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NOTE: This is from my bi-wekly article in the Evansville Courier and Press BUT Anyone…Anywhere can use this info. Americans in general are in BIG trouble and need a wake up call! Enjoy… 

I have lived in many wonderful cities — Dallas, Santa Monica, Hollywood — but there’s something about good ol’ Evansville you just can’t replace. I have wracked my brain trying to pinpoint what makes my corn-fed friends so much friendlier and why I choose to live here compared with the excitement I used to experience in the bigger cities.

In the end, I always come back to the people. Evansville to me is family. People here are focused on family, friendships and living a “good life” away from the crazy life that the larger cities bring. However, there is something we miss that could impede that quest for a good life.

We are so busy working hard for our families, running here and there trying to raise well-rounded kids, worrying about new stadiums and parks that we are losing sight of the one thing that allows us to enjoy it all — our health.

Indiana has an adult obesity rate of 26.8 percent, ranking it the ninth heaviest in the nation, according to a 2004-2006 study by the Trust for America’s Health. Even scarier is that our childhood obesity rates aren’t much better. Can you say, “Monkey see, monkey do”?

My Evansville-area friends, you simply must give yourself a reality check and ask some hard questions:

-Are you at a healthy weight?

-Are your blood pressure and cholesterol rates within the normal ranges?

-Are you raising your children to make healthy choices? Do they even know what healthy choices are?

If you answered “no” to any of these, you need to take a long hard look at what your future, and your family’s future, will look like if you don’t make some changes.

I don’t say this to scare you, but maybe that’s what you need. It’s what I call “a big fat kick in the pants to healthier choices.” We have this mentality of “oh, it’s only one Big Mac” or “it’s just a Pop-Tart — they are kids, you know.”

Come on — take a look around next time you’re at the mall. I think you’ll realize that those Big Macs and Pop-Tarts are adding up.

We are getting too comfortable in our laid-back Midwestern lifestyle. If we don’t do something, we will continue to climb that national obesity scale, and, folks, Hoosiers are better than that. We are not lazy people, but the numbers are indicating something a little different.

Let’s make some healthy changes together and help Indiana slide down the obesity scale. How? It all starts with choices.

You must choose to change. To help you here are a few great resources:

-I challenge you to go to www.in.gov/inshape/ and take a look at Gov. Mitch Daniels’ In Shape Indiana program. This is a top-notch free resource. Learn how to quit smoking, eat healthy and exercise, regardless of whether you are 8 or 80 years old. There’s also a way for you to e-mail questions to the site’s nutritionists and personal trainers.

-At www.sparkpeople.com you will find healthy living information as well as a support community. You can sign up for daily e-mails and join online support groups in the Evansville area.

-Need healthy recipe information? Look up www.foodfit.com for meal ideas.

-If you still have questions, come by my Web site, www.lifechanginghealthysolutions.com, and submit your questions. I would be honored to help my fellow Hoosiers and to see that No. 9 obesity ranking plummet.

I have never been one to give up easily. I think it’s a combo of the hard work ethic my parents instilled in me and good ol’ ‘I am woman…there’s nothing I can’t do’ that is my personal motto.

Well, I may have met my match! I stink at skiing!

That’s right…skiing may just be the stinkin’ hardest thing I have tackled in recent years. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I could break my neck speeding downhill, out of control on two small, narrow strips of fiberglass. Or if it’s the frustration of having 3 year olds waving as they effortlessly pass me on the way down the run. Geeze.

Truth be known I have never been a sports player or all that great at taking instruction when learning something new. (Tennis didn’t go all that well for me either…but I’ll keep trying). However, this annual ski trip is important to me. It’s the one time of year we get to take time off away from the kids and enjoy the company of a couple who we consider to be the best friends ever. So learning to ski is a must.

