You Want to Lose Weight? Cut Sugar

The easiest way to eat less every day is to cut the amount of sugar you chew and drink. What is easier and faster for reducing your daily caloric intake: taking fewer bites of chocolate and passing on that bran muffin in the morning, or running a 5-miler? Both will help you lose weight. Both are great steps toward a leaner you. But reducing the amount of calories you take in, especially from pure sugar, is much easier to manage than intense cardio sessions every day—if your goal is to shift the calories in, calories out.

Too much energy

We are genetically conditioned to love sugar. Take a look at your taste buds. The main one, up front, on the tip of the tongue, is the taste for sweet. We seek glucose; we need it, and love it—because of a simple biological reason. It is fuel for our brain. We can’t survive without it. Carbohydrates provide this fuel in various forms—from quickie chocolate munchies to sweet fruit to more slowly digested, fiber-rich lentil soups. But we love it too much. Many more products than we care to count either have sugar or high fructose corn syrup added to them. We may take in teaspoons upon teaspoons of sugar without realizing when enough is enough. We even get addicted to it when we need a quick energy fix, craving soda and chocolate for our mid-afternoon snacks instead of fiber and fruit. If you want to know how many teaspoons of sugar you are consuming, by the way, divide what the nutritional labels says in grams by four. Not a pretty discovery for most of us.

Unfortunately, for the same simple biological reason, our bodies process sugar like evolution intended, not like our culture wants us to consume—storing excess as fat when our energy needs are met—to be used in times of scarcity. The problem is that we rarely reach that scarcity, and carry the excess on our bodies to show it.

Confusing hunger signals

Besides the obvious implications on our waistline, the irregular outbursts of insulin our body produces to deal with all the extra sugar wreaks havoc on our body’s hunger signals. When your blood sugar levels fall suddenly, you are going to be willing to devour anything in your way, especially sweet, to get your level of satiety (and blood sugar back up to normal. It tends to result in overeating and poor food choices. I’d grab a Twix over an orange if readily available any second, even while knowing, like most of us, that the better choice is that bright fruit staring at us waiting to be peeled. But it’s so much easier to unwrap a Twix.

Out of sight, out of mind

Don’t keep sweets around, and you’ll be less likely to indulge. We are not as strong as our temptations. Moving temptations out of our sight, physically, helps tremendously to get them out of sight mentally. So walk that jelly bean bowl away from your desk and your immediate area. Buy extra dark chocolate instead of milk—you won’t overeat it. Seriously. Would you walk to the supermarket just to get a chocolate bar? Would you be tempted to grab a couple of Hershey’s Kisses if they are not freely available next to your desk, but in another office five floors down? Not likely. So forget about willpower and make sure simple sugar is hard to find. It works.

Substitutes

Fruit

Nature packs a plethora of sugar-rich and satisfying foods for you to enjoy. They are wrapped in protective coating and portion-sized. They are called fruit. Bananas, oranges, grapes, apples—you name it, nature has it designed. The natural sugar you get from eating fruit will be absorbed by your system like nature intended—in little spikes of energy to be digested with the accompanying fiber.

Honey

Even though honey is one of the most calorically dense foods on the planet—about 100 calories per teaspoon, honey has a multitude of healthy qualities your body would only welcome. Plus, you wouldn’t eat honey by teaspoons, would you?

Now how about that orange? And pass on the cookie, unless you plan to sweat it off in a hard workout requiring all that energy.

Julia Timakhovich

Episode #6 from IHRSA - Jacob's Ladder

This is one of my absolute FAVORITE pieces of cardio training equipment. The Jacob’s Ladder is basically a ladder climbing treadmill, but to say that’s all it does would be doing it a major disservice.

The Jacob’s Ladder is hand’s down one of the most effective training tools I’ve ever used. It’s design and function make it perfect for interval training and by now you probably all know just how much we love interval training at Hybrid Fitness. The JL is self-paced, meaning the faster you step, the faster it goes. The slower you step, the slower it goes and it does all of this virtually instantaneously. It takes up a relatively small footprint, too, making it ideal for smaller facilities or, income willing, a home gym!

If you see one of these at a fitness facility or at a conference, do yourself a favor and try it out. Give it about 3 minutes and you’ll be totally convinced as to it’s effectiveness.

If anyone else has tried one, post your comments (positive or negative) to the comment section below.

Thanks for watching.  We’ve got more videos to come so keep checking back.

Keep training hard!

Jason

www.hybridfitness.tv

Sweat

Dear God!  That workout was hard!  Or should I say those three workouts?

I borrowed a workout DVD from work that promised five 12 minute workouts that you could do throughout the week.  (It’s “Get Fit Daily Dozen” by Denise Austin).   You’re supposed to do a single 12 minute workout every day and count that as your exercise quota.  But here’s the problem: I promised myself that I’d do 30 minutes a day, minimum.  So, I had to do 3 of the 12 minute workouts.

The first workout was the “cardio-athletic” one.  It wasn’t that hard, except for learning the moves.  I think it’ll be a lot easier the next time I do it.

The second one was the lower body/ab sculpt.  That was really, really hard…  well, the abs part was hard.  Think about it.  You’re doing the plank (which is hard enough to do on its own) and then she wants you to do a donkey kick with it.  OW?!?  That’s just one exercise.

The third one was the cardio kickboxing one.  That one was kind of fun, but by then I was exhausted and covered in sweat.

I’ll have to try it again tomorrow…  I’ll do the Cardio kickboxing, upperbody/ab sculpt, and yoga stretch.  We’ll see what happens.

By the way…  I’m halfway to my goal AND I’m at my driver’s license weight!  Yay!

The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl by Shauna Reid - Book Review

Dietgirl is copyrighted in 2008 by Corgi, a division of Transworld Publishers. Now available through Avon Books.

