Does Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred really work?

Ok, not to dis Gilad but sometimes I have discovered it’s nice to have a workout DVD on hand encase you can’t get to the tv when Gilad is on. No, I do not own a VCR and I am not buying one because my tv has so much stuff hooked to it, that I would never get it all back right if I add something else in. SOOOOOO, I ordered 30 Day Shred from Wal-Mart.com, it was only $6.00 and shipping was just $2.50.

For those of you that may not want to order the DVD, some cool person on utube taped it for us and here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEpeq7IIGcY

Supposedly, if you do this workout for 20 minutes a day, for 30 days, you will lose 20lbs.  I am going to give it a try and see if it works. I will be updating this post so check back for the results.  Please feel free to add in you own experiences.:o)

[Via http://fatfreemayobites.wordpress.com]

Man boobs. The unspoken truth.

 

Raw food update.

(I realize how many of you will read that first line, groan, and immediately leave the blog, but it’s important. To me anyway. Plus, since a few readers saw what I was doing and began a similar regime themselves, it’s important to them too.)

I’ve been on the raw food diet now for…I lost count somewhere along the way, but I believe it’s over three weeks, almost four. During that time, the following happened:

1. I lost ten pounds. Not ten pounds I could afford to lose, I was already thin, but ten pounds nonetheless.  My neck is thinner, my shirts are hanging off me, I look good in a bikini again. Also, people are starting to comment adversely. ”God, you’re so skinny!”
2. My feet started aching. It’s painful to walk now, for some reason, though of course all the organs in the body have nerve endings in the feet, so it’s obviously related. Maybe my insides are screaming for help. Yes, that’s probably it.
3. I started to feel really alive. Focused, athletic, strong, determined.
4. My skin is fantastic. I had one or two minor break-outs while I was detoxing, and I got an ulcer on my tongue that was reeeeally painful. Otherwise, I’m developing a bit of a glow. And in a world looking for alternative sources of energy, that can’t be a bad thing.  
5. My food allergies have subsided. I put this down to the fact that I’m not eating the foods I’m allergic to. Duh.
6. 6. My man-boobs (I’m a B-cup), which developed years ago after I drank way too many lattes (containing hormones) and ate way too much acidic food (which does something to encourage estrogen, I believe) suddenly look even more ridiculous than they did before.
7. 7. My senses are heightened. My sense of smell, for instance, is through the roof. Unfortunately, this makes normal food smell even better and more enticing than it really is, and I want some. NOW!
8. Friends are avoiding me. In droves. The telephone never rings any more.  Apparently, I’m considered a real bore because I’m so enthusiastic about nutrition and they’re not, and every time I eat something live and raw and healthy it reminds them that what they’re eating is dead and slowly killing them. So? What’s wrong with that? 
9. I’m not being invited out to dinner or to dinner parties. People are anticipating that I’ll be an awkward guest and start picking and choosing what I’ll eat (and they’re not wrong), which ruins it for everyone. Our neighbors called up last night and invited my partner out to dinner. My name didn’t even come up.
10. My partner makes his own food without consulting me and sits eating it, reading a magazine, hoping silently that I don’t bring up the subject of raw food, because if I mention it one more time he may lash out.
11. I paid for an internet course on how to reduce the size of my man-boobs. The trick seems to be to increase the alkalinity of your diet and do weights to tighten the chest. I begin that next week. 
12. Salads I used to eat in local restaurants now taste vile. This is because they use vegetables sprayed with pesticides and for the first time I can actually taste them.
13. The food cravings won’t go away. Cake especially. But I’ve managed to talk some sense into myself before eating them, and avoided lapsing. However, cake, being sacred, will definitely be a part of my diet again in the future. It is the law.
14. Most of the food I used to eat holds no allure or appeal any more. Pasta may smell good, but I have no desire whatsoever to put it in my mouth. And chicken….yeuw.
15. 15. Except for the soles of my feet, which hurt like hell, I feel terrific. My body has adapted quickly.
16. 16. I’ve learned to “cook” raw meals at home that are really very exciting and delicious. Raw is not as dismal or eccentric as it at first sound.
17. Raw restaurants make better raw food than I could ever make myself. I should have learned that by now.
18. I eat so much less food than I used to. When the food is raw, or in juice form, it is almost all nutrition, so you need less of it. Dead food, because it contains barely any nutrients at all, has to be consumed in bulk for the body to benefit. Afterwards, you’re soon hungry again and eating more. That’s why people put on weight. Eat healthy food and the pounds fall off you. Though not, I’m discovering, off your man-boobs, which obstinately remain the same size.
19. L.A. has some fabulous raw food places, and the health food stores here have whole aisles dedicated to raw food. Only in California. 
20. I’m developing “raw food eyes”, according to some friends. This is the intense, glaring, pop-eyed expression that people on high nutrition diets get after a while. I promised I wouldn’t, but it’s unavoidable, apparently. Damn.
21. I sometimes feel entirely separate from my physical body. Floaty, distant, totally at peace within. It’s like I’m just a high frequency spirit trapped inside a low frequency physical form. Oh, wait, that’s exactly what I am! 
22. I’m impatient and bad-tempered sometimes now. This is because raw food sharpens your nerve endings to a point and you can’t stand to be around fools any more. Clearly, I was extremely attractive to fools previously.
23. Raw food is  Oh-my-god-Level expensive. I don’t know how much I’ve spent on food and ingredients for meals these past three or four weeks, but it’s still a small fortune. I’m out of pocket by hundreds of dollars. And that doesn’t even include the cost of the course on how to reduce my man-boobs. 
24. I stopped counting the days about a week ago. But since beginning this piece, I’ve now done a calculation of how long I’ve been raw, and it’s only 24 days. 76 left to go. Yike.

So there you go. The work continues. Sorry if that’s boring for the rest of you, but I’m genuinely shocked at what a worthwhile experiment this is. Clearly, we’re eating all the wrong stuff and our bodies hate it. We’re just not listening to what they’re telling us. Same way my partner and most of my friends no longer listen to me.  

www.cashpeters.com

Buy Cash’s book, Naked in Dangerous Places, here.

  

 

Weight Loss Surgery: Preventing the Health Risks

Weight Loss Surgery: Preventing the Health Risks

If you have been watching your weight go up and you are worried about the rising pounds, you may be wondering whether weight loss surgery really works. Is it possible to prevent future weight gain by putting yourself on a well-known weight loss surgical operation?

Today, weight loss surgeries are gradually gaining recognition when it comes to losing weight. Many health experts contend that people who are excessively overweight or has slower metabolism would normally require some surgical operations.

Surgery at Present

The greatest progress in the care of the surgical patient has taken place since the beginning of the present century. An increasing knowledge of disease and disorder as a result of research has permitted the development of many diagnostic aids. Some of these depend upon roentgenograms, laboratory procedures such as chemical, bacteriologic, and pathologic determinations, as well as monitoring devices and computer aids.

Hence, the result is that the diagnosis of disease and disorder is made with more exactness and certainty than was possible from the simple clinical examinations of previous days.

That is why people who wish to undergo weight loss surgery should no longer be afraid of the procedure because high clinical standards are now being implemented in every surgical operation.

The Concept of Weight Loss Surgery

Health experts contend that weight loss surgery is a “major surgery.” One of the most common reasons why people would like to lose weight is to enhance their physical attributes. However, it should not be the underlying motivation that they should undergo the process of weight loss surgery.

What people do not know is that weight loss surgery is especially generated to help obese people live longer, healthier, and better.

That is why it is important for an individual to meticulously analyze his or her situation, do some research about the process, and analyze if weight loss surgery is the ultimate choice for his or her physiological condition.

Moreover, it is important to gather further information about weight loss surgery by consulting an experienced and knowledgeable bariatric surgeon or even just an expert family physician who knows the ins and outs of weight loss surgery.

In addition, the patient should also consult the other health experts such as the psychiatrist and dietician with regards to some psychological advices on long-term goals after the operation.

Generally, patients who have undergone weight loss surgery are said to be successful if they were able to lose 50% or more of their extra body weight and will be able to maintain that condition for the next five years or so. However, the results of the operation may still vary depending on the clinical information of the patient and the skills of the bariatric surgeon.

Normally, the patient will be able to lose at least 30% to a maximum of 50% during the first six months after surgery; and within the year after the operation, the patient has the potential of losing weight up to a maximum of 77%.

Best of all, people who were able to loss weight through surgical operations can actually maintain a continuous weight loss of up to 50% to 60% in the next 10 to 14 years after surgery.

Factors to Consider

As with the other weight loss management programs, there are many factors to consider before the patient should decide to undergo weight loss surgery.

Consequently, the actual weight that will be lost is reliant on the weight before surgery, surgical procedure, patient’s age, capability to exercise, total health condition of the patient, dogged determination to maintain the necessary follow-up nurture, and the enthusiasm to succeed with the help of their family, friends, and their colleagues.

If you have just put on a few extra pounds and want to avoid gaining more, these weight loss surgeries for better health may seem convincing. But, in addition to being convinced, you may also have to take some action to ensure that your weight does not creep upward.

Therefore, it can be concluded that losing weight is not just a question of deciding to be strong-willed and determined or upbeat and positive. Lifestyle changes are where it is at for long-term success with your weight especially after weight loss surgery.

Today's Menu

Unfortunately, I went to the grocery Monday afternoon before I stepped on the scale. This feeling of a need to reform my eating and activity habits has been niggling me for a few weeks, but the grocery trip was only half influenced. I bought breakfasts for the week – Frosted Cherry Pop-Tarts and diet soda – and lunches for the week – Lean Cuisine frozen meals. I’m not a fan on convenience frozen meals. However, I do recognize that they are better than the local fast food’s value menu and that they do help me with portion control. Long story short, they make that initial push for healthier eating just a bit easier. They are, by no means, a long-term solution for me. I am away from home, this evening, and have no idea what dinner holds.

