Can You Eat Just One Chip or One Cookie??

Most of us know what it feels like to fall under the spell of food - when one cookie turns into ten or a handful of chips leads to an empty bag.  It's hard to understand why we can't seem to stop eating - even when we know better. When we want so badly to say "no," why do we continue to reach for food?

We wonder why we have no willpower and blame ourselves for having no self control and being undisciplined.  The End of Overeating by David Kessler (former Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration who also served as the Dean of the medical schools at Yale and the University of California) explains why.

Before you think to yourself that this is another way for people to avoid personal responsibility, let me tell you that this book is well documented and explains how certain foods actually override our conscious will and drive us to continue to consume them. This is a biological phenomenon that mimics alcohol or tobacco addiction. Most people are addicted to sugar, fat, and salt or any combination of two. 

It also explains why, even after months and years later we can have food relapses. Careful monitoring of the consumption of sugar/fat/salty foods is a life-long commitment.  It's no wonder that there aren't people complaining that they are compulsively eating string beans.

When I gave up sugar two years ago another (junk) food took its place - chips. You don't think of them as having sugar, but the simple sugars in the potato covered with fat and topped with salt are a deadly chemical combination that triggers an insatiable desire to consume all of the potato chips. The same thing happens with tortilla chips or bread. You can't even tell when you are satiated, because the combination of the fat, sugar, and salt overrides the ability for the body to create satiety signals to get you to stop eating. Soooo true - for me anyway, after eating chip I don't have a feeling of fullness or being satiated that I do when I have my shake.

This book opened my eyes to the powerful effect certain foods can have on my brain and that I need to be forever mindful when consuming them. What I have now that I didn't have then was a complete source of nutrition that satisfies my body and gives my willpower a fighting chance.

12 Month Progress: 83 pounds and 85.5 inches!

It's now been 1 year and a few days that I've been taking this great nutrition!  I am not at my goal of 100lbs yet (and have actually gained 6 pounds since my 11 month progress) but I have done something really important to secure my future health. I have committed to working out three days per week at the gym.

I had started walking at the track with my friend Dale last May and we continued through the summer early fall. But then we had many days of rain and cold weather and decided to join a gym. Luckily we have a Planet Fitness nearby and the cost is only $10 per month (no contract). 

Now another friend, Dawna, has joined us and her transformation in the last month is unbelievable!  She went from intense pain all over her body and having a very hard time walking to now keep up with us at the gym - pain free! She still can't believe how good she feels. And now she and I are trying to lose the last pounds together. She is a great inspiration to me and reminds me why I love what I am doing by sharing this with people!!

We had a trainer come to the gym to help us put together a routine. We do 5 min of cardio warm up on the treadmill; 30 min of strength training (he showed us various things for arms, legs, abdomen); 20 min of good cardio then final stretch.  Vinny, our trainer, actually has an elaborate computer program which can customize menus, grocery lists (including Isagenix products) with the exercise factored in to help people reach their weekly weight loss goals. I am still doing my own menu planning right now but may consider it later. He can do this in person or on the phone so anyone that wants this level of help can get it in conjunction with their Isagenix nutrition.

I am not happy about the weight fluctuation but not at all worried -- my body is settling in to the new exercise routine and I did get hungrier in the beginning. As my work-outs have increased in intensity I am less hungry.

Question: Are You Still Taking "Those Shakes??"

Someone recently asked me this question. They knew that part of my weight loss involved shakes. And YES, I am and will thankfully be taking "those shakes" F O R E V E R!

Why will I take them forever? A very good question...

1. If you never exercised, then started working out 3-5x per week and then lost weight... what would happen if you stopped exercising all together? If you ate horrible food, then switched to more healthy food and then lost weight... what would happen if you went back to junk food?

Exactly - whatever healthy habits you employ to lose weight and get healthy HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED if you want to maintain your results!  So that's why a cabbage soup, no carb, starvation or cookie "diet" or some other extreme will have little chance of long term success.

 2. The IsaLean Shakes are not just a nutrition-packed meal replacement at 245 calories, they are the most complete food on the planet with all 90 nutrients (60 organic minerals, vitamins,  and amino acids) our bodies need for healthy cells.  So regardless of weight loss, once I understood the amazing ingredients in those shakes I knew that they would be as important to my health as brushing my teeth each day. If I had to go to the health food store and buy all the ingredients for this shake (the exact ingredients aren't even for sale but let's say they were) - I would be spending maybe 10x more than the $2.60 I spend now per shake. 

FACT: We all seem to be striving to be thin but being thin doesn't = being healthy - I know lots of thin people who are sick (anemic, tired, aches, pains, low energy and other chronic conditions). While they are "thin," they are not healthy - including that fact that EVERYONE has an overload of toxic chemicals that our body cannot cleanse out (visit the Center for Disease Control web site to see the latest report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals -- 212 chemicals were measured in blood and urine samples, only a fraction of the thousands of different toxins we are exposed to).

So dieting does not = health.  

Dependence on prescription drugs does not = health (nothing is "cured," only symptoms are lessened).  

I believe that super nutrition + cleansing toxins is the key to getting our bodies to be in balance so they can right what is wrong... so yes, me and several hundred thousand others are still happily taking those shakes!

