Being thin with all costs?

In the same category as the previous posting, I have noticed a Hollywood trend. If it's not an eating disorder, the people we are looking up too as models of beauty are using very non conventional methods to staying thin. And besides all types of drugs (legal or not) smoking is one of the main things actresses are doing to stay thin.
While bulimia and anorexia have terrible effects on the body in very short time, just because it takes a long time to see the bad effects of smoking it doesn't mean there are none. I have to admit, I used to smoke back in undergrad since it seems that there nothing else better to do. But it wasn't as bad as when I started Grad School in the US. Of course, when you see the young Hollywood skinny and walking around with a cigarette in their hand, is going to make a strong impression in a young girl's mind.
Is it worth ruining your health just to be skinny?
At that time I would had preferred to go smoke a cigarette with my roommate than go to dinner. Plus coming from an European country where everyone smokes it didn't come up as a very bad thing I was doing to my body. So, that year I lost about 20 pounds and I can say I was addicted. But, after meeting my boyfriend who's a health and exercise freak I gave up smoking and with that came these extra 40 pounds I am carrying around. But I don't blame my weight gain only on giving up smoking, there were lots of other reasons my weight piled up.
But I surpassed the phase of trying to be skinny with any price. And to be honest, the commercials on TV about the bad effects of smoking kinda scared me. And for everyone who's reading this blog, smoking is not always working. I do know overweight people that smoke like chimneys.
So I am trying to be thinner, but not at the cost of my lungs, my skin and my appearance.
I know it's hard to give up smoking, but I did it and I am working towards a better, healthier me. All you have to do, like with any addiction is to replace it with another healthier addiction. I learned now :)
So let's try to be thin and healthy!

To eat or not to eat...

I was watching a show on E today called "Celebrity Crises/Mental Illness" and on 3 and 4 in Hollywood crises or mental illnesses were anorexia and bulimia, both dealing with body image issues and high profile actresses suffering from these mental diseases. Now I know I've been looking at this way too superficial and in my head I was thinking that maybe an eating disorder would be the answer to my fat problems. But I am too fond of food to be anorexic and no matter how much I try I cannot induce vomiting for the life of me. Which now sounds better.
I didn't know it was so bad. I did a short research and found out that there were lots of actresses and models suffering of one of these diseases, and when models are dying to maintain an emaciated figure I am convinced now that the slow road is probably the best. No fad diets, not starving even though the results are fast and amazing, and let's not forget, short lived.
So healthy lifestyle, here I come.

Late night hunger...how to deal with it without midnight snacking?

Ok, so I've been really good, planning my days meals, especially my evening meals. Now, I have a small problem, at around 11 pm I get so hungry, that sometimes there is no way to not snack on something. When I am very good and I have fruits around, I would grab some watermelon, small carrots or an apple.
I searched online and some people advise to just drink water when late night hunger tries you...well, I don't know how that works for somebody else, but I had some really bad nights because of that. Not only I felt the hunger still being there, but I would wake up every couple hours to use the restroom and wake up more tired than I went to sleep.
Somebody was saying that you should do couple sit ups or any type of exercise that would get your thoughts away from food and being hungry. While doing any type of exercise makes you feel good, for me made me forget about being hungry for...hmmm...about 10 minutes.
I just need something that works since I am aware that snacking late might be the main problem why I cannot lose the pounds accumulated in the past 6 years.

7 foods you should never eat if you want to be healthy! (my take on it)

So while I have no problem avoiding Chicken Nuggets, Sugary Cereals, some of the Processed Meats, I have to admit, I would eat a doughnut once in a very long while, but definetely I would not deliberately go and buy doughnuts.
One thing I am guilty of, is the cheeseburger and fries occasionally and no matter how bad I know it is, I still can't let my boyfriend eat the whole thing by himself.
And, Oscar Mayer's Lunchables? I had no idea it was that bad, especially since they are marketed to attract kids. How would you explain your kid that they are not good for them?
But the thing that surprised me the most was the soups section. I had been eating as dinner one of those Progresso low sodium soups, and the fact that the whole can was around 220 to 250 calories gave me hope. I guess you never know.

7 foods you should never eat if you want to be healthy!

I found this post on the eDiets site and since couple of those forbidden foods took me by surprise, I figured I should share it with every one. Please let me know your thoughts!

There will always be those fattening foods that are easy to make, easy to get, and easy to crave. You think "OK, I know this is bad but it can't be that bad!" Think again. Here are the top seven foods you should never ever feed your family or yourself!

