The Fast Day 2

Posted by dimples8 on June 24th, 2011 |Filed Under Fasting | Leave a Comment

In an earlier post, I talked about not taking a colon cleanser due to negative side effects, but I am all for the benefits of fasting, so I did a bit more research and found a colon cleanser/5 day fast that had really good reviews.  I found it on sale and ordered it, there is a ton of pills to take and drinking fiber as well, no food…this is day 2.

Well, the actually said that you could add fruits and veggies but its supposed to be only what they provide you in the box are the only things you should intake.  I’ve been doing an apple each day, it helps curb my appetite because the appetite suppressants don’t do it all the way.  Today is the day that I am making sure I get at least 64oz of water, yet its almost 3pm and I’m halfway there.

A fast, if you can stick with it is amazing.  If you can do it, I recommend fasting and cleansing your body. The immediate result of a fast (I would say the first day) is that you realize how much you eat just to eat and not because you are actually hungry.  There were times yesterday that the thought eat me to eat (just for the sake of something to do) even though I wasn’t even hungry.  And that’s just day one!   So you fill your time with other things, things that you probably should be doing instead of just eating.

On a 5 day fast I think day 2 and 3 could be the hardest, you’ve done a day and your brain is realizing what you are missing…all that good food. But I think that mentally, this is where you begin to change.  For me, I look in the fridge and all the crap and realize that I am worth more than eating BS.  Again, I realize how much I eat just to eat.  My body is detoxing of caffeine and other things in my body.   Usually I have a bowel movement by now but since I had severe diarrhea (drinking milk) I think I got a lot out prior to starting the fast (sorry if that’s TMI!).

Fasting brings about focus, clarity, a renewed sense of self among other things.  I go up and down on my energy.  I am certainty not exercising during this time period other than doing my twists and add in some walking.  Yes, you can loose weight on a fast, but that certainly shouldn’t be the goal, even though I plan on gaining none of the weight I will loose back.

Click here to learn more about Nature’s Secret 5 Day Fast and Cleanse Kit.  The link takes you to Amazon where I found it cheapest.  The fast is officially over on Tuesday (Monday is the last day).  I am looking forward to reaping the benefits.  My gf and I are going to the movies on Saturday.  Funny how popcorn, candy and soda are usual things people get at the movies yet I will have none of that.  Really makes me understand that I shouldn’t be eating because it’s the thing to do or because it’s there.  I will definitely save money and stick to my fast by just bringing my water.

I’m Baaaaaack!

Posted by dimples8 on June 23rd, 2011 |Filed Under Daily Ramblings, Life Changer, The Journey | 2 Comments

So its time for me to recommit.  For so many reasons I need to loose weight and keep it off for good. Not through drastic changes, but through changing my lifestyle.  My partner and I are flying to Vegas next week and I am totally scared that I may need a seatbelt extender!  I stepped on the scale I am about between 305 and 310…NOT GOOD!

Working from home and a crazy schedule lends itself to me not moving around like I used to…but that can no longer be an excuse.

I’ve been running around taking care of everyone else, but its time I take care of ME!

I’ve also discovered that I am not lactose intolerant, which is surprising considering that I LOVE milk and cheese and of course, ice cream! But diary in large amounts no longer agrees with me and spending nights on the toilet is not fun (sorry for the detail!).

So it’s time to make a change, a change for the good, a permanent change. I have to not get caught up in numbers anymore…I work hard and I quit on myself last time…was frustrated because change wasn’t coming fast enough…can’t do that anymore.

So right now, I started a 5 day cleanse.  A fast (which I will post about later) to rid my body of toxins and colon ickiness.  I also think that red meat is not my friend either, but more about that in a later post as well.’

Day 1 of my 5 day fast is coming to an end.  I did eat an apple…I was hungry and I didn’t wean my self in proper prep for the fast.  Considering I haven’t had an apple in months and yesterday I was eating Cheetos, I’m proud of me.

