Feeling good feels good.

It's impossible to not feel slightly more good after listening
to this.  Walk down the street playing this in your earbuds
and tell me you don't smile.  Impossible!

It's funny how life has its ebbs and flows.  This is nothing new, but somehow it seems like an epiphany over and over again.  When you're in the thick of it, some part of you is very logical and aware that it will most certainly pass, but another part of you just can't see past it.  It's hard to remember how to get back to feeling good again.

Once I got the hang of tracking my food, eating healthier and exercising regularly, it got to be second nature. It seemed so easy.  It was the norm.  It wasn't a challenge.  It was my way of life.  It was all so simple and so good.  

I forgot how easy it can be for that to not be the norm.

After a summer and an autumn of struggle, things are finally getting back to normal.  Being the person of extremes that I am, I expected to just start back up and rule the world as I remembered doing before.  But, therein lies the problem!  I had to break my mindset of trying to get back to where was.

I

am

not

THERE anymore!  That was then.  This is now.  Move along.

A lot has changed since then.  But, things have settled down and I'm in a better place in every way now.  I love it when you finally feel something break, something give way, and you know that you're on the right path again.  Well, it's not even that you're on the correct path again - you're at a great pace and making some serious headway towards whatever intersection, bend, bridge or whatever might be on the way.

I met up with a friend last Sunday who is a dietitian.  The initial plan was to talk about food, get some good ideas for new ways of eating, and new things to eat.  It ended up being a great conversation about where I'm at in life in general and what I've got to do to progress.  

It was a healthy dose of divine intervention.  Even though the things we talked about are things I already knew, it sometimes takes the right person at the right time saying something they didn't even know they needed to that hits you, breaks you down, builds you up, and propels you all at once.

I keep forgetting that life is a process.  Things don't magically find a perfect groove forever.  You may have a good stretch, but you'll have rough ones, too.  And they will come and go, and then come and go again.  

I'm finally starting to get it.  

I don't have to do it all at once!  There are so many things I need to do, both at work, and for myself.  But I've been working on a few things at a time.  This week, my goal was to go grocery shopping and return to my regular eating and exercise habits, remembering that even if I only get a half hour of something in, it is better than nothing.  I've also tried starting my days with 10-15 minutes of some kind of exercise.  One morning, I did a 10 minute Pilates video.  Another morning, I did a bunch of core exercises.  I've overcome my urge to buy peanut butter, because if that's in my house, well - it's over.  

I've also done necessary but boring things like scheduling appointments with doctors and insurance agents, rethinking my spending habits and reworking my budget, getting organized, and figuring out a regular schedule of exercise.  I just might start going to bed earlier, too.  

You've heard me say this before, and I will say it over and over again.

It is amazing what happens when you make calculated, boring, conscious choices to simply do things.  

I'm learning that feeling good and being content is not as simple as "feeling" good.  Right now, I've got a lot to work on.  But feeling good is a choice, and it's choosing to make good decisions that will lead to a life of good, not a season of good.  

It's a new kind of goodness, but nonetheless, it feels good to feel good once again.

Food Or Diet

Some people say that “there is no such thing as a “good food” or “bad food”, just bad diets”. Usually after that they say something about another kind of low-fat, balanced diet which will let you reach your 100′ birthday in good health. Most of this “wonder diets” became sooner or later another dietetics mistake and are replaced by new ones, which, after some time, are also replaced, because of the new revelations in the dietetics. And so it goes on and on, making people who want to live healthy life more and more frustrated, but still believing that the most important thing is not what lands on their plate, but the amount of it. Today, when there are so many kinds of food on the market, we should not only care for the calories, but also look carefully at what we are actually eating.