Dietgirl is a book published from the blog of  a fun, intelligent young lady named Shauna. Shauna has a weight problem that she really doesn’t want to have anymore.  She is young and has things she wants to accomplish and doesn’t want her weight to hold her back anymore.

The book begins as a weight loss journal but as Shauna becomes more comfortable with her blog, she begins to add more and more personal thoughts and feelings into the entries. We learn the roles her parents played in forming her personality as well as his sister.  It is heartwarming to watch her evolve from a shy, holding-herself-back young lady into a confident person who decides to make major life changes with gusto!

As the weight comes off,  Shauna’s personality emerges as she quits her job and decides to move to Scotland to work and use a travel base with her sister Rhiannon. We are privileged to be a part of her her adventures as she travels across Europe and even falls in love with a wonderful young man as she steps from her cocoon.  I think the book is a much about watching Shauna grow up as it is about her growing thin.

I really enjoyed Shauna’s story as much for her personality and sense of humor as for the weight loss journey itself.

Long time no see.

I’ve been MIA. The stress has gotten to me and I just didn’t have anything non-bitchy to post about. My brother had a stroke at 38. Tim’s business is busier than ever, and taking him out of town a lot, but he’s having trouble getting paid for all his hard work… including one time he worked 39 hours straight. The kids school registration came and went so we’re desperate to find a house in an area with a decent public schools. Tiffany’s wedding is less than two months away and I’m so not ready. I still have to throw her a shower and a bachelorette party. Thankfully I have my sister in law helping me with that.

But my weight loss has stalled out at 137 - 18lbs lost. It’s an improvement but not where I wanted to be by now. I still have almost two months till the wedding so I can still lose some more but I don’t think it’ll be the 20lbs I wanted to.

I need to stop stress eating and get back on track so here’s my new strict plan, just for two months, with a couple of cheat days :

• Breakfast: Cheerios w/ milk
• Snack: Boiled eggs
• Lunch: Lean Turkey & Spinach Burrito
• Snack: Almonds
• Dinner: Chicken w/ vegetables

And I have to get back on track with working out. An hour of cardio a day plus strength training.

Wish me luck.

Weight loss Tips

GUZZLING water before meals won’t help you lose weight, scientists have discovered.

The diet myth was scotched by Japanese boffins who checked the weight and waist measurements of more than 1,000 women.

They found no link between water intake and weight.

But soup could be a dieter’s secret weapon.

The study, published in the journal Nutrition, shows women who eat a lot of water-rich foods, such as soup, had slightly smaller waists.

Drinking water is not the only diet advice to be disproved by scientists.

MYTH: BAN SUGAR

SUGAR has around 15 calories for every teaspoon, so cutting out the sweet stuff is the first step in many diets.

But a study at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh found that a little of what you fancy really does do you good.

They tracked 69 overweight women. Some were given a calorie-controlled diet that included sugar and some were told to exercise.

A third group got both the diet and exercise advice and a fourth were left to their own devices to act as a control group.

After 12 weeks, the greatest weight loss was in the group who had eaten sugar as part of a calorie-controlled diet and taken more exercise.

Dr Sandra Drummond says dieters found it easier to stick to eating plans when they include a little sugar.

MYTH: LOW-FAT SNACKS

WATCH out for that “low in fat” label which appears on many snack foods such as cereal bars.

Researchers at Cornell University in the US found that people consume up to 50 per cent more calories when they eat low-fat versions of snack foods compared with the standard versions.

Brian Wansink, who directed the research, says: “Often the fat-free version is not much lower in calories than the regular version - often only about 11 per cent.

“Low-fat labels just trick people into eating more.”

Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain strawberry bar weighs just 37g but contains 131 calories. McVitie’s Go Ahead! brand features a “lower fat” Yogurt Break range - but a two-slice tropical fruits bar has 156 calories.

You would be better off having a chocolate snack - a two-finger KitKat contains just 106 calories.

MYTH: KICK-START DETOX

WE’VE all seen ads and celebrity endorsements suggesting we spring-clean our diet with a detox.

It is often promoted as a way to kick-start your diet and get quick results. But scientists scoff at the idea that a build-up of toxins leads to weight problems and say rapid weight loss can backfire.

Jacqui Lowden, of the British Dietetic Association, says: “When you cut your calorific intake, your body will adjust and slow your metabolism.

“When you start eating normally again, you will gain weight unless you do more exercise to speed up your metabolism again.”

In fact, most diets are doomed, warn researchers from the University of California.

They found that while people can initially lose five to ten per cent of their weight on any number of diets, most regain it all within five years - and one in three will end up heavier than before.

MYTH: DITCH DAIRY

FULL-FAT cheese and cream are calorie-packed, so it makes sense to cut them out of your diet. But it’s a mistake to totally ditch dairy products.

A number of studies have shown that low-fat dairy foods can help shed the pounds.

Scientists at Cardiff University, who tracked 2,400 men over 20 years, found those who drank a pint or more of milk a day were 62 per cent less likely to become obese.

American researchers found that volunteers who had three servings of low-fat dairy products a day lost 20 per cent more weight than those who had no dairy food.

And scientists at Purdue found that women who ate three or four low-fat dairy servings a day lost an average of 10lb over a year.

One theory is that calcium activates enzymes that break down fat.

MYTH: GO FOR THE BURN

SHORT bursts of exercise will burn more fat than a prolonged workout, a Canadian study has revealed.

A tortoise and hare approach to the gym is the best way to shift fat, according to researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario - if you take your inspiration from the hare, that is.

They found that volunteers who did ten four-minute high-intensity sessions on an exercise bike burned 36 per cent more fat than those who stuck to a steady pace throughout their workout.

MYTH: BANISH BIG BREAKFASTS

A STUDY by doctors at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge has found that having a big breakfast every day is a sure way to maintain a healthy weight.

People who ate most in the morning put on the least weight - even though they had eaten the most calories.

Researchers say this is because eating up to 50 per cent of your total daily energy intake at breakfast gives the body much more time to metabolise calories more efficiently. But there’s a double whammy.

