Awesome attitude

Choose to Lose Weight
Adopt a Positive Attitude to Maximize Your Success
© Tracy Rose

Apr 24, 2006

How to make the right everyday choices to put a positive spin on your weight loss efforts. Look for the silver lining when it comes to your healthy habits.

So you want to lose weight? Well, the choice is truly yours. To successfully reach your weight loss goals, you must consistently make the right choices to support your goals.

Though most people don't consciously make the choice to become or stay overweight, we do certain things to contribute to the problem, either consciously or subconsciously.

Each of the choices we make lead to consequences. Good choices foster positive results and bad choices can cause your progress to come to a grinding halt, or worse yet, create a negative result.

You can make the right choices for your weight loss plan by accepting a positive, can-do attitude. Put a positive spin on everything and look for the silver lining. Often times when we experience difficulty it is because there is a lesson to be learned.

Even for small everyday things like overdoing it on the snacks in the afternoon, it can be a lesson to eat a heartier breakfast so you won't get the munchies later in the day. If you look at it in this light, learn from the lesson, forgive yourself and move on, you will be successful. But if you dwell on the mistake and stress yourself you are likely to eat more because you are feeling bad and get into a negative spiral that is hard to break free from.

The same is true for exercise. If you choose to walk everyday and build up over time to include other activities and increase the length and intensity of your workouts, you will succeed at losing weight. You will set yourself on the right track for positive results. But if you let things get in the way or procrastinate you are making a less productive choice and will see little or no change in your weight.

It is our collective choices that make our program fail or succeed. What will you choose?



The copyright of the article Choose to Lose Weight in Weight Loss Motivators is owned by Tracy Rose. Permission to republish Choose to Lose Weight must be granted by the author in writing.

A nice walk

This morning I woke up and had a need/craving to go for a walk again. I was praying about where God wanted me to do my walking today ie: the local high school track, around the neighborhood etc. As I was waiting for my answer, my dad walked up the stairs and it dawned on me. I was immediately inspired to ask my dad to go walking with me at Warriors Park. My dad is very into nature and I have been telling him that we need to go walking together for weeks. To my pleasant surprise dad joined me for a nice .75 mile walk around the lake at the park. It was absolutely gorgeous! The temperature was around 67 and sunny. It was funny because a local Army troop was there doing PT *running around the park* and chanting things like.."Superman is big and strong....*echo*....but still no match for Army strong*echo*

I really felt for the ones lacking behind *because Lord that would be me*. I have never been a runner even when I was in shape.

Well, I am going to go and get ready for work. I shall kee you posted on my health / exercise status.

Back in the saddle again..

Wow okay, so for the past month and a half my body has been whacked out due to my good ole' thyroid screwing up again. I did go to the doctor and she upped my medicine which has helped immensley. The depression is gone and with it fatigue, brain fog and no more hair falling out.

Yesterday I walked a mile at work *four laps around our building is a mile* and today I woke up early, drove to a local school track and walked another mile!

I know...I know...it's nothing compared to what I was doing back in May/June but I AM getting back on track with my exercise and for that I say..PRAISE GOD!!

I almost forgot how good it feels to work up a good sweat outside, not to mention the good ole' endorphen kick during and after.

Anyhow, I would very much appreciate prayers to continue my walking everyday.

I love you all and take care!

Getting the sugar out..

Ughhh...today is day 3 of my sugar detox and I can honestly say that I can only imagine what drug detoxers go through. For the past two days I've had a headache and wanted to sleep all day. I am happy to say that I am feeling a lot better today. I keep forgetting how much sugar can control my life! I've figured out that I'm just one of those people that cannot have refined sugars/carbs and be okay. I'm thoroughly convinced that my body hates them!

Anyhow, another thing that has helped me live healthier is having more hours at work. Here lately I've only been working 3 days a week due to census being low at the hospital. Aside from the fact that I haven't had a great paycheck in weeks, I have been lazy. I HAVE to constantly be doing something or else my body/mind thinks I need to do nothing! Sounds weird...but it's me. I guess you could say that I need to feel like I have a reason to wake up every morning. Being in Nursing school the past 2 years has been non-stop chaos and I guess I'm just use to having something to do everyday. When you have something to do everyday and then all of a sudden nothing it can throw you for a loop. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed reading books having nothing to do with healthcare/ drawing portraits again/ seeing my family/ and actually doing things for myself....but I need a schedule.

Well all, I must get ready for work. God has blessed me with supplemental hours at work helping out in the Crisis Respond department. *wahoo I'm getting 42 hours this week!*

I love you all!

So the past two days...

The past two days have been pretty decent as far as eating and exercising goes.

I'm just thankful for even getting up to exercise!!

I'm at the point where my mind doesn't want to exercise and laziness wants to take over...but then my heart tells me I'll feel better afterwards.

