Back again, been a while.
I've been struggling with my weight again.
Story of my life.
I've put on a kilo and now am desperately trying to get it back off.
I haven't started doing any walking, like I said I would. Bad, Bad, Bad.
I Have to lose another 5 kilos. I have my brothers wedding at the end of the year and I do not want to be a porker.
I was searching the net and found this article about carbs. I thought it was interesting to read. Thought it might interest you all.

Are You A Carbohydrate Addict?

By: cathie karas

When you think of addictions, what comes to your mind? Drugs, alcohol, even the more recent, sex. However, food(in this case carbohydrates) can be an addiction as well. When you have an uncontrollable urge to eat, even if your not hungry, and you feel as if you "need" that cake, you may have an addiction. A carbohydrate addiction.

Putting the science in weight loss. Being over weight, may not just be because you won't say no to the extra calories your eating, or the lack of exercise, but it can be a biological addiction to carbohydrates and an overabundant production of insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use and conserve food energy in three ways:

• Insulin tells your body when to eat.
• Insulin delivers food energy to wherever the body needs it.
• Insulin commands the body to save food energy stored in fat cells for a time when no food is available.

If you have excess amounts of insulin in your bloodstream, your body cannot absorb it all, which leads to hunger, and cravings of carbo-rich foods, such as breads, cakes, and pastas. Eating these foods cause the body to make even more insulin, thus creating an endless cycle of over eating and weight gain.

Carbohydrate addiction can be controlled, you have to manage what you eat, and take charge of your diet. Keeping a food journal is very useful.

Find out if you are a carbohydrate addict. Ask yourself these questions:

1. After eating a full breakfast, do you get hungrier before it is lunch time than you would if you had skipped breakfast altogether?

2. Do you get tiered after eating a large meal, or find that you are sluggish and/or hungry in the afternoon?

3. Have you been on diet after diet, only to regain the weight you lost?

4. Does stress, boredom, and tiredness make you want to eat?

5. Do you sometimes feel you aren't satisfied, even though you just finished a meal?

6. Do you find it harder to take off weight- and keep it off- than when you were younger?

If you answered "YES" to 2 of these questions, you are probably mildly carbo-addicted.
If you answered "YES" to 3-4 of these questions, you are likely to be moderately carbo-addicted.
If you answered "YES" to 5-6 of these questions, you probably have a severe carbohydrate addiction that may be greatly affecting your life.

You can manage your carbohydrate addiction so that you can lose weight and be healthy for the rest of your life- without feeling deprived or struggling to manage your eating patterns and your weight.

You can have your CARBS and eat them too, once a day, to prevent the release of excessive amounts of insulin.

The following plan is from "The World's Greatest Treasury of Health Secrets" (2005), and worked for 80% of the 1,000 carbohydrate-addicted patients they consulted at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Carbo-rich foods: breads, grains, cereals, ice cream, milk, yogurt, fruit and fruit juices, lunch meats, pasta, noodles, rice, snack foods, sweets, and starchy vegetables(beets, carrots,zucchini, corn, tomatoes, peas and potatoes).
Craving-reducing foods: red meat, poultry, fish, cheese, oils, tofu, fats, dressings, non starchy vegetables (brusselsprouts, green beans, peppers, lettuce, asparagus, broccoli and mushrooms).

The Basic Plan
Eat one balanced "Reward Meal" everyday for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The meal should consist of two cups of fresh salad and

• one-third craving reducing protein (meat,fish,cheese,eggs,tofu)
• one-third starchy vegetables
• one-third carbohydrate rich foods

*Use good sense, and listen to your body when sizing the portions.

Complete your "Reward Meal" within one hour. Otherwise your body will be hungry all over again.

Eat only craving-reducing foods at all other meals and snacks.

Consult with a doctor before starting any diet or exercise plan. Follow the program for two weeks, you should notice a lessening of your cravings. If you don't, try to adjust the program- for example, you may need to eat between-meal snacks...adjust the servings sizes of your meals, or add nutritional supplements and other dietary supplements to your plan.


Source: "The World's Greatest Treasury of Health Secrets" 2005 Bottom Line Publications (Pg. 343) Print.

About the Author

Cathie is a mom and a writer with various blogs and topics. Her specialties are health, wellness, Long Island, and family.

View her blogs:

http://www.resetweight.blogspot.com

http://www.longisland.blogspot.com

Email Cathie

(ArticlesBase SC #2190251)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Are You A Carbohydrate Addict?