Earlier studies showed that skipping breakfast increases weight. This is because when the body is starved of food for long periods it starts storing more fat, leading to weight gain.

And a study published in the journal BioMed Central Neuroscience reveals why the temptation to reach for a high-fat snack or sugary treat mid-morning is almost impossible to resist.

When we’re hungry, we become more sensitive to sweet and salty tastes, which makes us much more likely to gorge on cakes and crisps.

But having a low-GI breakfast such as porridge keeps blood sugar and metabolism constant throughout the morning and will help with weight loss.

MYTH: ‘HEALTHY’ READY MEALS

SAINSBURY’S Be Good To Yourself Chicken Tikka Masala and Pilau Rice says it contains 4.8g of fat - but experts working for Channel 4’s Dispatches found one sample contained a third more fat and another nearly twice as much.

They also found that Waitrose Chicken and Mushroom Parcels contain more fat per 100g than the 18.8g in fish and chips, the 16.2g in a kebab and the 13g in a McDonald’s double cheeseburger.

Rules covering nutrition accuracy on labels are stricter for animal feeds than for humans.

******* Please Type in Your Comments and If Have Any Queries Forward ********

Step by step

I find myself planning. Planing for the next job, planning for my career, wedding, baby………so many things …I got caught up in the middle. I used to write to keep my thoughts in order and this is what the blog will be.  A sort of order in my mind. It will give me the responsability of following through with all my plans and making them come true…

But let’s start at the beginnig. I am in the proccess of taking Step 1 - medical examination. I payed - just need to schedule and take it. And study. Study and do as many tests as possible.  That has a deadline- so I am good there. 

My future husband and I are both on visas and we are getting them extended- that kept me awake for a couple of weeks- without the visas, big part of the plans would end - abrubtly and painfully, since back home there is no home…Luckily we got some news this week and I slept for 2 days almost . Looks like we’re going to be in Florida for the summer.:)

The wedding- we haven’t planned yet. We will have to deal with that when we go back home. It will probably be big, and I won’t know maybe half of the guests, but we’ll have our friends, old friends and friends we have made from all over the world. I buy a wedding magazine every now and than, I have picked the theme but it is as far as I would go right now. We have seen some restaurants before we came, talked to some photo studios, cake manufacturers, flower shops, so when we have a date, I’ll call everybody and book them- see- plans )

The baby - well, the truth about babies is that, even if we are not married yet, we have been trying.  We have been trying hard ))) for over a year now with no luck. We only started when my endocrinologist gave me the bad news: polycystic ovary syndrome- no. 1 reason for infertility. At this point it doesn’t matter which comes first- marrige or baby. 

There is one more reason why I wanted to blog. I am trying to lose some weight. 60 pounds of extra weight to be more exact. 60 pounds that are in the way between me and my plans. Between me having a beautiful wedding dress and especcialy in the way of me getting pregnant.  

On this journey I have with me my wonderful husband to be, who is my biggest supporter, my  best friend, the love of my life, Ciprian, who I am very thankful for putting up with me for 3 years now and who, for reasons I do not understand, loves me more everyday.

Tips To Find Ways For Easy Weight Loss

Finding ways for easy ways to lose weight these days is becoming a major issue with just about every age group and cultural group manifested by the enormous amount of  of diet programs and diet concepts, and the reason is fairly easy to see. Eating habits haven’t all that changed compared to 30 tears  ago and still applying the same principles from way back today. An outdated diet plan doesn’t work for one good reason- processed foods.

To find some easy ways to lose weight why not start paying attention to what you eat and how much water you do or don’t drink. Think of each of the nutritional supplements you put into the body as fuel for the different organs which synergistic ally work together to run your body and most importantly burn fat.

Quite simply; take care of yourself with the basic consumption of nutrition, water and fiber and you will start to lose weight With so much of what  we eat these days being processed and stuffed full of preservatives your body is getting clogged up and causing all sorts of troubles with processing even the healthy nutrients we eat.

One important matter to think about in your search for easy ways to lose weight is that you should drink lot of water, this helps unclog the body and assists the body to move nutrients to the right organs that help break these foods down into their nutritional roles.

The other thing is to try to eat less of these preservative ridden processed foods as they often also don’t hold any nutrition which makes the body to store a bunch of fats that can’t be broken down well (nutrition is the building blocks or fuel for powering the body’s furnace!).

Win, Loose or Draw?

Where do you draw the line with your health? Do you aim to Win, Loose or Draw?

Win, Loose, or Draw could be thought of as Win, Loose or Drag! Drag as in Dragging your weight around with you until you choose to Win! Really, nobody likes to loose, do they?

If you’ve been struggling, wanting, dreaming and somewhat dieing to loose weight, then I have one question for you -

Why Not Now?

If you are ready, but, you lack motivation, information, and support than I have another question for you:

How about a Weight Loss Challenge?

There is a Weight Loss Challenge going on now! You can get involved with one anytime!

With a Weight Loss Challenge, you can convert your options from Win, Loose or Draw to Win, Win and Win!

Invite your friends to join in the fun and be an even bigger Winner!

After all ,what do you got to loose? Weight?

It’s time to stop the cycle and take on the challenge and Win!

Weight Loss Challenges offer the following:

Motivation, confidentiality, information, hope, support, weight loss, and more.

Local and Long Distance Challenges are available

For more FREE information on a Weight Loss Challenge, contact us today!

Also, for you very active people out there, ask about our Runner’s Challenge!

Mah baby broke my Bathroom Scale.

Soooooo. Either I have been steadily gaining. Or suddenly losing. Yesterday I weighed in at 292lbs. I pretty much had a heart attack. Yes, over the past few months I have gained a lot! So I finally gave in and finally started tracking calories like 3 days ago. And boy.. do I eat  alot apparently.

