So I’m at the gym yesterday with my Fitness magazine and OK! gossip magazine and see SO many ads for diet pills, among them these:
For less than $80 you can get her cleanse and detox/QuickStart combo! What a deal.
Jillian Michaels has always been the tough trainer, who made you work hard and sweat (while Bob’s off crying in the corner doing yoga). Not the one looking for the easy way out or trying to cut corners. I’d expect her to endorse a scale or a towl to mop up sweat before a diet pill.
EVEN IF her pill worked, was FDA-approved and scientifically studied and 100% safe, EVEN IF, she’s still selling the idea that weight loss is EASY and you can take a pill instead of do the hard work. Way to go, Jillian. Do you honestly NOT make enough money that you need to endorse something like this?
Makes you wonder… are TBL contestants taking a bunch of diet pills and supplements? NBC wants HUGE weight losses because it makes a better show so what goes on behind the scenes that we don’t know about… steroids?
Kim Kardashian’s new diet pill QuickTrim. (seeing a theme here with the “quick”?) This doesn’t suprise me; what wouldn’t she pimp out to make a buck? But unlike Jillian, she’s not a trained health professional with ceritfications and qualifications; she’s just a reality star trying to make money. She’d put her name on Valtrex if there was a market for it.
I like her ad that says; “I never believed in diet pills or crazy programs.” Until I attached my name to one of those crazy programs and then I totally believed in them.
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Here’s a couple other ads from these same 2 magazines, OK and Fitness. Keep in mind these aren’t even the weight loss issues, and they’re not thick as a brick magazines like Vogue.
SlimQuick $32.50
Revolution Abdominal Cuts $59.99 each bottle
DetoxaTrim $14.99-$90
HydroxyCut Advanced on sale $44.99 from $58.99
Xenadrine $99.99
SlimQuick $49.99
And because you haven’t spent your entire paycheck yet, a couple diet plans thrown in:
Jenny Craig 20 lbs for $20 plus the cost of food
Nutrisystem $333.28 + $18.95 shipping for 28 days of meals
In my kitchen right now I’m coming up with my own diet pill/plan and it’s called SkinnyQuickHydroSlimCutDetoxaQuickXenaQuickCutTrimQuick. I’ts gonna be awesome and it might even cost less than Nutrisystem.
Today was a hard day for me. It was rainy and dark and cold outside. I wanted to go for a walk and get some fresh air, but that wasn’t happening. As well, I was missing my husband who lives in Phoenix. I was bored and depressed all at the same time.
Breakfast was the usual fresh fruit and scottish oatmeal but for lunch I made a spinach, sausage cannellini bean soup. It was delicious! I had two bowls.
Just so I wouldn’t go completely nuts, I drove to the library, returned two books, got a book and then came home to have a cup of decaf tea and two chocolate coated digestive cookies for a snack.
Supper was chicken breast with steamed cauliflower and broccoli and leftover squash. I’m really tired of squash.
I wasn’t going to have dessert but I needed some comfort so I cut myself a big piece of banana bread and put a scoop of vanilla yogourt on top.
I didn’t want to exercise, but I dragged the exercycle out and did 30 minutes while watching Sidney Poitier in Lilies of the Field. His performance in that movie won him an Oscar, but it also was one of the finest performances in cinema history.
Cardio exercise on a machine is excrutiating if one does not feel like doing it. When I don’t feel like doing it, and I’m doing it anyway, I torture myself by looking at the time every other second. This makes the whole thing even more excrutiating. But, I did it . Good for me! My stretches and my crunches were done in a half-assed way, but I did them. I’d rather do my routine badly than not at all.
At 9 pm, I broke my NO FOOD AFTER 8 PM rule, and had an apple. Big whoopie, it’s not like it was half a pie. Today was a hard day emotionally, but I didn’t let it get in my way too much.
I miss when my husband and I would sit and sip on a glass of wine, snack on a fresh quacamole dip with tortilla chips and talk about our day. I miss that.
I mentioned about 11 weeks ago that we were getting a little weight loss contest started at the office. I had been involved in one at my previous job, but the job came to an end before the contest did. While people say unemployment is a good opportunity to stay in shape, it’s really not. You’re a little depressed, so you eat for comfort. And a lot of your friends want to take you to lunch or dinner to “cheer you up.” By the time I was in the new job, I had regained all my old weight, pushing me past 230 lbs.
Moving the Dial
From a modest 3 pound loss the first week of the current contest, I am down (officially) 30 pounds in 11 weeks. In the first week of results, I was in third place. By the following week, I had dropped to fifth place and was beginning to get depressed again. I moved into second place after the third weigh-in and stayed there for the next 6 weeks — even after gaining a pound-a-half in week 8.
Instead of judging based solely on weight lost, we’re going by percentage of beginning weight lost. That was my bright idea, and while it’s the fairest way to do it, I hurt myself, because I’ve been the leading in total weight lost for most of the contest. Darn percentages.
Joe, one of the other producers in the office, shot to the head of the line with a 6 pound drop the first week. He had a tight grip on first place even after a pair of out-of-town trips. I got tantalizingly close a couple of times, but just couldn’t catch him.
It's in Sight
That was until week 10. I finally edged into first place after a 4-and-a-half pound loss. I followed that with another 3.5 pounds this week. Not to be outdone, Joe worked off 4.2 pounds for this week, all while on an out-of-town assignment. I’m still in first, but only by a razor-thin .19%. Between the two of us, we’ve lost 56.6 pounds. If you add the guys in 3rd and 4th place, we’ve lost 95 pounds!
Now I’ve got an out of town assignment coming up — on a farm and in a food preparation area. It’s cafeteria food, which might help curb any urges. That’s kind of what happened at trivia Monday night… when the smell of cigarette smoke from the bar overwhelmed any desire I had for my table-mate’s chicken fingers.
Who Will Win??
We’ve got one more weigh-in, and the contest is coming down to the wire. Instead of a blowout, you’ve got a tight race, with no clear idea just who will come out on top. Number two posted a link of area restaurants in the city I’ll be traveling to, which to me, is creative competition and additional motivation. This is all adding up to be an exciting finish.
The extra benefit is that my 35th high school reunion is at the end of the same week the contest ends. So, I’ll actually be around the same size (or slightly smaller) then I was when I went back to Ohio for my 20th.
I have a running joke with Jared that I gained 10 pounds when we started dating. I wish I could say it’s totally a joke, but it’s actually not. I really did gain weight when Jared and I started dating. Part of me blamed it on the fact that soon after we started dating, I moved back to New Jersey, a state that, despite it’s finer qualities, is seriously lacking in public transportation. Without my daily walk to and from the Metro and work, it’s natural that I would start to gain weight, right?
Then, I cam across this article in Glamour called “Is Your Boyfriend Making You Fat?“. Ah, so it’s not just me….
Part of this is tongue in cheek, but I really do think there is some truth to this. Case in point: Jared is away this week, and I’ve already lost 3 pounds. Why? Because I’m not eating as much when I get home and I’m in a regular workout routine.
With dating comes all of the typical activities of being newly in love: going out to eat together, spending lots of time together, exploring new hobbies. While exciting, this can also be time consuming, giving you less time to focus on healthy eating and excercising. And when you move in with your significant other, well, that’s another story! All that time you had to go to the gym for those long workouts seems to fly out the window. So, it’s not surprising to me that females would gain weight when they are in a relationship.
I think the key here is identifying those factors that are causing weight gain. In this article, they pin the blame on the fact that guys eat a lot, and when you are around them, you will tend to do the same. I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily the case for me. For me, it comes down to the elephant in the room: eating out. As you can tell from my blog, both of us love food. When we weren’t together, I would eat out maybe once a week, if that. Now, it’s only natural that once Friday rolls around, we spend very little time eating at home. I don’t need to get into the facts about restaurant portions, etc.; I think everyone knows how eating out a lot is unhealthy for you! The other issue is time : when I was single in the city, it was no problem to wake up every day at 5:30 for a nice long workout. These days, with all of our activities and bonding time, squeezing in a workout is not so simple.
Are there people that don’t gain weight when they start dating someone or move in with their husband for the first time? Sure there are. For the rest of us, though, it turns into a delicate balance of time and will power
Boyfriends, fiances, husbands, take no offense. We’re equally to blame for this phenomenon as you are! It’s just easier to pass the blame .
How do you all fend off the weight gain when life becomes busy with love? Share your tips!
Well, it’s my first “plateau” of sorts. I don’t really feel like I’m stuck, just that a number of circumstances and choices came together and I’m at the same weight as last Monday. It was a bummer really but not surprising.
I didn’t get as much exercise last week as I have been since beginning this project. Also I have very little sleep in total last week. There’s so much upset in the interpersonal relationships in my household at the moment that my sleep is being seriously impacted.
I must declare that I pigged out for my two-and-a-half day birthday celebration – fresh tortilla chips, guacamole, maple cashews, desserts of grains and sugar, white rice, chicken wings, french fries. Wow! Not a total pig out spread over 3 days. I did eat lots of veggies and fruits, too. Obviously too many “fun foods” though.
Well, at least it was fun and they were conscious choices. I did a better job today of remembering that I “want something more.” I really do.
I’m also giving myself a break because I’m in PMS territory. I find that my pre-menstrual body becomes a bit like a reservoir -collecting up water. Gaining 1-3 pounds at this time is a common experience for me.
I really missed doing the Victory Dance this morning. The last two Mondays, that good feeling has lingered for several days -skipping, “YES!”ing, singing little songs. It is fun and feels great! Today, only a little frown and an “I’ll do better next time” attitude. I’m on my way!
