Dr Phil WLC Buddies's topics - tribe.net

try creatine

jerseyguy — Sun, 08 May 2005 03:23:18 GMT

Im a 33 yr old male. I was diagnosed 5 yrs ago with fibro. I went on creatine and started working out. Within 2-3 months I was back to the old me. No pain plenty of energy and lifting weight like I was 17 again!! Since then life has gotten busy and I let myself go. But I will get back on the creatine and working out because since I stopped its got so bad I can hardly walk and my wife is ready to divorce me. Im easily irritatated and van't stand to do anything but sleep. Creatine is like a miracle cure. please let me know if anyone else has success

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Anyone with Fibromyalgia?

Kyrstyan — Sat, 15 Jan 2005 08:05:57 GMT

I am working through the Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge and am having to adapt some things because I suffer from severe fibromyalgia...anyone else experiencing this challenge?

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Reactive Hypoglycemia

Kyrstyan — Sun, 16 Jan 2005 09:09:33 GMT

In reactive hypoglycemia, due to lack of eating regularly, the body convinces itself that it is starving and stores everything as fat. As I work through the book, I'm having to often replace the word "overeating" with "forgetting to eat." I also find myself having to replace the concept of my world revolving around food with the concept that healthy food will make me feel better even if I have no appetite or the idea of eating is nauseating in a particular moment. I look like an overeater. I am definitely overweight. But due to chronic health problems (one symptom of which is severe pain) I often either forget to eat due to lack of appetite (because of meds or pain) or the thought of food is nauseating (because of meds or pain). Has anyone had to face this challenge?

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Plateau Busters

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:06:23 GMT

Have you hit the weight loss wall? Check out the following tips to help you rev up your metabolism!

1. Be sure to get protein in at each meal. Protein is by far the most satiating and the most thermic (i.e. the process of digesting it raises your metabolism). The best sources are from animals, as these contain the complete profile of essential amino acids and are more bio-available, which means that your body can use them more effectively and efficiently. Look for low fat choices like egg whites, whey protein and turkey breast.

2. Drink up. Water that is! Even a little dehydration can dramatically impact your metabolism! You need water to burn fat and if you are drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages you are dehydrating your cells further.

3. Trade your starchy carbohydrate servings for more non-starchy veggies at one or two of your meals, especially your evening meal.

4. Make sure that one of your fruit servings is soon after your workout (within 60 minutes) to help store energy back into your muscles without raising insulin.

5. If possible, do two workouts some days to boost your metabolism. Just don't do cardio too late in the day and be sure to stretch afterward to bring stress hormones down again.

6. Green tea contains a compound that has been found to aid with fat burning and may raise metabolism. Drink at least 4 cups of green tea a day to get these benefits.

7. Go decaf! Caffeine can make you insulin resistant which makes you a fat storer rather than a fat burner. Trade your coffee and tea for decaf.

8. Pump some iron. Muscle dictates your metabolic rate. Each pound of muscle you add burns 40-50 more calories per day.

9. Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day. Eating raises metabolism and eating less more often means less insulin response, better blood sugar balance and fewer cravings.

10. Check your portions. Learn to read labels and ask questions at restaurants. Ask for sauces on the side and monitor how much you use. Everything counts so pay attention to how much you are actually eating and make sure you are on track with optimal amounts of protein, limiting your starchy carbs and fat and getting in enough non-starchy vegetables.

11. Read labels. Learn all of the different names for sugars and be sure you are choosing foods that are low in sugar and fat, high in nutrient value and fiber. Ignorance is never an excuse! If you aren't sure about something, skip it until you can find out if you should be eating it or not.

RELATED LINKS

Ask Dr. Phil About Weight
WLC Shows
Dining Out Guidelines
More Expert Advice
Tips From a Booty Camper's Kitchen Clean-up
Tips to Help You Lose Those Last 20 Pounds

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It Has Worked for My Clients

Jim — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 23:26:42 GMT

As a Metaphysical Counselor, Teacher and Life Coach, I have worked with weight loss issues for many years.

I have incorporated Dr. Phil's program into my work with my clients. It really works!

Also, training and reprogramming the mind and inner belief systems is imperative to create one's ideal body. This is one element many people leave out. We automatically act and react to our inner dialogue and programming. Creating new inner beliefs and programming coupled with Dr. Phil's program can make you a winner.
I have clients who have lost from 50 lbs. to 150 lbs.

I work by phone and in person.
My wish is for each of you to create your ideal body and truly be happy, joyous and free.
My email address is: James3322@aol.com
Blessings,
James

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You don't need the Big Bang Theory to staple your lips together.

Dr Phil — Mon, 05 Apr 2004 17:31:34 GMT

I may have implied on several different occasions to several different people that I may have ate out of your garbage. I don't need macadamia nuts to drop and give you twenty. It is not my conspiracy, but you need a spice rack to put me in a headlock.

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Water Intake

sweetdarlinwendy — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 08:21:09 GMT

TIP #1 ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO FIGHT FATIGUE IS TO REMAIN WELL HYDRATED

Water makes up about 60% of body weight and is involved in almost all body processes. Here's a few of the many functions water performs:
delivers nutrients, including oxygen, to cells
carries wastes away form the cells
helps regulate body temperature
provides shock absorption around tissues and organs
Symptoms of dehydration One of the most common symptoms of dehydration is fatigue. Others include headaches, dizziness, thirst, and dark, scant urine. It's important to note that by the time you're thirsty, you're already partially dehydrated and suffering the consequences! Our bodies are a little slow at telling us when we need more fluid. So drink enough fluids to prevent thirst.
Signs that you're getting enough fluids include light coloured urine and going to the washroom frequently. Note that if you take vitamin supplements your urine may turn dark so volume is a better indicator. Fluid choices Water is by far the best hydrator. The majority of your fluid intake should be from water. Other choices include juices, milk, and non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages.

* Hint If you don't like the taste of water try adding some lemon or orange slices to a jug of water or make some fruit spritzers with soda water and cranberry or orange juice mixed together. Drink your fluids throughout the day instead of at one or two sittings. This way your body has a constant supply of fluid to draw on.

Water loss during exercise While you're active, your muscles produce heat, which increases body temperature. Sweating helps the body cool down through evaporation of sweat from the skin. Most of the water lost during exercise is through sweat and a small amount is lost through the air breathed out.
As fluid is lost, the water content of the blood decreases. This decrease in blood volume results in less blood and oxygen getting to the heart and muscles. The result = less power, strength, and endurance and a decreased ability to control body temperature.
A weight loss of 1-2 % of body weight can impair performance (that's equal to 1.5 - 3 lbs for a 150 lb person). With moderate to heavy exercise one can lose 4-6 cups (1-1.5 litres) of water per hour through sweat. When exercising in the heat, a water loss of 8-12 cups (2-3 litres) per hour can occur.

Preventing dehydration during activity:
During the day:
drink a minimum of 6-8 cups (1.5-2 litres) throughout the day so you are well hydrated when you start exercising Before exercise:
drink 1-2 cups (250-500 mls), 15 minutes before exercise. This water will be used during exercise
avoid or limit beverages containing caffeine (tea, coffee, cola, chocolate) and alcohol During exercise:
drink about 1/2-3/4 cup (125-175 mls) every 15 minutes After exercise:
drink beyond thirst and until urine is clear
drink 2 cups (500 mls) of fluid for every pound lost Any weight change during exercise is fluid loss, not fat loss.

Along with your fluid intake, WHEN you eat also has a significant impact on whether you have some reserves left over at the end of the day.

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My Yahoo

sweetdarlinwendy — Tue, 03 Feb 2004 17:43:56 GMT

If you have a Yahoo account, you sign in and go to a link called My Yahoo and there is a diet tracker there and is it ever neat! you put in yer goal weight and you goal date.....then you weigh in whenever and it well tell you that you are 10% of the way there etc! Its just like a calculator....nobody knows what numbers you type in but you!
www.myyahoo.com but you must have a yahoo screen name. If you dont see a diet tracker anywhere....then in yahooo search type yahoo diet tracker and it will be the first thing that comes up...click it and it will show you what it looks like and and there will be an add it to your yahoo button.
Best of luck to you all!

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High-Response Cost, High-Yield Nutrition

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:17:16 GMT

In order to have behavioral control over your eating, you need to know which foods work against you by promoting mindless, uncontrolled eating, and which foods defeat impulse eating and support control.

High-response cost foods require a great deal of effort to prepare and eat, and have a calorie payoff that is low and healthy. These kinds of foods need to be chewed, cannot be eaten quickly, and are not "convenient" in any sense of the word. Some examples are a sunflower seed in its hull, meat, poultry, soup, fresh fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, whole grains, and certain cereals.

By contrast, low-response cost foods are overly convenient and accessible, can be eaten quickly, invite and promote uncontrolled eating, and don't need a lot of preparation time.

Food also has a nutritional yield. High-yield foods supply a lot of nutrients relative to the amount of calories they contain. They are close to the state in which they are found in nature, and are often colorful. Low-yield foods, on the other hand, provide an excess of calories in relation to the nutrients they contain.

High-response cost, high-yield foods are hunger suppressors, meaning they control and curb your hunger, whilelow-response cost, low-yield foods are hunger drivers.

Keep Dr. Phil's meal planner in mind as you devise your meals each day.

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Hit a Weight Loss Plateau? Strength Train!

