The best thing to do is MOVE ON. We all have days when we eat more than our bodies need, that is the rule, not the exception. In two decades of practice as a nutrition counselor, I have never met someone who did not lose weight because of ONE episode of overeating. The trouble starts when one episode stretches into an entire day, week, month – you get the picture. You do NOT need to go on a very restrictive program to compensate for over eating. But you should try to think about the circumstances that led up to the overeating — Too much tempting food around? A stressful personal or work situation? Being too restrictive with your weight loss program so that it is very hard to maintain? – So that you can try to understand the behavior and practice correcting the response the next time around.
Category Archives: Mind
The Stress and Relaxation Response and How Belly Fat Is Made
The “fight or flight response” is our body’s primitive, automatic, inborn response that prepares the body to “fight” or “flee” from perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival. When we experience excessive stress, whether from internal worry or external circumstance this bodily reaction is also triggered. Originally discovered by the great Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon, this response is hard-wired into our brains and represents a genetic wisdom designed to protect us from bodily harm. This response actually corresponds to an area of our brain called the hypothalamus, which—when stimulated—initiates a sequence of nerve cell firing and chemical release that prepares our body for running or fighting.
After studying the physiological effects of the ‘flight or fight’ stress response, Cardiologist Herbert Benson discovered that by eliciting the ‘relaxation response’ the opposite was also true (1996). This physiologic state of calm is an equally essential survival mechanism, providing us with the ability to heal and rejuvenate our bodies. Today, the relaxation response is crucial when considering how often the fight or flight response is triggered inappropriately.
When our minds become focused through deep breathing, meditation, repetitive prayer, or mantras, the body responds with dramatic affects. There is a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and metabolic rate (Benson, 1996).
Under stress, the potential to store belly fat is much higher. This is caused by certain hormone receptor sites in the abdominal region or center region of the body.
How does it get there? It’s absorbed via the intestines. But the key player is the omentum (the abdominal fat storage facility). It’s the pouch you carry on your belly. The belly pouch!
So your omentum clears the cortisol steroids because it has receptors that bind to them and can suck them out of the bloodstream (unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily reduce the stress level that you feel). The steroids turbo-charge the ability of omentum to store fat, so your belly fat (and subsequent waist size) become the best surrogate indicator of how well you are really coping with stress (despite what your brain might be claiming). That uptake of steroids throws your body in metabolic disarray by:
Making your omentum resistant to insulin so sugar floats around without being absorbed and used appropriately by needy cells, and this:
- Chronically raises your blood sugar, which damages our tissues;
- Super-charging your omentum with inflammatory chemicals that destabilize the delicate equilibrium of your hormones;
- Forcing your omentum to pump high-octane fat directly into your liver—causing your liver to make even more inflammatory chemicals.
Here is the bottom line, the human body will always function in a way that ensures survival for evolution. A lot of times this means the body will resist the changes we are trying to induce. When you are stressed out the last thing the body is likely to do is lose weight, specifically fat mass. I have found with a lot of clients that progress will come to a screeching halt due to excessive stress in their lives. Focus on decreasing your stress, creating a planned safe approach to exercise, getting in the right type of nutrition for your goals and which compliment your exercise and everything in life will become easier and more manageable!
What should I do when I’m stressed and crave sugary and salty junk food?
Well I say when you are stressed or craving things become active. When you are active you less likely to snack on things that you should not eat. Snacking on junk food when you are stressed or bored is a learned behavior so you need to change your learned behaviors.
When you are stressed or cravings things start to trigger those thoughts with activity. If you learn to be active when you are stressed or have cravings sooner or later it will be as natural to be active as it is to reach for food.
Other techniques that I have found to be successful is to drink as much water as possible. If you are craving but yet you know you should not eat simply drink water. This will calm the craving and give your mouth that oral fixation.
