Tomorrow.... I'll start watching what I eat.... I'll exercise... I'll walk... I'll....

Are you waiting for tomorrow? Why? Because at lunch you had a piece of the chocolate cake that a co-worker brought in? Because you don't have time to walk 30 minutes? Because it's been a really yucky day and you don't want to eat healthy, you want to gorge yourself on chocolate doughnuts?

How about some 'food' for thought... Tomorrow is going to come, no matter what you do today and if you eat a bit healthier, if you take just FIVE minutes to exercise - tomorrow is going to be a better day! If you give even 5 minutes to exercise today do you realize that it's going to be better then NO exercise today? If you had that chocolate cake at lunch, which do you think would be better? Throwing it all away and having a high fat/high calorie dinner because you've already blown it - or having a sensible healthy dinner and getting back to where you should be? And as for those doughnuts... You can satisfy your need for comfort with ONE just as easily as you can with THREE if you eat slowly and savor it. Plus, three or four doughnuts could easily put a pound on you tomorrow... A pound that wasn't there TODAY! Is that the tomorrow you want?

This is life, you are going to stumble, you are going to fall - but if you keep picking yourself up and trying isn't that better then NOT trying at all? Isn't it better to try TODAY instead of putting it off until tomorrow? Tomorrow you could be a pound heavier - and that means 16 ounces of hard work to lose a pound that you didn't have to start with... 5 minutes of exercise or walking is going to burn at least 20 calories AND start building up muscle that will continually eat fat - even while you are sleeping... Can you really afford to wait until TOMORROW??? How about TODAY instead? :-)

Have a glorious TODAY! 

We all know losing weight isn't something that happens overnight - no matter how badly we would like that... Sometimes it seems to take forever when we are working so hard... Here's some facts for you...

If you stick to your plan, no snacking and no eating things that add too many calories - you could lose a pound in one week! Yes, ONE week!!!! 500 calories a day cut from what you are eating now and you lose ONE POUND! That's Do-able!!!

500 calories too much for you to think about giving up? How about giving up that cappuccino, or brownie after lunch? Cut 250 calories per day from your eating habits and lose 13 pounds in 6 months without really even TRYING!

If you normally consume 1450 to 2000 calories a day (and most of us consume a LOT more then that) you can lose 1/2 to 1 pound PER WEEK by cutting your calories back to 1200 to 1500 calories per day! (That number is going to be larger if you ingest more calories - you could lose up to 3 pounds per week if you eat over 3500 now just by cutting back to 1200 to 1500 calories per day.)

Take up a 45 minute aerobic routine (even walking) three times a week you can lose 1 pound in two and a half weeks eating EXACTLY what you are eating NOW!!! NO cutting back at ALL!

In three months you could replace 1 pound of FAT with 1 pound of muscle if you add a 30 minute body strengthening routine three times a week. One pound of fat is a lot larger then one pound of muscle - so you'll be losing GIRTH and INCHES!!! Again, you don't have to eat any differently - just add the strengthening exercises!

I WANT A SNACK!!!!

Do you? Do you really want a snack or are you eating for other reasons? Before you reach for that cookie try doing something else first - you may find you can skip that snack and all it's calories and not even miss it. Here are a few things you can do instead of having that snack...

Call a friend - Take a walk - Walk your dog - Read something - Go see a movie - Write a letter - Clean off your desk - Clean out your purse or briefcase - Paint your fingernails - Give yourself a facial - Take a bubble bath - Go swimming - Dust the living room - Organize your CD or book collection - Wash your car - ASK yourself, "Do I really need this? And then - try and think of another snack that would be less calories but just as satisfying.

Set points

In 1982, nutritional researchers William Bennett and Joel Gurin introduced a controversial theory concerning weight loss. He said that a person's body has a set point weight at which it is programmed. This theory proposes that the body will sabotage itself during weight loss by slowing down metabolism to stop itself from losing what it considers valuable fat. The theory states that in extreme cases, the metabolic rate will decrease to a point at which the body can and will maintain its weight on 1,000 calories a day. So you could starve yourself and not get anywhere!

Can you change the set point? It is believed that it is possible to raise the set point by continually gaining weight and not exercising. (How many of us do THAT! *lol*) But on the other hand, reducing calories and exercising over a long period of time can slowly decrease the set point. Studies have suggested that exercise may be the most valuable tool that we have in decreasing our set points.

Theoretically, if there is such a thing as a set point - then any low calorie diet (below 1200 calories per day) could cause the body to go into 'starvation mode'. This would cause the body to think it was going through a period of famine or starvation and it would start shutting down metabolism - making it even more difficult to lose weight! What this means to you is that by modifying your diet by lowering fat, sugar, and calories (1,200 to 1,800 calories each day) and increasing fiber, water, and exercise you can lower your body's set point without running the risk of your body shutting down that fat burning factory - your metabolism!

