Weight Lose - Riverdale,IL

I just quit drinking soda two weeks ago and am already feeling better (less bloated and sluggish) and wouldn't doubt I've lost some weight as well. That might be a start? Good luck to you!

A lot of newer research shows it isn't the exercise, it is the food. And yes that is really hard. You need to work out what constitutes less than 2000 calories a day, possibly less than 1500 per day if you want to loose weight and then stick to it. Snacks can be rice cakes and celery. but really you need to think about alternatives to using food as a comfort. I know it is really hard. The exercise can help firm things up but it generally lead people to eat. So it will not be the weightloser, forgoing the food does that. Good luck.

http://www.qualityhealth.com/eating-nutrition-index/eat-l...

try this website has amazing recipes and tips

cut the sugary drinks(coke,pepsi)

and drink a lot of water

Consider joining Weight Watchers Online. I did just under two weeks ago and it's great! I lost three pounds the first week and ate regular foods and wasn't hungry. It really teaches you which foods to eat. The online program is really easy and takes just minutes a day.

As far as exercise, that won't take off the weight. You want to exercise to stay healthy but don't tie it to losing weight or you'll get frustrated really quickly. I've been very good about working out 4x a week for over a year and lost nothing, even with a lot of cardio. Now, I do it strictly for the health benefits and I'm much happier. Get the exercise in by taking a long walk during your lunch break as a starting point.

My motivation is wanting to stay healthy and be around for my kids as long as possible. Getting my weight under control is key to better health and life expectancy.

Hi M.,

My husband lost weight by taking an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex. Nutrition absorbing is the key to the body doing and being what it is supposed to be. You are not supposed to be carrying 40 extra pounds.

After my husband lost 60 pounds, he got excited about his weight loss and started running. (The first 60 pounds came off with no diet change or activity change.) He used a fat burning bar that actually uses your own fat for fuel and doesn't allow the body to hoard it when it is going into a different mode. When he started feeling better, his eating habits changed on their own. Not that he was eating really bad, but there was room for improvement.

I recommended this vitamin to my sister in law who lost 15 pounds, my husband's best friend who lost 50 pounds and a friend who gained 10. She was wanting to put on weight because she couldn't keep it on. (Not MY problem, lol) Nutrition truly puts your body where it is supposed to be!

Let me know if you'd like some information on the vitamin. It's the only one on the market that is guaranteed to absorb, and without creating free radicals.

God bless,

M.

Get all of the junk out of your house. Change your snacks to grapes, carrots, celery, and thing that still has crunch and some sweetness, so you don't feel like you are missing anything. Snacking is a really hard habit to break, so it might take awhile to get used to.
Working out could be as simple as going for a walk or as difficult as taking a class. It depends on where you want to be. In group classes there is a lot of motivation and a great social network to help. In walking you could take a friend, get some alone time, or put your daughter on her bike and try to keep up with her. I train a group every year to run a 5K and some of them have never exercised, but to see the changes they make to get to that goal is cool. So that is something else, set small goals and when you attain them reward yourself, not with a food item, but with something for yourself like a manicure or massage. Adding weight lifting will increase your metabolism by increasing your lean muscle mass and it also give that tone look. Most local Park Districts have fitness centers now, which are cheaper than the big clubs in the area and less intimidating and also have child care. One other tip is if you are going by the number on the scale, weigh yourself once, than put it away for about a month. When a person first starts to change their body, the body does this funny thing where it holds on for the first few weeks. So if you weigh yourself one day and then 2 days later, you may have actually gained, which can be discouraging. So put it away until your body get used to the idea that you are going to make it healthier. Your daughter is at a great age to learn new healthy habits so maybe include her in on some of this.
Best of luck to you!!!!

