I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. We've had a lot going on here in our family and it's kept me on the road a lot. My daughter was diagnosed with a parotid tumor that had to come out. She had that surgery a little over 3 weeks ago. Maybe 4? Anyway, it turned out to be a rare form of cancer so there have been lots of day long trips to Gainsville where her doctor's and cancer center are and we are now preparing for her to have a couple of months of radiation. This is all so scary and we are doing our best to remain positive.
As far as my weight loss goes...I am still losing. I have still not weighed. I am back in the pool and in fact, just got out from getting my exercise. I've worked back up to 16 lengths. I'm not counting laps because I'm no where near where I was last year. My shoulder/elbow/wrist pain is finally abating after 6 months of misery and I'm working my way back.
I was surprised when I saw myself in the mirror in my swimsuit. I really haven't paid a lot of attention to how my weight loss is changing me and I was kind of amazed! This was one of those days that it suddenly showed a LOT. I must of crossed over in to a weight I haven't been at in a long time. It's kind of intriguing to have no idea what I weigh or how much I've lost.
Andy has lost about 35 pounds! He's completely lost his belly and all his pants are falling off. Time to go shopping!
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Showing posts with label meal replacement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meal replacement. Show all posts
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Monday, October 31, 2016
Happy Halloween!
I know this is mostly a kids event, but it does signal the beginning of the Holiday season. The challenge for each of us is to get through the next 61 days (Jan 1st 2017) without backsliding in our weight loss and abandoning all hope of ever reaching our goals. Halloween is the first day of feeling obligated to have sugary treats in the house "for the kids" and the same in abundance at the workplace. Parties start being thrown and 2 months of celebrating with food, alcohol, and lots and lots of sugar is the hurdle.
I don't expect anyone to be perfect until 2017. If you can be, WOW~! I'm impressed! But it is likely you will have a slip here and there, or maybe even take a diet vacation for each actual holiday, but NEVER use this time of year as an excuse to abuse your body through unhealthy and harmful food choices, justifying it because it's tradition or expected of you by friends and family. No one has the right to challenge you about what you put in your mouth. They can chatter all they want trying to nag or influence you in to diving in, but you alone make that choice.
Each time you say "No" to a food temptation, don't dwell on it, lamenting how sad you feel or deprived. Instead, give yourself a mental "High Five" for being strong and in charge! Food is the catalyst of your obesity. If you don't abuse your body with it, your body has a fighting chance to restore health and balance and well being to you both physically and mentally.
I don't expect anyone to be perfect until 2017. If you can be, WOW~! I'm impressed! But it is likely you will have a slip here and there, or maybe even take a diet vacation for each actual holiday, but NEVER use this time of year as an excuse to abuse your body through unhealthy and harmful food choices, justifying it because it's tradition or expected of you by friends and family. No one has the right to challenge you about what you put in your mouth. They can chatter all they want trying to nag or influence you in to diving in, but you alone make that choice.
Each time you say "No" to a food temptation, don't dwell on it, lamenting how sad you feel or deprived. Instead, give yourself a mental "High Five" for being strong and in charge! Food is the catalyst of your obesity. If you don't abuse your body with it, your body has a fighting chance to restore health and balance and well being to you both physically and mentally.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Fall=Pumpkin!
This time of year it seems like everything is pumpkin flavored...and I'm ok with that! You don't need to feel left out if you are following your Cambridge Diet Plan. Just add 1 or 2 T of pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling) to your Cambridge shake along with some pumpkin pie spices and you will have a delicious festive Fall pumpkin shake! At only 5 cal per T, it is the perfect nutritive flavor enhancer. Try it in the FFL Eggnog or any of the Vanilla flavors. The Original 330 Horchatta with Tonalin CLA would be fantastic too! For something special, top with a T of fat free whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon. SO GOOD!
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Promises, promises
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 10/07/14:
We've all seen infomercials, commercials, and magazine ads promising phenomenal weight loss results with "No change in eating" or "Eat all you want!"...all sorts of promises with little to no sacrifice on the behalf of the dieter. We want to believe! We wait for that magic pill! We buy in to that "All you can eat" diet that will free us from counting calories! For many people, surgery makes those golden promises and we willingly go under anesthesia and the knife.
What we find is that regardless of the promise, there is no magic. There is nothing to save us from ourselves. Most ads have disclaimers in very fine print and we can't be bothered to pause the TV to read it all. Besides, we all know disclaimers are only there to appease the media source and protect them from lawsuits anyway. In fact, I was just required from the company I have been with for my advertising for 11 years now, to reword all my text on my website so as not to be stating Cambridge can give "rapid" or "fast" results (even though it is true) or that you can lose X amount of pounds in X amount of days. So in other words, they are requiring me to remove all the truth on my website and replace it with vague statements. I was required to place those annoying disclaimers everywhere saying that "results may vary" etc. Nonsense...all of it. Nonsense to those advertisers of products that promise false misleading results and cover their backsides with disclaimers, and nonsense to an advertising company requiring me to remove the truth of my own personal experience and documented scientific clinical results and research.
People have a right to know what they are buying and putting in their body. I agree. I do my best to represent this product, The Cambridge Diet, as truthfully and factually as I possibly can. I do that because I believe in it from personal experience and success along my deep desire to help others do the same.
Cambridge has proven its self over 35 years and there is no need to exaggerate results or what people can expect when using it. I averaged a pound a day loss when I was on it for a total of 120 pounds in less then 6 months initially, and then another 40 pounds some years later. It happened and I have no intention of saying otherwise to pacify an advertising company's fear of lawsuits.
I can't promise anyone what their experience will be because it totally depends on the individual and whether they stick to the diet or not. I can promise that with Cambridge you will get the best and most rapid (yes, I used that word!) results that your body can give you if you follow it correctly.
Addiction, depression, fighting back, giving up
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 08/13/14:
With the suicide of Robin Williams, a lot of speculation is being shared regarding what the cause was for his tragic decision to end his life. He was after all, just a man. He had a career, a family, a couple of divorces, a health crisis, personal losses of friends, struggled with addictions and depression...not much different than the average person. The only thing that set him apart was that he was in the entertainment business. Lots of people are and there does seem to be a high level of deaths due to suicide and overdoses within those in the entertainment business, but maybe that is only because we are bombarded with the news when it happens with someone famous. People die every day for the same reasons that we never hear about. Some of us may even have someone in our family that ended their life or attempted to, or who maybe has addictions that they have not been able to overcome. What makes one person able to overcome and another one to give up?
We have discussed the concept of overeating as an addiction. Some people with chemical addictions take offense at that idea. They do not believe that food can be an addictive substance causing the person to knowingly be self destructive and even endanger their life by indulging in it like someone addicted to a drug or alcohol.
I think we do not need to classify things so much. Any person who repeatedly partakes in a substance or behavior that is harmful or destructive to mind and/or body is suffering from the same basic problem. Food, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, all can be the eventual end of life. All can rob the person of quality of life, end relationships, hurt innocent people, cause depression and a sense of failure. Logic tells the person to just stop. Quit. Change. Easier said then done.
Rehab is a popular option for drug and alcohol addictions, even sexual addicts have rehab....for those that can afford it. Eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia have recovery centers. All of these self destructive behaviors have intervention options. What is there for the obese? We are no different. Our psychology is very much the same as any other addict. Where is our rehab?
