Successful weight loss requires a lot of hard work just to burn more calories than you consume, even though the basics of weight loss seem pretty simple. It is rarely the big things like eating healthy and exercising that doom our weight loss efforts, but rather the little things that we think don’t matter. By taking a step by step approach to weight loss your weight loss efforts will be more successful.

{Getting enough sleep is one of the best weight loss tips you’ll ever receive!}

To help you, we have come up with some of the best weight loss tips to help you reach your weight loss goals with out (many) setbacks. Keep reading to find out the 8 best weight loss tips for success!

Set Realistic Goals

The worst thing you can do to your weight loss efforts is set unrealistic goals. When we are unable to achieve unrealistic goals, especially pertaining to weight loss, we often go in the other direction and simply eat whatever we want and exercise “when we feel like it” which is usually never.

This is why one of the best weight loss tips you can get is to set realistic weight loss goals. Whether in terms of how much weight you want to lose or how quickly you want to lose it, your weight loss goals should be something that can actually be accomplished. If you’re not sure whether or not your goals are realistic consider that healthy weight loss should consist of no more than 2 pounds per week, which means creating a 7,000 calorie deficit!

Keep Snack Fruits Handy

For most of us, snacking is an inevitable part of the day. Yet in an effort to lose weight we pretend as though eliminating snacking is essential and realistic for weight loss.

It’s not.

One of the best weight loss tips anyone ever gave me was to keep more snack fruits handy. Your reaction is probably similar to mine what the hell are snack fruits? In fact they are small and convenient fruits that can be eaten without much fuss like grapes, blueberries, bananas, apples, pears and tangerines.

These so-called snack fruits are convenient and easy to eat when you’re in need of a snack.

Get Your Sleep On

Getting a full night’s rest every night is one of the best weight loss tips to help you feel full. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can increase your levels of a hunger hormone while at the same time decreasing your satiety hormones.

When you’re deprived of sleep you don’t pay attention to things like whether or not you’re full, which is again why getting sufficient sleep is one of the best weight loss tips. An unfocused mind is one that will go to that which is convenient like candy, chips and sugary pastries.

Get A Support System

Losing weight is a process, for some it can be quite a long process and going at it alone can make it a difficult one as well. Having a support system whether it’s a workout buddy or a support group like Weight Watchers can help you weather the inevitable setbacks that come with overhauling your lifestyle for weight loss.

While you focus on a healthy diet and regular exercise, don’t forget that a support system is one of the best weight loss tips you can get! Someone that can keep you motivated when you need it and who can remind you when to relax a little if you get too intense.

Reduce Liquid Calories

When we start making plans to lose weight we increase our salad intake and eat more fruit and all the other foods we should be eating. One of the things often left out of a new healthy eating plan is liquid calories, which is why one of the best weight loss tips you can get is to reduce your intake of liquid calories.

These calories don’t satisfy your appetite, they’re most often packed with sugar and devoid of nutritional value. Don’t take my word for it thought, science agrees; a 2009 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that reducing liquid calories is positively associated with weight loss.

{As tasty as they may be, these sodas give you sugar and calories, but no satisfaction!}

Replace all but 1 serving of pop or juice with water everyday to give your weight loss efforts a boost!

Find A Fun Exercise Class or Physical Hobby

It’s no secret that exercise and an active lifestyle are essential for successful weight loss, but you don’t need a life filled with dumbbells and free weights and treadmills. Sure those should be a part of your physical activity, but not all of it. Finding a fun way to be physically active is one of the best weight loss tips you’ll ever receive because it reminds you that losing weight doesn’t have to be boring.

Sign up for a dance class, kickboxing, Krav Maga, step aerobics or eve a spin class. Try different classes and activities until you find something that you find fun while you sweat!

Use Smaller Dinnerware

In every weight loss article you read one of the best weight loss tips you get is to ‘reduce portion size’ but no one ever says exactly how you’re to do that. If it were as simple as putting less food on the plate and no going back for seconds, you’d already have done it, right?

Instead one of the best weight loss tips you should know is that using smaller dinnerware, plates in particular, you can easily reduce your portion size without feeling as though you’re starving. Smaller plates will make your plate appear to be full which can make your mind perceive the food as more than you need. Eventually you will get used to these smaller portions and you’ll begin to see the pounds melt away.

Reward Yourself

As I said before losing weight can be a timely process, which is why it is so important that you reward yourself when certain benchmarks are met. Of course losing weight is a reward on its own, but it is important to acknowledge that your hard work is paying off and reward yourself accordingly…but not with food.

Buy yourself a new pair of pants or download some new workout music. One of the keys to losing weight is to avoid rewarding yourself with food and drink, but instead focus on other ways to congratulate yourself on reaching your weight loss benchmarks.

These are just a few of the best weight loss tips to help you reach your weight loss goals. But another tip you may want to consider is intermittent fasting, so read our Eat Stop Eat review to see how it can help you achieve your goals.

Adding more fruit to your diet doesn’t have to be a tasteless crunch fest. Eating healthy for weight loss doesn’t mean eating food that doesn’t taste good, especially when there are so many tasty options for fruit.

If apples and pears are too grainy or blackberries and strawberries have too much seeds, then consider the pomegranate. This famous fruit is mentioned in many ancient texts, testifying to its beauty, taste and health benefits.

Keep reading to find out more about pomegranate nutrition facts.

Major Nutrients Found In Pomegranate

When you’re looking for the right balance of nutrients for weight loss, look no further than pomegranate nutrition facts. This fruit is very low in fat and saturated fat as well as sodium and cholesterol. You’ll also get plenty of fiber, carbohydrates and protein.

Pomegranates have often been touted for their antioxidant properties, which can help keep your body healthy against free radicals. But above all else, pomegranates make the perfect snack between meals—simply grab a hand full arils and you’ll enjoy all the benefits of the calories in a pomegranate.

Selecting/Storing

Although the outer portions of the pomegranate are not edible, the condition of the skin can give you a good idea of what’s on the inside. Avoid skin with black spots or dents and make sure the skin is bright red, not yellow or range. This will let you know if a pomegranate is ripe or not. A ripe pomegranate will feel heavy for its size.

Store pomegranates at room temperature in a fruit bowl prior to opening, or if you prefer they can keep in the fridge for as long as 2 months. The arils, or seeds, can be frozen for up to 1 year or kept in the fridge in an airtight bag or container for months.

Eat It With:

Pomegranates can be eaten on their own or enjoyed as a refreshing juice. The juice from a pomegranate can be used for a wide variety of dishes including barbecue sauce, smoothies, cocktails and even salad dressings.

{Pomegranates highlight any Middle Eastern meal.}

Add butter and powdered sugar to pomegranate for a delicious pomegranate glaze. For your weight loss purposes however, you should simply enjoy a serving of arils for a satisfying treat.

Burn Off Calories In A Pomegranate

To burn off the calories in a pomegranate, you would have to do:

• 17 minutes of cross country running.
• 47 minutes of bowling.
• 46 minutes of snowmobiling.

Finding a healthy weight loss plan and sticking to it can be tricky, especially if you choose a plan that requires you to do impossible things. Choosing a healthy weight loss plan requires you to be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses so that you can achieve weight loss success!

{What’s on the plate matters ore than the inches around your waist!}

When looking for or creating a healthy weight loss plan there are certain things each one should contain. Find a weight loss plan that has these 7 tips and you’ll be on your way to reaching your weight loss goals in no time!

A Schedule

One of the most important aspects of a healthy weight loss plan is adapting a schedule and sticking to it. The right schedule will make it easier for you to stick to your weight loss plan and succeed.

It doesn’t matter if you healthy weight loss plan involves eating 3 times a day or 6; the point is to stick with it so that your body gets accustomed to a specific eating schedule. This doesn’t mean you need to be rigid in your adherence to a schedule, but that more often than not you should eat according to a predetermined schedule. This will make it easier to keep your hunger satisfied, which allows you to make healthier food choices.

A healthy weight loss plan also means creating a workout schedule so that you don’t give yourself a reason to skip a workout. Whether you choose to intense workouts every other day or milder workouts every other day, choose a schedule and stick to it for weight loss success!

