posted September 30, 2007 11:40 PM         

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice on how to stay focused, any vitamins to promote energy that won't hurt your heart and any other just general advice?

posted October 01, 2007 09:07 AM         

There really isn't a secret to losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight. There are a number of websites on-line that can help you track your daily fitness activities and calorie consumption, for example ... www.caloriecount.about.com that will give you an accurate idea of just how much you're eating, the quality of your foods, the ratio of nutrients you're getting and whether or not you are exercising enough to lose weight for your eating habits. Many also have forums that can be a big support and motivation, not to mention full of lots of advice from people who are doing the same thing. I'm not comfortable really posting personal information on the net but I can tell you this path is working for me.

I used to follow LG's color diet theory before I got pregnant and managed to maintain a reasonable weight until then. Afterwards, though, it was a whole other story.

As for increased energy, eat as many whole foods as possible, preferrably raw ... like fruits, vegetables, and nuts. I also like having a cup of coffee or green tea a day when I need that extra boost. There are a number of "superfood" wholefood supplements available, like Dr. Schulze's which I thought was great when I was using it, that are packed with nutrition for an energy boost. Also, if you have a juicer, carrot apple parsley juice gives you a real good kick.

posted October 02, 2007 12:20 PM         

1. Go for the real thing Vitamin/mineral substitutes are not absorbed well by the body. Most times I at least end up getting constipated. Another thing I have felt, is that the RDA values are always an over estimate, they try to be on the 'safe side' when advising about the quantity of vit/min that should be taken. I have also read somewhere, that these studies are often based on supplements, which the body does not absorb as well. So if you are taking them in their natural form, you don't need to worry about RDA's too much.

2. Eat food that you like Another thing which I find works for me, is to eat stuff that I really like. I am not talking about chocolates and icecream. I am talking about carrots versus cantaloupe (for example). In trying to eat healthy, if you start eating foods that you don't really like all that much, then your diet plan will fail miserably. I personally hate carrots, so I try to eat other foods that I really like cantaloupes and mangoes.

3. Eat fruits and Vegetables. They are very low in calories, and yet very filling. I love having fruits for snacks. These days I have stopped buying bottled juice. On weekends, I just put some fruits through the blender and come up with my own unique blends, rich in fiber and bursting with freshness. Watermelon is a favorite. I bottle them up and use them throughout the week.
I don't recommend eating vegetables raw, as I personally feel that after cooking, the volume of many vegetables decreases a lot, and so you can consume much more spinach if it is cooked, than if you eat it raw.

4. Taste is the key. It is very important to have good food. Use plenty of herbs and spices. They not only add a lot of flavor to food, but also bring in a lot of nutrients. Try regional cuisines. I am an Indian, and I can swear by indian food. I also love thai, chinese, italian (in that order) because of their emphasis on vegetables and the complexity of flavor due to the use of varied ingredients.

These are my suggestions in the eating department. I love food, so this comes easily to me. Exercise is my Achilles heel. It is very hard for me to incorporate that into my lifestyle.

this is one of my favorites websites:
www.whfoods.com

posted October 02, 2007 11:15 PM         

Change your mind. THEN work on eating better and exercising!

Whenever I give anyone else advice, I remind myself of two things:

1. I teach what I need to learn.
2. What I share with others, I strengthen in mys-elf.

Thank you for the opportunity to share what I need to learn. I too am learning how to change my mind and maintain my perfect weight. I wish us both great success with our transformations!