Depression and hopelessness is the natural result of a life out of balance, a life out of control. Not everyone can pull themselves out once they descend in to the pit, especially if they are still battling their addictions. My own personal experience with depression went on for many years. I was medicated and had some therapy, but it didn't cure anything. It wasn't until I got my addiction for food under control and began to put some distance between it and my sense of self that I realized I wasn't a "depressed person". I was a person struggling with an extreme problem that effected every aspect of my life. A problem that I felt powerless to do anything about, no matter how hard or how long I tried. I wasn't depressed. It was just that the life I was living sucked really bad.
Beginning the process of change is intimidating and scary and exciting and unknown. Those of us that hold tightly to whatever we have used to cope or to self medicate do NOT give it up willingly. We can't see life on the other side of addiction and believe that we can ever be truly and permanently free or at peace. The people in our lives grow weary of our repeated attempts at recovery and we gradually lose our support system and can find ourselves feeling alone.
What makes one person give up and another fight until they are free? Hard to say. To see someone who appears to have all the resources available to them to overcome their addictions, only to commit suicide...makes sense to no one but them. Oprah had unlimited resources to deal with her obesity. Personal chefs, personal trainers, therapy, some of the world's most respected minds a phone call away...she lost weight and gained it back the same as any other food addict. We are all the same.
When we lose someone like Robin Williams to addiction or suicide it shakes us up and can cause us to examine our own problems a little more closely. It is a time for empathy and an unfortunate opportunity to realize we are all battling our demons of one kind or another. He didn't have it in him to fight anymore. I can't imagine that kind of desperate sadness to actually do something to end my own life.
Hopelessness is the enemy. When a person loses hope, there is no more reason to fight or change or believe there is anything to save them. I have had the privilege of being in the receiving end of phone calls over the years of people making one more attempt at reaching out for help. They don't believe in themselves anymore or their ability to change. There is nothing better then if by the end of the conversation I hear the magic words, "I have hope". It's a beginning.
Never give up on achieving the life you want. Losing weight in no way gets the respect it deserves. Living life as an obese person is hard in every way. Overcoming what drives a person to self abuse with food is a tremendous accomplishment. Remaining "food sober" is no walk in the park either. We all know that. Never give up.
With the suicide of Robin Williams, a lot of speculation is being shared regarding what the cause was for his tragic decision to end his life. He was after all, just a man. He had a career, a family, a couple of divorces, a health crisis, personal losses of friends, struggled with addictions and depression...not much different than the average person. The only thing that set him apart was that he was in the entertainment business. Lots of people are and there does seem to be a high level of deaths due to suicide and overdoses within those in the entertainment business, but maybe that is only because we are bombarded with the news when it happens with someone famous. People die every day for the same reasons that we never hear about. Some of us may even have someone in our family that ended their life or attempted to, or who maybe has addictions that they have not been able to overcome. What makes one person able to overcome and another one to give up?
We have discussed the concept of overeating as an addiction. Some people with chemical addictions take offense at that idea. They do not believe that food can be an addictive substance causing the person to knowingly be self destructive and even endanger their life by indulging in it like someone addicted to a drug or alcohol.
I think we do not need to classify things so much. Any person who repeatedly partakes in a substance or behavior that is harmful or destructive to mind and/or body is suffering from the same basic problem. Food, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, all can be the eventual end of life. All can rob the person of quality of life, end relationships, hurt innocent people, cause depression and a sense of failure. Logic tells the person to just stop. Quit. Change. Easier said then done.
Rehab is a popular option for drug and alcohol addictions, even sexual addicts have rehab....for those that can afford it. Eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia have recovery centers. All of these self destructive behaviors have intervention options. What is there for the obese? We are no different. Our psychology is very much the same as any other addict. Where is our rehab?
Depression and hopelessness is the natural result of a life out of balance, a life out of control. Not everyone can pull themselves out once they descend in to the pit, especially if they are still battling their addictions. My own personal experience with depression went on for many years. I was medicated and had some therapy, but it didn't cure anything. It wasn't until I got my addiction for food under control and began to put some distance between it and my sense of self that I realized I wasn't a "depressed person". I was a person struggling with an extreme problem that effected every aspect of my life. A problem that I felt powerless to do anything about, no matter how hard or how long I tried. I wasn't depressed. It was just that the life I was living sucked really bad.
Beginning the process of change is intimidating and scary and exciting and unknown. Those of us that hold tightly to whatever we have used to cope or to self medicate do NOT give it up willingly. We can't see life on the other side of addiction and believe that we can ever be truly and permanently free or at peace. The people in our lives grow weary of our repeated attempts at recovery and we gradually lose our support system and can find ourselves feeling alone.
What makes one person give up and another fight until they are free? Hard to say. To see someone who appears to have all the resources available to them to overcome their addictions, only to commit suicide...makes sense to no one but them. Oprah had unlimited resources to deal with her obesity. Personal chefs, personal trainers, therapy, some of the world's most respected minds a phone call away...she lost weight and gained it back the same as any other food addict. We are all the same.
When we lose someone like Robin Williams to addiction or suicide it shakes us up and can cause us to examine our own problems a little more closely. It is a time for empathy and an unfortunate opportunity to realize we are all battling our demons of one kind or another. He didn't have it in him to fight anymore. I can't imagine that kind of desperate sadness to actually do something to end my own life.
Hopelessness is the enemy. When a person loses hope, there is no more reason to fight or change or believe there is anything to save them. I have had the privilege of being in the receiving end of phone calls over the years of people making one more attempt at reaching out for help. They don't believe in themselves anymore or their ability to change. There is nothing better then if by the end of the conversation I hear the magic words, "I have hope". It's a beginning.
Never give up on achieving the life you want. Losing weight in no way gets the respect it deserves. Living life as an obese person is hard in every way. Overcoming what drives a person to self abuse with food is a tremendous accomplishment. Remaining "food sober" is no walk in the park either. We all know that. Never give up.
Day 10
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 04/13/14;
Today is day 10 for me. I have a goal for this year to get all the way down to my high school weight. I have not seen that since....well...high school! I have made a few half hearted attempts at it over the years, but I just didn't feel motivated enough. I made a spur of the moment decision 10 days ago to just pee or get off the pot (as my mother used to say!) and without any fanfare or plan, I just started. I put my scale out in the garage. I have accepted the truth that weighing is the kiss of death for me. I can be going along with my weight loss just fine, but if I see a number I don't like it can completely derail me so...no scale for me. I'm just going to keep moving forward and not worry about numbers. I know that all I have to do is stick to my 3 servings a day and not fool around by nibbling here or there or "taking a break" or any of the other self sabotaging behaviors I know I'm capable of. I want this so I'm giving it my absolute best. I have to admit, I'm curious to know how much I've lost in 10 days, but I will resist the urge and leave the evil scale alone!
Welcome to 2014!
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 01/01/14:
Yes, another new year. Time is going so fast it seems. Do you have your goals set for 2014? I haven't put too much thought in to it yet, but I do know that I want to lose a few more pounds and get as lean as I can be. I haven't had a gym membership the past year and a half since we moved here to Florida. I have a beautiful pool, but it's unheated and yes, even here in sunny Florida it gets too cold to swim. You get about 6 months of the year before the water gets too cold. My goal is to need a new swim suit for summer because my old one will be too big!
This year had some challenges. My sister recently died. She was only 2,5 years older then me, (55) but she was diagnosed a couple of years ago (at the age I am now) with cardio pulmonary hypertension. She basically died of congestive heart failure. My mother died of congestive heart failure when she was only 62 and I also had congestive heart failure when I was only 26. So you can see there is definitely a genetic factor here I am determined to beat. Thankfully, I am currently in decent health, active and living as stress free of a life I can create. My Cambridge keeps me healthy and is my main tool for keeping a life time of obesity under control. I am so far away from the person I used to be 12 years ago. I understand that even though there may be genetic tendencies in my family, that doesn't mean I can't counteract them with a focused effort to eat and live healthy.
