Get your 24 Day Challenge between NOW and next Tuesday January 15th to get your discount! Let’s do this challenge TOGETHER! Please get your weight and measurements to me by Wednesday January 16th to qualify! The time is NOW! Order here…

• khanacademy.org - video lectures on just about any subject
• ted.com - lectures by smart people
• academicearth.org - classroom lectures
• freerice.com - expand your vocabulary while feeding the hungry
• lizardpoint.com - a collection of geography quizzes
• mathrun.net - timed math quizzes
• classicshorts.com - the best short stories
• erowid.org - learn about drugs
• qwikia.com - turn a Wikipedia article into a video
• unplugthetv.com - a collection of intellectually stimulating videos
• factsie.com - a place to learn amazing and unusual historical and scientific facts

Learn Skills

• highercomputingforeveryone.com - learn to program in C
• thechesswebsite.com - a bunch of chess tactics, tutorials, and puzzles
• htmldog.com - learn html
• codecademy.com - learn to code through interactive lessons
• cookingforengineers.com - learn to cook
• digital-photography-school.com - learn photography
• memrise.com - learn a foreign language
• justinguitar.com - guitar video tutorials
• livemocha.com - a language learning community
• musictheory.net - learn music theory
• investopedia.com - learn and practice investing

Useful Web Apps

• mint.com - for budgeting your money
• billshrink.com - compare cell phone and credit card plans
• duckduckgo.com - a search engine that isn’t following you
• padmapper.com - maps out possible apartments/homes that fit your criteria
• printfriendly.com - make any webpage print friendly
• printwhatyoulike.com - print precisely what you want from any webpage
• privnote.com - write a note to someone that will self-destruct after they read it
• freecycle.org - a network of people giving away free stuff in their towns
• couchsurfing.org - crash on someone’s couch anywhere in the world
• recipepuppy.com - search for recipes based on the ingredients you have
• pipl.com - a search engine for finding people
• donorschoose.org - donate to a classroom in need
• charitynavigator.org - evaluates various charities
• govdeals.com - find cheap stuff the government is getting rid of
• newsmap.jp - popular news headlines
• radioreference.com - listen to radio channels across the nation
• jimmyr.com - link aggregator
• msworddit.com - Reddit in Microsoft Word form
• wepay.com - like paypal but less scummy
• wolframalpha.com - a computational knowledge engine
• heavens-above.com - follow satellites and constellations
• whatismyip.com - figure out you I.P. address
• spreeder.com - improve reading speed and comprehension
• simplynoise.com - listen to white noise
• camelcamelcamel.com - tracks prices for any product
• ptable.com - an interactive periodic table
• retailmenot.com - find coupons for just about anything
• searchtempest.com - search all of craigslist with one search
• join.me - peek in on somebody’s computer screen
• thistothat.com - find out the best way to glue this to that
• woorank.com - find out what your website is missing, how you can improve it, and how to make Google recognize it better
• scribblemaps.com - draw on maps then share them with friends
• mailvu.com - video email
• rhymer.com - online rhyming dictionary
• homestyler.com - design your dream home
• wetransfer.com - an easy way to send big files
• mapofthedead.com - shows places around you to help you survive the zombie apocalypse
• pastebin.com - a place to paste text
• idelkeyboard.com - make it sound like you’re hard at work
• dropbox.com - backup your sensitive document online
• seatguru.com - find out where the best seats are on your plane flight
• unlistmy.info - find out which websites store data about you, and tell them to unlist your info
• ifoundyourcamera.net - a collection of lost cameras
• sizeasy.com - check the size of items you buy online
• sleepyti.me - plan out your sleep schedule better
• ninite.com - download all the free software you want at the same time
• ripetrack.com - find out when certain fruits are ripe
• compassionpit.com - talk out your problems with others, or help others yourself
• paperbackswap.com - swap books with others
• reddpics.com - a look at Reddit’s favorite pictures
• swole.me - plan out your meals better
• weatherspark.com - a graphical look at the weather
• network-tools.com - network tools

