Hi it’s Nancy Sustersic from Marco Island, FL and I am that incredible shrinking woman!
(for those who need a landmark-Marco Island FL is just S. of Naples FL)
Here’s a pic of me at size 18.
It all started one month ago when my girlfriends and I went on vacation and we came home and threw the scales away. Our dieting days were over.
Have you ever thought…vacations, holidays, parties, weddings…all equal weight loss? NO…it’s the opposite, but that wasn’t the case for us. We were gifted with the knowledge of how to lose weight and shed extra sizes, but here is what we really learned.. It’s not about losing weight anymore. You must first think of your perfect weight in your head and then RELEASING the weight becomes almost effortless! It’s about balance of your body and mind. That’s the secret. Anyone can do it and it is free to learn how.
Having been a yo yo dieter for years I was so excited to begin (can’t you just imagine) and as of today, just 3 weeks after getting home, I am now 2 sizes smaller. I’ve shared this with my girlfriends as we were told to go home and start a club with family and friends because it is so much more fun to offer support to one another. So we started “The Secret To Perfect Weight Club” blog. My gift to anyone who wishes to know this secret…is to share it with you on how you can achieve your perfect weight through the holidays and get a head start on your New Years resolutions now. I consider that to be a great way to “pay it forward” to anyone that is dedicated to get off the fad diet search forever!
Stay tuned and be watching for new pictures each week and subscribe to my blog as I will add new tips every couple days!!!
It’s not a secret anymore, so please share us with your friends and let’s succeed in achieving our goals together!
The first Tip arrives in tomorrow’s blog, Monday Nov. 24th, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t get stuffed like the turkey!
Nancy Sustersic
239-394-5051 or cell 419-350-9058
You may want to shed the big belly. This is the reason why you are trying to lose pounds. In reality, you have got to use several ways to handle belly fat. It’s also vital for you to use some effective fat binders to help you. There is a variety of weight reducing pills and high fiber supplements that might be found in the market. The numbers of varieties that are available are as sundry as the claims. Sadly , the claims lack scientific support. This is reflective on the need to fill the demand of the market to come out with effective body detoxing supplements that many makers capitalize on. Many of them are ineffectual. There are 2 choices in the market that offers virtually the same efficacy, the acai berry and the Proactol diet pills. You can wonder what type of fat binders can help you to dispose of your belly fat. There are a large amount of fat binders in the markets. Of all the products, Proactol is actually one of the best one. You will have already heard of Proactol if you’ve been trying to lose pounds for some time. Naturally you may use it to lose your stomach fat. Below are some of the benefits of using Proactol. This gave way to the Acai vs. Proactol comparison. A better look exposes the major benefit of Proactol is that it’s got a exceedingly long product life. Nothing may be better and less damaging than detoxing in the most natural way offered only by acai. It has been confirmed time and time again that there are just two plants on earth, that which are intended as foods and those that have medicinal and curative qualities. Even traditional drugs depends on this. Very Effective Fat Binder. It can help you to reduce the fat intake by 28%. This indicates that you can lose your buckle fat while you don’t need to switch your eating habit a lot. This will certainly be an advantage since it can be quite tricky for you to modify your eating habit overnight. Clinically proved. The usefulness of Proactol is scientifically proved. Proactol is proved to be effective as a fat binder under clinical studies. You must stick to such products to lose gut fat. Proactol is one hundred percent natural. It is completely safe to use it. There are no known side effects when you’re using it to combat gut fat. You may use it without troubling about your health. This is also why it’s vital to stick to some natural products. Even the most modern medicines if they are going to be extremely effective counts on this. You’ll get your confidence back easily if you can get rid of your buckle fat. If you want to lose the fat even faster, you can mix the use of Proactol with dieting and exercising plans. This can actually help to lift the weight reduction effect!
In yesterday’s post, we talked about taking action. About putting forth an effort. About trying.
I gave a vague description of what trying is not…
I don’t mean that little try my 2 year old gives me when I ask him to get up. That “fake” try.
I realize that is still pretty vague, so let’s get in the weeds just a bit on what it means when I say “try.”
For our purposes, author Les Brown puts packages it up nicely…
You must tell yourself, ‘no matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets, I’m going to make it.’
That is what I mean by “try.”
Not that you went on a low carb diet today, and decided that it was too hard tomorrow.
Not that you did heavy squats this week and you decided you didn’t like being sore so I won’t ever do them again.
That is not trying. That is giving up when it gets hard. That is not wanting the results enough. You didn’t fail, you never even got started.
I don’t know how many times I was guilty of this before I finally “got it.” But the thing is, once the concept of really trying something sinks in, there is almost nothing that you won’t be able to do.
It’s like planning to go to the beach, so you put a cooler in the car. And then you sit back down on the couch and watch TV and never finish packing and never start driving. Did you really “try” to go to the beach? No.
For many, many of us, we don’t fail to burn fat or build muscle. If we fail at anything… it is this…
We fail to try.
Resolve today to try. Put it in writing in the comments below. What to you resolve to try?
When researchers at the University of Southern Maine used an advanced method to estimate energy expenditure during exercise, they found that weight training burns as many as 71 percent more calories than originally thought. In fact, the researchers calculated that performing just one circuit of eight exercises can expend up to 231 calories. The more muscles you work, the more calories you’ll burn, says study author Christopher Scott, Ph.D. Maximize the number of muscle fibers you activate in each set by performing a circuit in which you alternate upper-body movements with lower-body and abdominal exercises. This allows your upper-body muscles to rest while your lower-body muscles work, and vice versa—ensuring your best effort each set. Complete three full circuits of eight exercises and it’s likely you’ll burn as many calories as you would by jogging for 30 minutes.
