Want to Earn More Money? Lose Weight!

It's long been held that being thin equates to being more beautiful, more popular, more desirable, etc. But did you know that it may also mean a larger paycheck?

It's true. Recently, Timothy A. Judge of the University of Florida conducted two separate studies, one on 11,253 Germans and the other on 12,686 Americans. He concluded that thin women, i.e. those weighing a full 25 pounds less than the average for their height, earned a whopping $15,572 more than their normal-weight counterparts.

And it goes further than that.  A woman who gained 25 pounds above the average weight earned an average $13,847 less than an average-weight female. That means that if you weigh approximately 50 pounds more than the woman in the next cubicle, chances are she can afford designer duds a tad better than you can.

You may have also seen on the news recently a story about another study that found that being overweight is more costly than being thin, most notably in women. Economists at George Washington University, who conducted the study, found that costs for things such as medical expenses, coupled with lost wages and reduced work productivity cost a man $2,646 annually and a woman $4,879 annually.

While I find studies for the most part to be about as reliable as ten cent batteries, I have to admit that in my working lifetime of about 37 years, the women at the top of the heap, both power-wise and salary-wise, were always on the thinish side. Maybe not a full 25 pounds below the norm (that seems really thin to me), but thin enough to be shapely and wear fitted suits and other trendy garments.

The thing is, they were all women who were hard workers and cared deeply about their looks. And frankly, if these women are the ones at the top of the corporate ladder, then they deserve to be there. Whether an employer realizes it or not, a person's outward appearance speaks volumes on who they are and how much self-esteem they have. That's not to say that they didn't make the climb to the top a little faster, or even easier due to their curves, but you can't hold that against them, can you?

What it boils down to is that if you are overweight, chances are you are not happy with yourself. And if you're not happy with yourself, why would someone want to hire you and pay you top dollar to do your job?

If you are above-average weight and perfectly happy with yourself, more power to you. But if you are of above-average weight and are suffering from low self-esteem, and even worse, out of work and job hunting, why not seriously consider losing weight? It will not only go a long way to make you look and feel better, it just may fatten your wallet too.

More Obesity? Give Me a Break!!!

I just read an article on CNN about the ongoing increase in obesity in this country. We are already at epidemic proportions, yet they say the worst is yet to come. Researchers at Harvard University claim that if the current trends continue, the obesity rate in the U.S. won't level off until it reaches at least 42 percent, circa 2050. Already, approximately six out of ten Americans are considered overweight.

You are considered "obese" when your weight is 20% or more above what is considered normal, or average weight for your height and build. So, for example, a women who is five foot five and average build should weigh approximately 130 pounds. If she weighs 156 or more, she is obese.

In the USA, the consumption of calories increased from 1,542 per day for women in 1971 to 1,877 per day in 2004. The figures for men were 2,450 in 1971 and 2,618 in 2004. Most people would expect this increase in calories to consist of fat - not so! Most of the increased food consumption has consisted of carbohydrates (sugars). Increased consumption of sweetened drinks has contributed significantly to the raised carbohydrate intake of most young American adults over the last three decades. The consumption of fast-foods has tripled over the same period.

It's no wonder we are fat.

It seems to me that we currently have two schools of thought on the subject and they are polar opposites.

The majority of us are struggling with weight issues and will continue to do so. Many will ultimately wind up in the obese category. It is just the path they choose to take.

On the other hand, there is a movement of people who say, "Enough is enough already! We do not have to be an obese nation and I for one will not be obese."

Can you guess which group I'm in?

Yes, the minority group. I think it's high time that us in the minority reach out to those who are losing the weight battle and let them know that they too can join our ranks. It takes effort. It takes time. It takes decication. But it can be done.

It will not be accomplished by putting money into the coffers of fast-food companies, convenience food companies or even the local donut shop. I like a double cheeseburger and fries as much as the next guy (or girl), but I know it is not the way to maintain a healthy weight.

The same goes for soft drinks, sweets, processed foods and packaged snacks. They must be vitually eliminated from the diet in order to avoid the sticky claws of obesity that will reach for you for the rest of your life. You simply cannot keep putting junk into your body and not expect it to stay there in the form of fat deposits.

Until people make a conscious decision to change their eating habits, obesity will continue to snowball, not only in the United States, but worldwide. When 2050 rolls around, it is not going to be pretty.

