Diet Center Memphis Archives - Page 2 of 4

Beat Liquid Calories: Revamp Your Coffee Order to Stay on Track

Written by Ty Bushart on September 28, 2018. Posted in Blog.

Did you know a Venti white chocolate mocha from Starbucks has 580 calories and 22 grams of fat? Or that a tall espresso only has 10 calories? Your daily coffee habit can have a major impact on your overall calorie intake. But you don’t have to give up your daily pick-me-up in order to keep your weight loss goals on track. Below are some easy tips to put a healthier spin on your morning coffee.

Lower the Volume

The easiest way to drink less calories is to cut the volume. Brew your coffee stronger at home so one cup with a little plan approved dairy, rice or almond milk does the same job as three cups flavored with high-sugar creamer substitutes. Stick to the smallest option at cafés instead of the giant one that won’t fit in your car’s cup holder. Espresso has higher caffeine by volume than drip coffee so if you enjoy the flavor consider switching from multiple cups of drip to a single macchiato or Americano to kick off the day. Starbucks is definitely on program and a tall Skinny Latte in Mocha, Caramel, Cinnamon or Vanilla can be a great exchange for your dairy.

Up the Quality

When coffee is bitter or watery many people are tempted to add sugar and high fat dairy or creamer products to improve the flavor. Just like a fresh piece of fish only needs a few herbs and lemons to be incredibly flavorful, high-quality coffee only needs a splash or dash of add-ins to make your morning brighter. Skip the pre-ground grocery store brands that are often stale by the time they hit the shelves. Instead buy fresh-roasted whole beans, store them properly and grind them right before brewing to release the best flavor.

Skip the Specials

Between seasonal promotions and rows of treats, impulse buys in a coffee shop can quickly derail your nutrition plan for the day. Before meeting a friend or stepping out with a co-worker think about what your healthiest option is for the café or eat a healthy snack or Gold Protein before you go. While a Pumpkin Spice Latte may sound incredible on cooler weather day, it is packed with sugar and fat! Opt for a flavorful hot-spiced tea instead. Diet Center’s Chocolate Pudding/Shake and Vanilla Pudding Shake mixes make great substitutes for high fat, high-sugar creamers and are packed with protein. Just add them to your coffee.

Consider Alternatives

Consider switching from coffee altogether with tea or hot water with lemon. We also recommend our flavorful Water Enhancer energy drink that combines powerful antioxidants with key vitamins and nutrients to fight fatigue with natural metabolic enhancers.

By learning to enjoy the real taste and flavor of high-quality coffee or finding an alternative to your morning routine, you give yourself freedom from empty calories. All without sacrificing the comfort and motivation you receive from your daily pick-me-up.

How Important is Working Out to Weight Loss?

Written by Ty Bushart on September 9, 2018. Posted in Blog.

We’ve all had thoughts like “If I work out really hard now, I can eat that pizza later. Right?” Well, no. Working out does not give you a free pass to eat whatever you want if you’re looking to shed those extra pounds. Consuming fresh foods in balance is the key to weight-loss success, exercise plays a much smaller role than you may think.

Now we aren’t saying that exercise isn’t important; it’s just not as important as what you are eating when it comes to losing weight. Exercise is great for over-all good health. It helps reduce the risk of stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and heart attack. It also helps to torch more calories to enhance your weight loss efforts and tones your body as you are losing inches. However, when it comes to weight loss; it can’t erase the harmful effects of unhealthy foods. Here are some reasons why exercise isn’t the ‘magic pill’ that many people believe it is.

A number of calories burnt through exercise are relatively small in the grand scheme of things. We use up most of our calories just by being alive (the resting metabolic rate). To put it in a real-life scenario, let’s say there is a 200-pound man who is at 30% body fat. He will expend 1,743 calories per day just by staying alive.

On top of that, he’ll expend more calories on top of that through what’s known as the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): the number of calories that he spends digesting and absorbing his nutrients from food. This accounts for about 10% of total calorie use. It’s even higher on the Diet Center Thermogenic Plan, where foods are specially selected because of their higher fat burning power.

Add another 10% on top of that through a metabolic process known as NEAT (Non-Exercise Adaptive Thermogenesis). This is the amount of calories used by doing things like fidgeting. Unfortunately, this can vary greatly from individual to individual.

