Hey Friends!

I hope this finds you well. This is a long post but I just thought I’d share…

Did you watch this week, The Biggest Loser make over week? Wow, the contestants look great. I did not realize Liz was not even 50 until her make over I though like 60, now she looks younger then 50! Keep going Liz! I did feel Danny and Rudy had a too ‘boyish’ look but they still looked amazing. Rudy… grow your beard back. I bawled when Danny’s Daughter said she can’t wait to get on her journey and she says I never had a skinny dad! Our obesity has an enormous effect on our kids. When Allen cried so did I. I think I cried more then any other episode. Amanda… 9 pounds! WOW!! Geez… I wish I had their opportunity! I have a hard time when the contestants pass my weight.

All my efforts have brought me no where when it comes to my weight issues. My best efforts have not been good enough. I have been seriously considering trying out for a new weight loss show. They would come to my house, not Jillian’s but another show that is now casting. I have been in contact with one of the recruiters, funny, he said I am on the thinner side, but send him my video any way. ME on the thinner side for a weight loss show… how pathetic am I? Do I really have to go that far? Are there not people out in this world willing to show compassion to help people like me with out breaking the bank? Have I sunk so low in my emotional obese self that I can not dig out of it? I really want to go to the Biggest Loser Resort to deal with my issues within myself with out distractions. I do not know how deep these pounds of pain go. I need to be removed from my environment and forced to deal with issues that I have buried so deep that I myself do not know what those issues are! But financially this is not possible right now. So…

I started writing out my application and thought I would share some of it with you.

Hi. My name is Camille Gibson. I am 41 years old,  5’9” and weigh about 275 lbs. I am married with three wonderful daughters; we reside in a suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I believe my obesity journey started as a baby to a single young mother. It was easier to shove a bottle in my mouth or set me in front of a TV with cookies then to deal being a young single mother. My mom did marry my dad and I have two sisters and a brother.

I was a fat baby, a fat child, a fat teen, I graduated fat, got married fat, had three daughters fat and am still fat. I even resorted to having my stomach stapled at the age of 20 when my highest weight of 347 became so desperate I did not want to live. As a last resort I had the surgery. I got to my lowest weight of 245 and with life and kids I have remained at the 265 to 275ish mark for over 20 years now.

Most my relatives are over weight to morbidly obese. My mother is over weight; her mother was over 400 pounds and her grandmother, I was told, was over 500 pounds. I want the obesity cycle to stop. I am about to send my almost 17 year old daughter off to college next year with my habits. She does not know to make eating healthy important or to make time for daily exercise. I have not taught her, I am her example. How do I teach her these things when I have never experienced them? I have never been thin I can not share that with my wonderful daughter who is entering young adult hood. I need help.

I am tired. All my life I gave my all to everyone who asked or seemed to need my help. I have given so much of me there is nothing left to give. I want for the first time in my life to be about me. In all that giving… I lost myself. I do not know who I am any more. I am 41 years old. It is not WHERE will I be in the next 25 years, its WILL I still be alive? I want that answer to be yes! Alive, healthy, sassy, hanging off my husband’s arm proudly; me happy and he proud to have such a beautiful wife by his side.

The application talks about how my weight affects family. My husband is 20 pounds over weight and has high cholesterol. We have a good relationship. Every year my husband’s office has a Christmas party and every year I say “Next year I will not be this fat” and every year I am this fat. My husband will not dance with me. I know it’s because I am 100 pounds more then him. I would not want to be embarrassed by me either. I want to dance with my husband. My daughter Sue almost 17 is 30 pounds over weight. Fun girl, VERY smart, I am proud of her. I don’t want to send her out in the world with my health lessons. We need help not just for me. Sarah is 10 she is my athletic girl, very smart, very out spoken, popular and a fun kid as well. I want to keep it that way. I don’t want her to lose herself in food like I did. I don’t know how to teacher her not to. Then Staci, 9, is my most compassionate girl, she is very smart and sees things that most of us would not see. She loves animals, people and the earth. She says, “Mommy you’re not fat, you’re just fluffy”. I don’t want her to lose that compassion for life. I don’t want someone to crush her by calling her fat. The only way to stop that is to keep her healthy and prevent her from becoming over weight in the first place. I do not know how to do that. I always think I do only to fail.