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:16:22 GMT

All right. You made the commitment months ago to lose the weight. Everything is going very well. You've taken action. The pounds are coming off, you are losing the inches and feeling good. You've really got the momentum going, are eating well and making conscious food choices. Exercise has become part of the deal and you are taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to lunch, sweating on the treadmill and the elliptical four times per week. You've even taken up kick boxing and yoga. You're doing all the right things and the flow is amazing. The realistic goals that you have set for yourself are right around the corner. It's now just a matter of keeping focused and staying on track.

Then you hit a plateau. That last 10-20 pounds just doesn't want to come off and you are wondering what your next move is going to be. You're a little frustrated. The number on the scale hasn't budged in a while and you are beginning to wonder: Is there something missing? Could you be doing more? You're on a mission to find that missing link that will kick your metabolism into high mode.

One very important thing to remember is that if you are committed to an active way of life that includes exercise, eating right and taking responsibility for your good health, you are most definitely doing the right thing. This commitment will always keep you on track. A healthy lifestyle is a lifestyle. It's not the "12 weeks to a new you" or the "30-day miracle plan." Temporary efforts yield temporary results. This is a process. Plateaus can happen. However, if you've established exercise and healthy food choices as an integral part of your life, then all realistic goals can and will be attained.

The missing component in your fitness regimen is strength training. You need to lift weights. This is a surefire way of truly changing your body composition (lowering your body fat percentage) and maintaining ultimate control of your weight for a lifetime. Lifting weights and doing resistance work is the key factor in promoting fat loss as well as weight loss. A comprehensive, full body weight training program will increase the amount of lean mass in your body, which in turn will increase your metabolism, and as a result, allow you to burn more calories and more fat all of the time, even at rest. Increasing your lean muscle mass will cause your body to mobilize and burn more fat as an energy source. Each additional pound of muscle gained from weight training can amount to as much as 50 to 100 calories per day by doing absolutely nothing. All of your activities of daily living and especially your workouts will yield a much higher calorie burn, a much higher loss of fat with weight training as a mainstay in your fitness program.

So, for your next scheduled workout, call ahead and get an appointment with the manager for a tour of the weight room at your exercise facility. You may want to get a few appointments with a qualified trainer that works on site. Ask the manager whom he or she recommends as a trainer there and get your initial training appointments with that person. Safety is key and you want the very best instruction as to the operation of the strength units at the facility from the get go. A qualified trainer will give you insight as to correct form for a given exercise as well as appropriate range of motion. Speak to your doctor regarding any limitations or pre-existing joint issues you may have prior to a resistance training program.

Here are some suggestions of exercises to get you started:

Chest, Shoulders, Triceps: Seated chest press, wall push-ups
Back, Biceps (elbow flexors): Seated mid row, lat pull-down
Lower Body: Leg Press, squat

These are "multi-joint" exercises that incorporate several muscle groups in one exercise. Remember, you want to work all major muscle groups. By drawing your navel toward your spine and keeping in mind excellent posture during the execution all of these exercises, you will be activating your core stabilization mechanism as well.

Begin by doing one to two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions for each exercise at a resistance level that is comfortable for you. Work specific muscle groups on opposite days. In other words, if you work legs on Monday, then you'll want to work your legs again no earlier than Wednesday, giving adequate time for rest and recovery. You may want to add more or less exercises, sets or repetitions per workout depending on your body's reaction to the work. Physiological response to weight lifting as well as all fitness activity is very individual. Listen to your body. If an exercise doesn't "feel" right, it's probably not. If you experience any pain at a joint site during any part of your resistance workout, stop immediately and seek medical attention. Pain is your body's method of communication.

Finally, keep the focus on your progress. Strength training will add an entirely new dimension to your program. You can and will move through this plateau and on to the next level of your fitness process.
Approach your weight training program in terms of a full body workout. The only muscle fibers that respond to weight training are those that are stimulated. With this in mind, work all of the major muscle groups: chest, shoulders, triceps, back and biceps (elbow flexors) of the upper body. Make sure that you work your legs, abdominals and core as well. Some muscle groups will respond better than others. This is due to many factors including genetic predisposition, muscle fiber type as well as your overall strength and fitness level at any given time. Stay consistent with your resistance training program. You will be amazed at the results.

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Key Six: Intentional Exercise

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:15:40 GMT

Prioritize exercise in your life. It is just too powerful a fat fighter for you not to have it on your side. There is absolutely no way you can control your weight for a lifetime without it.

This key is very straightforward: regular, intentional exercise is a big deal, a huge deal. It unlocks the door to body control — a state of fitness in which your body is metabolically geared for losing weight and keeping it off, and is flowing with energy and vitality.

A common denominator among people who successfully manage their weight and stay fit is that they exercise as a matter of habit. Failure to put exercise at the top of your priority list, or leaving it off the list altogether, is a deal breaker, because you're cheating yourself not just out of a way to shed the necessary pounds, but also a way to stabilize a normal weight and stay healthy for a lifetime.

Are you doing enough exercise? To assess your current level of activity, take Dr. Phil's Exercise Audit.

If you've never exercised regularly, or at least not in a while, you'll need to break yourself in gently and gradually. Dr. Phil suggests you consult with your physician, particularly if you have any chronic health problems.

Start today, and in a time span as brief as 10 minutes in your workout, you will feel better, you will be energized, you will have a better frame of mind and outlook on what lies ahead.

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Cardiovascular Conditioning

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:14:53 GMT

Cardiovascular (CV) exercise requires movement of the body produced by large muscle groups over a sustained period of time. The benefits of CV exercise done on a consistent basis are numerous. You allow your body a huge opportunity to burn a tremendous amount of calories by including CV activity as a mainstay in your fitness regimen. This work is a key element of your program that you must include to successfully manage your weight, attain your realistic fitness goals and maintain the optimal overall health and wellness that you desire. Some of these health benefits include:

- Increase in circulation
- Improvement in overall heart health, including increase in stroke volume and cardiac output
- Decreased blood pressure
- Decreased resting heart rate
- Increased lung function
- Improvement in blood lipid profile
- Less prone to fatigue
- Improvement in overall energy, stamina and endurance
- Increase in muscular endurance
- Increase in insulin sensitivity
- Improvement in mood and sense of well being

I strongly recommend using a heart rate monitor when participating in CV exercise as well as when lifting weights. These monitors indicate your heart beats per minute (bpm) and are one of the best ways to monitor your exercise intensity as well as to track your progress over any given period of time. As you progress in your CV workouts, you will see that by working out on a regular basis over time, you can do more total work with less effort.

The three stages of your cardiovascular workout should include:

The Warm-up: The warm-up phase is the beginning portion of your workout and basically prepares your body for physical activity. This graduated activity increases active blood flow to the working muscles, increases heart and respiratory rate, increases overall body tissue temperature and facilitates neural transmission for motor unit recruitment. The warm-up phase of your workout should last approximately 5-10 minutes.

The Workout: This portion of the workout can last from 10-50 minutes depending on your specific realistic goals and current fitness level. This is the core of your CV workout. At this point, you should be into your target heart rate zone and ready for action.

The Cool Down: This phase should also last 5-10 minutes and in essence is the opposite of the warm-up. This is an important phase of your CV workout and should not be overlooked. The cool down slowly decreases the workload of the CV system and allows a smooth and safe transition back to the lower work demand. Be sure to include stretching as part of your cool down phase.

For instance, it's your first day of CV exercise and your goal is to walk outside for 20 minutes. You begin at a comfortable pace with your 5-minute warm-up, gradually escalating your heart rate into the entry level of your target zone (see below). You continue your workout phase for 10 minutes. At that point, you begin your cool down phase which lasts for 5 minutes. Include some light stretching. You have completed your first workout!

You can use the following factors to quantify the amount of work done per week overall in your CV program. Consult with your doctor regarding your specific parameters in any one of these areas, especially if you are just beginning an exercise program. He or she will give you insight as to an appropriate, customized program and heart rate training zone for your individual goals and current fitness level. Consistency is key for all modes of exercise. Count on the fact that you will include exercise as a staple in life. With this in mind, begin your program at levels that are comfortable yet challenging. You don't want to do too much at the onset and risk injury and or over training.

Frequency: A minimum of 3 to 6 days per week of CV exercise.

Time: 20 to 60 minutes of sustained or interval training. This includes both the warm-up and cool down phase.

Intensity: Generally speaking, you want to work out between 50-75 percent of your maximal heart rate. You can calculate your zone simply by subtracting your age from 220 and multiplying by your desired intensity. For example, the target zone for a 40-year-old female who wants to work between 65-75 percent of her MHR would be 117-135 bpm.

Mode: CV workouts and activity can done in a variety of locations, modes, settings, and levels. Examples include:

- Walking or running outside or at a track
- Walking or running stairs at a park or beach
- Gardening, mowing the lawn or raking leaves
- Dancing
- Sporting activity such as basketball or soccer
- Biking
- Swimming
- Martial arts
- Walking the golf course
You can work out at the gym or at home on a variety of machines or group classes which include:

- Treadmills, elliptical trainers, steppers, stationary bikes and rowing machines
- Aerobic dance
- Spinning
- Kick boxing
- Power yoga
- Circuit weight training

It's important that you choose activities that you enjoy and feel comfortable doing. If you like the work, you'll look forward to it and be consistent. Variety is a big factor in exercise adherence as well. Below are some workout features of three of the most popular CV exercise machines used in fitness centers and home facilities worldwide:

Treadmills: Treadmills provide an excellent weight bearing workout. Walking and running are natural motions for us as human beings in locomotion. Treadmills provide a smooth and very predictable terrain, meaning no rocks, chuckholes or uneven surfaces. Most on the market now provide flexible decks as well. Both of these factors add up to a safe and comfortable workout for the user. Walking and running have been staples in exercise programs since the beginning of time. These modalities work.

