Goal setting is a very powerful technique that can improve all areas of your life. The process of setting goals and targets allows you to choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know what you have to concentrate on and improve, and what is merely a distraction. Goal setting gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It helps to focus your acquisition of knowledge and helps you to organize your resources. By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind.
By setting goals you can:
• Achieve more
• Improve performance
• Increase your motivation to achieve
• Increase your pride and satisfaction in your achievements
• Improve your self-confidence
• Plan to eliminate attitudes that hold you back and cause unhappiness
Goal Setting Helps Self-Confidence
By setting goals, and measuring their achievement, you are able to see what you have done and what you are capable of. The process of achieving goals and seeing their achievement gives you the confidence and self-belief that you need that you will be able to achieve higher and more difficult goals.
Setting Goals Effectively
The way in which you set goal strongly affects their effectiveness. The following broad guidelines apply to setting effective goals:
Positive Statement: express your goals positively:
• Be Precise: if you set a precise goal, putting in dates, times and amounts so that achievement can be measured, then you know the exact goal to be achieved, and can take complete satisfaction from having completely achieved it.
• Set Priorities: where you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals, and helps to direct your attention to the most important ones.
• Write goals down to avoid confusion and give them more force.
• Keep Operational Goals Small: Keep the goals you are working towards immediately small and achievable. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that you are not making progress towards it.
Set Performance, not Outcome Goals
This is very important. You should take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible - there is nothing as dispiriting as failing to achieve a personal goal for reasons beyond your control such as bad learning environments, poor judging, bad weather, injury, or just plain bad luck. Goals based on outcomes are extremely vulnerable to failure because of things beyond your control. If you base your goals on personal performance or skills or knowledge to be acquired, then you can keep control over the achievement of your goals and draw satisfaction from them. For example, you might achieve a personal best time in a race, but still be disqualified as a result of a poor judging decision. If you had set an outcome goal of being in the top three, then this will be a defeat. If you set a performance goal of achieving a particular time, then you will have achieved the goal and can draw satisfaction and self-confidence from its achievement. Another flaw is where outcome goals are based on the rewards of achieving something, whether these are financial or are based on the recognition of colleagues. In early stages these will be highly motivating factors, however as they are achieved, the benefits of further achievement at the same level reduce. You will become progressively less motivated.
Set Specific Goals
Set specific measurable goals. If you achieve all conditions of a measurable goal, then you can be confident and comfortable in its achievement. If you consistently fail to meet a measurable goal, then you can adjust it or analyze the reason for failure and take appropriate action to improve skills.
Set Realistic Goals
Goals may be set unrealistically high for the following reasons:
• Other people: Other people (parents, media, society) can set unrealistic goals for you, based on what they want. Often this will be done in ignorance of your goals, desires and ambitions.
• Insufficient information: If you do not have a clear, realistic understanding of what you are trying to achieve and of the skills and knowledge to be mastered, it is difficult to set effective and realistic goals.
• Always expecting your best performance: Many people base their goals on their best performance, however long ago that was. It is better to set goals that raise your average performance and make it more consistent.
• Lack of respect for self: If you do not respect your right to rest, relaxation and pleasure in life then you risk burnout.
Alternatively goals can be set too low because of:
• Fear of failure: If you are frightened of failure you will not take the risks needed for optimum performance. As you apply goal setting and see the achievement of goals, your self- confidence should increase, helping you to take bigger risks. Know that failure is a positive thing: it shows you areas where you can improve your skills and performance.
• Taking it too easy: It is easy to take the reasons for not setting goals unrealistically high as an excuse to set them too low. If you're not prepared to stretch yourself and work hard, then you are extremely unlikely to achieve anything of any real worth.
Setting goals at the correct level is a skill that is acquired by practice. You should set goals so that they are slightly out of your immediate grasp, but not so far that there is no hope of achieving them: no-one will put serious effort into achieving a goal that they believe is unrealistic. However, remember that the belief that a goal is unrealistic may be incorrect. Personal factors such as tiredness, other commitments and the need for rest, etc. should be taken into account when goals are set.
When you are thinking about how to achieve goals, asking the following questions can help you to focus on the sub-goals that lead to their achievement:
• What skills do I need to achieve this?
• What information and knowledge do I need?
• What help, assistance, or collaboration do I need?
• What resources do I need?
• What can block progress?
• Am I making any assumptions?
• Is there a better way of doing things?
Achieving Goals and feedback
When you have achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having achieved the goal. Absorb the implications of the goal achievement, and observe the progress you have made towards other goals. If the goal was a significant one, or one that you had worked towards for some time, take the opportunity to reward yourself appropriately.
Feedback: Failure
Where you have failed to reach a goal, ensure that you learn the lessons of the failure.
• that you didn't try hard enough
• that your technique, skills or knowledge were faulty and need to be enhanced
• that the goal you set was unrealistic
Use this information to adjust the goal if it was set too high, or to set goals to acquire new skills or knowledge. Feeding back like this turns everything into a positive learning experience - even failing to meet a goal is a step forward towards perfect performance!
Feedback: Success
Where you have achieved a goal this should feed back into your next goals:
• If the goal was easily achieved, make your next goals harder
• If the goal took a dispiriting length of time to achieve, make the next goals a little easier
• If you learned something that would lead you to change goals still outstanding, do so
• If while achieving the goal you noticed a deficit in your skills, set goals to fix this.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Fat is merely Tissue, Stored Potential Energy
Fat is not a feeling. You cannot be fat. Fat does not reside as an emotion in your psyche. Fat is merely tissue, stored potential energy.
(my comments: That says to me that my fat has the potential to do something useful, like burn off and go away! Yipee!!! )
When you are "feeling fat", you are really feeling something else. Fat is another decoy emotion. Fat is a substitute for what is really going on with you.
Know that your feelings about your weight and the feeling you create from overeating or depriving yourself are engaging you in a decoy struggle. It is a distraction from your real emotional life. It gets you thinking about food and your weight instead of what is really going on under the surface. ... Each time we try to feel, we rebel, playing this rebellion out by overeating. It's good for immediate gratification, but bad for our long term happiness. This great drama can fill our minds and keep us distracted quite well.
Your real work on this planet is not your weight or your fat. The fabric of your emotional journey is not about deprivation and overeating. It is about love and fear and manifesting the magnificent person you already are. It is time to pay attentionto your real life. Stop distracting yourself from your emotional life. Find out what you are feeling, and feel it. It is then that you can find the way to who you really are. I promise you, it is not just fat.
Excerpted from If I'm So Smart Why Can't I Lose Weight, by Brooke Castillo
(my comments: That says to me that my fat has the potential to do something useful, like burn off and go away! Yipee!!! )
When you are "feeling fat", you are really feeling something else. Fat is another decoy emotion. Fat is a substitute for what is really going on with you.
Know that your feelings about your weight and the feeling you create from overeating or depriving yourself are engaging you in a decoy struggle. It is a distraction from your real emotional life. It gets you thinking about food and your weight instead of what is really going on under the surface. ... Each time we try to feel, we rebel, playing this rebellion out by overeating. It's good for immediate gratification, but bad for our long term happiness. This great drama can fill our minds and keep us distracted quite well.
Your real work on this planet is not your weight or your fat. The fabric of your emotional journey is not about deprivation and overeating. It is about love and fear and manifesting the magnificent person you already are. It is time to pay attentionto your real life. Stop distracting yourself from your emotional life. Find out what you are feeling, and feel it. It is then that you can find the way to who you really are. I promise you, it is not just fat.
Excerpted from If I'm So Smart Why Can't I Lose Weight, by Brooke Castillo
Monday, August 27, 2007
Kimkins Inspiration
I found the following post on a blog somewhere out there in low carb land and I'd saved it. It was inspiring, and since I came across it today again and was further inspired I thought I'd share it - and inspire all of us!
After my last entry, I took a hard look at myself, my diet, and my goals to see if I could find the secret of why I was sabotaging myself. While I could not find just one reason to report here, apparently my soul searching paid off. I have now been almost 20 days without cheating on my Kimkins eating plan!
And it's working! I've lost almost 30 pounds!
Of course I knew that it would work, for it was not Kim or her plan that fell short.
On her site, Kimmer says that the diet is simple and easy. She's right -- the diet is very simple, and it is easy as far as buying, cooking, and following the plan are concerned. But it's not "easy" -- at least not for people like me. We have not only the weight to lose, but also our fears, our excuses, our preconceptions, and our need for instant gratification.
Let me be brutally honest: Kimkins is one of the strictest diets that I have tried. There is no cheating on this diet! The minute I cheat the weight loss comes to halt, the cravings return. But the good news is that the Kimkins approach is amazingly successful when one abstains from cheating. And I believe that Kimkins provides the best environment for making a journey toward total commitment to getting a handle of your weight, by providing support for your physical, spiritual and psychological journey. I believe that anyone who honestly takes that journey will eventually find themselves happily eating to the Kimkins plan and losing weight.
For people like me, carbs are an addictive substance, and a mind-altering one. Carbs rob me of my self-discipline and self-respect and keep me self-medicating with food. In this I liken myself to an alcoholic or drug addict. Kimkins has provided a safe place for me to clear my body of mind-fogging carbs so that I CAN look at the psychological, physical, and spiritual reasons for overeating/staying fat. There is no venting you can do on Kimkins that others have not felt or heard about before. The other members graciously share their wisdom, empathy, and encouragement. Kim herself is ever-present. There is no shame in falling short or falling down; you're simply encouraged to get back to your feet and get back on the path.
I stumbled and fell off the diet and scrapped my way back to being what I call "Kimkins Clean" a number of times since October. Each time, I learned something about myself, my body, or my addiction to carbs. Now, when I fall, I'm back on the path in a day instead of wallowing in carbs for three weeks. For the first time, I look ahead and have the courage to make the following commitment: "When 2007 ends, I'm going to be 120 pounds lighter!" For the first time, I really feel that I have a chance of attaining that goal.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
The 5th Element
The 5th element proposes the following…
1. There are 4 elements that must be present for MAXIMUM results in your fat loss and fitness program:
(1) nutrition,
(2) resistance training,
(3) cardio training,
(4) “mental” training.
If you’re missing any element, your results will be less than they would with all four in place. If you’re missing two or three of these elements, you may get little, if any results at all.
2. When someone has all 4 elements in place and they still struggle to get results or stay consistent with those elements over time, it may be because there is another element they’re missing, which most people never think about or take seriously.
3. This 5th element is social support.
4. Social support can come in many forms including friends, family, church, trainers, coaches, support groups and more.
5. Research in scientific peer-reviewed nutrition, obesity, and medical journals, as well as sociology and psychology publications, has provided evidence that programs which include social support have better outcomes than those which don’t.
6. When negative social pressure is dragging you down, especially from people close to you, it’s extremely difficult to get maximum results and reach all your goals.
7. If you’re not getting social support for your fitness endeavors from your family, obviously you can’t change your family, but you can reach out to enlist support from your friends, and you can seek out new friends and social contacts with similar goals as you.
http://www.burnthefatblog.com/thefifthelement.pdf
1. There are 4 elements that must be present for MAXIMUM results in your fat loss and fitness program:
(1) nutrition,
(2) resistance training,
(3) cardio training,
(4) “mental” training.
If you’re missing any element, your results will be less than they would with all four in place. If you’re missing two or three of these elements, you may get little, if any results at all.
2. When someone has all 4 elements in place and they still struggle to get results or stay consistent with those elements over time, it may be because there is another element they’re missing, which most people never think about or take seriously.
3. This 5th element is social support.
4. Social support can come in many forms including friends, family, church, trainers, coaches, support groups and more.
5. Research in scientific peer-reviewed nutrition, obesity, and medical journals, as well as sociology and psychology publications, has provided evidence that programs which include social support have better outcomes than those which don’t.
