How to stop craving for food and how to eat less, when trying to loose wight

 

I was not expecting this! I thought I had more time! I mean really, 30 C degrees in April? Swimsuit/shorts time already? That can't be happening!!!!! I didn't plan on getting rid of the winter weight so fast!!

But, as it IS happening, and as I had a major meltdown the other day looking at all the amazing jean shorts in the New Yorker store, and because I went massochistic enough to try on a pair and that made me start crying .... I have to start loosing weight. I gave myself one month to loose 5 kilos. And only THEN I will reward myself with one/two/three new pairs of shorts. Because let's face it, they are trendy, they are fun, they are the easiest way of dressing in the summer, you can wear them with anything and most of all, they are ME. 100% me. I am not even mentioning the swimsuits, I don't even wanna think about those YET!

So. If you are looking to loose some weight this spring, and to do it fast, you can do it with me! Please share the things that work for you, as well! What I've noticed so far, is that for me, these basic rules work best:

1. DO NOT eat after 8 PM! Under ANY circumstance! 7 is better, but I usually can't bare an empty stomach for so long, till breakfast...

2. Drink WATER! Plenty of it! 

3. DO NOT eat BREAD. At all would be best, but if you can't do that, at least put it in the toaster first, and make sure you cut it THIN!

4. Here come the common sense rules... do not eat anything that looks greasy! do not eat too many potatoes, too many bananas, and of course, no white sugar! And of course, no sodas. NO SODAS I said, not even DIET ones!!! 

Now I will give you 10 tips on how to "scare off" your appetite for food!

1. Before sitting at the table (yes, you have to actually SIT at the table, eating in a hurry will always get you fat! And ill, eventually!), drink a glass of mineral water or tomatoe juice. It will reduce your food intake by 1/3!!

2. Put your food in a smaller BLUE plate. The portion will seem bigger and the shrinks say that the color blue's soothing properties will reduce your appetite. 

3. Don't use too many condiments, because they can increase your hunger! (Here is a contradiction for me, because they also say that spicy food can help your metabolism burn fat faster, so I am not sure what is best...) The common sense solution: if you can't stop by any means eating alot, at least make it spicy! ha ha!

4. Eat slow, chew without rushing, and get up from the table before you feel full. The mechanism that creates the fullness sensation needs 20 minutes to become active! 

5. Don't keep hypercaloric foods in your refrigerator! I know, you will say "but I have to keep some cookies in there, in case some guests come up, but I will put them in the most hidden spot, behind a sour cucumber pot!" Nope, that won't work like that. You will end up devouring them without even breathing, one evening..

6. Go shopping ONLY after you have eaten and you feel full. That will stop you from filling your basket till it spills with all kinds of junk. Weird enough, but this works for any kind of shopping, not only food!

7. Never eat in front of the TV or while playing sudokku!

8. If you get hungry before going to bed, brush your teeth instead, and use some mouthwash as well. The mint flavor, as well as the idea that "teeth have to be washed AFTER dinner", will make your brain forget about the wish to eat (for a while, so you better fall asleep fast!)

9. This receipe can also be helpful to minimize your appetite: boil half a kilo of prunes or figs (or both) in 3 liters of water untill the liquid evaporates by half a liter (I know, not the best description but that's how I know it). Drink half a glass before every meal, together with the pulp of the fruits.

10. Aromatherapy also helps! When you feel the need of a snack, smell the peel of a grapefruit or some flower essence. The centers of the hunger and the olfactory ones are very closed, so the flavors will suppress the hunger sansation.

That's all for now, I will come back to this topic when I find out (or remember) new things that do work!

Good luck!

And of course, Keep smiling!!

oxoxox

Roxana

Dr. Organic Rose Otto Facial Serum - review

I promised a review for all of my Dr. Organic products, so here I am with the Rose Otto Facial Serum! I finished it like 2 weeks ago and, even if I loved it, I decided I would also try the Argan Face oil, so I am using that one right now (review coming up!), and after that I think I will buy the Rose Otto again!

So, here is how it looked when I bought it:

And this is how it looked after I finished it, lol. I really did finish it (it lasted me for about 5-6 weeks, using it twice a day every day)!

