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Getting Past What Holds You Back with Baby Boomer Weight Loss Expert Scott 'Q' Marcus

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Do You Know How Prosperous You Are?

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Prosperity is not about money.

It is about how you feel.

If you just sent in your check to the IRS, the first word that comes to mind might not be “prosperous.” However, compared to how more than half the world lives, you are beyond wealthy.

7-lessons-of-prosperity

  • If you have your health, you’re prosperous.
  • If you have the freedom to love and to believe, you’re prosperous.
  • If you have enough to eat, you’re prosperous.
  • If you have to cut back on how much you eat, believe it or not, you’re exceptionally prosperous (seriously).

Accept prosperity whenever you can; it comes in many forms.

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Failing to Plan

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Failure to plan is planning to fail.

It might be a little cliche, but the sentiment is true. We say we’ll get everything done and we really mean it. (Sound like the name of a website?) But the reality is that life has its own patterns – and life is better about getting us off-track than we will ever be about getting it to conform to what we want.

Especially now at the beginning of a new year, block out some time to plan where you want to go. Make a schedule and do your best to stick to it.

It won’t work out the way you expect it – but it will be a lot closer to it than doing nothing.

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My journey from the sofa to the gym

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Exercise was not something I enjoyed.

Instead of standing up to file papers, I’d scoot over to the file cabinet in my rolling office chair. After work, I flopped on my sofa where I sat contentedly until bedtime. I was living a sedentary lifestyle to the max and loving every minute of it.

As Newton’s Law of Motion explains, a body at rest tends to stay at rest. Even though my office building had a gym – and I had a free membership – I just kept finding reasons to not work out: I was too busy to work out on my lunch break; too tired to work out early in the morning; too stressed out at the end of the day to stick around. Then my boss started a four-week fitness challenge. He offered cash prizes to the team with the most exercise hours logged. The coworkers in my department insisted on participating, and they really wanted me to join in. And, well, I can’t pass up an opportunity to win cash.

I didn’t look forward to working out, especially at work. All I could envision was getting sweaty in the middle of the day or looking foolish in front of my coworkers. When I walked into the employee fitness center, though, I couldn’t believe how clean and fresh it smelled, and how welcoming everyone was. I decided I’d try to keep an open mind, although I wasn’t optimistic that I could stick with any exercise program.

The challenge begins

On the first day of the challenge, we met in the gym during our lunch break. Thankfully, we started out easy. I warmed up with five minutes on the treadmill before hitting the elliptical for 15 minutes. My legs were killing me, but I didn’t want to let my team down.

Showering after working out is important to me, and I thought we wouldn’t have time to shower before returning to work. I was wrong. With the quick workout, I had plenty of time to shower. I even had time to eat the salad I had packed for lunch!

Every day, we kept up the same routine. After a week of regular workouts, I noticed I didn’t feel as sore afterwards. Each week, I felt my body progressively growing stronger as I tried out different machines. I actually started looking forward to our daily workouts.

Not so bad, after all

A few weeks into the fitness challenge, I noticed I felt a lot less stressed out. I was sleeping better, waking up refreshed in the morning and looking forward to work. I stopped making excuses for why I couldn’t work out, because I actually wanted to go to the gym! And I started rewarding myself when I achieved a goal, which helped me stay motivated.

Because I felt so much better physically and emotionally, I made working out a priority, even after the fitness challenge ended. And just to make sure I don’t fall back into my old bad habits, I bought a few pieces of exercise equipment so I can work out, even when I don’t really feel like leaving the house.

I can’t believe how important daily workouts have become to my life.

Just making myself show up that first day of the fitness challenge was the hardest part. After that, working out became a habit.

It’s easier than you think to get off the sofa and into the gym, and the physical and psychological benefits are amazing. Take that first step; you’ll be glad you did.

About the author: Danielle blogs on behalf of Sears and other brands she uses. She’s following her own advice and sticking to a regular exercise routine this holiday season. She’s happy about that and feels the best she has in years.

What’s the Best Diet out of 600 Diets?

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Can you imagine a car company advertisement: “Never use another drop of gasoline again, and drive as far as you want”? What would happen to an investment firm that guaranteed to “double your money overnight with no risk”? Or how about mortgage companies that tout, “no money down, no interest, own your own home, whether or not you can pay for it.”

