Losing the Last Ten Pounds

The last ten pounds can be a struggle. The scale stops budging and frustration has taken over. The stress of it all is putting the adrenal glands on overdrive. A cortisol rush is the last thing our body needs when trying to lose the last ten pounds. Studies show chronic stress and cortisol release hinders our ability to lose weight.

Plateaus are normal for all of us living a healthy lifestyle. Many don't realize food intake and exercise programming require constant review and change. If the plan doesn't work, change the plan but never the goal. 

Remain positive and progressive with your fitness regardless of what the scale says. Many factors are at play when the body stops showing results. Usually, a simple review and program change are all that's required to gets things moving again. 

Things to consider: 

• Are you eating enough? The body knows when it's not getting enough fuel. If we restrict too many calories, our body will refuse to give up any fat stores. The body sees stored fat as energy necessary for life and exercise.  

• Are you being true to your nutrition program? Many fall back into unhealthy eating habits and are even in denial about it. Our body knows what we're eating and will respond with weight gain.  

• Are you exercising less? Reducing exercise will significantly affect your ability to lose weight. Energy out needs to be more than energy in to experience a caloric deficit resulting in weight loss. Take time to review your priorities and determine if exercise has taken a backseat. 

• Are you burned out? This is normal and happens to most of us living a healthy lifestyle. Adding variety to workout programs and healthy foods is important to keep us motivated. 

The last ten pounds can be a challenge but also a learning opportunity. We can become frustrated and throw in the towel, or change our strategy and get back on track. It's important to take one day and one pound at a time. Feel proud of daily efforts taking you closer to your fitness goals. The last ten pounds will respond to what you're willing to do to be rid of it, or keep it. It still comes down to choices and changes.

Recharging the mental battery is a great way to stay motivated to keep going. You can do it!  

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Be well and Stay Healthy!

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How to Lose 12lbs in 6 Weeks

Losing 12 pounds is not only a realistic goal, but can be done in a short amount of time. I'm not talking about a fad diet or weight loss gimmick. I'm referring to healthy weight loss accomplished with appropriate methods. Being more specific: consistent healthy eating, exercise, increased water intake, limited alcohol intake, and plenty of rest.  

Application of a healthy lifestyle in all areas will allow for approximately 1 ½ pounds on the lower end and up to 3 pounds on the higher end of weight loss per week. Working successfully with clients who use my healthy eating guidelines supplied with their workout routines are losing in the middle range of 2 pounds per week. 

Think about what this means in terms of time. Realize this is only six weeks of sticking to a consistent fitness program. There is no diet but eating lots of amazing healthy food and exercising at least four to five times per week for a minimum of thirty minutes. Sodas are eliminated and alcohol is limited to not more than two nights per week and two drinks maximum. Water intake is increased to drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily to start.

Sometimes it just takes someone to motivate you to start. Well, here you go! A consistent program will guarantee fat loss, lean mass gain and the beginning of a lifestyle of excellent health. 

Doesn't this sound reasonable, exciting, and realistic? Getting fit the healthy way provides knowledge of what and how to eat, how to exercise, and how to live this lifestyle happily for life. It becomes your enjoyable habit and maintains all the positive results gained within the six weeks of consistent application. 

It's time we stop over-complicating weight loss and start implementing the simplicity of eating healthy and exercise. We make things harder than they really are. We want all the results but don't want to give up a current unhealthy lifestyle. If we want to see changes, we need to be willing to make the necessary changes. Giving something 100% effort for at least six weeks should provide the personal feedback needed to continue to make the right decisions.

Below is a sample meal plan and what a typical day looks like for me: 

1 cup coffee with natural vanilla creamer

Meal 1: Organic morning round with 1tbsp natural organic peanut butter

Meal 2: Green shake: 1 cutie, ½-cup chopped pineapple 2 large handfuls power greens, water and blend until combined. 1 slice organic seeded toast topped with soft cooked organic egg to accompany my green shake. 

