Weight Loss & Wellness Blog

Corine's weight was creeping up over the years until she was about 60lbs heavier than she'd ever been. She tried everything to get the weight off without success. She was trying to eat healthy and took up exercising. She actually hired a personal trainer and worked out 6 days a week. 3 days of strength training and 3 days of cardio. At the end of a year she was 5lbs lighter and $5000 poorer. With the weight gain, her blood pressure and cholesterol were up. The doctor put her on medication for both. Corine's energy was really low. She would come home from work and take a two hour nap, get up, have dinner and be able to go right back to bed and have no trouble sleeping. Corine began seeing the advise of specialists. After hearing her story and listening to her share about her exercise and healthy eating habits (whole grains, no white flour), she would get a pat on the back and a "good job."

After the last specialist, Corine became very frustrated and decided she was going to look for another way. She met a friend who told her to look into natural health alternatives. On this journey, she found the Ideal Protein protocol. Corine started the protocol in October and by May she had lost 60 lbs. After three weeks on the program, she was able to cut her blood pressure medicine in half. By May, she was off all medicines.

Corine felt like she had her life back.  With renewed energy, she now works two jobs, a full time job and works evenings and Saturdays as a coach for 7Company.  Corine is passionate about the weight loss program and wants to share it with other.

We are so proud of Corine!

From the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC)

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/insulinresistance/

Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it properly. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose for energy. Glucose is a form of sugar that is the body's main source of energy.

The body's digestive system breaks food down into glucose, which then travels in the bloodstream to cells throughout the body. Glucose in the blood is called blood glucose, also known as blood sugar. As the blood glucose level rises after a meal, the pancreas releases insulin to help cells take in and use the glucose.

When people are insulin resistant, their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond properly to insulin. As a result, their bodies need more insulin to help glucose enter cells. The pancreas tries to keep up with this increased demand for insulin by producing more. Eventually, the pancreas fails to keep up with the body's need for insulin. Excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, setting the stage for diabetes. Many people with insulin resistance have high levels of both glucose and insulin circulating in their blood at the same time.

Insulin resistance increases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Learning about insulin resistance is the first step toward making lifestyle changes that can help prevent diabetes and other health problems.

Some people with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance have seen improvements after being on the Ideal Protein diet. 

Did you know that Metabolic Syndrome (also known as Syndrome X) has four hallmarks symptoms of obesity?  The four are central obesity (belly fat), high choleseterol, hypertension and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).  These four hallmark symptoms have something in common - hyperinsulinemia (too much insulin in the blood) along with insulin resistance.  

The late Gerald Reaven, MD, in 1987 came up with the term "Syndrome X" to show that the four legs of the "X" represent the symptoms of metabolic syndrome (belly fat, high blood pressure, hypertension and high cholesterol) and the midpoint of the X (where the 4 meet in the center) are the causal agents of too much insulin along with insulin resistance.  The body's cells are not responding to normal amounts of insulin.  That has become the standar, accepted medical model of this diseas called Metabolic Syndrom.

It's only the beginning of November and the holiday decorations are up!  I noticed this

recently as I was driving through Lansdowne Towne Center.  And I've already heard my first holiday song on the radio. Yikes!  So it doesn't hurt to start planning now as to how you will stay on your weight loss protocol during the holidays!

Here are a few tips to keep in mind: 

• Plan ahead!  I always remind our clients that planning is more than half the battle.  If you have your vegetables prepared and easily accessible, you will not be as tempted to eat something that is not on the protocol.
• Keep plenty of Ideal Protein foods on hand and take them with you.
• Eat an Ideal Protein food before you go to a restaurant, party or dinner.
• Let your friends, family, and colleagues know you are following a healthy diet. When it is time to choose restaurants or menu items for parties, they will know ahead of time to include healthier options.
• Start collecting recipes of healthy appetizers, entrees or desserts now so you can be prepared when it's time to shop for parties or bring a dish to a party.  We have a brand new Ideal Protein recipe book with lots of amazing recipes.
• Remember that you are making a choice not to eat certain foods this holiday season, you are not depriving yourself.
• If you are on maintenance, add an Ideal Protein food to your diet every day.  This will help keep your weight in check.
• Attend the healthy cooking demo on Monday, November 14 at 6:30 pm in Lansdowne.  You'll get some wonderful recipe ideas for the holidays.  Yummy!
• Sign up for the Strategies for Coping with the Holidays workshop on Saturday, November 19.  You don't have to do this alone.
• Keep your weekly visit appointments.  You'll want to stay accountable and be supported during this season.