I found a BMR calculator that takes into account breastfeeding. And at my weight I should be eating over 3000 calories just to maintain! Go figure that! And on top of it, I am eating more than that to be gaining. I started using Spark people, and just put in my own numbers. They don’t really seem to like pregnant or lactating (nursing) women on there because of how it is set up.

(this may seem all over the place but it will all come around)

A girl with a blog called Ash Is Fit is doing a program called 20lbs in 20 weeks. She talked about laying out the figures (calories in and out) and giving yourself motivation. She had made a chart that shows each of the weeks, with dates and pounds at the bottom to be marked off as you lose them. Pretty cool. I made 6. That is 120 pounds, and I will be loseing all the way into 2011. I just have to remind myself that it is meant to take a long time.

Granted what happened with my scale this morning makes me really conflicted.

I lost 11 lbs. L.E. was playing with the scale because she things the numbers are oh so cool. So I reset it and jumped on all nude and what have you, to get a reading. I do the same thing every time I weigh myself. It is first thing after I wake up in the am and I am naked.

I jumped back on about 12 times. The only difference that happened is it went up to 282 instead of 281, then back down to 281. So either my baby broke my scale a long time ago, and that is how I gained so quickly, or she just broke 11 pounds off.

I really kind of hope that I am 281 and that the scale was broken.

I know I shoulnd’t rely on said scale for telling me my progress, but the closer you get to 300lbs. The scarier it is. It is a looming number that I remember my mom being over. I remember thinking how impossible it is to get that heavy. It all seemed so impossible. And then it kept creeping up.

As a summary, I have exercised everday for almost 2 months. Progressively harder. Awesome. I have patella tendintis, and I pulled a muscle in my back last night before bed. That sucked. It is feeling a little better today. And I plan on working out.

I am now counting calories, but I am still eating clean. What is the point of eating a little bit of junk if you pay for it so dearly. (A blizzard from Dairy Queen my husband got for me had over 1,200 calories apparently!!!!!)

Which cardio plan is for you

In today’s post I’m going to change the way you think about cardio and give you the truth about different cardio plans and which ones you should be doing.  By the end of reading this you will understand what kind of cardio burns the most fat in the least amount of time.

Lets start by tackling the most popular/oldest type of cardio, “Slow Steady State Cardio”.  This type of cardio is by far the most widely known cardio plan and unfortunately the least effective cardioplan for burning fat.  Studies have shown that even doing 40 to 90 minutes of slow steady state cardio produced no loss in belly fat over a 12 week period.  Not to say that this type of cardio doesn’t have its place in the fitness world, it just doesn’t provide results when it comes to fat loss.

The next type of cardio and my absolute favorite method of training is Interval Cardio.  Interval cardio when compared with slow steady state cardio blows it out of the water for fat loss. Not only do you burn more calories, a majority of those calories come from fat calories.  The interval cardio plans come in a variety of schemes, however I prefer a 1:3 work to rest ratio.  This is achieved by bringing your heart rate up around 85-90% for 30 seconds, then letting your heart rate recover  around 50-60% for 90 seconds. This should only be done for 20 minutesor 2 miles, which ever comes first and should never be done on consecutive days.

The most time conscious fat burning cardio plan brings us to Tabata Interval Training.  The basic idea is that after a 5 minute warm up, you perform 20 seconds of intense work 90% of your maximum heart rate(MHR), followed by 10 seconds of rest, 50% of MHR, then repeat 8 times.  This is a total of 4 minutes of intense work and isn’t a bad option for someone who doesnt have much time and in good cardiovascular shape.

Body weight circuit training is the most nontraditional cardio plan  but isn’t really a cardio plan at all.  I prefer to start circuits with a simple total body exercise like step ups, then follow that with 6 exercises, alternating between upper body exercises and lower body exercises, finishing off with an explosive plyometric total body exercise like burpees. 

I hope this sheds a bit of light on the subject of  cardio for you. If you are not sure what exercises to choose or are completely lost on how to get started, head on over to my online training site for more info.

032209

195.6

I don’t think I am going in the right direction. That little number is supposed to be getting smaller not bigger.

I have been going to the gym and doing new cardio exercises. I am happy about that. I started kick boxing. Totally uncoordinated for it but I am moving and sweating. I also went to Zumba classes really fun but still uncoordinated for that too. I sweat and laugh while I do it. I also took a yoga class (boring snooze fest) and a pilates class (awesome and feels great afterwards)

I need to start wearing my bodybugg again and log all my food intake.

I am trying harder.

8 Reasons You are Not Losing That Weight

8 Reasons You are Not Losing That Weight

 

When you’re trying to find out why you’re having trouble losing weight you should factor into the equation the number of changes your body has gone through.  From the age of puberty our bodies are set on a course of many changes at multiple stages in life.  It is possible that these changes which include pregnancies, trauma, and other stress related issues have an impact on weight gain and are the reason why you’re not losing that weight.  It’s important that you also understand the underlying implications of why your weight lose plans fail.  

 

Trouble breaking bad habits

You may be on a healthy diet, however this is a futile attempt to lose that weight if you do change specific habits like drinking carbonated beverages (soda) and other high calorie drinks.   One of the most common reasons for having trouble losing that weight  is holding on to bad habits that contradict your dieting plan . While these drinks may taste pleasing they have a less pleasing effect on your figure.

 

Not enough physical activity

We all know part of a successful weight loss program involves physical activity.  Sufficient exercise is essential to losing that weight.  Even if you have moderate physical activity you may need to increase your frequency or intensity.

Getting the proper exercise has other health benefits that assist in weight loss, like building and toning muscles.  While toning your muscles you increase muscle mass you are also helping the body to burn fat during resting hours.    Aside from muscle toning the right amount of physical activity raises your metabolism which also helps burn calories during exercise and hours after.