Lean Proteins

Lean proteins are an essential part of a healthy diet, which means they should also be included in any healthy weight loss plan you create. In addition to having a much lower fat count, lean proteins provide many health benefits such as stabilizing blood sugar so you don’t experience dramatic shifts in sugar levels.

A healthy weight loss plan should include lean proteins because they are effective at helping you reduce the calories you eat each day. According to a February 2007 study conduced at Purdue University lean protein as part of a healthy weight loss plan can improve satiety so you recognize when your hunger is satisfied and consume fewer calories.

The good news is that there are many ways to get lean protein in your diet without becoming bored of your food choices. Boneless skinless chicken or turkey breast and well as canned tuna in water, and various types of fish are healthy lean proteins you can add to your healthy weight loss plan. Vegetarian dieters can enjoy black or kidney beans, garbanzo beans and peanut butter. Skim milk and nonfat dairy products are also good sources of lean protein.

{Lean proteins are a great addition to any healthy weight loss plan.}

Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables should always be part of any healthy weight loss plan. If you’re not someone who eats a lot of fruits and vegetables then it isn’t just weight loss you’re missing out on. Fruits and vegetables provide a wealth of health benefits that give your body essential vitamins and minerals that foster good health.

Fruits and vegetables are low in calories but high in fiber so your hunger is satisfied and you get tons of nutrients without all of those pesky calories. The rule for a healthy weight loss plan when it comes to fruits and vegetables is keep it colorful. The brighter the better for nutrients, good health and successful weight loss.

Fiber

A high fiber diet may remind you of your dear old grandma but grandma has it right. A high fiber diet will help you burn a few additional calories during digestion but it will also satisfy your hunger so that you eat fewer calories. A healthy weight loss plan should include a diet that’s high in fiber because fiber is a fat burner. Although you won’t burn hundreds of additional calories simply by digesting high fiber foods, you will burn extra as well as eat fewer calories which is the exact recipe for successful weight loss.

Fiber take a long time to digest which means that while burning additional calories it also satisfies your hunger for a longer period of time so you eat less in between meals.

Exercise

You shouldn’t be surprised to find that a healthy weight loss plan includes regular physical activity. Whether you spend 45 minutes grinding it out on a treadmill or an hour playing basketball with your friends, exercise is an essential part of a successful weight loss plan. The more active you are each day the more calories you burn and the closer you get to reaching your weight loss goals.

{Swimming is a great calorie burner and muscle builder!}

Whether you choose running, swimming or yoga, a healthy weight loss plan must include regular physical activity to help burn as many calories as you can.

Water

I know, it seems as though every weight loss article you read says “drink more water”. There’s a good reason for this; because it’s smart weight loss procedure. Water helps you lose weight in a variety of ways. A glass of water before each meal can fill up your stomach so that you consume fewer calories. Water can also flush out toxins from your system to keep you healthy, which can make lose weight much easier.

Chances are good that you’re not getting enough water so rather than trying to consume a specific number of ounces each day, just make an effort to drink more water. Replace a few of your high calorie drinks like soda and artificially flavored drinks with zero calorie water. You’ll feel better and lose more weight.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are, simply put, more filling than refined grains and should part of any healthy weight loss plan. Whole grains allow you to stay away from those low-carb diets that drain of you energy and still enjoy bread and pasta. So you’re probably wondering why whole grains. Well for starters whole grains are a great source of fiber, which also happens to be a crucial part of a healthy weight loss plan.

Replace refined grains with whole grains whenever possible to fill you up in fewer calories. Choose brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat pasta instead of white pasta and so on.

A healthy weight loss plan will take some time to become a regular part of your life but stick with it and you’ll see the results you’ve been working so hard to achieve. If you’re finding it difficult adopt a healthy diet as part of your weight loss plan, our review of Eat Stop Eat may provide you with pointers to help you reduce your calorie intake for weight loss success!

Goat’s milk is a great alternative for those with a sensitivity to cow’s milk and the way it is homogenized. Popular in most of the world, goat’s milk has a sweet taste that makes it ideal for baking.

In addition to being sweet and delicious, goat’s milk nutrition facts are full of vitamins and minerals that foster good health. Curious to learn more about how many calories are in goat’s milk and what you can get from it? Keep reading to find out!

Major Nutrients Found In Goat’s Milk

In addition to what you see in the nutrition chart above, goat’s milk provides plenty of vitamins and minerals in one little cup. For starters you get plenty of vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B6 and B12, not to mention potassium, calcium and protein. In just one cup of milk you’re well on your way to getting healthy and staying that way.

The one thing you’ll have to watch out for with goat’s milk is the amount of saturated fat found in just one cup. With more than 25% of your recommended daily value of saturated fat, if you don’t monitor your fat intake for the remainder of the day you could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

If you’re not a milk drinker, go to a specialty shop or health food store and see if goat’s milk nutrition facts can convince you to give it a try.

Selecting/Storing

When selecting goat’s milk the first thing you should do is take a look at the sell-by date as it is the best indicator of shelf life. Next, smell the top of the container for hints of spoilage. If the container smells bad look for another container with a later sell by date. Choose goat’s milk from the bottom shelf, because that is usually the coldest.

Store goat’s milk in the refrigerator, but on the door, until the expiration date arrives or until it smells bad, whichever happens first. Make sure to properly seal the goat’s milk container so it doesn’t spoil.

Eat It With:

You can drink a tall glass of goat’s milk just as you would cow’s milk for a healthy dose of calcium. You can also use goat’s milk in your coffee, to make pancakes, muffins or cakes or any other baked goods that require milk.

{Sweeten your coffee with goat’s milk instead of milk or cream!}

Stir ¼ cup of goat’s milk in with your oatmeal or add some to your cold cereal in the morning. Use goat’s milk just as you would cow’s milk, but be careful about the amount of saturated fat.

Burn Off Calories In Goat’s Milk

To burn off the calories in 1 cup of goat’s milk, you would have to do:

• 15 minutes moderately rowing on rowing machine.
• 28 minutes of yoga.
• 14 minutes running.

There are about a million reasons to lose weight from buying new clothes to reducing heart disease and high blood pressure. Rather than relying solely on the numbers you see on the scale, there is another number that can be a better indicator of health risks, your body mass index.

{Focus on healthy eating so your daily health regimen doesn’t include all of these!}

Knowing your body mass index can help you determine your weight loss goals as well as reduce your risk for certain weight related illnesses. Keep reading to find out more about how your body mass index affects your health.

What Is Body Mass Index?

When it comes to our decision to lose weight, quite often it is based completely on the numbers on the scale and what those numbers mean to us. Typically we choose an arbitrary number that will make us feel better about ourselves rather than a number that is accurate or based on science.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a far more accurate way to gauge your total body fat. If you’re curious about how much fact you actually have, compared to how much fat you think you have then you should get a proper measure of your body mass index. This will give you a better idea of how much weight you actually need to lose to reach your goals.

Calculating Body Mass Index

Calculate your body mass index to find out where you fall on the scale of obesity. There is a simple formula for calculating your BMI that requires you to have an accurate measure of your height and weight. Of course there are plenty of BMI calculators on the web, but since this is your weight loss it is important that you know how to do it on your own.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the formula for calculating your body mass index is as follows:

Pounds & Inches – [Weight/Height²] x 703=Body Mass Index

Kilograms & Meters – [Weight/Height²] x 68=Body Mass Index

It’s important that you have access to the BMI formula just to make sure all those online BMI calculators are doing it right.

Calculate your body mass index using one of these formulas so you can find out where you are on the scale of obesity.

BMI Range

The range for your body mass index lets you know where you fall on the weight scale. There are four weight statuses on the range; underweight, normal, overweight and obese. Your BMI number will let you know exactly where you fall within this range, so that you can do what you need to get to a healthy body mass index if necessary.

You are considered underweight if your body mass index is 18.5 or below, and while that seems like the kind of problem to have for those of us struggling to control our weight, it can have its own set of health problems. Your body mass index is within the normal range if it falls between 18.5 and 24.9, and with a well balanced diet and regular physical activity you can keep it within normal range.

If you fall into the overweight range that means your body mass index is 25 to 28.9 and you need to work to get it down within normal range. Those with a BMI of 30 and higher are considered obese and also need to work to get to the normal weight status.