Breakfast -

2 Frosted Cherry Pop Tarts (400 cal., 10 g fat, 1 g dietary fiber)
Diet Soda (0 cal., 0 g fat, 0 g d.f.)

Lunch -

Healthy Choice Bacon & Smoked Cheddar Chicken (260 cal., 6 g fat, 3 g dietary fiber)

Right now, I’m wishing I’d brought some yogurt or fruit to go along with that lunch meal. Oh well.

Will plan better, tomorrow!

Weight Loss and Body Image

I’ve been wandering around the blogosphere. Specifically in the weight-loss/body-image/fat-is-beautiful areas since that’s where I am at right now.

Reading some of the blogs, I feel almost guilty for wanting to shed the extra weight I’m carrying around.

I feel like I should be happy with the weight that I am and learn to be healthy at this size according to them.

I’m sorry. I can’t do that.

Now before the torches and pitchforks get raised, here me out.

Overall, I have a pretty healthy body image. I wouldn’t say it’s overly positive because I look in the mirror and see what needs to be changed. I have a belly that needs to go away.

Yes, I think I will look much better when all the weight is gone, but that doesn’t mean I don’t look good now.  I have a very large pair of pillows stuck to the front of my chest that fill out my clothes and give me some nice cleavage (whether I want it or not a good portion of the time). I love that part. I love how when I do have extra weight on my face I get a little dimple in my cheek. It’s really kind of charming. At the same time, I use the dimple as a measure as to how much weight I’ve lost/gained as to how obvious it is.

On the negative side, I do have a belly that sticks out in the front and on the sides. That’s what I want to go away. I don’t want a six pack, I don’t think that will ever happen and frankly, I don’t want it to. I just want something a tad bit flatter. A little cushioning there is not a bad thing.

For me, I believe the weight I am at currently is not a healthy one. I want to be at a healthy weight. It’s why I am aiming for 150. It’s 67 pounds away right now, but I know with developing a better relationship with food and exercising more often, I’ll get there and stay there.

I think a lot of the blogs out there may be confusing body-image and self-image. I see them as two very different things. While my body-image may be slightly negative right now, my self-image is actually very positive. I know who I am and what I am worth. Even if I am overweight, I’m worth being paid attention to, taken seriously, and admired.

Maybe I’m odd in the fact that I can separate the two from each other. I try not to let my body-image get entangled with my self-image.  The emphasis is on the word try.

I’m not always successful at it. I do have days where I think I’m crap, because I’m feeling every ounce of weight because I happened to put on an outfit that accentuated every negative curve and my “tummy-sucker-inner” device didn’t help an ounce. Those days I don’t feel so good about myself, but their not that often and I usually have a sit down with myself about halfway through the day and try to snap myself out of it.

A lot of people are decrying weight watchers and calling it a diet. Yea, I guess it is. But anything anyone eats is a diet. My diet before weight watchers wasn’t nearly as healthy as it is now. Albeit, that was only a week ago.

The one thing I have/am learning is via weight watchers is to develop a better relationship with food. I’m learning what foods will fill me up and keep me full.

I’m also learning portion control. I don’t HAVE to eat a whole bag of grapes, a single cup leaves me satisfied. Even with “junk” food. Eating it in the portions that the bag reccomends leaves me with the satisfying feeling that I had something yummy and makes the bag last a whole lot longer.

Not only is portion control better for my health, it’s better for my wallet too!

In everything, any one of these diets or programs, you get out of it what you put into it. I’ve decided to go with Weight Watchers, not because of the commercials on television, but because I’ve seen the radical change not only in weight but in thought processs about food that friends and family have gone through and I wanted that for myself.

Okay, I’m off my soap box for now. It’s late and the morning comes early.

Good night!

Belly Fat: A Serious Concern in Men’s Health

Dr. Michael Jensen, an endocrinology specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota recently voiced the growing concern regarding belly fat in men. Jensen discusses the risk that men take when disregarding the weight gain in their belly area. It may seem inevitable that as we age, men accumulate fat in that area, however, belly fat is worse to have than fat in other areas.

Having excessive belly fat can lead to a number of different health conditions such as:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Some types of cancer
• Metabolic syndrome
• Type 2 diabetes
• Insulin resistance
• Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as “good” cholesterol
• High triglycerides
• Sleep apnea

According to health specialists, a man can tell if he is carrying an unhealthy amount of belly fat if his waist exceeds 40 inches. At 40 inches, the risk of heart disease becomes far greater. To lose belly fat, Jensen recommends lowering your caloric intake, developing a light exercise routine; gradually increasing physical activity.

As Boston Medical Group often advises, a man’s sexual function relies partially on how well he takes care of his body. Eating healthily, exercising and visiting a doctor for regular check-ups is very important.  More information on weight loss and belly fat can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/belly-fat/MC00054/METHOD=print

First Personal Training Session!

I had my first personal training session today. It’s been three hours, and oh my GOD, I HURT.

M. is really cool. I’m coming up with a nickname for her soon, but not right now. I hurt. I like her a lot, and I signed on for more training sessions. It’s really expensive, but I figure it’s worth the price—obviously whatever it is that I’m doing is not working, so I need the professionals. I need help, and I’m not afraid to ask for it.

We started our session by taking my baseline measurements. Honestly, I don’t know what they are, either than approximately 35% of my body is fat. Wonderful. M. brought out a scary clamp thingy, and measured the inches of fat around my arm, my hip and my thigh. She then measured my arm, bust, waist, thigh, and calf. We found what I can already see—most of my body fat is centered in my waist. (I thank my mom for those genes. She’s shaped the same way.)

Then came…the scale. I was not excited to get on that thing. 246 lbs. I knew I was hovering around 250, but still, it’s one thing to think it. It’s a whole ‘nothing thing to see the numbers on the scale. And it’s something else entirely to have a third party write them down on a piece of paper and file it away for future reference.

“Do you like lifting weights?” I nodded. I love weight machines!! I’m deceptively strong, and I was excited to show her that I’m not as out of shape as I look. M told me to warm up on a cardio machine for five minutes, stretch out, then meet her back at the weights. I was excited.

Was she standing next to the weight machines? No, no she wasn’t. As I rounded the corner to the weight room, there she was, blond braided pigtails over in the FREE WEIGHT section! I never go over there. I don’t like the competition with the uber-alpha males. I don’t like wondering if they’re staring at me or inwardly laughing at how awkwardly I lift the weights.

But no, she was standing over there for a reason. M introduced me to the Olympic weight bar. With thirty pounds on it. I asked if she was serious. She was.

All in all, she didn’t make it too hard on me. M showed me how to lift the bar on my shoulders, which is the basis for all my exercises. She stayed close by at all times, and even helped to support my knees during squats. And she never got tired of saying “Mel—suck in your abs.” I appreciated that. AND I got a nifty ‘to do’ list.

Metro Diva’s Work Out To Do List
*15 squats
*12 reverse lunges
*10 pushups, with the bar at the fourth hole
*12 dead lifts (basically I bend down, with my back completely straight for support, abs tucked in, and stand back up again)
*12 bicep curls
*20 momentum push presses (think body builder moves)
*12 bent over rows (bend over from the hips, flat back, and lift the bar up towards my navel)
*15 sit ups on the stability ball

Then I run up and down the stairs three times each, and begin the process again. I do this every other day, with cardio on my “off” days. The reason why my to do list is completely weights-focused is to jump start the fat burning and toning. Intensive cardio can come later, after I lose some weight, and the stress won’t be too much for my knees.

Tomorrow is going to be a light day—spinning, if I can get into it. And if not, I’m spending thirty minutes cardio, then going home.

Nutrition for Radiant Health

Nutrition is a very important component of our health.  Every nutrient, anti-nutrient and toxic substance has an effect on the body, and that determines our health, beauty, energy levels and vitality.

Eating natural foods in a form that is easily recognized, absorbed, assimilated, utilized and eliminated supports the radiant body for a lifetime.

Fat:

Uncooked fat which has not been heated above 118° Fahrenheit is extremely healthy and beneficial to our bodies.

That’s right!  The most feared nutrient in America is actually the most important one for beauty, vibrant health, fitness, weight loss, brain function, toxin elimination, mood elevation, a feeling of satiety and more.  It has been disparaged by the media and through education as something that makes us gain weight, and thus should be consumed in very limited quantities.

Fat goes with everything, and it’s a good idea to eat raw fat with everything.  Below are some examples of good quality fat:

All Raw:

-          Butter, cream, whole milk

-          Fatty wild salmon or yellow tail

-          Cold pressed coconut, olive or nut oils

-          Avocado

-          Coconut

-          Cacao Butter

Unprocessed foods:

Consider buying as few foods from boxes or cans as possible. Eat whole unprocessed and preferably uncooked food – this means fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, eggs, fish and oils.

Since conventional animal products and produce have been seriously degraded by current farming standards, it’s very important to adhere to the following:

1. Beef, red meat and dairy products should be organic and from 100% grass-fed animals.
   1. Organic means the animal was given no hormones or antibiotics, and only ate chemical-free food.
   2. 100% grass-fed preserves the proper Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio making beef and other red meat a very healthy food.
2. Dairy products only have health benefits when raw (not pasteurized and not homogenized).
   1. Pasteurized means heated to kill the bacteria.  When you have healthy cows, the milk only contains beneficial bacteria which are great for digestion; and enzymes which are catalysts for every bodily process.  When dairy is heated, dead bacteria and enzymes remain which cause allergies and illness.
   2. Homogenization is used to crush the fat molecules in milk so that the fat does not rise to the top.  This changes the molecules to a form that is harmful to the body.
3. Chicken and eggs from animals that were free to graze on grass and bugs, and were fed the least amount of soy possible.  Not only is soy an unhealthy food for people, but it also negatively affects the Omega profile and taste while it increases toxicity in chicken and eggs.
4. Fish should be fresh and wild – with the exception of muscles like oyster and clam, farmed fish is given substandard feed which negatively affects the nutritional content.
5. Fruit and vegetables should be fresh and organic or biodynamic so that the body does not have to process the toxic residue from chemical fertilizers or sprays.

Follow your instincts – when choosing from whole foods as described above, eat as much as desired while paying attention to how the food makes you feel – using trial and error to get the proper balance.

