Month: January 2013

Sometimes I have been surprised by the family and friends that although perhaps not completely unsupportive of my weight loss, they weren’t as encouraging as I had expected either. Perhaps some were jealous or had their personal issues going on.

At the same time, I found numerous people that were so amazing. their support had been completely unexpected. Some of them shared how they too had struggled to lose weight. Two ladies had even shared their battle with anorexia, recognizing the rational problem with food as truly the same process.

What I learned quickly was that I needed to find my support team. God sent people into my life that were on or had reached their weight loss goals. He also sent people that would give me a word of encouragement when I felt down or “stuck” on my journey.

Had I never open myself up to new friends, new experiences, and been willing to share both my victories and defeats, I would have missed out on so many new friends. So, look for new friends at the park you walk at, the gym you join, the weight loss challenge you participate in. Your new lifestyle will take you to lots of new places and introduce you to new faces. I encourage you to find your support team and lose that weight.

What about you, are you ready to find your support team?  Has God already sent new friends your way?If you are looking but not finding, consider joining a weight loss challenge.

Exercise is a key component in any weight loss program. The benefits of exercise are numerous and include everything from increasing metabolism to better heart health.

However, many people question how much they should exercise.To maintain our weight and health, at least 30 min. 3 times per week is recommended. For weight loss, on the other hand, I recommend 6 days per week.

Although there are 7 days in a week, I always tell people to take a day of rest. After all, God took a day of rest, so should all of us.

With strength training, muscle groups should be allowed to rest a day in between. This means we can do Upper Body Mon., Wed., Fri. and Lower Body Tues., Thurs., Sat. With this routine we can do 30 minutes of cardio along with our strength training. The entire workout should take from 45 min.-1 hour.

At this pace, we will reach our goals quickly. Of course, if this is too much for an individual to begin with, start slower. As always, consult with your doctor before you begin any exercise program. What is your current exercise program routine?

Are you looking to rev up your metabolism? If so, one of the most natural ways to do so is to eat more often. Of course, you have to eat smaller amounts at each meal. I would also recommend you choose your weight loss meals wisely.

Eating smaller meals is a great way to shrink the stomach without surgery. Every time we over eat and feel stuffed, we are expanding our stomach. In turn, we can help it return to it’s normal size by eating less. You could call this your weight loss meals.

Our stomach is only supposed to be the size of our two fist put together. That means, that volume of food should leave us feeling satisfied. Try reducing the quantity of food you eat at each meal along with making it healthier.

If you need a set program to help keep you on track, then we recommend Waves Take Shape Plan or My Herbal Plan. Both programs help a person eat healthy, eat more often, and most importantly reach their goal! Are you ready to reach your ideal weight?

How many times have you turned to food for comfort? Out of boredom? When stressed? To celebrate? For most of us, the answer is too much.

I finally realized that food was not the answer.When in need of comfort, food only provides a temporary release of hormones. Christ, on the other hand, can provide a permanent long-term solution that doesn’t add girth to the waistline. It took discipline to shut the refrigerator door and open my Bible instead.

When bored, find a hobby (not watching TV). If not a Bible study then clean your house or exercise. Eating only takes a few minutes, so find a better longer lasting solution!

When stressed, eating doesn’t take the stressor away. Find a way to deal with what is bothering you. If it is something that is out of your control, then exercise. Exercise will release stress and help you get closer to your goal at the same time.

To celebrate, simply enjoy the company of other people. A holiday,  birthday, an anniversary, or even a victory is not a reason to overeat.There are solutions, it is not food. What are you learning to do instead of turning to food?

It has been the standard for week 2 of the Biggest Loser to produce only small loser for the participants. With only 2 contestants getting into the double digits, the results are far smaller than the remarkable week 1. Of course, to put this in perspective, most people shouldn’t try to lose but about 10 lbs. a month. Losing more than that in a single week is remarkable.

I also have to question just how safe it is. Of course, these individuals have doctors and personal trainers at their finger tips (or perhaps they are under the finger of the trainer). We have seen a variety of injuries produced from this extreme workout and fast weight loss techniques. Only time will tell how these individuals due in the long run.