{It’s never too late do something to decrease your body mass index!}

At Risk Health

There are many reasons aside from simply looking better that you should work hard to get and keep your body mass index within a normal range. Your chances of succumbing to weight related illnesses are increased as your body mass index is increased.

Heart disease is fairly common among the overweight and obese, as is high blood pressure and diabetes. In fact it is estimated that a body mass index over 30 can increase your risk of death—from anything—by as much as 150%! When not accounting for family history, the greater your BMI, the greater your risk of heart disease, blood pressure and diabetes.

The bad news however is that your health risk isn’t just limited to the 3 big illnesses associated with having an excess of body fat. Your risk of high cholesterol, which doesn’t only affect the overweight or obese, is increased with a higher body mass index as is stroke.

Other risk factors associated with a higher BMI include; respiratory problems, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea as well as certain types of cancer.

Reaching A Healthy BMI

There is good news however, about what you can do to reduce your body mass index and decrease your risk for certain diseases. Follow these tips for a lower body mass index and an overall healthier you:

• Adopt a low-fat diet: Foods lower in fat will help you store less fat in your body and keep your cholesterol low, which over time will cause fat loss.
• Exercise Regularly: Frequent physical activity has been linked to a decrease in heart disease as well as a reduced risk of death from heart disease or stroke, according to a 2006 study in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation.

{Learn to create low fat meals so you can reduce your overall body fat.}

• Reduce Caloric Intake: By eating fewer calories each day you can not only stop weight gain but begin to lose weight as well. When you only give your body the calories it needs to perform basic functions then there are far fewer calories left over to get stored as fat. And the more you reduce your caloric intake, the more fat you’ll burn through regular exercise.
• Become more active: Losing fat isn’t just about exercising; it is about leading a more active life in general. Take up a hobby (or two) that requires you to do more than type updates online or press buttons on a video game controller. Instead of driving to the supermarket, spend a few hours walking around a Farmer’s Market or take a walk in the park.
• Learn to love produce: Developing a healthy relationship with fruits and vegetables will not only help you lower your body mass index, but it will also keep you healthy and keep those health problems at bay. Fruits and vegetables are packed with essential vitamins and nutrients that foster good health.

Lowering your body mass index will help you find a reasonable weight loss goal as well as a realistic plan so you can achieve it. The healthier you are, the easier it will be for you to stay proactive regarding your health and weight.

Do you find it difficult giving up sugary desserts and salty snacks? Read our Eat Stop Eat review of Brad Pilon’s intermittent fasting program for tips on reducing your body mass index.

When you want a no-fuss no-muss sushi roll then order the simple salmon roll. Made with bite size chunks of salmon, nori and white or brown rice, a sushi roll couldn’t be simpler. These clean fresh flavors will satisfy your appetite and keep you energized the rest of the day!

Keep reading to find out how many calories are in a simple salmon roll!

Major Nutrients Found In Simple Salmon Roll

If you like to eat light but hate worrying about counting calories then you’ll be pleased to know that the simple salmon roll has just 210 calories. That’s enough to enjoy a glass of wine and still create a calorie deficit for weight loss.

In addition to having very few calories, the simple salmon roll is low in fat, cholesterol and even sodium. This lets you enjoy sushi quite regularly without running an extra 30 minutes out of guilt. The protein content in a simple salmon roll is just what you want to see, at 11 grams.

What’s more is that the salmon is a healthy source of omega-3 fatty acids, an essential nutrient your body needs to stay healthy.

Selecting/Storing

Choosing a simple salmon roll is quite easy; just make sure the salmon is brightly colored and fresh in smell. The best way to guarantee this is to get the simple salmon roll made as fresh as possible. Whether you get it from a sushi restaurant or the sushi bar at your local grocer’s, make sure the roll is mad when you order it. This will give it a longer shelf life if you aren’t planning to eat it right away.

Store the simple salmon roll unwrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If the simple salmon roll has been opened then do your best to finish it before the day ends. This will make sure you still get to eat a yummy roll without getting sick!

Eat It With:

Eat a simple salmon roll with the traditional sushi trio. That is all you need to enhance the flavor of the salmon. Combine the soy sauce with the wasabi paste and dip each piece of the simple salmon roll in it, then eat the pickled ginger between each bite as a palate cleanser.

Because the simple salmon roll is low in calories you can enjoy a beverage with calories, but keep the minimum to maximize your weight loss efforts.

Burn Off A Simple Salmon Roll

To burn off the calories in a simple salmon roll, you would need to do:

• 23 minutes of wrestling.
• 35 minutes of ping pong.
• 42 minutes of bowling.

Finding the perfect sushi roll is easy if you know exactly what you like in a sushi roll. First start with what kind of seafood you like. Salmon and tuna are spectacularly popular among sushi eaters, with dozens of roll featuring one or both along with a whole host of other tasty ingredients.

If you want to play it safe while also trying something exciting, then you may be in the market for a dueling duets roll. The salmon and tuna are dueling for best flavor as are 2 other popular sushi favorites; cucumber and avocado. Sprinkle chives on top for a hint of texture and you’ve got a jam-packed roll.

Keep reading to find out more about dueling duets roll nutrition facts.

Major Nutrients In A Dueling Duets Roll

The first thing you’ll notice about dueling duets roll nutrition facts is just how low in calories it is. With 320 calories per roll, you can create a calorie deficit without feeling hungry later. But it isn’t just the calories in a dueling duets roll that are diet friendly.

This sushi roll is low in fat—just 5 grams—and cholesterol, so you don’t have to worry about adding more fat to your diet. The sodium count isn’t high, but it’s not low either especially when you factor in sushi condiments so use soy sauce sparingly.

The dueling duets roll does have a significant protein content to help you build muscle during your after work exercise plan! With 8% of your recommended daily value of fiber, you’ll get to burn a few additional calories just breaking down this roll.

Selecting/Storing

With so many fresh ingredients in 1 sushi roll, made fresh is the only way to select a dueling duets roll. Even if there’s already a roll prepared, request yours made fresh so you can enjoy the taste of fresh salmon, tuna, cucumber and avocado. These are all ingredients that taste best when fresh and cold.

Store your dueling duets roll in the refrigerator for no more than 1 day. The cucumber and avocado will begin to oxidize, especially if not sealed in an airtight container, so store it in an airtight container or eat it within hours of purchase.

Eat It With:

The dueling duets roll doesn’t come with any fancy exotic sauces, but it does come with the traditional sushi trio; soy sauce, wasabi paste and pickled ginger. Because this roll has quite a bit of sodium, request reduced sodium soy sauce and it sparingly.

Wash down the dueling duets roll with hot tea or water, but because it is calorie friendly you can enjoy a small cocktail just make sure you include them in your daily calorie totals.

Burn Off A Dueling Duets Roll

To burn off the calories in a dueling duets roll, you would need to do:

• 64 minutes sailing.
• 36 minutes of hiking.
• 40 minutes playing softball.

When you want to give your dish an inherently Mediterranean flavor, consider adding olives. There are many varieties of olive from which you can choose, a specialty delicatessen is  the best place to choose from fresh olive types.

Black olives are widely available in North America, in the form of kalamata. However canned black olives have usually been chemically altered to get the black color.

Now that you know about olives, let’s find out more about olive nutrition facts!

Major Nutrients Found In Olives

As you can see olive nutrition facts are friendlier than they get credit for by dieters. Although olives have just 6% total fat, they are quite high in saturated fat which can be problematic if you eat more than a recommended serving size.

Aside from the high saturated fat content, the calories in olives are pretty diet friendly. Despite being brined, olives are not very high in sodium as you can see, with just 9% of your recommended daily value of sodium. Aside from that, olive nutrition facts have no fiber, sugar or proteins and almost no carbohydrates.

Selecting/Storing

When choosing olives the best place to get them is an olive bar so you can choose between fresh olives. Be sure to choose olives with firm skin, not soft and mushy. The color should be bright green, red or black even after brining. When choosing canned olives you can’t see what’s inside so pay attention to the expiration date.

Store olives in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Keep the brine so the olives don’t dry out before you get to eat them.

Eat It With:

Olives work well in a wide variety of dishes including garden salads, tuna or chicken salad and dips like tapenade. If you really like olives you can enjoy them with an appetizer platter that features crackers, cheeses and even fruit.