 

Pharmer's Market on Most of Americans' Plates

Haven't posted in a while - but busy... just joined Planet Fitness with some friends (for $10/month you can't beat it).

WATCH THIS FUNNY BILL MAHER CLIP ON WHY PEOPLE ARE SICK!

A friend recently posted this to her facebook page and it is really funny but true as only Bill can tell it!!    I don't agree with everything Bill Maher says but this time he is soooo RIGHT!   It is hard to talk to some people about good nutrition -- many people will take any drug their Dr recommends (along with the horrible side effects which cause symptoms that require more drugs) without even checking out what they are putting into their body.  

There are enough people out there who get it.  I would guess that anyone reading this does get it. :-)   For those that put their health into the hands of big pharma, watch this then take a look at the Natural News site as well, one of my favorites!

I always thought I was fat because I didn't have willpower, now I know that it is the sugar/salt/fatty foods that take away our willpower because they are addictive. Put good nutrition in your body and you'll find your willpower again.  If you've ever had a piece of cake calling you from the kitchen then you know what I mean.

11 Month Progress: 89 lbs and 83.25 inches!

What to do when your clothes get too big and you
have nothing to wear? I have been buying clothes at
Rotate - a local consignment shop. The tan linen pants,
brown vest and green henley only cost me $14 total! 
I don't want to spend too much on clothes because I'm
still losing weight :)  What to do with "fat" clothes?
Bring them to a consignment shop and make money!

So a lot happened in the last month - went to Celebration in San Diego, came home and immediately left on vacation to New Hampshire then enjoyed the last weeks of summer vacation before the kids started school. Lots of eating out and at other peoples' houses.


I am sad to see the summer go but am thrilled to be back on a schedule now that the kids are in school. We eat at home every night at roughly the same time (5:00-5:30) and it's just easier to eat healthy foods when I buy them vs. eating out or being at other people's houses.

I didn't lose much on the scale (although at times during the month I was down a few more pounds) but I lost inches and pants that didn't fit last month fit now. Plus I am exercising a lot more (building up muscle).

A friend and I both have about the same amount of weight to lose (35-40lbs) and we are doing it together so that is a lot of fun. We are going to weigh ourselves every Wednesday morning, which is after our Mon/Tues cleanse days (doing the modified cleanse... first day all shakes and small 50 calorie snacks in between and the second day all Cleanse for Life).

Jackie Warner Thintervention Shake

Today I rode my bike to walk on the track -  I used to love bike riding and it's a great work-out before I start my walking.  It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky. Then I walked the track with friends.  Very motivating way to start the day. UNLIKE some of the shows on TV where overweight people get screamed at to the point of puking.



Jackie Warner Thintervention - Mon Night on Bravo TV

 So, although I love Jackie Warner (her energy, spirit and dedication), I was not anxious to watch her new show on Bravo TV because it was the boot camp style of the Biggest Loser. But last night I gave it a try and actually liked it. Why? 1) The people are living at home (like in real life) as they are losing weight. 2) She doesn't scream at them but does push them. 3) She gives nutrition counseling AND emotional counseling.

And on the second show she showed them how to make a healthy shake. She started with a low glycemic protein powder, added branch chain amino acids, flax seed oil and antioxidants in form of spinach and berries.  YEAH, all that stuff and MORE is ALREADY IN THE SHAKES I HAVE BEEN TAKING that have reshaped by body!!   She would love these shakes -- the whey protein is superior (from New Zealand), all the BCAA, healthly fats and much more are in there.  I'd have to buy 60+ different items at the health food store (who has the time or money for that)! She recommends that people add berries and spinach to their shake - the Fruits and Greens I take are ORGANIC with not just one but MANY, MANY servings in one little scoop of powder.

Jackie's TIP: anything with more than 5grams of sugar per serving has to be thrown out of your kitchen - our brains are addicted to sugar. Right on Jackie!

IsaBody Challenge 2011 - Bring it On!

Just to see how far I came... here is a "before" head shot and an "after" head shot (the later has more make-up but it's amazing how my face has changed - back to the way it was)!  So I've accomplished a lot and could easily be comfortable at this weight.

However, I listened to Holly DeMott (the 2010 IsaBody Grand Prize Winner) on a "Real People, Real Results" podcast last week and heard that she started the challenge at a size 16/18 and is now a size 4. It occurred to me that I am a size 14/16 and, while I don't think I can reach a size 4 - I wasn't even a size 4 in high school - I do want to lose more than 14 more pounds (which will get me to my goal of losing 100).

Holly said something really inspirational, she said you can achieve any body you want with these products (and I do know that to be a fact). So what better way to challenge myself to go further than the 100lbs? I have decided to enter the 2011 IsaBody Challenge!  I am also coaching some friends to enter with me so that will be fun.

I really like having a goal because if you don't know where you are going then you probably won't get there (or something like that). I also like to put my goals in writing because it's a fact that we are more likely to do something if we tell people!!

So here it is, my goal is to lose an additional 40 pounds (on top of the 86 I already lost)! I will accomplish this by the close of the 2011 IsaBody Challenge next June.  I also have a goal (separate from IsaBody) of helping lots and lots of people better their health and reshape their bodies by introducing them to Isagenix nutritional rebalancing.