This is Part 2 of 3… of my Chest/Push-Up Series.
This clip is talking about what I call “the hinge” in the chest.
If you’ve been feeling pressure or more of a load on your shoulders or triceps during Push-Ups or any other Chest exercise more than you do your Chest… then this clip is a must see.
Learning to hinge at the Chest instead of the Shoulders will make all of your Chest Exercises more effective!
I also talk of antagonistic muscle groups… what are they?
Part 3… is the actual, more detailed, Push-Up Demonstration! Don’t miss out!
Thank you,
Clifta Coulter Perez
Reno Fitness Trainer
Bootcamp Instructor
Former IFBB PRO Bodybuilder
Clifta has been in the Health & Fitness Industry for 25 years now and is currently training clients in Reno, Nevada.
A theme that runs through my daily life, and that has been running through my tweets and blog posts recently, is the need to take action. I cannot stress it enough. I honestly believe the 99% of people do not fail.
They don’t fail to lose weight and burn fat; they don’t fail to build muscle; they don’t fail to get healthier, or fitter, or richer, or any thing that might be added to this list.
Only about 1% of people fail. And that 1% of people is the most successful of the bunch.
How can I say that? Easy. Watch me do it again.
Only 1% of people fail, and for that reason, they are successful.
No, 99% of people never fail. Why? Because they never try.
In order to fail, you have to try. I don’t mean that little try my 2 year old gives me when I ask him to get up. That “fake” try.
No.
I mean really, REALLY try.
That requires breaking the inertia of not doing anything about anything. It requires action.
Playwright George Bernard Shaw once said…
The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.
That quote has a lot of power. If we are not acting, if we are not trying, then we are only left to react to what comes our way. We give up control of our circumstances.
But…
If we take action, if we try, if we initiate, then we have control over where the ship is headed. And that, my fellow MiddleManagers, if powerful stuff.
I can remember and old saying that went something like, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.”
If you don’t take action, then you are basically doing what you’ve always done.
So… Are you going to get what you’ve always got, or…
When most people think of losing weight or going on a diet, they think they have to starve themselves, eat bland tasting foods, and have very little food choices to choose from. Also, they know snacking is out of the question!
Not true!
Snacking actually has many benefits to help you shed body fat! As long as you eat healthy snacks and have a little self control, remember everything in moderation, snacking is a great way to help control your diet and produce drastic new results in your weight loss efforts.
Benefits of snacking include:
1. Binge Control- If you eat a very small meal and then go a long period of time till you eat again, you may find yourself binging at your next meal! To avoid a binge meal, try eating a piece of fruit or other healthy snack. This will ward off hunger pains, keep you next meal in check, and help you to actully consume less calories during the day!
2. Extra Energy and Nutritients- If you live a busy lifestyle and find yourself on the go a lot. Planning ahead and bringing a snack will provide you with a burst of energy when you start to feel down. Plus, it will keep you from running to the next McDonalds for something quick to eat!
3. Controls Insulin Levels- You may think if you’re not diabetic then you don’t need to worry about your blood sugar. Well, your wrong! Trying to keep your blood sugar levels steady actually helps to keep your body in a fat burning mode. Once your blood sugar levels start to spike and plummet, your body gets out of whack and will start to store your calories as body fat! A steady intake of healthy foods will help keep your blood sugar levels steady.
As you can see these are only a couple benefits to snacking. Healthy snacks will help you stay on track in your weight loss efforts and help you avoid all the dieting mistakes and pitfalls most people run into.
Think of snacking as a “mini” meal not a chance to eat something bad!
If you need help with dieting choices click below to get started with your Online Fitness Coaching. Here you gain all the knowledge of an Expert Weight Loss coach for a fraction of the price!
New figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have revealed that the incidence of type 2 diabetes in the United States has risen by 90% withing the last 10 yrs. We have all heard about the nations obesity epidemic, and how it is affecting the health of our nation. Obesity can lead to diabetes, and often does. Type 2 diabetes often has no syptoms, which is why it is important to have your blood sugar tested periodically.
Type 2 diabetes can usually be controlled with diet and excercise.
If type 2 diabetes is poorly controlled you have an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, nerve damage, and blindness.
You’re at risk for diabetes if you’re overweight or have a family history of the disease.
Here are some preventative action you can take to help avoid this disease “epidemic”:
Get more physical excercise
Eat foods with plenty of fiber
Make at least half your grain intake whole grains
LOSE ‘ extra’ weight (find out your BMI by getting a free Wellness Evaluation and determine where you are at with your health and wellness, click here)
Skip ‘fad’ diets and make healthier eating choices
Have a blood test to determine your glucose level, and if it’s higher than normal range, talk with your doctor. Normal range for glucose is 70-100 mg/dl
My name is Sheila and I am an Independent Herbalife Distributor. I have great concern for helping people and getting and keeping them in good health. 70% of medical conditions are diet related. If you are as little as 10 pounds overweight you are at risk for heart disease. Recently Mike had his blood work done and found that his cholesterol and blood sugar were high. He is only 5′4 and weighed 145 pounds. His doctor said that if he got to his correct weight he could bring these numbers down. His family is shocked that he would need to lose weight and didn’t believe him until he showed them the paperwork from the doctor. I got Mike on a weight loss program and he has been losing weight. We are looking forward to his follow up appointment. Over and Over I have heard from people who were on all kinds of medication for cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, pain, etc and once they started on the core nutrition or weight loss program they were able to get off the medication they had been taking for years.
