John's HCG Journey

TIP OF THE WEEK – WHO DAT IN THE MIRROR ?

Posted by John on April 6th, 2012

Who is that really in the mirror?

When you look into the mirror sometimes have you ever stop to ponder “who is that looking back at you”? Do you think you’ve ever missed out on an opportunity to move forward or find a new experience because you didn’t have enough belief in yourself to know that you could do it? Like breaking into a sweat and becoming a mess at a job interview or social event. Or even forgetting the answer to some simple questions and it’s not even a “senior moment”.

Building your self-esteem can be one of the most important personal tasks we face and one of the most difficult. Here are 3 tips to help you overcome some of those challenges.

Tip #1 - Don’t depend on others to advise you on your self-worth. There will always be external opinions or circumstances that challenge your self-belief. A huge number of people out there like to maintain there own status or perceived worth by keeping others down and consequently you are in their aim of fire. Those who handle this best have an “unshakable” self belief and work at it daily. Self talk or that little voice inside can be a huge factor. Program it the way you want it speak to you and then listen.

Tip #2 – Find a focus or purpose for your activities. By having a distinct purpose, you will find the you will become decisive and see that step-by-step you can make positive changes toward your goals, i.e. health, wealth, spiritual and emotional wellness. I have found that listening to a short YouTube video that I’ve selected to do some morning programming about my spirituality and positive thinking helps me start the day and continue with a purpose and goals for my day. I’ve put it on my daily Google calendar and so it is there as a daily task and even available on my smart-phone.

Tip #3 – Focus your efforts on helping others achieve their goals and find a better self in their own lives. When lose your life in service to others, you are rewarded in so many other ways and you find that your own daily challenges and tasks take a back seat to helping others. It’s been said by many successful people in business that if you help enough people get what they want, you will do very well in life.
Remember that you are the determining factor in making those changes in your life. No one else can have the impact on your happiness, your health and wellness as you and more importantly…”it’s never too late”. John

TIP OF THE WEEK – A LITTLE HUMOR HELPS

Posted by John on March 2nd, 2012

NOT A BAD IDEA

Sometimes it helps to just stop what you are doing and enjoy a little of life’s humor – no matter how personal it might be. I couldn’t help but appreciate this and wanted to share them with you in the hopes that it might bring a smile to your face as well.

THINK ABOUT IT !

1 – Patient speaking to her Dr. – ” I have metal fillings in my teeth. My refrigerator magnets keep pulling me into the kitchen. That’s why I can’t lose weight!”.

2 – Doctor speaking to his patient – ”What fits your busy schedule better, exercising one hour a day or being dead 24 hours a day?”

3 – Two ladies sitting in front of chocolate sundaes – “If you put a crouton on your sundae instead of a cherry, it counts as a salad.”

4 – Doctor to his patient – “The handle on your recliner does not qualify as an exercise machine.”

5 – A couple waking up and sitting in bed – ” I was going to wake up early to go jogging, but my toes voted against me 10 to 1.”

6 – Overweight guy sitting in his lounger with remote in his hand – “My doctor told me to start my exercise program very gradually. Today I drove past a store that sells sweat pants.”

7 – Couple in break room in front of sign reading “Healthy Snacking Tips” – “The healthiest part of a donut is the hole. Unfortunately, you have to eat through the rest of the donut to get there”.

Thanks to Randy Glasbergen (www.glasbergen.com) for these insight into our battles of the bulge.

Remember, “it’s never too late” to stop and work out your facial muscles with a big grin. Enjoy – John

TIP OF THE WEEK CHECK YOUR WATER

Posted by John on February 24th, 2012

Check Your Water

It’s been reported that US scientists say that citizens in the U.S. are experiencing an epidemic of obesity and health problems associated with poor health such as diabetes. But, it’s encouraging to see more awareness on the part of citizens and beginning to attempt to modify our lifestyles and change some of those poor habits that we’ve adapted.

One way to make a positive change in our lifestyle is to “check our water”. You may be surprised to hear that our body’s water intake is not only the liquid we drink but also the foods that we eat. It’s always helpful to eat foods that help increase our water content. Foods like, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, watermelon, tomatoes, fruits and coconut water.