Oh, wait. The last statement did happen – and we are still dealing with the results. So why can so many in the weight loss industry make equally blatant false claims and still remain in business? More importantly, why do normally rational, intelligent people ignore what they know and put their faith in untested, poorly documented, heavily hyped diets listed on dubious web pages or shouted at us during 30-minute infomercials?

Like the coal fire in Pennsylvania that’s been burning for 50 years; no matter what we try, we cannot make the yearly onslaught of false claims and unreliable statistics that permeate the media at the beginning of each year go away.

If the results weren’t so dangerous (gambling with our health), some of the claims would be laughable: “Lose 20 pounds in one week!” “Don’t exercise or change what you eat — while dropping weight overnight!” Of course, there are always my favorites, the conspiratorial, secretive, clandestine ones: “The weight loss program the diet industry doesn’t want you to know about!”

I found a web page dedicated to reviewing virtually any diet it could find.

world cloud of 600 dietsListed there were 610 titles (yes, I counted) with an incredibly wide range of names. Some touted main ingredients including everything from cabbage, to cookies, to chocolate. Others tried to break through the noise by name dropping, authored or endorsed by doctors, celebrities, and chefs. The founding location of the diet was heralded many times, listing countries in every continent except Antarctica (but I’m sure that will change over time). They couldn’t agree on how long it takes to develop that new “super calm sexy slim bod;” figures ran the gamut from three hours to a longer-term approach of 120 years. Some whose names stood out to were the “World Peace Diet” and “Big Fat Boyfriend Diet.” I must admit the “Promiscuous Diet” and the “Martini Diet” did create interesting mental images. As an FYI, aside from words specifically referencing calories, diet or eating, the three most popular words in the titles were (in order): “Raw,” “Detox,” and “Life.” One could therefore logically assume that the “Celebrity doctor, St. Tropez, raw, detox, low-calorie, three-hour, world-peace, chocolate cookie, chef-designed diet that even-your-fat-boyfriend would like, diet” would be a huge hit.

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Enough is Enough, Quit Dieting!

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Enough is enough – quit dieting!

Quit the diets!

Weight watchers, low-carb, vegetarian, detox, Beverly hills diet, cabbage soup diet, grapefruit diet, subway diet, Atkins diet and the list goes on and on.

What is a person that wants to lose weight supposed to do?

Everyone wants the easiest, quickest way to lose the weight.  In our society today, we are accustomed to fast results on everything. We have fast food restaurants, fast access internet, up to the minute news and weather and smart phones with everything at your fingertips.  So why not the same for you getting rid of that extra bulge around your middle?

I am sorry to inform you, it just doesn’t work that way!

You and I both know that it took some time and overeating to gain the weight, so common sense will tell you that it will take time and perseverance to lose it.

I don’t know about you but over the course of many years, I’ve tried many different types of diets.  Some were vaguely successful and some were complete disasters.  A few lasted a day or two while others for weeks. The one thing they all had in common is, as soon as I stopped the diet, the weight would magically re-appear.

So how did I lose 40 pounds and keep it off?

I quit dieting.

That’s how!

Below, I’ve listed a few pointers that helped me personally. I  lost the weight that I had attempted to lose for years. Some of the following tips I’m sure you’ve heard before.  Remember, everyone is different and may be facing some different circumstances,  so make sure before beginning any type of lifestyle change – (notice I didn’t say diet) to consult with your physician first.

10 most helpful (healthy lifestyle) tips

1.  Get motivated –

Whatever it takes…find something that will motivate, challenge or get you excited about your new healthy lifestyle!  Your mindset has got to be in the right place before you can succeed. The motivation will carry you through those moments when you feel like caving in.

My personal tip – I was personally motivated by my “new look” that I had gotten from surgery that corrected a physical abnormality.  See my story here.  https://thistimeimeanit.com/goals/change-goals/overcoming-obstacles/point-view-overcoming-congential-coloboma/   This gave me the inspiration and fuel I needed to continue on.

2. Eliminate sugar, bread and caffeine. 

These foods will make your calorie intake skyrocket.  I don’t know about you but I love my snacks and bread.  It was very hard to take them out of my life but I wanted to be healthy and look good more than I loved the food.   From time to time…allow yourself to have a treat, just remember portion control.  You will be surprised that after taking them out of your life, you will crave them less and less.

