Several female clients of mine have come to me over the past few months and stated that they really wanted to lose weight. I told them to write down everything that they ate and what activities they did each day outside of the workouts that we were doing together. After a few months of keeping a food journal and activity log, every single client saw results and were completely satisfied with how they were feeling and looking.

Below are the top weight loss tips and a sample exercise routine that I use with my clients who are trying to lose weight.

1. Keep a Food Log: This will help you see and understand what you are putting into your body
2. Keep an Exercise/Activity Log: This will allow you to increase your intensity and length of workouts
3. Exercise 5 Days a Week: If you are not sweating, you are not working hard enough
4. Drink 64-100 Ounces of Water a Day: Hydration is a huge factor in weight loss and appetite suppression
5. Chew Gum: Helps keep the mind and stomach satisfied
6. No More Soda: Cut the pop and other sugars out of your diet
7. No More Alcohol: Reduce the empty calories
8. Reduce T.V. Time: Stay active rather than sitting around and watching television
9. Don’t Snack After 7 p.m.: Snack during the day, but not at night because your activity levels have decreased
10. Get 8 Hours Of Sleep a Night: Refreshes the body and allows for a more productive day

Try this Weight Loss Routine:

Do 45-60 minutes of cardio, plus:

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10 Tips for Achieving Successful Weight Loss

1. Early morning walk/jog
2. Afternoon walk/jog
3. Evening walk/jog
4. Take the stairs whenever possible
5. Walk instead of grabbing a taxi or driving
6. Ride a bike instead of grabbing a taxi or driving
7. Cut the carbohydrates after 3 p.m.
8. Eat a low-fat, low-carbohydrate diet
9. Chew gum throughout the day to help fight hunger
10. Drink ice cold water throughout the day to spark the metabolism
11. Eat spicy foods to spark the metabolism
12. Do 50 push-ups and 100 crunches every morning
13. Do 50 push-ups and 100 crunches every night
14. Refrain from eating after 8 p.m.
15. Drink 64 to 100 ounces of water daily
16. Take a 5 to 10 minute break for a walk every hour during the work day
17. Eat 5 or 6 small meals/snacks instead of 2 or 3 large meals
18. Do 20 crunches, jumping jacks, lunges, or squats every commercial break while watching TV at home
19. Stand instead of sitting throughout the day
20. Purchase a set of dumbbells and follow the workout below (two sets of 20 repetitions):

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20 Affordable Ways to Lose Weight Without a Gym Membership

The idea of this sleep diet comes from his book “Beauty Sleep,” the paperback version of an earlier title “Good Night: The Sleep Doctor’s 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health.” When asked why 7.5 hours is the magic number, he explains to DietsInReview.com that the average sleep cycle lasts 90 minutes, and the average person has five of these cycles each night. Basic math puts you at 7.5 hours as the ideal amount of sleep necessary to let your body lose weight. Any additional sleep is beneficial, but you will not lose any more weight. “More sleep doesn’t make a tremendous difference,” Breus says.

He also suggests that on the whole our nation is sleep deprived, and it’s this deprivation that is aiding our growing obesity epidemic. He says “sleep is not the cure [for obesity], but I definitely think it’s a contributing factor.” We asked if sleep had any positive influence on childhood obesity and his response was that there isn’t a great answer to that yet. He says they do know that when kids are sleep deprived, there are signs of weight gain, however, more research in this area is still needed.

Why is sleep so important? Getting enough quality sleep affects your weight, as well as other health issues. When you’re getting that 7.5 hours of quality sleep each night, he says everything from circulation to a reduction in blood pressure (or hypertension) will be enjoyed, as well as weight loss. When you’re sleep deprived, he explains that the metabolism slows and you get more of some hormones and less of others. Ghrelin is the “go” hormone, it tells you to eat, and leptin is the “stop” hormone, it tells you to stop eating. “It’s a pretty bad situation when you have more go and not enough stop,” explains Breus, and it’s this discrepancy in hormone levels that prevents us from losing and enables us to gain weight. In fact, when we’re feeling sleep deprived, he referenced a study from the University of Chicago in which they found people are more likely to choose high-fat, high-carb foods over healthier choices.

