12 SECRETS TO LOOSING WEIGHT THAT ACTUALLY WORK

Weight loss can be a slippery slope. Furthermore, it’s a process which is not the same for all people. Nowadays, people usually tend to look for quick fixes or faster ways of losing as much weight as possible. Although these trendy diets may work in the short term, they’ll never result in the final goal of losing weight and then keeping it off.

The plain truth is, there are no bad foods which should be eliminated from one’s diet, nor are there any kinds of miracle foods which will magically make a person to lose weight. So what’s the secret to losing weight and keeping it off forever?

1. CHEW SLOWLY

One of the fastest and easiest ways to help the hunger woes is actually going slowly. Slow down and slowly chew your meals. If you find yourself scarfing down your meal like a homeless dog behind a butchery, take a step backward and become aware of the eating experience.  Take it slow.

This helps you in 2 ways. It normally takes the brain about 20 minutes to completely receive the message showing that the stomach is actually filling with food. The longer one eats the greater chances that the brain will get the signal and accept that you are actually getting full. Secondly, when you’re able to double the number of chews for every bite of food, you’ll find that you enjoy your food more and also become more satiated.

2. DRINK WATER BEFORE EATING A MEAL

Here’s another instant hack. Adopting the practices of drinking a glass full of water (8 ounces or so) prior to every meal is a way of telling your gut to eat less. Water literally fills your stomach’s empty space thus creating a feeling of fullness and coaxing your brain to think that a big meal is off your menu. This is a great way of perceiving small meals while dieting enough to fill yourself.

3. THINK PROTEIN FIRST

It’s difficult to weigh and measure everything you eat (in case you’re the type of person who likes keeping track of every morsel and calorie of food) and even more difficult when you’re out at an event or dinner with your friends.

When choosing the menu items, just put proteins at the forefront. Veggies and steak, rice and fish or other combination will work well for you. Heavy pasta plates and carb-laden dishes will throw you off the wagon faster.

4. EAT WHEN HUNGRY

Meal times, calorie counting and food journals all have their places in an effective meal plan but you should never feel obligated to take food when you’re simply not hungry. Human bodies flow when it comes to hunger, metabolism and moods energy levels. Do not put pressure on yourself to eat a particular meal of a given amount at specific times of day. Listen to the body’s signals and then act accordingly.

5. FAST WHEN IN A BIND

Whenever you find you are outside of your normal eating comfort zone do you just eat whatever? Do you just give yourself the green light to overindulge? You should fight the urge!

If it’s just a temporary situation (long drive or traveling), the best thing for you to do is drinking plenty of water and then fast. Fasting for short periods of time when the only options are the bad kinds of food, keeps you on track in the long run. Simply wait until you find the healthier choices. You will definitely thank yourself later.

6. CARB UP AROUND TRAINING

Another good rule to abide by is consuming most of your carbohydrates around your training sessions. Doing this ensures that most of the food energy will be used as fuel during training. Moderate amounts of complex carbohydrates bookending your workouts sessions not only gives you the much needed boost for training but also keeps your metabolism in constant check during the low carb times.

7. WHEN IN DOUBT, EAT FATS

After your proteins are determined, you should focus next on the healthy fats. Fats are not only beneficial for hair, nail and heart health but they are also responsible for fat metabolism, energy production and hormone regulation that spell good news for your fat loss programs. Just remember not to go overboard since fats contain over two times as many calories per every gram as compared to protein and carbohydrates.

8. CHEAT OPENLY

There may be days where you find your body is requiring more calories than you usually do. As with the above, taking into account hunger, metabolic and moods changes throughout the week, one will most likely feel an internal need for extra calories at times than normal.

Cheating once or even twice per week is advisable when dieting given the fact that your body metabolism takes a beating and it will eventually slow down to conserve energy. Consuming a surplus of calories can alleviate the speed bump and enable you to get your fat burning furnaces firing again.