In terms of exercising, I started doing my twists for my tummy area, which I swear by.  Tomorrow I’m walking.

It’s time for a change! Let’s get it!

Giving Up

Posted by dimples8 on January 19th, 2010 |Filed Under Daily Ramblings | 9 Comments

I couldn’t wait to weigh-in until tomorrow, so I went today.  I wanted to goto the sauna anyhow since I was a bit stressed at work.  The results?  A dismal 313 pounds. That’s right the few pounds I managed to loose I gained right back.  I don’t know what went wrong, I walked all last week, I continued eating healthy, drinking water, tea and fiber.  I don’t eat meat anymore, so I am not tempted by burgers, chicken nuggets or even any fried foods really.  Yesterday, I painted the living room ceiling.  Only to gain 3 pounds.  My goal of loosing 15 pounds by the end of the month is officially out the window.  Despite my best efforts, I feel like I can’t win, and I just started!  I have had all my blood work done and there isn’t anything wrong with my thyroid or anything medically to keep me from loosing weight.  I have halfed my portions.  Where I used to eat an entire belgian waffle I eat just half, if any.  3-4 pancakes, now only one.  No burgers or many sweets.  Again, my goal is making a sustianable change.  For me, I can’t do some diet that isn’t long term, I decided just to make healthy eating choices and move my body more. 

Needless to say all this weight is stressing my heart.  And while I have worked with my doctor and followed her diet plan it just proved to be unsustainable.  I mean my lifestyle isn’t conducive to some of the things I had to do on her diet.  It’s a lot more feasible for me to get up and have a cup of cereal than to prepare all this wacky combinations.  I thought I needed to learn how to regulate myself, I thought that was the way to go.  I can’t live the rest of my life on some restrictive diet only to come off it and gain the weight back plus more. 

I don’t want to be one of those people who fret over eating a piece of chocolate cake or who eats just a half piece of lettuce for lunch.  I enjoy food, it’s an experience.  I was in culinary school, but I am afraid to return because we do a lot of tasting.  It’s like food is my enemy.  Other people can eat what they want, but I can’t even think about a slice of pizza without gaining weight.  Now I don’t know what to eat. It’s nearly 3pm and I am scared to eat anything because I just don’t know anymore.  It’s very painful and very very frustrating. 

I thought my pants were fitting better, but I guess that was just all in my head.  I mean I think about Weight Watchers and programs like that but I that’s not what I want to do.  I can’t spend the rest of my life on weight watchers.  I can’t diet for my entire life, it’s just not feasible. 

I guess I am at the point now that I have to accept this is who I am.  I will continue to walk and add more exercise into my daily activities but I can’t starve myself thin or be miserable because I feel like I can’t eat anything.  I mean I know this isn’t a good weight for me but there isn’t much more I can do.  I just feel like if I die I die, at least I lived.  I am planning a cruise at the end of the year and I can’t image not enjoying the food in moderation.  I just refuse to live like that and it’s just not me to obssess over what I am eating.  Yes, fruits and veggies are important and I try to consume those before anything and yes, I prefer to stick to foods that give me energy.  But I will enjoy a piece of chocolate cake every so often and a nice meal at a fine establishment. 

So, I don’t know if I am giving up or just being realistic about my life.  Everyone can’t be a size 10 or even a 14.  I had a good cry today, and I just can’t do it to myself anymore.  I will continue to eat healthy and work out, but I can’t obssess over my weight.  The doctor can say I am overweight or obese or whatever, what matters most to me is living my life to the fullest.  I’m OK with being a size 20 for the rest of my life.  I just refuse to continue to beat myself up over a number…any number, size, weight or otherwise.