6. When negative social pressure is dragging you down, especially from people close to you, it’s extremely difficult to get maximum results and reach all your goals.
7. If you’re not getting social support for your fitness endeavors from your family, obviously you can’t change your family, but you can reach out to enlist support from your friends, and you can seek out new friends and social contacts with similar goals as you.
http://www.burnthefatblog.com/thefifthelement.pdf
Friday, August 24, 2007
Have You Lost Your Focus?
We all know how important it is to focus on what we want.
But what happens when we lose focus?
It's easy to do, isn't it?
We get distracted. Something captures our interest and diverts our attention away from our chosen objective.
We suffer setbacks. Things don't work out as planned. Someone lets us down. Circumstances change and good plans go bad.
We get interrupted. An important matter takes precedence -- sometimes for long periods of time.
We, or members of our team, get sick or hurt. We don't have the energy we had before and often find it slow to get back in the game.
These things happen to everyone. And we have to be careful we don't think we're being singled out. The "Why is this happening to me?" question gets us nowhere.
We must first recognize that we've lost focus. And at the earliest opportunity, we must recommit. We have to get back on the horse we fell off from and ride again.
And this is what separates the winners from the losers.
The loser says it's too hard. He says it's not worth the effort. He thinks it's just "not in the cards" and he quits.
But the winner doesn't take the setback personally. She dusts herself off and recommits to the plan. She sees the setback as just that -- a setback -- not a sign that it's not to be.
What do you need to refocus upon? Is it a positive habit? A goal? A toleration you said you'd eliminate?
Revisit your reasons why. Focus on the results you will produce and not on what's not worked well. Because what you focus on expands.
Today's a new day. The past is just as historic as if it had happened a thousand years ago. You can't change what's happened or not happened. But you can recommit. You can refocus.
You can start anew.
So do it today. Remember the power of TNT -- Today, Not Tomorrow.
But what happens when we lose focus?
It's easy to do, isn't it?
We get distracted. Something captures our interest and diverts our attention away from our chosen objective.
We suffer setbacks. Things don't work out as planned. Someone lets us down. Circumstances change and good plans go bad.
We get interrupted. An important matter takes precedence -- sometimes for long periods of time.
We, or members of our team, get sick or hurt. We don't have the energy we had before and often find it slow to get back in the game.
These things happen to everyone. And we have to be careful we don't think we're being singled out. The "Why is this happening to me?" question gets us nowhere.
We must first recognize that we've lost focus. And at the earliest opportunity, we must recommit. We have to get back on the horse we fell off from and ride again.
And this is what separates the winners from the losers.
The loser says it's too hard. He says it's not worth the effort. He thinks it's just "not in the cards" and he quits.
But the winner doesn't take the setback personally. She dusts herself off and recommits to the plan. She sees the setback as just that -- a setback -- not a sign that it's not to be.
What do you need to refocus upon? Is it a positive habit? A goal? A toleration you said you'd eliminate?
Revisit your reasons why. Focus on the results you will produce and not on what's not worked well. Because what you focus on expands.
Today's a new day. The past is just as historic as if it had happened a thousand years ago. You can't change what's happened or not happened. But you can recommit. You can refocus.
You can start anew.
So do it today. Remember the power of TNT -- Today, Not Tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Feelings & Beliefs
I am struggling too some days on Kimkins (especialy last night). The struggles are no different to any diet I've been on before. But now I have some tools to teach me to deal with issues that come up.
Yesterday I was spending some time listening to Brooke Castillo's audiobook If I'm so Smart, Why Can't I Lose Weight? I am trying to focus more on feeling my feelings, instead of just eating to cover them up. ('cos if I'm berating myself afterwards about overeating I am certainly not feeling lonely, bored, angry, fearful, you fill in the blank...which is obviously the point, but I'm not dealing with my emotions effectively, I'm just gaining pounds!) Apparently by sitting there and studying the feeling you will uncover eventually the belief that underlies the feeling. The belief is probably wrong and outdated, and so the idea is to change the belief, update it so to speak, and thus change the feeling - all without touching food and beating oneself up. Sounds easy, but it is hard. I do not like some of the feelings and beliefs that doing this so far has brought up for me. And what I am coming across is going to take some working with. But it is a step in the right direction.
Yesterday I was spending some time listening to Brooke Castillo's audiobook If I'm so Smart, Why Can't I Lose Weight? I am trying to focus more on feeling my feelings, instead of just eating to cover them up. ('cos if I'm berating myself afterwards about overeating I am certainly not feeling lonely, bored, angry, fearful, you fill in the blank...which is obviously the point, but I'm not dealing with my emotions effectively, I'm just gaining pounds!) Apparently by sitting there and studying the feeling you will uncover eventually the belief that underlies the feeling. The belief is probably wrong and outdated, and so the idea is to change the belief, update it so to speak, and thus change the feeling - all without touching food and beating oneself up. Sounds easy, but it is hard. I do not like some of the feelings and beliefs that doing this so far has brought up for me. And what I am coming across is going to take some working with. But it is a step in the right direction.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
GG Bran CrispBread
GG Bran CrispBread is a traditionally baked crispbread, which is still produced in Norway by the Gundersen family. Founded in 1935, Mr. Eugen Gundersen, who created the original recipe, began producing bran crispbread as he found that the original Scandinavian crispbread was the most effective and appetizing method of supplementing his diet with fiber.
Ingredients: Unprocessed wheat bran, rye flour, salt.
Nutritional Information: Serving size 1 slice (9g), Servings per container 12, Calories 16, Calories from fat 0, Total Fat 0g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 30mg, Total Carbohydrate 3g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 1g.
You can buy single packs @ Netrition and Locarbdiner
In The 160s!!!
I stepped on the scale this morning to the 160's!!! Yea me!!! 169.5
I am very pleased that I lost the water weight gained on carb-binging plus one more pound. I am trying to not think about where I'd be if I'd not fallen off the wagon, because if I'd not fallen then I'd not have learnt that I can get back in less than a week. I've not been this weight since 2002...
I am very pleased that I lost the water weight gained on carb-binging plus one more pound. I am trying to not think about where I'd be if I'd not fallen off the wagon, because if I'd not fallen then I'd not have learnt that I can get back in less than a week. I've not been this weight since 2002...
Excerpt from The Thin Commandments
The Thin Commandments: The Ten No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss (Hardcover)
by Stephen Gullo (Author)
"THE SINGLE GREATEST SURPRISE of my professional life has been the discovery that success at weight control is not about willpower..."
I ordered the paperback version (click here) from The Book Depository (3rd one down) Book is brand new, comes from the UK and takes about a week.
I have skimmed through it, and now I'm about 1/3 of the way thru it reading. Great info and tips for now, but also for maintenance. Dr. Gullo has his own "diet plan" but it is not pushed, and actually it might be a good one to add to the list to consider using for maintenance. (I already have the Abs Diet sitting there in reserve) Because when I reach goal I intend to be very active and I am going to need a clean diet to support my toned and healthy body.
The following is an excerpt from the book The Thin Commandments Diet: The 10 No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss
by Stephen Gullo, Ph.D.
Published by Rodale; January 2005; $24.95US/$35.95CAN; 978-1-57954-898-8
Click here for full excerpt
Copyright © 2005 Dietech Co.
Tips for Keeping the Weight Off
Here are 9 critical behaviors and 1 additional shift in thinking that make up the 10 most important things to do on maintenance. The first 4 behaviors characterize all my winners. The 6 additional behaviors describe most of my clients. And while I believe that all 10 are important, the first 4 are critical for success.
SPECIAL ALERT: The single most important thing you can do to keep weight off for a lifetime is so important I've changed the format of the text to indelibly etch it into your psyche: Wear form-fitting or tight clothes! When you reach maintenance, you should have one size, and one size only, of clothing. I've found that nothing sounds the warning siren faster or motivates people to act with greater haste than when their clothing gets too tight!
Think about what motivated you to start your diet. If you're like many of my clients, you were uncomfortable with your clothing (or you couldn't fit into it) and appearance. When you have a little extra trouble buttoning a pair of jeans or find it necessary to add an extra notch to your belt, it reawakens the original motivation. When you have only one size, you have no choice but to stay trim. If you save larger sizes, you are making it easy -- too easy -- to just switch to a larger size instead of acting to correct any errors.
Also, if you don't plan to be heavy again, why save the larger sizes? When you reach maintenance, throw out the larger sizes -- immediately!
Knowing that you have only one size of clothing adds another powerful incentive to maintain your weight: economics! How many of us can afford to buy a whole new wardrobe especially one in a larger size? Your wallet gives you extra incentive to guard your weight loss.
Before people ever respond to the clarion call to health, they listen to the cry of their clothing getting too tight. I'd have a nearly empty office if I tried to motivate people to stay on maintenance on the basis of health alone.
Your wardrobe is the most powerful deterrent I know of against sliding once more into out-of-control eating. It signals your commitment never to be heavy again. That's why I insist that all maintenance clients discard all clothes that no longer fit, with one exception: I ask them to save the outfit that's their largest size (preferably one they disliked ever having to wear) as an eternal reminder.
Keep problem foods you have a history of abusing out of your home. Almost all the women and a very large percentage of the men I have worked with who regained weight started the slide in their own homes. The slide often began with a food they had a history of abusing but had avoided while they were losing weight.
Remember the study by researchers at the National Weight Control Registry that found that two out of three people who lose weight and keep it off keep problem foods out of their house? Although that food might not tempt you at this moment, I can't urge you strongly enough to remove it from your home or at least keep it permanently out of your sight. Remember, you're always vulnerable to the foods that have tripped you up in the past -- even on maintenance. Eventually, people tend to return to their old favorites if they are continually available. On maintenance, even more than weight loss, availability stimulates craving -- even if it doesn't happen immediately. Along with keeping only one size of clothes in your house, it's critically important to keep problem foods out of your home.
Set a weight ceiling, and defend it. Pick a number -- typically about 3 pounds for women, 5 pounds for men -- and don't let your weight go above it -- ever. No matter what happens, don't let yourself off the hook. Draw a line in the sand. When the weight is back down, you can return to maintenance eating. Most of my clients expect increases in weight on weekends because of higher-calorie maintenance meals at home and out. Monday is typically the "high number" day of the week, but by Friday, they bring the weight back down to their goal weight, via Phase A and B eating.
Weigh yourself every day. Your bathroom scale can't weigh your behavior. However, it will tell you when you gain a pound or two. If you step on the scale the morning after a big meal at a restaurant or special event, your weight could be up. Don't be alarmed. If it's water weight, it will dissipate in 24 to 48 hours. You should expect slight variations during the week, especially after maintenance meals.
If it's real weight (3 or more pounds that remain over a period of several weeks), that should be a warning to you to take immediate action.
If you find it a bit maddening to follow the daily fluctuations of the scale even though you are eating properly, pick three days of the week on which you will always weigh yourself (for example, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
Exercise. It gives you structure and control. It gets you thinking about calorie burn and health consciousness and directs you away from obsessing about food. It's been shown that dieters who exercise regularly succeed the longest at keeping weight off. A study of more than 32,000 dieters by Consumer Reports magazine found that "regular exercise was the number one successful weight-loss maintenance strategy" of more than 81 percent of the long-term maintainers. In second place, at 74 percent, was the related strategy of increasing activity in daily routines. Also, as your body becomes lighter, it burns fewer calories. Exercise helps expand your calorie budget by burning the higher-caloric foods of maintenance.
And remember: Exercise generates endorphins, increases energy, and elevates mood.
Exercise provides you with a healthy outlet for stress. These effects help you follow through on your commitments, especially to control your weight. And as an outlet for stress, exercise shortcuts mood eating. It's the perfect alternative to keep your moods out of your foods.
Keep a photo of yourself at your heaviest weight. For added emphasis, place it next to a picture at your lightest weight. Many of my clients put the photo in a place where they feel most vulnerable -- the refrigerator door or kitchen counter, for example. Others elect to carry the photo in their wallet or purse.
