Hello Everyone,
Let's talk about substitution...I did in my other blog, and it got me to thinking about this one.
Man, I love a great idea.
There are lots of substitutions one can make in their diet.
Some of the substitutions one should consider:
Mashed Cauliflower instead of Mashed Potatoes.
More chicken versus steak or other dark meats, and if you're in the south, maybe a little gator to go along with the chicken.
Another, more fish instead of pork or chicken.
Rotate through your veggies at the store, talk to the people behind the counter about different recipes, or the best way to cook parsnip!
How many different lettuces are there? Make a salad with different ones, through in some shredded carrot, purple onions, different olives, a few slices of them little bitty oranges they have in the store, and tie it all together with a clear and fruity vinaigrette. WOW! Your taste buds just freaken' exploded!
You just made an awesome salad, probably one that you would have to pay good money for at a decent restaurant.
Anyways, the point is mix up your diet a little, your body will just absolutely love you for it.
Maybe, just maybe, you'll have to change that menu you keep of all the good ole stand-byes. Every one has one, I do. I have made some changes to mine in the past.
I used to have a foster child that was a vegetarian, after some talking I made some substitutions in the recipes I normally cooked. You know, some of them were not half bad.
The point, if you have plateaued, and you believe you have checked everything else on my little list of things, change up your diet, try some new foods, or at the very least, try a few new recipes.
Until the next post....change up your diet, your body will thank you.
Dan W.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Know Your Signs - Plateau!
Hello Everyone,
Let's talk about the dreaded plateau.
You know the one that you hit after you been dieting for awhile, and well you either really slow way down or stop altogether with respect to your weight gain or weight loss.
Everyone seems to hate them, I don't, it just means that I have met one of my mini-goals and it's time to move onto the next one.
A plateau is where the goes in = goes out. Personally, it may even be a little beneficial for you body to re-gauge or get used to the balance. It's a stepping stone to the next level.
So let's re-evaluate your situation. Find out what your new BMR is, tweak the level of activity you're at, and adjust your diet a little, and set your next goal.
Tweaking your activity is not adding another 5 miles to your run or bike ride, but how about let's knock of 15 or 20 seconds from you 5 minute walk to and from the car when you get to work. Maybe it's parking a few more spaces away from the store or mall entrance, maybe its just picking up the pace a little as you walk around during the day.
It's these little things that will add up and make a difference, both with your weight loss goals, your overall fitness going down the road, and your overall energy level going forward.
Think, and do...make the change and commit yourself
Until the next post
Dan W.
Let's talk about the dreaded plateau.
You know the one that you hit after you been dieting for awhile, and well you either really slow way down or stop altogether with respect to your weight gain or weight loss.
Everyone seems to hate them, I don't, it just means that I have met one of my mini-goals and it's time to move onto the next one.
A plateau is where the goes in = goes out. Personally, it may even be a little beneficial for you body to re-gauge or get used to the balance. It's a stepping stone to the next level.
So let's re-evaluate your situation. Find out what your new BMR is, tweak the level of activity you're at, and adjust your diet a little, and set your next goal.
Tweaking your activity is not adding another 5 miles to your run or bike ride, but how about let's knock of 15 or 20 seconds from you 5 minute walk to and from the car when you get to work. Maybe it's parking a few more spaces away from the store or mall entrance, maybe its just picking up the pace a little as you walk around during the day.
It's these little things that will add up and make a difference, both with your weight loss goals, your overall fitness going down the road, and your overall energy level going forward.
Think, and do...make the change and commit yourself
Until the next post
Dan W.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Eat and Sleep......Sleep and Eat
Hello Everyone...
Well, my last rule is really two rules.
The first one I want to talk about is getting sufficient proper sleep. I am a long time sufferer of Sleep Apnea.
Now I know, everyone is going to tell me that they get enough sleep. Unless you're hitting the 7 1/2 hour mark, with a major portion of that being deep REM sleep, then well, I have to the throw the BS flag.
One of the things the doctor told me when I started my therapy many moons ago, was that oddly enough, my weight should go down, as I would be getting better sleep. In part he was right, there were a few more factors he didn't mention, but I do in my other posts.
Currently, I am nearing a plateau, and I know this by the rate of my weight loss, it has gone down. So a took some time to think about it, and here's what I came up with. I have been putting a lot of time into the blogs and developing some online presence, to eventually build into some thing more, so my sleep has suffered. Well, this affected two other things, such as my appetite and my attitude. These have both gone in the wrong direction, and well maybe my choices have not been so stellar of late when it comes to food.
Hence, I have decided to add some sleep time, (again), yeah its just like watching what you eat, you have to watch how much you sleep, as well.
How much sleep is enough, watch your attitude and your weight, these signals will tell you when you are getting enough.
Now onto eating...
If you have noticed, I have not specifically laid out what to eat, or made a recommendation for any specific plan. Why? Because I made the choices of what to eat or not eat, that best suited me and my life style.
Last year I noted that when I eat too much chocolate, I get a migraine. So for me, I had to change how much I ate of it. Yeah, the offset, when I do indulge, it really is that much better.
