by Jessica Marie on April 4th, 2013

When setting out to lose 5, 10 or 100+ pounds you can begin to feel like a failure right away. You begin to think, "I can't do this!", "What am I thinking?", and many other thoughts or questions that begin to lead you astray.

Yes, I know what you are thinking. I have been there. My weight loss journey was a disaster at one point. I thought, "There is now way I am ever going to reach my goal, so I might as well quit right now." I also know that you have had that conversation with yourself at one point or another.

When I began my journey I would lose between 2-5 pounds a week. That was fantastic! Then, there came a time when I would almost lose 1 pound a week. I was still losing, which was great! Right? WRONG!!! I was devastated. I was doing everything right, or so I thought, which meant that if I was unable to lose like I was it was just not meant to be. After going through, what many call a plateau (I don't, I'll share another day), I decided to take some time to regain my focus. I went through several weeks where I just did not want to continue my journey because I thought it was pointless, that I would never reach my goal, that I was stupid for even trying.

The day came when I went shopping again. Shopping always seems to trigger my want to lose weight. I have a love/hate relationship with shopping...or I used to. Anyway, I decided to begin my journey again. I had to figure out how to make it work because I was tired of trying and failing. I sat down and reflected upon my journey that I had been on. There were 5 things that I did that made me successful when I was losing weight.

I want to tell you right now, that these thoughts do not have to become true. You can reach your weight loss goals and be as successful as you want. I found this out through a tough journey or many rocky paths. That is why I am sharing the 5 overlying keys to a successful weight loss journey with you.

With these five keys in place, the rest of the pieces will fall into place. With these five keys you will overcome your challenges.

5 Keys to Losing Weight

Be Organized

When you begin your weight loss journey, you want to create a system. This is scary and tough for many, as it means that you may have to change some of the routine that you are used to doing on a daily basis. Part of creating the perfect system for weight loss, is setting yourself a challenge. You want to have a challenge that pushes you above and beyond what you think you can accomplish. Once you have that challenge created, begin to set yourself some goals that you can achieve along the way. These goals can be daily, weekly, or even monthly goals but they do need to be something that you can see yourself accomplishing.

Remain Consistent

Along your weight loss journey you will run into obstacles of all sorts. You may be too tired, not feel well, bored with your eating or your exercise. Through all of this the most important thing you can do is remain consistent. Does this mean that you have to do the exact same thing every day? Of course not, it means that you include a plan for these occurrences in your weight loss system. . It means that if you do find yourself in one of those days where, for some reason or another, you cannot or do not want to do your normal work out you should still do something. If you are ill, it may mean writing down what you are able to eat, even though you are not eating like you normally do. Maybe you its just a day where you are really tired, so you do a 10 minute workout instead of your normal 40 minute workout. You may have even missed yesterday’s workout, that is okay, in this case just pick up and continue doing your regularly scheduled workouts today. Life happens, which makes our weight loss journey tough, but by doing small things that help you remain consistent you will not be derailed from your journey.

Stay Focused

Your focus once you begin the weight loss journey is losing the weight that you intend. Live life to the fullest, do what you enjoy while making small adjustments on the way. You can have fun during your weight loss journey, I do not care what anyone else tells you, this should be a fun adventure that you enjoy and want to do daily. One way to keep your focus is by beginning to make decisions that help you become successful. When you are out with friends, keep your focus by ordering food and drinks that will help you achieve your goal. While you are planning a vacation with your family, plan for some active time together; not only will you be able to get some exercise as a family, but you will also strengthen the family bond.

Recommit to Yourself Daily

Motivating yourself takes continuous conscious effort. The best way I have found to do this, is by reading motivational quotes in the morning. I have written 3 of my favorite quotes on the bathroom mirror so that I see them every time I go into the bathroom. Another way to continually recommit to yourself is to take a few minutes each day to just sit with yourself. During this time you can look through some photos of yourself, write a letter to your future self about what you have accomplished and where you want to go, have a self pep talk. These are just a few of the ideas, there are many others that you could include in your recommitment.