When you are working and throughout your daily activities, make certain you are staying hydrated since our bodies are about 60-70% water. You’ll find it will aid in fighting light-headedness feelings, muscle cramps, and heart palpitations.

An even more critical function of our water intake is that our blood is actually about 90% water. If that percentage becomes too low we experience slow metabolisms as it essential is carrying vital nutrients , proteins, and minerals within our bodies. Some common symptoms of a changing metabolism might be a hunched back or protruding belly. Sometimes the symptomatology will show up as a chilled feeling, even in warm weather.

On of the most important factors about checking your water is to make sure your are introducing ionized alkaline water into your system. Why, because at balanced pH of your water will lead to a higher assimilation of the water into your system and in transporting those vital nutrients and increase blood-flow. A word of caution. Avoid those plastic bottled water drinks. That is “dead” water and as soon as you open them up, you have a little petri dish effect by drinking it right out of the bottle. In addtion to that, if your bottled water get warm in the car or office, you risk the “leaching” of the plastic into the water. Beware.

Drinking at least 8 – 10 glasses or this type of water a day will in the end, help cleanse your body of those toxins that we are in need of “flushing” out of our system and result in a better, less sluggish feeling.

Whatever you do, remember that it is “never too late” to make some positive changes. John

TIP OF THE WEEK 3 KEY EATING QUESTIONS

Posted by John on February 10th, 2012

THREE QUICK QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Next time you get a “cravin” to feed the body, ask yourself a couple, actually three, key questions to quiz your own motivation for putting something, anything, in your mouth.

1 - Do I enjoy my time while I eat? Find time for love and pleasure in your eating. Ever notice how a nice restaurant provides background music that is adding to your dining pleasure and relaxes and helps you be comfortable with your experience? Sure it costs you more and that’s because the business isn’t “turning tables” as fast as you will see when they provide upbeat type music during your dining. It’s makes you eat faster. An interesting statistic shows that the French for example eat four times as much butter as Americans but they have fewer heart attacks. Ce la vie.

2 - Is the place where I eat my meals a pleasing, stress free environment for me? Try changing your environment in which you eat to make it more colorful, better temperature, better smelling or even a flower on your table. Sounds crazy but a change in the surrounding and the environment can help break some long-time “bad” eating habits.

3 – Ask yourself – are you REALLY hungry? If your are not really hungry then…put the fork down and step away from the table (I always loved Jack Bauer in 24 episodes). Anyway, those cravings that you might feel are not coming from your stomach and your body. Nope, they are coming from your brain, your mind. As I’ve written before, emotional eating can become our cruch and unfortunately it comes with it’s not so healty side effects.

Hey, it’s worth a try so let me know how if it helps. I am going to try it myself so we can compare notes. Whatever we are going to do remember, “it’s never too late” for us to set a new course for our lives and be happier, healthier and even better looking. John

TIP OF THE SUPER BOWL WEEK – SNACK QUIZ

Posted by John on February 3rd, 2012

Test your snack I.Q. before you head to the store to shop for your Super Bowl snacks.

WHICH IS WORSE ?

1 - Slow cooked sandwiches or chili?

2 - Guacamole or Spinach Artichoke Dip?

3 – Pizza or Wings?

4 - Nachos or Jalapeno Peppers (deep fried poppers)?

5 – Cheesy Bread or chicken tenders?

6 – French Onion Dip or 7-Layer Dip?

ANSWERS:

1 – Chili – most likely to have less sugar and calories

2 - Go for the Guac, it’s healthier

3 – Pizza if you look for the veggies on a thin crust pizza and avoid the deep fried, oily and sauce laden wings.

4 – Avoid the Jalapeno poppers

5 - Chose the chicken tenders for a healthier choice

6 – At least you get some nutritional value from the 7-layer dip.

Remember, it’s never too late to STOP and ANALYZE what you are popping in to your mouth on the weekend and make it as much fun but a healthier Super Bowl event. John

TIP OF THE WEEK STOP TAKING ADVICE

Posted by John on January 27th, 2012

ADVICE FROM THE WRONG PEOPLE?