Anyhow, I have a ways to go to get back to my normal exercise routine...but just doing 20+ minutes each day is a start.

I have a treadmill in my room *which has been collecting dust for 4 months* as well as a weight bench and yoga ball in the garage. I finally got on the treadmill today and did around 20 minutes on a 1.5 incline. What helps the time pass while on the treadmill is putting my laptop on my old tv stand *when I had a tv in my room* and watching an episode of the Gilmore Girls on dvd.

As for eating, I can DEFINITELY do better but thankful for no big 'muck-ups'.

The day before I went on sparkpeople and did the following exercise routine:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_plan_generator_details.asp?id=96

The single-leg squats kicked my butt!!

Anyhow, I want to praise God for blessing me to exercise and for the many MANY more days of health He has in store for me!!

I love you all!

Progress

So far I have done 3 days of weight lifting and 3 days of cardio this past week.
Today was a lower body day in which I worked on my quads, hamstrings, calves and abs. My ab workout was on a yoga ball and BOY did I feel those crunches! Dad bought a weight lifting bench along with free weights and a barbell for us to workout at home. In the long run it is much cheaper than a gym membership not to mention cheaper gas money wise.
Tomorrow is a cardio day in which I will either do a Leslie Sansone DVD or a Denise Austin DVD.

As far as eating goes I've been eating a lot better ie: lean protein/veggies/whole wheat/water/tea

A true inspiration to me *aside from my Lord* is my cousin Kelly who is rocking a healthy body! She works hard daily and I am very proud of her.

What is YOUR type??

Okay, my brother Greg *aka fitness guru* has this book called 'Eat Right for Your Type'.

I'm no longer into 'fad diets' but I was curious to see what the book had to say about my blood type *Type A+* After reading the section on my blood type I was AMAZED at how accurate it was!

For those of you curious about the book, I will put information about each blood type on here:

Type A's
Meat is poorly digested and stored as fat which will increase digestive toxins. These individuals are biologically predisposed to heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Eating dairy foods inhibit nutrient metabolism and increases mucous secretions.
Kidney & Lima beans interfere with digestive enzymes & slow metabolic rate.
Too much wheat will inhibit insulin efficiency & impair calorie utilization.
Foods that encourage weight loss are as follows:
Vegetable oils aid efficient digestion and prevent fluid retention.
Soy foods also aid in efficient digestion, metabolize quickly and optimize immune function.
Vegetables aid in efficient metabolism and increase intestinal mobility.
Pineapple increases calorie utilization as well as intestinal mobility.

Fish / Seafood beneficial for type A's:
Carp, cod, mackerel, red snapper, rainbow trout, salmon, whitefish, yellow fish and tuna.
Stay away from: anchovies, catfish, caviar, clam, conch, crab, flounder, halibut, herring, lobster, mussels, oysters, scallops, shrimp and bass.

Highly beneficial dairy: soy cheese and soy milk.
Neutral: feta, mozzarella, ricotta *low fat* string cheese, yogurt. *no other cheeses!!*

Proteins: Peanuts, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, almonds, macadamia nuts, poppy seeds, chestnuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds, walnuts,

Oats: Oatmeal, oat bran, puffed rice, cornflakes, barley, buckwheat, cornmeal, cream of rice.

Bread: Rice cakes, wheat bread, soy flour bread, Ezekiel bread and Essene bread.

Brown rice, flat bread, rye crisps, gluten-free bread, wasa, oat bran muffins millet and corn muffins.

Green tea, ginseng, chamomile, echinacea and ginger teas are very beneficial to immune system and help decrease stress.

**the following makes me happy**
Highly beneficial: COFFEE!!! *reg/decaf* and red wine.
SODAS *diet and reg* beer, black tea and liquor are detrimental to type A's,

Tai Chi, yoga and walking are very beneficial to these types.


Type O's
This type thrives on intense physical exercise and animal protein! Type O's must restrict their intake of grains, breads, legumes and beans.
A major health factor for type O weight gain is related to thyroid regulation. Type O's tend to have low levels of thyroid hormone *aka hypothyroidism* in which the body often exhibits low levels of iodine a chemical element whose sole purpose is thyroid hormone production. Symptoms include: weight gain, fluid retention, muscle loss and fatigue.

The following foods are restricted for type O's:
Wheat gluten & corn interferes with insulin efficiency and slows metabolic rate.
Kidney and navy beans impair calorie utilization whereas lentils inhibit proper nutrient metabolism. Cabbage/Brussels sprouts/ Cauliflower/ Mustard greens inhibit thyroid production.

The following are foods that encourage weight loss in type O's:
Kelp/ Seafood/ Iodized salt contain iodine and increases thyroid hormone production.
Liver is a great source of vitamin B and aids in efficient metabolism.
Red meat/ Kale/ Spinach/ Broccoli also aids in efficient metabolism.