3. Physical activity.

You MUST move your body…somehow, somewhere, depending on your fitness level. You will need to push yourself past your comfort level each time, little by little at least three times a week. Some ideas for you to think about  could be walking, swimming, tennis, dance class, hiking, sports. Just remember…your only limitation is your imagination!

My personal tip –  What works for me is bike riding, I love it and I built up my stamina over a period of time. I also joined a zumba class because I love to dance. I’ve never been one to jog or run but the idea of an obstacle course intrigued me, I found a friend to join me in training for the barbarian challenge and it ended up being one of the biggest challenges of my life and I successfully accomplished it!

4. Stay busy.

Begin new projects or discover a new hobby. Do something that excites you, immerse yourself in things that you love to do!

My personal tip – I always loved art but never felt I was good enough. I began taking art classes even though it intimidated me, that is a good thing!  Stretch your wings…and step outsideof  the box.  Do something that you don’t think you can do.  I dived into some home projects that I had been putting off and began to write more.

5. Visualize your end result.

We  humans have need to have a goal,  something that seems real.  Maybe an old photo of how you used to look, or a picture of how you want to look.  Find inspirational quotes to put on your desk, refrigerator and mirror.   Read inspiring stories of others weight loss journeys.  Gather information on great new healthy recipes.    You have a goal and it is attainable!

My personal tip –  The day I lost enough weight the I noticed my clothes were  getting to big was all I needed to inspire me to continue on!

6. Drink plenty of water

This is self explanatory.

My personal tip –  I like to add some flavor by adding lemon.

7. Download a weight loss website or app on your smart phone.

This will give you moral support from others who are on the same journey as you are and you can also find great recipes, tips and tricks that will help you along the way.

My personal tip – I downloaded “loseit” app on my iPhone. I entered my daily calories and the calories I burned during exercise.  I was able to see in chart form how I was doing on a day-to-day basis and it really helped!

8. Don’t starve yourself!

Eat healthy!  lots of greens, veggies and lean meat.  small portions and keep up with your daily caloric intake. Remember to burn those calories by moving that body!

9. Don’t eat after 7 p.m.

Plan to eat early in the evening. Don’t go to bed with food weighing down in your belly at night.

My personal tip –  This was the hardest thing for me to overcome.  I love to snack in the evenings while I am relaxing after a long day of work. To get past this, I stopped watching so much television and spent more time doing the projects that I wanted to do..  (See # 4 above).

10. Quit the diet but never quit the healthy lifestyle!

I mean it!  If you crash into a brick wall with your new healthy lifestyle or if you get so down and out because you are not seeing any results from all of your hard work…this is when you HAVE to keep going.  Tomorrow is a  new day, a new opportunity and a new beginning to a new, beautiful healthy YOU!

You have lost the weight, what now?

Maintaining your new body can prove to be just as difficult as losing it. This is why it is so important to look at it as a lifestyle  change.  You have entered into a new way of eating and taking care of yourself.  It is a maintenance plan but it is so worth it.

It took me a year to lose forty plus pounds and now I am in the maintenance phase.  I weigh myself regularly to know what I need to do. I give myself a five-pound average up or down before I buckle down seriously.  Don’t expect fast easy results but do expect long-lasting results.

I feel better than ever, my clothes fit better and it is actually FUN to go shopping and try on clothes now!

I hope my tips help you into finally accomplishing whatever your goal is in your new healthy lifestyle.

Are you on a weight loss journey now? What tips do you have? Please share!

About the Author: Sherry Cook currently works for Mobile Arc, a non-profit organization that supports individuals with developmental disabilities. She is wrapping up her memoirs and hopes to be in publishing soon. Her desire to tell her story has been nudging its way to the surface for many years. Having undergone personal challenges, living with monocular and low vision, while struggling to “fit in” with society’s version of what is normal. She understands all to well the difficulties life has to offer. Accepting yourself and learning how to overcome is her main platform for her energetic and touching motivational presentations. Her hobbies include painting with acrylics and working on home projects. Sherry can be reached at sherrycook8@gmail.com   or http://sherrylcook.com 

 

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Scott "Q" Marcus
707 834.4090
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