 

Thyroid problems

Many women at all ages suffer for a low acting thyroid gland or Hypothyroidism.  When you have this condition your metabolism is very low and its difficult to naturally burn calories, thus causing you gain weight rather than losing that weight.   This condition can be properly treated and placed back on this regular cycle, however if the conditions is out of hand you could require surgery and hormonal replacement aids.

 

Not eating regularly

Your body needs food for fuel there skipping meals has the adverse affect on the body.  You can fast for a period of time but even fasting requires that certain nutrients are consumed.  The reason for this is fuel.   You have to set a regular eating schedule to fit your particular diet and commit to eating every meal as required. 

Too much salt and sugar

Even thought you are trying to lose that weight, you may still have a high level of salt and sugar intake.  Salt or sodium causes the body to retain water while sugar adds extra calories.  While you are watching your calorie intake also watch salt and sugar intake as well.

 

Not enough water

Our bodies are made up of nearly 70%water, most often when you are dehydrated the symptoms resembles hunger and many people tend to mistake dehydration for hunger and therefore you eat more to curve this feeling.

 

 Eating more than you should

While it is recommended that you eat frequently and regularly during your diet, the purpose for the diet is to cut down on meal portions in addition to calories.   Even though you are eating according to your diet you may be added more to your plate than you should.  So make sure you cut down on meal portions while you’re working on losing that weight.

 

Poor weight objectives

One of the most common reasons why you are not losing that weight is probably because you like many other women have poor weight loss objectives.   You have to set reachable goals when you are trying to lose weight.  Setting weight loss goals too high or too quickly could be the reason why you’re not losing that weight.

 

BY VC Murray

 

 

Weight loss surgeries vs. diet pills – which are safer?

When it comes to successful weight loss you want to follow a route that is stress free and painless, which is why being able to find a weight loss supplement that can offer you long term weight loss results is so important.

Especially when the other common alternative is surgery.

Look on the web and you will commonly find 4 types of weight loss surgery. Each of them risky and painful.

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG) – here the stomach is stapled into 2 parts, with the upper part being made smaller to reduce space for food.

Once the food arrives it is passed into the lower pouch through a small opening. To prevent the hole from expanding, a band is put in place to stop it stretching.

RISKS: the band is prone to wearing; the staple line can breakdown and in some cases stomach juices have leaked into the abdomen causing infection and even death.

Laparoscopic Gastric Banding (Lap-Band) – intended only for people who are 100lbs overweight, this device works by placing an inflatable band around the upper part of the stomach.

The band itself can be altered in size by changing the amount of salt there is in the saline solution in the band, but overall this band is intended to be permanent.

RISKS: can lead to nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal pain, band slippage and pouch enlargement.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB) – during this surgery, the surgeon makes the stomach smaller by stapling it and creating a smaller pouch. This pouch is then attached to the middle past of the small intestine.

The reason they do this is to one, limit how much you eat and two, to reduce the number of nutrients that are absorbed into the small intestine.

RISKS: offers the risk of ‘dumping syndrome’ where food moves too rapidly through the small intestine. Other side effects include – nausea, weakness, sweating, faintness, diarrhoea, infection, leaking, pulmonary embolism, gall stones and nutritional deficiency.

Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD) – this is a highly risky surgery that is rarely used. Here surgeons remove a large part of the stomach, limiting food and stomach acid production. This small pouch is then connected to the final segment of the small intestine. A common channel is kept to allow bile and pancreatic digestive juices to mix with the food before it enters the intestine.

RISKS: nutritional deficiencies.

As you can see each of these surgeries comes with risks. Risks that are impossible to ignore when there are other natural alternatives available.

Now as we say this there are of course weight loss supplements on the market which can cause similarly unpleasant side effects to these surgeries. To name just a few: Alli, Reductil and Xenical - each of these can cause unpleasant, negative side effects.

Then there is the fact that they can only be used for a limited amount of time. Varying from 3 months to a year, for those seeking long term weight loss results, such dietary pills as these just cannot help.

Yet there is hope.

Natural fat binders such as Proactol™ can offer you an easier route to weight loss without any of the risks of bogus pills or surgery.

100% organic and side effect, Proactol™ is clinically proven to help consumers reduce their dietary fat intake by 28% whilst also suppressing their appetite. The perfect combination for taking control of your weight loss, without ever having to worry about your body. It is risk free.

And compared to most weight loss pills you’ll find online, Proactol™ comes highly recommended as natural weight loss supplement within the media.

To date it has been featured in the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, the New York Times and most recently in bridal magazine YouAndYourWedding where they teamed up with Proactol™ to offer users a free trip to a Champney spa.

So offer your body a natural solution to weight loss, free from all risks.

For more info, visit Proactol™ Official Website

Temptation

Day Five of the Cat Food Plan brought to mind a familiar word to pretty much anyone; temptation. No matter what anyone does, it always lurks — Devil-sent to persuade us to give in to urges.

I’m falling apart, folks.

I had the customary garbage for breakfast and it took me over an hour to force it down my throat while making the same face a toddler makes when they are forced to take liquid medicine by their mommy.

I want my mommy.

The sit-ups, one-seventh of my routine are causing me major fits. Several times in the past couple days I have suffered major muscle cramping (like a Charley Horse) in my abdomen. Sometimes they flare up after a sneeze, a laugh or even trying to get out of bed. The stabbing, searing pain is nearly homicidal.

This treacherous diet brings to mind suicide.

I know many folks think I’m being too melodramatic but here’s the thing. I can’t help how it makes me feel as hard as I try to help it. It makes me very sad and depressed and I am never sad or depressed about anything. If life is rotten, it makes a person think crazy things. I even disregarded my final two meals of the day because at this point, not eating is better than eating freakin’ cat food!

God save me!

Pilates and weight loss, part 3

This week we have been discussing Pilates, weight loss and the factors that contribute to weight loss.  Stress is often cited as a cause of weight gain — or weight loss — and Pilates is often cited as a stress-reducing exercise system.  So today we will explore the effects stress has on the body and how Pilates can help.