{An olive tapenade crostini is a quick and easy dip for entertaining.}

Add olives to your favorite pasta sauce or pasta salad for enhanced flavor. Slice 1/2 cup of olives and add to your homemade pizza!

Burn Off Calories In Olives

To burn off the calories in a serving of olives, you would need to do:

• 13 minutes of cleaning & dusting.
• 10 minutes of snowmobiling.
• 5 minutes of moderate canoeing.

When we think of health issues like high blood pressure we instantly imagine middle aged and elderly people struggling to keep these numbers under control. Unfortunately blood pressure does not discriminate based on age, but rather lifestyle.

{Check your blood pressure regularly to make sure its within normal range.}

Despite common wisdom, there are things that you can (and should) do to reduce your blood pressure. Your overall health as well as your ability to lose weight relies on a healthy blood pressure, so keep reading to find out what you can do to reduce blood pressure.

About High Blood Pressure

The best way to understand high blood pressure is that it’s the force of blood against the artery walls. The good news is that everyone’s blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day, but according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a sustained elevated blood pressure leads to high blood pressure which doctors refer to as hypertension.

Having prolonged high blood pressure can lead to a host of health issues including heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. These serious health conditions make it vital to monitor blood pressure so you can maintain a healthy blood pressure.

So, what should your blood pressure be?

Blood pressure levels are split into 3 categories; normal, prehypertension and hypertension. The normal level is just as it sounds, you are not in danger of becoming hypertensive. Prehypertension levels means that you may be at risk of getting high blood pressure and you should begin to monitor your diet and lifestyle with the help of a physician. Hypertension means you have high blood pressure and need to work to control and reduce those numbers.

Knowing these numbers can help you take the steps you need to take to reduce your blood pressure and maintain normal blood pressure. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury or mm Hg. If you don’t have a blood pressure cuff, make a stop at your local pharmacy to gauge where you are on the blood pressure scale:

Now let’s talk about what you can do to reduce high numbers and maintain normal numbers.

Reduce Sodium, Increase Spice

One of the first things you can do to reduce your blood pressure today is to find other ways to season your food other than salt. In fact reducing your overall sodium intake can help you reduce blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic a small decrease in your sodium intake can reduce your blood pressure by as much as 8mm Hg. In fact they recommend reducing your sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams each day, but of course less is always better.

Older people (51 and older) as well as black people and those with high blood pressure already should limit their sodium intake to 1,500mg or less each day and find other ways to season food for flavor.

{Experiment with herbs & spices to help reduce blood pressure.}

Add herbs and spices to your diet to give them flavor instead of salt. Many herbs & spices like ginger, basil and rosemary have 0mg of sodium. Purchasing these herbs fresh will add tons of flavor without adding calories or sodium.

Get Active

Becoming more physically active is another way you can help reduce blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity can reduce blood pressure by up to 9 mm Hg. Even if your blood pressure is in the prehypertension stage, increased levels of physical activity can help reduce it to normal.

It’s important to make time for physical activity, even if its small steps like taking the stairs or an evening walk. Lift light weights while you watch television to make sure you’re getting strength training and cardio activities. Living a more physically active life can help you reduce your blood pressure as well as your weight, which is another way to reduce high blood pressure.

Booze It Down

As much as you may enjoy a night of drinking with your pals, limiting your alcohol intake can help you reduce blood pressure as well provide you with many health benefits. Moderate alcohol consumption (2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women—can actually help reduce your blood pressure by up to 4 mm Hg.

Enjoying a glass of wine or a cocktail is fine, but binge drinking or simply drinking to excess will increase your blood pressure and very likely lead you to other unhealthy behaviors that can contribute to an increase in blood pressure. In addition to monitoring your alcohol intake, make sure your alcoholic drink of choice is the right serving size or you could be drinking more than you think you are.

Start A Healthy Eating Plan

Adopting a healthier diet will help you lose excess weight, which experts agree will reduce blood pressure. A good place to start is to fill your diet with healthy foods like low fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.

There is actually a healthy eating plan, known as DASH—Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension—that emphasizes a healthy diet like that mentioned above with limited saturated fat and cholesterol intake.

{This is how the DASH diet pyramid suggests eating to reduce blood pressure.}

Creating a healthy eating plan means paying attention to food labels to count calories, sodium content, fat content and cholesterol. A healthy eating plan will help regulate blood pressure and weight for a healthier you!

Stress Less

Stress is never good. Stress makes us lose focus, obsess over small things and stress makes us seek stress relief in unhealthy ways like cigarettes, alcohol and saturated fat products! Most of all, stress can temporarily increase your blood pressure and prolong stress can cause a prolonged increase in blood pressure.

It’s easy to simply say ‘stress less’ but the truth is that you have to pinpoint stressors and find healthy ways to deal with them. The key is to figure out the best way for you to deal with stress so that it doesn’t stick with you, increasing your blood pressure.

If you prefer calm methods of de-stressing consider yoga, meditation or even therapy. If however you need a more aggressive method of dealing with the stressors in your life consider running, kickboxing or even martial arts. Both methods can help you reduce the stress in your life to regulate blood pressure.

These 5 tips to reduce blood pressure will help keep your heart healthy as well as your body.

If you find it hard to cut back on salty foods and high sodium products consider intermittent fasting as a way to help. Read our Eat Stop Eat review to see if intermittent fasting can help you eat to reduce blood pressure.

If you’re not a fan of onions or you’re simply looking for additional onion flavors, turn to leeks. Commonly found in Asian cooking, leeks are a delicious and healthy way to explore other types of onions to give traditional meals a different flavor.

Leeks look like very large scallions but the taste is delicate and sweeter than onions, garlic and shallots so it enhances the flavor of a dish without overpowering it. Keep reading to find out how many calories are in leeks.

Major Nutrients Found In Leeks

Besides being calorie friendly and healthy, leeks provide you with you a significant amount of potassium, calcium, vitamin C, iron, folate and vitamin B6. The most abundant nutrient found in leek nutrition facts in manganese helps regulate blood sugar levels and healthy bones.

Because leeks are cholesterol free and have very little fat and sodium, they play a big role in helping you maintain a healthy heart. With more fiber than carbohydrates, leeks are healthy and contribute to fat burning.

With so many beneficial nutrition facts, you should give leeks a try in your next vegetable dish!

Selecting/Storing

When choosing loose leeks, make sure they are straight, not crooked and firm. The outer leaves should be a deep green color while the necks should be white and firm. Avoid leeks with wilted yellow or black leaves. Avoid extra large leeks as the leaves tend to be too fibrous for good texture and flavor.

Fresh leeks can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Don’t wash and trim leeks until you’re ready to cook them, since cooked leeks keep for just a few days in the fridge.

Eat It With:

Because leek nutrition facts are so friendly, add them to just about any dish like omelets and salads. Sauté leeks with fennel and garlic for a warm salad or side dish, or add leeks to your favorite soup or stir-fry dish.

{Leeks and haddock make a healthy and nutritious omelet!}

Braise or sauté leeks with spinach or collard greens and serve with a lean protein for a quick and easy healthy meal.

Burn Off Calories In Leeks

To burn off the calories in 1 cup of leeks, you would have to do:

• 5 minutes of high impact aerobics.
• 3 minutes of competitive racquetball.
• 6 minutes of pitching softball.

When you’re trying to lose weight in a healthy way every one tells you that you need regular exercise and a well balanced meal. Unfortunately most of us have either forgotten or never known what exactly constitutes a healthy meal.

{Healthy meals are more than just salad and vegetables.}

Does a healthy meal mean eating lots of salad? Does it mean eliminating sugar from your diet? Does it mean getting more fruits and vegetables, even if it is tempura style carrots? Keep reading to find out how to put together a healthy meal for weight loss success!

Realistic Planning

Learning how to put together a healthy meal means keeping your goals realistic. While it is true that you need to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight, thinking that you can count every single calorie if you haven’t been able to do so thus far, is unlikely. So rather than planning a healthy meal based on calories, make sure you’re keeping your calorie count low by increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

For example, rather than trying to count calories follow the United States Department of Agriculture’s recommendation making half of your plate fruits and/or vegetables. This way you can be sure you’re eating enough fruits and vegetables, which provide you with many of the necessary nutrients you need for a healthy body and successful weight loss.

