Weight Loss Made Easy

I have to admit some frustration with the new “lifestyle” eating plan lately.  I am sticking to it, and still enjoy the shakes and such but my weight loss has stopped?  Still trying, following the plan and not really feeling deprived at all, just not seeing the weight come off as I had hoped, and not like it did at first.  I have lost inches, so that keeps me motivated but come on…what does a girl have to do here?  Sorry to be a whiney but, but I am quite frustrated today.

On another note, Scott continues to drop his weight.  He is down almost 25 pounds in two months and over 27 inches lost.  He likes to claim he has lost two feet of him!  I am grateful and proud of him for sticking to this.  He struggles more with feeling hungry and being “ruled” by his appetite than I have in the past.  I guess that makes me a little jealous as well.  He has a harder time sticking to it and has much more success. How is that fair?  But, if it keeps him around a little longer then it is worth it.  I really am happy for him.  We had a scare earlier this week, he had some chest pains and neck pains after work on Tuesday.  I almost called the ambulance, but he would not hear of it.  He seems better now, just can’t stop checking on him every couple hours, you know how it is right?  He did call and get an appointment for a physical, so we will know more in a few weeks.

We have enjoyed meeting so many of you and speaking to you on the phone.  The latest online weight loss challenge started last night, and we have some very motivated and excited participants this time around.  The opportunity to win big by losing big is too much for some of us to resist!  You can check it out here if you are interested.  You can still join our current challenge and another one will be kicking off soon, so register and let us speak to you on the phone to share our story and journey with you.  Thanks again for all your support.  We truly are in this thing together.

Until next time…

Marie ; – )

It has been a little over 6 weeks now since we started our best online diet adventure.  I thought it was time for a quick update on things.  First off, the weight loss has continued at a fairly steady pace.  I am down 12+ pounds now and have lost a little over 11 inches.  Scott is down 16 pounds and has lost over 15 inches!  He likes to tell people he has lost a foot of himself somewhere.  I know it makes him feel as good to say this as it does for me to hear it!  So overall, things continue to progress and neither of us feels like we are dieting.  I have had desserts, wonderful dinners and even a few snacks during my new lifestyle change.  Without those things, the weight loss probably would have been more dramatic, but we have had several birthday parties, an anniversary and a son graduate from college, so we have had reason to celebrate!

I appreciate the comments we have received from so many people on our previous posts.  It is important to share our successes and struggles together, in order to help encourage and lift each other up.  Please keep the feedback coming, we love to read it.

Finally, we are announcing today, a new program that we will be participating in to help anyone interested in losing weight!  It is called an “Online Weight Loss Challenge”.  Let me give you a few pertinent details.  First, it is open to anyone, regardless of how much you need or want to lose.  Second, you are not required to use the same programs or products we are using (or any program or product for that matter).  Third, your must not have had weight loss surgery in the past year.  Fourth, you can WIN MONEY!!!  There is a small fee to participate ($29 US) and these fees are collected and distributed to the person who loses the most weight during our challenge.  The challenge runs for 12 weeks, so you will be wrapping it up just in time for your holiday gatherings!  Imagine how good it will feel to have everyone asking you how you lost so much weight this year!  (I am looking forward to that).  Finally, you will have access to on online coaching seminar each week during the challenge where you will learn things like making healthy eating choices, how to exercise when you don’t have time, better options for when you have to eat out, etc.  It is an excellent program and I am sure many of you will enjoy participating, and maybe even winning the thing!  Scott and I will both be helping out as coaches and mentors during the challenge, so make sure you enroll by clicking here or going to http://www.UltimateOnlineWLC.com.  Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the next challenge starts on September 9th, 2009.  There is both an evening class held at 9:15 pm EDT, and a daytime class which will be at 12:15pm EDT so you can choose which works best for your schedule.

ALL of the money from the fees gets paid back as prizes to the top three participants, so get your friends and family and sign up today.  Again, you can click here or go to http://www.UltimateOnlineWLC.com .  I can’t wait to meet many of you online, so see you there!