Seven years ago we bought our kids a trampoline. Every day the girls would beg, “come on mommy, come jump with us” they did that for about three years and the asking dwindled down to never asking. I would make all the excuses and promise all the tomorrows but the real reason was I was over the weight limit to jump on the trampoline. Now my kids have almost out grown jumping on the ‘tramp’ and I never got that opportunity to share that fun with them. When we go to amusement parks I sit and wait on the benches for my kids and husband to wait in line to ride the rides. I do not want to get up to the ride and find I do not fit in the seat. I would jump to my death if that happened so I choose not to even try.

Medically, obviously, I am over weight. I suffer from acid reflux and go through about a bottle of Tums a week. I have venous insufficiency mostly in my left leg which causes severe swelling in my legs and ankles. I need to lose weight to improve maybe even cure this condition so I do not end up in a wheel chair at the age of 50. I am not on any medication, blood pressure is ok and cholesterol is normal so basically I am fat.

OK friends, that’s what I have written so far. What do you think? Should I send it in?

I recently bought Jillian Michael’s Winning by Losing book. I think this is her best book. I will share some interesting things I have read in a future post. Maybe I will share some of my book I started a while back about looking in the mirror. It’s a pretty deep self image book but not finished because the last chapter I am saving for when I am at the weight I should be at.

Hey, I made a new drink recipe. Try it!

Raspberry Mocha Pick Me Up in the Afternoon Drink

10-12 oz cold coffee ( I use my left over hazelnut from the morning)
1 scoop raspberry biggest loser power
1/2 scoop vanilla bean biggest loser power
1/2 scoop chocolate biggest loser powder

A bunch of ice, mix well and enjoy!

Helps curb that afternoon wanna-snack-now craving!

90 cals
12 grams protein

Alright Friends, Take Care.

Camille

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Hey Friends!

I know you all are watching our favorite show that our favorite protein powders.…Oh yeah baby… The Biggest Loser show has begun and Designer Whey is the chosen protein meal! I love it and it’s good for us too!

Biggest Loser Proteins 10oz and 2GO

This season is so full of emotion, challenges and people over coming difficult past life experiences that have contributed to their weight. For me, I have never experienced being thin. I was a fat baby, a fat child, a fat teen, a fat adult, a fat mom and am a fat wife. Biggest Losers Season 8 sure has had a ton of information. So much information that I had to watch the shows two times to get the info down. I wanted to share some of my notes.

·        You can do it!
·        Realize how ill we are being obese
·        Let go of the past
·        Say you deserve to be happy
·        A lot of pounds are wounds that need healing
·        Must have plans… eating plan, exercise plan and recovery plan
·        A calorie is a unit of energy
·        Read the labels
·        Weigh your food on a scale
·        Keep a food journal…all food and all drink
·        Plan 3 meals and 2 snacks a day
·        Prepare meals ahead of time for the entire week
·        Use Ziploc bags for prepared meals and mark each meal
·        Proportion control every meal
·        3-4 ounces of meat
·        Cook your food by baking, poaching, steaming, grilling on non-stick grill or broil
·        When eating pasta eat ½ cup and fill in the rest with veggies
·        Snacks with protein are a must
·        No Soda
·        Weight loss foundation for any plan…calories in calories out
·        The way we manipulate our diet will determine the most calories out before we even start to exercise
·        To accelerate calories out…exercise
·        Circuit training for a variety
·        Protein refuels muscles, gives fullness feeling, and maintains blood sugar
·        After you workout you must get protein in to keep the body burning calories. Bob suggests 2 scoops of the Designer Whey Biggest Loser Protein Powder with 16 ounces of water
·        The contestants are just like you. They are doing it and you can do it too!
 
Well, friends keep watching… keep drinking (your designer whey that is)

I am on my Whey!
Camille

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Hey Friends,

I know you are as happy as I am that the kiddies are back in school! Oh the last few weeks I was ready for them to go back to school. The kids were sick of each other and I was on my last nerve. I love my kids with my whole heart but sometimes us moms just need a break.