Some of you may find it upsetting to stare constantly at a picture of yourself at your heaviest weight. Instead, carry a picture of what you look like at your lightest weight. You may find it motivates you even more to protect your accomplishments.
When it comes to weight control, a picture is truly worth a thousand words.
Keep a food diary. I'd like you to keep a diary for at least the first 90 days on maintenance. I ask my own clients to keep a diary for a full year. I want them to be certain they can manage the entire cycle of the year, with its holidays, vacations, special events, birthdays, summer versus winter eating, and so on. Since the same events and seasons come up year after year, once you get through the first year, you should be well prepared for the coming ones. After the first year, I frequently ask some clients to continue to keep a food diary or to keep a record of any "error" such as eating problem foods or excessive quantities of caloric foods.
A diary will serve as a daily reminder of the extras and/or negative eating habits. Writing out your meals and snacks a day in advance will help structure your thinking and help you steer clear of potential trip-ups.
Give yourself clear boundaries. Boundaries are a strong structure for your eating behavior. A major study of the winners found that 88 percent limited some type or classes of food. Another 45 percent limited the quantities of the foods they ate. Remember, if you don't have a good history of limiting a particular food, avoid it.
I help my clients establish clear boundaries and control their calorie budget with the lighter menus of Phases A and B of my eating plan from Monday through Friday, saving their maintenance meals or higher-calorie foods for weekends and special events. This clear boundary helps build an infrastructure of positive behaviors and smart eating habits that becomes automatic after a few weeks.
Most of my winners reinforce their boundaries with the techniques of Box It In and Box It Out. Many decide to Box Out a certain category or type of food. For some, it's baked goods, especially breadbaskets. Others avoid sweet baked goods (but may indulge in another type of sweet, such as a chocolate mousse). I want to emphasize again: They don't do this to make their lives difficult or to deprive themselves of something they want. They do it to make it easier to succeed at weight control -- which is something they want more.
Go beyond the food reward system. My winners enjoy the pleasure of fine food. Many of them dine regularly at fine restaurants. However, they've evolved beyond the childhood programming that views food as a reward or a treat.
They understand that no matter how beautiful a food looks or how enticing its aroma, if it's a food they have a history of abusing, it's no reward at all.
Some of my clients reward themselves with new clothes. Others enjoy a trip to a spa, a new necklace, or a weekend getaway with friends.
These are material rewards. A far more meaningful reward occurs each morning when they look in the mirror and see a trim body. There's no greater reward you can give yourself than to live the vision you have for your own life.
Reprinted from: The Thin Commandments Diet: The 10 No -Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss by Stephen Gullo, Ph.D. © 2005 by Dietech Co. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at:
www.rodalestore.com.
By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 1/26/2005
by Stephen Gullo (Author)
"THE SINGLE GREATEST SURPRISE of my professional life has been the discovery that success at weight control is not about willpower..."
I ordered the paperback version (click here) from The Book Depository (3rd one down) Book is brand new, comes from the UK and takes about a week.
I have skimmed through it, and now I'm about 1/3 of the way thru it reading. Great info and tips for now, but also for maintenance. Dr. Gullo has his own "diet plan" but it is not pushed, and actually it might be a good one to add to the list to consider using for maintenance. (I already have the Abs Diet sitting there in reserve) Because when I reach goal I intend to be very active and I am going to need a clean diet to support my toned and healthy body.
The following is an excerpt from the book The Thin Commandments Diet: The 10 No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss
by Stephen Gullo, Ph.D.
Published by Rodale; January 2005; $24.95US/$35.95CAN; 978-1-57954-898-8
Click here for full excerpt
Copyright © 2005 Dietech Co.
Tips for Keeping the Weight Off
Here are 9 critical behaviors and 1 additional shift in thinking that make up the 10 most important things to do on maintenance. The first 4 behaviors characterize all my winners. The 6 additional behaviors describe most of my clients. And while I believe that all 10 are important, the first 4 are critical for success.
SPECIAL ALERT: The single most important thing you can do to keep weight off for a lifetime is so important I've changed the format of the text to indelibly etch it into your psyche: Wear form-fitting or tight clothes! When you reach maintenance, you should have one size, and one size only, of clothing. I've found that nothing sounds the warning siren faster or motivates people to act with greater haste than when their clothing gets too tight!
Think about what motivated you to start your diet. If you're like many of my clients, you were uncomfortable with your clothing (or you couldn't fit into it) and appearance. When you have a little extra trouble buttoning a pair of jeans or find it necessary to add an extra notch to your belt, it reawakens the original motivation. When you have only one size, you have no choice but to stay trim. If you save larger sizes, you are making it easy -- too easy -- to just switch to a larger size instead of acting to correct any errors.
Also, if you don't plan to be heavy again, why save the larger sizes? When you reach maintenance, throw out the larger sizes -- immediately!
Knowing that you have only one size of clothing adds another powerful incentive to maintain your weight: economics! How many of us can afford to buy a whole new wardrobe especially one in a larger size? Your wallet gives you extra incentive to guard your weight loss.
Before people ever respond to the clarion call to health, they listen to the cry of their clothing getting too tight. I'd have a nearly empty office if I tried to motivate people to stay on maintenance on the basis of health alone.
Your wardrobe is the most powerful deterrent I know of against sliding once more into out-of-control eating. It signals your commitment never to be heavy again. That's why I insist that all maintenance clients discard all clothes that no longer fit, with one exception: I ask them to save the outfit that's their largest size (preferably one they disliked ever having to wear) as an eternal reminder.
Keep problem foods you have a history of abusing out of your home. Almost all the women and a very large percentage of the men I have worked with who regained weight started the slide in their own homes. The slide often began with a food they had a history of abusing but had avoided while they were losing weight.
Remember the study by researchers at the National Weight Control Registry that found that two out of three people who lose weight and keep it off keep problem foods out of their house? Although that food might not tempt you at this moment, I can't urge you strongly enough to remove it from your home or at least keep it permanently out of your sight. Remember, you're always vulnerable to the foods that have tripped you up in the past -- even on maintenance. Eventually, people tend to return to their old favorites if they are continually available. On maintenance, even more than weight loss, availability stimulates craving -- even if it doesn't happen immediately. Along with keeping only one size of clothes in your house, it's critically important to keep problem foods out of your home.
Set a weight ceiling, and defend it. Pick a number -- typically about 3 pounds for women, 5 pounds for men -- and don't let your weight go above it -- ever. No matter what happens, don't let yourself off the hook. Draw a line in the sand. When the weight is back down, you can return to maintenance eating. Most of my clients expect increases in weight on weekends because of higher-calorie maintenance meals at home and out. Monday is typically the "high number" day of the week, but by Friday, they bring the weight back down to their goal weight, via Phase A and B eating.
Weigh yourself every day. Your bathroom scale can't weigh your behavior. However, it will tell you when you gain a pound or two. If you step on the scale the morning after a big meal at a restaurant or special event, your weight could be up. Don't be alarmed. If it's water weight, it will dissipate in 24 to 48 hours. You should expect slight variations during the week, especially after maintenance meals.
If it's real weight (3 or more pounds that remain over a period of several weeks), that should be a warning to you to take immediate action.
If you find it a bit maddening to follow the daily fluctuations of the scale even though you are eating properly, pick three days of the week on which you will always weigh yourself (for example, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
Exercise. It gives you structure and control. It gets you thinking about calorie burn and health consciousness and directs you away from obsessing about food. It's been shown that dieters who exercise regularly succeed the longest at keeping weight off. A study of more than 32,000 dieters by Consumer Reports magazine found that "regular exercise was the number one successful weight-loss maintenance strategy" of more than 81 percent of the long-term maintainers. In second place, at 74 percent, was the related strategy of increasing activity in daily routines. Also, as your body becomes lighter, it burns fewer calories. Exercise helps expand your calorie budget by burning the higher-caloric foods of maintenance.
And remember: Exercise generates endorphins, increases energy, and elevates mood.
Exercise provides you with a healthy outlet for stress. These effects help you follow through on your commitments, especially to control your weight. And as an outlet for stress, exercise shortcuts mood eating. It's the perfect alternative to keep your moods out of your foods.
Keep a photo of yourself at your heaviest weight. For added emphasis, place it next to a picture at your lightest weight. Many of my clients put the photo in a place where they feel most vulnerable -- the refrigerator door or kitchen counter, for example. Others elect to carry the photo in their wallet or purse.
Some of you may find it upsetting to stare constantly at a picture of yourself at your heaviest weight. Instead, carry a picture of what you look like at your lightest weight. You may find it motivates you even more to protect your accomplishments.
When it comes to weight control, a picture is truly worth a thousand words.
Keep a food diary. I'd like you to keep a diary for at least the first 90 days on maintenance. I ask my own clients to keep a diary for a full year. I want them to be certain they can manage the entire cycle of the year, with its holidays, vacations, special events, birthdays, summer versus winter eating, and so on. Since the same events and seasons come up year after year, once you get through the first year, you should be well prepared for the coming ones. After the first year, I frequently ask some clients to continue to keep a food diary or to keep a record of any "error" such as eating problem foods or excessive quantities of caloric foods.
A diary will serve as a daily reminder of the extras and/or negative eating habits. Writing out your meals and snacks a day in advance will help structure your thinking and help you steer clear of potential trip-ups.
Give yourself clear boundaries. Boundaries are a strong structure for your eating behavior. A major study of the winners found that 88 percent limited some type or classes of food. Another 45 percent limited the quantities of the foods they ate. Remember, if you don't have a good history of limiting a particular food, avoid it.
I help my clients establish clear boundaries and control their calorie budget with the lighter menus of Phases A and B of my eating plan from Monday through Friday, saving their maintenance meals or higher-calorie foods for weekends and special events. This clear boundary helps build an infrastructure of positive behaviors and smart eating habits that becomes automatic after a few weeks.
Most of my winners reinforce their boundaries with the techniques of Box It In and Box It Out. Many decide to Box Out a certain category or type of food. For some, it's baked goods, especially breadbaskets. Others avoid sweet baked goods (but may indulge in another type of sweet, such as a chocolate mousse). I want to emphasize again: They don't do this to make their lives difficult or to deprive themselves of something they want. They do it to make it easier to succeed at weight control -- which is something they want more.
Go beyond the food reward system. My winners enjoy the pleasure of fine food. Many of them dine regularly at fine restaurants. However, they've evolved beyond the childhood programming that views food as a reward or a treat.
They understand that no matter how beautiful a food looks or how enticing its aroma, if it's a food they have a history of abusing, it's no reward at all.
Some of my clients reward themselves with new clothes. Others enjoy a trip to a spa, a new necklace, or a weekend getaway with friends.
These are material rewards. A far more meaningful reward occurs each morning when they look in the mirror and see a trim body. There's no greater reward you can give yourself than to live the vision you have for your own life.
Reprinted from: The Thin Commandments Diet: The 10 No -Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss by Stephen Gullo, Ph.D. © 2005 by Dietech Co. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at:
www.rodalestore.com.
By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 1/26/2005
Saturday, August 18, 2007
35 pounds down!
WAY TO GO TINK!!!!
I was able to change my weight loss ticker today - down to 170!!! That's another 2lbs gone from my cheat!!!!! And I am sitting @ 35lbs lost total since starting Kimkins in June!!! I am so excited. My theory worked!! And the great thing is that I now know that anytime I fall off wagon, I can lose pounds of water fast and get back on track by eating protein!! And just in case you are wondering, I had red meat everyday!!!
I was able to change my weight loss ticker today - down to 170!!! That's another 2lbs gone from my cheat!!!!! And I am sitting @ 35lbs lost total since starting Kimkins in June!!! I am so excited. My theory worked!! And the great thing is that I now know that anytime I fall off wagon, I can lose pounds of water fast and get back on track by eating protein!! And just in case you are wondering, I had red meat everyday!!!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Myth or Fact: Crunches Lead to Flat Abs
Myth or Fact: Crunches Lead to Flat Abs
Are Six-Pack Abs Made in the Gym, or the Kitchen?
