Pregnant Pause

Hi everyone.

I just wanted to take this time to thank everyone who follows this blog and checks for updates regularly.  It's what keeps me inspired to keep writing.

I want to let everyone know that this blog is going to be updated a little less frequently for the next month or so.

In an effort to get my book launched by July 1st (which is already way past my original deadline!), I need to put my full time effort into the editing of my book, plus finishing up my second one.  Yes, I'm writing two books!  The first one is DONE and currently being edited, and the second one is almost complete.

I am very excited as I have never taken on a project like this before.  The 2 books are going to be sold as a package item.  Basically, buy one and get the bonus book free.  They both contain really good stuff and I am getting a very good response from my editors so far.

So, I will still be posting new updates on this blog, but they will be to the tune of one per week as opposed to one every 2 days or so as I was doing before.

Of course, after my website is set up and the books are launched, I'll be back to posting regularly on this blog.

Thanks for understanding and keep working at being healthy!

What Is The Most Effective Workout?

What do you think the most effective workout is for losing weight?

Weight lifting?
Cardio?
Yoga?
Pilates?
P90X?
Running?
Swimming?
Treadmill?
Elliptical?

The possibilities are endless when it comes to working out.  There are hundreds of things you could do and even more combinations.  But if you are trying to lose weight, which is the most effective?

The answer is quite simple.

I'm sure you've read plenty of books/articles/newsletters of people saying which exercises are the most effective.  Well, I've got news for you.  All those people just give their "thoughts" on it because they want you to buy something from them.  They guy selling you weight lifting tips is going to tell you that cardio workouts are ineffective.  The gal promoting her yoga studio is going to say that running on a treadmill is a waste of time.  The man promoting P90X is going to tell you that doing the same thing over and over again isn't getting you results.

Are these people right?  Or are they wrong?

Well, the answer is BOTH!

Confused?  Yeah, I thought so.

Here's why.  Most of the time, when people are measuring the effect of a workout, they measure things like the number of calories burned during that workout.  So, in that sense, something like P90X would be much more effective than, say, running on a treadmill.

But what if you LOVE running on a treadmill?  What if doing P90X is TORTURE on you simply because you don't like it?  Which one would be more effective then?  Do you see what I am getting at?

I don't care what anyone says, THE most effective workout is the one you like the best!  Plain and simple.  Yes, I believe that you should change up your physical activities every now and then, but the most effective exercise is the one that you like and will do long term.

Remember, weight loss should be slow and steady IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT OFF!  Isn't that really what the goal is?  Dropping 10 pounds in one week sounds extremely enticing because, as humans, we don't have patience anymore.  But what's the point if you're going to gain back almost DOUBLE the weight in a month?  Doesn't make much sense, huh?

So, aside from what you may have been told previously, I recommend taking the kind of physical activity you like best, and then expanding on that to get some variety in there.  You want to lose weight once, right?  Not again and again and again for the rest of your life.

Do whatever you need to do to stay active at least 4 times a week.  If that means simply jogging a few times around a track because you LIKE it, so be it.  If it means 30 minutes on an elliptical machine because you LIKE it, so be it.  If it means working out alongside your favorite pilates DVD becaue you LIKE it, all the power to you.  And if it means an hour in the gym lifting weights because it makes you FEEL GOOD, go for it!

Have fun working out!

You Are An Efficient Machine

Your body is an extremely efficient machine.  I was in med school, so I know this far beyond a doubt.  At any given second, your body is doing hundreds of different things at once.  Your heart is pumping, muscles are moving, cells are recycling, food is being digested, and your liver and brain can do 500 different tasks, each!  Your body is a far more efficient machine than anything humans could create.  Your brain is a thousand times more efficient than the most efficient computer made.  As a matter of fact, your body is so darn efficient, that it is unfortunately what is keeping you over weight.