This means our subject could expend 2,100 calories without even getting out of bed. Now, add another 10% for getting out of bed and going about his daily routine and he’s already burned 2,300 calories.

Adding exercise into the equation barely makes a dent in his overall caloric expenditure. Now we are not suggesting that you shouldn’t exercise, but rather, it’s important to realize where a majority of your caloric expenditure is coming from.

Not all calories are created equal. A pound of fat is 3500 calories. If you eat 500 calories less than you burn every day, then after a week (7×500 = 3500) you will have lost a pound of fat.

From this simple equation comes the idea that all calories are created equal, no matter what foods they come from. The fact is that different foods can have vastly different effects on our bodies and go through different metabolic pathways before they’re turned into energy. Just focusing on the calorie content of foods and disregarding the metabolic effects they have is a highly flawed way of thinking. Two hundred calories of broccoli is NOT the same as two hundred calories of potato chips.

Most people are horrible estimators of calories in vs. calories out. Yes, it’s important that you are burning more calories than you are consuming in order to lose weight. There is one problem with this method: user error. People either think they are burning more calories or consuming fewer calories than they really are. The grab-a-handfuls and the Hershey Kiss at the office all add up. A structured food plan with accountability closes this gap and provides results.

Movement is important and that should be the primary focus when looking to drop pounds and inches fast. Save the weights for when you are closer to goal and focus on movement that helps to reset your day. Park further in the parking lot, do a light 30 minute walk or swim. This will help boost metabolism and blast the inches away fast in conjunction with your program.

At Diet Center, our focus is on eating quality, whole fresh foods. It is important that you learn about how to address the causes of weight gain and how to ensure your body is receiving the proper nutrients. Once you have an understanding of that and start to see the weight start to drop, you will feel so good and have so much energy that you will enjoy being more active.

What’s In Season for Fall?

Written by Ty Bushart on September 4, 2018. Posted in Blog.

Fall is official on September 22nd. We love this season! Eating with the season is a helpful way to get the freshest fruits and vegetables all year round. Fall is celebrated for its healthy harvest of crisp fruits and delicious root vegetables. These foods are perfect for creating warm comfort meals as the weather changes from hot and sticky to cool and breezy.
This fall, visit your local Farmer’s Market to grab the freshest organic fruits and vegetables of the season. Seasonal produce options sometimes tend to be cheaper during their specific time of year, so stock up and get your fill of our favorite slimming fall foods below!
Blueberries
While berries are typically a summer fruit, many varieties are still available through fall. Stock up early in fall and freeze your blueberries so you have delicious locally grown berries all winter long. Use them in oatmeal, smoothies, sauces and more!
Apples
No food quite brings together the fall season like a crisp apple. With so many varieties to choose from, you won’t tire of these tasty superfoods, which are full of antioxidants and healthy flavonoids! Take a seasonal outing to a local orchard where you can pick your own apples right from the trees!
Pears
Pears are another delicious and versatile fall fruit. They are a wonderful source of fiber and are low in calories. You can add pear slices to salads or use in baking for a sweet and juicy treat!
Cranberries
These antioxidant-packed fruits are more than just a staple on the Thanksgiving table. Cranberries can be used in salads, sauces, grain dishes like quinoa or on top of your favorite poultry!
Winter Squash
Selections of winter squash make delicious fall meals. Acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash are enjoyable in soups, sauces and desserts, and can be used in a hearty side dish or as a stand-alone entrée. Use spaghetti squash as a stand-in for pasta or mash butternut squash in place of potatoes!
Pumpkin
This notable Halloween decoration is good for more than carving. Small pumpkins are delicious in baking dishes, casseroles, soups and more. You can take the legwork out of scooping a pumpkin and purchase unsweetened pumpkin puree from the grocery store.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are freshest during the fall season. You can sauté them with olive oil and salt and pepper or roast them in the oven with sliced onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar. Add pistachios or almonds for extra flavor, protein and good fat in your side dish. Brussels sprouts are also a great source of vitamin K, iron and folate!
Parsnips
Similar in texture to a carrot, this tasty root vegetable is rich in fiber and potassium and becomes sweeter as it is exposed to cold weather. Autumn is a great time to try your hand at cooking with parsnips. Add a crunch to your salad or roast with olive oil. Combine with soups and stews for enhanced flavor!
Cauliflower
This winter vegetable has abundant health benefits including compounds that may help to prevent cancer, phytonutrients to help lower cholesterol and vitamin C. Cauliflower is delicious when steamed, but can also be used as a substitute your favorite carb-heavy foods, including mashed potatoes, rice and even pizza crust!
Turnips
These fall-favorite root vegetables are tender and mild. Use them in salads or roast with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to bring out the flavor! You can even cook the leaves, which taste similar to mustard leaves and are packed with nutrients! These root vegetables are a great source of vitamin C and vitamins A, K and folate!
Be adventurous this fall by welcoming these delicious autumnal fruits and vegetables into your weekly meal planning during this festive season. For more fall recipes and ideas, follow the Diet Center Midsouth Pinterest and Instagram pages!

