We breathe by nature. We don't have to think about it.
What would happen if we didn't breathe?
Of course, if we could hold our breath long enough we would die. But long before that we would be building up the supply of carbon dioxide in our system. Carbon dioxide is the waste product we exhale.
Carbon dioxide is also the chemical the food industry uses to put the "POP" into our soda--the bubbles.
Just another reason to forgo soda...why do we drink something that is going to put more waste product into our body. That's kind of like eating...well a special ingredient that was featured in a recent, popular book and movie!
Wikipedia has more information about carbon dioxide and how it works in our body, and how it is used in products today.
Seriously, soda just adds chemicals, sugar and gas to our system...and many have caffeine on top of that. All of this does lead to more cravings (the sugar-free kind is shown to make us want more sweets and to become accustomed to sweeter foods.)
I'm not saying it is easy! I think I am actually fortunate that I am allergic to Aspartame...that really helped me to kick the diet soda habit. Since I knew I didn't want to be drinking all that sugar I switched to water (okay, and coffee!) years back.
I still love my coffee and I have a soda once in a blue moon...but mostly I drink lots, and lots, of water! I attribute much of my weight loss success to this healthy habit.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
For Weight Loss Success Ditch the Soda
I’ve written about this before, but a lot of people don’t believe me that a key to weight loss success is to stop drinking diet soda.
No, I’m not telling you to load up on the sugary stuff--it isn’t good for you either:
Read more: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/3-shocking-soda-facts
Don’t switch to diet soda—there are plenty of studies that show the artificial sweeteners are even worse!
Of course, moderation is the best course. If the thought of going without a soda entirely is going to send you on a binge, then allow yourself a little now and then.
For your weight loss success (and overall health) stop drinking soda (or at least start weaning yourself off) and you can easily drop weight—or you can eat more, either way, you win!
No, I’m not telling you to load up on the sugary stuff--it isn’t good for you either:
- Drinking soda is shown to increase the amount of fat on your organs, which is a bigger threat to your health than the fat on your hips.
- Sodas (and some sports drinks) contain lots of chemicals that can cause nerve disorders, memory loss and skin problems.
- Sodas contain GMO ingredients—high-fructose corn syrup is bad for our health for many reasons, but there are unknown risks that we face when we drink it (most sodas are sweetened with this man-made poison.) GMOs are a new addition to our diet, only appearing in the 1990s, and the long-term effects are still unknown, but recent studies are suggesting they may contribute to disease, premature aging, and infertility.
Read more: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/3-shocking-soda-facts
Don’t switch to diet soda—there are plenty of studies that show the artificial sweeteners are even worse!
Of course, moderation is the best course. If the thought of going without a soda entirely is going to send you on a binge, then allow yourself a little now and then.
For your weight loss success (and overall health) stop drinking soda (or at least start weaning yourself off) and you can easily drop weight—or you can eat more, either way, you win!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Weight Loss Success Despite No to Workout (or Desire to!)
Some days on my weight loss success journey are harder than others. And sometimes the idea of working out exhausts me. When that happens, I ask myself a question before moving on.
Could this "exhaustion" be mental or emotional rather than physical? If I wasn't exhausted before the idea of a workout then the answer is almost always "YES!"
Rather than appealing to my intellect with all kinds of facts about how exercise will actually energize me, or if I want to be healthy I have to move my body (all true), I fight fire with fire--I go for an emotional response.
No, I don't yell or cry, cajole or beg, but I apply my '1 jumping jack approach.' Somedays, it is literally,
This morning part of me wanted to do my 15 minute routine, but another part of me clearly did not. 3 minutes in and that part was ready to quit. So I told myself "1 more set, then if you really want to stop, you can." Suddenly, I was at 10 minutes, so I said, "awesome! 2/3 of the way there, you can do 5 more minutes!" And I did. :-)
This journey to health and permanent weight loss success is not a straight line. Sometimes we have to learn how to maneuver our hearts and minds, as well as our bodies, along the path.
Could this "exhaustion" be mental or emotional rather than physical? If I wasn't exhausted before the idea of a workout then the answer is almost always "YES!"
Rather than appealing to my intellect with all kinds of facts about how exercise will actually energize me, or if I want to be healthy I have to move my body (all true), I fight fire with fire--I go for an emotional response.
No, I don't yell or cry, cajole or beg, but I apply my '1 jumping jack approach.' Somedays, it is literally,
"OK, so just do 1 and if you are still exhausted you can quit"...and somedays I repeat "and 1 more...and 1 more...and 1 more" until I have completed a good healthy workout!
This morning part of me wanted to do my 15 minute routine, but another part of me clearly did not. 3 minutes in and that part was ready to quit. So I told myself "1 more set, then if you really want to stop, you can." Suddenly, I was at 10 minutes, so I said, "awesome! 2/3 of the way there, you can do 5 more minutes!" And I did. :-)
This journey to health and permanent weight loss success is not a straight line. Sometimes we have to learn how to maneuver our hearts and minds, as well as our bodies, along the path.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Time Flies is Weight Loss Success Challenge
The fact that time can go whizzing by, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, etc by etc, is a huge challenge for us when we are trying to have weight loss success.
As an example I found myself noting: Gosh, it has already been a week since my last post, where on earth does the time go?
The same could be said about not having eaten in hours and therefore I am ravenous...which leads to making unhealthy food choices.
Time flying by is also a good reason to make an appointment with yourself to move your body first thing in the morning--then the moving you do during the day is a bonus!