One of the first things to do is get rid of all the junk food in your house...and don't buy any more. Keep fresh fruits and veggies in the house to snack on. Snack on healthy food like apples, carrots, celery, peanut butter, nuts, and hummus. Eat smaller portions and eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Your plate should be 80% veggies, 20% good grains and 20% lean protein. Eat a small salad before your meal - use olive oil or oil and vinegar for dressing. Drink lots and lots of water throughout the day (about half of your body weight in ounces - 100 lbs = 50 oz of water per day).

Don't stress too much about not being able to work out. Just walk whenever you can as much as you can. If you can walk at lunch that would be great. Maybe you and your daughter can go for a walk or bike ride together after dinner. Also, when you go shopping park at one of the farthest spots so you can get a little more walking in. When you walk, just just stroll, walk a little fast.

Another great option for exercise is a mini-trampoline (or rebounder). You can jump/run on that in the morning before starting your day.

Don't focus on how much weight you want to lose, focus on how much you want to weigh or how you want to look. If you have a picture of how you want to look, put that somewhere you will see it often, and focus on that.

One other thing...make sure you get enough sleep (7-8 hours). Not getting enough sleep has been shown to inudce fat storage.

Good luck!

1.Being organized is really helpful. I recently got on Ipod touch and I downloaded an app that helps me keep track of food and exercise. You also need to schedule workout time into your day. If that time is set aside specifically for working out, it is harder to push it off until later.

I use www.myfitnesspal.com to track my food and workouts. It has an app for I pod but you can also just do it online and it also syncs between the two. It will help you figure out how many calories you should consume per day in order to lose your desired amount of weight.

2. I work out 5-6 days a week, it's important to get your heart rate up at least 30 minutes a day. On days that I don't have time to workout, I park farther from the grocery store and walk or try to be extra active w/my kids.

3.Losing weight should be slow if you want to keep it off. Learn more and more about nutrition and what works for your schedule and your body.

4.Sticking to the lower fat/lower calorie diet is tough at first. I find it is easier to spread your allowance out during the day. I started out w/3 small meals and 3 snacks so that I didn't feel like I was starving during the day. If you feel like you are famished you will eat more. I also drank a glass of water and waited a little while before I ate. Sometime, your body feels hungry but it is tricking you because you are actually just thirsty.

5.I have become a runner, and I do some weight lifting, but walking at a brisk pace and getting your heart rate up is an excellent form of exercise.

6.Healthy snacks: fruits (fresh or dried), raw veggies, small handful of nuts, string cheese

Exercises:Wii is fun and you could do w/your daughter, walking/running, jump rope, pushups are a great workout for your arms and belly, it tones your whole upper body.

7. Boost your metabolism by drinking lots of water...cut back on sugar filled drinks and diet drinks.

8.A good motivation is the reward of seeing that number drop on the scale! Make sure you get the right amount of sleep and don't deprive yourself of those t hings that you are craving. If you want chocolate, have a piece, if you want mexican food, enjoy a dish w/black beans or that isn't deep fried, but portion control is key.

I was the same you are at the stage right now. Drink mummy magic tea three times a day, continue eating healthy and avoid junk foods. I got my pre-baby body shape back by doing so.

First off, I am by no means in great physical shape, but I have recently lost around 15 pounds, now within 10 pounds of what I weighed before I had my daughter almost 3 years ago. I do weight watchers new program called momentum. I follow the path similar to the whole foods diet. I am able to eat as much as I like as long as it comes from the list of foods provided. This is not a small list, it is fruits, vegs, whole grain pastas and rice, proteins, convenience foods etc. I have found that I do better if I don't have to spend time measuring and counting and I am very good at planning my foods. I always have fresh fruits and veggies to snack on and eat a lot of lean protein. It is really easy to follow the plan. Plus if there is something that you want that isn't on the list, it's fine, you are allowed 35 additional points a week to splurge! Have cake, seriously, do it!

The other thing that I did to motivate myself was I signed up to do the Avon Walk for the Cure this year. I found that I needed a little extra motivation to meet my fitness goals and this has definitely done it for me. I am considering signing up every year just to keep on track. Plus, I had no idea how rewarding the experience would be. I get to help others while I help myself.

