Special Reports

The Impact of Work Life Balance on Health and Wellness

Achieving Harmony: The Impact of Work-Life Balance on Health and Wellness

Introduction: In the modern world, the pursuit of health and wellness is intricately linked to achieving a balance between professional responsibilities and personal life. This report explores the profound effects of work-life balance on overall well-being, shedding light on how this equilibrium contributes to improved health and enhanced quality of life.

1. Physical Health Benefits:

  • Reduced Stress Levels:
    • Achieving a balance between work and personal life helps mitigate chronic stress, which is linked to numerous physical health issues. Lower stress levels contribute to improved cardiovascular health, lowered blood pressure, and a strengthened immune system.
  • Enhanced Sleep Quality:
    • Adequate rest is vital for physical well-being. Work-life balance allows individuals to maintain consistent sleep patterns, promoting better overall health and reducing the risk of sleep-related disorders.
  • Increased Physical Activity:
    • Individuals with a balanced work-life often have more time for regular exercise. Physical activity is crucial for maintaining a healthy weight, improving cardiovascular health, and releasing endorphins that positively impact mood.

2. Mental and Emotional Well-Being:

  • Improved Mental Health:
    • Work-life balance contributes to better mental health by reducing the risk of burnout, anxiety, and depression. It allows individuals to allocate time for activities that bring joy and fulfillment, fostering a positive mindset.
  • Enhanced Emotional Resilience:
    • Balancing work and personal life enables individuals to build emotional resilience. Time spent with family and engaging in leisure activities acts as a buffer against the emotional toll of workplace stressors.
  • Greater Life Satisfaction:
    • Individuals with a healthy work-life balance often report higher levels of life satisfaction. The ability to pursue personal interests, spend quality time with loved ones, and engage in hobbies contributes to an overall sense of fulfillment.

3. Strengthened Relationships:

  • Quality Time with Family and Friends:
    • Work-life balance allows for meaningful connections with family and friends. Quality time spent nurturing relationships provides emotional support, creating a strong foundation for mental and emotional well-being.
  • Reduced Strain on Relationships:
    • Achieving balance prevents work-related stress from negatively impacting personal relationships. Healthy relationships, in turn, contribute to a supportive environment that positively influences overall health.

4. Increased Productivity and Job Satisfaction:

  • Enhanced Focus and Productivity:
    • Individuals with a balanced work-life are more likely to experience increased focus and productivity during working hours. Regular breaks and a refreshed mind lead to better decision-making and creative problem-solving.
  • Greater Job Satisfaction:
    • Striking a balance between work and personal life contributes to job satisfaction. Employees who feel supported in managing both aspects of their lives are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and loyal to their employers.

Work-life balance is a cornerstone of health and wellness, impacting physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Recognizing the interconnectedness of professional and personal life, individuals, employers, and society at large can foster an environment that prioritizes balance, ultimately contributing to a healthier, more satisfied, and resilient population. As we continue to navigate the complexities of the modern world, promoting work-life balance emerges as a key strategy for building a foundation of well-being for individuals and communities alike.

Report- Building A Weight Loss Framework

Building a Framework: A simple guide to using structured diets to build a solid weight loss plan.

Trying to lose weight is tough, but it’s even tougher when you’re just taking your first steps towards becoming healthier and losing that weight.

Deciding to lose weight can be as simple as one day waking up and realizing you want to do better for yourself, not everyone starts out by doing a ton of research on how to develop the best personal weight loss plan for themselves right out of the gate.

In fact a lot of developing a weight loss plan comes from trial and error to find out what works best, which is why a structured diet can go such a long way in helping you start to make the changes you want to see in your diet.

What is a Structured Diet?

A “Structured Diet” is a sort of catch‐all phrase for any kind of diet that someone else has already put together that outlines nutrition, meals, and occasionally fitness and exercise as well. It’s usually in a weekly or monthly format and is either subscription based, costs a flat fee, or in some cases is distributed freely.

In short, it’s a diet that someone already found works and is sharing with other people. You can find a lot of structured diets online or on TV, popular structured diets include South Beach, Atkins, and even “monthly services” like Jenny Craig.

Many diets are also easy to find online and can be found on forums or personal blogs, you can find plenty of information with just a simple search.

How does a Structured Diet help me start a personal weight loss plan?

When we talk about using a structured diet to build up your own personal weight loss plan we’re generally talking about building up a solid framework for you to branch off from. Like any house needs a frame to build walls, doors, windows, and a roof your personal weight loss plan will need a strong foundation of information to build up from.

Structured diets, depending on which you look at, will give you all kinds of information about why certain aspects of nutrition are “good” or “bad” and how eating a certain way can help your body and help you to lose weight.

Day one dieters usually don’t have that strong foundation of nutritional and fitness info to build from and can make mistakes that at best aren’t helping them lose weight and, at worst, can even hinder or set back progress they may be making or have already made!

How do I choose a Structured Diet that’s right for me?

