Last 10 Pounds Boot Camp – Candice
If you aren’t watching the last 10 pounds boot camp on Slice TV or at Slice.ca you are missing out on some good weight loss tips and inspiration.
The latest episode to air is called Final Frontier and it features Candice a Retail Manager who has already lost a ton of weight on her own but is looking to lose those last few pounds before she helps her sister walk down the aisle.
In the episode she gets punished by Tommy (as does everyone that comes across his path) and schooled by Nadeen. I really identified with the food pit falls that Candice was experiencing, Chicken wings, Mcdonalds and Corona (Nadeen tried to hide it while cleaning out the fridge but I saw it) all things I enjoy regularly. She learns a lot and loses a lot.
The results were very impressive with a double digit pound loss and a double digit inch loss. Candice managed to fit into her goal dress and looked great. (watch the show to find exactly how much:) )
I first became a aware of Candice when she commented on a post of mine (below). I have been waiting for the show to air ever since.
You can watch the full episode here at Slice.ca episode 30. Take a look and let me know what you think. Candice if you happen to read this, congratulations I think you did great and your effort really shows in the results.
One final thing daaaaaamn chicken wings are bad for you 
Share and Enjoy
Stop Counting Calories
I have been a calorie counter off and on for a while and it has always lead me to short term success. By that I mean I keep track of everything I eat religiously, From Breakfast to Bed every calorie is recorded and logged in my spreadsheet. The success comes by way of 5 to 10 pounds in about a month to 6 weeks or so.
That might sound Ideal but it comes at a cost. Counting calories is such a tedious task that I soon begin to resesnt it and stop it all together. Those 5 to 10 pounds come back quickly and I usually find myself in the same place I was in before.
Be Calorie Conscious
For the past few weeks now I have stopped counting calories or at least stopped recording them anyway. The approach I am taking is to be more calorie conscious with the foods I eat rather than worrying about writing down everything I eat.
Being calorie conscious is really nothing more than being informed about how many calories are in a number of given foods and then making the healthier choice.
Calorie Counting vs. Calorie Consciousness
It might sound a little confusing as to what the difference is between the 2 methods, the best I can describe it is in the example below.
When I was counting calories I would eat what I wanted and record every bite. Most times I would weigh my portions to get the most accurate number of calories.
The key was eating whatever I wanted. Yes I did make some healthier choices but for the most part I was still eating full fat versions of my favorite foods. That might sound nice but those calories add up quickly and soon I had reached my calorie limit for the day. Sometimes by 4 in the afternoon.
To me that was calorie counting.
Now that I am calorie conscious I am eating better, more healthier foods that are naturally lower in calories. I still enjoy my favorite foods but in smaller qtys and portions, I do a lot of substituing of ingredients in recipes and I’m cutting out the extras (i.e sauces).
Being aware of what adds extra unneeded calories and finding ways to reduce or replace them I think is a much more effective long term approach to weight loss than strictly counting calories.
A Calorie Conscious Choice
While counting calories I would eat something like this:
A Quarter Pounder Sandwich from McDonald’s
Calories:420
Fat:20 grams
Now I would change that to a just a regular cheeseburger
Calories:300
Fat: 12 grams
Or even better, this recipe from the biggest loser cookbook called the Almost Fast Food Burger
Anyway, I have officially stopped counting calories for good. I am finding that is it much easier and I’m not as stressed about what I am eating. The pounds are coming off at about the same rate as before, but I am in a position now where I will be able to maintain the losses. That is will be the the real measure of success.
Share and Enjoy
Someday Will Never Come
A word I hear almost everyday that I feel is a huge road block for most people is “Someday”. People say it jokingly or out of frustration. The most common ways I hear it phrased are:
“I’ll get back to my high school weight someday”
“We’ll be rich someday”
“I’ll learn to cook someday”
“I’ll land my dream job someday”
“I’ll get into shape someday”
The list goes on and on. But you know what, that day will almost certainly never come. Not unless you change the way you think about what you want to do in life and how you are going to get it done.
The Universe Doesn’t Care About Your Dreams
I see a lot of websites going on about the “Law of Attraction” and having the universe fulfill your needs. That is all well and good but I honestly do not believe that any of that stuff will help you lose weight or become wealthy or improve your health.
