STARTING A FITNESS PROGRAM - START BY ASSESSING YOUR CURRENT HEALTH

Exercise is an essential part of any "diet" or weight loss program. Over the years, the many benefits of exercise have been proven. Exercise helps to lower the risk of developing many diseases and health conditions and actually improves the symptoms of some diseases. It increases energy, causes a general feeling of well-being, and reduces stress. Exercise also helps to replace fat with muscle mass, which in turn increases the body's ability to burn fat and lose or maintain weight, since muscle burns calories more efficiently than fat. Last, but certainly not least, exercise will help you to fit into that favorite outfit...

The most important thing to do before starting an exercise program is to consult with your healthcare provider to determine if it is safe for you to exercise and if any specific types of exercise are unsafe for you at the present time.

If you have not exercised for a number of years, your body is de-conditioned and you will need to take it slow. If you go from being a couch potato to doing too much all at once, you'll feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and you will increase the risk of an injury. All of these things could result in your abandoning your fitness plans. If you are used to doing nothing at all, don't try to run for 30 minutes on the treadmill the first day! Start off slowly by walking and gradually increase the intensity of your activity to keep challenging your body. Gradually means to increase the intensity every month or so; don't be in any big hurry to complete the "perfect workout". Becoming fit will take time. Consistency is more important than intensity in the long run. You need to make exercise an essential part of your life on a consistent basis in order to see the long-term results. Aim for 30 consecutive minutes of increased activity on 5 days each week.
Start all workouts with several minutes of warm-up or stretching to avoid injury.

There are many ways to monitor your progress towards your goals. Most of us are obsessed with our weight as the only determination of success. That "magical number" on the scale has been given too much power over us over the years. Weigh yourself just once weekly, and try not to get discouraged about how slowly you seem to lose weight. Most people who are following their food plan for losing weight are and exercising consistently can expect to lose an average of 1-2 pounds each week; this means that you may stay the same some weeks or may lose 2 1/2 -3 pounds in an occasional week. As long as you are consistently following your eating and exercise program, you are headed in the right direction. So don't obsess over the number.

Consider some of these other markers for your health and progress towards your fitness goals.

• Blood Pressure- High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases the risk of heart attack, other blood vessel diseases, stroke, and kidney failure. Monitor your blood pressure with a reliable home machine or for free at a local supermarket or drugstore. As you become more physically fit, your blood pressure should decrease towards the goal of less than 130/90. If you are taking medications prescribed by your healthcare provider, do not stop them without his or her instruction. Keep a log of your blood pressure readings.
  
• Body Measurements- Muscle takes up less room than fat, so as you build more muscle and lose fat your clothes will fit better and you will notice a decrease in your measurements. Measure your waist, hips, upper arms, and thighs every month. Even if you are not seeing huge losses on the scale, you will likely see changes in your measurements.
  
• Resting Heart Rate- When you are out of shape, your heart beats faster in order to supply the body's cells with nutrients and oxygen. As you become more physically fit, your heart will become more efficient and your heart rate will decrease. Aim for a resting heart rate between 65-70 beats per minute.
  
• Body Mass Index (BMI)- The BMI is a rough estimate of the percentage of body fat that you have. To calculate BMI, multiply your body weight by 703.1 and divide that by your height in inches. Divide that result by your height in inches a second time. You may also use one of the many online BMI calculators that are available. A healthy BMI range is between 19 and 25.

Physical fitness will help you to gain the self-confidence and strength needed to face life's many challenges. Leading a healthy lifestyle, eating well, and exercise should be a central part of your life. These are the foundations for health.

WEEKLY WEIGH-IN

GOOD NEWS AGAIN THIS MORNING!
HECTOR was anxious to get on the scale today...

This seemed to be a good week, and I expected a great loss. But when I got on the scale I was surprised to see that I was only down 0.9 pounds. It seems that when I do really well and am consistent with exercising that it doesn't show up on the scale. Or is it that it's not showing up as fast as want it to? There isn't much that I could have changed, so I'll have to be happy with it and continue with what I'm doing. That's 18.8 pounds so far (and counting...). It's a lot better than I've done for a long time!