 

The Journey Continues…

Posted by dimples8 on January 15th, 2010 |Filed Under The Journey | 2 Comments

So tomorrow, we are taking the kids to Chuckee Cheese. Now, I recognize this as a potential for disaster.  There are really no good food options at Chuckee Cheese. I realize they have a buffet salad bar, but buffets are usually not my thing, especially at a place with a million kids running around. Too many people, too many hands, unsanitary conditions…not my cup of tea.   Botton line, if I want to blow my calories, it will not be done on Chuckee Cheese!  I think I am going to have to pack it and bring my own lunch.  Not only will this allow me to eat healthy, it will also save me some money too!

I ate what was left of my multi grain cheerios today.  I had a cup of green tea already and I am currently working on my second cup.   I have drank 16oz of water and my fiber.  I am about to bite into my apple and eat this orange that has been sitting on my desk for days.  I don’t really know what’s for lunch.  I have a lean cuisine that I can eat, it’s time for a shopping trip because there isn’t much to cook.   We went “major” shopping around the 1st of the month and it’s time to go again.  I need to get so I can get some of the items for my veggi chili too.  I will be eating that all next week, I love that stuff! LOL.

I must say I am feeling not as good as I did yesterday.  I think the excitement of the small progress I have made thus far has finally wore off…and now I am realizing how far I have to go.  I looked in the mirror and wished that my tummy would disappear…not such luck!  But I am staying the course and I know that I will see significant results soon. 

It seems like I’m eating/drinking all the time! With my water goals, drinking fiber and green tea as well as my goal to eat two whole fruits I am always consuming something.  And truth be told, I don’t really crave anything (maybe chocolate sometimes).   But I have this awesome granola that is just too yummy.  It’s almost lunch time and I’m not even hungry.  I probably won’t eat until around 1ish. 

I walked to work today and it was a good walk.  I still get tired during the walk, not enough to stop or anything like that but I notice that when I am walking up an incline I get a bit winded.  I can’t wait until the day when that doesn’t happen.  The good thing about walking is that you build up resistance and endurance relatively quickly and I don’t need any special equipment either.  I just need to go outside and move my feet!  Its funny because when I was younger hs/college, I didn’t even consider walking exercise!  I want to get back to those days again!  Walking should be a part of life.  Once I get rid of my car in March I have a feeling that I will be walking a lot more, I look forward to it!

 

Moving Right Along

Posted by dimples8 on January 14th, 2010 |Filed Under Daily Ramblings | 3 Comments

I ate candy today! YAY! about 4 mini Reese’s cups and a laffy taffy. I’m such a naughty girl! LOL. On a serious note, I don’t feel guilty about it, I won’t sabotage my results or what I am trying to accomplish.  I still drank my water, tea and fiber.  Ate my apple and had a healthy breakfast and lunch. I am planning on some yummy veggie stir fry for dinner. 

My had lunch with my gf and we went to Panera.  I did want the mac and cheese but instead got a half salmon mediterranean salad and half black bean soup.    I figured I could use the protein from the salmon and beans.  The salad was OK but the soup was yummo!   I was disappointed when I checked the nutritional information on Panera’s site about the soup, it is loaded with sodium. And that’s the problem even with the healthy options at restaurants and food establishments, it is usually almost always high in sodium!  But like I always say, everything in moderation.

I only walked about .20 mile today, but since I plan to walk home that will give me over a 1.5 miles for the entire day, not too bad.  I also haven’t used my workout DVD all week, I am not going to beat myself up about it, I will do it soon.  I figure that I am making good progress and I can’t overload myself at the beginning or stress myself out. 

One smart reader pointed out that by measuring progress solely on pounds loss usually is disappointing since we usually loose less not more than we intend to within a given timeframe.  I totally agree!  Focusing on living a healthy lifestyle and patting myself on the back for drinking water, eating fruits and vegetables, excerising and other components of a healthy lifestyle is certaintly the way to go!  My goal is still an aggressive 295 pounds by the end of the month but stil I know that if I continue to do what I am doing I am doing well even if I miss my target by a few pounds.  Slow and steady wins the race!