Of course it is also important to move throughout the day...studies show that sitting all day not only makes us fatter, but can lead to all sorts of diseases, including cancer. And they are not talking about cancer of the buttocks, as appropriate as that might be.
What are your health-wise time saving tricks? I'd love to hear them and promise I'll pass them on--giving you full credit, of course!
Let's all commit to taking control of our lives and our time in order to achieve the weight loss success we all deserve!
As an example I found myself noting: Gosh, it has already been a week since my last post, where on earth does the time go?
The same could be said about not having eaten in hours and therefore I am ravenous...which leads to making unhealthy food choices.
Time flying by is also a good reason to make an appointment with yourself to move your body first thing in the morning--then the moving you do during the day is a bonus!
Of course it is also important to move throughout the day...studies show that sitting all day not only makes us fatter, but can lead to all sorts of diseases, including cancer. And they are not talking about cancer of the buttocks, as appropriate as that might be.
What are your health-wise time saving tricks? I'd love to hear them and promise I'll pass them on--giving you full credit, of course!
Let's all commit to taking control of our lives and our time in order to achieve the weight loss success we all deserve!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Weight Loss Success Tip: Do a Little Dance
The most important thing to remember about moving our bodies for our weight loss success is to have fun! I've been playing in the pool this week and a friend of mine was so excited because she got a workout in by dancing around the house!
What you do is not nearly as important as just doing something. Do something you enjoy. It can be the same thing every day or it can be different.
One of the reasons dancing works so well for weight loss success is that you can vary it so easily! Just change the music and you tend to move differently. So enjoy lots of different songs--long and short.
Get down tonight!
What you do is not nearly as important as just doing something. Do something you enjoy. It can be the same thing every day or it can be different.
One of the reasons dancing works so well for weight loss success is that you can vary it so easily! Just change the music and you tend to move differently. So enjoy lots of different songs--long and short.
Get down tonight!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
True Weight Loss Success Goal is NOT to Lose Weight
I know it sounds like I am quite confused, because I know that all of us on the weight loss journey want to lose weight, or keep off the weight we have already lost. So how can I say that true weight loss success goal is NOT to lose weight?
The best measure of weight loss success is not the weekly or monthly results of pounds lost, therefore it stands to reason that those pounds should not be the goal either.
The best measure of our success is our long-term results. Yes, that does include the pounds of fat that we dropped on the side of the road during the journey, but it goes so much further than that.
While we are shedding fat we also want to be increasing our muscle and improving our lung capacity. A toned, energetic, healthy body is the best measure (and goal) of weight loss success.
Don’t focus so hard on losing pounds…they are too easily found again! Put your attention on the true weight loss success goals—improved health, increased mobility, better flexibility, increased strength, greater endurance, feeling better physically and emotionally, added energy, increased confidence, and an appreciation for your own worth.
Easy.
Because it is not.
At least not entirely.
Because it is not.
At least not entirely.
The best measure of weight loss success is not the weekly or monthly results of pounds lost, therefore it stands to reason that those pounds should not be the goal either.
The best measure of our success is our long-term results. Yes, that does include the pounds of fat that we dropped on the side of the road during the journey, but it goes so much further than that.
While we are shedding fat we also want to be increasing our muscle and improving our lung capacity. A toned, energetic, healthy body is the best measure (and goal) of weight loss success.
Don’t focus so hard on losing pounds…they are too easily found again! Put your attention on the true weight loss success goals—improved health, increased mobility, better flexibility, increased strength, greater endurance, feeling better physically and emotionally, added energy, increased confidence, and an appreciation for your own worth.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Weight Loss Success Resolutions for 2012
Resolutions are not really my thing. They remind me too much of diets--which are definitely not my thing! That being said, so many people believe in resolutions and that the best thing to drop unwanted pounds is to write resolutions for weight loss success I decided to give it a go.
I actually made 12 weight loss success resolutions. Seems like an appropriate number for 2012. I know that by following these resolutions my health will be better.
I divided my resolutions into 3 categories with the most important category being having the right mindset for weight loss, followed by resolutions for moving my body in order to have weight loss success and finally (and arguably least important) resolutions about what goes into my mouth.
But don't look for a list of specific exercises I will do, or a list of foods I will eat, or a list of foods to avoid. All of my resolutions deal with attitude, because I know that my positive attitude is much more important for my weight loss success than following a litany of rules and regulations about how much/when/where I will exercise or eat.
If you want to read the full resolutions, you can hop over to my main site RefuseToDiet.com.
I'd love to hear about your weight loss success resolutions--or if you didn't make any resolutions I'd love to hear what your thoughts are about them and how your weight loss journey is going!
To a healthy, happy New Year!
I actually made 12 weight loss success resolutions. Seems like an appropriate number for 2012. I know that by following these resolutions my health will be better.
I divided my resolutions into 3 categories with the most important category being having the right mindset for weight loss, followed by resolutions for moving my body in order to have weight loss success and finally (and arguably least important) resolutions about what goes into my mouth.
But don't look for a list of specific exercises I will do, or a list of foods I will eat, or a list of foods to avoid. All of my resolutions deal with attitude, because I know that my positive attitude is much more important for my weight loss success than following a litany of rules and regulations about how much/when/where I will exercise or eat.
If you want to read the full resolutions, you can hop over to my main site RefuseToDiet.com.
I'd love to hear about your weight loss success resolutions--or if you didn't make any resolutions I'd love to hear what your thoughts are about them and how your weight loss journey is going!
To a healthy, happy New Year!
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