By DEBORAH ROBERTS, DEIRDRE COHEN and MATTHEW LOPEZ
Aug. 17, 2007 —
The hot weather is here and so are the bare bellies, but most are far from the ideal so many of us long for. What woman wouldn't kill for a firm, flat front or a guy for a perfect six-pack?
"In survey after survey, men and women are saying that abs are the ultimate symbol of sex appeal & not biceps & not pecs & not butt. It's abs," fitness and health expert David Zinczenko said.
But great abs don't come easy. There is, after all, a whole industry cashing in on toning your midsection. Videos and special equipment promise to trim your tummy. You must have to do hundreds of crunches to flatten your stomach, right?
Zinczenko said, "Wrong. If getting abs were all about doing crunches, we would all have them."
Eat Your Way to Great Abs?
Because most of us don't sport six-packs, but want to, Zinczenko has become a best-selling author. His book "The Abs Diet" was such a hit that he released a new book tailored just for women.
So what's the secret? Zinczenko says that great abs are "made in the kitchen, not in the gym." He says a healthy diet is the only way to get rid of that abdominal fat. You should power up with protein and good carbohydrates, like whole grains and in-between meals, good fat like a handful of almonds or a fruit-filled smoothie.
Brandee Bratton of Victoria, Texas, says that he's right. She started Zinczenko's plan after she turned 30 and discovered a little extra flab on her belly. She said, "I just didn't have that overall confident feeling that I looked tone and lean."
So she went on the Abs Diet with her husband, Joe, who was also unhappy with his growing waistline.
Today, more than two years later, the Brattons have dropped a total of more than 30 pounds in fat, while firming up their lean muscle mass. The couple that used to routinely skip meals now eats six times a day.
"Three meals, three snacks and what that's doing is it's sending to your body a message that there is no famine. Food is plentiful. We can now start to get rid of, you know, the fat that we're keeping around the stomach just in case of famine," said Zinczenko.
Add Exercise
Zinczenko says a healthy diet is about 80 percent of the equation for great abs. Once the fat is stripped away, then the exercise can kick in and build up the muscle. Zinczenko says there's no need to do hundreds of crunches. He says three sets of eight to 12 crunches will suffice.
In fact, he says, don't work your abs every day. Treat them like other muscles and work them two to three times a week so there's time to rest and grow.
Brandee Bratton says it worked so well for her that she decided to become a personal trainer. Now, she's passing along Zinczenko's low-fat diet tips to her clients: You can't just sweat your way to a hot-looking tummy. The bottom line: It all starts in the kitchen.
Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures
Are Six-Pack Abs Made in the Gym, or the Kitchen?
By DEBORAH ROBERTS, DEIRDRE COHEN and MATTHEW LOPEZ
Aug. 17, 2007 —
The hot weather is here and so are the bare bellies, but most are far from the ideal so many of us long for. What woman wouldn't kill for a firm, flat front or a guy for a perfect six-pack?
"In survey after survey, men and women are saying that abs are the ultimate symbol of sex appeal & not biceps & not pecs & not butt. It's abs," fitness and health expert David Zinczenko said.
But great abs don't come easy. There is, after all, a whole industry cashing in on toning your midsection. Videos and special equipment promise to trim your tummy. You must have to do hundreds of crunches to flatten your stomach, right?
Zinczenko said, "Wrong. If getting abs were all about doing crunches, we would all have them."
Eat Your Way to Great Abs?
Because most of us don't sport six-packs, but want to, Zinczenko has become a best-selling author. His book "The Abs Diet" was such a hit that he released a new book tailored just for women.
So what's the secret? Zinczenko says that great abs are "made in the kitchen, not in the gym." He says a healthy diet is the only way to get rid of that abdominal fat. You should power up with protein and good carbohydrates, like whole grains and in-between meals, good fat like a handful of almonds or a fruit-filled smoothie.
Brandee Bratton of Victoria, Texas, says that he's right. She started Zinczenko's plan after she turned 30 and discovered a little extra flab on her belly. She said, "I just didn't have that overall confident feeling that I looked tone and lean."
So she went on the Abs Diet with her husband, Joe, who was also unhappy with his growing waistline.
Today, more than two years later, the Brattons have dropped a total of more than 30 pounds in fat, while firming up their lean muscle mass. The couple that used to routinely skip meals now eats six times a day.
"Three meals, three snacks and what that's doing is it's sending to your body a message that there is no famine. Food is plentiful. We can now start to get rid of, you know, the fat that we're keeping around the stomach just in case of famine," said Zinczenko.
Add Exercise
Zinczenko says a healthy diet is about 80 percent of the equation for great abs. Once the fat is stripped away, then the exercise can kick in and build up the muscle. Zinczenko says there's no need to do hundreds of crunches. He says three sets of eight to 12 crunches will suffice.
In fact, he says, don't work your abs every day. Treat them like other muscles and work them two to three times a week so there's time to rest and grow.
Brandee Bratton says it worked so well for her that she decided to become a personal trainer. Now, she's passing along Zinczenko's low-fat diet tips to her clients: You can't just sweat your way to a hot-looking tummy. The bottom line: It all starts in the kitchen.
Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures
The Commandments in a Nutshell
The Thin Commandments - A diet expert offers a 10-point behavioral strategy for losing weight and keeping it off.
By Leanna Skarnulis
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Wonder why you lose weight only to regain it and then some? "You've lost the weight but not the vulnerability," says Stephen Gullo, PhD, author of The Thin Commandments: The Ten No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss. He maintains that losing weight and keeping it off is about adopting new strategies and changing your thinking about food. "If you go back to foods you have a long history of abusing, it's Psychology 101: Do what you've always done, and you'll get the result you've always gotten."
Although he disavows "the theology that you can have all foods in moderation," this book isn't the bible of faith-based weight loss programs. It preaches strategy, not prayer, as the path to lifelong weight control. Nor is the book related to The Thin Commandments written by Carolyn Costin, MA, MEd, MFT, for people with eating disorders. Her tongue-in-cheek commandments aren't meant to be followed but to illustrate beliefs that lead people astray -- maxims such as "Thou shalt not eat without feeling guilty" and "You can never be too thin."
Gullo's book presents 10 commandments or behavioral strategies plus his ABC Eating Plan and recipes. WebMD talked to him about why most diets fail and about his approach to permanent weight loss.
Successful Dieters Know Their Food History
Gullo says "the thin commandments" represent a new paradigm because they place a person's food history first and calories second. For example, seven almonds don't have a lot of calories, but someone whose weakness is nuts may stop at 70, not seven. "I'd rather my patients had a higher-calorie food at a dinner party than to start with the bread basket they have a long history of abusing. And I'd rather they'd have a crème brulee than a cookie, because the crème brulee doesn't translate to their daily lifestyle, but cookies they see every day."
He says the field of weight control is the only area of health care in which the importance of the patient's history is ignored. "The same people gain back the same weight with the same foods again and again. That's a major reason the field of weight control has produced a 90%-95% failure rate." He says his program has a success rate 15 times higher than the national average and has helped thousands of people maintain their weight for more than five years.
Successful Dieters Have Strategies for Controlling Their Eating
Gullo, former chairman of the National Obesity and Weight Control Education Program at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, says no diet can change decades of eating habits. "Changing habits of a lifetime takes strategy."
He maintains that once you know your food history, you should banish problem foods from your home. It almost feels as though he's been peeking into our kitchens when he says, "Every woman and most men have a counter with food, that as soon as they walk in their eyes and hands automatically go there. Throw out the kitchen-counter food."
That doesn't mean you can never eat those foods, but he says to manage them you must "box them in." "Don't eat them at home; limit them to a fine restaurant on Friday night. If you buy them for the home, only buy small bags."
Watch Out for Irregular Eating Patterns
Irregular eating patterns also sabotage weight control, so structure your meals and snacks. "If you go longer than three to four hours without a healthy snack and your blood sugar falls, you're more likely to have cravings," he says.
Arriving at a restaurant or dinner party hungry is another mistake. "The first thing they put in front of you is the bread basket," he says. "Frito-Lay had it right when they said, 'Bet you can't have just one.'"
He often tells his patients, who pay him $1,000 an hour, to get over feeling deprived and to grow up. "For the first time in history, people pay someone because they eat too much. We live in a world where there's cancer and AIDS. How can we feel deprived if we can't have an M&M? I can't eat pizza. I don't think I'm deprived at all. It's an adult decision. The only real deprivation is to trade off your life for a cookie, an M&M or a chip."
Although his degree is in psychology, he has no tolerance for psychobabble. "I realized when I was a student at Columbia, I wasn't even hungry, but if I took one cookie I wanted five or six more. I never thought it was because my mother didn't buy me a bicycle or because I was afraid to be thin or wanted to sabotage myself. You don't have to be crazy to be crazy about a cookie."
Successful Dieters Pay Attention to Food Neurochemistry
Ever notice that whatever you eat when you're starving tastes terrific? Gullo says neuropeptide Y, a brain hormone, rises when you go too long without eating and causes cravings for carbs to get accentuated. "If you want to eat sweets, and that's what you have a history of abusing, don't eat them on an empty stomach. The best snack might be a protein, or low-fat cheese and fruit."
He advocates combining foods and supplements -- seafood, cinnamon, calcium-rich foods, and high-fiber foods -- that have what he calls a "synergistic effect" in their ability to melt off pounds. He presents a 10-day Turbocharge Diet he says can safely take off from 10-14 pounds. The diet is limited to an A list of foods that include certain fast-food selections as well as meals you prepare at home. Next he has a B list of foods for continuing the diet and a C list for maintenance.
The Commandments in a Nutshell
1. Strategy is stronger than willpower.
2. Think historically, not just "calorically."
3. The problem may be in the food, not you.
4. Structure gives control.
5. Separate mood from food.
6. Take control of your favorite foods.
7. Slips should teach you, not defeat you.
8. Stop feeling deprived.
9. Treat your calories like dollars.
10. Losing weight is half the job. Keeping if off is the other half.
Another Point of View
Cindy Moore, MS, RD, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, reviewed Gullo's book and enthusiastically endorses his strategies. She tells WebMD, "He's very motivational. He puts people in touch with the reasons they do what they do, helps them identify their food histories and food triggers, and gives specific examples of what they can do to change their behaviors."
She appreciates his understanding of the pitfalls that occur at the various stages of dieting and the strategies he presents for overcoming them. "He writes in a manner that people can identify with and takes them through what they have experienced in the past when they've fallen off diets."
But Moore, who is director of nutrition therapy at The Cleveland Clinic, has problems with the second half of the book. "He goes over the edge a bit when he talks about how his diet 'turbocharges' the body's capacity to lose weight." She says there's nothing harmful in the foods or in adding cinnamon and calcium to the diet, but she believes they're overused and their benefits overstated. "As with most popular diets, there's no science to prove his claims. He can't prove the turbocharging effect of his diet or that the combination of foods he uses can have a greater effect than if you happened to eat them on occasion."
She also believes most people would have problems adhering to the diet and following the recipes. "The 10-day Turbocharge diet is very limiting, and you really have to like fish. And the recipes aren't very reader-friendly. Sometimes you have to refer back to another place in the book, and there could be a lot of flipping back and forth."
Her advice: "Read the book for the excellent behavioral strategies, and skip the diet and recipes."
SOURCES: Stephen Gullo, PhD, author, The Thin Commandments Diet: The 10 No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss; president, Institute for Health and Weight Sciences, New York. Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director, nutrition therapy, The Cleveland Clinic; spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association. Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center.