9. EAT BEFORE GOING OUT

A major pitfall for many dieters is the dreaded arrays of party foods during the holidays, office events and birthdays. Fat-laden foods and sugar are displayed at an arm’s length in the perfect bite-sized portions for all to easily enjoy.

Eat proteins and healthy fat-rich meals prior to any event.  Having some healthy foods in your tummy when you encounter all the sugary sweets and junk food will help.  You will be able to indulge a little but have limits.

10. PRE-PLAN

If you know that you’ll be away from the healthy food choices for a considerable length of time, you should plan ahead. This seems like a no-brainer but how many people actually put this into practice?  Taking healthy snacks like nuts, protein bars and beef jerky can potentially be what you require to stay on the right path. Just like the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a rainy day when one remembers to carry his umbrella.

11. GREEN IS FREE

Learning to be friends with green vegetables gives you an unfair advantage over your quest. Green (especially leafy) vegetables are virtually considered to be free foods in regard to the overall picture of your meal. Load up on these! They are filling, fibrous and also offer a number of great benefits to the overall health.

12. EAT REAL FOOD

Supplements like protein powders, meal replacement bars and amino acids all have their places for convenience but under normal circumstances, real foods are still the best option. Fish, meat, eggs, chicken, turkey, vegetables, whole grains, fruits, natural oils and nuts are foods that are filling and familiar to the body. Supplements are just meant to supplement your already existing foods.

You can actually shed weight faster depending on how much you intend to lose and how focused you remain. Patience is a very important part of a successful weight-loss formula. The pounds did not get packed on overnight. As a result, it will take some time to establish healthy eating and exercise habits to lose weight.

6 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN STARTING A NEW JOB

Starting a new job can be a nerve-wracking experience. If you’re not careful, you could find yourself making the kind of mistakes that will not only annoy your co-workers, but could have you ostracized from the company before you even get your business cards. Avoid these top new hire mistakes to ensure your new job will have longevity.

1. TRYING TOO HARD

It’s common for new hires to want to demonstrate just how skilled they are to prove to others that the company was right to hire them, but showcasing yourself right out the gate can cause you to come across to co-workers as over-zealous or arrogant.

Scott Weiss, founder of the employee referral tracking company Referagig and president of Makena Partners, a technology recruiting support company, says the most important thing a new hire can do is build trust with colleagues. "Take the first few weeks to ask a lot of questions and be curious," he says.

While in the back of your mind, you may be saying I have all these great skills, talents, and knowledge that I bring to the table, putting them out there for everyone to see all at once can make it difficult for you to win the trust that you need with your colleagues.

2. EMBELLISHING YOUR SKILLS OR EXPERIENCE

Starting off on the right foot at your new job begins before you even get hired. Recruiting expert Steve Suggs says the worst mistake he sees new hires make is embellishing on their résumé. "If you get the job, those embellishments will eventually come back to haunt you," he says.

Stay true to your skills and experiences both on your résumé and when chatting with your new co-workers and managers in your early days on the job. If you don’t know something, tell the truth and promise you’ll work hard to learn it.

3. TALKING ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS COMPANY TOO MUCH

Starting a new job is akin to moving to a new community. Things are going to look different and be done differently than in your previous work environment. Talking excessively about how your previous company did things or how you’re used to doing things can put people off and make them think that you won’t be able to fit in to your new company culture.

Managers, especially, have a tendency to want to make changes immediately, but, Weiss advises to stand down, at least for a little while. "You want to be sensitive to the culture that exists," he says.

4. NOT ASKING QUESTIONS

Don’t worry about annoying your managers or co-workers by peppering them with questions. "Being curious is going to demonstrate engagement and show a commitment to learning and wanting to do the job well, and it’s going to create that trust that you’re after with your manager and co-workers," says Weiss.

No matter how good a company’s onboarding process is, Weiss says most companies won’t give you half of the information you need to do the job. Identify who the top performers are in your department and seek out their advice. Not proactively checking in with your manager will simply create lingering doubts about how engaged you really are in your new role.

