Losing Weight from a Writer's POV

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 12:08:00 +0000

It's been a little more than a year since I posted because of a heavy work schedule. That has changed and so I'm back. The good news is that I have reached a normal BMI and only need to lose about five more pounds to reach my goal. How did I do it? It's been a process.

First of all I set my mind to do it and then I set goals to help me accomplish the steps it takes to get there. I started with exercise and simple steps like limiting desserts and snacks. That helped me lose 10 pounds but then I stuck there even with walking an hour a day. Like it or not, that meant I was still taking in too much food...too many calories.

There is no magic number of calories right for everyone, but I started counting calories again to make sure I don't eat too much but to also make sure I'm eating enough. It's worked! And it can work for you.

Wii or Should I Say Weeeeeee!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:21:00 +0000

It's been ages since I stopped by this blog, not because I don't want to be here, but because my time has been more limited for blogging. Since the beginning of the year, I've fit exercise into my life consistently, and exercise takes time. Instead of a New Year's resolution, I decided to take the same approach to dieting and losing weight as I use to make progress with my writing...and it is working.

Instead of turning this into an essay, let's just say that I followed the No S Diet for the first 5 months, and lost the first 5-7 pounds. However, my weight stagnated for the last two of those months and so I went back to counting calories. But I only lost a couple of pounds by following a 1200 calorie diet. That kind of result would normally send me to the cookies or chips, but not this time. I stuck with my goals, but what to do next?

My daughter looked up how many calories I should be eating based on age, gender and height, if I wanted to lose weight. 1000 calories! I'm not a big person. Part of be rebelled, but then my daughter shared with me that she balked at counting calories again because it is so "unnatural."

It hit us both that our natural inclination is to satisfy our appetites, to feed the flesh. The scale confirmed this. An "unnatural" approach was the answer, and it's working! I stepped on the Wii Fit yesterday and for the first time this year I was "normal weight" instead of "overweight." This is a huge victory!

Now my goal is to get that little bar to move to the middle of the normal weight. Weeeeee!

100 Best Blogs for Weight Loss Support

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:32:00 +0000

It's been awhile since I posted. With my novel The Inheritance more than half way through the editing process, and plenty of freelance work keeping me really busy. Some days get a bit stressful, but I'm happy to report that I've stuck with my weight loss goals. This month was a test as my weight has stayed about the same, until a couple of days ago when I finally hit a new low for this year. I'm down 8.2 pounds. I know that's not a huge amount and the results aren't fast...but they are results heading in the right direction. That's the plan. Just keep going in the right direction a baby step at a time.

To my surprise, I found this blog listed on 100 Best Blogs for Weight Loss Support! Can you all believe it! To see the whole list follow this link: 100 Best Blogs for Weight Loss Support.

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Be sure to check out my latest interview at Teens Read Too Book Blog, too.

Another 21 Day Challenge Under Our Belts

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:53:00 +0000

Hard to believe, but the February 21 Day Challenge is over. How did you do?

I think I've turned the corner. New habits are actually really habits. My weight continues to steadily drop...not fast, but it is going in the right direction. This time around, my goal is for slow, long-term weight loss. A real healthy lifestyle. I've broken the habit of eating between meals. That is a big...no HUGE change for me. As of the end of this challenge, I've lost 7.6 pounds since the first of the year. Who knows, by the end of the month it might just be 8 pounds. Whatever it is, it's moving toward my goal.

If you are sick and tired of the yo-yo dieting experience, come join me next month for the March 21 Day Challenge. Set attainable goals that move you in the direction you want to go. Come on. Let's do it! You can lose weight before summer and keep it off!

Anyone with questions, feel free to contact me or leave a comment.

Day 17: February 21 Day Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:32:00 +0000

Can you believe it is already the 17th of February? Even though I've been absent from my blog, I've stayed true to my challenge goals. Now that I'm walking an hour a day...well I don't have as much time to hang out a blog.

On my walk Monday, I saw a phone man working on one of those green phone equipment boxes on the next street over. It was about 30 degrees, and I felt kind of sorry for him. On my second lap as I walked by him we did that polite neighborly wave. On my third time he was in his truck.

The following day partly cloudy skies gave me some sun but the crisp breeze made things feel colder. The telephone man was back, just a little further up the street. On my third mile yesterday he commented, "You're really determined to be out here in the cold."

"You're right," I said. "It's not so bad. It's easy to always have an excuse why you can't do it. I'm not doing that anymore."

