Weight Loss Challenge: Lack of Sleep

Sleep is an important component to our having healthy bodies. We all know that. We realize that we function better when we have had ample sleep, when we don't feel the need to pump our bodies full of sugar and caffeine just to keep our eyelids open. But did you know that lack of sleep is a big challenge to our weight loss success?

Researchers are pretty much convinced that the facts that we are getting less sleep and weighing more are related and not merely coincidence. According to a study reported in 2008 there are direct associations between sleep loss and an increased risk of both obesity and diabetes.

Maybe sleeping in isn't such a bad thing after all!

Whether your lack of sleep is because you are trying to fit more into a day that doesn't get any longer (I used to say if I could just give up eating & sleeping maybe I could get it all done--ha!) or you have a sleep disorder like insomnia or sleep apnea, or maybe because you wake up a lot because you are peri-menopausal your body is not getting the restorative benefits it needs from sleep. Notice the word "rest" within "restorative"...while we sleep our body rests and allows it to maintain health and wellness and to heal itself.

Sleep apnea is one of the major causes of lack of sleep. As women, we are more apt to experience sleep apnea after menopause. Interestingly that is also a time when many women gain weight. Sleep apnea appears to be much more widespread than anyone previously thought--many people with the disorder actually are undiagnosed.

Changing your sleep pattern by staying up late or getting up early affects your natural circadian rhythm. Our hormones rise and fall in rhythms throughout the day and night and key hormones Melatonin, cortisol and testosterone are time-based. By shifting our schedules we interrupt our natural hormone balance and that can cause weight gain.

Tomorrow I'll go into more about how lack of sleep negatively impacts our blood sugar and can make us hungrier!

Until then, have a great day and get a good night's sleep!

Natinal Nutrition Month: Healthy Drink Choices for Weight Loss Success

In honor of National Nutrition Month, yesterday we talked about ways to drop 15 pounds in a year by cutting empty calories out of our diet pretty painlessly.

You may be wondering what you should drink instead that won't be filled with those empty calories.

I've said it before, but the absolute best thing to drink is good, clean, pure water. It is truly the only liquid the human body needs (as opposed to what we want!) We can live quite a long time without food...it turns out most of us could actually live for a couple of weeks without food--even though we sometimes feel like we are going to die without it after just a few hours. But water? Although there are reports of some people living through earthquakes and such and surviving for a week without water, most people will die after just 3 days without water.

I filter my water, which saves me money over buying bottled water and I don't use a lot of plastic bottles that way either. If you still can't drink enough water, add just a splash of 100% fruit juice to your glass of water. I start my day with lemon juice in water...I love the taste and find it refreshing and energizing. Keep in mind that all fruit juice (even 100% juice) contains sugars. Choosing 100% fruit juice ensures that there is no ADDED sugar, but fruit itself has natural sugar in the form of fructose. This is easier for your body to absorb, but if you want to lose weight successfully you want to be aware of all the sugars you are ingesting. Have most of the fruit you take in be in the form of food...so you also get all the fiber (which helps you feel full) and other good stuff that fruits have to offer!

Tea is another good choice because it is mostly water. Your risk of having a heart attack may be reduced by as much as 11% if you drink 3 or more cups of tea every day. Green tea may be better for us than black, but the most important thing about drinking tea is to take it without sugar or milk, especially without milk. The beneficial element found in tea is called "catechins" (pronounced cat-ih-kins) and these are made less active when combined with the proteins found in milk.

And coffee (black) is not the evil thing that we had heard about in the past for most of us. In fact, a cup or two may also have some health benefits including reducing your chances of developing colon cancer, Parkinson's disease and type 2 diabetes.

If you are used to drinking soda, you may want to wean yourself away from it...especially if your drink choice has been loaded with caffeine. Otherwise you may suffer from withdrawal, including headaches, fatigue or the jitters. Replace one serving at a time with water to help flush out your system. Don't rely on diet drinks--they may not have calories but they have their own set of problems and can actually hinder successful weight loss!

Coffee: Love it or Leave it

I really, really, really like coffee. I mean, I love my coffee. I guess you could say I feel pretty strongly about coffee...

I had my first sips of coffee when I was just 2 years old. Drinking the drops left by adults visiting my parents made this laid-back kid just a bit (!) more hyper.

I didn't start a coffee habit at two, but I do believe the groundwork was probably laid back then.

My first espresso machine was purchased in the 1970s while I was in college. At one point I was literally quite addicted to coffee. I could have...no, it is more accurate to say I had to have...two large espressos (no little demi-tasse for me) before I went to sleep. Then in the morning two more to chase away the headache from lack of caffeine during the night.

I no longer drink such vast amounts of coffee. I have one cup...still, a very large one, not a "regular" mug...pretty much every morning. Occasionally I will have a second. As much as I love the flavor and the experience I know that my body doesn't react well if I have more than that so I resist the temptation to grab a third or fourth.

What has changed about my coffee habit is my consciousness--my mindset about coffee. I used to drink coffee all day long like it was water and as a fuel. Completely unconscious about the quantity I was consuming. It was a zero calorie drink...that was the excuse when I first started.

Of course that went out the window when I started adding milk to my coffee after a trip to Europe where I was exposed to cafe au lait, lattes and cappucinos.

The truth was I liked the flavor and I really liked the energy boost I got from the caffeine. I am still less than hyper and the jolt helped me feel more alive, more productive, more like everyone else in my family!

These days I savor my coffee much more. I don't just have coffee while I'm at my desk working. I enjoy the coffee in the morning. I may be reading...or watching a video...usually some positive affirmations or positive thinking...my personal development time. It is not so much about caffeine...I drink a blend that is very low in caffeine...I enjoy the taste, the feel of the coffee in my mouth and the smell as it reaches my nose just before the liquid touches my tongue.