Difference between organic, conventional and genetically modified food

We all know that organic food is healthy, conventional food is accessible and genetically modified food can be solution to the food problems around the world, but when asked for details only few people can answer precisely what this is all about. Organic food is produced using ecological methods of farming. That means no pesticides or fertilizers with synthetic ingredients for the plants and no growth hormones and antibiotics for the animals. When you buy certified organic food, you can be sure that all of the above won’t land in your stomach and affect your organism. However because of the slower production process and lesser efficiency this kind of the food is more expensive and even if all the farms would start its production it wouldn’t be enough to feed people all around the world. Conventional food is produced using almost all available technologies provided by the science, save genetic modifications. Still, because of the intense production process, many chemicals and medicines are involved to guarantee that crops or animals will grow at the appropriate rate. Some of these “stimulants” can be found in the final product which we buy and may affect our health (notably the growth hormones in meat). Anyway, conventional food can be found in almost every kitchen around the world and some of the scientists start to wonder how could we feel without this additional dose of antibiotics and artificial poisons which we involuntary eat. Genetically modified food is the most controversial. The process of growing it is similar to the conventional, the only difference is that in GM food a part of the DNA is transferred from another species in order to change its characteristics into desired one without some long-lasting and sometimes in vein inbreed process. All scientists working on GM food projects say that everything is under control, but a few accidents when transferred genes didn’t behave as they predicted show us that it may not be as safe as they want. The real advantages and flaws of the GM food will be known only after long time, all we know today is based only on theory and laboratory tests, not the real life.

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For Your Weight Loss Success

Motivation is one of the key variables for the equation that yields long term weight loss success. The question is how do you maintain the motivation to attain the ultimate goal? Regardless if your weight loss goal is 20 pounds or 100 pounds you must change your thinking to change your behavior and writing makes that happen.

Weight loss really does begin in your head. Every successful athlete understands that his thinking process is either working for him or against him. The same holds true with weight loss. If your internal dialogue is negative, your results will eventually manifest the same result! You can’t degrade yourself to a healthy new you! You must change your thinking to work for you, to build your resolve, and to maintain that all important motivational factor.

Writing is an exercise that will help your mind change its thinking! It allows you to process the negative emotions and helps to instill the positive changes. Start with these simple exercises:

1. The Negative Emotions Daily Dump: Many success coaches advocate writing out your negative thinking on a daily basis. Simply spend approximately 15 minutes writing out all the frustrations, bad feelings, and discouragement. This helps you to process these bad feelings out of your system so that you can make room for positive affirmations. Do not reread the entries and do not keep them. Write it out, and then throw it out. We call this the Negative Emotions Daily Dump.

2. Affirm Your Goals: Prepare a list of affirmations that will help your subconscious work with your conscious brain to make those all important behavioral changes. Then write your affirmations at least twice a day. Write them once after you have written your Negative Emotions Daily Dump. Don’t do the Negative Dump without filling it with the positive affirmations. You should always end with this. Write the second set of affirmations either right before you go to bed or first thing in the morning. Read your affirmations several times a day.

3. Understand your Motivations: In order to stay motivated you must understand your real reasons for losing weight. In other words, understand why YOU want to lose weight. Not why your spouse or friends want you to lose weight but why losing the weight is important to you. Do you really want more energy? Do you just love skinny clothes? Do you want to participate in an activity that would be easier if you were slim and healthy? Write these motivations out in detail so that you can solidify them in your head and they can continue to motivate you through the entire weight loss journey.

4. Accountability: Keep a food diary. Keeping a food diary has been proven time and time again to increase your weight loss success by as much as 50%! A food log is your accountability factor. It keeps you honest with yourself.

5. Visualize: Visualize yourself enjoying the portions of your weight loss program that you are currently struggling to do. For instance if you hate the cardio portion of your day, start seeing yourself loving it. See it as “”your time”. It can be your time to read while you’re on the stationary bike. Or your time to watch all those movies you feel guilty watching any other time. Once you begin to visualize positive feelings about a certain activity the easier that activity will become.

6. The Pat-On-The-Back: Keep a written log of your weight loss success. By writing down your weight loss on a weekly basis you are validating your efforts and giving yourself a pat-on-the-back. This will go a long way to keeping you on track.

Keep in mind that if you are utilizing the assistance of a personal fitness trainer or weight loss professional that they may use techniques to help you face your self-defeating habits. This might feel harsh and negative, however it isn’t. Honesty is necessary to motivate change and this is different than running yourself down! Sometimes we have to hear the hard words to make the hard changes. Keep in mind that these professionals are seeking your ultimate success. Your success is their success. Let’s face it, the weight gain started with you and to change that behavior you may have to deal with some uncomfortable feelings. A good trainer will help you feel cared about while still insisting that you deal with your bad habits. It’s a good thing to be pushed past your comfort zone to becoming a better you!

Writing is the new “exercise” that can make all the rest of your weight loss efforts including good nutrition, exercise, and resistance training work for you because you will be working with these principles instead of against them. You will start seeing these weight loss techniques as a positive and permanent part of your life, instead of a temporary device. That will result in faster results that last forever!