I'd love to hear any tips you may have!

Susan Carter had tried the South Beach Diet but with no results. She had lost weight with NutriSystem two different times. On the most recent attempt, she had lost 25 pounds in 3 months. After a blood test revealed that her triglyceride levels were the worst they had ever been, however, Susan's doctor advised her to stop.

A friend of Susan's was having success on the Ideal Protein Diet and told her about it. Now after just a few months on the diet from 7Company herself, Susan is experiencing the right kind of impact. Not only has she lost 61 pounds, she's also gone from size 24 pants to size 14 pants. Despite not working out, she claims that her muscles are more toned now than when she had exercised in the past and that her legs look slender now.

After one month of being on the diet, Susan is also no longer waking up with headaches; and she's stopped using a sleep apnea machine. She says that she's not as tired and that she gets up and down stairs more easily. Additionally, Susan finds that she handles stress better and is not as cranky or irritable. Her triglycerides dropped over 200 points in one month's time, her cholesterol level has decreased significantly, and her blood pressure has returned to a normal level.

Susan loves the reactions she's gotten from others, including her 7-year-old son who praises her and tells her how beautiful she is. Susan's 10-year-old daughter comments on how she can put her arms around her now. This is a long ways from the recent experience of looking at a photo of herself from the day before the diet and her son's blunt assessment of, "You were fat." Susan works as a substitute teacher at Aldie Elementary and gets compliments there every time she works. In fact, Susan lost close to 20 pounds in one month to become 7Company's Biggest Loser for July. After this distinction appeared on Facebook, a number of people messaged Susan to find out about her story and to ask about the cost of the diet.

After a lifetime of struggling with her weight, Susan has discovered the solution from 7Company. Her favorite Ideal Protein foods include the peanut butter crunch bars, southwest cheese curls, dark chocolate pudding, and chocolate drinks. Susan also likes cooking the omelets and makes them plain or with red peppers.

Susan has more milestones to go though. She'd ultimately like to lose 73 more pounds and realizes that this may take her as much as one more year on the diet. Susan highly recommends the diet. A woman at work and her daughter are beginning the diet, and Susan is meeting a mom from her son's soccer team at 7Company to get her started on the diet. Susan is surprised that it's not more well-known.

Susan, we're getting there, and with more stories like yours, the word is spreading.

What's your story?  Could yours be the next Ideal Protein success?

Karen Wayne is on the move. A Rotarian breakfast here and a Women’s Club lunch there are all in a day’s work. Chamber events followed by a Red Cross evening gala are no problem for Karen.

Karen has a long-term association with the American Red Cross that goes back to when she was eight and collected pennies for the organization. This commitment continued to run like a thread through her life from the time she served as a volunteer during the Vietnam War all the way to her current position as the Executive Director of the American Red Cross of Loudoun and Prince William Counties.

Karen has a stressful job and describes herself as a stress eater. Furthermore, she can’t afford to be sluggish and needs to have a lot of energy in her role.

Karen also found herself in need of a diet that would work for her as hard as she works. She started on the Ideal Protein Diet in April after seeing several friends experience success on the program. The pivotal moment came for Karen when a friend took her by the hand and personally introduced her to Jennifer Seven of 7Company Weight Loss & Wellness Center at a Sterling Women’s Club meeting. She began the program right away.

Karen has lost 44 pounds already despite her active social life. She’s learned techniques to deal with the frequent meetings and events that revolve around food. Karen has learned to ask for plain chicken and bring her own salad dressing. She’ll bring an Ideal Protein bar and grab coffee at a breakfast meeting instead of relying on an uncertain menu.

