News, Recipes & Workouts — teen weight issues

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Snug In Your Skin

Love Your BodyLadies, if you’ve been down on yourself, I have great news for you. Men, ages 18–50, 80 percent say they prefer a woman with curves. Thin is not in — strong and fit is.

Know what else men say? "There is nothing sexier than a woman comfortable in her skin. Nothing beats a happy girl who loves to laugh."

Feeling sorry about your body (and the anxiety that comes with it) is extremely contiguous. So is loving yourself exactly the way you are. Yes, men love when their girls eat healthy food and take care of themselves. It prompts them to do likewise. Men also love a woman who can relax and enjoy eating with them as well.

This might seem counterproductive for weight loss—thinking that enjoying yourself will lead to a poor diet and, inevitably, the scale sliding up. It's quite the contrary. Often, we use dieting as a way to punish ourselves from the overeating and indulging we have done (which always backfires). When we love ourselves the way we are, we naturally want to take better care of ourselves for the right reasons. And we're happy to do so.

As women, the media pushes in our faces, and glorifies, super stick-thin models. All the while making us feel unattractive and unhappy about our “average” or curvy bodies. Guess what? Men don't feel the same way. In fact, men prefer voluptuous women.

Fifteen percent of men prefer average size women while only five percent opt for super skinny. We obsess over every morsel we put in our mouths and over-exercise in the gym at the expense of our families and careers. The worst part — it’s a turn off to the opposite sex.

I can hear you now, "I do it for myself."

I work with women and men all day long. Deep inside, everyone wants to be noticed by their spouse, partner, or the opposite sex. We are human after all. Anyone who knows me knows that I have struggled with my weight and food since I was a toddler. When I finally lost the extra pounds and arrived at my goal weight, I didn’t expect what happened next. I was feeling pretty good about accomplishing my weight loss goal and for the first time in my life had wiggle room in my clothes. One day while training at the gym, the girl who worked the front desk said, “Girl, the guys said you used to have it going on, curves in the all the right places. Now you’re too skinny". I was stunned. To this day, I am grateful to her for being so honest. Truth be told, I think she saved me from a battle with little Miss Anorexia. That’s not all; when I went home to talk with my husband about it, he said, “I like you with a few more pounds on you."

I spent 20 years hating myself, always thinking that I was fat and ugly. I lived in my head with all of my negative thoughts. Little did I know that I was way off. I needed to stop that insanity and start feeling good about myself. That's the secret to being sexy at any age and any size.

Every morning we get a day older, and it does become more difficult to control our weight with age, so I’m not suggesting that you quit on yourself. Instead, I am suggesting that you learn to love yourself, no matter what size you are. Take the limits off of your life.You are more than your weight or the number on the scale. You are enough the way you are right now.

I beg you to talk to your healthy friends (be mindful of women who are clearly too skinny) or your spouse about what you’re feeling inside. It will help you get a clear and realistic perspective on your weight and weight loss goals. It will also help you to enjoy every day to the fullest.

Additionally, as a melanoma survivor, I can tell you that once someone tells you that you’ve got cancer, you realize how much time you’ve wasted worrying about perfection. Perfection doesn’t exist.

I have a question for you. If it was your last day on earth would that weight loss battle matter? Would you hate yourself so much? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to waste one day hating myself.

If your weight loss struggle is on your bucket list, do it today so you won’t keep wishing you had done it sooner. It is never too late. Your someday is today, and it’s easier than you think. Anyone can lose weight and feel good once they make the decision to do it. The choice is yours. No one can do it for you.

Fun facts that may help you like yourself better today:

    • A size 14, which is now considered a "plus size," was approximately sex bomb Marilyn Monroe's dress size
    • 20 years ago, most fashion models were a size 8. Today, that's been replaced by an unrealistic size 0
    • 75 percent of men said the hobby they find most attractive in the opposite sex is cooking, not being a gym queen
    • 78 percent of men said a woman's most attractive feature is her smile
    • Men think being strong is sexy. Swap out those all day cardio and Pilates workouts for strength training. You’ll look and feel sexier
    • Men say we are too obsessed with our weight. It’s not weight that matters but our fat to muscle ratio that counts most

This article isn’t meant to slam woman who are naturally thin — that is their body type and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that either. Another fun fact: most skinny women want to add weight in the form of muscle. These women struggle with body image issues in the same way that we all want to lose weight. We will never be happy until we choose to love ourselves just the way we are. The best part is You Get To Decide.