I could just throw in the towel, give into my fears and say ‘the heck with it’ and stay in the lodge sipping on cocoa. Nah…not my style. Nope, I’m going to keep at it. Actually, this year as I lie, upside down, snow packed into my goggles and skis crossed from a very ungraceful wipeout I couldn’t help but compare it to many of the challenges we face in life.

We want to better our career so we’ll educate ourselves to get a better job. We have a illness then we go to the doctor to get to the bottom of it and treat it so it goes away. It’s really the same with weight loss and working towards a healthier lifestyle.

So many times we expect to just eat a few health meals and exercise when it’s convenient and then get angry and frustrated when we don’t see results. Truth is weight loss is just like skiing. You aren’t just going to jump on and immediately know how what to do. It’s a learning process. YOU WILL FALL DOWN! And you will eat snow from time to time. You may even need lessons on exactly how to eat, exercise and maybe even an istructor to really get you flying downhill with grace and ease.

So, don’t quit and keep on working at all this healthy living stuff. With consistency and persistence YOU WILL conquer this thing. For me, well, I’m definitely going to sign up for lessons next year. I obviously am not a natural and I’m humble enough to admit when I stink at something. But one thing is for sure…they have their work cut out for them. LOL

If weight loss for you is like skiing for me (you stink at it-lol) then get yourself a lesson…check out my Healthy Grocery Store Tour. It could be the thing that allows YOU to speed down the mountain and finally conquer this healthy lifestyle thing once and for all.

Good luck and…break a leg.

Darlene

I have to admit I can be an “uncool” parent at times, at least in my 8-year-old son’s eyes. You see, we have always been an anti-video game family. When all the neighborhood kids were getting their PlayStations and Game Cubes, I was buying our son a baseball glove, tennis racket and Rollerblades.

Instead of spending $50 on the latest game for these zombie-creating machines, I was spending that cash on swim and drum lessons. I just couldn’t see encouraging my child to sit and not move for hours on end.

All of this changed on Christmas. We purchased our first family video game. Hold on a second — don’t get smug thinking I’ve given in to one of society’s unhealthy habits. Let me tell you what kind of video game. We purchased a Wii (pronounced “we”).

Heard of it? If you haven’t, it could be the one thing that gets your kiddos (and you, too) movin’ like never before.

The Nintendo Wii is the video game I have been longing for. No more kids parked in front of TVs for hours on end. With the Wii you have to stand, move, punch, jump and do all sorts of goofy moves in order to beat your opponents.

Can I just tell you how sore I was the day after playing boxing and tennis for the first time? All from a video game!

The Wii is an interactive video game that could be a key player in fighting our nation’s childhood obesity epidemic. Of course, it’s no substitute for good old exercise, but I have to admit that the Wii games are a pretty fun way for adults and children to burn a few extra calories.

The New York Times reports that in a recent British study of six boys and five girls ages 13 to 15, all team athletes who played video games at least two hours a week benefited greatly when moving from a stationary game such as Xbox to the more active Wii.

The study used monitoring devices that measured the children’s energy expenditure at rest and as they did 15-minute sessions with “Project Gotham Racing 3,” a sedentary Xbox game, and the active Wii versions of bowling, tennis and boxing.

At rest, the children burned an average of about 72 calories per hour. Playing the Xbox game increased the average to 107. Wii tennis consumed 179 calories per hour, and Wii boxing 174 — both significant increases over the sedentary Xbox game. But keep in mind that an actual game of doubles tennis in the real world burns about 318 calories per hour, and punching a boxing bag burns 382.

These new virtual exercise machines could be a solution for parents and schools concerned about the inactivity and rising weight of their children and teens. An added benefit: Our family discovered that playing and laughing together was something we just weren’t doing enough of.

I never thought I would be encouraging my friends, family and clients to go out and get a video game, but in this case it could be a way to get a sedentary child moving and to insert a bit of healthy family fun time into our busy lives.

