Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’

Deborah McIncrow
Women’s Health & Wellness Coach

The Wonders of Weight Loss

Losing weight and feeling healthier can be a constant challenge in your life. There are certain steps that you can put into action that will continue to promote your forward motion and successful endeavors on your lifelong journey toward healthier and lighter living. They are not out of your range and you have to believe in yourself and persevere toward their endowment and bequest. For it is only when you strive for continued involvement in these essential elements that you begin to see the results that you are longing for.

Let’s take a look at five essential elements that promote success, and provide a pathway lined with achievement. Let’s see how many of the elements find their way into your daily line up:

Healthy Food Selection: Fueling your body with a gracious amount of fruits and vegetables and other powerful choices is the responsibility of you. You must limit unwise food choices and establish new, more beneficial ways of fueling your temple.

Portion Control: Being aware of your need for energy is priceless in your ability to fuel your body with the correct amount of food. Listen to yourself. Pay attention to your mind, body and soul when it gives you signals to stop eating.

Exercise: You have to move; you must get physical to fully reap the potential that your body has to offer. Each element of this lifestyle is a building block for the next. If one area is lacking, all progress suffers. Get moving and start reaping the payoffs.

Journaling: the power of the almighty pen to paper is truly amazing. It allows you the gift of reflection, it gives you the power to monitor and adjust. Not to mention it provides you with the presence of self to be accountable to you, granting you the awareness of your actions.

Hydration: Water does a body good. Water maintains hydration, creates efficiency and provides energy for movement. Not to mention it wards off false hunger and creates the opportunity for greater rewards in the weight loss department.

These essential elements have been around the block for many, many years now and they continue to surface with every Tom, Dick or Deborah’s words of advice. They are the proven building blocks of how to live a lifestyle that promotes good health, living a healthy weight and overall greater wellness. Nothing worth it’s weight in gold comes with the snap of your fingertips; everything worth working toward takes diligence and perseverance.

Creating habits that promote your healthy, lighter ways of living provide you with a foundation in which to continually practice your chosen way of life and remind you on a regular basis what it takes to be successful on your weight loss journey. Each and every day you step out of bed you must make the conscious decision to take the steps to improve your lifestyle. No one can do this for you, it is your granted right to follow through, create a change in your chosen pathway and you will, there is no doubt in my mind, reap all the fantastic benefits of living a healthier, lighter way of life. Be willing to create the change and in turn you will alter your future for the rest of your life. Below you will find a wonderful array of tactics and everyday activities that you can involve yourself in that foster greater well-being and weight loss.

Eat breakfast. It is a well known fact in the weight loss department that women who feed their bodies when they rise are more successful at losing and keeping weight from returning.

Eat multiple times throughout your day. Feed your body small, healthy choices before it even realizes it is hungry. Avoid being starving at all costs.

Engage a workout buddy. Having a friend to travel with enhances your journey and keeps you motivated when you feel like throwing in the towel. Having a support system is wonderful.

Do not bring any item into your home that has a tendency, more often than not, to sabotage your weight loss goals. Go out and purchase it if you need, but leave it at the door.

Do not banish any food or drink items from your life. This approach is unrealistic and cannot be maintained for any duration of time. It sets you up for failure every single solitary time.

Have a plan. If you do not adequately prepare for success it will not arrive on your doorstep. Make a list, create a calendar and be sure to schedule yourself in. Plan to be a winner.

As you strive to follow the elements of success and create a new pattern of beneficial habits that enhance your possibilities in the weight loss department, it is important to remember to be kind to yourself along your journey. Taking the time to be pleased with your actions, capturing your feelings of pride in yourself and being able to step back and reward yourself for fulfilling your goals is such an important task to complete. We need to observe our own successful accomplishments and take the valuable opportunity to acknowledge our greatness in our own lives. You know what they say, everyone loves compliments and everybody adores to be commended for a job well done; this includes you too. Unfortunately more often than not we are so enthralled with praising others and mentioning their wonderful accomplishments that we forget our very own good doings and triumphs. Taking the time to reflect on your successes breeds continued further success down the road. Not to mention appreciating your achievements builds your self esteem and gives you the motivation to continue taking steps toward your goals.

