Weight-Loss Success Story: She Lost 65 Pounds

"I never thought I would be 120 pounds—ever!"

Krystal Sanders

Before: 185 lbs
After: 120 lbs

Although she stands only five feet tall, 27-year-old Krystal Sanders was never petite. Growing up, she subsisted on fast food and "anything you could microwave." A size 14 when she moved to Austin, Texas, in 2005 to work as a revenue services specialist, she continued to hit the drive-through five nights a week. When she began planning her wedding in early 2008, the added stress drove her to eat even more. "I was in denial and avoided scales, cameras, and mirrors," she says. But she couldn't avoid the size-18 tag on her wedding gown.

The Change
When Krystal's wedding photos arrived in October 2008, she didn't want anyone to see them. "I looked at the pictures alone and I cried," she says. "It was a reality punch in the face. I was embarrassed that I'd let myself get that large." She knew something had to be done.

The Lifestyle
Krystal emptied her pantry and fridge, tossing all chips, frozen pizza, and other junk. Instead of eating out, she started cooking healthier versions of her favorite restaurant foods, boosted her veggie intake, and measured portions. "It was an eye-opener to see the difference between what I would normally eat and what the serving size was," she says. When she worked up the courage to step onto a scale, it read 185 pounds. She began jogging on her treadmill for 30 minutes six times a week. Over the next year, she added DVD strength workouts, cut out soda and processed foods...and reached her goal of 130 pounds. But she wasn't finished. She began lifting heavier weights, and in December 2009, the scale flashed 120. "I couldn't believe it. I thought maybe the scale was broken," says Krystal.

The Reward
Now Krystal has the energy to log nine-mile runs and go biking and hiking with her husband. And she is anything but camera shy. "I used to run from cameras, but now I like what I see in photos," she says. "I'm finally at peace with the way I look."

Krystal's Tips
Add iron. "Don't be all cardio all the time—lift weights! Replacing fat with muscle means you can burn more calories without even trying."

Greek out. "I use low-fat Greek yogurt in place of mayo in recipes, and it tastes great. It can also be used as a sour cream substitute."

Be prepared. "Set everything out the night before: clothes, weights, water bottle. Then nothing can get in the way of your workout."

by @womenshealthmag.com

Ideally, you should try to lose no more than 1 to 2½ pounds a week. @Jen's Weight Loss Tips

Read more »

Weight Loss Tips for Women Under 30 That Works

Tips for women under 30 that works could be many but only following some you can easily get the desired result in no time.

Once they start taking natural and healthy diet regime, the women under 30 would themselves feel a new persona and become more active. It would also mean increasing their daily productivity due to a fit and fine shape.

Some weight loss tips for women under 30 that works :

- Plan your activity in small bits- By planning activity in small bits, one would mean doing less work yet quality driven one. Achieving small goals shall help you get motivated as the results start to appear in the forms of small successes.

- Find healthy substitutes to your favorite foods- Finding healthy substitutes that could be healthy to substitute for your favorite foods could mean eating but the healthy way making yourself even more active yet slim. Instead of chocolate, one may take the salad and fruit juices for an example.

- Go the Yoga Way - Joining the Yoga classes would mean burning the fat but in a more subtle way as it would mean reducing the weight which is good but also via the mode reducing your stress as Yoga is a great stress buster.

- Hit the Gym- You may not go for bodybuilding in the Gym but light and moderate exercises like Cardio so that a woman under 30 may improve your endurance level. Hitting the gym would definitely mean cutting extra flab in no time and become a healthy individual.


Do you want to learn more ways to lose weight and get fit? Do you want to know the best workout techniques to get the results you want?  Are you confused about healthy eating? Get more nutritional information, the best exercise programs, fitness motivation and a FREE ebook with over 100 tips for losing belly fat here

Instead of thinking you deserve to eat something, think that you deserve to be healthy and happy. @Jen's Weight Loss Tips

Read more »

Advantages of Dieting With Another Person, whether it be a friend or family member...

People rarely argue that Dieting is rarely easy, even for the most determined of individuals.