He agreed, and I walked back to the house thinking about how my mindset has changed. I don't always feel like walking, but it is now part of my day. It's a habit. The 21 Day Challenge really works!

One of Those Days

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:02:00 +0000

Have you ever had one of those days where things get off on the wrong foot? I experienced that Tuesday and then it bled over to Wednesday. It started with oversleeping which I haven't done in like 20 years. I shuffled into the kitchen to find I hadn't set the delay on the coffee maker...just little things that put me off kilter. As the day went on, things continued to go that way. Plus the gray overcast sky was enough to send me into a funk.

No matter how you feel, as a freelance writer, you still have work to get done and deadlines to meet. I plugged away at things to do and ran into "technical difficulties. " Something that should have taken me about 30 minutes or so took about 4 hours. My frustration climbed. When the phone rang and my daughter asked, "How are things going?" I shared a piece of my reality and told her I was getting hungry and wanted to get this project done before lunch...and technology wasn't cooperating.

She said, "You better eat before you do something you regret."

Her words struck me. I hadn't even thought of turning to food to make me feel better. The 21 Day Challenge has really developed a new habit. I don't eat between meals, so I hadn't even considered it.

When I hung up the phone, I decided to eat lunch. And then before I went back to work, I went for a walk...in the rain. It wasn't a hard rain, but a light rain that fell off and on. Decided I could go for a mile and see how it went. I walked for an hour! My feet were wet, but it was a nice, quiet, contemplative walk. When I returned to the computer, I worked things out and eventually got caught up to where I needed to be with my work load.

I share this slice of life, because not turning to food is a huge thing for me...a former binge eater. We really can develop new habits and break old ones!

The Priority of Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:04:00 +0000

I can't believe it has almost been a week since I posted here. Not that I don't have things to share with you, it's more that things like my upcoming fantasy novel going through editing, writing the sequel to Beyond the Fifth Gate and keeping up with my freelance work is time intensive. This is one of the reasons it's easy for me to gain weight and keep it on. The writing life can be very sedentary if you let it. I'm over that. Between last month and this month I've actually made time to exercise...l have it on my schedule. If it isn't a priority, it won't happen.

I've been walking almost daily for about an hour. It's a great time of reflection but also a time of temptation. Temptation you ask. Yes, because I live in a very tiny subdivision with only two streets. I walk the whole thing and it is one mile...not enough. So I actually walk past by house on each lap coming and going. When I started this I was always tempted to cut things short and get back to work. That's why I've given myself the one hour time slot. Not one mile, two...or three. I'm not done until I put an hour in. That has more or less reduced the temptation. :)

So far this challenge, I've been able to stick to my goals. Last weigh in, I've lost 6 pounds since the first of the year. Slowly but surely, I'm inching toward my ideal weight!

Day 1: February 21 Day Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:53:00 +0000

Here we are, another new month and a brand new start. The January 21 Day Challenge went well for me, and for the days between challenges, I actually continued with those same goals. The end result for January was that I'm down 5.4 pounds. That surpasses my hopes. So here's to February!

The Way the Challenge Works

It is said that it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. The 21 Day Challenge starts the 1st of the the month and goes through the 21st. The challenge is to set goals for those 21 days in hopes you will gradually establish new habits. The days "off" between challenges will show you whether or not your new behavior has become a habit, whether it needs work, or perhaps needs tweaking to work for you.

I set goals for many different aspects of life, but for this blog the focus is losing weight. If you don't need to lose weight the same technique can be used to maintain weight, work toward a healthier lifestyle and even for gaining weight. Before year's end, I hope to be maintaining rather than losing.

My February 21 Day Challenge Goals

Exercise 3-5 days a week
No S Diet
Drink water
How to Set Goals
When setting goals, be sure to make them achievable. For example, if I set a goal to lose 5 pounds and only lose 4, then I have not succeeded. Failure can send me into a tailspin. I don't really have control over exactly how much I lose so that is not a practical goal. However, if I set a goal to exercise 3-5 days a week, THAT I can have control over. It's measurable and achievable. The result will be weight loss. How much weight loss, well that's in God's hands.

Don't set yourself up for failure, but success! Set attainable goals.

Life Between Challenges

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:12:00 +0000

Here I am in the week between the January 21 Day Challenge and February's challenge. The idea behind the 21 Day Challenge is to set goals that help to establish new habits. While I employ this strategy to many areas of life, this blog focuses on weight and health. For me that means losing weight, and hopefully this year learning to maintain the weight loss.