How do we achieve this ideal 7.5 hours of sleep each night? Breus explains that “sleep is a sensory experience, and requires all five senses to have a good night’s rest.” He says these five bedroom essentials correlate with our five senses and are necessary to sleep soundly.

• Light: A dark room is necessary. Use window shades to block light and bedside lamps should have a 40 watt or less bulb.
• Sound: He says if you’re sleeping next to a snorer, you’re losing an hour of sleep each night. Snoring is affecting your health as much as it is your bed mate (as snoring is a sign of sleep apnea). Try a sound machine or ear plugs to mask the noise.
• Touch: The mattress, box spring and even pillow you sleep on are imperative. Breus says we should shop for mattresses much like we would exercise equipment – shop for features and not price.
• Smell: Aromatherapy really does work. “You don’t just sniff something and passout,” he says, but having a relaxing aroma in the room will cause a relaxation response in the brain.
• Taste: Cut-off caffeine consumption by 2:30 p.m., and limit alcoholic beverages to one or two at dinner. Try not to eat too closely to bed, especially spicy foods. This can have an effect on the quality of sleep, affect dreams and even cause GERD, all because we were not meant to digest foods lying down.

Dr. Breus also says “I love naps!,” and encourages people to get in a nap if they can, especially if they’re falling behind in their sleep. He does not, however, recommend naps for insomniacs, saying it’s the worst thing for them. A quality nap should either be no more than 25 minutes, as to not start and stop a sleep cycle, or for a full 90 minutes, to allow you to complete one full sleep cycle.

Bottom line, when you combine a healthy and balanced diet, regular exercise and consistently sleep for at least 7.5 hours each night, Dr. Breus says you’ve found the trifecta for weight loss becoming known as the sleep diet.

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Interview with Dr. Michael Breus Introducing The Sleep Diet

Pick up a cheap spiral-bound notebook the next time you are at the store.  Open it to a clean page, and date the top of it. Now. NO one will see this food journal, unless you decide to share it. Every time you put something in your mouth, jot it down. Lick the beaters from cake mix? Write it down. Two gulps from your son’s milkshake? Jot it down. Every meal you eat, every snack, every kernel of popcorn – it goes in the notebook. At the end of the day, take a minute and total it up. Did you achieve your recommended total of fruits and vegetables? How about protein? Does your diet have a plethora of sugar and fat and caffeine?

Use this log for a week, making no changes to your diet. At the end of the week, you’ll have a pretty good idea of the changes you need to make. Remember, be honest with yourself – it’s the first step to successful, and more important, long-term sustainable weight loss.  You can’t lose weight unless you know exactly what you are putting in your body.

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The Most Important Step to Successful Weight Loss

A recent study examined how the number of times you chew your food relates to satisfying your hunger. What they found was intriguing. Forty chews was the magic number.

When people in the study ate a small serving of almonds, 40 chews satisfied hunger better than 10. And even when they looked at people taking 25 chews with almonds, it wasn’t as effective. On top of the benefit of feeling full, the magic number of 40 chews also made the subjects feel full longer than the lower counts.

You are better off chewing almonds or any nuts slowly anyway, because they are calorie dense. To avoid too many calories, consider some lower-calorie snack alternatives, particularly raw vegetables.

The biggest challenge I face with managing weight is feeling full while eating light healthy food. Realage.com gives 10 handy tips to resolve hunger, and satisfy your appetite while staying healthy, some of these include:

• Eat protein for breakfast
• Store tempting foods out of reach, forcing you to literally take extra steps to attain them
• Get 8 hours of sleep
• Ask the waiter to serve half your meal, and box the rest
• Sit down and use utensils when snacking, you’ll consume fewer calories
• Start lunch with a vegetable soup and you’ll reduce overall calories by 20% for that meal

(via: Real Age)

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Chew Food More, Lose Weight

If you’ve ever lost weight by cutting calories then you can understand the allure of restricting further to accelerate weight loss. But just because a little is good – more is not better. An eating plan that is too restrictive is a first-class ticket to sabotage. Find out if your current plan needs loosening up.

You cut out foods you love.

If your diet has you avoiding specific foods, especially ones you love, it is essentially setting you up for failure. There’s no reason that even the most “forbidden” food can’t be included in a healthy eating plan. You deserve to love the foods you eat. Include a small portion of something that satisfies – whether you crave sweet or salty foods.

