Thank you to all my spark friends for all the motivation you have given me. I have reached my original goal weight(125) in 2008!


I was diagnosed with Graves Disease & a severe case of Hyperthryoidism in April 2008 and was down to 105lbs. No matter what I did, the pounds kept dropping...I know...you're thinking nothing wrong with that, but getting down to 105lbs at my height was not healthy. My friends and family said I looked horrible! Since undergoing treatment and now ...

Thank you to all my spark friends for all the motivation you have given me. I have reached my original goal weight(125) in 2008!


I was diagnosed with Graves Disease & a severe case of Hyperthryoidism in April 2008 and was down to 105lbs. No matter what I did, the pounds kept dropping...I know...you're thinking nothing wrong with that, but getting down to 105lbs at my height was not healthy. My friends and family said I looked horrible! Since undergoing treatment and now being Hypothyroid, I am looking much healthier, and am much happier!

I've had to make some changes in my lifestyle. Its a work in progress! Everyday I face a challenge. I never now how I will feel or act.

Goals:
EAT CLEAN- this is my newest challenge and hopefully one I will finish! :) Anyone want to join me? This is probably my hardest challenge yet. I can exercise and excerise..but if I don't get my eating under control, my body will never be what I want it to be.
I have a very bad sweet tooth, and a hard time resisting these treats.

To maintain my weight as much as possible, and to not go over 125lbs! Its crazy to go from an overactive metabolism to a very underactive one....see food...gain a pound now! Quite literally. lol Anyways, since before my diagnosis I was probably still around 120-125, my endocrinologist said to be ready to go back to that weight, and possibly add 10 lbs to that. I want to prove her wrong! It is hard to see the scale go up and up though, even with dedication to diet and exercise. I just try not to let the scale dictate my life.

I love all my sparkfriends, without the support I get from you all, I wouldn't have made it this far! =) I love meeting new spark friends...please leave me a note or drop an e-mail!

Retrain your Brain
Changing your attitude means changing your "self-talk" or internal monologue. Self-talk is the chattering conversation you have with yourself all day long, whether you are aware of it or not. It's the voice in your head that says, "I'm too fat" or "I'm not good enough.
Guess what? This is the kind of useless negativity that's keeping you from being the best that you can be. It's time to turn it around once and for all. You need to retrain yourself to think positively! Imagine what would happen if you changed the dialogue so that it sounded more like this: "I can lose weight and be healthy, exercise to the best of my ability, and get stronger and better at it every time I do it." Your self-talk can mean the difference between happiness and despair, and success and failure. If you start making your self-talk more positive and affirming — and less defeatist and self-depreciating — your whole life will change for the better.

IS IT REALLY OK TO EAT LATE?
Has anyone ever told you that you need to eat dinner early in order to lose weight? Well, guess what? They were wrong. It doesn't matter when you eat your calories — it matters how many calories you eat. Look at the Europeans. They eat dinner at something like 10 p.m., and they're certainly skinnier than us Americans. The idea that you should refrain from eating late at night is an old dieting myth. Eat when you want — just keep track of your calories.~Jillian Michaels

Calculate your BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate...The minimum # of calories your body needs to get through the day no exercise is included here!

Formula for Women:
655+ (4.35 x weight in pounds)+(4.7 x height in inches)- (4.7 x age in years)
Add this # to the number of calories you burned during your workouts, then subtract the # of calories you consumed that day. At the end of the day you want to create a calorie deficit. Having burned or used more calories than you consumed!

11/4/08 my BMR: 1342
4/1/09 my BMR- 1323
11/1/09 my BMR - 1,992- Interesting I thought...what a change from the previous ones.
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Targeting the belly fat:
*Target all ab muscles
Crunches are great to shape the abs, but you also have to work the hip flexors and obliques to really tone your midsection. Toning tricks:

~~Slow down
When you speed through any exercise, your body's momentum propels the movement, so the muscles don't have to work as hard and you don't get results. Each crunch should take a full 7 seconds--3 seconds to lift, a 1-second hold at the top, and 3 seconds to lower.

~~Do strength-building yoga moves
Poses that require you to support your entire body weight, like the boat or plank, may be among the best at strengthening your core because you have to engage your deep abdominal muscles, often for 30 to 60 seconds


Pseudo-healthy foods to stay away from!

Diet soda - ­ it may seem like the perfect way to save calories and slash your sugar intake but studies show that diet drinkers actually weigh more than regular soda drinkers. For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese tied to a 2 can a day habit is 57% compared to 46% for regular soda drinkers. Diet soda may throw off your natural appetite regulation, causing you to eat more sweets. It may also trick you into thinking it’s OK to indulge in high calorie foods because you “saved” by choosing diet soda.