There are a number of steps you can initiate when stopping to soak up the admirable accomplishments of little old you:

Self Gratitude Journal: purchase a small notepad, one that will fit into your pocketbook. Each time you do something that is a step in the direction of your goals, quickly pull out your notepad and jot it down. It can be just about anything that makes you feel good about whom you are, steps you take and the way in which you conduct yourself, your thoughts and your actions.

Review: choose a designated day of the week when you will review your Self Gratitude Journal and reread all the wonderful steps you are taking and the super ways in which you are doing the best you can to support your hopes and dreams. Please feel free to go through your Self Gratitude Journal at any time to support your visions for you and your life.

Treat Yourself: rewarding yourself in whatever manner you see fit is essential to your continued enthusiasm and eagerness as you carry on taking steps toward a healthier lifestyle. Positive reinforcement isn’t just for children and when we take the time to acknowledge ourselves for all that we do, amazing things can happen.

Filling yourself up with positive vibes and optimistic oomph will enhance your journey and keep you traveling down your pathway at a steady pace. Treat yourself admirably and bring your patience along for the ride. Being consistent on your journey toward a healthier way of living is a wonderful attribute to strive toward while seeking your greatest life. So make yourself proud today and do the right things at the right time and relish in your strength to control your destiny. Believe in yourself and create the wonders of your life.

Message from Deborah:

Nothing brings me greater pleasure in life than to assist women on their journey toward better health, enhanced fitness and molding a lifestyle to one that meets their expectations.  Coaching Lovely Ladies is a enormous passion of mine and I am completely honored to be able to assist each and every Lovely Lady on their travels of a happy, organized, active, balanced lifestyle.  I coach real women who are willing to take real action and reap real results.  Visit my website today and let me help you work toward your wellness goals.

Deborah
Women’s Health and Fitness Coach

www.personalweightlosscoach.com
debby@personalweightlosscoach.com
607.435.3990

Despite the fact that most of us know that regular exercise is good for us, the greater majority of American’s don’t do it on a regular basis, or at all.  Our general excuses are what?  “I hate it,” “It hurts,” “I’m injured,” “It’s boring,” or “I don’t have the money.”  The biggest excuse of all is “I don’t have the time.”

A quick review from the post “The Fundamentals of Changing Your Health”; there are 4 basic fundamentals to experiencing true health and wellness.  To refresh your memory they were 1, to minimize the use of drugs, other toxins in our life and surgery-which we spoke about in the post “Stop Poisoning Yourself!”; 2, to eat as best we can to ensure ourselves quality nutrition; found in last week’s post “Stop Focusing on Weigh Loss” 3, this weeks’ topic: to maximize oxygen and lean muscle through regular exercise; 4, to live a life of peace with positive and strong relationships; and my 5th, maximize nerve supply through chiropractic maintenance.  Remember, each of these fundamentals is important and they all work optimally together.

“The most important element you need to survive is oxygen.  If a cell’s environment contains lowered levels of oxygen, it will accumulate toxins, develop disease, and eventually cause early cell death.” (Maximized Living)  Your body needs proper amounts of oxygen in every cell to keep them happy and functioning properly and the simplest way of doing this is to just get up and move.  In other words, exercise, and remember, exercise produces muscle.  The more muscle you have and the less fat you have, the healthier you are.

Here are a few examples of what exercise does for you:

1. Exercise improves your mood.
2. Increases stress tolerance
3. Exercise combats chronic diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis. It can help you prevent — or manage — high blood pressure.
4. Regular physical activity boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides which together, keep blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.
5. Regular physical activity can help you prevent type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.
6. Exercise helps you manage your weight by speeding up your metabolism. [This one's a no-brainer.]
7. It improves learning
8. Regular exercise slows and even reverses effects of aging
9. It raises energy levels
10. It can put the spark back into your sex life [Always a bonus]
11. It enhances and balances hormone production
12. Regular exercise aides in sleep
13. It eliminates toxins
14. Regular exercise also decreases the risk of injury to the muscles, joints and spine.

