Stress and weight loss

Related? Yes.

I've been kind of stressed lately and eating has helped to comfort me. I think all the water weight I lost from my body wrap has been put back on :(.... I've also been less motivated to exercise or do nething.

Sometimes I've heard that stress makes you less hungry and therefore helps you lose weight - what does it do to you?

Body Wrap results

So I finally went and got a body wrap - for those who are claustrophobic or can't handle heat (like saunas / steam rooms), this option is not for you. Even for those of you who think you can, it can be a little scary!

For my thermal mud detox wrap: I went in and the lady exfoliated my skin and then applied the mud. I was wrapped in a heating blanket which at first didn't seem too hot but soon after I was sweating like crazy and felt extremely hot. Make sure you have a towel over your eyes as sweat can also drip in there and it stings!!!

They say to drink a lot before and after so I brought a bottle of water to drink after but it would have been nice to drink it during because I was sooo hot.

Just when I thought I couldn't take the heat anymore, time was up. I unwrapped, rinsed off in cool water - not cold as the body will go in shock and not hot because I was hot enough!

Results: I felt like I sweated a lot and felt a little out of energy (like after working out). I saw a lot of liquid lost - like cups. As for inches, I perhaps lost 1 inch - not a lot. But my skin feels great and I'm sure I sweated out a lot of toxins and impurities. All in all, this specific wrap was not super effective for me for weight loss. Maybe I'll try another one.

At Home Workouts

For those busy moms / dads who either can't leave their house or want the convenience of a home workout, these sites offer some really good moves that you can do in the comfort of your own home, and with minimal to no props.

Six easy at home or travel-friendly total-body workouts to get you in shape and burt fat

Abs Diet Weekly Workout Schedule

Posture-perfect workout

Good luck!

Celebrity Diets

I haven't tried any of these out but I thought I would share what some of the richest, most famous stars claim to keep them fit and slim.

Oprah
The queen of celebrity weight loss. She avoids carbs like the plague, including bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. She also works out everyday - she's testament to the fact that dieting isn't easy, but if you work hard you can do it.

Angelina Jolie
A strict protein-rich diet of lean meats and fish, plus lots and lots of water. Eating more high quality protein is one celebrity diet tip that we should all take note of. Angelina has also dined on cockroaches, crickets and bee larvae - all excellent sources of protein. However, we don't all need to go that far to stay slim!

Janet Jackson
She drinks 2-3 custom-tailored liquid meals each day, containing all the nutrients she needs. As her diet progressed, she introduced vegetables, berries and frozen fruit.

Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon controls her calories and portions by eating jars of baby food. It's a great idea as top quality baby food is tasty and nutritionally dense. It's also very convenient as a snack - take it with you when you're on the go.

Beyonce's Diet
Users are typically instructed to consume six to 12 glasses a day of a drink based on Real Maple Syrup, Cayenne Pepper, Lemon Juice and Water. Proponents claim the diet is safe and effective for three to ten days and beyond, while detractors insist it is totally unsafe. Natural fruit juices and raw fruits and vegetables are eased into the diet. Beyonce is believed to have lost 20 pounds in 10 days on this diet.

Mariah Carey
Mariah says that she eats foods that have been prepared blandly. Her diet is primarily made of soups and fish. It's called the Bleak Diet. Combined with exercise, Mariah lost two sizes.

Ashley Judd
The star of A Time To Kill and De-Lovely eats no dairy at all. Her celebrity diet starts each day with hot water and lemon, and she puts Soya milk in her cereal.

Claudia Schiffer
Eats nothing but fruit before noon. She has a light dinner of salad and steamed vegetables, and snacks on tomato juice, black grapes and herbal tea. She sticks to 3 meals a day to keep a healthy metabolism.

Demi Moore
Demi drinks herbal tea to curb her appetite. And she stays healthy by taking vitamins with her tea between meals.

Jennifer Aniston
The Zone. She lost 30lbs by cutting out mayonnaise, sandwiches and fried food. She is also a yoga fanatic.

Fergie
With such a busy schedule Fergie orders her meals delivered by Diet Designs. She also forces down 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar each day. This home remedy tonic has been used for 10,000 years for a variety of health problems. It is also thought to speed metabolism, break down fat and even block fat formation.

What do you think?

Lapses

So we all experience a time of weakness when our favourite food tempts us, a special occassion calls us to celebrate over food, or we just have a craving for something.

It happened to me this weekend - Mother's day dinner. My parents had already decided they wanted to go to their favourite restaurant and as it was mother's day, I obliged. However, when it came to ordering and eating, I did not excercise my self control.



I feel super guilty for that dinner, though I'm sure one dinner shouldn't set me back too much. Thinking back - what could I have done differently?

1. Portion Control! Eat a little to satisfy the craving / occasion.
2. Order healthy! YES, this is an option at most places.
3. Drink a lot of water before so that I would be already full
4. Not go out and dissapoint my parents - nawww...

Other options?

Fitting in Exercise

Yes - I exercise, or try to despite a crazy work schedule and active community involvement. Anyways, here are some ways I've tried to incorporate a little extra excercise outside the gym:

- Walk to work. Instead of taking the subway, I walk to and from work. This requires a little extra time / planning but adds 40 minutes of light to moderate activity and comfy shoes.