Karen likes what she’s seen from 7Company, including the focus on a healthy lifestyle, getting recipes that she can use, and adding “real food” back into her diet. She’s also enjoyed Ideal Protein peanut butter bars and puddings that help to satisfy her sweet tooth and bottles of Sweet Leaf Stevia peppermint or vanilla that she’ll use to flavor a glass of water. Karen hopes that others who have battled weight gain will give the diet a try.

Karen has loved the different reactions she’s gotten from family and friends and feels like she’s a walking commercial. One cousin responded after seeing her: “I wanna go on that diet!” After posting photos recently on Facebook, Karen received comments that she looks good and that she looks young. At a Chamber event she waved at someone who indicated be their “Who is that woman?” reaction that due to her weight loss that they didn’t recognize her; Karen had to speak to them before they realized who she was.

In fact, Karen has had such success navigating the culinary hazards of the non-profit circuit that she’s upped her goal from what she originally set. If Karen tackles this with the same vigor and focus she does her life and work responsibilities, we have no doubt she’ll continue to succeed! Go, Karen!

What's your story?  Could yours be the next Ideal Protein success?

Kathi Bird teaches classes on cake decorating so she knows a thing or two about sweets.  It’s just that now she doesn’t even taste her creations or those of her students.

Weight has been an issue for Kathi most of her life. In fact Kathi claims that she was blessed by her great, great grandma, a Cherokee Indian, with apple-shaped hips.

Prior to gastric bypass surgery in 2003 though, Kathi had ballooned to a weight of 254 lbs. She was able to get down to a weight that was healthy and worked for her. Then a number of family members passed away; the stress caused her to gain 50 lbs in a short period of time.

Kathi’s first exposure to 7Company and Ideal Protein were when she saw friends turn thin on the diet. She was motivated by a desire to be stronger, more active, and to rejuvenate her body, declaring that she wasn’t going to be “a fat grandma”.

Due to the gastric bypass surgery, 7Company has had to work with Kathi to adjust her diet, including allowing her to eat more restricted items. Still, Kathi has faced this with determination, saying that the food tastes great and she loves it, also adding that she’s “too old to do this again”.  Since February Kathi has lost 40 lbs.

Kathi likes that she doesn’t have to exercise on the Ideal Protein diet and has found the diet to be portable since one can get good, fresh produce anywhere, including on vacation. She especially likes the chocolate-flavored soy snacks and crispy cereal. One of her favorite treats is turning the chocolate pudding mix into a chocolate milkshake.

Kathi says that nothing has gone in her mouth that wasn’t on the approved list, and she’s found it motivating to see the weight come off. Kathi is a gardener who can now spend hours longer in her garden without feeling fatigued. Previously, she found it tiring to take a 40 pound bag of pellets up a flight of stairs to her pellet stove. After just one month on the Ideal Protein diet, Kathi would put the bag under one arm and run up those same stairs.

She’s become so passionate about the Ideal Protein diet and the difference it’s made for her that Kathi will be representing 7Company at Chamber and other community and women’s organizations’ meetings and events. She wants to show people her “before” photo and the way she looks now and get more people on a path to healthy living.

A few have already witnessed first-hand Kathi’s amazing transformation over the past few months and have started on the Ideal Protein diet from 7Company. Yes, it appears that three of her cake decorating students may no longer be eating cakes they’ve baked either.

What's your story?  Could yours be the next Ideal Protein success?

As a member of a college diving team, Mike Hruby exercised six days a week. When his career ended so did the workout schedule. At the age of 22 Mike found himself with more time for relaxing, eating pizza, and drinking beer. Without the intense exercise routine of a college athlete to provide balance, his weight began to balloon. In fact, over the next two decades Mike doubled in size.

Mike's first quest to change his health started in 2010 with personal training.  His knees were weak from carrying the extra weight. While Mike gained in strength, he had basically traded fat for muscle and hadn't lost weight. A couple of friends suggested that exercise was not the issue but diet. They had seen others have success with the Ideal Protein diet from 7Company and recommended it to Mike.

