On Diet, Nutrition, and Weight Loss

As much as I hate to admit it, I feel as if I’ve let myself go over the past few months. Okay, I know, I know: relax, Mike, take it easy, Mike,; have a bowl of potato chips, Mike; that second helping of pasta is too tasty too pass up, Mike—LIVE A LITTLE, HUH?

Problem is, I have been living more than a little these day. Having just returned from a wonderful vacation with my lovely wife, my belly is not what I'd like it to be. But more to the point, my overall health is not what I expect it to be. Now don’t go rushing to conclusions: I am very healthy, nothing going on here that one would consider major, save for some weight gain. Only getting away from what I’ve made a habit of over the past several years, successful programs and practices that allow me to go through life with healthy cholesterol numbers, good blood pressure, and the ability to fit into a nice pair of jeans.

The good news? I know what needs to be done and how to do it. That’s one of the main reasons I created this blog and my video site, livelife365.com—to share my knowledge and successes on how to eat right, lose weight, maintain a healthy, happy, lifestyle, every day in every way.

I may sound like a broken record, but for me, it all starts with fiber. But I also have a chip problem, as this video will attest:

Doritos



And I used to think that I had a handle on it, as this video demonstrates:

Reward Your Weaknesses (By Turning Them Into Strengths)



Alas, as the years go by our metabolisms slow, those cheating ways (see above videos) take their toll…and sometimes you have to slap those chips from your hands, and grab the almonds. Why almonds? They are loaded with fiber, have healthy fats, can lower your cholesterol, and are a wonderful alternative snack to, say, POTATO CHIPS!!

The key, though, is the fiber...and portion control. I mean, you can cram handfuls of healthy snacks, like almonds, into your maw all day and still gain a bunch of weight—there’s no getting around the calories consumed versus calories burned ration. What am I talking about? This:

Empty Calories



But by adding fiber to the mix, your hunger pains decrease, because fiber stays in your system longer, thus taking more time to digest. Besides being full of nutrition, fiber also:

· aids in regularity

· alleviates constipation

· reduces the risk of heart disease

· regulates blood sugar

· provides energy, which helps you lose weight

Several years ago, I lost over forty pounds in six months. Since that time, I have gained some of that weight back. But any time I need to drop a few pounds, I always return to the program I used back then. What do I do?

1. Count my calories. Every day. I keep a dietary journal and keep track of everything—and I mean everything—that I put in my mouth

2. Make my calories count. I make sure I eat plenty of vegetable protein, lots of fruit and veggies, and maintain a balanced diet.

3. Limit my caloric intake. Depending on my weight loss goals, this can be 1500-2000 calories a day.

4. I workout often, walk daily, and strive to burn many more calories than I consume. Burn goals: 2500-3500 calories a day.

5. I do the math. The math is simple: you have to burn 3500 calories more than you consume to lose one pound.

6. I keep score. I weigh myself every morning at the same time. If you don’t know where you stand then you will never get to where you need to be.

7. I load up on the fiber (see above and this video)…

And this video:

A DAY OF FIBER



I also cut myself some slack, by taking the weekends, kind of, sort of, off. By that I mean, I will eat a slice of pizza for lunch on Saturday, but not overdo it so as to sabotage all that hard work I put in during the week.

And speaking of pizza—stay away from the carbs, especially the empty carbs (like those aforementioned chips). Since I am counting my calories and making them count, as well as limiting my intake of food, I have little left in my dietary regiment to add empty calories to my diet…unless I want to gain weight, rather than drop those excess pounds.

The other key is this: SACRIFICE!

You have to remember that that belly didn’t happen overnight; it took months of pigging out and sitting on your duff watching bad TV. So dropping all that “Dancing With The Stars” weight will take time too.

My goal is the same it was when I lost all that weight the first time: Two Pounds a Week.

Here’s a video that may help:

HOW TO...LOSE 2 POUNDS A WEEK




And lastly, here are a few of my favorite foods that taste great and help me stay fit and lose weight:

· Beans, lentils, wild rice, quinoa, soybeans

· Broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, spinach

· Tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage

· Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds

· Apples, bananas, oranges, kiwifruit, papaya

· Water, fruit juice, green tea

· Oatmeal, flax seed

Eating right is a daily activity—so is living a healthy, happy, long and fulfilling life. Sometimes snacks get in the way. The good news is you can always choose to change for the better. I have hundreds of videos that can help at my website, livelife365.com. Hey, they helped me. They can help you too.



