Looking for weight loss secrets, I came across this article written by Don L. Price, a Success Coach. The article was published in Buzzle.com in 2004.


Don suggests this:


“The only time that anyone has to be concerned with weight control is when they are eating. The fact of the matter is that people are concerned with weight before they eat and they beat themselves up after they eat. While people are eating there is no concern.


We spend a small amount of time each day eating and that is the only time that people have to increase their conscious awareness and focus on developing proper eating habits.


If you are overweight, you may be so because you formed a habit of eating improperly.


By re-educating your eating habits, you will find that you still enjoy eating and for much more positive reasons. You’ll eliminate weight — and you won’t regain it.


The plan is very basic, simple, and easy. Every week, for a period of six weeks, you are going to practice a new and different mental exercise to help you change your eating habits.

* WEEK ONE: Sit down to eat and drink. Even if it’s only a piece of gum or a sip of water, sit down! This will help eliminate the unconscious snacking that is so much a part of being overweight. This also eliminates tasting foods for those who cook.


* WEEK TWO: Relax! Take a minute to breathe comfortably and be thankful for the food in front of you. This will help you become aware of the foods that you eat and the way in which you eat them.


* WEEK THREE: Chew your food well. Sip your drinks. Take small bites. Depending on what you are eating, chew from 25 to 40 times with each mouthful. By consuming small portions and eating more slowly, your taste buds will have a chance to get the full and wonderful flavor from the nutritious foods you are eating.


Your stomach will have a chance to tell your mind that you are full and satisfied and that you require a smaller amount of food than before. It can take the same amount of time to eat a small amount of food as it does to eat a large amount.


* WEEK FOUR: Get rid of bad emotions and frustrations. if you have a problem or transaction that you are working on, clear your mind before you eat. Eating out of frustration is a very common bad habit.


* WEEK FIVE: Think about the food you eat, especially the flavor.


* WEEK SIX: Leave something on your plate (besides your fork). We’re conditioned to clean everything from our plates and programmed to believe that cleaning our plates will help starving children elsewhere in the world or that it’s a sin to waste food.”


What do you think?

There is only one secret to weight loss. Move more, and eat less.


So what have you done today to do this?


I have cut back, way back on my fat intake along with increasing my protein intake. I have also started walking again.


This is how I intend on losing weight.


What are you doing?

I did both today. I walked a mile with MLW this morning, and then we started cleaning up our basement. Which turned into a much longer job than either one of us expected.


And we only cleaned up 1/4 of the total basement. Sheesh we have a lot of crap.

I drank 72 ounces of water today. I committed to no specific total, but I drank 72 ounces. I now have to follow through on drinking water every day, not just today. That will be the telling factor.


What did you do today?

Continuing the thought process from my last post…. This time I want to change the verbage to “I would give anything…”


What is the difference between the two? Well, think of how large both of those concepts are. Doing anything, and giving anything. Anything. Limitless options. Scary, limitless options. But I do have my limits, as we all do.

Doing anything? I won’t kill anyone. I won’t mess with my family. I won’t let anyone else mess with my family. There are a lot of things that I will not do.

Give anything? What would I give up to get what I want? And why should I have to? I have this thing about HAVING to do things. Change for situations and people. In my head it makes no sense that I should be the one to change. There is nothing wrong with me.

Hence, the crux of my weight problems. I can’t get beyond myself. I am the roadblock of my life.

Nice. Just peachy.

So lets look at what I can INCLUDE in my life rather than EXCLUDE. Something that I can do on a daily basis that is good for me. Something that I will actually do.

Today I will drink 5 glasses of water. I don’t drink enough water. Starting today I will, and that will be my goal every day going forward. Until I decide to change it. I decide.

There, that wasn’t so bad, now was it?

How many times have you said, or thought that? Not just about weight loss, but about anything that you don’t want to do?

I thought that the other day, and stated it to MLW, prior to going to work. And then spent the time driving thinking about the statement.

Stephen King wrote a short story years ago about a man looking to stop smoking. He signed up for this program and through a series of events that I am doing a terrible job explaining right now, had a cigarette. And when he went home, I believe that it was his wife, had been shocked. He also wasn’t allowed to gain weight or his wife had a finger chopped off.

So what “anything” are we willing to do to get the results we want? We can have and do anything we want in life, as long as we are willing to do what it takes to get that.

It all should be so easy, but it never is.

Just thinking out loud.

Namaste.

The secret to weight loss.

Losing weight secrets.

Secrets to losing weight.