In my book there is no substitute for real exercise and sports, since both improve health and encourage social interaction. But you may consider getting rid of most of your PlayStation and Xbox games, and get yourself a Wii. The technology is only going to get better, and as the companies catch on to the parents’ desire for more interactive games, I think these babies are going to get healthier and healthier. Just you wait and see. Wii love it!

I have a love-hate relationship with New Year’s resolutions. On one hand, anything that causes us to take a moment to seriously reflect on where we’re headed in life is a good and valuable thing to do. The end of the year is a perfect time to take an honest look at the status of our health, spiritual life, financial status, family relationships or any other major aspect of life that will determine much of our long-term happiness.

But as we all know, resolutions can also be a not-so-serious attempt at healthy and positive changes (changes that we never really intended on keeping in the first place). Studies have found that 60 percent of people who set a New Year’s goal give up on it within three months. So what does take to be in that ever desirable 40 percent club?Here are some key strategies to make your new habit stick:

Have a positive attitude — By focusing on the “I wills” instead of the “will nots,” you put yourself in the right mental attitude for successful change. If you remind yourself of all the things you shouldn’t do or can’t do, it makes your effort a negative experience, which is not what you want to invite into your life.I recommend that you write a few of your “I wills” on a sticky note and post them on your fridge and car dashboard, in your wallet and on your computer monitor. This keeps the positive change ahead of you at the forefront of your mind and in focus throughout your day. When moments of weakness strike, you will be armed with a clear vision of what you want to accomplish, and that negative thought will be busted before it has a chance to ruin your new, healthy quest.

Gain control through learning — If weight loss is your goal, learn everything you can about healthy eating and exercise. Simply taking a diet pill or jumping on a fad diet is not going to teach you to live a healthier lifestyle or keep that weight off for a lifetime. There are many great online resources available to help educate you on the ins and outs of healthy eating and exercise.www.fitday.com — a free online diet journal and calorie counting tool.

www.foodnetwork.com — go to the healthy eating section for great recipes.

www.eatright.org — American Dietetic Association Web site that has great references and articles.

www.prevention.com — everything you want to know about exercise and healthy living.

www.lifechanginghealthysolutions.com — this is my own site. I have free healthy living information for you there.

Keep your eyes on the prize — It’s one thing to want to lose weight, but don’t make that your entire focus. Also remind yourself that if you lost weight you’d lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. You’d also increase your energy, boost your confidence, feel more attractive and fit easily into your clothes.If your goal is to stop smoking, you can add reducing your risk of lung cancer and heart attack to your list — not to mention that you will no longer have “smoker’s breath” (yuck!), your clothes won’t stink like smoke (you might not be aware of the smell the smoke in your clothes, but everyone around you notices — trust me) and you’ll save money by not having to buy cigarettes anymore.

Now, that’s what I call a life-changing prize.

It starts on Halloween and doesn’t stop until New Years…the demise of our healthy diet and lifestyle. Every year we go into the holidays with good intentions and come out with an extra 5-10 pounds and some serious doubts to whether or not we will ever get the weight off and keep it off.

You should start with this question…are you willing to give a little here and there and show a bit of self-restraint this holiday season in order to keep from ending up with belly that resembles Santa? If your attitude is to go hog wild and just “diet” come the New Year, well, good luck with that. However, if you want to get through this season with as little damage as possible, while still enjoying the holidays, then start with these 5 easy strategies:

1) PLAN! Get a calendar and write in all parties and events immediately as you are informed of them. Also write in planned shopping days or family functions…down to your kids sport or music practices and programs. Now, pencil in 5 times each week where you can do some form of exercise. Yes, I said 5 (3 at the least). So if you know you have a party on a certain evening, plan to exercise that morning before work or walk at lunch instead. When you don’t plan your workouts the busy season will get the best of you and exercise will be the first thing you cut out. Remember, all this exercise is THE KEY to burning off the excess fat and calories you will most certainly be taking in. Just think about how many extra candy dishes, baked goods, food gifts, etc. that float around this time of year.