Indulging In Chocolate Can Be Good For You

Hotel Chocolat - Extra Thick Dark Chocolate Easter Egg
Originally uploaded by Chocolate4Gifts

Easter has come and gone. Thank goodness.
If your on a diet this can be one of the hardest times of the year.
Friends and family always buy you an easter basket or box of chocolates. Don't they know your on a diet. YES!
But if only they had bought dark chocolate, then it wouldn't be so bad.

Dark chocolate contains more cacao and less sugar than milk chocolate and research has shown that it keeps blood pressure down and helps the blood pumping which makes for a healthier heart.
Cocoa also benefits the brain by improving the functions of the blood vessels.

So chocolate can be good for you, in moderation. Remember that 100g of dark chocolate contains 500 calories so you need to count this in your diet.

I find that if I have a craving for something sweet, a small square of dark chocolate takes that feeling away and satisfies the craving.
Try it, it really does work.

REMEMBER - WILLPOWER

Overweight People vs Gym Junkies

Strength Training in the Gym





Buy This Allposters.com

I admirer gym junkies and their will power to exercise every day, but I do believe that overweight people are a little intimidated by them.

Weight loss is a major concern for many overweight people and to get the courage to actually walk into the gym is a very nerve racking experience.
It will be over two weeks before you finally take that important step and enter through the gym doors.

Finally making your way to the counter, the first thing that hits you is the girl behind the counter.
What your thinking is "Oh My God, look at her." Tall, trim and terrific. You start to hesitate but eventually edge your way up to her.
As you are shown to the restroom and a locker you can feel everybodies eyes piercing your skin like little knives. Watching you walk and judging your every move, so it seems.
Your heart is racing and the sweat is beading on your forehead and running down your back before you have even completed one exercise.
As you make your way to the exercise area, you finally get the courage to lift your head and look around. Not one person is actually looking in your direction. These people are to busy doing their sets or running on the treadmill.

To the average overweight person, it feels as though you are competing against these gym junkies but really they couldn't careless about what you are doing or what you look like. They are there for themselves, nobody else.

exercise

Tastiest Zucchini Pie

Here is a easy recipe that I have been making for quite some time.
You could change some of the ingredients to your liking.
Tips for weightloss keep portion size small and use low fat canola oil spray for pastry sheets and low fat parmesan cheese.

* Slice 1kg of zucchini. (place these into a colander and sprinkle salt over top. Leave to sit over another bowl in fridge for at least three hours)
* 6 eggs, lightly beaten.
* filo pastry about 10 sheets.
* 1 tsp nutmeg.
* 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
* 60g butter.
* 3/4 cup sr flour, sifted.
* Tblsp chopped chives, dried or fresh.
* 2 tomatoes, diced.
* 100g salami, hot or mild-chopped fine.
* 250g parmesan shaved cheese. Keep a tsp to sprinkle on top.
* Pepper to taste.

Rinse zucchini and pat dry with some paper towel.
Oven should be about 170degrees C.
Line a 23cm springform tin with melted butter, place sheets of filo
inside, overlapping as you move around the tin. Brush each layer with melted butter. Over lap the sides of tin as well.
Mix together the flour, parmesan, nutmeg, eggs, chives, salami, tomatoes,
oil and zucchini. Spoon mixture into tin and pull flaps of pastry over the top of pie. Brush with butter and sprinkle a little parmesan over top.
Cook for atleast 40 minutes. It is cooked when set. If it looks like it is browning to quickly, slow the oven down but then you may have to cook a bit longer.
Let sit for 20mins before taking out of tin. Best eaten on the day of cooking.

diet

Zucchini Madness

Zucchinis, Zucchinis, Zucchinis. I'm starting to go mad. I've been packing these green oblong things for over five weeks and I've probably got another five to go. Tossing and turning in my sleep, chasing me or crawling in my bed(this must mean insanity).
Anyway, I thought because that's all that I've got on my mind at the moment, I would find out if they are any good for you.
Guess what? They actually are. We can loose weight by eating these things.
The water content is nearly 95%, so, great for us dieters and good for your skin.
Other health benefits are-: they contain only 15 calories per 100g, now there's a plus.
They contain potassium, which is an electrolyte (mineral salt)good for human nervous system, muscle function.
Calcium, good for our bones. Vitamin A,C,K & B's also included.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and is suggested to be good for people who suffer from asthma. If a deficiency in vitamin C, scurvy and bruising may become an issue.
It is also believed that eating zucchinis may prevent the risk of having Multiple Sclerosis and prevent age-related prostate enlargement in men.
The copper, which zucchini's contain, is an anti-inflammatory. Great for arthritis pain.
So for all my whinging about these lovely green vegetables, they are very healthy for you.
I've got a geat recipe, I'll bring it to you next time.

Freshly Cut Zucchini
Originally uploaded by LollyKnit