Other Interesting Blogs

• thestuffofmen.com - cool stuff every man should own
• artofmanliness.com - learn man stuff
• thedailymiscellany.com - daily tips, DIYs, ane more
• getrichslowly.org - personal finance advice
• thedatingspecialist.com - seduction tips
• brainpickings.org - a human-powered discovery engine
• fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com - a look at politics through the numbers
• hackaday.com - a new DIY project every day
• shorpy.com - old and interesting pictures
• boston.com/bigpicture - amazing pictures covering the latest news around the world
• newscientist.com - science news
• uncrate.com - a place for stuff men love
• tastespotting.com - pictures of delicious food
• zenhabits.net - take a breath and read this blog
• foodgawker.com - more pictures of delicious food
• theburninghouse.com - a blog cataloging which possessions people choose to save from a burning home
• dwellinggawker.com - check out how amazing the inside of some homes look
• thesimpledollar.com - more personal finance advice
• veryquiet.com - world news and analysis
• mentalfloss.com - where knowledge junkies get their fix
• mrmoneymustache.com - financial advice through badassity
• studyblue.com - study tips
• lettersofnote.com - personal letters written by famous people

What Is A Cleanse?

A cleanse is simply when you increase the ability of your body to detoxify itself.

The most important thing to understand is that the best cleanse is not a product you buy. Rather, it is a series of steps you take, over time, that get you to a place where you feel much better. It is a process that you take that cleans and detoxifies your body. At its best a cleanse is a sustained period of focus which will help to lead you to a place of better long term balance and improved habits.

Of course there are products which will help support this process, and we will outline AdvoCare’s products and how they are truly the best. But first we need to outline some fundamentals of cleansing and detoxification that many different leading health experts are in agreement on.

Fundamentals of a “Cleanse” 

1. The most important fundamental of a cleanse is: a nutrient dense or nutrient rich diet. If you are like most people, you eat on the run and eat a diet rich in processed foods. You also get fewer than 10% of your total calories from plants. This diet is highly toxic and is the main reason people turn to “cleanses” for relief. A growing number of people are now choosing to dramatically increase the vegetable content of their diet, which has the opposite effect.

When you increase the vegetable content of your diet, you take a lot of stress off your body. People can argue that meat, dairy and processed foods are healthy or not healthy, but you cannot argue that they are easier to digest than plants. More importantly, vegetables are rich in micronutrients which are calorie free vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. There is a massive body of evidence that links micronutrient intake to better health, improved energy, and weight loss. Your body simply works better with high micronutrient intake.

Macronutrients are carbs, protein and fat- which contain calories. Most people get plenty (usually too many!) of these macronutrients. When you make a real effort to invert your micro and macronutrient intake, good things happen, if you are out of balance. This is the absolute #1 fundamental principle of cleaning and detoxifying your body.

The AdvoCare Cleanse Program provides a very easy to follow path to rebalance macro and micronutrient intake.

2. The second fundamental of a cleanse protocol is making sure your gut and digestive system is functioning optimally. This is an area of emerging research and understanding, but almost every digestive health expert agrees that some level of probiotic intake and digestive enzyme intake can help improve gut function. When your insides are functioning properly, you will absorb your needed micronutrients at a better rate!

Probiotics are widely available, though they vary widely in quality. Clinical research states that probiotics have a “variety of proposed beneficial effects, including promotion of gut health.” New studies have been published in 2011 that even show a link between probiotics and lower risk of colorectal cancers and inflammatory bowel disease.

L-Glutamine is another supplement which is widely thought to help improve digestive function. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center: “Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid (building block of protein) in the body. The body can make enough glutamine for its regular needs, but extreme stress (the kind you would experience after very heavy exercise or an injury), your body may need more glutamine than it can make….Glutamine helps to protect the lining of the gastrointestinal tract known as the mucosa.”

Many of us suffer from chronic stress, but if you eat a standard diet high in macronutrients and low in micronutrients, it is very likely that you are suffering from “nutritional stress.”