Hey, next week is all of our favorite inspirational show! Yep, that is right September 15th is coming up soon. I am excited to watch and see my favorite Designer Whey drinks help people just like me, people who could afford to lose a few or 2 or 3 pounds…lol. Hope you watch The Biggest Loser along with me!

Guess what the weight loss fairy delivered to my house??? My protein water! I will rate according to my tastes. In 4th place is the Orange Mango… I thought too intense orange taste. Maybe like the taste of baby aspirin or very strong tang.  Which I am not so fond of. But for you, you may love it. Probably those of us over 40 can not handle such intense flavor. To me, it was OK but not my favorite flavor of the protein water. In 3rd place is the Cranapple…the only reason it’s not my favorite is I am not an apple juice person. I do enjoy cranberry so for me it was tolerable. In 2nd place is the Pomegranate flavored Protein Water…I very much enjoyed the light fruitful flavor. Camille’s #1 pick is the Blue Raspberry… to me it is perfect! Light, yet flavorful, not too sweet and is very refreshing. My only problem is my 16 year old daughter DRANK all of my Blue Raspberry and Pomegranate Protein Water! UGH! I went to take a bottle with me to work and ALL GONE! Luckily, I found some at our local grocery store.

I have to apologize to all my friends reading this blog. Anyone who reads this blog is my friend! I promise to blog more often, summer is hectic with kids home and watching my friends’ children as well, plus my cleaning jobs. By the time I sat down I was spent. But now that school is back in session and The Biggest Loser Show will be on, I can get back into routine. When you are trying to lose weight routine is essential. I share that with you so I can share things I am doing to get back in the flow of losing weight.

One thing I do now is to always keep a 2-quart pitcher filled with my favorite Biggest Loser Protein Powder both the Red Raspberry and the Blue Blueberry. They only have 40 calories, great flavor and fiber to take the edge off when you are looking for something sweet to have. I put 6 scoops in a 2-quart pitcher and keep in the fridge, ready when I need it. Sometimes, I mix the two flavors for a different twist. Enjoy a cup before dinner and you will eat less, try it! I also

The Biggest Loser Protein Powder Vanilla Bean

LOVE the Biggest Loser Vanilla Bean Flavored Powder. I like to make a creamy shake when the ice cream man is trying to stop by! The chocolate is a great treat, as well, and makes a great meal supplement.  I enjoy adding the vanilla bean to cold coffee; add ice and you have a great low calorie, delicious, ice coffee! Some of those ice coffees can have 400 calories or more! Compared to 50 calories with the Biggest Loser Powders there is no comparison and they are YUMMY! Don’t forget to put a case of bottled water in your car (please recycle or refill) along with a bunch of 2GO packets, they really take the edge off when you are temped to stop by a drive thru, when you know you should not eat fast food.

You can enjoy any of Designer Whey’s Protein Powders. Whether you are trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight or building muscle, it’s all good! It works too! I lost 30 pounds in a year. Not a huge change like the Biggest Loser Show but progress; and we need to accept any progress as good! Make your kids a healthy shake after school instead of cookies and milk! I know my kids act a lot better after a Designer Whey Protein shake instead of climbing the walls after cookies. Calmer kids equal calmer parents; and that my friend is a happier home. How about starting their day with a shake at breakfast! They will think you flipped making them a shake for breakfast! But studies show good protein in the morning gets their brain ready for thinking. Kids who have a good breakfast do better in school!

Alright Friends,

I think about you and hope you are healthier today then you were the day before. Drink you whey every day!

Your friend,

Camille

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Fix Your Goals

Not reaching your fitness goals? The problem may not be with what you’re doing — it may be with the goals themselves.

The fitness goals you set need to be SMART: Specific, Motivating, Achievable, Relevant and Trackable.

Specific: What exactly do you hope to achieve? Instead of making the mushy goal “I want to get healthy,” say “I want to lose five pounds, drop an inch from my waist, be able to run five miles, and eat five servings of fruits and veggies per day.

Motivating: You need to be excited about what you want to achieve! If the idea of walking regularly on the treadmill makes you want to snooze, even if it’s a goal for a lot of fitness buffs, maybe it’s not the right goal for you right now.