Marie

Ok folks, I just returned from a weekend business trip to Chicago with the hubby.  Fantastic weekend with Bill Walsh and the WIN University team.  It was my first trip to Chicago and I loved it.  Walked down the miracle mile with Scott and enjoyed every minute of it.  Great business training as well.  Look for some of the things I learned about blogging to start appearing on my site!  Anyway, the purpose of the post was to update you all on the progress with the diet plan and how things went when we were away from home.

First off, after eating out all weekend and not being able to take my vitamins and shakes regularly, I still was down half a pound this morning.  Talk about elated!  I was expecting to be up a couple pounds, but still down.  I can’t stop smiling about that.  That makes my total loss 8 pounds and 12 inches in the past 4 weeks.  I know it is a small amount, but I am loving it.  Not hungry, not binging, energy level is sky-high and I feel great.  My self esteem got a much needed boost this morning when I stepped on the scale.  I might have even sung a few bars in the shower ; -).

I cannot recommend these products highly enough.  My husband did not lose any weight this week, but he did not gain either, and he is elated about that as well.  His overall loss for the past 4 weeks is 12 lbs and 15 inches.  So we are both loving life right now.  Anyway, if you are ready for the samples, visit our site here.  I promise no pressure, no hype sales tactics. Just great value, excellent weight loss products that work and some great information about making healthy eating decisions, exercise options and some suggestions on what to do with all your energy!  Have a great week.

Marie

Just a quick update this week.  In order to help out a good friend, I have been trying some new products this past week.  They are some meal replacement shakes and supplements to support my healthy weight loss goals.  I have to say I was skeptical at first, and put him off for several months before deciding to help him out this past week.  All I can say now is, “Why did I wait so long?”

These things really work!  I am down an additional 5 pounds this week guys!  My energy is sky high and I have not felt the usual cravings at night that have been my bane for sooooo long.  I am not sure what the secret is, (I have a meeting with him tomorrow to try to find out) but I am loving these things.  He is allowing me to offer you a FREE sample as well if you would like it.  Just visit this site and request your free sample pack.  Trust me on this one, you will fall in love with these things as well!  To our ultimate success…

Marie

Weight loss is never really painless, but it can be endurable and permanent with the right knowledge, tools and mindset. Quick weight loss parallels with the right attitude. To lose weight fast, you need to be in the right frame of mind. I believe too many people begin a diet plan without mentally preparing for it first.

Quick weight loss is possible. We all can understand that. But the challenge is keeping the pounds and inches off, after the weight loss has occurred. And that takes both the right mental approach and friend support. We all have seen hundreds of people who want to lose weight fast, but the most successful ones – the ones who keep the weight off – are the ones who have the correct attitude before starting.

I recommend the following three attitudes for long-term weight loss.

Surround yourself with the right people for quick weight loss.

You need to understand that you will need to make some different lifestyle choices to keep the weight off. And that may very well mean not be able to socialize with others who can be a negative influence. Research was recently completed that showed you are more likely to adopt your friends eating habits and body image by hanging around them. So that means if 4 of your 6 friends are overweight and eat like crap you are more likely to eat like crap and start to gain weight to match them as well. The same is true if 4 of your 6 friends were thin and ate healthy. You are more likely to follow their habits. So make sure you associate yourself with like-minded people. Your successful weight loss depends on it.

Don’t expect it will be easy.

While losing weight doesn’t have to be a chore, you need to come to grips with the fact that it is going to take effort. Anything worth doing most often is. Accept the fact there will be some tough times ahead. That is why it is so important to surround yourself with positive people. They will help encourage you when you face obstacles. Remember each day is a new day and you should take it one day at a time for quick weight loss. Start each day with your goals in mind and a believe you will achieve those goals for that day. Don’t lose sight of your goals and keep working towards them each and every day.

Don’t expect to lose weight at a steady, quick rate.