Processed Food:

Nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes aka beans have to go through a process of soaking and sprouting in order to be digestible.  Specifically, these foods naturally contain enzyme inhibitors which impede digestion, and phytic acid which also blocks the absorption of many minerals in the intestines.

Eating the non-soaked and sprouted version of these foods leads to mineral deficiencies, bone loss, and suppressed thyroid function.

Once sprouted, nuts and seeds can be made into butter or dehydrated so that they are crispy.  Grains and legumes can be further processed by cooking.

Grain is a sugar spiking, mucous-forming food with few available nutrients.  If making grain a staple food for budgetary reasons, in addition to soaking/sprouting, it is beneficial to combine slow-cooked homemade broth with every meal.

Water:

Our bodies need as much water as we desire.  While water is essential for radiant health, too much water bloats the cells and puts extra stress on the kidneys.  Fresh, raw food contains a high water content which is easily processed for efficient hydration.  Thus, supplemental water may not be necessary unless we are subject to very hot weather or we engage in strenuous exercise.

The quality of water is far more important than the amount because whatever is not absorbed by the cells puts stress on the system that counteracts the hydration benefit.  Water is most beneficial to the body when it’s free of harmful chemicals, it contains a natural balance of minerals and the molecules are small enough to be absorbed by the cells.

The best water contains little or no contaminants from pollution and has been filtered through the Earth. When water filters through the earth, it picks up a vibration that can synchronize the rhythm of the body to its ideal frequency.

Next to fresh unheated vegetable juice, good water is the healthiest drink choice.  Herbal tea is beneficial in moderation.  However, caffeine dehydrates the body and taxes organs and glands, thus it’s best to steer clear of coffee and other stimulants as much as possible.

A wonderful tonic that can increase energy consists of still mineral water with 2 TBL apple cider vinegar, juice of a lime and a tablespoon of unheated honey.  This may create a mild nauseas feeling at first, while the body is eliminating large amounts of surface toxins.  But, this is an amazing energy drink that enhances vitality more and more over time.

Soda is just a concoction of chemicals which are very damaging to the body.  A healthy alternative is naturally sparkling (no co2 added) mineral water (Gerolsteiner or Perrier), and a less healthy alternative is natural soda that is made with mineral water and honey or stevia (Dr. Tima).

Artificial sweeteners such as Equal or Splenda are neurotoxins and should not be consumed by anyone under any circumstance.

Oh, look. Ankles.

Eighteen pounds gone in twelve days!

I am proud of myself.

I have ankles and my waist is different.

I know the loss slows and has plateaus, but I am as mentally prepared for that as I can be.

I am anxious to try new things to eat next week. I miss crunchiness.

Okay, I miss crunchiness, among other things!

There are garlic and onion, sour cream and onion and barbeque puffs and/or “nuts” on this diet, but it is ranch and cheddar cheese that I go for when I want a chip. My preference is for corn.

It was intriguing last week to hear one of the program’s directors talk about adding things she used to like back into her diet and how treats either tasted better than before—such as coconut cake or her system didn’t tolerate it—such as popcorn.

I have hope!

I love air popped popcorn with butter. I am looking forward to trying it with sea salt.

There are tomes written on corn in this country. In “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” author Michael Pollan writes about how corn and corn by-products are in so many processed foods—corn oil and sugars, not to mention over-bio-engineered crops—that we are “one giant corn chip.”

The other director talked about society being food-centric. Harkens back to something David told me, over drinks, when I was living in Hollywood: “Everything in this town happens over food, so you have to watch your weight.”

I get the sense the directors are looking at things happening around food as a negative. While I can see the negative aspects of stuffing yourself at Thanksgiving and other holidays, cooking does bring me joy (Yeah, so does eating what I have prepared.) and when one person lets another take away their joy, good is not the result.

Those taking the class are also supposed to make a list of 100 things that bring us joy.

Bending words backwards. Oh, I am the problem child.

Detoxification? Cleansing?

The detoxification process is highly complex but I want to talk briefly in basic terms about how it works to help us fully understand the importance of detoxification and cleansing.

Detoxification is the body’s natural process to filter waste and toxins from our cells, organs and blood.  There are two primary organs responsible for detoxifying the body, and those are the liver and the kidneys.

Cleansing is the process of actually eliminating these toxins from our body.  After the liver and kidneys filter out and breakdown the toxins, the toxins are then sent to two different places, either into the urine or into bile to be removed.

Whether you are dieting or not, we expose ourselves to many different things that can cause toxicity in our bodies.  Arbonne’s Daily Detox Tea is something you need to incorporate into your diet everyday.  This product is formulated to help rid your body of toxins while preparing your body for your successful weight loss goals and to maintain good health.  This product is an all-natural blend of botanical ingredients that supports the normal functions of the liver, kidneys and blood, while supporting toxin elimination.

Don’t confuse this product with the detox diets, where you do a severe detox diet for three to five days, and you fast, and you gradually incorporate liquids and solids back into your diet. This is a product that is designed to be used everyday; it is mild and contains all natural herbs, without the harshness of some of the trendy diets that are on the market today.

The key thing to remember about Arbonne’s Daily Detox Tea is the antioxidant protection, the diuretic characteristics, and the fact that we are naturally supporting our detoxifying and cleansing processes, by removing the toxins, and eliminating them from the body.

Fitness update 2009 #13

My weight is stuck again. It’s gone up a couple pounds this month to 155. I know there is a smaller me in there. I just need to unpack the insulation to get to her. Not just physical insulation but emotional and spiritual as well. These things that are keeping me cheating on healthy eating. The things that get in the way of my workouts.

Unfortunately, I’m 5 pounds above goal weight this month. Tomorrow starts the weigh in week. Ugh. Another likely missed month. I did tackle one excuse tonight. I bought myself a new workout bra and shorts. My old ones are now too big. That’s good motivation. I’ve been putting off exercising because it was just too uncomfortable. Cross that excuse off the list. Properly fitting, comfortable clothes when exercising is really important.

I wanted a new shirt as well but the selection was lousy. I was lucky to find the shorts. Perhaps I’m too picky, but the ones that were left were either too skimpy, uncomfortable, or not my size. You don’t need to compromise modesty just to exercise. The shorts I bought fall at the bottom of my knee. They are a little tight but comfy and since I’m (hopefully) going to keep loosing weight, they will loosen as I shrink. So now I can exercise comfortably again. Perhaps I’ll get a new workout shirt as a reward for the end of August if I meet my goal then.

There is over 250,000 acres forest fire within 50 miles of me. The past few days have been really smoky at times. This afternoon a light ash was falling. Not very conducive for exercising outside, especially since I’m allergic to the smoke. The gym closest to me is always stuffy. That’s not too bad in the winter, but when I was there a few weeks ago, it was blah. Add those to the list of excuses.

What else? Eating healthy but sneaking junk. Got bad cramps and chocolate helps that but not my weight. Catch 22. Need to lose more weight to ease cramps longterm but eating chocolate helps short term, especially since I can’t go for a long walk due to the smoke.

Our garden is starting to be ready for harvesting. That should help with the healthy eating. Tonight’s dinner was chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, fresh garden greens, cucumber salad with fresh cucumber and tomatoes.

The pool at the gym has been closed for maintenance this month. I think it re-opened this week but I have been too busy to go over there.

My husband has been laid up with a squashed disk in his neck. That means I’m doing a lot more of the work for our apartments on top of what I do already and all the house chores. By the time I’m done, it’s bedtime and I’m tired.

Hopefully writing this and acknowledging my excuses will help me see them for what they are, excuses. I need to quit making excuses and just do it. Easier said than done I know. Still, excuses won’t make the scale go down. Only getting rid of the excuses and back to exercising and healthy eating again will.

Weigh-in

Weigh-in today: 136.5.  Goal weight was 140.0.  The reason for the low reading was that I had some intestinal distress yesterday.  I’m not going to recalibrate or get too confident, since I think it will come back up.

I played tennis this morning.  I realized what a good workout it was.  My heart rate was in the high 140s at times.  Very anaerobic–sprinting and then resting.

Goals
Short-term:  139.5 (weigh-in on Monday)
Intermediate-term:  138
Long-term:  195

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Friday Fitness Recap

Welcome to the 8th installment of my fitness recap!  Thanks for stopping by! This week I tried intermittent fasting for the first time.  In case you didn’t catch last week’s post, this is not a spiritual fast.  Intermittent fasting (IF) is intended solely for it’s health benefits, which can be significant.  I am a strong proponent for spiritual fasting as well, but that is a topic for another post This week, I followed the “East Stop Eat” program, which simply put, is two 24-hour fasts each week.  I did mine on Monday and Thursday.  Now, I know what you are thinking, especially if you’ve never fasted before…”No way I could do that!”  It actually wasn’t so bad.  I finished my normal dinner on Sunday night around 6:30, and then didn’t eat again until Monday night at 6:30.  Obviously, the goal is “0″ caloric intake, so I drank LOTS of water, and a couple of cups of coffee with no calorie sweetener.  I definitely felt the urge to eat, but it wasn’t so bad.  Chewing sugar free gum and drinking flavored water helped.  I did the same routine again starting Wednesday night.  I didn’t change anything else about my diet on the non-fasting days.  So in effect, I cut my caloric intake by 28% for the week, and still ate what I wanted (within reason) 5 days out of the week.  The hardest part was to not binge when breaking the fast Monday and Thursday nights.  Drinking lots of water before eating helped that too. Surprisingly, my exercise didn’t suffer at all from the fasting.  I expected to feel tired and sluggish during the fasting days, but that was not the case at all.  I did my strength training on Monday, immediately after breaking the fast, and felt pretty good throughout my workout.  On Thursday, while fasting, I achieved the best time to date on my morning bike ride! On a side note, I changed a small part of my route today (Friday) to meet up with a friend, misjudged a turn, and ate a curb at about 10 mph.  It was glorious!  I am very grateful for the soft grass I landed on! So, while I think it is too early to say anything definitive about IF after only one week, it certainly shows some potential.  I felt great, had less guilt about eating, and reduced my caloric intake for the week.  In addition, I was more productive at work, and saved a few $$ by not eating.  Although I still track it, I am not putting much emphasis on my actual weight any more.  According to the program I’m following, IF should result in losing a pound or so each week of body fat.  Since I’m doing strength training 3-4 times each week, I know I’m adding muscle mass, which will offset some (if not all) the body fat I lose.  The scale shows I have actually gained a pound since last Friday, but I know I’m healthier and stronger, so I’m not sweating it . So here’s the numbers for this week: This Week Last Week Difference Total Weight: 212 lbs 211 lbs +1 lbs -16 lbs Body Fat %: Not Measured 19.75% N/A -0.85% Well, that is it for me for this week.   How about you?