3. Physical Rest and Stress Reduction. Even though the science is not yet crystal clear, many researchers believe that stress “may trigger allergic reactions in the gut and other organs, and depression or anxiety may worsen symptoms in inflammatory disorders of the intestine.” Rest and stress reduction are an essential part of a cleanse protocol. As you increase the supplements to support your gut, you want to also make sure that you rest as much as possible, and generally remain aware about the negative role that stress plays in harming your health. Most people are simply unaware of this link, and find a level of relief when they start to take a supplement regimen that includes probiotics, L-Glutamine and Omega-3′s.

Digestive rest is an important part of this cleanse equation. Blended shakes and soups, rich in foods that contain micronutrients will give you body what it wants and also give your digestive system a break.

4. Support The Liver. The protocol to make sure the liver is functioning as well as possible is fairly straightforward. You want to take the pressure off the liver, and make sure the liver is getting the nutritional support it needs. I don’t think that anyone would argue that reducing or eliminating alcohol for a period of time will help the liver do a better job of detoxifying the body. Additionally, a micronutrient rich diet will provide the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that the liver needs to do its job.

5. Exercise. You need to move as much as you can each day for optimal health. This you know and have heard before. What you probably struggle with is figuring out what kind of exercise is valuable, and how intense your workouts need to be. We have become strong advocates of the “Slow Burn” philosophy of exercise which focuses more on movement as a goal rather than intensity. For the purposes of a cleanse, increased circulation is the goal.

Strength training and load bearing exercise is helpful to increase bone density and muscle mass, but in the context of simply feeling better and detoxifying your body, you want to focus on movement not intensity. If you are successful at increasing your micronutrient intake (and especially green vegetables) your blood will become “nutrient rich” and the movement will help these nutrients flow through your entire body.

6. Hydration and Elimination. As you do all the things suggested above, you’ll also want to make sure you have plenty of water so that the toxins released will be able to quickly exit your body. If you are eating plenty of fresh vegetables and some fruit, you will already be in pretty good shape because of the high water content in your food. Drink plenty of fresh water of course, and also work to get as much hydration as you can from vegetables. This combination should result in very regular elimination.

Conclusion

As you read this article hopefully most of the ideas are fairly common sense. If there is anything new, we hope that we have provided adequate evidence or support for the suggestion. It is our hope that this article will help guide people toward the relief they are looking for, in a common sense way that helps to build upon the work they are already doing.

Obviously it is easy for most people to fall into the behavior patterns that lead to systemic stress. And much harder to permanently adopt behavior patterns that lead to less stress, more energy and a cleaner body. If the suggestions presented in this article sound familiar or even repetitive, that is our intention. There is no quick fix for anything. But there is massive benefit to a sustained commitment over a period of many years. 

(excerpts via PEER Trainer)

Before I experienced consistent weight loss maintenance, things always started creeping up on me in September and October. I don’t know whether it was because the “comfort food” cravings started kicking in, whether I was moving less….who knows. Most likely it was a combination of both plus many other factors. The side effect of this was MISERY at the start of the holiday season. I had already started my weight gain, the holiday goodies and stress creeped in, and it was inevitable that I was going to NOT wear that gorgeous dress to the holiday parties. By the time they rolled around, I was opting for the loose-fitting pants and a scarf around my neck to hide the double chin I had created.
I now NEVER stop taking my MNS C. I always drink my Spark instead of soda, and I always take at least 6 Catalyst a day. These are daily rituals that have kept me at my goal weight for over a year now. Before AdvoCare, I didn’t even care about the health benefits of daily supplements, but with MNS taken every day, and a quarterly cleanse, I have never felt better. And I’m committed to my health. I’m in the best shape since I was running 4 miles a day…in COLLEGE (for those of you who don’t know me, I will turn 44 proudly in a month ).

So this year I’ll wear that dress. And I’m bringing along those who will make the commitment now. Focus on who you want to WOW then, and the pride your spouse will have in you as you enter the room with him/her. It’ll be so much easier if you commit while the produce is still fresh, the weather is perfect for that evening walk, and you don’t have as many temptations. I will coach you every step of the way so that you don’t have to do this alone.
Get started, or re-committed, NOW. Don’t wait. Call me. 515.556.2310 or Email Beth

This is a system that is REAL FOOD, REAL NUTRIENTS, and HEALTHY.

You WILL Succeed.