So, I say, enough with the excuses!
[You should read Excuses Begone! By Dr. Wayne Dyer.
Click here for more information.]

Read more on what surge training is here.

An example of a surge training program can be found here.

Here are a few additional websites to review for more interesting looks on exercise and finding something right for you.

Prevention Magazine [excellent site]

CBS News exercise personality quiz [found this interesting]

Beachbody.com [great site for support, programs and intense workouts]

Become Healthy Now [articles on types of exercises and their benefits]

My Personal Tip…Stop Focusing on Losing Weight!

So many of us are focused on losing weight and why not?  The obesity rate in America today is among the highest in the world.  According to the CDC, in 2008, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%; six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%.  Should current trends continue, 75% of adults in the US are projected to be overweight and 41% obese by 2015. [read more on that here]

No wonder so many of us have loosing weight on our mind, we need to!

But what we really need to be focusing on is becoming healthier…total health, not just seeing a number on the scale we are happier with or being able to get into that dress or suit before the big event.

So, continuing the conversation from last week’s post “The Fundamentals of Changing Your Health”, there are 4 basic fundamentals to experiencing true health and wellness.  To refresh your memory they were 1, to minimize the use of drugs, other toxins in our life and surgery-which we spoke about last week in the post “Stop Poisoning Yourself!”; 2, to eat as best we can to ensure ourselves quality nutrition; 3, to maximize oxygen and lean muscle through regular exercise; 4, to live a life of peace with positive and strong relationships; and my 5th, maximize nerve supply through chiropractic maintenance.  Remember, each of these fundamentals is important and they all work optimally together.

Now, why am I telling you to stop focusing on losing weight?  Well, again, what we need to focus on is total wellness for the mind, body and spirit and when you do and are honestly living the lifestyle, the weight will just melt off, naturally.  I’m just a normal person that much like you, has struggled to be “in shape” or to feel as if I look as good as that sickening fit person across the room…and I’m sure that many of you, like me, can feel like a failure at times when I don’t meet those lofty dreams or feel guilty at times when I eat something that isn’t in my ‘diet’.  I got tired of feeling like a failure, like I didn’t have what it takes to be “thin” and “in shape”…and instead I focused on just being healthy…and you know what?  The weight finally just melted off.

Here is a bit of history on my constant struggle with weight loss.  As a young child I was thin and tall, but once I hit puberty and my hormones kicked in, my body started absorbing everything and storing it between my hips and knees.  From then on I have always been a bit “thick”.  My grandfather used to say I was a true healthy southern girl.  When I was dancing with a local prestigious ballet academy I was constantly being weighed and scorned for getting too “big”.  In my high school years, my dad used to call me “Thunder Thighs” [Yeah I know-great for my self esteem right?].  Now, I wasn’t fat, just thick…and I struggled with this all my days.  As a young woman I started trying the fad diets.  Nothing worked.  Atkins made me gain weight, the Special K diet just starved me and caused me to binge from time to time and the Weight Watchers was too confusing back then and let’s face it, just too much work keeping track of all the various points.  The only thing that I did find to make a difference a few years ago was Zig-Zag dieting; changing your calorie intake on a daily basis.  You can read more on what a Zig-Zag is exactly, just click here, and if you do a Google search for the term “zig zag diet” you will find many calculators and menu plans.  Just be sure to check a few sites, not just the first one you go to.  For me though, the zig-zag diet was good while I was working part time because I had time to prepare the meals but once I started working full time again I no longer had the time to measure out every item I was going to put into my mouth, little by little I drifted from the plan.

So, how did I take of 15 pounds this year in less than 3 months and have kept it off easily?  By following the fundamentals mentioned earlier and most importantly…by eating pure, organic, all-natural foods.  I did exercise a few times a week when I had the time, but what really did it for me was getting rid of all, and I mean ALL, processed, man touched foods.  If you read the “How I Removed the Poisons from My Home.” post, then you know how I started this process…if not, let me quickly elaborate on this now.

