Simple and delicious and my family loves it! 

Slice it in half and scoop out the seeds.
Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of orange juice into the well of each half.
Sprinkle with cracked pepper
.
Cover and bake 350 degrees for about one hour until soft.

How to Cut a Hard Acorn Squash
Position the squash on a cutting board and carefully use a serrated knife to saw through the touch skin.

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.

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! 

Tips for Staying Fit When the Temperature Drops

When the weather is beautiful and warm it is sometimes easier to include physical activity into our daily lives. Going for hikes, playing games on the beach, even taking a walk around the neighborhood are all activities that fit seamlessly into our lives in the summer.

Once fall officially brings in the chill, many of us get into the trap of “hibernating for the winter” and staying indoors more than we used to. Cold weather can also cause us to eat more than we usually do, and many of the cold weather comfort foods we crave are higher in calories and fat.

What can you do to avoid getting out of shape in colder weather?

1. Learn what to eat as a member of WeightLossVillage.   Members can choose from a wide variety of online meal plans designed by Registered Dieticians.  You then get personalized weekly menus (with grocery lists) based on your calorie, dietary and lifestyle needs.  Our cutting edge tools will help track what you eat which will help you stay on track with your weight loss and health goals.

2. Check out your local gym. You’ll keep up with your workouts, and maybe even make some new friends in the process. Some gyms even offer seasonal or short-term memberships, in case you’re still planning on getting an outdoor workout when it warms back up.

3. Consider using workout videos (traditional DVDs or even YouTube videos!) that will give you that fun class atmosphere in the comfort of your own home! There is a huge variety in options as far as videos go, so think about trying something completely new (like a hip-hop workout or belly dancing) to mix things up!

4. It is easy to stick to your weight loss program no matter where you go with WeightLoss2Go™ Mobile App. The holidays can mean lots of traveling, which can interfere with your typical routine. Our app allows you to take track your eating and workouts anywhere you go!

Make a decision today to be in control of your health and fitness, even as the seasons change, with the tips above as this gives you a  leg up on the “winter weight” that many struggle with every year.

Do you have any additional cold weather fitness tips? We’d love to hear about them in the comments! write to:  teamwlv@weightlossvillage.com

Do you find it difficult to motivate yourself to stick to a weight loss program plan or make the time to fit in some exercise? Studies show that if you set health goals with friends, or a ssignificant other, you’re much more likely to reach them.

Why does having a weight loss buddy increase your odds of achieving your weight loss goals? A number of factors are at play here:

1. Friends and loved ones help to hold you accountable. Instead of working towards a goal that only you are aware of, including others in your mission gives you extra incentive not to let them down.
2. Spark a competitive spirit to keep up as your friends shed pounds—a little competition never hurt anyone, especially when the goal is better health!
3. Each member of your weight loss team brings their own experiences and knowledge to the table. You’ll be able to give each other valuable advice based on your past experiences, making sure you help each other avoid mistakes along the way.
4. When the people around you are working towards their own health goals, you’ll all be focused on eating well. This can make preparing meals much easier, and you won’t be tempted by unhealthy foods if those around you aren’t eating them either!
5. Having a supportive atmosphere can make working out and losing weight—gasp!—more fun. Sharing your experiences and laughing through the ups and downs of your journey with people you care about is a lot more fun than going through those emotions alone. Rather than looking at your health goals as an unpleasant burden, you’ll start to associate them with positive, upbeat parts of your life.

A safe, sure way to get started on your weight loss journey is to become a member at Weight Loss Village with one or more friends and family.

Make today the day you each sign up, find an online meal plan just right for each of you, enjoy the personalized weekly menus with grocery list, Think-Thin workshops that can change your mindset and change your life plus take the plan with you wherever you go with their amazing app for iPhone, iPad and Android.

Here’s to a thinner and fitter you in excellent health… and to enjoying time with friends during your journey!

It is a well know fact that childhood obesity has become an increasingly serious problem for kids in the United States. Keeping our children healthy, and setting them up to live a full and active life is incredibly important.

Traditional “dieting” is not usually the most beneficial route for children, because it can lead to an unhealthy self-image. The best way to change a child’s weight is to monitor their meals, and to give them tasty but healthy options so that their cravings swing more towards fruits & veggies than fried & fatty. We recommend the WeightLossVillage Online Meal Plans for Kids ages 9 through teens as a great tool to help you restructure your child’s eating patterns. Since the kids are more computer savvy that their parents our online meal plans allow kids to get involved and take control of their eating habits, and to find healthy foods that they love just as much (if not more) than “junk foods.”

Additionally, encouraging and exhibiting a more active lifestyle will pay dividends down the road. Children who become interested in sports are much more likely to maintain a healthy weight throughout their life. Even if your child isn’t interested in becoming a star on the soccer field, make sure that they are spending at least as much time outside participating in active play as they do inside watching TV, playing on the computer or x-box. Even better? Set up a 2:1 ratio of physical activity versus video games and cartoons.

As a parent, your role is to lead by example as well as adding encouragement .  If your child’s eating habits need to change, working to make sure the entire family is eating healthy will make that transition easier for everyone. Where outdoor activity is concerned, come up with fun and physical games that the whole family can play. Not only will your entire family benefit from the exercise, but you’ll have a good time together!

Creating good habits at a young age will help your children grow into adults who have a better handle on their health.

The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

You are not alone.  Losing unwanted weight is by far one of the greatest challenges facing the world today.  WeightLossVillage specializes in helping members learn how to achieve and then enjoy sustainable weight loss. We are not a diet.  We are your way to a new, improved and healthy lifestyle at your ideal weight.    Learn more about us.

Too often weight loss efforts fail because ‘dieters’ have a limited understanding of how to eat and regulate their appetite and metabolism. To the contrary of popular thinking, eating less due to fasting, missing meals, semi starvation or rigorous dieting will actually slow down the metabolic rate (rate of which the body burns calories).  This may explain why dieting alone is not successful.  Losing weight can be achieved in 4 Simple Steps: 1. what you eat, 2. how you move 3. what you think and 4. developing healthy habits.   Learn how WeightLossVillage can help you achieve your weight loss goals.