Elliptical Trainers: Elliptical trainers combine the motions of a treadmill, stepper, ski machine and a bike in one non-impact, weight bearing motion. Some on the market provide both forward and reverse motion to add variety. Total body elliptical trainers provide arm motion as well. Although you do use both upper and lower body motion in a total body unit, if you work on a unit that does not have the arm motion and you do your own natural arm motion, you not only do more work but you receive balance and core training as well. Be ready to hold onto the hand rails (try not to lean on them) should you need them to catch your balance or rest.

Stationary Bikes: Upright bikes take up very little space. Bikes are another mode of exercise that have provided both fun and fitness to many walks of life over the years. It is a non-weight bearing form of CV exercise. This does not mean however that the workout will lack intensity. Quite the opposite is true. Ask anyone who has trained for a bike race. Recumbent bikes provide added comfort for bike lovers with the added back support from the seat. Comfort is not synonomous with easy in this case. You choose your intensity level. Because the legs are more level with the torso, the venous return back to the heart is very efficient. The lower body workout from both types of stationary bikes is excellent.

Plan ahead, schedule your workouts and be consistent. It's no secret that if you are committed to your exercise program and make it a priority in your life, all realistic goals can be conquered. The bottom line is: You've got to keep moving! Our bodies are engineered for locomotion and genetically pre-dispositioned for movement.

Burn more calories, stay active and have fun with this! You'll feel better, look better and add quality years to your life.

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Circle of Support Dos and Don'ts

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:12:02 GMT

Key seven, circle of support, is the hardest key because you can't do it yourself, and you can't control others. Here's what Dr. Phil suggests for how to support — and make sure you don't sabotage — a loved one.

DOs

Remind me how much you care.

Trust in me.

Give me positive feedback.

Honor my behavior and actions.

Be patient with me.

Be honest about your feelings.

Laugh with me.

DONTs

Sabotage me with tempting foods.

Make fun of my program.

Make threats of separation.

Downplay the importance of my health.

Be threatened.

Call me names.

Put yourself down.

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Dining Out Guidelines

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:11:08 GMT

Nutritionist J.J. Virgin has great news for you: If you follow these tips, it can actually be easier to eat out than at home! After all, you can't go back to the kitchen and get seconds, vegetables always seem to taste better, and your kitchen doesn't end up smelling like fish!

Here are some hints and guidelines to help you behave and make better choices.

1. Don't go to dinner with the enemy! When the waiter brings the bread basket, send it away. If you have a dining partner who insists on keeping the bread basket, have them keep it out of reach from you.

2. Whenever it is available, have the coldwater fish.

3. Try having two appetizers instead of a large entree, or have an appetizer, a vegetable side dish and a salad instead for your meal.

4. Start with a deep green leafy salad with an olive oil vinaigrette.

5. If you are having wine, stick with red and have it in the middle of dinner. Better yet, have it for dessert.

6. If the starchy carbs they are serving are refined (i.e., mashed potatoes, white rice, pasta), skip them and order double veggies instead.

7. Ask questions — ignorance isn't an excuse for making poor choices! Look at what the options are for vegetables and how they are prepared. Mix and match to get what you want.

8. Follow the "three bite rule." If a dessert is worth it, share it and have three polite bites of it ONLY.

9. Eat your veggies. This is a great opportunity to get your three cups of veggies and to sample vegetables you don't normally cook at home.

10. Enlist support. Ask your dining partner to help you stick to your program before you go.

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Why Do Men Usually Lose Weight Faster Than Women?

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:10:26 GMT

Lynn in Brownville, Maine started the Weight Loss Challenge at the same time as her husband. She says she eats healthier than he does and exercises more regularly, and yet he's lost 23 pounds, while she's dropped 16.

Though she's happy for her husband, she's frustrated! She asks Dr. Phil, "Can you please enlighten me as to why men tend to lose weight faster than women?"

Dr. Phil jokes, "Don't shoot the messenger! More often than not, men lose weight faster because they have more muscle mass."

He explains, "Think of muscle as the factory that burns fat. So many women do so much cardio, and not much — if any — weight training." This can be a big mistake, he says, "because weight training is one of most efficient ways for you to accelerate your weight loss."

Get more training advice from Robert Reames, the Weight Loss Challenge trainer:

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Tubing

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:09:07 GMT

Tubing is elastic resistance that can be used to create simple, effective and readily available exercise resistance training programs that you can perform virtually anywhere. This mode of resistance training enables you to work all major muscle groups. You can use tubing at home, while traveling or as an added plus to your workouts at the gym.

These are, in essence, large, very durable elastic bands with handles on each end. Upon set-up of a given exercise, tubing follows the way your body moves. Unlike weight machines where your body has to adapt to the path of motion provided by the given machine, tubing provides you with "made to order" exercises that adapt to the way your body is structured.

Begin with a general warm-up, such as walking for 5-8 minutes. Follow with light stretching for shoulders, lats, quadriceps and hamstrings.

Key Points:

Use resistance levels that are comfortable yet challenging. Begin all upper body work with the lightest resistance and progress from that point. Begin all lower body work with no resistance and progress from that point.

Maintain normal breathing throughout each exercise. Exhale on the initial motion of the exercise and inhale on the return phase. Never hold your breath during any part of the exercise.

Activate your core stabilization mechanism (CSM) for all resistance exercises. To do this, simply draw your navel in toward the spine while maintaining normal breathing. Activate optimal posture and spinal alignment. You will get core work throughout your workout as well.

Keep your knees slightly bent for all standing exercises.

If you feel any joint muscular or joint pain, stop exercise and seek immediate medical attention.

The Exercises
Push-ups: 2 sets of 12-15 reps
Standing lateral raises: 2 sets of 12-15 reps
Standing tricep press: 2 sets of 12-15 reps (each arm)
Standing arm curls: 2 sets of 12-15 reps
Seated lat row: 2 sets of 12-15 reps
Squats: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Stationary lunges. 2 sets of 12-15 reps (each leg)
Ab crunches: 2 sets of 15 reps
Supermans: 2 sets of 10-second holds
Stretching of all major muscle groups

Set-up and Execution of Exercises

Knee Push-ups
Works: pectoralis major, front and lateral deltoids, triceps
Execution: Begin with palms and knees on the floor with palms placed slightly outside the shoulder joint with arms fully extended. Bend elbows to 90 degrees and extend to neutral (straight). Repeat for desired reps.
Points: Activate CSM and do not lock or hyperextend the elbow.

Lateral Raises
Works: front and lateral deltoids
Execution: Stand with feet parallel and shoulder width. Place tubing underneath the middle of each foot (or one foot depending on desired resistance level). Hold the handles at your sides with elbows at a 90-degree angle directly beside you. Raise your arms to the side to just below shoulder height and return to starting position. Repeat for desired amount of reps.
Points: Keep knees slightly bent and activate CSM.

Tricep Press
Works: triceps
Execution: Hold the tubing with your left hand next to the shoulder joint at shoulder level towards the midline of the body. Hold the handle with your right hand. Keep approximately a 6- to 8-inch slack in the tubing. Fully extend the right elbow and return to beginning position. Repeat for desired reps. Switch to the left side and repeat.
Points: Stabilize the elbow and shoulder joint during exercise.

Standing Arm Curls
Works: biceps, brachialis, brachoradialis (elbow flexors)
Exection: Begin with feet firmly planted, knees bent approximately shoulder-width apart with tubing underneath the middle of each foot. Hold tubing handles directly beside you with palms facing out. Bend elbow to just past 90 degrees and return to beginning position. Repeat for desired reps.
Points: Keep knees bent, activate CSM and do not lock or hyperextend the elbows.

Seated Lat Row
Works: lats, rhomboids, mid trapezius, rear deltoids, biceps (muscles of the back and elbow flexors)
Execution: Begin by sitting on the floor and wrapping the tubing around both feet so that the tubing is placed in the middle of each foot coming up the outside of the legs. Then pass the tubing again through the middle of the feet coming up the outside of the leg to secure the placement of the tubing. Place a handle in each hand and make sure that both sides are equal in length giving equal resistance on both sides. Sit up nice and tall with arms fully extended holding a tubing handle in each hand. On the motion, bring your elbows back directly beside your body to just past your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the motion. Release the squeeze, fully extending the arms back to starting position. Repeat for desired amount of reps.
Points: Use a cushion or pillow to sit on for added comfort. Activate CSM for optimal positioning and back support. Sit against the wall for more back support. Keep a slight bend in the knees throughout the exercise.

Squats
Works: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus.
Execution: Begin with feet slightly further than shoulder-width apart and tubing underneath the middle of both feet. Hold handles as close to the front of your shoulder joint as possible with elbows directly beside your body. Keep shoulders back and activate CSM. Look straight ahead. Bend knees to a comfortable range of motion (not past 90 degrees) and return to starting position. Repeat for desired reps.
Points: Keep feet firmly planted, particularly the back half of the feet. Go to a comfortable range of motion and not beyond. Make sure that both knees track directly in line between the first and second tows.

Stationary Lunges
Works: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus
Execution: Begin with the right foot forward firmly planted about one to two feet in front of the left. The heel of the left foot will be slightly off of the floor. Place tubing underneath the middle of the right foot. Hold tubing handles as close to the front of your shoulder joint as possible with elbows directly beside your body (same as on squats). Activate CSM. Keep your shoulders back and face straight ahead. Bend right knee to a comfortable range of motion (not past 90 degrees) and return to beginning position. Repeat for desired reps.
Points: Keep knees in direct line tracking between the first and second tows. Keep knee in direct vertical line with ankle joint and do not let it come forward.