Make incremental changes to your diet to make sure they stick. Too many changes at once can be overwhelming and send you right back to the unhealthy food choices you’re trying to change.

Likes & Dislikes

If you’re a person who swears there isn’t one single fruit or vegetable you like, then you’ll have to get over it and find a few that you can eat. For the rest of us however it’s important to know what foods you like and what foods you don’t. Make an effort to add more of the fruits and vegetables you like to your shopping cart so they make it in your meals each week.

If you love pasta and think it’d be difficult to do without it, simply make the switch to whole wheat pasta and whole grains in general. It’ll fill you up faster than refined grains and provide you with plenty of nutrients.

Learn different ways of cooking the foods you like to avoid healthy meal boredom.

{There are tons of vegetables out there, find a few you enjoy.}

Forcing yourself to eat foods you don’t like won’t really help you lose weight, unless of course all the foods you like are junk foods that are full of calories and no nutrients. This also goes back to realistic planning; by knowing what you will eat and won’t you can make smarter healthy choices when you put together healthy meals.

Proteins

Proteins tend to cause most of us the most trouble when putting together a healthy meal because we automatically default to meat as our main source of protein. In fact most of us are getting more protein than we need in our diets because we eat more meat than our bodies need and forget to account for other sources of proteins from dairy foods as well as nuts and beans.

Think about this fact the next time you make a meal of steak and beans!

According to the Institute of Medicine adult males should consume about 56 grams of protein each day and adult females should take in 46 grams per day. Of course this number may vary depending on health factors that include physical activity and pregnancy, but these are recommended daily allowances so if you currently take in 70 to 80 grams of protein, you should reduce that amount.

To put together a healthy meal for weight loss you should include more lean proteins in your diet, which means beef that is at least 85% lean and chicken without skin. Fish is the ultimate lean protein, so a healthy meal should have at least 8 ounces of fish each week as possible depending on your location.

Other sources of protein include; bison, chickpeas, kidney beans, almonds and cashews.

Grains

Make your meals healthier by switching from refined grains to whole grains. This is a great way to make sure you’re getting enough fiber in your diet, an essential nutrient for weight loss. While the USDA recommends that half of your grain intake be from whole grains, you should substitute whole grains whenever you can.

If you think you may not be getting enough fiber, add a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

Dairy

When it comes to dairy products, the best decision you can make when putting together a healthy meal is to choose low fat and fat free dairy products. Rather than eliminating cheese and milk from your diet, reduce your intake and when you do eat it, make sure you’re choosing low fat or fat free cheese, milk and frozen yogurt.

Serving Size

Serving size is the icing on a healthy cake, so to speak. Once you know how to make healthier food choices as we discussed above, the next step is to make sure you don’t eat too much of even these healthy foods. The point of choosing healthier foods is that they (generally) have a lower calorie count and provide you with much needed nutrients; this is accomplished by eating the right serving size.

{This is what a healthy meal should look like; not spilling off your plate.}

Purchasing a kitchen scale is probably the best way to measure out your servings until you can judge by looking at a size of fish for example, to make sure it’s a 3-ounce serving.

According to the National Institutes of Health, your serving sizes should be:

• 3 oz. for meat, fish and poultry products.
• 1 cup of cereal.
• 1.5 oz. for cheese
• ½ cup of ice cream
• ½ cup of rice, potatoes or pasta, cooked.

The more you learn about what the proper serving size should be, the more equipped you will be to identify large servings and avoid eating the entire portion. Get started putting together your healthy meals with these quick dinner recipes, all under 400 calories per serving!

If you continue to struggle eating healthy, read our review of Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat. His intermittent fasting plan can help reduce your appetite so putting together healthy meals is easier for you and your weight loss progress!

When people tell me they don’t like fruit, my first instinct is to rattle off a list of lesser known fruits to see if they’ve actually tried a wide variety of fruits. Inevitably when I get to figs I get the same response, “figs?”

Grown on the ficus tree, many people are unfamiliar with the unique flavor of a fresh fig as dried figs are most abundantly available. But the truth is that figs are delicious, not to mention a good way to add more fruit to your diet.

Keep reading to find out more about fig nutrition facts.

Major Nutrients Found In Figs

The first thing that caught my eye about fig nutrition facts is just how few calories are in figs. Three of these succulent fruits will only cost you 111 calories, which is an ideal midday snack to help you create a calorie deficit for weight loss.

When you look closer at fig nutrition facts you’ll see that a serving is virtually fat and sodium free. There is no cholesterol in figs but they do have 24.4 grams of natural sugar so you may want to keep an eye on your sugar intake to keep it as low as possible.

The high fiber content of figs means you’ll burn a few additional calories by processing them. You’ll also get 1.1g of protein, which isn’t exactly a ton but enough to give you a small amount of essential nutrients. Finally, you get plenty of calcium and potassium in just one serving of figs!

Selecting/Storing

Figs do not have a long shelf life so when choosing them, select only as much as you can eat in 2 or 3 days. Choose figs that have a deep, dark purple color and stay away from light or discolored figs. They should be firm and plump when they are fresh, not mushy. If they smell odd or sour, that could be an indication they are bad.

Store figs covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or until they show signs of being overripe. Place figs on plate or casserole dish to avoid piling other fruits and vegetables on top of them. If you purchase under ripe figs, keep them at room temperature on a plate until they ripen.

Eat It With:

Because figs are so calorie friendly they make a great snack or base for a dessert. Use dried or fresh figs in salads for a hint of sweetness. Stuff fresh figs with goat cheese and pecans for a delicious appetizer when entertaining.

{A rustic fig tart lets you enjoy a tasty low calorie dessert.}

Make a fig compote by poaching figs in wine and serving over frozen yogurt. You can also use a pie crust or dough to make a delicious fig tart. This is a delicious dessert that won’t make you feel guilty after eating it!

Burn Off The Calories In Figs

To burn off the calories in 1 serving of figs, you would need to do:

• 28 minutes of baking.
• 22 minutes of light calisthenics.
• 10 minutes of freestyle swimming.

It’s no secret that in order to lose weight you’ll have to reduce the number of calories you consume each day. Cutting that elusive 3,500 calories each week to lose a pound, whether through diet or exercise or both, is an essential part of healthy and successful weight loss.

{Foods high in fiber can help you eat fewer calories.}

But instead of fad diets that require you to eat only foods of this color, avoid carbs, or eat only raw foods; you should look to proven tricks that will help you eat fewer calories. If you’re still skeptical, keep reading to find out how you can eat less calories.

Trick 1: Slow Down!

Your mom always warned you to slow down at the dinner table, but while she was mostly concerned with manners, she was also concerned about your waistline. It’s no secret that when you eat too fast your brain misses the signal that your stomach is full and you keep eating. This is why eating slower has been proven to help you eat less calories.

A 2009 study completed at the University of Bristol provided test subjects with real time information during meal time to help them reduce the speed at which meals were consumed. While this study was testing a specific device, the researchers did find that subjects using the printout at meal time had a lower body mass index at 12 months than those who did not.

When you eat slower you allow your brain to receive fullness signals so that you don’t overeat. Make a deliberate effort to eat slower at meal times by using these helpful tricks:

• Place eating utensil down while you chew.
• Don’t pick up another spoon or forkful until you’ve finished chewing.
• Chew slower to savor the flavors.

Trick 2: Size Matters

If you’re no stranger to weight loss then you know how important it is to control your portion sizes, especially when dining out as portion sizes at restaurants have steadily increased in the last 15 years. What you should take from this is that smaller portion sizes can help you eat less calories.

A 2010 study conducted at San Jose State University showed that reducing the plate size at meal time had a positive correlation with reduced food intake. Over the course of several weeks the size of the plates were reduced, and rather than going back for seconds, subjects ate their meals without regard to how much was on them.

The lesson to be learned here is that eating your meals on smaller plates or bowls will reduce your calorie intake. Whether it’s because the plate seems full so you view it as a more food, or because the plate simply holds less food, the science is clear; smaller silverware and dinnerware is a proven trick to help you eat less calories.