The time in between challenges is eye opening. For one, you'll know soon enough if the things your practiced during the challenge have stuck or not. It reminds me of making a New Year's resolution to lose weight. Without smaller goals to help reach the big goal, we usually we get off track and most of the time we stay off track. The problem with a New Year's resolution is that when we fail, we tend to think..."There's always next year." But who wants to wait until next year? I want to lose weight now!

With the 21 Day Challenge, each new month is a clean slate. This works two ways. First, for people who failed to stick to their health/weight goals in one month have a new start the next month. Not only that, we can set the new goals based on what worked and what didn't. I mean there's no sense continuing to do what didn't work! Secondly, it offers the opportunity to tweak our goals. For example, if you had a goal to eat no snacks but learned you were so hungry at dinner time you tended to eat more than you should, you can change that no snack goal to eating only small healthy snacks.

For me, in these days of life between challenges, I've continued to do what I did on the January challenge. I'm feeling good, exercising regularly, eating right and I see it motivating people around me to do the same. Now that's a bonus!

Now's the time to think about the February 21 Day Challenge. Not only is summer on the way (in terms of weight loss it is just around the corner), but today is the best day to make plans for better health. Come on and join us!

If you're looking for inspiration, here are a few articles you may find helpful:

Natural Detoxification Diets

1200 Calorie Diet

10 Step Diet Interview

January 21 Challenge Results

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:28:00 +0000

Hard to believe we are fast approaching the end of January, but this January I'm happy to say that I have stuck with my health and exercise goals. Most people fall away from their weight loss resolution goals by the middle of the month! The 21 Day Challenge approach works for me because I set goals for the first 21 days of the month. It breaks things down to smaller manageable pieces. Instead of a whole year, I focus on 21 days. It is said that it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. The days in between the 21st and the start of the new month let me see how well the new habits stick, and it also gives me the opportunity to tweak my goals for the next month. That flexibility helps me stay on target.

My January 21 Day Challenge goals were to:

Follow the No S Diet

Drink 64 ounces of water daily

Exercise 3-5 days a week

These goals worked and I plan to continue them in February. Overall, I'm going for slow healthy weight loss and as of the end of the January 21 Day Challenge I have lost 5.2 pounds. I was hoping for 3 pounds, so I'm happy.

Over this week I'll talk about why it is working for me and the new habits that are helping me move to a healthier weight.

21 Day Challenge: Day 19

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Hard to believe we are already on day 19 of January's 21 Day Challenge. Life has been full of things to do including birthdays to celebrate. I still have two to go. Those kinds of special occasions used to derail my weight loss plans every January. I'd make an "exception" and before I knew it the exception became my way of life. So far, that's not the case this January. My 21 Day Challenge goals are really making a difference.

I'm following the No S Diet which basically means no sweets, no seconds, no snacks except on days that start with S. That includes "special days" like birthdays. The flexibility of this diet has really worked for me, plus I've been walking an hour a day 3-5 days a week. The thing that I've noticed is that I'm learning to know when I'm hungry and it is time to eat. With the no snacks rule, I wait to eat until my stomach tells me it is time. Even on the weekend when I can snack, I'm paying more attention to my hunger. Hopefully this is a habit that will carry me through the days off between this challenge and the February challenge!

The weight is coming off slowly and I'm hitting my target goal. I can eat what I want for my meals, just no seconds. I'm trying to include healthy choices that actually feed my body which helps me stay satisfied longer. All in all, this 21 Day Challenge has made a difference on a number of levels! I hope you can say the same.

21 Day Challenge: Day 14

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:06:00 +0000

This week is just whizzing by! I have more work to do than I have hours, technological bugs that have made life interesting, and a few out-of-the-ordinary things to fit into an otherwise tight schedule like a surprise birthday party. Plus remember I started the week in a funk?

Today marks two weeks into the January 21 Day Challenge, so I had to be sure to at least stop by and post here. Fitting an hour walk into my schedule 3-5 days a week is a priority and guess what? I've stuck with it. I've walked 4 days so far. Both my eating and exercise have stayed constant! I didn't succumb to the stress that in the past would send me into a feeding frenzy more commonly known as binge eating. I weighed in today and I'm just .2 pounds short of losing 4 pounds this first two weeks. My goal is 1 pound a week so I'm ahead of the game.

One week to go on this challenge and then we have the rest of the month to evaluate how things went, what we need to change and what we want to accomplish for the February 21 Day Challenge! One day at a time, we can establish new habits that will change our lives.

