Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Eating Out On A Diet- You CAN Do It!

These days, our world is very fast paced, and many of us are frequently eating out at restaurants and the like. You don't have to starve yourself because of a business meeting at a restaurant, or a lunch date with friends. I eat out all the time, and I follow only one simple rule. Truthfully, it's a rule that I follow at home as well. I learned it from my cousin many years ago, and try to follow this sage advice. Are you ready?
When Eating Out At Restaurants, Eat Only Half Your Meal. Save The Other Half For Lunch The Next Day.
This sounds overly simplistic, but I assure you it's not. Most of the time when we go to out to dinner especially, we are eating things like pastas with cream sauces, breads, steaks, etc. These meals are very high in calories. 
Science has proven that from about noon on, your body is starting a slow shut down in preparation for the coming evening and night. When you consume large amounts of calories late in the evening, your body can NOT digest these, and it turns almost instantly into fat. 
If you can cut by half, what you eat, then your body won't be generating as much fat stores while sleep that night. You should always, try to be as strict as possible, make your largest meal of the day breakfast or lunch. Your smallest meal should always be dinner.
Adelle Davis once said:
"Eat Like A King For Breakfast, A Prince For Lunch, And A Pauper For Dinner."
That is great advice to follow. So, for those of you who have no choice but to eat out, remember to simply eat only half of your meal in one sitting. Take the rest home for lunch the next day. It makes it easy on you when trying to figure out what to do for lunch, and I guarantee your body will thank you for it!

Friday, September 24, 2010

You Really Can Lose Weight Now!

So, I decided to start this blog off by telling you all little bit about me, and why I decided to start doing a weight loss blog.
I have been in the fitness industry for almost 20 years. I've worked for several of the most well-known gym chains in the US. I am a dietitian, nutritionist, personal trainer, and yoga instructor. I also have a life-long background in herbal and homeopathic remedies and medicine. The human body has always fascinated me, and I love what I do!
About 6 or 8 years ago, I sat in a doctors office in Cullman, Alabama, and got a diagnosis that changed my life. I thought I was just having some side effects to all the weight I'd gained during back to back pregnancies. As it turned out, I was dying. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I was told that my physical condition would only get steadily worse, and there wasn't much that could be done about it.
Over the next months and years, I was in and out of a wheelchair, using a walker at home full-time, and was so sick I couldn't even lift my arms high enough to wash my own hair. Within no time, I had gone from a physically active, in shape twenty-something, to a complete invalid. My weight skyrocketed. I was over 280 pounds at 6 feet tall; and wore a size 24. Never in my life had I been so heavy. Every time I talked to a doctor or specialist, they told me all I could do was take more meds. I was already taking enough meds to bring down, not just an elephant, but the whole heard! I was on medication strictly because of a side-effect of another medication! It seemed like a vicious cycle, and not one that was helping me.
For years I researched, and read, and studied. I even looked at myself like I would a client that walked in to the gym. What would I tell me to do if I was a client? So, I made drastic dietary changes, and I started doing my Hatha Yoga daily. You see, with my disease, I can't elevate my internal body temperature; so that eliminated virtually all forms of exercise. I really put myself on some strict dietary, herbal, and exercise regimens. I was determined that MS was NOT going to beat me yet! Within 6 months, I lost just over 150 pounds. I went from a size 24 to a size 6 in that time. Now, I have a great life, an awesome career- in which I get to help people accomplish what I already have everyday! I love what I do, and I hope that this Blog touches someone out there. 
On my next post, I will give tips to accelerate your weight loss, so make sure you check back here soon! Thanks for visiting!