Another choice I have had to make was about peanut butter. I could eat a few tablespoons of good peanut butter for a snack and not even think about. That was one of my problems, not thinking about it. I would go through a large jar of peanut butter, in a matter of a week or so.I have significantly reduced the amount of peanut butter I ingest nowadays.
Both of these decisions about my diet are my own. I did them for me, and to reach my goal. I have made other decisions, but mostly they have been about the portion sizes.
You know about 4 oz of meat, should fit into the palm of most adults? Hmmm,
America is overweight, mostly due to the fact that we overeat. Now, I understand going out to eat, you want to splurge a little, I do. You just cant splurge all the time.
You need to ensure that you eat sufficiently through out the day, to meet the needs of your body. If your going to work out later, by all means, eat a little extra. but only as much as you plan exercising or working off.
Remember goes in < goes out to lose weight.
If it helps, by smaller plates and bowls and cups...after all our species is very visually orientated, so a small plate with the same amount of food on it, will look more filling than if it was on a larger plate
Once you have your body working normally, you need to ensure you don't end up in the starvation mode, this would be bad, you body then needs to relearn that you are feeding, and then start burning the fat when your body is hungry.
What's wrong with the starvation mode? You body's main concern is storing if for later. This is what we are trying to avoid.
The point is, you eat what you would like to within a balanced diet, you don't have to buy into the prepackaged deals if you don't want to. It takes some time evaluating what you are eating and paying attention to what your body is telling you, to get to the point where you can effectively manage your weight. It takes practice, and it will be ongoing.
You need to learn what a serving is for all of the different types of foodstuffs. You only need so many servings a day, if you have more servings, well then you wont lose weight, maybe maintain, or go up a little. If you are at your goal weight, then great, your golden.
Make it average out, your weight will average out also.
So there you have it, my rules for weight loss, this is what works for me.
Now I am going to keep blogging, go into more detail on some stuff, point out relevant things on the net, etc... Otherwise, just try to keep everyone motivated to reach their goal.
If you need some inspiration, let me know, if you want to know more about one of my rules, let me know.
If you want to sell your own product, don't let me know, start your own blog, please do not comment here about your pills or supplements, or a specific diet. My rules should work for most people on any reasonable diet plan.
May the tape measure be with you....until the next post,
Dan W.
Well, my last rule is really two rules.
The first one I want to talk about is getting sufficient proper sleep. I am a long time sufferer of Sleep Apnea.
Now I know, everyone is going to tell me that they get enough sleep. Unless you're hitting the 7 1/2 hour mark, with a major portion of that being deep REM sleep, then well, I have to the throw the BS flag.
One of the things the doctor told me when I started my therapy many moons ago, was that oddly enough, my weight should go down, as I would be getting better sleep. In part he was right, there were a few more factors he didn't mention, but I do in my other posts.
Currently, I am nearing a plateau, and I know this by the rate of my weight loss, it has gone down. So a took some time to think about it, and here's what I came up with. I have been putting a lot of time into the blogs and developing some online presence, to eventually build into some thing more, so my sleep has suffered. Well, this affected two other things, such as my appetite and my attitude. These have both gone in the wrong direction, and well maybe my choices have not been so stellar of late when it comes to food.
Hence, I have decided to add some sleep time, (again), yeah its just like watching what you eat, you have to watch how much you sleep, as well.
How much sleep is enough, watch your attitude and your weight, these signals will tell you when you are getting enough.
Now onto eating...
If you have noticed, I have not specifically laid out what to eat, or made a recommendation for any specific plan. Why? Because I made the choices of what to eat or not eat, that best suited me and my life style.
Last year I noted that when I eat too much chocolate, I get a migraine. So for me, I had to change how much I ate of it. Yeah, the offset, when I do indulge, it really is that much better.
Another choice I have had to make was about peanut butter. I could eat a few tablespoons of good peanut butter for a snack and not even think about. That was one of my problems, not thinking about it. I would go through a large jar of peanut butter, in a matter of a week or so.I have significantly reduced the amount of peanut butter I ingest nowadays.
Both of these decisions about my diet are my own. I did them for me, and to reach my goal. I have made other decisions, but mostly they have been about the portion sizes.
You know about 4 oz of meat, should fit into the palm of most adults? Hmmm,
America is overweight, mostly due to the fact that we overeat. Now, I understand going out to eat, you want to splurge a little, I do. You just cant splurge all the time.
You need to ensure that you eat sufficiently through out the day, to meet the needs of your body. If your going to work out later, by all means, eat a little extra. but only as much as you plan exercising or working off.
Remember goes in < goes out to lose weight.
If it helps, by smaller plates and bowls and cups...after all our species is very visually orientated, so a small plate with the same amount of food on it, will look more filling than if it was on a larger plate
Once you have your body working normally, you need to ensure you don't end up in the starvation mode, this would be bad, you body then needs to relearn that you are feeding, and then start burning the fat when your body is hungry.
What's wrong with the starvation mode? You body's main concern is storing if for later. This is what we are trying to avoid.
