Obesity Free Forever Blog™

Hi Everyone,

I was traveling this week and noticed a lot of unhealthy individuals at the zoo.  I began to think about the current statistics on obesity.  The currents statistics on obesity show that 2/3 of the American population are overweight and 1/3 of those individuals are obese. 

I began to count the overweight and obese individuals in groups and the statistics on obesity are correct!  My concern was for the health of those individuals.  The health risks of obesity are great and include hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.  I remember having the same worries about the health risks of obesity when I weight 280 pounds.

I found it extremely challenging to travel this time and stay on my healthy eating plan.  Although I was able to stick with my healthy eating plan and exercise routine during my travels, my biggest challenge was because I did not know the area that well.  This made it difficult to find grocery stores to buy healthy foods.

I found a Meijers but it was pretty late and I began to feel uncomfortable while shopping.  I felt some old pressures return like the thought of putting the groceries away and cooking them before I could sit down to enjoy my healthy eating plan.

The outcome was good and I used this as a learning experience to remind myself of my daily commitment to sticking to my healthy eating plan.  The best treatments for obesity in my experience, is a great plan!  Planning ahead, especially when traveling, is an important part of a weight loss plan.  It is also an important part of a maintenance plan.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

I received some feedback asking where I’ve been.  It’s been about a month since I wrote.  Well I’ve been pretty busy with work, school, teaching health risks of obesity and promoting my book, Obesity Free Forever:  Losing Weight from the Inside Out. 

I’ve also began consulting on weight loss and ways to prevent obesity.  Because school and work are taking up a lot of my time, I’ve limited enrollment to 5 students.  I’ve started a waiting list for serious students.  You can learn more about becoming obesity free forever by fcontacting me at georgene@obesity-free-forever.com. 

When I weighed 280 pounds, I experienced many health risks of obesity including obesity and heart disease, I had Atrial fibrilation, gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD), gastritis which feels like a heart attack, and obesity and diabetes, I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant.

These health risks of obesity were scary and reduced the quality of my life and the lives of my family.  Becoming obesity free forever was the best decision I made in 2004.  Now over 4 years later, my life has changed in ways I never dreamed possible. 

Following easy ways to prevent obesity including a healthy eating and weight loss plan is well worth the benefits I gain every day, including more energy, confidence and peace of mind.

Let me know if I can help you with your health risks of obesity.  I can be reached at georgene@obesity-free-forever.com.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

It has been many years since I was first diagnosed with GERD and Gastritis.  I’ve been off medications since I lost over 140 pounds, with the exception of an occasional dose of Maalox. 

To add routine to my healthy eating plan, I decided to try one new food a week.  Yesterday, I tried Weight Watchers mint cookie frozen dessert.  Even though I know that mint is one food us folks with GERD and Gastritis should avoid, I did it anyway. 

Not smart!!!  My symptoms of GERD and Gastritis came back within one hour of eating the delicious dessert! 

Well, we live and learn and here is my lesson.  Medical professionals tell us that mint, caffeine, fatty foods and large meals all contribute to symptoms of GERD and Gastritis.  Even if you have not experienced symptoms for sometime, like I have, these factors can still affect us.

Take care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

I meant to write yesterday but traveling to Disney World took me off line.  It is beautiful here in sunny Orlando!

Before losing over 140 pounds, traveling and weight loss used to stress me out.  In fact, I wasn’t sure how to stick to my healthy eating plan and travel at the same time.  I developed some weight loss tips that can help you stick to your healthy eating plan and enjoy traveling at the same time.

Check on line for restaurants you frequently visit in your home town.  Many restaurants are national chains and the Internet is an easy way to plan ahead and decide which restaurants you will visit.

Choose hotels that have kitchenettes.  I like the to rent villas or the Residence Inn by Marriott.  The allow me to store and cook my own foods, making sticking with my healthy eating plan easy!

Find hotels that have fitness centers.  This is a must for me.  I also call ahead to make sure the equipment is in good working condition.

Well, off to the Magic Kingdom.  I’ll try to write frequently this week to make up for some lost weight loss blogs while I was in school! 

Take care,

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,

Work, school, family and a business can get stressful at times.  This week was an exception as many deadlines came to a close and the pressure was on to meet them.  In fact, it reminded me of stress and weight loss when I set out to become obese free in 2004. 

Stress and weight loss can really derail you and test your healthy eating plan.  Worse, stress and weight loss can put a negative slant on your diet motivation and weight loss inspiration!

