Are you feeling down in the dumps? After all of the family and fun for the holidays, the winter blues are in full swing.  The weather is freezing and you’re avoiding your New Years Resolution on the daily.  With one in five Americans suffering with the winter blues, we here at Weight Loss Village want to help you get out of your slump. So we have gathered some of the best things you can do to get back to your Happy place!

Take Your Vitamins.  Double up on your vitamin D and add a little melatonin too.  The lack of sun can take a toll on your body, and the long chilly days can put your sleep cycle in the dumps.  If you’re unsure or have questions, be sure to talk to your Doc.

Get Moving.  During the cold winter months, it’s really easy to stay bundled up on the couch watching your favorite shows, snacking on your favorite treats.  Well STOP!! The best thing to fight the winter blues is some good ole’ exercise!  Get that body moving, and remind yourself that an in shape, healthy you is so much FUN.

Get out of here! Remember all the great times you had in the summer?  Well, you can still get out and about this winter… Whether it’s going to the local winery or volunteering at the nearest soup kitchen.  Just get off that couch and GO!! You’ll be so glad you did.

Moisturize like crazy.  The cold weather can cause your skin to become dry, cracked, and irritated.  Be sure to double up on the moisturizer for your skin that is perfume free.  And don’t forget to show your lips some much needed LOVE!

Just remember that you are not the only one suffering from the winter blues.  Reach out to your favorite people and motivate each other to get out of the house and show yourself a little T.L.C. this winter.  Your friends at Weight Loss Village are right here with you!  So come on, let’s show these winter blues that its got nothing on us!

These few tips are not traditional weight loss techniques but they can make it a little easier.  How much?  That will depend on how often you use them.   Use these few tips at will. They will indirectly help you lose weight.

Tip # 1:   Eat food using your non-dominant hand
Interesting huh?  Try it out to see how it can help losing weight. If you are right-handed it’ll feel strange using a spoon or fork with your left hand and visa-versa.

So why does this work to help loose weight?

The theory is this… you’ll take a longer time since you are not used to eating with your non-dominant hand.  This will therefore slow down how many calories you consume per minute.  You will then be giving your body more time to signal your brain that it’s full and stop eating.

You’ll be less likely to eat as much food as you normally do.  Try it and see for yourself.

Tip # 2:  Brush Your Teeth
Use toothpaste as a roadblock for cravings may sound a little odd – but it really works. It is well known that toothpaste makes even the greatest-tasting food taste plain “yucky”.

Think about it. If you brush your teeth before you go to sleep, it’s because you are done eating for the day. Even if you don’t go to sleep right away, you are less likely to eat anything simply because your teeth have already been cleaned and polished. Why not take this same philosophy, and use it to control those powerful cravings for all things sweet between meals.

Keep Dental Dots or a compact toothbrush and toothpaste handy when you are out or at your office. Try brushing your teeth after lunch to help avoid afternoon sugar cravings.

Tip # 3: Chew Gum!
A study conducted in 2007 showed that chewing gum not only helps control your cravings and appetite but it also can help reduce your calorie intake from snacks.   Although chewing gum is helpful, you’ll want to select a sugar free gum such as EXTRA if you are going to maintain a healthy weight.

Tip # 4:  Power Nap
Fatigue is a trigger for food cravings that can have one reaching for that jolt of energy from sugar mid afternoon. Shake off the sugar temptation or habit mid day and snooze instead.

When possible ditch the sugar itch and power nap instead. If at home nap where it is comfortable and quiet.  If at work take your break with your head on your desk or seek out a quiet place.   My colleague takes his power nap in the stairwell. 

Power napping as little as 10-20 minutes can also boost your memory, cognitive skills.

To achieve long term result it’s important to include small changes. In addition to being simple, fitting into your lifestyle and busy schedule it is important the program educate you on proper food choices, portion control, behavior modification and changing your mindset to reach the positive long term results you want and deserve.  Three key elements include:

#1:  Fits Into Your Lifestyle

:A big mistake we make when starting a new weight loss program is to change our lifestyle and/or take away foods we enjoy to accommodate the new program. It’s totally unrealistic approach to think it’s possible to achieve long term results with a program requiring you change your lifestyle or remove foods you enjoy. Eventually you’ll find your back to your old lifestyle and eating habits which will interfere with or set you back with the progress you have managed to make.  When this happens one gets back to their starting weight + a few extra pounds.  Sound familiar?

For a program to provide successful long term weight loss results it must compliment the way you live and allow you to include some foods you enjoy.   Learn to understand that all food is good food when you enjoy them in moderation without guilt or deprivation.

#2: Change Your Mindset

Although we know we become what we think; we continue to remain in a negative and often self-sabotaging mindset when it comes to food, eating and losing weight and continue to think in terms of black and white attitude vs. shades of grey when shades of grey can help you redefine your relationship with food

Learn to stop thinking of the food you eat in terms of either good or bad and you’ll notice how this harmful mind set has very often been part of the reason you are still in search of a solution to your issues with food and your weight.  

This mind-body concept is so powerful to your success that we include Think-Thin workshops in our program. Members have access to all recorded workshops when they log into their account.

 #3: Increase Your Metabolism

It’s no secret that in order to be successful you need to find the right balance of proteins, carbs and fats that work for your body.  Although this is ultra important many of us have no idea what we should be eating each day. That is where the selection of online meal plans with their personalized menus can help educate you so you can learn that balance.   

The weekly menus are designed to work with your caloric and dietary needs as well as you lifestyle and exercise regime.