The point is, you eat what you would like to within a balanced diet, you don't have to buy into the prepackaged deals if you don't want to. It takes some time evaluating what you are eating and paying attention to what your body is telling you, to get to the point where you can effectively manage your weight. It takes practice, and it will be ongoing.
You need to learn what a serving is for all of the different types of foodstuffs. You only need so many servings a day, if you have more servings, well then you wont lose weight, maybe maintain, or go up a little. If you are at your goal weight, then great, your golden.
Make it average out, your weight will average out also.
So there you have it, my rules for weight loss, this is what works for me.
Now I am going to keep blogging, go into more detail on some stuff, point out relevant things on the net, etc... Otherwise, just try to keep everyone motivated to reach their goal.
If you need some inspiration, let me know, if you want to know more about one of my rules, let me know.
If you want to sell your own product, don't let me know, start your own blog, please do not comment here about your pills or supplements, or a specific diet. My rules should work for most people on any reasonable diet plan.
May the tape measure be with you....until the next post,
Dan W.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Move It!
Move It!
I can't believe I'm saying this at all...
I firmly believe in couch potatoes. I love to watch TV, I hate the fact that the "seasons" have grown shorter, and the shows I love are being taken off air and replaced by well, junk. Not to mention the fact that 2 weeks into a new season, and they are already playing reruns. Gimme a break.
That's probably why I have a few gaming systems and more than a few games to play on them. I really like the Wii Fit...need to start using that again. Anybody that thinks that they are a master at any of the online games hasn't been playing against the true professional (not me) and been taken out by a couch potato or a 10 year old. Yeah, my second favorite is Halo, pick one, snipe one.
Anyways, I have always hated exercise. Why...it really hurts, we're not talking aching muscles (I can deal with that), we are talking true pain, whole body type. I should know, I have suffered with migraines since I was about 25. Ask anyone that has migraines, they know the level and type of pain I am talking about.
I know for most people exercise is just achy muscles, and burning lungs. Hey that's the way it should be, go for it. The point is, if your goal is to lose some weight, then you obviously have to increase your activity level, along with properly managing your diet. Still comes down to goes in < goes out.
However, I do realize that any part of a lifestyle change, which is what I am advocating for with my blog, does involve activity. So when I say Move It!, I mean increasing your overall activity level on a consistent basis. If you are into biking 3 time a week, rain, snow, sunshine, then so be it, add a little something, something on the side. You know walk up the stairs a few extra times in house. Play with your puppies on the floor, (I have 6 of them), and they love running and jumping and nipping, and, and, and.
By slowly increasing my activity level, consistently over time, well it makes a whole lot more sense for me. Here's why. I used to weigh 285 pounds, close to 100 pounds over the medically recommended weight for my height. Well, when you run, jump, bike, stomp, all of that extra weight is moving right along with you, increasing the stress and strain on both joints, and tendons. I'm sorry, I'm just not into injuring myself. But by increasing the amount of daily activity, such as walking, going up stairs, moving, dancing, Wii Fit Hula Hooping, I don't hurt as much, and I can deal with that.
I do realize that at some point in the near future (I hope), that I will be at a weight were doing more moderate exercise won't pose such a risk of injury. Until then, I will find the little extras in my daily life, that I can do to increase my overall activity level.
The really important part, is to be more active then what you were previously. This is what I have committed myself to, and to date, I have been successful in losing weight consistently, (currently going on over a year), and working on the 40 pound mark.
The other part of this, is in order to sustain your activity level for increasing periods of time as well. For those of us confessed (or not) couch potatoes, it also means that we need to relearn to breath properly during exercise. You do not breath the same as when you are not exercising.
So there is a lot of information on the net for breathing correctly, both during exercise periods and non-exercise periods. Don't blow this part off...seriously, you need to breath correctly or suffer the consequences. My 2 cents are in my previous post...The Breathe of Life.
If you need some suggestions for activities:
- Turn on the radio and dance, don't worry about, the only ones watching you are the dogs, and they just think your playing with them anyways.
- Like I said before, walk up and down the stairs a few times...
- Play the Wii Fit, it starts of easy, but the higher levels, they will make you sweat!
- Take your dogs for a walk.
- Maybe you and the significant other can figure out an activity you can do together, for say 20 minutes or so...
- Maybe play with your kids at the play ground.
- Go roller skating, I know the local rink has an 80's night, and well some of the current music isn't so bad either.
The point is increasing your activity is possible if you want to, you will see opportunities everywhere. If you don't want to yet, you won't see the opportunities, period.
If the latter is the case, refer back to my post on "Drink and Be Merry".
Until next time, the little things you do add up, keep doing
Dan W.
I can't believe I'm saying this at all...
I firmly believe in couch potatoes. I love to watch TV, I hate the fact that the "seasons" have grown shorter, and the shows I love are being taken off air and replaced by well, junk. Not to mention the fact that 2 weeks into a new season, and they are already playing reruns. Gimme a break.
That's probably why I have a few gaming systems and more than a few games to play on them. I really like the Wii Fit...need to start using that again. Anybody that thinks that they are a master at any of the online games hasn't been playing against the true professional (not me) and been taken out by a couch potato or a 10 year old. Yeah, my second favorite is Halo, pick one, snipe one.
