Keeping A Weight Loss Journal

If you're planning on losing weight, the recommended rate to lose is about 1-2 lbs a week. Any more than that can pose numerous health risks. But as the scale slowly makes it's way towards your goal, it sometimes can still be discouraging when you don't see actual results. That's why it's recommended that you keep a weight loss journal.

A weight loss journal is similar to a scrapbook. It tracks every aspect of your weight loss journey. It can be a simple folder with pockets, or a three ring binder. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you may even wish to keep an actual scrapbook and log your journey to better health for reference. Any way you choose, the weight loss journal is meant to keep you motivated during those times when it's difficult to see progress. Just be sure to have blank paper to keep your notes, and pockets for pictures of your progress. If you're the technical type of person, you can even keep everything in a computer folder.

In your weight loss journal, take a “before” picture. Write down all your measurements at the time you begin your weight loss program. Be sure to measure your chest, bust (women), upper arms, forearms, waist, hips, upper thighs and calves. Measure again every month and take another picture wearing the same clothing as the first picture and in the same pose, with the same background. Subtract the new measurements from the previous so you can see your progress. This is important since you may not be able to visually see your progress. Also, log all your food intake. Depending on which path to weight loss you choose, log your carbs, points, calories, fat grams or all food eaten and at what time. Record the date on all entries.

It's also recommended that you log all your exercise and calculate how many calories each activity has burned. There are many online resources that can tell you how many calories are burned for just about any activity, even when it's not a “workout”. Make notations of your resting heart rate, if you broke a sweat as well as any aches or pains you may have. Keep track of any and all accomplishments since sometimes we don't realize we are indeed making progress. For instance, you many not notice any change in your appearance but may notice a lower resting hear rate which is an indicator of progress. Another example is if you are able to stretch further than before, or don't get as winded doing something that before would leave you breathless. Those accomplishments are huge! They are indicators that your body is beginning to function more efficiently which will help in losing weight.

Once your weight loss journal is established, it really doesn't take much time at all to maintain. It can be small and fit in your purse, or even entered into your hand held electronic organizer. The point is to keep track of all the information so you can see your progress. And taking note of the journey towards better health can be just as rewarding as reaching the goal.

When Is Big Too Big....Define Health...Does Size Matter?

This isn't about what the magazines say you're supposed to look like. This isn't about becoming a size 2. This isn't about being fat. It's about being healthy. And let's face it, there are a lot of super thin people who are unhealthy. There are also a lot of overweight people who are too. But for the purpose of this article, I am specifically addressing overweight people. Myself included. This is about ending the denial, growing up, swallowing the proverbial pride and being mature enough to honestly analyze yourself and determine whether or not you're healthy at whatever size you are. Forget society, forget magazines, and forget anyone who will tell you you're fine the way you are, when they don't know anything about you. YOU need to determine whether or not YOU”RE healthy (not saying to ignore dr's recommendations for gosh sakes let's have a little common sense!). Here are some questions to ask yourself.

1)Is my quality of life affected by my being overweight? Now before you jump to a quick “no”, remember the paragraph you just read about being honest with yourself. I'm not talking about adapting and finding alternate ways to perform duties that if you were healthier (less weight) would not be a problem. Ask yourself: Do you get winded walking further than 30 feet or so? Do you need to hold onto furniture or tables to get off the floor? Can you get on the floor? Do you lean on supermarket carts? Do you dread having to park far from the store entrance? Do you shuffle your feet? Do you have chafing due to your inner thighs rubbing together or shorts bunching up? Are you the only one who's always warm in a room (not menopausal)? These may be clues that you're unhealthy because of your weight.

2)Do you suffer from any medical condition that can be either helped or eliminated altogether by losing weight or by adapting better eating habits? Now here are a few more thoughts to consider. If you have government health insurance, do you think it is fair to expect the taxpayers to pay for your unnecessary and preventable health conditions? Would you as a taxpayer want to have taxes deducted from your paycheck to pay for a stranger's health condition(s) that were completely preventable? Wouldn't you consider it irresponsible of that stranger to expect the general public to pay for their medical expenses if those expenses were due to that stranger's refusal to maintain their health? It seems a bit unfair. Just food for thought, no pun intended.

3)It's no secret that fast foods are sponsoring the politicians who put junk food in your kids school. It's no secret that corn farmers are subsidized by the government. The fattening high fructose corn syrup and other unhealthy corn products that are in just about everything making unhealthy food very cheap which explains why America's poorest people tend to be the most unhealthy. HOWEVER.....to all of you on food stamps....most health food stores and some farmer's markets now accept food stamps! This means you CAN get organic products. You CAN get healthy foods! Now, you can even get meal replacement drinks which if that's your preferred choice to drop some excess weight..... it's possible. So now there's no excuse. There isn't any reason you can't get a cart full of produce instead of a cart full of soda, frozen food and other junk. Now the responsibility rests solely on your shoulders.