The next time you have the opportunity to speak to someone who is overweight, offer them your help. Tell them you understand how hard it is but assure them that they too can be a healthy weight. Encourage them to ditch the junk food and embrace a healthy lifestyle.

If we all pitch in and work together, 2050 might not look so bad after all.

The Skinny on Fad Diets

Hello Everyone!


Most of us have been, or are currently on some kind of fat loss diet. I get lots of questions from people on what is the best way to lose weight and cut fat.
Are you searching for a new diet to help you shed the pounds and incinerate the fat? Confused about which diet to try? I’ll help you sort through the popular fat loss diets and choose the one that’s right for you.


If there’s one thing that’s a constant in the world, it’s that diet fads will come and go. Back in the 30’s and 40’s the diet trend was smoking (seriously, smoking was thought to help you lose weight because you’d be puffing instead of eating!).


The 50’s fad was prayer. Ask God to be slim and maybe it would happen! The 60’s pushed support groups and oh, The Cabbage Soup Diet. Diet pills were all the rage in the 70’s; the Scarsdale Diet dominated the 80’s and was dethroned in the 90’s by Dr. Atkins, which still proves to be popular today.


So here we are in the second decade of the twenty-first century. At last count there were over 300 diets being used today, everything from the Glycemic Impact Diet to the Bistro MD Diet. Do any of these diets actually work? Possibly. But most are merely gimmicks to fatten someone’s wallet and they will do little to help those of us with a serious desire to shed the pounds and cut the fat once and for all.


Read the rest of the article here:
The Skinny on Fad Diets

The article is too long to post on the Blog, so please be sure to click on the link to read it. You must may find a way to shed those pounds!

Take care,
Sue

I Want it and I Want it NOW!!

Seems like everyone is impatient to see results. If things don't happen fast enough, they give up or give in. I hear this from so many people. "I tried to get in shape but I just couldn't so I gave up," or "I lost a couple pounds but then it just stopped so I thought I'd just go back to eating. At least I'm getting some satisfaction from food." Then there's my fave: "I just don't have time now. I'll try to get in shape next summer. Or next year." Or never?



The trouble is, everyone progresses at a different rate. Some people lose weight just by cutting back on calories a wee bit. Some are able to bulk up with tons of rock hard muscle in a matter of months while others struggle to gain a mere half inch.


But no one, and I mean no one attains everything they want as fast as they want. And you can't compare yourself with the perfect physiques you see on this website because you have no idea what it took for them to look like that!


There are four kinds of people / attitudes when it comes to transforming their bodies:


1. Those who's heart was never really in it and they give up before they even start, spending more time making excuses than anything else;


2. Those who give it a halfway try and wind up a tad better than they were, peter out and will likely be back at square one in a few months;


3. Those who plan their strategy and live it, taking each success in stride and moving forward toward their goal, understanding that it takes time; and


4. Those who are so dedicated (usually due to an upcoming competition or transformation challenge) that they put their entire body and soul into it and acheive results quickly.


BUT--and any of you who have been in category 3 know this--it is rare for a person to stay in peak condition year round. It is just too much work! Even the fittest of the fit have off-seasons when they lose all semblance of the ripped god or goddess in the pictures. They just know they'll have to amp the diet and exercise back up to reveal that stunning bod!


So, my point is, don't expect miracles. Don't expect to work out for six months and look like Ava Cowan. Probably ain't gonna happen.


Instead:

-Give yourself and your body time to adjust to what you are trying to achieve.

-Set realistic goals that are achievable, to do otherwise is to set yourself up for failure.

-Keep a log or journal of your progress and note what seems to be working and what is not.

-When you feel like quitting, get some support from people who want to help you achieve your goals.

-Celebrate each milestone (even the small ones) by rewarding yourself. It doesn't have to be huge, maybe a new pair of lifting gloves or work out shorts or even a little cheat treat like a Mocha Latte from Starbuck's.

-And always remember, Rome was not built in a day. Anybody in a fitness magazine that you admire will tell you it takes a heck of a lot of time and dedication to get to the place they are and nearly as much to stay there.

If it's worth having, it's worth waiting for. And your new body is definitely worth having AND waiting for!!

Go for it and never look back! You'll be so glad you did.



Sue

Obesity and Depression Go Hand in Hand

Over the past couple days I have talked to more than a few women who are depressed because they are overweight and can’t seem to do anything (consistently) about it. Often they feel like failures.


