Choose Black for a Slimming Color

My father-in-law was visiting us over the holidays and he commented on how I wear too much black. He said I would look younger and slimmer if I only wore some lighter colored clothes.

Well I thanked him for his fashion guru advice and told him he's the first person I've heard say that a woman looks slimmer in white or light colors. I think almost every woman knows that black makes you look a bit slimmer.

This reminds me that I saw a photo of Catherine Zeta Jones in a black outfit from about a month ago and I was going to post about how she seems to have lost a lot of weight over the past months. This was before I saw photos of her two weeks later (from an event on December 14th) where she is wearing the red dress. It's amazing how she can look so different weight-wise in a matter of just two weeks.

Check out "Half their Size"

People Magazine is hitting the newsstands tomorrow with their annual "Half their Size" weight loss issue. Check it out when you do your grocery shopping over the next week. They always have some very inspirational stories of people who've lost over a hundred pounds.

This year they feature Mary Smith, who went from size 28 to a size 4 with low-carb eating, Janene Campbell who lost 207 pounds in two years with the help of LA Weight Loss and Tiana Silva who lost 150 pounds by walking, cardio kick-boxing and lifting weights.

They also interview Mia Tyler who's happy to be a plus-size model and says that if you feel healthy, some extra pounds shouldn't get in the way of your happiness.

I wasn't able to find a photo of the upcoming issue but above is their cover for last year, featuring success stories by Cathi Lee and Angela Hefel amongst many others.

Phytochemicals | Their Amazing Health Benefits

Phytochemicals And The Health Value Of ColorsMother Nature has generously supplied the plant world with thousands of bioactive chemicals, in turn giving protection to assure health and regeneration of the species. In each edible plant are dozens, if not hundreds, of phytochemicals with health benefits that transfer to us through our diet.A simple way to grasp what phytochemicals do is to

More Holiday Eating Tips

Holiday Eating Strategy Sheet“I'm glad it is over,” say many people after Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's. If you are the food preparer, you are most likely shopping, mincing, dicing, and sautéing, days – possibly weeks before the event. The good china, crystal, flatware, and serving pieces are brought out of storage. They are washed, polished, and used once more before they are stored

The Secret to Losing Weight?

Every so often a big bestseller comes along that serves to inspire and motivate people. This Christmas season, the big winner is The Secret. The Secret is all about how people can inspire themselves to creating a new lifestyle and a new future for themselves.

'The Secret' is probably the ultimate truth; which is that our thoughts are the major factor in determining our lives and our futures. If one can somehow move to a different mind frame, and take on everyday life in a new mindset, this can completely transform the texture of our daily lives and can be the easy driver which enables us to meet our goals.

The Secret comes in DVD or book format and has become the surprise best-seller in the couple of weeks since it was released. This must be due to word of mouth because it hasn't benefited from a massive marketing campaign.

All the small bookstores are promoting it as a great Christmas gift. (Here's one example). Most people are saying that the DVD even more so than the book is incredibly inspiring for making profound lifestyle changes.

Update January 29th: The Secret is being featured on the Oprah show on February 8th. Rhonda Byrne will make her first TV appearance since she released the film. She'll be joined by Jack Canfield, Michael Beckwith, Lisa Nichols, and James Ray.

Here's the trailer video clip of the Secret DVD;

Obesity | Causes Most People Don’t Know About

Causes of ObesityWith all the emphasis on the importance of weight loss and dieting in the world today, obesity incidence is still rising. The diet industry generates billions of dollars annually and yet the majority of the money spent by consumers is wasted. Why is that?Why do people have so much trouble losing weight and even more difficulty in maintaining weight loss? Well, when we narrow it

How Fiber Can Keep You Lean During the Holidays

High Fiber Menus throughout the Holidays with the Glycemic Index And what do you want for Christmas this year, asks Fiberlady? GI? GI Joe? Sorry, but I cannot consciously support the military-industrial complex by purchasing idols of warmongers for children to reenact their misplaced power. Okay, go ahead. Tell Santa.The only GI that I can conscientiously promote is the Glycemic Index otherwise

Here are Ten Tips for Quick Weight Loss

10 Tips for Losing 7lbs1.Cut out the carbs at night, you in all probability won't be burning them off unless you head over to the gym after dinner. Make sure you have some carbs at lunch.2. Abstain from alcohol. After a drink or two your will power is lessened and that chocolate doesn't seem like a bad idea. Not to mention all the excess calories in the alcohol. It's hard I know but unless you do

The 2 Types of Fiber | and Their Amazing Health Benefits

If you have been confused by the 2 basic types of fiber and what their functions (and benefits) are, this article will help make it very clear.Many people think that fiber’s only role is to help overcome constipation. You will find out later in this article how certain chemical by-products formed by the digestion of fiber, have been shown to greatly reduce risks of developing cancer, heart

The Master Cleanse Diet is Back in Vogue

The Master Cleanse Diet is back in vogue according to a recent article in the New York Times.

