Archive for the ‘Chocoholic Rambles’ Category

Have you ever needed a “do-over?” <RAISING MY HAND VERY HIGH>

It’s been a long while since I’ve posted on here. My life has completely spun out of control and I’m here to get it off the spin cycle.

I started my own business back in April and boy, did my life change! My daddy warned me that getting into business for yourself is hard work and a lot of hours. You should always listen to your daddy!

Although Daddy is right, I wouldn’t have it any other way – stress and all. You know why? I’m finally doing something I love.

Let’s get back to the stress issue. Who is a stress eater? <RAISING MY HAND HIGH AGAIN>  Since my stress level has gone up a million fold, I’ve eaten my way in weight by almost 30 pounds! Talk about kicking a good woman when she’s down!

So, I’m officially having a “do-over” in my life right now. I’m down 10 lbs and I’m finally starting to feel better.

There is one triumph that I’ve had though – a HUGE Cadbury chocolate bar all the way from the United Kingdom has been sitting in my pantry for 8 solid months!

Who else needs a “do-over?”

To a healthier you!
Sheila

By Tom Venuto
www.burnthefat.com

Do you get fatter in the cold weather? It’s a good question right now, considering that this year’s farmer’s almanac is predicting a frigid winter and true to the prediction, the Huffington Post just ran a story, “Cold Temperatures Greet The New Year.” It’s FREEZING here in New Jersey and it’s not like this is the Yukon territory.

Some of my friends up in the great white yonder think that temps in the 20’s are balmy. Yeah right. With the wind chill, even my bones had goose bumps today. I can’t even fathom the sub zero stuff those guys live in. Adding insult, my friends in LA and South Florida have been more than happy to share their local January weather reports with me. 80 degrees and sunny. Thanks guys –you suck.

Back to the question. I just got an email from a burn the fat reader who asked, “Tom, is there any evidence that during cold winter weather it gets harder to lose body fat? For me, it seems easier to drop fat during the hot weather.”

Yes, there is.

First there’s the psychological explanation: in warm climates, people are wearing less clothes and enjoying the outdoors and people want to look good when they’re exposing more flesh! In the cold, you’re covered up, so there’s less self-consciousness and no public accountability. Therefore, most people tend to stay on a diet more diligently and train harder when summer rolls around.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has been studied at length by psychologists. Often more than just the “winter blues” but an actual type of depression, SAD occurs during the short days and long nights of winter and fall, when there’s less sunlight and colder temperatures. Symptoms include depression, cravings for specific foods, loss of energy, hopelessness and oversleeping. Obviously, these types of symptoms can contribute to weight gain.

Because of their tendency for fall and winter weight gain, many people have suspected that cold temperatures influence weight gain on a metabolic level, not just eating more. Exposure to cold temperatures can cause a shivering thermogenesis which means there’s an increase in metabolism to produce more heat (heat production = calories burned).

However, if you just got the bright idea of turning off the heat in your house, or going for a swim in the cold surf every day to “burn more fat”, I wouldn’t recommend it. Deliberate exposure to the cold, either cold air or cold water doesn’t pan out into real world fat loss results, even though there are actually “fat loss gurus” who recommend it.

Here’s why:

If your body uses some energy for shivering or heat production, it can compensate later for that energy loss by increasing your appetite. Not only that, research at the hyperbaric environmental adaptation program at the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda Maryland reported that, “The combination of exercise and cold exposure does NOT act to enhance metabolism of fats… Cold-induced vasoconstriction of peripheral adipose tissue may account, in part, for the decrease in lipid mobilization.”

It’s just not practical to freeze your butt off in an attempt to speed up your metabolism a tiny little bit, so your fat loss scheme wouldn’t last long if you tried.

A great example of how cold temperatures affect energy balance is in the case of swimming. For years, people thought swimming actually made you fat. There were all kinds of theories, like, “it makes you retain a layer of fat for insulation, like seals.” Actually, the most recent research shows that swimming is a perfectly good fat burning exercise, except for one thing: Swimming, especially in cold water, increases appetite dramatically.

The seasons affect your activity levels too. Pedometer research published in the journal Medicine and Science and Sports And Exercise uncovered a huge difference in the number of steps taken between the summer and winter:

7616 steps per day in summer
6293 steps per day in fall
5304 steps per day in winter
5850 steps in spring

Most people blame winter weight gain on the food, but it’s not just the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s celebration feasts, it’s less winter activity that also contributes to the holiday pounds.

You have to keep up with your training and nutrition program in the winter, or else. (Need a program? Here’s a tip: visit www.BurnTheFat.com)

Although studies have found that seasonal weight gain is usually very small, it’s the type of slow weight creep that goes unnoticed. Over a period of 10, 15 or 20 years, it’s enough to accumulate into becoming overweight or obese.

Thus many men and women wake up one morning at age 40 or 45, look in the mirror and ask themselves, “How did I get so heavy?” Answer: just a pound or two a year, after each winter season, left unchecked.

To stay lean all year round, you have to remain alert about increases in your appetite and decreases in your activity. This is a YEAR-ROUND LIFESTYLE! Stay active, stay diligent about nutrition, stay accountable, and if you start to experience weight gain, nip it in the bud – fast!

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto, author of
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle

Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.BurnTheFat.com or http://www.BurnTheFatInnerCircle.com

In 2002, my family went on a cruise to the Southern Caribbean. While researching the cruise, I happened upon a website called Cruise Critic. It has a message board with a wealth of information and I quickly became enthralled. One of the forums on the message board is called “Lose Before You Cruise” (LBYC). I found my way there since I was desperately trying to lose weight before I had to wear a swim suit in front of thousands of people. I became involved with the forum and made a few new friends.

In 2004, my husband and I decided to go on a “grown-up cruise.” I again turned to Cruise Critic for my research and continued to visit the LBYC forum. I frequented one of the posts there and became good friends with several people. Over the years, our group has grown and we share each others lives as if we live next door to each other instead of in different states or countries. The group has grown apart from the LBYC forum, but we stay in constant contact with each other. The support that I receive from my online friends is priceless.

I met a couple of these wonderful online friends in person and it was so wonderful to be able to finally hug some of my greatest supporters. We hope one day for all of us to be able to meet for a short trip and I know that there will be some great laughs, a few tears, and one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.

As you see, you can find support in the strangest places. You just have to open yourself up and be willing to let others in. Your support group will not care if you need to lose 150 lbs or 10 lbs. They will be with you through good times and bad times, and when your chocolate cravings get to be too much, you can call on them to help you over the hump or help you find the healthiest chocolate around.

Embrace support – no matter where you find it.

Sheila

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Hello. My name is Sheila and I’m a chocoholic. How many times have you wondered if there was CA class for those of us addicted to chocolate?

How can you be a fit chocoholic? I’m sure a lot of you are wondering that very same thing. In this blog, I plan on telling you my story of losing weight and getting fit – while still enjoying chocolate.

I hope this blog can inspire and help others get fit and maybe learn a few things along the way. As a chocoholic that started on the path to fitness, I tried every type of diet out there. You can learn from my mistakes. Just think of me as your guinea pig of weight loss. Please see The Chocoholic’s Story page for my story.

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to drop me a line. I look forward to getting to know you!

Sheila

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