After sifting through all the information available on the internet regarding stress and weight fluctuations, we came to one conclusion:  doctors and researchers disagree on the exact hormonal changes stress induces in the body that could lead to changes in weight.  In short, some believe stress increases cortisol levels which causes weight gain.  But according to the Mayo Clinic, “…there is no evidence that the amount of cortisol produced by a healthy individual under stress is enough to cause weight gain.”  In fact, popular diet pills which claimed to be “cortisol blockers” were recently banned by the FDA for unsubstantiated claims of weight loss, and the companies were forced to pay millions in consumer refunds.  For a review of other diet pills by the Mayo Clinic, click here.

Other sites discuss stress-induced insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome as additional causes of weight gain.  Undoubtedly, stress is damaging to the body, but each individual has his/her own unique health concerns and his/her own predispositions to certain health issues.  Thus, we have included links to the additional information, but would prefer to focus on that which the experts DO agree!

Most researchers, physicians and nutritionists agree that “emotional eating” or “nervous eating” remains the true reason stress leads to weight gain.  While some respond to stress by NOT eating, many of us reach for the chocolate chip cookie or the entire bag of chips in times of stress.  Because eating healthily — like choosing the carrot sticks over the candy bar — can feel like punishment to the overworked, exhausted, frazzled body, we seek to “take care of ourselves” with food that instantly gratifies us and makes us say “life is good after all!”  The desire to take care of one’s self is a positive act, yet the choices made usually are not the best for the body in the long run.

The good news:  Pilates can help keep stress in check!  It can be hard to shift your thinking to viewing exercise as a reward and a gift you give to yourself, but our suggestion is simple — give it a try!  Wouldn’t it be worth it if you slept better or felt better about yourself after your workout?  Try the Renew and Revitalize Workout from UltimatePilatesWorkouts.com for an energizing, core strengthening workout, or the Strength and Challenge Workout for a more challenging routine that will surely release excess stress!

If you’re struggling with cravings, unfortunately, there is no easy solution.  Try a Hershey’s Kiss instead of the entire candy bar, or buy a smaller bag of chips if you fear you’ll devour a large bag before you know it.  Satisfying a craving is not the problem…the degree to which one satisfies a craving usually is!  You just have to decide “will eating this make me more or less happy in the long run…..”

Trainer Annette's Weight Loss Diary- the "Why"

Well ummmm, many reasons actually, but the number 1 reason, and my absolute FAVE response…..”Because I can.”

· Initial goal: 10lbs-why?

o Honesty?? Marketing! Everybody has trouble with the “last 10lbs.” or “I just want to lose 10lbs.,” so what better a way to get everybody engaged –eh?

o I’m a “trainer,” which many question, “What’s the problem anyway Annette…..you’re a TRAINER!” And the next thing out of their mouths or that runs through their heads is, “Oh well, that’ll be no problem for her, she’s a TRAINER!!” Ummm-really?

o Because tons of people want to see “how I do it,” and have numerous questions like how to shop for food, how to prepare it, etc.

o Because I’m not “Barbie,” (thank you Perrone, it’s true, the blatant honesty makes me laugh!!) I am a 41 year old, 5’ 1/2” Mexican! I’m not sure how much I weigh, but we’ll find out, as soon as I jump on the scale with my video camera to show you I’m for real.

o Because there’s always room for improvement, and I’m willing to share a real experience to include all my cravings, (eeeek, you’ll LOVE reading that!), my temptations, perceived failures, “don’t wannas,” everything.

· Realistic goal for me….5lbs to 7lbs-why?

o Because I’m losing FAT- -not muscle. Another highly questioned process that I’ll detail out as well. Really, it’s so much simpler, both theory and execution, than most are willing to realize and accept. Uh-oh….”those” two words.

· Realize & Accept

o You just have to realize and accept how you’re built body-wise. Well, I realize I’m built like a brick house, I’m muscular, and all I have to do is walk in a gym weight room, take a deep breath……and my body changes. Okay, it’s not “quite” like that, but seriously, my body responds extremely well to weight lifting.

o What I have to consistently accept is that I do NOT like cardio—aaack! But this is my weakest link, it’s what’s going to make an impact by complimenting the weight lifting, so this will definitely be one of the things I will choose to ramp up. And many of you may be just the opposite-right? And that’s because you’re built differently, OR you’re built like me, and haven’t ever really felt like you’re reaching your potential, and the one day you happen to engage in what really does work for you, and then the light bulb goes on!

§ “Acceptance is not a failure; it’s an opportunity to play your edges with what you got.” Yes….I made that up.

Stay tuned, it’ll be fun!

Sharing is Caring,

Annette!

Almost Friday

Just a few quick random things.  Things have been hectic the last week (okay, the last three weeks). 

 Shiloh was sick again this week, so I’ve missed more work.  I took her to the doctor on Tuesday and she has an ear infection.  She’s feeling better now (still taking meds) and she’s back in preschool today. 

The doctor also prescribed Shiloh some allergy medicine.  I know my allergies have been going crazy the last few weeks, so I’m wondering if that isn’t part of the reason Shiloh has been so tired and clingy lately.  Maybe it’s not the preschool that’s the problem, maybe she just feels bad.  I’m hoping that the allergy medicine will help and she’ll be back to her old happy self again.  I don’t like giving her medicine unless she really needs it, but I know how awful allergies can make you feel. 

My allergies are seriously driving me insane this week.  I’m taking medicine for them, and it’s cleared up some of the drainage, but my eyes are still itchy and red and I’m so tired.  I hate TN this time of year.  I never had allergies until after I had Shiloh.  I don’t know if the pregnancy changed something or if it’s just because I’m getting older.  Either way they make me mad.  I used to like spring…

I’m proud of myself because even with all the craziness the last few weeks, I’ve done really well with my diet and I’ve exercised four of five times each week.  It makes me feel good to know that I can do it even when life is out of it’s normal routine.  If I can eat right and exercise with allergies and a sick toddler and when I’m getting four hours of sleep a night, I can certainly do it when things are normal again.

