LA Times Health

I've been following a blog about two crazy guys who are "into" the LA scene and trying to lose weight on a 6 week challenge @LATimesHealth (I'm following LATimesHealth on Twitter).  Lots of fun to actually witness (blog style witness) people realizing that weight loss and weight management is not an "event" or "episode", rather it is a lifestyle and forever.  I love these guys.

Watched "The Hills" yesterday just for fun.  WOW, those girls have their own dialect...amazing (and I don't use that word often).  Somehow they speak from the back of their throat, words run together with no emphasis on either vowels or consonants - basically unintelligible.  It is a "version" of Valley Girl speak of the 80's.  AND -  they drink like Sailors.  They must have rich parents, because like June Cleavor, I never see them work!?!?!?

Bottom line and "in line" with this blog....they are very thin - don't ever see them eat either.  Not a lifestyle that meets my parameters for healthy living and would not consider them "role models".  My suggestion - let's stop watching that dumb show.

YOUR Plan

Atkins just revised the diet - now adding more carbs. Good.  Very difficult to digest proteins without carbs.  Digesting proteins without carbs is like trying to water ski in a lake full of peanut butter...not fun.  Think more in terms of Weight Watchers and using your own good sense to make the right choices - life at every turn presents new challenges, no matter what "plan" you are "planning" to follow.  The best plan is one that incorporates how to deal with all of those "not planned" events - you know, the event that smacks you upside the head and then you put off until tomorrow what you need to be doing today - 

In today’s world of instant information access overload, discerning what, when, how, where and why to eat is challenging!  Indeed, careful consideration and some professional counsel are essential in determining the best plan for you and your lifestyle.  However, the greatest challenge is finding the answer to the ever present, ever elusive question of how to consistently implement the best and healthiest plan every day and for a lifetime.

Stay tuned for the answers in WiTHIN You Now!™  by Dr. Stacey Hilton-Davis  ....coming soon on e books and print.  I will keep you posted.

Allow your carbs to be as complex as YOU!

About a decade ago (or more), the big push was for a low carb high protein diet.  Everyone went coo coo over eliminating carbs from their diet and chowing down on high fat proteins such as beef, bacon and cheese.  America's desperation to lose weight was so HUGE that they refused to look at the lack of science behind the claims and looked at the new "low carb high protein diet" as their instant pathway to losing weight.  A colleague (Registered Dietitian) and I had a scary experience with the public's madness over "low carb" that almost got us beaten up by an angry mob of people who came to listen to our lecture entitled: "Facts about the new low carb diet craze"....  The people attending the lecture thought we were going to tell them how wonderful a low carb diet is and WOW were they angry when we tried to enlighten them on the benefits of complex carbohydrates!!  They did everything but throw fruits and veggies at us!!  Fortunately for everyone, since that time, the low carb frenzy has died down, and people are coming to grips with the truth about the necessity of eating foods rich in complex carbohydrates.  As a matter of fact, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued by the Department of Human and Health Services recommend that 55% of daily total calories should consist of foods rich in complex carbohydrates.  This means you should be consuming 2 1/2 cups of veggies, 2 cups of fruit, six servings of grains (including three servings of whole grains such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and beans. 

Learn to love complex carbohydrates - they are rich in fiber, which aids in weight loss.

The Mirror is no Fool

On Average, Americans eat out four times a week.  CAUTION!!  Though eating out is pleasurable, it can be very dangerous indeed.  When we are eating out, we tend to feel that we are "on vacation from the kitchen" and allow ourselves to be careless about choices.  Don't get caught up in that thought process!!  Here are a few tips to help with the challenges of eating out:

• Pick a healthy appetizer and enjoy PRIOR to determining your main course
• Know the fat content and calorie count of a meal prior to ordering - BE INQUISITIVE!
• Share a meal even if they charge an extra fee
• Remember alcohol contains empty calories and makes smart decision making very difficult 

Telling yourself you "deserve" to splurge, binge or ignore calories because you are out of the kitchen only makes your "muffin top" and "bra fat rolls" more prominent.  Look in the mirror before going out to eat - the mirror is no fool - and neither are you.  Prove it to yourself - be strong, be powerful!

