I have been looking at why I keep starting the Diet Solution then going back to my old ways of eating and I came to the conclusion that I was doing it for a reason, the first reason was my holiday, then there was a christening and a new man…. there are all these reasons for me to focus on weight loss but what happens once I no longer have the reason is I stopped.

So I took a long hard look at what I was doing and what I wanted to achieve and now I am following the Diet Solution again (which I understand is a lifestyle eating program not a diet!) and this time doing it for no other reason than I want to be fit and healthy.

My journey to lose 110lbs has been an interesting one and as it took me 5 years to put it all on I am not expecting to lose it without some effort but it sure has been a roller coaster.

I have tried eating only following the Diet Solution

Exercise only but eating all the old carbs and junk I used to eat (crumpets and oven chips)

Now it is time to eat and exercise and I wanted to make sure I could keep it up before I started blogging again. So I am a few weeks ahead and will update you on how I finally made this week in future blog posts.

I have given myself 90 days to reduce my dress size (I am more focused on fat burning than weight loss now) and once I reduce it by at least 2 sizes from a size 20 (yes I went back up again when I went back to my old eating ways and non exercise) to a size 18, then 90 days later from a size 18 to a size 16 then 90 days later from a size 16 to a size 14. Right now I feel being a size 14 will be slim enough for me and when I get there I will decide whether I want to go down even smaller to a size 12 (which I can never actually remember being in my whole life – maybe when I was a young girl…)

Don’t give up on me yet! I think  I am proof that an effort to lose weight can mean going down, back up a little and down again – it doesn’t always go in a straigh downward line.

Now though, I am doing this FOR ME and no one else and that is enough motivation for me. What I used to help kick start me was the services of a London Hypnotherapist called Jenny O’Kelly and I will blog more about that later.

In the meantime you will find The Diet Solution HERE

When you set off on a track to lose weight there are a lot of things to think about, remember and stick to and what helps is if you can develop daily disciplines for weight loss.

If you want an idea of what daily disciplines are, very simply, they are small changes you can make every day to change your life for the better in the future.  Small changes you can make or things you can stick to in order to develop a new (often empowering) habit.

You can click the link to read this very short blog post about Daily Disciplines – it can be anything you are going to do on a regular basis until you reach your goal (in that blog post the author was going to give one thing up for a year)

Jack Canfield said his daily disciplines are all about taking time in the morning to visualise your goals and take some time to set your intention for the day. I guess this would be a great time to focus on having a healthy day where I stick to my new eating plan with ease. He recommends we spend 30-60 seconds on each of our core goals and desires. I usually have a ‘conversation with God’ in the morning and so adding another couple of minutes to do this won’t be difficult.

Jack also recommends you have an attitude of gratitude and take time to notice when something is working because when you acknowledge what works you get more of it.

Click the link to read the daily disciplines from Jack Canfield Daily Disciplines for Effortless Success

Skip Ross has a huge choice of daily disciplines to listen to and you can subscribe to his podcast to receive a daily dose. I subscribed using itunes and will add it to my ipod so I can listen to it on the go. Skip is all about self-talk and using strategies for success.

Click the link to listen to Skip Ross’s Daily Disciplines

When you are following the Diet Solution weight loss program there is a lot of planning you have to do at the beginning once you know what your metabolic type is and it is important you get into the discipline of writing out what you will eat and planning your meals so you always have the right food at home when you need it.  It can be a little bit of a change to what you are used to and getting the discipline to follow the program is essential. You can find out more about it at

http://www.onlydietsolution.com

A few years ago I recognised that I was an emotional eater. Whenever I was annoyed and upset I would reach for food. It took me a while to recognise that the food I reached for the most was chocolate bars like Snickers and Mars! Mix that in with a packet of cheese and onion crisps (yes eaten together) and I was in heaven!

Today, I received a great email from  Jon Benson about emotional eating called “Are you an emotional eater?” – I hope you enjoy it

Are you an emotional eater by Jon Benson
[Printed with permission from the author]

Emotions can be deadly.

At least when it comes to eating.

And the VAST majority of us are “emotional eaters.” And that leads to excess bodyfat.

We eat when we are stressed-out.

We eat when we are overly happy.

We eat when we are depressed.

And when you eat like this you can kiss your fatloss goodbye.

There’s a 4-minute video that I want you to watch today.

It is touching, funny, and very powerful all at the same time.

And it will help you come to terms with emotional eating.

Go here –

— > click-here:  http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/fatblastin/emotional-eating

P.S. This is a very unique video. I know you will love it.

And I KNOW you will benefit from it.

Please share this with others too.

