A friend of mine just upgraded to unlimited minutes. I now talk to her twice as much each day than I did before. Nothing else changed. The unexpected consequences are now we spend more time on the phone and sometimes I have to say “Busy, can’t talk now.” The same dynamics of change and unexpected  consequences can happen to help improve your lifestyle.

4 Small Chances

Here are 4 small but important changes that will help you with your weight loss and just make you feel better.

1. Eat breakfast within 1 hour of getting up. This kick starts your metabolism first thing. The unexpected consequence is that when you anchor in this meal, you start the day feeling like you did something good for yourself. This feeling will carry through your eating the whole day.

2. Eat 4-6 balanced mini-meals each day. By spacing out your body’s fuel, you burn it all day and do not have highs and lows. You will also never feel overly hungry and that cuts down on binging.

3. Have more than 10g of protein in all your meals. You should be getting 50 to 60 grams of protein a day. Protein is necessary for the building and repair of body tissues. It also regulates the body’s processes. If you are not getting enough protein while losing weight, your body is not at it’s best. You could also experience hair thinning.

4. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. When a person sleeps, the body and mind are working just as hard as when the person is awake. Besides reviving energy, sleep maintains chemical balances that create better moods, stabilize chemical imbalances, and even ensure that the body is working at its best capabilities to ward off disease and even obesity.

Did you notice that 2 of the changes had have nothing to do with what you ate but with behavior? What healthy choice will you make today? Let me know.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/imready4me.

The next show is December 1st at 2:00. You can download this and all future shows at the same link.

Check it out. What healthy choice will you make today? Let me know.

Ask yourself everyday, “What is working and why?”  We can always make a long list of what isn’t working. So spend some time noticing the good things. The glass is half full if you want it to be. You may want to keep a notebook so you can go back and look at your progress.

Notice the changes.

This week, I had 2 experiences that showed I was having success. The first was a pair of pants that I pulled out with my winter clothes. They were BIG. Then I was at 2 places, that I had last visited  6 months ago. I found myself thinking, “I’m not tired” and “This is an easy walk”.  I had made consistent changes that were so small over the last 6 months that I couldn’t see them on a daily basis. Oh, my rings are loose too.

Trying on the pants and revisiting these places, gave me the opportunity to do something out of the normal and see the improvement clearly. Take note of the progress no matter how small the change.

Ask yourself, “What is working?” What change can you see? Enjoy your answer. What healthy choice will you make today? Let me know.

Brewer’s yeast is touted as truly magnificent stuff–one of the few complete foods. One problem– it doesn’t taste that great.

What is it?

Brewer’s yeast, which occurs naturally as a by-product of the brewing process, has many valuable nutrients that can provide several health benefits and prevent future health problems. It is a natural source of Vitamin B complex and highly concentrated amounts of protein, as well as a wonderful spectrum of other healthy vitamins and minerals.

The simplest way to add brewers’ yeast to your daily diet is to add a tablespoon to fruit juice and drink it, but it can also be added to meals such as meat loaf, salads, casseroles, cereal, soup, and other foods. Consumption of brewers’ yeast is also attributed to several health benefits, such as reduced stress, better metabolism and lower cholesterol. It can also help provide restful slumber and ease fatigue.

I tried it in my oatmeal and my soup. I’m still evaluating that. But if it does all of things it’s suppose to, it is worth using. Maybe you just have to put in juice and slug it down the hatch! I’m told if you’re going to try brewer’s yeast, start slow, with a thimble-full at first. It can cause lots of gas in some beginners. Oh, great!

Any suggestions? What healthy choice will you make today? Let me know.

I truly believe that with any change, comes unexpected consequences.  Also, those small changes can bring big results.

Changes start in the infinite creativity of your mind!

After I went indoor rock climbing the first time, I thought “Look at me, I’m a rock climber.” It didn’t matter that I didn’t get 3 feet off the ground. It made me feel adventuresome.  I found myself taking on more challenging endeavors.

As I walked my puppy, I thought “I have to wear him out and I didn’t have a lot of time.”  I found myself zigzagging through the neighborhood with an additional ½ block in 1 direction, then in another. I ended up walking much more without getting too far from the house. I was surprised at how far we went and pleased that I was getting a workout. Now I feel like  a healthier person who looks for exercise opportunities!

So pick a small change and see what happens. Stand when you would normally sit. You will burn more calories. Get up 15 minutes earlier. You may have time for breakfast, some stretching exercise or some motivational time. Take a different route home or to work. You may see something very different.

Use the  infinite creativity of your mind to make changes and enjoy the unexpected consequences. What healthy choice will you make today? Let me know.

Day 13 of 14 Day Plan

Scored a 5

What is the best way to lose weight?

Did you ever ask yourself what is the best way to lose weight? Should I:

A Cut calories or
B. Exercise more?

An eye opening moment

Years ago, I went to see Dr. Mike. He asked, “What are you going to do about your weight?” “Let me guess”, he continued, “You’re going to exercise.”  I nodded yes.

“Ok”, he said. “Tell me how long it takes you to eat a piece of chocolate cake?” After some thought, I asked the important question: “Am I eating by myself or in front of other people?” It was important to know.

“Less than 10 minutes” I finally replied. He came back with “How long will you have to exercise to burn up all those calories?” It was an eye opener for me! It could take me hours or days to work off some of the things I was putting in my mouth!

The small change of cutting a mere 100 calories a day will equal a 10lbs loss in a year. If you weighted 200lbs, you would have to walk 385 miles at a rate of 3 mph to burn off the same 10 lbs!

The moral of the story is you can lose more weight by cutting the empty calories in what you eat. But exercise is the additive that gives you faster and better results. For the best results, do both and make choices you can live with for a lifetime.

Do you want to learn to make the right choices for you? Join I’m Ready 4 Me! Membership. What can you do today to improve your health? Let me know.

Scored 6

Lost 2 pounds

Have I shared why the scale and an ATM machine are alike?  Well you can make a $300 deposit in the ATM, but it will only make $100 available. That’s the way the scale is. You may have done everything right and still only see a small change in the numbers in the short term. And just like the ATM, your good work will show up in the future.

So the decision I have to make is do I:

A) Keep doing what I’m doing?

B) Reevaluate and tighten up some things or

C) Panic and put the Emergency Plan in place?

What would you do? I’ll let you know tomorrow and explain why.

What can you do today to improve your health? Let me know.