© 2005 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
By Leanna Skarnulis
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Wonder why you lose weight only to regain it and then some? "You've lost the weight but not the vulnerability," says Stephen Gullo, PhD, author of The Thin Commandments: The Ten No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss. He maintains that losing weight and keeping it off is about adopting new strategies and changing your thinking about food. "If you go back to foods you have a long history of abusing, it's Psychology 101: Do what you've always done, and you'll get the result you've always gotten."
Although he disavows "the theology that you can have all foods in moderation," this book isn't the bible of faith-based weight loss programs. It preaches strategy, not prayer, as the path to lifelong weight control. Nor is the book related to The Thin Commandments written by Carolyn Costin, MA, MEd, MFT, for people with eating disorders. Her tongue-in-cheek commandments aren't meant to be followed but to illustrate beliefs that lead people astray -- maxims such as "Thou shalt not eat without feeling guilty" and "You can never be too thin."
Gullo's book presents 10 commandments or behavioral strategies plus his ABC Eating Plan and recipes. WebMD talked to him about why most diets fail and about his approach to permanent weight loss.
Successful Dieters Know Their Food History
Gullo says "the thin commandments" represent a new paradigm because they place a person's food history first and calories second. For example, seven almonds don't have a lot of calories, but someone whose weakness is nuts may stop at 70, not seven. "I'd rather my patients had a higher-calorie food at a dinner party than to start with the bread basket they have a long history of abusing. And I'd rather they'd have a crème brulee than a cookie, because the crème brulee doesn't translate to their daily lifestyle, but cookies they see every day."
He says the field of weight control is the only area of health care in which the importance of the patient's history is ignored. "The same people gain back the same weight with the same foods again and again. That's a major reason the field of weight control has produced a 90%-95% failure rate." He says his program has a success rate 15 times higher than the national average and has helped thousands of people maintain their weight for more than five years.
Successful Dieters Have Strategies for Controlling Their Eating
Gullo, former chairman of the National Obesity and Weight Control Education Program at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, says no diet can change decades of eating habits. "Changing habits of a lifetime takes strategy."
He maintains that once you know your food history, you should banish problem foods from your home. It almost feels as though he's been peeking into our kitchens when he says, "Every woman and most men have a counter with food, that as soon as they walk in their eyes and hands automatically go there. Throw out the kitchen-counter food."
That doesn't mean you can never eat those foods, but he says to manage them you must "box them in." "Don't eat them at home; limit them to a fine restaurant on Friday night. If you buy them for the home, only buy small bags."
Watch Out for Irregular Eating Patterns
Irregular eating patterns also sabotage weight control, so structure your meals and snacks. "If you go longer than three to four hours without a healthy snack and your blood sugar falls, you're more likely to have cravings," he says.
Arriving at a restaurant or dinner party hungry is another mistake. "The first thing they put in front of you is the bread basket," he says. "Frito-Lay had it right when they said, 'Bet you can't have just one.'"
He often tells his patients, who pay him $1,000 an hour, to get over feeling deprived and to grow up. "For the first time in history, people pay someone because they eat too much. We live in a world where there's cancer and AIDS. How can we feel deprived if we can't have an M&M? I can't eat pizza. I don't think I'm deprived at all. It's an adult decision. The only real deprivation is to trade off your life for a cookie, an M&M or a chip."
Although his degree is in psychology, he has no tolerance for psychobabble. "I realized when I was a student at Columbia, I wasn't even hungry, but if I took one cookie I wanted five or six more. I never thought it was because my mother didn't buy me a bicycle or because I was afraid to be thin or wanted to sabotage myself. You don't have to be crazy to be crazy about a cookie."
Successful Dieters Pay Attention to Food Neurochemistry
Ever notice that whatever you eat when you're starving tastes terrific? Gullo says neuropeptide Y, a brain hormone, rises when you go too long without eating and causes cravings for carbs to get accentuated. "If you want to eat sweets, and that's what you have a history of abusing, don't eat them on an empty stomach. The best snack might be a protein, or low-fat cheese and fruit."
He advocates combining foods and supplements -- seafood, cinnamon, calcium-rich foods, and high-fiber foods -- that have what he calls a "synergistic effect" in their ability to melt off pounds. He presents a 10-day Turbocharge Diet he says can safely take off from 10-14 pounds. The diet is limited to an A list of foods that include certain fast-food selections as well as meals you prepare at home. Next he has a B list of foods for continuing the diet and a C list for maintenance.
The Commandments in a Nutshell
1. Strategy is stronger than willpower.
2. Think historically, not just "calorically."
3. The problem may be in the food, not you.
4. Structure gives control.
5. Separate mood from food.
6. Take control of your favorite foods.
7. Slips should teach you, not defeat you.
8. Stop feeling deprived.
9. Treat your calories like dollars.
10. Losing weight is half the job. Keeping if off is the other half.
Another Point of View
Cindy Moore, MS, RD, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, reviewed Gullo's book and enthusiastically endorses his strategies. She tells WebMD, "He's very motivational. He puts people in touch with the reasons they do what they do, helps them identify their food histories and food triggers, and gives specific examples of what they can do to change their behaviors."
She appreciates his understanding of the pitfalls that occur at the various stages of dieting and the strategies he presents for overcoming them. "He writes in a manner that people can identify with and takes them through what they have experienced in the past when they've fallen off diets."
But Moore, who is director of nutrition therapy at The Cleveland Clinic, has problems with the second half of the book. "He goes over the edge a bit when he talks about how his diet 'turbocharges' the body's capacity to lose weight." She says there's nothing harmful in the foods or in adding cinnamon and calcium to the diet, but she believes they're overused and their benefits overstated. "As with most popular diets, there's no science to prove his claims. He can't prove the turbocharging effect of his diet or that the combination of foods he uses can have a greater effect than if you happened to eat them on occasion."
She also believes most people would have problems adhering to the diet and following the recipes. "The 10-day Turbocharge diet is very limiting, and you really have to like fish. And the recipes aren't very reader-friendly. Sometimes you have to refer back to another place in the book, and there could be a lot of flipping back and forth."
Her advice: "Read the book for the excellent behavioral strategies, and skip the diet and recipes."
SOURCES: Stephen Gullo, PhD, author, The Thin Commandments Diet: The 10 No-Fail Strategies for Permanent Weight Loss; president, Institute for Health and Weight Sciences, New York. Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director, nutrition therapy, The Cleveland Clinic; spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association. Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center.
© 2005 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
Another 2.5lbs Relost!
Whooo hoooo despite eating loads food (chicken breast, yogurt w/ protein powder, salmon & meat) yesterday - I am down another 2.5lbs! Now I am within 1.5lbs of my ticker weight. I am still expecting TOM anyday, so hopefully if he is causing water to be retained I'll lose more fast after he appears. I know I'm losing these pounds again, but I am appreciating so much more losing them the first time. I went to bed last night and read several chapters of The Thin Commandments. I'd seen someone on Kimkins forums mention the book, and I am very glad I bought it. It has tremendous tips for maintenance - Melodie's toolbox in a book. I am going to share some of the things I read over the next few days, but I highly recommend the book to all of you.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thoughts from The THIN Commandments
"Water promotes weight loss. Most dieters do not drink enough water. To metabolize 1 gram of carbohydrate, for example, your body needs 3 grams of fluid. So drinking enough water can help keep your carbs from being stored as fat. [...] after two glasses of water, your system 'shifts into high gear and starts burning fat'. And German researchers found that people who consume two 240ml (8 fl. oz) glasses of water increased their rate of calorie burning by 30 er cent about 40 minutes later, and it stayed elevated for more than an hour. "
Exercise is very important to incorporate into your weight control regime. "But, exercise cannot compare to the exercise of good judgement with your food choices! [...] exercise gives you a crutial edge. That edge, however, might not be what people think it is. Exercises's greatest contributuin to a success at weight control - because it gives focus and structure. It encourages the right behaviors for dieters... not just the calorie burn."
Taken from The Thin Commandments by Dr Stephen Gullo.
P.S. In case you are curious about this book - you can read an excerpt at Amazon.com . I am very impressed with his advice, not just for losing weight but more importantly the strategies he offers for maintenance.
Exercise is very important to incorporate into your weight control regime. "But, exercise cannot compare to the exercise of good judgement with your food choices! [...] exercise gives you a crutial edge. That edge, however, might not be what people think it is. Exercises's greatest contributuin to a success at weight control - because it gives focus and structure. It encourages the right behaviors for dieters... not just the calorie burn."
Taken from The Thin Commandments by Dr Stephen Gullo.
P.S. In case you are curious about this book - you can read an excerpt at Amazon.com . I am very impressed with his advice, not just for losing weight but more importantly the strategies he offers for maintenance.
Scale Moving Down
Good morning everyone! My scale is finally moving in the right direction. I am down 3 of the 7 lbs I gained! I ate lots yesterday, but it was eggs, chicken & beef. I really do think my theory is correct. To get started on Kimkins, or back onto Kimkins after a slip, you need to fill yourself up with protein. And keep doing so until ketosis takes away your appetite. Don't worry about the calories or fat - just get those carbs out!
Down Another 3lbs!
Good morning everyone! My scale is finally moving in the right direction. I am down 3 of the 7 lbs I gained! I ate lots yesterday, but it was eggs, chicken & beef. I really do think my theory is correct. To get started on Kimkins, or back onto Kimkins after a slip, you need to fill yourself up with protein. And keep doing so until ketosis takes away your appetite. Don't worry about the calories or fat - just get those carbs out! I hope everyone has a wonderful day.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
DH notices Weight Loss!
Yea!!!!! DH finally said something about my losing weight. Major Motivation!!!! MEN! We were talking on the phone, and out of the blue he said he knew I'd lost weight. I joked with him that he was the last person to notice (and say something about it). He said he'd noticed a while ago, but (and only a male could rationalize like this) he didn't tell me because he thought that I might stop losing weight (as in think "ok he's noticed my weightloss, now I can stop losing.... ") I explained how him eating pastries in the weekends when he is home, and him leaving cases of kashi bars around (and then getting a little miffed when I gave boxes of them away) was making things a little hard for me, especially lately.
I really needed to hear him approve of my loss today because I have been having a terrible time getting back onto the plan. I did go to the supermarket and buy some meat and chicken & some Boars Head Oven Gold Chicken breast. I am going to eat protein whenever I am hungry, and not worry about fat content so much right now. I need to get those carb cravings out the door, and as soon as ketosis starts I know I'll be more in control.
I discovered last night that I had failed miserably to plan with adequate precooked protein to stay on plan. I forgot about that initial hunger. I wonder if that is why so many people struggle when they are just starting Kimkins. They assume the hunger goes away straight away, and that is why they suffer so much with withdrawal symptoms, and SNATT. I know myself I need to eat more than I think for a few days, and if I can make sure that intake is protein & fat, I do better staying on plan. The hunger will go soon enough as ketosis starts.
I know that struggling so much (as I have been) and getting back up into the saddle will make this the only plan that I've been able to get back onto - which is tremendous. Obviously I'm not the only one either because thinking about it if any of us were able to stick to a weight loss plan, none of us would be here. So a big huge yea! for everyone of us that is sticking to Kimkins, and i know our persistance will pay off!!!
For me it is back to stacking those dominoes.
I really needed to hear him approve of my loss today because I have been having a terrible time getting back onto the plan. I did go to the supermarket and buy some meat and chicken & some Boars Head Oven Gold Chicken breast. I am going to eat protein whenever I am hungry, and not worry about fat content so much right now. I need to get those carb cravings out the door, and as soon as ketosis starts I know I'll be more in control.
I discovered last night that I had failed miserably to plan with adequate precooked protein to stay on plan. I forgot about that initial hunger. I wonder if that is why so many people struggle when they are just starting Kimkins. They assume the hunger goes away straight away, and that is why they suffer so much with withdrawal symptoms, and SNATT. I know myself I need to eat more than I think for a few days, and if I can make sure that intake is protein & fat, I do better staying on plan. The hunger will go soon enough as ketosis starts.
