Hello Friends, 

Did you know desserts spelled backwards is stressed? LOL… I hope this finds you well. My daughter and I are going to do a detox diet for one week. She wants to do this so I am going along to support her. It can’t hurt. It’s exciting to see her excited; the one in control of the “diet”. She made the grocery list and put it all together. When you have a teen that needs to lose a few, you support her efforts. The talks about eating healthy come to mind. She feels we need to do this and make a plan. So I will comply. The plan was created by GM and the FDA. You can ‘Google it’ by searching General Motors: Weight Loss Diet Program.

I kind of chilled today. I was pretty exhausted after cleaning house for 6 hours Friday. My days have been pretty busy and I just wanted a day of not doing anything. Never works out like that. Kids…

Can you believe that the “Biggest Loser” contestants did a 13 mile run? I would love to be able to do a 13 minute run! Someone said to me that it is not reality to do the things the contestants do in everyday life. Maybe not, but it is inspiring to see people who were bigger then I am jogging, being able to go 13 miles and all the challenges they do… it amazes me and gives me hope that I can too and that it is possible. It pushes me a little further in my journey to become healthy! Knowing that, “Yes I Can” lifts me to a higher level.

I hope your weekend is great. Get out and enjoy its beauty.

Camille From Michigan

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Happy March, Friends…it’s suppose to warm up this weekend here in Michigan…Bring it on! I hope this finds you healthier then the day before. I have been thinking about patterns and realized that everything is based on a pattern. I, like a lot of Americans have lived an unhealthy pattern. If you pay attention to Bob, one of the “Biggest Loser” trainers he said to be healthy the pattern is “Fuel -> Move -> Rest. For me it was always Move -> Rest -> Fuel -> Rest some more. So I had it wrong.

Our church is having a diet and nutrition course for the next few weeks. I am learning a lot and thought I would share with you all what I have learned in just one session.

To stop cravings – eat every 3 hours small meals that include protein.

Exercise: How much and how long – You only need 30 minutes a day of cardio. Cardio is simply raising your heart rate higher then your sitting heart rate. Here is something interesting… you do not need to do 30 minutes in a row. I never seem to fit in 30 minutes a day then felt bad but if you do 3 – 10 minute work outs or even if you start out doing 5 minutes – 6 times a day that works! You can jog in place, jump rope, dance, rebound or anything that will get your heart rate above your sitting rate even… sex… LOL. OK, now run home and tell your husband its exercise time!

You need 1 hour each week strength training – it does not take very many pounds for strength. 2 – 5 pound weights is great! Carry a weight in your car and do bicep curls driving…ummm… one arm at a time! You can use soup cans or water bottles. I say use water bottles that you refill then after you are done doing reps, drink the water!

You need flexibility every day – stretching, bend touch your toes when you get out of bed, stand up from your computer. Practice flexibility anytime. Just get some stretching in wherever you can. That’s it to stay fit.

It’s best to exercise …ANYTIME! Morning does revs up your metabolism and helps keep it going all day.

The figure below is how to figure out how many calories you need to lose 1 pound a week just by your food intake. **Add exercise and you lose more!

1. Add 655 to this calculation 4.35 X Weight in Pounds
2. Add your answer to this calculation 4.7 X Height in inches
3. Subtract your answer to this calculation 4.7 X age
4. Subtract 500 calories

This equals the number of calories you need to take in each day to lose 1 pound a week. Not doing anything but this formula you could lose 52 pounds a year!

My weight is 278, Height 69 inches and I am 41
655 + 1209.3 (4.35 X 278) + 324.3 (4.7 X 69) – 192.7 (4.7 X 41) – 500 = 1495.9 calories a day. (1500 is close enough!)

To figure out how much water you need to drink a day it’s your weight divided by 2. My weigh is 278, I should be drinking 139 oz of water a day… whoa sure will be pee’n a lot! That’s over a gallon a day! That is hard to see doing but I think I will make it a goal to drink a gallon of water a day… Or lose weight so I don’t have to drink that much!

I hope this helps you with your weight loss journey. Start with figuring out your resting heart rate add a little more movement every day and before you know it you will have worked yourself up to 30 minutes of cardio a day. I will close for now…

Until next time… Camille from Michigan

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I am still working on the 3 questions from the “Best Life” Series.

I have been putting off this question. Not sure exactly why but my thought is that I did not want to make ‘goals’ to fail them…but here I go…

What are your specific health goals for 2009 and what hurdles are you concerned about for each goal?

Goals for 2009                                                            

Goal #1 Lose 50 Pounds         

Hurdles- I am my worst hurdle. Not following my eating plan, not sticking to my routines, not exercising, not believing in myself, giving up too easily, giving in to my ‘cravings’, eating mindlessly, no accountability.