- Take the stairs at work. I work on the 12th floor so to culminate my morning walk or start my evening walk, the stairs get my heart rate up. I also don't have to wait for the elevator which sometimes takes forever. During the day if I have to go downstairs, I also take the stairs - it makes me feel like I'm doing some sort of activity during the otherwise "sit at my desk" day.

- Take a walk during lunch. Whether it be in the underground pathway or outside (if there's nice weather), I take a short walk during lunch time to get my circulation going. Plus, it's a great time to people watch. (I eat lunch at my desk before I go).

- While watching my evening news (or any TV show I indulge myself in), I do lunges, sit ups and squats. They the commercials go by faster.

What do you guys do?

Body Wraps

So I've been toying with the idea of trying a body wrap for detoxification. Most claim that you can lose a significant amount of inches (5 - 20 inches!!!), but from what I've read, this effect is mostly temporary. Even if the weight loss is temporary, I'm sure there are loads of toxins from my occasional night of drinking ;) and girls' night snacking. Before investing in one, I wanted to do my research and share what I found:

Part 1: Dry Brushing
Dry-brushing is a term often used for the first part of a body wrap. Brushing towards the heart, using a natural bristle brush, dry skin is exfoliated and your circulation is stimulated to allow for maximum absorption

Part 2: The absorption phase
A substance is placed in the wraps on your body that helps to open your pours and remove toxins. The toxins are absorbed by the ingredients such as herbs, clay, and seaweed. All of the items used have a special purpose in making you feel better.

Part 3: Sweating
Wraps encourage sweating, helping the body eliminate impurities. It is important to stay hydrated during this process so drink lots of water, juice or seaweed.

Part 4: The squeeze
This process is often achieved from an end-of-wrap-massage. Your body tissues are compacted after the fluids are removed. After the removal of the toxic fluids, gaps are left in your cells and the squeezing method fills and closes them which helps you to appear leaner and more thin as well as making you feel healthier.

Weight loss body wraps
Overall, herbal and seaweed wraps a use a combination of minerals and herbs. In addition to removing the toxins from your skin they also help to remove fat and tighten your skin at the same time. It is common for people to lose many inches during these sessions, but this is temporary.

So, I'll hopefully be trying one out soon and I'll be back here to let you konw how it went. Has anyone else tried one?

Teopia Slim and Slender Tea

Speaking of teas, I tried Teaopia's Slim and Slender tea a while back and was pleasently surprised.

Teaopia describes it as:
A combination of Yerba Mate, King of Pu-Erh, stinging nettle, carrot pieces, aloe vera, red rose buds, mallow flowers, calcium lactate, sunflowers and magnesium citrate. These natural ingredients come together to create a tea that both boosts the immune system and burns fat. The guava-pineapple-lemon flavour of this tea is a pleasure to drink and in addition keeps you feeling healthy and slim, making Slim and Slender an instant favourite.



The clerk advised me to take 2 - 3 cups a day (each person reacts differently) and after 2 weeks, I noticed a slight increase in my metabolism. Maybe not worth $7.00 for 50g for a weight loss solution, but worth it for taste (the tea was very yummy) and quantity (you get a lot of tea for 50g considering each cup uses 1.5 teaspoons.

All in all, check it out if you like tea :)

Teas for Weight Loss

So I'm sure most of you have heard about Green Tea being good for weight loss but why?

I did a little research and found the following: firstly, Green Tea is known to have a high level of caffeine. Drinking 5 cups a day has been shown to burn an extra 70-80 calories through Thermogenisis - head production in organisisms. Green Tea also contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG.), which is a powerful oxidant that enhances fat oxidation.

Different ways to get Green Tea - There's the obvious conventional drinking of the tea, but there's also Green Tea pills. I went to look at them since I wasn't sure I could drink 5 cups a day in addition to the water and milk I drink. Most of them list EGCG content, so that's useful to compare. However, taking the equivalent of 5 a day, I did not notice any sort of increase in my metabolism after a month, nor any sort of weight loss - could just be me though?

Firming Lotions

I've been looking on the market and have noticed a bunch of firming lotions. Curious to try them out, I decided to order one from Yves Rocher. They have recently come out with a new line called: Lipophénol Végétal, which uses 100% green coffee - as well as Caffeine, Horse Chestnut, Ficaria, Guarana, Peppermint, Copaiba Resin, Kola, Ginseng, all of which are known for their weight-loss properties.

Amongst the products was a 14 day Body Refiner which promised visible results in 14 days. 1 bottle (100ml) of daytime formula and 1 bottle (100ml) of night formula retails at $52, but there was a promotion and I got them for $26. The daytime formula is supposed to intensify the natural process which releases fat (Lipolysis). The night formula works to combat the stockpiling of fat (Lipogenesis) and promote drainage.



The claim: Increased definition in 97% of cases after 14 days! Losing weight and slimming are two very different things. Only a diet and a more active lifestyle can achieve weight loss.

The result: After 4 days, I felt firmer skin around my thighs and lower abdomen. After 7 days, I noticed a slimmer silhouette! After 14 days, though there was still cellulite, there was a definite reduction my size - Woohoo!

Have you tried a different firming cream?

Well Hello There

Hello People!

Welcome to my blog on my journey to my ideal body. I hope I can share with you some of my ups and downs with firming lotions, weight-loss pills, diets, body wraps, spa treatments, medican treatments, and more, and hopefully I'll help you along your weight-loss goals as well!

Chubbs