Anyways, I have always hated exercise. Why...it really hurts, we're not talking aching muscles (I can deal with that), we are talking true pain, whole body type. I should know, I have suffered with migraines since I was about 25. Ask anyone that has migraines, they know the level and type of pain I am talking about.
I know for most people exercise is just achy muscles, and burning lungs. Hey that's the way it should be, go for it. The point is, if your goal is to lose some weight, then you obviously have to increase your activity level, along with properly managing your diet. Still comes down to goes in < goes out.
However, I do realize that any part of a lifestyle change, which is what I am advocating for with my blog, does involve activity. So when I say Move It!, I mean increasing your overall activity level on a consistent basis. If you are into biking 3 time a week, rain, snow, sunshine, then so be it, add a little something, something on the side. You know walk up the stairs a few extra times in house. Play with your puppies on the floor, (I have 6 of them), and they love running and jumping and nipping, and, and, and.
By slowly increasing my activity level, consistently over time, well it makes a whole lot more sense for me. Here's why. I used to weigh 285 pounds, close to 100 pounds over the medically recommended weight for my height. Well, when you run, jump, bike, stomp, all of that extra weight is moving right along with you, increasing the stress and strain on both joints, and tendons. I'm sorry, I'm just not into injuring myself. But by increasing the amount of daily activity, such as walking, going up stairs, moving, dancing, Wii Fit Hula Hooping, I don't hurt as much, and I can deal with that.
I do realize that at some point in the near future (I hope), that I will be at a weight were doing more moderate exercise won't pose such a risk of injury. Until then, I will find the little extras in my daily life, that I can do to increase my overall activity level.
The really important part, is to be more active then what you were previously. This is what I have committed myself to, and to date, I have been successful in losing weight consistently, (currently going on over a year), and working on the 40 pound mark.
The other part of this, is in order to sustain your activity level for increasing periods of time as well. For those of us confessed (or not) couch potatoes, it also means that we need to relearn to breath properly during exercise. You do not breath the same as when you are not exercising.
So there is a lot of information on the net for breathing correctly, both during exercise periods and non-exercise periods. Don't blow this part off...seriously, you need to breath correctly or suffer the consequences. My 2 cents are in my previous post...The Breathe of Life.
If you need some suggestions for activities:
- Turn on the radio and dance, don't worry about, the only ones watching you are the dogs, and they just think your playing with them anyways.
- Like I said before, walk up and down the stairs a few times...
- Play the Wii Fit, it starts of easy, but the higher levels, they will make you sweat!
- Take your dogs for a walk.
- Maybe you and the significant other can figure out an activity you can do together, for say 20 minutes or so...
- Maybe play with your kids at the play ground.
- Go roller skating, I know the local rink has an 80's night, and well some of the current music isn't so bad either.
The point is increasing your activity is possible if you want to, you will see opportunities everywhere. If you don't want to yet, you won't see the opportunities, period.
If the latter is the case, refer back to my post on "Drink and Be Merry".
Until next time, the little things you do add up, keep doing
Dan W.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Know Your Signs!
Know Your Signs!
No, I'm not talking your astrological sign or anything exotic like that. I'm talking about recognizing how you are feeling and what your body is telling you.
I'm talking about recognizing your feelings, how your body is feeling, how you think about yourself. You know the hardcore stuff.
These are what will make the difference for you, when you chose to lose weight.
For example, without acknowledging it, I started to become depressed for a short while last year, and I plateaued on my weight loss. I would fluctuate a few pounds, but I was not losing the weight on the whole.
Additionally, because of the situation, I was distracted and lost significant focus on my weight loss goal, resulting in my plateau lasting for more than several weeks.
Up to this time, I was losing almost 1 pound a week.
I had to refocus, on both my weight loss, and on what I was eating. Now, like a lot of other people in the world, when you get depressed, you change what you are eating, what you are drinking, how much you sleep, and yes I believe how you breathe. This is what happened to me.
I started overeating some, my attitude tanked, my breathing was off, I was not drinking as much water, and was drinking more sodas, etc...
This was mentally very challenging, I had to concentrate on resolving each of these problems. When I did, my body started losing weight again! It did take effort on my part, and time.
So for this post...the signs I need you to know are:
Attitude
- depression or happiness
- commitment
Physical
- Belly breathing or chest breathing
- Water at least as much as (or more then) other fluids or less then. You can tell by the color of your urine. dark yellow not enough water, light yellow to clear, enough water.
- Hunger signals, are you overly hungry, pleasantly hungry, comfortable, full or stuffed (like a turkey on turkey day).
- and of course on average, is your weight decreasing on average or has it plateaued.
- Lastly, how tired you are, is a direct sign of how much sleep you get and / or how depressed you are. You need to ensure that you get enough sleep through out the day. Your body needs it to complete its normal processes, such as getting rid of waste and repairing itself.
So going forward, learn you signs, if you need to, write them down, along with your goal.
Until the next post
Dan W
No, I'm not talking your astrological sign or anything exotic like that. I'm talking about recognizing how you are feeling and what your body is telling you.
I'm talking about recognizing your feelings, how your body is feeling, how you think about yourself. You know the hardcore stuff.
