Motivational Motivators Will Motivate You!

Hello Readers!

Before we get started, I hope that you’re all doing well, and plugging along on your weight loss journey.  I am happy to report that, to date, I’m down 45.5 lbs (since St. Patrick’s Day this year,) and am working happily towards my final goal – I can see it!  It’s off in the distance, but it’s there!  In the meantime, I’m enjoying learning about new foods to include in my daily 1,200 calories that also keep me on a great nutritional track and ensure that I’m reaching recommended vitamin & nutrient intake models per day.  I highly recommend that you check out the site, www.caloriecount.com, and take advantage of the built-in logs (food, weight and activity) that they offer.  These are some great tools – and, they’re interesting, too!  For example, on the food log, after you’ve entered the items that you’ve consumed per meal, you can do an analysis that tells you which vitamins/nutrients you need more of or which you’ve eaten too much of (within your 1,200 calories, remember,) and which foods contribute to either of those conditions.  Using this as a tool, you can plan your meals better to ensure that you’re coming in right on target, and maximizing your nutritional intake.  In short, fabulous tool!  Again, here’s the site – check it out:  www.caloriecount.com.

It’s important when you’re on a weight loss journey to identify motivators that will help to keep you focused on your goal, and moving in the right direction.  For some, simply weighing in daily and seeing progress is motivation.  For others, setting firm milestones along the journey provide the encouragement that they need – for example, “For every 20 lbs. I lose, I can buy myself a new dress.” 

But, what about you?  What motivates you?  Have you identified those key-drivers to help you along your weight loss way?  You don’t have to, but you should.  But, why?  Can’t I simply lose weight and live my life?  Sure, you can.  If that’s what works for you, then go nuts.  But, for the rest of us, the majority of us, we need motivators to help us along, and studies have shown that by using goal-setting and motivational tools along the way, you’re more likely to keep the weight off.  So, if you fall into the latter category, think about how you will reward yourself when you see your positive weight loss results.

For the record, I’m a fairly simple person who is easily motivated, and also enjoys structure, so, seeing progress in the form of clothes fitting better, the number on the scale getting lower, hearing compliments from people I haven’t seen in a while … those all work for me.  Compounding that, I live by those logs that can be found on www.caloriecount.com.  That’s the structure I mentioned before.  I treat my food log almost as a puzzle – what foods can I eat to get each of the various metrics to read “good” and give me an “A” grade for the day?  To me, it’s a fun game!  Those are my motivators, and so far so good … the weight is coming off.

Are you supporting your weight loss with motivators that will help you to ensure that you, once you’ve lost the weight you want to, keep the pounds off?  If so, appreciate them and continue to incorporate them into your day.  If not, do yourself a favor and try to figure out what will encourage you to achieve weight loss success. 

Here’s one last little trick:  Be selfish!  Don’t share your motivators with anyone!  They’re yours – hog ‘em  up, and own ‘em.  Sometimes, through no fault of their own, friends and/or family members will make comments (good or bad) about your progress – 99% of the time, they mean well … they really do.  But, weight loss can be a very sensitive subject, and many of us can be easily derailed, even by innocuous comments made by loved ones.  Protect your motivators, keep them to yourself.  Imagine you’ve lost 20 lbs and, as you promised yourself, you get to buy yourself a new dress.  Maybe you have another 60 lbs to go, but you’re happy with your progress so far, and are treating yourself.  A comment such as, “New dress?  Why waste your money now – you have a lot more weight to lose!  Spend you’re money when you’re done … ” can send you into a complete tailspin and, if you’re easily affected by others’ opinions or comments, can derail you from your terrific progress.  Yes, keep your motivators to yourself, and celebrate what you deem as progress …. it should be nobody else’s business or concern, and you deserve it.  Plain and simple – you earned it, you worked towards it, you deserve it.  Protect your motivators … and celebrate those moments when you achieve your goals!