I dare you to start today. Please keep these in mind when the old negative voices in your head start talking to you:

    • Men prefer woman 10–15 lbs. heavier than what we think our ideal body weight “should” be 
    • Toned is sexier than “skinny” 
    • Aim to be your healthiest, most fit body. Not anybody else’s
    • Don't be afraid of your weight. Muscle weighs more, but it’s sexier
    • Forget about what the scale says. Focus on leaner vs. lighter
    • Your attitude and confidence are what matters most and what is the most memorable when you enter and exit a room
    • You must love and accept the way you look before anyone can

Whitey Houston said it best: ”Learning to Love Yourself is the Greatest Love of All."

If you need help reaching a healthy body weight or learning to love yourself, please reach out. That’s what I am are here for. The Metabolism Solution provides you with every tool you need to lose weight while enjoying what you eat. Most importantly, learn to love yourself by honoring God with your Bod.

 

Is The School Lunch Causing Your Child's Weight Problem?

Could School Lunches Be Your Child's Weight Problem?

If you’re like me, there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. So adding one more thing to your to-do list can send you over the edge. However, I have some information that might just motivate you to start packing your child's lunch every day.

Shockingly, most school lunches altogether lack nutritional value. Processed chicken nuggets, pizza and cookies for dessert are the norm. It’s also the reason our children are growing more overweight by the second. If they serve vegetables (most schools do not because kids throw them away), chances are it’s a tiny portion of frozen peas that are salted to preserve them and lack flavor.

The fact is that most school lunches are downright unhealthy, not appetizing, and expensive compared to the simple, delicious lunches you can make yourself at home. Your kids might even eat them if they are involved in the decision-making process.

School lunches rightfully get a lot of attention. Positive nutritional steps are beginning to be set into motion, but the truth is we still have a lot of room for growth. It’s still, and will always be better if you save money and make the lunches at home. You have better control over your child’s balanced diet this way, and you’ll be improving his or her health while assisting in the weight loss process should your child be overweight.

One of my big tricks is to have a "big cook night" where you make large portions of everything so you can pack the leftovers in reusable containers for lunch. I like to do this on Sundays after I’ve gone grocery shopping. I invite my kids to help me. This working together is good, not only for the diet it's also a good time to stay close and reconnect with your kids. Almost always, if your child takes part, he or she will gladly eat what they pack for lunch. Don’t forget the "I love you" notes or "I’m so proud of you." We all need to hear more of that.

I can hear the moaning now — it takes too much time. But, it takes less to do this than it does to visit the doctor when your child is sick or to deal with issues caused from being overweight — saving you both time and money. Most of all, your child will be happier, not just healthier.

DID YOU KNOW THAT children who are overweight are more likely to be bullied at school?

School lunch rescue recipes can be the remedy for your overweight child. Your kids will inevitably still be eating lots of sandwiches, wraps, and not so healthy carbs. That’s ok—it’s all about balance. You can make any meal much healthier by swapping out the heavily processed and potential allergy-triggering wheat bread and carbs for some creative options instead. Don’t forget most kids (grown ups too) prefer to eat with their hands making these foods fun alternatives that are good for us.

Here are some simple solutions to your kid’s school lunch issues:

Turkey "Not" Wraps: Simply use turkey as your wrap instead of bread. Pack/stuff it with ½ cup of shredded vegetables such as carrots and lettuces. Top it with a delicious and healthy gluten-free honey mustard and add a side of peanut butter balls (see The Metabolism Solution for the recipe). You’ll have a lunch that your kids could sell it's so delicious. It's exceptionally nutritious too. It’s high-protein, full of good for you carbs that won't jack up blood sugar levels. It contains healthy good-for-you fats to help keep them full. It also boosts brain power and sustains energy levels that help them focus.

Does it get any better knowing your child eats what he or she loves, and it’s good for them? Moms, you should eat this too and don’t forget to pack dad's lunch too if he is struggling with his weight. Heck, even the dog can eat it’s so healthy. Top it off with an apple and bottle of water and it’s a lunch suitable for a king or queen. If your child needs to gain weight, add a homemade smoothie for extra protein without all of the sugar and food dyes.

Blueberry Smoothie Bomb (big trend for teens):
2 scoops of Vanilla Complete Protein Powder
Coconut water or milk
½ cup of berries or fruit (mango is in)
*This is less expensive and much better for your child. In fact, it can even be a lunch on its own.

For more information on keeping your child healthy:
LynFit Lean Teens
The Metabolism Solution by Lisa Lynn