But recent studies have shown that your mental state could make all the difference when it comes to dropping those pounds, it makes a lot of sense to think about taking whatever steps are required in order to help make the prognosis for your diet that bit more positive.

One of the most important of those can be Dieting with another person, whether it be a friend or family member. Here are the top seven reasons why dieting with another person might help you to lose weight.

1. You have someone to share your successes and challenges with as you go along.

Of course, you can do the same with family and friends but there is something different about doing so with another person who is going through the same regime you are. It just might help to encourage you to stay on the straight and narrow!

2. The competition.

True, not everyone is motivated by the idea of even a friendly competition against someone else but many people are. A little good-natured watching of each other's achievements may work wonders to spur you both on.

3. You may end up saving money.

Some dieting clubs and associations might offer discounts on various fees and other items if you join them with another person at the same time. The savings can be substantial and worth taking into account.

4. Sharing recipes and meals.

If you are adhering to a fairly rigid meal plan for weight loss, one of the problems you may encounter is the constant need to be preparing and eating different food to the rest of your family. That can be something of a nuisance and it might be morale-boosting to periodically share recipes and the occasional meal with another person you are dieting with.

5. Offering support.

Many people who have successfully dieted have commented that one of their biggest challenges was resisting the sometimes well-intentioned pressures from family and friends to abandon or ease up on their diet. There are many reasons why those pressures exist and having someone to form a 'united front' in resisting them can be extremely useful.

6. Exchanging tips.

Very few, if any, professionally constructed diets would claim to have all of the answers as to how the diet could be enhanced and supplemented on a day-to-day basis. As part of your own learning experience regarding your body, you may discover techniques and additional things that work well for you and which you may wish to share with someone else. Of course, the same is likely to happen in reverse.

7. Help in maintaining your achievement.

Finally, many people who have successfully followed a diet and achieved their target weight, report that afterwards it is exceptionally difficult to maintain it. Yet again, having someone who has been through the same process and who is developing their own techniques to cope with this (a professional diet regime will also give you tips here) could be extremely useful.

Do you want to learn more ways to lose weight and get fit? Do you want to know the best workout techniques to get the results you want?  Are you confused about healthy eating? Get more nutritional information, the best exercise programs, fitness motivation and a FREE ebook with over 100 tips for losing belly fat here

Don't think about what you can't eat. Focus on what you can eat more of: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, legumes and nuts. @Jen's Weight Loss Tips

Read more »

Changes That Lead To Weight Loss

Weight loss is no picnic. But here's a little secret — it's not nearly as hard as most of us think. "A lot of women believe they need to change everything, but in reality small tweaks to their diets can make a huge difference," you can't just stop eating processed foods and drinking sodas for three months in a row, and when you reach your healthy weight, start back on. It'll only bring the weight back on! Instead, a wiser idea is to take a more calculated approach. Here are three changes that you need to bring which are guaranteed to lead to weight loss, Culled from the latest research and the country's leading weight-loss experts :

1. A slow approach to exercising

When it comes to weight loss, exercising is the most important part. However, most people tend to do it wrong. Sustaining an hour of exercise in a day is difficult for most people, and when this change is brought about without any prior habits, it becomes even more difficult to manage. One day you're not exercising at all, and the next you're spending an hour in the gym. While this is great for the first few days, it is unlikely that you will be able to sustain this level of exercise over a month or two. To lose weight, start exercising slowly. Build a habit. Simply exercise ten minutes in a day in the beginning until you've formed a habit of those ten minutes, and then turn it up a notch to twenty. Progress slowly!

2. A positive eating approach

Your body is used to eating fast foods and processed items. It is difficult for the body to suddenly stop taking in all of its required calorie content and instead move simply on natural foods. Most weight watchers bring about this drastic change, and suffer from immense weakness as a result. If you want to lose weight in a healthy manner, it is a wiser idea to simply replace one meal of your day with a healthy one. As your body gets accustomed to natural foods, it'll want more and more, and soon you'll want to eat nothing but healthy foods in the long run.