2) Clean House! If you have a party get ride of the non-healthy foods ASAP! Throw out ALL the seasonal treats, chips, cheese balls, sweets or other high calorie and high fat foods right after the party (or simply send EVERYTHING home with your guests). That’s right, throw them out! If the “bad” food is not sitting in your kitchen you won’t be tempted to eat it!
3) Don’t go to that party hungry! Have a half of a turkey sandwich, spoon full of natural peanut butter, handful of nuts or a piece of fruit before that party, especially the parties that start late in the evening. If you go to a party starving you will most certainly overindulge on food and drink, not so good for the ol’waistline.

4) Don’t stuff yourself! If you are at a holiday dinner and don’t want to overindulge I have a fool proof way of keeping yourself from overeating. (oh, and by the way, there is NO rule that says you have to eat everything on your plate.) Discretely shake lots of salt all over your food when you find yourself starting to feel the slightest bit full. It will appear you are still joining in on the fun, socializing with plate in hand, but that little trick will keep you from continuing to eat when you are already full and satisfied.

5) Choose Wisely. Look, I’m not about to tell you to skip all of your favorite holiday foods. What I will say is portion control! Have a little of your favorites but NOT a lot. Fill up on the turkey (breast only, no skin), watch those casseroles and lean heavier on vegetables that are au natural, watch the high fat sauces and gravies, limit alcohol and drink lots of water!

This has been a tough week in the Nicholson household. Not only have Barry (my husband, marketing director, business partner and best friend) and I been bombarded with work launching my cool new healthy living quiz (www-dietplans.info) and free telewebinar: “The Unadulterated Truth About Losing Weight and Keeping It Off For Good: What Thin, Healthy People Know About Dieting That Yo-Yo Dieters Will Never Know” (take the quiz and you can set in on the webinar for free).

Ialso have 3 article deadlines for Friday, my son gets out of school early today and tomorrow, a parent teacher conference today, Spencer has drum lessons, an exercise class to teach tonight…Oh, and we have also had a sick kiddo in the house to boot. A 4 year old sick kiddo! Yikes!

Everything in me wants to throw cooking dinner and exercising down the drain BUT I know that’s not going to do anyone, any good if I do that, especially me. I get grumpy, feel sluggish, I beat my self up and I get much less done when I stop taking care of me. When I keep on track I get more accomplished with my work and writing, I’m a much less stressed out mom and it keeps my immune system up to fight off the crud going around the house.

Why am I telling you all this? BECAUSE LIFE’S CRAP HAPPENS…deal with it! This time of year, Halloween through New Years, we are just looking for reasons to skip workouts and pick up fast food for dinner. Don’t do it! Stay strong and get rid of that darn “stink’in think’in” that keeps you from finding solutions to life’s challenges. This “life crap” and time issue is the number one problem I see when clients struggle with living that healthy lifestyle I preach about so often. You need to find SOLUTIONS!

I had to get my booty into the gym at 5:30am this morning, I had to get yesterday’s workout in late in the evening and tomorrow it’s going to be a late afternoon jog. Dinner yesterday was a slow cooked crock pot meak that I put in early in the morning because I knew i wouldn’t have time when I got home and today it may have to be a rotisserie chicken I pick up from the store (breast only) and a salad. Planning and focus….that’s the key(s) to surviving the crazy weeks and the busy holiday season.

Don’t throw in the towel and give up when things get crazy…take action and stay focused on your goals. You’ll never reach them if you let everyday set backs get the best of you. If you need a bit more help, info and inspiration be sure to check out my site. www.lifechanginghealthysolutions.com.

I’m here for ya friend!

Best of Health,

Darlene

 The sound of rustling leaves, a brisk cool breeze…its fall yall! I absolutely love this time of year because the heat of summer is behind us (finally) and the outdoors just seem to come alive with color and opportunities for…drum roll please….fitness!