Hector has a new calendar published and displayed on his website. Be sure to check it out!

HOODIA TIP- AVOID "FREE" 14 DAY TRIALS OF HOODIA

Let's remember that Hoodia is a rare and expensive supplement. Why would any company give away about $60 worth of Hoodia for the cost of shipping and handling only? Because the product is not pure Hoodia and is probably not even worth the cost of the shipping in the first place!

Pure Hoodia is valuable, and no company selling the real product will give it away for free, because they know that they don't have to; they know that they are selling a genuine product that will work and will keep people coming back for more. However, in the case of the companies selling fake Hoodia, they reel you in with a free trial, get your credit card number for the shipping charge, and they end up charging you for a 30-day supply after the 2 week trial (many times this is a condition of the free trial, written in small print, which you agree to unknowingly when you order). To make matters worse, it has been exposed that oftentimes these companies are "fronts" for illegitimate scams who are out to take your money, not to help you to lose weight. There have been many stories in the news about people who have been taken by these companies and have been unable to locate a phone number, address, or even an e-mail address where they can complain and resolve the matter of recurring credit card charges. The reason for this is obvious. These companies do not want to hear from customers.

I have visited the sites of several companies advertising "free Hoodia trials" and have found that they lack the documentation of CITES certificates and authenticity for their products. The terms of the trial were very vaguely spelled out, and when I tried the contact phone number from one site I got a generic phone-tree with no option to speak with a "live" person. My advice is to investigate a company thoroughly before buying; just as you have seen that you have to investigate the product to be sure that it is pure Hoodia, you should make sure that the company is accessible. Is there a clearly written complaint and return policy? Is there a mailing address and an e-mail contact form? What about a phone number? Before buying, I would try e-mailing a question or concern to see if the company gets back to you. I did this with
Desert Burn, and they responded with an answer within 48 hours. If there is a phone number on the website, call it. Make sure that you get a legitimate company with the option to speak with a real person.

We all work too hard for our money to just give it away to an unscrupulous company wanting to scam us. We can prevent being the victims of this fraud by doing a little bit of research upfront. If an offer and a product seems too good to be true, then it is!

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIETARY FIBER

Dietary fiber (sometimes called "roughage" or "bulk") is the part of a plant that provides and maintains the plant's structure. This fiber cannot be digested by the human body; as it moves through the intestines (colon) undigested, it helps to keep food moving smoothly, helps to correct certain disorders of the colon, keeps the intestines functioning normally, and makes it easier for the body to eliminate waste through the stool. Fiber absorbs many times its weight in water from the colon, resulting in the passing of softer, bulkier stools. The fiber in your diet also helps to make you feel full and aids in the digestion process.

The Importance of Fiber
A diet that is high in fiber results in large, soft, and bulky stools which pass through the bowels easily and are eliminated quickly. This can prevent constipation and hemorrhoids, lessen the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis. Fiber has also been shown to play a role in treating and preventing elevated cholesterol, heart disease, strokes, colon polyps, and colon cancer.

Fiber and Weight Loss
Research has proven that increasing the amount of fiber in your diet can help you to lose weight. When you eat foods with a high fiber content, you tend to feel full faster, which helps to cut down on the amount of empty calories consumed with junk foods. Since fiber cannot be broken down by the digestive system, it provides bulk with few or no calories. High fiber foods are generally lower calorie foods to begin with; they take longer to chew, which gives the body more time to "feel full" while you are eating, which helps to stop overeating. These foods stay in the stomach longer, delaying the time that you feel hunger again. Combined with Hoodia supplements, which have a natural appetite suppressant activity with a delay in feeling hungry, this is a great benefit!

Adding Fiber to Your Diet
When you begin to add extra fiber to your diet, do it slowly; if you add too much fiber too rapidly, you will end up with excess gas, abdominal cramping, and bloating. Increase the amount of fiber as your body gets used to it. A healthy goal is to aim for 30-40 grams of fiber each day.
There are many sources on the Internet and in bookstores that list the fiber content of foods; you may want to invest in such a resource.