Think about it.  The main purpose of food is to provide us with energy.  Energy that will keep us concsious, alert, alive and able to reproduce so that our species can thrive.  As humans, we have quantified that energy that is in food and labeled it "calories".  Yes, the word "calorie" is completely arbitrary and it refers to the amount of energy that is released when our bodies digest food.  So, many years ago, some scientist used some substance as a set point (probably water), and recorded the amount of energy it releases as 1.  Every other substance thereafter is compared to this set point and then given a number based on whether it releases more or less energy.  Still with me?  I hope so.  If you're confused, don't be.  I only described this hypothetical situation to illustrate that the word "calorie" is an arbitrary term.  We just have to give labels and quantify things because that makes it easier for us to comprehend stuff.

Anyway, your body sees energy as very valuable.  Again, it's what keeps you alert and reactive to stimuli.  If you consume more "energy" than you burn off on a regular basis, you begin to notice a weight gain.  Why?  Because your body can not bear the thought of wasting that valuable energy!  What if the energy stops or is taken away?  Your body needs to have a back-up plan in case there is some sort of catastrophe.  Remember, efficient machines waste very little of their resources.  Fat is stored energy!  It is stored calories!  Does that make sense?  Junk food and fatty foods have huge numbers of calories.  If you go to a restaurant, you could easily consume 2000 calories in that one sitting alone.  That is much more "energy" than your body can obviously use at that time, so it stores it and saves it for later.  It's that simple.

I'll let you in on a little secret (a sneak peek at what I talk about in my book).  One of the quickest ways to gain weight is to skip meals!  Especially breakfast.  Yes, it's true and I see it time and time again with the people I am surrounded with.  Whether they are too lazy to eat or are trying to lose weight, everyone seems to love to skip meals.  PURPOSELY SKIPPING MEALS IN AN EFFORT TO LOSE WEIGHT IS BACKWARDS THINKING!  I'll tell you why.  Our minds have evolved much faster than our brains.  When I say "mind", I'm referring to the parts of the brain that think and make decisions.  When I say "brain" I am referring specifically to the parts of the brain responsible for biological processes only.  So, yes, it is logical to think that if you skip meals, thus eating less food, that you will lose weight.  However, it is wrong to do so because when you skip a meal, and then become hungry, or even "starving", your brain sees this as a terrible thing.  Your primitive brain does not know that you are purposely doing this.  All it knows is that there is a "scarcity" of food or some kind of famine of sorts.  So, it induces in you a craving for a high energy meal.  It needs a high energy meal so that it can store that energy so that if you go starving again, you have energy reserves with which to pull from to stay alive and not die.  Your brain is only concerned with keeping you alive.  That is it's number one function.

Think about this for a second.  When you are starving, do you go and reach for some carrot sticks or a salad or an apple?  NO!  Those items do not contain enough "energy" to satisfy the needs of a starving person.  You most likely stop at a fast food restaurant because you're so hungry you don't have the patience to go home and prepare something on your own.  Therefore, you eat something like a burger and fries and a soft drink, and then some ice cream.  Then, your brain goes to work, signaling your body to hold on to every last one of the calories you just ate.  Now, you are on your way to a marvelous weight gain.  The next day, you may feel guilty about eating that mess of a meal the night before, so you refrain from eating all day again telling yourself, "Today, I'm really only going to eat one meal, and it's going to be a healthy one".  And the cycle repeats.

There's just one problem.  When your primitive brain takes over, you are NO LONGER IN CONTROL!  When that primitive brain of yours sends out the signal to get a lot of calories and fast, you cannot resist! You can't do it.  If you try, the brain just amplifies the pain receptors in your stomach (and you know how that feels) and your stomach even starts screaming at you!

why the eating 5-6 times a day really works, you may be more inspired to make some changes.

Just know that when you notice yourself gaining weight or staying overweight, it's a sign that you need to re-train your mind into a new way of thinking.  The concious mind is very flawed and makes mistakes quite often.  The primitive brain never

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If I Paid You $1 Million..........

......to eat the right foods and exercise 30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week, for 6 months, would you do it?

This is a rhetorical question, obviously.  Who wouldn't do that?

So many people continue to eat crappy foods and put themselves at risk for life-long, incurable diseases.  So my next question to you is:

Isn't the healthy, slim and sexy body you've always wanted worth eating the right foods, exercising 30 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week?