Reach Out to Others

This will become a great benefit to them as well as to you. Share your journey with a friend by asking them to go to the gym with you. Ask those close to you to give you a weekly call where you can discuss all your successes and even some areas that you may need to readjust or do better with next week (this is an accountability buddy). Find someone going through the same journey you are and offer to provide them motivation. I have found that it is extremely tough to go through the journey alone; there are so many times when having that person to lean on allowed me to continue on and keep my motivation. The vice versa was also true. Going the journey with a friend gave me the strength to help myself by helping them through their times when they needed a shoulder to lean on as well. Having an accountability buddy, whether it's a one way road or two way road will, quite possibly, be one of the biggest things that helps you reach your goals.

Your Action Step:

Share below one of the keys to weight loss that you have discovered. I would love to hear what you have found along your own weight loss journey.

5 Ways to beat the food cravings

by Jessica Marie on January 31st, 2013

Have you ever gone to the fridge, gotten there and then stared at it?

Have you ever gone to the kitchen, opened the cupboard, closed it, then gone to the fridge and closed that too?

Do you get the feeling that you are hungry, but just do not know what you want?

Or, have you ever gotten a craving for a food that you just can not shake?

If you have been able to say "yes" to any of these scenarios, then I'm here to tell you that these instances can be changed.

These are simply habits that your body has grown accustomed to, and they can be changed. Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

The biggest trick (okay, it's not really a trick but...) is changing your unhealthy habits into new healthier habits.

Food cravings are a major barrier in achieving the ideal weight that you have always dreamed about. No matter how much you plan your meals and exercise, food cravings can cause you to reach for that cupcake or your junk food of choice.

I know how tough this can be, cupcakes are my favorite. Over the years, I have found a few ways to help me beat those cravings.

Here are five tips that you could use to beat your craving

1) Keep your mind occupied. Fill your time with activities such as jogs and walks in the park or take up a class such as yoga. Well-being of the body promotes well-being of the mind.

2) Eat well balanced meals. Eat 5-6 meals throughout your day, 3 main meals and 2 snacks. When they say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they were not lying. Once you skip breakfast, you begin to tell your body that you are not going to fuel it properly. This can cause you to have cravings and hunger later that you may not be able to satiate.

3) Drink water. Water doesn’t have any calories so you can drink as much as you want. Isn’t that amazing? Every time your body is crying for food, ask yourself if it is really hungry. Sometimes our body is just beginning to dehydrate and needs water. Since minds have used hunger to satisfy its needs for so long, it may just be confused between hunger and thirst. Silence its demands by drinking a glass of water.

4) Keep the junk food out of the house! You are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods if the foods are not readily available in your kitchen. Instead, stock up on quick go-to fruits, veggies and nuts. Have your vegetables pre-cut and ready to eat, have some dried fruit in the cupboards. If you feel you must have junk food, save it for when you are out with friends and family...make it special.

5) Wait it out. Ask yourself if you are really hungry then wait a few minutes. Take some time to call a friend, read a book, go for a quick walk or take a hot bath. Your body will slowly learn the new habits and be able to send the correct signals to your body!

Share below how you overcome your food cravings. Do you have your own tricks? Are you going to try some of the above tricks?

Yes, You Need to Burn More Calories Than You Put Into Your body to Lose Weight

by Jessica Marie on January 24th, 2013

BUT.......

There are so many sites and people out there telling you to use your BMR, DCO and DCI. Awesome right? WRONG!!!

How exactly are you suppose to use something that you know absolutely nothing about. Plus, how does it relate to the whole burn more calories thing?

I'm going to help you with that confusion and overwhelm that you are feeling right about now. I will walk you through what these acronyms actually mean and how you can apply them to you daily life.

Take a deep breath...let it out...relax

It is extremely important to know and understand your numbers. Since everyone's body is different, our daily calorie needs are different. The numbers that you need to know are your BMR, DCI, and DCO. (I will explain all of these.) There are several ways to determine each of these numbers for uniquely you:

BMR

(Basal Metabolic Rate) The amount of calories your body burns, while at rest, each day:

   The most accurate way to learn this number is a with a "dunk test" (hydrostatic body-fat testing). This is where they submerge you in water and record your weight. Many universities offer this, as well as some mobile units. You can learn more about the mobile units at www.bodyfattest.com and www.getdunked.com. These sites will provide you with information and locations where you can have the testing done.