I know that struggling so much (as I have been) and getting back up into the saddle will make this the only plan that I've been able to get back onto - which is tremendous. Obviously I'm not the only one either because thinking about it if any of us were able to stick to a weight loss plan, none of us would be here. So a big huge yea! for everyone of us that is sticking to Kimkins, and i know our persistance will pay off!!!
For me it is back to stacking those dominoes.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Persistence
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. ~Calvin Coolidge
Persistence is the ability to maintain action regardless of your feelings. You press on even when you feel like quitting.
When you work on any big goal, your motivation will wax and wane like waves hitting the shore. Sometimes you’ll feel motivated; sometimes you won’t. But it’s not your motivation that will produce results — it’s your action. Persistence allows you to keep taking action even when you don’t feel motivated to do so, and therefore you keep accumulating results.
Persistence will ultimately provide its own motivation. If you simply keep taking action, you’ll eventually get results, and results can be very motivating. For example, you may become a lot more enthusiastic about dieting and exercising once you’ve lost those first 10 pounds and feel your clothes fitting more loosely.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Learn what to do when you lapse, cheat, slip, or fall off your diet
We've all had lapses (aka cheats, slips, falling off) during a diet. A lapse can be seen as a failure, a real crisis. It can also be seen as an opportunity. Researchers in the field of relapse prevention have found that the most dangerous period is the time directly following the lapse. Here are six things recommended by experts that you can do right after a lapse.
Stop, look, & listen Pay attention to what's happening. The lapse is a warning sign. Take yourself away to a quiet spot so you can get yourself together.
Stay calm You'll be upset at first, and that's okay. But remember, this is just a slip, not a total relapse.
Strengthen motivation Instead of giving up, think back over why you want to lose weight. Remember your goal and what it will bring to your life. Consider the strides you've already made.
See what led up to the lapse Carefully consider the situation surrounding the cheat. That will tell you about what in your life you need to attend to.
Make a plan of immediate action Get rid of any food tempting you at the moment. Get yourself away from the kitchen or the restaurant, or if possible, wherever the slip occurred. See if you can do something for yourself at this juncture that will be an alternative to eating.
Ask for help - from friends, family etc. You'd be surprised how much people who care about you can do (encouragement, suggestions, support)
My thoughts ....
Stop, look, & listen Hard to wander off when lapse is at home. But I threw away extra bars. It was a storm eat. I couldn't stop myself.
Stay calm This is just a slip. This is just one day. I am standing on the top of a balance beam. I am about 1/3 of the way across. I am looking back, and off to the sides. It is a long way down and I'm scared I'll fall. I need to look straight ahead, to the end of the beam. Look at my destination. Not look at the ground I've covered as I feel unsteady looking backwards over my shoulder. And not look down as I feel like I a going to fall. I need to look straight ahead.One step at a time.
Strengthen motivation I am going to put my arms out for balance, and look straight ahead. Take one step at a time. I need to lose weight for my health. I have already lost so much weight, and I stayed on task during some very stress-filled days! I can do this. I love how I feel in ketosis, in control & excited to see the scales moving down.
See what led up to the lapse Bars were on table. I had not planned my meals. I've been getting slack about that, as well as about using fitday. DH was around (off schedule) I had no protein powder to fill myself up with. (has worked in past)
Make a plan of immediate action I threw away extra bars. Trash put outside too. Drank some glasses of water. Did not eat dinner. Not hungry. Stopped whipping myself and beating myself up. Need to not have this sort of stuff in house EVER! Need to sort out food plan for next few days. Need to order some protein powder FAST.
Ask for help I decided to think about things and write my thoughts down. It wasn't enough 'during' the lapse to think of all the reasons for not cheating. My mind wasn't interested in that conversation! I know I cannot do this alone. So that is why I am here .....
Stop, look, & listen Pay attention to what's happening. The lapse is a warning sign. Take yourself away to a quiet spot so you can get yourself together.
Stay calm You'll be upset at first, and that's okay. But remember, this is just a slip, not a total relapse.
Strengthen motivation Instead of giving up, think back over why you want to lose weight. Remember your goal and what it will bring to your life. Consider the strides you've already made.
See what led up to the lapse Carefully consider the situation surrounding the cheat. That will tell you about what in your life you need to attend to.
Make a plan of immediate action Get rid of any food tempting you at the moment. Get yourself away from the kitchen or the restaurant, or if possible, wherever the slip occurred. See if you can do something for yourself at this juncture that will be an alternative to eating.
Ask for help - from friends, family etc. You'd be surprised how much people who care about you can do (encouragement, suggestions, support)
My thoughts ....
Stop, look, & listen Hard to wander off when lapse is at home. But I threw away extra bars. It was a storm eat. I couldn't stop myself.
Stay calm This is just a slip. This is just one day. I am standing on the top of a balance beam. I am about 1/3 of the way across. I am looking back, and off to the sides. It is a long way down and I'm scared I'll fall. I need to look straight ahead, to the end of the beam. Look at my destination. Not look at the ground I've covered as I feel unsteady looking backwards over my shoulder. And not look down as I feel like I a going to fall. I need to look straight ahead.One step at a time.
Strengthen motivation I am going to put my arms out for balance, and look straight ahead. Take one step at a time. I need to lose weight for my health. I have already lost so much weight, and I stayed on task during some very stress-filled days! I can do this. I love how I feel in ketosis, in control & excited to see the scales moving down.
See what led up to the lapse Bars were on table. I had not planned my meals. I've been getting slack about that, as well as about using fitday. DH was around (off schedule) I had no protein powder to fill myself up with. (has worked in past)
Make a plan of immediate action I threw away extra bars. Trash put outside too. Drank some glasses of water. Did not eat dinner. Not hungry. Stopped whipping myself and beating myself up. Need to not have this sort of stuff in house EVER! Need to sort out food plan for next few days. Need to order some protein powder FAST.
Ask for help I decided to think about things and write my thoughts down. It wasn't enough 'during' the lapse to think of all the reasons for not cheating. My mind wasn't interested in that conversation! I know I cannot do this alone. So that is why I am here .....
Sunday, August 12, 2007
New Moon in Leo Today
To everyone who needs new resolve on this WOL (or any diet, exercise program etc.) - today the NEW MOON is in LEO.
Anything that you begin today has a better chance of success.
If you have been trying to do something that involves "will power," then today is your lucky day!
Keywords for Leo: Leadership, bossy, children, generous, dramatic, ego, royalty, physical strength, playful, strong will, fun, sunny
If you take into account the keywords above, then you will see that this is a powerfully influential day showered with physical strength and strong will. No other sign has "will power" quite like a Leo. And determined? If you need a mountain moved, call on a Leo. Leo happens to be THE MOST physically strong sign of the zodiac and Leo also has THE strongest will. Now couple that with the NEW MOON and you have yourself an amazing outcome toward success IF you begin something NEW today! I'll say it again, anything that you begin today has a better chance of success. Whenever there is a New Moon or a Moon in Aries it is the best time to begin something NEW! Your new beginning starts at the moment you decide! If you have been trying to do something that involves "will power," then today is your lucky day!
Anything that you begin today has a better chance of success.
If you have been trying to do something that involves "will power," then today is your lucky day!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
New Mindset
How do you come up with your new mindset? How do you choose new thoughts to replace your old, limiting ones?
Here are some tips for creating your new mindset:
Make your mindset as real, concrete and comprehensive as possible. That means writing it down exactly as you want it to be.
Think in an unlimited way. Give yourself permission to envision yourself, your attitudes about yourself, others and how the world works exactly as you would like them to be.
Be sure to use the present tense. You must not think in terms of "someday," or write "I will be." Write it and experience it as if it were true right now... even if the results have not yet manifested. Write, for instance, "I love making money and running a successful business, because it allows me to be generous to others." Give your unconscious mind the message that this reality is already manifest in your life.
Make your mindset emotional. In addition to writing in the present tense, include emotional words and get involved emotionally in what you are writing. Remember, feelings are the gateway to the unconscious mind... and your unconscious mind is the real power behind your success. Emotion creates motivation. You must get passionate. Unless you are passionate about your new mindset, unless you truly fall in love with it, it will not come into physical form.
Be careful to state what you do want, not what you don't want. Our minds cannot process a negative. If I tell you not to think about an ice cream cone, what do you think about? You must first think of what I told you not to think about before you can tell your mind not to think about it! All this thinking will cause you to attract the very thing you don't want. So remember to state what you do want.
Create a picture of your mindset and be in the picture... not just an observer looking at it. When I ask people to do this exercise, they almost always find that they are looking at themselves in the picture. This doesn't work. You must be in the picture of your new mindset. If you're looking at yourself in the picture, you're telling your unconscious that it's not really you, that you're not really there yet. When you're actually in the picture, you are experiencing the emotions and results that you already have your new life. You are telling your unconscious, "This is real!" Your unconscious immediately goes about creating that reality. See what you would see if you were in the picture, not looking at yourself in the picture.
James Ray
Here are some tips for creating your new mindset:
Make your mindset as real, concrete and comprehensive as possible. That means writing it down exactly as you want it to be.
Think in an unlimited way. Give yourself permission to envision yourself, your attitudes about yourself, others and how the world works exactly as you would like them to be.
Be sure to use the present tense. You must not think in terms of "someday," or write "I will be." Write it and experience it as if it were true right now... even if the results have not yet manifested. Write, for instance, "I love making money and running a successful business, because it allows me to be generous to others." Give your unconscious mind the message that this reality is already manifest in your life.
Make your mindset emotional. In addition to writing in the present tense, include emotional words and get involved emotionally in what you are writing. Remember, feelings are the gateway to the unconscious mind... and your unconscious mind is the real power behind your success. Emotion creates motivation. You must get passionate. Unless you are passionate about your new mindset, unless you truly fall in love with it, it will not come into physical form.
Be careful to state what you do want, not what you don't want. Our minds cannot process a negative. If I tell you not to think about an ice cream cone, what do you think about? You must first think of what I told you not to think about before you can tell your mind not to think about it! All this thinking will cause you to attract the very thing you don't want. So remember to state what you do want.
Create a picture of your mindset and be in the picture... not just an observer looking at it. When I ask people to do this exercise, they almost always find that they are looking at themselves in the picture. This doesn't work. You must be in the picture of your new mindset. If you're looking at yourself in the picture, you're telling your unconscious that it's not really you, that you're not really there yet. When you're actually in the picture, you are experiencing the emotions and results that you already have your new life. You are telling your unconscious, "This is real!" Your unconscious immediately goes about creating that reality. See what you would see if you were in the picture, not looking at yourself in the picture.
James Ray
Friday, August 10, 2007
"How do I stop my negative thoughts?"
A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne, Creator of The Secret
"How do I stop my negative thoughts?" - is a question that I have been asked many times. If you have ever asked this question then you will feel such enormous relief in knowing the answer, because it is so simple. How do you stop negative thoughts? You plant good thoughts!
When you try to stop negative thoughts, you are focusing on what you don't want - negative thoughts - and you will attract an abundance of them. They can never disappear if you are focused on them. The "stop" part is irrelevant - the negative thoughts are your focus. It doesn't matter if you are trying to stop negative thoughts or control them or push them away, the result is the same. Your focus is on negative thoughts, and by the law of attraction you are inviting more of them to you.
The truth is always simple and it is always easy. To stop negative thoughts, just plant good thoughts! Deliberately plant good thoughts! You plant good thoughts by making it a daily practice to appreciate all the things in your day. Appreciate your health, your car, your home, your family, your job, your friends, your surroundings, your meals, your pets, and the magnificent beauty of the day. Compliment, praise, and give thanks to all things. Every time you say "Thank you" it is a good thought! As you plant more and more good thoughts, the negative thoughts will be wiped out. Why? Because your focus is on good thoughts, and what you focus on you attract.