Time to measure up since it’s Monday…
Here are my current stats:
Weight: 164 162 161 lbs
Goal weight: 161
End of Week: #3
Weight loss this week: 0
Total weight loss: 3 lbs
How I did today:
1. Sleep - 5.5 hours last night
2. Exercise - 0
3. Strength training - not yet
4. Yoga – nope
5. Meditation – no
6. Food – lots of healthy food and an order of fries
Hi, I am Melissa and I am fat. Well ok – I am sorta fat. I am 24 and my family’s genetic code is catching up with me. I come from a family of people who are generally over weight. For years I kept up my ‘trim’ figure, thinking, I cant get fat! I wasnt super model skinny or anything but Hey! I was smaller than I am now.
So I came up with a plan – lose weight. Great idea right? Well – not really. It’s not so easy to lose weight – I’ve tried a lot of things to do it. So I came up with another plan – experiment with weight loss. Sounds crazy I know, but hear me out. So many plans out there claim to be ‘the best’ there is. So I started wondering, are they? My plan is to lose weight over the next 6 months with 3 weight loss plans. Giving each plan 2 months to do their best. I will record, track, tape, write and watch as I hopefully lose weight.
Here’s me now:
This is about 2 months ago
Not that bad – I know. Most people tell me “Oh sweetie your not fat.” Well I feel fat. I feel over weight, and not happy.
So here’s the plan – 6 months, 3 weight loss plans, 2 months per plan.
First 2 months – Weight Watchers
Second 2 months – Total Body Makeover Plan
Third 2 months – ‘Count Calories’
With this I will be following the workout plan below. The workouts will stay the same to be the sort of ‘constant’ for my experiment.
Work Out Plan
Sunday: Walk 1 mile (how is my choice, ie: treadmill, outside, etc)
Monday: 1 hour at the gym – 1/2 hour each of treadmill or bike and arm weights
Tuesday: Walk 1 mile (again my choice)
Wednesday: 2 hours at the gym – 1/2 hour each of treadmill and bike, 1 hour of arm and leg weights
Thursday: 1 workout video
Friday: 1 hour at the gym – 1/2 hour of each of treadmill or bike and leg weights
Saturday: 1 workout video
Let’s hope I can follow this to a T! :) So that’s the plan – I will be updating soon with some more facts about me. Until then!
We’re not sure how she pulled it off, but Bunny has the flu.
We’re certain that this is an elaborate device to wiggle out of our get-to-The-Damned-Gym-by-Wednesday-or-else ultimatum (see prior post).
She’s managed to cook up a 102F temperature. We saw the thermometer. She’s not holding it up to the light like that kid in ET, either. Her eyes are all puffy and drippy, she’s got the congestion thing. and she sounds like a cross between Tallulah Bankhead and Kathleen Turner. There’s clear evidence that her normal bodily functions are not functioning normally.
This reminds us of the time when Bunny and Buff were vacationing with her parents. (They used to do that, isn’t that nice? now, sadly, Mom and Dad are too old.) Buff wanted to go to Hawaii, but Bunny, Mom and Dad pushed for Bermuda. They flew to DC, then went to board a flight to Bermuda.
There was a hurricane.
The fight was cancelled.
They stayed in a hotel and tried again the next day.
Hurricane.
No go.
Guess where they ended up?
Hawaii.
How did he do that?
To this day, we’re certain that Buff caused that hurricane. And now Bunny comes up with the flu just to keep from going to the gym.
You people are tricky, but you’re not fooling us. I’m just saying.
Trick or not, get well soon, Bunny. Take aspirin and hydrate. Maybe you’ll even lose a pound or two.
The countown has begun! Less than 3 weeks before we take on Filene’s Basement Running of the Brides! Next weekend I am going to Indianapolis for homecoming and my mom will meet me in Indy on Sunday for a trunk show. We are going back to Demetrio’s so I can show her the dresses that I loved there and to see the 2010 collection. This way we will get a great idea of what style and size to look for at Filene’s.
I am pretty nervous about the running of the brides event, but I think I just have to go into it with the mindset of not expecting to find something and then if I do, it would be wonderful! I have been pretty good about not stressing too much about little things and luckily I know there are plenty of dresses out there – but to find that kind of deal would be fantastic!
I am thinking about making t-shirts for the crew that I have going with me! I will probably make our team name “Good As It Goetz” in honor of my wonderful blog readers! This way you will be with me in spirit – and don’t worry, you will be among the first to know if I find “the one”!
Has anybody been to r.o.t.b. before? Any tips would be extremely helpful. I am planning on wearing spandex shorts and a sports bra tank-top so that I can just try on dresses in the aisles with the best of them. I will come prepared with a hand-held fan and my own full-length miror! If anybody would like to join the fun in Cleveland – just let me know and I’ll get you a t-shirt! (But be prepared to bargain sizes and styles, I’ll need all the help I can get.)
I am so excited, it’s pretty surreal that exactly one year before the date of my wedding I will be trying on dresses with some of the most important women in my life! I am so excited, I can’t hardly wait…
Speaking of one year before the wedding… the other thing that is being implemented in full force is wedding diet! I need to get myself into shape before this wedding because let me tell you – between you and me – it’s not a pretty sight at the moment! See I’m the kind of girl who needs some instant gratification or I find myself getting discouraged and giving up. (Again… any tips in this area are welcomed with open arms!)
A great friend of mine introduced me to weight watchers last year and I had good success with it while I was doing it, but found myself slip and not get back on track. I have a busy month coming up so I also want to be realistic about the situations I will be in and making sure that I wont be in position to slip up and not go back…
I have also had success with south beach in the past, however for me personally, I don’t think it’s realistic as a “forever” lifestyle. However to shed some quick weight the phase 1 of south beach is wonderful and has been a friend to me in the past when trying to shed some quick weight for dances, spring break, etc. The plan as of now is to do phase one of south beach to get that instant gratification and then slowly cross over into weight watchers and do that until the wedding! I am also trying to get back into my workout schedule at the Y. I will definitely keep you all updated on my weight loss, because if I can find success I would love to share it with any of you who may need the support.
I have found support in this category can be the most important thing because if you don’t have support it is so easy to get off track. Wedding is definitely a motivation for me to get going on it, but it’s something I really want for myself in general so now that I’ve put it all out there to the world, I guess I’ll haveta show some results!
Thanks for stopping by, more updates to come soon!
p.s. Desperate season is back!! I am already sucked back in…
So, another weekend has gone by. I’m struggling to, not eat junk food.
Gosh, It is so hard! Everyone around me eats junk. It is so hard to eat healthy.
I’m working really hard on it every day though.
I want to get healthy and lose weight. This, I know I can do.
Wearing what I eat, keeps me accountable. Though I still find
myself falling into the same pattern, and blaming it, on something other, than myself.
Like I did in the beginning of this blog.
Anyways, The great thing about being accountable, is you can change it your very next
meal.
New week. New mentality. 4lbs with two binges/purges isn’t too bad. I would have done better without the bulimia. I need to remind myself of this whenever I get the urge.
I am considering HCG for weight loss. Well, I already bought the package so let’s just say I will eventually try it. I know it’s controversial but I’ve seen so many people do it and do it well. I decided that I have to get below 230 before I use the HCG kit (when it arrives). I don’t expect miracles. Some people are saying they don’t have sagging skin or muscle loss but I don’t buy it. In fact, I am considering adding whey protein powder to my diet to counteract this.
Up until this week, and since the triathlon, I have been struggling with running. Not running exactly, but more the motivation to run. I was talking to my friend Nicole about it and she suggested we do a race. She would of course walk it since she does not run (yet- I will get her yet!) and I could run it.
She immediately went to her computer and looked up local 5K races and found one for us to do on Oct. 4th. Talk about motivation to run. Seriously. There is nothing more motivating than signing up for a race and having that inkling of fear that unless you work, really work, there is no way you can complete it or at least there is a risk of not being able to do so. So running has not been a struggle this week. I not only am running 5K, but I need/want to do it in less time than my last 5K!
I went home from her house realizing that I have a long Michigan winter ahead of me and if races are what keeps me motivated, well I better start looking and seeing what is out there that will last through the winter. After Christmas, there isn’t much.
However there is one I am quite excited about. Every year in Detroit, there is a 5 and 10K race as well as a kids 1 mile run that precedes the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Now, I grew up about 30 minutes outside of Detroit and have NEVER been downtown for the parade! I thought, now THIS would be a fun race to do. I can run, then watch the parade, then go be with my family for dinner. I am doing it I decided! I am gonna do the 5K.
As I looked at the website though, my thoughts kept slipping over and seeing the words “10K”. I began to wonder if it was possible to train and be ready for a 10K by Thanksgiving! I had no idea, but I also know I thrive on a challenge. I am more motivated to train if it is challenging and new. Doing a 5K would not be new. Pretty quickly I knew. I am NOT running the 5K. I am doing the 10K!
So there ya have it folks. One year after I started this whole mess I am gonna give thanks with my whole body for the ability to be able to do such a thing as this and the fact that I get to do it with a dear friend!
After I decided, I began to wonder about getting my brother, Billy, to do this with me. How cool would it be to run a race with him, then watch the parade as a family with his kids all there! While this sounded fun and exciting, I wasn’t 100% sure I wanted to start including family in on my whole exercise/weight loss thing. Billy in one breath has often told me I shouldn’t be running. Then in the next breath he thinks its cool that his little sister is running.