Suggestions for High Fiber Foods

• Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially with the skin onWhole
• Whole grain breadspastas
  
• Bran flakes
• Legumes
• Oats
• Barley
• Nuts
  
• Consider a fiber supplement such as MetamuciCitrucelrucel if you are unable to consume enough fiber in dietRemember
• Remember to drink plenty of water (8-10 glasses per day)
  

WEEKLY WEIGH-IN

HECTOR

Please visit my friend Hector at his website
His pictures have been updated since last week!

This week I lost 3 more pounds, which makes it a total of 17.9 pounds! I'm feeling very happy and confident about this now. I'm getting into a routine of exercise, I'm drinking tons of water, and I am diligently working on changing my thoughts and perceptions of food and my eating habits. Realistically, I have a lifetime of bad habits to change, but I have taken the first steps, which are the hardest. Now it's just a matter of carrying on and building on my small success thus far. I have built the foundation, now it's time to build the rest of the house- one brick at a time!

HOODIA BUYING TIP - BEWARE OF HOODIA PATCHES AND LIQUIDS

HOODIA PATCHES ARE PERHAPS THE BIGGEST SCAM
OF ALL IN THE HOODIA GORDONII MARKETPLACE

If you have been researching Hoodia Gordonii and have read my previous posts, then I would be surprised if you haven't wondered to yourself about how pure Hoodia Gordonii could possibly be delivered via a transdermal patch. The Hoodia plant is eaten raw by the Bushmen in South Africa, and pure Hoodia is grown and dried to a powder to be placed into capsules or diluted into a liquid extract. If you remember from an earlier post, Phytopharm Laboratories isolated and obtained a patent for the active ingredient in Hoodia (P57) that suppresses the appetite, but none of their attempts to manufacture P57 have been successful. In fact, at this time, no pharmaceutical company is pursuing the artificial manufacturing of Hoodia, as it is felt that this would be a low-yield effort and that a manufactured product would never come close to the real plant in efficacy.

I have done some research about the transdermal delivery of medications. After many years of research and experiments, the first medication available for delivery via a skin patch was approved by the FDA in 1980. There are currently approximately 20 medications that have been developed, tested, and approved for delivery by this method. It makes sense that for Hoodia, which was only introduced to the American marketplace in 2004, there has not been enough time to develop a patch to efficiently deliver the stated dose of the medication, much less to test that patch for efficient delivery; the research and development phases of this process takes many years. Therefore, I would have to say with a good amount of certainty that any patch that claims to contain pure Hoodia does not contain much, if any, pure South African Hoodia; and there is no research to show if the active ingredient in Hoodia (P57) is even capable of being absorbed through the skin. We do, however, know that it is absorbed when taken orally.

My next question, obviously, would be: If I'm not getting Hoodia through the patch, then what exactly is being absorbed into my body?

HOODIA WORKS BEST WHEN TAKEN WITH FOOD

I have realized that Hoodia works best when it is taken with food (one of your healthy, planned meals or light snacks). It has occurred to me that when I would take it without eating that it seemed to be less effective and it got me thinking. Hoodia works by "tricking" your brain into thinking that the food you have eaten is a lot of food, even if it is a light snack or a meal of modest proportions; this is how Hoodia helps to prevent you from overeating. So it makes sense that you must need to consume some food in order for this process to work. I started thinking about times when I had taken Hoodia when I felt hungry but did not eat; when I think about it, taking the Hoodia did not really help the hunger itself. It was not until I ate what I was planning to eat that I had that satiated "full" feeling. Based on this, I am going to take my first dose with breakfast in the morning and the second dose with dinner each night.

Hoodia is not intended to prevent you from eating; it's role in your weight loss plan is to help you to eat sensibly and to prevent you from overeating, thus consuming less calories.

HOODIA TIP - BEWARE OF INEXPENSIVE HOODIA PRODUCTS

Due to an increased market demand for genuine Hoodia and a temporary short supply of the already rare and difficult to grow plant, pure Hoodia is expensive. If you have noticed from the ads on this blog, the
Desert Burn brand of Hoodia (which I am taking and recommending because it is pure Hoodia and is working well for me) is expensive; one bottle of 60 (750 mg.) capsules sells for $59.95 per bottle, or 3 bottles for $149.95 (plus shipping and handling).