These are what will make the difference for you, when you chose to lose weight.
For example, without acknowledging it, I started to become depressed for a short while last year, and I plateaued on my weight loss. I would fluctuate a few pounds, but I was not losing the weight on the whole.
Additionally, because of the situation, I was distracted and lost significant focus on my weight loss goal, resulting in my plateau lasting for more than several weeks.
Up to this time, I was losing almost 1 pound a week.
I had to refocus, on both my weight loss, and on what I was eating. Now, like a lot of other people in the world, when you get depressed, you change what you are eating, what you are drinking, how much you sleep, and yes I believe how you breathe. This is what happened to me.
I started overeating some, my attitude tanked, my breathing was off, I was not drinking as much water, and was drinking more sodas, etc...
This was mentally very challenging, I had to concentrate on resolving each of these problems. When I did, my body started losing weight again! It did take effort on my part, and time.
So for this post...the signs I need you to know are:
Attitude
- depression or happiness
- commitment
Physical
- Belly breathing or chest breathing
- Water at least as much as (or more then) other fluids or less then. You can tell by the color of your urine. dark yellow not enough water, light yellow to clear, enough water.
- Hunger signals, are you overly hungry, pleasantly hungry, comfortable, full or stuffed (like a turkey on turkey day).
- and of course on average, is your weight decreasing on average or has it plateaued.
- Lastly, how tired you are, is a direct sign of how much sleep you get and / or how depressed you are. You need to ensure that you get enough sleep through out the day. Your body needs it to complete its normal processes, such as getting rid of waste and repairing itself.
So going forward, learn you signs, if you need to, write them down, along with your goal.
Until the next post
Dan W
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Commit Yourself!
Commit Yourself.
What does that mean?
In the context that I use it, it is a process.
It is:
Please see this article:
http://www.darinspindler.com/general/successful-vs-unsuccessful-people-business-owners/
Now last year, I had the goal of losing 50 pounds. Did I achieve that goal, I am sorry to say that I did not. I only lost a little over 30 pounds. I started 2012 at 285 pounds
My goal this year: I will lose another 30 pounds by 31 December 2013, by using the "8 Rules for Weight Loss." This year I started the year off at 252 pounds. I am already below that as of this post.
Why did I not achieve my goal last year. There are a few reasons, and one of them was not writing down my goal, and focusing on it. I believe that there are a few other reasons, but the bottom line. It is my responsibility, I did not stay focused as I did not have a goal.
This year, I am going to stay focused and I just wrote down my goal.
So until the next post...Commit Yourself!
Dan W.
What does that mean?
In the context that I use it, it is a process.
It is:
- Having a smart goal
- Focusing on that goal
- Being knowledgeable
- Being honest to yourself
- Being dedicated
- Being action orientated
Please see this article:
http://www.darinspindler.com/general/successful-vs-unsuccessful-people-business-owners/
Now last year, I had the goal of losing 50 pounds. Did I achieve that goal, I am sorry to say that I did not. I only lost a little over 30 pounds. I started 2012 at 285 pounds
My goal this year: I will lose another 30 pounds by 31 December 2013, by using the "8 Rules for Weight Loss." This year I started the year off at 252 pounds. I am already below that as of this post.
Why did I not achieve my goal last year. There are a few reasons, and one of them was not writing down my goal, and focusing on it. I believe that there are a few other reasons, but the bottom line. It is my responsibility, I did not stay focused as I did not have a goal.
This year, I am going to stay focused and I just wrote down my goal.
So until the next post...Commit Yourself!
Dan W.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Be Hungry!
Wow. I do not believe how simple this is.
Your body has to be hungry to lose weight. This is so common sense.
Having said that, your hunger, like your food, your activity level, your breathing and your attitude, your water, all have to be managed. The tough part about that, they have to managed together, regardless of what diet you're on.
So what do I mean by that, manage your hunger. Yep. If your always full, your body has no need to tap its reserves. That means no fat loss and no weight loss.
Now, going to an extreme is more detrimental to your health and weight, than just being comfortably full. If your hunger is the result of you starving your body of sufficient food and nutrients, well, that's just bad. If your hunger shows up between meals or just after you wake up, well that's supposed to happen.
Your hunger is the best sign you have that you need to eat, and you need to eat in a reasonable time frame. Obviously, you're not going to rush off and pound down the 2lb burrito from the food cart on the street. Unless that was your planned meal, and within your calorie budget.
It means, you're going to need to take a break, have some food, preferably stuff that is on your diet plan, and go back to work or play, and just doing your thing.
No, I'm not going to cover any one specific diet in my rules. Why? I am going to focus on what most diet plans do not even mention. I'm going to focus on you, and your other habits.
Again, I am not a doctor, a nutritionist, or any sort of medical specialist. I am just an average person, like 98% of you out there.
The difference is I started paying attention to what my body was telling me, and I am passing onto you.
I was slowly gaining weight, regardless of what "diet" I followed. Yes, I exercised plenty, and still no avail. Again the reason why, was because I was eating to be always full.
Always full to me, meant security. I'm sure some psychologist would be happy to tell me why, now at this point it doesn't matter.