1. Doughnuts It's hard to resist the smell of a Krispy Kreme doughnut, which is why I never step foot in the store. Doughnuts are fried chock-full of sugar and white flour and loads of trans fat.
According to the Krispy Kreme Web site, an average 3.5-ounce sugar doughnut weighs in with about 400 calories and contains few other nutrients besides fat. These sugary treats may satisfy your craving but it won't satisfy your hunger as most of the calories come from fat.
"Eating a lot of refined sugar contributes to blood sugar 'swings' or extreme fluctuations," Nutritionist Susan Burke said.
2. Cheeseburger with fries The age-old classic may be delicious but think twice before sinking your teeth into that Whopper. The saturated fat found in cheese burgers has been linked to heart attacks, strokes and some types of cancer.
"In fact, fast-food portions are gargantuan, almost double the calories per meal compared to 20 years ago," Susan says. "Twenty years ago the average fast-food cheeseburger had about 300 calories. Today's BK Whopper with Cheese has 720. To burn the excess 420 calories, you'd have to run for 40 minutes. For example, in 1985 a medium French fry had 240 calories, 2.4 ounces. Today's "medium" is 6.9 ounces and 610 calories.
"This fast-food meal of cheeseburger and fries has way too many calories and fat grams, not to mention grams of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol and sodium."
Let's break down this meal. First, take the white-flour bun (refined carbohydrates), then add some processed cheese (saturated fat and trans fat, plus lots of additives and preservatives) and then top off with fried red meat (cholesterol and saturated fats). And let's not forget about the condiments such as the always fattening mayonnaise.
Not sounding so appetizing anymore, huh? Oh, and let's not forget about the infamous side dish. You cheeseburger will most likely come with a side of French fries, which is sadly the most popular vegetable dish in the U.S. Don't kid yourself, French fries are not vegetables, they are extremely high in fat and contain a tiny amount of nutrients.
3. Fried Chicken and Chicken Nuggets. Foods cooked in highly heated oils (most notably partially hydrogenated oil) have been known to cause cancer, weight gain and other serious health risks if ingested regularly. A 10-piece chicken McNugget from McDonald's has 420 calories, 24 grams of fat and 1120 milligrams of sodium. One Extra Crispy Chicken Breast from KFC has around 420 calories and eight grams of saturated fat. So unless you want to super size yourself, it's best to make a clean break with fried foods.
4. Oscar Mayer's Lunchables. Sure they are convenient and easy , but boy are they unhealthy! These kid-marketed lunches are loaded with saturated fat and sodium. They usually contain highly processed meats and cheeses, white flour crackers and sugary treats. Lunchables get two-thirds of their calories from fat and sugar. And they provide lopsided nutrition since they contain no fruits or vegetables.
"They insidiously promote obesity by making kids think that lunch normally comes in a cellophane-wrapped box," Susan says. "Parents are promoting their children's obesity by buying these items. They're expensive, too. Pack a sandwich and save dollars and health."
5. Sugary Cereal Not all cereals are created equally. And while your kids might beg for the latest cookie or marshmallow chocolate surprise cereals, it is a safe bet they are about as healthy as a dessert. Keywords to look out for are puffed, dyed and sweetened.
Most kids' cereals are so highly processed they no longer look like the grains they were originally made from. A healthy alternative is oatmeal. Although, if you are buying pre-packaged oatmeal make sure to check the label and see how much sugar it contains, you might be surprised.
"A little sugar isn't a problem but when the first ingredient on the box is sugar, then watch out," she said. "There is no fruit in Froot Loops. But the unsweetened original Cheerios or Rice Krispies are fine, and you can sweeten them naturally with blueberries and strawberries."
6. Processed Meats. What falls under the category of processed meats? Hot dogs, sausage, jerky, bacon, certain lunch meats and meats used in canned soup products. Almost all processed meats have sodium nitrite added as a preservative.
A recent study conducted at the University of Hawaii found that sodium nitrite can act as "a precursor to highly carcinogenic nitrosamines -- potent cancer-causing chemicals that accelerate the formation and growth of cancer cells throughout the body." So eliminate these meats from your diet before they eliminate you!
7. Canned soup. Sometimes regarded as a healthy food, soups can be very deceiving. You must stay on your guard because many canned soups have high levels of trans fats, sodium and artificial preservatives such as MSG. Just one serving (which is roughly one cup) can have almost 1,000 milligrams of salt. Also, steer clear of soups that are cream-based, they can be high in calories and fat.
Susan says it is important to "read labels from back to front. Ignore the health claims, and instead focus on the ingredients and serving size. Watch out for hydrogenated fat (trans fat) and sodium. If you're buying bread to go with you soup, the first ingredient should be whole grain -- either whole wheat, rye or other grain. If it just says 'wheat bread,' that doesn't mean whole wheat."