Yes, another new year. Time is going so fast it seems. Do you have your goals set for 2014? I haven't put too much thought in to it yet, but I do know that I want to lose a few more pounds and get as lean as I can be. I haven't had a gym membership the past year and a half since we moved here to Florida. I have a beautiful pool, but it's unheated and yes, even here in sunny Florida it gets too cold to swim. You get about 6 months of the year before the water gets too cold. My goal is to need a new swim suit for summer because my old one will be too big!
This year had some challenges. My sister recently died. She was only 2,5 years older then me, (55) but she was diagnosed a couple of years ago (at the age I am now) with cardio pulmonary hypertension. She basically died of congestive heart failure. My mother died of congestive heart failure when she was only 62 and I also had congestive heart failure when I was only 26. So you can see there is definitely a genetic factor here I am determined to beat. Thankfully, I am currently in decent health, active and living as stress free of a life I can create. My Cambridge keeps me healthy and is my main tool for keeping a life time of obesity under control. I am so far away from the person I used to be 12 years ago. I understand that even though there may be genetic tendencies in my family, that doesn't mean I can't counteract them with a focused effort to eat and live healthy.
I hope that 2013 was kind to you, and if it wasn't, I hope 2014 will be all you hope for. I am not one for magical thinking, but people seem to be expressing a common sense that 2014 is going to be a great year. If we welcome it with that attitude, then we stand a much greater chance of it being so.
If you have weight to lose, don't wait another day. Go to my website at cambridgediet.org and order your product today. You will have it in your hands in less then 7 working days. You can take the time you spend waiting for it to clean out all the sugar and simple carbs in your diet to prepare your body for an easy transition to the diet. There is nothing else out there that can give you the results that Cambridge can!
If you have weight to lose, don't wait another day. Go to my website at cambridgediet.org and order your product today. You will have it in your hands in less then 7 working days. You can take the time you spend waiting for it to clean out all the sugar and simple carbs in your diet to prepare your body for an easy transition to the diet. There is nothing else out there that can give you the results that Cambridge can!
The New Bars Are Dreamy!
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 12/03/13:
I just got my first order of the new Cambridge Bars yesterday. I've been with this company for many years and have tried bars from all the various manufacturers we have had. The company has had to change manufacturers several times due to changes made by those companies and Cambridge's goal to keep the bar's high standard nutritional profile while still keeping the cost affordable for our customers. This new batch is a home run! They are to die for! If you have never tried the bars before, or you tried previous bars and were less then thrilled with them, you simply MUST try these. Honestly, I can't believe these taste so divine while still keeping to only 150 calories with 15 grams of protein. I like that the boxes only have 7 this time too. That way you can afford to buy a variety of flavors if you want. So, my recommendation is to go directly to my website at cambridgediet.org and place your order today. These will fly off the warehouse shelves and my guess is that they may sell out before the next run. The holiday season in full swing and treats and goodies will be coming at you from every direction. It is more important then ever that you have something to make you feel like you are not being deprived and these will do the trick. In fact, I bet everyone else will be jealous and want one too!
I just got my first order of the new Cambridge Bars yesterday. I've been with this company for many years and have tried bars from all the various manufacturers we have had. The company has had to change manufacturers several times due to changes made by those companies and Cambridge's goal to keep the bar's high standard nutritional profile while still keeping the cost affordable for our customers. This new batch is a home run! They are to die for! If you have never tried the bars before, or you tried previous bars and were less then thrilled with them, you simply MUST try these. Honestly, I can't believe these taste so divine while still keeping to only 150 calories with 15 grams of protein. I like that the boxes only have 7 this time too. That way you can afford to buy a variety of flavors if you want. So, my recommendation is to go directly to my website at cambridgediet.org and place your order today. These will fly off the warehouse shelves and my guess is that they may sell out before the next run. The holiday season in full swing and treats and goodies will be coming at you from every direction. It is more important then ever that you have something to make you feel like you are not being deprived and these will do the trick. In fact, I bet everyone else will be jealous and want one too!
The World We Live In
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 09/29/13:
It's just a sad fact that for us here in the country, food is an obsession. More so now then ever before with social media recipe sharing, cable food channels on tv, even network cooking competitions are pretty much taking over programming. It's impossible to avoid all the food stimuli and we are no better then Pavlov's dogs. We see, hear, or smell food and we want to eat it. It doesn't matter if our body does not need calories or nutrition at that moment. We've been conditioned to eat pretty much whenever and whatever we want.
This work you are doing now, retraining yourself to say "no" to things you want but know you don't need, is building mental muscle for the rest of your life. You always have had the power and the right to turn down any substance that you feel is harmful for your body. Addicts of all kinds have to learn this, that you can't justify harming yourself to spare the feelings of others. One thing I have seen happen a lot over the years is when one person in a relationship or in a group of friends begins to take control of their weight and their health, the other/s will feel threatened or left behind or angry that their eating buddy has abandoned them. I've seen marriages end over one member of the couple losing weight. It also tends to force the other/s to see their own bad habits...no one likes that!lol!
Once you lose your weight all these same events and people will still be there knocking at your door. If you lose your weight and then go back to the behaviors and habits that got you obese, you will be obese again. The people in your social circle no doubt have their own health and weight issues and misery loves company as they say. It's going to be a project to become a new and improved version of yourself that has no problem saying no to anything or anyone that is detrimental to your health and well being. You'll know you've beaten it when you can say no and not feel sad about it, but feel powerful and strong and healthy. Others in your life will learn that you have chosen a new lifestyle that they will have to respect. You won't worry about hurting feelings or disappointing someone who is not interested in your best interest. Ideally, you will set a good example to others who may also want to find their way out of a bad lifestyle. They will see your glowing good health and happiness and want it too!
It's just a sad fact that for us here in the country, food is an obsession. More so now then ever before with social media recipe sharing, cable food channels on tv, even network cooking competitions are pretty much taking over programming. It's impossible to avoid all the food stimuli and we are no better then Pavlov's dogs. We see, hear, or smell food and we want to eat it. It doesn't matter if our body does not need calories or nutrition at that moment. We've been conditioned to eat pretty much whenever and whatever we want.
This work you are doing now, retraining yourself to say "no" to things you want but know you don't need, is building mental muscle for the rest of your life. You always have had the power and the right to turn down any substance that you feel is harmful for your body. Addicts of all kinds have to learn this, that you can't justify harming yourself to spare the feelings of others. One thing I have seen happen a lot over the years is when one person in a relationship or in a group of friends begins to take control of their weight and their health, the other/s will feel threatened or left behind or angry that their eating buddy has abandoned them. I've seen marriages end over one member of the couple losing weight. It also tends to force the other/s to see their own bad habits...no one likes that!lol!
Once you lose your weight all these same events and people will still be there knocking at your door. If you lose your weight and then go back to the behaviors and habits that got you obese, you will be obese again. The people in your social circle no doubt have their own health and weight issues and misery loves company as they say. It's going to be a project to become a new and improved version of yourself that has no problem saying no to anything or anyone that is detrimental to your health and well being. You'll know you've beaten it when you can say no and not feel sad about it, but feel powerful and strong and healthy. Others in your life will learn that you have chosen a new lifestyle that they will have to respect. You won't worry about hurting feelings or disappointing someone who is not interested in your best interest. Ideally, you will set a good example to others who may also want to find their way out of a bad lifestyle. They will see your glowing good health and happiness and want it too!