Abdominal Crunch
Works: rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques Execution: Lie down on a mat facing up with knees bent and the soles of the feet on the mat. Take hands behind the head or fold arms in front of your body, depending on the comfort of your neck. Leading with the sternum, bring your upper body toward your knees. Bring your upper body off of the mat no more than 30 degrees as to not go into a full sit up. Repeat for desired reps.
Points: Keep action smooth. Make sure the motion comes from your abdominals and not the pulling on your neck.

Supermans
Works: spinal erectors, low back, gluteus maximus
Execution: Lie face down on mat with arms fully extended overhead and legs straight. On execution, lift your arms and legs off of the mat as though you are flying. Hold for desired number of seconds. Repeat for desired number of holds.
Points: Keep your face toward the mat for optimal spinal alignment.
Disclaimer: All information and answers are given for educational purposes only. Your individual needs may vary. Always consult with your physician before starting or changing any exercise fitness programs and activities.

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The Challengers' Supplement Program

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:07:48 GMT

In The Ultimate Weight Solution, Dr. Phil says that if you are overweight, then you are malnourished by definition, because so many of the foods you are choosing are nutritionally bankrupt. This bold statement is backed up repeatedly in the scientific literature, most recently in the June 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. A recent study reported there showed that most Americans weren't even getting the Recommended Daily Intake1 (RDI)* of vitamins and minerals, much less the optimal levels of them, and that this suboptimal intake of vitamins and minerals is a risk factor for many chronic diseases (heart, diabetes, cancer, etc.).

A summary of current research clearly shows that those who don't supplement with a high quality multivitamin/mineral and antioxidant formula are at risk for deficiencies.** Think of supplementation with high quality vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential fatty acids as your daily health insurance. Make sure that the supplements you take are from a reputable, high quality company. Your body can only use what it absorbs so you want to make sure that the company you choose starts with the best raw ingredients and then combines them in forms that your body can use most effectively. Here is what the Ultimate Weight Loss Challengers are taking from Designs for Health.

At Breakfast
1 Twice Daily Multi
1 B Supreme
1 Omega Synergy Marine
2-3 Osteoforce***

At Dinner
1 Twice Daily Multi
1 Omega Synergy Marine
2-3 Osteoforce***

In addition to the Twice Daily Multi, I also put the challengers on B Supreme. The B vitamins help the body handle stress. Most of us are under more stress than our bodies ideally were designed to handle due to lack of sleep, overworking, missing meals, sugar and caffeine, etc. B vitamins are a great way to give your body some additional support WHILE you are working on your healthy lifestyle.

The challengers are on a high quality fish oil blend supplement, Omega Synergy Marine. Fish oils have a lot of fantastic benefits for your heart, brain and joints. You need to ensure that you are getting a high quality brand here as these can be rancid or contain PCBs and heavy metals, thus turning them into a health risk instead of a health benefit. And finally, the challengers are on OsteoForce, a multi-mineral bone support formula. Vitamins don't work without minerals and getting enough of our macrominerals, calcium and magnesium, along with other bone supporting nutrients like Vitamin D and Boron, are critical for long-term bone health.

* RDI is the recommended amount to avoid diseases of deficiency like scurvy or pellagra, NOT the amount needed for optimal health and to avoid the major diseases of aging like heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer and diabetes.

** Medical professionals and health care practitioners looking for more information on the research supporting the above program can contact Designs for Health support and technical department at 800-847-8302 x 105 or via the Web site, www.designsforhealth.com.

*** Women should take 3 OsteoForce twice a day, men should take 2 OsteoForce twice a day

Special thanks to Designs for Health for supplying the Ultimate Weight Loss Challengers with their daily supplement program.

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Enjoying the Holidays Without Gaining Weight

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:05:29 GMT

This year, if you follow Dr. Phil's advice, you can actually lose weight over the holidays without feeling deprived. Here are some of Dr. Phil's tips:

Change your attitude. Make a conscious decision to focus on the fellowship, catching up on people's lives, relaxing, and the spirit of the season ... not on the food. Don't lose sight of what the holidays are really about.

Plan one day at a time. Willpower won't get you far when you start soaking up the sights and sounds of the holidays.

Eat three meals a day and two snacks, and exercise daily.

Show up with a dish that you know you can eat. (You don't have to tell everyone you brought a high-response cost, high-yield food as your dish!)

Eat before you go. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to show up hungry and not have the right foods around. If you know you're headed to a target-rich environment, don't stack the odds against you.

Pay attention to your portions. If you've eaten three appetizers already, you should cut back on your entree.

Don't wear elastic pants, which allow you to overeat.

Position yourself away from the food. Literally, where you're standing in the room can make a huge difference in how much food you end up eating.

Limit your alcohol. Remember that alcohol slows your metabolism and reduces your inhibitions, which can lead to overeating.

Eat high-response cost foods first. That way, you'll only want a few bites of the other goodies that really aren't so good for you.

Make a pact with your date to keep an eye on each other to avoid overeating.

Make decisions ahead of time. Plan what you're going to eat and write it down.

Eat sitting down, and eat slowly.

Take Dr. Phil with you — or the next best thing. Print out Dr. Phil's cards if you need his support when your relatives are trying to love you with food.

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Using a Pedometer

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:04:15 GMT

Pedometers are an inexpensive and excellent way of tracking and measuring the amount of physical activity you achieve on a daily basis. You can measure the distance that you move throughout a given day in terms of miles or steps. Steps provide the most accurate measurement of your daily distance covered. The fact that taller people will cover more distance taking fewer steps than a person with a shorter stride makes measuring the amount of steps the best and most accurate for an individual. To accurately measure your stride length, simply measure off a distance of 20 feet (240 inches). Then count how many strides it takes to cover that distance and divide that number into 240. For example, if it took you 12 strides to cover this distance your stride length would be 20 inches.

Most people take anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 steps per day. The Surgeon General recommends that people get a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity per day, which is roughly 10,000 steps per day (approximately 4 to 5 miles). This amount has been shown to help lower blood pressure, decrease body fat and increase aerobic fitness levels. This gives you a very realistically achievable goal to attain on a daily basis. For weight loss, you want to bump that amount up to between 12,000 to 15,000 steps per day.

Be consistent with this measurement daily. As you increase your daily activity, you increase the amount of calories you are burning, plain and simple. It's fun to track this information and is a clear indication of the amount of movement you really do get throughout your day. If you are on the move and busy burning calories, then chances are you are minimizing activities that make you store calories such as over eating and leading a sedentary lifestyle. So, keep on walking! Keep on moving!

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Dr. Phil's Weight Loss Advice

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:03:28 GMT

Rely on your support group. Key 7 in The Ultimate Weight Solution refers to your "Circle of Support." It is important to have like-minded people around you whom you know you can count on. If you have friends who are also trying to lose weight, turn to them for support, or if others have already reached their goals, seek their insight.

Use portion control and eat high-response cost foods. Stick to eating foods that are good for you and are hunger suppressing. Click here to find out more about what Dr. Phil suggests you eat. If you are going to a party during the holidays, eat something before you attend so you are not as hungry when you arrive. You'll be less likely to pig out on junk food.

Don't label yourself. You are not a victim or a patient. You have to start thinking of yourself as a healthy person if you are to become one. Don't simply be a passenger in life; take action.

Separate body image from self image. Make sure not to confuse the reflection of your body image with how you really are as a person. Emphasizing the difference between body image and self image, Dr. Phil tells his 460-pound nephew, "If I thought that changing your body image would change the man you are, I would tell you not to do it because you're too good of a man."

Exercise!
Intentional exercise is Key Six of Dr. Phil's program. Do a mixture of cardiovascular and resistance exercises. For more training advice from Robert Reames, click here.

Don't blame your genetics.
Issues with your weight are usually only 20 percent related to genetics. Your lifestyle is what makes you the way you are. Dr. Phil tells his sister Brenda, "Blaming your weight on the family being overweight is an excuse."

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Ball Training

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:02:22 GMT

The stability ball, a.k.a. the body ball, physio ball, exercise ball, swiss ball and "Resist-a-Ball," has most certainly been established as a staple in today's exercise world. Ball training originated as a mode for rehabilitation in Europe, becoming popular here in the U.S. in the 60s. It's here to stay. No home gym or public fitness facility should be without at least one unit of this most versatile and effective piece of exercise equipment.

The ball is relatively inexpensive, yet your return on the investment is astronomical. There are many exercises that can be done on the ball for weight loss, strength conditioning, balance, toning, core stabilization, muscle building, muscular endurance, sports-specific work and overall body conditioning. And, it's downright fun to use!

Performing exercises on the ball places your body in an environment that is unstable. Integration of many physical conditioning systems are at work. Hence, the many joint stabilizer muscles, neutralizer muscles and mechanisms are immediately incorporated to provide your body with necessary stability, coordination and balance for a given exercise. As a result, you are less prone to injury. Valuable neurological benefits are achieved as well.

Optimal postural alignment (OPA) is essential both in the gym and in all aspects of life. It allows you to maximize your exercise experience, giving you a strong muscular-skeletal foundation, and enhancing all activities of daily living as well. Most work done on the ball requires a great deal of recruitment from your core musculature, which contributes immensely to your OPA.