So don't give any attention to negative thoughts. Don't worry about them. If any come, make light of them, shrug them off, and let them be your reminder to deliberately think more good thoughts now.
The more good thoughts you can plant in a day, the faster your life will be utterly transformed into all good. If you spend only one day speaking of good things and saying "Thank you" at every single opportunity, you will not believe your tomorrow. Deliberately thinking good thoughts is exactly like planting seeds. As you think good thoughts you are planting good seeds inside you, and the Universe will transform those seeds into a garden of paradise. How will the garden of paradise appear? As your life!
Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions.
http://www.whatisthesecret.tv/
http://www.thesecret.tv/
"How do I stop my negative thoughts?" - is a question that I have been asked many times. If you have ever asked this question then you will feel such enormous relief in knowing the answer, because it is so simple. How do you stop negative thoughts? You plant good thoughts!
When you try to stop negative thoughts, you are focusing on what you don't want - negative thoughts - and you will attract an abundance of them. They can never disappear if you are focused on them. The "stop" part is irrelevant - the negative thoughts are your focus. It doesn't matter if you are trying to stop negative thoughts or control them or push them away, the result is the same. Your focus is on negative thoughts, and by the law of attraction you are inviting more of them to you.
The truth is always simple and it is always easy. To stop negative thoughts, just plant good thoughts! Deliberately plant good thoughts! You plant good thoughts by making it a daily practice to appreciate all the things in your day. Appreciate your health, your car, your home, your family, your job, your friends, your surroundings, your meals, your pets, and the magnificent beauty of the day. Compliment, praise, and give thanks to all things. Every time you say "Thank you" it is a good thought! As you plant more and more good thoughts, the negative thoughts will be wiped out. Why? Because your focus is on good thoughts, and what you focus on you attract.
So don't give any attention to negative thoughts. Don't worry about them. If any come, make light of them, shrug them off, and let them be your reminder to deliberately think more good thoughts now.
The more good thoughts you can plant in a day, the faster your life will be utterly transformed into all good. If you spend only one day speaking of good things and saying "Thank you" at every single opportunity, you will not believe your tomorrow. Deliberately thinking good thoughts is exactly like planting seeds. As you think good thoughts you are planting good seeds inside you, and the Universe will transform those seeds into a garden of paradise. How will the garden of paradise appear? As your life!
Rhonda Byrne
The Secret... bringing joy to billions.
http://www.whatisthesecret.tv/
http://www.thesecret.tv/
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
The Good Cheat
For people who are trying to change a behavior, it almost never goes smoothly. There are bumps in the road, places where you may slip backward for the moment. Slipping back into old patterns while you are trying ever so hard to do things differently is to be expected and even welcomed. As human beings, we simply do not learn without trial and error, without making mistakes.
Cheating on your diet provides you with a chance for critical learning. A study reported in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that when students were encouraged to make errors and then learn from those errors, they outperformed students who were simply taught how to do things the exact right way. The findings in this study show how making mistakes helps people learn to plan, monitor and revise their strategies for solving problems—a perfect recipe for success.
Slips are an integral part of the process of change. If you are dieting, a slip can teach you a great deal about how to change your eating patterns. You can use a cheat as a power tool, especially if you are willing to think about it and not just beat yourself up over it. You can carefully consider how it happened, why it happened, and you can use that knowledge to create a plan that will be better for you in the future.
Here's how.
Find a relaxed time after your cheat. Take a paper and pencil and write your answers to the following:
How was I feeling before I cheated on my diet?
Was I reacting to something?
Have I reacted that way before?
Do I react that way in other areas of my life?
Would I say this is a pattern with me?
Have I ever found a way to break this pattern?
How did I feel about breaking my diet?
Do I have confidence in my ability to do something different?
Is there a high-risk cheating situation coming up for me within the next week?
Write out five strategies that you can use to help you deal with the high-risk situation you anticipate.
These are steps in the right direction. By taking these steps, you will be learning new behavior. This is the way to break your habit of cheating on your diet. You will begin to achieve a number of small successes and this will build your confidence, even if you still have moments when you fail. Over time, you will have fewer and fewer slips.
Practice the 10 steps outlined above and you will be able to use cheating as a tool for permanent change. You will be taking hold of a cheat and using it to your advantage. This will give you invaluable emotional and thinking skills that will support you every step of the way to your weight loss goal.
Success in any endeavor does not depend on doing everything right. Success has much more to do with what happens when things don't go just right. Learning from your diet mistakes will sharpen your problem solving techniques.
Use the steps, and lose the weight you want to lose. Try it—it really works.
©2007 Maria's Last Diet. Maria’s Last Diet is an online weight loss support website for women. At Maria’s Last Diet, you’ll find the tools to fix the thoughts, feelings, and automatic habits that fight against you when you diet. Because it’s never just about the food. Visit www.mariaslastdiet.com for more diet tips and weight loss motivation.
Cheating on your diet provides you with a chance for critical learning. A study reported in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that when students were encouraged to make errors and then learn from those errors, they outperformed students who were simply taught how to do things the exact right way. The findings in this study show how making mistakes helps people learn to plan, monitor and revise their strategies for solving problems—a perfect recipe for success.
Slips are an integral part of the process of change. If you are dieting, a slip can teach you a great deal about how to change your eating patterns. You can use a cheat as a power tool, especially if you are willing to think about it and not just beat yourself up over it. You can carefully consider how it happened, why it happened, and you can use that knowledge to create a plan that will be better for you in the future.
Here's how.
Find a relaxed time after your cheat. Take a paper and pencil and write your answers to the following:
How was I feeling before I cheated on my diet?
Was I reacting to something?
Have I reacted that way before?
Do I react that way in other areas of my life?
Would I say this is a pattern with me?
Have I ever found a way to break this pattern?
How did I feel about breaking my diet?
Do I have confidence in my ability to do something different?
Is there a high-risk cheating situation coming up for me within the next week?
Write out five strategies that you can use to help you deal with the high-risk situation you anticipate.
These are steps in the right direction. By taking these steps, you will be learning new behavior. This is the way to break your habit of cheating on your diet. You will begin to achieve a number of small successes and this will build your confidence, even if you still have moments when you fail. Over time, you will have fewer and fewer slips.
Practice the 10 steps outlined above and you will be able to use cheating as a tool for permanent change. You will be taking hold of a cheat and using it to your advantage. This will give you invaluable emotional and thinking skills that will support you every step of the way to your weight loss goal.
Success in any endeavor does not depend on doing everything right. Success has much more to do with what happens when things don't go just right. Learning from your diet mistakes will sharpen your problem solving techniques.
Use the steps, and lose the weight you want to lose. Try it—it really works.
©2007 Maria's Last Diet. Maria’s Last Diet is an online weight loss support website for women. At Maria’s Last Diet, you’ll find the tools to fix the thoughts, feelings, and automatic habits that fight against you when you diet. Because it’s never just about the food. Visit www.mariaslastdiet.com for more diet tips and weight loss motivation.
The Secret to Success
The secret or key to success, long-term, is recovery. How do we handle damage-control? How do we make course corrections?
Do we fall into perfectionistic thinking - "Oh, well, I blew it, so I might as well eat the whole world while I'm at it" ?
Do we fall into despair, whip ourselves emotionally, and eat for punishment and comfort for our perceived failure as a human being?
Do we slip and slide to the bottom until something breaks our fall - bedtime, Monday morning, a magic number back on the scale again, a certain degree of self-loathing?
Do we play mental games, indulge the patterns of childhood, tell ourselves we've been 'deprived' of good things and we 'deserve' food rewards now?
NO! Those are all mentally and emotionally unhealthy things to do, and part of what we must adjust is how we talk to ourselves, how we relate to food and ourselves, and how we continue to make good choices and keep moving forward. This is not something we try, break, and abandon. This is our life, our health, our future. This is just a series of choices - some good, some not so good - that lead us to our desired outcome.
IT'S NOT HOW MANY TIMES WE FALL, BUT HOW MANY TIMES WE GET BACK UP THAT MAKES US SUCCESSFUL! That is one of my favorite thoughts.... I'm always telling myself, "GET UP GET UP GET UP... DON'T STAY DOWN... DON'T THINK ABOUT YESTERDAY ... LOOK FORWARD... PUSH AHEAD... GET UP GET UP."
There is no yesterday...only the here and now. This very moment. We are always going to be faced with temptations. I am the first one that will admit, I know that someday I will fall again. But, I plan to get right back up. I spent too much of my life falling and not getting back up. I stayed and wallowed in it for way to long. Not any more. My motto from now on: Yesterday is behind me and I am determined to not screw up from this point onward.
Do we fall into perfectionistic thinking - "Oh, well, I blew it, so I might as well eat the whole world while I'm at it" ?
Do we fall into despair, whip ourselves emotionally, and eat for punishment and comfort for our perceived failure as a human being?
Do we slip and slide to the bottom until something breaks our fall - bedtime, Monday morning, a magic number back on the scale again, a certain degree of self-loathing?
Do we play mental games, indulge the patterns of childhood, tell ourselves we've been 'deprived' of good things and we 'deserve' food rewards now?
NO! Those are all mentally and emotionally unhealthy things to do, and part of what we must adjust is how we talk to ourselves, how we relate to food and ourselves, and how we continue to make good choices and keep moving forward. This is not something we try, break, and abandon. This is our life, our health, our future. This is just a series of choices - some good, some not so good - that lead us to our desired outcome.
IT'S NOT HOW MANY TIMES WE FALL, BUT HOW MANY TIMES WE GET BACK UP THAT MAKES US SUCCESSFUL! That is one of my favorite thoughts.... I'm always telling myself, "GET UP GET UP GET UP... DON'T STAY DOWN... DON'T THINK ABOUT YESTERDAY ... LOOK FORWARD... PUSH AHEAD... GET UP GET UP."
There is no yesterday...only the here and now. This very moment. We are always going to be faced with temptations. I am the first one that will admit, I know that someday I will fall again. But, I plan to get right back up. I spent too much of my life falling and not getting back up. I stayed and wallowed in it for way to long. Not any more. My motto from now on: Yesterday is behind me and I am determined to not screw up from this point onward.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Highway Speech
I was reading on the Kimkins forum today and found the following analogy which was worth sharing:
I love it! Great imagery. Right now, I am looking for the on-ramp. You know what, I am really appreciating where people have journalled their cheats, their detours, so honestly. Because it's helping me accept that I am not the only person who takes the exit ramp miles and miles before she planned to. And these ladies went on to lose more and more pounds!!!
So you 'cheated' or ate off plan? Think of it like this: You accidently took an off ramp on the highway. Then you hit a red light or stop sign. There might even be some road construction. Either way your journey just got slowed. Now you have to travel beside the highway looking for the on ramp. You will see all the other cars speeding by merrily. You will wish that you were on that highway. But you have to keep driving. When you find the on-ramp it might be a little congested and you have to patiently wait your turn. Then when you see the opening you need to pull ahead with speed and determination and DON'T LOOK BACK at that on-ramp. AND before you know it you are traveling at full speed toward your goal. Try to get in the middle lane and not to close to that outside lane, lest you accidently take the off-ramp again! Get it?
I love it! Great imagery. Right now, I am looking for the on-ramp. You know what, I am really appreciating where people have journalled their cheats, their detours, so honestly. Because it's helping me accept that I am not the only person who takes the exit ramp miles and miles before she planned to. And these ladies went on to lose more and more pounds!!!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Heavy Woman to Thin Woman - What Does it Take?
If the cultural ideal suddenly changed from being a very thin woman to being a filled out, curvy woman, would you still want to chase that elusive weight loss goal? This is an important question. In order to lose weight - and keep it off - you usually need your own, personal reasons for doing it. If it's all based on some ideal imposed upon you, from outside of yourself, you are less likely to achieve your weight loss goal. So, what are your intensely personal, individual reasons for wanting to be thinner? These are the issues that will give you weight loss motivation and sustain you during the weight loss process.
from http://www.mariaslastdiet.com
from http://www.mariaslastdiet.com
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Do You Know How to Cheat and Still Reach Your Weight-Loss Goal?