Here is what I did to manage stress and weight loss.

First, I made a list of every task I needed to do.  Once I saw on paper what was expected of me, I was  able to deal with the challenges.

Second, I placed a completion date next to each task.

Third, I checked to see if I could postpone any task or whether the task was even necessary.  Anything that was not a priority for the day was placed on the bottom of the list.

Fourth, I watched what I said to myself.  When I weighed 280 pounds, I was so very negative!  My communication to myself was full of gloom and doom.  As I lost over 140 pounds, I stopped myself from thinking and speaking negatively.  I immediately corrected myself and replaced the conversation with the bright side of the situation.  My problems are little compared to what other people face.  It is important for me to remind myself of my blessings when I feel stressed.

Fifth, I stayed true to my healthy eating plan.  Mindless eating is so common with stress and weight loss.  As you mentally make lists of everything you need to do, it is easy to eat and forget what you consumed.  When you know you are under stress, take a moment and write down what you will eat for your meals and snacks.  Then make sure you follow the plan.  The tasks will get done, they always do.  And it is important to stay true to your healthy eating plan during times of stress and weight loss to avoid relapses and feeling guilty later.

Sixth, I asked for help.  When things really spiraled out of control, I asked for help during times of stress and weight loss.  Each of us has a few people we can rely on to help us out every once in a while.  We always return the favor and then some.

Stress and weight loss can be manageable.  I used these tips to lose over 140 pounds naturally and safely beginning in 2004.  These are the same tips I use today to maintain my weight loss since 2005.

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

I am often asked what I used to keep my daily weight loss motivation.  After losing over 140 pounds and now keeping it off since 2005, I learned a lot about weight loss motivation.

 Here are some weight loss motivation tips I used to lose my weight.

 Start by remembering why you started your exercise and weight loss plan. For me, it was to decrease my health risks of obesity including GERD and Gastritis and chronic knee pain.  Losing weight can be the difference between living a healthy life and being on medication for conditions that are a result of obesity, like diabetes and heart disease.

 Move More. 

Another weight loss motivation tip I used was to move more.  Exercise is great for relieving stress.  You don’t have to go to the gym, though.   You can do stuff around the house like work in the garden. Housework is a great stress reliever and helps you burn those calories.

 Celebrate Successes!

At 280 pounds I found a lot of things wrong with me and very little right!  I hardly celebrated any personal successes.  This changed quickly as I began my healthy eating plan.  Regardless of what I did, whenever I stayed true to my healthy eating plan, I celebrated by privately congratulating myself in my journal.

 It took me 13 months to reach my initial weight loss goal of 120 pounds but I kept my daily weight loss motivation by using these tips.  If I can do it, you can too!

Take Care,

Georgene

Hi Everyone,

The past two weeks have been incredibly busy and stressful and definitely challenged my healthy eating plan!  Between work and school, the pace of my life has picked up tremendously and I felt my GERD symptoms returning.

At 280 pounds I suffered from severe GERD symptoms regularly.  The severe GERD symptoms I experienced included GERD nausea, a GERD cough and gastritis symptoms.  I even experienced GERD and chest pain on occasion. 

After losing over 140 pounds, the GERD and Gastritis symptoms are under control with my healthy eating plan.   

With the demands of the past two weeks, though, I noticed the GERD symptoms starting to come back.  The reason behind this is due to the changes in my healthy eating plan; specifically eating 2 hours later than normal and increased stress. 

I am happy to say, I was able to control the symptoms of GERD before they turned into servere GERD symptoms and I did this without medication. 

Here’s what I did.  First, I recognized symptoms of stress quickly.  I notice that my GERD and Gastritis symptoms come on quickly with stress.  I feel my stress in my neck and back.  Once I noticed these areas tightening up, I also experience GERD nausea.  The way I handled this was to take short breaks frequently and practice deep breathing exercises. 

Another trick I used to prevent the GERD symptoms from worsening was to make sure I sat up at least 3 hours after I completed my evening meal.  Laying down after eating is sure to bring on severe GERD symptoms.  I learned this the hard way!

Of course, I stayed true to my healthy eating plan which includes a GERD diet of plenty of fiber, fruits, vegetables and water. 

I hope these tips help you.  They are tips I continue to use to treat my GERD disease. 

Take care,

Georgene

PS:  Remember to check with your doctor before making changes to your health.