So, here you are reading my blog about “advice” and I am telling you to “Stop Taking Advice”. What kind of crazy is that? Well, I will stand by that short statement but, I would ad the following to those three words and that would be…, “from the WRONG people”.

I enjoy offering my thoughts I have to you as you consider your overall “health and well-being” and that may well encompass weight loss, your emotional or spiritual health, and overall physical health I do not profess to be an “expert” in any of these areas but more just a person who has dealt with the same trials during the years of my own life.

My experience, as well as social behavior, has proven when you want to make a change in your life including financial, career, health and wellness, that you will always find a few people in your life who want to offer you advice based on their own experiences. So, you have to ask them sometimes, “How’s that working for you?” and realize that sometimes that advice comes from a motive, even subconsciously, of “keeping you where you are”, because they are more comfortable, or failed at making those same changes in their own lives.

Just make sure that you take a moment to consider “the source” of your advice in the areas of your life that you seek to change or develop. I heard a physical fitness expert say once, “You normally don’t take diet advice from a fat person”. That really hits home to me. It’s cold but, it’s true. Remember that “it’s never too late” to make those life changing decision and start with baby-steps. It does not have to be an overnight change but it comes in small degrees and commitment. John

TIP OF THE WEEK KILL YOUR HUNGER

Posted by John on January 21st, 2012

HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT HUNGER ATTACK

Now that we are all coming to the end of our first month of this new year and more importantly, the first three weeks of our New Year’s resolutions, I’ll bet you are like me right now. Are you stepping back and looking at the results, the consistency, the commitment behind your new plan for the year? Well, I sure am.

I am trying to figure out how to not slip back into some bad 2011 habits that caused some not so desired changes in the way I was feeling and looking and get back on track. So, here are a few quick tips that I picked up on that I wanted to share with you just in case it might help. My first comments this year will be to focus on how can we stop always being hungry.

Tip #1 – Eat more green vegetables

Tip# 2 – Don’t beat yourself up over not being able to turn off your appetite – just deal with it!

Tip#3 – Stress is a MAJOR factor in eating. It lowers your dopamine (makes you hungrier) and serotonin (you crave sugar).

Tip#4 – Certain foods can have addictive qualities – Gluten’s, and dairy products as well as processed foods.

Tip#5 – Get adequate sleep.

Tip#6 – Drink plenty of water – (consider drinking alkaline ionized water for greater assimilation and a healthier impact on your body).

Let’s all remember that it’s just “never too late” to try out some of these tips. Even if it’s just one of these, you will be making progress and the most important it to change what you’ve been doing. I welcome your comments to share with the rest of those who visit this site. – John

TIP OF THE WEEK EAT LESS OF WHAT?

Posted by John on January 13th, 2012

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

As you know I recently posted some comments about the idea of “portion control” to assist in achieving your weight loss goals and lead a healthier more productive life. In my desires to study the idea of forming new and healthy eating habits I want to share something else with you for you to consider as you start this new year. It’s something that I have tried myself and have found many benefits from it in my own life.

I remember a tv commercial many years ago run by a hamburger chain and it’s theme was “Where’s the Beef?“. Well, it appears that is a good question now across America because our meat and even our poultry consumption is down over 12% than it was in 2007. Beef, poultry and pork consumption is all on the downturn. Good for us, bad for the industry.

Last year in Canada there emerged a push for “Meatless Mondays”. The idea is that it was a simple method to make a significant change in your eating habits that could be just part of a healthier life-style. Whether or not you espouse this type of change in your habits, or just want to make some changes in what sits on your plate or meets you at the fast-food restaurant, it’s worth considering.

I personally found that when I used the hcg weight loss program to lose 24 pounds in 21 days, that I found my taste in fast food hamburgers switched to chicken and salads instead. Of course, I haven’t eliminated beef entirely from my diet but I do feel better by having changed my eating habits.

Remember yourself, “it’s never too late” to consider making some simple and yet significant changes in your life style. John

TIP OF THE WEEK STAY OR CHANGE ?