As I discussed in a previous post, I have only been able to identify 4 companies that I feel are selling pure Hoodia Gordonii, based on the criteria that I have researched for determining its authenticity. You may want to review some of my previous posts if you have any questions about that at this time. When comparing prices at these 4 sites, I took into consideration that the
Desert Burn ZA is a 750 mg. capsule, not a 400 mg. capsule. Most manufacturer's only sell a 400 mg. capsule. In order to get the full appetite suppressing effects of this supplement, you will need around 3000 mg. of Hoodia per day, so consider the number of capsules you will need to take per day when deciding on which brand is the best buy. You may get the 400 mg. capsules cheaper than the 750 mg. capsules, but you will need to take more per day, which will ultimately end up costing you more money.

If a company is advertising pure Hoodia for less than $40 per bottle of 60 (400 mg.) capsules, you can be sure that it is not pure Hoodia; it is diluted with other ingredients or bulk fillers and contains little or no pure Hoodia from South Africa. Based on the current cost of Hoodia, there is no way that any company could afford to "give away" the product.

If you are tempted to believe the false advertisements and testimonials and try a brand that is advertised as "pure hoodia" at a price that is much cheaper than Desert Burn, you should take some time to re-read the posts on this blog and research the product first. Saving money is a great thing, but wasting money is foolish!

ONE STEP AT A TIME

The journey of a thousand

miles begins with a single
step.
- Chinese proverb



Today my goals and dreams seemed as if they were so far out of reach. I caught myself looking at the "big picture" and becoming discouraged. After giving it some thought, I re-focused on today, and on my goals and plans for this day only. I will grow towards my goals, one step at a time, one day at a time, and one pound at a time.

RE-POST: ABOUT THE ADVERTISEMENTS ON THIS BLOG

I am re-posting this because I feel that it is an essential message, and I do not want it to be overlooked as people make decisions on which Hoodia supplement to purchase and begin taking. Please also review the articles that are archived (see the sidebar on the right).

This blog is intended to provide the information that people need to decide whether or not Hoodia Gordonii is the right weight loss aid for them, as well as to educate them about the product itself and how to purchase the right product that will provide good results.

I have done extensive research and reading about Hoodia Gordonii and how to purchase a pure product versus one of the many fake and ineffective products being sold in the marketplace. I have shared my findings and impressions in order to help people to make the best decisions so that they get the results that they are looking for. As a result of my research, I have found only a handful (4-5 companies) of companies who I feel are selling pure, unadulterated Hoodia Gordonii. I chose the Desert Burn brand, and I am extremely satisfied with the appetite suppressing effects that I am getting; in fact, I started out as somewhat skeptical, and I am very amazed by this. The Desert Burn product can be viewed and purchased through the banner links which appear at the top of each post in this blog.

In addition to being satisfied with the results I am experiencing and being confident that I am purchasing the real Hoodia, I have found that this company is good to deal with. They answer questions posed to them through e-mail quickly and accurately, their prices are fair and they offer some discount for purchasing multiple bottles at once (remember, pure Hoodia will not be cheap, and there is no such thing as a "discount" Hoodia product), the ordering process is easy and efficient, and the shipping is quick. I have not had to deal with returns or exchanges myself, but based on the quality I have experienced so far, I would guess that they would be efficient with that process, as well. In addition, their website offers a lot of great information, including testimonials, articles, news re-prints, and current, up-to-date information about Hoodia and the emerging issues about Hoodia.

If you notice, there are advertisements on this site for several different Hoodia brands (in the form of Google Ads). These ads are chosen and displayed by Google as being appropriate for this site. I have not chosen these ads, and they are not necessarily products which I would recommend. However, I encourage you to investigate them and do your research before buying any brand of Hoodia; an educated consumer is the best customer for any company. Just remember that there are no real "bargains" when it comes to Hoodia; it is a rare and expensive supplement, and in this case you definitely get what you pay for.

