L ose 25LBS now and Learn how to Live a Healthier Lifestyle!
Transcription
L ose 25LBS now and Learn how to Live a Healthier Lifestyle!
Lose 25LBS now and Learn how to Live a Healthier Lifestyle! 1|Page “Feeling healthy and feeling good about you is not a luxury - it's an absolute necessity” My Personal Story It seemed like it was just yesterday when I was 18 years old. At that age, I did not have a care in the world. The immediate focus in my life was deciding on what to do with my life at that moment. College? Military? The military was a great option. I thought about joining the Air Force at some point and becoming an Officer. Not! I had an issue with authority figures at the time and wimped out and decided to go to college instead. Exercise and Dieting was the least of my worries. I was quite active at that age, and was quite active playing several sports simultaneously. I was a normal, healthy, young man, venturing out into the world and wanted to eagerly experience the adventures of adulthood. That was then. Fast forward 30 years later, and the world is a different place now, along with the responsibilities of a family, corporate employment, and the other challenges in life that we sometimes took for granted. 2|Page My name is Steven Foley. I am a 48 year old male, father of two, happily married, with a mortgage, private school tuition, and a corporate job. And oh yes, I am about 90 pounds overweight. Being healthy was never a serious concern of mine. Throughout my childhood and adult years, I have always been healthy, with no serious health conditions to speak of. I usually ate what I wanted, when I wanted, and somehow it never affected my figure, or affected any other aspect of my life. I thought I was somewhat bulletproof. Obesity? Me? No way! I thought people that were overweight were folks that had no control over their lives, and did not care about their appearance. No way did I think I would be categorized as an obese, overweight individual. Moi? Well, it’s funny how life can throw a few twists and challenges into your plans when you least expect it. My story of becoming overweight started when I started having a few health issues as I approached the age of forty. At that stage of my life I was climbing the corporate ladder, built a decent portfolio of investment rental properties, two beautiful sons, and a lovely wife. I was happier than a bat escaping out of hell. I thought I was the king of my world! Do you remember the movie “Titanic”, where Leonardo Dicaprio stood up on the bow of the 3|Page ship, with his hands raised up high, and shouting at the top of his lungs, “I’m the king of the world”? Well, that’s how I felt at that moment. That was indeed a great feeling. After reaching 40, my health started to deteriorate. It started with creeping high blood pressure, borderline high cholesterol, and a serious case of sleep apnea. For once in my life, I felt somewhat vulnerable. OK, I thought, not the end of the world. Those issues can be managed by making slight lifestyle changes. I started exercising more, and eating right. My weight started to fluctuate, up and down. But mostly it fluctuated upwards. I started and ended diets. My biggest challenge is that I loved to eat fine foods. Although I did not abuse my consumption of food, it was what I ate that packed the pounds on. My diet consisted of foods rich in carbs, sweets, not a lot of vegetables, and a love affair with Haagen Daaz ice cream. There was a time in my life if I was given a choice between staying married, and having a lifetime supply of Haagen Daaz rum and raisin Ice cream, hmmm,,, I would have thought about it, ever so slightly. Only kidding. Well, you get the point, I considered myself an Ice Cream connoisseur. Age 46 came with a Cancer Diagnosis, a week prior to my birthday. Ok, I thought, this surely isn’t happening. Who did I tick off to deserve this? I have been a good person throughout my life. Why Me? Why Now? I found it difficult to even harm a 4|Page fly. I considered myself a decent person. Well, those questions were never answered. I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and move forward in life full steam ahead. But, it certainly was not easy. Well to make a long story short, the diagnosis was not that bad, and I am glad to say that I am now cancer free. I had a lot to be thankful for, but the mental burden of the diagnosis, and the uncertainty of the future, threw me into a mild state of depression. I went and indulged in some of my favorite past times. I indulged in foods that made me feel good, and yes, which included the infamous MS Haagen Daaz. MS Haagen Daaz and I would have a very intimate encounter. She would call me around 10PM, after everyone was asleep. Every time I walked by the refrigerator, I thought about that lovely frozen treat. I would then sneak to the refrigerator, and tend to my craving. Have you ever had Haagen Daaz rum and raisin ice cream? Yes, I certainly was not 18 years old anymore, and my body easily reminded me of that fact. Well, it is no surprise I was filling out my clothes and my figure quite nicely. I hated my bi-annual checkups because I knew I had been a very