Now Jogging 3 miles

I wanted to share with you my latest accomplishment.  Earlier this month I started jogging again.  I was never the jogger type ever!  But I learned it is a great way to lose weight (fat), so of course I was willing to give it a try.

Two weeks ago I started out only able to jog 2 miles straight on the treadmill and 1/2 mile on the pavement.  Yesterday, for the first EVER in my life I jogged over 3 miles straight on pavement (hills included)!  My husband was very proud of me as much as I was proud of myself.  He jogs with me on the weekend and he sees how hard I tried to jog one mile with him.  But I finally did it!  I didn't quit!  I challenged myself and I did it!!  We can do anything we put our minds to it!  Just keep pushing and believe.

Below I will share with you a picture of me in the beginning of this year in January and me today.

January 2012

Today, February 26, 2012

I still have a long way to go but I am closer today, then I was 57 days ago!  :-)

Whatever It Takes!

Since I started my weight loss journey this year, I had several ups, downs, set backs, forth comings, victories and, challenges. However, I asked myself what is different from this time vs. the many other failed previous attempts.  And, I have one simply answer... I haven't quit!  I usually quit around day 14.  Today, makes day 57 on this journey, I will say it has not been easy at all.  However, I learned through the years and understand, "nothing worth having come easy".

Here is an encouraging message I once read on "JoePaul Speaks! Impoving Lives, One Person at a time!" blog http://joepaulspeaks.com/ :

Morning Cup of Joe – Whatever It Takes

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do in order to get what you need to get. I’m sure you understand by now and have countless examples confirming this fact and the understanding that nothing comes easy. Well, some things do but that certainly doesn’t mean that they’re worth having. In my opinion, anything that comes easy isn’t worth having. The things we work for, we tend to appreciate a little more.

Sometimes you’re going to have to go through extreme lengths to accomplish a particular goal; if you haven’t yet had to experience this. If you want something bad enough, you must be willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Whatever it is; whatever it takes. At all times, focus on the desired end result. In my lifetime, I have been forced to learn and understand that when the going gets tough, my breakthrough was right around the corner. If things are a little tough right now, hold on because your breakthrough is coming.

Arguably, the toughest part of any journey is neither the start nor the finish; it’s the expedition in between. Remember, you cannot finish if you don’t start; and if you don’t start you can’t win; and if you don’t win we all lose. We are counting on you to accomplish your dreams. Do what you have to do to get what you need to get. It’s already yours!

Without sacrifice and a reasonable amount of calculated risks, you will never know the joy of winning.

To The Top!
Joe Paul

  I hope it is as encouraging for you as it has been for me! :-)

Did you know drinking cold water or cold showers could help you lose weight?

Cold Water Lose Weight

Drinking cold water to lose weight is by far one of the most powerful things you can do for your metabolism. If you drink enough of it, it forces your body to work to stay warm. Some have even gone on to say that even the act of sitting in cold water will cause you to lose weight because your body works to warm it up. If you try this approach for just one or two weeks you will certainly find that you’ll lose unwanted weight.

This doesn’t happen due to some holy miracle, it happens because you are really working on losing weight and your body likes it very much. Studies have found that if you make absolutely no changes to your diet whatsoever other than start drinking a few glasses of cold water per day, then you will find you will lose up to five pounds in a year.

I know that this may not seem all that impressive. I can totally understand that. But it’s these little things that add up into the powerful type of metabolism boosters that lead to real results. There really is no such thing as a miracle pill. In order to get the results that you crave you’ve got to make a little of little changes.

Cold Water Lose Weight

Of course there are plenty of other legitimate reasons to drink cold water to lose weight. First of all, drinking cold water before a meal will make you more full and less likely to eat as much. This is just a fact of life. The more your body is full (whether that be with fluids or foods) the less hungry you will be. Sure it does not have nutritional value but it will certainly get you full faster.

If you drink cold water after working out you will also find that it is refreshing and quenches your thirst. Everyone knows that after a workout your metabolism is in hyperdrive. You are burning more calories just by standing still. You may as well really take advantage of it by adding in the effect of drinking ice cold water.

Cold Water Lose Weight

Here is another fun fact about drinking cold water to lose weight. If you drink just 1 liter of ice cold water you can expect to burn an additional twenty calories. Remember friends, this really does add up over time. If you can burn an extra twenty calories by simply throwing a few more ice cubes in your glass, you can bet it is worth it to you.

When thinking and discussing the benefits of drinking cold water I really believe the fullness factor is of utmost important. It is often quoted that people should drink over 8 glasses a day to really come into the benefit of guzzling cold water. Although I can’t and won’t quote an exact number I can say for certain that it won’t do you harm. The feeling of being full (especially when trying to lose weight) is well worth all of the effort that it takes.

