Losing Weight for the Wedding

One year ago Regina set a goal to lose 60 pounds. She wanted to be in great shape for her wedding. At that point she weighed 195 pounds at 5'1" tall.

She has succeeded in losing 43 pounds so far. She's done it via exercise and a high protein diet.

Her fiancé is an ER nurse and "has seen some horrible situations with young girls overdosing on diet pills and other things like that. I made it a point to not do anything like that to my body. The only pill I take is a multivitamin.”

And she likes her new lifestyle and energy level so much that she says “This is forever for me. I like the way it (exercising and eating healthy) makes me feel and I don’t plan on giving that up.”

See her story here.

Tips for Losing Fat

Here's a good video about seven tips to change your eating habits for effective, long-term weight loss.

Healthy Living to 100

Japan has just announced that their population now includes over 40,000 people who are older than 100 years. Ten years ago, their centenarian population was just 10,000.

Lots of people are leaving comments at this article about what kind of healthy habits lead to a long life. Here's one example;

My father is over 95 now, still walks his dog every day. He does NOT take any medication of any kind even when he has a normal cold, does not smoke (never has), never drank alcohol in excess and is heathy as a horse except for his eyesight. Even when he has a small cut, he lets it heal by itself, he has been told by his doctor that he has a remarkable immune system.

What's his secrect? Not quite sure myself! He has the occassional glass of red wine with his supper (Frenchman of course), eats lots of garlic, olive oil, salt, butter, spices, cheese, salad, good bread (not the sliced crap), coffee each morning, occassional red meat but his favorite is fish. I have never seen him eat fast food or grocery bought prepared foods. He still cooks everything from scratch, home cooking!

Presently lives in California. (has dual nationality - born France/ naturalized Canadian)

Getting in Shape at Age 45

Check out a very entertaining article by a guy, age 45, who lost 50 pounds over 8 months. He's done it via exercise and by changing his diet. He never actually went on 'a diet' and has never felt hungry. He's just changed the type of food he eats. And he hasn't cut out all his bad habits, he continues to drink a lot of alcohol daily.

Check out his fun article and inspiring before and after photos!

He says;

I have buns of iron and only the smallest of man-boobs, and I no longer feel waves of melancholy every time I see a photo of my slimmer twentysomething self...

Have I been on a diet? People have been asking me that for months. Sometimes, I'm ashamed to say, I joke that no, I'm terminally ill. I don't know what the straight answer is. You think of a diet as something that hurts – and I'm enjoying the business of feeding myself more than I ever did. Not once this year have I left the table feeling hungry or hard done-by. I have not signed up for WeightWatchers, come over all Atkins, discovered the delights of acai berries, or switched to the new "non-fat" fat. I have not – though God knows I should have – significantly reduced my boozing. I have stopped eating almost everything that I once thought of as food, but I'm loving what's replaced it.

One of the books he recommends is Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love

Phylicia Rashad Loses 35 Pounds

Phylicia Rashad, age 61, (of Bill Cosby Show fame) has lost 35 pounds. She looks and feels fantastic. She joined Jenny Craig as a spokesperson in December and it's taken her eight months to lose the weight. She says it's not rocket science. She believes she can keep the weight off as she lost it quite gradually and she intends to keep up the regular exercise. See her in this Jenny Craig promotional video below.

Obese Habits?

The Washington Post has a story today about The Seven Secrets of Highly Obese People. The bad habits they point to is things like using big plates, eating fast, always eating all the food on your plate, taking seconds and never eating breakfast.

But here is a comment from a slim reader who begs to disagree.


I am amazed at this study. I have a BMI of 20.5 and I do all of the things that they say obese people do. I eat very quickly, I take the larger plate and always go back for seconds. I actually have a major problem with leaving food on a plate (just wasteful!) The last time I ate breakfast on a regular basis probably was 15 years ago. Either this study is full of crap, or I am the luckiest person on the face of the earth (I think it is the first, not the second). It comes down to a very easy item. Exercise 5 times a week. Even if it is a 20 minute walk. My parents are very overweight, but they do not exercise. Take control of your life and do something about your weight if it is an issue. Someone at my office is always looking for the easy route to weight lose. She drinks special drinks, goes on crazy diets. When I ask her if she exercises, she says that she doesn't have to to lose weight. Obviously, she does.

The buffet photo is via NixKitz.

Another reader makes this point;

While this is all very interesting, I must say I just love how it conveniently wraps all of the actions of obese people in such a neat little package. So THAT'S why they are fat! Seriously, have you put any thought into why food seems to be so important to those who happen to be larger than you? Why they choose larger plates and tables that are closer to the buffet? Not because of laziness. Ever consider the psychological causes? Maybe that person is depressed and uses food as a way to comfort and fill that hole? And at times when they feel that no one truly understands them or is there for them, food is always there. So yes, there is somewhat of a desperation to get to that warm, tasty, comforting food. ...
I'm not saying that this is the case for everyone who is overweight, but it may be for many of us out there. And while these "little steps" sound so easy, the first thing a person has to do before really making a difference in eating habits is working on their self mentally and eventually find out that food is only a temporary solution to filling that void.

Walk to Lose Weight

Here's a good motivational video about the benefits of walking for weight loss.