I get it. It is a mixture of concern and pride. Billy is a natural athlete. The only one of us siblings. He played just about every sport in high school and even today is relatively fit. He doesn’t have the 6 pack of his HS and military days, but he doesn’t have the big belly that plagues his siblings either. My questions and concerns about including him in on this basically rested in not being able to measure up to him. Not being as good as him. If I invite him into this, it will be like inviting him into this whole journey. Am I up for that? I wasn’t sure. At the same time, I couldn’t shake the idea of running with him. On some level, it would symbolize an arrival of sorts. I can now keep up with him. But more than that, I just thought it would be really fun to be with family and to run this thing with family on Thanksgiving Day.
So I called him. I invited him. Alas, he cannot do it. He reminded me why he has never taken his kids downtown for the parade. He is in TN every year with his wife’s family for Thanksgiving! Duh! They have done this for 18 years! How could I forget! However, he did say that if their grandma wasn’t on her last legs, he would consider not going so he could run it with me. He was actually kind of disappointed that he couldn’t! Instead he suggested we find another 10K to do right around the same time and do that one together either before he leaves or when he comes back!
So now, in Nov/Dec. I will be doing 2-10K’s! Crazy!!! For the first time, I have actively invited a family member to train with me and be a part of this whole journey, on some level. Here we go…accelerating wholeness…5000! Living a little more, Dying a litle less!
Much research has been done into the seemingly impossible task of “spot reduction” of body fat.
You know…like how to burn fat directly off of your belly WITHOUT taking away from the butt you’re so proud of.
While experts have claimed that there’s no way to “spot reduce” where you’re able to take of the fat, recent studies are showing that it may in fact be possible.
For example, scientists have studied exactly WHERE fat is burned from in order to fuel certain activities.
It seems that there may be a unique connection where the fat cells in the location of the muscles being exercised may actually provide the bulk of the long term fuel for your training.
This is NOT definitive yet, but it holds promise.
It also supports my theory (and again, this is ONLY my theory!) that your MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION plays a STRONG role in how much, and WHERE you can burn fat.
In this article, I reveal a unique tip that I use to increase the “mind-muscle” connection to (again, in theory) burn more belly fat from your training by implementing a crazy “cardio fat blaster”…
How To Burn More Belly Fat During Exercise
1. First, if you have my best-selling “Combat The Fat” program (www.CombatTheFat.com), you know that I’m a HUGE supporter of LOW intensity cardio as a fat-burner.
Sure, you can get your panties all in a wad while you preach to me about how HIGH intensity is better, but I lay out the FACTS in my book and the men and women who have used CTF know the real deal.
Anyhoo, I digress…
2. For this exercise session, you’ll do a quick, low effort warmup of about 5 minutes on a treadmill, bike, or other exercise equipment.
3. Next, do a set of WEIGHTED CRUNCHES until failure. Just one single set.
4. Now, go and do a 10 minute LOW INTENSITY cardio activity that uses primarily either an upper body or lower body movement (e.g. – Rowing machine/jumping rope primarily works upper body while jogging, bike, works lower)
5. When 10 minutes are up, do one set of HANGING LEG RAISES (with your legs straight) to failure and then go on to your 2nd 10-minute bout of low intensity cardio using the opposite area of your body as your last set.
(i.e. – if you jumped rope in your last cardio round, switch to an exercise like jogging on the treadmill this time.)
6. When done, do a single set to failure of HANGING ROTATIONAL KNEE RAISES…then on to your 3rd round of cardio using the opposite half of your body.
And so it goes on, switching back and forth between an abs exercise and low intensity cardio.
For your follow up abs exercises, I suggest (in order)…
=> Hanging Knee Raises
=> Either crunches or V-ups
As you can see, we slowly decrease the intensity of the abs exercise choices with each set as you get closer to the end of your workout.
But in essence, by training your abs throughout your cardio session, you send a “message” to your body WHERE you want all that fat-burning cardio to do most of it’s work.
You may think I’m crazy, but give it a try and see if it doesn’t make a difference in where your measurements start reflecting results!
Even though I’m a fan of high intensity, its always good to have some variety. Jeff always has good info.
Get Strong! Stay Strong!
Chris
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With the occurence and awareness of Diabetes on the rise, more and more overweight people are looking for solutions to their health issues. With the proven link between excess weight and diabetes growing, more and more people are looking for a longer term solution. In the following days I want to show why healthy eating is a much better solution to weight loss and diabetes than ‘going on a diet’.
‘Going on a diet’ is a common way to try to lose weight, but after the diet finishes the weight just creeps back on again… and sometimes even more. So changing from ‘going on a diet’ to ‘healthy eating’ is the way to ensure long-term success in weight loss. Why diets are so popular is that they promise great results in a short time…. they often are the ‘key’ to dramatic weight loss, or the latest ‘proven’ way to lose weight. And people are taken in by the hype so they try the diet, lose some weight (never as much as all the fanfare suggests) but then put the weight back on again. And these ‘fad’ diets appeal to us because the seem like a quick fix to a long term problem that is excess weight.
Why don’t fad diets work in the long term? Some of them do result in weight loss in the short term, because many of them recommend a very low kilojoule intake or radical changes to our eating habits. But once we go off the diet, the weight just comes back on. Also, diets that are too low in kilojoules or in certain nutrients can cause dizziness, poor concentration and constant hunger. This means they aren’t healthy as they are starving our bodies of the required nutrients and so we can’t stay on them for too long.
What we are trying to do is lose fat, but most of these types of weight loss programs cause us to lose body fluid, muscle mass or stores of carbohydrates and not a loss of fat at all. So our weight does go down. As soon as we go back to normal eating we quickly replenish our fluids and carbohydrates stores, resulting in weight gain. So we think that eating normally makes us fat, when in reality we haven’t lost any fat at all. This causes us to repeat the cycle over and over which is not good for our health.
In my next post I will discuss healthy eating in more detail. In the meantime, if you want to read more, look here.
A couple of times a week, I write down what my weight will be at the beginning of each month if I can lose 10 pounds a month. How many months will it take? Where will I be then and what will I be doing? What will I be able to do when I lose x number of pounds? How should I reward myself for losing 10 pounds or 20 pound or 50 pounds? When will I be able to fly without asking for a seatbelt extender? When will I be able to ride a horse? To run?
My reward at the end, when I finally get down to what people consider normal and healthy, is to arrange for plastic surgery. Even then I won’t be good enough.
I’ve decided to keep a Health journal for a while, I find when I journal, I eat more balanced meals/snacks, get in all my water, remember to take my vitamin, etc… is anyone else like this? If not my meals will get carb heavy ’cause that’s what’s easy some days… I prefer to get in 8-10 servings of fruits and veggies every day, and keep a journal helps keep me on the ’straight & narrow’ so to speak. My health journal has room for daily goals, water intake, food journaling, weight, daily exercise, etc.. I don’t know how this “goes” with intuitive eating, but i’m going to try it for a while and see how it goes… who knows, I may get sick of it in a week and not bother anymore… LOL!! But for now, food journaling it is!
The other night the kids wanted French toast for dinner, so I went with that too! Used 2 pcs of 12 grain bread dipped in the egg mixture, then topped it with vanilla yogurt, 1/2 banana, flaxmeal, coconut, & a dash of cinnamon for good measure. It was soooo good!
And while I was out the other day I spied these little things and picked up a pkg of them… they’re delicious! Remember those “fruit strips” or whatever? But filled with sugar and other crap? Well these are organic and all natural ingredients… I love them!
YUM!!
Question: Do you keep a food journal of any type? Do you count points (WW), calories, etc.. ? Or are you an intuitive eater?
Quote of the day:
It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.
Where did the week go? I finished another bag and managed to get my homework done. The house is still standing and all the children are accounted for. I don’t have much to say. I’m a bit tired ‘cuz I stayed up last night to finish a book I started around nine o’clock-Precious by Sandra Novak. It was worth the four hours. I’m not so sure it was worth the exhaustion today tho.
It’s been a rough run this week. My teen hasn’t been well, my tween is giving me grief and my boys are sick. Appointments have kept me in and out with little time to tackle regular stuff. To top it off, although my weight watchers weigh-in showed that I’d lost another 1.4lbs, I feel like I’m actually gaining weight. What’s that all about?!
Let’s move back to the glass half-full side for a minute. Anita’s bag ships out Friday. I finished my homework and reading assignment. I played with my kids. I made dinner at least three nights. My floors are clean. I read a book that wasn’t related to child language disorders. I sang and danced with my kids. I had ice cream.
The next project(s) I’ll be starting is a tote for my bff Suzie!! I’ll post the fabric pics here soon. I’ve got a couple plans for a sling bag for little boys, a church pew pad for napping, a doorplate plane, an artsmock for Carter and I could go on and on! There’s just not enough time. I need three lives.
Today I was planning on discussing an issue of utmost importance, something that would promote peace of mind, and radically change the world that I live in. I was going to discuss my hair and a new style for it, but honestly I’ve lost interest in my hair…at least for today. I’ve got something more completely geeky exciting to share to with you.
Today I made a big purchase. I mean it is my anniversary week and in our vows FringeMan did promise to love me in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, and buy me gifts every now and then. Well, I may be delusional about the gifts parts, but if I were to be married again (to FringeMan of course!), I would definitely write my own vows. It would be so much more entertaining heartfelt. I don’t think uncle Leonard would have ever fallen asleep during my wedding if I had written my own vows.
I digress. It’s the gift that’s important right now, not replanning my wedding. Although another bridal shower sure would be useful…new towels, sheets, a kitchen timer. Ahhhh, I dream.
