"The Skinny"
on Weight Loss!

June 2009

Welcome to the fourth issue of our monthly newsletter, which will focus on motivation for weight loss! We received excellent feedback about our first three issues and hope you continue to enjoy our monthly e-zine! Our goal is to provide you with tips, tricks, and techniques you can use to help you achieve your wellness goals!

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• One of the best pieces of weight loss motivation advice I’ve come across is from a book by Linda Spangle, called 100 Days of Weight Loss. She asks the reader to consider the following question: Are you interested in losing weight or are you committed to losing weight? That's a powerful question to consider before you begin your weight loss journey. It will be the difference between frustration and success. When you're interested in losing weight, you will diet until something better comes along. You will give in to the first temptation that sneaks up on you. When you're committed, when your head is in the right place, no temptation will be more powerful than your desire to lose weight.

• Dieting and motivation are similar to the horse and cart. Which comes first? Do you have to wait around for motivation to begin your diet? I firmly believe that true motivation, the kind that can sustain you throughout your extended weight loss journey, comes after you've experienced some initial success. Instead of waiting to be motivated, start your weight loss plan and give yourself 2 weeks. Two weeks is the magic amount of time that we can make ourselves power through on sheer will alone. At the end of that two weeks, you will notice success on the scale and feel an overall sense of accomplishment. That will provide the motivation you need to keep going, even when the going gets tough!

• Are you ready to make a change? Many people find it motivating to have a hot pair of jeans or a sexy bathing suit or a great picture of themselves at an ideal weight in a conspicuous spot. If that works for you, by all means go for it! Try on the jeans weekly. Take your measurements monthly. Set small, manageable goals to stay on track and treat yourself to a pedicure or a massage for every five or ten pounds. Reading books, magazines, or websites about dieting can also be helpful. Although new books are being published all the time, there really isn’t a lot of new information about dieting and weight loss out there. We pretty much know what it’s all about. Examining it from a different perspective, hearing it explained differently, or reading a different spin on old information can be very inspiring.

Summer means ice cream and just because we want to lose weight, doesn't mean we can't occasionally indulge! My favorite weight loss ice cream products are made by The Skinny Cow! They have scrumptious ice cream sandwiches, cones, and bars. Their newest treat, Truffle Bars, are to die for! All of their products are low in calories, fats, and Weight Watcher points.

The Skinny Cow company provides a great PDF document on Sparkpeople.com called 30 Ways to Outsmart Temptation. You'll find some really helpful motivational tips that can make your summer weight loss program more successful!

30 Ways to Outsmart Temptation

Check out some of my favorite books to help with motivation for weight loss:

Motivation for Weight Loss

Check out Sparkpeople.com

This comprehensive website provides personalized diet and fitness plans as well as a calorie counter and online tracker. They have special sections for teens, new moms, fitness videos, and healthy recipes!

Previously, scientists believed that brown fat was found only in infants. Incredible new research as shown that adults, particularly women, younger people, and lean people have more brown fat. This study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, has scientists excited to find ways to increase brown fat or “turn it up” a little.

So called “brown fat” is filled with mitochondria, the energy burners of cells. The brownish color comes from the enzymes that use iron. This particular mitochondria has specialized protein that allows them to burn extra energy, thus generating more heat. Just two ounces of brown fat can burn up to 20% of calories at rest, which could amount to 200-500 calories.

The big question for scientists is how to activate brown fat. Some studies have shown that being exposed to cold temperatures, such as 60 degrees, for several hours, burns more calories. This alone can’t be the answer though, as many overweight people live in cold climates. Scientists are certain that diet and exercise will play a significant role once the key is found, and are currently working with pharmaceutical companies to find ways to stimulate brown fat. Now that’s an exciting development…who knew fat could be a good thing?

Carol's Tuna Pasta Salad
(from Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen)

1 pound of uncooked pasta, such as fusilli
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup loosely packed,coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, diced
1/3 cup loosely packed, thinly sliced scallions
1 tablespoon small capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1-2 6 ounce cans white albacore tuna packed in water, drained

Cook pasta, drain, set aside. Prepare dressing by whisking together yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, Tabasco, and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine red pepper, scallions, capers, tuna, and pasta. Add dressing and toss until evenly distributed.

Editor's Note:

Summer is a great time to make dieting easier with the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. I like to make a fruit smoothie in my blender for breakfast. This one drink can knock out most of my daily dairy and fruit requirements. I usually combine a cup of skim milk with 1/4 cup of plain fat-free yogurt. I add a banana, and frozen berries, along with ice and blend away. In addition, I like to keep a bowl of gazpacho in my fridge all summer. I mix V-8 juice with cut up cucumbers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, carrots, and celery. I add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red wine vinegar to taste. Bean salad is another great thing to keep in the fridge for those times when you just have to have something now! I mix different kinds of canned beans (drained and rinsed) with celery, onion, bell peppers, salt, pepper, garlic powder, a little olive oil, and vinegar. The longer it sits in the fridge, the better it gets!

Are You Ready For a Change? Discover How to Get Started On Your Weight Loss Journey!

I am sorry to say that I don't have a success story to share with you this month. I know that many of you are making positive lifestyle changes and experiencing significant improvements to your overall health and well-being. We need you to share your success stories with us!

I would love to include a "Subscriber's Success Story" each month. If you would like to be featured here or if you know someone who would, please reply to this email or use my contact page. Pictures aren't imperative, but they sure are inspiring!

• One-third of all American adults are now considered obese?
  
  
• We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk?
  
  
• One of the very best diet motivators is to track your food and exercise. Keeping a food and exercise journal may actually double the number of pounds that a dieter loses according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. If writing down every calorie you eat is too labor-intensive, don't despair! Recording your food and the approximate amounts is just as effective as long as you record everything you eat. It's no surprise that those tastes and bites add up! For a convenient way to record this information, see our Easy Weight Loss Tips' 30-Day Food & Exercise Log!

Thank you for subscribing, and I hope you enjoyed the motivation for weight loss issue of "The Skinny" on Weight Loss! Stay tuned next month...

Remember, if you have comments, ideas for future issues, or any kind of feedback, I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this e-zine and tell me what you think! You can also reach me through my contact page.

For comprehensive information about weight loss and wellness, please visit, Easy Weight Loss Tips!