3. An adequate night's rest

One of the main reasons why the body puts on weight is because of a lack of sleep. If you are unable to put in at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep in a day, the body is likely to suffer and store on extra pounds as a result. It is recommended that you first begin by sleeping properly. Make sure you get a good mattress for yourself, and make the environment as comfortable as possible before you do fall asleep. This will allow you to relax in a better manner.

Do you want to learn more ways to lose weight and get fit? Do you want to know the best workout techniques to get the results you want?  Are you confused about healthy eating? Get more nutritional information, the best exercise programs, fitness motivation and a FREE ebook with over 100 tips for losing belly fat here

Remember that small changes add up. You can lose 12½ pounds in a year just by giving up butter on your toast. @Jen's Weight Loss Tips

Read more »

You Lose You Win Tracey Z. Dickson

One flight attendant discovers how to lose weight during a chaotic time in her life

Tracey Dickson, 44
BEFORE 158 lbs AFTER 117 lbs

Although her job as a flight attendant forced her to eat out at least four nights a week, Tracey Z. Dickson, 44, of San Antonio, Texas, stayed trim by teaching cardio and boot camp classes and running about 20 miles a week. But in April 2008, Tracey discovered a cancerous lump in her breast. "My life hit a wall," she says. Chemo sapped her strength, while steroid pills left her ravenous, so Tracey ate—and ate. "I decided that because I was going through a sucky situation, I would eat whatever I wanted," she admits. In four months, the scale flashed up to 158. "I had never weighed that much," says Tracey, who stands 5'3". "I knew that couldn't be healthy on my petite frame."

THE CHANGE
In September 2008, Tracey's mom tried to motivate her to get off the couch. "She told me that my body was used to being active, so the best medicine was to stop lying around," says Tracey. "The person in the mirror looking back at me was not me, so I got moving."

THE LIFESTYLE
After a double mastectomy, Tracey was declared cancer-free in October 2008. One month later, she stepped onto a treadmill at the gym, where she built up to running for 30 to 60 minutes five days a week; she also strength trained twice a week. By March 2009, Tracey was down 20 pounds. Encouraged, she began training for 10-Ks and tossed all junk food. When she hit 128 pounds in June 2009, she decided to "become stronger and leaner after cancer than I was before it." After plateauing at 122 two months later, she added reps to her strength routine and was happy to reach 117 pounds in October. "I couldn't believe it!" she says. "I hadn't seen that number since high school!"

THE REWARD
Tracey is more active than ever, running about six 10-Ks and half marathons each year—double her pre-cancer mileage. "I am stronger than I ever imagined," she says. "I have all-day energy and believe I can do whatever I set my mind to."

TRACEY'S TIPS
Trick your sweet tooth.
"Instead of dessert, I'll have a baked sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon. It tastes like I'm eating sweet-potato pie, but for a ton less calories."

Speak up.
"When you eat out, ask what the dishes are cooked in. It's your body; you should be able to decide what you put into it."

Make a workout date.
"You can't blow it off without feeling like you're letting down a friend, so you're more likely to stick to it."


Are you a weight loss winner? Tell us your story and you could be featured in the blog! Read more weight loss success stories.

By @womenshealthmag.com

Read more »

Learn how to burn fat in the stomach fast with these simple fat loss tips and powerful

One of the most common questions is how to burn fat in stomach fast and how to get in shape. While there's no "magic bullet" that will target abdominal fat in particular, The journey to health and fitness is certainly not easy and every little tips and piece of advice is crucial. Then most people who desire to achieve fat loss, make very basic mistakes. So in this article I will give simple tips and basic advice.

Never go ON a diet

One of the major difficulties is convincing people that it is not necessary and not even recommended to go on a diet to bun stomach fat. The belief is that you can lose fat by following a diet and that is the answer. The problem with diets, is that they are temporary. As you know diets are very strict and following a diet for long periods of time, is nearly impossible. The problem is that most people have a short-term way of thinking. And if a person wants burn fat fast, then he or she is only interested in how much weight he or she can lose in the first couple of weeks. Nobody really thinks about how they are going to lose weight consistently for 3-4 months. The real answer to a healthier and leaner you, are permanent and better lifestyle choices.