Flat Belly Diet Jump Start:How to De-Bloat Your Belly

Sassy Water: A Flat Belly Diet Staple

On the Flat Belly Diet you'll begin with a 4-day jumpstart, and one key ingredient is Sassy Water

The Sassy Water Recipe

Sassy Water

2 liters water (about 8 ½ cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves.

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight.

Drink the entire pitcher by the end of each day.

Just in case you missed it! The most talked about weight loss product this week is.....

                  RASPBERRY KETONES

Check it out for yourself on Doctor Oz

• 
  

  Miracle Fat-Burner in a Bottle | The Dr. Oz Show

  www.doctoroz.com

  If you want to burn fat all over your body, try this raspberry ketone supplement. Learn how it works to burn fat, helping you break through a weight-loss plateau. 

Jogged 2.04 Miles

This week a participated in "Black Girls Run!" in Atlanta.  "Black Girls Run!" is an organization created in 2009, by two fabulous women Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks.  These ladies created "Black Girls RUN! in an effort to tackle the growing obesity epidemic in the African-American community and provide encouragement and resources to both new and veteran runners.  The mission of Black Girls RUN! is to encourage African-American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 80% of African-American women are overweight. BGR! wants to create a movement to lower that percentage and subsequently, lower the number of women with chronic diseases associated with an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle."

                                                                       

I was so inspired by all these ladies who came together from many different walks of life for a common goal "making fitness and healthy living a priority. "  I decided to challenge myself to jog as long as I could non-stop and, yesterday for the first time in over a year I jogged 2.04 miles non-stop.  It did take me 30 minutes but I felt good!  I was truly amazed at what I could actually do, when I put my mind to it.  


I set some additional goals to help me reach my weight loss goal and to become a healthier me.  My goal's are to:  meet with these fabulous ladies at BGR! at least once a week, build up my endurance to jog faster and longer, a minimum of 10 miles each week and add 1 mile to each week there after, continue to challenge myself, and always have fun doing it!  

For those, interested in learning more about "Black Girls Run!" I encourage you to visit their website: www.blackgirlsrun.com or their Facebook page for a listed of schedule times in your area.

And, remember “If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you dream it, you can become it” –William Arthur Ward

Not all diet foods are created equal

Dr. Oz’s 99 Diet Foods Shopping List

Not all diet foods are created equal – some might even cause you to gain weight. Take the guesswork out of your diet with this comprehensive shopping list of Oz-approved diet foods.

Click here to print your copy of Dr. Oz's 99 Diet Foods Shopping List.

Added to Articles on Mon 01/30/2012

Print this list and bring it to the grocery story to avoid your biggest diet-food mistakes.

Note: While the list includes specific brands, if you find a similar product with the same nutritional value, feel free to use it.

Are hidden food allergies making you gain weight?

The Anti-Allergy Diet

Are hidden food allergies making you gain weight? Mark Hyman, MD, has a 3-week anti-allergy diet to help get your system back on track so you can start shedding pounds.

Added to Articles on Fri 01/27/2012

Are you doing all the right things yet you are still unable to lose weight? A hidden food allergy could be the culprit. Dr.  Mark Hyman, New York Times best-selling author and an advocate for functional medicine, supports groundbreaking research linking food allergies to weight gain.

Sudden-onset vs. Slow-onset Food allergies

Most people think food-related allergic reactions are sudden and fast acting – such as peanut or shellfish allergies which can cause immediate inflammation (an IgE immune response), resulting in swelling or difficulty breathing and can be life-threatening. On the other hand, dairy, which can be hidden in many everyday foods causes a far less acute allergic reaction, creating inflammation hours or even days later (an IgG immune response). Up to 60% of the population could be affected by hidden sensitivities to foods such as dairy.

Dairy Allergy and Weight Gain

Foods with dairy can cause unhealthy bacteria to overgrow and produce toxins that cause systemic inflammation that swells the intestines and prevents normal digestion, causing weight gain, among other conditions such as irritable bowel. In fact, you can gain up to 30 pounds a year due to a dairy allergy. 

Lastly, a dairy allergy is tied to inflammation in the gut, as opposed to lactose intolerance, which is an inability to digest the milk sugar called lactose.

The first step to finding out if a dairy allergy is making you gain weight is to identify both the main and hidden sources of dairy in your diet.

Main Dairy Sources: Milk, butter, yogurt and cheese. 