If you are really serious about making the change, you will, but I found that until I was seriously ready, I could talk and talk, but change happens by doing.

To make it easy on yourself, and thus more likely for you to stick to it, I'd say (as far as eating habits) to find the one area where you really sabatoge yourself and only focus on that. There is actually a ton of evidence out there that people have a limited supply of willpower... if you try to do too much you physically can't do it... knowing that changed my whole perspective! So, for me my major issue was sugary foods. I decided to do my absolute best to avoid sugar. I still did fruit and honey (in my tea) but otherwise tried very hard to stay away from sugar (and I don't do artificial sweetners, so I easily stayed away from that stuff too). I dropped 10 pounds the most quickly and easily that I've ever lost weight! It sounds like maybe your hard thing is snacking. Just decide not to snack. Pre-pack a few snacks each night for the day before... carrot sticks, an apple, etc... and then allow yourself to have one pre-packed snack in between meals. It's truly amazing how much easier it is to stick to the "diet" when you just have to watch one thing. Good luck!

M.

I had a some weight to lose , but it was not from having a baby. I was working out regularly, but still could not drop a pound, even after I practically starved myself. I talked to a trainer and she gave me a few tips that I do and I have lost 13 pounds since March 22. The first is eating lean protein and a green vegie every 3 hours, you can substitute that with a protein shake. There are more things that you also eat like ezekial bread. Also, I have been taking Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Its just plain vinegar, but I feel that it jump starts your metabolism, you should google it and read about it. You are basically drinking a shot of straight vinegar, some people have a hard time with that. I have had great success with this. I am still working out as well. Good Luck

Hi M.,
Busy lifestyles require some non-traditional solutions. Healthy snacks such as fruit (apples, bananas, even some melons packed the night before) When you can't get to a meal, try a good meal replacement with protein and essential minerals. I like Nutrishake by Ardyss. They also have one great antioxidant drink, LeVive, that provides energy and 24 other reasons that it is great for you. Try mini-workouts. If you do three sessions of 10 minutes that adds up to your 30 minute workout. If you need to break it up into 5 minutes than you need six sessions. Again try the non-traditional instead of beating yourself up over trying to fit someone else's norm into yours.

Here is the website for the LeVive and Nutrishake. Great tasting and great products. Really works.

www.ardysslife.com/LLJBCreativesolution

God speed,
L.

Increasing fiber and understanding what whole grains are will help keep you full. In the morning, start with oatmeal. Not instant oatmeal but steel cut oat meal. Trader Joe's sells it pre-made now so you don't have to spend 30mins cooking and stirring. For me, I basically put it in the slow cooker overnight or on the weekend and divide it in individual portions for the week. I put different toppings on the individual portions, like cinnamon, different kinds of dried fruit and nuts/seeds and even cheese or veggie meat/sausage. So in the morning, I just pop it in the microwave or eat it cold! It really keeps me going and stops me from snacking all day.
Another misconception is what whole grains are. A lot of cereals and breads will advertise that they are whole grains but they are processed whole grains which will not make you full and in fact increase your hunger. That's why restaurants give you bread before a meal. Avoid crackers, bread, noodles, etc. I repeat, even the ones that say they are whole grain are not because they are processed and the body will still process it like sugar and store it as fat.
Snack on carrot sticks, fruits, a little bit of nuts, etc.
My husband lost 30 pounds, just by eating steel cut oatmeal for breakfast and not eating simple carbs. This is without exercising. Of course guys have different metabolism.
We cook a lot of beans for protein. Rice and beans can really fill a person up. We also eat lots of chili and vegetable bean soups. All these things can be made in big batches and frozen or refrigerated. Just don't eat it with bread or crackers. Instead, pair them up with a whole grain dish like tauboleh or quinoa or wild rice salad.
Another thing about vitamins that you have to be careful about. Some vitamins actually increases a person's appetite. I'm not saying that you should not take it. Just be aware and adjust your eating habits accordingly.