Mike had said for years, “When God makes a diet where the food tastes good and I don’t have to exercise, that will be the diet for me.”

Well, Mike started the plan on February 1st. He calls this is his first serious effort to lose weight by changing his diet. Any previous attempts were ones Mike classified as being selfishly motivated. He selfishly wanted to lose weight, but he also found that he wanted to cheat because, after all, that was a way to get what he wanted too. This time was different though. Mike discovered a greater motivation: he wanted to honor God by bringing his body into discipline and order.

What he’s gotten in return are incredible results. In his first month on the Ideal Protein diet, Mike set and currently holds a 7Company record for a male by losing 38 pounds in one month. In total Mike has shed 90-95 pounds and says that he’s halfway to his goal. He’s committed to staying on the plan until he achieves the goal of being “half the man” he was.

Mike says that his eating habits have changed and that he’s eating better quality food, including fresh vegetables that he cooks himself. He also enjoys the Ideal Protein foods like the dark chocolate pudding, omelets, and peanut butter soy puffs. Mike likes to use the pudding and the omelet mixes as bases to make other dishes. He has modified a few recipes to make them IP-compliant and has come up with his own for gyro meatballs and his creative version of eggs benedict.

Mike now gets compliments on his weight loss and likes the reactions of “Wow! You’ve lost a lot of weight!” He is happy to share with others that he’s found success using Ideal Protein. Mike also receives encouragement to continue toward his goal. Knowing how far he’s come, it’s only a matter of time. We’ll be cheering you on, Mike!

What's your story?  Could yours be the next Ideal Protein success?

Until her 30s Bonita Parrack could eat whatever she wanted.  Over the past 10-15 years, however, age, metabolism, and lifestyle have taken their toll on her health and weight.  A family history of heart disease and diabetes as well as intolerance to medicine have only complicated matters.  Bonita's mother passed away in February 2010, and suddenly, her weight was out of control.

After seeing a photo of herself attending a concert posted on Facebook, Bonita knew that she had to make a serious change.  She had seen a sign for 7Company in Leesburg, being particularly drawn by the "Weight Loss & Wellness".  She felt assured that this would not be just another diet.  Bonita has tried a number of diets, including Atkins, Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig.  Each time she experienced the same results: she'd lose 30-35 pounds, plateau, and not lose any more weight.

Bonita called 7Company on a Monday.  They had an opening for a consultation on Wednesday.  Bonita's first thought was, "So soon?" Even though she stated that it would probably result in her typical 30-35 pound weight loss, Bonita made the appointment and started the Ideal Protein diet the following day: September 2nd.  A self-proclaimed junk food eater, Bonita liked that with the Ideal Protein diet she could have an IP bar or chips for lunch.  It was fine with her because it made her feel like she was still having junk food.  She also enjoys the Ideal Protein tomato soup, drink mixes, and peanut soy puffs.  Bonita liked that 7Company would bring chefs in and that they emphasized how to eat after the diet.

Over the first 9 months Bonita had lost 103.5 pounds as of her June 1st weigh-in.  She was the first 7Company client to break the 100 pounds lost mark.  Bonita was also the first person to record the largest weight loss for a given month two different times.

Bonita now knows that she's healthier, and she feels good.  Her blood work has "changed 100%".  In fact she is close to being taken off her blood pressure and cholesterol medications.  Bonita also responded to the 7Company support groups, knowing how emotionally challenging this type of process is.

What else has this meant to Bonita?  She says that it's about the little things that she can do; she can now participate in life more.  Bonita feels good when she gets dressed to go out.  She's no longer embarrassed.  Bonita is looking forward to a trip with her grandson who is turning 13; she will be able to be active without her feet hurting.

Bonita has loved the reactions of co-workers, friends, and family members as they've witnessed her incredible transformation.  In fact, three have joined her on this journey to a healthier life, and she's mentoring one of her co-workers who started the Ideal Protein diet a month ago.  Bonita still has goals to reach with her weight loss, but she's come so far with such notable accomplishments you can't help but to cheer her on.