Trick 3: Focus On Your Food

We live in a multi-tasking society where we eat breakfast in the car, check our emails on the treadmill and eat dinner in front of the television. All of these factors make it difficult to determine your level of satiety, or meal satisfaction.

When you sit down—without the distraction of TV or computers—to eat a meal you are more likely to focus on the meal as well as the signs of hunger satisfaction. A study conducted by the British Journal of Nutrition illustrated that when distracted we are more likely to consume more calories.

{Enjoy the scenery of the outdoors for a meal to eat less calories.}

What’s interesting about these findings is that overeating is caused because we eat for much longer than we would if not distracted. For example you’ll continue eating a large bucket of popcorn during an interesting movie than if you were just sitting down eating popcorn. However the other finding indicated that distracted eating can also reduce the time between meals, because you’re eating for longer than you would if you were solely focused on your meals.

Reduce the calories you eat when watching television by:

• Place a serving size of your snack in a small bowl.
• Use a smaller plate if you eat dinner in front of the TV.
• Sit up straight when you eat.

Trick 4: Drink Water

Drinking more water is always a good idea if you’re worried about your weight or general health. But when it comes to consuming fewer calories, water helps because it fills your stomach so there’s no room for more food than you need. The best part of using water to eat less calories is that water has zero calories so you feel satisfied without a lot of calories, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Trick 5: Put It Away

You know how when you first make the decision to eat healthier you clean the cabinets of all junk food and soda to avoid temptation? Well as it turns out that little act is proven to help you eat less calories.

How?

The answer is simple, really.

When we see a photo of food, or actual food our brains begin to crave food and we feel more motivated to eat according to a study by the American Diabetes Association. And since it’s impossible to avoid all food advertisements and commercials, you can decrease your cravings and therefore your desire to eat, by keeping snack foods out of your line of sight.

If you bring a snack to work, place it in a drawer and only bring one serving to avoid eating too many calories.

Trick 6: High Fiber Foods

High fiber foods aren’t just part of a healthy diet, they are a proven method to help you and I eat less calories. Foods with a high fiber content, like apples, make your stomach feel full without adding a lot of calories. Fiber also slows down the digestive process so food stays in your body longer, making you feel satisfied for a longer period of time.

If you’re looking for proven tricks to eat fewer calories, add whole grains with a high fiber content to your diet. Vegetables, whole wheat products and even dry beans have high fiber that fills you up, provides plenty of nutrients and all have a low calorie count.

If you continue to struggle with reducing your calorie intake, read our Eat Stop Eat review to see how intermittent fasting can help you curb your food cravings.

When it comes to weight loss the general consensus is less soda, less artificial flavorings and less alcohol. But what exactly is left when you get rid of all the drinks you love? Water, that’s what.

{The amount of water you need to lose weight depends on a variety of factors.}

You know you need to drink less of everything else and drink more water, but is there a magic number of glasses each day that will help you reach your goal weight? If so, how do you find out how much water you need to drink?

Keep reading to find out!

Health Benefits of Water

There are plenty of health benefits associated with drinking more water aside from weight loss. Because water makes up such a large percentage of your body weight, about 60%, it is important that you stay properly hydrated throughout the day.

One of the most important functions of water is its role as a detoxifier. Rather than wasting money on so-called detox diets you should simply be increasing your water intake. Water flushes toxins from your organs to keep you healthy and to keep your vital organs functioning optimally.

A dehydrated body is one that isn’t performing at its most efficient level, which means that losing weight will become more difficult than it already is. When you’re dehydrated you’ll feel tried and drained of energy, which will make it impossible to finish a fat burning workout. You know that fatigue can make it difficult to make healthy choices in regards to your diet as well, which is why it is important to make sure you’re getting enough water each day.

Weight Loss Benefits of Water

You’re probably wondering why water is so good for you, besides the fact that it is a zero calorie beverage, right?

Well to start, water makes you feel full which can help you reduce the number of calories you consume each day, and eating fewer calories is the first step to successful weight loss. Drinking water with your meals can help fill your stomach so there’s less room for food.

Another added bonus to drinking more water is that it can help you stop overeating. You see we often think we’re hungry when we’re really just thirsty. So by drinking more water you can reduce how many calories you eat each day because you’ll better understand hunger cues. This is a helpful tip to commit to memory when you’re working hard to lose weight.

Determining Your Daily Water Needs

Because there is no simple answer to the question, how much water do I need to drink a day to lose weight, you have to determine for yourself how much water your body needs. Several factors will help you determine the amount, but when in doubt aim for the good old 8 by 8 standard, that is eight 8-ounce glasses each day as recommended by the National Institutes of Health.

If you lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle, sitting at a desk most of the day then your water needs won’t be as high as say a laborer who constantly moving all day. Your physical activity is just one of the many factors that will help you determine how much water you need to drink a day. The more physically active you are the more water you’ll need to drink to replace the fluids lost through sweating.

{The more you sweat, the more water you need to drink!}

Your weight is another key factor that will help you determine how much water you need to drink a day to lose weight. The more you weigh the more water your body likely requires to function, which is why the Institute of Medicine recommends that men, who generally have a higher body weight than women consume an average of 13 cups of water each day, while women should have an average of 9 cups each day.

The general rule here however is that you should aim to drink 8 to 10 cups of water each day, but increase that amount if you continue to show signs of thirst or dehydration.

Finally climate is the other variable that affects how much water should drink a day to lose weight. Since we already know how important water is to a properly working body, you know that being dehydrated in warm and humid climates can be dangerous. People that live in tropical or other warm climates will likely need more water than those who live in a moderate climate.

Drinking More Water

When it comes to losing weight listening to your body can be the difference between success and failure. You need to listen to your body telling you when you’re full, when you’re hungry and even when your thirst is masquerading as hunger. By listening to your body, you’ll know if you need more water in your diet.

Now I understand that you don’t want to be that person always carting around a giant bottle of water as though the world is about to end. You don’t have to be that person to make sure you’re getting enough water each day.

Follow these tips to make sure you get enough water each day to help with your weight loss efforts;

• Drink a tall glass of water with every meal.
• Have a glass of water between alcoholic drinks.
• Pour a glass of water before you eat a snack to avoid overeating.
• Add a lemon, lime or orange wedge to flavor water and prevent beverage boredom!
• Have water nearby during exercise or other physical activities.
• Request a glass of water with your other beverage order when dining out.

These are just a few tips to help you drink more water, but learning to understand what your body is telling you will make sure you get exactly the amount of water your body needs to function. Pay attention to how you feel when you’re hungry or when you think you’re hungry and make an effort to remember them next time.

The good news for your weight loss is that the answer to the question, how much water do I need to drink a day to lose weight, is up to you!

Read our Eat Stop Eat review to find out how to break your addiction to high calorie, sugar-laden drinks.

When you’re looking to cut calories without eating a plain sushi roll, look to the Sunset Strip Roll. This roll combines everything you want in a tasty sushi roll; spicy tuna, avocado, scallions and ginger for a burst of flavor in every bite.

The inside-out Sunset Strip roll is sure to please all fish-loving sushi eaters, but before you start salivating over that spicy tuna let’s find out about sunset strip roll nutrition facts!

Major Nutrients Found In A Sunset Strip Roll

The calories in a sunset strip roll allows you to cut calories without going hungry. This satisfying roll can quickly become a dietary headache however, if you don’t monitor your fat and salt intake for the rest of your meals.

The good news however is that sunset strip roll nutrition facts reveals only 7% of your daily value of cholesterol and just 1 gram of saturated fat, so you don’t have to worry so much about too much fat.

What the sunset strip roll does give you however is plenty of fiber and protein, 2 essential nutrients for fat loss. This means that you can burn a few extra calories simply processing this sushi roll.

Selecting/Storing

With ingredients like fresh avocado and tuna, the sunset strip roll must be ordered freshly made. Because you can’t know how long a roll has been sitting there, you should look out for tuna that is dull in color and dry, and brown avocado that is mushy rather than firm.

You should sit down and eat the sunset strip roll shortly after you order it, but if that isn’t possible, resist the urge to have a piece and close the container up. Keep the container sealed so when you finally sit down to eat you have a fresh and tasty sushi roll.