Ok, I bought an $11 clearance pedometer.
Are you let down?
Did you think I bought diamonds or something? It’s only my twelfth anniversary. I heard pedometers were standard gifts for the twelfth anniversary. After twelve years, your steps slow, your bottom spreads, and you start to jiggle just a little bit more than you did on the fifth anniversary. Yes, pedometers are what you get for your twelfth anniversary and I couldn’t be happier.
It all started last week when I arrived at school just a little too early to pick up my kids. I didn’t want to lurk around the playground acting like I have absolutely no life and nothing better to do than walk to school fifteen minutes early, so I strolled to the library where I grabbed a new book off the shelf.
The story was about a single woman who had just accepted a buyout from her company (a sneaker manufacturer) and found herself home without a life, so she started walking. Ends up two neighbors start walking with her. They track their mileage and take a fantastic trip complete with romance, exercise, and fields of lavender. I could summarize the entire book with this one sentence: It was a chick flick in print.
So I became intrigued by the idea of keeping track of my steps each day. I’m a dork like that. I would also like to lose a few pounds, although that’s more of a dream than having another bridal shower without having another wedding. All the evil fat spirits have joined forces against me and have ensured I won’t burn any more calories than absolutely necessary to stay alive.
But.
I. Will. Walk. On.
My goal is 10,000 steps per day, because that’s what I’ve read you should walk if you want to lose weight; however, I’m getting a little nervous. I’ve been wearing this pedometer for exactly one hour and thirty-eight minutes and I’ve already walked 1,835 steps. I’ve also been sitting here at my computer writing this absurdly long and boring post that you won’t read. I haven’t left my house and I’m not exactly in prime physical shape.
I actually landed up in the emergency room on Monday night because I couldn’t breath. I have asthma so it’s not that unusual, but this time I needed medical intervention. I needed a bucket load of drugs that I’ll be on all week. So I’ve been taking it easy in the activity department.
I’ve only walked back and forth to school each day and I’ve skipped the long drag my dog takes me on each night. I only need to walk to school by 8:30 tomorrow morning, stay for a half-hour program, walk home, walk back to school to meet my son’s fourth grade class at 10:45 for a field trip, walk to the historical society with them because we all know fourth graders are dying to go to the historical society, and then walk back to school and back to home. I will then take lots of drugs and walk back to school in the afternoon to pick up my darling little children.
See, I’m not being that active this week. My lungs just can’t handle it. So I fear that I normally walk 10,000 steps in a day and that the evil fat spirits are playing tricks on my metabolism and that I’ll need to walk 20,000 steps a day in order to lose a pound.
I also fear I’ll continue writing in run-on sentences long after these meds have worked their way out of my system.
Wanna go for a walk with me? I’m going to each days steps in my sidebar. Public humiliation is a good motivator for me.
As an avid tv-lover, I too enjoy kicking back and watching the biggest loser. Although as a trainer, the things I pick up on from the show may be different from what others do, so I’m straightening out the inconsistencies today.
First lesson from the biggest loser – buy ziploc. Ok, I don’t really care if you buy ziploc, and a stand up pouch really isn’t anything new. And being a little bit concious of the environment, I would probably recommend that you use a smaller bag or a reusable container for such small snacks (those bags were HUGE). Second lesson – buy biggest loser “designer” whey protein. Again, I really don’t care – I just think it’s funny watching all the product placements on the show. Seeing how it’s supposed to be a reality show, those lines are just too much for me.
Onto the good stuff. Jillian has an obsession with the calories in/calories out weight loss plan. The only problem with this, is that it should tell people that whatever they eat, whenever they eat doesn’t matter as long as the calories add up right. This is clearly not the case as evidence in the emphasis on the contestants needing to regulate their hormones, eat 3 meals and 2 snacks per day, and eat a proper amount of protein (and and we can assume a proper amount of carbohydrates and fat as well). So if you REALLY watch the show – you’ll know that it is not simply calories in/calories out – and I’ve blogged about that before as well, so you can read previous blogs to get more detail on that.
The second problem with calories in/calories out is that there have been contestants who have burned 3500 calories (the energy that would be required to burn a pound) as there exercise for only 1 day (so imagine that times 7), and have not lost weight. The proof is in the low fat sugarfree tasteless pudding.
Thirdly, if it were strictly numbers, then 26 pounds of weight loss in one week would pretty much be impossible. Let’s think about this – 26 pounds x 3500 calories burned/pound = 91000 calories. For the average guy on the show who weighs 400 pounds, his basal metabolic rate (the number of calories he expends in a day just do live) is around 3200 calories. For the average woman on the show, it is 22oo calories. If the guys consume 1600 calories per day, burn 3200 just from their bmr, add in 2 hours of intense exercise, plus another 6 of moderate exercise adding an extra 7000 calories, their net calories for one day would be -8600 calories. Meaning they are burning 8600 calories more than they intake in one day. They do this for 7 days a week and you’re looking at a 60200 calorie deficit per week. That means that 26 pounds is unachievable. However, it does mean that 17 lbs is. But then why don’t the contestants lose 17 pounds every week when the output of energy is the same? And for those who are less than 400 pounds, who burn less calories/minute in and out of their workouts, it’s even more unattainable to lose 20+ pounds.
Let’s talk serious water weight. The contestants on the show are very limited in their salt intake (which is great) but all the water they were retaining from their preshow diets – that’s what’s coming off now folks. In the long run (of the show) they do lose legitimate weight, that’s obvious. They do work their butts off. That’s obvious too. But don’t be disillusioned about calories in/calories out.
Exercise. Yes. You need to burn off that fat. Eat well portioned meals. Absolutely. It does matter where the calories are coming from. Know what you’re eating, why you’re eating it, when you’re eating it. Exercise, know what you’re doing, why you’re doing it. The contestants have trainers working with them on strength and endurance. They work with weights, machines, body weight, trainer weight. They are not simply expending calories. They are working a program. Don’t let the glitz and glam of tv make you think it’s anything less than hard work and lots and lots of programming.
Sorry but I got off track during in the last week (see my September 11, 2009 post on my family’s role in my fitness). Fortunately it’s only the blog that’s off track and I’m stubbornly persisting with my journey back to fitness! So I didn’t get back to the SMART goals that I originally mentioned on my September 18, 2009 post. As a reminder SMART goals are Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-framed goals. They are the part of this journey that I do largely control and which will impact my weightloss, which I do not control.
I’ve gotten so excited about the weight loss success to date that I’ve become attached to those numbers. One pound a week until I weigh 124. I will hold onto those numbers as part of my visualization that I do each day. However, in terms of goals and focusing my action, here’s my current plan and what I commit to for now:
1. Sleep – average 8.5 hours each night.
2. Exercise - 45 minutes, 5-7 times per week with a minimum of 4 hours each week engaged in fun cardiovascular activities.
3. Strength training – 3 times each week starting week of 9/28.
4. Yoga – once a week starting next week.
5. Meditation – 10 minutes, 3 times starting next week
6. Food – 4 fruits a day and at least 5 veggie servings
How I did today:
1. Sleep – 8 hours last night
2. Exercise – 55 minutes of brisk walking
3. Strength training – not yet
4. Yoga – nope
5. Meditation – no
6. Food – Lots of veggies and fruit after bacon and eggs for breakfast (again). Oh, and 2 servings of chocolate. I’m still tired out from the previous short night of sleep, which increases my cravings and decreases my willpower. I can do better tomorrow.
Back in the day, when I left college, I made a series of decisions. I decided where I would work (and how hard I would even look for a job), and I decided on how I would eat and exercise.
Both of these decisions affected me for several years afterward (and, it could be argued, that they still affect me to this day).
In both regards, I could have done much better, I just chose not to.
The problem was, I didn’t do anything to improve myself for 3 years.
I took no responsibility for my situation. Rather, I blamed others or thought up excuses. And, guess what? I was stuck in a job I hated, and I was gaining weight and girth.
And then, one day, I woke up, and decided that I need to change my circumstances. But I just didn’t know how.
And then, by chance, or by the stars aligning, I visited the bookstore. I am generally an avid reader, so it was not unusual for me to be loitering there. I picked up a book on quotes (you may have guessed that I like quotes)…
I opened the book, and this quote jumped right out at me…
I am who I choose to be. I always have been what I chose – though not always what I pleased.
Admittingly, I had to look up who originally said this. It was Lois McMaster Bujold, who is an American science fiction writer.
For more than a year (in my old house), this quote was taped to my bathroom mirror. While looking through a drawer for some batteries recently, I rediscovered it, and thought I would share it with you.
I have not always been what I pleased, but I have always been the sum of my choices. I chose to eat and not exercise. I chose to stay in a job I hated.
And then I chose to focus on eating healthy and exercising. I focused mentally, on my metrics, on my metabolism, and on staying motivated. And the pounds came off.
I focused on finding a better job, and I didn’t stop until I found it.
I took personal responsibility. No more excuses. And I plowed ahead until I got what I wanted. And you can too.
A lot of people participate in personal fitness training to achieve a fitness level for a special occasion. I always wonder… Is it for improved physical appearance? Is it to loose weight? Or is it to keep stress at bay? All of the above are answers most people you know would give when asked this question. However, are they the only reasons?
While all the above are true, there are deeper and more useful benefits to be gained from personal fitness training, and most times the people that employ me as a personal trainer become aware of these benefits , such as health, agility and less incidence of disease.
I offer Personal Training in Sydney and often get asked many health related questions, as the owner of a Sydney Fitness Personal Training company.
