Chapter 4

Eating and Exercise

Detoxify your body of addictions and allergies by going on a 3 to 7 day cleanse. Remove refined sugar, processed boxed food like macaroni and cheese, TV dinners, and red meat from your diet during this cleanse, and hopefully after too! If you eat right and exercise and you WILL lose weight. Remember this slogan, “If it grows out of the ground, you can eat it.” If you choose to eat meat like I do, make sure it is the size of a deck of cards per serving. We humans don’t need a lot of protein. Many people find their weight problem is due to a food allergy, thyroid problems (I too have hypothyroid) as well as negative thinking. You can pinpoint allergies by the intensity of your cravings. For example, I crave chocolate more than ANYONE I know. And just for your information, chocolate boosts phenyl ethylamine, a chemical that the brain produces when you’re in love, as well as compensating for low magnesium levels, which can cause PMS. After cleansing my system, I found large quantities of sugar were the cause of my headaches, mood swings, stomach pains, and itchy skin. The more you crave a substance, the more allergic/addicted you are.

Drink a gallon of water a day for 7 days, then cut back to 8 to 10 glasses a day.

Here are a few facts to help you understand why water is IMPERATIVE to your health!

• One glass of water has the ability to shut down midnight hunger pangs up to 100%. 
• Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue. Studies indicate 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
•  A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen. 
• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. 

Keep a food journal. I’ve included a sample for you to use. Write down everything you’ve eaten all day and be honest with yourself. It’s fine to eat a nibble of chocolate, but try to eat it before5 pm.Eating sweets earlier in the day allows your body time to burn them off. Night time is usually the worst time for cravings, especially for women. When you feel a craving coming on, tell some one close to you, go for a walk, or drink some tea. When you get accustomed to this new way of thinking, you will be able to reintroduce more foods you enjoy. Give yourself a break once a week and eat one thing you love including cheesecake, brownies, pasta, and pizza.  One serving only, please!

Allow your body to regulate itself. Before you give up, give yourself three weeks of affirmations and mirror work. What do you think about when you exercise? Are your thoughts positive (“Oh, I look GOOD!”) or negative (“My butt is HUGE in these shorts!”)? Are you wondering why you should care? It may surprise you to know that bad thinking habits may be keeping you from a consistent exercise program. For example, I hate going to the gym. It’s sweaty and the air is stale. Not to mention the testosterone overloaded grunting I hear in the background. Find something you enjoy such as Yoga, roller skating, hiking, pilates, jumping on the trampoline, walking in the park, etc. I found boxing was a cure for punching out my anger and dancing was fabulous for my self esteem! Everyone is different. Exercise gives you time to fantasize about what you want with no interruptions. Your weight loss goal should be no more than 2-3 pounds a week. One pound a week is fine. There will be many weeks when you won’t lose any weight. Your goals should be to change your life style and love yourself. Keep working at it, and love yourself.  No speedy pills or extreme dieting required! Get thin quick diets don’t work. Believe me, I’ve tried them. Eat right, exercise, and control your thoughts!

Check back soon for the next chapter!