Find out your BMI and determine if you are overweight.
Contact me and I will help you get started. Call 1-888-279-2124 (toll free) or sign up at www.1Timediet.com. I look forward to working with you to help you achieve your wellness goals. I will become your personal wellness coach. I will follow up with you on a regular basis to help you stay on track.
Get your program today and Join the herbalife million pound mission and start enjoying life. Count every pound and learn about the mission at HerbalifeMillionPoundMission.com
About a month ago I had a dream with the words spelled out as clear as day “Fear Is Fattening”…when I woke up I said to myself “ain’t that the truth!”…I also “Googled It” and found an article posted with the same title that had been written a round the same time as my dream…interesting!
So, my feeling about “Fear is Fattening” comes from the very real fear I am feeling now in my personal & professional life because I am in “limbo”…not sure where I’m going…not sure what the future holds for me…still really haven’t found my “home”…many things are “up in the air” right now…not solidified. ..kinda floating.
I find when change is in the air and when I’m really being faced with the unknown…fear grows & grows & grows! And I FEED IT! Fear makes me eat! Out of control eating!And I’m not hungry…I’m feeding the fear!
Hence…fear is fattening!
I want to now CLEAR THE FEAR, because it’s crazy how feeling fear in my life takes me to food! That is my goal, to “clear the fear” from every square inch of my body, mind & spirit…clear the fear on a cellular level! I believe if I deal with my fear issues, mostly imagined or just negative thinking…I’ll most likely eat less! I think the key is looking at the core of overeating…what is making me scared? Over eating is a symptom of being scared…that’s what I’m going to explore!
I decided to do a “FEAR” Art Installation for starters… I started making a series of paintings…some just words like; “FEAR IS FATTENING”, “MORE FEAR!”, “FEED THE FEAR”, “I EAT FEAR FOR BREAKFAST”, “Fear is a Billion Dollar Business”, “Clear The Fear” , etc, etc. Mixed in with random paintings & characters eating or not eating, maybe vomiting as a bulimic would… I think it will be a very cathartic piece for me to get out of my system! I think the more I dive into fear – the less fear I have…so, I’m diving into this fear piece full force (fearlessly!) and hopefully I’ll show it somewhere…but I’ll try not to worry about that because I’ll just eat more!
I will post pictures of my progress with this art installation…”FEAR”
QUESTION: Do you think you eat more when feeling fear?
Please share your stories!
CLEAR THE FEAR & Lose Weight!
For More About American woman artist Bethann Shannon:
i’ve had a kinked up neck for the past few weeks. i finally went to my chiropractor midweek and it seems to have helped tremendously. i woke up this morning feeling so much better and i could actually move my head and turn it like a normal person again. no more kinkyness …..thank goodness! i really sucks not to be able to have good health. since i have had my kinked up neck, i haven’t been able to run or workout. i am so ecstatic that i can put on my running shoes and go for a run again today. hallelujah!!! gotta go burn me some fat running that’s for sure.
i know i can, i know i can, i am know i can…..i am just like that little tug boat that says his affirmations everyday.
The way to do that is by setting a S.M.A.R.T. Goal
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Framed.
Specific: Goals need to be something specific. Often we set goals that are so loose, it’s nearly impossible to judge whether we hit them or not. For example, a statement like “I will lose weight” is too vague. How will you know if and when you’ve reached your goal? Saying, “I will lose five pounds this month” is more specific. At the end of the month it will be a simple matter of weights and measures: take your measurements and get on the scale.
Measurable: Goals need to be measurable. For example, many of us want to increase our number of contacts. But, “making new contacts” is an ambiguous statement. A clearer objective is “I will attend four networking events each month and try to connect with one person at each.” It’s a simple, concrete goal. This makes it easy to see if you hit your target.
Achievable: Goals need to be reasonable and achievable. Nearly everyone has tried to drop a few pounds at one time or another. Often their success or failure depends on setting practical goals. Losing 15 pounds in 30 days is unrealistic (unless you’re planning a medical procedure). Losing six to eight pounds in 30 days is reasonable. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are out of reach.
Realistic: Goals need to be realistic. When we’re kids we think we can do anything. As adults we learn that while we can have a lot, we can’t have it all at the same time. It’s important to honestly evaluate yourself. Do you have the ability and commitment to make your dream come true? Or does it need a little adjustment? For example, you may love to play tennis, but do you have the time, talent and commitment to become a pro? Be honest.
Time Framed: Goals need to have a time frame. Having a set amount of time will give your goals structure. For example, many of us want to find a new job or start their own business. Some people spend a lot of time talking about what they want to do, someday. But, without an end date there is no sense of urgency, no reason to take any action today. Having a specific time frame gives you the impetus to get started. It also helps you monitor your progress.
One last thought
At the end of the day it comes down to Persistence and determination.
I sent this to my colleague Chez:
In as much as I agree with you that one knowing what one wants and articulating it clearly, as well as having a burning desire to get it, is one of the qualities which one must have in order to succeed, it is only but a step to get you to the ultimate quality which is persistence and determination, as you can see in Calvin Coolidge’s statement, everything else will help you get to the war zone but once you are on the battlefield the one trait or quality that will give you the upper hand is persistence and determination.