That’s about all I have right now. I know, really exciting. (Oh, and my mood is much better than it was Monday. Nothing has changed, but I’m feeling better.)

Note Worthy

Markings from the Mayhem: Thursday, March 18

11:00 am Weight Watchers New Member Meeting

- 31 points for daily munching. Hooray!  (Total points for Noodles & Co. mac & cheese: 12.) (Oh my.)

- No need to drink H2O. Slug down six 8-ounce glasses of something other than beer and we’re golden. (Oh my.)

 

1:30 pm Lunch Meeting with LaMar Lisman

- LaMar: “There’s Marcie something or other. I haven’t seen her in years. She looks like hell.”

- Faustina lunch special: chicken sandwich with avocado and garlic aioli, side salad with yummy crunchy beets, apple bread pudding. Cost $10. Weight Watchers points: 100. (Oh my.)

 

6:30 pm National Speaker’s Association Monthly Chapter Meeting w/Patricia Fripp

- “What if…” The two words that all creative professionals have used since the beginning of time  to solve their client’s problems.

- “People don’t remember what we say. They remember the picture we create in their minds.”

- “Write dowm what people say. People say much more interesting things than we can ever write.”

 

9:35 pm Driving Home

Zoe: ”Binky?”

Mom: “We don’t have a binky sweetheart. You threw it out the window last night because binkys are for babies. Remember?”

Zoe: “All gone?”

Mom: “Yes, all gone. Binkys are for babies. Not for big girls. Are you a big girl?”

Zoe: “Zoe? Baby.”

(Oh my.)

Raw Diet Program: Will You Lose 10 Pounds?

As all of you know that eating a lot of vegetables is a very good way to go for a healthy food. It gives benefits to our bodies, our skin and our overall health. But the proponents of the raw food diet take one step further. That is the reason why most of the people are choosing the proponents of the raw diet program.

They argue that eating foods that are unprocessed and in their natural state is the best and clearest way to health and vitality. Actually most of them are not know that it is give more side effects in future.

Most of them who really follow a raw food diet program always aim to get at least 90% of their food the raw way, that is, uncooked and unprocessed. A little percentage of food can be thirsty or dried, as long as it was never heated above about 116 degrees Fahrenheit. Put in mind that you must always aware when you are under this type of diet program.

Even though it might seem that a raw food diet would be limited to fruit and vegetable salads to be eat every day, the reality is menu for raw food advocates have changed a lot in recent years and you must take that in a consideration. Because the association has taken off in recent years, more and more books are promoting about the raw food diet that features a variety of foods and recipes.

For an example, raw foods might create spaghetti using julienned zucchini method. Even the sauce might be made from fresh tomatoes and peppers, with some imagination and time, interesting recipes can be produced. So be alert with this type of recopies and also collect information from other outsources.

In this generation there are very rare people choosing a raw food diet when they simply want to lose weight. Because now they are more alert with their health often, there are other health benefits they seek. Proponents may say that the uncooked food diet has many benefits, including:

1. There is healing of diseases like eye problems, skin diseases, and diabetes.

2. There is a sense of increased energy and vitality.

3. There is weight loss, or easy weight management once an ideal weight is reached.

4. There is shiny hair and youthful, supple skin.

5. There is better digestion and a reduction in digestive problems.

6. Lastly there is reduced risk of heart disease.

Even though people have their own, personal reasons for joining the raw food crusade, many are already at a perfect weight and don not seek to lose more. In my point of view they are instead after the advantage of a younger body and younger-looking skin.

The raw food diet promotes eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds and other unprocessed food, so people are report that their skin looks more vital, that they notice a decrease in any skin problem they might previously have had.

Perhaps the best one by far, would be applicable to those who follow a raw food diet get - in spades - all the mentioned and usual benefits of consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. From antioxidants, which help your skin combat the signs of aging, to vitamins and minerals that nourish, keeps the skin healthy and protects the skin, there is enough healthy eating methods here to give the dieter a wide range of vitamins and minerals in order for the average person to live a healthy lifestyle.

Eating a raw food diet ensures that the all of these benefits are discovered and enjoyed by the dieter.

See the only Master Cleanse diet used by Hollywood Celebrities such as Beyonce!

Exclusive discounts of the Master Cleanse Diet here!

Mantra for an effective weight loss

 

 

Wish to lose weight easily, safely and naturally??

 

I am sure you do and that’s precisely the reason, you are reading this page!

 

Perhaps, you know how to get fit and probably, you have tried a lot of weight loss plans to realize that the problem is not eating healthily and exercising regularly, BUT to stay motivated to do so, till you achieve your dream weight.

 

We understand that to succeed at slimming, motivation is one of the most important aspects to work at. It is this motivation, which is going to provide us with the determination to get up and exercise even if we don’t feel up to it, to stick to the low fat and high fiber recipe selections and to continue with the dietary discipline, we had set up in our daily lifestyles.

 

Most dieters would definitely have certain degree of motivation, as they have already decided to take action. But the problem, which we need to tackle for most, is going to be able to keep the levels high and long enough to prevent any relapse.

 

Work through some of the following strategies, developed just for you and see if these can increase your desire for success!

 

A) LEARN TO ACCEPT SELF:

 

Try learning to love yourself for who you are, not who you wish to be. Acknowledge that you need to improve your health or weight but also that this is going to take time and lot of effort, if you have been following not so healthy lifestyle earlier. After you have tried to understand and appreciate your bodies, then only, you will be able to work with them!

Start with small changes (like having more fruits and vegetables during the day or going for a walk every morning or having junk and processed foods only once a week) and let them develop into an eating habit.

 

B) SET achievable goals

 

You should set realistic, practical and easily obtainable goals. Because when you attain each goal, it provides you the feeling of accomplishment and gives you the motivation to continue.