The “Friday Fitness Recap” is part of the Fitness Friday Blog Carnival going on over at PursuingYahweh.net.  Check out the other posts from this week by clicking here.

Spice Up Your Life

A dash of spice might be all you need to jump start your health.  Numerous studies have confirmed that spices can help prevent certain cancers, lower blood pressure, control blood sugar and improve cardiovascular health.  In addition, spices have been shown to minimize the damage of aging and actually help you lose weight by saving hundreds of calories and adding flavor — enabling you to avoid adding heavy sauces, butter or other fats.

 

Cinnamon:

Health Boost:  Cinnamon helps to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A study in the December 2003 Diabetes Care found that eating one to six grams of cinnamon daily significantly reduced blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Recent research indicates that cinnamon can have favorable effects on brain function. Participants in a study chewed cinnamon gum or smelled the sweet spice. Cognitive tests revealed that subjects who used cinnamon had better memory functions and could process information more quickly.

How to Use it: For a delicious and healthy dessert, sprinkle on top of an apple and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until it can be pierced with a fork. To get a boost of cinnamon throughout the day,  just sprinkle the good old stuff into your oatmeal, yogurt or baked goods.

Turmeric

Health Boost: Turmeric isn’t just known for its bright-yellow color and distinct flavor, but it’s also known for its many health benefits, such as its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Surprisingly, it’s the bright pigment of turmeric, which is called curcumin, that is said to be the primary pharmacological agent in turmeric. In numerous studies, curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects have been shown to be comparable to over-the-counter medicines like Motrin.

How to use it: For a bold dip, you can’t resist, mix it into nonfat Greek yogurt, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the dip alongside raw carrots, celery and peppers. Rosemary Health Boost: Scientists from Iwate University in Japan and the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in California have found that the antioxidant carnosic acid found in rosemary, protects the brain from free radical damage. Oxidative damage, caused by excess free radicals is a major cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. How to use it: For a delicious chicken rub, combine 2 teaspoons of rosemary leaves with 2 teaspoons of seasoning salt and 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves.

Garlic:

Health Boost: Since 1858, garlic has been known for its antibacterial properties. At this time Louis Pasteur discovered that bacterial cells died when they were saturated with garlic. Garlic has long been considered an herbal “wonder drug.” Garlic has 1 percent of the potency of penicillin.

How to use it: Sauté fresh garlic over low heat and mix spinach, and Parmesan cheese and place atop whole-wheat pasta.

Paprika:

Health Boost: One reason to spice up your meals: You’ll crank up your metabolism. Capsaicin, the substance that gives kick to peppers and chilies, has a thermogenic effect, meaning it causes the body to burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat them.

How to use it:  Add a teaspoon of paprika to store-bought hummus or prepare your own guacamole using an avocado, ½ diced onion, ½ diced tomato, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.

Ginger:

Health Boost: You’ve all heard that ginger can help soothe your stomach, but did you know it can help heal a migraine also? Denmark researchers have discovered that ginger can block the effects of prostaglandins. These are substances that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain, which leads to migraines. Research suggests that ginger can help relieve migraine headaches by blocking the production of natural substances that cause inflammation and pain.

How to use it: Make your own ginger dressing by combining 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon minced ginger (optional), ½ teaspoon pepper and 2 scallions.

Oregano:

Health Boost:  A USDA study found that gram-for-gram, oregano has the highest antioxidant activity of 27 fresh culinary herbs. Oregano is also a potent antioxidant, rich in phytonutrients. On a per-gram basis, fresh oregano has 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges, 4 times more than blueberries. Antioxidants are known to reduce risk factors for heart disease and various types of cancers.

How to use it:  To spice up grilled cheese, add ¼ teaspoon oregano leaves and tomato to the classic favorite.

Thyme:

Health Boost:  Thyme is one of the most well-known remedies for treating teeth and fighting the gum disease gingivitis. The active ingredient in this common herb is thymol which can be found in Listerine mouthwash because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties.

How to use it: Use thyme in scrambled eggs for a fragrant flavor boost. It can be used to improve the flavor of most dishes, especially slow-cooked dishes.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of www.Skinnyandthecity.com. She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being. For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Did you think that I quit?

Just curious what you thought.

I’ve not stopped running. I’ve not stopped blogging, either. I wish I had the time to muse here more frequently – I have a backlog of post ideas and even some special requests that I’d love to address. I love to talk about parenting, career, personal struggles with time management, dreams, hobbies, ideas, even sometimes politics.  But I haven’t been posting as frequently – I’ve been trading a solid bedtime for blogging time.  I’ve even spent some of my free time reading books lately.  Clearly I don’t have the time to blog as much as I was for a while, so shorter updates will have to be the norm. The most important thing I can do is to keep myself on my sleep schedule.  My sleep schedule is important to my daily health.  Getting to work on time also helps the performance reviews. Trading sleep for blogging is a bad idea.

Anyway, I have reached some of the first milestones that I set out for myself when I started running in earnest back in early April. First of all, I have run the 10K distance twice now on training runs. Second, I ran a 5K road race, and I finished it without stopping.  Third, I haven’t injured myself.

Some other nice things have happened along the way.

First, doing something consistently (my average is three times per week plus 1-2 days of family activities like walks, bike rides, etc) has made it into a habit.  I think I can say that I am exercising now out of habit. My husband is loving it because he is a naturally active guy.  I think after about 15 weeks of effort I can say that it is a habit. I am also refusing to complain about the mild summer in Chicago because it has made outdoor exercise a piece of cake. I also refuse to stress about what I’m going to do for exercise during the winter months – I will cross that treadmill bridge when I come to it. I’m going to need a workout partner or something.

Second, I have started to see that I actually can fit fitness into my life. I was afraid I would have to give up sleep or family time or perform all kinds of gyrations to fit it into my very busy schedule. Turns out, it fits in just fine and I haven’t cut back on anything that is truly important. I really didn’t know how this was going to happen — having two small children is A LOT of the most important, sometimes very hard, and sometimes very time-consuming work that can happen in your life. I wasn’t sure how to fit fitness in with them, as I had never done that before – I went from working out religiously throughout my early twenties and up through my first pregnancy and then I stopped working out and exercising pretty much the  moment that my oldest came home from the hospital, with fits and spurts in the six years that have followed. The challenge of fitting fitness into your life when your life has changed is not to be swept under the rug – it is a legitimate challenge and it is something that I am glad I figured out. It’s something very personal and it may take a few fits and starts and it may change over time as the rest of life changes, too.

Third, I have lost some inches and some weight. How much weight? I don’t actually know. At this point I’d say I’ve lost about 8 pounds. I’ve dropped almost a full size – so I’m back into some things that have been waiting around in my closet for me.  I actually purchased a bikini to wear at home in the swimming pool — this is a big deal for me, as one of the things I hated about getting bigger was that I could no longer stand myself in short shorts or a swimsuit, and it just wasn’t a fun way to feel.  I can see straight into my belly button again (something I hadn’t noticed, but now that I can see it I am like WOW). My c-section scar is moving to a higher place on my belly. I can tell the difference along the edges of my body, and slowly I can see it coming off toward the middle too.  I have been walking around naked a lot at home, exclaiming, LOOK AT THAT! DID YOU NOTICE THAT? and my husband is pretty happy to oblige me, even if I am choosing to do it after a training run when I’m sweating.

What’s next on the horizon?

Tomorrow night I am running another 5K. This is actually the mid-week distance in my training plan, so it fits in perfectly. This weekend, my long run is 5 miles, keeping with my beginner training schedule. I am going to bike to work one day next week as a cross-training opportunity.

Next month, I am leaving for China again, so I would like to get another race under my belt before I leave. I need a 16-day treadmill/gym workout for when I am in China, otherwise I fear that I’ll slide backwards on my regimen while I am there. I also want to schedule a late Fall race to keep me motivated as the weather turns colder.

What questions do I still have?

I won’t lie when I say that I really can’t wait to lose more weight.  I know that it is a long, slow, journey to do it right. But it feels really good to actually be achieving my goals through hard work a little self discipline.

I still am very conservatively approaching the running, going very slowly pace-wise, and I am curious about whether I will injure myself because I am doing something that is stupid.  So I am very conservative about speed, moving up in distance, stretching, taking rest days, etc. I found that running the race with some folks I know who are real runners (like, 41 year old women who run 5K’s in under 24 minutes…not too shabby) made me think more than I wanted to about my speed. Speed is my LAST concern. I don’t care where I place, I don’t care how fast I go. That’s not why I am running right now. At some point in the future I may find it compelling to be competitive, but certainly not this year. I have a long way to go.

I am wondering if I will ever get the motivation to go to the gym to lift weights. I wonder if I could learn to love strength training. I am starting to like the treadmill better, so maybe I could actually like strength training one day, too.

I’d like to end with a couple of shout outs — first to my college buddy and Iron Man, K, who will be doing the Wisconsin Iron Man on September 13. If I ever feel wimpy about a workout I just go and read about her training schedule — recently she went and biked for 60 freaking miles in high elevations on the side of a mountain range, and then she got off of her bike and RAN another 14 miles. You go girl, you are an inspiration! I would also like to shout out to June, who is training for a marathon and who ran 12.5 miles for her long run this past weekend — WAY TO GO, June!  Keep up the excellent work, and I expect that you’ll be smarter from listening to all of those fabulous podcasts during your runs. (BTW, which marathon did you decide?)