Your life is in your own hands and the small decisions you make everyday will get you to where you want to be in life. But, Someday is not a place you can go or a date to have something achieved by.
How To Get To The Weight You Want
As is relates to weight loss there really is no secret. I mean you see programs everywhere telling you that they have a breakthrough method or a special formula that will make you lose weight. But I’d say 99% of them are crap, just total garbage.
The answer to the question “how do I lose weight” or my comment to people that say “Someday I’ll lose the weight” is this. Set a realistic date and hold yourself accountable to it. The rest you already know, burn more than you consume.
It All Starts With A Goal
Goal setting is such an important thing in not just losing weight but in every aspect of your life. I find it very sad that not enough people are doing it or if they are they’re setting goals that are honestly too unrealistic.
You can find out more about setting realistic goals at Setting a Weight Loss Goal. Remember that the key to being successful is to set a target date or a deadline.
I know I’m over simplifying things here but I without having a target to hit or a deadline to meet you will end up floating through life. Nothing will get accomplished and you’ll end up looking back and wonder what you’ve done with your life? I’m only 31 and I’ve done this more times than I care to admit already.
What are your thoughts? Do you have realistic attainable goals?
Share and Enjoy
Sell Your McDonalds Stock
Since I was about 6 years old I have been eating at McDonald’s. It started as a regular Saturday ritual with my Dad and sister. We would go and play on all the unsafe playland equipment, the hard metal Grimace slides, the fry guy rocking horse things on the giant springs that were way too loose and could catapult you right off and my personal favorite the mayor McCheese tower.
McDonald’s became a special treat for me and as I entered my teens I traded my dad and sister for my burger loving friends. McDonald’s became a hangout and a place to meet new people. As a teen with very little money I seemed to naturally gravitate towards my local Mcd’s. (I remember getting 8 hamburgers for .25 each on their anniversary one year)
Enter Adulthood and a Steady Paycheck
As you can see I have always had a fondness for McDonald’s. Good times with family and friends and no adverse effects on my weight or health…….yet.
Once my lifestyle started to change and my activity levels dropped I should have also adjusted my eating habits, like cutting back on the Mcd’s. Unfortunately I didn’t and continued to eat there 2-3 times per week. It seemed that “all of a sudden” that food was sticking to me and I was gaining weight quickly.
I have made many incredible lifestyle changes over my weight loss journey but McDonald’s is the one major habit that I have been unable to break…..until now.
The P90X Restart
From one of my previous posts I let it be know that I have been gaining weight again and I was planning to restart the P90X workout program. That day is today.
So today is day 1 and I am very optimistic for 3 reasons. The first is that I am doing this as part of a group effort with some friends and coworkers. There is a commitment with us all to help support each other and to follow up with our stats as well as our daily workout results. I didn’t have this the first time around.
Reason two is I have the backing of my family. Over this past weekend I let them know of my plans and asked for their full co-operation. A big ask, but they listened and agreed to help however they can. Lately that have been big contributors to my weight gain.
Reason three is that as a part of our commitment to show the seriousness of this, we decided that we had to give up our biggest health vice for the full 90 days, no cheating what so ever. For me that was obviously the twice weekly McDonald’s runs. I don’t think it will be as hard as I think, I’m at that point where I am ready to let it go anyway.
Sell Your McDonald’s Stock
I am predicting that McDonald’s stock will drop over the next 90 days as a direct result of my holdout
As of Thursday October 30th this is the McDonald’s closing stock price. I will be providing updates in the sidebar as the 90 days progress.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
MCD:$57.87 up 1.21%
Share and Enjoy
Gaining Weight and Getting Back on Track
Some people see me as a weight loss expert. That is just not true. I am not a professional weight loss coach or a certified personal trainer. I am just a regular guy, I have a 9 to 5 desk job a wife that I love and 2 beautiful children that inspire me to be a better person.
I have had some really great success in losing weight without going on crazy diets or taking any fat burners or diet pills. I have also had some exceptionally bad experiences and rapid weight gains.