My Personal Fitness Training organisation is based in Sydney specialising in top quality and results orientated Personal-Training services.
We are one of Sydney’s Leading Personal fitness business.
All our sessions are facilitated by a member of our highly trained team, who are all experienced Personal Training professionals.
We can help you with you weightloss goals.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12
My morning weigh-in (which I probably shouldn’t do each day) showed me at 208.4 pounds with a body fat percentage of 24.8%. Allowing for the 3% tolerance band of the scale for determining body fat, I am comprised of somewhere between 45.4 and 57.9 pounds of fat. Dang, that’s a lot o’ chubby to be carrying around. Wanting to shed 30 pounds means I need to burn off 195,000 calories. Seems like a big number until you remember that I am tackling that number 500 calories at a time.
My lead verse was chosen to help put my day in perspective. My intent was to leave school (I teach) and go directly to the gym. Well, I never got there. I didn’t make it to the gym because two events came up.
First, as I was preparing to leave this afternoon, a fellow teacher and good friend asked me to help him chase down an electrical problem he was having with the switch on one of the table saws in his Cabinetmaking shop. An hour and a half later, I had the problem identified and a new switch block installed.
The other problem I had started about a month ago. My mom who is getting on in years called me and told me her car had died and she needed a new one. She said she wanted a Honda like my wife drives so off I go to my home town and buy Mom a new Honda Civic. Well, at her age, the new technological stuff in the car was just too much. After three weeks and driving her new car only about 100 miles, she wanted to get rid of it and get an older car more like the one she had driven since my dad bought it for her in 1989. I called a buddy who has friends in the used car business and we found Mom a nice ‘98 Buick LeSabre … a perfect car for an older lady. I sold her new car took the Buick to her last Monday. I got the paperwork from the dealer and took it to be signed on Tuesday.
Today, I was going to drop by DMV on the way to the gym and get the paperwork finalized. By the time I left school and ran to the DMV and waited in line, it had gotten too late to go to the gym before supper. All this leads to what I consumed today, especially supper.
The morning started with 2 slices of bacon (120 calories), 1 egg (75 calories), two pieces of whole wheat toast (120 calories) and a teaspoon of strawberry jelly. This fabulous breakfast had a caloric cost of only 340 calories.
Lunch was a ham sandwich on whole wheat bread with 3 ounces of deli style honey ham and a bare wisp of light mayo. Added a bunch of seedless grapes and rounded everything off with a low fat yogurt with bran cereal. My afternoon snack was a FiberOne bar. All were consumed with water that I keep chilled in my refrigerator. So far, I had eaten only 915 calories, a bit less than half of the 2000 calories I am eating each day.
Dinner was the result of having gone to DMV. The sattelite office for DMV is located near a large Asian market that offers fresh fish and shellfish including head-on shrimp. I got a pound of large shrimp and made shrimp and grits for supper tonight. I had a Skinny Cow ice cream bar after supper for a total daily intake of approximately 2050 calories.
What does any of this have to do with my lead verse? Today, I put my interests of going to the gym behind the necessity of getting Mom’s car in order so she won’t have any problems with the paperwork. Part of my reward was immediate in that I was able to get fresh seafood for dinner and Mom was happy. I’ll have to wait on the other part till later.
One of my favorite topics is how to incorporate spiritual practice with exercise. I found this interesting form of Yoga that is called the Five Tibetan Rites. It is made of a series of exercises that are pretty yoga like. The exercises are supposedly over 2500 years old. In the book The Eye of Revelation, by Peter Kelder, he claims to have met a colonal who told him about his travels and learning of the Five Tibetan Rites.
The book is a 32 page book mostly based on conversations he had with the colonal.
To look at a few pages from the book CLICK HERE
The Rites are considered a form of yoga similar to ones you might find in India. The Tibetans emphasized a continuous sequence of movements similar to Taoist Tai Chi, but starkly different from the yogic static postures of today.
There is some question as to whether Tibetans consider them as being authentic Tibetan practices.
Kelder claims that the colonal met some lamas who had said they found the fountain of youth in the Five Tibetan Rites.
The lamas believe there are seven spinning psychic vortexes in the body. When we get older, the vortexes spin less, which results in poor health.
When anyone does the Five Rites every day their vortexes can be restored, which results in very positive outcomes.
It is thought that the Five Rites might be from the Kum Nye system.
Doing the Five Rites for ten minutes every day can improve eyesight, memory, restore natural hair color from grey, hair growth and more.
Some other benefits include:
Reduces double chin
Belly becomes slender
Strengthen arms
Energetic
Increased muscle tone
The following is what researchers say the five Tibetans do for the body:
Stimulate the reticular activating system of the brain.
Balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain, which means you think more clearly. (You should definitely do the Tibetans before an exam or an important presentation!)
Balance the body’s hormonal system.
Strengthen bones, as the exercises are weight-bearing.
Improve the body’s immune system.
Build muscle strength.
Reduce body-fat percentage.
Boost metabolism.
Align and strengthen the spine, plus make it more supple.
Lighten menopausal symptoms.
Lessen premenstrual symptoms.
Help relieve the discomfort of arthritis and other aches and pains.
These benefits almost sound exactly like what Taoist Tai Chi can do for the body…only it takes one hundred and eight moves instead of five. Hmmm.
Here is a long 13 minute video on the Five Tibetan Rites. I think this is particular video has an emphasis on breath, form and timing. It is very well done. It looks easier than Yoga; for those of you that don’t care as much for yoga as a form of exercise. Who says slow movement isn’t exercise.
It has a spiritual quality that is undeniable, too.
Does it make you want go out and get a yoga matt and try it?
Until next time…
Think, Believe, Act, Adjust, Never Give up
Dakota
Today’s Mantra:
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples: no need for complicated philosphy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple: the philosophy is kindness.”
Hi everyone! Sorry for my lack of posting. I struggled with a lack of motivation to start my Clean Program until Friday, and then I jumped in head first– with a mini-juice fast! I decided to make up for some of my recent splurges, I would give my body a much-needed digestive break. Here’s what my Friday looked like:
Romaine, Kale, Fuji apple, beet and lemon juice– my favorite!
Fresh coconut water. (I drank most of it for lunch, and saved a little for a late-night snack!)
My “dinner” juice was a little different, to mix up my nutrients: Green apple, large cucumber, 1/3 bunch Italian parsley, 2 limes (and a couple drops of liquid stevia, because that sucker was TART!) Not my favorite juice, but it was okay…
We finally got home in the late afternoon, and I was so exhausted that I needed a nap! I took a brief one, then woke up to make some more juice. It was my favorite, Not-So-Green juice. I chugged it down, then got ready to go to Roscoe’s chicken for dinner with some friends. Yep, that’s THREE restaurants in a row that I went to in one day while fasting. Ugh. I simply drank water while everyone ate fried chicken and waffles around me. Luckily, I made it through, with only a couple moments of feeling sorry for myself…
So far, I’m down 6 pounds since I started. I’m assuming most of that is water weight, but either way, I’m happy! I’m hoping to keep up juicing twice a day now until my BIG DAY. I’m 18 days away! YIKES!!!!!!
I had a 15 mile goal paced run. I made it 1.5 miles and was totally dead. I slugged my way home and slept for three hours. Damn that felt good. I feel kind of bad but I am in my recovery AND taper for Portland in two weeks. Felt like poooo all day and groggy (if that is how you spell it.) That is all I have to say . Short and sweet. Going to work in the morning. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sometimes joining a gym, getting a trainer or entertaining a new fad diet can be expensive and serve as a deterrent to people who are on a tight budget. However, getting fit and staying healthy is good for our overall well-being. Here are ten fiscally refined fitness tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life that will keep you motivated and trim without blowing your budget.
1. Instead of hiring a personal trainer or joining expensive group classes, check out exercise videos from your local library. Check out a different exercise DVD each week.
2. Take Steps Instead of the Elevator. This is a very effective exercise that can be incorporated into almost anyone’s life.
3. Cleaning your house shouldn’t be work; it can be an enjoyable exercise. The pay off: burn calories and then lay back and enjoy a clean home.
4. Walk it Out! It’s the simplest way to lose stomach fat. Most experts say you should walk 1-2 miles per day at a brisk pace to stay healthy.
5. Buy Used Equipment. Don’t buy retail. Check with friends and family who probably have unused or stored exercise equipment they don’t want anymore.
6. Avoid Junk Food. Eating junk food while you’re busy or traveling is a serious culprit. With a little planning you can transform your diet to include mostly healthy foods; plan out your meals for the week.
7. Take advantage of local parks and community recreation programs. Check with your local center to find out what programs they have to offer.
8. Use the Internet to help find fitness clubs or groups in your local area that are free or little cost.
9. Just Dance. Grab your ipod, favorite CD or turn on a TV music channel and get your body in motion. Dancing is great exercise – and it doesn’t cost a dime.
10. Got kids? Put them in the stroller and take them for a walk. If it is raining and cold, walk indoors.
Use the above tips to jump start your road to better health, wealth and happiness.
You wouldnt guess I was on a diet by looking at these. But they are almost free in syns apart from the little bit of mayo on each one.
YUMMY!!!! – Enjoy (I did )
Ingredients
(makes 4 burgers)
600g Extra Lean Beef Mince
1 egg
1 beef stock cube
1 red onion sliced in rings
handful of mushrooms sliced
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of hellmann’s extra light mayo (1 syn)
84g of reduced fat cheddar cheese (use you HEa portion)
Method
In a bowl, mix together the Mince and beef stock cube
Add the egg and bind all together
Divide into 4 equal portions and form into burger shapes
Heat a grill pan or George Forman Grill and add the burgers.