Easy Meal Planning for Busy People

Written by Ty Bushart on August 14, 2018. Posted in Blog.

Meal planning doesn’t have to be a daunting task, the reality is that planning ahead can be fun and is super important to achieving success on your Diet Center Program. The key to success is identifying and implementing a meal-planning strategy that works best for you. A goal with a plan always equals results.

Some people plan a month in advance, prepare meals in bulk and freeze labeled containers of pre-made lunch and dinner entrees. We like to call this the Sam’s Club or Costco method. Others choose to shop for fresh ingredients and prepare meals daily. What works for one person may not work for another; the goal is to find a personal meal-planning strategy that is the easiest for you. You will save time, money and stress by planning your meals in advance. Going into your week prepared helps you to perform the best on your Diet Center program. This also includes researching restaurants prior to visiting them to have your success plan laid out. You can enjoy foods you love and still lose weight each week!

Scan Recipes

Variety is the spice of life and key to your success. We want you to enjoy an assortment of varied, delicious food from all your favorite food groups so that you do not become bored or discouraged by eating the same food day in and day out. The Diet Center Program focuses on real food, allowing clients to integrate tons of different fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, starches and fats into their meal plans. Browse our Facebook Page (Diet Center Midsouth) and Recipe Books at the center to find recipes that you will love like Spinach Lasagne, Flatbread Pizza, Nachos, Stuffed Peppers, Creamy Chicken Alfredo, Key Lime Pie and many more!

Scout Sales

Many people stick to a grocery budget and are constantly on the lookout for discounts and coupons for food purchases. Check your local grocer’s website as well as coupon apps like Ibotta, where you can receive money back on the purchase of healthy items like milk, eggs, produce and more! Living and eating healthy can be very economical if you plan ahead and strategize a coupon-clipping tactic. Have fun!

Make a Menu and Grocery List

When you plan your menu for the week, you will be setting yourself up for weight loss success. Complete your food journal for the week and shop for the necessary ingredients to prepare all of your meals. This ensures you are staying accountable to your food plan and not placing extraneous items into your grocery cart. Your Diet Center Counselor will be glad to assist with meal planning and prep ideas.

Make Extra

Double your recipes at dinner and you will have enough to take for lunch the next day or have leftovers for dinner on a busy night. If you have a tried-and-true recipe, you can even triple or quadruple it and freeze enough for a week’s worth of healthy meals for the whole family!

Organize Your Refrigerator (And Freezer!)

Organize the items in your refrigerator so you know exactly where everything is when preparing meals. Having your refrigerator organized and having healthy snacks at your fingertips makes it easy to avoid unhealthy snacks and allows you to concentrate on mindful eating.

Cook Perishable Items First

If you have purchased perishable items prepare them early in the week to avoid wasting food. Incorporate additional raw vegetables as snacks or make a medley of fruit for breakfast to keep these items from spoiling.

On-the-Go Meals and Snacks

If your weeks are busy with meetings, travel, kids’ sports or social activities, consider meals you and your family can grab on the go. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping it will stall your weight-loss. Make healthy grab-and-go items ahead of the time, like egg muffins or mason jar salads. Have Diet Center snacks on hand for convenient high-protein smoothies, delicious bars or savory snacks. If you are planning a vacation or traveling for work, stock up on meal replacements to have easy to prepare high-protein meals with you wherever you go!