Finally creating positive affirmations is very powerful. These affirmations can be limitless but anything that elevates who you are and how you do not need the food you are craving can help. Use all 3, change you learned behaviors and look at the results, these things are practical, realistic and healthy for your brain and mind.
Create A Morning Routine That Helps You Lose Fat!
If you eat a decent breakfast and lunch, with perhaps a nutritious snack in between, you should be taking in enough calories to function properly throughout the day and feel alert until dinnertime. After dinner, many of us stop eating and do not eat anything at all until morning, while some of us snack once or continuously. However, throughout the evening and night, the body continues to function and burn calories, even when sleeping. After six to eight hours of sleep, we awake with a need to consume more calories to get through the day.
Morning is the time of day when the body is most depleted of calories. This is a great opportunity to burn fat from the body. Instead of the exercising at night to burn excess calories left over from your last meal, experts suggest a morning workout of the same intensity and length will burn three times as many calories as the afternoon or evening workout. This is simply due to the fact the body will expend the existing calories in the body then will dig down to use excess, stored fat to produce energy.
To get the most out of your morning workout, health experts recommend working out for at least thirty to sixty minutes for optimal fat burning results. Prior to working out, avoid consuming calories of any kind, as the body will use these before they begin to burn the body fat available for energy. Do not worry, however, as a good breakfast is part of a fat burning morning routine when consumed after the morning workout. Exercising in the morning kicks the body’s metabolism into high gear, burning many more calories throughout the day than if you wait to exercise until nighttime.
Of course, part of a fat burning ‘morning routine’ is…well… the routine. By consistently working out each morning, your workout for the day is complete, you’ll be better equipped to cope with the day’s stresses, and you’ll enjoy better impulse control over your food choices throughout the day. Choosing healthy breakfast foods, rather than skipping breakfast, and eating after your workout will significantly curb food cravings throughout the morning until lunch time. When that morning donut cart rolls through your office, you’ll be able to smile confidently and say “No thanks.”
Starting the day with a healthy workout and a nutritious breakfast is your best opportunity to commit to burning fat and getting into serious shape. Fitness expert Rob Lagana is available to help you, and will customize a nutritious, fat burning meal plan to help you reach your goals.
Motivational Videos
Rob’s 5 Tips To Help You Lose Weight and Stay On Track On Your Own
1) Have a mental picture in your mind, and PLAN your weight loss project.
Any successful project starts with a plan, and you should look at losing weight the same way!! Thinking about details such as..where you stand presently, where you want to be, and the steps you will take to get there! And this includes planning your meals and preparing them in advance! This has helped me tremendously!
2) Look at your weight loss project as a whole life changing experience, and not as a diet!
Focus more on the idea that you have now chosen and made a commitment in taking a NEW path of a healthier lifestyle, and you can be certain that just as I you will start to witness as your body changes and becomes new again! Start by promising yourself to only allow nothing but healthy foods in, and watching your portion control,along with also starting to take small steps in making exercise part of your new daily lifestyle! Join a gym if you can, and if money is an issue for you, there is always the local YMCA’s which have a program in place to help with funds as EVERYONE deserves to live a healthier active life!
3) Use all the resources you can to help make this project succeed.
Visit your local library, do some online searches, talk to your family doctor. Get EXCITED about Re-educating yourself basically on how you can change your unhealthy body into a brand new healthier one!! You would be surprised at how much info is actually out there, and how amazing this sort of project becomes! Just remember nothing will be handed to you, its up to you to take charge of your own life, and to act on it!
4) Get mentally prepared by acknowledging the fact that it is not going to be easy.
This might be the BIGGEST challenge that you will ever make for yourself, but remember the self rewards that come with being challenged are 100x better! Being challenged makes you a stronger person both inside and out! Also remember to keep in mind especially if you are having a bad day, that in the end it WILL be all worth it, and that it certainly DOES get easier as times goes on! Just stay strong and don’t let weakness defeat you, and remember you are so much stronger! Have patience and work through it day by day, week by week…don’t focus on the end goal.