   You could also use a Bodybugg or Fitbit gadget that record accurate, daily calorie expenditures (or DCO). They run between $100 and $300, but are well worth the investment.

   A third option you have for calculating your own numbers are to use math and solve equations. These are great equations, but keep in mind that they are estimates.

Women BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Example using my numbers

          age = 29      height = 69 inches     weight = 163.6 pounds

                      655 + (4.35 x 163.6) + (4.7 x 69) - (4.7 x 29)

                       655 + (711.66)         + (304.3)     - (136.3)

                            BMR = 1534.66 calories that my body burns per day just by sitting around.

Men BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

The final way to determine your BMR is with a free website. These sites use formulas similar to the one above, so keep in mind that they are just estimates as well rather than 100% accurate.  A couple sites are:

         Discovery Health: health.discovery.com/centers/heart/basal/basal.html
         SparkPeole: www.sparkpeople.com/

DCI

(Daily Calorie Intake) The amount of calories you consume each day.

This number is determined by tracking everything you put into your mouth. Again, there are a few ways that you can do this on your own:

You can use the serving sized of what ever item you are eating and look up the calories for each, then at them all up.

Who has time for that?

There are also several apps and websites that allow you to do this for free. My favorite is Sparkpeople. I will write everything down (food & quantities) in a journal throughout the day, then track it online later when I have some free time.

DCO

(Daily Calorie Output) For my purpose this is the amount of extra calories you burn through exercise.

This can be tracked using a Bodybugg/Fitbit device, or by inserting the activity into a calorie calculator app or online. I use Sparkpeople for this, for me it is the easiest and most user friendly site I have found. Also, I journal my exercise as soon as I complete it. I write what I did, how long, and how it makes me and my body feel.

   Keeping in mind that burning 3500 calories a week is equal to losing one pound a week, you can plan how much you are going to lose. Use this equation DCI - (BMR + DCO).

    Let's say I eat 1500 calories today and burn 700 through exercise, here is how I would figure out what I am going to lose this week.

                   1500 - (1534.66 + 700)

                   1500 - (2234.66) = -734.66 calories per day

                             -734.66 x 7 = -5142.62 calories per week

                                               = approximately 1.47 pounds lost per week

What You Don't know About Weight Loss- 10 Myths of Exercise

by Jessica Marie on January 10th, 2013

There are many misconceptions regarding exercise that still exist today. Here are some of the most common exercise myths as well as the not-so-common facts based on current exercise research.

10 weight loss exercise myths, how to lose weight, exercise for weight loss

Exercise Myth 1. Low intensity workouts burn more fat

In general, low intensity exercise has its place -- it's less stressful on joints. However, one should know that fat reduction depends on the total energy cost or how many calories burned during the activity. The faster you move, the more calories you use per minute. However, high-intensity exercise may be difficult to sustain in the beginning, so you may not exercise very long at this level. In such cases, it is safer and more practical to start out at a lower intensity and to gradually work your way up.

Exercise Myth 2. Spot reduction works for tighter abs and more tone arms

All that crunching may have been done in vain. You will not see a nice muscle definition despite how many crunches you do because it lays hidden beneath all the layers of fat. Thus, when exercising, do not focus on a single body part, rather focus on the whole body as whole body exercises are more beneficial. This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from maintaining or even starting an exercise program. Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example, regular walking or gardening for as little as an hour a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Exercise Myth 3: Stretching before exercise will help prevent injuries

There is little evidence stretching prevents injuries. Current research shows that muscle stretching after a workout will help reduce delayed onset muscle soreness in young healthy adults. In another study, it is found that static stretching (staying in one place during stretching) lasting more than a minute can be detrimental to performance. Athletes often swing their arms and warm up before a game. That type of dynamic stretching such as high knee jogs, walking lunges can help move your muscles through different ranges of motions.

