My other Weight Loss Secret – Part II

Snack Time

I enjoy two small snacks before doing lunch. Well, I am not really doing lunch so to speak, but read on to find what I am talking about. I covered breakfast in more detail here. To make it to lunch time I am having two small snacks in the morning. I have a small sandwich about 2.5 hours after breakfast. It is usually 2 slices of bread (wheat or whole wheat) with cholesterol free (I have a high cholesterol history in my family) butter or butter-like spread on it. I use smart balance light for that. Eventually I use some very thin cut turkey or lean ham on top of it. Whole Foods has a Cranberry Walnut bread that I prefer for this snack. It’s a dark bread with a good fiber value. The second snack is usually some of these small, pre-packaged (fresh) carrots you get at the supermarket. They taste sweet and are just a perfect snack. Healthy, but tasty.

I noticed that especially the carrots really fill me up so that I am not get hungry for quite a while. They are low calorie and it does not matter how many you eat really. Keep the bread/sandwich on the smaller side, please. The bread I am buying is usually a small-size loaf and 2 slices are perfect. I am guessing that I am at around 450 – 500 calories by lunch time (that is total for anything I have eaten up until that point in time for the day).

My other Weight Loss “Secret”

I have tried a few diets, but nothing really worked consistently. So, somehow I developed my own approach and that seems to work – at least for me. I am not saying this is the best diet ever nor am I trying to sell it or so. This is just the average Jane writing about her her diet success. My approach to diet is to start with the initial weight loss program and then move into the maintaining weight process. So, here is how I lose weight in a way that really does not keep me hungry and still allows me to snack every once in a while. Stay tuned in for the next few blog postings. I will break out the day into a few sections to allow for easier reading and enough detail. Here is a sample day.

Breakfast to Lunch Time

I eat a large bowl of Kellogs Special K mixed with fresh Blueberries, Bananas, or Strawberries. I don’t care about what the packaging says for the calories and how much I am allowed to eat. I mix it so that I am off to a good start and not starving before I leave the house. I use fat-free Lacto-Free milk. Normal fat free milk might do for you, I am just slightly allergic to normal milk and found that the lacto-free milk is better for me. Again, mix it to a portion you feel comfortable with – ignore the packaging recommendation. I counted my portion and I am probably around 250 – 300 calories per breakfast.

This usually carries me easily to lunch time with two small snacks along the way (to keep the metabolism running). When starting this diet it will take about a week before the hunger feeling during morning hours will disappear. I used to feel hungry after two hours again with my normal breakfast. Switching to fruit mixed with Special K and fat free milk has changed that and I am able to push longer before being really hungry again. Two small snacks along the way help to keep the hunger completely under control.

How much gasoline are you wasting because you are overweight?

Since oil prices are reaching new record heights almost every day, everyone is talking about saving gas and going green. People are buying Hybrids and ignore the big gas guzzlers, too. Some even switch to public transportation whenever they can. But have you ever looked at your own weight as a possible cause why you are paying so much at the pump? Believe it or not, but every additional pound you carry while driving your car will cost additional gasoline. And those “additional pounds” are not just junk you drive around in your trunk all the time, it’s also the extra weight you carry as a person.

Researchers did find out that every overweight driver burns about 18 additional gallons of gas a year on average. This easily adds up to almost one billion gallons PER year. Now keep in mind this is an average value. Studies show that over 60% of Americans are overweight and 30% are are actually considered obese. Now there is a lot of variation among overweight and obese people out there. Think about it this way. Let’s assume that 30 lbs of extra body fat cost you 18 additional gallons of gasoline per year – that’s an easy $55 – $60 in hard cash. Well, 30 lbs is easy to put, but many overweight people are carrying 40-60 lbs of extra weight (not to mention the extra clothing you need to cover all that fat). That would double your spendings to somewhere around $110 – $120 per year. You might say this is not a lot of money, but look at the people in other cars. It all adds up. And we’re not paying so much for gasoline because of a single person, but for the demand in gasoline from everyone.

If everyone who is considered overweight or obese would lose 50% of the extra weight – can you imagine the savings?! It would also reduce the overall demand for gasoline and less demand means lower gasoline prices or at least prices going up at a slower pace for sure. Well worth to consider losing some weight now, isn’t it?

Please note: This posting is based on this article in Science Daily. It’s also not putting other savings into consideration that would result from significant weight loss. Some statements are based on assumptions, but the overall idea is to show what impact a higher body weight has on your usage of gasoline.

Colon Cleansing – A good thing to do when starting a Diet

A friend recently recommended Colon Cleansing to me. First I thought she must be crazy because from all I knew this type of procedure is not needed for a successful diet. However, I decided to spend some time researching different products and what colon cleansing really is. Be careful when you find a website with pictures. It can be pretty disgusting what some people show for their “results”. I was not too impressed by that. However, I found a few websites with real reviews and some good information. I was still not convinced, but decided to try one or two trial offers. These trial offers are usually good for 15 days before you have pay. Two weeks is plenty I figured and ordered the ColonSmart offer and the Colon Cleanse Pro trial.

The order process was easy and the trials arrived fairly quick. I then started my testing and to my surprise I saw the first significant results within 4 days. The occasional bloating and constipation that bothered me started to disappear and I felt so much better. I also felt some of the lost energy coming back (after about 8-9 days). The weight loss I experienced during that time was surprising. Just have to keep in mind that the weight loss does not come from body fat. So, I still have to keep up my workout routine, too. No biggie. Since I had 2 different trials I let some time go by before starting the second one to make sure the results are not overlapping. The second trial (Colon Cleanse Pro) worked almost identical to the Colon Smart product. Similar results in pretty much the exact same time frame.

My Conclusion: Colon cleansing is not a diet, but it can help to kick off a healthy diet and to give your body a good head start. The colon cleansing offers are not super expensive, but they are not cheap either. But if you are serious about losing weight for the long term I definitely recommend it. I was not a believer until I finally tried. This topic is just not something you usually talk about with friends and family and I think that is part of the reason why I never looked at colon cleansing in more detail. I am glad I did.

Claim your FREE FitSmart Bar

When you are reading this, you are most likely interested in Brenda Watson’s Fiber 35 Diet. Brenda is currently offering a free Fitsmart Bar to anyone who is interested. What exactly is a Fiber35 FitSmart Bar at all?

Ingredients FitSmart Bar 

• 10 grams of fiber
• 10 grams of protein
• Natural ingredients
• No added refined sugars
• No soy, gluten or GMOs
• No trans fats
• Certified kosher

The Fiber35 Diet FitSmart Bar is a convenient, all-natural and nutritionally balanced snack bar. It contains 10 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein, too. The combination of these two will keep you “feeling filled” between meals. Each Fiber35 FitSmart Bar is made from nutrient-rich fruits, healthy nuts, seeds, some whey protein and acacia fiber. It does not contains added sugars or trans fats of any kind.

When claiming your free FitSmart Bar you can choose three delicious flavors: Chocolate Chunk, Cranberry Apple and Lemon Poppy. The offer expires on 7/31/2008. You will need to register and the coupon is being emailed to you accordingly. Claim your Fiber35 Coupon now.

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