Ball Inflation and Sizing: When sitting on the ball with both feet firmly planted on the ground, utilizing OPA, your upper leg should be parallel to the floor. Or, the knee may be slightly above the hips. Pumping up the ball more increases the level of difficulty in a given exercise. By pumping the ball up less, you increase the amount of contact surface area to the floor, which decreases difficulty and provides a more stable foundation for the work.

45 cm ball: Shorter than 5'
55 cm ball: 5' to 5'8"
65 cm ball: 5'9" to 6'3"
75 cm ball: Taller than 6'3"

SAMPLE EXERCISES

Ball Wall Squat:
Works: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus (comprehensive thigh)
Execution: Place the ball against the wall. Facing away from the wall, place your body against the ball at around mid-back level. Stand with feet planted firmly a little further than shoulder- width apart with toes facing directly forward. The knees are directly aligned with the toes and should track on the exercise between the first and second toe for optimal and safe knee alignment. Draw your navel to your spine, maintain normal breathing, keep your chest high and face straight ahead. Upon achieving this position, simply lower your hips to the floor to a comfortable range of motion (no more than 90 degrees at the knee) and return to original position. Repeat for desired amount of reps.
Points: Plant feet firmly, particularly the back half of the feet. Descend slowly as to maximize each repetition.

Leg Curl:
Works: Hamstrings, pelvic musculature, spinal erectors
Execution: Lie on your back with legs straight, placing the backs of the feet on the ball with feet together. Have your arms directly to your side for maximum stability. Raise the pelvis toward the ceiling so that your body is in one straight line. (This placement is a hip bridge which is an exercise in itself.) From this position, bring the feet toward your glutes, bending your knee no more than 90 degrees. Return to original position. Repeat for desired amount of reps.
Points: Do not let your lower body move from side to side.

Hip Bridge:
Works: Hamstrings, gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hip adductors and abductors, deep pelvic musculature
Execution: Plant your feet firmly on the ground, lying face up with the ball placed in the mid to upper back, shoulder and neck area. (You want full support for the neck and shoulder as to not put excess strain on these areas.) Your neck should be in a neutral position, not letting the head drop backward or chin down. Align your hips, knees and ankles as well for maximum stability. From this position, with control, simply lower the hips to the floor then raise them up toward the ceiling to where your hips are parallel to the floor, keeping your knees directly over your ankles, not allowing your legs to move inward or outward, and keeping the ball absolutely stable. Repeat for desired amount of repetitions.
Points: Keep your feet firmly planted, particularly the back half of the feet. Press equally through both feet.

Push-up:
Works: Pectoralis major, anterior (front) deltoid, triceps, core musculature
Execution: Begin by lying over the ball, placing the ball at about the top of the leg, keeping your legs straight. Place your hands on the floor in push-up position with your shoulders, elbows and hands in perfect vertical alignment. Face the floor, maintaining optimal spinal alignment. Make sure that you feel stable in this position. From here, simply bend your elbows to 90 degrees (or less if you cannot achieve 90 degrees) as you would a standard push-up, and return to original position. Repeat for desired repetitions.
Points: As you place the ball further toward your feet (increasing the distance between your hand placement and the ball), you increase the level of difficulty for this exercise. Make sure that your positioning is comfortable but challenging. Remain stable so as to not roll from side to side.

Abdominal Crunch:
Works: Rectus abdominis, internal/external obliques
Execution: Lie on the ball face up with the ball placed at about mid back level with both feet planted firmly on the floor. Your upper body should be parallel to the floor. Place your hands behind your head for added neck support. Look at the ceiling as to maintain optimal spinal alignment. From this position, leading with the chest, bring the chest toward your knees, keeping the hips absolutely stable. (The ball will try and roll with you on this motion.) Return to beginning position. Repeat for desired reps.
Points: If you are unable to achieve the position of the upper body being parallel to the floor, then lower the hips to a comfortable yet challenging position. Note that wherever you place the hips initially for this exercise, you must stabilize the hips in this position throughout the exercise for optimal abdominal muscle recruitment.

Trunk Extension
Works: Spinal erectors, neck extensors (postural musculature)
Execution: Lie over the ball face down placing the ball at about chest to midsection area with both knees placed on the floor and arms to your side. Face the floor (not letting the head drop backward or chin to chest) From this position, bring your spine to a straight position where your spine is in total alignment. Add a slight squeeze between your shoulder blades. Return to original position and repeat for desired reps.
Points: Breathe consistently, exhaling on the the downward phase of the motion. You can increase the level of difficulty for this motion by placing your hands behind your head. Do not let your body roll from side to side. If this position on the ball is not comfortable for you, then discontinue the exercise.

These are a few of the many exercises that can be done on the "Resist-a-Ball." Integrate this method of training into your fitness program. As always, with any exercise modality, do what is comfortable yet challenging for you. Broaden your horizons and incorporate all that you can into your program. Maintain consistency and safety. Continue the great work! Train to the best of your ability!

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Lose Those Last 20 Pounds

sweetdarlinwendy — Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:00:54 GMT

1. Heat up your fat burning furnace with resistance training. This helps build muscle mass which boosts your metabolism. Each pound of muscle can boost your metabolism by as much as 50 more calories a day!

2. Get up and move! Do moderate aerobic training (walking, dancing, elliptical trainer, etc.) three to six times a week to make you a better fat burner. Be sure to schedule "ntentional Exercise into your day.

3. Stretch it out! Always stretch after your workouts and after a hectic day to lower stress hormones. High stress hormones can break down precious muscle.

4. Drink up! Drink eight or more glasses of water daily and drink even more when you are exercising (4 oz. before, 2 more oz. every 15 minutes during, and follow with 8 oz. after your workout) to stay well hydrated. Dehydration can lower your metabolism; you need water to burn fat.

5. Don't skip meals. Eat balanced meals and snacks and be sure to include protein at each meal keeps metabolism raised, blood sugar balanced and help with fat burning and muscle mass maintenance and building. Focus on "High Response Cost, High Yield Foods."

6. Try green tea. Research has shown that it can boost metabolism and potentially aid with fat burning. Plus, it's loaded with antioxidant compounds that are great for your health.

7. Replace what's missing. Take a good multivitamin or mineral to ensure that you get all the nutrients you need.

8. Add a turbo charge. If you are consistently doing all of the above (be honest) and you are still struggling, see your doctor for the lab tests described in the chapter 11 of The Ultimate Weight Solution. Also, try the following supplements to help your body create energy and support fat loss:

Carnitine - a vitamin-like nutrient that supports fat burning

CoQ-10 - a coenzyme that helps cells create energy

Chromium - a mineral that aids with sugar balance

CLA - a fatty acid that research has shown helps burn abdominal fat

Omega-3 fatty acids - may help with mood, brain function, reducing inflammation, managing stress, bone density and heart health

9. Get some Vitamin S - SLEEP! Lack of sleep raises stress hormones, causes sugar cravings, and make you insulin resistant over time (which means you store fat easily and then it is really really hard to lose), so make sure you get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

10. Don't get stressed out. We often can't change our stress, but we can change our response to it. Modify your response to stress to keep the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline balanced.

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Dr. Phil Weighs in on Weight Loss

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 01:29:44 GMT

The Edge: Dr. Phil Weighs in on Weight Loss
Dr. Phil McGraw has a new message and a new book, and you’ll be hearing a lot about both of them when his show starts its new season in September. The message, says TV’s favorite therapist, is "diet plans don’t work." They help people lose weight, but eventually it comes back because people won’t stay on any plan that is artificial and restrictive. The only answer is, "to realign and re-engineer your entire lifestyle in order to change your weight in a meaningful way."
You can read all about it Sept. 9, when he releases "The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom." Not coincidentally, the "Solution" will be the topic of much promotion -- er, discussion -- when "Dr. Phil" begins its new season Sept. 15. The book and the show, says McGraw, will offer "a multifaceted lifestyle intervention. The reason nobody has said that before now is it doesn’t make good marketing. It’s all ‘7 pounds in 7 days,’ ‘30 pounds in 30 days.’ Quick, easy, eat what you want and lose weight. That’s a myth."
As for his own weight, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound McGraw says he’s satisfied, even though he no longer has the body he did when he was playing football. "I’m not going to look like somebody who stepped off the cover of GQ. …You have to set a reasonable goal."
Primus exerts ‘Animal’ magnetism
After giving human ears such beastly tunes as "Tommy the Cat," "Southbound Pachyderm," "Too Many Puppies" and "Greet the Sacred Cow," Primus is unleashing "Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People," a DVD/CD set due Oct. 7 on Interscope. Back from a four-year hiatus, the aggressively weird prog-pop trio that created the wacky "South Park" theme recently recorded five new songs for the "Animals" CD: "Pilcher’s Squad," "Mary the Ice Cube," "The Last Superpower aka Rapscallion," "My Friend Fats" and "The Carpenter and the Dainty Bride."
All 13 Primus videos, including the little-seen "Lacquer Head" (an anti-drug clip banned by MTV for its drug references), are on the DVD, along with 1992’s "Cheesy Home Video" documentary, award-winning cartoon "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," and previously unreleased live performances.
For its Tour de Fromage, a limited run of shows starting Oct. 15, Primus will offer an opening set that varies nightly followed by the full performance of 1991’s "Sailing the Seas of Cheese."