  Many times we think of exercise as something we must do indoors, in a gym or on an exercise machine of some sort. It’s like some unwritten rule somewhere that this whole be healthy, exercise thing needs to be a miserable experience and something you must do rather than something you enjoy doing. You know what I have to say to that? Baloney!

  October and November are the perfect months for taking your exercise outdoors because it’s no longer miserably hot, the leaves are changing colors and there’s just freshness in the air like no other time of the year. Let me tell you, some of my most productive days are those where I have walked outside before jumping into my workday. You think clearer, your attitude is better and you just have a better outlook because you know you have done something really great for yourself.

  So, here are several ideas that will help you take your exercise outdoors. Heck, most of these will be so much fun that I doubt you will even think of them as exercise at all! Oh, and get the whole family involved. If you have kiddos that are a little too into video games and TV then these are perfect for getting them off the couch and disguising exercise with something fun. As I always say, “a family that plays together stays together”.

1)      Mesker Park Zoo- a few hours of walking up and down all those hills is a great way to burn some major calories, not to mention, tone your tush. Bob’s Gym even offers a group walking class at the Zoo every Wednesday at 9am.

2)      Take a Saturday and head out to Land Between the Lakes- just 2 hours south into Kentucky and you’ll experience one of the most beautiful and fun afternoons you could ask for. They offer endless hiking trails, canoeing, horseback riding and mountain biking trails. Throw the family and your bikes into the van and head off for a day full of fun family fitness. For more information and directs check out ww.lbl.org.

3)      Take your walks outside to Wesselman Park or The State Hospital grounds. Don’t walk the same route everyday! You need to keep your body on its toes and mix it up with new scenery and terrain.

4)      Take advantage of the many local walks and running events. Don’t worry - you don’t need to be a major athlete to take advantage of these fun-filled healthy events. Registration fees are usually around $15 and are usually collected to raise money for area charities and organizations. There are often health-related vendors, food, games and activities for the whole family. Check out The Greater Evansville Runners/Walkers Club at www.gerwc.com/ for upcoming events.

5)      Make it a new habit to walk or bike outside a few times a week. Even if you are limited on time, take just 15 minutes to breathe in the cool air and the beautiful scenery. I guarantee you it will put you in a better mood and help you get fit and trim at the same time!

So, what did you have last week? Pronto Pup? Brain Sandwich? Funnel Cake? Homemade Fudge? All that “good eatin” gotcha feeling mighty sluggish and a belt loop size bigger? 

Oh yeah, next year I’ll make sure my article gets in BEFORE the Fall Festival…look out!

For more healthy eating and lifestyle information be sure to check out my Healthy Grocery Store Tour at www.healthygrocerystoretour.com. If you hurry you may still be able to get in on the $94.85 in FREE goodies!  

Check it out! www.healthygrocerystoretour.com

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Sometimes we make all this being healthy and weight loss stuff much harder than it really is. We over-think it. Counting points, steps, carbs, protein and whatever else we can come up with.

I have a friend that says when you need to really think something through…”just break it down to the ridiculous”.

So, today let’s just start with the most basic concept. 

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Calories in….Calories Out
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I want you to do this for one reason, and one reason only. AWARENESS!

Most of you have no idea how many calories you take in, how many you burn off or how any you are supposed to have.

Calories give energy. The average woman burns about 2,000 calories per day, a man about 2,500. Now this is a basic count and is not for weight loss. Most people can lose weight if they keep their calories around 1500 per day BUT your best bet would be to have a doctor, dietician or nutritionist calculate what your caloric intake should be for weight loss. They would need to take into consideration your weight, height, medications, activity level and overall health.

You can calculate this for yourself if you go to my website www.lifechanginghealthysolutions.com and check out this article on Calculating Your Caloric Needs:

How Many Calories Do I Need To Lose Weight?
Now this number is to maintain your current weight. Obviously, in order to lose you need to take in fewer calories and/or burn off more calories.