My husband and I began eating all organic, local produce and grass-fed beef, bison and free-range chicken.  Our meal menu did change slightly, but the main change was simply the ingredients.  Even our condiments, if we use any, are now homemade or organic products from the store.  We even took this a bit further and tried the Healing Diet.  Absolutely no sugars in the foods and drinks we consumed, good fats, and plenty of protein and we did a detoxification system (recommended by our doctor) called NeuroCleanse to help pull out additional toxins that had built up in our systems.  We followed this plan for two month and even though we were still eating as much as before, I had lost 15 pounds and my husband even more.  [He never weighs himself but the physical change in his body is obvious.]  To be perfectly honest we did this following the 80/20 rule.  We followed the “diet” very closely 80% of the time and allowed ourselves to eat or drink something not-so-good 20% of the time.  By the end of the two months we found that it was terribly easy and we didn’t crave the old bad foods any longer.  Once the two months finished, [the length of time on the Healing Diet is different for everyone] we slowly started to return natural sugars back into our meals.

We are now entering month eight of our big change and I find myself needing less and less to fill myself at meal time.  I also have the freedom in my schedule now to exercise everyday as much as I want and although I am walking 20+ miles and practicing about 3 hours of yoga a week and I am not loosing weight any longer my body is still changing and becoming leaner and stronger.  This tells me I may be at my optimal body weight.  I’m always getting compliments and my old clothes just fall right off.  I have dropped 4 pants sizes and am almost comfortably in the next size down.  It’s a great feeling.  Although the scale may not be at my dream number just yet, I feel fantastic and can’t wait to see where I am in another two months.

Try it for yourself.  Stop worrying about the weight loss.  Accept the fact that you are what you are, love yourself and remember that what is most important is that you live a long and healthy life, free of medications, pain and complications.  The best way to do that is by following all of the fundamentals-trust me, you won’t regret it!

Suggested Reading:

Where I started:

“Maximized Living Makeover” by Dr. Ben Lerner, Dr. Greg Loman, Dr. Charles Majors

The link above will tell you where you can find the book locally.

Where I get my motivation and additional ideas to add to the Maximized Makeover:

Inside-Out Wellness The Wisdom of Mind/Body Healing by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup

Recipes for Health Bliss Using NatureFoods & Lifestyle Choices to Rejuvenate Your Body & Life by Susan Smith Jones

Lighten Up! The Authentic and Fun Way to Lose Your Weight and Your Worries by Loretta LaRoche

How I removed the poisons from my home.

A quick review…removing toxins from your life as much as possible will make a huge impact on your health.  Common everyday toxins can cause such problems as:

• Neurological disorders (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, etc.)
• Cancer
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Hormonal imbalances
• Enzyme dysfunction
• Altered metabolism
• Reproductive disorders
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Obesity
• Muscle and vision problems
• Immune system depression
• Allergies/Asthma
• Endocrine disorders
• Chronic viral infections
• Less ability to tolerate/handle stress

We are bombarded everyday with numerous toxins that our body’s normal healing functions can’t keep up with.  When my husband and I decided to make the change and remove as many toxins from our lifestyle as possible, I admit I was overwhelmed with the information.  I didn’t know where to start first.  It was my Chiropractor and his wellness team that assisted my husband and me in getting started.

Step 1.  We started with our foods.

Although we ate pretty “healthy”; no fast foods, no sodas, no fried foods, used olive oil, tons of veggies…we weren’t eating and thinking green/organic.  We immediately changed our produce to organic.  Found it to be much cheaper to buy directly from the farmers at the farmer’s market than by shopping at the grocers or by ordering in bulk online.  Luckily Savannah has two farmer’s markets; one on Saturdays and one on Wednesdays.  It makes it very convenient to always have “farm fresh” produce.

