For All of Us Who Are Stuck...

You are not alone! There are more people stuck than not when it comes to weight loss. For instance, when I woke up today, I told myself I was going to stick to the plan and really attack my dietary goals. As it turns out, I'm finding it to be a difficult task and I'm wondering when this "Frogger" will actually be making the jump? 

Get the Lead Out!

Do any of you recall watching The Biggest Loser? Did you ever see the trainers tell contestants, "Oh! It's okay! You take a break. Don't worry about your weight loss goals; the pounds will just come off even if you're not working?" 

Heck No! Blood, sweat & tears are the only thing you'll see on that show! Whenever someone wants to slow down or stop, the trainers are hard and harsh! That's what we need to do with ourselves! 

Get Tough!

Today I want to be with you wherever you are. Next to the couch. In the drive-through line. At your lunch table and in your kitchen!

No more of this sweet, nice talk! Save your excuses for something else! Today is the day we make the jump and we continue until we've reached our next weight loss goals! Let the tears roll on out, but don't give up! I wish I could say there's another way to meet your weight loss goals, but there isn't! 

Get rid of the negative self talk and take control!

Every other web site out there is going to feel warm and fuzzy, but it's just sweet nothings! Sometimes we need to hear a harsh word and be held to a higher standard. What we're trying to accomplish is over ridding years and years of habits. This is not an easy task! If it were we wouldn't be reaching out for help in dramatic ways and constantly struggling. 

Personally, I'm unraveling 18 years of bad habits. My hope is that it won't take that long to get back to where I was before my habits changed causing my weight gain. 

I can't afford to be luke-warm!

When I think of all the years I've taken putting on these pounds! It's easy to get complacent, but I have to be tough and stop making excuses! I have to drink my water, take my vitamins, eat the veggies and change EVERYTHING from how I've done it in the past!

So, today when you're going about your day, just pretend that I'm right there screaming at you! I'd be quite annoying! When you start bargaining with your choices just think of what your own personal trainer would be saying?

"No! Don't give me tears and excuses! 

You don't get a break!

              

 

"Frogging" A New Idea in Dieting.

Instead of working for a year trying to reach my goal weight, I will make my first milestone within 10 or 20 pounds of where I am today. Just as a frog jumps many times to the finish line, I too, will take smaller more achievable leaps. I want to make these changes lasting and I feel that if I discipline myself to do maintenance stops at strategic milestones; I will make better, longer lasting progress. 

I want to purposefully create resting points where I bring my caloric intake up to a maintenance level and hold it there for a short amount of time. Rather than becoming discouraged and worrying about plateauing after several weeks of dieting; I can take planned stops, making sure that I'm not falling back into my old habits and gaining back all the weight I had lost plus more. Yo-yo dieting is just a plan I cannot live with anymore!

When searching for a long term solution, I find it necessary to institute a multitude of great ideas. I don't stick to just one diet plan, but use the best from many ideas and then add my own flavor to them. In my search to find accountability partners on line I came across a helpful website to keep track of my caloric intake and daily exercise at: Everyday Health. There I found it easy to sign up and use the tools they have there. 

I want to make lasting changes and for me, "Frogging" will be the style with which I attack this plan. So, for now, my goal is to get to 240 pounds. I hope you will try a goal that works for you too and may we all find great success together!

Today is the first day of the rest of my life!

Since the delivery of my second son in 1995, I have struggled to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and shape. I have attempted every diet known to man and had a few successes, but never fully got to the goal I was attempting or kept the progress I had made for very long.

Today marks my latest attempt. I am running out of time to make the changes needed before I get too fat and too old to really do something about it. I will walk every day and curtail my diet to healthy choices and rewards in small amounts rarely.

It's do or die trying! As long as I can walk; I will walk! As long as I can watch my food intake; I will watch my food intake! I can no longer accept this body I have created and it does not fit into my plans for the future! I will succeed! 