Hi M., I have played the weight loss game a few times, first before I became pregnant and then each time after having both of my babies, and have been successful each time. One key I have found is setting minimum goals. For example, set a goal that you know you can easily achieve, like walking around the block 3 times a week for starters. This is simple and something that sets you up for success and not failure. When you meet your goal, you feel good about yourself, no matter how small the goal. And even on those days when you don't feel like you have much motivation, you'll remind yourself "it's only once around the block, I can do that", and achieving your minimum goal will keep you on track. But chances are, once you complete that goal, you'll actually feel like you can keep going. In this example, after you've walked around the block once, you'll probably say "I think I can make another round", then think how great you'll feel for having exceeded your goal! As you increase your workout stamina, you can adjust your goals and increase them. But don't start off thinking you're going to be able to run a mile 3 times a week. You'll just get discouraged and give up.

Another trick, which I know sounds so silly but really does help, is to buy yourself a couple of cute workout outfits and great athletic shoes. Something you'll be excited to put on. For me, the hardest part of motivating myself to workout is actually getting dressed. Once I have on my workout gear and shoes, it makes it impossible to say "oh forget it, I'm not working out today." Giving myself a little extra motivation by wearing something I actually like helps me get past that first hurdle of just simply getting dressed.

As far as foods and healthy snacks, 2 of my faves are low fat yogurt and 2% milk string cheese sticks. They are low cal, and because of the calcium you're getting extra muscle building power. And you're also satisfied with the small amounts of fat (don't go for fat free here, you'll only stay hungry and want to eat more). Be careful to check the sugar content when choosing your yogurt. You want to be around 10-15 g. Anything above 24 and you might as well consider that dessert. Also try adding a glass of milk to your morning diet if you don't already. Believe it or not, it really does help you lose weight faster because it helps again with muscle building.

I hope these few tips have helped! Remember, the key to staying motivated is to see results, and the key to seeing results is setting yourself up for success. Start with small goals and work your way up! Good luck and don't forget to have fun with it!

I too was in the same boat. I finally decided to do something about it. I wanted to wear a dress I had bought before I knew I was pregnant with my second. That was 4 years ago. As of last week I can now wear that dress. I have lost 22 lbs all by some exercise but mainly by watching my diet.

1. I squeeze in 20-30 minutes about 3-4 times a week before I pick up the kids. Sometimes I do it before I go to bed or during my lunch hour (I reserve a conference room and use my medicine ball and bands for 20 minutes).
2. I don't know how much you should. It comes down to realistically how much can you. Some time is better than no time.
3. Get the Belly Fat Cure book. The author teaches you what to eat versus what not to eat. I haven't given up my favorite things I have just modified them. It works if you stick with it. It really does.
4. The book changed it for me. It's based on monitoring your sugars and carbs. I eat alot of grilled chicken, fish, lean hamburger (without bun), veggies, fruit, whole grains (even pasta and I love it), etc.. I feel so much better since I changed my eating habits. I had major digestive issues too and they are gone.
5. 6lb medicine ball - get one. I do sit ups with the ball and other exercises that work my core. I have bands with handles that I use to work out my thighs. I climb stairs a couple times a week. In 20 minutes I get quite a work out. This has reduced my thighs significantly.
6. Whole grain bread or buns with peanut butter is a good one on the go. The grains keep you fuller longer and the peanut butter gives you the protein you need. That is my quick go to. I snack on all kinds of things but I limit my quantities and make sure the carbs and sugars fit within my daily plan. It sounds tough but is was really easy.
8. Like you I didn't want to look like that anymore. It wasn't me. My confidence was low. Somehow I just got seriously motivated to make a change. It has taken me 5 months to go from a size 10 to a 6/8. I can wear all my old clothes and I like myself again.