Achievable: Nothing is more discouraging than a goal that’s too difficult to achieve. No one can lose 20 pounds (healthfully) in a month or be ripped in a week. Give yourself a break!

Relevant: The goal needs to make sense for you. If you choose some pie-in-the-sky goal because it looks good on paper, chances are you’ll ditch it within a month.

Trackable: If you can’t measure or track your goal, how will you know when you’ve achieved it? We’re talking numbers here! Instead of setting a goal to get fit, resolve to lose a certain amount of weight by the end of the year.

More on the Motivating goals: The reason we don’t reach our goals may be that they’re not exciting enough to motivate us. If this is the case for you, heed my life coach, who recommends setting big, audacious goals. For example, instead of making a resolution to walk three times per week, how about vowing to train for a triathlon? Instead of losing five pounds, why not resolve to enter — and win — a fitness competition? And rather than making the vague goal to nosh on more veggies, why not promise (as I’ve been doing for the last month or so) to eat a big salad every day of the week.

A quick note: I’m taking a hiatus from the Designer Way blog due to other commitments. I hope to see you — and motivate you — again soon!

Stay healthy,

Linda

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Eating Out Without Piling on Pounds

I love to eat at restaurants. But being a nutrition writer, I know that what typically makes restaurant food taste so good is lots of fat (and bloat-inducing salt). Even that healthy-looking grilled fish is likely topped with a good-sized smear of butter. But who wants to cook every night? We all deserve to dine out once in a while. I’m at a healthy weight even though my family eats out a lot — so here are my tips for dining out without gaining weight.

Share. There’s a dessert at Longhorn that’s delicious — but it consists of two full-sized pieces of chocolate cake surrounded by several scoops of vanilla ice cream. (Oh yes, and whipped cream.) While we rarely order dessert, if we do we always split it among three or even four people. Another way to use this tactic: Order one fewer dishes than there are people at the table and share. For example, if there are four of you at a Chinese restaurant, you can order three (healthy!) dishes so you each get to taste everything without going overboard.

Watch out for watch words. No matter what the cuisine, words like crispy, smothered, fried and golden brown signal lots of fat and should make you head the other way.

Order sides. At one restaurant we frequent, I used to order the salmon — which included a salmon fillet and a salad anda baked potato and rice. I would eat until I was stuffed, and there would still be food left over. Then, one day, a friend said to me, “Why don’t you just order side dishes?” So now I typically order a salad and a baked potato and that’s plenty to fill me up. (When I’m feeling especially virtuous, I get the baked potato dry instead of with sour cream.)

Instead of sides, you could also order two appetizers; many restaurants now offer boiled pot-stickers with a dipping sauce, shrimp skewers, or other healthier apps.

By the way, this tip is perfect for vegetarians who go out to eat with non-veg friends. So many restaurants have a sorry selection of meat-free meals, but you can almost always put together a nice meal out of sides and appetizers.

Box it up. I mentioned this tip in my post Sneaking Health Into Your Day : When you order a meal, ask the server to box up half of it before bringing it to you. That way you’re not tempted by the mounds of food on your overflowing plate even after you feel full. Bring home the other half and you’ll have dinner tomorrow too!

Skip the soda. There are 155 calories in one 12-ounce serving of Coke, and something like 12 teaspoons of sugar. If you’re eating out, why not treat yourself to some wine, which has heart-healthy benefits, plus fewer calories and less sugar than soda? One serving of Sauvignon Blanc has 119 calories .

Just ask. I once went out to a restaurant with a fitness model-slash-personal trainer. Even though it wasn’t on the menu, she asked the server for grilled chicken breast with no added fat, plain steamed broccoli, and a dry baked potato. The chef was happy to oblige. You’ll never know if you can get healthy options unless you ask — and if enough people ask, more restaurants will start to offer them. Try asking for meats cooked without added fats, salads served with dressing on the side, crudité plates with fresh veggies, smaller servings (even if you have to pay full price), and veggies that are steamed instead of fried.

Okay, now you have the tools to get a healthy restaurant meal that won’t wreck your weight-loss efforts. Try them the next time you go out!