Raw Whole Food!

I was reminded again last week why I eat a diet that contains mostly raw food. I was given a book by Traci Sellers called “Traci’s Traditional Health Principles. I read it from cover to cover and it confirmed that a person who eats a raw food diet can in most cases avoid the common diseases that are befalling the American public at an alarming rate.

Obesity in children and adults is skyrocketing! And I don’t know about you but several people I am close to have had major health conditions requiring surgery or in one case sudden death. Obviously they are responsible for the health of their own bodies but I obviously failed to truly inform them that the cause of their disease is in all likelihood coming from the food they eat.

I would enjoy receiving your comments on this subject and would like to hear your successes at weight loss or how you’ve maintained your health through diet, water and exercise.

My secret for the last three years is to eat a mostly raw food diet and stray from it only occasionally. My other secret is that I get my raw food from the WholeFood Farmacy( www.familylife.wholefoodfarmacy.com ), conveniently packaged and ready to eat.

Last year my friend Phil and I rode our motorcycles from Florida to Canada living on raw food and water that we carried in our saddlebags. We enjoyed the trip immensely and only went wrong out of boredom when we ate in restaurants once on the way up and once on the way back. Both times, even though we tried to eat healthy from the menu, we didn’t feel quite right afterwards and regretted eating commercially produced food.

I’ve maintained my weight for the last 3 years and I’ve had enough energy to keep me creative and active. My wife and I watched an old movie about “WoodStock” which happened in 1968 where a half million people attended this festival. What struck me while watching it was the fact that out of that many people, a cross section of American public, there wasn’t one fat or heavy person, in fact they were all skinny in comparison to today’s standards. And I’ve seen photos of classrooms from the 1800’s and every child and adult in the photos was skinny. That should tell you something about how our diet has changed in the last forty years.

Yours in Health,

Paul Turnbull (727) 445-7842

President, EP Management, Inc.

My Work Is Play (But Burns No Calories)

I love my job and loving your work certainly improves your quality of life.

I love my wife and, as they say, “happy wife = happy life.”

But, we both work very, very long hours at our jobs. We both love each of our jobs but we barely see each other or our children.

We were both doing very well at our YMCA memberships but our schedules changed and if it wasn’t for Wii Fit we’d have no fitness program at all. Besides our nightly … efforts to share our days with each other as we fall asleep … our monitoring each others’ progress on the Wii Fit is all we have at the moment.

The Wii was $250 and Wii Fit was another … oh, let’s say $85. That’s the joining fee and one month’s dues at any YMCA … it’s a great investment and since it comes with all this tracking software and personal trainer stuff … it is better than any gym membership …

And I say that as a big proponent of gym memberships over personal programs!

Corrie's Alison King Loses 2 stone in 5 months!

Here is Coronation Street’s Alison King having achieved a fantastic 2 stone weight loss in 5 months since giving birth. On the left is her now, and the right is her just after she gave birth.

 

The Daily Mail writes an article on the subject citing how Alison King is delighted to be back in shape. And the best thing about it is that she has really taken her time time to achieve her goals. We see celebrities going to extremes so often to lose weight after giving birth, and it’s really refreshing to see the Coronation Street actress doing it ‘the right way.’

How did she do it? Working out twice a week with a personal trainer, exercising herself in between and eating healthily. That doesn’t sound crazy and unachievable as most celeb workout routines does it?

And don’t worry if you can’t afford a personal trainer twice a week, just employ a trainer a couple of times for them to teach you what you should be doing then do the rest yourself.

I am much more confident that Alison will be able to keep the weight of, because the way she has lost the weight is sustainable. She hasn’t done an ‘intensive’ exercise regime or been on a diet.

If you are a new mum don’t despair, because you can get back to how you looked before. So good on you Alison!

Today’s Takeaway: Take your time getting back into shape after pregnancy. You can get back into great shape, but it can’t be done in 2 weeks.

Biggest Loser Season 4 Champs Helping You

Weight Loss Twins Share Their Fat-Burning Secrets for the First Time

(New York, NY) – Twin Brothers who won “The Biggest Loser” have a single goal: to help others change their lives. Bill and Jim Germanakos are now telling the public how the shed a combined total of 350 pounds. For the first time ever, they’re publicly revealing the secrets of their “Rapid Action Metabolism (RAM)™” fat burning system which allowed them to skyrocket past the competition and win The Biggest Loser, Season 4!

Consumers can log onto www.TruthAboutDiets.com and access the entire patented system online. It includes the following:

1. A fitness guide called “Truth About Diets – The Rapid Action Metabolism (RAM™) Fat Burning System”

2. Bill and Jim’s Private Workout Videos

3. The RAM™ Instant Online Diet Generator

4. The RAM™ Program Diet and Activity Journal

5. Bill and Jim’s 4-Week Diet and Exercise Quick Start Blueprint

The Rapid Action Metabolism™ has been proven to enable consumers to:

? Lose weight quickly and healthy

? Burn more fat even while you sleep

? Speed up your metabolism naturally

? Get rid of stubborn belly fat, cellulite, and excess flab

? Lose up to 20 lbs a month from simple tweaks to your diet and activities

Weight Loss Challenge:

In the Rapid Action Metabolism™ Bill and Jim practically take you by the hand and walk you through the system they used to shed 20 pounds a month for eight months. So they’re issuing a 60-day challenge to lose weight using their unique system. The 1st place prize is a Caribbean cruise vacation with Bill and Jim. Consumers can sign up for the challenge for free at www.TruthAboutDiets.com.

About Bill and Jim Germanakos:

Bill and Jim Germanakos were among 18 contestants on the fourth season of the NBC hit reality show “The Biggest Loser”. The twin brothers from Long Island, New York were once morbidly obese.

Bill’s mantra on “The Biggest Loser” was: “To become half the man, so that he could be twice the man”, and standing at 5? 8?, Bill went from weighing in at 334 lbs to 170 lbs, losing a total of 164 lbs. Jim was the biggest weight-loser on the show losing 186 pounds.

At the live finale of the show, Bill was declared the winner of the fourth season of The Biggest Loser, and was awarded the first prize of $ 250,000. His brother Jim, who had been eliminated early in the competition, ended up competing as an “at-home” or “eliminated” contestant and won first prize for the eliminated contestants, for which he was awarded $100,000.

Since the Season 4 Finale of “The Biggest Loser”, Jim and Bill have appeared on Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, The Larry King Live Show, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, The Today Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, and numerous other internet, magazine, and print publications throughout the U.S.

Click here for more information on the Weight Loss Twins 60 Day Weight Loss Challenge

Weight Loss Challenge

This is me... attempting moderation... attempting to eat like a "normal person"...

Breakfast:

1 large bowl of seasonal fruit with muesli and plain yoghurt (eaten at Cafe Eleven Forty Five down the road from me).  Felt guilty for putting sugar in my coffee instead of sweetener in the first cup.  But rectified my “terrible” error and added sweetener to the rest of my coffee consumed throughout the day… (about 7 more cups)…. (but it’s freezing cold.  Bite me.)

Lunch:

1 tuna and *gasp!* mayonnaise sarmie with 2 slices of *gasp!*… white bread!  Does it make it less sinful that I added chopped cucumber and tomato?  Brain keeps screeching: “Mayo is evil fattening food of-the-devil and should NEVER be eaten by anyone wanting to lose weight!  And white bread!!!?  Don’t you know – that WHITE bread is completely prohibited!!!???“

Supper:

2 toasted pita’s with skinless, grilled chicken breast and a bit of mayo.  Brain says:  “Again… WHITE pita!  Refined carbohydrates!  VERY bad!!!  And more mayo?  Shouldn’t the consumption of mayo be forbidden forever?”

Snacks:

2 pink marshmallows.  Brain: “Now you’ve completely blown it!  Sweets!  You pathetic loser!  Give up now with this stupid ‘moderation’ idea and embark upon a strict diet immediately!!!”

1 bowl of popcorn eaten whilst watching movie on TV.  Brain: “Was that popcorn air-popped?  No?  It wasn’t?  Then consider that little indulgence a big, fat “F” for “FAIL” on your diet report card!”
Perhaps you’re wondering what on earth I’m going on about…. and why I’m documenting food intake?  But no worries – I will explain more in great detail in my next post!  Let’s just say for now that I haven’t lost the plot… in fact, I think I’ve finally begun to find it!  x

How To Re-Inspire Yourself: Day 140

Evolution Two – week eight

Sunday, July 19, 2009

 

Hello Folks,

 

Today I want to talk about how I get my inspiration after working out and watching my nutrition for 140 days. When my workout starts to feel like “ground hog day” and my meals start to look all the same, I go on-line for inspiration. I love to look at articles that talk about the latest nutritional information out there. Here is one website I find interesting…

 

http://store.rawreform.com/index.php?osCsid=ece91959eb06b5e5746833e433f4904d.  The site was started by a woman named Angela Stokes who struggled with her weight and discovered a raw food diet that help her gain control of her weight and life again. It is very inspiring and an interesting sight to check out. The idea of always eating live foods is appealing to me. I have been doing some experimenting with eating raw food, but I am still finding my body responding really well to fish and poultry, so I am only partially practicing raw food eating.

 

I also like to check out sites that demonstrate the latest in exercise programs. The most popular programs out there of course include cardio/interval training and some superset resistance training workouts. I do get some really good ideas for my workouts that I like to incorporate from various on-line trainers. Some of my favorite sites to go to are http://www.iwantsixpackabs.com/abs.html and youtube exercise videos by Craig Ballantyne at http://www.turbulencetraining.com/youtube-videos.shtml. Both sites have very intense workout ideas and useful information.

 

I also like to look at other success stories. The only way I think I can psychologically believe in the possibility of achieving anything is to learn from others who have overcome their own obstacles. I think the secret to success really has to do with watching and copying and incorporating all of the techniques that others have used. I like to look at Adam Water’s site at  http://rtp-blog.com/ or go to youtube videos made by everyday people who have recorded and achieved some of their fitness goals.