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Diet Plan

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 01:27:51 GMT

The Dr. Phil Diet Plan

Dr. Phil firmly believes: If you are overweight -- then you are out of control.
Ouch! No one likes to face the harsh fact of not being in control. But Dr. Phil is never afraid of telling it like it is. One of the advantages of Dr. Phil’s Shape Up weight loss program is that you never have to be bothered with counting calories, points, or fat grams and you can still enjoy some carbohydrates.
Dr. Phil coaches that as you take the time to unlock the 7 keys to self control, you will never ever revert back to self destructive overeating.
• Frequently Asked Questions
I’m addicted to sugar, candy, Oreos®, cakes, pies, cinnamon buns. Will I be able to get rid of the sugar cravings while on the Dr Phil Diet?
There are a few chapters or keys to self control that address the sugar addiction. You will confront and address using food as a drug or emotional pill. You will clean out your refrigerator and cupboard. You will acquire habits to preparing and eating nutritious foods. Each chapter builds on the next. Dr. Phil says when you are eating nutritious foods, your cravings for overeating sweets disappears.
I have failed at every diet imaginable. I feel so defeated. Why should I try this diet?
You should only go on the Dr. Phil Diet if you are ready to embrace a new way of thinking about weight loss. Are you ready to change your lifestyle? Are you ready to make permanent changes? Are you ready to stop making excuses? Are you ready to stop lying to yourself about why you can’t lose weight? Are you ready to exercise three or four times a week?
Can you get me to my goal of 125 pounds? I weighed that in high school and want to weigh that again when I go to my high school reunion.
Dr. Phil recommends against weighing what you weighed in high school. Your metabolism was probably different as was your activity level. Instead, he encourages setting realistic goals based on how you think you will feel if you weighed 125 pounds and then determine a healthy weight for you.
Dr. Phil looks like a big man. How can he be such an authority on weight loss solutions?
That’s the same question that Jay Leno asked him on the Tonight Show. Dr. Phil replied, “How can you be a comedian when you’re not funny?” Dr. Phil is 6’1” and weighs 220. Dr. Phil says that if he weighed 181 like many height and weight charts say he should, he would be thin as a clothesline.
I don't have any willpower. Is this diet for me?
Willpower is a myth, according to Dr. Phil. It’s a temporary state of mind that pumps you up but which leads to crash and burn. This is where you fail, feel badly, binge, and go back on a destructive cycle again..
I am so tired when I get home from work. I make dinner, feed the kids, do the dishes, and help them with homework. How will I ever have time and energy to exercise while on the Dr. Phil Diet?
It sounds like you have a hectic schedule. You can start small and build. Perhaps at work you can walk at lunch or climb stairs during your break. Include physical fitness with your children like bike riding and active games. When you are losing weight and choosing nutritious foods, you will have more energy and will want to exercise. Try to spend at least one weekend day engaging in a physical activity or pop an exercise tape on the video and kick up your heels.
I have no patience to weigh and measure everything I eat? Does the program have any short cuts?
A serving of meat, poultry, or fish fits into the palm of your hand. Servings of fats, oils, and nuts are the size of your thumb. The size of your cupped palm is usually one serving of vegetables or fruits. A half cup which you can eventually eye ball accommodates a serving of pasta, rice, cereal, and cheese. Use your common sense.
LEARN YOUR DIET PROFILE AND GET YOUR CUSTOM DR PHIL DIET
Every time I go on a diet and start to lose weight my husband sabotages me. He will bring home pizza or take me out to my favorite French restaurant or buy me a box of Godiva® chocolates. He says he likes me just the way I am. I hate him when he does that. What can I do?
Dr. Phil would have a heyday with that question. Tell your husband that the Dr. Phil Diet program has nothing to do with him. Tell him that you will feel better and be healthier and ask for his support. Key 7 is about social control and finding a weight loss coach. Dr. Phil suggests that successful weight loss is not about being the “lone ranger” but instead asking for social support and getting it. If your husband isn’t supportive, find a friend or mentor or join an online support group that helps you accomplish your weight loss goals.

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weight loss

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 01:23:52 GMT

When you're thirsty, choose drinks that don't have any calories (water, tea, or diet soft drinks). If your drink choices do have have calories, they should have nutrients. Alcohol and soda both contain useless calories which will only serve to increase your weight loss problem. Keep your calorie intake low enough so that it is just below the average amount of calories you burn during a day.
Some key points in a proper diet consist of eliminating the need to eat out at fast food restaurants on a regular basis. Bringing your lunch to work at least four days a week can have a great impact on your weight loss. If you cannot do this, try reducing the number of times you drive into McDonalds or other fast-food chain restaurant to twice per week maximum.
It is generally believed that losing weight naturally is very tough and there is no specific weight loss plan. You just stop eating fat, cook and eat a bunch of bad tasting dishes every day, stay hungry, exercise a lot, never eat out and hope for the best. Fortunately, losing weight isn't nearly that difficult.
Your weight loss plan should acknowledge the basic flaws in human behavior and their effects on a weight loss effort and incorporate ways and methods to minimize the negative effects. Everyone likes to eat out and almost nobody likes to workout 2 hours daily. Why force such strict principles when there are easier, more natural alternatives?
For weight loss to be truly effective, you need to exercise on a daily basis. This can come in many different forms. You don't have to go to the gym to get exercise, simply park on the other side of the parking lot when you go to the store, or take a brisk walk around the block when you check the mail. Small things like this can make a great impact.

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Water

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 01:18:33 GMT

We all know that water is important, but I've never seen it
written down like this before.
75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
(This likely applies to half of the world population)
In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is
often mistaken for hunger.
Even MILD dehydration will slow down metabolism as much as 3%.
One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost
100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day
could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of
sufferers.
A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term
memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the
computer screen or on a printed page.

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Quotes

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:43:00 GMT

BE commited,
DO what it takes,
and you will HAVE what you want.

Dr. Phil

THE PRESENT

Whatever the present moment contains, accept is as if you had chosen it.

Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy.

This will miraculously transform your whole life.

~Eckhart Tolle author "The Power of Now"

"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"

"Don't trade what you want
for what you want at the moment"

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"

"Eat for Fuel, not Fun"

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

All mankind id divided into three classes: those who are immovable, those who are movable and those who move.

Benjamin Franklin

"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot."
Walter Bagehot

"Make the most of the present moment. No occasion is unworthy of our best
efforts. God often uses the humble occasions and little things to shape the
course of a man's life." --President James Garfield

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A Meal Plan

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:39:36 GMT

MONDAY
Breakfast: Joe’s Scramble
Scramble 2 oz. ground chicken breast with mushrooms, onions, garlic, chopped spinach, 1 egg, 2 egg whites. Serve with sliced tomatoes.
Mid-Morning Snack:
1 oz. string cheese and 1 piece of fruit
Lunch: Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomato
Mix tuna with low fat or non-fat mayo and dijon mustard, herbs & chopped celery. Cut top off and remove center from tomato. Stuff & serve on a bed of greens with viniagrette and 2 whole wheat crackers
Afternoon Snack: 1 cup edamane
(steamed soybeans in the shell)
Dinner: Crock Pot Tri-Tip Roast
Rub roast with 1 tsp black pepper & 2 cloves mashed garlic. Put in crock pot with 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp dru mustard. Cook on slow for 8 hours, or fast for 6. Serve with a green salad and steamed veggies with seasoned vinegar and oil. 1 cup berries for dessert.
TUESDAY
Breakfast: Yogurt Parfait
Layer plain non-fat yogurt mixed with vanilla and cinnamon with 1/2 cup berries and 1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal.
Mid-Morning Snack:
Celery & 1 tbsp. peanut butter
Lunch: Chicken Caesar Salad
Have with whole wheat crackers. No croutons, and if dining out - ask for dressing on the side.
Dinner: Vegetable Soup. 3 Layer Mexican Dip w/Veggies.
Red Snapper Vera Cruz
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: Muffin Breakfast Sandwich
1/2 whole wheat English muffin toasted and topped with sliced tomato, 1 slice fat free cheese and a poached egg.
Mid-Morning Snack:
Lo-carb Tortilla Roll-up with 1/4 cup chopped apple w/cinnamon & 1 tbsp peanut butter
Lunch: 1/2 Turkey Sandwich and Raw Veggies & Dip
Sandwich with dijon, fat-free cheese, tomato, 2 slices avocado and romaine. Raw veggies with non-fat sour cream & low sodium dip mix.
Afternoon Snack: Orange slices
Mama’s Meatloaf & 1/2 Baked Sweet Potato
See recipe below. Serve with a green salad and viniagrette.
THURSDAY
Breakfast: Berry Oatmeal
To 1 cup real oatmeal cooked add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup berries,
1-2 tbsp of Shape Up Vanilla Protein Powder.
Mid-Morning Snack:
5 Nuts & 1 cup berries
Lunch: Orange Chicken Salad
See recipe below. Have with 2 whole grain crackers.
Afternoon Snack:
1-2 oz. string cheese
Dinner: Vegetable Soup, Parmesan Crusted Salmon, Green Bean Medley
See recipe below. Serve with green bean medley - saute green beans in tiny bit of chicken broth, add minced garlic, sliced mushrooms and black pepper.
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Chicken Breakfast Sausages
Ground chicken breast, spinach, herbs and fat-free cheese mixed together
and sauteed.Serve with Melon slices
Mid-Morning Snack
Apple and nofat cheese slices
Lunch: Chili & Garden Salad
Make your own - or use canned. Top with non-fat cheese.
Afternoon Snack Dr. Phil Shape Up Bar
Dinner: Caesar Salad and Quick Chicken Stroganoff
See recipe below. Remember - no croutons and light dressing.
SATURDAY
Breakfast: Nut Wrap
Lo-carb tortilla filled with 1 tbsp fat free cream cheese,
1 tbsp peanut butter and 1/4 cup chopped apple.
Mid-Morning Snack:
Small Yogurt Parfait
Lunch: Stuffed Tuna Pita
Stuff a whole wheat pita with your tuna salad. Crudites with viniagrette.
Afternoon Snack:
Tomatoes, fresh basil, 2 oz. low or non-fat mozarella cheese
Dinner: Garden Salad & Turkey Pasta
1 cup whole wheat pasta with marinara of ground turkey breast, onions, peppers and mushrooms.
SUNDAY
Breakfast: Eggs Florentine
Poached egg + 2 egg whites atop sauteed spinach with 2 oz. reduced fat feta cheese.
Serve with melon chunks.
Mid-Morning Snack
Apple slices with 1 tbsp peanut butter
Lunch: Veggie Burger
Top 1/2 whole wheat English muffin with 1 slice tomato,
1 slice no-fat chesse and crudites
Afternoon Snack:
Whole Grain Crackers and hummus
Dinner: Shrimp Fajitas
Whole wheat tortilla, peppers and onions, sliced avocado, 2 oz. fat-free Monterey jack
cheese, fresh salsa and grilled (or sauteed) shrimp. Serve with green salad.