Mix the mushrooms with the garlic powder to coat
Add the mushrooms and Red onion rings to the grill and leave until browned.
Top the burgers with 1/2 tablespoon of mayonnaise each, then the garlic mushrooms, followed by the red onion and then top each burger with 1/2 a HEa portion of cheese (21g).
Place under a grill until cheese has melted.
I served mine on top of a bed of salad with slimming world chips.
Yesterday, I was talking to a friend whose teenage daughter has been dealing with some stuff in her life. Neither my friend or her daughter know about this blog, at least not to my knowledge. The friend, I don’t talk to very often and her daughter even less. Her daughter is away for the week visiting family and spending some time alone to think. When they were thinking of where her daughter could go to get away, that would be a safe and comfortable place for her to go, her daughter suggested coming to visit me. My friend told me that her daughter had been watching me lose weight and follows me closely on Facebook and has been inspired by me.
I was confused at first and very humbled.
I really don’t feel like I put that much out there on FB. Maybe some status updates about going to swim, bike, or run but nothing specific about my weight loss journey. That is reserved for this place.
Later that same day, I commented on another bloggers blog about how great she is doing in her running program as she works toward being able to run a 5K. I am inspired by her discipline to follow the C25K program. I run, but I run haphazardly and just go by feel and well…boredom. When I get bored with one routine I move on to something a little more challenging. It takes far more discipline to do something like C25K.
Anyway, she responded that I actually inspired her to run!
What?! I am almost 300 lbs doing an attempt at running that if you saw it, you would hardly call it running! I huff and puff my way through and I am sure it sounds like I am gonna die. But I do it…and I guess that was her point. I am a large woman doing something that in general, most don’t consider possible.
Regardless, I was surprised and humbled again.
Hearing these things makes me think twice about giving up on days like today when I devoured far too many chocolate chip cookies and completely failed to count calories at all. When I feel like crap and am full of shame and think it isn’t worth it, I am reminded of these things.
I know, ultimately, I am doing this for myself first. For MY health. For MY future. For My now. So that I can live a full and exciting life with all sorts of possibilities that never existed before. But sometimes, those reasons aren’t enough. Sometimes all I have to draw from for my own strength and determination is the fact that others are looking to me for encouragement and inspiration and courage. I can’t quit. Not for me. Not for them.
You see, it is easy to let myself down. Or at least it once was. I am not so sure it will be so easy anymore and I am not sure I want to test that. But I know for sure, I don’t want to let others down.
So know this friend and fellow running blogger…YOU have inspired me today….to go again tomorrow (since today is pretty much over and my eating SUCKED!)
I know Aaron…You have told me often that my impact on others is greater than I know…I am learning…slowly but surely, I am learning!
Back pain is right up there on the ‘things in your life that you don’t want to have’ file.
This is one of the worst injuries that you can have as it effects other parts of your body – even the smallest movement can be painful. Walking hurts, standing up hurts, sitting down and trying to sleep is a nightmare.
There are many options to stop back that are available to you ranging from surgery,(don’t do it!) to pain killing medication, to traction, to all types of high tech mumbo jumbo quick fix remedies.
I and many of my friends and family have suffered from back pain and all we want (wanted) was immediate and long lasting relief from the pain.
So what’s my answer?
“Keep mobile through exercise”
This may sound a bit mad but in the majority of cases that I have encountered – the BEST cure is to train with some type of exercise.
Of course it’s important to start slowly and back off if you feel that you are hurting yourself, but in many cases once you get past the initial discomfort, exercise has been proved to be the best remedy for many back pain sufferers all over the world.
In most cases back pain can be reduced by building up the mobility and strength in the abdominal and core region of the body; including the the hip, upper thigh, and lower back area.
Many back injuries happen if some part of the body is not as strong or well developed as it needs to be. Weak abs can equal bad back. Stronger abs and core can guarantee to prevent bad backs and to also cure them.
Just do it and reap the wonderful feeling of success – relieve yourself of back pain.
Believe you can do it.
If you are experiencing back pain on a daily basis and you want it to be gone then try a different approach. Work yourself back to a pain free back with a program that works.
Martin Day
www.MartinDayFitness.com
PS: All of my programs work to help put an end to back pain!
In 1980 35% of Americans were overweight to obese.
46 BILLION Dollars and hundreds of diets later…
More than 65% of Americans are overweight to obese.
Why Most Diets Fail
Most Diets Are:
Nutritionally inadequate = you feel bad, sooner or later
Too hard to follow= interferes with life
Results are too slow = frustration
Unsafe ingredients = negative side effects (Ephedra, Ephedra Alternatives, other stimulants)
Slow your metabolism = the Yo-Yo effects
The Vicious Diet Cycle:
DIET (decrease in calories)
FAMINE RESPONSE (lose weight from lean muscle and fat; reduce your metabolic rate, which increases your fat storage)
FALL OFF (increase in calories)
FEAST RESPONSE (reduced metabolic rate, you’ve lost muscle mass, so therefore you regain the weight from fat)
REPEAT (overweight)
**So in a nutshell: People decide to diet, they reduce their calories, which DOES cause them to lose weight, BUT there is no way to tell if you are losing MUSCLE of FAT! The less lean muscle you have, the slower your metabolism runs. The slower your metabolism, the less fat you burn! So when fell off the diet, or maybe they have reached their goal weight and start eating “normal” again, they have less lean muscle and therefore gain all the weight back and some! If you don’t have muscle you don’t burn fat!
So remember, most diets will not help you retain your muscle mass. But we have the solution!
Why Cinch Works:
Formulated to help you get off the dreaded diet cycle
Leverages 50 years of nutritional science leadership and innovation
Clinically tested leucine formula
Powered by Leucine
How Cinch Works The Cinch Inch Loss Plan is different. It addresses one of the primary reasons why other diets fail. Cinch provides you a plan to lose the right way. Instead of losing weight from fat and muscle, the Cinch Inch Loss Plan is Powered by Leucine™ an essential amino acid, to help preserve muscle while you lose weight from fat.† Preserving muscle mass also prevents your metabolism from dropping.
The Cinch Inch Loss Plan with leucine is scientifically formulated to help you lose weight, lose inches, and break the cycle of perpetual dieting. The Cinch Inch Loss Plan is designed for real life, so it also addresses the physical and emotional challenges that come along with your weight control efforts. With proprietary formulas, the Cinch products will help you control your hunger, boost your energy, and keep you feeling satisfied. Plus, you’ll get healthy personalized menus, specific to your body’s needs and your individual preferences.
Benefits
Helps you lose weight and inches without feeling hungry
Clinically tested with leucine formula to help preserve muscle during weight loss†
Promotes weight loss from fat
Provides protein to help control hunger and preserve muscle
Provides the support and tools you need to be successful
Helps you achieve healthy lifestyle changes
Offers personalized and flexible meal plan options
Helps you lose pounds and inches†
Everything You Need to Start Losing Inches Today
With Cinch, you get two meals a day in a delicious shake or a meal-in-a-bar, a yummy snack bar to treat yourself, a three-in-one supplement with ingredients to kick up your metabolism*, and an extraordinary tea for natural energy, plus eating guide, CD, padometer, tape measure and more. Each product uses proprietary formulas, which were developed out of the Shaklee tradition of scientific innovation in nutrition.
Cinch FAQ
—————————————————————————————— Questions About the Cinch Loss Plan
Q: Do I need to follow the calorie level recommended on the plan grid?
A: Yes. For a slow and safe rate of weight loss it’s best to start with the recommended calorie level in your Success Guide. Ideally you should lose weight at a rate of 1-2 lbs per week. However, if you’ve been following the plan as directed for 2 weeks and have not lost any weight, step down one calorie level. Try this level for another week. If you are still not losing weight, continue the step down process. Another option for determining your calorie needs is to use the Cinch Coach™ software application located in your Starter Kit. We also recommend that you not reduce your calorie level below 1,200 a day. If you find you are not losing weight on 1,200 calories a day, the best option for you is to boost your level of physical activity.
Q: I am breast feeding. Can I still follow the Cinch Inch Loss Plan?
A: Breast-feeding is a great way to burn extra calories. It will naturally help you begin to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy. However, you can follow a modified version of the Cinch Inch Loss Plan while nursing your baby. Just remember to make sure you’re eating enough and drinking plenty of fluids so your breast milk production isn’t compromised. Start by reducing your calories modestly (selecting the 1800 calorie level may be the best place to start). We recommend that you discuss the use of the Energy Tea Mix with your physician as it contains naturally occurring green tea. You should replace the 3-In-1 Boost™ with Vita-Lea® with Iron formula. The 3-In-1 Boost contains evodia, an herbal extract for which the safe use in nursing women has not been studied. Also, if at any time you notice any decrease in your breast milk production, you may want to double check your calorie and fluid intake or possibly discontinue the program until you’ve finished nursing your baby.
Q: Can people with prediabetes or diabetes use the Cinch Inch Loss Plan?
A: Yes, this program is suitable for people with prediabetes and diabetes. In fact, modest weight loss in persons with prediabetes may prevent this condition from converting to diabetes. And for people already with diabetes, weight loss may significantly improve blood sugar control and prevent serious complications associated with the disease.
For people with diabetes who take oral medications or use insulin, weight loss as a result of the Cinch Inch Loss Plan may reduce the dose and/or the need for these medications.
Therefore, we recommend these individuals closely monitor their blood sugar levels and work with their personal health care provider to adjust their medication as deemed necessary.