                                                                                         I’m here for you – Beth

Here is something to remember and reflect on before putting anything in your tummy during the holidays…

Halloween Treat Calculator

Thanksgiving Food Calculator

Christmas Calorie Calculator

New Year’s Eve Calorie Calculator

Who said it was tough to cook on the cleanse? This is what I made tonight – on things I already had in the house…..

Add Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper, grill some Mahi steaks on the barbie, and top with Tzatziki pre-made from the store (Trader Joe’s is the bomb) and you’re good to go! If you’re in a hurry, there’s no need to even chop veggies. Run to your freezer and prepare the same way. Yummm…

Just came across this fantastic article on StumbleUpon where they asked a variety of diet related questions to some of the top dietitians in North America.

Below is what they told them in simple to follow tips, they’ve learned from successful experience with thousands of clients. Some tips are new. Some you’ve heard before, but they’re repeated because they work.

I Can Only Handle One Diet Change Right Now. What Should I Do?

1. Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily. Get comfortable with that, then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.

2. Eat at least two servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.

3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions—unless you want to supersize your clothes.

4. Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, plate it, and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.

5. Start eating a big breakfast. It helps you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.

6. Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner.

Are there Any Easy Tricks to Help Me Cut Calories?

7. Eating out? Halve it, and bag the rest. A typical restaurant entree has 1,000 to 2,000 calories, not even counting the bread, appetizer, beverage, and dessert.

8. When dining out, make it automatic: Order one dessert to share.

9. Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.

10. See what you eat. Plate your food instead of eating out of the jar or bag.

11. Eat the low-cal items on your plate first, then graduate. Start with salads, veggies, and broth soups, and eat meats and starches last. By the time you get to them, you’ll be full enough to be content with smaller portions of the high-calorie choices.

12. Instead of whole milk, switch to 1 percent. If you drink one 8-oz glass a day, you’ll lose 5 lb in a year.

13. Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day.

14. Get calories from foods you chew, not beverages. Have fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.

15. Keep a food journal. It really works wonders.

16. Follow the Chinese saying: “Eat until you are eight-tenths full.”

17. Use mustard instead of mayo.

18. Eat more soup. The noncreamy ones are filling but low-cal.

19. Cut back on or cut out caloric drinks such as soda, sweet tea, lemonade, etc. People have lost weight by making just this one change. If you have a 20-oz bottle of Coca-Cola every day, switch to Diet Coke. You should lose 25 lb in a year.

20. Take your lunch to work.

21. Sit when you eat.

22. Dilute juice with water.

23. Have mostly veggies for lunch.

24. Eat at home.

25. Limit alcohol to weekends.

How Can I Eat More Veggies?

26. Have a V8 or tomato juice instead of a Diet Coke at 3 pm.

27. Doctor your veggies to make them delicious: Dribble maple syrup over carrots, and sprinkle chopped nuts on green beans.

28. Mix three different cans of beans and some diet Italian dressing. Eat this three-bean salad all week.

29. Don’t forget that vegetable soup counts as a vegetable.

30. Rediscover the sweet potato.

31. Use prebagged baby spinach everywhere: as “lettuce” in sandwiches, heated in soups, wilted in hot pasta, and added to salads.

32. Spend the extra few dollars to buy vegetables that are already washed and cut up.

33. Really hate veggies? Relax. If you love fruits, eat plenty of them; they are just as healthy (especially colorful ones such as oranges, mangoes, and melons).

34. Keep seven bags of your favorite frozen vegetables on hand. Mix any combination, microwave, and top with your favorite low-fat dressing. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups a day. Makes a great quick dinner.

Can You Give Me a Mantra that will Help Me Stick to My Diet?

35. “The best portion of high-calorie foods is the smallest one. The best portion of vegetables is the largest one. Period.”

36. “I’ll ride the wave. My cravings will disappear after 10 minutes if I turn my attention elsewhere.”

37. “I want to be around to see my grandchildren, so I can forgo a cookie now.”

38. “I am a work in progress.”

39. “It’s more stressful to continue being fat than to stop overeating.”