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Children

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:32:41 GMT

Dr. Phil explains why it's important to put your responsibility as a parent above your desire to give your children what they want.
If you are worried about hurting your child's feelings by not giving him/her what he/she wants to eat, remember that refusing to give your child unhealthy foods could actually save his/her life.
Understand that it's not always important that your child likes you. Sometimes what is important is that your child respects the boundaries that you've put down. It's your job to do what you need to do as a parent to ensure your child's well-being, whether he/she likes it or not.
The fact that you may be uncomfortable saying no to your child does not release you of your responsibility to do so when it's in your child's best interest. That's why parenting is hard. Parents have to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done, whether they end up being the bad guy or not.
Remember that your job as a parent is not to tell your child what he/she wants to hear. Your job is to tell your child what he/she needs to hear.
Do not use food as a reward. You can love your child in different ways without food. Why not reward your child with your time? Reading a bedtime story, taking a walk or playing catch are things you can do to connect with your child and make them feel special without unnecessary calories.
Don't use food to medicate your child emotionally. It might make your child feel good for the moment, but he/she could pay a high physical, emotional and social price for your unwillingness to step up and do what is required instead of what feels good at the time.

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Eating disorders

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:30:27 GMT

Eating disorders are what Dr. Phil calls a "silent epidemic." In the beginning, girls may choose to restrict their diets or to purge for one reason, but they end up continuing to do so because it becomes an addiction. Early intervention is crucial because once an eating disorder gets a grip on someone, it's far more difficult to treat.
Here are some early warning signs to look for:
A significant change in apparent appetite.
Excessive weight loss and an intense fear of weight gain.
An unnatural preoccupation with food and calories.
An obsession with clothing size, scales and mirrors.
Routine secrecy, such as leaving the table immediately after eating to go behind closed doors.
Avoidance of family meals or events at which food is present.
Wearing bulky clothes to hide weight loss.
Excessive exercise.
Social withdrawal and moodiness.

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Stay Motivated

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:28:45 GMT

Nobody ever said that losing weight would be easy. Staying motivated can be hard work, but it isn't impossible. Accept that you may hit a motivational plateau. At first, losing weight and exercising is exciting and fun. After time, many people lose their motivation. The key to motivation is figuring out how to keep going, even when you don't feel like doing so.
Don't rely on willpower -- it simply doesn't work. Willpower is driven by emotions, which can be fickle. Emotions landed you into a weight problem, but they won't get you out of it. Instead, program yourself for success and stick to the program.
Give yourself permission to say, "I don't have to want to do this all the time." By acknowledging that, you can respond to it accordingly. People who watch what they eat and exercise regularly don't necessarily want to, but they understand that their actions have consequences. They've programmed themselves for success.
Avoid Danger Zones
You can't be overweight unless you have a lifestyle to support it. Danger zones can be places, times or moments:
Places: Clean up your kitchen pantry. You can't eat unhealthy food if it's not there. Avoid fast-food restaurants and other places that don't go along with your goals.
Times: Change your routine. If you know you tend to eat junk food late in the evening when you decompress, come up with some alternative stress-reducing behaviors that don't involve food.
Moments: When you get an impulse to eat, and you're standing in front of food, fight it. Leave the room, go outside, do whatever it takes. The impulse will pass. Fight the urges moment by moment.

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Sabotage

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:27:47 GMT

Have you made positive life changes and then been surprised by how others react? Do friends and family act as though your growth threatens them? Are they not supporting you in ways you expected them to?
Don't be surprised if those closest to you try to sabotage your efforts. Sometimes people will unconsciously try to keep you "on script" with your fictional self in order to protect you or protect themselves from change.
Dr. Phil suggests that you weigh carefully what others have to say because there may be something of value offered, but also keep in mind their possible motives.
There are four basic patterns of behavior that others typically use to destroy your quest for authenticity — whether they know it or not. It's important to be aware of these patterns and not allow "carriers of toxicity" to set you back.
The four destructive behaviors are:
1. Overprotection
The underlying message here is one of fear. "I don't want you to get hurt." "Trying something new could result in failure." This pattern is dangerous because it's often masked as love and concern and is therefore difficult to fight.
2. Power Manipulation
In this form of sabotage, people attempt to take away your personal power in order to maintain their old relationship with you. They figure that if they treat you like a child, you will yield to their suggestions like a child. "What idiot told you it would be good to go back to school?" "Do you honestly think you'll keep the weight off?"
3. Leveling
People who feel inadequate will sometimes try to "level" those who have what they want. Your success could pose a threat and cause them to sabotage you in any way they can in order to bring you down to their level.
4. Safety in the Status Quo
People are comfortable with circumstances that they know, even if the circumstances are bad. A change for the better is still a change -- a complete threat to familiarity and the security of the status quo. Don't be surprised if others perceive your reconnection with your authentic self as something threatening that they need to destroy.

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What is your Life Script?

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:26:09 GMT

How fixed beliefs define our roles:
Our fixed beliefs define the roles we play in life and have a lot to do with the scripts that are running them. Just as actors follow a play's script for lines, actions and attitude, we follow life scripts according to what our fixed beliefs tell us. Are you telling yourself that you are a tragic character or heroic character? Are you playing the loving mother, abusive husband, frustrated artist or successful businessman?
Why scripts are dangerous:
Whatever your fixed beliefs are, you have practiced your script for so long that you believe what it says about you and your potential. This is why life scripts are dangerous. We begin to perceive them as being set in stone. We even allow them to shape the way we expect things to turn out. Fixed beliefs also influence the casting, location and wardrobe of our script. Who is "right" for the part in our script and who isn't? What type of living arrangement and attire are appropriate for the character we are playing, etc.?
When life scripts become limiting:
Because our scripts are based on fixed beliefs, we tend to resist any challenges or changes to them. If we suddenly feel happy and fulfilled, but our script says that we should feel sad and hopeless, we tend to panic because we've gone "off script." It just doesn't feel right and besides, the happy role belongs to someone else, doesn't it? This is an example of why most fixed beliefs are also limiting beliefs. They limit our scripts by dictating what we can't do, don't deserve and aren't qualified for.
What's next? It's time to move your self-concept away from a world-defined, fictional self toward a self-defined, authentic self with Dr. Phil's

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Walking

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:25:04 GMT

You know you want to begin a fitness program, but don't know where to start. It's easy! Walking is one of the easiest and most profitable forms of exercise. All you need is a good pair of shoes, comfortable clothing, and desire.
How to start: First of all, start out slow and easy. Just walk out the door. For most people this means head out the door, walk for 10 minutes, and walk back. That's it? Yes, that's it. Do this every day for a week. If this was easy for you, add five minutes to your walks for week 2 (total walking time 25 minutes). Keep adding 5 minutes until you are walking as long as desired.
WATCH your posture. Walk tall. Think of elongating your body. Hold your head up and eyes forward. Your shoulders should be down, back and relaxed. Tighten your abdominals and buttocks and fall into a natural stride.
Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after walking. Incorporate a warm up, cool down and stretches into your routine. Start your walk at a slow warm up pace, stop and do a few warm up stretches. Then walk for the desired length of time. End your walk with the slower cool down pace and stretch well. Stretching will make you feel great and assist in injury prevention.
The toughest thing about starting a fitness program is developing a habit. Walking daily will help (a minimum of 5 days a week is a good goal). You should walk fast enough to reach your target heart rate, but you should not be gasping for air.
After you have formed the habit you will want to evaluate your program and your goals.
If you are walking for the general health benefits try to walk 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, at a "talking" pace.
To improve cardiovascular fitness walk 3 to 4 days a week, 20 to 30 minutes at a very fast pace - breathing hard but not gasping for air.
If you are walking for weight loss you should walk a minimum of five days a week, 45 to 60 minutes at a "purposeful/talking" pace.
If you're new to walking, start off with slow, short sessions and build your way up gradually. If you have any health concerns or medical conditions, be sure to check with your doctor for advice before you begin a routine.
Once you can comfortably walk for 30 to 60 minutes 5 to 6 days a week you may want to put more "umpf" or speed into your routine. Follow these easy tips for walking faster (or for some real speed learn to racewalk).
Zero to Sixty in Twelve Weeks - An easy to follow schedule to get you walking 60 minutes in 12 weeks.

