Author Archives: Lisa P

Spot Reduction

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“How can I lose the fat around my stomach? I don’t want to lose weight from any other part of my body because I am pretty skinny everywhere else. Is there a diet you could recommend that will just take off the belly fat?” There is no such thing as spot reduction in dieting or exercising. Contrary to popular belief, doing a zillion situps will not trim your waist. All it will do is provide a great base of muscle under your spare tires. The tires will stay. The only way to remove the fat from your waist is to … Continue reading →

Pumping Up Your Water

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I came across two great products last week that I’d like to share with you. The first is South Beach Living On The Go, Tide Me Over. This is a powder-in-a-packet product that is individually wrapped for your convenience. Each packet mixes easily with water. Rather than the smaller recommended size, I prefer to use a 32 ounce Gatorade bottle to mix up a single serving. The flavor I tried is Natural Tropical Breeze. It is a mixture of tropical fruit flavors and a bit sweeter than I would prefer but when flavoring water, this is a great product! Although … Continue reading →

One Meal a Day for Weight Loss?

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“I don’t have time for three meals a day, much less six. Can’t I just eat one meal a day and still lose weight?” Nope. Here is the short answer: Sumo wrestlers eat only one meal a day. That’s right. Those massive, jiggling masses eat only one meal a day. As a side note for carb addicts, it is usually made up of mostly steamed rice. Eating only one meal a day is the best way to put your body on the fast track to being the fattest it can possibly be. When you eat so infrequently, your body will … Continue reading →

Meals Make Me Sleepy

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“Why do I feel so tired after a meal?” You know, I used to ask my doctor the same question. She told me there was no reason I should be tired after a meal unless I was either overeating or just not getting enough sleep at night. I remember exactly how I felt about her after she so easily dismissed me and I guarantee that I won’t do that to you! You may be overeating, but if you’re trying to lose weight that scenario is doubtful. (Personally, I can’t imagine why anyone would read my blogs if they weren’t trying … Continue reading →

Food Preparation for Diet Success

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“I can’t stand eating chicken that isn’t properly grilled and I don’t have the time or energy to grill every time I want a healthy meal. How can I save time and energy but still eat healthy and stay on my diet?” Unless you’re ready to dish out the dough for a meal delivery service like Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig, food preparation is a necessary evil for weight loss. You’re going to have to prepare the food eventually, so why not consider setting aside a couple hours one afternoon or evening per week for the preparation of your diet foods? … Continue reading →

I Don’t Need a Diet. I Need a Nanny!

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The other night, my husband informed me that a friend of his is training to be a personal trainer. Out of curiosity, I asked what their rates were. After all, a new trainer with no experience is likely to be not as expensive as one with loads of success stories under their belt. Then I thought about it… I haven’t been able to lose weight lately but that is not because I haven’t been eating right or exercising (those things that a personal trainer handles). My problem is that I’m not getting any sleep at night because the kids keep … Continue reading →

The Magic Diet

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“Isn’t there just a diet that will make me lose the weight I want? I don’t and want to do exercise and diet at the same time.” Sadly, there is no magic diet, no magic exercise. The only thing that is magical is the combination of diet and exercise (and the proper amount of sleep). Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of assuming that they can just diet the weight off and look great. Well, that just isn’t so. Simply dieting without exercise causes us to lose weight, yes, but the weight we lose ends up being muscle. When we … Continue reading →

Cheat Day Woes

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“I’ve been so good about sticking to my diet throughout the week and really losing some weight. My problem is that my diet plan calls for a “cheat day” and I find that after my cheat day I have to spend the next three days losing the weight I gained on that one day! I’m only really making progress three days a week. How can I make better progress and still get my cheat day?” Cheat days are wonderful things. By giving ourselves a cheat day once a week, we allow ourselves to rest easy in the assurance that we … Continue reading →

The Pitfalls of Whole Grain Breads

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“I love toast and sandwiches. Since I found out that processed foods like white bread are bad for me, I’ve started baking a whole grain, seed, nut and flax bread in my bread machine and just love it. Problem is, once I went off the bread you said was bad and started eating healthy I’ve started gaining weight. What’s the deal?” If only it were as easy as cutting out one food and eating “healthy”! There will always be those granola eating skinny-minis who proclaim the glories of eating fruits, nuts and twigs. The truth of the matter is that … Continue reading →

Beans, Beans, The Magical Fruit…

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“I was reading your blog on how to lose 20 pounds in 30 days. What’s the big deal about beans? They contain 75% carbs and add roughly the same amount of calories that other carbs provide. Why would this differ from “white” carbs like brown rice or potatoes?” Beans and legumes are loaded with fiber. In fact, usually at least half the carbs in beans and legumes are from fiber. When you’re counting carbs you deduct the grams of fiber from the grams of carbohydrates to arrive at your net impact carbs. You see, the fiber is not absorbed. You … Continue reading →