So, what motivates you?  (Ha!  Trick question!  Don’t tell me!  Answer that one for yourself!!)

What Is Your Goal This Week?

“It’s good to have goals.”  “Keep your eye on the prize.”  “If you build it, he will come.”  Okay, that last one was from the movie, “Field of Dreams,” but it’s kinda in keeping with our theme here today, too – GOALS. 

Goals are great.  Why, Donna?  Because, they give you something to shoot for, and once you’ve achieved them they give you something to look back on with pride and say, “Look what I accomplished!”

Weight loss is inherently tied into goal-setting (or, should be.)  So, do you have a goal for this week?  Maybe  it looks something like, “When I weigh-in on Saturday, I want to have lost one pound.”  (That’s healthy.  Yay, you!) 

Now, if you don’t already kinda have one going, build a game plan that will carry you to that goal.  Maybe it looks something like, “Drink more water … walk an extra 15 minutes per day … stay away from snacking.”  Sometimes it helps to have concrete ideas right in front of you so that when you find that you’ve wandered away from  your goal, you have tangible items to work on and get you right back on track. 

Remember, when it comes to weight loss, it’s always a good idea to work toward “dietary lifestyle changes” rather than being focused exclusively on weight loss.  If you want to lose weight, and keep it off, you should be working on building a healthy relationship with food, focused on nutrition and good choices, so that your decisions will sustain you and keep you in check as you go forward.

Happy and Healthy Eating 1,200!

Donna 

Site Recommendation:  Great tips on goal-setting!  Thanks, MindTools!

Recommendation

If you’re like me, you like to have a little after-dinner dessert and relax by watching the latest edition of “Real Housewives of (you name the town).” 

Of course, your dessert cals need to be counted toward your 1,200 cals for the day, too – but, you already know that.  So, here’s the recommendation that I have for you:  Skinny Cow treats!  They’ve been around for a while now, so you may already know about Skinny Cow, but I’ m here to tell you – GOOD STUFF!!  Most of their offerings have a caloric value between 100 – 150 calories per cone, ice cream bar or whatevertastygoodnessyousetyourchomperson.  Your tastebuds will be pleasantly surprised by these low-cal, tasty treats!

Check out their site at www.skinnycow.com!  They even have coupons in there for ya’!  Skinny Cow = Fat Wallet!

Hope you’re having a great day!

Donna 

Help! I’m Vegetarian, But I’m GAINING Weight!

Hardly seems fair … here you have made a healthy lifestyle change and have decided to embrace vegetarianism, but the scale isn’t budging.  In fact, it’s going the wrong direction.  C’mon!  I mean, what gives?!  Well, math.

First of all, let me applaud you for deciding to go vegetarian or vegan.  Whatever your reasons are for making this change, I think it’s a positive, healthy choice.  Maybe you’re sensitive to the plight of the animals used in our food chain, or maybe you believe that consuming non-animal products is a sure-fire key to weight loss, or (insert your reasoning here) - bottom line, veggies, nuts, fruits, etc. are all healthy, nutritious, nourishing and, in a word, “good” for you.

But, again – a recurring theme on our blog here – the numbers don’t lie.  And, that applies to vegetarianism weight loss, too.  If your goal is to lose weight and eating only vegetarian/vegan items, that’s great.  But, in order to see results, you still need to stay within that 1,200 calories per day guideline.  You may think, “Well, I’m eating mostly fruits and vegetables, how many calories could those possibly have?”  Well, honestly, they can have a lot.  If you want to dine on truckloads of lettuce, you’ll likely stay within your 1,200 calories per day budget, but I bet you’d be pretty sick of lettuce in a short amount of time.