Stay healthy,

Linda

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Phase Five of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything”

 Don’t: Grunt or yell while lifting

    I know, I know, I don’t know what it is like to lift 350 pounds, so I should not be commenting on the subject of grunting. And you are absolutely right, but I certainly know what it is like to max out and in doing so I refrain from the huge grunt or the loud yell. Maxing at any level whether you are maxing out with light weights because that is your strength level or you are maxing out with ginormous weights, exerts the same amount of concentrated, maximized energy. Therefore there should really be no excuse for grunting or yelling out while working out. I have seen a dude three times my size max out with out making a peep and you want to know why, because he did not feel the need to initiate the inner barbarian at that moment. Now I am fully aware that when you lift you need to pump yourself up mentally and get into that savage mode of thought, but it doesn’t mean you need to act it out. Realize when you let this inner barbarian take control you are really only making a spectacle of yourself. You are drawing attention to yourself which in most cases is bad. I say this because most of the cases I have seen where people are grunting or yelling, have been because they were not properly executing the exercise they were attempting. I see guys doing curls with weights they have no business lifting – wobbling unevenly, rocking the weight instead of lifting it, using there back to lift in an improper way and all the while (yes you guessed it) they were grunting or yelling while everyone around them either shakes their head or chuckles to themselves. Not only are you a spectacle but now you are at risk of ruining your muscle tissue all together because you improperly lifting. According to personal trainer for a very popular gym (both of which need to remain nameless) “chances are if you let out that rebel yell or that exhausted grunt, you are most likely doing something wrong…and while you may see immediate results doing it the wrong way, in the long run your muscles will suffer. Not to mention that you sound funky man.” Even if you are lifting correctly, there is still no reason to yell or grunt: curb yourself, you are not in the wild you are at a communal gym where others don’t want to hear you.

 Do’s: lift properly and just breathe man

    Proper breathing is an essential part of working out correctly and it allows for you not to be the village idiot when you lift. But before the breathing even comes into play make sure you are lifting correctly…first and foremost every time. When you lift, literally just breathe. “While lifting, you are supposed to inhale the resistance and exhale the release. But when you hear someone grunting,” our personal trainer informs us “it is usually when they begin the resistance…when they are putting the weight up.” You hear that, breathe in when you put the weights up don’t let a yelp out. “When you come down with the weight, you normally just hear a sigh even if you are one who grunts or yells.” I have never seen anyone get dirty looks or attract attention for letting out a sigh. Breathing the proper way allows better air circulation within the blood stream, and there for helps to better circulate the blood flow while you are lifting. It seems silly but breathing correctly while lifting makes a world of difference and it elevates the need for barbaric noises escaping your vocal chords. While I may not be a grunter, I have been breathing incorrectly while lifting for sometime now. After I was shown how to properly breathe while lifting it took a long while to really get it down, because chances are if you were doing it wrong, you were doing it wrong for quite a while- which in most cases wears a condition in your body that knows no other way but the incorrect one. So although it might be tricky and seem tedious and mundane, focus on your breathing. If not for yourself, at least for everyone else around you, that has to endure your god awful noises. Once again this is just my opinion, take it or leave it.

Posted in Lucas Hart, Real People | 2 Comments

Stretch It Out

For many people, stretching is a chore. Touch my toes? Do a yoga pose? Forget it, you say — I’m tired after my gym workout and just want to head home. But stretching can reduce your recovery time after a workout, promote healthy joints, increase flexibility, and decrease muscle tightness. Remember, if you feel good after a workout, you’re more likely to head back to the gym again!

Staying flexible can help keep a bounce in your step as you age. There was a woman in my yoga class who was 60 years old (as she liked to let everyone know), but she had the body and attitude of a 30-year-old. I like to think it was because of her faithful yoga practice, which incorporates stretching.

Want to get started? Try these options:

Yoga class.  You’ll get a good full-body stretch in each yoga class. In the yoga class I used to take, the instructor would ask the students where they felt tight that day, and would customize the session to target those muscles. Yoga Finder can help you locate a class near you.

Online instruction.  About.com: Physical Therapy offers instructions and photos for dozens of stretches, including sports-specific stretches.

