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I decided to do the cliche New Years “thing” by joining the gym just prior to Christmas, and have become discouraged with the lack of results I have seen in the 2+ weeks I have religiously gone every day! Perhaps I am replacing fat with muscle as a few of my friends have suggested, but this is cold comfort for someone who is so used to checking in with the scale as a guideline for weight loss.

So, I decided to do a bit of research tonight, into ways to jump-start my 2009 weight-loss program. What does this have to do with recipes, you ask? Well, as part of my healthier diet and exercise regime, I am committed to providing more healthy recipes here at Cat Can Cook. That’s not to say that I will *only* post healthy recipes. On the contrary, I believe that everything in moderation is a good thing, especially when it comes to cheesecake! However, I would like to incorporate a few more healthier recipes to my site.
I am a Lifetime Weight Watchers Member, and truly believe we can all lead healthy lives simply by balancing our food and exercise. Here are a few pointers from healthylivingformoms.com for jump-starting your weight loss!

1. Eliminate all bread, pasta,sugar and fat from your diet

This is a drastic step, I know. It may even seem contradictory to other information found on Healthy Living for Moms and that’s why I stress that this is a drastic step. But please understand that bread and pasta made from wheat flour are the worst things you can eat if you are trying to lose fat. It doesn’t matter if it’s whole grain, high fiber or low carb pasta, grains in any form will make you fat.

Think about what bread and pasta is made from and you will understand why this must go. To make bread and pasta, grains, lots and lots of grains, are processed to make just a few ounces of pasta or a couple slices of bread. It’s like concentrated calories in just a few ounces once you eat it and then your body has to work extra hard to get rid of it. If you want to lose 5 pounds fast, lose the bread.

If you continue to eat fat while you are fat, the fat on your body will never burn off. Healthy foods can be made to taste great simply by adding lemon juice, garlic, other spices and herbs to your cooking.

Sugar turns to fat if it’s not used as energy immediately. Everything you eat eventually turns to sugar so it is not like you are depriving your body of an essential ingredient. Plus, too much sugar causes too much insulin to be released into your body and raises your risk of insulin resistance and eventually diabetes. If you want to lose 5 pounds fast, lose the sugar.

If you really need to have some kind of bread or pasta, look for products made of rice flour. If you have an asian section in your supermarket or health food store, you will find rice noodles (make sure it doesn’t have partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in it) or rice thins that are a tasty substitute.

2.Eat a small meal every 2 to 3 hours

Your small meal should consist of 2 – 4 ounces of protein and 1/2-1 cup complex carbs or fruit, such as salad, green vegetables, or a dense fruit like apples. You can eat a 1/2-1 cup serving of any kind of rice (white or brown),oatmeal(quick-cooking not instant) or potato to make your metabolism burn fat better. The principle is to combine the right foods to make your metablism work efficiently.

Eating the meal every 2 -3 hours will keep your body burning fuel constantly and steadily increase your metabolism.

3. Eat before you exercise

I was always under the impression that you should exercise on an empty stomach but this is wrong. Your body needs fuel to exercise and it helps to eat a small meal before you exercise to keep your metabolism chugging along. The meal you eat should be about 200 calories and contain a carb like oatmeal or rice (instead of fruit or a vegetable) before you exercise so your body will have plenty to burn.

4. Drink 100 ounces of water a day

Conventional wisdom says eight 8-ounce glasses of water but 100 ounces (that’s 12 eight-ounce glasses plus 4 ounces more) is sure to flush out all the fat you are trying to lose. Minimize salt in your diet, too, since it can cause your body to retain water. If you want to lose 5 pounds fast, drink your water!

5.Give it a week and see if it works for you

You may decide that it’s too much of a sacrifice to lose 5 pounds fast. But if you think it might work for you, make a commitment to this plan for one week and you will see that it really works…you will lose 5 pounds fast. You might even lose more! If it’s too drastic for you to continue, just implement one of these principles at a time and see how it will make a difference!

Weight Watchers In 20 Minutes