10 health tips from Leemu's handbook

1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer..
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

-by my fb friend Leemu

Bizarre Inspiration ?

Dan Radice, a 30 year old man from Niagra Falls self-titled as "Fad Boy", must not have been able to pick just one diet, so he put them all together. He is calling it "The Grandly Spectacular and Fantastically Phenomenal Fad Diet Experiment". He is doing a total of 14 fad diets in 18 weeks with no exercise other than your usual day to day activities like walking.

Dan Radice tries each diet for 7 days, takes a one day break, then starts another.

His first diet, the cabbage soup diet, brought him to a 9 lb loss. Since that first week in January, he's continued on with diets like The Pasta and Chocolate Diet and the Hollywood Diet, bringing him to a total loss of 51 pounds and 25 inches!

Note: Radice did consult his doctor before beginning his experiment, and is well aware of the risks of fad dieting.

While fad diets aren't the best in the world for permanent weight loss, you have to wonder if it's better/healthier than how he had been "dieting" [and by dieting I mean his entire lifestyle].

Got a particular diet in mind and want an account of its effectiveness? Need a little inspiration? Just want to see if that craziness works? I'd say give his blog a looksie.

Don't Kid Yourself

One of the biggest problems that women trying to lose weight face is the issue of 'honesty'. Honesty with others, yes, but it is honesty with oneself that is the most important factor in weight loss.

People are always asking successful dieters; how did you do it? What plan did you follow? How tall are you? How much are you exercising? Do you drink meal replacements? and so on and so on and so on. While these are all great questions which help to educate us, they are so often questions which people ask because they are to scared to take a hard look at the reality of their own patterns around food consumption and honesty.

Losing weight IS a mathematical equation. If you are taking in less calories than you are burning every day, you are going to lose weight. We all know this right? Then why is it that so many people still do not lose weight? And why is it that so many people say 'but I did so good this month! And I didn't lose ANYTHING!'? ....... it just doesn't add up.

If there is one thing that I have (unhappily) realized from dieting it is this; human beings actually require VERY LITTLE food for optimum health and weight range. I would love to be able to eat even three times a week the chocolaty / carby / cheesy kind of things I so often desire, but I KNOW that my body will just not cope with that in terms of weight loss. I know that a tiny indulgence for me personally can often mean the difference between losing weight, or not. That is the harsh reality of my metabolism.

The key is to be brutally honest with yourself about what you are really eating. Journaling your food for a solid three months is a great way to start being honest with yourself. Even on a really bad day you must persevere and write down the terrible truth! And when you look back after a month or two you will see what kind of an eating pattern it is that you have. It will be a revealing and educational experience. As long as you are prepared to learn.

Losing weight is so so so possible! As long as we are prepared to own up to our own habits and get real about what our bodies can cope with.

There are lots of printable food journals available online, such as www.alldietsource.com

Cotton Ball Diet

The cotton ball diet is exactly what it sounds like, you eat cotton balls. Some people eat them dry and others soak them in gelatin first. Obviously the idea is that cotton balls are low in calories but very filling, so you won’t want to eat anything that is fattening. The cotton balls are also high in fiber, which is thought to be good for you –until you realize it’s not the kind of fiber you need in your diet.

Possible Side Effects May Include: Exceptionally boring, dry and disgusting meals. A lack of needed vitamins and other nutrients. Major digestive problems.

Read more crazy diets at NeatoRama

Youtube Gals!

This blog is made for you by your very own weight loss community members!

This way we have a place to record our journey, while providing tips and support for others.

Currently I need 5 Youtube members to help me start and administer this blog.
(Don't worry- we will soon need more)

I need members who:

Are active in the YouTube Weightloss Community

Have 5 or more weight loss videos.
Have over 50 subscribers.
Have been a Youtubing for at least 3 months

Sorry for these guidelines- I know there are many of you making a fresh start. But we see a lot of people come and go. I need people who will be making updates and will be sticking through this for gain or lose.

Thanks Girls!