Ahh.

I know that coffee may not be "the best thing" for me to drink, but my philosophy is that there are no forbidden foods. I know that if I deprive myself then I will tend to go overboard and binge down the road. So I choose to have these treats.

Coffee for me is a treat and a ritual...and a very conscious decision.

You may not like coffee...but there is probably something that you have been told you "shouldn't" have (even if you just told yourself that) but that you get a lot of pleasure out of.

Instead of making that off-limits, consider making it a very special part of your day. Or maybe it is a special once a week treat. Make it a celebration and savor every moment of it. Enjoy the tastes, the smells, the texture...as well as the experience. What steps do you take to prepare it? Incorporate those steps into the enjoyment process. visualize yourself enjoying the experience and allow yourself to anticipate it.

By elevating some simple pleasures in this way we give ourselves a more complete experience. We allow all of our senses to experience the event as well as the food or beverage. This enables us to be more fully satisfied with less than we would if just grabbed it by rote.

Bottom line, my suggestion is to love what you are drinking or eating. Savor it. Celebrate it. Or leave it alone!

Getting Cravings Under Control

I have found that since I've changed my habits and no longer routinely feed myself sugar, caffeine and refined carbs that my cravings have dropped--to practically zero!

Not that it necessarily happens over night! So if you are just starting your journey to improved health, over the next few days I'll give you some tips and tools that I've used in my success. Use one or all!

Today's Success Tip:

Make the decision that you are in control--and don't be afraid to ask for help!

I started losing weight when I made the CHOICE and decided that I could.

Even though I had struggled numerous times in the past, I decided in my heart that this time would be different and that I was willing to receive help from all sources to accomplish this goal.

This help can come from God/the Universe/Angels or it can come from doctors, or supportive friends, books...and even other bloggers!

Please feel free to contact me through this blog for support. I believe in positive thinking and action...and I know that seeing someone have success helps me to know that I can, too! Let my success give you that assurance!

Starting My Day

This morning I woke up to the most beautiful sunrise. Wow! It was the perfect complement to my morning lemon drink.

Part of the Mars Venus Wellness Solution is to start each morning with a glass of "Lemon Cleanse". I really enjoy it. I like the taste and I like how I feel when I drink it. It feels very light.

I used to be a huge coffee drinker. Hmmm. Well, actually I was pretty big, but what I meant to say is that I was an avid coffee drinker. Before I started John's program I used to drink pretty much a pot myself. There were times in my life where one pot would have been nothing!

Now I have coffee when I want it--as part of an experience as opposed to a habit. For example, it is Saturday morning...I'm going to enjoy a large mug of coffee this morning because I like the flavor of it. I like that I am in control of even my coffee intake! I no longer need that daily jolt of caffeine to get me going.

Coffee on the Road

I love coffee. I used to drink a lot of coffee. Now I drink it from time to time, so when I have coffee I want it to be really good.

I was at a conference a few days ago and having dinner with some colleagues. After dinner we were going to have coffee so I decided to order a cappuccino as a nice treat. This was in a resort so I thought it would be a good cup. Boy was I wrong!

Rather than drinking it I returned it. That may not sound like a big deal to you, but for me it truly was! In the past I might have finished the coffee (not wanting to make a scene or hurt anyone's feelings--how ridiculous is that????) or just let it go cold and not drink it but pay for it (even more ridiculous!) So I am proud of myself for returning the coffee, politely but firmly.

I have had some really good coffees while on the road--mostly from big chains like Saxby's and Starbucks. I was really disappointed that I had an opportunity to have a coffee from a place that was not a chain and it turned out to be so bad.

Oh well, there will be a chance for more really good coffee elsewhere!

The Importance of H20

Keeping hydrated is sometimes underrated. I happen to actually love drinking water, so it generally isn't a problem for me. However, I have talked to many people lately who say they don't "like" water, or they can't drink as much as is recommended, or they think drinking water will make them bloat so they stay thirsty, or they think drinking coffee and soda all day is the same as drinking water.

Starting from the back of the list, coffee and sodas are not water. They may be mostly water (or sugar) but they have other ingredients that actually can cause worse dehydration. Ingredients like caffeine and sugar, for example. For me, I gave up sodas years ago when saccharine was banned. From time to time I will have a sugar-laden soft drink, but it is so rare that I doubt my overall health is affected. Just like anything else, you can have it once in a while, it is the habitual consumption that really causes problems. And, I do drink water--about a gallon every day!

That leads to the next belief, that drinking water will cause bloat. The opposite is actually true. If you restrict your water intake then you body will hold onto the water it has. That is what causes bloat and swelling. The best way to combat the bloat is to increase your water intake!

If you are one of those who just doesn't "like" water, I have a couple of suggestions. First, it could be that you are drinking tap water, and while it is probably safe, it may have chlorine and other chemicals in it. These chemicals are added to our water to make them "safer." I have found that I am very sensitive to the smell and taste of these chemicals. So even "really good" tap water is difficult for me to drink.And remember, I LIKE to drink water! Real water should actually have no taste to it.

So try filtering your water. I use a Brita filter and find that it works great. There are other fancy options for purifying or oxygenating your water. They may be worth it, but for me right now, the price puts it into a "not at this time" category.

If that doesn't work for you, try adding a little squirt of lemon into your water. Or try another fruit juice...just add a little splash. Don't buy the premade drinks in the store. They'll have more sugars and cost you lots more money!

Finally, check the temperature of your water. I like water about room temperature, I find that I cannot drink as much water if it is very cold--it will actually upset my stomach. The exception is if it is extremely hot and I will be outside. Then I will want my water chilled--but that is only partly for thirst, it is also for temperature control and replacing the water I have been sweating out!