Tag Archives: weight loss

The Kick Sugar Summit has started

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The Kick Sugar Summit has started!  You only have a few more days for this event!

You can access it for free right here.

Don’t miss these great speakers and their topics:

Ocean Robbins

Yes THAT Robbins – his grandfather founded Baskin-Robbins and he and his father John Robbins have devoted their lives to changing the American diet.

Dr. Vera Tarman

“Why We Are Drawn To Sugar & How To Stop”

Bitten Jonsson – 30+ years no sugar!

“The Effect Sugar Has on Your Body & Brain”

And over 20 other MD’s Phds, sugar researchers and experts.

It is truly the finest group of sugar educators ever assembled in one place to cover a topic so timely.

What is presented is many, many ways to stop or control sugar in your life.

Just few things the speakers talk about:

  • Natural, steady weight loss with
  • No crazy exercise
  • How your skin will glow in just a few weeks
  • Greatly improved sleep
  • Real, tasty food – no pills, potions or shakes to buy
  • End sugar cravings forever
  • A very specific meal plan – no guesswork on recipes
  • End “brain fog” in just a few weeks

Two speakers have lost over 100 pounds and kept it off for over 20 years. One lost over 200 pounds.

If you feel sugar is an issue in your life please tune in. It’s 100% free and open to the public.

Get ready to Kick Sugar to the curb – register here for free.

Fat Summit

The skinny on FAT

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Forget everything you’ve heard about FAT…

For decades, medicine and pop culture have told us that eating less fat (and exercising more) is the secret to sustained weight loss, health, and longevity.

Yet Americans are sicker and fatter than ever!

Clearly, something isn’t adding up.

  1. Too much fat in whatever form can lead to disease.
  2. Too little fat in whatever form can lead to disease.
  3. The kind of fat and the balance of various fats are the critical features that determine how fat contributes to disease.

My good friend, New York Times bestselling author Dr. Mark Hyman is on a mission to separate the FAT from Fiction during his upcoming event, The Fat Summit.

Find out more right here.

In The Fat Summit, Dr. Hyman will interview 30+ of the world’s top experts, as they reveal the truth about fat – and what it really takes to lose weight, feel great, and reverse chronic disease.

Here’s a look at what you’ll discover:

  • Why eating more fat (and less sugar) actually leads to weight loss
  • Whether or not children should eat a high-fat diet
  • How carbohydrates impact hunger
  • The research on red meat (does “grass-fed” really make a difference?)
  • How wellness impacts the financial health of our nation
  • The connection between toxins and weight gain
  • How to enjoy healthy meat (with minimal environmental impact)
  • The best sources of plant-based fat
  • The role of fat in aging
  • And much more…

This event airs for free online January 25-February 1. But you have to RSVP to save your spot.

Go here to learn more and to sign up.

Forget about New Year’s Resolutions… If you’re ready to lose those extra pounds for good, have more energy immediately, and prevent conditions ranging from heart disease and cancer to diabetes and dementia, you won’t want to miss this free event.

Special Edition: The Photos

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Today, I finally made it to a total of 30 pounds lost! That’s 30 pounds in 25 weeks. Even thought it seemed longer! I said I would post the before or after pictures so here they are as promised.

compare

Wow, looking at my picture from 2012 (on the left) makes me wonder how I got to that point. It’s insidious how weight can creep up on you and barely know it’s happening if you’re not paying attention. I’m thankful that I’m now paying close attention. I still see areas to improve upon but it’s a huge change. Understanding how to eat properly will make it so much easier to keep my weight in check. Plus I feel so much better. Now, I am ready to get back to exercising.

I understand that I need to change my thinking of exercise than before. Just walking on the treadmill will only do so much. I need to keep challenging my body to reshape it. Losing weight is only one piece of the picture. I need to maintain my health long-term. Eating whole foods, exercising, drinking plenty of water, sleeping well, and being positive will bring this all together.

I’m looking forward to the future!

26 Pounds Lost in 20 Weeks

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That’s the official count – I’ve lost 26 pounds in the last 20 weeks. I feel  like I have discovered a hidden treasure. Eating has never been so easy for me than it is now. I have tried every conventional diet with the same results. Lose a few pounds and then gain it right back and more when you stop eating that way. That’s no way to live. Eating for a lifetime is the right way.

It has been such an amazing journey.  It has been such a life transforming event that I’ve enrolled in nutrition school to get my certification. I want to help others learn this process and make their lives better. I feel better than I have in a long time. I’ve started weaning myself off my medications. My blood pressure was down to 103/70. I don’t need medicine anymore if I can sustain that type of pressure.

I have contacted a close friend who is a chef. We’re going to partner to bring new, whole food recipes to people. This is going to be exciting for me. I can’t wait to set up a web site and begin doling out information to help folks like me.