Drink yourself thin! To our health!

This is an advice for everyone who wants to change their life around, start living healthy and, why not, lose some weight in the process, including me. And that is: drink lots of water. I don't know how much you should drink, just carry a waterbottle wherever you are going. Most of the times people "feel" hungry, is mostly water that they are deprived of, and not food. So make this healthy habit of carrying a waterbottle wherever you go. So many times we are tempted by the vending machines, but what those vending machines are selling are empty, useless calories. If you are addicted (and if you are drinking more than one can of soft drink a day, you are addicted) try replacing it with diet soda, and cut back in time, but the best would be to replace soda with water, green tea or any healthier drink you can think of, without drinking empty calories.

Concluding today's post: drink lots of water, try giving up soft drinks, cappucinos, frapucinos, iced coffees are loaded with fat calories, so limit your intake.
So let's take all a sip of healthy liquid of life: To our Health!

Think Thin!

I found this post on another site and I figured I should share it.

10 Ways to Think Yourself Thinner
By Cecilia H. Lee

There are no substitutes for eating healthy and regular exercise, but experts say that your frame of mind and your attitude can make a huge difference to your weight loss success. Of course, we're not suggesting hypnosis or any of that silly voodoo. We're talking about cutting out the "mental fat"—the negative thoughts and emotional baggage we carry around that keep us from being able to shed the physical fat.

It's easy for us to make excuses for not getting healthier. Whether it be emotional problems, work-related stresses, or family pressures, something will always get in the way of eating better and making time to exercise.
Just as losing weight and getting healthier won't happen overnight, improving your thought process will take time as well. Be patient with yourself and work at it a little bit at a time. Below we've outlined 10 methods you can use to help
you think better, smarter, healthier, and thinner!

1. Visualize yourself thin. Imagine how you'll look 6 to 12 months down the line. If you have old pictures of your thinner self, dig them out and put them up in a prominent place (like the refrigerator or on a bulletin board in your office). Remember how you felt back then. What habits did you have then that allowed you to be healthier? See if you can incorporate your better habits from the past back into your lifestyle now. Remember to see yourself in a positive light.
Having a positive attitude and being happy with yourself will be helpful in achieving your health goals.

2. Make a list. List specific reasons why you want to lose weight. Perhaps you want to be more attractive to a certain someone, maybe you want to be able to fit into your old clothes again, or maybe you'd just like to have more energy.
Whatever your personal reasons, great or small, write them all down on an index card. Look at your list every morning and carry it around in your wallet or purse. On the back of the card, write down motivating phrases to give yourself
encouragement.

Think about activities you wish you could do that you can't do because of your weight. If you can, cut out a picture of that activity from a magazine and hang it near your desk (or somewhere else that's visible), so that you'll have something to look forward to.

3. Identify self-sabotaging thoughts. Pay attention to your negative thoughts. We all have them. They may be something like "This is too difficult," "I'll never be able to lose this much weight," or "I'm too tired." You can't stop them from entering your head but you can learn to respond to them constructively.

Don't be overly critical of yourself—focusing on your negative aspects while minimizing your positive ones. Just because you feel or believe something doesn't actually make it true. Of course, there are no wrong or bad emotions, but identifying why something makes you feel bad can help prevent those situations in the future. If you get in the habit of identifying your self-sabotaging thoughts, you can nip them in the bud before they blow up into an ugly depression.

4. Distract yourself from cravings. Create a list of things you can do to distract yourself from tempting food. Perhaps you can read a book, flip through a magazine, or play a video game. Or better yet, go for a walk or pop in an exercise DVD. The next time a craving comes up, do one or two things on your list.
You may have to do more, but eventually the craving will pass. Cravings will pass 100 percent of the time.

5. Create small goals for yourself. Write down a list of tiny things you can do to improve your lifestyle. We all know that it's difficult to make huge changes to our lifestyles. So try accomplishing smaller goals. Try doing some
of the activities listed below.

* Take a 30-minute walk in the afternoon.
* Eat one more serving of fruits or vegetables today.
* Forgo that soda or glass of wine and just have a
tall glass of ice water.
* Order a side salad instead of those french fries.