5. EATING LUNCH ALONE

Being a "joiner" is especially important to build rapport, trust, and camaraderie with your new co-workers. Look for opportunities to get to know your new work community, whether grabbing a coffee in the break room or heading to the cafeteria for lunch. But while being social is important, remember not to go over-share everything about yourself.

"Let them become curious about you," says Weiss. Listen to what’s going on around you and chime in when it’s appropriate. "You’re like the new kid at school and you want to be careful about shaping your image and cultivating your reputation and your image, and you have to do that slowly," says Weiss.

6. ENGAGING IN GOSSIP

Avoid becoming best buds with the office Chatty Cathy. "Gossip is the death of relationships," says Suggs. You want to avoid giving anyone any ammunition to use against you in the early days of starting a new job. Being labelled an office gossip will destroy your abilities to earn the trust of your new colleagues.

How to Compliment a Woman

There’s only one right way to compliment a woman: freely, with no expectation that she’ll give us anything in return for it. There’s only one place a genuine compliment arises from: genuine appreciation of whatever gift she’s giving to the world in this moment. Whether that gift be her radiant femininity, her intelligence, her presence, her physical beauty, her smile, her cleverness, her strength, her love. Whatever she is offering the world in this moment, a compliment is well-suited to tell a woman that her presence is genuinely 
When a man can offer a woman such an acknowledgment, freely and sincerely with no expectation of anything in return from her, everyone feels great. Acknowledging and appreciating beauty in the world is a pleasure, in and of itself. Unfortunately, too many men only compliment women when they want something from her: a smile, acknowledgment, validation, a phone number, sex, feminine energy, whatever, anything. That video of a woman walking through the streets of New York, approached, followed, harassed, catcalled, propositioned, objectified more than 10 times every hour … it’s only ugly to us because we immediately get that all those men want something from her that she doesn’t want to offer them, and they don’t care that she feels uncomfortable in their presence. Their selfish, narcissistic disregard for her well-being offends us. Can you imagine being constantly approached by total strangers who want something from you, who are physically stronger than you and would almost surely take what they want if they thought they could get away with it? It isn’t just city-street men who make women feel uncomfortable in public. I was in Starbucks yesterday when I saw a well-to-do 50-something-year-old man and a Starbucks employee start impishly elbowing each other in that way adolescent boys do when an attractive woman walked in the store. I felt nauseous, myself, just watching these two grown men mentally gang-bang her as she waited to order a latté. ♦◊♦ Men, we have no idea how powerful we truly are, or where our authentic power resides. We tend to think our power is in our sheer force of will. Our persistence. Our insistence. Our cleverness. Our anger. Our testicles. Yes, there’s power in those places. We use them constantly to persist, coerce, manipulate, shame, berate, and cajole women into giving us what we want. Then we wonder why so many women have a hard time trusting most men. But that’s not where we’re most powerful. A man’s true power is in his heart. How is he holding the world? How does he hold women? Is he only holding the world and women as objects in his mind, in which case he’s going to use both as tools to enhance his ego stature? Such a man will use the limited battery power contained in his will, in his persistence and cleverness, anger and his testicles to get whatever he wants from the world and from women. Even if he has to manipulate, exploit, coerce, or oppress them. Such a man will tend to create a lot of collateral damage as he constantly maneuvers to sustain his flickering power.