— > click-here:  http://www.everyotherdaydiet.com/go/fatblastin/emotional-eating

————————————— End ————————————–

I hope you enjoy watching the video. I changed my habit once I was ready to acknowledge it was there and begin asking the question “how do I overcome emotional eating?” – I hope you can do the same thing.  Emotional eating wasn’t something I wanted to continue doing  and once I became aware of it I had the power to consciously decide to do something different (and the only thing I could think to do was NOT eat!)  – fast forward a few years and I now have it under control but if I get very emotionally upset it can easily be triggered and it becomes a battle between my will to not emotional eat and my will to stuff my face! So far I haven’t given in to it

If you want to know how to overcome constipation when you are on a high protein diet I can only tell you what I do to stay “regular”

Being on a high protein weight loss diet means all that meat can turn things  – shall we say – a little solid! Drinking plenty of water definitely does help but not on its own (I find)

I met a health professional years ago who gave me this tip and it is great. You basically buy yourself some Golden Linseed and add water to it then leave it overnight – I have added a photo of my glass soaking nicely!  Then in the morning you drink it down with some extra water. I have been drinking one in the morning this week to give that extra boost because of all that extra protein!

It also contains 3 of the things that the Diet Solution is always talking about as important to eat when following a weight loss program – Omega 3, Fibre and fatty acids

Disclaimer : I am not a medical profession so please seek medical advice for your health.

No, I am not insulting you. It is actually a fact. If you suffer from constipation, bloated stomach, over weight, irritable bowel and a whole host of other illnesses research has shown that the cause could be the 5-25lb worth of fecal matter stored in your colon.

Your colon is full of old, rotting food that hasn’t left your body, making it toxic and proven to develop parasites that live in your intestines and colon and this is the cause of many people being over weight, rather than the food we eat or our lack of exercise.  Of course eating healthy foods and exercising are vitally important but if you have ever lost weight and gained it again or if you have ever struggled to lose weight then it is time to look at colon cleansing. In order to remain healthy we must cleanse our colon. This learning is thanks to the ebook Top Secret Fat Loss Secret

How to cleanse your colon

I looked around for this information on the internet and found a number of interesting sites. There are a few things that help including black walnut, pumpkin seeds, garlic, milk thistle and a few others.

Firstly, I looked at some fairly simple things we could do at home

Peppermint: Long known for its calming effects on upset stomachs it is also good to help with eliminating parasites. Either seeds or by drinking it as a tea (fresh leaves are better)

Green leafy vegetables: Juicing vegetables is a great way to keep the enzymes in them and make it easier for the body to absorb nutrients. Celery and apple are also great for cleansing the body.  If you decide to start juicing you need to start slowly and make sure you drink plenty of water (5-8 glasses a day). It is better to start with one or two glasses a day of juiced vegetables and build up from there. As juiced fruit can increase your insulin levels it is better to juice vegetables than fruit.

Fruits: Not just any fruit but you want to stick to fruits that are full of enzmyes like mango, kiwi, pineapple, papaya – eating them first thing in the morning. One thing I am reading about is the effect of eating fruit and food together. If you normally have fruit with a sandwich or after dinner you might want to know that eating fruit this way causes the fruit to stay in your stomach longer and ferment.  Fruit only takes a few hours to digest but something like meat takes a lot longer so when they are in your stomach together the fruit has to wait which causes it to start fermenting right there in your stomach. Yuck! Best time to eat fruit is as a snack and first thing in the morning. I remember reading about this month ago on a network I am a member of but you never know what to believe to be honest!

Chewing Pumpkin seeds : By chewing pumpkin seeds you paralyze the parasites and they lose their grip on your intestines and die. Chew them to paste in your mouth and swallow. Luckily I keep a bag of pumpkin seeds on my desk as a snack so hopefully I have been killing them already!

Garlic: I think I would rather have the parasites than everyone running away because I stick of garlic! But this is another home remedy and you have to crush and chew garlic cloves a few times a day.

If you are going to buy something instead you need to ensure it includes 3 important ingredients Black Walnut Hulls, Wormwood and Cloves – the combination of these 3 not only kill the parasites but will also eliminate their eggs.

I am not a Doctor so do your own due diligence, shop around, find out information for yourself, visit your Doctor if you are unwell and unsure about this. There are juicing detoxs on the net and you need to find a reputable one and then follow the instructions because too much too soon will have an adverse effect on your body.

If you want to read more about this get your own copy of  Top Secret Fat Loss Secret

I have never fancied the idea of having a colon irrigation but I might have to give it some serious thought

In case you are interested here is a quick summary of everything I have discovered since seriously looking into my weight problems (October 2009)

1. I kept wondering why I was over weight because I never ate much. Not eating much was the course of my excess weight along with periods of starvation and then massive hunger followed by over eating. My metabolism slowed right now and stopped functioning correctly.  I started to eat small meals often (every 3-4 hours) and  my metabolism began to work again, which started my weight loss and returned my energy for life.

2. When I started drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day aches and pains in my back and hip area disappeared. I felt better, my skin felt better, I felt more alert. Dehydration is the major cause of some serious illnesses that could be avoided by simply hydrating your body – drink more!

3.  Once I found out my metabolic type all I needed to do was focus on eating that way. More protein and less carbs. Thanks to Diet Solution

4.  Raw food could be a future lifestyle for me. Food isn’t uncooked but is cooked at warm temperatures ensuring enzymes in the food live which is better for the body. This for now is a long term goal once I reach 14-15 stone and I need to ramp it up to lose my final 2 stones.