5)Set little goals before reaching your end goal.
This will make the time go by faster, and you will be excited when passing these little goals as you reach them and not even realize that you are getting closer to the bigger goal with each passing day! These can be anything from special monthly occasions, weekly weigh ins, monthly pics. Perhaps your doctor can arrange some weekly weigh ins, FREE OF CHARGE!! Whatever it is that will help keep you motivated while working towards you end goal.
Just remember we all deserve to be healthier and happier, so challenge yourself today!
Q&A How do you maintain discipline with diet?
Diet is simply a selection of healthy or unhealthy foods. once you’ve
made the decision to eat healthy, then momentum and discipline will
keep you strong for the road ahead.
My discipline comes from an intensity of thought. To build this
intensity of thought. You have to first create something called a
Hook. This hook creates a conditional reflex. When you activate your
hook, you intensify a behavior. You can read up on the Nobel prize
winner named Ivan Pavlov that really gets into detail about this. I
first learned about this in a Russian manual for bodybuilding, that I
ordered from a bodybuilding magazine, about 17 years ago. So, I
started created my own hooks. Every time I opened the fridge, I
would picture myself in the shape that I wanted to be in and if I ate
unhealthy food, I would immediately do 200 situps. Eventually, every
time I would open the fridge and see unhealthy food, my abs would
start to ache.
Get into a routine and focus and the next thing you must do to
accomplish your task. I always have a vision. Stay very focused. You
need to believe in yourself and have no self-doubt that you will
accomplish your goals.
Q&A If you could do one thing to improve your health, what would it be?
Focus on what you put into your body. I call this food shaping. Food shaping is what I call knowing how much of certain foods to eat, (portion control) what time to eat them, and what type…There are 2 types of foods. Food that fuels your body and food that breaks your body.
Imagine your body as highly priced automobile, like a Bugati Veyron (my favourite). You put low grade fuel; you get low grade performance which can result in breakdown.
Food for fuel directly affects your body’s metabolism. Most people that have been on low grade foods, don’t notice the continued negative effects such as lethargy, brain fog, stress, high blood pressure, high sugar, high fat cravings and less than optimum hormone production. They don’t know what’s it like to have that high end metabolism. Little by little it becomes worse, until you have a habituated lifestyle.
Start eating whole natural foods, which are unprocessed, and contain macro and micro nutrients that your body needs to run on and repair itself.
Healthy food doesn’t have to taste like cardboard. Be creative.
Evaluate what’s in your fridge and cupboards. Most people know which foods are good and which are bad. Take the bad foods and remove them from your home. If you need extra help, consult with a dietitian.
None of us want to wake up one morning with cancer, or diabetes, or heart
disease. Now – not all disease can be averted – but ultimately us
all would like to avoid as many health setbacks as we can.
My Best Advice for Getting Results
Let’s take a moment and inhale deep, and let
your breathe go and let your thoughts clear.
Just imagine.
How would you want to change yourself
and be all that you see?
Do you imagine yourself just idle?
No, you don’t.
You see yourself bouncing with
vivid momentum. You feel good.
If you think your dreams are worthy to you and will
help you, then you should learn how to use them.
That’s right, there’s so many good feelings that come
with realizing your dreams.
Your thought is in the right direction.
What next?
Simple. Hold those thoughts for at least 10 seconds and smile,
because you are creating your future.
Being lean and fit can be more than just a dream.
You naturally evolve good thoughts into satisfying action.
How would you want to change yourself
and be all that you see?
Here’s a quote from Arnold Schwarzenegger that he said in 1977.
“I was always dreaming about very powerful people, dictators and
things like that. I was just always impressed by people who could be
remembered for hundreds of years, or even, like Jesus, be for
thousands of years remembered.”
Who did he marry and what’s he doing now? He’s realized that dream.