Unfortunately, too many men only compliment women when they want something from her: a smile, acknowledgment, validation, a phone number, sex, feminine energy, whatever, anything. That video of a woman walking through the streets of New York, approached, followed, harassed, catcalled, propositioned, objectified more than 10 times every hour … it’s only ugly to us because we immediately get that all those men want something from her that she doesn’t want to offer them, and they don’t care that she feels uncomfortable in their presence. Their selfish, narcissistic disregard for her well-being offends us. Can you imagine being constantly approached by total strangers who want something from you, who are physically stronger than you and would almost surely take what they want if they thought they could get away with it? It isn’t just city-street men who make women feel uncomfortable in public. I was in Starbucks yesterday when I saw a well-to-do 50-something-year-old man and a Starbucks employee start impishly elbowing each other in that way adolescent boys do when an attractive woman walked in the store. I felt nauseous, myself, just watching these two grown men mentally gang-bang her as she waited to order a latté. ♦◊♦ Men, we have no idea how powerful we truly are, or where our authentic power resides. We tend to think our power is in our sheer force of will. Our persistence. Our insistence. Our cleverness. Our anger. Our testicles. Yes, there’s power in those places. We use them constantly to persist, coerce, manipulate, shame, berate, and cajole women into giving us what we want. Then we wonder why so many women have a hard time trusting most men. But that’s not where we’re most powerful. A man’s true power is in his heart. How is he holding the world? How does he hold women? Is he only holding the world and women as objects in his mind, in which case he’s going to use both as tools to enhance his ego stature? Such a man will use the limited battery power contained in his will, in his persistence and cleverness, anger and his testicles to get whatever he wants from the world and from women. Even if he has to manipulate, exploit, coerce, or oppress them. Such a man will tend to create a lot of collateral damage as he constantly maneuvers to sustain his flickering power.
However, a man connected to his heart is a man who radiates power like the sun. He will hold both the world and women with appreciation and respect for their beauty, their life-giving force, their innate mysterious wisdom and infinite gift of love energy. Such a man will treat a woman completely differently: he won’t expect her to return his gift of appreciation and cherishing, though he’ll certainly welcome it when she offers it freely. He’ll experience an authentic power beyond measure. That may be a bit poetic, but consider that a feminine woman actually wants her beauty appreciated by men. She enhances her physical appearance with jewelry, make-up, perfume, and attractive clothing so that she will be noticed and appreciated. A man in his heart will absolutely appreciate a woman’s beauty, and he can express that appreciation in all kinds of ways that won’t make her feel uncomfortable. He can even enjoy in her presence the sexual charge that rises in his body like that electric tingle in summer air before a thunderstorm—without making her feel like she has to do something about it. She may not want to do anything about it for him, and he’ll be ok with that because he holds her in his heart. Concern for her well-being is primary in his heart. And she’ll feel that. She’ll instinctively trust him because of it. A new world is born. Because she trusts him, a woman may open to a man even more in the presence of a genuine compliment, like a beautiful flower opening to the sun, eager to offer its hidden gift to the world. She loves being deeply appreciated, cherished, and a genuine compliment communicates this to her. This is the power of real love. Only a man in his heart can access such power. 
Still, a man in his heart doesn’t ask anything in return for his compliments, not even acknowledgment. For he knows she might not give it, but only because we have a lot of collective work to do earn women’s collective trust back. And we men do have a lot of collective work to do to earn back women’s trust. Women have been mishandled daily for ages, in the streets, at the office, in their homes, by their friends and acquaintances and strangers, by too many men disconnected from their hearts and so challenged to see beyond merely the advantages a woman can offer them. We men can be thoughtful about that. We can still give women compliments, too, which they surely welcome as long as we don’t demand anything in return. When we offer a genuine compliment to a woman, we simply offer a gift: our pure appreciation. As we feel great in the giving, everyone wins. 