Eat It With:

The sunset strip roll is best enjoyed with wasabi paste and low sodium soy sauce along with pickled or spicy pickled ginger. Resist the urge to order an additional roll or your calorie count will make it difficult to create a calorie deficit for weight loss.

Order water or tea with your sunset strip roll to combat the 720mg of sodium found in this roll.

Burn Off A Sunset Strip Roll

To burn of the calories in a sunset strip roll you have to do:

• 94 minutes of archery.
• 39 minutes of calisthenics.
• 94 minutes at the driving range.

We all have our own reasons for wanting to lose weight; looking better, feeling better or simply just being healthier. So when Hollywood funny man Jonah Hill shed an impressive 30 pounds for a new role, it proved that all those tabloid magazines were right; celebs really are just like us!

{Committing to weight loss can help you achieve these results too!}

It turns out that work is another good reason to get rid of excess fat. But I was curious, as I’m sure many of you were, how Hill was able to shed so much weight and keep it off. Keep reading to find out what I dug up in my quest for more weight loss info!

Weight Loss Goal

Shortly after being cast to star in an action packed film re-boot of the famed ’21 Jump Street’ television show, Jonah Hill began his weight loss plan by setting a weight loss goal. He reportedly set a weight loss goal of 30 pounds to get him in the shape needed to work alongside super fit co-star Channing Tatum.

Because the film role is so physically demanding, Hill set about getting to work on his weight loss goal…on his own.

This is perhaps what is most inspiring about Jonah Hill’s weight loss because we just take for granted that celebrity weight loss is easier than it is for us mere mortals. But setting your own weight loss goals rather than having a celebrity personal trainer do it for you puts you in charge of your own weight loss.

Setbacks

Another aspect of Jonah Hill’s weight loss that we can all take something positive from is getting back on track after weight loss setbacks. These setbacks are inevitable, not because we’re gluttonous beings who can’t exercise self control, but because changing eating habits and becoming more physically active after years (or decades in Hill’s case) of in activity is difficult.

After reportedly gaining weight during the early stages of his weight loss program, Hill asked for help from a nutritionist and a personal trainer. While these tools may be out of your price range, you should take this from the Jonah Hill weight loss story; if you can’t do it on your own as for help!

You may not have the money to have someone preparing meals for you and designing workout programs designed especially for you, but you can use sources like TFLA’s calorie page and healthy recipes to help you adopt a healthier diet.

Change Your Mindset

Personally my favorite part of the Jonah Hill weight loss story is his reaction to eating junk food after adopting a healthier diet. My friends constantly think I’m strange or full of it when I say that eating fast food, for example, is no longer something I enjoy. But Hill told the Los Angeles Times this;

“If I eat something unhealthy now, I kind of feel a little weird and my body hurts.”

This is an essential part of weight loss that can make all the difference in the world. When you adopt a healthy diet for weight loss, that means eating fruits, vegetables, lean proteins like fish, whole grains and low fat dairy products, your body gets used to nutrient-rich foods without a lot of fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Why is this good for weight loss? Well for starters if you take a significant amount of time away from overly processed fast foods, when you finally do go back to your beloved junk food, they won’t taste quite as good as you remember.

{Getting slim means adopting a proper diet.}

But like Hill on his weight loss quest, you can’t go back to deep fried mozzarella sticks during week 2 of your weight loss program. Jonah Hill has credited his weight loss to properly learning how to make healthier food choices before going back to his old high fat and sugary favorites.

Making the Choice

Although Jonah Hill’s weight loss was prompted by a million-dollar movie deal, he does concede that “being healthier” is something he’s always wanted to do and his role in ’21 Jump Street’ prompted him to finally do it.

You may not have a million dollar deal in the works to motivate you to lose weight, but according to a 2008 study losing weight can affect your salary as well as promotions at work. This study found that obese candidates were viewed as less qualified for leadership rolls and often received a lower starting salary than those within a healthy weight range.

Although you should lose weight for yourself and no one else, it is important to note that society’s view of overweight people can have an impact on you, just as it did on Jonah Hill. Since his weight loss, Jonah has signed on to do much more than play the chubby funny sidekick in films as evidenced in his new film, ‘Moneyball’ and has recently signed on to star in yet another action film, this time with Mark Wahlberg!

Weight Loss Lessons

If you take one thing away from Jonah Hill’s weight loss quest, take away the only tried and true method of weight loss: healthy diet & physical activity.

Just because he has a little bit of money doesn’t change that Hill had to eat healthier and exercise regularly in order to maintain his newly svelte physique. Forget the weight loss gimmicks out there because there are no short cuts to weight loss.

However because you are not pressed for time in your weight loss efforts you can take a slightly different approach to losing weight. Create your own fat loss goals and rather than trying to do a complete overhaul of your current lifestyle overnight, make small changes each week until you get more activity and eat healthier.

If traditional exercise is something you loathe, then start with something you do enjoy. Jonah Hill famously began his weight loss efforts with trips to Runyon Canyon in Hollywood, and you should choose something that isn’t beyond your capabilities. If you haven’t worked out in the past year, start with a low impact exercise like walking or bicycling.

Increase the difficulty of your activity when you feel ready for long term weight loss success. As Jonah Hill’s weight loss story shows, a little motivation and the right mindset do a lot for your weight loss success.

If cutting back on soda and sugar is something you continue to struggle with, read our Eat Stop Eat review to find out how intermittent fasting can help!

If you’re feeling extra heavy from eating too much meat, look to crimini mushrooms to fill out an all-vegetable meal. Crimini mushrooms provide a significant boost to your immune system without giving you a significant boost in calories.

{Also known as ‘baby bellas’ crimini mushrooms are packed with vitamins & minerals.}

Before you start piling the crimini mushrooms on your plate, keep reading to find out more about crimini mushroom nutrition facts.

Major Nutrients In Crimini Mushrooms

When you’re looking for healthy foods for weight loss, look no further than crimini mushrooms. With just 19 calories per cup and less than one percent of your daily value of fat, saturated fat and sodium, you get very little of the stuff you don’t need.

But what you do get is more than 3 grams of carbohydrates and more than 2 grams of protein per 1 cup of crimini mushrooms. With 2% of your daily value of fiber, criminis give you a little bit of all those nutrients.

When it comes to vitamins and minerals 1 cup of crimini mushrooms have almost 400mg of potassium as well as significant amounts of selenium, copper and zinc. You’ll also get a healthy helping of vitamins B6 and B12.

Selecting/Storing

When choosing crimini mushrooms, make sure they are firm, brown and plump as these are all signs of fresh and healthy mushrooms. Avoid the ones with wrinkly caps, black and mushy sections because these are beyond the point of ripeness.

Store your crimini mushrooms wrapped in a damp kitchen towel or moist paper towels. Keep them in a brown paper bag that is loosely closed to keep fresh longer. Remove packaged crimini mushrooms from the store packaging and store them in a paper bag and they will keep up to a week.

Eat It With:

Crimini mushrooms make a great side dish for just about any meal. Sauté with onions for a quick and easy side or slice them and toss with your favorite salad toppings. Chop or slice mushrooms and add to pasta sauce or vegetable medley.

Crimini mushrooms are even great for the morning time; add onions and garlic with your crimini mushrooms for a hearty breakfast omelet. The calories in crimini mushrooms are so friendly that you can boost the taste in any dish for just a few calories!

Burn Off 1 Cup Of Crimini Mushrooms

To burn off the calories in crimini mushrooms you would have to do:

• 2 minutes of high impact aerobics.
• 10 minutes typing on your computer.
• 4 minutes of light dusting.

When you first start your weight loss program it is important to set goals to help you reach your goal weight. The problem that many of us have with setting weight loss goals is knowing exactly what goals to set and how to make them realistic.

{Get in the kitchen and take charge of your fat loss!}

Having fat loss goals is an important step in the weight loss process, which is why we’ve come up with some tips to help. When you have fat loss goals, you have a blueprint to help you navigate the sometimes confusing waters of losing weight and keeping it off.

Keep reading to find out more about how to set fat loss goals!

Starting Weight

The first thing you need to do before setting your fat loss goals is hop on the scale so you can see where you are now. Your fat loss goals need to be based on your current weight, not just an ideal of where you want to be eventually.

