Half way through the first week!

It’s going well so far! I haven’t gone off the diet and I am well prepared for another 2 weeks.

I got on the scale this morning and I was down to 13 stones. That’s 182lbs! Hopefully this will keep up for the rest of the week. 6lbs in 4 days is great! I’ve got 3 days left so would like to lose another 4lbs but I’m being very hopeful! I think the most I have ever lost in one week is about 7lbs so I’m almost there. If I lose 10lbs this week, I will have 11 weeks approx to lose the remainer. I think 40lbs in total would be good. I would have to lose just under 3lbs a week to reach that goal. That would eventually take me down to 9 stone 12lbs but I’m not sure that I need to go down that low. I think it is a good idea to aim low anyway so I’m focused for longer as I find that when I get closer to my target, I start to drift out of the zone.

I am determined to lose this weight for good. I want to look at my wedding photos and be really happy with myself. I want to wear a bikini and feel that I look good. I know you may think that it’s not possible to feel absolutely happy with your body but it is and I know. That is because I did feel like that only 4 years ago.

I keep thinking about how I will feel when I have lost the weight and I cannot wait. I can hardly believe that I let myself get into this position. I got up to over 220lbs! I absolutely hated myself and seeing people who last saw me when I was thin.

In 2006 I went to Ibiza with my friend and I was really small at the time. That wasn’t even very long ago. Now I just don’t feel comfortable in a bikini. Actually, that’s a lie. I do feel comfortable while I am there but when I see the photos I hate them. I love to have photos from a holiday where I actually like looking at them.

Luckily, in Jamaica, we are staying in a suite with a semi private pool. It basically means that we are only sharing with 3 other couples. To be honest, I know that people aren’t paying me any attention anyway so I shouldn’t really be bothered but you know you are anyway!

Anyhoo, onwards and downwards!

[Via http://catlewis.wordpress.com]

Loosing Weight at Taco Bell

When you think of healthy what do you think of?  Fruits? Vegetable? Taco Bell?  Yes, that was not a misprint, Taco Bell.  I saw this commercial on TV about a lady who ate at Taco Bell and lost weight, so I thought I would share it with you all.

Christine Dougherty ate at Taco Bell five to eight times a week and lost 54 pounds!  She was not eating gordita’s, chalupa’s, or burrito’s, she was eating from the “Fresco menu”.   This menu has seven taco’s, which range from 150 to 340 calories.

Christine would order from the “Fresco menu” instead of the other fast food choices.  She lost around two pounds a month for two years.  She cut 500 calories from her diet and took in around 1,250 a day.

We  have all seen different restaurants giving a healthier alternative such as Subway and even McDonald’s, but Taco Bell really surprised me.  Taco Bell is not giving a solution to weight loss or a miracle diet, they are just giving a healthier alternative.  I thought this story was really awesome because she stuck with the diet for two years.  The weight loss was not overnight, it took two years!   I think that Taco Bell made a good decision by making the “Fresco menu”, now people can still enjoy Taco Bell, but a more healthier style.

If you want to read the full story go to http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/05/taco.bell.diet/index.html

I have not tried any items off of the “Fresco menu”, I am curious to know how they taste, so feel free to let me know!

About Me: I’m one of the Healthcare Career Agents over at Clear Medical Agency and am also the editor of the Clear Nursing Matters blog.  I work with a lot of great nursing professionals, and find that many interesting topics come up.  This blog will be one way to share my experiences and funny stuff that comes up.  Feel free to email me at Steve@ClearMedicalSolutions.com and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog.  It will make it easier to stay in touch

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Coffee, Weight Loss, Thermogenics And Their Effectiveness MlM Part 2

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It is important to realize that thermogenics are not to be used for long term weight loss. However, in the short term, they can be quite effective at helping someone shed some weight, along with diet and regular exercise. In regards to long term use they do tend to lose their effectiveness as the body can actually build up an immunity to them.