I Eat Healthy, but I’m Overweight. What Mistakes Could I Be Making without Realizing It?

40. Skipping meals. Many healthy eaters “diet by day and binge by night.”

41. Don’t “graze” yourself fat. You can easily munch 600 calories of pretzels or cereal without realizing it.

42. Eating pasta like crazy. A serving of pasta is 1 cup, but some people routinely eat 4 cups.43. Eating supersize bagels of 400 to 500 calories for snacks.

44. Ignoring “Serving Size” on the Nutrition Facts panel.

45. Snacking on bowls of nuts. Nuts are healthy but dense with calories. Put those bowls away, and use nuts as a garnish instead of a snack.

46. Thinking all energy bars and fruit smoothies are low-cal.

What Can I Eat for a Healthy Low-Cal Dinner if I Don’t Want to Cook?

47. A smoothie made with fat-free milk, frozen fruit, and wheat germ.

48. The smallest fast-food burger (with mustard and ketchup, not mayo) and a no-cal beverage. Then at home, have an apple or baby carrots.

49. A peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with a glass of 1 percent milk and an apple.

50. Precooked chicken strips and microwaved frozen broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese.

51. A healthy frozen entree with a salad and a glass of 1 percent milk.

52. Scramble eggs in a nonstick skillet. Pop some asparagus in the microwave, and add whole wheat toast. If your cholesterol levels are normal, you can have seven eggs a week!

53. A bag of frozen vegetables heated in the microwave, topped with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.

54. Prebagged salad topped with canned tuna, grape tomatoes, shredded reduced-fat cheese, and low-cal Italian dressing.

55. Keep lean sandwich fixings on hand: whole wheat bread, sliced turkey, reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes, mustard with horseradish.

56. Heat up a can of good soup.

57. Cereal, fruit, and fat-free milk makes a good meal anytime.

58. Try a veggie sandwich from Subway.

59. Precut fruit for a salad and add yogurt.

What’s Your Best Advice for Avoiding those Extra Holiday Pounds?

60. Don’t tell yourself, “It’s okay, it’s the holidays.” That opens the door to 6 weeks of splurging.

61. Remember, EAT before you meet. Have this small meal before you go to any parties: a hardboiled Egg, Apple, and a Thirst quencher (water, seltzer, diet soda, tea).

62. As obvious as it sounds, don’t stand near the food at parties. Make the effort, and you’ll find you eat less.

63. At a buffet? Eating a little of everything guarantees high calories. Decide on three or four things, only one of which is high in calories. Save that for last so there’s less chance of overeating.

64. For the duration of the holidays, wear your snuggest clothes that don’t allow much room for expansion. Wearing sweats is out until January.

65. Give it away! After company leaves, give away leftover food to neighbors, doormen, or delivery people, or take it to work the next day.

66. Walk around the mall three times before you start shopping.

67. Make exercise a nonnegotiable priority.

68. Dance to music with your family in your home. One dietitian reported that when she asks her patients to do this, initially they just smile, but once they’ve done it, they say it is one of the easiest ways to involve the whole family in exercise.

How Can I Control a Raging Sweet Tooth?

69. Once in a while, have a lean, mean salad for lunch or dinner, and save the meal’s calories for a full dessert.

70. Are you the kind of person who does better if you make up your mind to do without sweets and just not have them around? Or are you going to do better if you have a limited amount of sweets every day? One RD reported that most of her clients pick the latter and find they can avoid bingeing after a few days.

71. If your family thinks they need a very sweet treat every night, try to strike a balance between offering healthy choices but allowing them some “free will.” Compromise with low-fat ice cream and fruit, or sometimes just fruit with a dollop of whipped cream.

72. Try 2 weeks without sweets. It’s amazing how your cravings vanish.

73. Eat more fruit. A person who gets enough fruit in his diet doesn’t have a raging sweet tooth.

74. Eat your sweets, just eat them smart! Carve out about 150 calories per day for your favorite sweet. That amounts to about an ounce of chocolate, half a modest slice of cake, or 1/2 cup of regular ice cream.