Here are my pictures…

July 19, 2009: Day 140

Exercise: Interval (bike 30 min., stepper 10 min., row 5 min.), bodyweight training      

Menu: free day

Until next time…

 

Think, Believe, Act, Achieve

 

Dakota

 

Today’s Mantra: Learn from those who came before you.

This is easy weight loss

Posted by : Gary Lewis
I’m excited and I want to tell you why. I have been trying to lose weight forever and not had much luck. I think I have found the way to lose the weight because I have lost 28pds in the last 11 weeks and it has been pretty easy as I am eating well, foods I like prepped the way I like and I am not exercising. I am so excited about this that I have to share with someone. How long have you kept your weight down? Are you having any trouble keeping it down? Check out this Doctor’s story because it is different.

Dr Suzanne Gudakunst a doctor from Arizona has blown the lid off the best-kept secret in weight loss ever discovered — and this has the whole diet food and drug industries turned upside down and in nothing less than a torrential uproar.

The Arizonian boasts proudly “…this is something that I caught onto just before 2002 when there was so much research and exploration going around concerning the human colon and digestion working in harmony with nutritional absorption, and I started doing independent studies just to test things at first ….”but which I later expanded on after seeing some amazing results.”

She then borrowed from her research on the severely fat, and applied the same methods on milder cases of overweight folks — to find the same efficacy and quality results as described above (although the individual weight loss per subject wasn’t nearly as much as those overweight patients a hundred lbs to 200 lbs or more overweight).

So robust is her secret that she’s able to reverse diabetes, rid sickness altogether in people suffering from cancer (linked directly to bad diet and overweight factors), as well as an elimination of an entire spectrum of heavy and otherwise potentially fatal diseases.

Her whole treatment is based totally on built-into-nature ‘protection agents’ scattered throughout the world in the form of select herbs, extracts, and organic compounds and which can be found in a variety of plants from around the world. And in particular combinations and meticulously selected amounts make for an answer to what’s perhaps the planet’s worst ever plague: OBESITY and al| the illnesses and diseases resulting from it — or at least severely irritated or inflamed by it).

…so proceed on over there now and get it and before somebody or “something” gets it forever yanked out of ever getting in YOUR hand at all.

To find out more about this program Click Here

How to Lose Weight Fast with No Exercise
This is for that Proud Veteran that voted for this ASSHOLE
How to Lose Weight Fast with No Exercise
Lady Doctor Gets Death Threats for Revealing TOP SECRET Fat Loss Secret to General Public!

Who else is too busy, too lazy to exercise? Top 10 tips to sneak in exercises

An explanation we often hear for not exercising is that we just don’t have enough time. We lead hectic lives; rush to work, rush the kids to and from school, rush home, rush to cook, rush to eat. It’s a rush rush world! At the end of the day, we’re so tired and the only thing on our head is to hit the sack. Exercising seems almost impossible these days. Where do we find time to exercise?

Exercising does not require hours in the gym or involve rigorous training programs. You can turn the world into a gym. Skip the elevator, use the stairs ( take 2 steps at a time). Walk or bike to work or to school, if possible. Walking lifts your mood and energizes you.

Seize every little opportunities to exercise. Stand or hop on a stationary bike while chatting on the phone or watching TV; turn commercial break into quick strength training moves – do chair squats!

The next time you’re stuck in the traffic, do this. Inhale, gently draw your navel towards your spine as you breathe out; repeat until it’s time to go. This helps strengthen your core muscles.

While standing in a check-out line, tone your abs and gluts by squeezing and holding those muscles until it’s your turn. Try this anytime, anywhere and trust me, no one will notice.

Turn everyday activities to fat-burning activities. Clean your house old-fashioned way. Mopping, dusting and scrubbing burn calories. Better yet, pull out weeds in your garden – burns 60 calories.

You don’t need expensive fitness gadgets for exercise. They are often unnecessary and disappointing. Jump rope is inexpensive and easy to use. Did you know jumping rope is a cardio-activity and for 15 minutes, you burn over 200 calories and its benefits are close to those of jogging?

If you have young kids, chase them around the house or turn on some music and dance, have fun and laugh. Laughing burns calories, no joke about that!

When at work, sit on an exercise ball instead of office chair. It enhances your core muscle strengthen and flexibility.

Turn your coffee break into a walk around the office or deliver documents to co-workers in person rather than via email.

Fill your water bottle halfway at the water cooler. Then, you’ll have to get up and do a refill each time your water bottle gets empty. And, yes, drink more water to burn more calories!

So what’s your reason for not exercising? Too lazy……

 

Help! I've Been Trained On And Can't Get Up!

A few weeks ago, I got a phone call from a gym in teh Detroit area telling me that I won a free 2-year membership to their gym.  I am quite skeptical about the “You have won!” phone calls and questioned them quite a bit on how I could win if I never heard of their gym and never submitted an entry.  Basically, someone submitted my name and phone number for me!  (Since I won, I can’t be mad, but had it opened me up to a bunch of sales calls I would have been!)  ANyway, I went in this past week to confirm it is not a joke, to see the gym and “accept” my prize.

I walked in and the woman who greeted me is someone I KNOW from the bank I used to work at.  She also happens to be a woman who lost a ton of weight all on her own…I think at least 150 lbs.  (Jackie, if you read this feel free to correct me!)  In the end, she threw in a free personal training session with “Thomas” who also is the guy there that trains her.

I went to see him yesterday.  Thomas is a BIG DUDE.  His bi-cep is probably as big as my thigh, but all muscle.  I REALLY do not think I am exaggerating here!  He has this deep voice but is rather soft spoken.  You would think he would be super loud, but he is not.  Ang, you would LOVE this man!  I am not sure if it was the commanding way he spoke or the fact that he could crush me with his pinky, but I was intimidated, to say the least.

In one hour, we did a total body workout. We worked every single muscle in teh arms, then moved on to  every leg muscle, through the back muscle sin there, then ended on abs.  Today, I had to WORK to get out of bed.  I cannot lift my arms.  My boobs even hurt!  My legs are stiff but I can walk sort of normally.  Oh, how am I gonna swim today…

He was very good at explaining the purpose of the machines, correcting my form, and helping me understand and know what it should feel like when I have done a good solid workout.  The things I need to work on?  Yes there are a few…

• apparently when it gets more difficult, I move my head around…alot.  I don’t know how many times he got on me about that.
• Breathing.  He finally just started talking to me and asking questions.  He said if I can talk then I am breathing.  However, then I would mess up counting and if I forgot my count, I had to start over grr…only did that ONCE.  Learned my lesson good.  It is interesting to note though that I stop breathing a lot.  Esther(counselor) used to tell me to breathe as we talked about difficult things.  When I was attempting late night, top secret runs with Laurie, she would tell me to breathe.  I am certain Coach or Adam has probably told me on occasion to stop holding my breath.  So, when things get difficult, emotionally or physically, I hold my breath.  Good to know.  Must stop this!

The one thing I didn’t like…he made some assumptions.  We all know how I feel about assumptions…just go find my post about Ann the Spin Legend!  When he first put me on the treadmill, he said it would be for about 5 minutes at 2.2 mph and if that is too much feel free to lower it.  2.2?  Really?  Umm Thomas, what if I feel like that is too slow?  Of course I am allowed to increase it. (Whew!) He then said that if he had his dithers or duthers or something about him he would put me at 3.1-3.5.  HA OK…That I can do, without getting bored.

I am sure he needs to err on the side of too light when just getting to know a new trainee…there is some risk of injury he needs to be aware of and as far as he knows…this could be my first workout in years!  Fortunately it is not, but he doesn’t know.  And fortunately that was the one and only assumption he made.  After that, he asked a ton of questions as we worked out. I liked him.  Wish I had the money to pay him to train me every week!

Oh…the other bonus.  Jackie didn’t know you could do a triathlon as a relay.  She wants to bike/run but can’t swim.  So I may swim in a tri for her so she can do the other 2 legs! Could there be opportunity for a third tri this summer?

One last bonus….I may have a running buddy, at least some of the time since she lives right near me!

OK, I MUST get up again and go swim…even if it kills me!

Burn Fat Superfast by Walking Daily

Walking can help you trim your belly fat and slim down in just 6 weeks. Check out these two superfast fat burning workouts.

Add intensity:- Adding bursts of intensity to your walk burns more calories and helps you get fit faster. While setting mini-goals keeps you motivated. Here’s how walking for 40 minutes can burn 195 calories.

Instead of trying to walk the whole 40 minutes at a fast pace, which can be tough, try walking briskly for 5 minutes and then fast for 1 minute, then repeat. A tip is to take smaller, quicker steps to increase your pace. Keep your stride smooth and efficient – don’t tense your hips or pelvis.

Add an incline:- Adding hills to your workout ups your calorie burns like crazy and gives you a fast cardio boost. Plus, it’s a great way to sculpt your legs and butt. With this system, 25 minutes of work can burn 170 calories.

Here’s how: Find a hill about the length of a football field (it should take you less than a minute to reach the top). Start at a warm-up pace for 5 minutes on relatively flat ground and then attack the hill. As you climb, you will start breathing heavily, but push yourself to make it to the top. Once you reach the top, turn around and walk back down at a comfortable pace to let your breathing and heart rate recover. Once you get to the bottom, head back up again. Repeat a total of 8 times and then cool down for 5 minutes at an easy pace. Good luck all.

Paleo / Primal in a Nutshell Video

I’m on the Greater Seattle Weston A. Price Foundation Yahoo Group (wow that’s a long name), and someone recently posted a link to the following video.  It’s basically just a 5-minute flash animation describing the Paleo/Primal diet and rationale in a nutshell.  It does a pretty good job, actually.  Obviously there’s a lot more to it, but it’s a fun intro for newcomers, and a fun refresher for the rest of us.

More on exercise below, after the jump, including some of my thoughts and another nutshell video.