Your calorie intake is below your resting metabolic rate.

Even when you are dieting, you need to eat enough to sustain your basic daily activities, like office work, exercise and eating (yes, you burn calories digesting food). Your body will make its own calories by digesting muscle tissue and fat for energy if needed. Not only does this put your metabolism in the toilet, but it leaves you prone to irritability, fatigue, and illness. A modest daily calorie deficit will help you maintain your muscle and burn fat for energy.

You drink caffeinated beverages for energy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my coffee in the morning and I don’t blame you if you do too. But if you are dieting and seem to consistently go for a caffeine “pick me up” several times a day chances are you’re getting a fake “fix”. Calories provide energy – not caffeine. Restrict too much and your tiredness might be related to lack of fuel.

You think about food too much.

Sometimes, you can be so motivated to get results that you take every piece of diet advice you hear. Not only can it be time consuming, but it can push you to the point of frustration. Why waste time on what you can’t have when it feels so much better to embrace what you can? Take the struggle out dieting and bring balance back into your life.

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If you would like to apply to be featured as a guest blogger, please contact us.

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Feeling the Squeeze: 4 Signs Your Eating Plan is too Restrictive

Jamie Pittman is currently a graduate student at East Carolina University where she is obtaining her MAEd in Health Education.  She also works full-time as a grant coordinator at the North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NCAAHPERD) in Raleigh, NC. Jamie is also an active member of MyDIR, the DietsInReview.com community.

Week after week friends complain to me that they “can’t lose weight,” that they are doing “EVERYTHING!” and their weight just won’t budge.  These same people go out and drink five or more drinks at least one to two nights a week.  You might think–what’s the harm in a little social drinking?  You should be allowed at least one “cheat” day a week where you can eat and drink whatever you want, right?

Alcohol contains calories (I promise—all alcohol contains calories!), 7 calories per gram to be exact and they add up quickly.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites that the average alcoholic beverage is 13.7 grams, or about 96 calories.

In addition to drinking alcohol, you must consider the food choices that result from the late night out and the potential hangover the next day that keeps you from hitting the gym.  I think it is safe to make the generalization that most people are not going to choose an apple over pizza, or workout after a heavy night of drinking.  It’s a snowball effect.

Let’s consider a typical night out for the average person with friends:

• 8pm: Makes a drink while waiting for friends to arrive
  • Vodka (one 80 proof shot) + Club Soda = 96 calories

• 9pm-11pm: Friends arrive; Drink socially until its time to go to the bars
  • 3 light beers (12oz each) = 288 calories

• 11pm-1am: Hang out and drink with friends for a few hours
  • 2 light beers (12 oz each) = 192 calories

• 1:30am: Hungry upon arriving home; Share frozen pizza with friends
  • 1/3 of frozen pizza = 300 calories

• Total Calories Consumed Between 8pm-1:30am = 876

Don’t get me wrong—I love to go out and have a good time like everyone else.  However, I know that if I am going to be serious about losing weight then drinking more than a drink a day is not a possibility. Try to find alternatives to going out to bars and stay focused on your goals.  Eventually, it will all fall into place.

Guest Blog Series: Look for the following badge on your favorite health sites to see if they have been a featured guest blogger on DietsInReview.com. See other posts in the Guest Blog series.

If you would like to apply to be featured as a guest blogger, please contact us.

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Consider Calorie Impact of Alcoholic Beverages

First off, I recommend starting a walking program. This will slowly, but surely, get your body back “in-tune” and ready for gradually tougher workouts down the road. I recommend a half-hour or so.

Secondly, after you and your body are getting used to the exercise lifestyle, definitely start adding weights and a gradually tougher cardio routine. This will help “tone and tighten” the body while shedding the inches. I recommend hitting the weights for 20 to 30 minutes followed by at least a half-hour of cardio.

Below is a routine that may help you get back to the old you or even better, the new you! I recommend starting out with two sets of 20 repetitions, but listen to your body and don’t over-do it. Good Luck!

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A Workout Regimen to Help Lose Baby Weight

Kristin Steede lost 116 pounds in 16 week on The Biggest Loser.

