What Will You Give Up...Permanently

I don't see the problem with moderation, however I don't think everything should be in moderation.  It's such a vague statement to those whom are unfamiliar to what that really means. 

It is clear that certain things in your diet have to be lessened and there are other things that need to completely wiped out if possible.  I was pretty much on the happy side as long I could sporadically drink soda.  I then began to think I'm still doing myself a disservice.  Soda is bad for your kidneys, your bones, your teeth, the caffeine, acid and the dark syrup.  Not to mention the empty calories.  I'm just giving myself a no tolerance mindset. 

I urge you to find out what is that keeps you from being your best you.  For some it's coffee, others it may be candy.  No matter what is, it there are unhealthy effects to it whether you consume it some of the time or often, if you can; permanently eliminate it from your diet.

Eg: After all you've never heard of smoking cigarettes in moderation have you?

The 15 lb Challenge..

I joined a community of health conscious people.  I joined 2 challenges.  The first one being to lose 15 lbs by Christmas which is very doable.  The second challenge is to lose 20lbs by January which is also an obtainable goal.  In fact, with alot of cardio I shouldn't have any problems.  As stated before I purposely wanted to kick things off before and during the holidays.  If I do not start now it would cost me at least another 10 lbs that I am not trying to lose in addition to what I am now.

My starting weight is 178..*gulp* : D  How's that for honesty?  I am currently at a size 10, a very snug 10 I might add.  Haha.  My goal is eventually 135 and to maintain it.  That would put me at about a size 4,5 or 6 in which I would be very happy and pleased with.  This time last year I was 160  and earlier this year I was at a steady 166-169.  It wasn't so much I overate during the holidays but I did not exercise. 

I will post pics of the progress and keep everything updated.

SW-178
GW-135

What's in Your Kitchen Cabinet? 3 Must Haves.

I just wanted to share few of the food items that we keep stocked in the kitchen that we use for health, fitness and/or wellness reasons.

Green Tea -  We almost always have Green Tea bags on hand.  Green Tea can be used for a variety of reasons; weight loss, anti-oxidant, immune system booster, fights cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and most of all has been proven to eliminate cancer cells.  So it looks like we are doing a good thing here.

If you are just drinking it for the first time it will have a very strong taste to it.  Don't fret over time you will get used to it and it can be sweetened with honey.  Currently we buy the plain Green Tea; decaffeinated.
 
Pure Honey - Honey has so many uses and benefits the list is too long to name them all.  The main thing we use honey for is to sweeten things such as when we drink warm Green Tea.  I also put it in my corn bread or when I bake certain pastries.  I put it in my sons oatmeal as well instead of table sugar.  It has been said that Honey aids in weight loss.  We also know that it helps with a sore throat and congestion.  Warm Geen Tea and Honey is great when one of us is ill; which is another time we use this great combination.  It's used as an energy booster and recently I used Honey in conjunction with brown sugar for a face scrub.  My skin was smooth and even had a bronze glow.  *Thumbs Up*

Lemon Juice or Lemons - Pure lemons are better but we always at least keep lemon juice on hand.  I almost always use it as an ingredient when baking fish.  It is good for breaking up mucus from a cold and I periodically rub it on my skin to help prevent and get rid of blemishes.  It can be very drying to the skin therefore I would advise using a facial or skin moisture after you use it on your skin.  It can also burn if you have sensitive skin.  Lemon is good for the break down of bacteria in your mouth which can cause bad breath.  It also aids in fat burning and metabolic booster.

Of course these are not the only products in the food market that are good for health and wellness however these are the ones I can't live without and cover a large territory.  They are all especially good for weight loss/reduction, your heart and keeping your immune system in superior standing which is the culprit of many things.

Soon I'll get into other items such as Vinegar, Olive Oil, Cinnamon and many more.