Good Afternoon To All!
I came across an interesting article today while looking for info on how much water I should be drinking daily. It was about natural weight loss, so I want to share some with all of you:
Here is what you can do to achieve a healthy weight:
1. First of all, avoid any fad diets and fast-acting solutions that guarantee incredible weight loss while you watch television and eat deserts.
2. Focus on being fit rather than being thin. Aiming to be thin often means restricted eating, over-exercising, and anxious obsessing about weight - there is nothing healthy about this mindset.
3. Eat five small meals per day. Find a small bowl the size of your two palms when they are placed next to each other - this should be the size of each meal. Eating throughout the day keeps you from becoming famished and overeating at your next meal.
4. Your last meal of the day should be no later than 7 p.m.
5. Eliminate candy, sugar, and soda from your diet. Instead of candy, chew on some fresh peppermint leaves or cinnamon sticks. Use honey sparingly as a replacement for sugar.
6. Eat more complex carbohydrates and ample quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables. Keep dairy to a minimum because most dairy products are high in saturated fat, which is not healthy for your cardiovascular system when consumed in larger amounts. Opt for the lower fat dairy products such as low-fat or non-fat milks, cheeses, and yogurt. Avoid fatty foods, processed or fried foods.
7. Drink plenty of water - at least 60 ounces a day. It is especially beneficial to drink plain hot water, as if you are drinking tea without the tea or sugar. Also, drink a tea made from boiling a lemon (with the peel).
8. Eat soup at least once a day. A low-salt nutritious soup rehydrates the body while also nourishing and flushing waste from the body. It has been found that people who eat one or more soups each day lose more weight than those who eat the same number of calories but don't eat soup. (Seek out homemade soup, because canned soups are filled with salt and chemicals.)
9. A 30-minute daily walk can do wonders for your metabolism. Try taking a walk 30 minutes in the morning or 30 minutes in the evening, two hours before bed. For toning you might replace one of the walks with some stretching activities such as tai chi or a mild form of yoga.
Advice in #2 will be my inspiration today...Hope it helps someone else as well!!
I hope this helps
That's a downside in this process, I guess.
Im here for ya if you need someone to talk to! 
I bet that was a change. I gained a lot of weight when I moved from Italy back to the States. I was in the Navy and weighed about 125 in IT, and once I got to the states I gained about 30 lbs. (of course got worse with time) I have often wondered why I gained, cause I ate like a cow in IT- (Bread, pasta...mmmm) I think it was the fast food. There just wasnt a lot of fast food there. I lived in Catania Siciliy- and I had to drive clear across the island to Palermo just to see a "Crappy D's" (McDonalds) There was no fast food joint on every corner. Plus if you went to a restaurant, dinner took like seriously- three hrs. It was all spread out and you didnt shovel food...Too bad it isnt like that in the States...