Let’s take a look at this example – one that I learned firsthand, in fact.  Say for lunch you decide to open a can of black beans, top those with some salsa and heat up your entree.  You might have a banana for dessert and maybe some almonds, just for good measure (you want to make sure you’re getting some fat in your diet – your body really does need some fat to function properly.)  Healthy lunch, certainly, but you’re also looking at approximately 600 calories – half of your daily budget – in just your lunch!  So, be careful with what you’re consuming and always keep in mind that you have a limited supply of calories within which to work each day.  Make it a game, a puzzle to be solved – “How am I going to make the most nutritious vegetarian meals today while staying within my caloric budget?”  That can actually be kinda fun to think about – it challenges you to come up with new, exciting ways to blend your two interests (weight loss and vegetarianism) creatively so that you don’t become bored with the same foods over and over, while watching the pounds slip away.  AND, added bonus, all healthy stuff for you, too, so GO TEAM YOU! 

Just remember, that 1,200 calories per day is what it all boils down to – no matter who you are, omnivore or vegan.  If you stay within those guidelines, continue drinking your water, continue moving your body, your body will start thanking you and morphing into the shape that it wants to be.  You’re gonna feel (and look) great!

Have a great day, Everyone!  Happy 1,200!

Donna

Site Recommendation:  VegWeb.com - great recipes and tips for the vegetarian lifestyle

So Many Fish In the Sea …

… but, likely not many of them in your belly or your medicine cabinet.

Here’s a little poem I wrote that I hope that you will like: 

“All you tasty fishies in the sea,

thanks for all that Omega-3! ” 

(Hey, I didn’t say it would be a long poem … or, even a very good one.)

Do you have fish oil – where your Omega-3 (the stuff in fish oil that’s really, really good for you) comes from - in your house?  I’m talking about in tablet or caplet form.  Well, if you do and you are consuming it on a regular basis, stop right now and give yourself a big ‘ole pat on the back.  If you do NOT, then stop reading this blog, hop on your bike and head on over to Walmart and pick-up a big bottle of ‘em.

I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is, “No, I do NOT own stock in any fish oil tablet companies.”  I should, though, because you would be wise, and so would everyone, to make fish oil a part of your healthy-eating routine.  Study after study, and some more studies after that, have shown the countless benefits of including fish oil in your lifestyle.  From shinier hair to stronger fingernails, to a healthier heart, better circulatory performance and more, fish oil can help you with that.  There have been recent studies out of Japan and the U.K. that indicate that fish oil even has a beneficial effect on asthma - how cool is that?!  Answer:  Really cool!

Of course, any time you can supply your body with naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals, say, those found in fresh fruits and vegetables, for example, you’re on the right track!  Supplements, however, can also be helpful to your overall nutrition.  I don’t go crazy with supplements and I do prefer to get my nutrients from non-processed foods, but I also do regularly take fish oil (3x daily), iron, calcium and biotin.  It works for me, and I strongly encourage you to do the research to see what works for you!

I have a little seven-year-old friend who LOVES salmon!  She would eat salmon for breakfast, lunch and dinner if that were possible!  If you are like her and you like to eat fish a lot, you just might be fine with your fish oil intake!  But, most people aren’t, which is why I wanted to put this out there for the entire world to read.  Get on the fish oil bandwagon … your body will thank you for it!

Now, I’m gonna go buy that fish oil company stock we were talking about earlier.  Ha!  (but, not really.) 

Have a great day!

Boop Boop, Diddem, Daddem, Waddem, Chew (and, they swam and they swam all over the dam.)

Site Recommendation:  Check out this interesting link regarding fish oil … good stuff!

Monday, Monday …

It’s a gorgeous day here today!  It finally feels like Spring – HOORAY!!

So, here’s what I’ve had to eat so far today – keeping within my 1,200, natch:

For breakfast:  a banana (said in my head as, “Bah-nah-nah”) and some strawberries.  Not sure how many for sure, but approximately 10-15.  OH!  Fun factoid:  Did you know that strawberries combined with baking powder act as a great and natural teeth whitener?!!  I didn’t know that … just learned that today, and am sharing with you fine folks!

For lunch:  can of split pea soup, and an apple.  Then, my mother – who is an extraordinary baker – brought me a piece of pineapple cake that she’d saved for me.  Had that, too!  Just recorded those cals towards my 1,200 bankroll, so we’re all good.  (For the record, that cake was t-a-s-t-y!)

For dinner:  not sure yet, but think we’re leaning toward a sweet potato and some french cut beans.  We’ll see – but, that sounds really good.  (Typing this post is making me hungry!)

And, of course, lots and lots of water!  Right now, I’m at two litres.  That should be enough for the day technically, but I’ll have more with dinner.  Don’t forget to keep the water flowing, too! 

So, what is everyone else having today???????

What’s On Your Mind?

… and, here’s why I ask.  Your weight control plan (your diet) shouldn’t be.  Does that sound counter-intuitive to weightloss?  Hear me out.

For many of us, the reason we find ourselves in the position of having to shed pounds is because we have a preoccupation with food.  For a subset of us, that preoccupation is actually classified as an addiction – we crave food, and not in the good way.  For others, it’s an outlet for stress.  “I know those cupcakes are up there in the fridge … but, I have to get this report done … but, I can’t stop thinking about those cupcakes … okay, I’ll have a cupcake or two, and then I can focus on my report, give it the proper attention it deserves.”  Sometimes, whether we realize it or not, certain stressors can trigger our brains to kick into gear and, instead of reaching for the stars, we reach for the fridge.

Another way of looking at it?  Food consumes us as we consume, or think about consuming, food.  Does that ring true with you?  If so, here’s something you need to work on – shifting that thought.  Get your mind onto something else, and away from automatically reaching for food.  Take up a hobby.  Phone a friend.  Pay some bills.  Here’s a really good idea … hit the gym!  Your mind has trained itself to want food when you’re bored or stressed or (fill in the blank.)  Your body on the other hand, which uses food for nourishment and sustenance, wants food to run efficiently.  You control your mind, and you need to recognize when it’s telling you to “go get some food.”  Take a minute to ask yourself:  “When did I eat last?  Is it really time to eat again?”  If it is, then grab something healthy, eat it and get on with your day.  If it isn’t, then make a note that your mind is up to its old tricks, and let it know who’s in charge – YOU ARE!

This pattern (a.k.a. habit) will eventually break, and your mind will calm down and stop with all of the, “Hey – let’s eat that” impluses.  Breaking this pattern may be difficult at first, but when you start to recognize what’s driving those thoughts and address them – putting yourself FULLY in charge – eating right and healthy will become your new pattern. 

And, remember to relax.  This weight control journey is about resetting some old switches in the brain so that eating well for your body is the only relationship you have with food.  Don’t shift your prior preoccupation with food to a preoccupation with dieting – just relax, start recognizing the signals that you’re receiving from your brain, tell ‘em who’s boss and your body will thank you for it.

I hope you’re all having a great day!

DK

Hello 2010!! Goodbye Unwanted Pounds!!

Hey Everyone … and Happy New Year! 

So, we have before us a brand new, shiny year with which to make fabulous changes in both body and mind.  I’m excited, are you?  Let’s get it going!

Hey  – here’s a fun fact … check it out:  if you scramble our new year, 2010, you get the number 1200.  Hmmm, why does that sound familiar?  A-HA!  1,200 calories per day is the platform to success!  (Right, ladies?!  Fellas - you get a little more, but don’t go cuckoo!) 

Okay, I don’t know about all of you, but I had a lot of fun this past holiday season … did you?  I hope so.  And, I’ll be honest with you, my scale and my clothes are reminding me of that fun.  Okay, okay – I get it.  So, what do I do?  Well, I remember that, in keeping with what we’ve discussed previously, I gotta keep it within a cool 1,200 calories per day guideline to manage my weightloss until I’ve reached my goal.  Simple.  I mean, that.  I’m not being coy or evasive – totally do-able.  I did it before, and I’ll do it again starting RIGHT NOW.  Yes, over the holidays, I exceeded the standard guidelines, and I accept responsibility for that.  Now, it’s time to conquer the pounds that I’ve accumulated, and that are making my clothes fit a little more snug than I’d like for them to.  Plus, it’s just not healthy, right?  But, man – Mom’s cookies are good.

“I HATE MYSELF!!!”  Well, no, I don’t … but, are you feeling self-hatred because of your holiday celebrating?  Stop it.  And, I’ll get into that a little later on, but for now – as we’ve also previously discussed here on DELAI, it’s easy for us to fall into a knee-jerk reaction of punishing ourselves for stepping outside of our weightloss plans.  Listen, there’s a difference between knowingly exceeding those guidelines vs. purposefully throwing those guidelines in a shredder while stuffing our faces with nary a care in the world.  Guilt is not a useful or productive feeling – in fact, it is toxic.  In any aspect of  life, embracing responsibility is not only productive, but empowering.  It is of absolutely no use for you, zero/zip/nada, to sit there with thoughts such as, “Whyyyyyyy did I drink all of that delicious egg nog?  I’m such an idiot and a loser, and there’s no way I’ll ever lose weight.”  Or “Whyyyyy didn’t I have the strength to turn down Aunt Mary’s homemade apple pie?  I’m such an idiot and a loser, and there’s no way I’ll ever lose weight.  I hate myself!”

C’mon, now – first of all, smarten up.  Yes, it’s true that nobody forced you to eat those things, and that you knew the consequences of eating that second slice of mince meat pie (hey – I happen to like mmp!)  BUT, DON’T LET THAT SPIRAL YOU INTO DEFEAT!!  You ate the stuff, so what?  It’s the holidays, and delectable food that is not friendly to diets is plentiful … AND, here’s a twist, food is even sometimes sentimental … as in the example of Aunt Mary’s apple pie.  (p.s.  DELISH!!)    NEWSFLASH:  YOU’RE HUMAN!  Food is part of the human experience.  You’re going to indulge yourself every once in a while – SO WHAT?!!  But, don’t – I repeat, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the choices you made over the holidays make you a bad person, an idiot or a loser.  You are, simply, HUMAN. 

So, now what?  Well, now the RESPONSIBLE human who is serious about weightloss is in charge post-holidays.  Saddle up and get back on your horse … that’s all!  And, you know what, too?  These events are going to occur for the rest of your life with regularity – almost as if they’re marked on your calendar.  Wait … they are!  So, here’s some advice:  Start figuring out the most managable way for you to cope with future holidays which we know are going to come.  And, it’s important to remember, too, that you’re NOT ALONE in this struggle.  Millions upon trillions up quadrillions upon gazillions … okay, maybe I’m over-emphasizing, but a LOT of people are in your very shoes right now.  Don’t over think it … just get back on a plan.  Ladies – keep it to 1,200 calories a day, drink lots of water and exercise.  Fellas – keep it to around 1,800 calories a day, drink lots of water and exercise.  You’ll soon start to have that “I’m in control” feeling again, and all of the guilt and self-pity that you may be experiencing will melt away like unwanted pounds on a responsible dieter!  We’re all in this together kids - and, we are extraordinary!  Yes, even you, Dave!   

Anyway, I hope that your holidays were great, that you enjoyed ALL aspects of the celebrations and that we all make 2010 our best year yet!  

All the best, and Happy New Year!

Donna

Six Questions For … Lizzie Wraight (Professional Fitness Trainer)

Image by aJ GAZMEN ツ GucciBeaR via Flickr

Hello Faithful Followers of “Don’t Eat Like An Idiot!” 

First of all, I wanted to thank all of you for the warm response to our blog here, and for the barrage of emails that we have received!  I have been having a wonderful time answering questions and getting to know everyone on the site, so thank you for your interest, and continued patronage.   You know, it’s helpful to me to be able to guide some of you through waters that I’ve navigated myself through, and I hope that my words of encouragement are helpful to you, as well.  Keep those emails coming!

Next – and, I’m very excited about this – we’re kicking off our series titled “Six Questions For … .”   Today’s featured guest is, none other than, health & fitness guru Lizzie Wraight.  Lizzie hails from beautiful England, and currently lives in Reno, Nevada along the Sierra Nevada mountain range of northern Nevada.  For nearly two decades, through an approach that has been accurately described as “part drill instructor, part nurturer, all heart,” Lizzie’s clients have seen fantastic results from their hard work with her, and her dedication to helping them achieve their goals. 

As you will see, Lizzie has volumes of expert advice on what to do to help lose – and keep off – your pounds, and she was thrilled at the opportunity to share some of it with you via our “Six Questions For … ” segment.  Her knowledge, coupled with a wicked sense of humor and delivery, make this a fun and informative read!   So, without further ado, let’s launch this baby!

SIX QUESTIONS FOR … LIZZIE WRAIGHT

Hi Lizzie!  Thanks for signing up to do this!  So, this blog is dedicated to folks looking for those common sense tips for losing weight.  And, while I’m not a fitness guru, I do recognize that an exercise regimen should be included as part of a healthy weight loss program.  You ARE a fitness guru, though, which is why I contacted you to participate in our segment called “Six Questions for ….” - five for purposes of learning, and one just for kicks!  Let’s get started!

1.   Lizzie, as a professional fitness trainer, what do you recommend as beginning exercises for weight loss novices? 

Great question!  You know, I think that right now is an excellent time to join a gym!  Get quotes for a membership from several gyms, and then make them give you a deal.  One thing to keep in mind is that you’ll want to either join a gym close to work or join a gym close to home.  It really gets down to one thing; time in the gym versus time travelling to the gym!!!  
 
When you get to the gym, BELIEVE ME, NO ONE – AND, I MEAN NO-FRICKIN’-ONE IS LOOKING AT YOU!  They all just want to get their 50 minutes in and get the hell out the door!  Here’s the routine that I use with great success on all of my clients:

• Warm up slowly; 5 minutes walking on the treadmill … or, hop on the elliptical.
• Then get your cardio in.  I recommend 4 times a week, 40 minutes of cardio.  For example, get on the treadmill walking uphill (elevation 4.0, speed 3.0 or 3.5.)  Elliptical weight loss program for 30 minutes will work too.
• Now, get to the weight room floor (and, still remember, NO ONE IS LOOKING AT YOU!) 
• Some lateral pull-downs are a great way to loosen up.  35 lb weights for most of you ladies will be fine – do 3 sets of 10.  
• Some bicep curls with 5-10 lb weights will also be good.  
• Lunges across the floor are excellent – maybe carry some 10 lb weights with you on your lunge walk!  (This is all very personal.  Nothing should hurt that day.  But, if it hurts the next day, you did pretty good!) 
• You also need to start working your stomach muscles (“abs.”)  This is easier on your back if you use an exercise ball.  (We’ll get to how to work out the abs a little later on!)

Sound confusing?  Don’t worry!  Most gyms will offer (or, if not, prompt them) that you can get a free session with a personal trainer.  Take advantage of this – most of us do really know what we are talking about!   Maybe when you are doing your first few sessions of cardio, watch them work out other clients.  (If they are holding a Starbucks, and giving their boyfriend a good talking to, you may wanna stay clear.  You do not have to sign up for their program – just say you will think on it.)  The first session with your trainer will have you onto the weight room floor, and they will draw up a workout plan designed specifically for you!
 
Also, please make use of their aerobics classes – they are usually free.  If you find a class too hard, just pretend you need to pee, and don’t come back!  If you find a class that is “stick-a-fork-in-your-eye” boring, do the same thing!!!!  Working out should be FUN!  Honest!