Why not make some changes?  If you're smart, you can make some relatively small changes and see some BIG results!  It isn't as hard as you might think.  Continuing to follow this blog can certainly help.  When my book is done, that will be a huge help, I promise.

Isn't cutting back on the foods that are making you fat or unhealthy (although they may taste wonderful) worth looking like and feeling like A MILLION BUCKS?

Clear The Clutter

It is an absolute truth that in order to lose weight and to stay relatively in shape, you must exercise regularly.  Our bodies were designed to be active from the time we were created.  The good news is that it isn't necessary to train like a professional athlete or an Olympian.  Thirty minutes a day is all that is needed to get your heart pumping enough and to grow more blood vessels that will better deliver oxygen to all the cells of your body, leaving you feeling great.  Thirty minutes.  You can find 30 minutes somewhere in your day to do something, so I don't want to hear the excuses.  You don't need to go to a gym.  Thirty minutes of any physical activity is better than nothing.

Now that I've beaten that dead horse enough, on to the topic of this post: clearing the clutter.  One of the most pertinent obstacles that we humans have to overcome is procrastination.  I have no clue why this is such an issue for us, but it is.  Whether you're in school, at work, or just need to get things done in life in general, procrastination seems to always hold you back.  And it gets backed up.  Procrastinating in one area can lead to procrastination in other areas.  Actually, now that I think about it, maybe procrastination has to do with a lack of inspiration.  Maybe someone who is looking for motivation has to deal with the burden of procrastination.  I don't think that someone inspired to do something would have a problem just doing it.

So, what am I getting at?  Well, to put it directly: Clean Your House!  Why?  Because a cluttered house leads to a cluttered mind, which leads to a lack of energy, which leads to you sitting on the couch not doing anything active.  I have found that when my place is neat and organized, there is nothing to stop me from going to get my workout in.  Think about it.  If you come home from work, and the place is a mess, plus you have other errands looming over your head, the last thing on your mind is exercising.  You come home and think, "Gosh, I need to clean this place.  Oh, and I forgot I have to go to the grocery, get the oil changed in my car, return movies to blockbuster, etc., etc.".  You grab a snack and slump on the couch telling yourself you are too exhausted and you'll do it tomorrow.  The only problem is, you come home from work the next day, have the same conversation with yourself, and the cycle repeats, day in and day out.

The solution?  I suggest taking a day, and getting every single errand done that you possibly can.  It may seem a bit daunting, but the feeling afterwards is marvelous!  The reason I say try to do it all at once is simple.  If you're like me (and you may not be), if you do one thing and put other things off, they may stay put off for weeks to come.  For me, I just had do it all at once and be done with it.  Now, as things come up, I try to get them done right away so they don't build up and become a mental burden.  I've found it's a little hard to get started, but once I do, I'm in super cleaning mode and don't stop til it's finished.  The main thing is that you have to plan for it.  Literally pencil it into your day planner for a day when you have a few spare hours.  Now, I know this is harder to do for people who have kids, but I'm sure you can find a way.  If your house looks like the ones on that show "Hoarders", then you'll need a bit more inspiration than this blog can provide.

So, tidy up the house, get those items at the grocery, change the oil in your car, return the movies to blockbuster, buy your significant other a gift, and do whatever else can be done on this day.  Then, when you come home the next day with everything in order, you'll have such a burst of feel good energy that you'll need to run around the block a few times just to dispense it!  It really works.  And when you come back from the physical activity of your choice, you won't have this feeling of a million more things you have to do.  Your mind will be clear!

Focus On The Solution

The mind is a powerful thing and whatever you give your attention to, you will see in your life experience. Thoughts are things.  This is true about everything.  Your house, your car, your tv, a building, the Earth, even your children.  All of these things that exist in physical nature were thoughts in someone's mind before they were created.  You can't have something unless you think about what you want first, right?