Goal #2 Exercise Daily (min. 20 minutes)

Hurdles- Not taking the time, not making it a priority, not figuring out what I physically can do, not having the mindset of ’just do it’, no family support to get moving, not pushing myself, not wanting to sweat or have someone see me sweat, not wanting to be short of breath or have someone hear me out of breath, no accountability.

Goal #3 Take Time for Me

Hurdles- Kids and hubby not seeing that I need time for me and allowing it, not voicing that my family needs to know that mom counts too, not wanting to disappoint by saying, sorry I can’t do that, not demanding that time, not planning ahead that time, not setting aside that time, not even knowing what ‘taking time for me’ means.

Goal #4 Eat Healthy

Hurdles- once again…ME. I do the shopping and the meal preparing, buying ‘treats’ because the kids would want them, buying foods I know I should not have, not taking the time to read the labels, hiding ‘treats’ so kids do not eat them so I can, not being honest about how many calories I really eat, not taking the time to figure out how many calories I am eating during the day. Eating even when I am not hungry, focusing on food, worry about the next thing I will eat before I finish what I am eating at the moment, worrying about the kids being hungry, no consistent menu planning, just eating what I want when I want it, not preparing to eat healthy.

Goal #5 Get my Smart and Healthy Weight Loss Site Done

Hurdles- afraid to fail those who visit my site, not organizing all the information I have learned over the years, not sure of the direction I want to take the site, not wanting to be accountable that what I do works, not wanting to fail my own weight loss goals and having it be known, making sure I have an exact plan for those suffering like I have to follow.

Whoa… I read this like I am reading about another person. But the fact is it’s me. Why do I hold myself back? I know what to do, I know how to do it, and simply I just have to do the opposite of the hurdles.

I need to start declaring my success!

I will lose 50 pounds this year. I will follow my eating plan. I will stick to my routines. I will exercise. I believe in myself. I will not give up. I will not give in to ‘cravings’. I will be aware of what I eat. I will find some one to be accountable to. I will exercise for at least 20 minutes a day. I will take the time. I will make exercising a priority. I will challenge myself to figure out what my limits are NOT. I will get my family’s help. I will push myself, its OK to sweat, its OK to breath hard. I will find an accountability partner. I will make my needs for time to me known to my family. I do count, its OK to say no. I will plan time for me. I will figure out what ‘taking time for me’ means to me. I will shop to buy healthy foods. I will pass up the treat isle. I will read labels. I will not hide treats. I will keep track of the calories I consume. I will only eat when I am hungry. I will not focus on food.  I will let my kids tell me when they are hungry. I will learn to menu plan and stick to it. I will not just eat, I will prepare to eat healthy. I will get my website done. I will not fail those seeking help with weight loss. I will organize the information I have learned by trial and error to what works to be healthy. I will reach my weight loss goals. I will have a plan that works for people just like me. I will succeed with all my goals for 2009. I will do it!

I have to print this and tape it up and declare every day. What are your goals and hurdles for 2009?

Someone said if you want to feel whole eat whole foods. If you want to feel crappy eat crappy foods. I want to feel whole. How about you?

Camille from Michigan

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I started walking with a friend at the mall and I am looking to get a treadmill, hopefully find a good used one for an affordable price. You know the Biggest Losers” walk 14 miles a day! That comes out to be about 3 hours a day…I think WOW 3 hours a day, I can’t even seem to squeeze in 20 minutes! 

I have been thinking about the second question that I am suppose to be answering from the “Best Life” Series sponsored by Oprah last week. The question is… Why are you worthy of getting healthy this year? My first reaction is to say…I am a child of God therefore worthy of being healthy so that I can glorify Him. That is a great answer; it is a politically, morally correct thing to say and sounds wonderful but is it reality? Partly YES, but I need to dig deeper and discover that truth for myself. I also think of longevity and quality of life as I get older. I used to work in nursing homes and have horrible thoughts of having to get 3 people to help me get out of bed because of my weight. I know crazy but those thoughts cross my mind all the time. I think my kids deserve a healthy mom. I think about my darling husband and how he deserves to be proud to have a healthy wife by his side. You may not know this about me and by me sharing this it could cause a credibility issue with people I help. I council crack cocaine addicts and have been for over 10 years now. I think about how I am able to help one stop their addiction to crack yet can not stop my own addiction to food.