Maybe I will make it to the sauna tomorrow, hopefully I can carve out sometime to go before my lunch break or even in the morning before work.  That would make two trips to the sauna this week!

I am just really excited to know that in three months I will look back and this post and realize how much progress I have made.  Time flies, so I am just looking forward to creating a habit of living better and reaping the benefits in the short and long term.

I think for next week I will make another big pot of my veggie chili, it was good and it lasts for quite a while.  The benefit was I had lunch everyday, I just needed to heat it up.  I can pair it with cornbread or even brown rice.  When you’re very busy, like me, it’s very easy to grab and go.  I guess that’s why most folks get caught up in the fast food cycle.  People don’t have time to prepare each and every meal or even plan out.  If it takes 5 mintues to heat up or get at the drive through window, then that’s what a lot of people opt to do.  If I can take 20 minutes to plan my  meals and then time to prepare a healthy meal that is also yummy, I figure I will have a hundred-fold return on my time investment in a better quality and long life.

So I am moving right along, looking forward to the future and enjoying learning a lot about food, eating right, working out, etc…

Have a great day everyone!

310

Posted by dimples8 on January 13th, 2010 |Filed Under Goals, Weigh-Ins, Weight Loss | 3 Comments

Today, I stepped on the scale and it read 310.2, which is progress but a miss of the goal to loose 6llbs per week, which I admitted in my post 313 was agressive.  It was just last Wednesday when I weighed in at 313, and today I’m at 310.  Baby steps…one hand, its kinda like just 3 pounds, ugh! Then on the other hand, I realize that I can’t get to 30llbs without loosing 3 first.  So overall, I am satisfied with my progress considering the fact that I am not dieting.  Yes, I have changed my diet, but I am not on a diet.  I still enjoy all the same foods, albeit, no cookies, fast food or soda’s daily.  I have shifted my focus to feeding my body foods that are both good to me and good for me.  And yes, I have had a donut, candy, pizza, etc… it’s all in moderation.  And I can live with this lifestyle, I probably could have lost 6llbs on a very restrictive diet, but that’s totally unsustainable.  I am learning to moderate and I am learning more about food, vitamins, minerals and overall nutrition.

My goal is still 295, by the end of the month which about 15llb away.  I am going to keep on doing what I am doing, still walk to work and back atleast 3x a week.  My other goal is to also do my excerise DVDs about 3x per week as well. 

This morning I had a cup of Multi-Grain Cheerios (love those things!) And about 1 cup of OJ.  Right now I am drinkiing my fiber and my green tea is cooling.  I’ve already had 16 oz of water while at the sauna, and I should hit 30oz before lunch.  I have my orange, apple and Cranberry Pecan granola to snack on.  Since I went to the sauna this morning I wasn’t able to walk to work (time crunch), so I figured I will walk home to get my lunch (stir fry and brown rice leftovers from dinner last night and a lean cuisine).  That would give me about 2miles today! 

There are donuts in the break room but I kept on walking by! GO ME! Again, I had two donuts on Monday, no need for another one anytime soon. Especially since I haven’t made my goal of drinking water, fiber and tea.  No time for empty calories today!

On another note, my ladies room twists are working. I put my pants on today and they are a little looser, my shirt looks a little better on me, so I am greatful for that.  Once I hit about 255/260 I am buying new clothes. Since I think that if I buy new clothes that fit, I won’t have so many clothes that are baggy.  If I keep the same clothes, I won’t really know if I am gaining the weight since I have so much room that it takes longer for me to feel that snug fit.  Buying new clothes that fit will allow me to know If I am staying the course because if I don’t they will feel snug a lot sooner.  When I lost weight before, I kept the same clothes because they fit to an extent. Yes, I had room in the waist, my favorite black pants never managed to stay up for long when I walked but I have gained weight back and now I wear the same clothes, they are just a lot tighter.  Right now I would say I can wear anything from a 20-24 depending on the cut of the clothes.  Once I am a solid 18-20, it’s time for a new wardrobe! Which should be around the 260llb mark.  I know it’s funny that at 260llbs I can be a size 20, but I think its just how I am built.  I was a size 8/10 when I weighed 190llbs…go figure!