Well, just like any other dietary decision you will need to do some research before you get started. First of all, you should work to identify exactly what your weight loss goals are as well as the kind of nutrition and eating habits you’re comfortable with. From there the choice is as simple as picking a structured diet that aligns with those values and that you’re interested in starting.

A good rule of thumb is to start with a diet that’s willing to go the extra mile to help you prepare and understand the nutrition that’s going to be affecting your weight and your life. Any diet that’s unwilling or unable to do that generally isn’t going to be worth the time you spend on it, so try to stay away from diets that are simply meal plans.

Another thing to watch out for is dangerous and unhealthy fad diets that promise results without much explanation of why or how it works. This usually comes in the form of a “miracle pill” or one size fits all kind of tool that guarantees unrealistic results. Diets like these try to disguise themselves as legitimate, but are usually just scams. If a diet can’t answer your questions about how it works or why you’re doing what you’re doing, then simply move along until you can find something that will.

Here are some examples of “name brand” diets and their basic ideals:

Atkins – The Atkins diet is a high protein, low carb diet that focuses on quick weight loss. The low carb aspect works well with an already diabetic diet, making it popular with people that have diabetes.

Weight Watchers – The Weight Watchers diet is a simple diet that works on a sort of point system that assigns values to foods and meals based on their nutritional value, encouraging users to eat within a certain value daily so long as their foods add up.

South Beach – South Beach is another low carb high protein diet that also emphasizes high fiber foods and helps by classifying “good” and “bad” carbs and fats.

What kinds of things should my Structured Diet be teaching me?

Since the big reason you’re going with a structured diet instead of just going in feet first is developing the base of information and understanding you need to make healthy decisions, it’s important to get some basics down right away.

Here’s an idea of the kinds of things that you should be learning from your structured diet:

1. Nutrition info. This is probably one of the most important parts of learning how to lose weight.

A proper diet teaches and helps you to understand the reasoning behind why some foods are good and others are bad for your health and for weight loss in general. I’m sure you’ve heard things like “a glass of wine with dinner can improve your health!” but it’s understanding this nutritional info that will tell you why. One of the single most important things a structured diet can teach you is how to understand the nutrition of foods and ingredients.

2. Nutritional balance. It’s not important to understand how foods affect your body and your health, it’s important to understand how to balance those aspects against each other. You should be trying to learn how to balance a meal with its carbs, calories, fats, and other nutrition “stats” so you can work on your own meal plan instead of relying on one that has been put together for you.

3. Foods and fitness. Last but not least you should understand how diet and exercise go hand in hand with each other when it comes to weight loss. Understanding calories and fats is important, but knowing how to balance your food intake with exercise to burn off calories and pounds is just as important, too.

What do I do with all of this information?

This is where you get to start branching out from your structured diet and into something that fits your personal needs better. Trying out structured diets is kind of like trying on clothes at a store, you’ll be able to find a bunch of different sizes and styles but they won’t fit perfectly like a tailored piece would.

Start with the outline of your structured diet and use the things you’ve learned about nutrition and balancing your meals to work out a rough plan for what kinds of food meet your requirements and goals. It’s all about taking “baby steps” and making minor modifications until you have something that’s working for you. For some plans you might find that the majority of the structured diet is helping you to reach your goals and that’s fine, stay with it so long as it’s showing definite progress but make sure you’re prepared to make those changes as you reach plateaus that your structured diet just isn’t able to break through. You change as much or as little as you like about your structured diet to make it your own, just make sure that what you’re doing is keeping in mind the eventual goal of a permanent, healthy lifestyle change. As you make changes eventually you’ll look back at where you started and where you are now and see how far you’ve come and all the differences between then and now. The diet that you started with will likely be a far cry from your new healthy lifestyle, but it’s the things you learned from it that will have shaped your ability to lose and keep that weight off to reach your healthy goals.

Let your Structured Diet become your successful personal weight loss plan! Nobody ever said it was going to be easy or that you would see quick results right away, in fact just about anyone will tell that it will be a long and difficult road. However, instead of letting that dissuade you from making the right choices and taking the tough first steps, let that be all the more reason for you to go out there and lose that weight. Using a structured diet could be just what you need to build up a strong foundation and a sturdy framework that will eventually become the personal weight loss plan that will help you to reach the weight loss goals that you’ve been dreaming about.

Exercise Plans

An effective strategy for adults who plan to lose weight is to pair a 1500 calorie diet with controlled exercise plans. A 1500 calorie diet plan can provide ample amount of energy to support balanced nutrition and still accomplish your work out plans. A simple way to meet calorie targets and nutritional needs is to follow an exchange diet. Stay active for at least 30 minutes a day and customize your workout according to your preferences.

Make Time To Exercise

Get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily to maximize health and obtain weight management benefits. If you are not used to being active start at 15 minutes then gradually increase it to 30. Manage your work out plans according to your convenience. You can have three exercise sessions that lasts 10 minutes each, or 2 sessions that lasts 15 minutes each.