Starving yourself is not the solution

I am certain that you want to burn stomach fat as easily and quickly as possible. The main goal is to make the fat loss process and easy and smooth as possible. If fat loss becomes hard and you really have to suffer, then it is not much fun and you end up failing. For some reason the vast majority of people believe that starvation is the best choice to achieve fat loss. If the goal is weight loss, then you need to be in a negative calorie balance.

But if you start starving yourself, by consuming way too little calories, then your metabolism starts to quickly slow down and therefore the rate of fat loss slows down. Not only will you lose muscle when you seriously starve yourself, but you will also will feel very weak and cause health problems. When you eat more, your body burns more and you feel more energetic. The best way to achieve long-term ,easy and consistently fat loss, is to improve your food quality, reduce your calories by a little and exercising a lot. It is much more beneficial and easier to create the negative calorie balance by keeping your calories under control and exercising hard. Exercise does not have any of the negative side-effects that extreme starvation has.

So two simple tips to help you burn fat in stomach and get in shape. To lose body fat, you don`t have to have all the answers and you don`t have to know everything. The best idea is to focus on the basics and get started. If you keep improving your lifestyle and keep making these important changes, then the results will come. There is no need to go on some extreme diets or to start starving yourself to lose weight.

Do you want to learn more ways to lose weight and get fit? Do you want to know the best workout techniques to get the results you want?  Are you confused about healthy eating? Get more nutritional information, the best exercise programs, fitness motivation and a FREE ebook with over 100 tips for losing belly fat here

Eat a snack before going to a party. Arriving with an empty stomach is a recipe for disaster. @Jen's Weight Loss Tips

Read more »

Weight Loss Tips To Jump Start Your Diet

Whether you're trying to lose 10 pounds or 100,The problem you find with some diets is that they do not deliver all of the nutritional goodness that your body needs, These five easy weight loss tips will to help you to avoid weight gain.

expert advice for losing weight and burning fat fast !

1. Change Your Diet Slowly.

Don't try and change your diet too quickly. If you do you may struggle to stick with the changes because you'll have to instantly replace all the foods you're used to eating for unfamiliar healthy foods. 

Try making one small improvement to your diet each week. This will allow you to slowly but surely improve the quality of your diet and will help you to lose weight on a consistent basis without severe eating changes that you cannot maintain.

2. Start Walking More.

If you're currently overweight or your fitness level is low walking is one of the best weight loss techniques you can do. It is not very strenuous and is can easily fit into your daily schedule. To get started, try walking for an additional 10 minutes each day.

Doing this will allow you to burn off an extra 280 calories per week. Once you can do this easily, raise the amount of walking you do and you'll start burning more calories and body fat on a daily basis.

3. Don't Stop Eating Your Favourite Foods Completely.

Losing weight is all about balance and there's no reason for you to stop eating your favourite foods once and for all. Although you will need to make adjustments to your diet, you can still enjoy your favourite foods in moderation and lose weight.

A good way to balance healthy eating with your favourite foods is to follow an 80/20 rule where 80% of the calories you eat come from healthy foods and then 20% of the calories you eat come from other foods of your choice.

4. Find Some Exercise You Like Doing.

Exercise is something many people dread when they are trying to lose weight. But there are hundreds of different exercise options available and by giving some of them a try, you're sure to find at least one that you enjoy. You can try outside activities like cycling, running or walking or indoor exercise classes like aerobic, yoga or Zumba classes. 

Once you've found some exercises that are fun for you, make them part of your weekly routine to ramp up the amount of fat you burn.

5. Get Enough Sleep.

Sleep increases the amount of growth hormone in your body which supports fat burning and increases the amount of calories your body naturally burns. If you've not had enough sleep, your appetite is increased and you're much more likely to overeat. 

Sleep also affects your physical activity levels. If you've had a good night's sleep, you'll feel much more energized and be likely to move around more and burn extra calories.

Want to learn more ways to lose weight and get fit? Want to know the best training techniques to get the results you want? Are you confused about healthy eating? Learn more nutritional information, the best exercise programs, fitness motivation and a free ebook with over 100 tips to lose belly fat here

Eat slowly and savor each bite. You'll be satisfied with less food. @Jen's Weight Loss Tips

Read more »