How To Beat Food Cravings
In the last post I wrote about diets that can help you lose weight quick. If you follow a plan like that and want to succeed, you’ll need to know how to beat food cravings.
In fact, however you lose weight, fast or slow, those pesky cravings will come up sooner or later, that’s for certain sure. Why? Because our bodies are made that way. The body figures out that there’s less of a sugar hit coming in than there used to be, and instinctively it yells at you: “GET MORE FOOD!” You may not even be hungry. And guess what? You don’t have to obey.
So here is the key to:
How to beat your food cravings
So when you have followed the fast diet plan for several days, or maybe even several hours, you will start feeling a strong desire to eat something that has some or all of the ingredients that you are avoiding. I won’t name foods because this is one thing to know, that seeing those foods in real life or pictures or even reading their names is likely to make you start fantasizing about eating them.
Stamp on the thought
And fantasizing about eating them is the number one thing NOT to do. The minute one of those foods pops up in your mind you need to stamp on that thought HARD. Avoid that aisle in the store. Walk away from the table in the office where they put the homecooked whatever. And do something else with your mind like find a crossword clue to solve or play a video game. Or if you are in the office, what the hell, you could even do some work 🙂
It’s poison to you
You can also remind yourself that most of the so-called “foods” that the manufacturers and restaurant chains are trying to sell us, are actually NOT REAL FOODS and to anyone who is overweight, they may as well be POISON.
They have been stripped of most of their vitamins and minerals. Then sometimes they add them back to make the stuff sound healthy (which it’s not). Then different chemicals are added to make the product as appealing as possible to the taste buds, and to hell with what it does to our bodies.
Cravings lie to you
The cravings monster LIES to you
Cravings will tell you lies. For example, if you didn’t stamp on the thought quick enough and you find yourself fantasizing about a food, you will likely start believing that your craving is impossible to beat. It feels like the more you resist, the stronger it will grow, until it is overwhelming and you are completely dominated by it and you have no choice but to cave. And since caving is inevitable in the end, you may as well cave now, right?
WRONG! It is a LIE that cravings will grow stronger if you ignore them. Some will feel stronger than others, but the truth is that as you ignore them more and more, they will gradually grow weaker.
If you have ever quit smoking or anything else, you will know this. If not, talk to someone who did. Or just look at them! Say they quit smoking two years ago. Do they look like they are in the grip of a tobacco craving that has grown stronger and stronger over all of those two years, so that now they cannot see a pack of cigarettes without writhing on the floor fighting an overwhelming urge to smoke? No, right?
Maybe they were like that two years ago when they first stopped. Maybe that state got worse for a few days. Maybe they will tell you the third day or the third week was harder than the first (if they even remember). But after that, IT GETS BETTER.
You do not beat food cravings by giving in to them. That’s their lie. You beat them by ignoring them.
See the truth
So when you are hit with a craving, walk away for a second (because moving your body can change what you’re thinking) and just REMEMBER what that food actually did to you. Not the taste of it, which always seems better in our imagination like the old “grass is always greener” proverb. But how you will feel a half hour or an hour after eating it.
Here’s a clue: you’ll feel like shit. You’ll feel like shit because you’ve blown another diet. You’ll feel like shit because that stuff raises your blood pressure and makes your heart pound. And because now you are right back in that addictive cycle where you feel so shit that you actually want more of the stuff to relieve that feeling, even though it’s what put you down in the first place.
Free yourself
Sometimes a diet can seem real restrictive. You may get angry at what feels like a prison. But the truth is the opposite. When we overeat all the time, we are addicted, we are slaves to those chemical non-foods. By resisting the craving, you will be FREE.
And that is how to handle cravings – have a strong determination to be free.
Posted in Weight and Fitness by Finn with no comments yet.
Can I Lose Weight Fast and Keep It Off?
Most of us when we look in the mirror wish we could lose weight fast and then keep it off. But is this even possible? A lot of weight loss websites will tell you that slow is best when it comes to getting rid of that fat on your belly or butt. But why?