Your goal is to increase your heart rate and have moderate aerobic exercise. A simple and inexpensive way is walking. You can do it almost anywhere and anytime of the day. You can even go swimming, hiking or dancing, it depends on your choice as long as you consistently perform your activity for 30 minutes daily. Make exercise plans that suit your personality and interest you so that it will not only be about losing weight, at the same time you will also enjoy the process of losing your extra pounds.

The best way to lose weight is having the right diet and regular exercise. Dieters must check that they lose body fat through the burned calories. It is unhealthy to lose muscle mass. Not only that it makes you sick, but it also puts back some weight. Calories burned are not dependent on the amount of food you eat. It varies with the exercises that you do.

An adult body needs about 1300 to 1500 calories per day to maintain its normal metabolic rate. If you follow a 1300 or 1500 calorie diet plan, you can keep your body healthy while losing weight comfortably. You will be able to enjoy good food while reducing.

Exercise Conveniently

Devise an exercise plan to go with your 1500 calorie diet and get started with a consistent workout schedule. You don t need to pay for an expensive gym membership because you can do all your exercise and workout at the comfort of your own home. Begin with a light jog or walk around your neighborhood to start off a new workout routine. Jogging or walking is a perfect way to get your blood circulation going and be stretched out and warmed up. Locate a comfortable spot in your house to do squats and lunges. If you religiously repeat these two simple but helpful exercises, you can help yourself burn fat.

Embracing your new workout plan and sticking to your 1500 calorie diet will pay off in healthy weight loss and increased metabolism. Cut out your junk food intake and start eating fresh fruits and vegetables instead. You need to follow a calorie controlled diet that can help your body stay healthy as you lose weight. Starving yourself just to lose weight is unhealthy and life-threatening. Stick to a 1500 calorie diet plan until you reach your weight goal then slowly increase your calorie count to 2,000. Have faith, it s not hard once you get it going.

1500 Calorie Diet And Exercise Plans For Successful Weight Loss

Breaking New Health Limits

Breaking New Health Limits

You can and will achieve success with your body weight if you simply make a few tweaks in your lifestyle. Remember, it’s all about training your body to do better so you just shed off those extra pounds successfully. After all, obesity is something you must totally avoid at all cost. You pack on more pounds when you don’t make your willpower strong enough. It’s either that or you isolate yourself from your friends and family while you try to lose weight. The latter is just too hard to do. While it’s easier to give in to sin when you’re in the company of others, you can actually learn how to say no. The best thing to do right now is get a like-minded buddy to join you.

You can start getting into aerobic exercises because these will do wonders to your body. First of all, you give your heart and lungs the workout they need. You’ll be required to practice the right kind of breathing so that you can stay longer. As soon as you get tired, don’t try to push yourself further. Instead, take it slow and know that you’ll eventually build the stamina for it. Then, focus on small goals. You need to break it down into smaller steps so that things become more achievable. You can either head out for a run or engage in sports. The exercise becomes tiring if you’re doing something you’re not interested in. If the treadmill is your only option for now, you could try bringing your music with you so that time passes more quickly.

When you go through a rigorous exercise routine, your body will get tired. You need to realize that you also have your limits. The longer you stick to the exercise, the better you become and the more you’ll be able to adjust to the changes. Nonetheless, you also must give yourself a chance to recuperate. If you ignore this most basic need, the chances for burnout increase. Remember, exercising isn’t a nine-to-five job. Still, you need to find time to get enough sleep. Other than that, you also have to make sure that you maintain a lifestyle that supplements all your efforts.

Most importantly, you need a form of motivation so you can stick to your aerobic workout longer. A good strategy would be to set aside some money for every pound you lose. Then, put a photo of someone who has the body you want. When you lose a certain number of pounds, you can go out and do something special. This keeps your eye on the goal. Plus, buying an article of clothing will remind you how much better you’ll feel as soon as you lose all that extra weight. Hit the gym or the road. Whatever it is, get your heart pumping oxygen all over your body. Aerobic exercises aren’t just good for losing weight, they’re also the perfect way to get your system cleaned. Just make sure to add new things to the mix so you keep everything interesting.

Best Way To Lose Weight – What It Isnt

Well, it’s not sexy, or easy, but if you really want to know what the best way to lose weight is, I’ll tell you. Maybe first I should tell you what it is not.

1. It’s not about taking a pill or two and calling it a day.

2. It’s not about buying that cool piece of exercise equipment that you saw on late night t.v.

3. It’s not about getting involved in a fad diet.

4. It’s not about doing a cleanse or fasting for a week.

The truth is, that on their own none of these things are bad. Many of them might actually help you in your weight loss efforts. The danger comes in when people think that one of these things is all they need to do.

For example, starting your weight loss efforts off by doing a cleanse is not a bad idea. It can flush a lot of excess water weight and toxins from your body. It can help you see an almost immediate weight loss which will, hopefully, spur you on and help you stay motivated.

But, it’s vitally important that you realize that this is just step one, not the do all end all of your diet plans.

You will ultimately need to find balance in your life if you want to see permanent weight loss. To do that you will need to incorporate not only a healthy, balanced eating plan but also a well thought out exercise plan.

