10 Reasons why you’re STILL overweight…

1) You think “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free” means that it is “Healthy”

Marketing campaigns know that we are all trying to be healthier, and they are doing everything they can to sell you their product in an angle that makes you think their product makes the cut. They aren’t trying to make their products healthier. What does this all boil down to? The companies just want to make money, and the only way to make money is if you buy their product –whether it’s good for you or not.

Read the labels and ingredients and start learning how to understand what they really mean. It’s almost guaranteed that if something it marketed as “Fat Free” or “Sugar Free”, they are using dangerous replacements which usually end up being worse for you than the actual fat or sugar.

Most people still buy into this marketing scam – don’t let it be you.

2) You don’t get enough sleep

Sleep is underrated – by far. You should get the recommended 8 hours each night, and you will notice some very positive effects from this. Your body will feel rested and better through out the day. You will be more likely to exercise (you have the energy to make it happen), and you have a better chance of overcoming any junk food cravings you may have during the day. When you are more tired, you are more likely to “give in” to temptations. A lack of sleep negatively effects your immune system, which can make you sick. When you are sick, the chances of you keeping up (or wanting to) your work out routine is unlikely. You should consider sleep as being mandatory.

3) You like to try new “Diets”

I have already said in previous posts why I don’t like to “Diet”, but I will briefly say it again here. “Diets” tend to be short term! Make your healthy eating habits a Life style change, and you will see lasting results, which is what you want anyways? No one wants to just gain it all back again and again…so don’t! Lose it and keep it off for good.

4) You think having the occasional treat doesn’t really add up

This one almost makes me laugh, but it’s a reality check for most of us. Just one Oreo cookie is about 60 calories.

And let’s be honest…who only has one Oreo cookie? In my not-so-healthy days, I remember easily eating 10 Oreo cookies (or more), which is half of my daily calorie count. What’s worst is that I find myself still craving more cookies, and I am still hungry!

Check the calories. If your little treat is high in calories and you won’t be able to stop at just one, move on. Find something that will satisfy your hunger. A great alternative is finding a Fruit or veggie that you love and won’t resent when it becomes snack time.

5) You think you are “Naturally this Big” or “Big Boned”

That’s what happened to me too. I thought I was naturally a size 10 or 12. According to all the “medical” and “scientific” charts out there that tell you what your healthy weight range is for your age and height, I was supposed to be around 170 pounds. I don’t know who made up that bull, but if I were 170 pounds, I would not be close to healthy unless I was some body builder. As we all know, most of us aren’t body builders, so I consider those little “healthy weight charts” a piece of trash.

Once I started to get my act together and start taking my health more seriously, and listening to my body’s needs, I got down to 130 pounds and fit nicely into my size 2 jeans. Find your true healthy weight.

6) You think Skinny people don’t need to exercise

This one gets me every time. I hate how I will mention that I went to the gym and someone has to make the statement “You’re skinny, you don’t need to go to the gym”. Yes, someone really did say that to me, and No, I did not listen to them!

Just because you are Skinny, doesn’t mean you are privileged and somehow don’t need to exercise. I don’t care what size you are – Skinny or Overweight, you can benefit from exercising on a regular basis, and quite frankly, your body needs it.

For those who think Skinny people don’t need to exercise: How do you think thin people got to be thin in the first place? The answer is that the thin people exercise and eat healthy regularly. I didn’t become a size 2 by accident and neither did they.

7) You are (still!) skipping Breakfast

Ok, so this one I still don’t get. We have all been told how Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and people are still skipping it! It may be for many reasons. You are “too busy”. Not a good enough excuse people! I wake up at 4:00 AM to go work out, make a healthy breakfast and lunch, work for 8 hours or more, make dinner, clean up, work some more, etc.

We all live a crazy and busy schedule. That’s life, and I get that. But there just isn’t an excuse anymore for skipping breakfast.

Be sure to eat something healthy – anything with processed sugar should be completely avoided.

8) You think you will reach your Goal Weight in 30 days or less

Guess what? You didn’t gain your weight overnight, and you won’t lose it all overnight either! Just because you aren’t seeing huge results your first month, doesn’t mean you should give up and say exercising and eating healthy doesn’t work. Just like you were consistently unhealthy and gained weight, you now need to work on consistently being healthy and exercising.

You will eventually lose the weight, and before you know it, you will be able to fit back into those skinny jeans!

9) You drink Energy Drinks and Sodas that are “0 Calorie” and think it’s a Healthy choice

Zero calories do not mean that the drink is Healthy. Energy Drinks and Sodas with Zero calories are another marketing tool to make these drinks seem “healthier” or “not as bad” for you. Reality is this: Energy Drinks and Sodas have zero nutrition, and there is absolutely nothing good in there for you. Nothing! Doesn’t matter if it has 300 or no calories, it’s just not good for you, regardless of the number of calories it says on the back. Your best bet is to just drink water.

10) You keep saying you are “Fat”

The way you feel about yourself plays a huge role in whether or not you will succeed with your weight loss and overall health goals. Ever heard of the popular Movie “The Secret”? Well, the Law of Attraction is real. Your mind is very advanced and sophisticated, and if you keep telling yourself that you are “fat” and “overweight”, then your brain keeps telling you to do things that will keep you in that state of being.