The same author also did one on Paleo/Primal exercise that’s pretty good (see below)—the basic “less exercise is good” argument is spot on.  Mark Sisson (of the Primal Blueprint and Mark’s Daily Apple) sums it up pretty nicely, in that—based on human history and evolution—there are really 3 kinds of healthy human exercise:

1. Short sprints, occasionally and for not too long
2. Lifting heavy things, occasionally and for not too long
3. Low-aerobic or below activity (walking, hiking, or similar)

Sprinting or lifting more often or for longer durations just ends up bad for you in the long run, and sometimes in the short run too.  And what about that mid-to-high level cardio/aerobic exercise that is the bread-and-butter of almost all modern exercise?  There’s no place for that, it just isn’t part of human history.  When would our ancestors have done that kind of thing?  There’s increasing evidence that forced “chronic cardio” (as Mark calls it) simply results in a long-term reduction in your health.

Getting Healthy Again Part 1: How the heck to I start?!

Hi all, I’m taking a momentary break from straight relationship advice to talk about some health.

I’ve had people approach me in the past, especially recently, and ask me how they can lose weight. Instantly a million points of advice come flooding into my brain and it’s hard to give them an eloquent answer without inundating them with healthy tips. So, here’s my solution, I’ll just start doing segments, and you all can pick and choose what works with your life. This article is, however, some basics that are very necessary to getting not only the perfect body for your genetics, but also, breaking any unhealthy habits only to form ones that will just make your life better. That’s all you want to be, right? :]

Step 1: A look in the mirror…

This is important. You, sitting right there reading this, pay attention. I want you to find an old notebook, maybe even some loose paper that you can staple together, and for the next week write down EVERYTHING that goes into your body. Write quantities as best you can. You can use references like “a handful of granola”, as long as it makes sense to you exactly what amounts of each of these you’re eating. Also, write the time of day.

Reasoning: I’ll tell you right now, that until I tried this, I had no idea what I was putting into my body. We’re always busy, always running from one place to another. We don’t have time to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, nor do we want to even deal with that along with all the stress from our jobs and school. We just know that this is a problem that we want fixed. Now.

Well, of course, it’s not that simple. Unfortunately, based on your metabolism you often won’t see the fruits of your labor, or the detriment of your lackadaisical demeanor until about a month later. Yep. It can take longer or shorter for your body to adjust, but just realize that it’s a lot of effort for an even greater pay-off.

The importance of this step is to re-write the relationship you have with food. Really. Start reading labels. Start paying attention to what times of the day that you eat. Not all of us have time to “eat 6 times a day” as many studies suggest, so we have to make-do the best we can. Above anything, just make the choice to be better. You owe it to yourself and you deserve to feel good.

Step 2: DRINK WATER!!!

Yes, I’m yelling it to you from my apartment in Normal Heights. Water is pretty much what we’re made of. Think about that. Studies vary on how much water you should drink a day. The “10 glasses” approach is always a good idea, but hard to remind ourselves. This is why I recommend going to your local supermarket and purchasing one of those half-gallon jugs of water. With the handle. They’ll last you about 2 weeks of refills, and then you can recycle. Carry it around with you, spike it with lemon juice, either way, you’ll see your jug of water with you and drink more due to proximity.

In the beginning, you’ll have to go to the bathroom a lot. Your bladder isn’t used to being so full. But once your body gets used to accepting so much hydration, it will use more and your bladder won’t be as active.

Reasoning: The reason for the water thing as far as losing weight is a triple-threat. Water not only allows you to function better as a living, breathing, human body, but you also will feel less bloated. Bloating usually occurs when you ingest too much salt. Anyone in any biology or chemistry class will learn that your body is used to a specific amount of salt at all times. Any more and it has to hold on to water to dilute the salt, which, unchecked, could cause  your cells to be damaged or not work properly. Processed food is over-salted, over-spiced, and well, will make you feel bloated. Drinking more water will prove to instantly slim you down a little because your body can recalibrate.

Finally, another important thing to know about water pertains to thirst. Your body doesn’t differentiate thirst from hunger sometimes. So while you think you’re hungry, you may just want a glass of water. Try downing a few cups next time you feel like a burger. It’s like magic, haha.

Step 3: Eat heathy whenever you can…

Starting today, I want you to treat nutrient-rich, unprocessed food like it’s something that is hard to come by. Whenever you get a chance to eat an apple, or down some broccoli, or perhaps graw on a carrot and pretend you’re Bugs Bunny, do it. Especially if you’re busy. Throw some fruit or a bag of cut veggies into your bag/purse before you leave in the morning. Try to fit something healthy and unprocessed into every meal. Seriously, it makes a difference. Not only will it keep you from hitting up the vending machine, but also, you’ll just feel better. Did you know an apple can give you as much of a sustained pick-me-up as a cup of coffee?

Reasoning: We need to change the way we see fresh food. We need to change the way we see convenience. With a little planning, we can make very good choices with what we put in our system. All if takes is the desire to do better for yourself. The more acquainted with vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains, the better we will be able to live.

Step 4: Go vegetarian for most of your meals

This one was hard for me. I’m very much so a ‘meat and potatoes’ girl. I love my steaks and my burgers. That’s why when I started to come across more and more evidence that eating a mostly vegetarian diet leads to less weight issues, and less health problems, I had to reconsider. And get this, you’ll live longer too.

The way to go about this is to just buy less meat. I keep a bag of boneless, skinless chicken breast in my freezer so I can add it to a meal when I feel like it, but for the most part, I pick up veggies and grains for food.

Reasoning: We’re so used to our protein to be the centerpiece of a meal and we need to change that. If you do opt for some meat, go organic. Make it a ‘treat’ where you get the best cut you can and thoroughly enjoy it. Quality over quanitity. Also, when you do have a serving, make sure it’s not bigger than about the size of a deck of cards. I know that I personally have eaten a steak that seemed to fill my plate. Scale it back and up the veggies and brown rice and that’s the smart way to do it. You’ll feel more satisfied with the complex carbohydrates introduced into your meal, and the necessary fiber and other nutrients will keep you feeling light.

Part 2 will have more tips on getting on track. You can do it. Just remember, it takes 3 weeks to make a habit and only 3 days to break one. Lets show our diets that THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAAHHH!

As always, comments and personal stories are greatly appreciated.

Too Blind To See The Blinkers

Last night The Husband and I watched a show called The Food Investigators. I am a bit leery of it sometimes as they play somewhat to the OMG OBEEESITY EPIDEMIC!!!11!, but they’re better than the majority of shows and I find some of their information very interesting.

So, during last night’s episode, they mentioned that 62% of Australians are overweight. The Husband asks me “do you count as overweight” and I said yes (although I was too cowardly to say “well actually, I’m classified as obese”) but I pointed out that actually, he is pretty damn close to being classified as overweight as well. He denied this vehemently of course, but based on his being 180cm (the height he claims) and 82.7 kgs (the last time he weighed himself), he actually has a BMI of 25.5, making him one of the overweight Australians. But whatever.

Then he said “well isn’t being classified as overweight a good enough reason to lose weight?” and I basically said “no, and besides its just some arbitrary classification”. And then he had a small hissy fit about how could I just choose to ignore something like that when THE SCIENTISTS SAY and he LOVES how I just choose bits to believe and ignore the rest etc etc. (Yes, I choose to believe the science and ignore the media, thanks). It didn’t blow into a full scale argument though, for which I am thankful, as I chose not to respond and he didn’t pursue it. He also didn’t go off into a “mood” (at least that I could see), so that was an improvement.

So then we dropped it, and later that night we were having a discussion about the politician who doesn’t believe in global warming based on a graph of the last 10 years, and how much this annoys us both, along with the extreme annoyance we have at the news.com commenter population. The Husband prides himself on thinking more deeply about everything than most people, on considering all the angles and making his own decisions. I subtly commented that a lot of people can be very open minded about most things, but then have one or two topics on which they are absolutely closed (I used religion as an example, but points if you can guess the subtext!). We talked about how a lot of people aren’t willing to consider any of the evidence for themselves, but just take whatever they are spoonfed (subtext again!).

I suspect my intended subtexts were too subtle for The Husband to relate to his own issues with weight, but I know that he tends to take some time to process things like that, and so maybe in a later conversation we can return to it with more success. The interesting thing for me is that he admits that intellectually, he knows this shouldn’t be an issue, but he cannot seem to get past it. I find it frustrating that he is so open-minded about most things, but is not even willing at this stage to have a rational discussion about why I believe what I do, and has no interest in looking at any actual evidence on this particular topic, although he will happily read a 21,000 word article (very interesting) about the AI singularity. I really believe that if he would allow himself to consider the evidence he would come to the same conclusions that I have, but I think it will take a bit more time for him to get to where he’s willing to look. I know he isn’t really concerned about the health aspect of it, but if I could get him to appreciate why I’ve decided that dieting doesn’t work and isn’t worth it, that would be a good start.

I also had a little bit of a panic last week, for a couple of reasons. When I was dieting I would weigh myself multiple times a day, but since finding FA I’ve been consciously avoiding the scale. However, I still find myself getting a bit panicky after about 2 weeks without weighing myself. I start to think “OMG but what if I’ve gained heaps!” and I get stressed – but then when I weigh myself, I find I’m pretty much the same as I have been for the last 6 months (that in itself is amazing to me – I don’t think I’ve gone 6 months without reaching a higher weight in the 7+ years I was dieting). So, a long time since I last weighed plus the news that my bridesmaid’s dress for my sister’s wedding had arrived and needed to be tried on, kind of made me lose my mind a bit.

But its ok, my scales reassured me that I haven’t gained a million kilos in the last 2 weeks, and the dress fitting got delayed – although I can think of no reason that it shouldn’t fit, since I’m the same weight now as I was when it was ordered. And I reminded myself that all I will achieve by dieting is ruining my newly-gained sense of peace and wellbeing, and probably make myself fatter to boot.

Finally, had a bit of a shock moment speaking to my Mum. She baked a fantastic cake for my sister’s birthday, and I was telling her again how delicious it was. She said she might bake another soon, just because she could – but then said maybe she shouldn’t, because that would be baaaaad. I asked why – she said “because I’d eat it and I don’t need the extra calories”. I very eloquently replied “pfffft”, and that was the end of the conversation. But this was seriously shocking to me – I realise that I honestly thought my Mum didn’t even know (or care) what a calorie was. So a little piece of my innocence has died, and I feel badly for my Mum because I now wonder how much of the self-acceptance I see in her is in fact nothing but a front she put up for her children. It makes me sad, because she has always been a fabulous, happy fat woman in my mind.