What's your story?  Could yours be the next Ideal Protein success?

Gwen Pangle could no longer stand to look at herself in the mirror... Gwen says that every decade would bring another 10 pounds of weight gain.  She would start eating well and lose a few pounds.  As she approached the age of 55 this year, Gwen decided that all had to change.  Her journey began last fall when she saw Susan Lee at a Middleburg Women's meeting. 

Gwen began the Ideal Protein diet from 7Company on October 22, 2010.  She describes herself as being focused and didn't cheat: she stuck with the plan through Thanksgiving, her birthday, Christmas, and New Years, saying that it helps when you're getting results.  Gwen also credits the cooking classes and support sessions at 7Company for helping her through this time.

A former "carboholic" ("Hi, my name is Gwen, and I'm a carboholic."), Gwen now no longer looks to pastas, breads, and potatoes for comfort and support.  That's right; she's found the joy of vegetables.  One of the things Gwen likes best about the Ideal Protein plan is that it's "do-able" over the long haul, saying that since you have to eat to live, you have to find the balance. 

Additionally, Gwen has discovered that making appropriate substitutions is an important step toward reaching weight loss goals.  Gwen states, "Your head will always tell you something negative."  Gwen has found a psychological edge like drinking water with lime in a wine glass or filling a martini glass with water.  She's eaten Ideal Protein's BBQ Ridges and Salt & Vinegar Ridges as a healthy alternative for a crunchy, "salty" snack while watching a movie at home.  Gwen also claims that Ideal Protein's Chocolate Puffs have saved her life more than once (although there is no documented evidence of these life saving moments).  She is now inclined to serve a plate of veggies and a low calorie, low sugar Russian or Blue Cheese dressing when entertaining friends.

I asked Gwen about the moment when she realized she had achieved more with the weight loss than a lower number on a scale.  She said that it hit her one night when her husband wanted to take her to Alexandria for dinner.  He had bought Gwen a black, gold, and silver sequined mini-dress, size small for their night out on the town.  Her first thought was, "I can't fit into a small."  But she tried it on, and it fit!

Gwen says that now it feels good to not take up so much space.  In fact she's done a lot of cleaning out of her closet.  Looking at clothes that are now too big for her laying across her bed, Gwen felt as though someone had died.  With a newfound energy and perspective, she believes that the old Gwen has died.

Through the diet Gwen has lost 45 lbs, and she's now down to the weight she was at in her late 20s and early 30s.  Twenty of her girlfriends have seen the difference in Gwen and are now using Ideal Protein from 7Company.

Oh, and how does she feel about the mirror now?  Let's just say this, Gwen hardly recognizes the person she sees looking back at her.

What's your story?  Could yours be the next Ideal Protein success?

Lisa Schwartz has been obsessed with losing weight her entire life... well, at least, since the age of 5.  As it turns out, 3 surgeries that year and the divorce of her parents may have contributed to this lifelong struggle.  Lisa can vividly remember the taunts and being overly self-conscious about what she was eating.  Part of it too was growing up in a resort town in New Jersey where the standard wear for work for many girls was a bikini.  Diets, cutting calories, and exercise didn't work.

Lisa ate better with her first pregnancy (twins) but ate more sweets with the second.  Afterward the added weight didn't come off.  At least three times, Lisa would go on ten-day fasts, taking in only water.  Then began a series of misdiagnoses and educated guesses as she was tested for various diseases.  Lisa went from 1200 calories a day to 900 calories a day.  After months of eating right and exercising, she would give up but wouldn't gain more weight.  Later she had a diet that consisted of two protein bars a day for the equivalent of 500 calories.  She would also exercise 2-3 hours each day.  With this regimen Lisa lost 50 pounds in four months, but her hair started falling out, she lost her balance, and she found herself to be forgetful.  Once she went back to 1200 calories/day, Lisa gained 70 pounds in 2 months.