Then I happened on an interesting article explaining that middle-aged women are much more likely to be depressed if theyare obese, and vice versa. Rising excess weight goes along with less physical activity, higher calorie intake — and depression — according to the research.

The reason, said lead author Gregory Simon, M.D., is that depression and obesity likely fuel one another. “When people gain weight, they’re more likely to become depressed, and when they get depressed, they have more trouble losing weight,” said Simon, a psychiatrist and researcher at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle.

For the study, researchers interviewed 4,641 female health-plan enrollees, ages 40 to 65, by phone. The women were asked questions regarding height, weight, exercise levels, dietary habits and body image. They also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire, a measure of depression symptoms.

Women withclinical depression were more than twice as likely to be obese, defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or more; likewise, obese women were more than twice as likely to be depressed.

Not surprisingly, women with BMIs at or above 30 exercised the least, had the poorest body image and ingested 20 percent more calories than those with lower BMIs. The depression-obesity association held even when the researchers factored in marital status, education, tobacco use and antidepressant use.

The association was stronger in this study than in previous, comparable ones — possibly because the sample was predominantly white and middle-class. “There is some evidence that being overweight is less stigmatized for men, for lower-income people and for women in nonwhite ethnic groups,” Simon said.

The stigma of being overweight could hurt self-esteem, and thus, efforts to lose weight, Simon said. “It’s not that these women are clueless,” he said. “It’s that they’re hopeless. The takeaway for obese women is to focus on rebuilding their spirit, which can help with losing pounds,” he said.

My take on this is that we need to give all the support we can to the women (and men) who wish to make a change to not only their physical size but to their life and well being.  No one wants (or needs) to be overweight, much less depressed. Life is too short...we need to enjoy every minute and be able to enjoy the bodies we live in!!

Just Say No to Sugar

I hate to tell you this, especially this time of year when sweets and goodies are EVERYWHERE, but sugar is the devil. Don't get me wrong, I like a fudgy brownie as well as the next person, but day by day am developing a willpower to totally eliminate sugar from my diet.

I have never been a soda drinker, and I can easily pass on cake and cookies. But I have a weakness for red licorice and black jelly beans. I mean I can put away a whole bag in one sitting! Not good.

When I started eating much cleaner and reading food labels several years ago, I was surprised to find that nearly everything has some sugar in it. Cereal. Bread. Canned foods such as vegetables and beans.Yogurt. Chips. Crackers. You name it. You can find small amounts of sugar in almost every processed food.

Why? The folks who produce the food think it enhances the taste. Wrong! All it does is compromise the integrity of the food and feed our addictions. Sugar, you see, is very addictive. Our tastebuds love it, our brains love it, our stomachs even love it as it piles inches onto our midsections.

In 1957, Dr. William Coda Martin tried to answer the question: When is a food a food and when is it a poison? His working definition of "poison" was: "Medically: Any substance applied to the body, ingested or developed within the body, which causes or may cause disease. Physically: Any substance which inhibits the activity of a catalyst which is a minor substance, chemical or enzyme that activates a reaction." The dictionary gives an even broader definition for "poison": "to exert a harmful influence on, or to pervert".

Dr. Martin classified refined sugar as a poison because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals. "What is left consists of pure, refined carbohydrates. The body cannot utilize this refined starch and carbohydrate unless the depleted proteins, vitamins and minerals are present," his writing revealed.

Excess sugar eventually affects every organ in the body. It is first stored in the liver in the form of glucose (glycogen). Since the liver's capacity is limited, a daily intake of refined sugar (above the required amount of natural sugar) soon makes the liver expand like a balloon. When the liver is filled to its maximum capacity, the excess glycogen is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids. These are taken to every part of the body and stored in the most inactive areas: the belly, the buttocks, the breasts and the thighs.

We already know that sugar causes tooth decay and can trigger diabetes and hypoglycemia. But did you know it can affect brain function, cause mental deficiencies and contribute to gallbladder disease?

Make a conscious decision to eliminate sugar from your life and your life will improve drastically. Trust me. Try it for just two weeks and you will have more energy, sleep better at night and most likely drop some weight. And don't hate me for wanting you to be H-E-A-L-T-H-I-E-R...

If you can't give it up entirely, don't beat yourself up. Just become cognizant of the sugar content in the foods you eat (READ LABELS!) and limit the amount you allow yourself each day. You will be so glad you did!