The Power of YOU

Think seriously about working toward successful lifetime weight management as a personal project, and the most important decision you will ever make.  You have the strength and power and energy to push forward, make the right choices and succeed.  Today is the best day to begin and best answers are the answers that you have WiTHIN your core.....and you know how important it is to work on your core!  Don't keep putting it off! 

Motivation and Money!?!

Click on the link below (thank you to @Droz on Twitter for recommending the article) to read an interesting story about using money to motivate weight loss.  Tell me what YOU think!  Would money motivate YOU to lose weight?  Perhaps, but what then?  When I was working within the acute care setting, many fellow employees and community members would get a "weight loss group" going and pitch in money for the "winner".  I would be asked to weight and measure "pre-contest".  I rarely saw anyone to measure "post-contest".  Most of the time, after a week or so, the energy would dwindle and who knows what happened to the money??? This happened time after time, and I know many of you out there have had experience with the very same thing.  Think back - how did it work for you - and how long was the "long term" outcome?  Money has not proven to be a direct motivator for long term weight management.  What then is the answer?  The answer lies WiTHIN You Now!™   Motivation is in your control and only you have control of your thoughts, your behavior and your future.  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/07/health/main7223040.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionsArea;cbsnewsSectionsArea.1

GO Weight Watchers!

Weight Watchers does the nutritional work for you.  They have a fantastic new point system that is based on good science and good sense.  If you have any questions about what you should eat, etc... make your life easier and base your meal plan on their plan.  But remember, any meal plan needs your inner strength and energy that YOU put into place today, tomorrow and everyday.  Life is short - enjoy, be healthly, be strong and stick up for yourself. Click on this link to get new info on what WW is u up to:   http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-weight-watchers-20110110,0,6665084.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Ffeatures%2Fhealth+%28L.A.+Times+-+Health%29&utm_content=Twitter

Prevent, Halt & Reverse Heart Disease

Along with getting your head together when it comes to weight loss and weight management -  I encourage everyone to GET EDUCATED!!  My "twist" on weight management centers around the psychology of it all, as we all know it's not about food - it's about getting yourself to do the right thing - everyday.  However, without the correct nutritional information, doing the right thing is impossible.  So -  read, read, read and look at the "science" behind any nutritional information.  I hate gimmicks, quick fixes and anything that sounds too good to be true.  I am a strong supporter of Weight Watchers - get one of their books and make it a permanent fixture in your kitchen.  I have another suggestion for your reading pleasure: "Prevent, Halt & Reverse Heart Disease" by Joseph C. Piscatella and Barry A. Franklin, PhD.  Read Step 4 beginning on page 201 "Balance your Diet".  Great information!!  Great guidelines and all based on science. 

Beck: A good read

Seriously take a gander at Judith S. Beck's book: the Beck DIET Solution.  I like this book.  It is a serious look at solutions to successful weight management barriers.  It has depth, interaction and absolutely nothing about what to eat - fantastic. I highly suggest. Gathering, understanding and implementing this type of information will help form a foundation of strength when you are ready to lose weight and keep it off. 

Take some "me" time and enjoy this read.

the Beck DIET solution

May I suggest Dr. Judith S. Beck's book:  the Beck DIET solution...train your brain to think like a thin person.  Specifically chapter 6, "Day 13".....chapter 9, "Day 31".

Dr. Beck has some great material in this book.  I just bought it on-line from Amazon for $1.00 plus shipping (used in great condition).  Worth the investment............

A good warm up to my book in progress :)    WiTHIN You Now!™

Stay tuned!!  And stay tuned in to your inner strength and power.  You have it - find it.