Month: July 2011

Categories
General Weight Loss Tips

Feeling Normal

I had my first taste of what a normal day of eating could be like for me in the future. Yesterday was one of those days that had “balance” written all over it. And the elation I feel over something so simple, is hard to explain.

Balance over making the right choices, not over indulging, eating what I wanted, stopping when I was full, passing on dessert and being okay about it all. It feels normal to me. Just like breathing or sleeping, I want the ability to not feel guilty, moving on and not being consumed. None of that “tomorrow I will be better” stuff.

Here’s what I mean…

Yesterday morning I woke up and had two eggs fried in a little olive oil. Followed with my usual glasses of ice water. I was full and satisfied until a little after noon. It was exactly what I wanted. Just eggs.

When I came home I fought a small urge to eat out, but knew I had food at home to eat. I threw together a delicious salad filled with lettuce, feta, a whole avocado, chicken, salsa and onions. It was amazing, healthy, and cheap. I was also full.

When I got home around 4pm.  I was faintly hungry so I ate a few unsalted peanuts  to tide me over.

Knowing that I had friends coming over at 6:30 I threw together a quick goat cheese dip served with Mary’s Gone wheat free crackers. I ate a couple for quality control and out of hunger.

My friends arrived with a delicious array of food. I had a small slice of spanakopita made with kale, a lemon/poppy savory cheese muffin, a couple of wheat free crackers with goat cheese and habanero jelly. It was all delicious. I was hungry. I didn’t have dessert. I didn’t feel guilty for eating when I was genuinely hungry. And I didn’t mindlessly eat at the table or once everyone was gone. I didn’t even want to.

This on a day when I was slightly sleep deprived. Woke up at 5am to work. Then worked straight all day. But, I could handle my stress. The day didn’t gobble me up like I think they sometimes do. I didn’t feel a need to turn to food because I had a long day. And it’s weird to say that.

I calculated my calories for the day and was at around 1,400. Not bad. I also didn’t have the feeling of “well, I screwed up. Let’s eat!” that I normally default to. There was a brief concern that the dessert would be left with me, and I had a back up plan. I honestly didn’t want to eat it, I didn’t want to grogginess that comes with it.

I know all of this inner thought seems a little much for someone who doesn’t know what I’m talking about. And while I won’t be eating flour and sugar today because I did yesterday. It was nice to  have my first taste of what it will be like to have days like that. To feel the balance. Normal. Not out of control. But I don’t totally trust it yet. Knowing when to stop.

I couldn’t help but think  that this is how people do it. This is how they stay thin, lose weight, maintain…you get my point. It was a matter of playing my cards in a different way. It wasn’t all or nothing. It was a little of this and none of that and moving on.

And the weight is steadily coming off. I’m now down 9 pounds and it’s motivating me. Feeling good is motivating me even more. Knowing what the alternative is, is no longer appealing. The minutes of satisfaction from eating sweets and over eating does not make up for the hours of misery it causes. The bloat, the foggy head, the sickness. Not to mention all the stress that being obese causes in my life.

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Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

How to Detox Your Body





On an every day basis, you can make changes in your diet and environment to help detox your body of contaminates, help your immune system ward off diseases and give you more energy. There are certain things that you can’t change ? the city in which you live may have polluted air quality or you may not live near an organic market place to purchase fruits and vegetables or have the opportunity to grow them yourself.

But, there are things you can do to improve your health and help your body to perform at its optimal level. Detoxifying your body in a healthy manner simply means that you eat healthier and remove as many potential toxins from your life as possible. It’s not a quick process, but a continuous one that you can work a bit on every day and that will eventually provide visible results.

Eating healthy and organically grown foods that are free from pesticides and harmful chemicals is a good way to begin to detox your body. But what about all the other contaminates in your home ? where you live and breathe most of the time? For example, how much plastic do you have in your home and use on a daily basis?

Did you know that the PVC (polyvinyl chloride) used to make plastics is actually contaminating your home and your body with toxic chemicals? You may eat on plastic plates or drink from plastic cups. Perhaps you use a plastic shower curtain, tablecloth or store your clothes in plastic covers. This is one contaminate that you can get rid of by purchasing items made with cotton or polyester materials that are much safer for your home and for you and your family.

We’re a nation of pill-takers ? and even over the counter medications such as pain relievers that contain acetaminophen can damage organs (such as the liver) that you use to filter contaminates from your body. Eliminating or removing as many pills as you can
from your life will help to detox your body the natural way.

Use plants to freshen the air in your home. Those great-smelling air fresheners aren’t so great when they enter your eyes and the rest of your body. They’re filled with pollutants that can make you sick. You might also want to purchase an air filtrating system for your home ? and open the windows to let in natural air when you can.


Cleaning your home with natural products such as baking soda and vinegar ensures that you won’t be breathing the harmful chemicals found in aerosol products. When you garden outdoors, don’t use pesticides on your plants to keep bugs or diseases away ? Instead, find a proven organic method that works on the plants you’re growing. There’s a lot of information available online that can help you make the right decisions.

When you detox your body, you’re turning back the hands of time. Living a modern lifestyle has left your body with residue that can not only harm, but also age you. A good detox plan can slow the aging process and even return your skin, hair and energy to a vital and glowing living thing.



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Categories
Weight Loss Exercise

Flush Out Fat With These 5 Tips




Kicking your metabolism into shape so that you burn more calories rather than adding more fat to your body may take some drastic measures. Flushing the fat from your body is one way to increase your metabolic rate. It also rids the body of toxins that cause you to feel bloated and sluggish.

Fat tends to find a home in your body in three main areas ? butt, hips and thighs. Flushing out the fat targets these areas of your body rather than other diets where you may actually lose muscle mass.

Here are five tips for flushing unwanted fat out of your body that will lead you to weight loss success.

1. Lower calorie intake. Calorie count should be between 1000 and 1500 daily for the first couple of weeks.
2. During your fat flushing diet, you should add some good fat (such as flaxseed oil) as well as some protein, vegetables and fruit. Spices (such as cayenne pepper) are also a great addition to the diet plan.
3. Drink plenty of water, green tea and other liquids that act as a diuretic to flush out toxins and fat.
4. Get plenty of sleep. Sleep acts as a restorative process for your body and shouldn’t be neglected.
5. Keep track of all your activities, food and drink. You can jot the information in a notebook or enter it into one of the many online “journals” that are available.

Exercise is also important during this time, but don’t overdo it. You may feel weak because of decreased calorie intake. A brisk walk around the block or ten minutes on the treadmill will suffice.

After two weeks of the above regimen, you can increase your calorie intake to 1500 calories and add more carbohydrates to your diet. Follow this plan until you reach your desired weight. By then, your metabolism will have the boost it needs to work more efficiently.


Some medical professionals find that drastically lowering your calories is unhealthy and maintain that you’ll eventually put the weight back on. It’s true that you lose weight rapidly and unless you stick to the diet, you’ll more than likely put the pounds back on at a later time.

But you have a deadline to meet (such as fitting into that new bikini before your first trip to the beach), try the fat flushing diet for a couple of weeks to see quick and pleasing results.



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