 I need to figure out why food has this power over me and over come it. I need to find the desire to exercise. I want the results but do not have the desire to do the work. I love watching the “Biggest Loser” and some of the people are 100 pounds heavier then me and they are able to walk the 14 miles a day, work out, sweat, huff and puff, eat right, and drink their Biggest Loser Protein shakes, follow an eating plan. Though, I suppose if I had someone pushing me and cooking my meals and a chance to win 250,000 dollars it would not be so hard. So I am not sure…is it the fear of failure again, fear of sweating or being out of breath, having to “restrict” what I can not eat or what is it? Maybe all of these…If I figure it out maybe it would be the cure for obesity! Or maybe I am not supposed to “figure it out” and just do the right thing to be healthy. 

So am I worth it? Yes and so are you if you struggle with weight issues.

Bye for now, 

Camille from Michigan

To learn more about The Biggest Loser Protein by DESIGNER WHEY visit www.thebiggestloserprotein.com

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Hello Friends, 

Hope this finds you well. I sure am tired of the snow here in Michigan. It has been the second snowiest year so far and I am ready for spring. It’s hard to get out and be active in this weather.

 One of the questions I have been thinking of is…

 What is holding me back from getting healthy?

 My first thought is…time. There just doesn’t not seem to be enough time for me. I am always doing for others. Mostly my kids and family and a house keeping job I have. By the end of the night I am spent, someone said, “well, just get up earlier and give that time for you”…I am like yeah right…I already stay up late trying to get everything that needs to get done and forgetting half of what I set out to do for that day. I barely can get up to start the day, but with kids to get off to school it’s one thing I must do.

 My second thought is lack of desire…I don’t get up thinking… hmmmm I’m gunna jump on my treadmill and run 10 miles or yummmm… salads for breakfast, lunch and dinner… I don’t know how people do it…where does that desire come from? I like cookies, sweets, chips and junk food…I do not know how to change that. I don’t like to be out of breath or sweat like some national rain forest. I know I should and need to do this but finding the motivation and time seem to hold me back. I need to over come that.

 My third thought is stress…Mostly over trying to get everything that needs to get done…done. One thing that stresses me most is being on time. I like to be on time…my family doesn’t seem to care unless it is something they want to get to on time. My biggest pet peeve is being late for Church…my family, if they sit down after the music has started…no big deal.

 Well, I thought I would share my thoughts on the first question that I need to search myself for the answers to. Now to find the solutions to the things that hold me back for losing weight and keeping it off.

 Save on your next purchase of DESIGNER WHEY with a $2 off coupon you can download from the website, and enjoy your weekend!

 Camille from Michigan

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I want to share about discipline in following our eating plan. When I free eat what I want, I eat way too much and extremely way too many calories. Designer Whey has a very cool diet plan. I have known about it for many months but really did not want to discipline myself to sit down, take the time and effort to use the system. I am going to make it a goal this week to really plan out my meals. The DESIGNER Protein Diet even prints out a grocery list…can we get any easier then that??? Now I even save time by not having to make a grocery list. The planning system is adaptable so I can plan my meals along with what my family likes too!

The other thing I need to do is wear my pedometer it helps me realize the lack of exercise I get and it’s exciting to see it roll over with each step, helping remind me how good life is. If you reach the 10,000 step mark, that is 5 miles a day. There have been several days that I would get about ¼ of that…no wonder I am struggling to lose this weight for as long as I have carried it! It is not rocket science on how to lose weight…the bottom line is you have to burn more calories then what you eat…there is no getting around that. There is no magic pill because I have tried them all. It is disciple and self worth that will help you become the healthiest

Check it out! Use the system.

Plan a program that works for you. The only diets that fail are those designed for everyone… we are made unique, we like different tastes, flavors and cooking styles. It just makes sense to create your own diet that works for you. We know what helps us lose weight; we all have lost hundreds of pounds. Use your knowledge. One plan says get back to the basics, fresh fruits, veggies, and good quality protein. Stay away from processed foods and sugar. Use natural sweeteners if you need them. Drink plenty of water, at the very least 64 ounces.

Can we lose weight and keep it off? YES WE CAN!

Ps. It is snowing here today…wake me up for summer.

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It just seems I have no time for anything and I need my blog to help me keep accountable. I need my readers supporting my journey. In the past the 30 pound mark has been a turn back to gaining mark and I want to avoid that. I am still using my Designer Whey products, which I love! I need to get a new boost of excitement and kick my butt in gear. I need to increase my activity levels.

I feel so guilty as my oldest daughter is struggling too…and the fact it that she is practicing what I have taught her…that is hard to take in…yet, I can’t figure out why that does not motivate me…my goodness, its my girl and I am responsible for her health. I make the food, I buy it. I have no right to not teach her a healthy way to live. Hard to do when I myself have never accomplished that. All I can do is to keep trying.

I am still working at it. Never give up. Can we lose this weight?…YES WE CAN!

Hope this finds you well. Have a blessed day.

Camille from Michigan

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