Exercise Myth 4. If you exercise long and hard enough, you will always get the results you want

In reality, genetics plays an important role in how people respond to exercise. Studies have shown a wide variation in how different exercisers respond to the same training program. Your development of strength, speed and endurance may be very different from that of other people you know.

Exercise Myth 5. Exercise is the one sure way to lose all the weight you desire

As with all responses to exercise, weight gain or loss is dependent on many factors, including dietary intake and genetics. All individuals will not lose the same amount of weight on the same exercise program. It is possible to be active and overweight. Although exercise alone cannot guarantee your ideal weight, regular physical activity is one of the most important factors for successful long-term weight management.

Exercise Myth 6. If you want to lose weight, stay away from strength training because you will bulk up

Most exercise experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and strength training are both valuable for maintaining a healthy weight. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage.

Exercise Myth 7. Water fitness programs are primarily for older people or exercisers with injuries

Recent research has shown that water fitness programs can be highly challenging and effective for both improving fitness and losing weight. Even top athletes integrate water fitness workouts into their training programs.

Exercise Myth 8. The health and fitness benefits of mind-body exercises like Tai Chi and Yoga are questionable

Research showing the benefits of these exercises continues to grow. Tai chi, for example, has been shown to help treat low-back pain and fibromyalgia. Improved flexibility, balance, coordination, posture, strength and stress management are just some of the potential results of mind-body exercise.

Exercise Myth 9. Overweight people are unlikely to benefit much from exercise

Studies show that obese people who participate in regular exercise programs have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than sedentary individuals, regardless of weight. Both men and women of all sizes and fitness levels can improve their health with modest increases in activity.

Exercise Myth 10. Home workouts are fine, but going to a gym is the best way to get fit

Research has shown that some people find it easier to stick to a home-based fitness program. In spite of all the hype on trendy exercise programs and facilities, the “best” program for you is the one you will participate in consistently

Your Action Steps

1) In the comments below, share what you think about these busted myths
2) Share this post with your friends

How to Create Action Steps to Reach Your Weight Loss Goals in 2013

by Jessica Marie on January 3rd, 2013

WooHOO! 2013 is here and you have set some new goals for the year! I imagine that many of your goals (or at least one) are related to weight loss.

Setting a weight loss goal is a great step toward being a healthier, more active you.

Now what do you do?

Take the goal you have written for yourself and brainstorm all of the action steps, steps that you can take toward reaching your goal, that need to be done.

Some of these things may be done quickly while others may need some time to complete and that is perfectly okay. Right now you are just brainstorming everything that you could possibly do to help you reach your weight loss goal, or any other goal, that you have for 2013.

Use some of the following ideas to get you started and add plenty of your own. Your list can be as long as you want.

find out how much of a calorie deficit do i need to create each week
track to find out what my calories (BMR) per day are right now
find out how many calories I need to consume each day
research cost of body fat % testing
measure my body fat %
find out what should my body fat % be
create an exercise routine
create workouts
find an accountability partner
discover my soul mate workout
arrange my schedule for a.m. workouts
talk with someone with the same goals
set 2 dates to try new workouts
make a batch meal on Sunday/Wednesday
prep my food so it's easy to grab & go
schedule review of health goal on calendar
journey reflection on health goal
journal exercise & nutrition
create journals for exercise & nutrition
find spot to keep track of my streaks
make a perpetual grocery list

Once you have brainstormed everything that you can do, choose the ones that work best for you.
Put a star next to the five that will be the most beneficial toward helping you reach your goal.

Sometimes when we start to think about everything we can do, it can be overwhelming. That is perfectly normal. One way you can help yourself stay focused is to take out a calendar and put 3-5 of those action steps on each week.

This will keep you on track and break up your larger goal into smaller, manageable steps. You may find that a few of them are repeated each week, such as tracking, measuring, or exercising which is GREAT! Doing things repeatedly will create the new healthier habit in your life.

What are your top 5 action steps?