 

Making It Happen

Posted by dimples8 on January 12th, 2010 |Filed Under Daily Ramblings, Exercise, The Journey | 2 Comments

Yesterday, I fell off the bandwagon :( Let’s just say donuts, soda and bagels did me in! LOL. But seriously, I didn’t walk much yesterday and I had a long, early day.  Now, again, I am not on a diet, but I am changing my lifestyle so I am not trying to say I will never have another donut again, but everything in moderation.  I also noticed that I didn’t drink the water I should have, or have a piece of fruit or drink my green tea… Which made me realize that if I focus on achieving my daily goals of water, fruit, veggies, etc… I won’t really have time to eat the stuff that’s high in fat and calories. 

I have added Benefiber to my diet after talking with the pharmacist.  I asked her if she could recommend a colon cleanser (see previous posts where I indicated I wanted to take a colon cleanser) and she said she wouldn’t recommend any of them. Why? She said that the majority of them have a stimulant which pushes the stuff out, but once you stop taking the colon cleanser, the stimulant continues to work even when there is nothing to push out.  The result? Stomach pains, cramping and all the stuff that I hate.  So, no thanks!  She more fiber will have the same results without the side effects.  I purchased the benefiber that you can drink, you simply dissolve it in water and drink it.  It’s actually quite tasty and I have been taking it for about 4 days now…and, uh…it works, need I say more?

I didn’t walk to work yesterday, but I am back at it today.  And OMG, its cold outside.  It’s about 25 degrees, but with the wind it makes it feel even colder.  Brrr… My co worker says its too cold to walk.  But the thing is, if not now, then when?  Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and just do it (as Nike says).  I don’t want to be a pansy and complain about the weather as the reason why I don’t do things.  I mean if its pouring raining or a hazardous condition then I will think twice about walking to work, but any other time, I just have to do it!

Otherwise, life is good.  I had a moment where I got really down on myself for allowing myself to gain so much weight and other things.  But I just gotta keep going.  Hopefully I can make it to the sauna today, the sauna really makes my skin glow.  I don’t think I will work out today because my arms and upper back are sore from painting the ceiling. Actually, I just may workout, but not do the dvd for upper body just cardio and lower body.   We are renovating our home and I primed the entire ceiling on Sunday to prepare it for painting.  It took about 2 days for the soreness to set in.  No pain, no gain!

 

The First 18

Posted by dimples8 on January 6th, 2010 |Filed Under Exercise, Goals, Life Changer, The Journey, Weight Loss | 1 Comment

My first goal is to loose 18llbs. I agree its super aggressive, but for the weight that I have to loose it’s doable.  Doctor’s agree that a 3-4llb weight loss per week for those with over 75llbs to loose is healthy and expected during the beginnings of any weight loss effort.

So, in order to loose the first 18llb pounds my actions will be the following:

  1. 90 minutes of physical activity 3-4 days a week - Walking to and from work accounts for about 60 minutes.  I also want to use my exercise dvds which have worked well for me in the past.
  2. 30 minutes of physical activity daily - This is the bare minimum everyday, I have to move my behind.  No excuses.
  3. 48 - 64 ounces of water daily
  4. 3-4 cups of green tea 5 days a week
  5. Eat 2 whole fruits at work during the day and 3 on the weekends
  6. Eat 3-4 meals of just vegetables (like stir fry, my fav!) during the week
  7. No soda’s during this time frame!
  8. Calorie range 1700-1900 per day.
  9. 30-40 minutes in the sauna 2-3/week. Now, the sauna is not my weight loss silver bullet, but if I am working my body so much and walking and getting active even when “i don’t feel like it”, its only fair if I reward myself with the sauna!  The sauna is great for detox!!

