ownyourbody

…..I was getting ready to get into my car and go grab a burger and some fries from this land mark Burger joint here in Seattle called “Dick’s.”  Trust me, the fries are the best ever.  Great old fashioned shakes.  Everything is good there.

 But……I was on this site, and I saw some pretty motivational stuff.  Expressions from people indicating their struggles, and desire to do better next time, as well as the success from as little as 1lb lost.   It gave me the extra bit of self control that I needed to keep my butt at home!!  So thank you. 

 You know what I ate for dinner instead?  Quaker, instant…….GRITS!  Ha ha!  Two packets in the bowl, boil some water, pour it in, stir.  Tiny bit of butter, couple packs of Splenda……and I saved myself, from myself.  Thanks to you!  So continue to share your struggles along with your successes.  It helps us to see that we’re not perfect, and can give someone what they need, at exactly the right moment.

If you’re skeptical like me, you’re probably leary of any information that promises reduction of fat on any specific body part. 

However, after reading information on how certain foods promote flatter abs, AND I experienced some results personally, I thought I’d share.  1. Almonds. 2. Eggs. 3. Soy. 4. Apples. 5. Berries. 6. Leafy Greens. 7. Vegetable Soup. 8. Yogurt. 9. Salmon. 10. Quinoa.

Here is an article that discusses the benefits of each. http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/plans/diets/foods-for-flat-abs/?page=1

While I don’t generally believe in “exercises” that claim to reduce fat in certain areas (what they actually do is build the muscle in that area) there could be some merit to the claims that these foods help in the appearance of the abdominal region.  Maybe worth checking it out.  I’ve been eating some of these foods, especially the 1 egg a day in the morning for breakfast, and the veggie soup as part of my lunch or dinner and have seen results.  Overall though, I believe that my success in getting a flatter stomach is mostly attributed to exercise and sensible eating.

I used to lack self control also.  I used to give in to my cravings, and not put up much of a fight. 

The day would start out beautifully.  I’d be following my diet all day long and things would be going fantastic.  Then, in the evening I’d deviate from the plan.  Buddies would call and say, let’s meet at the sports bar, and I’d eat fried fish and chips and drink a couple beers.  OR, I’d be having a great day of dieting, then in the evening, about 30 minutes before bedtime, I’m pre-heating the oven so I can make cookies from this frozen cookie dough in my freezer.  I laugh as I write this, but can you picture it?  I bust my tail all day, doing really good, just to throw it away by downing 5 snickerdoodles each worth 130 calories, 80 from fat. 

What turned things around for me, was realizing that I was really setting myself back.  Ever heard of Einsteins theory of insanity? It’s doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.  I realized that if I kept losing the self control battle, I would never see the results I wanted. 

So, the next time I had the urge, I just fought it.  I quickly drank two glasses of water to help me feel full.  Craving subsides.  I woke up the next day and weighed myself, delighted to see that staying the course paid off. 

Remember, changing your eating habbits all of a sudden, is like a smoker quitting cold turkey.  The first few days can be agonizing.   But things get substantially easier after the first couple of days, and at that point, your on such a roll of eating good and healthy, if you want to have a  cookie, or small serving of some rich decadent food, it’s not going to be the end of the world.

I’m full of sayings, but another favorite of mine is: Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, your right. 

Be strong, own your body. 

I also want to thank EVERYONE who posts on here and is a part of this community.  This is so awesome. 

The answer…….it varies from person to person. 

Ask yourself, have I reached my weight loss goal, and simply want to maintain my weight?  Or, do I want to keep slimming down?  Factors such as height, weight, age and level of activity all play a roll in determining how many calories a person should consume. 

Fortunately, there is no shortage of websites that have a “calories per day” calculator to help you determine what your individual amount will be, such as this site. http://howmanycaloriesshouldieat.blogspot.com/

An easy and rational way to look it though, would be:

If you’re an active person, who exercises regularly, you are allowed more calories, because you are burning more.  If you exercise “infrequently” you’ll want to consume fewer calories.   

