Month: January 2013

When we first begin losing weight, we may be tired and feel as if we have no energy. It takes time for our bodies to adapt to our changes in diet and exercise. To help off-set these negative side effects, we can use energy drinks in moderation.

I recommend ONE lift-off a day for the first few days of weight loss. The caffeine and special blend of herbs work together to give us mental clarity and a boost of energy. This can help ease us off our dependency on caffeinated drinks gradually and give our bodies time to adapt.

In addition, they can provide that extra energy needed to get through our initial workouts or when we are trying to push ourselves to reach a new workout goal.

Herbalife’s lift-off is available in several great flavors: Lemon-Cola, Ignite Me Orange, Lemon-Lime Blast, and Tropical Fruit Force.  Do you need a boost today?

When we do full body scans for our weight loss clients, we get all kinds of information including metabolic age. Our metabolic age tells us how old our body is on the inside.

I remember waking up so many days and feeling so old. My back ached and my kneed hurt. I felt tired before I done anything.

Now, 136 lbs. lighter, my metabolic age shows me over 40 years younger. And I feel it! I know I feel a lot younger now than I did more than 15 years ago.

I have fewer aches and pains, I have a lot more energy, and I can get about so much better. Yes, if you are looking to turn back the clock, reach for your weight loss goal!

Last week we broke our goal down onto manageable, realistic mini-goals. This week we want to set up a reward system to celebrate your success in reaching those goals.

Let me give you some examples. If you love listening to music while you workout, then, buy yourself a new song or new album (depending on your budget) for every 10 lbs. you lose. Don’t let yourself buy that reward for anything else, only for reaching that goal.

When you reach a milestone, celebrate with a bigger gift. Maybe a new workout DVD or a new outfit (after-all, your old clothes won’t fit your new body).

Some of the rewards I gave myself were contact lenses, clothes, workout DVDS, make-up, and a facial. Anything that helps you celebrate how far your success in reaching your goal! What do you want to use as your reward?

I had lost almost 40lbs. before the majority of my friends and family knew I was making weight loss my goal. I was thinking that surely they could notice the change. I mean 40lbs. is no small achievement. Yet, no one said anything until I announced my loss on facebook.

After that, my friends were very encouraging and supportive! There was always someone there to give me the words I needed to keep pushing me toward my goal. I can’t reiterate enough how critical a supportive network is.

So, tell your friends and family. You may be surprised. They may help you ward off temptation at the next family gathering or they might even join you in the journey.

Are you ready to share your goal?

Many clients dread the thoughts of exercise. For them. I teach them to exercise without trying. There are hundreds of ways you can be more active in our day to day life without setting up a stringent exercise routine.

Some popular examples include parking in a spot farthest away from the store or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. These are great things to do in order to be more active.

I also encourage my clients to do a set of exercise at every restroom break. For example, a client that wants to work on their upper body can do a set of wall push ups, while someone that is concerned with their lower body can do squats or lunges. Yet again, a person focused on their abs can do a set of standing ab exercises.

Remembering to do a small set of exercises can also be applied to coffee breaks, deliveries, and pick ups. You name it, anything you do a few times throughout the day can be paired with exercise.

I also encourage doing exercises while driving. No, I’m not crazy, I’m simply talking about tightening a particular muscle group. Such as the abs. It is possible to drive safely and tighten those muscles at the same time. Of course, you alone can determine if you can do this safely. If not, stick to doing it while sitting at your desk typing.

What ways have you found to be more active? Share, so others can learn.

In the pursuit of health and weight loss,  we can experiment with different ways to  lose weight in order to find what works best. However, we can also fall into quick weight loss traps that hurt our health. It is important to use caution when choosing a weight loss program.

One excellent program, that I have used is The WAVES Take Shape Plan. With the program, you eat 5 specially balanced meal replacements each day and one lean and green meal. The program is designed to put the body into a state of ketosis or a fat burning state. When our bodies have the right balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrates, it can use the energy stored in fat.

In addition, you are rest assured in the knowledge that over 22,000 doctors recommended this weight loss program to their patience. On top of that, you get a personal health couch that has used and succeeded on the program. Elizabeth Dyer has lost over 136 lbs. and saw amazing results on the program.

Are you ready for a simple to follow weight loss program that provides amazing results? If so, this weight loss program is for you!

 

The amount of effort put into reaching any goal determines your success. Reaching a weight loss goal takes effort, it takes change, and a commitment. Without motivation, it is difficult to put forth continual effort.

So, today, determine what motivates you. Is it your health? Your body image? Your self-esteem? To be able to play with your kids?

Living at a healthy weight opens doors, but to get there, one has to be clear on the whys. For me, losing the weight has done all of the above. I am in better health. I can play with my kids more. I have a better self-esteem and a better body image.

Losing weight has even allowed me to be more outgoing and more of a people person. I can witness to others about Christ and share the gospel now that I feel confident in who I am.

Yet, losing the weight did not make my life perfect. I still have many of the trials and tribulations I had before. The biggest difference is that I have found ways to deal with them besides food.

So, take the time now to write down your every why. Post it where you can see it every day. This way, when the world throws something negative your way, you already know your reason to keep putting forth the effort and moving on toward your goal!

I spent my life avoiding alcohol, drugs, and a whole slew of things I saw others fall victim to. My father had been an alcoholic and I saw just how controlling a substance could be over someone’s life and body. My dad was a good man unless he had too much to drink. He spent many years of his life in bondage to his desire to drink. I am thankful that he was finally able to break the addiction and lived out the remainder of his life alcohol free.

Having witnessed everything he had went through, I did not want to test my genes and will power. Yet, I found myself to be an addict none the less. I fell into a habit of drinking 10-12 20 oz. colas a day! My addiction to sugar and caffeine took over. I had to have it just to keep myself going. Like any other addict, I can’t tell you how it got to that level.

In the end, I had to give them up completely to move on. It has now been 3 ½ years since I have drank a cola. I praise God for freeing me from this negative habit. Do you have an addiction to something unhealthy? God can help you overcome it!

A great way to measure our health is this on-line health assessment. The test takes about 5 minutes to complete and gives you a good idea of how healthy you are. When finished, you get a number score. I recommend that you print out the entire results and keep it around. At the least, write down your health score somewhere you can find it and refer back. Your calendar  is a great place.

We will then remind you take the test again in a couple of months. You can then compare your results with the different tests and see how you are improving your overall health. I have been amazed at just what a difference in the numbers I have seen since I started losing weight and becoming more health aware.

Last week we determined our overall goal. This week we will break that goal down into manageable mini-goals.

Let’s say your goal is to lose over 100 lbs. Let’s break that down into 1-2 lbs. a week.This rate is a healthy weight loss rate. So at the end of the year, we could be 52 lbs. slimmer by just focusing on your mini-goal of just 1 lb. each week.

Can you imagine how great you will feel when you are over half way to reaching your goal? What an accomplishment that will be! On the other hand, if you set yourself up to lose 5-10 lbs each week and continuously fall short, you can start feeling defeated and discouraged.

Mini goals keep us focused and keep us challenged. Reaching a goal us something to celebrate. What are your weekly goals? Are you keeping them realistic?