We then started researching grass-fed beef and free range poultry.  It was very difficult to find these items locally and when we did there was very little variety and supply, and it was very expensive.  My husband followed a suggestion from our Chiropractor and looked into ordering our meats online.  There we found excellent suppliers of what we needed and then some!  We always try to find suppliers that are as close to GA as possible and we have found that by buying in bulk (thankfully we have a storage freezer) we save so much more money than if we were buying similar items from the few grocers in town.

You can research places to purchase organic foods from the “List” here.

Now this does not mean that we never eat out anymore.  Luckily we do have a handful of organic restaurants in our town and when possible we go to them, but they are pricey.  We do however like to go out with friends and we do not force our views on them-we’ll eat nearly anywhere in town, but we are very selective about what we eat.  Once you get the hang of eating organic, farm fresh foods, you learn what you can get by on in while eating out with friends.

Step 2.  We cleaned up our water.

We had been drinking bottled water in the home for ages using tap water only for cooking.  We found out about cleaning your drinking water with reverse osmosis or using carbon filters and even by distilling it (very acidic-eventually removes the minerals from your body, you need to neutralize it after distilling it or take a mineral supplement) you can have “healthy water” at home.

Once we figured out what to do with our drinking water, we turned to our bathroom shower head.  We ordered a new shower head with replaceable carbon filters for our main bathroom. Why?  Remember that our skin is our body’s largest organ.  Anything that touches the skin will be absorbed.  Think about how much time we spend in the shower or bath in our lifetime.  That is a ton of chemicals being absorbed.   I am amazed with the difference in the quality of our shower water.  I’ve always had difficulty with dry skin, my husband as well in the cooler months, and our skin has become baby soft.  No more flaking, no more super sensitivity.  The change was really made clear to us recently.  We broke the shower head in the bath we use most often.  We quickly ordered a new one but it was on back order and we went nearly three weeks on a standard shower head.  Within a few days (less than a week) we both had dry skin, constant itchiness and I had developed dandruff for the first time.  We now have a filtered system in both bathrooms.

You can research filters from the “Lists” here.

Step 3.  We removed all toxic health and beauty and cleaning products from the home.

This took a little longer than the previous steps.  Cosmetics and bath and body products are expensive in general, there was no way I could empty out the house and replace everything in one day.

To begin my research on cleaning out my cosmetics and our bath and body items I turned to the Environmental Workers Group, also known as the EWG.  They are an amazing resource and even have a cosmetic database called SkinDeep where you can get a toxin rating on most cosmetic and bath and body products.

With their help I started researching companies that I could buy from worry free and found a few I am very happy with so far.  Two in particular are:
Beautorium.comand   Lavera

You can find them and more on the “Lists” here.

There are also numerous sites that give you information on cleaning products.  You can start your search from the “Lists” here.

I stared finding products that were recommended by Debra Lynn Dadd in the book “Home Safe Home”.  You can find her website in the “Lists” or here.

I am now experimenting with natural cleaning homemade recipes from various online sources.  I haven’t posted that information yet, I’m still testing them out.  Once I have a stronger opinion on the results I’ll be happy to share the information with you.

Step 4.  Clean out the body by pulling out the toxins.

We started a detoxification system (recommended by our doctor) called NeuroCleanse .  It was simple and easy to use and we felt wonderful on it.  For approximately two months we followed the plan (not everyone needs to use it for so long) and we sincerely recommend it to anyone interested.  This was not one of those celebrity fad detox systems.  This was a true cellular detoxification product.  We ate healthy, didn’t starve ourselves, nor did we pump our bodies full of other chemicals to ‘detox’.

Step 5.  Removed our amalgams.