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BURN, BABY, BURN
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Many people ask me how I find time to stay in such good shape, when I’m a busy business owner, speaker, writer, mom and instructor and whatever else I think of each week.

Well, yes, I do eat very healthfully. And I exercise around 5 days a week. But one of the things I think I do better than most is staying active all the time. Even though I write at a desk most days, I get up a lot. My office is downstairs and I am constantly walking up and down, all day long. I rarely sit and watch TV (except on Thursdays…Survivor Night!..love that show!) and when I do sit it’s not for long. Even on our TV night I stand and fold clothes while I watch.

I park at the back of parking lots, take the stairs and walk at a bit faster pace than most…just ask my kids they are always telling me I’m going too fast.

My point is I move - and so should you. Find ways to get moving more often and you will burn more doing everyday stuff. If you sit in front of the TV or sit and read all the time, you are not only going to miss out on lots of calories that could be burned off, but it slows your metabolism down too. So tape your show, get an audio recording of your book and get moving, will ya?

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A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE
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Calories IN

• 12 oz. cola- 150 calories
• 1 cup ice cream- 540 calories
• Pint of beer- 148 calories
• 1 glass sweet wine- 226 calories
• Premium Grilled Chicken Sandwich from McDonalds- 420 calories
• 2- 1oz slices of cheddar cheese – 226 calories
• 2 oz potato chips- approx. 300 calories
• 3 oz steak- 230 calories….5oz – 470
• 1 Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit (McD’s) – 450 calories

Calories OUT (keep in mind this is non-stop for one hour calorie counts)

• Sexual intimacy 108 per hour (could be more or less…sort of depends?)

• Cleaning house, doing laundry, scrubbing tubs, going up and down stairs, cleaning refrigerator, picking up clothes (doing a lot of squatting down, bending over and picking up)  130 cal/hour

• Weeding a garden (stooping and bending), bagging up discarded weeds, pushing mower, carrying away bags of weeds and grass, breaking a sweat- 230 cal/hour

• Yoga, breaking a sweat – 230 cal/ hour (more for intense power or “hot” yoga)

• Light exercise, walking 2 1/2 miles per hour, sweating somewhat – 250 cal/hour

• Circuit Weight Training- moderate weights (8-12 reps so that the last few are difficult), moving quickly to each stations, 30 seconds rest between- 540 per hour

• Exercising using an Elliptical or Rowing Machine (staying in your target heart rate for 20-30 minutes)-  850 calories/ hour

So you can see how this can add up…in your favor or against you? The key is being aware. Knowing how much you are taking in and burning off. Keeping a food and activity log will help keep you “in the know” and on track.

Oh, and if you want to burn an extra 90 calories go grocery shopping! But before you do, check out my Healthy Grocery Store program…it will ensure you not only burn off some calories but learn how to control the one’s coming in!

www.healthygrocerystoretour.com

Best of Health,

Darlene

P.S. Quick ways to save yourself some calories…drink more water instead of cola, juices or other high calorie drinks. Skip the ice cream and try a little low-fat frozen yogurt, skip the beef and try more lean chicken and fish.

You can do it! And I’m always here to help! Check out my site for lots of great tools and tips.

It happens to all of us…You are doing well, exercising and eating healthier then BAM…you stop losing weight. A few days go by and that scale isn’t budging…few more days nothing! Then, in some cases, you see the scale creep back up! WHATTHEHECK!

This must be one of the most frustrating things for people who are trying to lose. You feel you’re doing all the work but not seeing the results anymore.

If I had a dollar for every time a client said “Something isn’t right… I haven’t lost a single pound today. This exercise and diet thing doesn’t work”. Everyone wants results overnight. Did you gain that extra 20, 30 or 60 pounds in a couple of weeks? Well, why do you expect to lose it that quickly?

Geeeze, if it were only that easy.

Plateaus are when you are eating well, exercising regularly…basically doing all the stuff you are supposed to do and you stop losing. It’s like you hit a weight loss wall. What do you do? How do you get your body to kick start into weight loss mode again?