Set it and Forget It

Consider purchasing or (wiping the dust off) a slow cooker or crockpot. Toss your favorite healthy ingredients inside in the morning, leave it all day and come home to the enticing aroma of a delicious home-cooked meal.

Remember Your Seven Little P’s

Prior Proper Planning, Preparing and Packing Promotes Progress!

Creating and sticking to a meal-planning strategy will not only help alleviate stress, it will save you time and money, set you up for optimal weight loss results as well as teach you healthier habits for long term success. On your next Success visit into the center, chat with your Diet Center Counselor for even more ideas.

How to Lose the Last 10 Pounds

Written by Ty Bushart on August 5, 2018. Posted in Blog.

This week let’s review what the last 10 pounds means for you, and what you can do to get “through” this often-tedious phase of weight loss. To be honest, everything you thought about losing weight from the past does NOT apply to lose the last 10 pounds – which is why it’s the hardest for most people—but it does not have to be!

Almost all weight loss plans focus on an outdated and inaccurate formula to eat fewer calories than you consume, but as you’ve learned from our blogs and from your Diet Center Counselors, this isn’t the case. Many things impact our body weight, and calories is about the least useful and least impactful of any. Nourishing our body with proper food groups and lifestyle modification is key. In fact, there are even new terms to describe weight gain. For example, stress-induced obesity is its own medical term — regardless of calorie intakes, the weight comes from the physiological response to stress.

Yes, you read that correctly – for some people, the stress response is such that their weight-related hormones determine their body weight, NOT their caloric intake.

In order to lose the last 10 pounds, it’s important to focus on the things that stall weight regain: proper meal timing, balanced meals, increased activity, managing stress levels, targeted supplementation and appropriate sleep. These things have the biggest impact on the things that cause plateaus and regains: hormone balance, body toxicity, cellular inflammation, gut health and immune function. Here is a “to-do checklist” below to lose the last 10 pounds.

We encourage you to take a step back and look at a few things honestly and objectively, using a food journal to be certain:

Do you have breakfast every day (with protein, fruit or veggies) within 45 minutes of getting out of bed? This is important as it helps to kick-start the metabolism for the day, and resets your internal clock for a new day.
Do you ensure that you never skip a meal? For weight loss, it’s crucial that you eat your lunch within 3-5 hours after breakfast, and your dinner within 3-5 hours of lunch. This helps to keep your metabolism working, and helps to ensure that your body is receiving all of the nutrition it needs to function at full capacity! Eating every 2-3 hours is key in both weight loss and weight maintenance, so eat often!
By following the above, you ensure that you are adhering to the golden rule: eating 2/3 of all your food within the first nine hours of your waking day. This balances your weight-related hormones, reduces cellular inflammation, improves detox, and will help you with that uber-stubborn last 10 pounds.
How many DIFFERENT fruits and veggies do actually eat in a week? Shoot for at least five different fruits and five different veggies each week when in the last 10 pounds. Make it a rainbow of different colors to nourish your body and receive tons of benefits.
Are you at all physically active? We don’t necessarily mean exercise—we mean simple movement. TRY and move for 30 minutes without stopping! Walking is a great form of movement, and if you need something more intense try walking faster, especially outside! Rock out to your favorite jams to energize your day and tone the new body you have worked hard for.
Analyze your stress level. Everyone says “I have stress,” but almost NOBODY does anything about it. You can reduce the cortical response of stress, which is what holds onto and creates belly fat, by breathing deeply and intentionally in a quiet space for 10 minutes a day, by walking, by reducing your recreational TV or computer screen time to less than seven hours a week, and by eating your work meal AWAY from your desk. Ask your Diet Center Counselor about both the Herbal II Formula and the PM Patch. Both have special ingredients to assist with stress management as it boosts your fat burning power!
What time do you fall asleep? Notice we didn’t ask how much you sleep. This is one of the killers for losing the last 10 pounds, along with more than seven hours a week of recreational screen time. WHEN you go to sleep is what determines how your hormone cycles will flow (or not flow). If you are serious about optimizing the weight-related and stress-related hormones, then you should ideally be asleep by 10 p.m. Falling asleep later than that produces increasing deterioration in these cycles for every half hour you delay falling asleep. Again, the Diet Center PM Patch can assist with a restful night.
Use supplements to your advantage. There are basically two styles of supplements that Diet Center provides): The first includes the Diet Center Nutritional Supplement (Gold Protein, Dairy Bars, and Snacks) family, which promotes compliance to the plan and quickens behavior modification. The second includes the nutraceuticals, like Vitamins, Minerals, Fat Burners, and Enhancers that are “repair supplements” which promote and support the body during weight loss. These repair supplements most often work synergistically with all the above points to move people through the last 10 pounds more easily.