Weight Gain Cycles
The weight gain and weight loss seems to come in cycles. I’ll keep losing for a few months and then nothing. I understand that those are plateaus and I need to change things up as my body is adapting to what I am doing.
Lately my weight has been on the rise. I have been doing whatever I can to get a grasp on the reasons behind it. I am keeping a time journal which is really helping me find out where my time is going on a daily basis and which areas are taking up the most of it.
It seems that my weight gains are always for different reasons. For example: I gained 25 pounds in 6 months when I first started my 9-5 desk job. I eventually lost that over the course of a year. The next gain came when my first child was born. 30 pounds in 9 months. That was lost in a year and a half.
So as you can see it’s not like I am dieting and then gaining weight once I return to a normal diet. (That is known as Yo-Yo dieting).
The frustrating part is that once I have the cause of the weight gain addressed or fixed or removed from my life something else pops up to take its place and bring me down (or up as it relates to weight gain). But that is the battle that so many of us face. That is part if the reason why obesity is as rampant as it is.
The Pounds Keep Coming
This latest gain is 16 pounds over 2 months. The reason is simple, there is a lack of balance in my life. I am being torn in so many different directions by trying to advance at work, grow my online presence and expand my different sites as well as increased family responsibilities.
Proper diet and regular exercise are usually the first to go by the wayside as I respond to the demands that others have placed on me.
Many of you know that I started P90X back in July and I was doing great, that program is incredible and really kicks your butt. But, this was the first to go as it took up a lot of time that was needed elsewhere (see family illness).
So How Do You Get Back on Track?
The great thing about going through life and getting older (I’m 31 now) is that you have all this experience to draw from. I can see the problem and know where it will take me if I don’t evolve and change things up. That is an invaluable skill only gained from life experience.
To regain the balance in your life you need to make some scarifies. For me my job is now a 9 to 5 and nothing more. No more going over and above my regular duties or allowing my boss to take advantage of my kindness, knowledge and willingness to help. TV will be the next thing to go or at least drastically reduced.
The next thing to do is to let people know. Let them know that you are taking back some time for yourself to improve yourself and that you are going to need their help. I tend to try and do everything myself.
Finally a re-commitment to your exercise plan and healthy eating. I am starting P90X again on Nov 3rd. But this time I am doing it with co-workers. That will act as a support group to compare results and motivate each other to stick with it.
Chat it up and let me know how you feel.
Share and Enjoy
Halloween and Your Weight Loss Plan
I guess since I run a blog about weight loss, I feel a little obligated to talk about the mother of all candy holidays – Halloween.
I have no doubt that there are hundreds of sites giving you all the same advice on this. Stuff like: only buy the candy that you don’t like or ask your co-workers to keep their candy hidden away and out of your site at work. While that is not bad advice this takes all the fun out of the whole event.
Remember when you were a kid and couldn’t wait for Halloween night. The excitement and the planning involved. Who you were going to go trick or treating with and which streets you thought would give the best candy etc…
I say get that excitement back and lose the Halloween stress by planning for that 1 day. Allow yourself to indulge a little and enjoy some of the Halloween treats. Plan for it though. What I do is commit to a number like 7 pieces of candy for that day which is roughly 700 calories.
At lunch and snacks that day I might cut back a little on the amount of food I have or for the week leading up to Halloween I will cut back by 100 calories a day. You can also increase your workouts by 10 – 20 minutes to accommodate the increase in calories. By planning in advance I can enjoy some candy with the kiddie’s guilt free.
Halloween is 1 day. If you can’t resist the temptations or work this holiday into your diet/weight loss plan then how are you going to handle Thanksgiving, Christmas, your birthday, office parties, vacations etc… You can’t avoid life events.
As far as handling the actual candy I have 3 tips:
1. Before Halloween keep the Candy in the trunk of your car. Bring it inside when you get home from work on Halloween night.
2. Give it all away that night. Don’t have any left in your bowl; if you do leave the bowl on your porch (it should be empty in the morning).
3. Avoid Wal-Mart for the week following Halloween. They have left over candy on sale for up to 80% off the regular price.
How do you handle Halloween? Does it stress you out?
Share and Enjoy
Get These Books
Recent Comments