So basically this week shook my FA faith a little, but I’m happily back in the right headspace for now. Go me!

Total Food Replacement - Cambridge Diet

Tomorrow morning I will be commencing a total food replacement diet called the Cambridge Diet.  This consists of having 3 shakes or bars every day, absolutely no food, milk, lemon juice, fizzy drinks, just the cambridge food replacement products and 2/3 litres of water every day.

In the first week I should loose about half a stone, and then I should loose half a stone every 2 weeks.  I need to loose 1.5stones to get to my health BMI.  Therefore I will have no food for a total of 5 weeks.  Once I have achieved a healthy BMI then I will add some food into my diet until I reach my ultimate goal of loosing another stone to weight approx 8st, which is a BMI of approx 22.   Loads of people freak out that 8 stone is too light, but im a short ass, so 8st is a good weight for me.

A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9 – so a BMI of 22 is a good place in the middle, and that is where I aim to be.

So if I start my journey of TFR (Total Food Replacement) tomorrow 16th July 2009, I should have my first stone off me for the 6th August, and I will be a healthy BMI for 20th August. 

I am going to keep a video of my progress, firstly for my own motivation, and maybe I will share it when I get to my goal.

Week 10: 25lbs lost!

I got my 25lb loss coin (think sobriety coin…sobriety against food) today. Pro and I went to a different meeting this morning (as opposed to our usual Monday night)  because although we liked out other WW meeting leader we didn’t feel a real connection to her, and the group was good, but we both felt we would like a leader that we liked and helped us in our journey. I’m not sure about Pro but I loved Michelle who we saw this morning. The meeting was super full (probably cause she’s awesome) but the spirit was higher and she was so nice. I think I want to continue to go to the Tuesday 9am meeting as long as my schedule permits.  Now I only have to lose 2 more pounds this week to reach my 27 lb loss goal by the 20th. And Monday I’m off to Washington!

Tomorrow Pro and I are on a mission to find dresses to wear to my friends wedding. Wish us luck!

12 Mile Run

Wow! 12 miles – easily the furthest I have ever run in one go in my life! I was only aiming for around 9 miles but felt good so I kept on going!  Had only 3 brief rests.  Really struggling at around the 10 mile stage but managed to keep on going.  It took me a total of 2 hrs 9 minutes, with an average heart rate of 178 bpm – excellent evidence of how hard I pushed myself today!  Garmin watch informs me that I used up 1327 calories – felt like more!!!

I am sat here now with legs like jelly!  My calves ache like they have NEVER ached before.  I am tired and yet I feel great.  What an achievement!  Only a few months ago I was out of breath walking on the treadmill!

12 Mile Run in 2 hrs 9 mins - by far the furthest I have ever run in one go in my life!

Pace stats for my 12 mile run - I know it's not all that quick, but I don't care! I am just overwhelmed that I managed to run as far as this.

Overcoming Emotional Obesity

I’ve recently read a book called “The Gabriel Method” by Jon Gabriel. The book flies in the face of the diet industry, proclaiming dieting is the wrong thing to do if you actually want to lose weight.

The theory is that the human body is programmed for survival. If your body believes that your best chance of survival is through bulking up with extra body fat, your body will retain weight no matter what you do. Dieting is a perfect way to program your body to be fat. The theory is, when you start cutting back on food, your body believes you are in famine and starts storing fat reserves. There are other ways your body might be programmed to store body fat, including stress and numerous other reasons.

The trick, according to Gabriel, is to convince your body that your best chance of survival is to become thin. You must also ensure your body and mind are adequately nourished.

From my understanding at this point, the aim is to:

- Nourish your body with essential nutrients. It is important you do not feel either physically or mentally starved. At first, keep eating your normal diet, but put emphasis on ADDING good food, rather than subtracting bad foods. After awhile, your body will be nourished with the nutrients it needs and will stop craving ridiculous amounts of calories. You will start to love the healthy, nutritious foods. They make you feel good. Eventually, you will want to eat just the nutritious foods and the cravings for the bad foods will vanish. But its important not to force it. If you feel deprived, you are more likely to crave the bad foods.

- You need to nourish your mind and spirit. The book comes with a meditation CD you listen to as you go to sleep. You must also identify the root causes of unsettling feelings which may cause you to overeat, such as stress and low self-esteem.

- You must practice visualisation. Daily, you visualise your optimum self. When you practice seeing your ideal body and ideal life everyday and believe it will be a reality, it will eventually become a reality.

The Gabriel Method website: http://www.jongabriel.com.au/

Ideal Body Weight

When I was in highschool, I weighed 140.  I was not as thin as some of my friends, but looking at group and single photos, I see now what I didn’t then…that 140 was actually a very pretty weight on me.  I looked healthy, looked thin.

When I was in my early 30s I weighed approximately 220 and had for years.  My lovely mother-in-law would make remarks when we saw one another, which was seldom, about my weight.  In her mind, she was helping me by sharing tid bits.  I didn’t appreciate them.  When I had lost weight, using the Atkins Diet, and had made my way down to 180 I was excited, buying new clothes and, for the first time in years, felt pretty again.  It wasn’t my ideal weight.  I figured I would get back to 140.  Having lost weight already, I felt certain that everything was attainable.  One quick visit to my MIL, a year after I had last seen her, didn’t get kudos.  Let’s face it, fat is fat, and if you don’t see someone for a year and they come back svelte looking, you’ll notice.  If you are still large, however, people are less likely to take notice.  And she didn’t.  When I stated that I only needed to loose 40 more pounds, in front of the extended in-law family, she blithely stated that I needed to loose more than that.  I was crushed.  She offered that I should get down to 115 or 120.  Now, I have never, ever weighed 115.  When I was in my 120s, I looked positively anemic.  Old photographs from that brief period in my 120s did not look good.  Maybe in my 130s, I offered, weirdly attempting to gain her approval.  I have this weird relationship non-relationship thing going in which I don’t care what she thinks, but totally obsess over it at the same time.  No, that still would be too fat was the impression I was given.  I lost another 15 pounds on the Atkins Diet before it took my gallbladder.  After surgery, I didn’t try again.

Which leaves me at my weight today.  In the hefty 250s range.  Very unhappy, and even the 220s seems a far off goal.  I don’t want to stay here any longer.  At my age, 39, it won’t get any easier.  If I think walking is difficult now, I can’t imagine what this weight or more will be like when I’m facing osterperosis or another advanced age illness.  I’ve always wanted my best, but was lazy and disheartened.  I see today as my last, best chance.

So, realistically speaking, I thought I should at least try to figure out what my ideal weight would be.

According to Weight Watcher’s ideal weight form, I should weigh between 124 and 155 pounds based on nothing more than my height. 

According to Healthcenter.com’s form, I should weight between 142 and 156.2  pounds based on body frame and height.

Seem’s like 140 is a nice medium, but the 155 area is the tippy tipp of the ideal weight loss for a person of my size. 

My goal will be to reach the 155 and then regroup to see if I’m happy there or would like to push to what for me, mentally, is an ideal.  Who knows?  Maybe once I reach that goal, I’ll want to go even further!

Weight loss critical for overweight teens

Obesity is no longer considered just a sorry condition for one to be in. It is almost an accepted way of life. WebMd states that 12.5-million youth and children are overweight. These young people are at a higher risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes at a younger age and other health problems that older adults usually get. What this means: today’s young people have a life expectancy that is shorter than their parents’.

Overall, Oregon is #29 in the list of the fattest states in the US. Portland teens, however, are included in the fact that the US has the highest percentage of overweight teens in the world.

How can Portland parents help their teen that needs to lose weight?
• Be supportive: don’t expect your teen to change his or her eating habits and lifestyle alone. Parents will need to modify their habits, too, to show change can be achieved.
• Involve teens in the weight loss process: help teens decide what food choices should be on the family shopping list. Help them set realistic, healthy weight-loss goals.
• Don’t nag or put-down: help your teen feel motivated to make decisions for themselves. Nagging or negative comments can lead to a low self-esteem and worse.
• Empower your teen with motivation and focus on their strengths and talents.
• Active parents=active kids: limit the amount of time the family sits in front of the TV or computer.
• Make healthy choices a way of life. Teens go to school on a regular occasion, shower daily (hopefully), sleep every day, etc. so it is important that exercise become one of those regular thing they would just do every day.
• Drink less soda: one can of soda has 15 teaspoons of sugar in it. What is your teen drinking that has most of its calories coming from sugar?
• Stock the kitchen with healthy snacks. When a teen craves something sweet or salty to munch on, they will have better choices at their fingertips. One way to get a person to eat less junk food is to not buy junk food.
• Incorporate more fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products into a teen’s diet. These foods are more filling and satisfying than many other foods that have empty calories.
• Encourage breakfast. Many times sleeping-in trumps breakfast. However, teens need that boost in the morning to help them jump-start their brains and metabolism. Breakfast can be as simple as some fruits and nuts.

Proactol Side Effects

Are there any side effects to taking Proactol, the new natural weight loss products on the market. Drugs such as Xenical have traditionally been a prescription only capsule prescribed to clinically obese patients. Recntly, the FDA gave the ok to a non-prescription version – Alli. Such medicines rely on Orlistat, a lipase inhibitor, which stops fat being absorbed into the body. But how do they work and are there any side effects when you take them?

Proactol Side Effects
When taken after eating, Orlistat reduces the amount of fat that is broken down in the body and absorbed into the blood system by about 30%. These fats are expelled naturally and so, with less fat being absorbed, weight is lost.

However, if you are not dangerously overweight, Xenical or Alli may not be the right option for you. You should always consult your doctor should you want to use either of these alternatives. Unfortunately there have also been some worrying side effects from these Orlistat based weight loss medicines. More on Proactol Side Effects.