My most recent research has led me to find 20 common tips that the experts recommend for losing fat.  I’m pretty sure we are aware of all or most of these tips, but a good reminder now and then doesn’t hurt.

Here we go:

1) Set yourself up for success – sit down and think about why you really want to lose the weight, make a list that you can refer back to whenever things get tough.  Do you simply want to lose a dress size?  Are you doing it to improve your health?  Or do you just want to look and feel better?  There are no wrong reasons as long as they keep you focused and motivated.

2) Make goals – you should again sit down and make up goals that you can strive for.  Be realistic and keep your goals small – baby steps. Rather than saying I want to lose 50lbs, how about you work in 5 lb increments, or choose to lose 1 dress size in 6 weeks, etc.  Focusing on the larger end result can be discouraging and overwhelming which in turn might cause you to quite in pure frustration.

3) Find a support group – try and surround yourself with people who will support and encourage you rather than sabotage your efforts.  Supportive family members, friends and co-workers can help you stay on track and shouldn’t offer up temptations.  Let people around you know how important this is to you and you’ll be surprised how wonderfully helpful they can be.

So last Saturday I decided “this” was the day to try my run.  If you recall in my last post  I mentioned that I would like to give it a try and try I certainly did!

I have this interval mp3 that’s actually for walking, 1 minute moderate walk and 30 seconds fast.  I used this to time myself on my run.

I was quite proud of myself.  We have a park nearby that is exactly 1.9 km around.  I jump in my car (I do have to drive to it) and head out bound and determined to do this.  Then comes the rain…just a drizzle but I’m thinking “boy, if I get half way and the clouds open up, I’m in trouble”.  “Never mind, I’m doing this rain or shine!” (this little discussion in my head)

Anyway, I get there, park and rev up the music…off I go!  The warm up is about 5 minutes, then the first 1 minute walk..all good so far.  The first 30 second fast interval..hmm not ready, I’ll walk faster for this one.

Ok, back to 1 minute walk, feeling good and ready to run…30 second interval…I pick up my feet and RUN!  It’s not a fast run, rather a feet barely leaving the ground run, but it’s a run none-the-less.

I mananged to do the intervals all the way around the park (remember it’s 1.9km) and back to my car.  As I got closer to the end, my pace slowed a bit, but I just kept telling myself to keep going…Biggest loser folks can!

Now I’m excited to try it again.  Everytime will be that much easier until the day I can run the full 1.9k.

~Toresa

ps.  I’m happy to report that it did not rain:)

Ok, we are all guilty of this, me included.  We overidulge and feel horrible.  What I never connected before was the inflammation that was brought on by my overindulgence which of course is why I feel so horrible and drained after a large meal.

I just found this article that may provide a little “secret” to lowering the inflammation effect and I was quite shocked by the answer.

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When you overdo it and down a day’s calories in one sitting, your body’s inflammatory processes go into overdrive. But here’s a way you might counter it: Drink orange juice.

In a recent study, people who had eaten a supersized fast-food breakfast experienced a much milder inflammatory response in their bodies when they drank OJ with the meal.

High-Calorie Catastrophe
Whatever you do, don’t pair that overindulgence with a soda. When researchers compared the effects that three different beverages had on the way bodies process big, fatty, inflammation-triggering foods, sugar water was the worst of the bunch. It seemed to exacerbate the inflammatory response. Plain water faired somewhere in between orange juice and sugar water. But it has the added benefit of being calorie-free.

(Find out why orange juice is good for your joints, too.)

The Flavonoid Fix
What makes orange juice so good at helping clamp down on the inflammation and oxidation that big, fatty meals cause? The heroes are likely two important flavonoids found in oranges — naringenin and hesperidin. These powerful antioxidants help tamp down body processes that can damage blood vessels and lay the groundwork for big health problems, like atherosclerosis and heart disease. 

Source: RealAge