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Internal Dialogue

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:23:18 GMT

In order to define your self-concept and how it came to be, you need to understand two major sets of factors that help shape who you are:
External Factors: You can trace who you've become in this life back to 10 defining moments, seven critical choices and five pivotal people. You cannot change these moments, choices and people, but once acknowledged, you can begin to work on changing your future.
Internal Factors: Unlike the external factors that we have no control over, our internal factors are made up of our own reactions to the events in our life. Since these reactions happen within us, we have the power to change them.
Identifying these factors along with the effects that they have had on your self-concept will allow you to deal with them in the here and now. By doing this you will be able to take your power back, stop being a passenger in your life, and start driving.

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Defining your External Factors

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:22:24 GMT

According to Dr. Phil, you can trace who you've become in this life to three types of external factors: 10 defining moments, seven critical choices, and five pivotal people. But first it's important to understand the following terms:
Ten Defining Moments: In every person's life, there have been moments, both positive and negative, that have defined and redefined who you are. Those events entered your consciousness with such power that they changed the very core of who and what you thought you were. A part of you was changed by those events, and caused you to define yourself, to some degree by your experience of that event.
Seven Critical Choices: There are a surprisingly small number of choices that rise to the level of life-changing ones. Critical choices are those that have changed your life, positively or negatively, and are major factors in determining who and what you will become. They are the choices that have affected your life up to today, and have set you on a path.
Five Pivotal People: These are the people who have left indelible impressions on your concept of self, and therefore, the life you live. They may be family members, friends or co-workers, and their influences can be either positive or negative. They are people who can determine whether you live consistently with your authentic self, or instead live a counterfeit life controlled by a fictional self that has crowded out who you really are.

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Defining your Internal Factors

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:21:25 GMT

Internal factors are reactions that you create inside yourself in response to the world. Even though they happen inside you, it's best to think about them as behaviors because they are actions that you choose. By choosing how to perceive yourself, you can either behave your way to success or behave your way to failure. For example, if you believe you are competent and special, you will live up to that truth. If you believe you are incompetent and worthless, you will live down to that truth.
The powerful internal factors that shape your self-concept are:
Internal Dialogue: This is the continuous conversation that you have with yourself about everything that happens to you. This dialogue is constant, happens in real time (at the same rate at which you would speak the words aloud), and provokes a physiological change (with each thought comes a physical reaction).
Labeling: Humans tend to organize things into categories. We even categorize other humans by labeling them into groups, subgroups, classes and functions. But were you aware that we label ourselves? For better or worse, these labels have a powerful impact on our perception of self because we tend to "live" the categories we've attached to ourselves ("I'm a loser" or "I'm a winner.")
Tapes: These are beliefs that have become so deeply ingrained that they "play" automatically in our heads and influence our behavior without our awareness. Unlike labels ("I never win"), tapes have context: "I won't get the promotion because I never win." Tapes are dangerous and potentially self-defeating because they have the power to set you up for a specific outcome.
Fixed Beliefs / Limiting Beliefs: Fixed beliefs are the beliefs we hold about ourselves, others, and life's circumstances that have been repeated for so long they have become ingrained and are difficult to change. Limiting beliefs are the beliefs we have about ourselves that limit what we reach for and achieve. They also cause us to block any conflicting (positive) information while confirming any new negative information.

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How do you Label Yourself?

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:19:55 GMT

Labels are incredibly powerful influences in your life. You may not be consciously aware of even a fraction of your labels, whether they come from the outside world or from within yourself. Either way, you must acknowledge the existence of labels, challenge the "fit," and confront the impact these labels have on your concept of self.
Ask yourself the following questions in order to start identifying and evaluating your labels. Write your answers down so that you can review them later.
1. How do you label yourself? Are you a career woman, a mom, an accountant, a politician? Are you a failure or a winner? Are you a "fat girl" or a "pretty girl?" Write down all the labels you attach to yourself, going back as far as you can remember.
2. Where did these labels come from? Did they come from you? Your parents? A teacher? A friend? Look at each label you wrote down in the above question, and identify where each one came from.
3. Are you living to your labels? How are your labels working for you? What are your payoffs?

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When Losing Weight Causes Anxiety

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:18:27 GMT

If you thought that losing weight would solve all your problems and eliminate your insecurities and anxieties, you probably found out the hard way that fixing external issues doesn't fix internal issues. In fact, losing a lot of weight quickly can intensify anxiety. Dr. Phil explains:
If you're experiencing disappointment about your weight loss, you may have had unrealistic expectancies. For example, what you could have expected was: to feel healthier, more energetic, to lower your risk of diabetes or other diseases that are related to obesity. Unrealistic expectancies would include: eliminating your insecurities, changing the way you feel about yourself and the world, etc.
If the anxieties you felt while you were overweight have been amplified by weight loss, ask yourself if you gained weight for a reason. Was the weight just a symptom of something going on inside you?
Ask yourself if you were medicating yourself with food. Overeating can provide comfort by pushing down anxieties and insecurities. It can be a coping mechanism.
When you eat in a healthy manner and don't allow yourself to overeat, you take that unhealthy coping mechanism away from yourself. All of the anxiety you've felt is still there, but you don't have this tool (overeating) to cope with it anymore. It's no wonder that the anxieties start bubbling back up again.
Realize that although you've got the same problems you had before, you're just in a smaller body and you don't have a tool to fend it off and "self medicate" with.
Understand that while it's important to manage your external environment (your weight), it's just as crucial that you manage your internal environment (your fears and anxieties).
Try this exercise designed to help you uncover and manage your internal feelings relating to food and weight.
This exercise is designed to help you turn back the clock and get to the heart of why you overeat. Get a pen and some paper and write down your answers to the questions below.
1. When did you started using food for non-nutritional reasons? Why was it that you started medicating yourself with food, taking care of yourself with food and comforting yourself with food? Go back to that time and write down what you were feeling and experiencing at the time.
2. Write down all of the insecurities that you're feeling right now.
3. Now look at your answers to question one and question two together. The answers to question two may be more specific because you don't have to remember as far back, but do you see similarities?
4. Now take every comment, fear and anxiety that you wrote down in response to questions one and two and challenge them. In writing. For example, if one of your fears is, "My spouse isn't really attracted to me because of my weight," challenge it by writing down a piece of evidence. Evidence isn't, "Because that's the way I feel." Write down any facts you have that can support your challenge. For example, "My spouse met, fell in love with, and married me while I was at my heaviest weight."
Challenge every fear and negative thought you wrote down in this manner with facts you can support.

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Food and Diet Obession

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:16:56 GMT

If most of your day is spent thinking about what you just ate or what you're going to eat next, Dr. Phil says that the possible roots of your obsession may surprise you.
Most of the time, obsessive behavior and compulsive thinking about food have nothing to do with food. They have everything to do with your self-image. It's just that the battlefield you've chosen is food. It's where you've chosen to exercise tight control in hopes that none of your underlying fears and emotions will creep up on you.
People often use food as a control mechanism. Having an obsession with food and controlling your intake of it can be a substitute for having command over what you really want to control: how you feel about yourself.
Ask yourself what would happen if you didn't focus on food so much and let go of the control. Do you fear you'd be a worthless human being? What if you said, "My body image is independent of my self-image. If I am a good, caring and loving parent/spouse/child and an honest, responsible citizen, it doesn't matter how much I weigh"? You may want to weigh less and that's OK. But weight and self-image are not the same thing.
Know that you can unlearn this behavior. Everybody has a definition of success. If your definition of success is to have hyper-control of food intake, it's the wrong definition. You need to change your definition.
Understand that ending obsessive behavior with food sometimes isn't the answer to the problem because it doesn't deal with the root of the problem: internal dialogue that says you're a bad person if you don't weigh a certain amount. You need to change your internal dialogue.
When discussing food obsession, Dr. Phil believes it's important to note that one of the biggest problems with weight loss programs today is that they are highly focused on food. Many popular programs incorporate a regimented diet in which people have to weigh food and count calories, etc. People often go on a diet because they don't want to eat as much but the structure of the diet requires them to spend their entire day focused on food, which only exacerbates the problem.

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Eating and Entertainment

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:14:42 GMT

If you're eating while you're reading this or while you watch TV, STOP! Eating while you're watching TV may be costing you 20 to 30 pounds every single year.
Research shows that if we eat while we're watching TV or reading or visiting with somebody else, we get real mindless about it. And so, what we do is, we just keep eating while we're watching the television, and, surprisingly enough, the faster paced the show, the faster we eat.
So if you're eating and reading this right now, either the computer or your food has to go!

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Identify High Risk Times

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:13:52 GMT

If you're overwhelmed with how much weight you have to lose, and it seems like you'll never be able to climb that mountain, here's some good news.
Excessive eating happens in less than five minutes a day. You have certain periods during your day that maybe are associated with a location, maybe it's associated with a time of day, or maybe it's associated with an activity. Identify your high-risk times and those are the only moments that really threaten you.
It's called "impulse eating" and if you'll identify those specific moments during your day and make sure that you're performing some incompatible behavior, you'll get past the impulse moments and won't struggle the rest of the day.
Identify them and do something incompatible at that point in time.

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Make Weight Loss a Project

sweetdarlinwendy — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 00:12:56 GMT

The tip today has to do with bringing about change in your life. It is very clear that we are creatures of habit. We get a life momentum flowing just like a river, and rerouting a river is a big job. If you're going to make changes in your life, it requires support from those around you and a commitment to do what you want until it comes to be. It isn't a matter of doing it for a few days or a few weeks. It's about doing it until you get what you want.
The key is to go from awareness and consciousness to putting what you want on project status. Make it a project. Think about it. If you were just aware that you wanted the garage to be painted, it wouldn't get painted. But, if you make it a project with a deadline, it will get done. If you want change, make it project status.

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