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NASA We Have A Problem
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The good news is that you can fix this stubborn scale issue. The bad news is you’re gonna have to step up your game!

There are basically 3 things you need to do:

1) Get REAL. You need to take a real and honest look at what you are eating and what you are doing. FOOD LOG! If you have truly been doing a good job controlling calories, controlling fat as well as exercising, as you should, then your food log will show it.
If you have been fudging here and there it will show that too. When you see it in writing you’ll get a whole new perspective…I promise.

If you haven’t strayed and you think your log looks as good (you may need to have a professional look to make sure) then it may be time to cut back some calories or up (or change) your exercise routine. As the body progresses, its needs change and you need to move your plan forward also.

If all you have ever done for exercise is walk, it may be time to mix it up with swimming, biking, exercise classes or just add faster sprints or intervals to your walk to make it a bit harder. Same thing with your diet. Mix it up, try new foods or cut back on processed stuff or things that have “snuck” into your eating plan..

2) Real Labels. Food logging will also help you determine if the foods you are eating are really healthy for you because it forces you to look at the labels. Sometimes foods that say they are low in fat, low in carbs aren’t necessarily low in calories. So, food logging doesn’t mean just writing down the name of what you are eating. It also means adding up the days total calories, fat, fiber, protein and carbs.

I give the recommended amounts that you should have of each of these in my Healthy Grocery Store Tour Manual. Check it out at www.healthygrocerystoretour.com.

3) Ignore the people who are trying to convince you that your plateau means your plan isn’t working and your efforts are in vain. Many people hit plateaus early, especially when they’re first starting a weight loss plan (or lifestyle change as I like to say). Don’t let people say that all you have lost is water weight and that what you’re doing isn’t working.

That’s bunk.

Yes, it is common for some to lose several pounds right off the bat and then stop losing. If you are one of these types of “losers” keep at it, keep eating clean and keep exercising. It may take a little time, but your body needs to see that consistency in what you are doing. Yes, you may have lost the initial several pounds from a bit of water shed if you lowered your sodium and processed foods, BUT keep it up so you can see more loss.

3) Make sure you are eating enough! I know that sounds strange but many people can’t get away from the “diet mentality” of deprivation eating. If you take in too little calories your body goes into defense mode and stores extra fat in order to protect itself. You need adequate calories (and good healthy fats) in order to lose weight. Know what number is right for you to lose.

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No One Ever Gets Anywhere
By Quitting…Stay Strong
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Plateaus are inevitable! They happen to all of us. It just means that you need to stand firm on what you know is right and then take the steps to up your game in order to start seeing some results.

Healthy eating is key. Exercise is equally important. And motivation is the glue that holds the whole darn thing together.

Well, I have come out with a system that covers all those bases. It’s NOT a diet! It’s a tool to help you achieve better health, weight loss success and a healthier overall lifestyle. My Healthy Grocery Store Tour has it all.

You get the specifics on what to eat, what to say away from, and most importantly how to cook it so it tastes good.

You also get a 4 Week Quick Start Exercise Plan that will show you what types of exercise to do and how often to do it. It’s great for the beginner or those already exercising because it starts you off slow but also gives more advanced modification.

And to keep you focused and motivated, I give you 2 months of my get Life-Changing Healthy Solutions Newsletter. It comes to your mailbox every month with a great audio CD and is packed full of information and motivating tips and topics.

Get all the details of this limited time Special Offer at www.healthygrocerystoretour.com.

Don’t get flustered when you hit a plateau…instead, arm yourself with the take-action knowledge and techniques I provide in my Healthy Grocery Store Tour Special Offer.

Best of Health,

Darlene

P.S. Oh, one other thing about Plateaus. Don’t judge everything off the scale weight. Sometimes we worship that scale a little too much and it messes with us mentally. Many times you will stop losing scale weight but you are still losing inches all over your body. So, measure as well as weigh!