6. Replace old habits with new ones. It's easier to replace an old habit with a new habit than it is to break an old one altogether. For instance, if you have a sandwich every day for lunch, choose low-fat turkey on wheat and skip the mayonnaise.
Have plain or sparkling water instead of a regular sugared or diet soda. If you like to have an afternoon snack, grab an apple or a handful of your favorite nuts instead of a candy bar. There are so many ways you can replace even entrenched bad habits with healthier good ones. Be creative and have fun with it.

7. Keep a journal. Get a little notebook and keep a log of your weight. This way you can determine what is and isn't working and track the progress you make. Also, write down what you eat. Keeping track of the foods you eat will
help show patterns. You may not have realized that you eat ice cream right out of the freezer every night after dinner, but your journal will keep you honest. Just knowing that you're going to write down what you've been eating may keep you from
reaching for that extra serving of mashed potatoes.

8. Plan for the future. Every night before you go to bed, plan for the next day. Whether it be scheduling exercise in your calendar or prepacking healthy snacks (like fresh fruit, cut veggies, or low-fat popcorn), get ready for tomorrow.
This also applies to grocery shopping. Make a list before you go grocery shopping that includes fresh fruits and vegetables you like. Replace calorie-heavy, fatty foods like chips and cookies with baked crackers or dried fruit.
Armed with a plan and tools to help you maintain that plan, you'll have an easier time meeting your goals.

9. Be nice to yourself. When you've been good, do something nice for yourself. Reward yourself with something you enjoy (but not with food rewards, of course!). Perhaps you can enjoy a trip to a movie theatre, buy yourself a new book,
or go for a foot massage.
For instance, if you walked up the stairs to work this morning, treat yourself to a bit of Internet surfing or an online game before tackling your job. If you've lost 5 pounds, reward yourself with a new haircut. Whatever you do, give yourself rewards proportional to the goals you accomplish.

10. Surround yourself with support. We all need emotional support, especially when times get tough. Find friends and family to help you. You may even be able to find a diet buddy or join a support group. Many studies show that having a healthy social
network is better for your overall health. Dieters who have friends and family pulling for them achieve better success than those who try to go it alone.

So pick up the phone, call a friend, and flex those mental muscles. Many happy thoughts to you!

Counting calories or keeping a food diary? (part deux)

I promised I will look over my past week food diary...I guess I postponed it as much as I could, so here it is:
Wednesday: Breakfast: coffee, lowfat yogurt with a Fiber One bar
Lunch: Turkey and Swiss on whole wheat bread
Snack: one peach
Dinner: Pita baked chips with hummus, sandwich with ham and cheese and a low sugar chocolate Jello cup (60 calories) ,
Thursday: Breakfast: coffee (always with sweetener) with a cereal bar (one of the 90 calories with 2 g of fiber)
Lunch: a huge salad with grilled chicken and a table spoon of ranch dressing
Snack: another cereal bar...only 90 calories
Dinner: 7 pita chips (this time I counted...and they are huge!) with hummus, and I got hungry again in half hour and I ate half of a spinach and feta lowcarb (crustless)quiche
Friday: Breakfast: same coffee, oatmeal muffin and a peach
Lunch: stir fry with ground beef (drained fat)
Snack: a cup of gazpacho soup
Dinner: a sandwich with cheese and ham and the last 5 pita chips with hummus

Ok, that's enough...I am already embarassed by the huge quantities I am eating, especially at night. I knew from before that this is my main problem...my dinner is the largest meal of the day and it shouldn't be. I know the reason. I have to plan my food when I'm at work, either I buy lunch or I bring it from home, but so far I never planned for dinner.
This week I started planning the meals for the entire day and I have been very good.

So here is the second step towards a healthy long life. Plan ahead! If you're scheduling entire's day meals and prepare everything in advance, there are fewer chances that you'll pig out or eat something on the impulse of the moment. Like I said this is not a diet, but more like a lifestyle.

We are living in a tired world

I have recently wondered if there is any happy soul left on this world. And I don't mean the permanently "happy" people or the totally religious, completely disconnected from reality people. I still don't know the answer to this question, but what I've figured out is that the world is tired... is in dire need of a vacation.
Walking to work this morning I watched the faces of the students and hospital employees. No smiles, no happy chatting, and it wasn't too early too believe that people were still asleep. But I got clued in when I heard a conversation between the security guard and the lady at the coffee stand, when the lady selling coffee was looking exhausted and the guard told her that she really needs a vacation. And I thought I was the only one... I just realized that it doesn't matter what you do, everyone is overworked and tired. What have we done to this society? Does this have a purpose and a finality? What do we work so hard for? Definetely not for hapiness.