You can continue to make the choices you have been that led you to the health you're currently at, or you can make different choices that can result in you feeling better, hurting less, enjoying life more, having smoother more resilient skin, sleeping better, having better focus and more. Join me in choosing better health. I have a bit of weight to lose myself, but I'm also focusing on being healthy. I also have to redefine my terms of health. Would I rather be a size 4 and sickly or would I rather be an 8 with good muscle tone and endurance? I'm working on it...it's a process, but not one that's impossible. What will you decide?

FREE Weight Loss!!

So you want to lose weight. And flooding our televisions are advertisements for costly programs, clubs and pre-packaged foods. But what is someone to do if they're on a tight budget? We are in the middle of a recession after all and many budgets do not allow for such programs. But fear not! Below are some suggestions that not only helped me just lose 10lbs in 3 weeks (and still losing), but many of the ideas are free. Yes that's right free! All it takes is determination and an adjustment of the mindset. Try any or all of these and see how much weight you lose.

1)Eat smaller portions- Seems easy enough right? But exactly how do you stick to it? After researching the cause of obesity in America, it seems that other countries eat smaller portions. And smaller portions equal smaller people. In many countries, a standard dinner plate is around 9". In America they can be up to 11". To start eating smaller portions, replace your dinner plate with a salad plate. And don't pile the food high either! I have weaned myself to a saucer for my portions and I still feel great. Limiting my portions has taught me to make every taste count. Which means, no empty calorie food which will cause me to be hungry in an hour. I have effectively trained myself to make better choices such as proteins and vitamin packed vegetables. For snacks, I choose fresh fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth instead of pastries and baked goods. Since doing so, my palate has become more sensitive meaning processed foods have a "weird" chemical taste that I now find rather gross. Cost: FREE

2)Drinking water with your meal will cause a sense of fullness which will help you to eat less. Besides, water helps keep you hydrated as well as a myriad of other health benefits. Cost: FREE

3)It takes anywhere from 10-15 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that it's full. So I started giving my brain a chance to catch up. No matter what I'm eating, I'll stop when I've eaten ½ then have some water. Then I'll wait about 10 minutes. If I still feel hungry I'll eat more. This way I can stop when I've had all I need and won't have the opportunity to overeat or gorge myself. Cost: FREE

4)One of the hardest weight loss sabotaging habits to break was the consuming of sodas. Joan Collins was asked why she never drank diet sodas. Her response was because she had never seen a thin person drink one. That statement sat on my brain for years before I came upon a personal trainer who explained that it's the carbonation that actually prevents weight loss. While diet sodas may not cause weight gain, they will keep you from actually losing. To break my soda habit (used to drink a 2 liter of regular cola each day!) I switched to diet first to stop my weight gain. Then I would drink a glass of water for every glass of diet soda I drank. I slowly went down to ½ glass of soda for every 1 ½ glasses of water. Eventually I replaced the soda altogether with pineapple, orange or apple juice. Cost: approximately $2.00-3.00 USD per gallon of juice.

5)Cut out fast foods. Yes they're tasty, yes they're convenient. However with all the easy to fix foods available at the market, there's no reason why a quick, healthier meal can't be made at home for a fraction of the cost. There are also a lot of cookbooks available that focus on low cost meals in minutes. And when you think about it, sometimes the line at a fast food place can take 15 minutes. You can easily make a healthier dinner for you and your family in the same amount of time for a lot less money.

6)According to sleepdeprivation.com and many other experts, inadequate sleep can cause weight gain. "Leptin and Grehlin are hormones that help the body control appetite and weight gain and loss. Leptin suppresses appetite, while Grehlin increases appetite and may prevent a person from losing weight.
When lack of sleep becomes a chronic problem, levels of Grehlin increases, causing greater appetite, and levels of Leptin decrease. Regardless of diet and exercise, it's possible that some obesity is caused, or made worse, by sleep deprivation." For more information, go to their website or simply do a Google search for "sleep deprivation and weight gain". So get in your pj's, grab your fluffiest pillow and sleep away the pounds! Cost: FREE

7)When you've had a good night's sleep, get out and walk. Any walking is better than no walking. Either by parking your car further from the entrance at the mall, taking the stairs instead of elevator or just walking in your neighborhood, there are many ways to get walking. With so many professions putting us behind desks and on computers, making and taking time to be active is more important than ever. For some suggestions on being more active, check out http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2271507/fun_calorie_burning_fall_activities_pg3.html?cat=5
Hey, walking just may help you get that good night's sleep! Cost: FREE

8)Another low cost way to lose weight is to calm down. In today's time, stress levels are at an all time high and according to experts, this leads to weight gain. Taking time to reduce stress can keep cortisol levels normal. According to www.webmd.com"cortisol works on a different timetable. Its job is to help us replenish our body after the stress has passed, and it hangs around a lot longer. It can remain elevated, increasing your appetite and ultimately driving you to eat more," For ideas on naturally reducing stress, visit http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2488399/most_popular_tips_for_naturally_reducing.html?cat=5

Losing weight need not be expensive or difficult. It only takes determination and a willingness to adjust our mindset. Try one of the suggestions or try them all and see just how much you can lose!