Hidden Dairy Sources:

Desserts: Cakes, muffins, cookies and chocolate may contain basic dairy ingredients along with “hidden” dairy derivatives such as casein or whey, both milk proteins. Be sure to look for these ingredients on labels and avoid them.

Deli Meats and Fish: Processed meats often contain dairy products such as lactose, casein and caseinates that act as emulsifiers or flavor enhancers. Meats labeled “kosher” will be dairy-free. Be aware that some brands of canned tuna contain casein.

Bread: Both white and wheat bread often contain casein, whey or milk powder. Freshly baked yeast breads are sometimes prepared in buttered pans or brushed with butter as they bake. Ask your baker if this is the case.

Energy Bars: Countless brands of protein and energy bars consist primarily of whey protein. As with all of the above, remember to read these food labels very carefully as well.

The 3-Week Anti-Allergy Plan

To find out if you could be allergic to dairy, follow this plan based on the 3 “Rs”: Remove all dairy, repair your digestive track, and reboot your body.

Week 1: Remove All Dairy

Remove all the dairy from your diet for an entire week, which is how long your system needs for internal inflammation to settle down. Replace dairy milk with almond milk, which tastes good and has high quality protein and fat in it. In addition, replace butter with olive oil, a great source of good fat that contains oleic acid and anti-inflammatory properties.

Week 2: Repair Your Digestive Track

If your gut is damaged by dairy, repair it with healthy bacteria found in probiotics. Choose a probiotic supplement that contains both bifidobacterium and lactobacillus bacteria. Select a product in pill or powder form that has 10-50 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) and take that amount daily. Be wary of liquid-based products, which may not be as active, along with food products with added probiotics. Click here for a smart guide to purchasing probiotics. 

Week 3: Reboot Your Body

Now that you have a clean digestive slate, it’s time to reboot and see if dairy was causing your weight gain. Start by adding one dairy food back at a time and keep a food log of your body’s reactions. Ask yourself: Am I more tired? Am I bloated? Do I have fluid retention? All of these potential factors could be clues that you have a hidden food sensitivity to dairy.

If you think you’re allergic to dairy at the end of three weeks, see your doctor for a blood test, which can help determine if you have elevated levels of a certain antibody that could be causing inflammation. If you are indeed allergic, you can use the above plan stay allergy- and inflammation-free.

Dr. Oz's 10 Weight-Loss Commandments

With our country's obesity epidemic reaching biblical proportions, it's time to commit to 10 easy and basic rules for losing weight and keeping it off.

Added to Articles on Thu 03/11/2010

1. Thou Shalt Not Wear Pants that Stretch

Your clothing is an early-warning system for weight gain. When it's getting hard to snap your jeans, you know it's time to be vigilant. Wearing stretchy clothes allows you to live in ignorance of how your body is growing, making it easier to pack on pounds without knowing it.

2. Thou Shalt Not Keep Fat Clothes in Your Closet

When you keep the clothes you wore at an unhealthy weight, it gives you a back-up plan if the pounds don't come off. Instead, force yourself to stay on track by 86ing your "fat pants."

3. Thou Shalt Not Eat Meat That Walks on Four Legs More Than Once a Week

Meat that comes from an animal with 4 legs is higher in saturated fat (the unhealthy kind) than that which comes from 2-legged animals such as chickens, or animals with no legs, like fish. Plus: women who eat large amounts of red meat more than once a week have a 50% higher chance of dying from heart disease and have higher cancer rates.

4. Thou Shalt Not Graze

Plan your meal before you open the refrigerator, get what you need, and close the door. Opening it throughout the day leads to impulsive choices and overeating.

5. Thou Shalt Not Eat After 7:30pm

When you eat late at night you are more likely to be eating in front of the TV (when you won't pay attention to how much you're putting in your mouth) and you're more likely to pick high-calorie snacks

6. Thou Shalt Not Pile Food More than 1 Inch High or Within 2 Inches of the Plate Edge

Larger portions equal more calories. 'Nuff said.

7. Thou Shalt Not Chew Food Less than 20 Times Per Bite

Chewing allows your body to realize that you are eating food, prompting it to create a sensation of fullness at the appropriate time. When you don't chew enough, you get ahead of that process, eating well past when you are actually satisfied.

8. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Plate

Spend your day nibbling bites on someone else's sandwich or afternoon snack, and you will add on 1,000 calories easy.

9. Thou Shalt Not Carry Small Bills

Nothing loves a small bill better than a vending machine. When you have them at the ready, you are one step closer to an impulsive, calorie-loaded afternoon slip up.

10. Thou Shalt Not Eat While Standing Up

Eating sitting down enables you to be aware of what you're eating and eat it slowly so that your body can tell you your full before it's too late.