The rate at which you achieve your weight loss will eventuallly slow down because your body will be adjusting to the numerous changes you are forcing on it. The challenge now becomes how do you maintain your new quick weight loss and keep it from returning. It seems many people know how to lose weight fast, but struggle how to keep it off for a lifetime. The second part of the equation is perhaps the most important. Many diets can get you to lose the weight, but the key is to keep the weight off. Make sure you make the proper lifestyle changes so that you create permanent weight loss and enjoy the health and emotional benefits your new body has in store for you.

Can carbohydrates make you fat? Are carbohydrates essential for fueling the body and having it run efficiently? Do I need to watch my intake of carbohydrates to prevent fat storage? The answer to all 3 questions is Yes!

So what does all this mean? Am I not to eat carbs or am I supposed to eat carbs? How many carbs should I eat? What types? The entire carbohydrate craze has gone from one extreme to the other and back again. It’s no wonder you may be confused, frustrated, mad or all of the above.

There is a ton of information flying around and much of it is garbage. Here are the facts about carbs and how you should use this information.

1. Your body can store all carbs as fat when the muscles and the liver are already full of glycogen. So if you continuously eat a high carbohydrate diet this can lead to increased fat storage. Also, you can store more of your carb calories as fat when you eat too many processed and refined carbs. The key is to consume moderate carbs and choose carbs that have at least 2gms of fiber per serving. This will help control insulin spikes, which leads us to number 2.

2. Eating too many carbs at one sitting without enough other nutrients to counteract its effect will cause insulin spikes, which then triggers your body’s fat storing mechanisms. This is why I suggest you eat whole grain carbs, vegetables and fruits with skin when possible because they will provide good sources of fiber to help control these insulin spikes. Also, make sure you balance your carb intake with lean protein to further counteract the effects of carbs in the body in regards to elevating your insulin levels.

3. Through a process known as de novo lipogenesis your body can directly increase fat storage by converting carbohydrates to fat. So I will reiterate why you need to eat carbs. Eat whole grain, high fiber carbs as well as lean protein to control blood sugar rise, which then controls insulin spikes and helps prevent you from storing carb calories as fat.

So now that you have the facts about carbs should you be eating them or not. To summarize, you do need carbs. Your body does need carbs to function properly and maintain optimal efficiency. The body doesn’t need as many carbs as we feed it though. It also doesn’t need the refined flours and process carbs we have become accustomed to eating. As we have gotten lazier and our lives have become busier we tend to lean towards convenient foods and they are usually not the healthiest choices.

We have consumed too much of those foods and then blamed it all on carbs as to why we are fat. Carbs are not the main culprit. They do play a part as I describe above as to how they can make you fat. I also mention how to eat carbs so that they don’t make you fat.

To learn my program on how to eat for lasting weight loss, click here for my quick weight loss tips.

Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS is the author of the 30 Day Belly Fat Blaster Meal Plan Program. To discover how to eat healthier and lose weight fast you can click here. Article used with permission.

Cardio Vs. Resistance Training

Do you seriously want to know how to lose fat fast? It involves adding some resistance training to your exercise routine, at least twice a week. If you are willing to put in the extra effort you can lose considerably more weight a lot faster by adding resistance training to your weight loss program. There are several reasons for this. Lifting weights will help to burn body fat quicker than aerobic exercise which is something that a lot of people don’t understand. Now I am not saying you should not do cardio or aerobic exercise, just that you should not do them exclusively. Letís take a look at why resistance training helps you lose weight and fat fast.