That is where a lot of people lose their way. They get sold on the idea of a quick fix, a fast solution, and when it comes to weight loss there is no such thing. There are a few things that may jump start your weight loss, like the cleanse I talked about above, but real, permanent weight loss means you are ridding your body of excess fat, and not just water, and the cleanse I talked about above won’t do that.

So, you may be wondering, what is a healthy reasonable diet plan? Well, it’s about balance. It’s about having plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, small amounts of fats and carbs, and proper portion size.

It’s about eating enough, and often enough, so that your body stays fired up and burning hot all day long. It’s also about getting enough water so your body is hydrated and you keep it clear of toxin buildup.

It’s about finding the foods that will supply the nutrients your body needs as well as provide you with the taste and flavor you need. Otherwise you won’t want to stick with this eating plan for very long. Remember, this is all about achieving permanent weight loss through permanent lifestyle changes.

And, one more thing, it’s about keeping your body moving with physical activity. Find some sort of workout that you enjoy and do it. Make sure you lift weights as part of your workout because that one simple thing can do more than any other aspect of your exercise program to burn more fat and calories 24/7.

Hope this has helped, the best way to lose weight is to find a eating plan and a workout plan that are balanced and healthy and just stick with them. That’s it, not sexy I know, but effective.

Diets And Weight Loss – 4 Top Tips

Being overweight is a growing epidemic. That’s why there are so many people looking for various ways of losing weight. It also explains why fad diets are so popular. After all, they promise to help people shed those extra pounds, and to do it in a way that’s supposed to be easy and effective. Unfortunately, the reality rarely holds up to the bold claims made by the sellers of such diets.

Of course it only makes sense that you would want to lose weight quickly, but you have to be careful. That’s because those who lose weight fast tend to be the ones who go off their diets and regain all of the pounds that they lost–sometimes more. However, those who are more methodical in their approach, and lose weight in a more reasonable manner not only reach their target weight, but are more likely to stay there. It can be done. Here are a few tips about diets and weight loss that will help you lose weight and keep it off.

Weight Loss Tip #1 – Set a goal for how much weight you want to lose and when you want to lose it by. The more weight you wish to get rid of, the longer it should take. The most important thing is to be specific, otherwise you won’t lose nearly as much weight. For example, it’s much better to have a goal to lose 20 pounds in the next 3 months than to simply say you want to lose some weight. Your goal could be a number of pounds to lose, a target weight to hit, or even a clothing size you would like to fit into.

Weight Loss Tip #2 – Get rid of the idea of instant results. It’s not just that it’s unhealthy to diet this way, it’s also that you are likely to stop trying if your expectations aren’t met. Losing 1 to 3 pounds a week is attainable for most people. Anything more than that will be harder to achieve. You can still have a big goal, you just need to be realistic about how long it will take.

Weight Loss Tip #3 – Be prepared. Whenever possible, you should geared up to on a diet. The more ready you are, emotionally and mentally, the better you’ll be able to handle any problems when you encounter them. Also, you should get rid of the junk food in your house and stock up on the foods that your diet calls for. This will get you started on the right foot and help you build momentum toward your diets and weight loss goals.

Weight Loss Tip #4 – Get support. Trying to lose weight is hard enough; trying to do it alone is next to impossible. You can get help from a counselor, your doctor, or family and friends. Each will be able to help in their own way. However, they can’t lose your weight for you, so any failures and successes along the way are your responsibility. But having help will greatly increase your chances of losing weight.

9 Diet Tips To Keep In Mind

Losing weight can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be the impossible task that all the t.v. ads make it out to be. They try to make it seem harder than it is because they want you to believe that it is hard and the only way you will succeed is if you buy and use their products. Not true. Some simple diet tips that you can follow everyday is really all you need.

Before you start any diet and exercise program make sure you talk to your doctor. She will let you know what, if any, modifications you should make based on your current health situation.

Here are some easy to follow tips that you can start using right now!

1. Losing weight is a combination of eating a well balanced diet and getting your body moving. Don’t waste time looking for ineffective “quick fixes” just approach your weight loss from a place of reasonable expectations and you won’t be disappointed.

2. Understand that getting in better shape is a process and it will take time. If you have a big event coming up and you want to lose weight before the big day, don’t wait until the last minute, start now.

3. Losing weight and getting in shape is more about a lifestyle change (which is permanent) rather than a “diet” (which many people think of as temporary).

4. Eat a well balanced diet rich in lean proteins and very light on carbohydrates and fats (my personal opinion is that any eating plan that totally restricts fats or carbs is unrealistic and will be difficult to stay with forever. Remember, this is about lifestyle change so if the changes you make aren’t permanent your weight loss won’t be permanent. Instead focus on balance in your diet and you will have more success).

5. One point I have to make about what I said in step 4 is that if you are looking for some quick results just to jump start your weight loss efforts it is ok to use a restrictive diet. If you are planning on going carb free for just the first two weeks, and then add carbs back into your diet in moderation, just to give you a jump start, than by all means, do that.