Seriously though, I DO NOT WANT TO COUNT CALORIES THE REST OF MY LIFE.  And even though I am dieting right now, I don’t count calories.  I’ve lost weight by eating healthy foods, eating small to modest portions, and when I eat something that is not healthy, I eat a very small amount of it.  For example, there were brownies in my home today.  And I mean they were GOOD!  I got a knife, and cut out a very small piece.  Just enought to eat in two small bites, and I get my fix.  Nothing that’s going to send me “off the wagon,” or have me feeling guilty for the rest of the day.

You’ve heard this saying before: “Everything in moderation.”  How true it is, when it comes to our diet. 

Aaron

I want to talk about the Calorie threshold.  It’s a fairly easy concept to grasp, but critical to sustained weight management.

The Calorie Threshold is the amount of food or calories you can consume in a day, and maintain your current weight.  Even if you don’t know your personal calorie threshold, you probably have a fairly good idea whether you’ve exceeded it, met it, or come in below it, based soley on how you feel. 

For example, you’ll have a day where you eat a couple of meals until your full (a no no) so you’ll gain a pound or two.  You offset that with some days where you are very busy, with little time to eat, so you lose a couple of pounds.  With these habits, your going to pretty much maintain your current weight. Or, lets say you have a great 4 days of dieting, but you take a break from the diet on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  You go out, have drinks, appetizers and entres, a little bit of fast food, and by the time the weekend is over, we’ve undone all of the hard work of the previous 4 days…….and we’re right back at square one. 

Sustained weight loss is the result of consistently coming in UNDER the calorie threshold.  This means behaving ourselves on the weekend….LOL…as hard as that is.  And yes, it can be quite the task.  We don’t have work and other duties to keep us busy.  It’s us vs. the refrigerator all weekend long. 

Coming in under the threshold means also that we are going to lose weight without a lot of strenuous exercise.  YAY!!  Obviously any sort of exercise promotes more weight loss, and at the very least, I advise walking 20 minutes a few times a week in conjunction with a below the threshold diet. 

 I guess this is where I will overstate the obvious.

1. Don’t eat until your full, eat until you aren’ t hungry anymore.

2. Place smaller portions on your plate.  Some of us, have a tendency to eat everything on our place, so if less is there…….well, you get the point.

3. Be done eating (if possible) by 7:00 pm.  Give yourself an opportunity to burn off a few of those calories before you go to sleep just by conducting your normal evening routing.

Good Luck to all.  Success is yours.  Own your body.

Aaron

As you prepare to start your diet, I want to first offer my support, and second, help you prepare, as I want you to reach your weight loss goals, whether they are modest or significant.

 No matter what type of diet you decide to utilize, understand that if followed correctly,  most ALL diets work.  That’s because diets generally are designed under the same premise of reducing the number of calories a person should consume in a given day. 

If we’ve ever been unsuccessful reaching our goals through dieting, it’s because WE OURSELVES are the ones keeping us from achieving.  So this time, prepare your MIND for the battle that lay ahead.  Understand that successful dieting requires, DEDICATION, DISCIPLINE and SELF CONTROL.  Don’t kid yourself into believing that it’s going to be sooooo easy.  Adversity will come.  There will be times when eating the appropriate foods won’t be convenient.  When you are out with friends or at a dinner party and temptations present themselves.  If you are like me, you might have a sweet tooth that needs to be satisfied on a daily basis. 

You MUST have a healthy respect for your opponent, which is your own cravings and desires which you have given in to, in the past.  BUT NOT THIS TIME!!

Last but not least, find something to keep you motivated.  This is going to help you the most when it comes to sticking to your diet.  When you feel an urge to stray……..call it to mind.  Remind yourself of why you are doing this.  Did someone make fun of you, do you want to fit into that dress, do you want to lose the spare tire around the midsection…..do you want to stick it to the barbie doll at work who is so full of herself and looks down on you?  Whatever it is, even if you have to make it up, find something to keep you motivated.  Of course we all want to be fit and healthy and be around to enjoy our friends and family, but often times we need additional motivators. 

 All of the weight that I’ve ever lost, and kept off, and helped other people to lose, has begun with preparing the mind first.  Anytime you want to be successful at just about anything, you have to have a game plan and be determined to stick to it. 

 I wish you well, and look forward to hearing your success stories. 

 Aaron