity to burn more than you eat. If you do both those things every day you will lose fat and the extra fat will disappear.

What some people starting weight loss for the first time, don’t understand is that just eating less of the same foods you’re eating now isn’t going to take the fat off. If you eat high-quality foods you can eat the same amount and consume fewer calories, that’s the secret to good health. You can’t lose weight or fat by starving yourself. That only works for temporary weight loss. In a month the weight will come back.

If you’re overeating or bingeing, this is normally caused by too much stress, and the stress isn’t going to disappear because you want to lose weight. So you can force yourself to cut back on food and you can lose a few pounds for a few weeks but the stress is probably still there and you will start bingeing again.

I had a similar problem, but shrinking my stomach and changing jobs did the trick for me and I started to lose the extra fat. Today my meal portions are half the size and I feel full. I found the “5 small meals a day plan”. Each meal is about 250 or 300 calories and I was eating every three hours. Get ideas for small meals on the internet. I googled 300 The food cravings disappeared and I stopped being hungry. The 5 meals a day plan works well with the “28 days to shrink your stomach” plan.

This is a sure-fire way to start losing. Stick with this for 28 days and I know you’ll be happy with the results. I stayed on the 5 small meals a day plan and never looked back. It is a great way to control your blood sugar.

I write about losing weight, how to lose weight, what foods to eat when you’re trying to lose weight, and exercise that will help you lose weight.Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search “howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight”.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

Why A Dramatic Cut In Calories Will Harm Your Body

In our fast-paced society, the Very-Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD) is quickly becoming the chosen fad or method of weight loss. It even comes with a guarantee of shedding those unwanted pounds yesterday.

Extreme measures of weight loss may be warranted and prescribed during a medical crisis. This would be understandable. However, applying drastic weight loss methods for the everyday person may not be safe or healthy.

Many very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) are now being covered by insurance plans. This has made it even more appealing for people to sign on the dotted line. Not usually understood is only part of the VLCD program may be covered by insurance. The diet shakes are the largest part of the VLCD and a costly pay-out-of-pocket product.

Be cautious about any diet making unrealistic weight loss claims. Extreme weight loss programs may severely restrict food intake and recommend drinking shakes in lieu of eating. Studies on very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) do show rapid weight loss but not without adverse health risks. According to other research, once the VLCD plan is completed, the weight is gained back plus more. These starvation-type diets are very risky and should only be tried with a doctor’s supervision. You have to take supplements and your doctor will know what you need.

The human body requires nutrients from lean proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Proper portions of these macronutrients are essential for good health. Individual calorie requirements will differ per person based on overall lifestyle and activity levels. This is where your doctor comes in. He’ll know how much to cut your calories.

Personally, I think these diets should be avoided. I always recommend going vegetarian for a couple of weeks. During that time buy some protein powder at the grocery store to supplement your required amount. Get plant protein while going vegetarian and in the 3rd week or 4th week eat some seafood and chicken breasts. After one week of eating some meat or seafood (about 4 oz. a day), go back to the vegetarian diet for a couple more weeks. While on the vegetarian diet, be careful of dairy. Dairy is high in animal fat and can add body fat. I stick to “plain Greek yogurt”, that’s my only dairy. You can add fresh fruit like berries. On a mostly vegetarian diet, you don’t have to count calories. Just avoid bingeing. I eat small quantities about 5 times a day and I don’t add sugar and an only very little salt (sea salt). One more thing, don’t drink calories except for your protein shakes, don’t drink anything with calories.

A sedentary person would require much less caloric intake compared to a marathon runner for example. Regardless of lifestyle, the human body needs calories from the major food groups to function at optimum levels and to be healthy. Very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) can restrict essential nutrients and place a person at risk for adverse effects and health issues.

Energy needs for a body at rest (Basal Metabolic Rate) remain fairly consistent and responsible for seventy percent of calories burned each day. To calculate your basal metabolic rate, multiply ten calories for each pound of body weight for a woman and eleven calories for a man.