6. It’s very easy to get focused on the outside of the body and forget that everything you see on the outside actually starts on the inside. Make sure your body gets all the nutrients it needs. Add a multi vitamin to make sure.

7. Don’t forget about the benefits of getting enough sleep, quitting bad habits like smoking, and drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Most professionals recommend getting half your body weight in ounces of water everyday.

So, if you weight 125 lbs, you would divide that (or whatever your weight is) by 2 to get half. That is the number of ounces of water you should drink everyday. So in this example you would need to drink about 62 ounces of water everyday.

8. Find an exercise plan that you enjoy so you will stick with it. Not everyone wants to go to a gym, hop on a treadmill for 30 minutes and then lift weights. While this is a great workout plan, it may not be for you, so you need to find one that is.

Remember, exercise can be pretty much anything that gets your body moving. So, if you like to dance, then dance. If you enjoy the water; start swimming. If you love taking your dog for a walk, add a few more walks in everyday. Just find what you like to do, do it, and you will see results.

9. Even if you don’t want to join a gym, you should incorporate some weight training into your exercise routine. You can buy a few dumbbells and do some workouts at home but don’t neglect your muscle tone when you are working on improving your body.

Enjoy these diet tips and put them to work for you right away.

Can You Really Lose Weight With The Wu Yi Diet

I have to be honest, I had never heard of Wu Yi tea, much less a Wu Yi diet. Perhaps you have already heard of it, but if you haven’t then all you need to know to get up to speed is that Wu Yi is a blend of black and green tea. This blend is quite tasty and gives you the positive effects of the green tea with the familiarity of black tea (there are also some people who favorably compare the taste to coffee). When you drink Wu Yi, you don’t have to worry about the added sugar and fat found in other beverages like frappuccino, double mocha or hot chocolate; all of which add extra calories.

Wu Yi tea has actually been quite popular for a number of years, with many people swearing by the way a Wu Yi diet has taken off their extra pounds. Of course, there are also those who say that tea is over-rated and that anybody who tries to sell it as a weight loss elixir must be scamming people. Now, everybody is entitled to their opinion, and I’m not here to convince the naysayers. However, it is unfortunate that all of this conflicting information has only served to confuse the very people who could benefit the most from a Wu Yi diet.

The best way to clear up any confusion is to start with some basic information. Wu Yi tea is loaded with polyphenols which are compounds that aid in losing weight. It works by speeding up metabolism and that means more calories are burned. This is one of the main reasons why Wu Yi is so effective for weight loss. Additionally, the diet doesn’t require you to pop pills or starve yourself.

As with any other diet, there are pros and cons. Here are some you should be aware of:

PROS

– It’s easy. Simply eat sensibly and drink a few cups of Wu Yi tea each day.
– You get all of the health benefits of both green and black tea.
– Low cost. There is no need to get a prescription for medication, no need for costly surgical procedures, and you don’t have to buy expensive nutritional supplements.
– Health benefits. Green tea has an astounding array of health benefits, including lowering the risk of cancer, cleansing the liver, and aiding digestion (to name only a few).
– Good alternative for coffee drinkers that want to reduce how much caffeine they take in, but still want a bit of a boost.
– Free of fat, carbohydrates and calories.

CONS

– It still contains some caffeine, so those who are overly sensitive to it may not be able to try the Wu Yi diet.
– Even though some evidence suggests it may help reduce blood pressure, anybody with hypertension or heart concerns should talk to their doctor to make sure they can drink Wu Yi tea. In fact, it’s always a good idea for anybody to check with their doctor before starting a new diet, even if it’s as safe and effective as the Wu Yi diet.

Body Contouring For Weight Loss

Well, you did it. You lost the weight but now you find you have all this excess skin hanging all over the place. So what do you do? You talk to a reputable plastic surgeon about body contouring. Your doctor will tell you that if you are at your target weight and still have sagging skin that you probably can go no further without help from them. And they are right, no matter what you do from here on out will do nothing to help reduce the sagging skin.

Body contouring surgery is major surgery so do not enter into the decision lightly. Do your due diligence and research what you need to have done so you have the knowledge and can, with the help of your doctor, make an informed decision regarding how you wish your body to look.

There are several different techniques used to accomplish the specific looks you want. One of these techniques is ‘fat transfer’. What this technique consists of is removing fat from certain areas like your hips, thighs, and belly and injecting it into your buttocks. So basically you get the best of both worlds, nice slim hips, thighs or belly and lots of junk in your trunk to boot.

You could research using implants to improve how you look. Places can be implanted that you may not even think of. Did you know that you can get chin and cheek implants? Yup. Implants are not just for breasts anymore. Chin, cheeks, butt, calves, breasts for women or pecs for men. Yes I said men. Plastic surgery is not just for women either, guys, we know you want to look good, too.

So go ahead and call to make that appointment with a qualified, reputable plastic surgeon and with their help, figure out what you want to make yourself look and feel like you have never looked and felt before.