Your current weight will also help you track your fat loss progress as you attempt to reach your weight loss goals. In the future when you weigh yourself—no more than once each week—try to do it at the same time that you did the initial weigh-in. If you were naked when you got on the scale, measure your weight naked each time as well for the most accurate results.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, healthy and realistic weight loss is between 1 and 2 pounds each week, so make sure your fat loss goals reflect this reality when determining your ‘end date’.

Start Small

It’s important when creating fat loss goals that you don’t get too wrapped up in the big picture, because the small day-to-day things are what will help you reach that ultimate goal. If you focus too much on the end goal then you will be more negatively impacted by setbacks, instead of realizing that there will be setbacks because you’re doing a complete overhaul of your lifestyle.

Make smaller goals like “will eat more fruit” or “will be more active this month” as these are the goals that will help you get to where you want to be. One fat loss goal that you should set today is to cook at least 3 meals each week for yourself.

This fat loss goal requires that you participate more actively in your fat loss by choosing and creating healthy meals to help you achieve your weekly calorie deficit.

Customize Your Goals

The fat loss goals you set for yourself should be personalized for you, with your limitations and strengths in mind. Don’t set goals that you know are out of your reach because no matter how good your intentions are, unrealistic goals will just hurt your morale and weight loss efforts.

Other factors you need to take into consideration when creating your fat loss goals include your current level of physical activity, health issues, time to dedicate to fat loss and your motivation to lose weight. By being honest about what you can and cannot or will and will not do, you can create a fat loss plan for success.

Diet Journal

I know that most dieters hate diet journals but this one isn’t what you think. This diet journal should list your long and short-term fat loss goals, as well as track your weight loss progress. Although you should feel free to write down anything diet-related that can help you achieve your fat loss goals, you don’t have to document every morsel of food you eat.

For example, jot down when you have healthy eating setbacks so you can look back and determine if it was a genuine setback or if outside factors contributed to you eating an entire red velvet cake! Small notes like this can give you greater insight into your fat loss strengths and weaknesses.

Short-Term v. Long-Term Goals

We’ve already discussed the importance of starting with small daily fat loss goals, but you should also have long term goals as well. The most obvious goal will be your goal weight but don’t just stop at numbers.

Your long term fat loss goals should include how you will maintain your weight loss once that goal has been reached. Some long term fat loss goals you need to set today include;

• Lower blood pressure.
• Exercise at least 4 times each week.
• Take the stairs more.
• Learn how to make pasta.
• Eat out less.

Goals like this aren’t directly related to fat loss, but they are things that will help you maintain that weight loss so you stay in good health.

Track Progress & Make Adjustments

Use your diet journal to track how well you’re doing with your fat loss goals. Track how much weight you’ve lost by week or by month and track how frequently you engage in physical activity. This way when you reach that dreaded weight loss plateau, you’ll know what kind of adjustments will need to be made to continue reaching your fat loss goals.

{A tougher workout program can help you when your fat loss has stalled.}

By tracking your progress someplace concretely, rather than saying ‘I ate so healthy this week, I don’t understand,’ you can actually point to where and why the setbacks occurred. This will help you be more active in achieving your fat loss goals as you move forward.

When you try a new type of exercise or activity, write down the results of the class. If you didn’t like yoga but loved kickboxing class, this will give you greater insight into the types of activities you are more likely to do so you can constantly personalize your fat loss goals.

Fat Loss Goals

To help get you started in setting your own fat loss goals, we’ve come up with a few that should be on everyone’s list—if they apply, of course!

I will:

• Not eat a fast food breakfast.
• Replace at least 1 soda with green tea.
• Walk to get my lunch.
• Learn how to make my favorite fast food dish.
• Eat more fruits & vegetables.
• Sign up for an exercise class.
• Watch less television.

These are just a few fat loss goals, but I hope they give you an idea about what types of goals you should be setting. Don’t just stop at “I want to weigh less,” because you have to make goals to help you weigh less.

Share your fat loss goals with us; what works for some may work for others!

Break your addiction to sugary junk food through intermittent fasting. Read our review of Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat to find out why intermittent fasting isn’t like other fasts!

Vegetarian sushi lovers can relax a little on your next trip to your favorite sushi restaurant. There’s more waiting for herbivores than a California or Avocado roll; now there’s the Vegetarian Dragon roll!

{This colorful sushi roll is packed with vegetables and nutrients!}

Mad with cucumbers, avocado, carrots and sweet potatoes the vegetable dragon roll is an inside-out roll that even meat eaters are sure to love. But before you place your order for delivery, keep reading for vegetable dragon roll nutrition facts!

Major Nutrients In Vegetable Dragon Roll

As you can see from the above nutrition chart, the vegetable dragon roll falls right into the ‘ideal’ zone for calorie count. With just 410 calories per roll you can enjoy this as a meal without affecting your calorie deficit for weight loss.

Perhaps the most astonishing thing about the vegetable dragon roll is that it provides you with 32% of your recommended daily value of fiber. If you don’t know what that means, it means you’ll burn a little more simply breaking down this roll! Thanks to the avocado this roll has a respectable amount of protein and 20% of your daily value of vitamin C, so you know you’re getting nutrients.

But as usual there are a few things you should watch out for. Vegetable dragon roll nutrition facts show 13g of fat and 570mg of sodium, which isn’t terrible, but it does mean you should do a diet shuffle to make sure you don’t eat more fat and sodium than you need.

Selecting/Storing

Although the vegetable dragon roll has no meat in it, freshness should still be your major concern. With fresh avocado you want to make sure this roll was made to order, which means brightly colored avocado slices should be covering this roll not brown or black slices.

If you can’t eat your vegetable dragon roll right away don’t worry; it’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days if it hasn’t been opened. If it has however, it is best eaten within 24 hours of ordering.

Eat It With:

The vegetable dragon roll comes with the traditional sushi condiments of pickled ginger, wasabi paste and soy sauce. Request low sodium soy sauce to keep your sodium intake as low as possible with this roll.

Order water or tea to keep the calorie count on your sushi meal down.

Burn Off A Vegetable Dragon Roll

To burn off the calories in a vegetable dragon roll, you would have to do:

• 59 minutes of badminton.
• 37 minutes of cross country skiing.
• 82 minutes of fishing.

When you’re feeling a little adventurous and looking for something beyond your basic sushi roll, consider the Seoul roll.

The Seoul roll is an enticing roll made with seared albacore tuna on the outside and drizzled with scallions and a spicy Korean sauce. Inside this delicious roll is more seared tuna, roasted red peppers, cucumber and shrimp tempura. The tasty Seoul roll will perfectly nourish your soul.

Keep reading to find out more about Seoul roll nutrition facts.

Major Nutrients In A Seoul Roll

The first thing most people notice about the Seoul roll is that it has 550 calories per roll. But what few people know about Seoul roll nutrition facts is that this roll offers 10% of your recommended daily values of vitamins A and C, plus 15% of your daily value of iron to make sure you’re getting plenty of nutrients in every bite.

The Seoul roll will also give you 15g of fat and more than 1,000mg of sodium. The good news is that a low fat-low sodium breakfast and lunch will make this a dinner you can enjoy without thinking about the fat and sodium content.

The Seoul roll is high in carbohydrates and protein, but it also has 29g of sugar to make sure you keep your sugar intake low on Seoul roll day!

Selecting/Storing

The Seoul roll is always made to order to make sure it is as fresh as can be. Because the albacore tuna is lightly seared, this roll must be made when you place your order. Just to be sure, make sure the shrimp is fried fresh or it will be greasy and soggy and not very tasty.

Eat this roll as fresh as possible to make sure you enjoy the full flavors it has to offer. Because the tuna and shrimp is cooked you want to enjoy the contrast of hot and cold, which really bring the Seoul roll to life.

Eat It With:

You can eat the Seoul roll with soy sauce and wasabi paste, but it is typically served with a special citrus Ponzu sauce in place of the usual sushi trio. This citrus Ponzu sauce is what accounts for the high sodium content in the Seoul roll, but request low-sodium if possible.

Burn Off A Seoul Roll

To burn off the calories in a Seoul roll, you would need to do:

• 69 minutes of hunting.
• 138 minutes of mild stretching.
• 46 minutes of polo.