The secret to weight loss.

It is all here.

More motion, less food.

Namaste.

For Tuesday.

I won’t eat donuts today. I will eat fruit. Donuts have hundreds of calories, and hundreds of grams of fat.

Fruit doesn’t. So I will eat less food.

I will walk to my daughters softball game. So I will have more motion.

If I continue to eat less, and move more I will lose weight.

I like that.

Namaste.

I managed to wrangle a friend of mine to write about his experience in losing weight.

So, without further ado.

Ladies, and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Joe.

Joe, the folks.

Folks, Joe.

I have been over weight for many years (and still am), I am a 36 year old male. Here is my story on losing weight. It was on December 4, 2006 I went and talked to a nutritionist. At this time I was getting heavier by the month and knew I needed to do something to help me lose the weight. Even before this time I would see my family doctor every 3 months and every time I would gain 10 to 15 lbs over the 3 month time. The doctor would say you need to watch your weight (I would say I do, I watch it go up) because the older you get the harder it is to take it off. My regular doctor would do blood test on me every 6 month and everything was very good, sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure etc.

So after one of my doctors appointment in November of 2006 I called and made the appointment with the nutritionist. I always knew what to do but never did it. Here is what my routine was before I went to the nutritionist: I would not eat breakfast or lunch, just dinner and no kind of exercise. My routine now is: I eat a bowl of oat meal, fruit and 1 glass of skim milk for breakfast. Lunch I will eat salad, or grilled chicken sandwich with fruit. Dinner I will eat anything but watch portions.

There were two big items I do that have helped me lose weight. One was I cut out all sodas or drinks with sugar. I drink skim milk, water and diet tea that has nothing in it. The second item I do is walk for 1/2 of an hour every morning on my treadmill (which I had for years and never used it but to hang clothes on).

As of this date (4/27/08) I have lost 95 pounds. The first year the weight came off fast. The last few months I lose about 1 pound a week (which is a good thing). I have 60 pounds to go to get to my goal and after that. I will make another goal.

Joe, thanks for sharing your struggle with us. I am in awe of your weight loss. Great job, and keep it up!!

Namaste.

gaining 10 lbs, that’s where. Since I have been off of Atkins, I have taken up the bad habit of drinking diet soda again.

Aspartame has not been berry, berry good to me. It talks to the 10 yr old part of my brain. It says “This tastes like sugar!!! And it is reallyreallyreallyreally good!!!!” Drink more.

Unfortunately, that kicks my sugar tooth into overdrive. And I end up eating candy.

What an idiot.

To read more about what aspartame does to your body go here.

Any questions?

Namaste.

Ladies, and Gentlemen. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce a guest blogger.

Natalie.

World, Natalie.

Natalie, World.

Natalie writes her own weight loss blog called Bye Bye Fat Mom! I asked her to write a little bit about her travels down this road we are on.

Natalie, the floor is yours.

I’m a mommy. I love it! But, I tend to spend too much time focusing on my kids and not enough time focusing on me. Sure, it’s good to focus on them, but what about their mom? Don’t they need her healthy too? I’m coming to the realization that I’ve had my priorities a little messed up. So it’s time to refocus and get things on track.

Where can I look for motivation? I just have to look at myself. I haven’t always been a chubby mommy. I was healthy before. In 2002 I ran the Las Vegas Half Marathon. And now? A ten minute run leaves me breathless. It’s time to get back to running. I had a goal to run a marathon, and I need to add that goal back to my life list. I know this works for me. Running takes off the pounds, it ups the energy and it increases self-esteem. The only hard part is making it a habit. Once it’s a habit I actually enjoy it.

So here’s what I’ve done to get motivated to make it a habit. I’m paying myself! Yep, that’s right. You’re probably thinking, it’s your money either way, so how does that work? Well, I have trouble spending money on me. I can always see a debt that can be paid down further or something my kids like and the money goes there. But this money will be for ME! I can spend it on whatever I want. But there’s a catch…

Sure, I get 50 cents for everyday I exercise. BUT I lose $1 for every day I DON’T exercise. Yeah, it’s a whole one step forward two steps back thing. If I ever want to be able to spend the money I’ve really got to work for it. And once the total equals $50 the money is mine and it starts all over. By the time I hit marathon level I’ll have a svelte new body and lots of fun stuff!

So, what are you doing to get yourself motivated to reach your fitness goals? Come visit me at Bye Bye Fat Mom! to see how I’m doing.

Thank you Natalie.

Namaste.