I now know that I need to be hungry between meals, and when I wake up. Its not like when I was a child and could burn through the calories just being an active, growing youth.
I'm slightly older, and well being full all time results in my horizontal growth. So, I have chosen to be hungry for short periods of time, through out the day. The results over the last year or so, I have lost over 30 lbs, and I AM STILL LOSING WEIGHT.
Again, Practice your Hunger, take it out for a short walk, finish the next task on your agenda, then feed it!
Until the next post, Be pleasantly Hungry.
Dan W.
Your body has to be hungry to lose weight. This is so common sense.
Having said that, your hunger, like your food, your activity level, your breathing and your attitude, your water, all have to be managed. The tough part about that, they have to managed together, regardless of what diet you're on.
So what do I mean by that, manage your hunger. Yep. If your always full, your body has no need to tap its reserves. That means no fat loss and no weight loss.
Now, going to an extreme is more detrimental to your health and weight, than just being comfortably full. If your hunger is the result of you starving your body of sufficient food and nutrients, well, that's just bad. If your hunger shows up between meals or just after you wake up, well that's supposed to happen.
Your hunger is the best sign you have that you need to eat, and you need to eat in a reasonable time frame. Obviously, you're not going to rush off and pound down the 2lb burrito from the food cart on the street. Unless that was your planned meal, and within your calorie budget.
It means, you're going to need to take a break, have some food, preferably stuff that is on your diet plan, and go back to work or play, and just doing your thing.
No, I'm not going to cover any one specific diet in my rules. Why? I am going to focus on what most diet plans do not even mention. I'm going to focus on you, and your other habits.
Again, I am not a doctor, a nutritionist, or any sort of medical specialist. I am just an average person, like 98% of you out there.
The difference is I started paying attention to what my body was telling me, and I am passing onto you.
I was slowly gaining weight, regardless of what "diet" I followed. Yes, I exercised plenty, and still no avail. Again the reason why, was because I was eating to be always full.
Always full to me, meant security. I'm sure some psychologist would be happy to tell me why, now at this point it doesn't matter.
I now know that I need to be hungry between meals, and when I wake up. Its not like when I was a child and could burn through the calories just being an active, growing youth.
I'm slightly older, and well being full all time results in my horizontal growth. So, I have chosen to be hungry for short periods of time, through out the day. The results over the last year or so, I have lost over 30 lbs, and I AM STILL LOSING WEIGHT.
Again, Practice your Hunger, take it out for a short walk, finish the next task on your agenda, then feed it!
Until the next post, Be pleasantly Hungry.
Dan W.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Drink and Be Merry!
Drink and Be Merry!
Well, that should catch the attention of almost every one...
This phrase alone, generally means its party time!
I get that, I used to be in the Navy, and as well as you can imagine...well never-mind.
However, I am putting rules 2 and 3 together for the reason that I consider them both equally important to my health, and to how much weight I lost.
The resolution I made last year, was to drink as much water, as any other drink I took.
Why? I realized that there was a significant amount of calories I was neglecting to take into account, for my diet. It was what I was drinking. My personal habit, was such that, I would have between 10 to 15 drinks a day of soda, milk, juice, etc... Keep in mind, this was not servings, this was the convenient container size, the large cup in the cupboard, the 20 oz bottle from the machine, the 32 oz drink at the local fast food joint. So as you can imagine, a significant source of calories for me was the liquids I was consuming.
So why am I advocating some one to drink? I am advocating for a person to replace 1/2 of what they are drinking (that is non-water) to be water. I do understand that this will be no easy task.
PLEASE NOTE: Ice does not count, unless you consume it.
Now for the Be Merry part...
I am talking to those of us that truly know that they are just not happy, probably even depressed, or worse. You know, what you feel inside, not what other people see, or what you present yourself to be to others.
Having a good, happy attitude is conducive to losing weight. I did not realize this either until I did a little research online...hmmm.
Maybe this Drink and Be Merry thing has a little merit.
Start small, I did. It took work and effort, but I started saying the words like "Have a good day" to people. I also used my words, "please" and "thank you." I even did small acts of kindness, like helping out a few children at the register in front of me, because they didn't have enough change to get what they came into the store for. After a while, I was not as depressed, and I was less grumpy. I still do this, and my overall attitude has improved.
I also believe that breathing better helped with improving my attitude as much as the actions above did. That's why the rule for breathing is number one.
So the short strokes are:
- use more ice in your drinks
- replace up to 1/2 of your liquids with water
- use the words that lead you to a better attitude, and it will follow
- Also, work on your own self-talk, this will speed up the process
While I could write more in depth as to my situation and why these helped me, I will save that for a different venue.
Until the next post,
Drink and Be Merry!
Dan
Well, that should catch the attention of almost every one...
This phrase alone, generally means its party time!
I get that, I used to be in the Navy, and as well as you can imagine...well never-mind.
However, I am putting rules 2 and 3 together for the reason that I consider them both equally important to my health, and to how much weight I lost.
The resolution I made last year, was to drink as much water, as any other drink I took.