Lisa has gone through periods of time where she would skip numerous meals or even go for days at a time without food.  The result would be little to no weight loss; her fasts and diets also began to wear on her body.  Lisa had her metabolism tested and found out that her weight problems were not from a slow metabolism.  Through visits to holistic doctors, Lisa discovered that she had food allergies or food intolerances to wheat, dairy, corn, and soy.  She began to do research and take herbal supplements.  Lisa was told that her organs were in distress and that she had adrenal burnout.  Instead of making her stronger, all her dieting and exercising had actually made her extremely ill.   Acupressure helped Lisa to lose 17 pounds.  Her diet began to consist of only meat, some vegetables, apples, and peanut butter.

Lisa began to ask herself questions like, "Do I have to be fat for the rest of my life?"  She learned about Ideal Protein. Lisa researched the diet and couldn't find anything negative about it.  She found and read the testimonial of someone she knew in Susan Lee; Lisa had witnessed first-hand Susan's stunning weight loss.  Lisa's thought: "Lots of people lose weight, just not me."  Lisa declared as she always had, "If anybody can make me skinny, I'll make them rich." She asked more questions of Susan: What do you eat? Who does it not work for?  Lisa visited the 7Company clinic to get more info and found that as opposed to most diets, Ideal Protein would actually expand her variety of foods to include items like pudding, hot chocolate, and bars.  Since being on the diet, not only has Lisa enjoyed her new selection of food choices, she's created her own recipes using Ideal Protein foods in combination with regular foods.  In fact she's even given cooking demos for 7Company and its clients to show how creative and delicious one's meals and snacks can be- while still being easy and progressing toward weight loss goals.

58 lost pounds later... Over 30 of Lisa's friends and associates have seen the dramatic difference in Lisa's health and weight and have started on the Ideal Protein diet through 7Company as well.

What's your story?  Could yours be the next Ideal Protein success?

Labor Day is right around the corner.  Holidays can prove challenging to anyone trying to drop or maintain their weight.  This is where focus and the right attitude come into play.  Labor Day weekend, for example, can bring us neighborhood cookouts and parties with hot dogs, burgers, ice cream and desserts - lots of desserts.

Never take your eye off the ball, especially during holidays.  For me knowing that my clothing fits comfortably helps.  Before I found 7Company Weight Loss & Wellness Center and Ideal Protein Program of Leesburg I had skipped many functions because I was too embarrassed to be in a bathing suit or was ashamed of how I looked. Temptation will be lifted if you stay focused on your goal and long term satisfaction.  Go back to Weight Loss Tip #1 ("A Cooler Is Your Best Friend") and #2 (Water, Water, More Water).  Keep healthy foods with you and drink a lot of water.  Remember:  "Nothing Tastes As Good As Thin Feels".

Each one of us needs to find our own motivation and to reach out to our support system if we are feeling weak.  Your true friends and the people who really care about you will not want to sabotage your diet.  Set your goals.  Truly make the commitment and you will succeed.

What are your favorite tips for getting through the holidays?

In my experience every diet and weight loss program is consistent about one thing and Ideal Protein of Leesburg is no exception.  In each program you are asked to drink atleast 64 oz. of water each day.  Many people struggle with drinking enough water.  Back in the 1980's I remember a woman telling me that a water cooler was installed in her office.  She stopped drinking sodas and only drank water.  In no time she had dropped about 20 pounds.  This was the only change she had made to her daily routine.

Weight Loss Tip #2 - Helpful Ways To Get In Your Daily Water

I believe that you start with the right attitude.  Really appreciate the taste of cold, refreshing water.  Savor it.  If you stop drinking sodas and sweet tea and only drink water, the water will become a habit and one you like.

Start each day with water.  Drink one or two glasses of water each morning before you get into the shower.  Before you know it, your body will crave that morning water and it will become an unconscious act.

Flavor your water with fresh (and only fresh) lemon.

Drink water throughout the day. 

It helped me to take four 16.9 oz water bottles and mark each one - 1, 2, 3, 4.  When the fourth was gone, I knew that I had drunk over 64 oz. of water.  Someone took it a step further and marked their bottles in descending order.  Soon 4 bottles are easy and you will increase to 5 and then 6.  Be green and refill your bottles each day with filtered water.