What I am doing is “crowding out” all the not so good for me foods and activities.  Drinking this much water and tea daily keeps me full, I don’t feel like snacking.  Making sure I eat 2 whole fruits while sitting at my desk will give me energy and keep me until it’s time for the next meal.  90 minutes of movement seems like a lot, but its over one entire day.  It’s about a 60 minute walk to and from work alone.  Also, I am going to leave the soda’s alone for this period. I love Sprite, but I don’t need it. I am not swearing off soda, but I am limiting my intake. 

This list above may seem like a lot, but I am already doing most of it and things are things that I should do anyway, whether I am trying to loose weight or not, again, its about changing my lifestyle, not just dieting or loosing weight.

313

Posted by dimples8 on January 6th, 2010 |Filed Under Exercise, Life Changer, The Journey, Weight Loss | 1 Comment

So, I weighed myself today. Now, I didn’t really know how much weight I was at, I just knew I gained. I put myself at 310 max, but the scale said 313 today…that’s right 313! Never thought it was possible, but good Lord, I couldn’t believe my eyes. At first I was sad and pissed but now I’m determined. My motta for weight loss is that slow and steady wins the race, but I also realize that for those with a lot of weight to loose its not uncommon or unhealthy to loose more than average during the first few weeks.

So, it’s on! I am so excited about beginning this journey in my life! My goal weight target is 175llbs, which is damn near half of me now!

Here are my milestones for the winter/spring months:

Goal 1: 295llbs - Jan 29th
(I don’t want to ever step on the scale and see more than 300llbs again, well, maybe except for next tuesday when I goto the doctor). That’s an 18llb loss. I know that’s about 6llbs a week, which is super aggressive. This is crazy for folks with 10 or 20 pounds to loose, but not so much for me since my goal is over 100llbs. Much of this will be water weight, since I am probably retaining a lot of water and I also need to clear my colon. I am going to take a colon cleanser one of these weekends since I need to detox.

Goal 2: 280llbs - March 12
This is about where I started before I lost about 20llbs last time…and now this is actually a goal! WOW! But anyway, this is about 2.5llbs a week, again which is healthy and sustainable. 

Goal 3: 268 - April 24
This is about 2llbs a week and this will probably be the point where I need to alter my excerise routine to continue to see results.  I have been here before, and to be honest, I struggled with the official act of loosing weight at this point.  I was; however, getting toner but that’s when the muscle really started to build and the weight wasn’t coming off as easily as it was before. I am prepared for this now.  My weight won’t continue to decrease as rapidly, but that’s ok as my health will still continue to improve.  Ironically, I look damn good at this weight.  And people may say who looks good at 268 llbs? LOL. I do! My body is strange, I mean I wore a size 10 when I was 190llbs. I guess it has to do with the fact that I am 5′11.  Plus, this is almost the time when the coats come off, and I will look pretty good and most importantly feel GREAT!

Goal 4: 262 - May 21
This is an important goal because it will be my official summer weight. I believe summer starts on the 23rd of May. I’m thinking that a 6-8llb weight loss is doable.  After this point, I am on unchartered land! I’ve not broken the 260llb barrier.  So I know I will have a lot of thinking to do and finding new activities to continue to burn calories and tone up.  Once I get to this time frame, I will set my goals for the rest of the year.

Now, that I have set my goals, I just have to set HOW I am going to accomplish this. That will be my next blog topic

Green Tea Convert and Daily Ramblings

Posted by dimples8 on January 6th, 2010 |Filed Under Daily Ramblings, Weight Loss | 3 Comments

Each morning after I walk to work, I drink a cup of green tea. I am replacing tea for coffee and I have been sweetening the tea with Splenda but I will stop that today. I read that doing that can negate some of the benefits of the tea. Green tea actually helps me feeling better. Overall, I feel tired sometimes which could be attributed to a lack of sleep, I get about 6 hours of sleep as opposed to 8 and my lack of vitamins and minerals in my diet. I am going to schedule a physical at the doctor to get a full assement, but I am quite sure my energy levels aren’t where they should because I am not giving my body everything it needs to perform.