I am really proud of you. You are an amazing woman. You have a full plate but you still need to make time for yourself. With a 9 y.o. daughter you could get her involved too and make both of your lifestyles healthier. If nothing else be mindful of the sugars - 16 grams a day max. They go right to your waist. However you decide to start doesn't matter... just get started and keep at it. You will have days you fall off and that's okay because you will pick yourself up the next day. I so understand how you are feeling. You are never alone in this.

I have no advice, just a note to say you are not alone! If you figure it out, let me know. :) One thing I am trying that might help is I joined my local ymca. They have stuff for kids going on during adult workout classes. I haven't actually gone to any of them, lol, but as soon as I find that motivation and time you're talking about, I think it will be good for all of us! I think I just need a kickstart. Working out is like going to church for me. It's a good healthy routine, but once I get off track, it's hard to get back into it. Once I go I'm glad I did. I know I need to do it because my kids need a healthy mom that's going to be around for a long time. I guess taking the 1st step is the key for me. Good luck.

you've gotten a lot of good advice already that I totally agree with, weight watchers online/get junk out and only have healthy snacks around/walk at lunch or whenever you can. One last bit of advice--i really, really like the fitness DVD's by Lindsay Brin, Moms into Fitness--the boot camp 2 DVD and the Shed 5 fast DVD are fantastic, quick, to the point and really work. they are set up in 10 minute intervals so you can do the 3 minutes warm up and then do 1, 2 or 3 of the 10 minute workouts depending on time/energy. i've seen really good results and you don't have to join a gym or spend hours on it. Good luck--deciding you want to make a change is the biggest hurdle!

Michele,
I understand how hard it juggle work, school and single parenthood. I"m a single mom to a two year old boy, and until I graduated in December I was working and going to law school as well. It is a lot of juggling. It's hard to make time for yourself, when there's so much responsibility on your shoulders. I constantly have to remind myself that I can do my other jobs better if I'm healthier. It's not so much a matter of weight, but of health.

I have found two main ways to keep myself healthy. First, I eat what I feed my son. Since I'm careful to make sure he gets fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal, to make certain he he eating whole grains, and that he isn't eating sugar- and - fat-laden except on special occasions, I apply that to my eating as well. When we sit down to have dinner, we both eat a healthy, balanced meal. I eat fruit and yogurt with him in the mornings. And the lunch I have for him is the lunch I take with me to work. I always have cut-up fruit or carrot sticks as snacks for both of us if we're running errands. My son, for instance, adores raw zucchini, and I've adjusted to eating it a couple times a week, too. And I don't sneak "mom treats" unless I consciously choose to. I check with myself to see why I want it - if I need a caffine boost, I have a plain black coffee. if I crave chocolate, I allow myself a piece - no guilt! And before I do any of those, i drink a glass of water - sometimes I find I was actually just thirsty.

Second, I sign up for athletic events, generally ones that benefit a charity. I find that I cannot motivate myself to exercise for myself - I have to have a goal. After almost three years of not exercising, I've just signed up to run a half marathon which will benefit a charity.

It's hard to fit the exercise in to my schedule - Since my son is young, I can still occasionally talk him into getting int he jogging stroller so i can go for a run. that's not going to work with your daughter. But, if she has activities afterschool, like soccer or music lessons, or drama class, you might be able to find a nearby area where you could go for a walk or a jog while she's doing her activity. I also do a lot of walking with my son - it's a good way for him to learn good exercise habits, plus it gives us time to talk about whatever he wants to talk about. I also do things like making myself do two or three situps between chapters while i study, or leg lifts during commercials if I'm taking a break and watching TV. i also watch TV sitting on an exercise ball, which helps my posture and uses my core muscles.

And, importantly, I don't pay attention to how much I weigh. i pay attention to how i feel, physically: how much easier it is to run after i've done it a few times, how may more push-ups I can do on a break than I could when I started. And if there is a special occasions, or if I've had a bad day and want a treat, I have it. You don't want to make it into an unpleasant, deprivation ordeal, you want to be healthy for the long-term.