21 Day Challenge: Day 12

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:21:00 +0000

Yesterday I woke up with the blah Monday blues. Doesn't happen to me all the time, but when it does, I feel it before my feet hit the floor. I don't want to do the things I need to do, and that leaks over to the things that I should do like eat right and exercise. Days like this used to send me on a eat-what-I-want binge. But it didn't happen yesterday!

Instead, I focused on my diet goals. No sweets, no snacks, no seconds (except for days that start with an S--and it wasn't Smonday). The blah feelings might be linked do the fact that I was able to eat what I wanted over the weekend and Monday marked an end to that and back to the weekly restrictions. The fact is that I am totally satisfied physically during the week without snacks or desserts, and I think my blah feeling was tied to my mental and emotional connection to food. I often used it to help me through boredom or stress, not just to feed hunger. Mondays are busy and I didn't have food to pacify me.

Once I got past breakfast and lived until lunch without snacking, I regained my momentum. Losing weight certainly isn't about eating what you want when you want. Once I got my head on straight I changed my focus to the benefits I'll see down the road. My weight is dropping along with my BMI. I even went out for my hour walk in our balmy 40 degree weather. That's huge progress for me! I'm heading in the right direction!

21 Day Challenge: Day 9

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:01:00 +0000

Yesterday was the first day I had the real temptation to eat when I shouldn't. I'm steadily losing weight, exercising, and seeing those results is motivating. So why would I even think to sabotage my quest to lose these extra pounds?

Stress eating is one of the reasons I'm overweight. I'm not talking about major stress like a terminal illness in the family or losing a job. Everyday stress is a sneaky creature. It can creep in just because I have to do something I don't want to do like the mundane responsibilities of life. It affects my diet mood. Eating something I want to eat gives me the feeling that I am in control and that I can do something I enjoy even when there are plenty of things I'm expected to do that I don't really want to do. Does that make sense?

It didn't hit until after lunch. I wasn't hungry physically, but my mind went to food. It didn't really surprise me, because that's the way I lived before this 21 day challenge started. It's these choices in everyday life that make a difference in results. I decided to bundle up and go for my walk earlier than usual. Get out of the house and get moving.

The temps had climbed to 22 degrees and the sun shone bright on the light blanket of snow. I wasn't sure if it would be too icy to walk, especially up the "big hill". Patches of ice were here and there but not a problem. In the middle of my second mile I thought about cutting it short. Two miles instead of three miles, but I DIDN'T! I determined to keep going. The sun disappeared and only small patches of blue showed in the sky filling with gray puffy clouds. I pushed forward. Snow crunching under my feet in spots, cheeks freezing, by breath blowing balloons of frosty mist in front me.

I walked into the house victorious. The urge to eat for no good reason had disappeared. Once choice at a time, our habits make a difference!

21 Day Challenge: Day 7

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:39:00 +0000

Wow, the first week of 2010 is already under the belt.... So how's your belt fitting these days? It is so easy for people to make New Year's resolutions and even easier to not keep them. I've said it before, but it is worth repeating. I set goals each year, but instead of New Year's resolutions I'd rather think of what needs to be done as a New Day resolution. Each new day is a brand new start. If you haven't met your diet or exercise goals for this year, and feel like a failure, don't give up. It is never too late to start! Come on! You can do it, if I can do it.

Along with the completion of the first week, I have to report that I do like my new scale. Along with letting me know I lost a little more than 2.5 pounds, it also told me I am more hydrated than I was a week ago, have lost some body fat, and even gained .001 bone mass. How about that! All in one week--7 days. I'm on target!

21 Day Challenge: Day 6

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:58:00 +0000

Here is is already day 6 in the January 21 Day Challenge. I'm amazed how fast time flies. When I step back and look at it, it also becomes clear why I've gained weight in these past years. When I walked through life with the "I'll start to do something about my weight tomorrow" mindset, one day blended into the next and the only thing I was doing about my weight was adding to it.

Losing weight is a process. One day of healthy eating and exercise is just that one day. When we learn to string them together, it can be called a lifestyle. That's my overall goal for this year. To develop the habit of a healthy lifestyle. Saying that, today I'd like to talk about excuses.

Excuses are the reasons we come up with for why we don't eat healthy and/or don't exercise. Believe me, I'm a writer, I can come up with some creative reasons for why not to eat right and probably even more excuses for why I didn't exercise. That's one of the reasons I'm a member of the No Excuses Workout System. I think many of our excuses are a result of our busy lives...or at least that's what we blame it on. But think about it. Are we really so busy as to have no time for ourselves? For our health? If we are, then that needs to change.