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent”. Calvin Coolidge
Start your diet with a food diary, record everything you eat, what you were doing at the time, and how you felt. That tells you about yourself, your temptation, the emotional states that encourage you to snack and may help you lose once you see how much you eat.
Instead of eating the forbidden piece of candy, brush your teeth. If you’re about to cheat, allow yourself a treat, then eat only half a bite and throw the other half away.
When hunger hits, wait 10 minutes before eating and see if it passes. Set attainable goals. Don’t say, “I want to lose 50 pounds.” Say, “I want to lose 5 pounds a month.” Get enough sleep but not too much. Try to avoid sugar. Highly sweetened foods tend to make you crave more.
Drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water itself helps cut down on water retention because it acts as a diuretic. Taken before meals, it dulls the appetite by giving you that “full feeling.” Diet with a buddy. Support groups are important, and caring people can help one another succeed. Start your own, even with just one other person.
Substitute activity for eating. When the cravings hit, go to the “Y” or health club if possible; or dust, or walk around the block. This is especially helpful if you eat out of anger.
If the pie on the counter is just too great a temptation and you don’t want to throw it away, freeze it. If you’re a late-night eater, have a carbohydrate, such as a slice of bread of a cracker, before bedtime to cut down on cravings. Keep an orange slice or a glass of water by your bed to quiet the hunger pangs that wake you up.
If you use food as a reward, establish a new reward system. Buy yourself a non-edible reward. Write down everything you eat – - everything – including what you taste when you cook. If you monitor what you eat, you can’t go off your diet.
Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. Your weight fluctuates constantly and you can weigh more at night than you did in the morning, a downer if you stuck to your diet all day. Make dining an event. East from your own special plate, on your own special placemat, and borrow the Japanese art of food arranging to make your meal, no matter how meager, look lovely. This is a trick that helps chronic over-eaters and bingers pay attention to their food instead of consuming it unconsciously.
Don’t shop when you’re hungry. You’ll only buy more fattening food. Avoid finger foods that are easy to eat in large amounts. Avoid consuming large quantities of fattening liquids, which are so easy to overdo. And this includes alcoholic beverages.
Keep plenty of crunchy foods like raw vegetables and air-popped fat-free popcorn on hand. They’re high in fiber, satisfying and filling. Leave something on your plate, even if you are a charter member of the Clean The Plate Club. It’s a good sign that you can stop eating when you want to, not just when your plate is empty.
Lose weight for yourself, not to please your husband, your parents or your friends. Make the kitchen off-limits at any time other than mealtime. Always eat at the table, never in front of the TV set or with the radio on. Concentrate on eating every mouthful slowly and savoring each morsel. Chew everything from 10 to 20 times and count! Never skip meals.
Committing to the effort to lose stomach fat, no matter what, is the first step. Vary when, where and how, if needed, but the effort itself must remain constant.
Set a plan:- Know what to accomplish and when. Some examples: Walk 30 minutes a day by noon, decrease sugar intake by the weekend or go to the gym on Tuesday and Thursday.
Combat standard excuses:- Each of us knows the individual excuses that come too easily. Don’t lose forward momentum — in advance, be aware of, write down and respond to excuses before they become an issue.
Use procrastination as an advantage:- People who procrastinate as a habit are forced into action by some external deadline. To prompt weight loss, focus on an external deadline, such as a wedding or reunion.
Schedule exercise:- Make an appointment on the calendar to exercise — and keep it. Aim for exercising 30 minutes a day.
Monitor your behavior:- Monitoring can take the form of writing a food diary, counting the glasses of water sipped daily, calculating the number of calories burned while exercising and so on.
Focus on the horizon:- Measure the progress made. It’s encouraging to see progress — motivation grows when the goal is in sight. Repeat winning techniques for more success.
Take it one choice and one day at a time:- Don’t worry about forever. Any change is more manageable and less overwhelming in smaller doses.
Find someone who’s accomplishing weight loss and imitate them:- When it comes to eating right and exercising, observe and copy a successful person to see what they’re doing to get good results. If correct choices are duplicated, then results quite possibly can be duplicated, too.
Snoring is a fairly common affliction, affecting 40 percent of men and 25 percent of women. If you snore, you make a raspy, rattling, snorting sound while you breathe during sleep. Older people are particularly prone to snoring: About one-third of people ages 55 to 84 snore. Despite its frequency, however, snoring is a sleep disorder that can have serious medical and social consequences. The tips that follow may help you sleep more peacefully.
Sleep on your side. Snoring is more likely if you’re lying on your back.
Lose weight. Excess body weight, especially around the neck, puts pressure on the airway, causing it to partially collapse.
Avoid alcohol and tranquilizers. Alcohol and sleeping pills can depress your central nervous system and relax the muscles of your throat and jaw, making snoring more likely. These substances are also known to contribute to sleep apnea, a dangerous condition that has been linked with cardiovascular disease.
Get your allergies treated. Chronic respiratory allergies may cause snoring by forcing sufferers to breathe through their mouths while they sleep. Taking a decongestant or antihistamine before bedtime may help. If your nose is blocked, try using over-the-counter saline spray or a humidifier to prevent snoring.
Buy a mouth guard. Your dentist or doctor may be able to prescribe an anti-snoring mouth guard that holds the teeth together and keeps the lower jaw muscles from becoming too lax.
Stop smoking. Smoke damages the respiratory system.
Keep a regular schedule. Get plenty of sleep. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day.
See a doctor if you are pregnant and snoring. Women who are pregnant will sometimes begin to snore. The snoring may rob the baby of oxygen, so pregnant women who snore should talk to the doctor about it.