I haven’t forgotten that I said I would post a picture. I’m still 5 pounds away from my goal. When I hit it, I will post those pictures. It’s hard to looks at them now, realizing how heavy and unhealthy I was. It’s taken years for me to get the right “prescription” for health and I did it on my own!

More than anything, this has been an empowering journey. Learning how to heal my gut, lose weight, and keep it off has been so satisfying that I never want to go back to the way things were before. This time I know I can keep the weight off and feel better every day.

Keep an eye out for the upcoming pictures – and soon, a new website.

Don’t Rush Progress

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I finally reached the 20 pound milestone. I was feeling quite good about it and started to add in more foods. But you can’t rush progress. I have been steadily losing weight as I ate a limited about of carbs. My eagerness to eat different foods got the best of me. I added in fruits – more than one at a time.  The good news is that I didn’t gain weight. The reality is that I stopped losing weight. So for about a week or so, I enjoyed morning smoothies with strawberries, bananas, grapes, dates, whatever I had on hand. They were delicious.

There is nothing wrong with eating fruit. But if you are trying to lose weight, there has to be a limit. I exceeded that limit. Strawberries are a good start since an average one has 1 gram of carbs. But a cup and half for a smoothie may be a bit too much for me at this time. Since I didn’t gain any weight, I don’t feel it was a bad investment. I know now that when I do reach my weight loss goal, I can have fruits and be able to maintain my weight.

I’ve gotten a better understanding of the foods that work well for my body. I have gone completely grain free since my diagnosis of Celiac’s Disease. No wheat, rye, barley, or any other grain, including corn and legumes. I’ve limited my dairy intake, mostly because of the gas and bloating issue. I do still cook with a limited amount of creams and cheeses. There’s no soy, sugar or sugar substitutes except stevia. Although I eat nuts, I do not include peanuts because they are a legume and not a nut.

Although The Thyroid Summit is over you can still get a copy of the material presented. One tidbit I want to share is about sleep. I have had interrupted sleep lately and couldn’t figure out what was wrong.  During Dr. Teitelbaum’s presentation, he commented that if you are waking up in the middle of the night for no clear reason, you may be having a drop in blood sugar. He suggested eating a handful of almonds before going to bed.  What a simple solution! It has helped me get a better night’s sleep. Let me know if you try it and your results.

Older But Lighter

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I woke up this morning wanting only one thing for my birthday – to have lost 15 pounds. Well, happy birthday to me. I made it. I’ve lost half of my targeted weight. It made getting a year older not so bad. I may be getting “older” but I’m getting better every day. My health is getting better. My weight loss is definitely better and steady. My attitude towards food is so  much better.

I’ve listened to the 2014 Diabetes Summit for the last nine days. So much valuable information! Even though I don’t have diabetes, I am insulin-resistant. I’ve learned so much about healthful eating and managing weight. It has reinforced my decision to eat low carb diet. I think starting on the Atkins diet was helpful to get the basic ideas for cutting out bad carbs and sugars. But now I see there is much more depth to regulating  body systems using food as a medicine.

Why take medications to reverse conditions that can be managed with proper diet? Diabetes is such an epidemic in this country and totally avoidable. Knowing that I have consciously decided to move away from the standard American diet and towards a lifetime of healthy eating is empowering. It is not easy when you’re start to lose weight to see other people eat those foods you once loved but it gets easier. I thought I never could stop eating sugary foods. I used to stop at Dunkin Donuts and get a vanilla chai latte and a sour cream donut (YUM) on my way to work. Yes, it tasted is really good but I didn’t like the afternoon crash that resulted. I no longer feel the need to sugar up to get through the day. Eating protein and healthy fats give me enough energy to get through the day without lagging. That is a dramatic difference.

Sugar is just one thing out of my diet for good. I’ll go through the other food items that I’ve eliminated and tell you why I made those decisions. If you get a chance, listen to what is left of the Diabetes Summit. There is so much good information – even one session could have a big impact on your thinking about healthy eating.

Reality of Weight Loss and Workouts

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I finally had to face it – I am my own worst enemy when it comes to my weight loss. Yesterday was my anniversary. I spent a lovely day with my husband. At the end of the day, I decided to broach the subject of my weight. I feel disgusted with myself for wasting nine months of the year without losing any weight. I know it’s my fault. I’m not many excuses. But I am asking for help.

My dear sweet husband, who loves me the way I am, understands how this torments me. He gently points out that I don’t push myself. And he’s right. I don’t. It’s not that I don’t want to work at it but I just don’t have whatever it is to make me stay on track. If I don’t get feedback – lose a pound or feel better – I end up making excuses and set myself up for failure. What will make me take that final plunge into dedication to diet and exercise?

His plan – to workout with me and push my limits where I won’t do it myself. I am wary of it because I don’t want to cause any problems between us. Am I just kidding myself that he can help me where I can’t help myself? I have to be willing to listen and follow his lead without the excuses. I want to replace the “I’m too tired” with “I’m ready for the next set”. But I’ve got to find the motivation and that’s where I hope he can help.