It is also a good idea to check out the ingredients of the supplement that you are interested in taking. After all, taking something that you have an allergy to is not going to help the situation! Consulting a physician before taking weight loss supplements is another good idea. Sometimes people with certain medical conditions should avoid some of the substances within a thermogenics.

Supplements that are thermogenics contain a few different substances that help the body burn fat. Some of the common ingredients include ephedrine and caffeine. They work together to raise body temperature which then stimulates the metabolism. Adding thermogenics-related substances can help people when they are used as directed.

Are you a seasoned mlm pro? We have a brand new coffee business opportunity. Get paid to drink the only patented thermogenic organic coffee in the world!

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A new beginning...

Hi everyone. My first post on this blog. It’s a new beginning for me. I was supposed to start this blog on 1st but life’s been keeping me busy

I will be using this blog as my Weight Loss journal. As of 1st Jan, I weigh 227lbs/103kgs. My target is to reach the 75-80kgs bracket and do this, hopefully by June this year.

Since 1st jan, I’ve been hitting the gym for 2 hours a day, five days a week. I thought I would not change my food habits, I’m a total foodie and that is the hardest thing for me. But from 9th Jan, I changed one meal, dinner.

So now my daily food intake includes :

• 1 bowl of Kellogg K Special with low fat milk
• Maybe a sandwich or rice or homemade burger with only onions and ketchup.
• I’ve been having only soup (sometime with 2 slices of brown bread) for dinner.

Which must be equal to around 1600-1800 calories (I’m bad at working out the calories count so I could be wrong).

So my journey has just begun. I hope I can make to to my target, as of the first week, I have lost any weight yet. Keeping my fingers crossed to see some change…

[Via http://babyelle.wordpress.com]

Diet Friday

I’ve never liked the word diet, but I dislike all the other diet euphemisms even more.  Program, eating plan, lifestyle choice . . . it all means diet, so that is the word I’m going to use.

I’m on a diet.  There, I said it.  I have been on a diet since Monday, and I started some aspects of the diet on Saturday.  My diet du jour is based on Jorge Cruise’s new book, “The Belly Fat Cure”.

As far as diets go, this is not exactly my first rodeo, so to speak.  I have probably tried every diet ever published (and some unpublished) since 1976.  Strangely enough, I’ve never had massive amounts of weight to lose–just the same 15 pounds over and over.  Now, I want to lose 25.  I have been at about the same weight for close to 3 years, and have been on Weight Watchers 3 times.  Although I lost 5 pounds on WW, it was tough and I was hungry.  As you get older, WW allows fewer and fewer points.  Not fair!  I figured I was eating about 1200 calories per day.  Technically, if all is true about calories and weight loss, I should have lost more.  Interestingly, I can eat as much as I want of whatever I want and not gain any more weight, but cutting my calories really wasn’t causing me to lose weight, either.

The basic formula in the BFC (Belly Fat Cure) is to stay at 15 grams or less of sugar per day, and 6 carbohydrate servings of 20 grams or less per day.  Now, I really hate low carb diets.  They make me cranky and they make me obsess about food constantly.  I’m not a big meat eater.  I like carbs.  So I had to find something that didn’t have a drastic carb-free induction period.  Otherwise, someone might get hurt.

I’m happy to say that I have made it throught the first five days without hurting anybody, myself included.  Giving up my beloved Diet Coke has not been too difficult thanks to my daily Zevia diet soda, sweetened with stevia.  Tastes great, and it’s guaranteed to lighten your wallet quicker than any other diet soda out there!  : )  Seriously,  it was $5.99 per six-pack at my local small town health food store.  Yikes!  I’m going to check around and see if I can find any better prices.

This week I have indulged in a glass of wine, cheese and dark chocolate.  (Perfectly legal on this program!)  I have not been hungry and haven’t thought too much about food.  It really has not been hard. 