My life as a writer and editor is busier than ever. I have another book coming this year which is in editing (which takes time), the sequel to Beyond the Fifth Gate which 3/4 written and is supposed to be finished soon, editing a non-fiction book for epress-online, and a host of articles to write and more. I think I work more hours now than ever, but this 21 Day Challenge, I've made exercise and fitness, in general, a priority. I set an appointment to exercise and so far I've made them. Even in below freezing weather, I've walked 9 miles so far this week! That's progress. Tomorrow I'll step on the scale and see if I've met my goal of losing one pound a week!

21 Day Challenge: Day 4

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:07:00 +0000

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here it is COLD. It didn't get above freezing today. That's just about enough to make me reconsider going for my 3 mile walk...almost. Having this challenge before gave me that little extra push to get out there. Once I get moving it's okay. I'm told I look like an umfa loompa, but I don't care. I rather be warm than fashionable.

If you look back at Day 1 of the challenge, you'll see that my goal is to exercise 3-5 days a week. I set it that way because it is attainable. It leaves room for life's unexpected road bumps. My ultimate goal is to walk for an hour 5 days a week. When I set the goal, I left myself some wiggle room.

Today I had the grandkids join me on the walk. They are almost as tall as I am these days, and one of them was raring to go and the other was complaining before we made it up the first hill. It's a great opportunity to share the discipline. Today, for most kids, there is no walking to catch the bus...or walking to the store...or walking in general. It's one of the reasons more than 50 percent of our society is considered obese. In the StarTrek movie, Insurrection, one of the characters says, "When you create a machine to do the work of a man, you take away from the man." That is so true of our health in many ways. I'm trying to watch for opportunities to expend energy even in the little things I do during the day.

21 Day Challenge: Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:46:00 +0000

For years I've had writers ask me how I do all that I do. As a result, I started a group to help other writers. I have facilitated this goals-oriented group for years. We show up each New Year with our annual goals, post monthly goals at the start of each month and weekly goals each Monday. Why do I mention this?

I became a successful writer because I learned how to break tasks into little pieces and reach a target--the goal. That's how I need to approach losing weight. While I'd like to lose 25 pounds in January, I've made a goal of 4 pounds. I'm also making an appointment to exercise, so that when the time comes...it's time to exercise. Otherwise it is so easy to stay busy. I have plenty to do.

One other thing that helps with the writer's group is the accountability. We all know what is expected, and we also know we aren't perfect. Goals are flexible, but offer a target to aim for. One small failure doesn't have to send us into a tailspin. To help see things through, if we break things into smaller steps, they seem more manageable.

Feel free to join in with comments. Set your goals for the first 21 days of this month. Then Feb. 1 we'll start again. For now, January 1 is behind us. Together we can get in shape! Let's do it!

21 Day Challenge: Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:14:00 +0000

Here we are in a New Year and a fresh start. So many of us make New Year's resolutions to lose weight each year and by the middle of January get discouraged and quit.

The 21 Day Challenge is designed to keep us going all year...to see our weight loss and health goals through to year's end. The idea is that it takes 21 days to establish a new habit, so for the first 21 days of each month we will set goals to help build a foundation of healthy habits. The last days of each month will help us see if we need to continue on the same goals, change them totally, or just tweak them,. Each month represents a new start and a new set of goals will be posted; each month is a new start. This will help keep us motivated and moving forward to success!

For this month, my personal goals for the 21 Day Challenge are:

Follow the No S Diet

Drink 64 ounces of water daily

Exercise 3-5 days a week

I'd love it if others out there following the challenge would post their own goals in the comments section. Feel free to use "anonymous" posts if you don't want people to know who you are but please use some kind of name and sign your post so we can follow your progress.

Happy New Year!

How to Lose Weight in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:46:00 +0000

Here it is the last week of the month...heck it's the last week of year. It's the time when re-evaluating goals comes naturally. A new year, a new start and a new diet. Do I really want to start another diet? That's the real question. Bottom line is that I do want to lose weight. I do want to be healthy. I do want to fit into my clothes and breathe comfortably, and to bend over and tie my shoes without feeling like my air is cut off.

I'm taking steps toward the New Year and my plan for January's 21 Day Challenge. Today I bought a new scale. It not only tells me what I weigh but my percentage of body fat. Well, it hasn't told me yet. I didn't realize I didn't have two AA batteries. But I've taken that step, and will get the batteries this week. I also bought another book called The Maker's Diet. I'm looking for something to help inspire me and remind me of the importance of eating for health.