MY-CALORIE-COUNTER.COM

I came across a really neat site today that I wanted to share; it is my-calorie-counter.com. It is an amazing site, and it's completely free. They have a free online diet and exercise journal, user forums, nutrition facts where you can look up calories and nutritional information for common foods and even your favorite fast-foods, exercise facts and charts for the calories burned with certain types of exercise, articles about weight-loss, and even a few exercise video clips. There is also a body-mass index (BMI) calculator, and several other tools and calculators to help you to stay on target with your diet, weight-loss, and fitness plans. Check the site out- there's so much there that I can't give it justice here; you will not be disappointed.

HOODIA TIP - READ THE HOODIA INGREDIENTS CAREFULLY BEFORE BUYING

When considering a Hoodia Gordonii supplement, be sure to read the entire label and the list of ingredients very carefully before making your decision. 100% pure South African Hoodia is rare and expensive. Due to the difficulty of growing and cultivating Hoodia, there is a markedly decreased supply of it that will be available for export; this shortage is is expected to last through at least April of 2007. Genuine Hoodia Gordonii is currently priced at $250 per kilogram. Due to the price and the worldwide shortage of Hoodia, many companies are flooding the market with fake products that contain little if any pure Hoodia.

Read the label carefully. Desert Burn Hoodia displays their label clearly on the website for consumers. When looking at a label, look carefully for the amount of genuine South African Hoodia Gordonii that you will get in each capsule. Next look for a list of "Inactive Ingredients", "Other Ingredients" or "Supplementary Ingredients". This list should only consist of the ingredients necessary to form the capsule. In the case of Desert Burn Hoodia, the "Other Ingredients" are listed as: gelatin, Magnesium Stearate, and Stearic Acid. It specifies that the capsules contain no fillers such as starch, sugar, yeast, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The Desert Burn brand also clearly states the amount of pure South African Hoodia Gordonii contained in each capsule.

If a label states that it contains a "Proprietary Blend"of Hoodia, you can be sure that it contains little if any pure Hoodia Gordonii. The only pure Hoodia available is from South Africa, and it is under strict export regulations from the South African government. No company, no matter how large they are, has a proprietary interest in the Hoodia Gordonii market. If they make this claim, then they are lying.

An educated and smart consumer who takes the time to research Hoodia is the one who will most likely achieve the appetite suppressing effects of the supplement. Check out the Desert Burn brand through one of the banners on this site.

WEEKLY WEIGH- IN

PLEASE MEET AND WELCOME HECTOR

Hector is a 2 year old bull terrier who belongs to one of my online friends who was kind enough to allow me to "adopt" him as my official weight-loss mascot. This little guy will steal the heart of any animal lover, for sure! He even has his very own blog; please visit him often, as he is always up to the task of entertaining and enlightening his "fans" about various topics. Aside from being a good source of entertainment, Hector's main job here will be to monitor my weekly weigh-ins. You will see his adorable face on every weigh-in post with my progress.

As you may have noticed, I went 2 weeks without weighing myself over the holidays. This "avoidance" of the scale is one of the reasons why I have never been successful at reaching my goals at Weight Watchers in the past. Like so many people, I would join, do well for a while, and then start skipping meetings and weigh-ins when I had been "bad", thinking that I would have a good week or two before going back. The problem is that by avoiding being honest with myself, facing the truth, and accepting that I had made mistakes and need to get back on track, I would continue to spiral further out of control. This behavior is one of the things that I must change in order to finally be successful and reach my goal. Instead of making an unrealistic resolution such as "I will never again overeat", I am going to make the following promise to myself: "I will weigh myself and post my progress every single week, no matter what". This is journey, and like any journey I have to expect bumps in the road and learn how to deal with them. I have to acknowledge and confront my mistakes and learn from them, or else I will be stuck in this vicious cycle of overeating and being overweight for the rest of my life.

Hector is going to ensure that I get on the scale every single week and post my results, whether they are good or bad. I don't know how long it will take, but I AM GOING TO SUCCEED!