Choosing The Right Vitamin

Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining optimal health. Yet in today's society of convenience, stress and busy schedules, it's difficult to achieve proper nutrition. Yes, America has a problem with being overweight, but an abundance of food doesn't necessarily equal enough good nutrition. That's why most trainers and doctors as well as nutritionists suggest taking vitamin and/or mineral supplements. Vitamin supplements can fill the gap between diet and nutrition helping you to lose weight, feel better, fight flus and colds, achieve more energy, focus, lessen/eliminate aches and pains, sleep better, among many others. But have you ever really tried picking out a vitamin? The first time I walked into a vitamin store I was overwhelmed at the thousands of tiny bottles. Where does one begin? Take heart! It's not as confusing as it seems. It's really all a matter of preference. It's similar to buying clothes. You purchase what works for you. Some people prefer the latest fashion. Some prefer easy care, or comfort. Some are concerned about price. It's the exact same thing. So with that in mind, here's a breakdown to help you pick which is the right vitamin for you.

1)Tablets – They're hard and come in a variety of sizes. If you are looking for something that you only have to take once each day, this may be for you. Be sure to look for something that says “time release” or that says it is specifically made to be taken once. THE BAD: Chemicals are used in the formulation of all tablets. It's what makes them keep their shape. Many times, tablets are more difficult for the stomach to break down. Especially if taken on an empty stomach. This would cause pain in the stomach or discomfort.

2)Capsules – Much easier to digest and for the stomach to break down. This way, the body can get to the business of absorbing the nutrients. Capsules are my personal preference. THE BAD: If you are a vegetarian or vegan, it's important to know that the majority of capsules on the market are gelatin based. While I do my best to live vegan, this is one area where I am willing to sacrifice.

3)Powders/liquids- These are available at most vitamin stores. Powders can be mixed with water (check the label), juice or sprinkled on your breakfast. Liquids come in the form of juice like products or tinctures taken by spoonfuls. THE BAD: Tinctures taste horrible!

4)Greens - Many people prefer to keep their nutrition as natural as possible. Green vitamins are in either powder or capsule form and are usually made from green plants such as alfalfa, algae, broccoli, spinach etc. Since most of us know that green vegetables are excellent sources of nutrition, it goes without saying why green vitamins are healthy. The powders are mixed with water. Some people chug them, some sip. Again, it's a matter of preference. Many people report fast bursts of energy and increased focus after taking greens (liquid). The capsules have good effects too. THE BAD: Greens are an acquired taste. If you like the taste of grass.....well these may be for you.

5)Phytonutrients or phytochemicals – According to Wikipedia, These “are chemical compounds... that occur naturally in plants.” These are my personal choices in vitamins. Kind of like greens, only instead of broccoli, they've taken the nutrients from the broccoli. They are usually encapsulated. I feel my best when taking this form of vitamin/mineral supplement. THE BAD: Because they are water soluble, they pass through the system quickly and so must be taken throughout the day. So if you're not a pill taker or don't want to have to remember to take them 3x per day, these may not be for you.

6)Enteric Coated – This is a process usually found in fish oil softgels. Enteric coating is a harder to digest coating that does not break down until in the small intestine. This is done to avoid a fishy after burp common with taking fish oil or omega (from fish) softgels. I just take the lemon flavored fish oil liquid to avoid that extra chemical process.

Selecting the best vitamin for you really is a matter of preference and what works best for your lifestyle. If you are looking for brand recommendations, I suggest, New Chapter, Source Naturals, Solgar, The Vitamin Shoppe's store brand and Trump Network/Ideal Health trumpnetwork.com/lbcenterprises . They all are excellent products made with superior ingredients. I also do not recommend brands found in grocery stores. Most are of poor quality and may not absorb very easily. I have had a few clients claim that they have passed straight through! Ugh!

When it comes to vitamin supplements, you really do get what you pay for. Besides, your health is not something you want to be cheap about. The benefits of feeling better are worth it. And isn't that what it's all about? Feeling better to have a better quality of life? When your body is properly nourished, all the systems work efficiently. When that happens, you feel better.

Namaste & God Bless....