I loved it! I mean, I grew to love it, because at first the smell made me faint! LOL It does smell REALLY strong, it is a nice rose smell, but well, to have it so close to your nose (actually ON your nose as well) can be a bit  overwhelming... Other than that, it is amazing! Really! I know I have been running away from any kinds of oils, for years, due to my acne problems, and I was only looking for "oil free" stuff to put on my face, but let me tell you, that was stupid! Because not oils in general are bad for acne-prone skin, but certain oils, especially mineral ones, that CLOG the pores! Otherwise oils are not a problem, as long as you are cleaning your skin with the right products twice a day, drink plenty of water and DO NOT put your hands on your face during the day (here I also include the necessity to wipe your cell phone and your specs/sunglasses with some antibacterial stuff once a day at least!). In my case, at least, the more dehydrated my skin is (usually due to anti-acne treatments!!), the more prone to breakouts it becomes. I am glad I dared to try organic oils, cause they are working wonders for me! 

It is not only a rose oil, but a mixture of many many oils, as follows:
- Rose Otto oil
- Rosehip oil
- Argan oil
- Passionflower seed oil
- Geranium oil
- Clove flower oil
- Arnica flower oil
- Jojoba oil
- Vitamin E
- Cotton seed oil
- Rice Bran oil
- Meadowfoam seed oil
- Calendula
- Sweet Almond oil
- Soya bean oil
- Sunflower seed oil
- Vitamin C

(I won't bore you and write about each of these oils, but trust me, I did some research and ANY of these, used alone, is really really great for your skin! Imagine having them all in one product!)

Let's see what this stuff promises. They say that it:

- Optimises skin hydration (check - yes it definitely does!)

- Lowers trans dermal dehydration (well I guess it does, my skin definitely felt happier and softer!)

- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (check - yep, it does!)

- Improves elasticity and firmness (check - definitely!! I was suspicious about an oil's ability to do that, but yes, this one definitely does, it was a noticeable change in my skin's firmness, to the better, or course :))

- Nourishes and restores (well I can't ask my skin how nourished it is, but by the fact that it looks alot healthier, I think I should be checking this one too!)

- offers antioxidant protection (well this is certain, because it contains vitamin E at least!)

It is also:

- Paraben free

- SLS free (SLS stands for Sodium Lauryl Sulfat, and this is what I found about it: "When animals were exposed to SLS they experienced depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, and severe skin irritation. SLS can damage children’s eyes, too. SLS may also damage the skin’s natural immune system by causing layers of the epidermis to separate and become inflamed. Even worse, when SLS is combined with other chemicals, the resulting compounds could be carcinogenic nitrosamines" (source: www.gorgeouslygreen.com)

- Free of artificial colours, fragrances or harsh preservatives.

Enough about what they say and more about what "I" say, about this product!

First of all I loved the fact that it comes in a little GLASS container! Not only that I think it's the safest way to keep a product, but is also re-usable! So - very GREEN! Also, I love the fact that it has a little pump, so it's easy to get out only the amount that you need for an application (for me it was 3-4 pumps).

As I mentioned before, the smell is strong, indeed, and could cause a headache to a person that is sensitive to strong flower smells, but other than that, this product is exceptional and way beyong my expectations. 

When I started using it I was craving for a face serum, actually my face looked like it really needed one, but I was not keen on paying 100 euros for the Estee Lauder ANR anymore, especially because I had read that it contained some nasty chemical. And I had tried others and none worked as good, so I was like...whatever, let's try all natural stuff, at least if it won't work, it won't do me any bad whatsoever. I am so happy I did!! After like 2 weeks of use, my face was looking and feeling so much better, the breakouts stopped, and the skin looked alot firmer! I must mention that I am also using the Manuka Honey face mask twice a week, and that definitely helps with the blackheads, so there are less chances for breakouts anyways.

This stuff does leave your face greasy for a while, because well, after all, its an oil. But not for as long as you would think. It does get absorbed completely into the skin after a while (30 mins for me, but I have oily T-zone anyways). On the box they recommend using it together with a moisturizing cream, and they say that you should apply it mornings BEFORE the moisturizer, and evenings AFTER the moisturizer. But I am not using moisturizer with it, I feel it alone is more than enough to keep my skin perfectly moisturized. I think adding a cream on top of it would be too much for my type of skin, but if you have really dry skin you should do that, I'd say. Of course, when I have to be fast and just slap on some makeup and leave home in the morning, I use a tissue to absorb the excess oil after like 2-3 minutes from application, so I can put on my foundation. 

That's about all I have to say about this product, I will definitely buy it again and I am very pleased and happy that I discovered it! :) Thumbs up all the way!

Hope this review helped! Thank you for reading my blog, please follow and comment, if you feel like it!

Take care and keep smiling!

oxoxox

Roxana