Nutrients Your Bones Need

Your bones require specific nutrients to stay strong and healthy. Calcium and vitamin D are the two big ones that I think most people recognize, but magnesium, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, C, and K are also essential for bone health.

This slideshow features 25 foods that will supply you with those essential nutrients when included in a balanced diet. I’ve also found delicious and healthy recipes and tips for preparing these foods.Oranges are rich in vitamin C, which is needed for collagen formation and contributes to bone health. An orange is also a good source of vitamin A, which is essential for normal skeletal growth and cell differentiation.Milk is an excellent source of calcium, which helps keeps your bones strong. In fact, one cup of milk gives you almost one-third of your daily requirement. Milk is also fortified with vitamin D, to make sure your body absorbs calcium, along with some extra vitamin A, as well.

Swiss chard is just incredibly nutritious. It's high in so many minerals, including calcium and magnesium, and it's also high in vitamins A and C, which are all good for your bones. Swiss chard is also high in fiber and low in calories, so it's perfect for just about every diet.

Parmesan cheese is packed with calcium -- one tablespoon of shredded Parmesan cheese has 63 milligrams, which is a lot of calcium in a small amount of food. Parmesan cheese is also a good source of protein, and it has a bit of vitamin A. The calories aren't bad either -- that one tablespoon has only 21 calories.

Rhubarb is high in calcium -- one cup of cooked rhubarb has about 350 milligrams of calcium. It's also a good source of vitamins A and C. By itself, rhubarb is low in calories, but it usually has to be cooked with sugar.

Figs contain minerals and vitamins that are essential for bone health. One cup of stewed figs has about 180 milligrams of calcium, plus some vitamins C and vitamin K. Raw figs are low in calories and high in fiber, so they're good for your diet --  a couple of raw figs can give you about 24 milligrams of calcium.

Spinach is an excellent source of just about every nutrient that a plant can offer. Spinach is good for your bones because it's high in calcium and vitamins A, C and K. It's also delicious, versatile and low in calories so it really should be a part of everyone's diet.

Cashews have a little bit of calcium and vitamin K, but what makes them so good for your bones is the magnesium and other minerals they offer, plus some healthy plant-based protein. 

Kiwi fruit is good for your bones because they're very high in vitamin C, and they're rich in magnesium. Kiwi fruit also adds some calcium and vitamins A and K to your daily intake. They're also deliciously sweet without being high in calories.

Salmon is rich in vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids that your bones need to stay strong and healthy, and it's also an excellent source of protein. Although it's rich in healthy fats, salmon isn't high in calories either.

Soy milk (and soy in general) is a good source of complete protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Soy milk is also typically fortified with calcium and vitamin D, which makes it even better for your bones.

Pumpkin seeds contain some calcium and protein, but they're an excellent source of magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. They're also high in fiber, so they make a nice snack or addition to salads

Tomato juice is high in several vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and vitamins A and C. It also has some calcium and a little vitamin K. Fresh tomatoes are good too, of course, but tomato juice concentrates all that nutrition.

Red sweet peppers are good for your bones because they're high in vitamins C and A. They also have some vitamin K. They're good for most any diet because they're low in calories and a good source of B vitamins and fiber.

Kale is a cruciferous vegetable that's related to cauliflower and broccoli. It's another one of those superfoods that are rich in just about every vitamin and mineral you can name. Kale is good for your bones because it's high in calcium, and vitamins A, C and K. 

Like most greens, collards are rich in vitamins and minerals. Collards are particularly high in calcium, plus they contain a good amount of magnesium. They're also super-rich in vitamins K and A, and they offer a fair amount of vitamin C.

I really believe that Brussels sprouts aren't appreciated as much as they should be, which is a shame because they're so nutritious. Brussels sprouts are rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, C and K. 

Brazil nuts are a good source of calcium and protein, but they're an even better source of magnesium. They're also high in other minerals that might be good for your bones as well. They're a little high in calories -- one serving of six nuts has close to 200 calories.

Molasses isn't really something you'd eat in large amounts because it's high in calories, but a tablespoon of molasses is a good source of calcium and an even better source of magnesium. So as far as potential sweeteners go, molasses might be a good choice. 

Walnuts are a good source of calcium, protein and magnesium.They're also a good source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Like all nuts, they're a bit high in calories, but they're satisfying so eating a small handful of walnuts in the afternoon can tide you over until dinner.

Cheese in general is a good source of calcium and protein, but it's also high in fat and calories so you need to watch your serving sizes. One slice of cheddar cheese has almost 200 millligrams of calcium. It also has some vitamin A and a bit of magnesium.

Red beets are delicious and good for you, but did you know you can eat the greens as well? Beet greens are high in several vitamins and minerals. They're very high in calcium and magnesium, plus they've got lots of vitamins A and C, so they're an excellent choice for bone health. 