If there’s a “secret” to weight loss it’s out there in plain sight: eat less and move your body more. It’s simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy, right? It’s also simple to lose weight fast – you just eat a LOT less for a while.
The problem is, that when you do that, your body has defense mechanisms that send you overwhelming messages to EAT and eat a LOT RIGHT NOW. For a while you may resist, but sooner or later very likely you will cave and start on a massive binge. If you don’t watch out, that can leave you at a higher weight than you ever were before.
So the secret to how to lose weight and then keep it off involves ignoring those overwhelming cravings. Frankly, this is easiest if you lose weight slower, so your body has a chance to adapt. Then it won’t panic and flash up EAT! EAT! EAT! in your brain.
But there is another way, and that is to learn to deal with the cravings. So in this post I will look at #1, how to lose weight quick. Then in the next post #2, how to handle the cravings that push you to throw in the towel on your diet.
1. How to lose weight fast
As I said before, the best way to lose fat long term is to take it slow. But maybe you can’t do that because you have a big event coming up like a wedding or high school reunion, and you need to get into that dress or those pants no matter what.
So then what? Well my first tip is to keep your motivation right up there in the stars. Hang that clothing you want to get into on your kitchen door so every time you walk in that kitchen, you are reminded. Photograph your event invitation and make it the screensaver on your phone. Put a sticky note on your credit card so you see it every time you take out the card to pay for food or whatever. Do all you can to make sure that event is in your face all of the time.
I probably don’t need to tell you what diet to follow because most everyone knows the basic rules. If you don’t, then buying the latest diet plan or attending weight watchers may help you figure it out, but basically this is it:
– Eat LESS sugar, flour and fat
– Eat more vegetables, fruits, fish, eggs, and lean meats.
If you’re happy to lose weight fairly slow, you can simply follow that. But if you want that fat off fast, you need to ramp it up a bit, like this:
– Eat nothing that contains sugar (includes mayonnaise) or flour (pasta, bread, sauces). This rules out all fast food.
– Add no oils or fats to anything you prepare (and you or a family member will be preparing pretty much all you eat now).
– Avoid cheese and cream, and drink only fat-free milk.
– Eat no high glycemic foods like rice, potatoes, bananas, mangos, grapes, corn, peas, winter squash.
So your diet will consist entirely of lower carb vegetables (you can find a list easily online), not-so-sweet fruits like berries and green apples, fish, and lean meats.
And before you start wailing about breakfast, I suggest eggs, mushrooms, and tomatoes. It tastes great and will fill you up way longer than the carbs you used to have.
Of course that’s not a sustainable weight loss plan for any long time (although it’s not far from what Dr Now tells his patients to follow for several months before bariatric surgery). Don’t expect to eat this way for life. And have a doctor check it’s safe for you if you have health issues or are taking medication for anything (especially diabetes). But for a few weeks until your wedding or whatever, it should be fine for most people.
In the next article I will look at how to beat your cravings, because that’s the secret to keeping the weight off. So with both of these posts together, you will know how to lose weight fast and keep it off.
Posted in Weight and Fitness by Finn with no comments yet.
Been Dumped By Girlfriend?
This is what I learned when I was dumped by my girlfriends.
I have personally been dumped by girlfriend several times and each time has played a significant part in my understanding of the process.
Yes, they have been painful experiences but I feel that I have learnt some important things from these experiences. In this piece I will share what I have learned so that others can take my experiences and lessons from these, and apply them to their own experiences, so as to be successful in life with relationships.
1. Two are always involved
When a breakup does take place, it can be easy to blame the other individual for the situation that has happened. However, it takes two in a relationship to make it work or fall apart, and for that reason you should evaluate what part you may have played in this break up.
Maybe you did not notice what you did to help cause the break up, so it is important to reflect and think about these things.