bad boy. My doctor is a female, originally from England. She would lecture me with that brit accent of hers, about how much weight I had gained, and what I intended to do about it? I basically told her what she wanted to hear, just to get out of her office. But deep down, I knew she was right. I had to do something about this, and quick. I had to change my 5|Page mindset, my attitude, about life in general. I also forgot to tell you that my wife is a registered nurse, so I was getting the lecture from both ends. I had to do this not only for me, but for my family. I made a conscious effort to living a healthier life. I started to exercise more, and attempted to eat properly. I did lose some weight, but inevitably, I would regain the pounds I had lost. Sound familiar? I realized I had to make a Lifestyle change. I realized that living a healthy life is a lot more important than a diet. I was now determined to find a program that will help me not only lose weight, but also assist me in living a much healthier lifestyle. The program that resonated with me is the Weight Watchers Points plus Program. My weight would fluctuate up or down depending on what I was going through emotionally. At times it would go up, and other times I would get so dejected, I would feel like food had no appeal to me. Under these conditions, I needed a program that would be stable, and consistent, unlike my weight. Why Weight Watchers Points Plus? 6|Page First let me say that, I am not a paid sponsor for the weight watchers corporation. I have absolutely no affiliation with them at all. The only affiliation I have with weight watchers is that I presently use their guided weight management program for my own personal benefit. I believe so much in their program, I had the need to stand on the mountain top and tell others about it. I knew so many people that were experiencing the same challenges I had managing my weight. Over the years I have tried to lose weight on my own by using several different strategies and programs. The weird thing is, I would end up losing a lot of weight effortlessly when my mind was focused or pre-occupied with other things. When I was dealing with my health issues, I would always lose a significant amount of weight. I would lose the weight not because of the health issue itself, or because of any treatment I was receiving at the moment. I would lose weight because my mind was preoccupied with other things, and I just did not have the desire to want to eat the way I usually do. During that time, food had lost its appeal to me. Rather than come home, eat dinner, take a shower, and cuddle with a nice sweet treat while watching television, I would come home, barely eat dinner, take a shower, and go to bed. My mind would be pre-occupied with dealing with the unknowns of my health concerns. But 7|Page certainly, this was not a good position to be in, but the sad thing is, I was losing weight. But once I was then able to deal with the prognosis and treatments and had a renewed attitude, I would regain my love for food, and watch my weight spike up again. Most folks gravitate to food when they are feeling down and find themselves dealing with whatever personal issues they may have going on in their lives at the moment. I, on the other hand lose my appetite when I am stressed, and find myself preoccupied with whatever is going on in my life. To put it bluntly, I tend to eat everything in sight when things are going well. I gravitate to food for comfort when I am content with everything in my life. If I wanted to get healthy, and lose some weight at the same time, I had to use a very credible, stable, program that would not stress me out, or punish me, but rather guide me into a process of acquiring and learning about positive food habits. I then realized I could not do this by myself, I had to go look for a program that will help me along the way. That being said, I started looking at different weight loss programs. 8|Page I needed to be part of a program that was: 1. 2. Established With a Support System, and Available resources which I could utilize 3. Resonating with what I was looking for, and had a rational approach to losing weight 4. Accountable Weight Watchers as a company has been around since 1963. It has brand recognition, and I have personally known folks who have had tremendous success with the program. There is a weight watchers location around every corner. They offer a lot of tools to help you with your lifestyle change. The offer resources on their websites, local support groups, literature, and they offer a full line of weight watchers based frozen meals at your local supermarket. I joined the program through a relationship that my company has with weight watchers. We have weekly meetings to discuss weight loss challenges, menu suggestions, and any other questions that you may have regarding the program. The session is led by a certified weight watchers trainer. I like the group meetings because it offers me a support system which I can lean on. 9|Page I realized that diets do not work for me. I needed a program that would offer me a realistic change of my lifestyle. Let’s face it, I still