And on another note, only time will tell if Jillian still has a team by the end of this season…..

A question asked again and again is whether or not a drink counts as water. Well, let’s shed some light on the subject. Our bodies digest everything we eat and drink together. It breaks these foods and drinks down into usable compounds our bodies need to survive.

Water is in all types of foods as well as drinks.We do not have to give our bodies pure water for it to utilize the water in our diet. We can drink the Crystal Light and the Mio and still count it as water. However, the colas and the fruit juices get harder to count because the true amount of water in them is questionable and an exact calculation is usually impossible.

I would much rather see someone break an addiction to colas or some other sugary drink with flavored water than to continue struggling to  lose weight. Water is key to weight loss, so swap the colas for flavored water until you learn to love pure water. I know you can do this! Make the small changes and see the difference.

I am so proud of the 3 young people standing there on that stage. They are ready to make a change in their life and in that of others across America. This is truly going to be an awesome season in which childhood obesity takes center stage.

The first workout was brutal on the contestants. Less than 20 minutes into their workout, contestants were kicked out, passed out and throwing up. However, I can’t help but be shocked when Nikki walked out on the show. It takes so much to get on the show and so many people are turned down, it is hard to believe that someone would walk away and leave that chance behind.

In the final weigh-in, the show threw in a few suprises as always. This time, the team did not vote someone off, the person losing the lowest percentage were sent back home. It made me sad to see TC go home, his story was so touching and it seemed he was just getting started. It made me happy to see that he had lost a total of 49lbs. since going home. There is no telling how much he will have gone before the finale.

The wonderful news, there is more to come tomorrow. Monday nights will be the usual night for show, so let’s tune in again at 8pm and see what happens next.

Not only is the number on the scale important, but your measurements are important too.  Sometimes during our weight loss journey, we will see the inches decrease before the number on the scale drops.  This often happens when you’ve been on your program for a while.  It can be very discouraging if you don’t see the scale number decreasing, but if you see the inches dropping – then you know you are moving in the right direction!  That’s why it’s important before you begin your program, to measure.

Start by wearing tight fitting clothing (or no clothing) and make a note of what you’re wearing so you know to wear the same clothes the next time you measure.  Grab your measuring tape, pen, and paper……here’s how to do it ~

• Bust:  Measure around the chest right at the nipple line, but don’t pull the tape too tight.
• Chest:  Measure just under your bust
• Waist:  Measure a half-inch above your belly button or at the smallest part of your waist
• Hips:  Place tape measure around the biggest part of your hips
• Thighs:  Measure around the biggest part of each thigh
• Calves:  Measure around the largest part of each calf
• Upper arm:  Measure around the largest part of each arm above the elbow

You will need to measure every four weeks and track your progress.  You will be amazed at how fast those inches will melt off of your body as you eat healthy and exercise!

We created a Body Measurement Chart for you to print so that you can track your progress.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

 

I heard the saying many times, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” this is the reason so many of us have the same New Years resolution year after year.

We want to get healthy, we want to be our ideal weight, yet we fail to focus on a plan of action.

For the next several weeks, I will walk you through the steps of making a plan, a commitment and then help you keep your focus to reach your goal.

Today, Let’s see our goal. How much weight do you want to lose? 5 lbs? 50 lbs? over 100 lbs? Look at the big picture today and write your goal down. You can even share it in the comments below.

I spent years trying to lose weight. I would lose a few pounds only to gain it back plus more. Not only did I lack the knowledge I needed to make this work, but I also lacked the support I needed.

Then, I found a local weight loss challenge. When you join a challenge, you are becoming part of a group of people that share the same goal. Not only is everyone in the group striving to reach a common goal, the majority of the participants will encourage and push you as you need it.

Typically, you will also get the help of a personalized and certified weight loss coach if you use a program such as My Herbal Plan or Take Shape for Life. These weight loss coaches have typically had success with the program they are promoting and can readily answer your questions.

If you would like to join a challenge that provides an  in-person meeting, check out the challenges section in this website. If you are interested in learning how to host your own challenges in your area, please contact us today to learn more.