Headlights
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 08/23/13:
I remember when I was taking my driving lessons (Thank you Mr. MacCarthy from California Driving School!) that my instructor taught me to never stare in to oncoming headlights. It is something people do and don't realize that they are gradually steering towards them. Not a good thing when out at night on a two lane highway! It's normal for the body to follow the mind. If you are focused on something, you tend to gravitate towards it.
This applies to what we are doing here. If you are trying to lose weight, but you allow your mind to remain focused on thoughts of food, you WILL eventually cave in. Social media such as Facebook and Pinterest or recipe sights and the food channel all keep your mind focused on exactly what you don't want it to be focused on. It is button you keep pushing and then wonder why you can't stop feeling anxiety about being on your diet.
We all have to get in our cars and drive by fast food places that pump their frying oil smell out to entice hungry drivers. We have to grocery shop for the family and smell the deli counter with the fried chicken or the bakery with all those tempting smells. It's unavoidable for most of us to smell food throughout the entire day. You can't control that, but you can control what you expose yourself to when you are alone and that is when most of us do our worst damage.
I have a few customers that have "friended" me on Face Book. I am always surprised to see how many recipes they post daily with enticing pictures of sugary fatty foods. What good are they doing themselves or others by sharing that? They are pushing that button over and over and almost inviting failure. I confronted one and he told me that "just because he can't eat it, doesn't mean he doesn't want to look at it". Hmmm....If you had a drug addiction, would you go hang out with dealers?
Clean out your environment. Avoid food signals in your social media. Don't watch The Food Channel. Take a different route to work that doesn't pass your favorite fast food place. Wear a spot of perfume under your nose to the store so you don't smell the fryer or the bakery. Close your eye during food commercials. Hearing about it won't cause a craving, but seeing it will.
Don't steer towards the headlights and expect not to crash.
I remember when I was taking my driving lessons (Thank you Mr. MacCarthy from California Driving School!) that my instructor taught me to never stare in to oncoming headlights. It is something people do and don't realize that they are gradually steering towards them. Not a good thing when out at night on a two lane highway! It's normal for the body to follow the mind. If you are focused on something, you tend to gravitate towards it.
This applies to what we are doing here. If you are trying to lose weight, but you allow your mind to remain focused on thoughts of food, you WILL eventually cave in. Social media such as Facebook and Pinterest or recipe sights and the food channel all keep your mind focused on exactly what you don't want it to be focused on. It is button you keep pushing and then wonder why you can't stop feeling anxiety about being on your diet.
We all have to get in our cars and drive by fast food places that pump their frying oil smell out to entice hungry drivers. We have to grocery shop for the family and smell the deli counter with the fried chicken or the bakery with all those tempting smells. It's unavoidable for most of us to smell food throughout the entire day. You can't control that, but you can control what you expose yourself to when you are alone and that is when most of us do our worst damage.
I have a few customers that have "friended" me on Face Book. I am always surprised to see how many recipes they post daily with enticing pictures of sugary fatty foods. What good are they doing themselves or others by sharing that? They are pushing that button over and over and almost inviting failure. I confronted one and he told me that "just because he can't eat it, doesn't mean he doesn't want to look at it". Hmmm....If you had a drug addiction, would you go hang out with dealers?
Clean out your environment. Avoid food signals in your social media. Don't watch The Food Channel. Take a different route to work that doesn't pass your favorite fast food place. Wear a spot of perfume under your nose to the store so you don't smell the fryer or the bakery. Close your eye during food commercials. Hearing about it won't cause a craving, but seeing it will.
Don't steer towards the headlights and expect not to crash.
One More Reason Why I Love Cambridge!
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 07/18/13:
It was a hot muggy day today and I spent more of it outside then usual.
My pool is getting shocked right now (it was florescent green) so I couldn't jump in to cool off my overheated brains.
I had my Cambridge Oats and a cup of coffee this morning as usual. Lunch time I was out running errands and I didn't get home until 2. I had lots of groceries to put away and organize so I made a quick shake to tide me over. I got started on dinner for the fam and got even MORE hot and the green pool was mocking me! I try not to have the oven on but tonight required it. UGGG!!!! My hubby got home from work at 6 and I got his food for him and just couldn't bear to eat a bite. I made another shake and it was so lovely, icy, and delicious! It is so nice on a hot day like this to have an alternative to eating.
So today without intending to, I sole sourced. Summer time is a great time to make a lot of progress on your weight loss. When it's hot and yucky it feels good to not be loaded down with a lot of food in your stomach. It's too hot to cook anyway! Take advantage of this hot weather and enjoy your nice frosty shakes.
It was a hot muggy day today and I spent more of it outside then usual.
My pool is getting shocked right now (it was florescent green) so I couldn't jump in to cool off my overheated brains.
I had my Cambridge Oats and a cup of coffee this morning as usual. Lunch time I was out running errands and I didn't get home until 2. I had lots of groceries to put away and organize so I made a quick shake to tide me over. I got started on dinner for the fam and got even MORE hot and the green pool was mocking me! I try not to have the oven on but tonight required it. UGGG!!!! My hubby got home from work at 6 and I got his food for him and just couldn't bear to eat a bite. I made another shake and it was so lovely, icy, and delicious! It is so nice on a hot day like this to have an alternative to eating.
So today without intending to, I sole sourced. Summer time is a great time to make a lot of progress on your weight loss. When it's hot and yucky it feels good to not be loaded down with a lot of food in your stomach. It's too hot to cook anyway! Take advantage of this hot weather and enjoy your nice frosty shakes.
Father's Day and Positive Changes
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 06/17/13:
I hope those of you that had a reason to celebrate Father's Day enjoyed the day. This year was something new for us. Normally Father's Day was a sad day in my kid's lives. My first husband was never an involved father to my two oldest and my youngest son never even met his father. We divorced while I was pregnant and I never saw him again. There was a lot of pain for my kids growing up in spite of my best efforts to ease it for them.
A year and a half ago I married my wonderful husband Andy and he has been more of a father to my kids then any of us could ever imagine. My "kids" are grown, but even as adults they have benefited tremendously from his unconditional love for them and for me. My daughter and my youngest son (21) are living with us right now and as much as I would love to have my nest empty, I am grateful for the example Andy has given them of what a good honorable kind and loving man should be.
The changes I made 12 years ago put me on a course to eventually find the happiness I have now. Cambridge was a major player in that change, but I also had to believe in my ability to accomplish my goal. It was a process. At first I felt powerless and completely hopeless, but after one week a little light of hope was lite and then over time it was a beacon for me to head towards.
Life can turn on a dime, or it can evolve slowly, but positive change never happens unless we seek it, accept it, embrace it and power towards it. It doesn't happen to us, it happens because of us.
indulging cravings and impulses and addictions is like a snow ball rolling downhill. It creates its own energy and it takes force to not only stop it, but to change it's course. Pushing that snow ball back uphill is hard, but eventually you reach the peak and before you know it, it melts in the sun!
Everyone has their own set of struggles, but we share one common goal...to improve ourselves and our lives. Whatever hand you've been dealt, whatever pain you have caused yourself, it is never too late to try for something better. There is no telling what happiness may be out there waiting for you.
A year and a half ago I married my wonderful husband Andy and he has been more of a father to my kids then any of us could ever imagine. My "kids" are grown, but even as adults they have benefited tremendously from his unconditional love for them and for me. My daughter and my youngest son (21) are living with us right now and as much as I would love to have my nest empty, I am grateful for the example Andy has given them of what a good honorable kind and loving man should be.