Elevate your head. Sleeping with your head raised may take some of the pressure off the airway, making breathing easier and reducing snoring. Raise the head of the bed by putting blocks under the bed posts, or prop yourself up with pillows.
When Snoring Becomes Serious
Snoring is a nuisance. It can keep your bed partner awake, and it can prevent you from getting the restful sleep you need. It may also indicate that you have sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder. The National Sleep Foundation (www.sleepfoundation.org) recommends that you see your doctor if:
You wake up during the night choking and gasping for breath
You have been told that your snoring is disturbing to others
You don’t feel refreshed when you wake up
You are extremely tired during the day
You wake with a headache
You are gaining weight
You have trouble concentrating, remembering, or paying attention
Your bed partner notices that your breathing pauses during sleep
It’s important to have sleep apnea treated, not only because it interferes with your daily functioning, but because it increases your risk of vascular disease.
Sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle modification, surgery, oral mouth guards, or a CPAP machine, which blows air into the back of your throat while you sleep.
If a jelly-belly is sapping your summer-body confidence, don’t despair. The reason for your puffy midsection may well be bloat, not fat. That’s because one of the worst culprits for this problem–a slow digestive system–is common among women over age 40. However, exciting research now suggests you can get your digestion moving and beat bloat with a few easy menu and lifestyle tweaks.
Put all these ideas into effect right now, and you should be flatter, sexier, and fitting comfortably into your clothes in less than a week.
1. Add: 2 Kinds of Fiber:- Start the day with a better breakfast
Constipation distends your belly, and one easy way to get rid of it is by starting each morning with a breakfast cereal that guarantees your body a daily dose of fiber.
2. Subtract: Sodium:- Put down the shaker
Sodium makes you retain water, puffing up your belly. Most of us eat more than twice as much sodium as we should. Check for sodium on the labels of packaged foods, which provide about three-quarters of the daily intake for most women.
3. Add: Potassium-Rich Foods:- Banish bloat with bananas!
Foods such as bananas and potatoes help your body get rid of excess water weight, minimizing your middle. The extra fluid is typically present because the two main minerals that control the amount of water in your body—potassium and sodium—have gotten out of balance.
4. Subtract: Sugar Alcohols:- Watch out for the “diet food” belly busters
We don’t completely digest these low-cal sweeteners (found in flavored waters and low-carb, diabetic, and sugar-free foods). Bacteria in the large intestine ferment them, causing gas and even diarrhea.
5. Add: More Fluids:- Guzzle more liquids throughout the day
When there’s enough fluid present in your system, the dual-fiber cereal you have eaten is better able to pull liquid into your lower intestine and ease constipation. Tap water is an excellent option because it has no calories, salt, sugar, or additives. And it’s free!
6. Subtract: Candy, Soda, Gum:- Avoid these bubble-inducing belly bloaters
Once air from any source reaches your digestive system, you experience it as gas and a distended belly. Eating or drinking quickly, sipping through a straw, sucking on hard candy, and chewing gum can make you swallow air.
I am going to step out on a limb here and say that having type II diabetes means facing a number of obstacles – emotional, nutritional and physical. Upon diagnosis, the barrage of emotions – shock, confusion, denial, anger, grief – is staggering. It is not a stretch to say that life as you knew it is a thing of the past. You now have to learn how to eat, drink, exercise, test your blood and the most optimal times throughout the day to do those things. Nutritionally, you must learn how everything – food, drink, exercise, medication – will affect your blood sugar and how to modify each of those things address blood glucose readings that are too high or too low. Physically, you endure the side effects of your new diet and the addition of exercise to your routine. For me, I struggled to find the time to have type II diabetes and be a med student’s wife, a mother, a stepmother, and an employee. This thing literally comes at you from every direction. There is one source of constant feedback that becomes your lifeline….. your glucometer and test strips. The ability to “TEST, TEST, TEST” (you will see this mantra on almost all of the diabetes message boards) allows a type II diabetic to know how their diet and their exercise affects their blood glucose levels without any side effects (technology is so advanced now that most of us don’t even endure sore fingers!).
I am going to go out on another limb and say that those that test are those that have made managing their diabetes and preventing diabetic complications a priority in their daily life. Although the diabetic benefits the most from these efforts, the general population benefits as well. Just research the biggest contributors to escalating healthcare costs in this country. You will see the rising obesity rates and the dramatic impact they have on healthcare’s “bottom line.” Anywhere you see the term “obesity,” diabetes, heart disease and hypertension (bit of humor: my sweet friend who is a nurse calls this the Texas Trio) are sure to follow. The cost of diabetic complications is exorbitant to the patient, those that care for them and the healthcare system. When you consider the financial cost and that 80% of diabetic complications are preventable it becomes apparent how imperative prevention is for so many reasons. Prevention can not be accomplished by new legislation, healthcare reform, or by those that love a diabetic. Prevention is up to each type II diabetic and those that are at high risk for developing the disease (pre-diabetics). Daily blood glucose testing is central to successful prevention. It is a simple and painless method to help manage diabetes; however, always having supplies on hand may not always be so simple.