Meal 3: ¼ cup fresh blueberries, ½ cup Fage yogurt, ¼ cup organic ground flax meal, handful raw mixed nuts (stir it up and eat)

Meal 4: 4 oz grilled salmon or chicken with large side roasted vegetables like Brussel sprouts and cauliflower (drizzle olive oil on veggies, and large tbsp. basil pesto, mix well, roast)

Meal 5: 1oz square of dark chocolate with 1tbsp peanut butter, or 1/2 glass organic low-fat chocolate milk 

I exercise five times per week and for 30 to 60 minutes total.  I'm a believer of being focused and getting my workout done in a short amount of time. I also listen to my body. If I require more rest, I may only exercise in a structured fashion four times in that week. I enjoy active rest days being outdoors with hubby, playing with our dog, going on long walks, hikes or swimming. 

Studies indicate losing one to three pounds per week provides healthy, long-term sustainable weight loss. Unlike fad diets that may shed weight quickly but is regained plus more once the program is over. 

Now is always the right time get fit. Start by implementing a six-week fitness challenge makeover. This is a great beginning and short-term goal of shedding 12 pounds. It will be helpful to keep a fitness journal and track your food intake and exercise. Do your best, and have fun with the journey. 

I would love to hear from you. Sharing success stories, asking questions or sharing concerns is a great way to encourage and support each other along the way.  

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Stay Healthy

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Eat Like a Baby to Lose Weight and Get Healthy

Babies use nutrients to build and develop a healthy body. They have a built in alarm clock every two to three hours that cries out to be fed. They will also stop eating when they feel full eliminating the need to count calories. Babies eat to live naturally.

As adults, we can learn much from our precious infants. The nutrients they consume are usually quality coming straight from Mom’s milk, or formulas containing everything a growing body needs to be healthy. If we could only implement this nutritional strategy, we would be on our way to adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Sadly, the majority of eating is no longer about growing a strong healthy body. Quality nutrients have been replaced with processed fake food linked to obesity and disease.

We don't pay attention to our full barometer and consume too large of portions. We also fill our stomachs with foods that lack in nutritional value. Eating processed foods lacking in nutrients promotes inflammation in our blood stream, the root cause of most disease of the human body. We are eating way too much and making ourselves sick in the process.

Food is not only our fuel but also our medicine. Eating right can truly keep our body feeling top notch and healthy. Quality real foods can reduce our visits to the doctor and enable us to function at our best.

We have come full circle into a fight against healthy food. The majority of people are really pissed off about foods they shouldn't eat to stay healthy. The reason for this unfortunate issue comes straight from what sits on our grocery shelves. Marketing has a great way of presenting foods advertised as healthy but really are quite the opposite. Studies have shown major food producers are making us fat. This is a scary thought.

We can't fault the food companies entirely because we can choose to say no to processed, GMO (genetically modified organisms) products, and non-organic pseudo-foods. These types of food-like items do nothing but provide a momentary good flavor and add fat stores to our bodies.

Anything in a box, bag, or wrapper with ingredients unable to be understood is processed. If the item is marketed as low-fat, low-sugar or low-calorie consider it nothing but a chemical shit storm in a package.

There are some food items packaged and part of the organic and non-GMO certified programs. These food producers are getting it right and understand the importance of supplying this information to consumers. Just a little food education detour, now back to the Blog topic. 

Mastering our daily nutrition for fitness success will mean eating like a baby. Getting back to the basics with our healthy food, keeping it simple, and stress-free is important. It's time to stop over-complicating and just make the focus about eating healthy.

Forget about the chemical shit storms and reach for real organic foods: lean proteins, fresh vegetables and fruits, raw nuts and nut butter, plain Greek yogurts, and healthy fats are just a few of the healthy foods waiting for our purchase and consumption. Change out drinking soda for water and start getting excited about the vast amount of healthy food to choose from.

Personally, my hunger alarm goes off just the same as a baby close to the three-hour mark. I grab something healthy and satisfy that natural feeling. I don't count calories or even worry about doing so. What's important is feeding my body quality healthy food and eating just until I feel satisfied, never to the point of overfull. My body knows how much it needs because I listen to when I should stop eating.

Life was simpler when we were babies and the decisions made for us as we naturally cried out when we felt hungry. We were satisfied within 20 minutes with a boob or bottle full of nutrients. As adults, we can create a similar life by having healthy foods in our homes and eating when we feel hungry. Unfortunately and often we eat out of boredom or to fill an emotional void through unhealthy processed stuff. Our mental game around food definitely needs improvement.  Wouldn't you agree? 

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Be well and Stay Healthy

             

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