In closing, we can reveal that coming very soon, we will be introducing some enhancements specifically designed and formulated for assisting you all through the last 10 pounds and more consistent losses. Until then, you can feel confident that the tips and strategies above will make this phase dramatically easier and faster the more of them that you incorporate into your Diet Center daily routine.

More Than Digestion – The Importance of Gut Health

Written by Ty Bushart on July 31, 2018. Posted in Blog.

According to compounding research, good health begins in the “gut”, but what exactly does that mean? The term gut health is quickly expanding from a scientific topic to a common buzzword in the health and wellness industries. Most people know that gut health involves digestion and absorption, however, the truth is, gut health means much more.

Often referred to as your body’s “Second Brain,” your gastrointestinal system affects much more than digestion. Healing your gut can have positive affects for weight loss and everything from mood to memory. Read on to learn how a healthy gut will benefit your overall health and wellness.

Defining Gut Health

While scientifically there is no one definition for gut health, scientists agree that the intestinal microbiota—or flora—and the gut barrier determine gut health. A healthy, intact gut barrier maintains a healthy gut, while any issues in microflora can compromise your body’s defense systems. While the lack of a definition for gut health creates an issue for researchers, it also generates the need for people to recognize signs in their own body.

Signs of good gastrointestinal health, according to a 2016 issue of BioMed Central Magazine, include:

Effective absorption of food, water and minerals
Regular bowel movements and no abdominal pain
Normal stool consistency and rare bloating, constipation or diarrhea
No bacterial overgrowth
Balanced serotonin production
No inflammatory bowl disease or other inflammatory disease
No acid reflux or other gastric inflammatory disease

Function of Healthy Bacteria

The human gut contains 10 times more bacteria than all the human cells in the entire body, including 400 known bacterial species. These strands of bacteria in your gut promote gastrointestinal function, protect the body from infection, regulate metabolism and comprise more than 75% of our total immune system—and that’s only the extent of what we know about the gut’s role in our health.

Importance of Gut Health

It’s all related. Your body’s systems aren’t mutually exclusive—in fact, they perform together, interrelated in a manner that can either benefit or hurt your health, depending on how they are nourished. Scientists also refer to the “brain in your gut” as the enteric nervous system (ENS). The hundred trillion bacteria found in your gut are involved in your brain at many levels, controlling mood, memory and beyond.

Combat Leaky Gut

Scientists have shown that “leaky gut”—a condition that causes the lining of the gut to become compromised and increases inflammation—can increase your susceptibility for brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and autism.

Behaviors Detrimental to a Healthy Gut

Many behaviors, lifestyle habits and tangible items contribute to unhealthy gut flora. These include:

Antibiotics and other medications and NSAIDs
Diets high in refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods
Chronic stress
Diets low in fiber
Dietary toxins
Environmental toxins
Pesticides from commercially grown foods

How to Restore a Healthy Gut

The key to restoring or maintaining a healthy gut involves being cognizant of diet and lifestyle behaviors that can improve and possibly heal poor gut health. Here are some helpful tips for experiencing optimal gut health.

Remove toxins from your diet
Eat plenty of fiber
Take a high-guality digestive enzyme such prior to every meal
Take a high-quality probiotic.
Ensure you are getting enough fiber with a high-quality fiber supplement such as Diet Center Fiber Capsules or Fiber Drinks.
Take steps to manage stress such as meditation, yoga, exercising and other relaxation methods
Opt for raw, whole, organic, non-GMO foods, when possible
Add fermented and cultured foods to your diet, including kombucha, kimchi and other prebiotic foods like garlic and jicama

Gut Health isn’t just a fancy health buzzword, it’s a term you should take seriously and monitor closely. Eat whole foods, avoid processed items and take a quality probiotic supplement to guarantee you are taking every precaution to ensure a healthy gut.