I recently called my pharmacy to refill my test strips. I was told that my insurance company did not approve the request because it was too “soon” since my last refill. WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? We are talking about little pieces of plastic that collect my blood. We are not talking about pills, syrups, or anything else that could be harmful if not controlled. We are talking about test strips. We are talking about blood glucose management. We are talking about preventing diabetic complications. We are talking about decreasing the costs of healthcare associated with the 80% of diabetic complications that are preventable. This just absolutely amazes me. These things should be passed out like candy to diabetics. There should be test-strip-bowls in every endocrinologist’s office just like the lollipop bowls at the pediatrician’s. Of all the obstacles diabetics face, obtaining test strips should NOT be one. Those that test are those that have made managing their diabetes and preventing diabetic complications a priority in their daily life. Those that test are making a responsible decision that affects their life, the lives of those that love them and they are contributing – with every single pin prick – to the effort to reduce the cost of healthcare in this country.
So, until my doctor puts out a test-strip-bowl, I am left with 2 choices. 1) Test no more than 3 times a day OR 2) end up going whole days without testing until my insurance agency gives my pharmacy the green light to dispense me my little pieces of plastic. I can tell you that neither option agrees with me and, I am going to step out on another limb here, I am pretty sure the thousands of people on all of the wonderful diabetic message boards would agree. From what I can tell from these amazing folks, we are all working to stay off medications, to take less or be taken off medication completely, to lose weight, the lower our blood glucose levels….. to PREVENT the diabetic complications that are guaranteed if we do not successfully manage are blood glucose. This management begins when we “TEST, TEST, TEST” our blood glucose.
This was more of a venting, slightly political entry. I apologize if I have offended anyone. Have any of you faced this obstacle and found a way to overcome it? If so, please share.
Here’s Jamie Eason’s Chicken Meatloaf Muffins (she has a video!). Enjoy!
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
2 tsp. dry yellow mustard
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. McCormick’s Chipotle Pepper Spice (spicy, but key to the recipe)
1 tsp. salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tbsp of garlic powder)
1 small onion, finely chopped (I get the pre chopped version or even the frozen – thawed)
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 egg whites
1 1/2 – 2 lbs. ground chicken breast (I use 3 packages)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, add cumin, thyme, yellow mustard, black pepper, McCormick’s Chipotle Pepper Spice, salt, oats, garlic, onions and celery. Mix until well combined. Next add the ground chicken and egg whites and mix with your hands until evenly distributed. Make racquetball size portions and place in muffin tins, sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 40 minutes.
Yields about18 muffins
Nutrition: 1 muffin
78 calories
2 g fat
4 g carbs
11 g protein
The acai berry diet can help you to lose weight if you are ready to change your lifestyle habits. Changing your lifestyle can be an adjustment, and most people are content to stay where they are. It is easy to resist change, and risky to make adjustments and sacrifices for a desired goal. In order to change your appearance, you first have to start from within.
Desire plays a key role in change and weight loss. You have to want to lose weight, have clear goals, and a plan to get there. Your plan should include simple steps like drinking more water, eating foods rich in fiber, getting more sleep, and regular exercise. Once you have a plan, then you can add your acai diet supplement to your program. Acai supplements can give you more energy, as they are rich in antioxidants. You will also notice a decreased appetite. It is key not to rely on one key element of your diet plan.
Use all of the tools in your diet program, and take everything in moderation. If you are stressed and looking for a bag of cookies, take a few moments and breathe. Get to the bottom of what is causing your stress and work it out a healthy way. My favorite way to conquer stress is to get out an walk a few miles, or jog for 30 minutes on my Wii fit. Find creative ways to deal with stress, and do not eat out of frustration. Eating only when you are truly hungry and not eating to calm your stress levels is key to losing weight.
The acai berry diet is one of many keys that you can use to lose weight. In addition to this diet plan, you really have to manage other components of your weight loss. Once you have a balanced plan that includes healthy eating, adequate sleep, and regular exercise, you can boost your weight loss efforts with the power of acai.
Plastic bag lunches to work can be challeging when you’re trying to stay loyal to a healthy diet. To win this battle it will take strategy and planning to prepare healthy meals that tastes delicious and keeps you on the right path with your diet. These meals are not only for diets, but everyone,including your family, can enjoy these food suggestions to stay healthy too. Here is 4 quick tips for the next time you decide to prepare lunch:
1. Prepare salads. Chef salads with dark, leafy greens, tomatoes, avovados, turkey baconn, and lean deli meats. Consider making a larger container for the whole family can enjoy for a whole week. select a salad dressing with less than three grams of sugar per two-tablespoon serving, or it can go nice with a nice dressing creation of extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, lemon or lime juice, garlic, and fresh herbs.
2. Bean-based soups. Black bean, split pea, and lentil are fiber-rich choices that are satisfying to many. And when prepared can last up to 3-4 days.
3. Lean deli meats. Choose lean deli meats like turkey breat, chicken breast, and ham. Make sure there is no added sugar (such as honey-baked ham), and serve wit dijon mustard and mayonnaise on whole grain options.
4. Whole-grain breads. The pantry should be stocked with a variety of whole wheat breads. For instance, whole-wheat sliced bread and whole grain tortillas.