Aerobic exercise for an hour or so will burn more calories than lifting weights for the same hour however weightlifting gives additional benefits after that hour that aerobic exercise doesn’t. The reasons for this are simple and effective. After resistance training your muscles are damaged and need to rebuild or repair themselves. This process begins within 24 hours after the exercise that damaged the muscles and continues for approximately 3-4 days (depending on a variety of personal factors). During this rebuilding or repair process your muscles continue to burn even more calories so you are getting the benefit of the calories that are expended during the exercise itself, combined with the calories that are expended as the muscles are rebuilding and repairing themselves. This 4-5 day cycle cannot be rushed, and exercising the same muscle groups with the same exercises every other day (as many people do) actually retards your ability to rebuild your muscle and burn calories. This is one of the major factors in people hitting a weight loss plateau. It is also the theory behind the famous ìmuscle confusionî principle used in the P90X programs that are all the rage right now.

It is extremely important during this rebuilding process that you continue to feed your body the essential nutrients it needs to rebuild these muscles. That is why almost every world class athlete will take supplements during their training and why it is a good idea for you to consider them in some form for your training as well. The best diet progam that I use and recommend helps you by providing menus, meal plans, recipes and shopping lists for your use in making sure your body gets the nutrients it needs to burn fat and support your weight loss goals.  You can check it out by clicking here.

There is also another benefit that is obtained by weightlifting and resistance exercise and that is the fact that you will be building up muscle mass. Now donít get concerned thinking you are going to look like a female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Not only is this unlikely, without the use of steroids it is impossible particularly for a woman. Muscle is the most efficient means of burning fat and by building up your muscle mass you are creating a fat-burning machine that will help to use up any excess calories and body fat throughout the day. This is why people who supplement their weight loss programs with suitable resistance training will reduce fat and get considerably better results in less time.

You also get the additional benefits of becoming more fit, improving your heart health and your bones strength (particularly important as we age as women) and it also has a positive effect on your mental attitude. To some people just feeling better about themselves can be a huge key in solving why they overeat in the first place. You don’t have to lift excessive weights for this to work either. Even light resistance training will be an added benefit to your weight-loss program. Using your own body weight, you can start in your own home with some beginner exercises that will help you tremendously as you start your journey to lose weight fast and loose fat forever!

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies during dieting

When looking for a fast weight loss diet, it is important to keep in mind that many people who are overweight have become overweight due to poor nutrition. For many of us, over-eating results in many instances of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. We eat copious amounts of food, but it is always the WRONG foods, lacking in the nutrients our bodies need to thrive and function correctly.

Many times by simply supplementing the diet with vitamins and minerals in the correct quantities this will help to reduce those deficiencies and that alone can assist in reducing the need to eat copious quantities of food due to the constant feeling of hunger. There is another problem that faces people who are trying to lose weight and that is the fact that many of these diet and weight loss programs create their own deficiencies in vitamins and minerals by not supplying suitable amounts of food to sustain the persons good health while trying to help them lose weight.

Any diet that leaves you constantly feeling hungry is lacking and more often than not it will also be lacking in your body’s need for vitamins and minerals. Unless the diet has been prepared with the specialist help of dietitians who have a comprehensive knowledge of the body and itís need for all the various vitamins and minerals then the chances of you succeeding on a diet will be minimal and this is one of the biggest reasons why many diets are a failure.

It is not so much the person’s willpower to make it work as the fact that the body is crying out for its needs and they aren’t being met with the food that has been allowed on that particular weight-loss program. If you’re on a diet and you find that you are constantly hungry or craving particular foods then it will be well worthwhile supplementing that diet with a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that will give you your recommended daily requirements.

I would also recommend you consider the program created by registered dietitian Jayson Hunter called 30 Day Belly Fat Blasterî. I use and highly recommend this program to all my readers. First of all, Jayson has created a comprehensive menu plan for your use in planning your meals. Then he gives you specific recipes utilizing all the foods you need on a daily basis, and combining them for the most effective and efficient weight loss opportunity for you. He also includes a shopping list, so you can simply print it off and take it with you to the store so you are sure not to forget something needed. Best of all, IT WORKS! I have lost over 40 lbs. on this program to date, and am well on my way to my goal weight. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge from someone who knows. Well, here is your weight loss nudge. ; – )

You might find that this is all you need to help you to succeed.