The changes I made 12 years ago put me on a course to eventually find the happiness I have now. Cambridge was a major player in that change, but I also had to believe in my ability to accomplish my goal. It was a process. At first I felt powerless and completely hopeless, but after one week a little light of hope was lite and then over time it was a beacon for me to head towards.
Life can turn on a dime, or it can evolve slowly, but positive change never happens unless we seek it, accept it, embrace it and power towards it. It doesn't happen to us, it happens because of us.
indulging cravings and impulses and addictions is like a snow ball rolling downhill. It creates its own energy and it takes force to not only stop it, but to change it's course. Pushing that snow ball back uphill is hard, but eventually you reach the peak and before you know it, it melts in the sun!
Everyone has their own set of struggles, but we share one common goal...to improve ourselves and our lives. Whatever hand you've been dealt, whatever pain you have caused yourself, it is never too late to try for something better. There is no telling what happiness may be out there waiting for you.
Getting Unstuck
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 03/10/13:
If you are still bundled up and not yet facing shorts and tiny tops then you still have time to make a ton of progress before the snow melts! Don't wait another week. If you haven't already ordered your Cambridge there is no better time then now. If you are already working the program and maybe feeling a little like your goal is still a long ways away, or you are settling in to some non-progressive habits, now is the time to revitalize your program with some changes. If you haven't started any kind of exercise then that may be just what you need to recharge and renew your focus. Or, maybe you need to change up what you've been doing and try something new. Grab a friend and find a Zumba class or go hiking if the weather permits. Movement is a great anti-depressant. It gets the endorphins and blood flowing and the muscles and mind energized.
Some of you have been working towards a long term goal and I applaud your stick-to-it-ness. When you have 100 or 200 or more pounds to lose it can seem like it's taking forever even though Cambridge offers you faster results then anything else out there. This time will pass, whether you spend it Cambridging or eating junky take-out. You can either be closer to your ultimate goal..or worse off then you are now or stuck. Even under the best of circumstances (which Cambridge gives you) losing weight is hard. Overcoming food addictions and behaviors is hard. Living in a food obsessed culture is HARD and doing something like Cambridge can feel socially isolating. Hang in there. I promise you this is worth any sacrifice you may now feel you are making. In hindsight, once I had lost my weight I wondered why I had wasted so much of my life before in such misery and denial. The time it took me to lose that first 120 pounds seems like a blink of an eye, but at the time it seemed like an eternity.
Stick with it, do something to shake it up (no pun intended!) and find ways to celebrate every day you succeed with your plan. You are doing something amazing. In this age of weight loss surgery being touted as the ONLY way a person can accomplish losing over 100 pounds, you are proving the truth, that we each have within ourselves the power to create tremendous change in our own life. Don't give your control over to someone or something else. When you take control of yourself and do the work, you will be filled with a sense of pride that no amount of food could ever equal.
If you are still bundled up and not yet facing shorts and tiny tops then you still have time to make a ton of progress before the snow melts! Don't wait another week. If you haven't already ordered your Cambridge there is no better time then now. If you are already working the program and maybe feeling a little like your goal is still a long ways away, or you are settling in to some non-progressive habits, now is the time to revitalize your program with some changes. If you haven't started any kind of exercise then that may be just what you need to recharge and renew your focus. Or, maybe you need to change up what you've been doing and try something new. Grab a friend and find a Zumba class or go hiking if the weather permits. Movement is a great anti-depressant. It gets the endorphins and blood flowing and the muscles and mind energized.
Some of you have been working towards a long term goal and I applaud your stick-to-it-ness. When you have 100 or 200 or more pounds to lose it can seem like it's taking forever even though Cambridge offers you faster results then anything else out there. This time will pass, whether you spend it Cambridging or eating junky take-out. You can either be closer to your ultimate goal..or worse off then you are now or stuck. Even under the best of circumstances (which Cambridge gives you) losing weight is hard. Overcoming food addictions and behaviors is hard. Living in a food obsessed culture is HARD and doing something like Cambridge can feel socially isolating. Hang in there. I promise you this is worth any sacrifice you may now feel you are making. In hindsight, once I had lost my weight I wondered why I had wasted so much of my life before in such misery and denial. The time it took me to lose that first 120 pounds seems like a blink of an eye, but at the time it seemed like an eternity.
Stick with it, do something to shake it up (no pun intended!) and find ways to celebrate every day you succeed with your plan. You are doing something amazing. In this age of weight loss surgery being touted as the ONLY way a person can accomplish losing over 100 pounds, you are proving the truth, that we each have within ourselves the power to create tremendous change in our own life. Don't give your control over to someone or something else. When you take control of yourself and do the work, you will be filled with a sense of pride that no amount of food could ever equal.
Spring Is Springing!
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 03/02/13:
Depending on where you live, you may or may not be seeing the first signs of spring. I can't wait to get back in the pool so I will welcome the warmer weather. Here in Florida it's hard to tell when spring starts since things never go dormant and the flowers keep on blooming. I do see a difference in the birds in the yard, more singing and their mating colors are becoming vivid and vibrant. Most of the country is still dealing with winter and cold and staying bundled up in forgiving winter clothes. You still have time to make a lot of progress before pulling out those shorts and sandals. Now is the time to really hit it hard. Don't wait until that first warm day when you have to hide in 3/4 sleeves instead of the cute little sunny tank tops. Commit now to making March the month you "March" towards your goal, unwavering and determined!
Depending on where you live, you may or may not be seeing the first signs of spring. I can't wait to get back in the pool so I will welcome the warmer weather. Here in Florida it's hard to tell when spring starts since things never go dormant and the flowers keep on blooming. I do see a difference in the birds in the yard, more singing and their mating colors are becoming vivid and vibrant. Most of the country is still dealing with winter and cold and staying bundled up in forgiving winter clothes. You still have time to make a lot of progress before pulling out those shorts and sandals. Now is the time to really hit it hard. Don't wait until that first warm day when you have to hide in 3/4 sleeves instead of the cute little sunny tank tops. Commit now to making March the month you "March" towards your goal, unwavering and determined!
Binge eating, emotional triggers and other thoughts
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 01/14/13:
People get obese for a variety of reasons and rarely does it have anything to do with hunger. We become obese for emotional reasons and over time we learn to attach food and feelings. Binge eating is emotionally driven and once triggered, it can seem impossible to stop. Have you already identified what your triggers are to binge eat or to eat the wrong foods? Is it stress? Loneliness? Boredom? Habit? Anger? Self abuse? Perfectionism? We all have triggers that set the binge ball rolling. Pay attention to the thoughts you have before you open the fridge or grab your keys to hit the fast food drive-up. By listening to your internal dialog you can begin to change the behavior.
I was a stress eater. Unfortunately I was always under stress. I grew up with panic anxiety disorder. I had my first panic attack when I was 6 years old in a department store with my parents. I had no idea what was happening, only that the world suddenly was spinning, my heart was exploding and a rush of what I now know was adrenalin flooded my body. It was the most horrible thing I had ever experienced up until then and over time I had more and more attacks that ended up being attached to more and more surroundings and activities until I was almost paralyzed. I became agoraphobic by my teenage years. Because of that I missed out on a lot of the normal experiences a young person has. College? not possible. After I was married at the too young age of 19 and had my first baby 9 months later, it became nearly impossible for me to leave the house on my own, even to just get the mail. During that time food was an easy distraction to deal with my unhappiness
I had dealt with weight issues my whole life but had managed to keep it somewhat under control through Weight Watchers, the diet of the month or plain old starvation, but after another baby and a divorce, all bets were off. I went fully in to the worst years of compulsive binge eating that robbed me of my health and any chance at love or happiness. Anxiety, panic, depression, loneliness,self abuse and loathing...it was all there as I struggled with health crisis and single parenthood and poverty. The only thing that gave me any comfort or solace was food...I thought. In reality and hindsight it was the creator of my misery that pushed me in to a deep hole I did not know how to escape from.