Don’t expect your ex girlfriend to tell you what you did wrong. She may say something if you ask, but she likely won’t tell you what the real issue was for her, for different reasons. She may be trying to avoid an argument. She may not want to hurt you more than she already has. She may think her reason will sound stupid. She may not even be aware of the thing that really caused her to dump you!
2. The women will need some space
Women are often diverse in what they want in life. Sometimes they may want to be close and to cuddle for long periods of time, becoming sad when you leave them. However, in other situations, they may want the complete opposite and will want to be alone and to have their own sense of space.
Men generally have the personality trait of being a possessive individual, and want to take control over their partner. The man may check his partner’s phone in order to keep a check on where they are and who they are talking to. This however can have a negative effect on the relationship and can push away the female in the situation, which can result in the beginning of the end within a relationship.
3. Strength develops over time
Break-ups can be painful at first but should be seen in a positive way.
If your partner decides to break up with you after discussing plans such as marriage and children, you should consider this a blessing as it would’ve been far more complicated had these plans gone into development. There are always plenty of ladies out there who are also looking for the right partner.
4. Good things only develop when you make them
The final thing to think about in this situation is how you react to it. If your partner breaks up with you you should learn from your mistakes and should stay positive when you go out to meet new possible partners.
Don’t let previous experiences with unsuccessful relationships get you down. Instead have fun and be stronger than you were before.
Take all the real life experiences that you have had to endure and use them as helpful lessons that you will learn from. Hopefully once you have made a mistake you will not do it again, and this will lead you closer to your goal of finding the perfect partner, and someone that you can spend the rest of your life with.
Posted in Relationships by Finn with no comments yet.
Translations for Men: What Women Say and What They Mean on Dates
Dating is hard for both men and women. The reason it is so difficult is men and women are wired differently. They think and even speak differently. This can often cause communication problems between men and women and is the source of never ending frustration from both sexes. The disconnect is so obvious to everyone that entire books of dating advice have been written about the phenomenon and entire television programs have been written around it for comedic means.
Here are some of the traps that men fall for when a woman one thing but actually mean another – or so it seems to us. Before anyone gets upset, it’s just for fun! Lots of women often say EXACTLY what they mean. (Which of course, just makes things even more complicated!)
1. What she means when she says, “FINE.”
Perhaps one of the biggest words uttered by women that have confused men for decades. When a woman says fine, nothing is actually fine. In fact, something is very, very wrong. Stop what you are doing and try to sort out the problem before you do anything else. Women believe that men should be able to adjust and understand their meaning quickly. However, men think very differently and this is where the break down happens causing further conflict down the road.
2. The truth behind the phrase, “Go Ahead.”
Another phrase designed to trap men, when she tells you to go ahead and it’s more of a test or a dare. Most men when they hear this phrase think she is okay with whatever he is doing or planning on doing. However, women think and speak differently and expect men to adjust to their language. If she says “go ahead” to you, stop whatever you are doing and give her your full undivided attention.
3. The hidden meaning behind the line, “Have to get up early.”
If a woman utters this phrase to you, she is not having the best time and is ready to end the date. The real question becomes when during the course of the date do you hear this phrase. If you hear it before you have finished dinner, you can guarantee that the date has gone badly. Relax and try to enjoy the rest of dinner before taking her home.
If it is toward the end of the night it generally indicates she had a decent enough time but doesn’t see the need to continue with more dates. Of course, sometimes it could actually be the truth. The best response in this scenario is to thank her for the night and ask if it would be okay to call to set something else up later.
4. “I had such a good time with you.”
There couldn’t be a better line uttered by either a man or a woman. Studies have shown when a person tells you they had such a good time they actually mean it. He or she had a better time with you than they have had with other people in a long time and they want you to know it. Any truly successful date should have this line uttered by one or both parties and is both an incredible complement and a huge indicator that more dates are likely to come.
5. “I’m not ready for a relationship.”