Why? I realized that there was a significant amount of calories I was neglecting to take into account, for my diet. It was what I was drinking. My personal habit, was such that, I would have between 10 to 15 drinks a day of soda, milk, juice, etc... Keep in mind, this was not servings, this was the convenient container size, the large cup in the cupboard, the 20 oz bottle from the machine, the 32 oz drink at the local fast food joint. So as you can imagine, a significant source of calories for me was the liquids I was consuming.
So why am I advocating some one to drink? I am advocating for a person to replace 1/2 of what they are drinking (that is non-water) to be water. I do understand that this will be no easy task.
PLEASE NOTE: Ice does not count, unless you consume it.
Now for the Be Merry part...
I am talking to those of us that truly know that they are just not happy, probably even depressed, or worse. You know, what you feel inside, not what other people see, or what you present yourself to be to others.
Having a good, happy attitude is conducive to losing weight. I did not realize this either until I did a little research online...hmmm.
Maybe this Drink and Be Merry thing has a little merit.
Start small, I did. It took work and effort, but I started saying the words like "Have a good day" to people. I also used my words, "please" and "thank you." I even did small acts of kindness, like helping out a few children at the register in front of me, because they didn't have enough change to get what they came into the store for. After a while, I was not as depressed, and I was less grumpy. I still do this, and my overall attitude has improved.
I also believe that breathing better helped with improving my attitude as much as the actions above did. That's why the rule for breathing is number one.
So the short strokes are:
- use more ice in your drinks
- replace up to 1/2 of your liquids with water
- use the words that lead you to a better attitude, and it will follow
- Also, work on your own self-talk, this will speed up the process
While I could write more in depth as to my situation and why these helped me, I will save that for a different venue.
Until the next post,
Drink and Be Merry!
Dan
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The Breath of Life
Hello everyone,
I am starting with what I feel has helped me the most, over the last year, to improve my overall health.
I improved how I breathe.
Last year, I made a decision, based on what I learned when I was a teen, and was reminded of several times over the years, but really just didn't pay attention to or ignored.
With out going into the history of that statement, which may be better saved for another venue, I chose to start "belly breathing." I actually made a conscious decision, a few times a day, to slow down, relax and force myself to breathe using my abdomen , instead of using my chest muscles to breathe.
While I am not going to cover anything special as far as techniques, as there are many techniques out there for proper breathing, I will say this. Start. Pick one and start. I will put a quick description of the important steps at the end of this post.
Why Start?
Oxygen is one of the most critical chemicals for your body. Period. Ensuring you have sufficient supplies to allow your body to work properly is crucial. I found this out during my research.
For me, subjectively, I experienced the following:
Slowly, I started feeling less depressed and less grumpy.
Almost immediately, the amount of weight I was loosing over a week, increased.
Wait...did you catch that?
Did I just say that this was not the first thing I changed in my life last year to lose weight, well in hindsight, it is definitely the most important.
This is now my Rule #1
During my research over the holidays, I found information relating to the use of your diaphragm, the muscle used to "belly breathe." It affects the overall performance of the lymphatic system.
Huh? I know what you people are saying. I said it myself, So What?
Here's the so what. The lymphatic system is the waste system of the body. When it is not working right, things back up. The best analogy to use, is a slow drain or blocked drain in your house. Yep the shower water swirls around your feet, the bathroom sink doesn't drain quickly and you end up with a ring in the middle of the sink from the soap and toothpaste you used during the morning and didn't have time for the drain cleaner or just no drain cleaner period. The same thing happens in your body.
So take a moment to think about the imagery to go along with that statement.
You keep putting stuff in, and the "goes out" keeps backing up.
Make the commitment, take a few moments during the day and focus on your breathing processes. The diaphragm is the single, biggest muscle that helps move the fluids in the lymphatic system, and keeping the drainage system of the body flowing properly.
Today, a year or so after I started to focus on belly breathing, I take time to do it 10 or 12 times a day. Additionally, I add in a deep breathe every time I think about it.
I can't wait to try some of the other breathing techniques I read about. When I do, and I discover the results, I will clue you in, in a future post.
For now, take breath, use your diaphragm, and be happy.
Simple breathing steps.
1. set up a few minutes of quiet time.
2. Stand up, sit down erect in a chair, or lie down on the floor on your back.
3. take a slow deep breath, by consciously using your diaphragm and not your chest muscles until the very end of your breath cycle.
4. hold it a moment or two...relax
5. exhale over the same amount of time you inhaled.
6. repeat steps 1-5 for a few times.
Then go about your business of the day.
Check yourself after doing this for a few weeks and let me know if you see an improvement or not.
Breathe Happy
Dan W.
I am starting with what I feel has helped me the most, over the last year, to improve my overall health.
I improved how I breathe.
Last year, I made a decision, based on what I learned when I was a teen, and was reminded of several times over the years, but really just didn't pay attention to or ignored.
With out going into the history of that statement, which may be better saved for another venue, I chose to start "belly breathing." I actually made a conscious decision, a few times a day, to slow down, relax and force myself to breathe using my abdomen , instead of using my chest muscles to breathe.