like food. But that does not mean I have to abuse it. I was not looking for a strict, punish myself diet program that would make me lose 30 pounds in 30 days, to only gain back 60 points a few months later. I wanted a program that would realistically assist me in losing some pounds <My initial target is 25LBs in a 3 month timeframe> and grasping hold of my eating habits. The meeting sessions first start off with a weigh in. At first, I hated this idea. I got to step on that scale, and have the trainer tell me if I have gained or Loss any weight? Not to mention the fact that as I walk back to my seat, my coworkers are sitting there waiting to see how much I gained or loss? Talk about pressure. But, I realized this kind of pressure will definitely make me a lot more accountable for my actions. Plus, I love a little competition. Bring it on Co-workers! In order to prepare yourself mentally to be able to start your journey of healthy living, here are a few tips 10 | P a g e you will need to implement if you expect to have any success with your weight management program. L 1. earn to control your portions while eating at home, and especially while dining out. Doggie bag it. Portions at restaurants are growing bigger by the day. Tell yourself at the beginning of the meal that you only need half and ask your server for a take-out bag as soon as you're done. This will prevent you from picking at your plate and provide you with some lovely leftovers for tomorrow. One of the things I like to do when dining out with my wife, am that we would order an entrée of the same menu, and share it amongst ourselves. We would often complement the meal with additional vegetables if the portions are considerably small. 11 | P a g e W 2. eight Loss is all about Mental toughness . Visualize your outcome. Cut a picture of the dress you like out of a magazine or tape up a picture of you in your skinny jeans on the fridge. Whatever you're aiming for, make sure it's somewhere you can see it and make sure it's a realistic goal. . D 3. ining out Do’s and Don’ts Mind over menu. Eating out while trying to stay on track can be pretty challenging. Avoid overdoing your order by picking your meal ahead of time. Many restaurants have their menus available on their websites. Figure out what you want to fill up on and you'll be ready to avoid temptation come dinnertime. 12 | P a g e K 4. eep notes or a diary to track your progress. Keep a diary. Just like when you were a kid and you wrote out what you did that day or how you were feeling, the practice of keeping a journal can be a great asset when you're starting a weight-loss plan. Record what you're eating and how you're exercising. Also, make note of how you're feeling during different times of the day. It will give you an idea of what's working and where your routine could use improvement. The Weight Watchers Program encourages you to keep a small notebook with you at all times to document your daily activities, and to track how many “food points” you are consuming during the day. You will be given a personal Total Points target which you should not exceed. This will be given to you during your first session meeting, after you weigh in. D 5. evelop a new attitude towards grocery shopping Shop smarter. Never get groceries on an empty stomach. Time your trip after a meal or a small snack. When your 13 | P a g e tummy isn't grumbling, you'll be more likely to make healthier decisions. Take a list with you too. It will help keep you focused on the things you need and away from the things you don't. W 6. ater should become your new favorite beverage. H2O like a pro. Drink plenty of water throughout your day to ensure that you have enough energy to stay on track. For some extra fuel and to take the edge off hunger, try a refreshing Special K20™ Protein Water Mix with 5 grams of protein and fiber. 7. work. Bring your own lunch to BYOL. Taking your lunch to work is a great way to save some pennies and avoid fast food invitations. Plan out what you want to pack before each work week and you'll 14 | P a g e save time making something in the morning. Add raw vegetables like carrots and celery to give your lunch some crunch. L 8. earn to be Emotionally Stable. Don't be a stress mess. Stress can sabotage your body's ability to stick to a diet and trigger a lot of unhealthy choices. Find ways you can minimize your stress in your life and you'll also minimize your bad eating habits. For some extra backup, keep yummy Special K® snack bars and a bottle of water in your purse or desk drawer for those moments that are out of your control. 9. Stay out of the Kitchen Close the kitchen. Chances are the more times you have to go into your kitchen each day, the more you're going to be 15 | P a g e tempted to grab a bite to eat. As soon as you finish with each meal, clean up dishes and turn off the lights. Tell yourself that the kitchen is closed and find an activity in another room of your house. 