If you hear this line from a woman or even a man it simply means they do not love you or do not foresee the prospect of ever loving you. This line can often be heard if you have been dating for awhile and there simply isn’t any spark or if the man or woman you are with just got out of a relationship.
This is not a bad reflection on you, it is simply a case of bad timing or poor compatibility. No matter what, you both gave it an honest shot and it didn’t work out. That is part of dating life and while it may hurt a little, it is definitely not the end of the world. Who knows, that person might end up being a great friend to you down the road.
6. The interest in “Wanna meet for coffee?”
When a man or woman asks if you want to meet them for coffee, they are often unsure about the prospects of dating you and want to proceed with a little bit of caution. Don’t take offense to this as there is nothing wrong with someone being careful and the reality is, if you aren’t right for each other, you will only be out a cup of coffee and not a full dinner and a movie.
It can be difficult for men to navigate the sea of dating with all of this cryptic language spoken by women. To make matters worse, some women say exactly what is on their mind which only muddies the waters further for the poor unsuspecting male. The phrases we have covered today are some of the most common phrases you may hear over the course of your dating life. Understanding their hidden meaning can give you an advantage over other men in the dating pool and help you land the perfect date while also avoiding any embarrassing moments while you are out on a date.
Posted in Relationships by Finn with no comments yet.
How To Find A New Girlfriend
If you’ve been dumped by a girlfriend and haven’t managed to figure out how to get the girlfriend back, it’s time to start asking how to find a new girlfriend! Positive thinking, I call it. And in this article, I’ll give you some ideas for exactly how to do that.
Many people wish to get into a relationship with someone. Depending on your age and circumstances, most of the people you know might be in that position. One of the best ways in which to do this is via dating, obviously. However, this isn’t always an easy task and many individuals find it difficult to discover that special person.
A cool way to begin is to develop a friendship first so that a solid foundation can be built before the relationship becomes more serious. When you begin to get to know someone you will start to learn their needs and their attitudes about life and this will help you get on with them.
Sometimes in our society it’s easier to make a date than to make a friend – sad but true. However, if you’re interested in somebody you already know, like a classmate, co-worker or that hot girl who always turns up at the gym at exactly 6.07 p.m. on a Thursday, it’s a good idea to make your first approach a friendly one, rather than piling on the pressure by inviting her on a hot date.
Many relationships that start out as friendships begin on a good note and this can be because the individuals who are involved are only starting to get to know each other and are both in a stage of excitement within the relationship. This is an important stage as it gives the individuals time to make adjustments so that they work well together and can begin to understand how the relationship will develop. This will then subsequently develop the compatibility between two individuals. If the individuals cannot develop their relationship in this early stage so that they are compatible then the end result will be that they may have a difficult time with one another in the future.
Of course, after you have established a friendship, you need to get out of the friend zone. In most cases, this is best done pretty soon – say, after you’ve gotten to know each other by meeting as friends three or four times. You can touch her hand or even give her a friendly kiss on the cheek, then act surprised, as if you’ve just realized the relationship might have the potential to develop into something else.
These early stages in a relationship are very exciting and it is at this time when individuals may have to sacrifice certain things in order to work well with the other individual. This early stage in a relationship also gives each other the time to get acquainted by being able to spend time together and understand each other on a deeper level.
This is also an important time to make adjustments so that the relationship works well and that each individual can work out what the other wants and needs. However, these are essentially the easy stages within the relationship and you should enjoy this as much as possible.
Posted in Relationships by Finn with no comments yet.
How To Get Ex Girlfriend Back
If you suddenly got dumped, you’ll want to discover how to get ex girlfriend back. Sometimes it can be tempting to play mind games with her in order to make her think that the relationship is going to work. However, mind games can be dangerous and can leave you in a situation that is not always safe. In this article we will take a look at the ways in which to get back your girlfriend without using any mind games.
