August 2008

Walking Off 35 Pounds

In the 'before photo' here Debra Flinn weighs 216 pounds at her height of 5'5".

She decided to take extreme measures to lose weight and planned on walking to a city that was 874 miles away.

It took her 66 days to do it (at an average daily walking mileage of 13 miles). When she got there she was 35 pounds lighter.

See her story and her 'after photo' here.

Michael lost 56 pounds recently over about five months. He says eating less of the same foods does not work.

Instead he went on The 30-Day Diabetes MiracleThis is a vegetarian diet focused on lots of beans, oatmeal and vegetables. He also walked between 20 and 30 miles per week. His weight loss averaged between 2.5 and 3.5 pounds a week.

Weight Loss Top Tips #2

With weight loss tips coming hard and fast, I want to follow on from my last hard hitting post, where I really beat up the TV slobs (my being an ex-TV slob gives me the right!), its time to turn on to what you can do to start to lose weight without resorting to anything that is not nice to do.

What?

Yep, after being so tough in my last post, now I'm turning mega-soft on you. That's because I am as well aware as anyone that if you are going to be forced to do things in order to lose some weight, then you're going to resist doing them!

That's why so many diets and exercise regimes fail people. Its simple human nature. People in general don't like doing anything they don't like doing! If that sounds simplistic, then it is exactly that. To get someone to do anything, you have to make it something they want to do.

So when it comes to losing weight, the very best way to get started is to find something that you enjoy doing or something that you think you would enjoy doing. To do this, it boils down to individual likes and dislikes. That's because not everyone is the same and we don't all like doing the same things.

Some of us need a good weight loss plan now, while those who live to diet in Chicago are going to get a better deal.

So what I plan to do with this blog is to give you some examples of simple things you can do. If you like the sound of any of them, then do them! Simple!

So the second of my weight loss tips is one I enjoy doing on a twice daily basis. And that's walking my dogs.

Walking dogs is a therapeutic exercise for me as it gives me some quality thinking time while I spend time with the little guys and its an amusing time as well watching some of the antics they get up to as we walk around the streets and open space in the neighbourhood where I live.

From an exercise standpoint I get some additional fat boosting work because I live in a hilly area which makes me walk up and down hills. That makes my body work harder especially uphill and makes me breathe harder, raises my heart rate and makes me sweat.

These are the three things you need to aim for when you do any simple exercise if you want to start burning off that excess flab!

Breathing harder
Elevated heart rate
Sweating

If you can get these three things happening when you're doing your stuff for a prolonged period of time - and that is more than 20 minutes by the way, then you'll start the process of losing weight.

So that's it for now with the second of my tips and its a pretty enjoyable one - if you have a dog or dogs, that is. Until next time.

Weight Loss Tips

Carl, age 29, decided to get fit again. He's lost 50 pounds and gone from a size XXL to a size medium. His preferred way back to optimum health was to join a gym and start up kick-boxing.

See his story and picture here.
The unrelated photo above is by livegym-showtime.

Holly shows us how to make delicious veggie burgers at home. It's an easy recipe and the two key ingredients are lentils and walnuts - two of the most nutritious foods that most people don't eat enough of.

From Before and After TV;

Veggie burgers are a nutritional alternative to beef burgers. Many people don't think of making their own veggie burgers but they are really easy to make at home. Store bought veggie burgers are nutritional but often very high in sodium and preservatives.

Lentils are high in fiber which makes them a good protector against bowel cancer. They are an excellent source of protein and are an important source of B vitamins, especially B3, which is essential for both a healthy nervous system and digestive system. They are high in iron, zinc and calcium and are a good replacement for red meat. Like meat, the iron in lentils is better absorbed when they are eaten with a good source of vitamin C like leafy green vegetables.

Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, a special type of fat that is essential for our bodies, but that the body cannot produce. Walnuts are also a very good source of monounsaturated fats.

Walnuts contain many powerful antioxidants, including ellagic and gallic acids, pus antioxidant phenols and vitamin E. The minerals copper and manganese are also found in abundance in these tasty nuts.

Catie has lost 45 pounds since January. She used to weigh 173 pounds and now weighs 128 pounds.

She says the best moment, that she will never forget, is when she was picking up her sister at the airport and her sister didn't recognize her.

Catie lost the weight with the help of Weight Watchers and a regular exercise program. Check out her before and after photos and her weight loss story here.

Veolia has experienced super success at weight loss. After being obese for thirty years, she decided to make a major lifestyle change in her late 40's. She went from 400 pounds to 138 pounds. She lost all this weight in just 20 months. She did this by going from being inactive to walking at least six days a week.

Her favorite snack food between meals are bulk nuts such as walnuts, brazil nuts and almonds. These are high calorie foods but full of good fats. Walnuts especially are very high in omega 3.

She says; "I have so much energy and my stamina is incredible for a 54-year-old. And to me, the best part is that I did it all by myself without spending money, having surgery, taking pills or trying the latest diet fad." She's gone from a size 32 to a size 2, and was recently featured on the "Today" show.

See her incredible before and after photos and story here.