You have to treat your new, slim and trim body like this as well.  View yourself not as it is, but as you want it to be.  You need to think of yourself as healthy, slim, trim, sexy, or whatever, even if you aren't that way now.  Viewing yourself in this way should provide some excitement, enthusiasm, hope and inspiration.  Then, the things that you do, the action that you take (eating right and exercising) will net you far better results than if you think otherwise.  See, most of us are great at identifying a problem, such as being overweight.  This usually motivates the majority of us into some sort of exercise routine or new diet.  The problem with that is that motivation is a negative mindset. (If you're new to the blog or need a refresher on what I'm talking about, click here).  Operating in a negative frame of mind never gets good results.  You can't continue to think about yourself in a negative way, and expect positive results.  You can't see yourself as fat, and expect to become thin.

One of the phrases repeated over and over again in the books by Jerry and Esther Hicks is "you get what you think about, whether you want it or not".  This is so true, and if you think about it a little bit, you will see as well.  So, the work to be done is to change your thoughts and focus only on that which you want.  "But, I always think about losing weight all the time and I'm not seeing any results", you might be saying to yourself.  But are you really?  Sure, you may want to lose weight, and you may think about it often.  But how many times is the word "but" part of your mental conversation?

"I want to lose weight but it's too hard."
"I want to be slimmer, but I don't have enough time to exercise."
"I want to be healthy but it's too hard."
"I really want to lose weight, but when it comes to exercise, I'm just too lazy!"

Does any of this sound even remotely familiar?  It should.  We're all guilty of it.  So, I'm here to tell you that you need to work on cutting out the second part of each of those sentences.  No ifs, ands, or buts (even though I only used "but" examples, you get the idea).  Now, its okay to identify and realize that you are, in fact, overweight or out of shape, but it has to stop there.  Once the problem is identified, you then put on your blinders and only focus on the solution.  Only focus on the end result.  Don't look back.  Then, you will see people, places, articles, concepts, foods, ideas, etc. come to you to help you with your goal of losing weight or getting in shape.  These things will come from places you could've never thought of in a million years.

This may be awkward to do at first.  To think of yourself as thin, when you can easily look in the mirror and see that your body is not the way you want it to be.  But just continue to imagine yourself the way you want to be.  One thing that may help is to take a piece of paper and make a list of every single positive aspect of yourself (mind, body, spirit) that you can think of, and then put this paper somewhere where you can easily reference it if you need a shot of inspiration.

Lots more where this came from.  Hope you liked it.

**The image in this post is from www.ineedmotivation.com (but we'll pretend it says www.ineedinspiration.com!)

Lady Loses 530 Pounds!!!

WITHOUT SURGERY OR RADICAL DIETS!  This is so good and I happened to be home to see it just at the right time!  Today, Good Morning America profiled Nancy Makin who, over the past few years, has lost over 500 lbs and kept it off.  How she did it PERFECTLY illustrates the concept of the philosophy that I believe in and will be sharing frequently on this blog.  That philosophy is Law of Attraction based.

One of the quotes that Makin said on the show was, "Food is not the enemy, it is the misuse of food".  That statement is the crux of my book and my beliefs about obesity.  You've seen me refer to it in past posts about people overeating or overindulging in the wrong foods.  It's absolutely true.  Makin lost her weight over a period of several years, and that is important to note.  Too many of us are too impatient, and because of that, go about things the wrong way.  As I discuss in detail in my book, you need to lose weight at a slow and steady pace if you want to keep it off.  There is a very prominent physiological reason for this!  But don't take it from me.  Take it from a lady who lost a quarter ton!

The way that Makin said she lost her weight was by developing relationships online, and getting happy first.  That is critical!  It really is the Law of Attraction in action.  It would be way too long to go into detail here, but I have several posts lined up that will explain what this means.  I think it will totally change the way you look at things and possibly introduce you to concepts that you've never heard.