So, for my most recent weigh-in report: As of 1/8/07, I have lost 3 more pounds, for a total of 14.9 pounds over the past 5 weeks. If it had not been for the Christmas Holidays, I am sure that I would have been better about sticking with my eating plan, but I am not going to beat myself up about it. I am now on track again, and that is what is important.

I am still extremely surprised and happy with the way that the Hoodia is working for me. Had I taken it consistently during the Holidays, I probably would have avoided a lot of extra calories. I am once again taking 3 grams each day, drinking a ton of water, and I am not feeling hungry or deprived in any way. If you put a Big Mac and an order of fries in front of me today, I would bet money that I would not even be able to finish it all!

Once again, please join me in welcoming my new friend HECTOR. He would be glad to welcome all visitors to his very own website, and will be sure to brighten up your day!

SETTING REALISTIC WEIGHT LOSS GOALS

Who wouldn't like to wake up tomorrow at an ideal body weight? We've tried the fad diets, crash diets, and all of the miracle weight loss products on the market, and we are heavier than ever- and very frustrated. We've tried medications that claim to speed up the metabolism, increase body temperature to burn fat, decrease the appetite, block fat absorption, and even some that claim to block carbohydrate absorption. None of them worked. This is why I was so skeptical about the all-natural appetite suppressant Hoodia Gordonii. Was it just another pie-in-the-sky dream?

I have finally accepted the fact that the only way to lose weight is to change my lifestyle; I have to eat less calories and exercise. Plain and simple. But not so easy if you're hungry all of the time. That is where Hoodia has really been helping me. I have been taking it long enough now to say without a doubt that it is truly suppressing my appetite. I eat because I have to eat, but I'm not constantly thinking about food and feeling deprived.

When you have a significant amount of weight to lose, it is important to set realistic weight loss goals. In order to lose one pound of body fat per week, you must decrease your calorie intake by 500 calories per day (3500 calories for the week). A realistic goal is to aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week. Research shows that people who lose weight at a slow and steady rate are more likely to keep the weight off than those who lose rapidly. Weigh yourself just once each week, and keep track of your body mass index (BMI). Use the BMI calculation tool to see where you are at now and to track your progress towards a healthy weight.

The only way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you burn. The best results come from a combination of a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

WHAT DO YOU REALLY HAVE CONTOL OVER?

Like many overweight and obese people, I have been trapped for many years in a cycle of chaos when it comes to food and eating. My eating was out of control; it was running my life. I was using food to control and cover up my feelings. How ridiculous is that? Pretty ridiculous, I admit. But not all that uncommon.

I have realized that there are so many things in life that I cannot change or control, and I have to accept that. But I have also realized that my eating habits are not one of the things that I have no control over. I do have the power to choose what I eat. I can make the decision to take control of my eating habits and make healthier choices. I can deal with feelings and emotions as they arise without overeating. The first step for me was to gain the insight into what I was subconsciously doing; that was the easy part. Learning to change my behavior is going to be an ongoing and difficult task.

The best way for me to deal with this is to remain honest with myself. My success is going to be determined by the choices that I make, and nothing else. It's going to come down to behaviour modification, and Hoodia will help me to meet my goals by suppressing any physical urges to overeat as I work on my behaviour.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day...

WEIGHT LOSS QUIZ

How savvy are you to the facts about weight loss and weight management? What is your understanding of basic nutrition? Are you vulnerable to the false claims of the diet industry concerning fad diets and "miracle" cures for obesity? Take the Weight Loss Quiz at the Mayo Clinic site to find out!

After you submit your answers, you will be directed to a page that explains the truths and the fallacies. There is also a good list of reference articles for you to utilize for further information.

Remember, there are no miracles. Fad diets do not work, and no product will "make you lose weight". Arm yourself with the facts, and you can and will succeed.

HOODIA TIP- BUYING AUTHENTIC HOODIA

If you are reading this, you are obviously interested in using Hoodia Gordonii as a weight loss aid and are researching the product. In order for a Hoodia product to suppress appetite, it must be pure Hoodia Gordonii imported from South Africa. By now, you have no doubt read that the majority of products claiming to be Hoodia Gordonii are in fact useless fakes that will do nothing to help you in your weight loss efforts. This is the first in a series of "reminder tips" to help you to sift through the countless fake products that are being sold and find one that will work for you.

