Month: August 2012

If we are used to overeating, we are used to consuming a large amount of food. When we start to change our lifestyle, it can be hard to get used to a smaller amount.

I found chewing gum was a huge help! I could chew a good piece of gum until my jaw ached. This had the double benefit of satisfying my urge to chew and making me not want to eat as much with my sore jaw.

Now, beware that all types of gum are not the same. A sugary gum may have as much as 25 calories per piece. If you chewed 5 pieces of gum a day, that adds up to 125 calories or the equivalent of an afternoon snack! On the other hand, if you find a gum with less than 5 calories per piece, you have had less than 25 calories for all 5 pieces.

I personally like the gums with xylitol. These gums have been recommended to help clean your teeth as well as curb your urge to chew. So, find a flavor you like today and when the urge strikes to chew when you’re not quite hungry, reach for your gum. What’s your favourite flavor of gum?

 

Nobody ever starts out with a goal and tells themselves that they are going to fail. Yet, almost everyone hits a point where the going gets tough and we feel like we just can’t go on. That is when most people quit.

These are the times that we need support to continue and succeed. Others can lift us up and give us the courage we need to keep moving forward. Take a moment to say “Thank You” to whomever has lifted you up along the way. Then look for someone who needs to be encouraged and give them that gentle nudge to continue on to success. After all, we never know when we will be the one in need of support.

When we do strength training, we should rotate muscle groups every 48 hours and not sooner. For example, if you worked your arms on Monday, the next day (Tuesday), you would want to concentrate on working your legs. We create small tears in our muscle tissue and they need to heal before we go through the process again.

A commonly asked question is “What weight should I lift?”. There is no amount that is right for everyone. What I have found that works best for me personally, is to start small and gradually increase the weight.

You want your muscles to feel tired after 10-15 reps, using free weights (dumbells, barbells, etc.). When using machines for strength training, you want your muscles to feel tired after 15-30 reps. For example, when I started working on my shoulders the weight of the bar was all I could handle. I was sore at the end of 15 reps and the last several reps were difficult to complete. I worked up to 30 reps and when I could complete that without too much discomfort, I increased the weight by 5 pounds. I continued in this pattern and today I am lifting 40 pounds on the shoulder press machine.

I have created a weight loss chart to help give you a general guide on your weight loss journey.

You’re thirsty? What do you reach for? If the answer is a soda, even a diet soda, you may be hindering your progress.

Turn that drink around and read the nutritional label. What you won’t find, is anything to help you on your journey or nourishment for your body! Are you ready to swap that soda for a healthy thirst quencher?

If you’re not ready to give up soft drinks completely, try replacing just one a day with water or green tea for a week. Then, replace another and another. Before you know it, you will be closer to your goal and healthier too!

Trust me, I understand how difficult it is to make this change. I used to drink 10-12 20 oz. bottles of soft drinks a day! That was up to 3,600 empty, unnourishing calories a day! It has been almost 3 years since I have touched a soda. Praise God! I have been freed from that addiction! For me that is what it was, an addiction! Make it one of your goals to trade in at least one soda or other unhealthy drink a day for a week and see how much better you feel, not to mention other benefits you will notice.

There are times when walking away from something seems easier than working hard to continue, especially when the road is tough and desired results are not there.

I know, I experienced a period of time where I was working out six days a week, skipping desserts and anything else that didn’t fit into my healthy eating plan. Yet, the results were a pound or less lost in a week, or even gaining for several weeks in a row.

Then, God sent someone different into my life. They did a full wellness evaluation and changed my healthy eating plan. The big change – my calories were increased by 350 calories a day. I learned that during my workouts, I had greatly increased my muscle mass and I wasn’t losing weight because I was starving my lean muscle. I now do a wellness evaluation every month. This led me to become a certified wellness coach and to help others.

As we lose weight, our bodies change and our plans have to change with it. Have you had a wellness evaluation? If not, call WAVES at 706-745-8632 for a free wellness evaluation. If you are in or near the Blairsville, GA area we can do a face-to-face evaluation. If you are outside the area, we can do an evaluation via a scheduled Skype conference call or chat. Contact us for your free evaluation today.

If you are thinking about starting a weight loss journey, don’t wait! There will never be a more perfect time to get started than right now!

On the other hand, there will always be excuses to make you want to wait. Among them are birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions, church gatherings, holidays, lunch with friends, etc. Yet, none of those are valid reasons to wait.

My kids birthday parties were no less fun for anyone because I didn’t eat cake. My anniversary was more special when sharing a dessert with my husband than eating the whole serving by myself. Family reunions are even better when I eat less and visit more.

You get the picture. Start today. Your next meal or snack. Don’t even wait until the next morning. Now is the time God has given you. Start taking care of His temple now. You will be rewarded. Are you ready?

Remember that a warm-up before a workout and stretching after each workout are equally important. Getting your muscles warmed up prior to exercising reduces the chances of injury. It also gets the blood flowing and gets you ready for a productive workout. Stretching helps us avoid injury, reduces muscle tension, alleviates stress, makes us more flexible and helps us look better by making us more shapely.

In fact, there is no reason not to stretch. Simply make it a part of your regular workout routine. Your body will thank you!

I also want you to stretch yourself in other ways too. Talk to someone new; introduce yourself and learn something about them. You never know when you might get the opportunity to teach someone about Christ.

Have you stretched yourself today?