5.  I help my digestion when I chew the food in my mouth to a pulp (Paul McKenna I can make you thin! Didn’t buy it but watched it on TV), eat slowly and put less in my mouth.  The serving of my carbs (e.g. rice and pasta) should never be bigger than my fist. This has been a great way for me to measure out how much food I need to eat. Still have trouble with it because it looks like such a tiny amount but its a work in progress.

Traditional E numbers in our food is a signal that the food isn’t good for our body and the ONLY time E numbers can help in your weight loss
efforts is when they consist of

1. Effort
2. Energy
3. Exercise
4. Excitement

The only E word NOT good for you is EXCUSES and over the past few weeks I have been full of them trust me!

All I can do is dust myself off and keep going. The crazy thing is the whole time I was exercising and eating right I looked at myself and couldn’t see my weight loss – now I haven’t been regularly exercising for a few weeks I look as if I have a great shape coming. My body just makes no sense to me at all.

I found out that for £23 a month I can swim at my local pool as often as I like but my back injury stops me from doing the breast stroke (excuses again!) so I need to learn front crawl and/or back stroke to really benefit from the pool. I could actually just walk along and keep my arms outstretched – I read some place that this is a great exercise for a non swimming because the resistance in the water helps.

My goal to be 2 stone lighter (down to 15 stone 10lbs – 99.79 kgs – 220 lbs) is still on for end May 2011 and I have been out walking despite the snow, for 2011 portion control will be my biggest fight!

So, if you need to eat E numbers that are good for you remember the only time E numbers can help in your weight loss efforts is when they include the words exercise, excitement and energy!

This video covers 7 easy steps to develop healthy eating habits and make it easier for you to learn how to follow healthy eating guidelines. Why not change your eating habits and then encourage your grandchildren to do the same.

Our children learn from us. If you are in your 40s and your children are still teens/young adults then developing healthy eating habits can help them too because we are our children’s biggest teachers…. isn’t that right Mrs Obama…!

Middle aged spread is a part of hitting forty but just how far does it have to spread? Well the answer is not very if you focus on your health related fitness and take care to follow healthy eating guidelines.

Middle aged spread women

In our 40s women go through something called “peri-menopause” – like a test menopause before hitting the real thing! – and the estrogen in our body is already on the decline. Add that to raised insulin levels and a decrease in thyroid levels which will slow down metabolism and you can see why weight gain so easily happens to so many women.  If you, like me, spent your 30s raising children then chances are you might be out
of the habit of any kind of regular exercise routine and it will take some planning to reintroduce it into your life because this will be the number one factor that will help us feel better about life in general and most importantly about our body.

Middle aged spread men

Paul Williams of the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) investigated the question of whether vigorous exercise can prevent weight gain with age. Williams found that in middle-aged men, waist-line expansion is almost a force of nature.  source: Berkeley Lab

Of course those who exercise regularly AND adopt healthy eating guidelines will be in a better position than those who continue to live a sedentary lifestyle and that is important to remember. One person who may not totally agree with Earnest Orlando Lawrence is Jon Benson who was over 40 when he went on a campaign to reduce his huge belly gut and get fit – and he looks pretty amazing. You can see his before and after
pictures click here

http://www.fitover40.com/go/fatblastin

Of course there are always exceptions to the rule and middle aged spread while it will affect the majority of us may not come to us all although having a middle age body will! If you, like me, were not spared then there are things that you can do to make your life better so that as you age you enjoy being fabulous, fit and over forty!

Body mass idex (BMI) is a measurement that gives you an “idea” of what your weight should be. It is not 100% accurate because there are so many other factors to consider like lean body mass and percentage of body fat but at least it will give you an idea of where you should be and how much weight you need to lose.

It has been recommended that your Body Mass Index (BMI) stay in the healthy 25-30 range and anything above 30 you then creep into the obese range.

Other factors that play a part – especially for women – include things like body shape, with apple shaped women being more prone to serious health conditions than pear shaped women.

You can go over to Wikipedia to learn about body mass index (BMI)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index

The best way to reduce overweight is to follow healthy eating guidelines

and if you are over 55 to consider a fitness test for seniors

Health Related Fitness : Building your Body Composition

Body composition is one of the components of physical fitness and relates to the amounts of fat, bone, muscle and the
functional elements in other vital parts of the body like the liver, heart, kidneys etc

Body composition is divided into body fat (if you are overweight you will have an excess of this stuff!) and fat free mass like bone, tissue
and the good stuff our body needs to stay healthy. As we age it is common to lose a lot of the healthy body composition through the aging process and focusing on our health and fitness can help to slow this down or at least help us to remain healthy.

Excess fat builds around our vital organs and can cause all kinds of major diseases which is why following healthy eating guidelines are
essential to keep yourself healthy.

BMI or Body Mass Index, can also be used to help provide an estimate of your body fat percentage based upon simple weight and height
measurements but for a more accurate measurement you need to own a body fat monitor weight scales.

When planning to become physically fit you are looking to build your health related fitness and body composition is only one part of that so make sure you include the others too.