Once you find what works and what does not work with your body and you’ll not only lose weight faster but you’ll also feel so much better.  Increase your metabolism to get your body to digest and use foods you eat to your benefit and good results will follow.  

Ho! Ho!  Ho!

You can make it through the holidays sticking to your diet and fitness goals with a treat now and again and without all the stress. Just plan and decide what food or drink is a priority for you to have.  If you are looking forward to Tiramisu or a slice of cheesecake don’t go snacking on cheese and crackers or calorie filled Hors d’Oeuvres. 

Eat healthy and then…. indulge in a modest portion of the Tiramisu without going back for seconds or thirds no matter how tempted you are.  Plan your choices, be mindful of portion size and you can definitely triumph.

We know we have to eat more fruit and vegetables on a daily basis, but sometimes, that is just plain hard to do!

Here are some quick tips on how to add more servings of fruits and vegetables to your diet.

Let today be the day to begin to adapt an attitude of gratitude.

It is helpful to start a journal, write down what you are grateful for and read it from time to time.

Quality vs. Quantity.  More is not better in this case.  A study on gratitude found that people keeping a journal were happier after six weeks when they tracked their gratitude once per week vs every day or even three times a week.  Test it out and find what works best for you. 

If keeping a journal is not for you, you may just think or say what you are grateful for out loud at random.  I find as I get out of bed each day I say ‘Thank’ as the one foot hits the floor and ‘You’ when the other foot hits the floor and add what I want to be thankful for that day.   ‘Thank You for putting me in the right place at the right time today’  

Thank you for the love in my life or my health or the fact that I was able to put my two feet on the ground.  These are your gratitude statements for you and by you.  Your gratitude declarations should be those you believe and trust vs. one you hesitate putting down on paper or one you do not believe. 

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” –Melody Beattie

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust

So, that time is here, where temptation in the form of food is all around us! Don’t give in and say you will start over next year! Stay on track with your weight loss plans with these simple tips:

If you need help with your weight loss goals, we are here for you with some great tools to keep you on track.  Check out our Weightloss2Go Mobile App.  Track what you eat, your workouts and weight loss to stay motivated.

Here are just a few tips to help you get optimum results from your exercise and fitness routine.  Did you know if your heart rate is below or above the recommended target for your gender and age you will be moving but not burning calories or fat?

Weight Lifting should always come first.  Often women start with cardio exercise before weight training.  A drawback of this is that it is possible to miss a significant component of the routine and spend all of it on cardio training. Often the results are less than desired even after long hours at the gym. Reverse the order and see the difference it can make. Trainers agree this reversal guarantees a visible positive outcome.

Monitor Your Heart Rate: I find it helpful to wear a heart monitor devise to keep myself exercising at the suggested rate of 75-85% of the maximum heart rate. When you go below OR above that you are going through the motions but not doing very much good. To ensure you work out at the prescribed target heart rate use a heart monitor you wear or use exercise equipment with this feature.

How Often To Exercise:  20 minutes 3X a week is better than zero. How long to work out is always a question. This should be part of your day you look forward to vs. dreading. Start at 20 minutes and work out for an hour or less. Also focus on the exercise and what you aim to accomplish as this will make the work out session more efficient as you begin to see the results.

Social Support: Fitness social support can be an important element to improve your road to ‘fitness babe’ and should not be underestimated. It is helpful to work out at a gym once in a while if you generally work out at home. Try some classes in activities that have always been interesting such as yoga, Pilates, Zumba, etc. Consider joining a walking club or running club for support.

Pep Talk Yourself. Often an athlete will pump fist during a game to keep motivated. Pep talking yourself can have the same effect for your workouts.“I am a success no matter the challenges I encounter in life.”, ‘I did that and I can do it again’, ‘Yes!’

No Pressure. Remember not to pressure yourself too much. It is best to congratulate yourself and shower yourself with words of encouragement before, during and after exercises.

Positive Feedback. Keep in mind to never overlook giving yourself positive feedback to yourself. Here are a few examples to get you thinking.  ‘I had a great workout today’, ‘You did great today’ ‘I’m proud of you – that was a fantastic workout’ ‘Don’t worry; be happy, because I am closer to success.’‘

Let today be your first day to become a fitness babe. 

Register Now!

“A fit, healthy body — that is the best fashion statement.” There’s no better way to lose weight and keep it off than with a proven online weight loss solution.  Weight Loss Village is that solution whether you’re looking to drop 10, 25, 50 pounds or more.  We can help!  Jump Start Your Weight Loss here

In a year-long study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, participants of an online weight loss plan lost more than twice the weight of participants who took part in a more traditional program.   

It has been shown that people who have used online weight loss plans for 18 months were able to maintain significant weight loss. Many studies now show that Internet programs are viable tools to help people maintain weight loss over the long term. In one study, a group of 250 people lost weight over a six-month period and maintained weight loss for 12 months afterwards using an online weight loss plan.

The low cost combined with the lack of need for face-to-face meetings with a nutritionist or personal trainer make Internet programs easy to maintain long-term loss. The requirement of constantly updating weight and other measurements helps to hold the user accountable as well. This could help people maintain weight loss over a long period. Many studies even show that participants that logged in to their online programs more also experienced, on average, more weight loss.

WeightLossVillage is the leading provider of online registered dietician meal plans with Personalized weekly menus, cutting edge tools to track your calories, workouts and weight loss …. and our amazing app to take us with you where ever you go.

People lose more weight with an online weight loss program.   NOW, You can too!