Posted by John on January 6th, 2012

TO CHANGE OR NOT TO CHANGE? THAT IS THE QUESTION

Well, it’s now upon us.. the New Year, 2012! We have generally decided during the holidays that starting this new year, we are going to do one of two things. It boils down to … are we going to CHANGE or STAY the SAME? Along with it comes all of the barrage of commercials in our face about losing weight, joining the local fitness center, getting ready for your spring and summer outings, etc.. Of course you already know that the fitness centers will have “standing room only” for the first few months of the year until the natural attrition takes it’s toll and then there’s plenty of parking space and availability of the equipment. Let’s face it, we all have good intentions but the majority of us fall prey to our natural ways of giving in to our appetites and passions and letting them control us – not vice versa.

We should all give thought to the old saying that “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and thinking you will have a different outcome”. If you want to “break out” of the old rut, think about making a choice of something that is in your control and will give you some fairly immediate results – even if it’s only a pound or two a week. Stay with it, it will happen.

I’ve talked in the past about liquid drops of HCG (not the homeopathic blends), portion control, exercise programs (P90X, and now 10 Minute Manager and many more). Whatever you decide to do, make a choice and a change in what you are doing. It will take discipline, sacrifice and commitment but it will be well worth it to improve your looks, your fitness and your health and wellness. You’ll find that your emotional and even spiritual well-being will benefit as well and you’ll be looking at life through much clearer glasses. Remember, it’s never too late to make a change. - John

TIP OF THE WEEK POP CORN TREATS

Posted by John on December 23rd, 2011

HEALTHIER WAYS TO ENJOY THE MOVIES

I sometimes wonder why something as plain and simple as a box of popcorn can be something to “set aside” or at the very least restrict your portions to something very small. Let’s take a quick look at why you might want to reconsider those little gems. The most obvious is that those pesky little husks can get in your teeth. No seriously, do you every have the problem of trying to dislodge one of those husks that seemingly has “glued” itself to your teeth and drives you crazy while watching the movie or whatever you are doing at the time of that delicious bowl of popcorn. OK – so you can take care of that problem with a toothpick or even an expertly crimped straw in the dark confines of the theater.

But, let’s take a quick look at the actual make up of the popcorn treat itself. Yes, of course, corn is a vegetable and it’s a grain which should be good for you. However, it’s very high in the glycemic index. What does that mean? It means it raises you blood sugar dramatically. What happens when you raise your blood sugar.

When you raise your blood sugar you set into action some events in your body that are totally counter-productive to your weight loss efforts. When you raise your blood sugar, you are raising your insulin level. When you raise your insulin level, your body is storing fat, not burning it. That is the complete opposite of what we want to do. We want to tell our body to burn up the fat not store it.

Even your “air-popped” pop corn fits into the same category and is high in glycemic count.

TIP #1 – If you want to try something healthier, find some organic corn and pop it in coconut oil and add a little sea salt.

TIP #2 – Remember that it can be ’trigger” food and it’s hard to exercise restraint with proper portion control. A bucket of popcorn at the movies is the same as eating a big bucket of potato chips. It’s not normal for us to eat that many chips at one sitting but how many of us can finish off a bucket of buttery, salted fresh popcorn at the theater? Probably the majority of us have done it at one time or another.

You dont’ have to be a martyr and tell everyone around you how bad it is for them and ruin their fantasy about popcorn and the movies. Just enjoy it with a smaller portion of popcorn and see if you can supplement with an apple or banana as well. It’s never too late to make a few little changes and enjoy your recreational time and enjoy better health. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. John

TIP OF THE WEEK – WHO DAT IN THE MIRROR ?

TIP OF THE WEEK – A LITTLE HUMOR HELPS

TIP OF THE WEEK CHECK YOUR WATER

TIP OF THE WEEK 3 KEY EATING QUESTIONS

TIP OF THE SUPER BOWL WEEK – SNACK QUIZ

TIP OF THE WEEK STOP TAKING ADVICE

TIP OF THE WEEK KILL YOUR HUNGER

TIP OF THE WEEK EAT LESS OF WHAT?

TIP OF THE WEEK STAY OR CHANGE ?

TIP OF THE WEEK POP CORN TREATS

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