10. Have Reasonable Goals Stair step your goals. Having just one big goal may be simple, but it can be more frustrating to reach. Try adding a few small goals along the way, like going to the gym three days in a week or eating a vegetable at every meal. Small accomplishments will help make the whole experience more rewarding. You should target your weight loss goals at 5%, and 10% increments. First try and lose 5% of your weight initially, and then try to lose 10% of your total weight, and so on. Emotionally, you will need to see small victories first, which will then give you the positive re-enforcement you will need to continue. 16 | P a g e K 11. now the Value of everything that you place in your mouth. Typically when we are being conscious of the foods that we eat, we try and understand the value of the foods that we eat by counting calories. This has been the standard over the years. In recent years, there has been a new way of placing a value on the foods that we are eating. This value involves applying a “points” system to each and every item of food that we place in our mouth. The points system uses a more scientific and rational approach of understanding the impact on our bodies of the types of food that we eat. Personally, the points system approach has worked for me, and provides a more simplistic and rational approach of making a mental note of the foods that I place in my mouth. It does not matter which weight management program you decide to join. Whichever program it is, it will/should educate you about the nutritional values of the most common types of food that we eat daily. The Weight Watchers program has a detailed list on their website of the nutritional values of just about every conceivable food component, and the nutritional value of meals found on 17 | P a g e the menus of most restaurants! This information is priceless. D 12. o not consider your weight loss program to be a diet. Let me be the first to tell you something that you may, or may not know. Diets do not work if you are looking for a long term solution to your weight loss challenge! I have tried many diets over the years. Did I lose weight? Yes I did. But I usually ended up gaining back all the weight, and then some, within a short timeframe thereafter. I would get so frustrated! I thought I was hopeless. Why can’t I keep the weight off? Diets do not work. If you do not like the way you see yourself in the mirror, something has to be done about it. There is no magic way of losing weight, despite what you may have heard. Sure, there are surgeries, and pills that you could consume. Surgery to lose weight? As far as I am concerned, walking into a hospital, and having your body sliced up in hopes of losing weight, is asking for trouble. Losing weight requires a lifestyle change of understanding how to eat properly in order to shed pounds, and putting 18 | P a g e together a plan that includes a controlled nutritional diet, physical activity, emotional stability, and other lifestyle balances. B 13. e Accountable to yourself! Learn to stay on track, and stay on course. You will only have yourself to blame if you don’t! Let me tell you up front, that living a healthier lifestyle will not happen overnight. Just like everything else in life, it will take a positive mindset, descipline, and learning to overcome hurdles. We have become accustomed to believing everything we see on television. We are overwhelmed with late night infomercials, and testimonials from celebrities that are paid to promote a weight loss company’s initiative. Remember that those celebs are provided personal trainers, personal chefs, and everything they will need in order to look fit in front of the camera in order to promote a product. And still then, a lot of 19 | P a g e those celebs blow up like balloons a short time after they cash their commission checks! You will need to be part of a weight loss program that first resonates with you. It has to provide a reasonable approach to living healthy, without punishing you. Nobody likes to be punished. Let’s face it, if you are part of a weight loss program that stresses punishing yourself by starving yourself, and overwhelming you with a constant barrage of daily physical activities, it is only a matter of time before you throw your hands up in the air and throw in the towel. Because, it is not realistic, and practical. Summary Well, however so briefly, you now know my story. I am glad to share with you the things that I have learned along the way in order to manage my weight, and live a healthier lifestyle. I am so happy being me right now. I want to do a dance and wiggle my tailfeather every day I get out of bed. I truly have a lot to be thankful for, and I want to be around for a long time to watch my kids grow up and grow old with my wife so that we can wiggle our tailfeathers together. 20 | P a g e Lets face it, losing weight Is not rocket science. We all know what it is we have to do in order to live healthier lifestyles. But like anything else, you have to “train” your brain, and implement a program and mindset in order to do so. I wish you the best, and hope you found this guide useful. Feel free to email me, [email protected]. A more detailed guide, complete with more useful information can be obtained at Lose25LBSin90days.com. 21 | P a g e 22 | P a g e
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