There is a lot to take away from Kristin Steede’s experience on The Biggest Loser. Not only has her weight loss journey from 360 pounds to her elimination weight of 244 pounds been an inspiration, it’s a reminder that we should rely on ourselves to get there. Kristin reminds that she is one of about 122 people who’ve been selected as a Biggest Loser contestant, and it is a position she does not take lightly. Kristin says she got more out of this experience than she ever thought she would, but clarifies that “Biggest Loser will not define who I am.” It’s a cautious declaration that many fans should take to heart. It is the few, not the many, who earn a place at the coveted weight loss ranch, but the will, desire and ability to lose the weight and change your life for the better does not come from the show.

Kristin said “I will never forget what it feels like to live life at 360 pounds,” and she is taking her new body, new motivation and the memory of what life used to be like and inspiring a nation. Kristin has developed quite a following and she’s offering them her pearls of wisdom through speaking engagements.

We received some of those pearls from Kristin today in our interview. Listen now as Kristin discusses her ongoing relationship with Bob Harper, how she kept her head out of the game play and how she defines a healthy weight for herself.

Kristin is a cardio junkie! She completes two hours of cardio each morning before work, as often as possible attends a cardio kickboxing class during her lunch break, and hits another cardio session in the evenings.

Kristin Steede taking advantage of some rare down time at the Biggest Loser ranch.

She rarely works out with her mother, fellow contestant Cathy Skell, and says the times that they do hit the gym together it’s a treat. “My philosophy is ‘do it for yourself, by yourself,’” says Kristin. She shared that she and her mom and tried many weight loss plans together and it never seemed to work, as soon as one would decide she wasn’t interested, the other had an excuse to bow out. Now Kristin is focused on regaining her health for herself. She lets her mom know when and where she’ll be when working out, but doesn’t depend or need her mom to do what needs done.

Now at home and preparing for the finale, she says her diet is the most challenging part. Kristin follows a diet of low-sodium, clean foods, and eats three meals and two snacks each day. Her breakfast consists of egg whites, toast and a banana; lunch is a lean protein source with vegetables; dinner includes her new-found favorites like orange roughy and vegetables.

Always the positive good sport, Kristin doesn’t appear to hold any ill feelings toward Ron and Mike, who conspired to have her eliminated. “I always knew aligning myself with them would be risky,” she says, and knows that the weight she stood to lose would have given Mike “a run for his money.” Kristin has good things to say about her fellow contestants, reminding us that what happens at the ranch really does stay at the ranch, “TV will never do justice for the relationships you have with these people.”

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Interview with Kristin, Eliminated Biggest Loser Week 16

Water is the single most important beverage that there is.  Plain old water.  Yet, studies have shown that many of us aren’t drinking the amount of water that our bodies need to stay healthy and strong.  Lack of hydration can cause headaches, muscle cramps and even fatigue.  Being well hydrated can help with clearer skin, a more effective metabolism, and even can help you to eat less food – a great bonus if you are actively trying to lose weight.

True story time: I am a big water drinker. Huge. I carry around my own reusable bottle and drain it several times a day.  I’m not fussy – it doesn’t have to be filtered – plain tap water works well for me.  The bottle holds 24 ounces, and I probably fill it five or more times a day, not including meals.  So, my body is used to lots of water.

One day I was traveling and my plane was delayed several times.  Typically when I travel I bring my empty bottle with me through security, and then fill it on the other side.  I was late to board, so I didn’t fill the bottle, and we ended up being delayed for take off several times, ultimately spending several hours on the runway.  I decided against drinking the first several times that the flight attendant offered water, because I really don’t like using the restroom on the plane.  When we finally were airborne, the flight was so rocky that we weren’t given any drinks at all.  By the time I arrived at my destination, I had a raging migraine – one that took two days to depart.  It was viscious, and I know that not drinking enough, or really any, water was the main culprit.  Let that be a lesson – DRINK your WATER.

But what if you don’t like the taste of plain water?  There are lots of packets that you can add to your water – from Gatorade to Propel, there are flavors to suit every palate.  I’ve also enjoyed fresh lemon and lime squeezed into my water, and freezing berries or mint leaves into ice cubes means that you get a subtle flavor that is really refreshing.

Why not make a goal to fill your water bottle at the top of the hour, and drain it by the end?  Try it and see if you feel an improvement in your body!

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The Benefits of Drinking Water for Health