A 130lb woman would burn 1300 calories at rest per day. More energy is required for digestion and absorption (thermogenesis) ranging from one to eight hundred additional calories per day. Physical activity calories also offer the largest variable per person demanding even more caloric intake. Don’t over-estimate your activity. One hour of heart-pumping exercise will only burn about 300 calories, even if you’re experienced at a strenuous workout.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a woman should consume no less than 1200 calories per day and a man no less than 1800 calories. Also indicated extreme caloric restrictions signal the body to conserve calories and significantly reduce our metabolic rate. Very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) allow for consumption of only 500-800 calories per day and place the body into self-starvation.

Very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) require a person to be under the care of a physician due to possible health risks.

Some adverse effects may include fatigue, dizziness, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, and increased overall cholesterol. Research has indicated more serious health effects may include gallstone development.

Very-low-calorie diets(VLCDs) promise rapid weight loss but not a lifestyle of keeping it off. Studies show weight loss with VLCDs is commonly regained once the program is completed. Participants are not learning how to eat healthily or exercise consistently.

The safest way to lose weight is by implementing healthy methods. Nutrition and fitness education are important. Learn how to buy and prepare healthy foods and include a regular exercise program. It will be proper nutrition and exercise knowledge allowing lifelong sustainable weight loss.

Instead of overspending on packaged shakes for a temporary fix, a better investment plan would be to locate a qualified personal trainer and/or certified nutritionist. They will be able to offer substantially more quality education for a lifetime of good health.

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search “howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight”.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

What's The Best Time Of The Day To Exercise?

Is there a best time of day to exercise? Two of the top reasons people give for not exercising regularly include lack of results and lack of time. So, for many people, the best time to exercise is the time that is most convenient and the time that fits into a busy schedule.

Research on exercise and time of day is growing, but still limited and not without controversy. In general, if you can find a time for exercise that you can stick with consistently, you will be much more likely to train regularly and get better results. But if you are exercising to help you lose weight, what works for me, is to exercise in the morning before I eat. The science behind that is that it takes 10 to 12 hours after you stop eating for your body to use up the food that you ate the day before. 

Circadian Rhythms and Exercise

The human sleep and wake cycle follows a daily routine called circadian rhythms. It’s this cycle that regulates our body temperature, blood pressure, alertness, and metabolism, among other physiological functions. In general, these rhythms conform to our 24-hour day and may be reset based on environmental cues. The time of day that we typically exercise is one of these cues. Research by the University of North Texas in Denton found that although circadian rhythms are inborn we can reset them based upon our behaviors. For example, using an alarm clock, establishing meal times, and even when we work out are all cues to help rest our rhythms. They found that people who consistently exercise in the morning “teach” their body to be most ready for exercise at that time of day. When they switched to evening exercise, they didn’t feel as strong.

Also See: Does Jet Lag Decrease Athletic Performance?

The ability to adjust your rhythms is important for athletes training for a specific event. The message is to train at the same time of day that the event will occur. Research supports this advice. Studies show that your ability to maintain exercise intensity will adapt to your training time. Therefore, if you do your marathon training in the morning, you may perform better on race day (marathons typically start in the morning).

But if you train in the evening, a morning race day may leave you feeling weaker and slower.

Individual Differences and Exercise Timing

Some people are just naturally morning people. They have no trouble exercising first thing in the morning. Others don’t get moving so quickly and are more likely to feel like exercising later in the day. If you have such an obvious preference it’s pretty easy to decide what sort of exercise schedule you might stick with. The interesting thing is that research shows that no matter when you think you are better able to exercise, almost all of us are, in fact, physically stronger and have more endurance in the late afternoon.

Scheduling Exercise

Not everyone can choose to exercise when they feel like it. Work and family commitments often take priority and we end up squeezing in some exercise. If you find that the only time you have to exercise is when you least feel like it, don’t despair. As we learned earlier, you can change your rhythms and your body can adapt to a new exercise time.

However, it may take about a month to reset your internal exercise clock. (get tips on adjusting your circadian rhythms during air travel).

