Everyday is a Holiday

Often times I hear people planning to "lose weight for the Holidays"....then when the Holidays are over, they plan to "lose their Holiday weight"!  Maintaining a healthy body weight should not be thought of in "chuncks" for this occasion or that occasion.  Be ready for everyday by viewing everyday as a Holiday...go deep inside to tap into your inner strength and allow yourself the pleasure of being "body ready" for every occasion.  Today is the best day to begin your 24/7/365 "body ready" plan.

Think Lifestyle

Yesterday I heard an ad on the radio for lap band surgery with their premise being:  "There is no diet that works long term - lose weight with lap band surgery".  I do agree that diets must be followed everyday for the rest of one's life or one will gain weight back.  I also agree that lap band surgery (or any gastric bypass surgery) does promote weight loss.  However, once one loses the weight with lap band surgery, they are faced with the same challenges they had prior to the surgery.  Just as when we "go on a diet" and lose weight, we are faced with the same challenges once the novelty of the diet wears off.  Think Lifestyle, think success, think healthy eating at all times.  Many people feel that it is OK to cheat "once in a while"..... My advice is to not think of enjoying your favorite foods as "cheating" and don't tell yourself you are "cheating" when you enjoy something yummy. Think of it as planned - just as you plan any other aspect of your diet. The rest of your life is a nice long time, and your healthy eating plan that is designed to keep the pounds off and keep you healthy, is a Lifestyle - a Lifestyle that your friends and family will more readily accept for themselves when they see your success, your health and your happiness.

A spoonful of vinegar......helps the pounds stay off !!

I'm always talking about "visualizing" yourself as being slender, fit, healthy and exactly where you want to be.  Our minds are very powerful tools that we often just let sit there doing only the very basic functions.  Try this little "mind game" on yourself.  Take a teaspoon full of vinegar each day and imagine that the vinegar has super powers to help you stay on your meal plan and get plenty of exercise.  The taste, smell and texture of the vinegar kicks the brain into thinking that it is acutally a medicine.  Make it work for you.  Believe in it and you will be very surprised and pleased at the results.  Remember, you can Become the person that you have pictured in your mind......GET CREATIVE!!!  The only thing you have to lose is weight :)  

"Picture" Yourself.....

Carry a picture of yourself in your mind...........slender, healthy, fit and content.  Carry that picture with you at all times and refer to it often.  Visualize yourself Becoming that slender, healthy, fit and content person as you go through each day successfully meeting challenges.  Studies show that the more you "imagine" personal success, the more likely you are to reach that personal success. 

Don't advertise to your friends and family that you are moving forward with your healthy eating and exercise plan, let them see for themselves through your accomplishments.  Becoming slender, healthy, fit and content is not a diet, it is a Lifestyle... today, and forever.

Have questions for me?  Simply click on the comments button after each posting and ask away!  I will respond within 24 hours!  Thank you for following "Managing Your Weight with Dr. Stacey Hilton-Davis.

Apples, Pears and YOU!

Remember that your body "shape" (God given - can't change it) puts you in a specific "risk category" for heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.  Those of you who carry your weight from the waist down are considered "pears", and fall into the lower risk category. Those of you who have the slender legs and carry your weight around the middle and up are considered "apples".  The good news for "apples" is that you have been blessed with great legs and you get to wear all the cool boots and short skirts - but the bad news is that being an "apple" puts you in the high risk category for heart disease and diabetes....all the more reason to be diligent about your daily, healthy meal plan.  The sun is out and it is a beautiful day, take a nice walk with a friend and share ideas about healthy eating and how to eliminate junk food from your diet. Life is short and fleeting....don't let a few extra pounds ruin your healthy tomorrow.....actually, isn't today tomorrow??

Perception

Life is stressful -  no matter how rich, beautiful, privileged or thin someone is - life, in and of itself, in all of its Glory, is stressful....there's no getting around it.  Stress is our body's reaction - both psychological and physical - to our perception of our environment, regardless of what our environment presents.  Everyone reacts differently (depending upon perception) to life's challenges (the environment).  Often times we hear people say that they tend to over eat, or eat the wrong things when they are "stressed".  If this is you - take a moment to realize that if you are alive, you are experiencing some degree of stress every moment.  It is natural to be stressed, but the degree and frequency of that stressful reaction needs to be closely measured, monitored and contemplated.  Take an honest look at your perception of your environment and analyze your stress management skills.  Are you using "negative" stress management skills (over eating, over drinking, over spending) to shield yourself from what you perceive as threat or pain?  Spend some time today looking deep inside YOU, take some notes, and remember that forward progress takes time, patience and education.  Stay tuned for my next post on ways to modify your stressful perception of life.

The "Fat Bucket"

If you need to lose weight (any amount), this means you are carrying what I call "A Fat Bucket".  Let's say you need to lose 10 pounds...this means you are carrying 35,000 calories around in your fat bucket (remember to lose one pound you need to burn off 3,500 calories and not replace them).  Go to www.caloriesperhour.com to do your math.  Keep track of how many calories you are burning at rest for 24 hours, how many calories you are burning with exercise, and how many calories you are taking in with food.  Once you do the math, you will be able to calculate how long it should take you to empty your "Fat Bucket"....then begin your plan to keep it empty.  An empty "Fat Bucket" means greater quality of life, and jeans that feel GREAT !!!!