Ok, so you guys know that I am down to 2 drinks a week or less on my white chocolate mochas from Star bucks. Well, something really neat has happened the last two times I have had my coffee. I didn’t really enjoy it that much and it made my tummy feel kind of yucky. I think since I have changed my way of eating and am trying to eat more foods that are fresh and less processed foods that my body is getting use to the good stuff. Now, when I drink my wcm’s I think that all the stuff in the syrup they put in it is just being rejected by my body. I am not craving them anywhere close to as much as I used to. Normally I would crave them so much that I felt like I just had to have one every day. Just when I thought I would never break this addiction; there is a bright light at the end of my coffee addicted tunnel. YAYAYAYAY
I weighed 101 at bedtime last night and 100 again this morning when I got up. This is right where I want to be and the changes I’ve made over the last 30 days are so working for me. As I’ve said over and over, this was NOT a 30 day diet, 30 day weight loss programming, or any other temporary bullshit. It was about changing my lifestyle. The changes were small – nothing ridiculous or drastic. I feel great, not cheated or ripped off. I still get to eat everything I ate before, just smaller amounts. Now, if I had been in the habit of eating processed crap foods, white processed flours or sugars, transfats, high fructose corn syrup, or gulping down liquid calories then I would have had to make bigger more dramatic changes.
It’s the little changes made over time and held on to for the long haul that really work.
Breakfast It’s the weekend. Time for two days of funner breakfasts. Today I had two very small homemade multi-grain banana pancakes. I’ve been making them a bit smaller each week. Today’s were about 2 inches in diameter and guess what? They satisfied my hunger just fine. Of course, I topped the with a couple tablespoons of Earth Balance Buttery Spread – Soy Free, and a tablespoon of pure maple syrup.
Workout 1 I did the Cardio X workout that is part of the P90X package. 45 minutes of good stuff. The yoga at the start was wonderful for my tight muscles.
Lunch Shauna and I met up with my dad, Debbie and my sons, Nick and Garrett, at the Habit for lunch. Did I have a burger and fries? NOOOO! Sure they sell a “veggie burger”, but not one that I would want to eat. Instead I brought along some of my homemade Sweet and Sour Veggies on brown rice topped with cashews. So much better than a burger and fries!!!
Snack 6 raw, unsalted cashews
Healthy pasta, new pesto, lots of veggies! What a great meal.
Dinner Pasta with Kale Pesto and Veggies. I made some Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Pasta – this stuff gives you an amazing amount of nutrients unlike regular pasta. Then I topped it with a homemade kale pesto I had just experimented with for the first time. Then I mixed in some broccoli and zucchini that I quickly sautéed and some chopped red and yellow tomatoes. After sprinkling it with a bit of Parma Vegan Parmesan it was set. On the side I had one half of an Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Flourless Burger Bun (I know that sounds crazy, but it was the bread that we had, it makes a great dinner roll, and it’s actually much better for us than sourdough) and a salad loaded with red leaf lettuce, carrots, zucchini, cucumber, 4 colors of bell peppers, snap peas, cilantro, celery, and topped with a tablespoon or so of my homemade vegan ranch dressing.
Since we had splurged (yes, I splurge just like the rest of you) and had blueberry pie and ice cream on Thursday and Friday, I went simple on my dessert. Just one small Shockingly Fantastic Oatmeal Cookie. Mmmmm.
Workout 2 We went to the Mariachi Festival and didn’t get home until almost 10, so my second w0rkout was a late nighter. I jumped onto our newly-acquired stairclimber and went at it hard and strong for 20 minutes. Ouch but soo goooood.
Well, thanks to all (3) of you who have been my faithful readers, keeping my accountable and being there these last 30 days. I will be back to regular blogging in a couple of days and you won’t have to read any more of my food journals or see anymore pictures of my food.
Now it’s your turn. Create a new healthy lifestyle habit for yourself. It takes 30 days of committed focus, but you can do that!
Well, for my first entry, I will be stating my goals, and what I hope to achieve from this blog.
- First, I would like this to be a place of release, and a place of accountability. I will try to blog daily, or near it.
- I am starting a diet/workout, and I need to stick with it for health reasons as well as many others.
- I am going back to school this semester after a year off, and I plan on sticking through until my bachelors is achieved.
- I have a lot I like to get out on a daily basis, I just will NOT carry a journal.
Pretty much thats sums up most of it.
DIET
I will be going with a low calorie, high cardio diet. I will record in a notebook, my daily caloric consumption, and hopefully enter it into here. I will also be taking progress pictures along the way, but probably will not post them until further along. I will be sticking to a 90% vegetarian diet, 10% being lean chicken, and fish. The hardest thing for me to start is my cardio, I am naturally a lazy person, so whatever it is I choose to do for cardio, I have to find a way to stick with it. What motiates me most, are pictures and quotes, so I will be leaving those in various blogs.
“It is not enough to take steps which may some day lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise.”
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Starting Off
Beginning Weight : 265 lbs
Beginning Mile Time: 12 mins
GOALS
GOAL weight : 175lbs
GOAL mile time: 6:30 mins
Specific GOALS:
~To have my asthma medication cut down
~To have my heart disease risk greatly lowered
~To never run out of breathe doing simple tasks
~To not be embarrased looking at myself
~To not have other people think about my weight
~To be attractive to attractive women
~To be thin for the first time in my life
~ABS
Well, this sums up my introductory Blog entry, tomorrow shall start my caloric numbers along with normal blog
I had a request for a healthy lunch idea, preferably not a salad, and coincidentally I kept seeing Jack in the Box commercials for their new Teriyaki Bowls. If you’re not familiar with Jack, it’s a fast food joint here in the States, definitely not known for their healthy meals, though their ads are quite funny.
Too bad you can’t eat an ad though it would probably be better for you than these. Packed with more than 1/2 your days worth of salt and 25 grams of sugar, these bowls may look like a healthy option but….well you get the idea. So I started thinking, why not make your own teriyaki bowl for lunch?
This is MY homemade healthy Teriyaki version.
Continue reading the full recipe and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the NEW Healthy Irishman Newsletter!
Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.
One week down and besides resisting the chocolate Freddos at work, what have I done?
Well, looked at some websites, for a start, to see if I can get a grip of this weight loss challenge. It seems that half the entire world are in some way trying to loose weight, most of them in the United States. It did dawn on me at one point that if half the population of the USA, which according to the US Census is 307,052,399, swapped places with the most starving in Africa, which has at a rough guess a total population of 680,000,000, then all the world’s weight problems would be solved! I’ll mention it to Obama next time he calls (he and I are like THAT!).
If you distil all the information on all the pages (today on Google the words “weight loss tips” brought up 34,600,000 results) two things shine out above all the droll. While my search provided tips that were fast, successful, healthy, or easy, they all boil down to two things: Eat Less and Move More.
Yikes! Two of my most hated ideas!
A common thought amongst sites, especially the sensible ones that don’t involve pills or crazy diets, is to first write a food diary, listing everything you eat in one week. So I did that. I also listed what additional moving I did throughout the week. Considering that I have been eating healthier than normal, and watching portion control and all that sort of thing, I thought the results were interesting:
Saturday
Breakfast:
None
Lunch:
600ml percolated coffee
Dinner:
2 pieces garlic bread
large serve of garden/greek hybrid salad
bottle red (shiraz)
1 gourmet pizza (mixed slices)
1 schooner Tooheys New White Stag (low-carb)
Exercise:
I’m too polite to tell you.
Sunday
Breakfast:
None
Lunch:
200ml percolated coffee
600ml lite milk
3 dim sims:
Dinner:
Spag bol
Exercise:
Got out of bed, didn’t I?
Monday
Breakfast:
200ml percolated coffee
Lunch:
piece of home made honeycomb (num!)
Large skim flat white T/A
Spag bol
herbal tea
Dinner:
Roasted vegetables in balsamic vinegar and canola oil, being: brussels sprouts, chat potatoes, (head? stick?) cob of corn, red onions, and cherry tomatoes
400ml lite milk
Exercise:
Took the stairs the 9 floors when I went and got the coffees. Walked home from the station past my normal stop (15 minutesish)
Tuesday
Breakfast:
200ml percolated coffee
bread roll with peanut butter
Lunch:
Large skim flat white T/A
Spag bol
herbal tea
1 banana
Dinner:
200g brussels sprouts roasted in balsamic vinegar… oh and 3 schooners of Blonde low carb beer
200ml lite milk
Exercise:
Walked to and from the pub, didn’t I?
Wednesday
Breakfast:
200ml percolated coffee
bread roll with peanut butter
Lunch:
Large skim flat white T/A
Spag bol
herbal tea
2 bananas
Dinner:
3 dim sims
Exercise:
Walked down the 9 floors twice. Walked home from work – that should count big time.
Thursday
Breakfast:
200ml percolated coffee
Bowl cereal (a mix of sultana bran, all bran and honey wheat puffs with lite milk)
Lunch:
Large skim flat white T/A
Spag bol (last one thank Gods)
herbal tea
2 bananas
Dinner:
Chicken Kiev with 600ml mashed sweet potato and a large splash of pasta sauce mixed with extra hot chilli sauce
200ml lite milk
Exercise:
Did the stairs twice at work. Fought the urge to go to the pub so all that resistance must count for something.
Friday
Breakfast:
200ml percolated coffee
Bowl cereal
Lunch:
2 bananas
Large skim flat white T/A
herbal tea
Subway footlong Pizza sub
Dinner:
Crumbed fish with the sweet potato mash and sauce idea from yesterday (when you’re on a good thing…)
A mug (that’s right – a mug) of nasty cask red
Exercise:
Stairs
Throughout all this I was also drinking lots of water – straight from the tap at work (well, not STRAIGHT from the tap as that would unhygenic) and mixed with tropical punch cordial at home. I’m sure the cordial is screaming with sugars and kilojoules but I don’t care!
What I thought was interesting is that I’m not really eating a huge amount. The spag bol was probably the heaviest meal, everything else are chocked up with vegetables. I have made a huge effort to lay off the booze too, especially considering I’m going out tonight for a big one, but I worked out that even a low cal schooner is about 535 kilojoules. Considering the recommended kj intact for someone attempting weight loss is somewhere around the 7600kj mark, 14 schooners of low cal beer is your total collection for the day, or 11 full-cal beers (about 680kj each)! That’s pretty alarming, but it’s probably more alarming that I could seriously consider knocking over 14 beers in a night.
So, the Saturday Weigh In. I’ve had breakfast (200ml percolated coffee and a bananananana) and a shower, so let’s try out those scales: 86.3
Wow! That’s a whole kilogram less than last week. I’m on schedule and I’ve pretty much done nuffin!
Week
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Sleaze
87.3
86.3
This week I’ve signed up to a month long series of yoga classes. For the next month, every Wednesday and Friday morning, I’ll be Helloing the Sun or Stretching the Dog or whatever it is these macrobiotic people do. In all honesty I only chose the class for two very simple reasons: 1) It’s less than a block from my home; and 2) It gives you the opportunity to openly fart in public.
More on farting in my next usual blog entry.
Clyde
PS: You may have noticed I’m consuming a hella lot of coffee and bananas. There are very simple explanations for both. The coffee is because I bought myself an electric coffee percolator, which is one of the best little kitchen toys you can have, and the bananas is because partly it’s one of the only fruits I enjoy eating, but mostly of this little YouTube clip that has totally changed my life:
