Ridiculous! They look like they’re preparing for take-off!

 

Prepare for your next bedroom encounter.

 

Timber!

 

Should we be watching this? Seems sexual!

 

Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down.

 

News Headline: Woman found tangled and strangled by her AquaVee!

 

Weeeeeee!

 

Jiggle your way to the perfect body.

 

Imagine this awesome chair in the office! I’d puke after a minute! I don’t think they intended for tht users to lose weight in that manner.

 

Its fashionable too!

 

Also makes a great yoyo.

 

Are low-carb diets good for you?
No, they are not.  Carbs are vital to your health because every cell in your body uses them as fuel.  Did you know that your brain uses only carbs for energy?!

Not too long ago, low-carb diets were the craze.  They promised greater health and quick weight loss. Even now, many still falsely believe that carbs “make you fat.”  Yes, eating too many carbs will make you fat, but so will eating too much fat, protein or guzzling too much alcohol.

What do bad carbs do you your body?
You need to understand that not all carbs are created equally.  Of course, there are good carbs and bad carbs.  First, let’s zero in on the bad, unhealthy carbs (simple carbs)  such as refined grains (white bread and white rice) and sugar. To lose weight, you’ll need to reduce your consumption of these kinds of carbs because not only are they calorically dense, but they are also nutritionally inferior to the whole-grain varieties.  If you eat too much sugar or refined grains, you are setting yourself up for a vicious cycle.  Let me explain. Eating too much sugar or refined grains will cause a sharp peak in blood sugar followed by a sugar “crash.”  Sugar crashes cause moodiness, decreased energy, fatigue, weakness, followed by cravings and severe hunger pangs.  Once this occurs,  you continue to eat,  consuming more sugar– causing a vicious cycle that will repeat itself over and over.

Needless to say, an over-consumption of sugar and other highly refined carbohydrates has been associated with higher incidences of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even breast cancer. According to the World Health Organization, sugars and other simple carbohydrates are a leading factor in the worldwide obesity epidemic.

Examples of foods with bad carbs (simple carbohydrates):

Alcohol,  candy, corn syrup, fruit juice, table sugar, all foods made with white flour (cake, white bread, pasta, soft drinks such as Coke®, Pepsi®, Mountain Dew®, white rice, and most packaged cereals to new a few.

If you cannot lose weight or just embarking on your weight loss journey, eliminate simple sugars and carbohydrates from your diet. Once you’ve reached your goal weight, little bites wouldn’t hurt.  For example, on special occasions, I will have a piece (a small sliver) of cake, which is really a couple of bites and I’m satisfied with that.

To avoid these type of carbs, study your food labels and avoid foods or drinks that contain ingredients such as sugar, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, white or “wheat” flour, because they contain simple carbohydrates. It’s important to note that if these ingredients are located in the beginning of the list, then may contain mostly simple carbohydrates, and should be avoided.

What are good carbs?
Now let’s talk about good carbs, which can be categorized into two different groups.  The first group includes vegetables, which you can eat as much as you like.  The second group of good carbs includes complex carbs and starches. This includes brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain bread, whole-grain pasta, potatoes, corn, and other grains. Even though this second group of carbs is categorized as good, you still have to limit your intake because they’re more calorically dense, especially when prepared with fat (like butter or cream i.e. butter-filled baked potato). These complex carbohydrates are crucial and should not be eliminated from your diet.  They supply specific nutrients that help maintain a steady level of glucose, which happens to be the body’s favorite source of fuel. It’s important to note that milk and fruit are also full of healthy carbs but contain lactose (milk sugar).  To lose weight, eat two or three daily servings of these.

Examples of good carbs, complex carbs, starches & lactose:
Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, brown rice, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, dill pickles, dried apricots, eggplant, garbanzo beans, grapefruit, kidney beans, lentils, lettuce, multi-grain bread, museli, navy beans, oat bran bread, oatmeal, oat bran, onions, okra, oranges, pears, plums, prunes, pinto beans, potatoes, radishes, skim milk, spinach, split peas, soy milk, soybeans, strawberries, tomatoes, turnip greens, water cress, whole barley, whole meal spelt bread wild rice, yams, yogurt, low fat, zucchini

How many daily servings of carbs can I eat and lose weight?
The healthy way to lose weight and improve your nutrition is to eat the appropriate amount of good carbohydrates.

For men trying to lose weight, eat six or seven daily servings.  For women, eat no more than five or six daily servings.

With that said, check the nutritional label of your food product to ascertain what constitutes a single serving.

Conclusion
In closing, eating sensible low carb meals, not following harsh, popular low-carb diets, is the best way to lose weight naturally.  If you want to know how to lose weight, follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to a slimmer, healthier you!

A recent study known as the “Quality Low Input Food Project” ended its four-year research  in April 2009 in which it examined the differences in food production systems and how it affected the  nutritional value, taste and safety of food in Europe.  The findings of this extensive project, which will be fully released in the next 10 months,  concluded that organic fruits and vegetables contained as much as 40 percent higher  levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants, which also reduce the risk of heart disease.  Additionally, organic crops had elevated levels of zinc, a beneficial mineral  needed by the human body. They also discovered that milk from organically-fed herds had  up to 90 percent more antioxidants than milk from herds fed with a conventionally grown diet.

Even prior to this study, there were already excellent reasons to buy organic, such as  avoiding the ingestion of herbicide and pesticide residues  (which get stored in body fat),  supporting small, sustainable farms, and eating better tasting food.  We can conclude from the numerous studies conducted that  organic foods have higher levels of important nutrients.  Alyson Mitchell, Ph.D., a food scientist at the University of California, Davis stated, “[o]riginally, the question was just really intriguing  to me.” I found that the higher level of antioxidants is enough to have a significant  impact on health and nutrition, and it’s definitely changed the way I think about my  food.”

If you still doubt that organic foods are better for your health, remember that artificial preservatives and chemicals that can be found in many foods we eat are  relatively new and have only been consumed by humans for a short amount of time.   Consider that half a century ago, all these toxins, added hormones, preservatives, and pesticides  were not used in the foods we now eat. Our bodies are not engineered to digest  these hazardous toxins.   Our  organs, specifically the liver, are unable to process hormones, preservatives, and  pesticides, which in turn stresses the organ.  Over time, an accumulation of harmful  chemicals builds up in the fat stores of the body, which causes the body storing even  more fat. By the way, if you want to remove these substances from your system, do it  sooner than later, but first seek medical advice by a medical professional.

The evidence indicates that organic food is more nutritious and the lack of hazardous  toxins helps your body perform more efficiently, as nature intended. How does this relate to  weight loss?  Organic foods are efficiently and quickly digested by your body. As a  result, your metabolism speeds up, which is crucial for weight loss, because it doesn’t  have to process these harmful chemicals.  You then are able to convert the organic food  into the full energy potential.  This translates to less fatigue and having the extra  energy needed to burn off even more calories. Studies have also found that laboratory  rats who consume organics sleep better and we all know that you need to sleep enough to  lose weight (see my post on sleep and losing weight).



I urge you to try organic food for a couple of months and see how you feel.  I’ve been  eating organic foods for awhile now and I honestly tell you that it’s helped me  with my weight loss but also with some health problems I had been facing.  Twice a week, I eat 6 oz of  Superior wild Alaskan Sockeye, not farm-raised (might as well not eat it at all) twice a week, which I ordered online from Vital Choice.  When you order 3 fillets, you are actually getting 4.5 pounds of Salmon.   I cook all the fillets, and freeze most of it so they’re ready to eat on another night.   Vital Choice’s Wild  Salmon and Seafood, is certified pure, has an amazing taste, and it is #1 endorsed seafood by physicians.  Try it once to see if you like it yourself.  There’s nothing to lose with 100% satisfaction guarantee.  They also carry organic snacks that are yummy too.

Best Wishes for your health!

Holly
xxxxxxx@yahoo.com | xx.xx.xxx.15

I am really curious because i saw this same before and after picture of you, a mom from Irvine, on another site promoting a cleanse and Acai????

My Response:

After reading this comment, I did a Google search for before and after weight loss photos acai berries and I COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES!!!!!  THREE DIFFERENT WEBSITES have illegally dowloaded my photos and my persona to promote their scheme for weight loss–acai berries.  One of the sites using my illegally obtained photo is promoting a colon cleanse.  I can’t tell you how terribly upsetting this is!!!!

For the record, my personal photos are intended only for SheGoddess.  Also, I do not promote acai berries or colon cleansing for weight loss. In my opinion, acai berries are a scam. Sadly, the weight loss industry, which by the way, is a billion-dollar a year industry, knows how to prey upon individuals desperately trying to lose weight.

Stay clear of false promises like acai berries or colon cleansing!

Thank you Holly for bringing this to my attention!

Best Wishes,

Vas

Weight Loss Management for the Long Term

I’m happy to announce that I’ve been at my ideal weight for just over a year!  Happy Anniversary to my current self for losing the weight and working  through my unresolved issues, which contributed to the weight gain in the first place (see my posts on emotional eating).

In the far left picture, I was 197 pounds (as if you couldn’t tell).  In the center picture, I was 123 pounds and in the far right picture, I’m 120 pounds.

2008 started off with me being overly paranoid of gaining even one pound.  Now, I’m more relaxed knowing that my weight management is a matter of balance–knowning the correct sized portions of healthy, wholesome food and small treats whenever I want.  However,  I don’t ever want to get too comfortable because I never want to be heavy again.   So, I still weigh myself daily on my Seca Clara 803 Digital Scale (see my post on losing weight with a digital scale), drink plenty of water, eat 3 meals plus one snack, stay physically active, and continue to work through my issues by making positive changes in my life, which I’m committed to doing for the rest of my life!

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2009!

V

Is it possible to maintain your weight or even lose weight over the holidays? Yes it is. It’s easy if you have a game plan. Next week is Thanksgiving, the first big “food” holiday. There will be plenty of temptation around with family gatherings, office potlucks, parties, feasts, nights out, etc. I hope this post, which was a request from a reader, provides you with some tips and strategies that will help you stay focused through the holiday season and beyond.

1. ISOLATION
Stay home to avoid temptation. Just kidding! This isn’t a real option. Life is meant to be enjoyed and shared with those who matter most to you.

2. BYOD (Bring Your Own Dish)
Volunteer to cook a dish that you know you can eat and stay on track. A colorful salad would be perfect, but watch out for the salad dressing for fat and caloric content. I love Miso Salad Dressing. It’s lowfat (18% calores from fat) and delicious too. Fill your plate with the salad then eat small tasting samples of the other stuff you want.

3. HEAVY SNACK
If you don’t want to BYOD, try eating a substantial snack (between 150-200 calories) before attending the event. That could be one egg scrambled with one tsp of Earth Balance buttery spread (no trans fat) and a slice of whole grain toast, a fiber bar (170 calories) or half of a peanut butter sandwich (200 calories). Once you get to the party, NIBBLE on what you want to eat, like the option above. Needless to say, this method will not work if you go to the party and eat more than nibbles.

4. EAT SLOWLY AND UTILIZE THE HUNGER SCALE
Savor each bite, paying careful attention to the textures and flavors of your favorite foods. Studies indicate that it takes 15 minutes for your brain receptors to register that you’re full…so slow down and enjoy, you’ll eat less (see my post on The Hunger Scale) .

5. REDUCE/ELIMINATE ALCOHOL
Ideally, alcohol should be eliminated, especially if you’ve just begun a weight loss regimen. However, being the holidays, you may want to have a drink. But try to limit yourself to just one. Alcoholic drinks are packed with calories, empty ones at that. If you’re going to consume alcohol, try having one 4-ounce glass of red wine, which has only 100 calories. Another option is having one mixed drink made with a clear-colored spirit, such as vodka with cranberry juice (165 calories per drink–100 calories for 1.5 oz of vodka + 65 calories for 4 oz of juice). You could even water down the cranberry juice to reduce the number of calories. Avoid the creamy drinks such as Kahlua or Baileys Irish Cream.

6. DRINK LOTS OF WATER
Keep your body hydrated and you’ll eat less. Studies indicate that people who drink 8 glasses of water a day consume 200 less calories. If plain water bores you, try a sparkling mineral water with a twist of lemon or lime.

7. KEEP YOUR BODY MOVING
Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car in the far corner of the parking lot, take a walk, find something to increase your physical activity. Whatever activity you can squeeze in will help tremendously. You will be surprised how 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there add up. What’s important is the accumulative activity for the day.

8. TRACK YOUR WEIGHT FREQUENTLY
I’m not suggesting that you have an unhealthy obsession with the number of your scale, but weighing yourself daily is a way to stay motivated when you see even small increments of weight coming off (See my post on Monitoring Your Weight Loss with a Digital Scale.) Also, by monitoring your weight often, you’ll be able to address any weight gain that goes above your buffer zone before it turns into a 30 pound weight gain.

9. INSTANT RECALL (IMPORTANT!)
Find a old picture of yourself that you like. If you don’t have one, find a picture of someone else that you admire and burn this image into your brain. When temptation strikes, recall this image and recite your personal mantra.

10. ADOPT A PERSONAL MANTRA (IMPORTANT!!)
Mantras can be used for anything, even weight loss management. They are powerful words or phrases that change your beliefs, thoughts, and improve your life. They can be said silently to yourself, posted anywhere and everywhere, or spoken in front of a mirror. A weight loss mantra is beneficial because it replaces negative thoughts with positive thoughts and it also helps invoke willpower just when you need it most.

There are two differents types of mantras–affirmations and cognitive challenges.

AFFIRMATION MANTRA:
Affirmation Mantras reminds you of why you’re putting yourself through the trials and tribulations of weight loss in the first place. Additionally, they remind you of the prize at the end of the tunnel.

Weight loss mantras used as affirmations should be stated in the present tense, such as “I fit easily into my old pair of size 8 jeans” not “I’ll wear size 8 jeans in three months.”

Some examples of dieting affirmation mantras are found below:

“I feel great, and look good. I feel powerful, healthy, and fit.”

“My clothes fit beautifully on my thinner body.”

And etc.

The more effort you put into these affirmations, the less you’ll feel like going off track.

COGNITIVE CHALLENGE MANTRAS
The belief in cognitive psychology is that we unfortunately create many of our own problems by carrying rigid, untrue beliefs and thoughts. The goal in cognitive psychology is to make us stop and re-examine those thoughts and beliefs. For example:

Negative Belief: I can’t follow this new way of eating for four months. I have no will power.
Mantra: You don’t have to stick to your new way of eating for four months. You just have to stick to it for today.

When used, mantras are a powerful weight loss management tool. Mantras will help flex your willpower muscle, which will only get stronger as it’s exercised. If you happen to eat a little too much next week on Thanksgiving Day, it’s ok. You’re not a failure. Be kind to yourself. Remember one day at a time, even one meal at a time. You’ll get there. I know you can do it. Losing weight and finding yourself along the way is so worth it!!!

I hope these strategies allow you stay focused on your weight loss goal during the holiday season and beyond.  Your success depends on your actions and your level of committment (see my post on Committment is Crucial to Lose Weight).  I know you can do this!!  You deserve it!

I wish you every success on your journey and a Happy Holiday Season!!

Vas

History of HFCS

HFCS was first developed by Richard Marshalle and Earl P. Kooi in 1927. The process was then later refined by Dr. Y. Takasaki at Agency of Industrial Science and Technology of Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan in 1965-1970. Since then, HFCS has been substituted as an ingredient to many processed foods, soft drinks, and fruit juices in the U.S because it’s cheaper to use than cane sugar.

What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?

In soft drinks, HFCS is made from approximately 55% fructose and 45% glucose. In the U.S., it’s made with government-subsidized corn, making it an attractive and cheaper substitute for sugar. Unfortunately, it has many detrimental effects to our health. Today Americans consume more HFCS than sugar. It’s interesting to note that there is a direct correlation to the rise of obesity in the U.S. and its increased consumption of HFCS (Please read my post on why Americans struggle with weight loss).

Research Test

According to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, our bodies produce more fat from fructose than from other kinds of sugars. In the research article published in the Journal of Nutrition, six healthy people were put through three different tests. In the first test, they drank only 100% glucose. In the 2nd test, they consumed half glucose and half fructose, and in the third test they drank a combination of 25% glucose and 75% fructose. The tests were double-blind and random, which means that neither the evaluator nor the subjects knew which items were the controls (This kind of testing reduces error, bias and self-deception). All the subjects ate a regular lunch approximately four hours later.

The Findings:

The researchers concluded that lipogenesis—production where the body converts sugars into body fat, increased significantly in the test subjects who consumed fructose as a replacement for as little as half of the glucose.

Additional findings stated that fructose consumed at breakfast altered the way the body processed the food eaten at lunch by forcing the liver to increase storage of lunch fats that could have been utilized in other ways.

Conclusion:

High Fructose Corn Syrup is not the lone cause of obesity epidemic we are witnessing today, but it sure it a major contributor. Sadly, food and beverage manufacturers care more about their bottom line profit than your health! Don’t believe the hype that HFCS is safe and natural. One of the best dietary changes you could make today is to eliminate HFCS from your diet.

Not only does HFCS boost fat storage, but it has detrimental effects to your overall health. I’m not a doctor, but it makes total sense that putting unnatural chemicals into your body isn’t healthy. A study done with animal indicates a link between increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup and adverse health effects, such as diabetes and high cholesterol.

To enjoy good health, eat wholesome, unprocessed foods and use natural sweeteners such as raw sugar, honey or maple syrup-in moderation. If you’re trying to lose weight, make water your best friend. Try some carbonated water with a wedge of lime. If you just love your fruit juices, purchase 100% fruit juice, then water it down 50% to reduce the calories and sugar content. Also, try re-training your taste buds to enjoy fresh fruit. Local farmers markets have a beautiful selection of fresh fruit (purchase organic if you can). Fruit does contain a small amount of natural fructose, but the bulk, fiber and relatively low sugar of the fruit’s flesh minimizes the lipogenesis potential.

Say NO to HFCS and read your food and drink labels carefully. You may be surprised by how many foods and drinks contain high-fructose corn syrup.

Best wishes for health & happiness!

V

I have received several e-mails on how to stop over-eating to achieve weight loss.   In addition to the posts I have written on emotional eating, I highly recommend a phenomenal book by Christiane Northrup, M.D.  entitled, Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom. It’s not only a book for women who want to lose weight, but for all females from adolescent ones to menopausal women.

Dr. Northrup is known all over the world as a visionary for women’s health and wellness by combining conventional medicine and healing that acknowledges the unity of the mind and body, and the powerful role of the human spirit in creating good health.  After 25 years as a board certified OB/GYN, she has dedicated her life to teaching women how to create health, richness and pleasure in their lives.  She says, “I’ve spent the first half of my life studying and footnoting everything that can go wrong with the female body and figuring out how to fix it.  I’m dedicating the second half of my life to illuminating everything that can go right with the female body, including teaching women how to truly flourish.”   She is a best selling author and co-founder of “Women to Women,” an innovative health-care center in Yarmouth, Maine. 

I stumbled upon the work of Dr. Northrup by good fortune when a friend of mine let me borrow the audio cassettes version of her book entitled Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom.  While listening to it, I was profoundly affected.  I knew intuitively, as us women do, that she was dead-on correct. The cassettes I listened to were from her 1970s lectures (since then the material has been updated).  I can honestly tell you that it changes how you think about yourself in a positive, empowering way. It’s life changing stuff.   The beginning of the program starts with Dr. Northrup exploring the mind/body connection from a personal, entirely female perspective.  In this section she also examines how our culture influences the way in which women feel about and care for their bodies. Then she explains the anatomical facts of the female body, its strengths and illnesses, in a clear, intelligent and compassionate way.  Lastly, she teaches us to look deep inside ourselves to heal the emotional issues that contribute to physical problems.  She even presents methods on how to change the attitudes that created those scars.

Since the 1970s, the women’s movement has created progress and some sense of equality.  However, I agree with Dr. Northrup, that our society undervalues women, and we perpetuate that and other negativity within ourselves.  It’s crucial that we learn how to cherish and respect ourselves and teach it to our daughters, relatives and friends.   I implore you to read or listen to Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom Audio CD.  It’s an inspirational, empowering book.  I have to warn you that it’s book is almost 900 pages (it’s sitting on my desk).  It’s a book that should be in your personal collection; it’s that important.  Anyway, thanks for reading this post.  As always, I wish you happiness and good health.

Once the pain and burning subsided, I returned to the gym only to reinjure my hip and aggravate my sciatica. After this cycle happened several times—waiting again for the burning and pain to go away, returning to the gym, and causing injury, I decided to avoid the treadmill altogether and lift free weights. This was the only way I knew how to build muscle quickly and trim my body fat. But that didn’t work either because my sciatica started up again. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced sciatica, but it feels like your entire leg from your hip to your ankle is on fire. It’s very uncomfortable. I felt helpless and desperate because I wanted to lose weight quickly. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to exercise, I did, but every time I did I would exacerbate my injury. After much thought and research, I purchased a Precor Elliptical Trainer EFX5.17i for $2,700 from Busy Body for $2,800. (You can find it cheaper on-line now) for home use because of its low impact to the joints, ease of use, 10 year warranty, and overall top-notch quality.

There are four workout programs to choose from, but I started on the manual mode for 15 minutes three times a week for one week. Then I gradually increased my workout by 5 minutes each week, eventually working up to 45 minutes 3-4 times a week. After my Precor workout, I feel invigorated instead of wiped out. After several months, I successfully lost the weight and more importantly, I didn’t injure my hip or aggravate my sciatica. (FYI: Acupuncture was the only thing that stopped my sciatica from burning).

If you want to know how to build muscle quickly and lose weight, then the Precor Elliptical Trainer is for you. Yes, it’s a little expensive but it comes with a 10 year warranty. How many products do you know that come with that kind of warranty?! When you come to think of it, buying a Precor is better than purchasing several cheaper machines. Besides, the Precor is easy to use, a great and effective workout which will yield with quicker results. Honestly, it’s a top-notch machine that you won’t regret purchasing.

1: Weak and light-headed. Your stomach acid is agitated or stirring.
2: Very uncomfortable. You feel grouchy and unable to think.
3: Uncomfortably hungry. Your stomach is making noises.
4: Slightly uncomfortable. You’re just beginning to experience the first signs of hunger.
5: Comfortable. You’re more or less content, but still could eat some more.
6: Perfectly comfortable. You feel content..
7: Full. A little bit on the uncomfortable side.
8: Uncomfortably full. You feel abdominally bloated and overall yucky.
9: Very uncomfortably full. You want to unzip your pants or skirt.
10: Stuffed. You are so full you feel like you could throw up.

Hunger Scale Guidelines:

- Drink plenty of water. Your ability to feel real hunger depends on your body being well hydrated. Test yourself. If you feel hunger, try drinking a glass of water first. If after 15 minutes you’re still hungry, eat. Sometimes your body may not be hungry but actually thirsty.

-Don’t skip meals or snacks! Your body should naturally feel hungry 3-5 hours after breakfast.

-To conquer the hunger scale, eat only when you’re feeling 1, 2, 3 or 4 and stop eating at a 5 or 6 until the next snack or meal.

-If you are trying to drop pounds, stop at a 5, which is the point where you’re burning more calories than you’re eating. This doesn’t mean that you can eat Chocolate Truffles until you’re at a 5. Needless to say, you need to eat a healthy, balanced diet, low in fat, low in sugar and sodium.

-Get enough sleep. Studies show that sleep deprived individuals are hungrier and tend to eat more.

-Last but not least, slow down when you eat. It takes 15 minutes for the brain to receive the “I’m full” signal so if you eat fast, you’ll end up eating more than needed. You may find yourself on the uncomfortably full side.

Even though it’s simple, it takes time to master it, especially if you’ve been eating out of boredom, stress, etc. I’ve been at my goal weight for 9 months now, and I still struggle with it from time to time, so don’t give up if you can’t get it at first. Best Wishes!