Tai chi. This is a calming martial arts workout that can help improve flexibility. Tai Chi Central lists some schools, and you can also find martial arts schools in your local Yellow Pages.

Videos.  There are several free stretching videos on YouTube, such as this 5 Minute Stretch Routine.

 You can also find stretching videos for rent or purchase on Amazon.com. Besides stretching, look for keywords like Tai Chi and Chi Kung (an ancient Chinese health care system that includes physical postures and breathing techniques — also spelled qigong).

Books.  Amazon.com and the sports section of your local bookstore offer books on stretching and flexibility. Try The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Stretching.

Whatever kind of stretching you opt for, follow these three easy tips to get the most out of it:

• Stretch warm. I used to take a karate class where we’d do extreme stretches before the main workout. Ouch! Stretching cold muscles can cause injuries, so be sure to save your stretching for afteryour workout. If you’re doing stretching exercises from a book or video at home, warm up with some light cardio first.
• No bouncing! Use a steady pressure.
•  No pain, all gain.  A slight discomfort is fine, but pain is a red flag.
• Hold it.  Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds.

I’m lucky that I love stretching, but even if it’s not your thing, you should give it a try. You probably didn’t like cardio or weight training when you first started, either, but you kept them up because you know they’re key for a healthy lifestyle. Add some stretching to your day, and your body will thank you.

Posted in Linda Formichelli, Real People | 1 Comment

Fool the Fat Off

In my 12-year career as a health writer, I’ve discovered many ways to fool yourself into eating more healthfully. These trick-yourself principles, all backed by research, can help you eat less and lose weight. Here’s how to psych yourself slim:

Unplug

Forget about Project Runway, and put down that copy of the latest bestseller. Instead, focus on your food. Chewing slowly and paying attention to the feel and taste of your meal helps you feel full faster and eat less. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who concentrated on the taste of their food ate much less than those who listened to a detective story while eating.

Choose Tall and Skinny

Research conducted by Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating, showed that people tend to drink more from short, wide glasses than from tall, thin ones. Apparently, the short glass looks smaller to us — even when it holds the same amount as the tall, thin glass — so we pour more. Prepare your drink in a tall, frosty glass and you’ll probably down less!

Imagine It

Whether it’s your high school reunion or an upcoming cocktail party, pick an event you want to look your best at and keep it in your mind as you make and eat your meals. You’ll eat more healthfully if you’re hoping to look and feel great at an upcoming event.

Go Dark

In another study by Wansink and his colleagues, researchers gave 30 secretaries clear or opaque containers full of Hershey’s Kisses. The secretaries gobbled an average of five treats per day from the clear containers, but just four from the opaque containers. The upshot? We tend to eat more of what we can see, so stow your goodies in opaque containers (and your veggies in clear containers!).

Put Them Away

All done with your scrumptious chicken piccata? No problem — there’s more in the kitchen! If that’s the way your mind works, fix your plate and then stow any leftovers before sitting down to eat. Along the same lines, put the least nutritious leftovers in the fridge and leave out the veggies in case you crave seconds. This same M.O. works at restaurants as well: Ask the server to pack half your meal in a to-go container so you’re not even tempted.

Scoop Small

In yet another study (boy, is this guy prolific!), Wansink and his colleagues gave people either large or small scoops and let them serve themselves ice cream. The result? The ice cream fiends who used the large scoop ate 15 to 20 percent more than those using small scoops. When you serve yourself food, use small spoons instead of ladles and other large utensils and you’ll likely dole out less.

Toss the Techno

Scientists at Fairfield University in Connecticut piped fast and slow music into the university cafeteria on different days. Researchers then counted the bites taken by the diners in the cafeteria. (Do you think the diners wondered why people were staring at them and scribbling in notepads?) The results: People take an average of 4.4 bites per minute to fast music, and only 3.8 bites per minute to slow music. So ditch the disco and listen to soft tunes when you dine.