Be very leery of any product that claims to be "the one" product used and recommended by Oprah, 60 Minutes, or the Today Show.

It is true that Hoodia Gordonii has been in the news since 2004 and has received a lot of attention from the media and the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Hoodia has been featured on many news shows and talk shows, including Oprah, 60 minutes, and the Today Show. It is important for the consumer to read these reviews and to realize that all of these reports were about the Hoodia plant itself. They were written in a generic fashion to discuss the effects of Hoodia, the potential for its use as a weight loss aid, and the industry of marketing Hoodia. None of these reports mentioned or endorsed any brand of Hoodia in particular, nor were they advertisements for any particular product.

Just about any company that is selling Hoodia will mention the media coverage in their advertisements; both the companies selling genuine Hoodia and the ones marketing discount fake Hoodia will make reference to this coverage as a means of educating the consumer. The difference is that the companies who are selling pure Hoodia will not claim to be the product that was featured, because no such product exists. If you see a company that advertises "the one product recommended by Oprah", you can be sure that they are lying and that they are not selling the pure Hoodia that will work. You will be wasting your money on their product.

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS

When making major changes in your lifestyle, the amount of success that you achieve will most likely be dependent on the amount of work, thought, and planning that you are willing to put
into the process of change. Change doesn't just happen; it takes work.

When I went to bed last night, I thanked God, for giving me the strength to stick with the food plans that I had made for the day. When I woke up this morning,, I again asked God to help me to take control of my eating and so that I could plan my food, stick to the plan, and feel happy and satiated with what I would be eating.

I exercised on the treadmill for 45 minutes this morning, because working out in the morning works out best for me. That way I am sure to do my planned exercise instead of making excuses for not doing it at the end of the day because I am too tired or have other things to do. Exercising in the morning also seems to set the tone for my whole day, and I am less likely to overeat if I have already worked out.

I took my Hoodia dosages in the morning and in the evening, and ate my planned meals. I drank lots of water throughout the day and found that I did not have a single hunger pang or thought of overeating.

Tomorrow I plan to go grocery shopping so that I have the right foods in the house for my meals and healthy snacks.

When I go to bed tonight, I will once again say a prayer to God fro helping me to get through yet another healthy day without compulsive overeating. I am feeling good about myself today, and I plan on having even a better day tomorrow!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MOST OF US ARE LOOKING AT OURSELVES

FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE MIRROR

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see an overweight, "fat", and unfit person? OR do you see the person that you want to be and that you know you can become? The first view is self-defeating; you will find that you believe what you are telling yourself. The second view is empowering; you will become more and more motivated to work to achieve the goals that you have set for yourself, and more able to actually achieve them. An accurate self-image, a good self-esteem, and motivation are required for you to make the changes in your lifestyle so that you can realize your dreams and goals. Start with the way that you look at yourself in the mirror today. Don't be self-defeating and say "I'm so fat, I'll never lose all of this weight". Instead, try saying "I am looking and feeling better today than I did yesterday, and I will look even better tomorrow. I am going to stick with my meal plan and exercise today". Before long, you will BE the person that you have wanted to see in the mirror.

New Years Resolutions are typically a set-up for failure. They are generally unrealistic and unattainable demands that you put on yourself with an "all or nothing" attitude. The first time that you fall short, you will give up completely. Try setting smaller, more realistic goals for yourself in the New Year. Instead of saying that I am going to lose 50 pounds before summer, I am resolving that I will plan healthy meals every day, I will shop so that the right foods are in the house, I will avoid snacking at night, and I will exercise for 1 hour at least 3 times a week. If I follow these resolutions, I will lose weight; it may or may not be 50 pounds by summer, but I will definitely look and feel a whole lot better than I do today. By being realistic with yourself, you avoid the self-defeating trap of feeling guilty for an occasional "slip" or "cheat" on your diet plan. You are able to forgive yourself and move on, instead of staying stuck in the madness and giving up.

Try to think of some realistic, attainable goals for yourself. Start viewing yourself in the mirror from the inside out...