Weight loss and a healthy lifestyle truly are products of our own choices.  We are in control of our habits and our bodies. It is up to you and only you to decide that it is time for you to start losing weight and getting healthy.  Check out this cool graphic to motivate you to start a healthy weight loss program today.  Source: Weightloss.org.

Have you ever had an experience where you suddenly gained some perspective and reached a better understanding of yourself, your life and your priorities?  Well, that’s just what happened to me this weekend. My friend, Susan threw a dessert potluck party at her home, and asked ten of her friends to each bring our favorite after-dinner dish to share.   When I received the invitation, I was excited but also panic stricken.   I truly didn’t know what to do.  I was so focused on my weight loss goals that I thought maybe I should skip the party and stay home.

Since we were kids, we’ve been told, “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”  An interesting new study found that visualization techniques could help you change your diet so you can lose more weight.  In fact, the study conducted by McGill University in Montreal, found that participants who used visualization techniques were twice as effective at changing their eating habits as participants who did not use visualization.   Let’s take a look at exactly how they found these results.

Saturday, July 30th, is the second annual National Dance Day so take advantage of this opportunity to add dance to your healthy weight loss program.  Secretly, we all love to dance.  And it does not matter if you are a great dancer or not.  Either way you can still burn a lot of calories and start dancing your way to your weight loss goal. Special events today will feature dance celebrities, including Carrie Ann Inaba of “Dancing with the Stars” and Mary Murphy and Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo of “So You Think You Can Dance.” Here’s how you can take advantage National Dance Day events:

Check out this graphic as a quick reminder of foods you should avoid if you are trying to lose weight.  It is somewhat surprising that red and processed meats were the fourth worst offenders -right after soda pop!  It's important to remember that these are high fat meats, loaded with calories and that's why they can quickly sabotage your weight loss program. Processed meats like salami are particularly high in fat and should not be a part of your healthy diet.  All of the data in this graphic are based on the results of a twenty-year study with over two-hundred thousand participants, that was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Follow the link to see the full-sized graphic.

We’ve always been told that sleep is good for us. But now a recent study found that we eat less if we get a good nights rest and that could help us lose weight.  While the study found that individuals ate more when they had been sleep deprived, the study did not track participants weight loss or weight gain.  Nevertheless, the study participants, fifteen normal weight men and fifteen normal weight women ate more after they were sleep deprived –a lot more.  Just how much more did these men and women eat when they were sleep deprived?

I recently read a tantalizing report about a legitimate university study which concluded that a plant chemical found in tangerines protected the participants of the study from obesity.  There were two groups of participants in the study conducted at the University of Western Ontario.  Both groups ate a Western-style diet, high in fats and simple sugars.  Something akin to the burgers, pizza, fries and soda diet that too many of us Americans are still consuming as we struggle to lose weight.  But one group also consumed a plant chemical found in tangerines.  The difference between the two groups was staggering.

I recently wrote several posts about how various friends might be interfering with my weight loss plan.  Driven by insecurities and competition, some people either intentionally or unintentionally seem to be trying to prevent me from reaching my weight loss goals.  While I have learned to cope with these individuals, I recently read about several studies that looked at how people you don’t even know just might be sabotaging your weight loss program.  The study is remarkably simple and the results are equally surprising yet somehow quite logical.

Weight loss is a challenge.  We all have our ups and downs.  I’ve experienced the joy and excitement of buying a cute new pair of jeans one size smaller and then a month later, felt the anguish and frustration of not fitting into them any longer. Those of us who struggle with weight loss have these kinds of experiences often as we move through our weight loss journey.  But I have found an unexpected and wonderful thing come out of my weight loss trials and tribulations.

OK, I’ve got to admit: I cheated on my diet plan yesterday. Not just a little- a big time cheat. I fell for the “just this one day” trap that sabotages so many of us who are trying to lose weight.  Worst of all, I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I thought I would.  I felt lethargic, bloated and uncomfortable.  Fortunately I’m just not used to eating so much anymore.  But, yesterday, I ate, and I ate, and I ate some more.  Chips?  Not officially on my healthy diet plan, but I ate them.  Portion control? Forget about it.  There was just so much food.  Fajitas, enchiladas, tortilla soup, you name it.  I had to try it all.  And as if that didn’t knock my weight loss plan off track enough, I decided that I would just “try” some of the desserts as well.  It was a diet disaster.  If you had a similar experience on 4^th, you’re not alone.