When Less is More: 10 Tips for Portion Control

Written by Ty Bushart on July 24, 2018. Posted in Blog.

When it comes to losing weight and living a healthier life, most of us know that what we eat is important. However, sometimes we forget that how much food we eat is just as critical. Identifying a healthy portion can be tricky and takes practice. Portion control doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be eating tiny serving sizes of everything. Consult your Diet Center plan guidelines for proper portion sizes and follow your meal ratio guidelines to create balanced meal plates.

Here are some helpful tips for practicing healthy portion control in your everyday life.

Measure and Weigh

Since eyeballing portion sizes such as a cup of cereal or 4 to 5 ounces of cooked meat can be tricky, it is important to begin portioning out your meals by weighing and measuring. Use a measuring cup for loose items and liquids and purchase a scale to weigh meats and poultry. You can even portion out items like cereal, rice, snacks, etc. in Ziploc bags to have healthy serving sizes ready to grab and go.

Learn Comparisons

Did you know that the equivalent of 4 ounces of meat is the size of your palm? After you’ve become an expert at measuring your portions, you will learn to associate easy visual techniques to control your servings without using a scale or measuring cup! Double check yourself to make sure you are getting enough to keep you in fat burning mode.

Downsize the Dishware

Many of the plates we use for meals are large and do not promote proper meal ratios. Restock your cabinets with smaller dishware or eat on plates normally reserved for “appetizers. Place your fork down between bites and enjoy chewing your food. Serve salads before dinner in larger bowls and encourage friends and family to get their fill!

Fraction Your Plate

A simple rule for portioning your meal plate is this: divide it in half and fill one-half with vegetables and the other with equal parts lean protein and an unrefined starch.

Drink Water

Drinking eight ounces of water before each meal will help you to not overindulge. Plus, many symptoms of dehydration pose as hunger and drinking more water before and with meals may work to eliminate those false hunger pangs as well. An added benefit, water helps to flush the fat and toxins you are breaking down rapidly on your Diet Center program.

Remove Serving Bowls from the Table

Removing serving plates and bowls from the table will help regulate portion sizes. However portion control isn’t all about eating less—it goes hand in hand with eating healthfully—so don’t move that salad bowl just yet! Allow family or friends to continue filling up on fresh vegetables instead of starches or protein.

Keep a Food Diary

A food diary will keep you accountable to your Diet Center rapid results plan. With everything in writing, you know exactly how much you’ve consumed or how much you plan to consume throughout the day.

Snack Throughout the Day

When you arrive at the dinner table famished, you are much more likely to overeat. Enjoy healthy snacks throughout the day with an emphasis on protein, vegetables and unrefined starches. Diet Center encourages clients to keep a few protein-packed snacks on hand at all times to keep full and satisfied all day long. The Cheddar Bites with Salsa is amazing!

Turn Off Distractions

Turn off the television, computer, tablet and phone during meal time. Sit down and enjoy your meal without distractions. This will promote mindful eating, which allows you to feel more satisfied with every bite.

Simple changes can ensure you and your loved ones are eating healthy portions, even on the go! By practicing healthy meal portions and ratios, you will become aware of how much you are eating each day and promote healthy weight loss and long-term wellness.

It’s all about rapid weight loss with lasting results at Diet Center. Commit to these tips to create change you will feel great about.

STAYING ACTIVE: TRY SOMETHING NEW THIS SUMMER

Written by Ty Bushart on July 17, 2018. Posted in Blog.

Summer is almost halfway over, but it’s not too late to take advantage of the summer weather. During the summer months life tends to get busy and staying active can be a challenge. You must genuinely enjoy the physical activity that you work into your Diet Center Program in order for it to stick long-term. After all, it’s difficult to stay motivated if you’re doing something that you don’t like to do.