This is a liquid diet recommended for ten days. Beyonce Knowles may be part of the reason for this diet's resurgence. It's been widely publicized that she lost 20 pounds on this fast to get ready for her role for the movie 'Dreamgirls'.

And Robin Quivers, Howard Stern's long-suffering sidekick, told People magazine that she did the fast on three separate occasions in 2004 and shrunk to 145 pounds from a peak of 218.

I've personally tried to fast, three or four times in the last 10 years, but never lasted more than five days. However, the results were great. If you are overweight, it's probably safe to go without food for a few days if you can muster it (but do ask your doctor, as I am no medical advisor and most doctors are reluctant to recommend this route to weight loss.}

My sister, who is very beautiful at the age of 50, has followed this Master Cleanse fasting diet twice in the last two years, for ten days each time. From personal observation, it worked extremely well for her.

The simple recipe for the Master Cleanse Diet is two tablespoons lemon juice, two tablespoons Grade-B maple syrup, 1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 8 ounces of spring or purified water. You can enjoy this drink as many times a day as you want.

No More Binge Eating for Boston Guy

Chris Stockbridge was all set to get weight loss surgery a couple of months ago. He weighed 340 pounds and wanted to lose more than a hundred pounds.

But the story happened to get out that he was binge eating as his surgery approached. The Boston Herald took photos of him binge eating at a buffet. And many radio stations interviewed him.

His doctor was upset with him. He thought he was setting a bad example for other people who were about to get weight loss surgery. But he's since found out that it's quite common for people to go on a big binge before their planned weight loss surgery.

However the doctor was upset and told him he had to lose forty pounds first on his own, before he would accept him for weight loss surgery.

The good news is that Chris Stockbridge has now lost 56 pounds (in less than three months) and he had changed his mind about taking the surgery route. He thinks he may now be able to lose all his excess weight with the lifestyle change he's made over the past few weeks.

See the full and very interesting story at CalorieLab.

Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Hello Everyone,The holiday season traditionally is a time for fun, celebration and indulgence. Holiday parties are also notorious for spoiling weight loss regimens. The average American gains five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. This is because you don’t want to think about fitness and diet during these festive times. You can, however, party to your heart’s content without gaining an

Getting Rid of Flabby Excess Skin

Some people who have recently lost a great deal of weight are paying $50,000 or more to have excess skin removed surgically. These are typically people who have lost over 100 pounds via bariatric surgery. Though they are much slimmer, they often have extra flaps of skin hanging from their arms, legs or stomach.

Wired Magazine has some good before and after photos of body contouring surgeries. Though this seems like a relatively easy way to get rid of sagging excess skin, it can be painful, will leave scarring, can result in further complications, and costs a fortune.

See how other people have gotten rid of their excess skin naturally over time, via regular exercise.

Are You Dieting and Exercising and Still Can’t Lose Weight?

Hello everyone.If you are dieting and/or exercising and find you have stopped losing weight, you have come to a weight loss plateau.If you are dieting without exercise you will probably see weight loss at the early stages of dieting. Significant calorie restriction, however, may work against you. Although the theory is: if you eat less you will lose more weight, it doesn’t exactly turn out that

Getting in Shape for the Wedding

Jason Taylor was getting married in a few months and wanted to look his best for the wedding. He weighed 225 and his height is 6'1'.

He succeeded in losing 25 pounds over two and a half months. He also lowered his body fat percentage from 15 to 8.

One can achieve a lot in just two months but he says it took discipline.

Taylor did it by exercising on an elliptical machine six days a week. He also limited himself to 2,100 calories a day and gave up on refined sugar. He ate most of his carbohydrates at breakfast.

See his story here.

Webisodes: Knowledge for Success

Note from KayeOne of our goals at LivingAfterWLS is to providecurrent, on-going useful information that enablesour subscribers and community members to embracetheir weight loss surgery and succeed beyond thestatistics. We want you to go further and achievemore than you have ever imagined. As part ofthis effort I am pleased to introduce you to fournew webisodes from our sponsor, Healthology.

A Complete Lifestyle Change for Camille

Camille Tirzah, age 47, was obese for many years. But she finally succeeded in losing all her excess weight. She lost 100 pounds over three years by making a complete lifestyle change her top priority. She began to exercise regularly for the first time and dropped junk foods from her diet.

She says she feels 10 years younger. "I can run and jump. I feel like the Energizer Bunny.”. She's became a certified personal trainer and is now a mentor to others in the Portland-metro area.

Lose Weight Without Leaving Home or Office

Recent studies suggest that fidgeters actually burn more calories than non-fidgeters. People that are always fidgeting even while sitting down – like moving their arms, hands, or constantly changing sitting positions actually burn more calories.If you are sitting for long periods for example you should try to change positions or simply get up of your seat and move your arms, rotate your shoulders