One of my greatest challenges during my weight loss was dealing with the emotions that became raw and open without sedating with food. I had to force myself to face the lion's mouth and find other ways to cope. The first was to identify my triggers and the thoughts that immediately followed. I also had to experience the anxiety that would build and build as I resisted the compulsive urges to self medicate with food. I had no tools to work with so I learned as I went. I developing phrases and techniques to defuse the stress and get to the other side. When I faced temptation...the worst being pizza....I would tell myself, "The food will always be there. Anything I want so badly today will still be there tomorrow". It's kind of funny. I shared this phrase some 12 years ago on this board and now I read it all over the Internet. Hopefully it has helped others as it did me.
The goal is to calm the anxiety and find a peaceful place to operate from. Anything you can do to defuse the emotions and thoughts that lead to binging will eventually make you free from that negative cycle of stress/ obsess/ binge/ regret/ depression. Eating should never be emotionally driven. Never eat to pacify an emotion or to reward a craving. Just committing to those two things will stop most binges in their tracks.
Perfectionism was listed above as one of the possible triggers. You may question this, but most overweight people do suffer from it. We tend to be "all or nothing" thinkers. If we can't be perfect we degrade ourselves and use it as an excuse to quit or fail. How many diets have you started and not finished, assuming it was a proven weight loss method? What ended it? My guess is that you had a cookie or some little thing not on your plan and then the self flogging began and the food flood gates opened.
The ONLY reason Cambridge worked for me is because I didn't quit. No matter how many binges I had, no matter if it was just a soda cracker, (and frankly..the perfectionist in us sees a cracker the same as if we spent 2 hours at the buffet) I didn't quit. I pushed past all my old patterns and refused to find excuses to give up.
I have learned over the years that it doesn't matter where you come from, what your circumstances are or what your past contained... rich or poor, tall or short, male or female, loved or alone, young or old, famous or accomplished or just an average person getting through the day...obesity brings us all to the same place. We are equal in this. You can be dirt poor or have every opportunity at your fingertips, it levels the playing field because ultimately we are all the same. As human beings the internal struggle is.. as my country boy husband would say, "A one butt job". You are alone in your head. Only you can control your thoughts, your reactions, your perceptions and your behaviors. A victim thinks these things are controlled by outside influences. The truth is, we make our own destiny. Your past is not an indication of your future. The past is vapor. You can't change the direction of the road you already traveled, but you can change the direction of the road ahead.
Next time you feel the tension building and the urge to eat the feelings away comes over you, stop and listen to the dialog in your head. What are you telling yourself? Are you reacting to an outside stress and not acknowledging it? Are you bargaining or justifying something that you know ultimately will end in a binge or eating something that will make you feel out of control...even if it's just a cracker? Once you identify the emotion you can then change your course before you reinforce the behavior. It won't be comfortable at first, but this is not about being comfortable. It's about recovery and healing and learning. Replace the energy you would have devoted to food with something positive like walking, reading or call a friend.You can learn new ways to cope with life that actually bring you happiness and a sense of accomplishment and control.
People get obese for a variety of reasons and rarely does it have anything to do with hunger. We become obese for emotional reasons and over time we learn to attach food and feelings. Binge eating is emotionally driven and once triggered, it can seem impossible to stop. Have you already identified what your triggers are to binge eat or to eat the wrong foods? Is it stress? Loneliness? Boredom? Habit? Anger? Self abuse? Perfectionism? We all have triggers that set the binge ball rolling. Pay attention to the thoughts you have before you open the fridge or grab your keys to hit the fast food drive-up. By listening to your internal dialog you can begin to change the behavior.
I was a stress eater. Unfortunately I was always under stress. I grew up with panic anxiety disorder. I had my first panic attack when I was 6 years old in a department store with my parents. I had no idea what was happening, only that the world suddenly was spinning, my heart was exploding and a rush of what I now know was adrenalin flooded my body. It was the most horrible thing I had ever experienced up until then and over time I had more and more attacks that ended up being attached to more and more surroundings and activities until I was almost paralyzed. I became agoraphobic by my teenage years. Because of that I missed out on a lot of the normal experiences a young person has. College? not possible. After I was married at the too young age of 19 and had my first baby 9 months later, it became nearly impossible for me to leave the house on my own, even to just get the mail. During that time food was an easy distraction to deal with my unhappiness
I had dealt with weight issues my whole life but had managed to keep it somewhat under control through Weight Watchers, the diet of the month or plain old starvation, but after another baby and a divorce, all bets were off. I went fully in to the worst years of compulsive binge eating that robbed me of my health and any chance at love or happiness. Anxiety, panic, depression, loneliness,self abuse and loathing...it was all there as I struggled with health crisis and single parenthood and poverty. The only thing that gave me any comfort or solace was food...I thought. In reality and hindsight it was the creator of my misery that pushed me in to a deep hole I did not know how to escape from.
One of my greatest challenges during my weight loss was dealing with the emotions that became raw and open without sedating with food. I had to force myself to face the lion's mouth and find other ways to cope. The first was to identify my triggers and the thoughts that immediately followed. I also had to experience the anxiety that would build and build as I resisted the compulsive urges to self medicate with food. I had no tools to work with so I learned as I went. I developing phrases and techniques to defuse the stress and get to the other side. When I faced temptation...the worst being pizza....I would tell myself, "The food will always be there. Anything I want so badly today will still be there tomorrow". It's kind of funny. I shared this phrase some 12 years ago on this board and now I read it all over the Internet. Hopefully it has helped others as it did me.
The goal is to calm the anxiety and find a peaceful place to operate from. Anything you can do to defuse the emotions and thoughts that lead to binging will eventually make you free from that negative cycle of stress/ obsess/ binge/ regret/ depression. Eating should never be emotionally driven. Never eat to pacify an emotion or to reward a craving. Just committing to those two things will stop most binges in their tracks.
Perfectionism was listed above as one of the possible triggers. You may question this, but most overweight people do suffer from it. We tend to be "all or nothing" thinkers. If we can't be perfect we degrade ourselves and use it as an excuse to quit or fail. How many diets have you started and not finished, assuming it was a proven weight loss method? What ended it? My guess is that you had a cookie or some little thing not on your plan and then the self flogging began and the food flood gates opened.
The ONLY reason Cambridge worked for me is because I didn't quit. No matter how many binges I had, no matter if it was just a soda cracker, (and frankly..the perfectionist in us sees a cracker the same as if we spent 2 hours at the buffet) I didn't quit. I pushed past all my old patterns and refused to find excuses to give up.
I have learned over the years that it doesn't matter where you come from, what your circumstances are or what your past contained... rich or poor, tall or short, male or female, loved or alone, young or old, famous or accomplished or just an average person getting through the day...obesity brings us all to the same place. We are equal in this. You can be dirt poor or have every opportunity at your fingertips, it levels the playing field because ultimately we are all the same. As human beings the internal struggle is.. as my country boy husband would say, "A one butt job". You are alone in your head. Only you can control your thoughts, your reactions, your perceptions and your behaviors. A victim thinks these things are controlled by outside influences. The truth is, we make our own destiny. Your past is not an indication of your future. The past is vapor. You can't change the direction of the road you already traveled, but you can change the direction of the road ahead.