The basic premise is that you get whatever it is that you are giving your attention to.  The fact that I even saw this story is an example in and of itself.  I haven't seen Good Morning America in years.  I am usually at work by 6 am.  On my days off, I sleep in way past the time that Good Morning America comes on.  What are the chances that on the day they ran this story, I happened to be off work and woke up naturally in time to see it?  The chances are really slim.  But it wasn't a coincidence.  The universe brought it to me because my thoughts were similar.  Ever since I started this blog and started writing my book and doing research on it, diet and weight loss is on my mind a lot, and so diet and weight loss related things seem to move into my experience more frequently.  In fact, several of my posts have been quick, pop-up posts where I was going to write about something else, but I came across something that I wanted to share immediately.  It sure takes the work out of having to come up with ideas all the time.

Anyway, click here if you want to read her story.  She credits her weight loss success to making friends online where she had a support group and felt inspired.  Because she was inspired, the action that she took (eating right) netted her far better results than if she were to do the exact same thing while feeling sad or depressed.  That's what I want to achieve for people with this blog, because everyone deserves to feel good!  If this story isn't inspiring, then I don't know what is!

Are You Motivated or Inspired?

Eating right and physical activity are 2 things that are absolutely essential to your health.  You know that.  By the way, you'll always hear me using the term "physical activity" as opposed to "exercise" or "work out" because I think the latter two phrases are associated with the gym, long, grueling routines, etc, and none of that is required to have the body you want.  Physical activity can be anything from jogging to playing basketball to yoga to swimming.  I like going to the gym, but we're all different.  The point is to burn some extra calories and get your heart pumping a bit.  However, I believe that eating right and physical activity are really only about 14% of the effort to be healthy and fit.  There is a much larger phenomenon that can be put to use to achieve your wellness goals, and it has to do with your mind.

Over the course of this blog, in addition to all of the biological and physiological info I'll be sharing, I hope to share many techniques that I have come to know to help you "think" better.  I'll start with motivation and inspiration.  What is the difference?

Well, you can see from the name of this blog which one I think is the better path to wellness.  The information I am about to share I came across by reading books by Jerry and Esther Hicks.  Their philosophy is based on the Law of Attraction which basically states "that which is like unto itself, is drawn".  Simple.  Thoughts or things that are alike, attract one another.  Birds of a feather flock together.  You get the idea.

So why should you be inspired as opposed to motivated?  Well, you may not know it because you probably never thought about it, but motivation is actually a negative mindset.  When you are motivated to do something, you are operating from a feeling of lack.  A lack of something you want.  Think about that for a second.  If you have a huge project at work that you don't want to do, you usually try to motivate yourself to do it because you would rather be at the beach.  If you want to lose weight and are frustrated at not seeing results, you usually try to motivate yourself to go to the gym because you want a better body.  However, if you are operating from the negative frame of mind, you can do all the exercises in the world, eat all the right foods and do everything you've been told to do, but you will see very little result.  In other words, you can't feel fat and attract thin.  You can't feel sick and attract health. You can't think negative thoughts and attract positive results.

On the other hand, if you are inspired, then you are operating in a positive frame of mind.  When you are inspired, you have a goal, you want it and you expect it, and there are no thoughts in your mind telling you that you can't have it.  If you want to be a singer, you are inspired into action every time you see your idol.  If you come into contact with someone who is wildly successful, the mere thought of having that success too can really inspire you.  When you are inspired into action, you will see a much larger result than if you were motivated into action, according to the philosophy of Jerry and Esther Hicks.

You're work is to get inspired by changing the way you think.  This blog will include ways to do that, hopefully.  I've recently tried a few techniques and I can honestly say I have seen some pretty amazing results.  I try not to make by posts too long because I know you are busy, so other posts that continue the train of thought on this one will come later.  Besides, isn't a good writer supposed to leave his audience wanting more?  Evil, I know!

Anyway, this post serves to ignite the fire underneath your willpower to get the body you want and feel great.  Like everything else, it's easier said than done.  Hey, I'm no expert yet.  There are still many goals I am working towards, and I have my blinders on.  The point is that you can't think of something you want, but then also think of reasons why you can't or don't have it.  The problem is that it's so damn easy for those negative thoughts to get into your mind!

You've obviously been thinking about losing weight or getting healthy which attracted you to this blog.  In the meantime, swing by www.abraham-hicks.com to check out Jerry and Esther's website.  They have a lot of positive quotes and good info there.