Q: Can children use the Cinch Inch Loss Plan?
A: This program is not designed for children under the age of twelve. However, for overweight teenagers (ages 13 to 17) a modified version of the plan can be used. We suggest using one serving per day of the Cinch Shake as a healthy meal replacement and a second serving of Shake or a Cinch Bar as a healthy afternoon snack. Additionally, we recommend, replacing the Cinch 3-in-1 Boost with Vita-Lea with Iron and limiting your child’s intake of the Cinch Energy Tea Mix due to the presence of naturally occurring caffeine. We recommend you consult with your child’s physician before beginning the program. For overweight or obese children under the age of 13, the Cinch products and support materials can be used, but only under the supervision of the child’s physician. Additionally, discussion of healthy eating choices, encouragement of increased activity and less time watching television or doing computer games, elimination of fast foods and junk foods” are all very important.
Q: What is the science behind the way this plan works?
A: Shaklee scientists have relied on their long history of working with athletes to gain a scientific insight as to what works for safe and effective weight loss. Instead of losing weight from water and muscle like with most diet program, the Cinch Inch Loss Plan works by helping to preserve lean body mass and promoting weight loss from fat*. Preserving lean body mass also prevents your metabolic rate or ability to burn calories from dropping. The Cinch Inch Loss Plan provides products powered by the essential amino acid, leucine. Recent scientific research indicates that leucine may play a special role in weight loss because it acts as a signal for protein synthesis in muscle tissue. As a result, leucine helps your body preserve muscle mass while you lose weight from fat. The Cinch Program has undergone preliminary clinical testing that indicated positive results for weight loss, fat loss, inch loss, and preservation of fat free mass.
Q: Can I take continue to take Vita-Lea or Shaklee Basics®? What about other Shaklee supplements?
A: When you combine two servings of day of the Cinch Shake, plus the 3- in-1 Boost, you’re supplying your body with all it needs– more than 100 % of the Daily Value of essential vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is not necessary to take Vita-Lea or Vita Lea Gold™ while following the Cinch Inch Loss Plan. The use of other Shaklee supplements (OmegaGuard™ or Garlic Complex for example.) and herbal based products (NutriFeron® or Joint Health Complex) may be continued. However, we recommend that you discontinue taking Glucose Regulation Complex* (GRC) because we include all these ingredients in the 3-in-1 Boost.
Questions About Meal Plans & Success Guide
Q: Why don’t the meal plans in Cinch Coach or those posted on CinchClub.com coincide with the serving and portion control table in the Success Guide?
A: The Meal Plans have been designed using specific foods and recipes and have undergone nutrient analysis, which provides for a more accurate way to assess the levels of calories, carbohydrate, protein, and fat content. The Servings and Portion Control table in your Success Guide allows you more flexibility in selecting foods, but it’s a tool designed to provide an estimate of total calories, protein, carbohydrate, and fat similar to the predesigned meal plans. Although not identical, they do provide similar amounts of total calories, protein, carbohydrate, and fat on a daily basis.
Q: Can I substitute meals (change days), or move food around during the day?
A: Yes, as long as you stay within your calorie range, you may substitute meals or move food around over the course of the day.
Q: I don’t like everything on my meal plan. Can I substitute foods?
A: You can substitute foods from the same food group. For example, you can change from chicken to fish, but for best results don’t substitute from different foods groups – like bread for chicken. If you do, you will most likely change the ratios of protein, fat , and carbohydrate, thereby throwing off your calorie levels.
Questions about Cinch 3-in-1 Boost Supplement
Q: Can I take all three Cinch 3-in-1 Boost tablets at the same time?
A: For best results, we recommend you take one supplement three times daily. One with each shake or prepared meal works best.
Q: Should I take Cinch 3-in-1 Boost with food or a shake?
A: Yes. Ideally you should take one tablet along with each of your two daily shakes and one with your prepared meal for a total of three tablets a day.
Questions about Cinch Shakes and BarsQ: Do all the Cinch Bars contain peanuts?
A: All three flavors of the Cinch Bars are manufactured in a facility that processes foods containing peanuts. It is possible that traces of peanuts, or tree nuts could be in all three flavors. Therefore, if you are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts you should not use Cinch Bars.
Q: What can I substitute for Cinch Bars?
A: We strongly suggest the Cinch Bar as your snack. With 120-130 calories, it provides 10 grams of protein and three grams of fiber. It’s a great way to add protein to your daily diet and to get extra leucine to help preserve lean muscle. If you can’t eat the bar, here are some alternatives:
• 1 cup nonfat yogurt, or
• ½ cup of nonfat cottage cheese with 1 cup raw vegetables or
• 1 oz low fat cheese with 5 small whole wheat crackers.
Q: Can I mix my Cinch Shake with water?
A: We recommend nonfat milk or low fat soy milk for the best nutritional profile and to provide you with the full amount of protein and leucine you need in the Cinch Inch Loss Plan. Today, soy milk and milk are available in small cartons, so you can take them with you and fix your shake at work or when you travel. If necessary, you may mix the Cinch shake with water, using one-and-a-half servings of powder in eight ounces of water. This is provides about the same amount of protein and calories as when prepared with nonfat milk or low fat soy milk.
Q: Do you have any shake recipes?
A: You will find ideas on how to flavor the shakes without adding too many additional calories posted on CinchClub.com. An easy way to flavor your shakes is to use natural flavor extracts that can be found in the baking section of the grocery store.
Q: Can I use the two shakes for any two meals during the day?
A: Yes, you may use the shakes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and plan a sensible meal using the Meal Plan or Servings and Portion Guidelines for your third meal.
Q: How is the Cinch Shake different from Slim Plan Gold™?
A: The Cinch Shake is an improvement over Slim Plan Gold due to a higher protein content (24 grams prepared as directed vs 14 grams) and has the added benefit of leucine, which helps signal the body to preserve lean muscle while you lose weight from fat.
Q: What is leucine?
A: Leucine is an essential amino acid that travels directly to muscle to signal protein synthesis. It helps your body preserve muscle mass while you lose weight from fat.
Questions About The Energy Tea Mix:
Q: Do I have to drink the Energy Tea?
A: It’s not uncommon to experience occasional dips in your energy level when you’re losing weight. The tea is a great, healthy, and energizing, alternative to sugar snacks, soda, or coffee that may tempt you later in your day. Enjoy the tea hot or cold–it will help naturally boost your energy levels, and it won’t add too many calories. Each serving of tea has only five calories, while a mocha latte may add up to hundreds.
Q: How many servings per day of tea may I have?
A: You may consume as many servings of tea per day as you like. Keep in mind, however, that the tea contains 70 mg of caffeine from tea ingredients. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you may want to limit your tea intake and avoid the use of the tea late in the afternoon or early evening.
Questions about the Pedometer
Q: My pedometer does not work, or register the expected number of steps.
A: My pedometer does not work, or register the expected number of steps.
Your pedometer will only work if it is placed on your waistband properly. Please refer to instructions and warranty information.
Questions about the Cinch Coach CD
Q: My CD does not work. How do I get technical support?
A: Send all your technical questions to CinchCoach@lifestylestech.com
Q: I did not get a CD, what should I do?
A: Your CD is in the back of the Program Guide. If you do not find your CD, call 1.800.SHAKLEE 1.800.SHAKLEE
Q: Can I back up my information?
A: Yes. You can use the backup feature within the program to back up your data. Simply click on FILE and then BACKUP. Please select the location to place your back up data. Please note that you will not be able to back up directly to a CD-ROM. You will need to back up to a different directory and then burn it onto a CD using CD-burning software.
So, this morning I weighed myself, and my morning weight was… *drumroll please* … 227 pounds!! This is 19 pounds down from my past morning weight!HURRAY!
This evening, after eating all day, I weighed myself again, out of curiosity, and my evening weight was 228.5 pounds! This is down from my previous average evening weight of 26-249 pounds! HURRAY SOME MORE!
I was having trouble believing the weight loss had made any difference, despite my husband’s protests, until I put together my ‘before’ pictures and my ‘weight loss to date (as of today)’ pictures. I can REALLY see a difference. Unfortunately, I’m not quite comfortable sharing these photos with the world yet, but I will hang on to them and continue adding new photos along the way, and when I am where I am comfortable, I will show you all the progress!
My stomach has flattened, and my massage therapist friend noted in the pictures that she can see my abdominal muscles coming forward… from the front view, I’ve lost the round pregnant firm belly look, and while it is looking less firm, it is also decidedly narrower at the waste, and showing some shape. VERY COOL for me to see! Totally makes this worth while!
Today’s Eats – Breakfast:
Pumpkin Oatmeal With Vanilla Yogurt:
I cooked some rolled oats, and added pureed pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and brown sugar toward the end. In the bowl I added a drizzle of maple syrup and some vanilla yogurt. SO tasty!
Just in time for Fall - Pumpkin Oats!
Today’s Eats – Snacks & Lunch:
A Deep Chocolate VitaMuffin for my morning snack
A Dempster’s BodyWise Whole Wheat sandwich with cheese, spinach and turkey (tomato basil deli) and ham (rosemary deli)
Some goldfish crackers – I know, bad, but in the scheme of crackers, they’re not all that bad
A bite of a Chocolate Almond Fudge Clif Bar, to see if I liked it – I LOVED it – but gave the rest to my munchkin, who thoroughly believed it was a cookie
A bite of the Pecan Pie Larabar, just to taste. I was very unimpressed – I’ll be honest. Even the munchkin wouldn’t eat it. That’s a bad sign. He eats anything perceived as a ‘treat.’ I bought a couple of others to try though, and am hoping for more luck. We don’t have any of the chocolate flavored ones here for some reason (Jocolat).