Next time you feel the tension building and the urge to eat the feelings away comes over you, stop and listen to the dialog in your head. What are you telling yourself? Are you reacting to an outside stress and not acknowledging it? Are you bargaining or justifying something that you know ultimately will end in a binge or eating something that will make you feel out of control...even if it's just a cracker? Once you identify the emotion you can then change your course before you reinforce the behavior. It won't be comfortable at first, but this is not about being comfortable. It's about recovery and healing and learning. Replace the energy you would have devoted to food with something positive like walking, reading or call a friend.You can learn new ways to cope with life that actually bring you happiness and a sense of accomplishment and control.
See, Taste, Smell, Feel, Sound
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 01/09/13:
These are the senses that stimulate us to eat, especially the foods that are designed to make us eat even if we are not hungry or would be better off eating something nutritious.
See: We are very visual when it comes to what we choose to eat. It has been said that we eat with our eyes first. Food designers count on this for advertising. You are watching TV and a commercial comes on for a big greasy bacon cheeseburger. You will find your desire to jump in the car to go get one build as the visual stimulation continues. You may even start to feel your heart rate go up and your anxiety build. You have been manipulated by food artists in to having an emotional and physical reaction to a visual stimulus. A little experiment...take a big bite of something that looks delicious to you, chew it up really well, spit it out on to a plate and then look again. Do you want to eat it now? Would you pick it back up and chew some more and swallow? Probably not. More fun...take a big piece of pepperoni pizza, put it in the blender with some water and turn it on. Pour it in to a glass and take a good look at the globules. Ya wanna drink it up? Yeah, not so appetizing now, is it?
Taste: A no brainer here. Of course our appetite will be stimulated by tasting something yummy. We tend to crave or binge on certain things like sweet, fat, salt..strong flavors that pack a punch. You rarely see someone binge on fish or poached chicken or cauliflower.
Smell: Again, no surprise there. This is why food service businesses will pump their cooking odors out in to the atmosphere to lure in customers. We are lead by our noses and since taste and smell are dependent on each other we want what we smell.
Feel: This one is a little less recognized as a stimulus. Feel doesn't mean touch. It means mouth feel or texture. You may not be aware how much this governs what you crave. Crunchy, fatty, crispy, creamy, cold, hot, slimy, gritty, oily, tough....did you feel that? Texture can often times determine if a food is palatable or not. It can taste like heaven, but if the texture is wrong it will be rejected. This is why the ingredient list on packaged foods is so LOOONG. A great deal of food science is focused on feel or texture and additives and chemicals are enlisted to create that perfect crunch!
Sound: like texture, we hear what we eat. Crispy or crunchy foods can mean a bag of chips, or a stalk of celery, but add in the other senses and it will likely be the bag of chips.
So what's a dieter to do? You can't lock yourself up with a nose clip and a blindfold. We all have to be out in the world and that means being bombarded with constant food messages. There are a few tricks to spare you some of the taunting by advertisers. If watching TV and a food commercial comes on, close your eyes. It's that simple. You can hear that burger being described, but it will have no effect on you. If you are out and the smells are wafting, keep a small bottle of essential oils or a fragrance that you like and sniff away. People will wonder what you are sniffing, but let them wonder. If you find yourself craving salt or sweet or sour or some other intense flavor, sometimes there is nothing better then a pickle! You get smell, taste, crunch, and virtually no calories all in a nice little vibrant green package! Sugar free sweet gherkins are one of my favorite go to snacks. I can only eat one, but it has a lot of satisfaction.
Over your time spent on Cambridge you palette will cleanse and you will find that your desire for salt and grease etc will be gone and you will enjoy real food flavors more. The addictive qualities of manufactured Frankenfoods are there to suck you in, coming back for more and more. You can break that chain and believe it or not, there will be a day when you can look at what once had you hooked and it will have no hold on you. You will see it for what it is. I call it "Death on a plate". I even picture a skull and crossbones on top of it!
These are the senses that stimulate us to eat, especially the foods that are designed to make us eat even if we are not hungry or would be better off eating something nutritious.
See: We are very visual when it comes to what we choose to eat. It has been said that we eat with our eyes first. Food designers count on this for advertising. You are watching TV and a commercial comes on for a big greasy bacon cheeseburger. You will find your desire to jump in the car to go get one build as the visual stimulation continues. You may even start to feel your heart rate go up and your anxiety build. You have been manipulated by food artists in to having an emotional and physical reaction to a visual stimulus. A little experiment...take a big bite of something that looks delicious to you, chew it up really well, spit it out on to a plate and then look again. Do you want to eat it now? Would you pick it back up and chew some more and swallow? Probably not. More fun...take a big piece of pepperoni pizza, put it in the blender with some water and turn it on. Pour it in to a glass and take a good look at the globules. Ya wanna drink it up? Yeah, not so appetizing now, is it?
Taste: A no brainer here. Of course our appetite will be stimulated by tasting something yummy. We tend to crave or binge on certain things like sweet, fat, salt..strong flavors that pack a punch. You rarely see someone binge on fish or poached chicken or cauliflower.
Smell: Again, no surprise there. This is why food service businesses will pump their cooking odors out in to the atmosphere to lure in customers. We are lead by our noses and since taste and smell are dependent on each other we want what we smell.
Feel: This one is a little less recognized as a stimulus. Feel doesn't mean touch. It means mouth feel or texture. You may not be aware how much this governs what you crave. Crunchy, fatty, crispy, creamy, cold, hot, slimy, gritty, oily, tough....did you feel that? Texture can often times determine if a food is palatable or not. It can taste like heaven, but if the texture is wrong it will be rejected. This is why the ingredient list on packaged foods is so LOOONG. A great deal of food science is focused on feel or texture and additives and chemicals are enlisted to create that perfect crunch!
Sound: like texture, we hear what we eat. Crispy or crunchy foods can mean a bag of chips, or a stalk of celery, but add in the other senses and it will likely be the bag of chips.
So what's a dieter to do? You can't lock yourself up with a nose clip and a blindfold. We all have to be out in the world and that means being bombarded with constant food messages. There are a few tricks to spare you some of the taunting by advertisers. If watching TV and a food commercial comes on, close your eyes. It's that simple. You can hear that burger being described, but it will have no effect on you. If you are out and the smells are wafting, keep a small bottle of essential oils or a fragrance that you like and sniff away. People will wonder what you are sniffing, but let them wonder. If you find yourself craving salt or sweet or sour or some other intense flavor, sometimes there is nothing better then a pickle! You get smell, taste, crunch, and virtually no calories all in a nice little vibrant green package! Sugar free sweet gherkins are one of my favorite go to snacks. I can only eat one, but it has a lot of satisfaction.
Over your time spent on Cambridge you palette will cleanse and you will find that your desire for salt and grease etc will be gone and you will enjoy real food flavors more. The addictive qualities of manufactured Frankenfoods are there to suck you in, coming back for more and more. You can break that chain and believe it or not, there will be a day when you can look at what once had you hooked and it will have no hold on you. You will see it for what it is. I call it "Death on a plate". I even picture a skull and crossbones on top of it!
Have you placed your order yet?