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10 Tips On Losing Weight Fast

Before jumping into a diet, you must determine your ideal weight. This will be your guide on your weight loss journey. “Fast” weight loss doesn’t imply that you drop 50 pounds overnight; a few pounds can take months to shed and for obese individuals, it can take years to lose the desired amount of weight. How fast you lose weight will depend on how focused you are on your diet.

Here are some simple steps to help you lose weight:

1.Before dieting, you must know how many calories you normally need in a day. If you are sedentary, multiply your weight (in pounds) by fifteen. If you are moderately active, multiply your weight by seventeen; if you are active, multiply your weight by twenty. This will give you the average calorie intake you need per day.

2.Remember to eat your fruits and veggies! You need at least five servings of them per day – doing this will put you on the right track to a healthy body, because fruits and vegetables have beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They also fill up your stomach fast so that you don’t overeat and take into many calories.

3.Monitor the quantity of food you eat. Avoid high-calorie foods and eat in small portions. A helpful tip is to chew your food slowly because this makes digestion easy on your body and you will also be less likely to overeat.

4.Don’t skip meals. When you want to lose weight it may be tempting to starve yourself – but eating small amounts of food frequently can help you maintain a healthy, balanced calorie intake throughout the day. Also, your blood sugar level will be adversely affected if you don’t eat often. You can even divide the standard allotment of three meals into five or six smaller meals.

5.Fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal – packaged and processed foods have high sodium and fat content. You are more likely to lose weight if you eat naturally fresh foods.

6.Don’t limit your food intake too much. Go ahead and indulge yourself; eat your favorite treat. It’s okay to have that slice of birthday cake at the occasional party. Just make sure to eat in moderation and use those special desserts as rewards, instead of enemies, to your weight loss experience.

7.Don’t always believe everything you read on a food label. “Fat free” does not necessarily mean low calories. The same wisdom goes for foods that boast “low sugar” or “low carbs.” Glance over the nutrition label – there you’ll find the calorie count.

8.Try to limit the number of juices and sugary beverages you drink. Instead, drink eight glasses water a day – this flushes out your body’s toxins and waste.

9.If possible, keep a food journal. This will help you keep track of your calorie intake and will be a daily reminder of the types of foods you need.

10.Don’t forget to exercise! Thirty to sixty minutes of physical activity a day will ensure your health and help you lose weight (and not to mention, firm up those muscles). Weight-bearing exercises are especially great ways to burn those pesky calories.

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Weight Loss Strategies

If you want any weight loss program to work you have to perform “Strength Training”. It’s absolutely imperative during the course of a lifetime not only for weight loss goals but also for general health and well-being.

For years we have been told to diet the excess fat from our bodies and throw in some fast walking to hasten the process. The trouble with this is that the low calorie restricted diet would throw the body into starvation mode, with the body

holding onto the fat and using precious lean muscle tissue for energy.

This would “Lower Your Metabolism” causing greater muscle loss and once the diet was broken the original fat returned, and you would have greater chance of gaining even more fat.

“A Vicious Cycle”

Eventually, your body would become used to the diet and then you will reach a point where nothing was happening.

So what do you do now?

Try weight loss supplements, creams, massage, toning tables, drugs. You should know by now that these don’t work.


There is a better way, it’s simply…

“Strength Training”

Many studies are showing that Strength Training is a superior method for weight loss.

(Ladies, you won’t bulk up by using weights, you don’t have the testosterone to get big and muscular, so don’t worry).

If you don’t incorporate Strength Training into your weight loss program then look forward to “disappointing results”.

The days of strength training three to five days a week in the gym, an hour at a time are long gone. That just doesn’t work. One short strength-training workout a week done at home or in the gym will melt away more fat than you would have ever thought possible.

Fats, Figures and Cardio Work

We’ve already found out that by increasing the functional muscle on your body, you increase your resting metabolic rate. Due to the HIGHER metabolic rate you can now eat MORE calories, which means that you won’t need to starve anymore to lose weight.

In a sense, fewer calories have to be cut back from our daily intake of food and successful dieting (provided that you eat the right foods) will become more likely.

As far as Fats are concerned, they’re burned from the body when cells oxidize to release energy in the form of exercise. When exercise is done slowly to moderately for 20 to 30 minutes, then the majority of energy is TAKEN from the fat stores.