Go slow and try to target 1-2 pounds or half to one kilo loss per week. Being too fast might not be good for your health and lesser than this would not be worth putting effort for. A goal to walk for 30 minutes a day, five days a week- is not only specific, but it is also attainable. I usually advise my patients to treat themselves with a forbidden food of their choice, to celebrate the success and then get back to their diet plan to meet the target for the coming week.

Maintain a positive outlook, seek support from friends and family and generally be happy about this entire process of developing healthy eating habits.

If you miss out on exercise on one day or had to eat an extra helping at a social event, don’t despair-rather put in an extra 10 minutes next day in your workout.

C) Assign a date to start the plan-

 

 I know it is difficult to get motivated to start with yet another plan, especially if you have tried dieting earlier and had struggled or regained the lost weight back.

Find the inspiration to start a weight loss plan TODAY by asking yourself -

·         How being overweight has affected your life and health?

·         Does being overweight restrict you to do things, which you would love to do or could have done, if you were not overweight?

 

We all know that losing weight is definitely going to help us feel better and look great! Maintaining a healthy eating habit and active lifestyle is going to reduce our risks to diabetes, heart diseases, and liver problems……So, what are you waiting for? Take the plunge NOW and help us to show you that losing weight is not as hard, as you thought it to be……….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All tools and information on this site are intended as an aid to help healthy adults lose weight and not intended as medical advice. The information presented here is not for pregnant or breast-feeding women or for any person under the age of 18. If you suffer or think you may suffer from any medical condition you should consult your doctor before starting any weight loss exercise regime. Any weight loss exercise programs or diet should be started slowly and we advise you to always consult your doctor or physician beforehand

To A Skinny St. Patrick's Day

Oh no, I didn’t mean me. I meant leaner corned beef. LOL. I know that on the WeightWatchers Rickter Scale (4pts. for 2 oz.) but I don’t care. I have waited a whole year for the price to drop back down to something reasonable, and I’m eating it! I usually buy very lean corned beef, I boil it with the spices for long enough to cook most the rest of the fat off of it, and the rest of the year it jumps back up to about $3.49 a pound vs. $1.59 to $1.79 a pound now. It’s not so much that $3.49 a pound is super expensive, it’s the principle of it.

I have a certain line I rarely cross when it comes to grocery shopping. I just won’t pay over a certain price for certain items. If I can’t get (diet) soda for $2.50 a 12-pack, then we drink water. I did buy eight 8-packs the other day, which up to this point I had refused to buy because I think it’s more grocery trickery, but hey, it was only $1.49 an 8-pack. Who could hold out on that?

I don’t pay $1.00 for tuna when it’s not even albacore. I don’t pay over a dollar a can for chili, or a dollar a box for mac and cheese. My son accused me of being addicted to shopping once because I stock up pretty good when something’s on sale for a decent price. I explained to him how much it irks me to pay full price for something when I know what it costs on sale. Mayo, $4.00 a jar. Ridiculous and now the jars are 2 ozs. less!

So for dinner I will be cooking corned beef, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. I will fill up basically on the veggies, mainly cabbage at 0 pts. (which at one store is free with the corned beef), a few carrots and a red potato and figure about 10 pts. I know myself too well to think I’ll only have a 2 oz. slice of beef so I’m allowing for 4 ozs.

It could be worse. We could eat big slabs of bacon here like they do in Ireland. LOL

Day 2 On Medifast - Took a Peek at the Scale!

I’ve made it through my second day on Medifast, and I cannot tell you how proud I am to be sitting here… typing this out…

I am Doing IT! YES!!!!

Again, today, I have been quite hungry. It’s been more tolerable than yesterday’s feelings of complete and utter starvation. I did find myself not as hungry when it came time to eat the oatmeal. Not sure if I like it yet. Either way, it gets the job done.  I think I like the chocolate pudding better than anything else I’ve tried so far.

And my weight… ah…yes…

I decided to step on the scale this morning just to see if it had budged during my first 24 hours on Medifast.

IT DID!

I LOST 4 LBS in 24 HOURS!!!!

I thought my scale was broken, and stepped on a it a few times, just to verify that it was all legit. I think my body is being thrown into shock by not only receiving one large meal per day. I’m not much of a snacker, but that one meal is usually FULL of carbs, fat, dairy, and anything else I can toss on my plate or order from the drive-thru.

I’m not going to log this 4 lb loss… I’ll wait it out until I weight myself next Sunday to log my 7 day total. I can’t imagine that I’ll lose 4 lbs everyday, but if I did, that would be 28 lbs. How awesome would that be?

I know… a bit unrealistic. But it WOULD be nice.

In all honesty, I fought a BIG temptation today, and that was my husband making his dinner. Yet again.

Jerk.

He was cutting slices of cheddar cheese. I am a cheese fanatic. I love cheese. I put it on everything… it’s my favorite, and I can honestly say it’s one of those foods that I eat that can instantly turn my bad mood into a great one.

Yeah, I wanted some SOOO bad. There was more than enough.  My stomach was growling like crazy… and I really wanted some.

I didn’t. No cheddar for me.

Not right now. I’ll have my day.

I have been drinking water like a mad woman, and paid the price last night. Even though I slowed down my water intake significantly a few hours before bedtime… it didn’t matter.

I woke up every two hours to pee all night long. No fun at all.

Small price to pay for 4 lbs in 24 hours.

Crazy.

Time to go eat my last meal of the day. I’m starving. My stomach is YELLING at me! I know it’ll pass.. . but I’m SOOO HUNGRY!!! I am craving donuts like nobodies business… but I won’t give in. I’m so tired of being a pudge ball.

I’ve made some great friends over at MyMedifast.com, and have seen some awesome profiles and even better support. These people are in it to win it!

So Am I! ‘m going to rock this diet like no tomorrow!