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7 Free Websites to Boost Your Diet and Workout Success

Back in the olden days, the only way people knew how many calories were in Ye Olde Bigge Mac , how many calories they burned hoeing the fields, or whether their BMI was on target or over the top was to guess. Now, though, we have the Internet, which has tons of free resources for the health-minded among us. As a freelance health writer, I use many of these resources when I’m researching articles, and they can also help you in your quest for fitness. Here are my favorites:

1. The USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory : This website is truly amazing. Type in a food, and the site will bring you to a list that lets you further refine you choice. For example, if you enter “beef,” it will bring up all the different cuts of meat, both raw and cooked. Choose one, enter the amount — and you’ll get a spreadsheet listing the number of calories and the amount of everything from saturated fat to vitamin C to selenium. You can use this site to keep very detailed track of what you’re eating and make the best food choices.

2. Wondering how many calories an hour of water polo will torch? InternetFitness.com’s Calorie Burn Calculator lets you enter in your weight and  the amount of time you do a certain activity, from aerobics to shoveling snow, and calculates how many calories you’ll burn.

3. NutritionData lets you analyze recipes and creates a nutrition label for the entire dish. You need to register, but it’s free.

4.  YouTube has more than funny videos of cats — You can also find free vids of cardio workouts that you can use on days you can’t make it to the gym. For example, SparkPeople.com offers this 10-Minute Jump Start Cardio Workout.

(I’ve done this video — it really does kick my low-endurance butt!) Just search on YouTube for keywords like “aerobics workout” or “cardio workout” to find free vids.

5. No need to search the Wendy’s website to dig up nutritional data on its salads: The Calorie King Food Database boasts the nutritional information for over 50,000 American generic and brand name foods, including over 260 fast-food chains.

6. The National Institutes of Health offers this BMI calculator so you can find out whether our Body Mass Index says you’re fit or fat. Just enter your height and weight and the calculator will do the rest.

7. If you’re sick of your workout music mix, check out PodRunner, which offers “free exercise music mixes for runners, joggers, power walkers, cyclists, elliptical trainers, or anyone who can use nonstop, fixed-tempo music when they train.” These free techno and house beats will keep up your energy while you work out.

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Hello Friends,
I hope this finds you well and happy. It’s a great day just because it is. I try to have a positive out look every day.

Lots going on; school shopping, summer activities, my oldest is a very smart chick and is doing dual enrollment. Dual enrollment is where seniors in high school can enroll in college and have it be credit towards their high school diploma and earn college credit as well. Best of all the college credits are paid by the high school. Free college credits…yeah baby!

One of my difficulties is being able to stay in routine with my diet. I get enough movement but my weight does not budge. I know it’s my eating. I do well when I use my free diet plan from Designer Whey  but I am also a rebel not submitting to what works. That part of me is difficult for me to understand. I try to analyze myself to figure it out. Someone said I just don’t value myself enough to be the best I can to myself. I am the best I can be to everyone around me. My family has no idea how well I take care of them because they have never been with out my care.

I saw an ad the ‘The Biggest Loser’ is casting again. What a dream, though they are looking for couples at the moment and I really don’t know anyone close that is as big as me or bigger to see if we could get on the show. I think going away and totally working on me and putting myself first, valuing myself for the time that the contestant are away would change my life. Last season my husband jokingly commented “Why don’t you get on that show”, that hurt a bit and when my kids said “Yea, mom you should go on The Biggest Loser show”…OUCH!!!! It makes me wonder what my family really things of me.

Maybe Designer Whey will bring me to them and teach me the ways of health…lol. Did you know Designer Whey is on FaceBook??? I found out recently. Let me tell you, the people behind this product look amazing! They are beautiful people and really stand behind their products and rightfully so. Ok, I have to put a plug in for Andy because he is my Designer Whey buddy and support. OMGsh Andy, I had no idea you were such a cutie patutie! Whey to Go, keep your health and looks dude.

I will be glad when school starts so I can get back to routine. I need to start my day right now with my breakfast of a wonderful Designer Whey Shake, some fruit and a piece of whole wheat toast. I will get back to what works starting with breakfast. I have been skipping that part for a while now…not good. I need to start right to keep right. I need to carry my 2GO packs in the car like I did before. It’s too easy to stop at a drive-thru when you’re hungry. I need to carry my snacks in the car when I am working instead of a quick stop at a gas station to grab something that is not the best choice.

I have to value myself.

Take Care,
Camille

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