Obesity Free Forever Blog™

Hi Everyone,

Last week was a busy one as my co-workers and I worked on a H1N1 (Swine) Flu prevention plan for our hospitals.  It was an interesting experience.  In my 12 years of doing infection control in healthcare, I’ve never experienced such a situation.  The rumor control alone took up a ton of time.  The corporate team was phenomenal and we put a great prevention plan in place. 

During the activitiy, I received an update about Hydroxycut from the FDA.  Here is the link http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/hydroxycut/consumeradvisory.html.

The news did not surprise me.  The fact that someone died from liver fail was sad, though.  This reminded me of when I used to be on the fad diet cycle when I weighed 280 pounds.  I thought that next best appetite suppressant was my ticket to thinness!  How wrong I was!  In fact, I took one product, which is now off the market, back in the early 90’s and developed chemical induced Hepatitis.  I was so jaundiced I was glowing!

In my weight loss adventure of losing over 140 pounds I learned one thing, there is no get thin quick approach.  In fact, I would not have it any other way!  This may sound strange but here is why I say that.  Becoming obese is a complicated process.  It takes years to become obese.  Losing weight is a matter of releasing bad habits, learning new ones and then practicing those new habits until they become second nature.  The key is in the “learning”.  Once you learn something and you have that “aha” moment, no one can ever take that away from you.  You may slip up every once in awhile but you’ll always have the tool (knowledge) to get yourself back on track.

The best appetite suppressant I found is increasing my fiber and water intake.  Finding ways to increase my fiber intake throughout the day with tasty foods such as Fiber One products helps me eliminate hunger.  I find fiber to be my best appetite suppressant.

Take care and have a great day!

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

One of the effects of childhood obesity is high cholesterol.  In a recent study I read, children as young as 2 years old were needing cholesterol lowering drugs.  As a registered nurse I know that all drugs have side effects.  Starting a child as young as 2 on a cholesterol lowering drug can be harmful.

One way to combat the effects of childhood obesity is to introduce healthy foods into your child’s diet.  My son and I tried two new products this weekend that can help counter the effects of childhood obesity. 

I tried a vegetarian product called the Boca Burger.  It was absolutely scrumptious!  I recently learned of all the great benefits of soy and the Boca Burger is made of soy protein.  The Boca Burger comes frozen and you cook it in the microwave for about two minutes.  It really was delicious.  The Boca Burger tastes like a real hamburger but without the cholesterol.  I am confident any child would like the Boca Burger.

The other product that my son tried was the Fiber One Banana Nut muffins.  I baked them early this morning and he said they were delicious!  My son enjoys anything with bananas and he was surprised to learn that each muffin contained 5 grams of fiber!  Fiber can help lower cholesterol levels.  I used egg substitute which eliminates the cholesterol from the whole egg.  My son said little kids might like a sweeter muffin but you can make them sweeter and healthier by substituting apple sauce for oil.  The recipe is on the box. 

After losing over 140 pounds and now keeping it off since 2005, it is important to add variety to my healthy eating plan.  The Boca Burger was a nice treat.  I’ll try the Fiber One Banana muffins too!

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

I recently shared some easy weight loss tips that I used to lose over 140 pounds.  One easy weight loss tip is jello!  Yes, sugar free Jello is one of the best ways I found to add pleasure to my healthy eating plan.  In fact, I still eat sugar free Jello with each meal during the maintenance stage today.  It is a refreshing dessert that contains less than 10 calories.  Also, it is considered a free food which means you don’t have to count it in your calorie intake (provided you keep your free foods below 50 calories daily).  

I purchase the multipak of Jello found in the dairy department of my local grocery store.  I even add fruit and Fiber One to it with a little artificial sweetner.  This makes a great dessert and adds variety and very little calories. 

When I travel, I purchase the Hunt’s brand.  Unlike the Jello brand, Hunt’s does not need refrigeration.  Hunt’s also contains Sucralose which may upset your stomach.

Stop back frequently.  I’ll share more easy weight loss tips in the future.  Feel free to post your tips to help others.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

I am traveling again, this time for work, and once again there are challenges to my healthy eating plan.  Here are the strategies I am using to stick to my healthy eating plan.

I planned my food intake before my trip and shopped for items that stored well without a fridge.  Luckily, though, the hotel I am staying at has an option to use a fridge during my stay for a minimal fee.  I brought items such as salads, fresh fruit and Jello brand diet jello (a staple food of mine!), and stored them in the fridge.

I also brought lots of Fiber One products such as my favorite cereal and bars.  In addition, I brought along some of Aunt Millies high fiber bread.  Fiber is very important to maintaining a healthy eating plan and it is equally important to prevent my symptoms of GERD and Gastritis.  Of course, everyone knows that fiber helps reduce the risk of many cancers, especially colon, which is a family history of mine.

Maintaining my healthy eating plan was easy on this trip because I was able to drive.  However, in the past, I’ve shipped my favorite foods to the location I was traveling to.  I just called ahead and asked for the process to ensure my box would find me once I arrived.

Maintaining a healthy eating plan is easy with proper planning and anticipation of challenges.

These are the tips I continue to use to maintain my weight loss of over 140 pounds, which I have kept off since 2005.

Take Care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

My travels for school this week have been a little trying, especially for my healthy eating habits.  Challenges such as a bad flight and a long check in time of one hour became quite stressful for me yesterday.  In fact, I felt so stressed, I was tempted to overeat on some Fiber One cereal!  Although Fiber One is still considered eating healthy food, I would have only ate because of stress and not due to hunger.

Stress eating reminded me of the weight loss motivation I used to lose over 140 pounds in 2005.  There are some days that seem to just spiral out of control and even the best weight loss plans get challenged.

Here are the tips I used to keep my weight loss motivation and achieve a healthy BMI (body mass index).

Identify where you feel your stress.  Stress can develop pain in the neck, head and shoulders.  I feel my stress in my neck and stomach.  Once you become aware of your individual symptoms of stress, you can work to reduce it quickly.

Find things you like to do that give you a brief break from the stressful environment without food.  Some examples are to take a bubble bath or a walk or possibly listening to your favorite music or venting to a friend. 

If you do accidentally eat in response to stress, forgive yourself quickly and go back to your healthy eating plan with your next scheduled meal.  Everyone makes mistakes and it is important to accept yourself “as is”, with imperfections.  The benefits of healthy eating the majority of the time is that you have a frame of reference of what the best weight loss plan is for you.  Trust yourself to return to your healthy plan and let go of your mistake quickly.

Finally, remember why you began your healthy eating habit.  Did you want to improve your health?  Do you want more energy to play with your children or grandchildren?  Was your weight holdng you back in your career or personal life?  My weight loss motivation came when I could no longer take medications for my GERD and Gastritis symptoms.  Each of us has a different weight loss motivation and it is important to keep it in mind frequently for days when you don’t feel like eating healthy food.

Take care,

Georgene