The first thing to remember is not to go by how often you used to call and text when you were going out. She probably texted you several times a day but she’s not doing that any more and she won’t appreciate it if you keep texting her. It will feel like pressure and it’s best avoided, to keep the possibility of a reunion open.
However, you could make an effort on special days like her birthday. You could send a text then, or even a small gift, to show you remembered.
The technology of email is a wonderful thing and keeps people in touch. Try to keep in touch with her and tell her about stories and news information that you think she will be interested in. Start the email with a quick note and then continue with the story that you have found. Don’t put pressure on her in your emails. Or send texts instead of emails – but not in a way that will pressure her.
If you do get dumped by a girlfriend it may be tempting to begin dating other girls. However, this can be dangerous and should be avoided if you do want to get back with your ex. If you meet someone you like, that’s fine, you might end up being happier with her than with your ex. But don’t start dating just to make your ex jealous. This is game playing and could have very negative effects for all three of you.
You must not get jealous when she begins dating other men but instead should use it as a good way of seeing what she looks for in a man. You must also remember that she was the one that did the dumping and therefore she is allowed to do what she wants as you are both now single.
You should also be careful when you communicate with your ex and should not give away too many of your emotional feelings. By doing this you will give her power and you will show her how you really feel. She will then be able to curate the future and you will have less control in getting your relationship back on track.
When you do split up with your ex use this time to focus on yourself and develop yourself as a better person. Do positive things that will help you progress such as eating healthy and exercising by going to the gym. Make sure you look good and get a haircut so that you feel confident in life. You may then attract your ex again, as you did in the beginning.
At the end of the day you should not use mind tactics when you’re figuring out how to get ex girlfriend back as this will only cover up the problems that led to the break up in the first place. Instead, analyze the reasons why the relationship went wrong and work on fixing them so that you can get back on track and hopefully develop a new and better relationship.
Posted in Relationships by Finn with no comments yet.
Dating Advice – Keeping It Alive
I once heard a business expert point out that it’s way, way easier to have a past customer buy from you again, than to sell to a new customer. Guess what? The same is true of relationships. It’s way easier – and actually more rewarding, too – to keep your current girlfriend, than have to attract girls over again all of the time.
Of course, it’s not always that simple. You do have to work on the relationship a little bit. For a start, you have to avoid becoming too complacent within the relationship. Don’t take her for granted. Keep listening, and make sure she knows you care about her.
Also, don’t expect that she’s never going to change. People develop and grow. Hopefully, she won’t grow out of loving you, but if you start assuming you know her better than she knows herself, she might just take it into her head to prove you wrong. Then it’s bye-bye, and you’ll be signing up for all those online courses on wondering how to get your ex back.
You should always think about putting your best foot forward in a relationship and being fully involved, rather than putting your best foot forward and one foot out of the door, which can often be a problem and can ruin a relationship.
Patience is one of the most important things and is what a couple should be when they first develop a relationship. They should be prepared for rough times that may come up. These rough times may last for a few days or could even last several months, depending on the situation. However, these will be parts of the ups and downs of the typical relationship and it is important not to give up if times do get rough. The thing to remember is that there will be good times ahead. There is always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. However, you need to face the rain first.
Having a good level of understanding is also important within a relationship and it is important to remember that not every individual will meet your ideals. Fairy tale endings are also not always true and it may not always be the case for you that this happens. However, when your partner doesn’t result in being a prince charming then you may need to learn to forgive your partner and move forward.
The final thing to remember is to always be faithful to the partner in the relationship and that involves more than just doing what you say you will do and being truthful. It is also important to develop a relationship through trust and you must also appreciate the needs and desires of your partner at all times.
When you have got to know each other and you begin to appreciate each other on a deeper level, then you can begin to appreciate the relationship as a blessing and as something that is a special thing that needs to be cherished and developed on a consistent basis. It is important to remember that relationships are a mystery and there are many things that can happen throughout this time. Being open-minded and staying positive is part of a successful relationship.
Posted in Relationships by Finn with no comments yet.