Research and the Best Time to Exercise

While there is specific research being conducted on this topic, unfortunately, the answer to the question, “What is the best time for exercise?” varies based on the specific question you ask, your training goals, and your exercise adherence. Here are some of the latest specific research findings:

Late Afternoon is Best for Exercising
Research shows that the optimal time to exercise is when our body temperature is at its highest, which, for most people is 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (body temperature is at its lowest just before waking).
Strength is Greater in the Afternoon
Dr. Hill reported that strength output is 5% higher at around mid-day; anaerobic performance, such as sprinting, improves by 5% in the late afternoon. Endurance is Greater in the Afternoon
Aerobic capacity (endurance) is approximately 4percent higher in the afternoon.
Injuries Are Less Likely in the Afternoon
Afternoon exercise is the best if you want to avoid injuries for many reasons. We are most alert; our body temperature is the highest so our muscles are warm and flexible; our muscle strength is at its greatest. These three factors make it less likely that we will get injured.
Morning Exercisers Are More Consistent
Even though afternoon exercise might be optimal from a physiological standpoint, research also shows that morning exercisers are more likely to stick to it than late-day athletes.
Evening Exercise and Sleep
Most research supports the idea that exercise can improve sleep quality. But does exercising too late in the evening keep you up? Studies have shown improvements in sleep from both morning and afternoon exercise, so it’s not yet clear if evening exercise keeps you up. One study even showed that vigorous exercise half an hour before bedtime did not affect sleep.
One thing that is agreed upon is that sleep deprivation can hinder sports performance.

The Bottom Line
The good news is that you get to decide the best time for you to exercise based upon your personal goals, schedule, and lifestyle. Ideally, you will pick a time that you are able to stick with consistently and make part of your daily or weekly schedule. If you are training for a competition, it’s wise to modify your training to accommodate the event start time, and it’s always wise to warm up before any workout.

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search “howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight”.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.

Why Are You Gaining Weight?

I believe you have to understand why you have a weight problem if you're going to fix it. In the U.S. we’ve been very fortunate. The U.S. has prospered like nowhere else on Earth. Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes things just progress too fast. When the economy grows too fast this puts a lot of stress on those people who have trouble keeping up with others.

I guess I’m one of those who never had to struggle. Some people complain today about how they don’t have the things they want, but if you go back to the big depression when there were no jobs and there was little or no welfare programs and people were living on $20 a week in cold-water flats, well for most of us our lives are better today.

So when I say that overall the American people have done pretty well, I guess what I mean is that there’s not a lot of people skipping meals anymore. On a whole, our standard of living is much better. But today’s lifestyle is much more stressful than 40 years ago, before computers, cell phones, and the internet. The pressure to keep our jobs, make enough money to survive in today’s fast-paced economy, adds a lot of stress to working people.

The population is overworked, stressed out, and looking to somehow make their lives a little easier. So we try to spoil ourselves whenever possible. If you think about it a minute, this is the reason for more than one of our problems today. Somehow people need to return to eating the way we did in the ’50s. The way they still eat in other parts of the world where cancer and other health problems are not so commonplace.

Supermarkets are a great convenience but we’re eating fresh food that ripens in trucks during shipping. Fruits and vegetables should stay on the vine or on the tree until ripe. But growers can’t get it to the market fast enough, so it’s picked weeks early and ripens in transit. Picking early causes a loss of nutrition. Your paying for something you're not getting.

Shopping for food grown locally is the only way to get real fresh food. In outdoor markets, the grower is selling you the products he grows. Now I know that limits you, all you are able to buy is what's grown in your area, but that’s the way it use to be. Even frozen vegetables are grown by the large growers that only produce for the mass markets. And yes they do freeze the fruit or vegetable at the time they're picked so they're as ripe as possible, but those large growers use chemicals to grow their products, and there lies the problem.  Organic is better if you buy supermarket food but is it ripe? Did it stay on the plant or tree long enough to get the nutrition you paying for? Who knows. I prefer to get the product from the farmer, if the farmer says it’s organic it probably is. One big step forward for the consumer is that you can buy organic fruits and vegetables frozen. It keeps the price down by eliminating spoilage. 

Part of eating small portions or eating less to lose weight is getting the most nutrition you can out of what you eat. I believe that if you get enough nutrition from your food you won’t have cravings between meals. Because of today’s lifestyle, the food we buy, and the way we eat; we are causing our own health problems.

Gym memberships and exercise equipment, diet pills, or low-cal foods won’t make you healthy. Good health starts with eating healthy food with lots of nutrition and over time your body will burn off your body fat and being more active and sitting less will strengthen your bones and muscles. Your body will take care of itself if it gets the nutrition it needs.

Look for my podcasts on anchor.fm, or the podcast app on your cell phone. Search “howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight”.

If you really want to lose your body fat then look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.