WHATEVER IT TAKES

Are you REALLY willing to do whatever it takes to lose weight? My "whatever it takes" philosophy was recently challenged...

I signed up with a fitness coach who has helped thousands of people lose weight. She told me to trust her advice to take what added up to seven supplements a day, which included CLA and lecithin. "It's a science" she said referring to weight loss. She's a cool coach who has a big heart for helping people and I respect her, but sirens sounded in my head at the thought of having to swallow a handful of pills every day. I have a borderline phobia of taking pills. (Why is a long story for another post or one you can figure out after reading my Break The Cycle books). Some of the pills she said I needed to take three times a day. Whoa, I thought the whole idea of getting healthy is to not have to take pills in any form. I questioned her and myself. Was I REALLY willing to do whatever it takes? It's holistic she assured me. "Trust me!" 

"Trust, but verify." I first heard those words from Bruce Fowler who is a motivating personal development guy I follow on Facebook. That phrase kept flashing in my mind like a neon sign. I followed up on my instincts with some research on the supplements and found some were made from animal products and had a list of side effects. 

My coach also recommended that I eat several eggs a day which I had almost completely gotten away from eating as I am wanting to progress from a vegetarian to a totally plant-based vegan lifestyle. I used to love omelets, but watching Earthlings changed me. I now associate eggs with the image of 55 gallon barrels being filled with live baby chicks that are being disposed of like garbage. Between that image and knowing that an egg is a chicken's ovulation makes it not so appetizing to me anymore. On top of that I see the studies where cholesterol increases significantly when we consume eggs. I am also a big fan of Dr. Colin Campbell who has proven that animal protein causes cancer...

So, do I follow the advice of a fitness coach who has helped thousands of people lose significant amounts of weight or do l follow the recommendation of a doctor who has 40 years of experience and scientific data to back him up? Most of all, do I go against my conscious to further support the slaughter of innocent animals so I can "lose weight" and go on a program that I know from the start will not be sustainable? 

The answer for me became a clear NO. I am not willing to do "whatever it takes" to lose weight. I am not willing to go against what I believe in my soul is right. 

I know the price for this decision. I know that it means I may continue to struggle with losing weight. It's a chance I'm willing to take to stand up for what I believe is the right thing for me. 

What about you? Are you willing to do "whatever it takes" to lose weight? It's not always an easy question to answer. It may take some soul searching and sacrifices to make the right decision. 

Kathy 

www.twitter.com/liveempowered 

Overcoming PROCRASTINATION with DEADLINES

I think I could win an Olympic gold medal in procrastination! I've done it as long as I can remember, since high school when a report was due and I would hole up in my bedroom last minute to get it done. There is something about an approaching deadline that motivates me. Why I don't feel that sense of urgency from the beginning, I haven't figured out yet. I do know that I have accomplished many things in my life with deadlines. I have passed hundreds of tests and college courses, processed more work reports and business records than I can remember, published three books, and achieved nearly every goal that has a hard deadline.

The Great Weight Off ends March 30th. My goal was to lose 30 lbs during the 90 day Challenge. As of today, there are 28 days left in the Challenge and I have lost 2 pounds. Technically, I lost 6 pounds and gained 4 back! So, I have a lot of work to do during the month of March. Time to get my head in the game. With the deadline quickly approaching, it's making my laser focus skills perk up to help me get as close to my goal as I can in a healthy manner.

So with the finish strong plan in mind, I created what may appear to be a grueling workout schedule and nutrition plan for this month. I'm putting it out here to make myself accountable to do what I say I'm going to do. You would think publishing my weight in the local newspaper every week would be enough accountability, but apparently not as much as a countdown to the end of the Challenge. 28 pounds in 28 days? We will see! Philippians 4:13.

Kathy

My Exercise and Nutrition Plan for this week

Big vs Small Meals

I am taking a nutrition course at Vanderbuilt University through Coursera.org and found the topic of balanced nutrition from Dr. Benardot fascinating. He used the picture above as an example of our cellular capacity being the small cup and the pitcher being what we consume when we eat large meals. His theory is to eat and drink smaller amounts throughout the day so you keep your nutrient levels balanced. I know this is a controversial topic. I have even heard some doctors refer to it as grazing and not letting your digestive system get a break. Dr. Bernardot says that we should not let ourselves get hungry or thirsty, that we should consume water in timed intervals because by the time we feel thirsty, dehydration has already taken place. He says that if you consume too much food at once you risk toxicity, wasted energy, increased fat storage and can develop insensitivity to nutrients. If you take in too little it can lead to malfunction, poor metabolism, inadequate protective systems, and reduced cell life. Smaller meals at regular intervals makes sense to me. I know if I go too long without eating or drinking water, I'm in trouble. The cravings kick in and are so hard to overcome. The solution seems simple, but it actually takes planning and effort. It's easy to get busy and distracted and forget to eat until several hours have passed and you feel famished. I'm going to give this smaller, more frequent meals and timed intervals of water a try. I know I need to bring my water intake UP! I'm going to set the timer on my iPhone and drink a smaller amount of water rather than trying to drink 32 oz in a short period of time.

Kathy