75. Try these smart little sweets: sugar-free hot cocoa, frozen red grapes, fudgsicles, sugar-free gum, Nutri-Grain chocolate fudge twists, Tootsie Rolls, and hard candy.

How Can I Conquer My Downfall: Bingeing at Night?

76. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The large majority of people who struggle with night eating are those who skip meals or don’t eat balanced meals during the day. This is a major setup for overeating at night.

77. Eat your evening meal in the kitchen or dining room, sitting down at the table.

78. Drink cold unsweetened raspberry tea. It tastes great and keeps your mouth busy.

79. Change your nighttime schedule. It will take effort, but it will pay off. You need something that will occupy your mind and hands.

80. If you’re eating at night due to emotions, you need to focus on getting in touch with what’s going on and taking care of yourself in a way that really works. Find a nonfood method of coping with your stress.

81. Put a sign on the kitchen and refrigerator doors: “Closed after Dinner.”

82. Brush your teeth right after dinner to remind you: No more food.

83. Eat without engaging in any other simultaneous activity. No reading, watching TV, or sitting at the computer.

84. Eating late at night won’t itself cause weight gain. It’s how many calories—not when you eat them—that counts.

How Can I Reap Added Health Benefits from My Dieting?

85. Fat-free isn’t always your best bet. Research has found that none of the lycopene or alpha- or beta-carotene that fight cancer and heart disease is absorbed from salads with fat-free dressing. Only slightly more is absorbed with reduced-fat dressing; the most is absorbed with full-fat dressing. But remember, use your dressing in moderate amounts.

86. Skipping breakfast will leave you tired and craving naughty foods by midmorning. To fill up healthfully and tastefully, try this sweet, fruity breakfast full of antioxidants. In a blender, process 1 c nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt, 1 1/3 c frozen strawberries (no added sugar), 1 peeled kiwi, and 1 peeled banana. Pulse until mixture is milkshake consistency. Makes one 2-cup serving; 348 calories and 1.5 fat grams.

87. If you’re famished by 4 p.m. and have no alternative but an office vending machine, reach for the nuts—. The same goes if your only choices are what’s available in the hotel minibar.

88. Next time you’re feeling wiped out in late afternoon, forgo that cup of coffee and reach for a cup of yogurt instead. The combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fat in an 8-ounce serving of low-fat yogurt will give you a sense of fullness and well-being that coffee can’t match, as well as some vital nutrients. If you haven’t eaten in 3 to 4 hours, your blood glucose levels are probably dropping, so eating a small amount of nutrient-rich food will give your brain and your body a boost.

89. Making just a few changes to your pantry shelves can get you a lot closer to your weight loss goals. Here’s what to do: If you use corn and peanut oil, replace it with olive oil. Same goes for breads—go for whole wheat. Trade in those fatty cold cuts like salami and bologna and replace them canned tuna, sliced turkey breast, and lean roast beef. Change from drinking whole milk to fat-free milk or low-fat soy milk. This is hard for a lot of people so try transitioning down to 2 percent and then 1 percent before you go fat-free.

90. Nothing’s less appetizing than a crisper drawer full of mushy vegetables. Frozen vegetables store much better, plus they may have greater nutritional value than fresh. Food suppliers typically freeze veggies just a few hours after harvest, locking in the nutrients. Fresh veggies, on the other hand, often spend days in the back of a truck before they reach your supermarket.

91. Worried about the trans-fat content in your peanut butter? Good news: In a test done on Skippy, JIF, Peter Pan, and a supermarket brand, the levels of trans fats per 2-tablespoon serving were far lower than 0.5 gram—low enough that under proposed laws, the brands can legally claim zero trans fats on the label. They also contained only 1 gram more sugar than natural brands—not a significant difference.

Eating Less Isn’t Enough—What Exercising Tips Will Help Me Shed Pounds?

92. Overeating is not the result of exercise. Vigorous exercise won’t stimulate you to overeat. It’s just the opposite. Exercise at any level helps curb your appetite immediately following the workout.

93. When you’re exercising, you shouldn’t wait for thirst to strike before you take a drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Try this: Drink at least 16 ounces of water, sports drinks, or juices two hours before you exercise. Then drink 8 ounces an hour before and another 4 to 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. Finish with at least 16 ounces after you’re done exercising.