If cellulite is your biggest problem and you just can’t seem to find a solution to the problem, then maybe talking to a plastic surgeon is the next step you should take. When talking to your surgeon, they may recommend a procedure called Thermage. Done on an outpatient basis and completed in about an hour, Thermage heats the collagen in the skin and when the collagen contracts the skin tightens and reduces the appearance of cellulite.

You could opt for the old standby, liposuction. Liposuction quickly and easily removes unwanted fat from beneath the skin and the skin is then stretched over the area to make things look tight and toned. This is a more involved technique and does require a significant recovery period but when all is said and done you will look younger and more fit than you did before.

The younger and more fit you look then the younger and more fit you feel. The biggest part of being healthy is to look and feel healthy. Body contouring is one great way to look and feel your best.
Addicted To Food – Yep You

Being addicted to alcohol, drugs or gambling is tough, but at least you don’t need those things to stay alive. But can you imagine being addicted to food? The very thing you are trying to stop being addicted to is the very thing you need to survive. Having such an addiction would have to be incredibly frustrating, not to mention hard to get over.

But is it really possible to have such an addiction? According to researchers it is. One they have tested this is by scanning the brains of people that were addicted to food. They then had them think about food. So, what did they find? They found that these thoughts activated the same parts of the brain as an alcoholic or drug addict when they thought about drinking and drugs.

Another finding was that people who were addicted to food share something else with other addicts. That was having fewer dopamine receptors (dopamine is familiarly known as the “feel good hormone”). Because they have fewer receptors, it is believed that addicts need to seek that good feeling from outside sources just to feel as good as “normal” people.

When people overeat, the brain makes food addicts experience a deeper pleasure from their eating by making them less aware of the other parts of their body. To make matters even worse, they can experience many of the same withdrawal symptoms as drug addicts. Symptoms like moodiness, irritability, depression and anger, to name a few.

But…again, we need food to stay alive, so can food addiction be controlled? It can, but it will take commitment. Here are a few things you can do if you’re addicted to food:

Think when you eat. Pay attention to the food as you eat it. This will keep you from eating mindlessly, and that will help you control the problem. Also, switching your focus from filling your stomach until you can’t eat anymore to focusing on the enjoyment of the food; savoring it. You will naturally slow down and be more aware of what you’re eating.

Write it down. Just keeping track of everything you eat will help to ease your addiction. You don’t have to share this journal with anybody, unless you choose to. That means you can feel safe writing everything down. You may be shocked at just what you’re eating and how much, but sometimes we need a jolt to get on the road to recovery.

Get help. You can get help from a counselor, your personal doctor, or a support group…or all three if you need to. Each one can help you in their own way. The main thing to remember is that you don’t have to struggle with being addicted to food alone.

Avoid your triggers. If there are certain foods that make you lose control, then avoiding them will help prevent the problem. In other words, it will be much easier to handle temptation if you are not tempted to begin with.

Abdominoplasty Surgery For Your Weight Loss

You are tired of all the fad diets that do not work and the yo-yoing weight loss and weight gain. Lose some weight and gain it back, time and time again. You want to look and feel healthier so now you are seriously considering having abdominoplasty surgery to correct the problem.

First you have to ask yourself, did you really give weight loss the old college try? If you made the commitment to lose weight and change the way you think about and treat food then why did you not lose the weight and keep it off? Well, the best answer is that you did not make the commitment to lose the weight and change the way you think about and treat food.

I’m not saying you didn’t do some things right, but in the end, if the weight did not stay off then you mostly did the wrong things. I’m also not saying that abdominoplasty surgery is not the way to go here either. It may be the kick in the pants you need to keep yourself looking good after the surgery.

I think everybody wants to be thin and healthy. It is just that the way we eat these days is so wrong. Most of us don’t even know why. Think about the way things have changed over the years, though. When I was young, fast food was a rarity and we only ever had it as a treat once or twice a year. Maybe a little more often than that but not much.

Then, the world just seemed to get busier and people stopped cooking meals for their families because they did not have time. Women went back to work and  “convenience foods” became the norm. Processed foods loaded with carbs and sodium make meals easier and also make our waistlines thicker.

Fatigue is rampant and so no one wants to get out there and even just go for a walk because they are too tired. So what happens when you do not burn off more calories than you take in? Weight gain. Then all of a sudden you are 50, 75, or even 100 pounds over weight and even though you want to lose it you just can’t seem to lose more than a few pounds at a time then it gets put right back on plus a few more. It is a cycle that only you can break and it takes dedication and self discipline.

You must make the change from processed food to fresh food. Some good advice for you to take to heart, when you shop, shop around the outer edges of the store. Everything on the shelves in the middle of the store is mostly canned and processed food. The outer edges has fresh vegetables even fresh breads from the bakery and even though some of the packaged meats are processed, like  hot dogs, if you shop the outer edges of the store you generally get the healthier, fresh stuff.

Still, if you feel the need for abdominoplasty surgery to look and feel healthier and you can afford it, go for it.

Abdominoplasty Recovery Good Bad And Ugly

You have this little pooch belly that just will not go away no matter what you do and you are wondering how long it takes for an abdominoplasty recovery if you choose to have one done. Recovery usually will take at least six weeks. So be prepared to have a few minutes of extra time on your hands.

Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, is major abdominal surgery. Do not let anyone tell you any different. Make sure you have a good understanding of the procedure and all the pros and cons that go with it. Do some research before you talk to your doctor and find out about the procedure and make a list of questions you have so you get all the answers you need. Talk about complications that are possible and what to do if you experience any of them.

Now, it would be a good idea to make arrangements with a family member or friend to help you with things that need to be done for several days after the surgery during the abdominoplasty recovery period. You will not be much for being up and moving around. In fact, you will not even be able to stand up straight so the things you normally would take for granted like getting dressed or cooking a meal will be out of the question for the time being. It would be a good idea to stock up on essentials before you even go in for the surgery but, if something gets overlooked then family or friends will be happy to get whatever it is for you, I’m sure.

Also be sure to ask family or friends if they mind being available to get your prescriptions filled. The doctor performing the procedure will no doubt prescribe a good narcotic pain reliever as well as an antibiotic to prevent infection. You should plan ahead for the possibility of constipation as well. This can happen with the surgery itself and also with taking a narcotic pain reliever, so take a stool softener for at least three days prior to the surgery because the doctor will advise you not to strain to go to the bathroom after surgery.

Abdominoplasty surgery is no laughing matter. You will be incapacitated for a while after the surgery. If you plan ahead then you can alleviate some of the potential boredom that will come with the sudden lack of activity you will experience during the recovery. During this time please be sure to follow any and all of your doctor’s orders. If you try to do too much then you risk injury and infection.

Doctor’s orders will include how soon you can bathe after surgery, how often you should change your bandages, care and cleaning of the drain tubing and pouch, any lifting restrictions and any activity restrictions and even instructions on how soon you can begin having sex again, too. As with all surgeries there are possible complications. The most prevalent of which may be bleeding. If you experience any excessive bleeding during your abdominoplasty recovery then call your doctor immediately.

Abdominoplasty – Flat Belly Equals Weight Loss

There are many, many reasons someone would choose to have an abdominoplasty procedure done. After pregnancy is one good reason, especially if the baby was taken by Cesarean section. During a Cesarean section the abdominal muscles are cut by the doctor and because of this the muscles may have a difficult time recovering and lose their elasticity along with the skin of the abdomen.

During the procedure the doctor will use a technique called “baseball stitching” of the damaged abdominal muscles to strengthen them so they heal nicely then use liposuction to remove any fat remaining under the skin. The skin is then stretched, pulled taut and the excess is trimmed off. The belly button has to be relocated and the incision stitched closed. Next, drain tubes are put in place to keep fluid from building up under the skin. Keeping the fluid from building up will also help the healing process and decrease the possibility of infection.

After all of this is done the whole abdominal area is wrapped tightly with a compression dressing to help support the muscles and skin during the healing period. A narcotic analgesic will be prescribed to manage the pain. You can expect the recovery to take about six weeks to two months depending on the extent of the procedure you choose to have done.

If you are overweight and have tried everything you can think of to lose weight and have failed, first of all, know that you are not alone. This has happened to the best of us. So what do you do if you want to be healthy? One thing you can do is a procedure like abdominoplasty. You will still have to change the way you eat and think about food otherwise you will not keep the weight off and the procedure will be a waste of time and money.

You can have the flat belly you have always wanted and look toned and in shape with just one procedure. When the weight is gone then you will not only look and feel healthier you will be healthier. Joints and muscles will not hurt so much anymore. Once your body gets used to not having to carry around all that extra weight your joints and muscles may not hurt anymore at all.

Other benefits may include a decrease in blood pressure, cholesterol and even eliminating diabetes symptoms. Anything you can do to decrease signs and symptoms of any one of these disorders will help you save some money on prescriptions and visits to the doctor. You may even be able to save on medical and life insurance premiums if you become healthier by losing the weight.

Professionals will tell you to not use this procedure as an alternative for a good weight loss program but if you want to look and feel your best and get the added benefit of being healthier in so may ways then talk to a board certified plastic surgeon in you area to get the information you need to make an informed decision about abdominoplasty.

Abdominal Liposuction Getting Rid Of The Stubborn Fat

You are working out and doing everything right. The goal weight is in sight and your motivation is in high gear. You can see it and you want it bad. Just one thing though, your belly. Your belly is the only thing that isn’t cooperating and you are thinking that when you are at your goal weight you might consider abdominal liposuction.

Abdominal liposuction will give you the flat belly you have always wanted by taking out the rest of the fat that is left behind that just won’t go away no matter what you do and stretching the skin. Seriously, if you have worked so hard to get where you are now then why not take this last step to give you the look you really want. Think about it, you could get rid of the most stubborn fat and have the doctor help you show off the hard body you have worked so hard to get back.

So now that you have made the decision to get this procedure done the only thing left to do is find the right doctor to do the job. Where do you find the best doctor? Ask around. You no doubt know someone who has had some work done and they can get you started in the right direction. Once you have a short list of two or three then you need to do some homework and check their references, ask to see before and after pictures of procedures they have done and most of all meet them and talk with them to see if you like and can trust them with your body.