It’s important to understand that the loss of fat comes from fat cells ALL OVER the body, NOT just from one or more specific areas. Therefore, fat reduction of a certain area is not generally possible.

The best exercise for the purpose of fat loss is fast walking either indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Walk until you are mildly puffing and hold that rate for the allotted time.

If your cardio activities leave you panting or breathless ~ you are going too hard. Your energy will be then coming from your carbohydrate reserves and not from your fat stores.

Nutrition For Weight Loss

Small frequent meals should be consumed during the day each containing a little protein to maintain muscle and energy levels. Foods with vital vitamin and mineral supplements should also be taken on a daily basis.

By decreasing the amount of calories you eat per day to the weight loss amount, you should start losing weight. Don’t go any lower and check the mirror regularly to judge your progress.

If you don’t have an accurate idea of how many calories your consuming a day, how will you know whether you’re overeating or not?

Another word about diets… They’ll send the body into starvation mode; a survival mechanism from long ago when humans faced periods of famine. Cutting back on your calories too low will cause the body to lower its metabolic rate, which reduces

its ability to burn fat.

At the same time, hunger signals increase and we quickly start to crave high-energy foods loaded with fats and sugar. The same foods we are trying to do without.

Here are some great eating tips for you to consider:

 Reduce both obvious and hidden fats.

 Record food intake to identify problem areas.

 Be aware of times when you over eat.

 Avoid severe food restriction.

 Monitor body fat levels, not weight.

 Aim for moderate fat loss (one pound per week)

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Successful Weight Loss In Five Easy Steps

If you happen to be among the millions of people who are weight impaired, you may have already considered, or even tried many alternatives for losing weight, and you may still be seeking

that one magic “remedy”.

Sadly, there are no magic remedies, diet pills, or supplements for losing weight. It takes desire, persistence, and lots of accurate information seasoned with ample amounts of supportive

and caring guidance, to succeed.

Through the trials and tribulations of many failed weight loss plans, we now know that if you try to manage your weight by making too many radical changes to your diet and your lifestyle,

you will eventually fail.

For a diet plan to be successful it must fit within the boundaries of normal day-to-day habits and activities. It must allow for the consumption of familiar foods in familiar and traditional social settings.

The exclusion of “taboo” foods or your favorite fast food restaurant is generally a set-up for eventual dieting failure. When you stop to think about it, isn’t it usually the things you are told that you can’t do or can’t have that you desire the most! It’s a part of human nature. We want what we can’t have!

So take it away from us, and surely this is exactly what we will want and crave most! The most highly regarded sources of information agree that we tend to focus on what we can’t have, including the foods we eat.

A good plan for losing weight should not try to radically change your eating behavior. The plan should adapt to your daily activities and eating habits, and of course any good plan

should incorporate the benefits of good nutrition, convenience,and above all, practicality.

The bottom line is that we are all very busy people without a lot of time to spare. We’re not very likely to turn our busy lifestyles upside down to follow some restrictive plan for losing weight.

Maybe a few will work for a short period of time, but the facts don’t lie. Although the “crash” weight loss diets may work for a short while, most of us will find that before long the pounds will start to begin to creep back on.

After all, we are not going give-up eating at fast food and sit-down restaurants when we need a quick meal or snack, and we are unlikely to stop eating with business associates, good friends and family.

It is very difficult therefore,(if not impossible)to follow dieting guidelines on special meal occasions such as these!

We are not going to completely eliminate the foods we love and crave, and we’re most definitely not going to waste precious time preparing special dietary meals from “scratch” every day!

Therefore it is very important to know that you don’t have to stop doing any of the above to lose weight.

You can look and feel like a million bucks, take years off your appearance and have the energy and vitality to accomplish your dreams, by following a few simple guidelines.

Here they are…

Take It One Step At A Time.

Some of the greatest accomplishments in life begin by taking one small step at a time. When we are challenged to think deeply, encouraged by others to succeed, and ultimately inspired to take

action, great things start to happen!

If you have important weight loss goals you are not achieving,try to spend less time worrying about all the possible “causes” and start concentrating on how you can make progress.

This is one of the keys to moving forward and a simple, but powerful tool for success.

Assess Your Dietary Needs And Lifestyle.

Awareness is the key, so take some time to learn about your specific dietary needs (caloric intake) and daily energy requirements for example. We’re talking a basic understanding

here, and not having to go into any great detail.

Seek Advice From Friends And Trusted Authorities.