While I am not going to cover anything special as far as techniques, as there are many techniques out there for proper breathing, I will say this. Start. Pick one and start. I will put a quick description of the important steps at the end of this post.
Why Start?
Oxygen is one of the most critical chemicals for your body. Period. Ensuring you have sufficient supplies to allow your body to work properly is crucial. I found this out during my research.
For me, subjectively, I experienced the following:
Slowly, I started feeling less depressed and less grumpy.
Almost immediately, the amount of weight I was loosing over a week, increased.
Wait...did you catch that?
Did I just say that this was not the first thing I changed in my life last year to lose weight, well in hindsight, it is definitely the most important.
This is now my Rule #1
During my research over the holidays, I found information relating to the use of your diaphragm, the muscle used to "belly breathe." It affects the overall performance of the lymphatic system.
Huh? I know what you people are saying. I said it myself, So What?
Here's the so what. The lymphatic system is the waste system of the body. When it is not working right, things back up. The best analogy to use, is a slow drain or blocked drain in your house. Yep the shower water swirls around your feet, the bathroom sink doesn't drain quickly and you end up with a ring in the middle of the sink from the soap and toothpaste you used during the morning and didn't have time for the drain cleaner or just no drain cleaner period. The same thing happens in your body.
So take a moment to think about the imagery to go along with that statement.
You keep putting stuff in, and the "goes out" keeps backing up.
Make the commitment, take a few moments during the day and focus on your breathing processes. The diaphragm is the single, biggest muscle that helps move the fluids in the lymphatic system, and keeping the drainage system of the body flowing properly.
Today, a year or so after I started to focus on belly breathing, I take time to do it 10 or 12 times a day. Additionally, I add in a deep breathe every time I think about it.
I can't wait to try some of the other breathing techniques I read about. When I do, and I discover the results, I will clue you in, in a future post.
For now, take breath, use your diaphragm, and be happy.
Simple breathing steps.
1. set up a few minutes of quiet time.
2. Stand up, sit down erect in a chair, or lie down on the floor on your back.
3. take a slow deep breath, by consciously using your diaphragm and not your chest muscles until the very end of your breath cycle.
4. hold it a moment or two...relax
5. exhale over the same amount of time you inhaled.
6. repeat steps 1-5 for a few times.
Then go about your business of the day.
Check yourself after doing this for a few weeks and let me know if you see an improvement or not.
Breathe Happy
Dan W.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Why I am writing this blog
Hello,
My name is Dan, and yes, like almost everyone else in the USA, I am working on, aah "managing my weight." Yeah, I like that phrase a whole lot better than dieting.
But last year, my eyes were opened a little wider about weight loss, and some practices that are not that well known (at least to me) and the impact they have on weight management.
Let me tell you a little history first. No I am not a doctor, nor am I related to any job the medical field. In fact, why I started doing what I did, when I did, did not have to do with weight loss at all. It had to do with my personal well being. So like everyone else, I am speaking of my personal experiences. I did not use any pills, or other diet program, I used some advice, and some common sense. Just don't tell my wife, because then she might raise the bar on the expectation thing.
Anyways, I made the commitment, last January to lose some weight by the Holidays, specifically 50 lbs. Even with this goal, I still have room to lose more.
Needless to say I fell a little short of my goal of 50 lbs. Just so you know, I lost 30 lbs by my goal date. Since then, I have lost 2 more pounds, and I expect to achieve my first goal during the summer of 2013.
What bugged me about my weight loss? I lost more weight than I expected to lose by making the changes I made. So during my vacation, I evaluated changes in my life that I did over the year, and researched them.
Almost every one of the changes I made last year, has some basis in fact, or a study done and the effect it has on weight loss.
I'll discuss these, habits if you will, going forward.
I wish you well in the New Year, and may you achieve your New Year's resolution.
Dan
My name is Dan, and yes, like almost everyone else in the USA, I am working on, aah "managing my weight." Yeah, I like that phrase a whole lot better than dieting.
But last year, my eyes were opened a little wider about weight loss, and some practices that are not that well known (at least to me) and the impact they have on weight management.
Let me tell you a little history first. No I am not a doctor, nor am I related to any job the medical field. In fact, why I started doing what I did, when I did, did not have to do with weight loss at all. It had to do with my personal well being. So like everyone else, I am speaking of my personal experiences. I did not use any pills, or other diet program, I used some advice, and some common sense. Just don't tell my wife, because then she might raise the bar on the expectation thing.
Anyways, I made the commitment, last January to lose some weight by the Holidays, specifically 50 lbs. Even with this goal, I still have room to lose more.
Needless to say I fell a little short of my goal of 50 lbs. Just so you know, I lost 30 lbs by my goal date. Since then, I have lost 2 more pounds, and I expect to achieve my first goal during the summer of 2013.
What bugged me about my weight loss? I lost more weight than I expected to lose by making the changes I made. So during my vacation, I evaluated changes in my life that I did over the year, and researched them.
Almost every one of the changes I made last year, has some basis in fact, or a study done and the effect it has on weight loss.
I'll discuss these, habits if you will, going forward.
I wish you well in the New Year, and may you achieve your New Year's resolution.
Dan
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