2.     Not everyone can get to a gym for a workout.  Do you have any ideas for a home workout routine?

Okay, it’s a recession, so I know that maybe you don’t wanna commit to the whole gym thing, so here is an alternative for you:

Go to a Target store, or somewhere else you can get stuff cheap, and purchase the following:

• One set of 2.5 lb (5lb total) ankle weights made by PRINCE – they are the most comfortable.
• Yoga/exercise ball - know your height because the box will tell you what size you need based on that.
• A set of 5 lb and 10 lb hand weights.
• Put the Prince weights on your ankles and WALK!   Walk until you really feel it, and are totally ready to go home – I think, for beginners, start off with a 20-30 minute walk with the weights, and work your way up to 40-50 minutes.   Good stuff!  Having said that, I know DK’s blog reaches most of the country, so if you are walking up a mountain, know your body.  If you get light-headed, get down the hill!  (I live in the High Sierras, so I know that sometimes the altitude kicks your butt!)   Figure out how your body reacts to having weights added to it … and customize your personal routine around that.  Push yourself, but not to the point where you pass out!
   
  Your exercise ball is your friend!  Pump up the ball.  (A husband is handy here, but I know you single girls will find a way – i.e. “If I go on a date with you, can we play with balls after?”  should work!)
    
  Okay, now you have your ball (and, likely, the hangover from hell … )
   
• Do 3 sets of 10 chest presses lying on your ball with your neck totally safe on it… BUTT UNDER / STOMACH IN
  
• Do 3 sets of flys  (i.e. as you hold your weights, put your thumbnails together and open the weights up away from your body.)
  
• Do 3 sets of triceps  - put your heaviest weight behind your head, elbows tucked in, and – without using your shoulders – elevate the weight just with your triceps. (Picture a 90 degree angle in your mind.) The other name for this is the “Nose Crusher,” so I am pretty sure you got the image just from the name alone!

 3.  There are so many fad diets out there, including the latest that I’ve seen which involves eating a lot of chocolate.  I encourage my (female) readers to stick to a 1,200-calories-per-day budget in order to lose weight (not very much chocolate!)  What approach to eating do you take and/or recommend for weight loss?

Okay, as to the diet – and, I am not a nutritionist - learning to eat “CLEAN” is a habit and a lifestyle.  You will need exercise along with the right food to make you the person you feel you can be. 

Here are some ideas for starters:

If it’s WHITE, don’t eat it – replace it with BROWN … Brown rice, whole wheat pasta, red skinned potatoes, (for those readers in northern California and Nevada, Raley’s Organic Black Beans are excellent!) Lots of fruits and veggies!  For your proteins, try chicken, turkey, white fish… etc.

CRUNCHY IS GOOD, TOO!  Peppers, broccoli, snap peas, etc.  Think color and crunch!
 
SAY GOODBYE TO SODIUM!  In the day-to-day meals that you guys will eat, you will get enough sodium for the rest of your lives!!!! If you ladies just drink at least 6 bottles of water a day, and go and buy some Mrs. Dash’s seasonings, you will think I am a genius!!!
 

4.     What about imbibing … drinking … boozing it up?

Yes, please!  By all means!  But, choose your drinks like you choose your food – carefully!  Vodka and diet soda/water is, by far, your best bet.  Any “happy summer mixed drinks” are a total disaster!!!!!!  I try to keep off of the booze during the week, and have a fun time at the weekend, remembering that one decadent margarita will set you back 600 calories … you judge if it’s worth it.

 5. In your experience, what is the biggest challenge to people being able to achieve, and then maintain, lifetime weight loss - and how can they avoid the pitfall known as “relapse?”

You have to be able to make the commitment! 

The happiest time for me is when I have been working with a client for about three weeks, and I suddenly see a change in their body.  Soon enough, I hear, “My husband thinks I look great!” … or … “My arse is tighter!” … or … (“insert here the compliment you would like to receive.”)