Get started and take action. You’ll find yourself living your dreams.
Ottawa Nutrition Seminar
Ready to Get Fit, Firm and Lean? FREE Pro Training Tips Will Get You There!
Reach Your Best Weight and Enjoy Vibrant Good Health With Fitness Expert Rob Lagana’s
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Would it help you if you were at your optimal weight and health?
According to the National Weight Control Registry, 89% of people who
lost 30 or more pounds and kept it off for at least one year did it
with diet and exercise.
Only 10% succeeded using diet alone’
Only 1% succeeded using exercise alone…
So, if weight loss is one of your primary goals, optimizing your
nutrition is key.
Unfortunately, dieting is where most people fail. They either start
out gung-ho on some unhealthy kick and then lose interest when the
plan becomes too boring (remember the grapefruit diet?) or they set
out impossible goals they can’t stick to (like eating 8 times a day
and drinking gallons of water).
The results?
Metabolic shutdown and damage
Stress
Burn-out
Depression
Weight rebound
Do you bounce from diet to diet with no results?
Don’t have all day to cook 8 meals ?
and lots of frustration and wasted time.
Is that what you’ve been doing?
Then let me ask you
Are you tired in the afternoon? Eat candies at work or before bed?
Do you feel lazy? Pulled a muscle recently for no reason or from
improper lifting?
Do you have moderate to high cholesterol?
Is your body mass index (BMI) too high?
Have you been diagnosed with an illness?
Do have insomnia?
Do you have poor circulation?
Do you drink too much or smoke too much?
Do you bounce from diet to diet with no results?
Are you sick and tired of eating lettuce and weird vegetables?
Do you experience loss of appetite, headaches, depression, decreased
immunity, sudden drop in performance, general bitchiness, insomnia,
gradual Increase in muscle soreness?
The answer to all of these common complaints and more is fitness. But
probably not the kind of fitness you’re thinking about.
Certainly not crunches, grapefruit and diet soda.
Learn How to
Reach Your Best Weight with Glowing Good Health!
“I worked with Rob for 6 months now and over that period of time, lost
54 pounds. I went from a size 44 to 33 in jeans. I had bad knee pain
from squatting and leg press exercises, but I’m now completely pain
free , just from Rob’s help. I couldn’t bench press 135 lbs but in 6
months, I am now bench pressing 135 lbs for 8 reps. I have recommended
Rob to my relatives and friends and they agree that they will reach
their fitness and health goals just as fast as I did.” Andrew T. -
Florida
“Rob, put me on a diet plan that met my everyday schedule. It was easy
to follow his diet as he outlined exactly what to eat and even gave
tips on how to prepare the meals for an “on the go!” person like me. I
lost 19 pounds so far in the short time that I have been on Rob’s
diet. Let’s just say that my boyfriend pays “special” attention to me
now! Lol! Thanks Rob! ” Sandy C. -New York
Working with thousands of clients over the past 12 years, I’ve
learned one important fact:
It’s easy to get started. It’s hard to finish.
My goal is to be there with you when the starter gun goes off, and
cheer you to the finish line, for a lifetime of natural diet and
exercise that doesn’t interfere with your lifestyle, but complements
it and seamlessly becomes a welcome part of your everyday existence.
Here’s what we can accomplish together:
Correct metabolic damage caused by fad diets or improper eating
Improve your metabolism
Improve your hormonal profile
Gain more lean muscle mass, with firm and toned physique
Succeed in breaking your old habits
Have more energy, patience, strength, positivity, lean muscle, tiger
focus, and productive lifestyle and confidence
Be able to achieve longevity with quality and functional living
Create a fat burning state with a functional diet you can live with
for a long time.
Gain more muscle mass using a drug-free techniques
Whether you want to get ripped, be more toned and lean, or simply
find a better way to live your healthiest life, I can show you how.
What are you waiting for?
Attend this FREE SEMINAR, sign up NOW !!