If you find one that you can like and trust at the same time then you are off to a good start. Make sure you have them take you through the procedure so you understand what you are in for. Make sure you understand everything they are saying and if you do not then ask questions. Do not leave anything to chance.

Your skin can stay elastic for only so long and then it remains a little stretched out of shape. There is obviously more skin than you need so the excess is cut off and your belly button will have to be moved then the surgeon sutures the incision closed. You will not be able to even stand up straight when you get home so be prepared. You should be given a prescription for pain control so be sure to take it when you need it. He or she may even prescribe an antibiotic to help prevent infection.

If your skin is not so saggy then you may only need the liposuction. Done with a laser, the laser also tightens the skin as they go so you will not need a tummy tuck at all. The option is there, though, if you need it. If you do not need a tummy tuck with your abdominal liposuction then you may not need a stronger pain reliever than acetaminophen but it is best to ask for something a little stronger just in case.

5 Simple Steps To Losing Weight One Pound A Week

5 Simple Steps to Losing One Pound A Week

Uncover the five simple steps to stopping the madness and finally getting on track to consistent weight loss. Get the full picture of the path you will take and build your accountability team to make sure you get there.
Keywords:
Weight loss, fitness, accountability, personal improvement, self help, dieting, goal setting

If you are carrying around a few (I use that term loosely) extra pounds like most of us are, you all know all the reasons why we should take the weight off. It will reduce stress on our heart, reducing the chance of heart disease, cancer, possibility of diabetes; feel better, look more attractive, etc.

There are 101 reasons why, but it can be a real pain to finally get that weight off. You push really hard, make a little progress, get side tracked, and bam you are heavier then you started.

It’s maddening. Enough with that hassle, I have put together 5 simple steps to actually losing weight and keeping it off. These steps can be applied to anything, but we are focusing on weight loss here.

1. Know What You Want
2. Know Where You Are
3. Track Your Results
4. Make Course Corrections
5. Being held Accountable

Now all your extra weight will effortlessly melt off. Yeah right! A simple list of 5 items is not going to do it, so let me explain the intricacies of the 5 items and where the hang up normally occurs when applied to losing weight.

1. Know What You Want

This one is dead simple. Most people that want to lose weight have an idea of how many pounds they would like to lose or how they would like their body to look.

I think we can safely say if your body started looking the way you wanted it, you would know, even if you didn’t have it completely mapped out and detailed.

2. Know Where You Are

This is the big trip up. It is almost always overlooked and is the number one reason for the up and down Yo Yo effect we experience with losing weight. We are unhappy with how our body feels and how it looks and it is painful to zoom in and get an accurate picture of where we are. Unfortunately, we have to know where we are, to be able to accurately judge the results we are getting.

You are on a trip to San Diego, California. You would like to start your trip from Phoenix, Arizona, but you really don’t know where you are. No problem. You get an Arizona/California map and find that a simple 6 hours trip west on interstate 8 will get you to San Diego.

6 hours later, you have no clue where you are and it is definitely not warm San Diego. You feel defeated and you want to give up! Do you blame the car? The stupid maps? San Diego? Yourself?

Now what if I told you, you were actually in New Your City, not Phoenix, Arizona. A 6 hour car ride west from New York City will never get you to San Diego.

If you took the time to accurately find out where you were, you would have been able to choose the appropriate means to get to San Diego and have an expectation as to how long it would take.

This is the same with weight loss and our personal physical condition. In our minds, we think we are starting in a different physical condition then we really are. When the results don’t follow the illusion in your mind, we get upset.

3. Track Your Results

This is conceptually simple. If we have no clue as to WHAT we are doing, how do we know what is working? It might be a simple to do, but is also simple not to do. In the end, most people never track their results.

4. Make Course Corrections

We love to do this one. We have it hands down. It is like step 1 of knowing what you want. We try the new food diet, the super sit up machine, and the cardio hip hop power energy yoga fat burner class.

We might be great at switching it up, but without knowing where we are starting from and a history of tracked results, we have no clue as to what we should change or even which direction we should go.

5. Being held Accountable

No, not accountability! That is an evil word. I don’t want someone to know what I am doing, or more importantly what I am not doing.

So, why do we resist accountability, your secret weapon to weight loss? Because it works! If you know someone is going to be watching, you would follow through or at least feel very uncomfortable not following through.

Accountability when used wisely is the ultimate turbo booster to your weight loss. Since you are going to be accountable anyway, you might as well get something out of it.

Using accountability up front, you can achieve the body of your dreams. If you let your body hold you accountable, it will throw on fat in places you don’t want it to be.

The biggest obstacle to weight loss is not taking any action. It doesn’t matter how good the plan is, it is worthless if you don’t follow it. So what do I do now?

First and foremost get Accountable.

Forward this article to someone you respect and care about and tell them I want to be accountable to finally taking off my extra pounds. When they agree to support you, start working through Steps 1 – 5.