Often times, people associate physical activity with working out at the gym, running on a treadmill, spending time on an elliptical machine or lifting weights. If you’re not into these kinds of activities, staying active may seem daunting – but it doesn’t have to! The key to staying physically active consistently is to find something that you like to do and make it a priority when planning your life. In the realm of physical activity there are so many different and fun things that you can try. If you’re having a hard time staying active this summer, here’s a few suggestions to get you moving before the summer is through:

Hiking

You don’t have to live deep in the mountains to hit up the hiking trails. Even if you live in a city, there is likely city parks, state parks and nature preserves with hiking trails nearby. Keep in mind, there’s no hard and fast rule that hiking must be done in nature, either. Is it still hiking if you take a walk through your town, city or urban area? Yes! Urban hiking is a thing (seriously, Google it) and if you enjoy being outdoors and getting more acquainted with the community that you live in, perhaps it’s time to lace up your shoes and hit the streets!

Group Classes

There is perhaps nothing hotter right now in the fitness world than group classes. If you work out by yourself all the time, it can be difficult to stay motivated and push yourself. Although group classes are far from a new concept, they have risen in popularity in recent years as several group fitness gym concepts have sprung up and had success. Do a Google search for gyms in your area – you’ll likely be surprised by what you find. Group yoga, cycling, pilates, barre, water aerobics, boot camp training, boxing and strength training classes are only a few of the options available if you’re looking to get a workout in a group setting.

Rec Sports Leagues

Playing sports is a great way to work out without realizing you’re working out. Once the spirit of competition sweeps you away, it’s easy to participate in a half hour or hour of physical activity almost unwittingly. If high intensity sports like soccer, flag football, racquetball or basketball aren’t your jam, don’t sweat it! There’s plenty of mid-to-low intensity sports to get involved in like sand volleyball, golf, softball and kickball (yes, adult kickball leagues…once again, Google it).

Bike Riding

Remember when you were a kid and anytime you needed to get around the neighborhood you rode your bike? Take a ride back to the good old days and make it a goal to ride your bike to work a couple times a week. Have a long commute? Consider taking your bike to run errands after work or just ride it for the sake of riding it. After all, it’s summer – get out and get some fresh air!

Kayaking

There’s nothing better in the summer than being on the water. If you enjoy nature but aren’t really into hiking, maybe kayaking will float your boat. Kayaks are relatively inexpensive and allow you to take a one person expedition of your local lakes, rivers and streams. However, if you decide to buy or rent a kayak, don’t think that you have to go it alone! Gather some friends and hit the water together. Plan a weekly kayak date and make it a social group activity.

Dancing

Dance classes are a great way to have fun and get your steps in! Although the term ‘dance class’ may conjure up images of Zumba or dance aerobics classes, you can also join classes that teach you how to dance (which are great dual purpose classes – learn and burn). Whether you’re interested in ballroom dancing, swing dancing, break dancing or dance aerobics, dance classes are great activities (especially for couples) that will get you moving, grooving and burning calories.

Martial Arts

Did you ever want to be a ninja when you were a kid? Now’s your chance! Join a martial arts class and learn discipline, self defense and get in shape while you’re at it. Martial arts classes are a great way to build strength, both mentally and physically, and they can prepare you to defend yourself if the need arises. Ready to kick-start your martial arts training? Search for Karate, Taekwondo, Jujitsu, Kung Fu or Kickboxing classes in your area.

Your Diet Center Counselor will be glad to help with activity ideas and to hold you accountable. Just let us know how we can help.

7 Reasons to Drink More Water

Written by Ty Bushart on July 15, 2018. Posted in Blog.

It’s no secret that water is essential to life and maintaining good health, however, you may not realize that the benefits of water go far beyond just keeping you hydrated. As an important component of your Diet Center Program, we recommend drinking 64+ ounces of water each day for optimal weight loss results. You are breaking down body fat so rapidly on the Program that water helps to release what you are releasing—so you see inch loss and feel smaller faster. Here are some of the additional benefits of staying hydrated and that consuming adequate water provide.

Promotes Kidney Function

Your kidneys are constantly filtering waste from the body (especially in weight loss mode). When the kidneys are able to do their job properly, these waste products are eliminated in your urine, which keeps the blood relatively free of these harmful wastes. Sufficient water intake aids in this process!

Crushes Fatigue

Studies have shown that water can also help fight fatigue. One of the most common symptoms of dehydration is tiredness. Track your water intake to ensure you are drinking 64+ ounces throughout the day and fight fatigue before it starts.