Good luck. You've got a lot of stuff going on in your life, and you're doing great. Remember that you are the only one who's going to take care of yourself, and give yourself some care and attention, too.

1. Get up at a God awful early hour Or walk during your lunch hour if you work. Don't make it a production. 30-40 minutes of vigorous walking will do.
2. Most days of the week. I do my best to work out Monday - Friday and often one day on the weekend, but if I have a day during the week that I want to blow it off I allow that with no guilt knowing I can do a day on the weekend. 5 days for sure!
3. http://www.cinchplan.com/healinghappens this is healthy and it works
4. one day at a time.
5. Walking and some weight bearing exercises that I squeeze in here and there.
6. this goes with #3: http://healinghappens.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sk...
or 1/4 cup almonds, rice cakes, carrots or fruit. Be sure to get some protein
7. #3 has a supplement
8. Feeling great helps to motivate!

I do not diet now, but try to eat well. I used to snack like crazy in the afternoons, but adding protein helped. This energy shake allowed me to completely give up snacking: http://healinghappens.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sk...

Wow, what a busy schedule! Impressive, I don't know 'how' you do it. I work out at a club and do group aerobics 5-7 days a week, I can eat pretty much what ever I want but try to keep it to 2,000 +/- cal. a day. So, run, do tapes at home, available at Collage video online, mic cardio: kick box, dance with weights as often as you can. Muscle burns calories in a rested state plus you'll be tone ;) Mix it up, You can take in 12000 cal per day at an absolute minimum, loose weight and be safe. I didn't 'count' them I was just mindful. I simply decided today was the day and I changed it all. I keep all junk food out of the house, I have no control so that's how I control it. I buy snacks, that don't turn me on, that the kids like to minimize temptation. Drink as much water as you can. Stop sugar pop, for sure. Do what you can every day and you will make it, I did! Good luck.

HI M.,
My husband does hypnosis, energy work, and intuitive healing work specifically to release the blocks to losing weight. He does a free 15 minute energy scan to see where your blocks are which in itself is a very powereful process (this is done over the phone). For more details go to http://www.blockbustyourpath.com/WeightRelease.html

All the best,
D.
www.blockbustyourpath.com

I joined a running class to keep me motivated, i tend to do better in a class setting that pushes me to be more accountable. If that doesn't work with your schedule or going to the gym doesn't work with your schedule then maybe try something like workout videos at home or the wii fit which is fun and you can do whenever - my kids will even do it with me.

It sounds like you might be eating a lot because of stress. try drinking an entire glass of water before snacking it it is not meal time and that helps too. Weight watchers is good because it is all about portion size.

For the foods that i can't seem to leave alone, like chips or the like, i just don't buy them. Can't eat it if it is not in the house. There is a great website/book called Hungry Girl which has lots of easy low calorie ideas for meals, snacks, etc. too.

It is hard but try to think more about setting a good example for your daughter and focus on how being healthy will help you reach goals instead of focusing on the weight loss side so much. As actually does make it a little easier since it keeps you thinking about what you have achieved and not what is left to go. Good Luck!

Hi M., I've lost 25 pounds in the last year after having my 2nd child. I was able to do this with baby steps.

I knew what my problems were (overeating and not eating enough vegetables and not exercising). Always seemed like I had an excuse.

For the food part - I plan meals and snacks for the week and pack my lunch for work every day. I measure the "calorie intense" foods and freely eat the "good foods". One day I used a web site to figure out how many calories I had eaten that day, and it was mind boggling. That got me to start measuring the calorie intense foods. I plan my 3 meals, and 2 snacks every day.

They key was exercising. Combining cardio and strength training. I really wanted to get to the gym, but with our schedule, it just wasn't going to happen.