94. Tune in to an audio book while you walk. It’ll keep you going longer and looking forward to the next walk—and the next chapter! Check your local library for a great selection. Look for a whodunit; you might walk so far you’ll need to take a cab home!

95. Think yoga’s too serene to burn calories? Think again. You can burn 250 to 350 calories during an hour-long class (that’s as much as you’d burn from an hour of walking)! Plus, you’ll improve muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance.

96. Drinking too few can hamper your weight loss efforts. That’s because dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3 percent, or about 45 fewer calories burned a day, which in a year could mean weighing 5 pounds more. The key to water isn’t how much you drink, it’s how frequently you drink it. Small amounts sipped often work better than 8 ounces gulped down at once.

How Can I Manage My Emotional Eating and Get the Support I Need?

97. A registered dietitian (RD) can help you find healthy ways to manage your weight with food. To find one in your area who consults with private clients check out the ads at the top of  the page, ask your friends or consult your yellow pages

98. The best place to drop pounds may be your own house of worship. Researchers set up healthy eating and exercise programs in 16 Baltimore churches. More than 500 women participated and after a year the most successful lost an average of 20 lb. Weight loss programs based on faith are so successful because there’s a built-in community component that people can feel comfortable with.

99. Here’s another reason to keep level-headed all the time: Pennsylvania State University research has found that women less able to cope with stress—shown by blood pressure and heart rate elevations—ate twice as many fatty snacks as stress-resistant women did, even after the stress stopped (in this case, 25 minutes of periodic jackhammer-level noise and an unsolvable maze).

100. Sitting at a computer may help you slim down. When researchers at Brown University School of Medicine put 92 people on online weight loss programs for a year, those who received weekly e-mail counseling shed 5 1/2 more pounds than those who got none. Counselors provided weekly feedback on diet and exercise logs, answered questions, and cheered them on. Most major online diet programs offer many of these features.

Beth, her team, and AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge can help by reducing cravings, and jump-starting your metabolism. It’s not a fly-by-night magic pill.

And if you’re wondering – NO, we won’t keep charging your credit card, sending you and your email to all the companies ready to grab your cash and go.

I’m a real person, living in Des Moines, who has coached many individuals and helped them succeed. You may ask for references. I want to help you!

Read about the 24 Day Challenge by linking above.

See Drew Brees, Michael W. Smith, and others endorse the product. And then, when you’re ready, call me.

Let’s kick this weight and tell it never to return.

Email Beth HERE

I can’t take credit for these words, but love them! Stumbled upon these yesterday….

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day, and while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God (or to your higher power or meditate) about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,
‘ My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for______________ ‘

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that
is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan
salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires,
issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control
Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life is not fair, but it is still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument.
Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it will not spoil the present.

14. Don ‘ t compare your life to others. You have no idea what
their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘ In five
years, will this matter? ‘

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD (depending on your beliefs) heals everything – but you have to ask Him (translate to your religion).

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night, before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for__________. Today I accomplished_________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings.
You will be smiling before you know it.

Starbucks…tut, tut. You release some new super-sugary drink into the world, and we have to warn everyone how crazy high in calories it is. Even a demure 12-oz./Tall drink made with nonfat milk and no whip has 240 calories, due in part to all that sugar! A standard Grande with 2% milk and whipped cream has more calories than a Burger King Buck Double. Does sipping the caloric equivalent of a two-patty cheeseburger first thing in the morning sound like a smart idea? Nope.

Panera Bread Peppermint Hot Chocolate
PER SERVING (1 beverage): 610 calories, 17g fat, 180mg sodium, 102g carbs, 0g fiber, 83g sugars, 11g protein

Panera peeps are stepping into sugary hot beverage territory. The fact that this sweet stuff has more calories than the chain’s steak chili with cornbread is LAME. You are not a meal; you are hot cocoa! Add a bit of peppermint extract or sugar-free peppermint-flavored syrup to your own hot chocolate made from a 25-calorie hot cocoa packet, and you’ll be WAY better off.

Thanks Hungry Girl!!