Pretzels ­ - the label may shout ‘fat free’ and seem like a better
alternative to chips, but they’re made with refined white flour stripped of its vitamins and antioxidants. They’re also dense so they pack a ton of carb calories for a very small amount and they’re not filling. Think of it this way - one 15 oz bag contains the equivalent of 24 slices of white bread.

Vitamin water ­ - yes it has vitamins, but at up to 200 calories per bottle (50 per serving with 4 servings per jug), just one of these a day can cause a 20 pound weight gain in a year’s time if the calories aren’t burned off. If you really like Vitamin Water, try the new 10 calorie ones! They are great! I also like Propell and the new SOBE water with 0 calories.

Bottom line: that old saying, ‘All that glitters isn’t gold’ really holds true with food as well—all that appears healthy isn’t!

Tips from Jillian:
To curb nighttime grazing:
•Why do most people graze at night? Because they're bored. If you've been thinking about taking up knitting, crossword puzzles, Ping-Pong, or some other hobby that will keep your brain busy in the evening, now is the time to do it.
•Brush your teeth. Food never seems quite as appealing when you have that fresh, minty toothpaste taste in your mouth.
•Try a cup of hot tea; the warm liquid in your stomach can help you feel satiated.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
One of the keys to successful, sustainable weight loss is to keep your metabolism working at top speed, burning as many calories as possible. When you start to eat less, however, your metabolism will slow down in order to conserve energy. This is what causes the bane of every dieter's existence: the plateau.

Every dieter encounters a plateau at some point in the weight-loss journey, and sometimes the best policy is just to wait it out. Stick with your eating and exercise routines for a few weeks and your weight will most likely continue its downward swing. But there are also measures you can take to try to keep your metabolism fired up even as you eat fewer calories.
To begin with, you should never let your caloric intake drop below 1,500 each day if you're a man and 1,200 each day if you're a woman. Restricting yourself any further will bring your metabolism to a screeching halt. Also, don't go too long without eating. Four hours without food is a reasonable maximum. Don't skip meals, and always eat breakfast. This will keep your blood sugar stable and your cravings under control.
Another way to prevent your metabolism from slowing down is to vary your caloric intake from day to day. Your body can't adjust to a reduced caloric intake if your intake isn't fixed, so dig in, and remember that in this one case, inconsistency pays


Trick to losing that belly: I just read this from Prevention's Flat Belly Diet!
Eat MUFA's!! (monosaturated fat) there are 5 categories:
1. Oils
2. nuts and seeds
3. avocado
4. olives
5. CHOCOLATE!
Eating one serving of these a day with each meal will help reduce belly fat! Eat meals that are around 400 calories


Fiber
The best place to get your fiber is from natural sources, like...
* Vegetables (broccoli, carrots, celery, cucumbers)
* Fruits (apples, berries, plums, pears)
* Whole grains (brown rice, oats, whole wheat)
* Beans (pick a bean, any bean!)

Need some ideas on how to make these high-fiber foods taste great? Here are our hot tips!

Dip It Good Add some dry ranch mix (or another seasoning blend) to plain fat-free Greek yogurt. You'll get a creamy flavor-packed dip to dunk your veggies in, PLUS the added benefits of yogurt. Salsa also makes an easy 'n' awesome dip for all your favorite vegetables.



MY FAVORITE NO-GUILT SNACK FINDS!
Dannon Light & Fit Nonfat Yogurt - Although now that they have changed the yogurt and ADDED more calories, its not as good!
Light String Cheese by Frigo, Sargento,
Quaker Rice Snacks - Caramel Corn, & Chocolate
Kashi
Spec K protein bars

Snacks I like to eat AFTER my workout:
Protein shake with banana
PB and banana on rice cakes
yogurt and berries
tuna on whole wheat

Think your hungry- DRINK WATER first.
Examine your hunger. The next time you feel really hungry between meals, consider the last time you ate. If it was less than three to four hours earlier, your stomach isn't growling, and you're not weak or tired, it's likely that you're emotionally unsatisfied rather than genuinely physically hungry.

Think about what, besides eating, soothes you. Steer yourself toward positive feelings of self-worth, and you will pick activities and behaviors that inherently contradict self-loathing and self-destructiveness.

Don't panic. You can and will lose weight. Even if you're eating more than the meal plan calorie allowance, you can still lose — it just might take a little longer. Exercise is crucial.

Do NOT beat yourself up! You can do this. One slip up is one slip up, and if this is to be a lifestyle change you can't expect to be perfect 100 percent of the time. Believe in yourself, and get back on the wagon tomorrow.


July 10th- I became a Spark Motivator! Awwwww Thank YOU to everyone! It makes me feel great to know that I have helped a few of you! As always, I am here for ya!

Read More About JENNY448 (Updated November 9)

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