I'm adding walking to my daily regimen day I walked 5 miles. I'm sore, but I'm not too sore. Things went well and I'm looking favorably into the future! 

Better than Meats the Eye!

A Vegetarian Sandwich that I Love!

When I was working at an office in downtown Portland Oregon, USA years ago, I stumbled upon a little deli. It was there I was introduced to this most Fabulous Vegetarian Sandwich!

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Bread-2 slices
Neufchâtel cheese or cream cheese-2Tbsp.
Alfalfa or clover sprouts-liberal amount
Cucumber slices-As many as you want! Go for the Gusto!
Onion Slices-Optional

And the secret ingredient that makes this sandwich so delish...

Sunflower Seeds-Raw, Roasted, with salt, but best without!

Of course you can add any other veggies that you love!

Enjoy!

The "I Wills" that "I Will" Today!

After an extended weekend; I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day! I am rededicating myself to my weight loss goals and getting motivated!

Today I got up, got dressed, filled my water bottle and headed out for a walk before I could talk myself out of it. What a blessing! The air was fresh and most yards were full of life and color.

I've had a lot of time to formulate my strategy and renew my resolve. There have been so many triggers identified in the last two months that I have gained ample insight as to why I eat the way I do. My desire to keep going runs even deeper and with that being said I want to rededicate myself to all that I've begun.

When thinking of all the triggers that have come to light there is one that really sticks out for me. The fact that I overeat when I'm experiencing pain, whether it's the physical pain or the emotional pain, either one triggers the unhealthy eating and bad habits. Looking over the last two months has shown me that stressing out about my diet super charges the triggers to more bad habits. I have also found it difficult to stick to drinking my daily amount of water and taking vitamins seem to be a turn off over time.

So, what’s the solution?

I don't think there is any magic bullet, nor do I think a secret shortcut exists! In keeping up with all the latest trends and trying just about everything under the sun from past to present, I'm convinced of some very basic designs when it comes to weight loss.

For me, the only times I've ever lost weight in my life, the things that worked best and produced the greatest results were simply these:

1. Cutting Calories. No weight loss has ever happened without a serious reduction in calories.

2. Reducing Eating Times. When I lost 65 pounds one time around 2005, I had decided to eat only 3 simple meals a day and one small evening snack. 

3. Plain old walking has also been one of the best successes for me in the past.

4. Keeping the self-talk positive, Always!

I have also lost weight on Weight Watchers and Curves, but the real evidence has been good old fashioned healthy living. I realize I’ve developed some really bad habits over the last 17 years and getting them out of my life will be the greatest obstacle. When I think of how I ate and the level of activity I used to have; I realize how much things have changed. Sugar coating any of these facts will only be a disservice to the goals ahead of me. Most importantly, I must remember…

Today is a New Day!

The 2 month mark is quickly approaching and my desire to lose the weight is stronger than ever. With that being said I'm restarting my diet guidelines and fast-forwarding into health and wellness. My current weight today is 250.9 which considering the back-slide recently is pretty darn good. 

It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again! So, Today “I Will”…

“I will” begin again and limit my food intake and eating times. I will eat breakfast between 7 and 9am, lunch between noon and 2pm, dinner between 5 and 7pm. I will reserve a yummy snack for the hours before bed, but it will be very small and very yummy!

“I will” drink a minimum of 6 twelve ounce glasses of water and take all my vitamins.

“I will” not eat in between the meal times I have set. In the past I have thought of the in-between times as fasting times and it has helped.

“I will” walk and/or complete a workout twice today.

“I will” get to bed at a regular time, preferably one that reduces my chances of eating. I figure after the 10 or 11 o'clock new will be good.

These are my “I will” commitments moving forward...

So, please join me and let's make a new commitment! We don't need a special occasion or a certain date. What we need is to begin each and every day with a commitment to our lives! We all know what we want, now let's get out there and get it!