As I head toward January's 21 Day Challenge and putting together my goals for the first 21 days of the year, I'm considering following the No S Diet again and to walk at least 5 days a week. That's where I'm sitting with things right now.

Anybody else have any thoughts about the New Year and what they'll be doing with their weight? Have you set your goals?

New Year and the 21 Day Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:48:00 +0000

I've toyed with the idea of coming back to this blog for a number of reasons. First of all, I still have people leaving comments on old posts. Secondly, it's that time of year again when everyone is sick and tired of being overweight and we look with renewed determination at the New Year thinking we can actually lose that weight!

I've been facilitating a 21 Day Challenge elsewhere that has people setting goals--diet related goals--for the first 21 days of each month. I've made some new friends and couldn't help but think of those friends I left behind here.

It takes 21 days to establish a new habit. That means we can establish a new habit every month in the New Year. The goal is to work toward healthy lifestyle habits. Let’s get together and set some goals to springboard into a healthy 2010! I’m ready to lose all my excess weight! How about you?

If you want to take steps to a healthier lifestyle whether it involves losing weight or not, I encourage you to join me on or before January 1. Post your goals here and lets spur one another on to healthy living.

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For more check out my Diet News Blog.

Time To Weigh In

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:28:00 +0000

Hard to believe it's been a week already since I last weighed in. I'm already at the end of week two of my diet. Part of me looks forward to weighing in because I've been "good" and another part of me dreads it because I don't want to see bad news.

Before I get to that news, I have a couple of articles I'd like to share. The first offers informative and helpful tips on 50 Easy Ways to Lose Weight While You're at Work. You'll find all kinds of useful info to incorporate in your work day and weight loss journey.

A second article I want to share is an interview titled: What is the Philosophy of the Jenny Craig Diet. With Valerie Bertinelli's weight loss and bikini cover on People magazine at age 47, I thought some of my readers might enjoy this one. It really promotes a sensible approach to eating.

As for the results of this week's weigh in, you can read about them over at Diet News. Let me just say that it was once again, "Tape Measure to the Rescue"!

Lost 12 Inches in One Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:23:00 +0000

Losing weight is a slow process and I know that, so a little over a week ago when I started the Weigh Down Diet, I decided to weigh myself AND measure myself. A week into the diet I stepped on the scale and had lost three pounds. Three pounds is excellent, but part of my brain doesn't think it is excellent when I look at the big picture and how much more I have to lose. I could feel a difference in how my clothes were feeling and I decided to re-measure to see what I had lost. My waistline was three inches less! Now it's the same number three, but for me, three inches seemed like so much more. On top of that, I had lost 1.5 inches off my lower abs and another 1.5 inches off my upper abs. My total inches gone came to 12! Now that is exciting.

As good as all that sounds, it gets even better. There are no forbidden foods on this diet. I'm eating bread again and have even enjoyed chips with my lunch. I'm no longer in bondage to the "don't eat that" mentality. THAT is something I can't even put into words. Instead of bondage I'm living in the freedom to listen to my body and learning the difference between true hunger and desire eating.

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Check out my other blog: Diet News

GABA and Food Cravings

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:45:00 +0000

I had to stop by to say that I read an article on GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid with Vitamin B) and it was said to reduce stress, cravings...well those two things alone piqued my interest. I bought it and started taking it last week. As for the stress reduction, I do feel more calm at a time when my freelancing is crazy. And for the cravings...well I've started the Weigh Down Diet which has you wait to eat until your body tells you are hungry. It's a miracle! I haven't binged or snacked. Could the GABA be helping with this? Possibly. Just had to tell my readers out there, because it might help!

As for the Weigh Down Diet, it's an older book that deals with learning mindful eating. Only it offers a spiritual approach as it teaches you to:

Rest in the Lord
Be filled with the Spirit for the strength and help you need

Though I've only been following the diet since last Thursday, I already have to say I recommend this approach to anyone who is overweight. There is no measuring food, counting calories or even forbidden foods. I'll weigh in on Thursday and stop by to let you know about the results of week one.

Visit My New Diet News Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Donna Sundblad) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:03:00 +0000

I know it's been a long time since I last posted here, and I do apologize. My roller coaster dieting has continued with its normal ups and downs, but I continue to head in the right direction. The reason I haven't been here much is that I have a new blog called Diet News. Stop by to catch the lastest.