Start thinking “healthy” and “thin”, and your brain will start programming your thoughts and actions to lead you to a lifestyle that will help you become healthier.

It’s not all about wishful thinking, because action is involved. You need to do your part. Bottom line: Believe you will succeed and continue to exercise and eat healthy. Know that you will get there!

Good luck with your Health goals!

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Tags: Artificial, Artificial Sweeteners, big, big boned, Breakfast, cravings, diet, energy drinks, exercise, fat, fat free, goal weight, health goals, Healthy, healthy breakfast, healthy choice, high calories, junk food, Law of Attraction, Lose Weight, marketing scams, muscle, Nutrition, oreo, oreo cookies, over weight, rest, size 2, Skinny, sleep, soda, sugar free, The Secret, thin, treat, Twinkie, work out, zero calories

What motivates Twinkie…

I like clothes. I like to shop for clothes. So naturally, when I wanted to lose weight, I gave myself a shopping trip as my reward for when I reached my goal. I put money aside each month for my shopping trip, which I couldn’t touch until I reached my goal size/weight. So on Saturday afternoons when I wanted to go out for a shopping trip, I didn’t. It is what pushed me to be able to stick with eating healthy and exercising. Trust me, I stuck to it! If you want something bad enough…you will make it happen. And trust me, shopping for clothes in my new size was well worth the wait.

What motivates you to stay eating healthy and exercising? I would love to hear from any additional ideas you have!

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Tags: Blog, Diary, exercise, Fitness, goal size, goal weight, Healthy, idea, Lose Weight, motivates, motivational, natural, Perfect, shopping, Skinny, Twinkie, Weight Loss

Fitness joy for Twinkie

Believe it or not, I wasn’t always a fan of exercising….

When I thought of exercising I just thought of sweating, lifting weights, and trying to catch my breath. It has taken me years,  but I have come to love working out.

I think the trick is just finding something that you love, and it becomes easy to stick with it. I started out with Dance. Dance worked for me because I love music, and it was just so much fun to move with the music. I could dance for hours on end, and I have before.

If you are in an exercise routine that you absolutely hate, try to find an alternative that still gives you the same benefits. Again, if you actually enjoy what you are doing, you will make the time to make it happen, won’t make excuses on why you can’t keep it up, etc. You want to be happy with what you are doing with your time, exercising included.

So what is an exercise that you love to do?

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Twinkie’s Favorites

New to health food? Maybe you are starting to get sick of eating the same healthy food all the time because you don’t know what else is out there?

I like to try new things. When it comes to food, I get bored easily. I just can’t seem to eat the same thing over and over again. So, as I am grocery shopping (something I just love to do), I take my time looking at what products are out there. I come home with new things all the time to just try it out, and hopefully find something new my husband and I will both love. Some things I have brought home haven’t been so successful. I have thrown away some food because of this (not something I am proud of), but I am hoping by posting about some of the more successful finds, it will help you find something you too will enjoy.

Don’t be scared to trying new things…you never know what you will discover.

Bon Appetit!

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Nutrition Counts in Calorie Counting

Nutrition. So many words and thoughts come to mind…

I started eating extremely healthy and began exercising on a regular basis, but I wasn’t losing any weight. Turns out, I was consuming quite a bit of calories, and If it weren’t for my daily exercise routine, I probably would have been gaining weight! Yes, gaining weight on carrots and apples. Ok, not just on carrots and apples, but I think you get my point. What I have come to find is, our bodies are like a math problem. We can figure out how many calories you need each day living your life and maintain your current weight. You can also figure out by simple math how to lose or gain weight.

If you want to lose a pound of fat, you need to either burn 3,500 extra calories or eat 3,500 calories less, or a combination of the two. Combination of the two is preferred (and I think it’s easier!). For example, If you just wanted to lose 1 pound a week, you could burn 300 calories a day by doing some cardio, and then consuming 200 calories less than you normally eat.

It might be a good idea to count calories until you get the hang of what you should be eating. It might surprise you how much calories you are consuming each day, and even more of a surprise to find out how many servings you are eating!

With calorie counting, you might think you can eat whatever you want. Technically, you can, but it’s not recommended. I remember eating something unhealthy like a candy bar, and since I was counting calories and staying within my daily “budget”, I thought I was OK. Problem is, I was hungry. Very hungry and miserable, and that can’t be good for anyone who is trying to stay within a certain amount of calories. Candy can only satisfy you momentarily. Real food is what is going to give you energy, make you feel good, and keep you going throughout the entire day.

As far as calories go, you do not want to consume less than 1,000 calories in a day. Talk to your doctor or a professional nutritionist to find out how many calories you are supposed to consume. Typically, you don’t want to lose more than 2 pounds in a week. Losing 2 pounds in a week is a lot, maybe even more than you think. Be patient, and realize if you start losing more than 2 pounds a week, it could be muscle. This isn’t a good thing, since muscle is what is helping your body lost fat in the first place. Again, consult a Doctor or Nutritionist before you start any diet/exercise plan.

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