08-Mar-2007
===== Power Programming Bi-Weekly Newsletter ======
In this issue:
1. ) Success Stories From The Counselors Office
2. ) Book News
3. ) News You Can Use
4. ) Article: Three "Food Groups" To Avoid
5. ) Quote of the Week
1. ) SUCCESS STORIES FROM THE COUNSELORS OFFICE
I heard from a client of mine that I had seen several months ago. He’s down about 20 pounds and is still very much on track with his lifestyle changes. The thing that amazes me the most is that when I first met this guy, he was nervous that he had a drinking problem. He drank every night. Ever since the first session, which was about 3 months ago, he hasn’t had a drop of alcohol nor does he want any.
2. BOOK NEWS
It’s getting close. The official release date will be at the end of April. A lot of behind the scene PR stuff is going on right now.
3. NEWS YOU CAN USE
Makers of Sodas Try a New Pitch: They’re Healthy
See the whole story here
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20070307/ZNYT01/703070360/1051/NEWS01
4. ARTICLE: Three “Food Groups” To Avoid
All that it takes to start shedding some pounds is some minor adjustments in your eating patterns, some slight sacrifices. I know there are a million weight loss books, pills and scams out there but don’t worry we’re not going to go there. All I want you to do is to weed-out three “food groups” from your diet right now and I guarantee you’ll lose weight. That’s all, just three simple things. But remember, you must stay committed to yourself. Are you up for it?
1. Eliminate sweetened soft drinks from your diet.
If you like soda, iced tea or lemonade, make the commitment to rid them from your diet. Replace these sugar water drinks with real water. A bottle of Poland Spring will do the trick. How will this help you lose weight? Well, it’s pretty straight-forward. One can of the stuff contains between 8 and 10 teaspoons of sugar. Got a thirst for those big 20 ouncers? Well guess what? They will pump 15 teaspoons of sugar into your system. But that’s beside the point. A 12 ounce sweetened drink contains 140 calories. I know lots of people who drink 4 or 5 a day. That’s between 600 and 700 empty calories. You’ll have to walk for an hour on the treadmill to burn-off those calories. And no, a can of Country Time lemonade is not a better alternative.
I took the “stay away from soda” test about 10 years ago and never looked back. It’s not going to be as hard as you think. Once you add good old-fashioned water to your repertoire, you’ll get used to it within a couple of weeks. It’s not as boring as you might think. In fact, after a couple of weeks you’ll be completely turned-off by soda and other sweetened drinks. Try it and you will see.
2. Stay away from desserts
Oh yes you can. I know that desserts are as much a part of our culture as Thanksgiving turkey but you can avoid these artery cloggers if you make a personal commitment. After all, how hungry can you possibly be after you’ve already eaten your dinner? Not hungry at all. Your cravings may say “eat dessert” but your body certainly doesn’t.
It’s not even weight gain that troubles me as much as what desserts will do to your heart. Most baked goods are not only loaded with calories; they’re loaded with saturated fat and trans fat. These are the waxy substances that block your arteries and with years of practice, your risk of having a heart attack increases dramatically. But let’s get back to calories for a moment.
It’s the obscene amount of calories that you’ll find in desserts that is the culprit to weight gain. A “harmless” piece of cheesecake isn’t harmless at all. Why? First of all, you are not remotely hungry when you eat it. Secondly, it probably contains 300-500 calories or more. Not a good recipe for losing weight. So make the commitment to stay away from them for a while. In time you won’t even miss them. Start replacing them with fruits and you’ll be doing your body and your heart a tremendous favor.
3. Avoid fried foods like the plague
Ok, I’m going to do it again. Before I get to the weight gaining part, I’m going to tell you about the other danger that fried foods presents. Thank God, New Jersey and some other states banned trans fats from restaurants. That’s right, in many states fast food joints can no longer soak their addictive fries in this artificial stuff. Trans fat is a man-made fat that serves two purposes. It extends the shelf life of cake and cookie products and when used for deep-frying, it can be used over and over again. Pretty cost effective for food producers. Even scarier, the shelf life in your arteries is also a lot longer and that leads to one thing, blockages.
Now, about its weight-gaining potential. First of all, foods that are deep fried always contain more calories because they contain more fat. Secondly, have you taken a look at the amount of food you get when you order the deep-fried versions? It’s enormous. And the reason is clear. Fried foods are so inexpensive to make that food joints can pile your tray sky high with them because they know you’ll be back again soon.
That pretty much sums it up. I’m not here to tell you to stay away from the bread on your table or to deprive yourself of a tasty pasta dish at your favorite Italian restaurant. All I’m asking you to do is to eliminate these three things from your diet. If you take my advice and stick with it, the amount of weight you’ll start losing will seem magical. Do you think you can do it? Well, I don’t want you to think; I want you to act. If you don’t, you’d better make sure you have a good life insurance policy.
5. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
To lengthen thy Life, lessen thy meals.
Benjamin Franklin