This first month really inspires a gal to keep on.  But, there will be a plateau – a time when your body catches up to the situation.  It is here when I know I have to keep a client moving on and progressing, or I will lose them.  Look at my Web site for some terrific stories!

Now, I have never had anyone quit, but you have got to realize that when you make this step to change, it cannot be “half-arsed.”  It has to be, “I will never go back.”  Once I hear this, I am so happy because I know I have saved another person from the depths of obesity, denial, and – most importantly – a shortened life. 
 

6.     Okay, Lizzie … last question – off the subject:  You are stranded on a desert island for an indefinite period of time.  You can have three items (not people) from home with you.  What would those be and why?

Hmmm, let’s see.  I would take:

 1.    My “Billy Dog” – because he is my true love.

 2.    My camo Yankees cap, in case Derek Jeter decided to come save me.

 3.    My exercise ball – gotta stay in shape, in case Jeter actually shows up!

Bottom line, if you can look at yourself in the mirror in the morning and know that you have made good choices for your family, your body and your life, you don’t need much else – except Jeter … and that’s just a fantasy anyhow!!!!!

Lizzie (pictured center) works out two of her clients.

If you’d like further information about Lizzie, or would like to contact her for additional information, please check out her Web site at www.fitlizzie.com.  She’d love to hear from you!

Until next time, keep those calories under 1,200, use Lizzie’s workout tips and keep those emails coming!!

All the best,

DK

 

 

Common Sense Weight Loss From a Reformed Fat Girl

Image by ninahale via Flickr

Chances are, if you’ve found this particular blog, you and I have a lot in common … and the common denominator that unites us is likely the ever-present, pesky subject matter known as “weight control.”  Am I right?

Hey, look … for some of us, myself included, throughout our entire lives, weight has always been in the forefront of our minds – either talking down to ourselves for an inability to morph into the same shape or size as the cover girls and celebrities that appear on magazine covers and television shows that we see at our every turn (especially if you’re a celebri-gossip junky like me.)  Or, carrying on raging internal dialogues with ourselves about how we’ve “just got to lose weight,” but don’t do anything about it, and then feel guilty about our lack of action – we, then, seek comfort through our friend, “food,” thus perpetuating a cataclysmic cycle that undermines, and sometimes derails, any weight control goals we may have set for ourselves.  Or, we think, “I’ve lost weight before … I’ll just put it back on again … so, what’s the point?  Think I’ll eat that donut over there …”  Do thoughts like that sound familiar? 

If they do, then – yes, we are compadres in the on-going battle to take control of our weight.  We are sisters (some brothers, but mostly sisters according to our demographics) united in the fact that keeping weight off just doesn’t come naturally to us.  For whatever reason, either physiologically or psychologically, our relationship with food has been, up until now, unhealthy in a variety of ways, and on many different levels. 

But, you know what?  We’re in this together, and we CAN lose that weight!  And, if you stick with me, I’ll share with you how.  I am not a doctor, nor am I a nutritionist, nor am I a weight-loss company trying to sell you a weight-loss program, nor am I someone trying to get you to subscribe to anything.  As you get to know me through this journey, you’ll see that I am an honest, down-to-earth person whose only ulterior motive is to share with people in similar situations as mine what has worked for me, what I’ve learned, what I’ve discovered, and how great I feel to have figured out a weight-loss solution.  Call it want you want to … a diet, a lifestyle, a life program, etc. – I’m not here to tell you what to do, and I don’t want to let semantics get in the way.  I’m here to share with you what’s worked well for me, and you can glean from that what you need to in order to have this information fit into your life and work for you, too.  It’s not rocket science, but I have an awful lot to share with you, so let’s get started and have a whole bunch of fun along the way, too!  You in?  I am soooo in!! 

C’mon … let’s go!

Please Tweet me at donteatlikeanid … I’ll get back to you pronto!