Cheating on a diet is one of the most crucial aspects when it comes to success or failure. If you can handle those inevitable lapses, you will be overcoming an important obstacle. It is in this area of mistakes—cheats—where dieters' attempts can live or die.
Do you have what it takes to turn a cheat into a tool for success? Take this quiz and find out.
Can you pick up and go on with your diet after a cheat?
Do you stop to consider the circumstances surrounding a cheat?
Can you accept yourself as not being perfect on a diet?
Do you forgive yourself for a lapse?
Can you keep one cheat from leading you to another?
Do you believe that personal change is a process?
Do you think you will still be able to change the way you eat, even though you cheat sometimes?
Do you think mistakes are part of learning something new?
Can you avoid feeling like a failure because of a slip?
Do you think that changing your behavior might take more than one attempt?
Can you hold on to your self-confidence, even after a cheat?
Can you forgive yourself for having less willpower at times?
Do you know how to include dealing with cheats in your weight-loss plan of action?
Can you avoid going on to the next diet just because of a cheat?
Can you avoid feeling guilty about a lapse?
Can you view a cheat as a small thing and not a catastrophe?
Do you know how to learn about yourself from your cheats?
Do you pay attention to what you do after you cheat?
Can you keep one cheating episode from turning into a total pig-out?
Do you still have hope after a cheat?
If you have more YES answer than NO answers, your chances of sticking with it are very good, even though you cheat sometimes.
If you have more NO answers than YES answers, you may be in danger of letting a cheat lead to a total collapse of your diet. Work on understanding your cheating episodes as much as possible—when they happen, why they happen, how often they happen. Use this knowledge and you won't have to give up just because you cheat.
©2006 Maria's Last Diet
Do you have what it takes to turn a cheat into a tool for success? Take this quiz and find out.
Can you pick up and go on with your diet after a cheat?
Do you stop to consider the circumstances surrounding a cheat?
Can you accept yourself as not being perfect on a diet?
Do you forgive yourself for a lapse?
Can you keep one cheat from leading you to another?
Do you believe that personal change is a process?
Do you think you will still be able to change the way you eat, even though you cheat sometimes?
Do you think mistakes are part of learning something new?
Can you avoid feeling like a failure because of a slip?
Do you think that changing your behavior might take more than one attempt?
Can you hold on to your self-confidence, even after a cheat?
Can you forgive yourself for having less willpower at times?
Do you know how to include dealing with cheats in your weight-loss plan of action?
Can you avoid going on to the next diet just because of a cheat?
Can you avoid feeling guilty about a lapse?
Can you view a cheat as a small thing and not a catastrophe?
Do you know how to learn about yourself from your cheats?
Do you pay attention to what you do after you cheat?
Can you keep one cheating episode from turning into a total pig-out?
Do you still have hope after a cheat?
If you have more YES answer than NO answers, your chances of sticking with it are very good, even though you cheat sometimes.
If you have more NO answers than YES answers, you may be in danger of letting a cheat lead to a total collapse of your diet. Work on understanding your cheating episodes as much as possible—when they happen, why they happen, how often they happen. Use this knowledge and you won't have to give up just because you cheat.
©2006 Maria's Last Diet
Friday, August 3, 2007
Believe and Receive
“Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24, NIV).
Has God spoken things to your heart that haven’t come to pass yet? Sometimes when we are believing for things, it’s easy to let circumstances and the pressures of life drag us down. But when you make the choice to receive your promise by picturing it in your mind’s eye, and declaring it with the words of your mouth, your faith becomes stronger. You begin to feel more confident. You begin to feel more settled. You begin to have joy and peace because you know God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. What are you believing for God to do in your life today? Can you see it in your mind’s eye? Can you see yourself healed? Can you see yourself paying off that last debt? Can you see yourself at your ideal weight? Can you see yourself sharing the gospel with a family member or coworker? Ask the Lord to give you the picture of what He sees when He looks at you. As you open your heart and allow God’s thoughts to become your thoughts, and your receive His promises by faith, just like it says in the above verse—whatever you ask for in prayer will be yours!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You. Thank You for the gift of faith. I ask that you search my heart and mind and remove anything that does not please you. Give me your thoughts of peace and joy today so that I can learn to receive all you have for me today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
By Joel Osteen
Has God spoken things to your heart that haven’t come to pass yet? Sometimes when we are believing for things, it’s easy to let circumstances and the pressures of life drag us down. But when you make the choice to receive your promise by picturing it in your mind’s eye, and declaring it with the words of your mouth, your faith becomes stronger. You begin to feel more confident. You begin to feel more settled. You begin to have joy and peace because you know God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. What are you believing for God to do in your life today? Can you see it in your mind’s eye? Can you see yourself healed? Can you see yourself paying off that last debt? Can you see yourself at your ideal weight? Can you see yourself sharing the gospel with a family member or coworker? Ask the Lord to give you the picture of what He sees when He looks at you. As you open your heart and allow God’s thoughts to become your thoughts, and your receive His promises by faith, just like it says in the above verse—whatever you ask for in prayer will be yours!
A Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to serve You. Thank You for the gift of faith. I ask that you search my heart and mind and remove anything that does not please you. Give me your thoughts of peace and joy today so that I can learn to receive all you have for me today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
By Joel Osteen
Bloated
Goodmorning everyone. I am feeling very stiff & sore this morning after the weightlifting I did Wednesday night. Ouch! Also I'm feeling very bloated which is not helping the scale. If anyone is tempted to cheat - beware - although getting back to eating is easy, persuading your body to rid itself of the excess water is harder. I still feel like I keep putting down the first domino. I need to get another one to sit on top!
I am floundering a little this morning, especially feeling as bloated as I am - but I am trying hard to be steady and realistic. Thankfully I've been on plan for a couple of cycles and think that TOM might also be affecting how I am feeling. Last month was only a 22 day cycle for me, and if this month is another short cycle, this is the dreaded "week before". I have noticed that I am not feeling so much in control of my hunger & satiety (as happens with TOM approaching). Not sure if this is me trying to get back into ketosis, or not, but this "extra" bloat is making me want to shift the blame a little more in TOMs direction. Either way, I am persevering. I have come this far ....
I am floundering a little this morning, especially feeling as bloated as I am - but I am trying hard to be steady and realistic. Thankfully I've been on plan for a couple of cycles and think that TOM might also be affecting how I am feeling. Last month was only a 22 day cycle for me, and if this month is another short cycle, this is the dreaded "week before". I have noticed that I am not feeling so much in control of my hunger & satiety (as happens with TOM approaching). Not sure if this is me trying to get back into ketosis, or not, but this "extra" bloat is making me want to shift the blame a little more in TOMs direction. Either way, I am persevering. I have come this far ....
Thursday, August 2, 2007
You are perfect as You Ought to Be
It's no coincidence that self-actualization holds precedence on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. A deep understanding and appreciation of yourself is what positions you to pursue your passions whole heartedly in life. Every characteristic that you posses is somehow intertwined in the threads of your destiny. What you may perceive to be a flaw could very well be the thing that enables you to function in your given arena of existence. Once you truly grasp this and realize that there are no accidents or coincidences in regards to you -- the self, then you will begin to gain an awareness of the unique entities that reside inside of you... the things that you uniquely offer this world... the void you were born to fill. It's difficult to begin to change your world, with a distorted view of yourself. Embracing yourself and your unique characteristics creates a renewed perspective of yourself, which is in accordance with the way your Creator sees you -- possessing every characteristic to be everything that you were predestined to be. When your perspective changes, your awareness of your true self is heightened. When you create a world which is in accordance with an awareness of your limitless possibilities, you're then poised to live your best life possible. Above all, you were created to walk in truth.
___________
Matthew C. Horne is a motivational speaker and leading authority in maximizing human potential and self- development. He is also the president of Optimum Success International and author of "The Universe is Inviting You In", available at http://www.matthewchorne.com
___________
Matthew C. Horne is a motivational speaker and leading authority in maximizing human potential and self- development. He is also the president of Optimum Success International and author of "The Universe is Inviting You In", available at http://www.matthewchorne.com
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Confessions of a Jelly Belly Jelly Bean
Speaking of munchies..... I couldn't bring myself to post earlier because I knew I'd have to admit aloud to myself what I'd done last night and admitting it was going to make it real. I was feeling bored, ok yes bored, last night watching tv, and for once I couldn't quieten the munchie monster. I ate some cold meat, but that didn't satisfy. What I should've done was to wander up to bed ... but I didn't do that. Instead I found myself on the top shelf in our pantry (on a chair, not actually up there!) where the kids candy is kept. There I found a considerably large bag of jelly belly jelly beans (it wasn't lost, somewhere in the recesses of my mind I knew it was there). I thought to myself, I could just eat a couple .... (ok so I didn't think!) .....well about 20 minutes later, there was way more than a just couple of jelly beans dancing in my jelly belly, I had to walk over to the trash and pour the remainder in. I couldn't trust myself to just put the candy away. I had eaten almost 1/2 the bag! Mindless eating. And now I felt I drank lots of water before I climbed into bed. I woke during the night with a dry mouth (like a hangover) and drank more water.
Today I am up to 173lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just about died seeing that on the scales this morning. I did not want to come online and tell anyone. I did not eat that many jelly beans. My mind has been torturing me all day, telling me I have failed yet again, cannot trust myself etc. And talk about cravings today!!!! I know I am going to have to satisfy the fat and protein demands of my body and get myself back into ketosis. I am NOT going to let this stop me for getting to my goal weight. I have come so far. HELP!
So for me, August 1st, my new start weight is 173lbs. My goal is to get into the 150s. To get there by the end of August, my minimum loss will need to be 14lbs.
Incidentally, I was thinking today while I was driving. I've spent hours looking at labels and not eating such and such because it has say 5g carbs, or 8g carbs. I wish I had done that instead. I really think that for me personally I need to figure out some carbs I can do that are ok for future reference. NOT JELLY BELLY JELLY BEANS though! I got this info from a Jelly Belly site online: Question: How many calories and carbohydrates are in a single Jelly Belly jelly bean? Answer: There are 4 calories per bean, or about 100 calories per single serving (25 beans). They have approximately 1 gram of carbohydrate per bean and zero fat. Jelly Belly jelly beans offer a satisfying burst of flavor for a modest calorie investment. They are also certified Kosher. (well that makes me feel so much better. 1g per bean! NOT!)
Today I am up to 173lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just about died seeing that on the scales this morning. I did not want to come online and tell anyone. I did not eat that many jelly beans. My mind has been torturing me all day, telling me I have failed yet again, cannot trust myself etc. And talk about cravings today!!!! I know I am going to have to satisfy the fat and protein demands of my body and get myself back into ketosis. I am NOT going to let this stop me for getting to my goal weight. I have come so far. HELP!
So for me, August 1st, my new start weight is 173lbs. My goal is to get into the 150s. To get there by the end of August, my minimum loss will need to be 14lbs.
Incidentally, I was thinking today while I was driving. I've spent hours looking at labels and not eating such and such because it has say 5g carbs, or 8g carbs. I wish I had done that instead. I really think that for me personally I need to figure out some carbs I can do that are ok for future reference. NOT JELLY BELLY JELLY BEANS though! I got this info from a Jelly Belly site online: Question: How many calories and carbohydrates are in a single Jelly Belly jelly bean? Answer: There are 4 calories per bean, or about 100 calories per single serving (25 beans). They have approximately 1 gram of carbohydrate per bean and zero fat. Jelly Belly jelly beans offer a satisfying burst of flavor for a modest calorie investment. They are also certified Kosher. (well that makes me feel so much better. 1g per bean! NOT!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