 I am not one of those people who will buy anything and everything they see on television just because it says it works... I don't have a 'Thigh Master' in my closet, I didn't rush to order the Richard Simmon's thing... I just don't fall prey to that kind of stuff easily. *cough* Then one morning in April, I woke up and flipped the television on. Now I don't know about you, but for ME my tummy is my biggest concern. I'll stand sideways in the mirror, tucking it in to see if I 'look fat' for hours! So when Jake came on telling me that I could have firmer, flatter abs - well I was like the fish in the water barrel... By the end of 30 minutes, he had me hook line and sinker - and I had ordered the ultimate exercise machine - the AB ROCKER!!!!

To tell the truth, it had taken so long in the mail that I had forgotten that I ordered it - but then the postman was struggling up the drive with this huge, slightly heavy box - and that was it... I had an Ab Rocker. It came fully assembled, with some booklets about a quick start program, an extra set of resistance bands, and a video tape. If we are being truthful - I haven't even looked at the other stuff... I opened it up and got right on that thing. I found that from doing crunches for a while I had to tighten the resistance on it a bit - because the beginner mode was a bit too easy, and I also found that while it is a fantastic thing to sit there and rock my abs firm - I don't do it as often as I should... In fact I wanted to start this road test WEEKS ago - and never kept up with it. (Hint guys - if you want to have a successful exercise routine - pick a time and STICK to it... One time during the day that you are going to do something and keep the 'date' - That is the only way you can win at this thing! *lol*) So... After starting and trying for several weeks - I finally DID do a whole week road test of the Body By Jake Ab Rocker... What did I think? It was EASY to do - I DID feel the difference, but I was never sore and while Jake promised I could lose as much as 2 inches from my waist - I ended up with about... Well, just under 1/2 an inch. Would I recommend it to you? If you don't have any qualms about spending the money (It is like $70 I think... I'm doing the payments thing and each payment is $14 except for the first which included the shipping and handling and was $40!) If you want something that is going to be easy to do and keep you doing those ab workouts right, then yes - I think it's great. Can you live without it? YES - you can do your crunches on the floor like most of us. So in my humble opinion - I'm giving Jake FOUR POUNDS! Now five pounds is the highest rating, and one pound is pretty darned bad. You can live without it, but it's nice to have. :-)

May 21, 2000

Hi! My name is Julie and I am embarking on a very exciting journey. (ok, maybe not exciting to most people, but exciting in hopeful aspects that I will fit myself into a size 10 by December.) The doctors office has weighed me in at 241 pounds...UGHHHH! I sit here finding myself cringe while typing my weight onto the screen, but I have made up my mind that my family is too important to me so I must make every day from now forth a healthy one. I must admit that I am one of those fruitcakes who honestly believe that the food pyramid consists of chocolate, chocolate, and any form of sugar. Yes, I am totally addicted to sugar. Here is a promise, that every day I will keep a daily food Journal and type it in to an e-mail in which I will pass on to my sister, Kim. My plan is to use RICHARD SIMMONS Food Mover. So far it seems very simple to follow and I am determined that I will get healthy and physically fit. I will be totally honest, when I cheat I will write it down. Besides having children - this is the most insane thing I have done in the past few years! LOL! So here I go on my journey, starting today. I have decided that I will also try and make myself feel better about my appearance by putting the effort forth to fix my hair, wear a perfume that smells nice and of course, a set of acrylic nails!(They actually make it hard to open candy wrappers and cookie bags! No kidding!) Here is to a safe and healthy journey! Good health to all!

Julie

Banana Drop Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda in a medium size bowl. Mix in mashed the remaining ingredients and drop onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees F. until the cookies are lightly browned. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 cookies

29.77 Cal (10.30% from Fat, 13.10% from Protein, 76.70% from Carb); 1.00 g Protein; 0.35 g Tot Fat; 0.07 g Sat Fat; 0.10 g Mono Fat; 0.12 g Poly Fat; 5.85 g Carb; 0.66 g Fiber; 8.64 mg Calcium; 0.33 mg Iron; 36.57 mg Sodium; 5.06 IU Vit A; 0.57 mg Vit C; 0.00 mg Cholesterol 

(This site is chosen by me - not because I get royalties or any special privileges by recommending it to you - but because I genuinely feel this is a _good_ site for helping us along the way to fitness and a healthy weight.)

 DISCLAIMER: The opinions and statements in Slim Pickin's Weekly are not intended as medical advice. Its intent is solely for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. If you are interested in pursuing or trying any of the dietary changes, or following up any of the advice in this newsletter then it is suggested that you contact a health professional before doing so..

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