As for results, I can only tell you how I feel as I did not weigh myself before I started.  I’m one of those people who can get obsessed with scale numbers, so I try to weigh myself as little as possible.  I did weigh myself Tuesday morning just to have some idea of a baseline.  I definitely feel that my waist is trimmer, and I am starting to get in touch with my ribcage again.  I hope next week I can say Hello to my hipbones!

[Via http://kitchrn.wordpress.com]

South Beach Diet Grocery List

Here’s the South Beach Diet grocery list for phase 1.  I have some books for their recipes and theory…not to follow like a bible.  I can’t quite believe the testimonies in them!  A few years ago I read it after Xmas and still follow some of the rules.

But they do have decent theories regarding what to eat and what to avoid (good – proteins, veggies; bad – bread and sugars).

The diet is broken down into 3 phases, each with their own restrictions.  Phase 1 is the most restrictive while Phase 3 is the least and it’s a lifestyle.

Here’s the grocery list:

Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and selenium. Eggs are so versatile that you can enjoy them with any meal, whether it’s a breakfast frittata or omelet, a salad or sandwich for lunch, or a dinner casserole.

Fat-free or part-skim ricotta cheese is packed with calcium and can add a creamy flavor to many dishes without adding extra fat. Use ricotta cheese in breakfast recipes or to make dessert. Another Phase 1-friendly dessert? Simply mix a half cup of fat-free or part-skim ricotta cheese with some vanilla extract and top with a sprinkling of nuts — delicious.

Plain nonfat or plain low-fat yogurt is a good dairy choice because it’s rich in calcium and other minerals and also provides protein and B vitamins. Yogurt is great for an on-the-go breakfast or snack before or after a workout.

Lean deli meat is ideal for making roll-ups for a healthy snack. Just take a tablespoon of your favorite nut butter and spread it over some lean turkey, chicken or roast beef, place on a lettuce leaf, and roll up for a delicious mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.

 No-sugar-added Fudgsicles will satisfy your sweet tooth on Phase 1. Fudgsicles can be enjoyed as a Sweet Treat.

Tomato juice or vegetable-juice cocktail is rich in vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that is shown to help prevent certain forms of cancer and help protect against heart disease. Vegetable-juice cocktail is a healthier alternative to fruit juice because it doesn’t have as much sugar and is made with 100 percent vegetables.

 Extra-virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest oils because it contains heart-healthy omega-3 fats. It can be used to prepare a delicious stir-fry or create flavorful salad dressings.

Nuts are great to have on hand for a healthy snack. High in plant protein and fiber, nuts add crunch to salads and grain dishes. Because nuts and seeds are calorie-dense, however, they may cause your weight loss to stall if you eat too many, so stick to the recommended serving sizes.

Salad greens can be tossed with a South Beach Diet-friendly salad dressing for lunch or dinner. Darker varieties of lettuce like Romaine, green leaf, and red leaf offer more nutritional benefits than iceberg.

Part-skim cheese sticks make healthy mid-morning snacks. Be sure to choose varieties that contain six grams of fat or less per ounce.

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Mindful Eating

Here’s a practice I need to adopt.  From EverydayHealth.com:

Q: I tell myself the reason I can’t lose weight is that I love food. But in reality, I often find myself eating so fast I barely taste it. I’ve read a little bit about mindful eating. Can you explain more about it? How can it help me lose weight?

• Monitor hunger and fullness. Pause before eating and ask yourself: How long since I last ate? Am I really hungry? And in the case of between-meal snacking: Why am I eating? What do I really need (for example, a way to reduce stress or to reward myself)?
• Pay attention to your food. Eliminate unnecessary distractions. Look at the food on your plate and take time to smell it, savor the smell, and notice texture, colors, and portion sizes. Slow down to fully appreciate the experience of preparing to eat as opposed to just racing to consume calories unnoticed.
• Eat slowly. Take the time to cut up your food or take smaller bites. Chew your food, notice its flavors, and pause between bites. Make eating a complete experience.
• Monitor hunger and fullness again. Check in with yourself periodically so you will know when to stop eating based on fullness — not “empty-the-plate-ness.”

 

 

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