Clif Bar - Chocolate Almond Fudge
LaraBar - Pecan Pie
Todays Eats – Dinner:
One proper portion (possibly less) of steak, sliced and cooked in a frying pan (no oil or grease) with Worcestershire sauce
Raw carrot, green pepper and mushroom dipped in Renee’s Wellness Yogurt Peppercorn Dressing (SO DELICIOUS!) – I couldn’t finish all of the veggies, and my munchkin was more than happy to finish them off for me!
One bottle of POMx Pomegranate Peach Passion White Tea. This tasted absolutely fabulous, but after realizing pomegranates are apparently a growing allergen, and knowing my own issues with mango and kiwi, I panicked and put it away in the fridge after drinking a bit. Gosh it was SOOOOO good though.
Suppertime - YUM YUM!
Well, that’s it for now! Hope everyone else is doing well!
I’m off to bed for a good night’s rest now!
Tomorrow I’m planning to try a nice whole wheat pizza dough recipe I found – I didn’t tackle it tonight because it takes and hour or two to make/let rise. Can’t wait to share with you all how THAT goes – I’m not known for my pizza doough-making skills….
For the past three days I have been waking up at 5 AM to get on the Elliptical for 30 minutes. I am not a morning person, so it has been very hard for me to wake up in the AM to work out. But once I am on it and I have a movie of some sort to keep me entertained, it has not been so bad.
The first day I was on the Elliptical I was able to do just one mile in the 30 minute work out. Yesterday I did a mile and a quarter by the end of the 30 minutes and today I did a mile and a quarter in 20 minutes!
The thing I love most about working out on the Elliptical is that I am not sore later. Since it is all just cardio and no strain on my muscles, I get a great work out with out the pain later. I sweat like crazy but at the end I feel good. My body feels great and I get a huge boost of energy from it.
Which brings me to my next topic, FOOD. My god am I getting hungry faster! I normally do not eat breakfast in the morning before going to work. But since I started in the plan I have started to eat right after my work out. A bowl of cereal with fruit and coffee. May not sound like a lot but for a person that does not eat breakfast it is a lot of food.
The funny thing is that a couple of hours later I am STARVING!! Has my metabolism really jump started that quick?
It almost does not feel normal. By 9 AM I am already looking around for something to eat. The thing is that since I just started WW, we have not had the chance to go grocery shopping so I have not been able to get snack foods. Luckily one of my co-workers brought me a huge bag of grapes and every time I feel hungry I eat a cup of grapes. At least I am fulfilling the fruits and veggies requirement that WW has.
I will definitely be buying snacks to keep at work for when I get hunger attacks.
As for the required foods that I must eat daily. So far the only trouble I am having is fulfilling the amount of dairy servings that I have to get in. I am going to have to buy some calcium supplements to help out in the department. The funny thing is that I thought that I would have difficulty with the water requirement but I have been doing fantastic on that.
Well, tomorrow is the day that I go in for my first meeting and weigh in. I am excited it is the official first day to a healthier me, though I started on this journey a few days ago.
OK, for some reason, today feels like the greatest day. I feel really good and healthy. I lost 1.6 at my meeting yesterday. I walked to work in record time (I was 20 minutes early!) We’re going to the Casino for lunch (hope that doesn’t ruin my mood! haha!) Off to the Penguin game tonight with a cousin we haven’t seen in over a year. Party tomorrow. Party Sunday. Whatever. My life is so great today.
Now the hard part will be keeping my food intake in check while attending all of these fun things. I’m going at it with a plan, that I hope I can stick to. I will eat an apple or some other light snack before all functions. I will not sit anywhere near chips. I will not eat a single chip, period (that would lead to a downward spiral.) I will take small portions of the things that I really want. I will count everything.
That’s going to be my motto for the next week. I’m off to Cornwall with some friends for a week of relaxation by the sea. I’ve been counting the days until this holiday for about three months, no lie!
The people I’m going with are some of my oldest friends and it’s fair to say that we’re known for partying quite hard (even though none of us are spring chickens any more). This week could be an opportunity to sit on my arse, drink more red wine than most people consume in a month and feed myself with comfort food. You know how it is … half an hour walking by the sea and suddenly you convince yourself that you have the appetite of ten men and start ordering extra portions of chips. That would be disastrous.
I also have zero excuse for not keeping up the miles (I’m up to a comfortable 6 miles at the moment). If I can run around London, breathing delicious lungfuls of exhaust fumes and other people’s fag smoke, then I can sure as hell run in the beautiful surroundings of the Cornish coast. In fact, it will be a pleasure. The only drawback will be dragging myself out of bed while everyone around me sleeps off the effects of the previous night’s dinner and beer.
Training in general is still going really well. I’m well and truly in the swing of it, despite the minor setback of a bug over the last week (thankfully not the dreaded swine flu) that kept me separated from my trainers for a few days. I’m intending to go out tonight for a decent 4 miles to get me back on track.
So keep them crossed that I don’t succumb to temptation and turn into a couch potato. I hope to come back with tales of beautiful clifftop runs and healthy living!
This is the first week of my 10 week sharing series. In my last article, I wrote about “Getting the Last Few Pounds Off”. The last week mostly was taken up with organizing myself. I now have an exercise schedule to follow and have started with some cardio. Actually, I did 1 session of cardio last week and have done 3 this week so far. Definitely not enough but I am glad I have started. Diet has been good and meals have been prepared at home. I have consciously reduced the portions as well. Although, I have not noticed any difference, the confidence is there that with more improvements and adjustments, I will start shedding the pounds.
Let me share a little about my goals. When I delivered my second child at the end of 2007, I was more than a little overweight. Since then I have lost 10 kilos or 22 pounds. Overall, in inches I probably lost about 20 all over. However, I have stopped there and just maintained myself at that weight. My initial goal at the end of 2007 was to lose 15 kilograms or about 33 pounds and an additional 5 inches. This is where I am headed now. I plan to lose the 11 pounds over 10 weeks, which is in with the healthy weight loss range.
For sure, many changes can be and will be done. I am happy that I have taken this first step toward my goal and made myself accountable to everyone.
Thank you very much to those who posted comments to my previous article and I will definitely take your suggestions and tips into consideration.
Below are my pictures taken May 2008 and July 2009 respectively.
Jasvin - Before and After
Tags: diet, exercise, goals, journey of weight loss, motivation, pounds, weight loss, before after
Great news for all the yoginis out there! The Journal of the American Dietetic Association recently published a study which found that yoga is linked with more eating awareness, leading to less weight gain. Practicing yoga leads to healthier eating habits because mindfulness is such a major component of yoga.
The study collected data from people who practiced yoga more than one hour per week, people who walked for at least 90 minutes per week, and people who got more than 90 minutes of moderate to strenuous activity per week.
The findings: People who ate mindfully (meaning, those who were conscious of their reasons for eating and who stopped eating when full) had a lower body mass than people who ate mindlessly in response to sadness, stress, or when they were not hungry.
The yoga practitioners scored highest on a Mindful Eating Questionnaire. Engaging in the other activities (walking, strenuous activity) was not associated with mindful eating. Som in sum, yoga can = mindful eating = weight loss!
This is definitely motivation to pick up my yoga practice again! I used to go 3-4x/week and now I’m lucky if I make it to one class. The focus on the breath and mindfulness that is associated with yoga is my favorite part and it carries over into the rest of my day. If you spend your time in the gym on the treadmill or cardio classes, try a yoga class. It’s a wonderful complement to your existing routine (runners swear by it for their tight leg muscles)
But remember, while yoga is wonderful for your body, mind, and spirit, don’t neglect other forms of exercise, such as cardio and strength training. A combination of all 3 is ideal!
So my intention was to blog everyday… and then I woke up sick on Thursday and have been in bed since then. Today I made it through my first day back at work only to come home and find my brand new scale awaiting my return. For a bathroom scale about to deliver my doom, it is very sleek and fancy looking. Not your average spin around a circle scale. Anyway… enough about the glass scale. So big news… emphasis on the BIG. My weigh in comes to 414.8 lbs. At this point I am just done. I am done with being this big. I am done with living like this. And I am really done with hating myself. I am determined that I am going to stick to my diet regardless of this set back.
I had orginially wanted to lose 200 lbs however that was back when I thought I only weighed 378… so now my plan is to lose 230 lbs. I have been on nutrisystem now for a week… but like I said before I have been sick so I didn’t eat for a few days. I am back to eating and sticking to my plan. I am eating between 1200-1300 calories a day and drinking tons of water.
Tonight I am excited because Biggest Loser is on. I can’t wait to watch and get some additional motivation. More to come… I promise.
Who am I? I am Patricia Gustafson, 36 years old. I am a wife, daughter, and sister. I am a mom to a crazy dog named Zeus. I am too much at times and not enough at other times. I am beginning another weight loss journey and have decided to share it with the world.
I am a strong-willed, hard-headed, stubborn woman. When I put my mind to something, I can accomplish anything. The one thing I can’t figure out is my weight. I have been struggling with my weight most of my life. I come from fat stock and I need to change that. For me.
Today is my someday. Someday I will eat healthy. Someday I will exercise. Someday I will figure it all out. Someday I will do it for all the right reasons. Someday I will take care of me. Today is my someday.
I plan to write about my ups and downs, successes and failures. I will clue you in on my goals and achievements. Post before and afters.