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 12/24/12:
It's Christmas Eve. Some people celebrate the holiday and have their big meal on this night while others have it Christmas day. Whichever day ends up being the big feast, I hope you have your Cambridge sitting all ready for you to get back to business on Wednesday. People can gain 15 pounds or more over the holiday season. The gaining part is easy. Most of us have learned over the years that the hard part is losing the weight, even harder...maintaining. Yes...we do have one more holiday looming, New Years, but honestly...aren't you sick of eating by now? I know I am and I haven't even had any where near the amount of food I used to eat this time of year. We had a nice family dinner tonight and tomorrow we will have breakfast, but that's the end of the celebratory food. No leftovers. As of lunch time tomorrow I am on Cambridge 100% so I can get back to feeling good. Right now I am tired, achy, foggy headed and a little bit crabby. I am looking forward to the energy and lightness and clearhead - not to mention the overall sense of wellbeing that comes with being on Cambridge!
It's Christmas Eve. Some people celebrate the holiday and have their big meal on this night while others have it Christmas day. Whichever day ends up being the big feast, I hope you have your Cambridge sitting all ready for you to get back to business on Wednesday. People can gain 15 pounds or more over the holiday season. The gaining part is easy. Most of us have learned over the years that the hard part is losing the weight, even harder...maintaining. Yes...we do have one more holiday looming, New Years, but honestly...aren't you sick of eating by now? I know I am and I haven't even had any where near the amount of food I used to eat this time of year. We had a nice family dinner tonight and tomorrow we will have breakfast, but that's the end of the celebratory food. No leftovers. As of lunch time tomorrow I am on Cambridge 100% so I can get back to feeling good. Right now I am tired, achy, foggy headed and a little bit crabby. I am looking forward to the energy and lightness and clearhead - not to mention the overall sense of wellbeing that comes with being on Cambridge!
I Can ALways Tell When The Holidays Are Coming
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 11/08/12:
The support board gets quiet and sales take a major dive. I understand of course. It's hard to think about weight loss when you know you are going to be more tortured and tempted then normal..I get that, but the problem is that by sacrificing 2 whole months for a couple of holidays you are losing out on prime dieting time. Winter months are excellent for staying on a diet. People are home more, not so many BBQ's to navigate, clothes are more forgiving for size changes and you have the chance to make a grand unveiling once the weather warms up again! If you want to feel like a rock star, try showing up at the first family event in the spring in some cute little outfit after a winter of bulky sweaters and sweat pants have been hiding your transformation.
Yes, Thanksgiving is 15 days away and Christmas is a month after that, but what about the other 51 days or so between now and the New Year? Does it make sense to just give up and promise to get back at it Jan 2nd? I don't think so. It won't be any easier then. Weight loss is never easy, even with a wonderful product like Cambridge.
Is it possible to lose weight this time of year? Absolutely! Is it possible to gain 15 pounds this time of year? You know it! Given a choice, would you rather lose or gain weight over the next 2 months? You can gain another 5,10 or 15 pounds if you make that choice, or you could lose 40 or 50!
Don't fall in to that trap of thinking you are powerless over holiday eating or that your family would be disappointed if you didn't take part in the feeding frenzy. You have the right and the ability and the power to put your health and happiness first. The holidays will be here again next year, I promise!
Yes, Thanksgiving is 15 days away and Christmas is a month after that, but what about the other 51 days or so between now and the New Year? Does it make sense to just give up and promise to get back at it Jan 2nd? I don't think so. It won't be any easier then. Weight loss is never easy, even with a wonderful product like Cambridge.
Is it possible to lose weight this time of year? Absolutely! Is it possible to gain 15 pounds this time of year? You know it! Given a choice, would you rather lose or gain weight over the next 2 months? You can gain another 5,10 or 15 pounds if you make that choice, or you could lose 40 or 50!
Don't fall in to that trap of thinking you are powerless over holiday eating or that your family would be disappointed if you didn't take part in the feeding frenzy. You have the right and the ability and the power to put your health and happiness first. The holidays will be here again next year, I promise!
Hunker Down!
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 11/01/12:
The holiday season is once again in the works. Too much food..and for the most part fattening food... will be all around us. Maybe we can't be perfect all the time, but we can be most of the time. Never let one mistake change the course. We all need to "hunker down" as the newscasters and public officials kept saying over these past few days to those unfortunate souls in hurricane Sandy's path. I've never heard that phrase so many times in my life, but for those of us who are attempting to make progress with weight loss over the next 2 months, in spite of holiday madness, they are perfect words to live by. So here we go people! Hunker down and get ready for the challenge! Thanksgiving, here we come!
Food is Fuel
Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 08/17/12:
Just like your car, if you kept putting gas in it but you never turn it on and go anywhere it will begin to spill out and get out of control. There is only so much a gas tank can hold. It would be great if we were self regulating and only able to consume exactly what our body will use like a gas tank, but unfortunately our fuel source is abundant and all around us.
People that contact me usually get freaked out at the low calorie content of Cambridge. I have to remind them that a calorie is not a nutrient like protein or carbohydrates. It is only a way to measure the amount of energy food produces in the body. As long as you have stored body fat you have calories. Imagine that chunk of fat in your body. If you could reach in and pluck it out and put it on the dinning room table, would that make an impression on you? It sure would for me!
Our bodies store fat and sugar for a reason. We were never made to live in the abundance that we do now. If we were designed for that then we would have a self regulating mechanism that would prevent us from consuming too much fuel. Not only that, but the foods we eat are mostly void of nutrition and have no other function then to be stored. We are calorie hoarders ! If you watch that show "Hoarders" then you get the picture of what I'm saying. The chaos you see in those houses is similar to what your body is dealing with. People stuff their houses with garbage and useless junk until the house is literally deteriorating around them. They are drowning in junk. You body is suffering the same stress load trying desperately to manage all the garbage and fat/junk that you keep forcing in every day. It's time to clean house!
If we begin to look at food as it was intended to be for us which is fuel then we begin the process of restoring balance and health. I used to feel imprisoned by my body and fat. I understand now that it was my own thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and actions that had me in prison...all stuff that I had the power to change in a heartbeat.
Just like your car, if you kept putting gas in it but you never turn it on and go anywhere it will begin to spill out and get out of control. There is only so much a gas tank can hold. It would be great if we were self regulating and only able to consume exactly what our body will use like a gas tank, but unfortunately our fuel source is abundant and all around us.
People that contact me usually get freaked out at the low calorie content of Cambridge. I have to remind them that a calorie is not a nutrient like protein or carbohydrates. It is only a way to measure the amount of energy food produces in the body. As long as you have stored body fat you have calories. Imagine that chunk of fat in your body. If you could reach in and pluck it out and put it on the dinning room table, would that make an impression on you? It sure would for me!
Our bodies store fat and sugar for a reason. We were never made to live in the abundance that we do now. If we were designed for that then we would have a self regulating mechanism that would prevent us from consuming too much fuel. Not only that, but the foods we eat are mostly void of nutrition and have no other function then to be stored. We are calorie hoarders ! If you watch that show "Hoarders" then you get the picture of what I'm saying. The chaos you see in those houses is similar to what your body is dealing with. People stuff their houses with garbage and useless junk until the house is literally deteriorating around them. They are drowning in junk. You body is suffering the same stress load trying desperately to manage all the garbage and fat/junk that you keep forcing in every day. It's time to clean house!
If we begin to look at food as it was intended to be for us which is fuel then we begin the process of restoring balance and health. I used to feel imprisoned by my body and fat. I understand now that it was my own thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and actions that had me in prison...all stuff that I had the power to change in a heartbeat.
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