The work week ended, and the weekend came and went… And…look what I found… the top twelve weight loss tips to get you up and moving!

What did you do to increase your metabolism and promote your healthy weight loss program? We had a relaxing, working weekend…yes, working can be relaxing, especially when it is work you don't do daily! (hubby usually does this, so it was relaxing to ME) he he, sshhh, don't tell him I told you… First of all, we started off getting the laundry out of the way…we had ordered some new pillows for the bed and I wanted clean sheets to go with new pillows!

Dishes were next, watering the lawn and plants, finishing up computer work, and then off to play, shop, and eat! Eat? Yes, eat…that is how I maintain my healthy weight loss plan.

Healthy weight loss is such a huge topic today.

From us grandmothers to young teens, it's the rage. We all are so focused on how we look…we pay no mind to how we feel or, even worse, how sick our bodies are! Imagine how much money is spent to look good! Even more, think about how much money is spent repeatedly when the cycle repeats itself. I call this yo-yo dieting; I've done it my whole life. We lose weight, we gain it all back plus a few, and then start all over again, no wonder our metabolism is all messed up. Sound familiar?

Imagine if… you could put together a plan that would once and for all end that cycle! What would you be willing to do to make that happen? Let's look at some specific tips we can add to our daily routine to get to our destination…a healthy body that looks good and operates at its peak!

A myth that we need to dispel first… * A calorie is a calorie

Most doctors are taught this in school. Were you aware that most doctors have only 3 hours of training in nutrition? A new study finds physicians’ nutrition education lacking – “A new study indicating that 60 percent of medical schools in the United States are not meeting minimum recommendations for their students’ nutrition education offers more reasons for consumers to seek food and nutrition advice from the experts…”

Is a calorie a calorie? Not, this is simply NOT true. Calories are not the same for you and me. You may exercise more than I do. Athletes' bodies utilize calories very differently from you and me, even when we exercise. How do you ask? Like a ball player, a trained athlete burns calories very differently from the stay-at-home mom who exercises in the Jazzercise video. Hormonal imbalance can affect how you burn and save calories, too. This indicates that we need to balance out our hormones to attain weight loss, too. Until I got my hormones straightened out, I couldn't lose a pound if I ate celery for a week! Once my hormones weren't whacky anymore, then the pounds started melting like butter.

Do you know what “saved” calories are? I didn't either until I read some of these articles and then I got mad…these are the calories that our bodies save, and they are known as FAT!

* The latest research shows… We all know that to lose weight and keep it off we must restrict the amount of food we eat and get up and move, and exercise. What we don't need to do is go on a specific “diet” to lose this weight. Instead, it makes better sense to let our unique DNA tell us what we should and shouldn't eat, what exercise works best for us, and then start following our born-with blueprint.

Each diet, we program our minds to think we are “doing without.” We all know what that does: It makes us want it all the more. When we feel deprived, we will automatically do precisely the opposite of what we want to do.

Let's look at the top twelve weight loss tips to get us up and moving…

  • Keep a food diary. After we eat our meal, record what we put in our mouths and how we felt at the time (our emotional state). This will help us understand where our eating habits come from.
  • Drink an 8-ounce glass of water before each meal. Remember, we need at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water throughout the day. (the more active you are the more water you need, up to 12 eight-ounce glasses per day). Don't forget your electrolyte replacement.
  • Change your dinner plate for a salad plate. This will convince your mind that you have eaten a full-sized meal.
  • After each mouthful, lay down your fork or spoon. Don't pick it up again until you have chewed and swallowed your food.
  • Take a sip of water between each mouthful of food (at least every other mouthful)
  • Enjoy and savor each morsel of food. As you eat and chew, savor the flavor and texture. Don't swallow until the flavor is gone.
  • Carry a water bottle with you. Every time you want to eat something, take a drink instead. This is especially important for those of us who work at a computer all day and need to fill our mouths.
  • Brush your teeth between meals. This takes the temptation to eat away and will discourage eating between meals.
  • Don't keep finger foods in the house. If you want a snack, eat only with a fork or spoon.
  • Only eat in the dining room at the table when you are hungry. If you must snack, sit at the table until you have finished eating. Even use your placemat. This will program your mind that it is time to eat, and your body will relax and enjoy its meal.
  • Picture yourself as you want to be, not as you are. I have a picture of a model that is the weight I want to be. I keep it on the refrigerator and look at it whenever I open the door. (be realistic with this, mine is a small plus-size woman, not a “Twiggy” teen)
  • Remember, non-diet soda and alcoholic beverages contain lots of calories. If you must drink them, sip slowly.

Keep in mind that each of us is an individual. We may need to adjust the above examples' plus or minus according to our weight, needs, and circumstances. Do the best you can, don't focus on what you can't do, focus on what you did right, and celebrate that!

So, now we have a plan. We are NOT going to diet, we are going to change how we think, act and eat. We will take baby steps, one, two, and three. It took me months to get my plan going and to see results. Today I am 21 pounds slimmer, four sizes smaller, and well on my way to my goal. I know you can do it! Together managing our weight will be fun, rewarding, and in the end…I will have healthy, excited friends who will be living a life of adventure for a long time.

Do what you must to implement your plan, then relax and live your life. Let's do this together. Join me on Facebook in the group where I have learned the truth about food, supplements, and our bodies. Answer the questions so the team can point you to the correct information. Then, tell them Carla sent you.