Slow Down Your Eating For Fast Weight Loss

You might be surprised to learn that simply slowing down the rate that you eat your food at can have a profound effect on your body weight. I know I was. One of the techniques taught by Jayson Hunter in his 30 Day Belly Fat Blasterî program is to eat more slowly. A very simple concept that works wonders simply by using the fact that the longer it takes you to eat your food, the less food you will need to eat to feel satisfied.

There are some simple techniques that can get you out of a bad habit of eating too fast and consequently eating too much. Try to chew your food a little longer before you swallow it as this will help with the digestion of the food and the extra time that it takes you to chew will also help you to feel more satisfied without having to have such a large quantity.

Don’t load up your fork or spoon with more food until you have finished eating the food that is already in your mouth. One simple way of doing this is to actually put down your fork or spoon until you ready to pick up the next piece of food to eat. Again, an amazingly simple concept, but it flat works! It breaks the habit of over eating from eating too fast. If you look at the way that French people in particular eat as a whole, you should notice that not only do they have smaller portions of food but they take a lot longer to eat their food. They are doing two things that help them to stay slim. Eating smaller amounts and taking longer to eat those smaller amounts.

You will find that once you start eating a little slower you will actually get to enjoy the food a lot more. You will have more time to savor the tastes in the food.

It takes a little while after eating food for your body to register the fact that it has had enough and many people overeat when they eat too fast simply because they believe they are still hungry. You should never eat until you are full; rather eat until you feel comfortable that you have had enough. It is alright to leave some food for another meal later on. The starving children in China wonít mind. ; – )

In order for any program to be truly considered the best online diet, it needs to meet certain criteria.  If you are like me, having immediate access to quick, easy recipes that are easy to make, taste delicious and are what your body needs to lose weight is a lifesaver on any diet program. The problem with the food that most of the population eats on a regular basis is the fact that is wasn’t what nature intended for us to eat. Massive advertising campaigns are constantly trying to convince us to eat a myriad of foods and they are all fueled by the same desire to make bigger profits for the food manufacturers. The human body was designed to eat specific foods to maintain a healthy balance and that balance included a body weight that ensured good health. Obesity is becoming a bigger problem each year (if you will excuse the pun) and it is due to the fact that more and more people are eating the wrong food, feeling hungry due to the lack of nutrition in that food to meet their needs and feeling that they need to eat more to get their essential dietary needs. That is precisely why I am such a proponent of Jayson Hunter and his teachings on what and how to eat to lose weight fast and maintain a healthy weight. Jayson is a registered dietician and really knows his stuff. You can check him out on Google or any of the various television programs he has appeared on as a guest expert. I use and highly recommend Jayson’s 30 Day Belly Fat Buster program. His program is comprehensive in that you get specific recipes, meal plans and menus, as well as a shopping list to take to the store with you. You see, with so much conflicting information about what we should and shouldn’t be eating there are too many people confused as to what is actually good for them. One minute chocolate is good for you and the next minute it is bad. This wasn’t so much of a problem for our ancestors who had a simpler diet where only basic foods were readily available. One thing that they didn’t need to contend with on the scale that we see today is obesity. Where obesity has now become an epidemic is was a rare occurrence in the past. That says something about the foods we eat today just by looking at history. And it wasn’t just because of a lack of money and a lack of food because even those who could afford to buy what they required didn’t have the widespread weight problems that face modern society. If we look back in time and the occurrence of obesity in different races of people it can generally be linked to the introduction of changes in the types of foods that they began consuming. It is difficult to fight the urge to eat when the body is feeling hungry even for those people with considerable will power and that is why most people tend to fail when they go on a diet unless all their nutritional needs are being met. That is why Best Online Diet Program is so great. It ensures your body is getting all the nutrients it needs so that it naturally will adjust to the ideal weight for your body size and type, and allows you to stack the deck in your favor for keeping the weight off for good! Remember, I use and highly recommend this product. You can check it out here…