I happened upon a series of videos from the library 10 Minute Solutions. The videos have 5 10 minute workout videos. I started with one 10 minute session (at night), and eventually did 2 workouts (20 minutes) then got up to 30 minutes. I alternate cardio and strength. My goal is to exercise 5 times a week (3 cardio and 2 strength). I found some of these videos at my local Half Price books store, then just keep going to the library and trying out different videos.

I also followed the "No Excuses Workout" online. I joined this free group through bigtent. It's all about no excuses, finding some time nearly each day to exercise. If you screw up today, don't throw it all out the window. Get into the game. The support group is very supportive. The key here is that cardio intervals burn more calories than regular workouts. I never exercise more than 30 minutes a day.

I did this all in baby steps, working and mastering one item before adding something else in. I first was able to get my weight to stablize (stop increasing), and then start decreasing.

Buying new clothes that are cute and being a role model for my daughter has been wonderful.

Best wishes - take one day at a time.

1. I get up earlier with the sunrise. This gets harder as we have less sun.
2. Every day I do simple stretching, breathing and meditation exercises. I think of this as my 30 minute tribute to my body.
3. Listen to your body more than your emotions. The body carries us through the day and endures an enormous amount of punishment but still responds to carry us through until disease takes over.
4. I hated the way I looked in the mirror and had to come to grips that my body was collapsing under the weight of my choices. Therefore if I were to get better, some part of my attention had to come to my body without excuse. That meant water, veggies, fruit, and some mitigation of my emotional response to my circumstances.
5. Like I said earlier, isometric stretching and breathing focusing on the core muscles where your vital organs reside. 30 minutes a day loving the body you have and letting it recover from the over exercise of the emotions.
6. I take unsalted nuts, spray with a bit of olive oil and do one shake of salt to satisfy my palette. A piece of fruit and some fruit in season. I also incorporate vegetables into breakfast and dinner. Seasonings are important because in older communities in the world this is how they make meals palatable. Turmeric, paprika, cumin, garlic, onion. pepper are all died seasonings that can used to enhance the flavors of meats, vegetable and brown rice.
7. Only movement and change of movement can stress the body enough to change metabolism. Just as the lack of movement changes metabolism increasing movement does the same.
8. Constantly I have to get to me. My mind, body, spirit, family, career. I am the author of my life. I must be precious to me so I can give what I wish to that wish I love. Without I am lost. I have also found that water has a lot to do with the picture. I use alkaline based water for drinking and making teas, coffee and hydration. I also use it for cooking. I use acidic water for sanitizing fruits, vegetables and meats to eliminate the contagions and extra elements that are present in our food. Sometimes I love life, get through it and pray that this too shall pass. And I breathe.
My answers may be ambiguous simply because we each need to find our own balance and just like each snowflake is individual so are we. We must find our own peace through simple principles of mindfulness, love and practice.
My best to you.

I think you should add Apple cider vinegar for loosing weight, add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water and consume this every day. A combination of vitamin B6, lecithin and apple cider vinegar is considered to be one of the best dietary medicines for weight loss.
http://www.fightobesity.net/apple-cider-vinegar-for-weigh...

About a month ago, I started trying to eat much more "naturally." I don't watch calories but have cut out anything "enriched," with high fructose corn syrup...that type of thing. I try to have fruits or vegetable (with dip usually) for a snack. I'm not perfect by any means but eating waaaaay better than I used to. I have lost about 5 lbs so far just from doing that. But even better is I FEEL so much better and I know I'm doing something good for my body. Both those things motivate me to continue. I also hope that in the long term it helps my sluggish metabolism. What helps me stick with it is how much better I feel. For some reason, for me, actually feeling better motivates me more than just losing weight.
As far as working out, I do a dvd in our basement a few times a week and walk whenever I can. You can get a great overall body workout with just a resist-a-ball and one of those band/ropes.
I've also started doing yoga. I can't say I completely enjoy the class while I'm taking it but afterwards I feel amazing. My body feels strong and I am in a calm peaceful mood.
Best of luck to you!!