Yogurt is high in calcium and protein. In fact, one cup of plain yogurt has about 450 milligrams of calcium and over 12 grams of protein. Yogurt is available in a variety of flavors so watch out for brands that are high in calories from all the added sugar.

Asparagus is high in calcium and very high in magnesium. It's also an excellent source of vitamins A, K and C. It's also a good source of plain protein and is very low in calories. In fact, one cup of cooked asparagus has about 40 calories.

Artichokes contain some calcium, but they have a larger amount of magnesium. They're also a good source of vitamin C. Artichokes are also high in fiber and low in calories, so they're good for most any diet.

Whole30 Diet Review

I’ve never enjoyed “diets” before. I mean, who does, really? Usually they are packed with restrictions, poor food options, and little to no long-term benefits. Not saying those other diets didn’t help me lose weight or eat cleaner for a while, but they always left my body wanting more.

I would eat paleo about 80 percent of the time, but it was the other 20 percent that was preventing me from seeing what I wanted to see in the mirror. I’m less concerned with numbers on the scale; instead, I focus on body composition and the way I feel during peak activity.

I’m a very active guy, very much into CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting, and recently began dabbling in triathlon training, but as any nutritionist will tell you, the body you want isn’t just about the exercise you put out, it’s primarily tied to the food you put in. You can’t expect your body to perform or look its best if you’re filling it with, well, crap.

So with all of this in mind, I knew I needed something that was going to not only shock the system and help me get closer to the body composition I was looking for, but more importantly, not leave me at the end with a walk of shame to habits that would eventually take me back to ground zero. 

Whole30 was a program I had heard about from friends at the gym and it always seemed so daunting. It’s a 30-day commitment, and every time I thought about it, there was always a holiday or a wedding or a vacation coming up and I knew I wouldn’t be able to honor that commitment.

But then I talked to a CrossFit friend of mine who shared my fitness goals and was already a few weeks into his Whole30, and he said to “get in the mindset that you are the only person that is in charge of your body and you have absolute control over what goes in it. If you want it to look, feel, and perform like a Ferrari, treat it like one.”

That was all I needed to hear. I targeted June 1, 2015 as my start date, ordered the book so I could have a tangible guide with appropriate recipes, and started reading all the dos and don’ts.

That’s when I started to think: “what did I get myself into?”

No gluten. No dairy. No legumes. No alcohol. No added sugar (real or artificial). No grains. No carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. No desserts recreated with approved ingredients (say bye to delicious paleo pancakes). No bacon (nearly all commercial bacon is cured with sugar; there are some out there that aren’t, but good luck finding them). No stepping on the scale.

That’s a lot of no, but I didn’t let that discourage me; I knew I could do this and I knew it would be good for my body. I wanted to change my relationship with food. I no longer wanted to eat purely based on desire, but rather hunt for what would fuel my body the best while also pleasing my taste buds.

“As an RD and lover of real food nutrition, I am a supporter of the Whole30,” said Erica Giovinazzo, Head Coach and Nutritionist at BRICK CrossFit. “It's based off of real, good, nutritious foods, that don't stimulate inflammation.

I spoke with Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, founders of the Whole30 program and Certified Sports Nutritionists (CISSN), to understand what the secret to success was for this seemingly rigorous plan. “Three words: ‘planning and preparation’” said Melissa.

“The Whole30 means you’ll be shopping for, preparing, and cooking three meals a day. You’ll need a plan when dining out, traveling, or stuck in a long business meeting. How well you prepare for stressful situations, long days at the office, peer pressure, and family dinners will make or break your Whole30.”

She couldn’t have been more correct here. The old adage of “failure to plan is planning to fail” reigns true when it comes to this way of eating. I remember one time, on a business trip to San Francisco, I didn’t plan my breakfast the morning before a long meeting and walked around the office for about 30 minutes before searching for some damn eggs. Nothing. I walked down every street, was vigorously searching on Yelp, nothing around that I could eat. I ended up with a banana from Starbucks until lunch. Case in point: plan ahead for success!