Assists Digestion

Drinking enough water increases the amount of fluid in your colon, improving the digestive process. If you experience digestion issues, drinking an adequate amount of water may improve your condition.

Prevents Sickness

Water flushes bacteria and toxins from the body and staying hydrated helps to prevent the onset of colds and other illnesses.

Boosts Brain Power

Studies have discovered a link between water and memory, suggesting that drinking enough water may significantly improve cognitive function.

Keeps Skin Bright

Sufficient water intake is important for hydrating your skin resulting in a healthier complexion and skin tone. When you are chronically dehydrated, your skin may feel dry and look dull. Water helps brighten the look of your skin and also may reduce acne flare-ups by flushing out bacteria.

Controls Appetite

Studies prove that dehydration often masks itself as hunger. Sufficient water consumption helps to curb overeating by suppressing false hunger pangs. Consuming water throughout the day allows your body to signal true hunger. Keep your water bottle handy, feed your thirst and stay hydrated!

Tips to Help

If you need assistance with getting more water in, try adding fruit infusions to add flavor to your water. Lemon, lime, orange, cucumber and strawberries can be a great addition. Diet Center’s Water Enhancer helps to burn fat and suppress appetite. You can also use herbal tea and sparkling water (unsweetened) to count towards hydration.

5 Tips to Make Food Journaling Work for YOU

Written by Ty Bushart on July 2, 2018. Posted in Blog.

Most of us would love a secret to losing weight even faster. And while there’s no magic for healthy weight loss, a journal is a valuable tool. According to a study from Purdue University, keeping a food diary can double a person’s weight loss results.

Incredible! By writing down your food intake each day and monitoring your eating habits and activity, it’s possible that you could double your weight loss results. Despite the benefits, journaling may seem daunting to some. Writing down your daily food intake is a commitment and you may think you don’t have the time or even know where to start.

Don’t worry! Below are some tips to help keep you committed to your journal and accountable to your Diet Center Program.

Choose Your Method

Not all journaling is created equal. Some people like to map out their meals ahead of time and just cross them off their journal as the week progresses. Others like to write each meal as it is consumed, either before or after they’ve eaten. If you are a fan of apps—keep in mind research has shown time and time again that a paper version with handwriting trumps electronic methods. The reasoning is recall is stronger when writing—meaning if you are confronted with a temptation a second time, it’s hard to write it again. Each of these techniques are effective and will produce the same result of faster weight loss. Use the method that works best for you and make sure to keep your journal with you at all times!

Don’t Give Up

Perhaps you are not losing as quickly as you would like, you are experiencing a plateau or deviated from your food plan. Don’t allow these occurrences to derail you from reaching your health goals. Stick with it! Seek the advice of your Diet Center Counselor and continue to successfully lose weight. Our team of experts will provide the suggestions you need to get back on track, break a plateau or handle a challenging situation.

Be Accurate

The more accurate you are, the more you will be able to recognize exactly where you can make adjustments, avoid challenging situations and add variety to your daily food plan. Record portion sizes and meal times. Be sure to include everything you eat, whether it is on plan or not and use your journal as a guide to modify your behaviors, add variety to your food plan and to assist with avoiding stressful situations that may lead to unhealthy food choices.

Set Reminders

Set reminders on your phone, on your calendar or in your email to remind you to log each meal. The alerts may seem irritating at first, however, they will eventually get you in the habit of logging every meal. Once you establish the habit, you won’t even need them!

Additional Tips

Make journaling fun! If you tried a new recipe, record whether or not you liked it. Take note of how you feel after a healthy meal. If you skipped a meal, record what in your day kept you from eating. Also record how you felt before eating certain foods, so that you can identify triggers and times of the day when you crave certain foods. Make sure to also record activity, water intake and the nutritional supplements you are taking.

Remember

Journaling will help you reach your goal faster and stay accountable to your program and health goals. Your journal can be your best friend during weight loss. When you keep track of everything you eat, you will be able to identify your progress and work to eliminate unhealthy behaviors. And, experience twice the weight loss! Journals are most beneficial when you can review them—make sure to have yours available the next time you speak with your Diet Center Counselor. If you bite, write it. Happy Journaling!

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