Don’t believe everything you hear! There are thousands of diet “scams” on the market. When you find a trusted source, ask as many questions as you can about diet and exercise. Find out what

has worked for others. But always be on-guard for the “quick fix” approach…it won’t work in the majority of cases.

Start Creating A System Of Support.

About 85% of our “happiness” and well-being is determined by the quality of our relationships with other people. Loving, caring relationships and a network of friends, family, and colleagues

lowers stress, increases longevity, and helps us to accomplish our goals in life (including losing weight).

We are social creatures and we do our best when we have friends to cheer us on, offer support, give advice, and hold us accountable when necessary. This makes it easy for us to succeed.

So, surround yourself with people, tools and activities that make it more likely for you to succeed than to fail! Arrange your living environment and social situations so that every thing around you pulls your forward, instead of possibly leaving you totally de-motivated.

Use Your Resources.

Read motivational tips, general health information and any other literature you can get your hands-on. Information is power!

NOW TAKE THE FIRST STEP

There you have it. So you can get started today, and make sure your whole approach is controlled, rational and methodical. If you can take the “long term view,” and set yourself realistic “achievable” goals you will most surely succeed.

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Why Can T I Lose Weight ?

That’s the question many people ask when their weight loss plan isn’t working.

Asking yourself ‘Why can’t I lose weight?’ is actually one of the best things you can do for yourself. It says you know that what you’re currently doing isn’t working for you.

You’re at the place where you’re ready to look at alternatives – try something different to get a result you want.

So why can’t you lose weight? Here are 3 possible reasons you may not be losing weight – and some suggestions on what you can do about it.

#1) Medical Reasons

Now this is not the same as saying you’re genetically programmed to be overweight. That is hogwash. In fact scientists estimate that even if you do have a genetic propensity to gain weight, your genes only account for 15 – 25% of your current weight. So forget the genetics excuse.

But there are medical reasons that some people can’t lose weight. Low thyroid, adrenal exhaustion, insulin resistance and other medical conditions can make losing weight near to impossible.

That’s why before starting any weight loss plan, you should talk to your doctor first. Have a full workup and make sure that you don’t have any health issues standing in the way of your weight loss.

There’s nothing more frustrating that trying to lose weight, doing all the right things and not losing an inch – all because of a medical condition. Get the medical condition cleared up first and then address the weight (in fact, the weight may just go down on it’s own once you get the medical condition addressed).

#2) Emotional Eating

I recently read an article where a nutritionist estimated that 75% of overeating was due to emotions. 75%! Can you imagine what would happen if you learned to eliminate emotional eating and cut out all those calories? What a weight loss impact! The weight would be falling off.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, emotional eating is on the rise. Most people today are feeling the pressure of an increasingly hectic lifestyle. We hardly have time to tie our shoes, never mind deal with our emotions.

Because of this, our emotions get stuffed down and ignored until finally they explode and we’re face-down in a bowl of Rocky-Road ice cream with extra chocolate sauce.

Here’s the bottom line: you are human and you have emotions. Your emotional needs are important and need to be addressed properly with love. You need emotional nurturing and proper emotional care.

If that means you take a 5 minute break every few hours at work to regain your emotional balance, do it. If that means you need to unwind by doing a mall walk and window shopping after work – don’t let anything stop you.

Learn to nurture your emotional health and you’ll nip emotional eating in the bud – and start losing weight FAST.

#3) Mismatched Weight Loss Plan

There are many different ways to lose weight and dozens of weight loss programs to choose from. Some plans emphasize a change in diet, others emphasize a change in exercise, others focus on the inner reasons for overeating.

Every person is different and will lose weight in their own unique way. If what you’re doing now isn’t currently working, it may be a simple case of personality-plan mismatch.

Maybe instead of a diet-focused weight loss plan, you would feel better with a fitness-focused weight loss plan or a psychological weight loss plan. There are lots of plans to choose from and you deserve to take your time and find one that fits your personality and lifestyle best.

If you think this is the case, take some time to review different diet or weight loss plans. Find one that you can get excited about, one that makes sense to you and that fits your belief system and personality. That’s when you’ll make real weight loss progress!

So those are 3 possible reasons for your weight loss plateau. You don’t have to stay stuck in a weight loss rut. You don’t have to keep asking yourself the frustrating question: Why Can’t I Lose Weight?’ Keep believing in yourself and in your dreams. Don’t give up and you will get there!

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