Until next time…


peace,



Mike

A Potpourri of Fun and Prizes

I write this post with a disclaimer right up front--I am not feeling well. I have been slugging it out with the dreaded late summer allergies that make living in this area of the world, while most of the time a wonderful experience, a sneezing, phlegm-filled, runny nose of a miserable way to exist. Oh, and don't forget the heavy headedness, the askew equilibrium and dizziness...mix them all together in a pot and you have my present condition. So, you have been forewarned! There is a very good chance that what follows is nothing but a jumble of nonsense...and I'm not talking about my regular serving of nonsense--this has the potential of being much more nonsensical. Still with me, brave soldier? Wonderful, carry on...

First off: this blog has been the recipient of more awards! I guess some people like my brand of nonsense.

Karen over at My Funny Dad, Harry and Uncle Che from AZ Blogging both, it appears, love livelife365--and that's a good thing. They have awarded this blog the:


With these awards there are rules, and they are:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog;
2. Link the person you received your award from;
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs;
4. Put links of those blogs on yours; and
5. Leave a message on the blogs that you’ve nominated.

But, for now, I'm going to mix things up a bit (this is the potpourri part) and return to this award stuff later...

Now, where was I? Right, blowing my nose and wishing I were on Maui sipping an ice-cold beverage with the surf pounding in my ears.

Dick Cheney in a Dress?


Is it just me who is not that enamoured with Republican Vice President Nominee Sarah Palin's looks?

Every other post or article I read mention her beauty queen looks and how hot she is. Huh? What am I not seeing?
Okay, she IS better looking than the Veep we currently have in office, I'll give her that. But, to me at least, she's not much better looking than Joe Biden.

And, again, for me at least, I'll take Biden's politics over hers any day.

On that note, here is a music video I made a few months ago, when the Dems couldn't decide who to pick--Hillary or Barack.

It's called "Pick One."



Techno...no ping!

Has anyone else not been getting their pings returned from Technorati? Or is this just "pick on Mike week"? Sniff, sniff. I know it's not just me, given the hundreds of other poor souls pleading for resolution of this issue in the Technorati Support Forums.

For those of us interested in blog ranking on these sites, this becomes a major issue if left unresolved. Read a few posts and you get a good idea how upsetting this is. But what can you do, besides post a question and wait? Call them up? Sure, right after I finish speaking to Google and Yahoo. Grin and bear it, I guess. If anyone has any suggestions that can help with this issue, I'm all ears. In the meantime, here's a video that should ease your (my) misery. If you like it, don't forget to vote "Funny."

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Hold on, gotta blow my nose. Wow, did you hear that? Okay, next...oh, wait a minute, gotta...snee...snee...snee...

SNEEZE!

Here, watch this while I go get more Kleenex:



For those of you still with me, thanks--I know that last video was difficult to watch. (told you I wasn't feeling well!)

Lastly, for you Entrecarders out there. I have added my video site, livelife365.com, to Entrecard, but since both this blog and my vid site go by the same name, confusion is bound to rear its ugly head and, well, confuse us. So, to avoid as much of that as possible, here, side by side,

are the two different ads for both sites. The one on the left is the one you've been using to drop on my blog. The new one, on the right, is for the video site. They both share one frightening similarity: mug shots of my face while holding objects of my affection.


That's about it for today. What? Where are the prizes? And the blogs I need to list to go along with the awards? Do I need to sneeze all over this laptop again to remind you all that I'm not well?

Tell you what--I will announce my nominees for the I Love Your Blog awards (unless anyone wants to volunteer, and if you are STILL reading this, I will give you an award...but not a prize) later on this week.

Yes, prizes. I know, the title lured you in with the hope of a prize, and for that, all I can say is...ahhhh...ahhhh...ahhhhh....AAAAHHHHHH....

CHOOOOO!

peace,

Mike