Since I cut all the meat out of my diet, I am have been slowly changing the way I think about food. First of all, for me, going with out meat helps me have more mental clarity. And since a hamburger, even a small one is out of the question or a chicken nugget I am really forced to be a conscious eater.

I know I need to set goals but I have been hesitant to do that because I want some stats (weight,blood pressure cholestorol count) that I don’t have readily available. I have a ball park figure, but not the exact. Once I have this information, I will set goals accordingly. Luckily, my doctor is a med spa, so I think I will go today and get a sauna pass. Sauna’s are great! A sauna helps sweat the toxins out of your body. It’s so great for the skin as well! I took my girlfriend one time who had a cold sore forming on her lip and after 40 minutes in the sauna it was gone! Keep in mind that she usually has them for about 2 weeks, the Abreva she uses takes about 2 weeks to get it to go away…the sauna 45 minutes!

I felt good on my walk today, I noticed I wasn’t as tired when I got to the front door of my building as I usually am. It was a bit warmer today 32 degrees vs. 25 degrees, and I appreciated the 7 degree difference. I think because it wasn’t so windy that helped as well.

We ate out last night, a wonderful little Italian resturant. I had the manicotti and for dessert tiramisu. Yup, calorie buster! But you know what, just a month ago I would have had a pancake and bacon breakfast, with a BK lunch and still that for dinner. I am still doing much better than I was. I keep in mind that I am not simply dieting, I am changing my life. I want to live a long and healthy life but I think diets over the long term are unsustainable. We should enjoy food and life, if your favorite food is chocolate cake, then have some just not with every meal! Food in moderation is key, food is not the enemy, it sustains us and keeps us alive. I love Italian food and spending time with my family, so my partner and our son and daughter went out and had a good time. Two months ago, I would have felt guilty, but today I don’t. I look forward to dining out with my family once or twice a month.

I am also considering possibly using my culinary school education and once I shake the weight off and the mindset that caused the weight in first place to help others. Perhaps being a personal chef that cooks and/or plans healthy meals, create a strategy for families to eat good foods, spend quality time together and change their lifestyle. Just a thought…

Okay, back to green tea again (I told you I’m rambling). I found this information on the effects of green tea. It’s pretty good stuff, so drink up!

How does green tea work? There are several components in green tea that seem to work together to provide the health and weight loss benefits that green tea’s so famous for. Researchers have pinpointed three components in green tea that seem to have an effect on weight loss.

Cancer protection.
Cholesterol reduction.
Blood pressure reduction.
Antibacterial and antiviral activity .
Protection against radiation.
Reduction of body fat.
Reduction of blood sugar .
Polyphenols, High Richest in Green Tea Beverage.

It is certain that more studies are needed on how green tea helps with weight loss. One interesting study on the subject, by the Shizuoka University in Japan, evaluated all three of these green tea components individually, as well as in combination, to try and determine just what components are most important.

This study concluded that the most important component of green tea for weight loss is caffeine. Caffeine is responsible for speeding up the metabolism and creating thermogenesis, which burns fat. However, the study also showed that catechins do seem to have an anti-obesity effect on their own, helping the body to eliminate dietary fat rather than absorbing it.

In short, green tea seems to be the near perfect combination for helping lose weight and improve health at the same time. Diet and exercise are still critical to taking off excess weight and keeping it off for good, but it does appear that green tea can be an effective tool in fighting the battle of the bulge.

Cal. Counter for Today
1.5 cup of Multigrain cheerios with 2% milk = 250 cal
Medium apple = 90 cal
1/2 cup of OJ = 70 cal
Green tea (2 cups) = 8 cal


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