Actually my husband had his removed a little over a year earlier.  Neither of us are on any type of medication so luckily that was not an issue for us, but some time ago, a relative gave us research material on the dangers of mercury used in dentistry and we dove into the subject more.  I, at the time, did not have insurance that would cover such treatments as amalgam removal, so as soon as we could (by the end of month two and right in the middle of our detoxification program) I had everything worked out and I had my amalgams properly removed.  So, again…people ask why.  Metal fillings are a major source of mercury. Be sure to have the removal done by a qualified biological dentist. Although nearly any dentist is technically qualified to replace your amalgam fillings, very few have any clue on how to do it properly so your risk of mercury exposure is minimized. Do it right the first time and save yourself the expense and grief. If you don’t personally know a qualified biological dentist, many people find one by contacting several of the health food stores in their area and asking the employees who they know. This is typically an excellent resource as they are usually networked quite well in the local health community.  You can also use the Dental Wellness Institute website to try and find an appropriate dentist in your area.

So that’s how we did it in my home.  I hope this information was insightful and useful.  You can also go to Dr. Mercola’s site for more information on this topic and much more.

My husband and I have been ordering meats via the internet since February of this year and it has been such an amazing convenience. Selections for grass fed, organic meats in our location are slim to none and this option is perfect for our lifestyle. Greensbury Market has the answer if you are in a similar situation. Everyone likes to get their meats directly from farms that do things the right way, but don’t have the time to make lengthy trips out to the farm, or make weekly trips to the farmers’ market or each grocer or health food store in town. Greensbury Market makes it easy for everyone to shop for premium-quality meats that also are good for the environment. And now with the addition of their new promotional offer of 20% Off the Greensbury Variety Pack, now is the time to give them a try!

SPECIAL OFFER: 20% Off Greensbury Variety Pack

CODE: n/a

DURATION: Now – 09/30/09
Eat healthy! Greensbury Market certified organic grass-fed beef. Buy now and save 20%.

Reasons for choosing Greensbury Market:

• * Absolutely no antibiotics or synthetic hormones

• * Humanely raised and vegetarian-fed

• * Every Item individually sealed and delivered to the customer’s front door in environmentally responsible packaging

• * Our 100% grass-fed beef has less calories and saturated fat than conventional beef, plus added health benefits of omega-3s and CLAs

• * Our beef comes directly from Natural Acres, which has been featured on Oprah and Jon & Kate plus 8

• * We support sustainable agriculture, family farms and organic practices that produce healthy, environmentally friendly food

If you wish to check out additional meat providers, be sure to check out “Foods” in  “The Lists”. There you will find additional information on meat and poultry providers I have also used.

I’m sure you are like me and have been hearing more and more about people going “gluten-free”.  My husband and I have both become “gluten aware” but are not gluten “free”.  Neither of us have Celiac Disease, an immune disorder but we do realize we could go without many of the foods that contain gluten helping in our digestion;  foods such as those containing Wheat, Rye and Barley and the ‘hidden’ glutens like Natural Flavorings, Modified Food Starch, Hydrolyzed or Textured Plant or Vegetable Proteins (HPP, TVP, HVP), Malt Flavorings and many others. These products are usually pre-packaged and fast foods.  You may have noticed “gluten-free” foods  appearing in your local grocer, but there are some things to consider before trying to become “gluten-free” if you do not have Celiac Disease.  For starters it can be very expensive, you can become deficient in your vitamin intake and you can actually gain weight.  I’m not saying it is a bad thing, as I said before, my husband and I have drastically decreased our intake of gluten foods….BUT be sure to research the idea thoroughly or even speak with your health care provider before you change your diet.

Here are a few articles to help you begin your research:

Life123.com “Why Go Gluten-Free?”

USA Today  “Gluten Free Diets Gaining in Popularity”

Examiner.com “Why Should [You] Go Gluten Free”

Health.com “Why Would Anyone Go on a Gluten-Free Diet if He Didn’t Have to?”

Don’t Miss It: September 26, 2009 Thrive A Carry Out Cafe  10:30am ~ 11:30am; Whitemarsh Island, Savannah GA.
Thrive A Carry Out Cafe and Debbie McIncrow are teaming up at the Cafe for an enchanting hour of woman strength, health and well-being. During our time together we will discuss eating healthy, …living lighter and finding further peace and balance in your life.

Keep up with Thrive events on Facebook.