I have talked about meals and exercise but I am not doing what I should do – follow through. This is a painful cycle I put myself through. I knew when I started out writing about this that I had been down this road before. I had hoped putting it into words would force my hand. But apparently not. So here’s where I use trust. The one person in the world that I trust the most is going to get the test of a lifetime. I hope he’s up to it!

Weight Loss Doesn’t Just Happen

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I have been on travel for the entire month and it really shows. This is the biggest reason I cannot lose weight. I’m out of my routine and I feel it. I have driven two hours each way to the work site and stay in a hotel during the week. I try desperately to eat well but I don’t get in the exercise.

I’m always inclined to say that my age is a reason but in this situation I believe it to be true. I get up early and get a good breakfast before the start of the day. I’m off to the work site which is very remote. I either need to bring my food or rely on someone driving into town to bring back lunch. Without access to any method of cooking, I’ve been eating sandwiches. I bake gluten free bread to take with me but even that has too many carbs. Snacks have been limited to fresh fruit. That’s good but not enough. My day ends at the work site around 5:30 but I have another half hour drive to the hotel and then look somewhere for dinner.

Dinner is always hit or miss. Even with the best of planning, it is not always easy to eat as well as I should. Even without a dessert, I am sure that restaurant meals have too many calories than I should eat. I even try to eat only half portions.

But my day is not done. I go back to the hotel to put in another 2-3 hours of work preparing for the next day. Working late hours, trying to get in at least 7 hours of sleep, and rising early the next day make for an exhausting week. I can’t find the time to exercise. Everyone says you can find the time. But I can’t find the energy after working 10-11 hour days. And it’s taking the toll on my weight loss and overall health.

One more week of this and back to the weight loss routine…

Time To Fess Up

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Since I have traveled for work lately, I’ve not stuck to my routine. As a matter of fact, I completely blew it. I managed to gain five pounds. How embarrassing! It’s totally my fault, I get it.

I was watching Extreme Make Over: Weight Loss and began crying. Each time the person loses track and falls off the program, they gain weight or fail to lose the weight they’ve agreed to lose. That’s my problem. I can’t stay focused on JUST losing weight. I don’t seem to be able to live the rest of my life and keep weight loss my priority. I don’t have Chris Powell pushing me to keep going.

How does the average person manage to lose weight – serious weight, not just vanity pounds – when they have to work a full-time job, go to school, or raise a family? Each of those has so many components to them that it’s not just one thing. It’s a variety of things that make up the whole. At my age, I am facing extreme fatigue at the end of the work day. I don’t know how I managed to do the other things, like raise my family and still have time to keep fit. Is it just growing older? I don’t like that thought.

I’m back on the road tomorrow. This time I am packing healthy snacks to take with me. A cooler with frozen gel packs should help me store things until I get to my destination. My dear husband bought me fruit and veggies to take with me. He tries to help me so much. I’m the problem. I know it. I need a mental break-through. I need the equivalent of a Chris Powell in my head to keep pushing myself – no matter where I am.

It’s only a couple of hours away on the road but a million miles away from my food comfort zone.

Back on Track – Weight Loss a Priority

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I’ve traveled so much lately that I feel I haven’t given my weight loss goals a priority. First, I went on vacation. Of course, vacation isn’t the place where I want to think of cutting back on anything. I had a few creamy beverages that had too many calories. That’s done. I’ve got another 51 weeks until next vacation.

Then I had to travel for work. Went to Southern California on a whirlwind trip that didn’t afford enough time to do anything but work. My eating habits were already out of whack. The trip didn’t afford time to eat three proper meals so I ate what I could when I could. Domestic airlines don’t offer food any more; so for six hours I had peanuts and ginger ale.

I planned a bit in advance on the return trip. I packed a banana and some leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. Who says you can’t have ceviche for breakfast? Since I had a refrigerator in my room, I could save the food safely. It was actually nice to mix up meals so it wasn’t the same old thing. It still tasted fresh and I was happy I controlled my portions so that I had another meal out of it.

I had a good example with my coworker who traveled with me. She got up early in the morning or took time before dinner to work out. I really felt pretty ashamed. I was so jet lagged that I couldn’t motivate myself to do anything other than to drop into bed every time at every chance. Now that I’m home, I need to get back on track. (Heard/said that before!)

When I returned, my husband was so sweet. He knew how I was feeling – that unspoken communication that people have when they know each other so well. He offered work out with me to help me get my motivation back. Having just been away with someone half my age and full of energy kind of zapped my confidence.

So I will be back on track with weekly updates. Every day I will try to focus on what I actually need to eat – not just what I want to eat. My husband will guide me to work out for a healthier attitude for weight loss and most importantly health and fitness.