Don't Pack on the pounds During the Holidays!

By John McCain

Be prepared for the holidays, because the endless assortment of tasty temptations is just around the corner! It’s easy to fall into the unhealthy mindset of deciding to eat everything that’s set before you as well intentioned loved ones present you with a cornucopia of mouth watering meals and delicious desserts. Stay away from thinking that you can’t change those unhealthy decisions during the holidays.

Decide right now, just prior to the holidays, to continue to take your supplements, drink your protein shakes and make the majority of your meal choices healthy and balanced. This does not mean you can not have your cheat meals or cheat days. Just be prepared for all the temptations that you will be presented in the next two months and plan ahead. Plan on the surprise pot luck, plan on the office party celebrations and get ready for the invitation to the festive meal at the family home.

Resolve now to eat properly most of the time and then allow yourself those occasional days of indulgence. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you only have two extreme choices: “Either I have to give up everything that’s being offered to me and rigidly stick to a healthy plan or I have to eat everything I’m offered and then resign myself to putting on an extra 5, 10 or 15 pounds during the holidays and then start all over at the first of the year.”

Chances are very good that you will be invited to numerous special meals with your family, friends and loved ones. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, work parties or pot lucks, when you’re there, just be wise about your decisions. Choose to have a little more turkey and a little less stuffing. Have another slice of ham and not as much mashed potatoes. Eat more green salad than corn. Just be conscious of the decisions you’re making and that you’re filling your plate up with more of the foods that are healthy for you. Most of the parties will have both healthy foods and filler foods available, so stay away from filling your plate with the filler foods.

Choose wisely my friends and start eating healthy now! You will feel better and you’ll enjoy the holidays more when you have this awareness. Develop the mental attitude of going into the holidays with a plan to stay balanced while choosing mostly healthy meals each day. Remember, you can still have your cheat days or cheat meals, just don’t allow them to roll into cheat months! If you do, then you may literally be rolling into the new year with a lot of extra baggage attached to your waistline!

Do you like the way you look?

By John McCain

Well, do you? Chances are good that the answer most American’s would give is: “No, I hate the way I look!” And why is that? Because 86% of Americans are overweight and according to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36 percent of Americans older than 20 suffer from extreme obesity! Another startling fact is over half of Americans (60%) are dehydrated because we’re not drinking enough water. We’re replacing water with sugary energy drinks that aren’t healthy for us. To make matters even worse, we often confuse hunger signals when were actually thirsty, causing us to eat even more!

If you think we’re the only country that’s having a battle of the bulge, guess again! In 1950, China had an epidemic when 750,000 people died of malnutrition, but now they are gaining ground on the U.S. by gaining more and more weight. Why is this happening? They no longer ride their bikes, they drive automobiles. Second, they’ve added over 3,000 Burger Kings, McDonalds and KFC’s. Plus, they no longer drink tea every day; they’re gulping down Coca Cola. And now they are the fifth fattest country in the world!

What is the reason for this global overweight epidemic? It’s the terrible food choices we’re making. Nobody makes us eat bad food that’s not good for us. We can choose to eat better and still have a day where we go into those places that aren’t good for us and enjoy an occasional cheat meal.

If we want to get serious about losing weight and getting healthy, we have to want to change. That does not mean starving and depriving ourselves. We have to choose better foods and be committed to it. We have to look at food as premium fuel for our bodies. We have to stop being sick and tired of being sick and tired. We have to change, but where do we begin? One option is to give me a couple of days to help you get on a healthy routine. Just a couple of days is all it will take for you to see and feel the difference.

You have the free will to make choices and if you are serious about the positive choices you make, you will be successful. It doesn’t mean you have to be 100% committed 100% of the time. But you have to be 100% committed to making a healthy change. What happens if you cave in to temptation and fall off the food wagon by eating something that’s not good for you? Well, probably not much if you choose to get right back on track with your serious commitment to yourself.

You will likely need to make some other major mental adjustments. The reality is you didn’t put this weight on overnight and you can’t get it off overnight, but if you work at it steadily, you will take off unwanted pounds without starving yourself. Healthy weight loss is not about reducing your calorie intake; it’s about eating the right foods.

Why am I always so excited? Because I have a program that really works and helps people look and feel great! We encourage our clients to substitute one or two high calorie meals with two shakes a day, along with some enhancers to help them increase energy while eliminating hunger pangs and cravings for sweets. Our program is balanced, simple, nutritional, natural and good for you.

I have two clients that have enjoyed great success over the past 6 months. Bob Cox has lost 25 pounds and Rex McNeill has lost over 20 pounds! Equally impressive: Both are feeling great and they’re not starving to death or feeling deprived. They’re just eating the right foods and enjoying a couple of tasty shakes a day with some enhancers. I became a believer in the program when I lost 31 pounds in the first 90 days! I felt different and it really changed my life. I believe that if I can do it, anyone can do it. With a little helpful coaching and a serious commitment, I’m confident that I can help you say yes the next time someone asks you if you like the way you look!

3-2-1 Blast off to Heatlhy Weight Loss

By John McCain

Have you ever been on a diet and felt hungry, deprived and frustrated? Well, I have some great news for you: you don’t have to go hungry by starving yourself in order to lose weight. You actually can and should eat all the food you want and never feel hungry. Just be sure your diet is balanced and healthy. So, go ahead, eat all the vegetables and fruits you want. If you eat meat, then choose lean, mean protein and stay away from all processed junk foods. Go for it!

When you’re starting a sensible weight loss program, these are the three most common changes:

1. You change what you eat.

2. You change your philosophy and relationship with food.

3. You change your exercise routine.

Too often, I see people who are just getting started and they try to do too much. When they do this, they almost always burn out quickly. It’s good to exercise when you’re starting out but it’s not necessary. If you choose to add exercise to your weight loss program, start slowly and then gradually increase the intensity and duration. Be sure to avoid over-exercising. If your heart rate is too high, your body will burn lean muscle instead of fat.

If you’re just starting out, don’t overdo it with too many changes all at the same time. You will likely feel frustrated, get burned out and quit. Instead, start with just one thing first. Don’t go cold turkey by giving up everything unhealthy all at one time; instead, slowly wean yourself off the unhealthy foods and replace them with healthier options that you will enjoy. For example, if you have three sodas a day, cut back to two a day the first week, then one a day the second week and then zero a day in week three. If you’re eating fast food three days a week, use the same strategy as the soda example. Celebrate the small healthy changes you make every day because over time, these changes will eventually lead you to big success.

If you blow it and have a bad meal, don’t get down on yourself. Instead, resolve to make the next meal a good meal. Here are a few more healthy tips to help you get on track to healthy weight loss.

Lean Proteins: Avoid high fat meat and select leaner meat like fish, chicken and turkey.

Meal Replacement Shakes: Choose shakes that are high in protein and nutrients and low in sugar and carbohydrates.

Drink Tea: Some teas can actually accelerate your metabolism while suppressing your appetite!

Reasonable Dinner: I recommend 4 ounces of chicken, salad and asparagus.

Change your Thinking: Envision yourself as a lean machine. Pay attention to the kind of fuel you are putting into your body to propel you through the day.

Drink Plenty of Water: Every cell in your body needs to be adequately hydrated to function properly. How much water should you drink? For every two pounds of weight on your body, drink one ounce of water.