Best exercise for this blood type are as follows:
aerobics/swimming/ jogging/ weight training/ treadmill/ stair climbing/ martial arts/ cycling/ brisk walking/ dancing/ in line skating/ roller skating.



Type B's:
You should have the most varied diet of all the blood types, one including red meat; yours is the only blood type that does well with dairy products.
Engage in exercise such as moderate swimming or walking.
Your risk for slow-growing viruses that attack the nervous system increases if you eat incorrectly for your blood type.l

Type AB's:
You have most of the benefits and intolerances of types A and B.
Engage in calming exercises and relaxation techniques.
You have the friendliest immune system of all the blood types.

Update on fitness

So today's my 2nd day in Florida and Greg took me as a guest to his gym.

Wow...I need Greg as a personal trainer! He motivated me to push myself further than I usually do *and boy did I need it!*

We did upper body weights for around an hour then we did stretching and a little punching bag workout.

Tomorrow I will do a cardio dvd and then swim in Greg and Rosie's pool after to cool off.

How I loooong to live in florida...but I only have 8 months to go...

Sparkpeople Post *awesome*

A new way to think about losing weight

I have to keep telling myself that. It's not. A diet is something you do for a short period of time in order to get a result that doesn't last, and you end up worse off than before. No, no...this is not a diet.

It is a way of life. A life change. Something different. I think we are often too hard on ourselves. I think we get disappointed in ourselves. We get frustrated because after a lot of hard work, the scale doesn't move, or the inches don't come off.

So we go to what we know best. Food. Then more guilt, more frustration, more disappointment.

But I've come to realize something. If this isn't a diet...and it is a way of life, then it's ok. It's ok to have a bad week on the scale, because it's not the end of the world. Next week will come...and then the next. If this is about life change, then I must look at this as a marathon and not a sprint.

I didn't get fat overnight. No, I got fat after years and years of neglect and overeating, lack of exercise, being tired, and a miriad of other excuses. Therefore I can't expect to lose this weight over night. And I won't lose it next week and I won't lose it next month.

But I will lose it. Why?? Because I'm not on a DIET!!. I'm changing my life. I'm changing my lifestyle. I know that while I may have a bad week on the scale or even a bad month, next year, I will not be the same person I was. I will be healthier. I don't know what that means on the scale, but I don't think it matters either. If this is my way of life, then I will be healthier. I know it.

So if I mess up and have a donut or a piece of cake or a slice of pizza now and then, it's ok. I'm not going to drown myself in guilt, nor am I going to drown myself in food. I'm just going to enjoy life. That might mean eating great for a month and then eating not so great for a day or two. But I'm going to enjoy life knowing that I'm making decisions that will make me a happier, healthier person in the future.

I'm not going to look in the mirror and get disappointed that I don't look the way I want to now. It will come. But it will take a while. And you know...that's ok. I'm changing. When the changes come and are visible...then great, but it's ok if I don't see them yet. I just know that everyday I'm going to make better decisions.

Remember...THIS IS NOT A DIET! This is a life change. A new way to live your life. Enjoy it.

Motivation & Inspiration

I've been reading this book that has truly helped me stay motivated as I continue on my journey of health. The author is a Christian lady who you might have seen on TV as an exercise guru. Anyways, I decided for the theme of the post to be inspirational quotes from the book that have helped motivate me and keep going.

I say the following to myself everyday *affirmations*:

-The goal: Less body and more soul!

-If you and I do our part, God will do the rest

-Each day I get stronger and each day I get a little closer to God.

-Expect to succeed!

-Ask God to help you out of bed and into your sneakers, it will work!

-Changing your patterns changes your life

**What you say is what you believe

-When I honor my body I honor God.

-I love my body and today I will treat it with RESPECT

-Our testimony must be strong as our walk is strong in life.

So I started this thing 15 days ago...

I started a program called Body-for-LIFE a little over 2 weeks ago. It's an excellent program full of great exercises / motivation / and overall awesome inspiration.
The Lord lead me to this through the help of my dear brother, Greg *a true fitness geek*
Not only has this program been fun to do, but it is simply do-able! I alternate days between the weight room / cardio / and of course I get a free day each week.
I'm never in the weight room for more than 50 minutes and when I do cardio it's for a mere 20 minutes a pop!
In just a little over 2 weeks, I've lost 1.5" in my waist, I can ACTUALLY SEE definition in my arms again AND I have LOADS more energy!
The program is for 12 weeks and I am determined to stick with it.
Just take a look at the following people and their success:











Anyways, I took 'before' pictures of myself so that at the end of the 12 weeks you will be able to see my transformation!





Prayers would be awesome for strength / motivation / love / peace / patience during this time.
I hope everyone is doing awesomely and I love you all!

**If you would like to see more success stories visit the following link:
http://bodyforlife.com/success/index.asp