Remember my Weight Loss Tip #1 - "A Cooler Is Your Best Friend".  Keep cold water with you wherever you go.

I recommend installing a water filter or purchasing a pitcher with a filter.  Keep atleast one pitcher of water in your refrigerator at all times.

Water can do great things for you.  Water is a natually suppresses the appetite.  It assists in metabolizing stored body fat. Water also helps with constipation.  It hydrates your body and your skin will look better and younger.  You will eat less, have more energy and will get fewer headaches.  So, put down the soda and enjoy a cold, delicious, refreshing glass of water!

Get into a routine and follow it every day and it will become a habit.  How do you make sure you are drinking enough water?  What are your favorite tips to make sure you drink atleast 8 glasses of water each day?

People often ask me why I believe that I was successful in dropping weight.  First of all, it helps to have the right program.  At 7Company Weight Loss & Wellness Center I was introduced to Ideal Protein of Leesburg. 

Throughout the time on the program I was able to pick up and learn different weight loss tips.  Sometimes it is just a matter of trial and error.  Sometimes another client would share a tip that had helped them.

I will be sharing a series of my favorite weight loss tips.  I hope that these tips will help you on your journey!

Weight Loss Tip #1 - Your cooler is your best friend.  Never, ever allow yourself to be without food.  If you are diligent each day and pack food and water you will never be tempteed to cheat.  To borrow a line from the Boy Scouts - Be Prepared.  Once you set up your system, it is easy and will save you time. Each morning I put food, salad & vegatables in a soft insullated bag with an ice pack.  In another insullated bag I pack my water for the day between two ice packs.  Then, each of these bags are put inside a cooler.  I keep utensils, sea salt, supplements, tea backs & packs of stevia in the pocket of the cooler.  Extra supplies are kept in the trunk of my car.  At first it seems like a chore, but like everything else, it will become a habit.  Have your food ready to be packed.  For example, I put chopped lettuce into plastic bags so the bags are ready to go at a moments notice. 

Fortunately, with Ideal Protein of Leesburg, the food is both delicious and very portable so that does help.  Good luck and be sure to share your tips on packing food.

Can you guess what is the most important part of the body used in weight reduction?  It is that area located between the ears.  The mind is so powerful that it will be the difference between success and failure. 

"If you think you can or you think you can't, either way you are right".  This saying is true for many things including weight loss.

Visualization is very important.  Really see yourself as thin.  Visualize yourself getting smaller and smaller.  Make that dream board.  Go find pictures of yourself when you were at your ideal weight and use those pictures as motivation. 

It is also important to embrace your program and really love it.  Find all of the things that you are grateful for and express that gratitude.  For example, by being grateful for delicious, cold, refreshing water and not thinking about how much you may want a sugary soda, you will begin to drink more water.  Savor the healthy and nutitious food you eat and stay positive.  Why complain that you can not eat chocolate cake?  Be grateful that you can now wear those jeans that were too tight.

Habit is a funny thing.  If you eat potato chips every day, you will want to keep eating them.  If you eat healthy foods every day, soon that is what your body will want and unhealthy foods simply will not appeal to you.

Find mentors.  Mentors can be others who have successfully transformed themselves.  Stick with the winners and you will be a winner, too.

My friend, Myla J. Blum, "M.J.", a hypnotist and NLP Practioner at The Regency House Health & Resort Spa was one person who helped me understand the power of our unconscious mind.  Another mentor has been JoAnn Junk at 7Company Weight Loss Center.  JoAnn has a lot of great sayings.  One of my favorites is that "nothing tastes as good as thin feels".  Keep saying  that over and over in your mind when you are tempted to eat something that is not good for you.

Are you serious about changing your life?  Are you willing to do what it takes?  First of all, believe that it is possible, because it IS possible.  Find your mentor, surround yourself with positive people and keep focused on what you want to accomplish.  Make sure that you have the winning attitude because you are a winner.

Welcome to our new Weight Loss blog.  7Company looks forward to our new blog being a source of valuable information for those who want to lose weight.