My New Supplement: Garcinia Cambogia

trying to lose weight with pros can be really difficult and frustrating at times, so i’ve been doing some research on what can help me spark a little weight loss and i came around a fruit called garcinia cambogia. Dr. oz, who i follow when it comes to health advice, had a segment on this fruit and the health benefits of it.

The fruit extract helps inhibit fat loss while retaining muscle without any extra work at the gym. the extract is called hydroxycitric acid (HCA) and it does two things: suppress your appetite and block fat from being made.

It blocks fat by inhibiting the enzyme Citrate lyase, halting the fat making process and stopping the bad cholesterol [LDL] from being made as well.

HCA suppresses your appetite by creating more serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter in the brain. many people hear of serotonin when talking about people who are depressed — those people have low levels of serotonin and doctors usually prescribe something that will enhance levels of serotonin. though you may not be depressed, low levels of serotonin also leads to emotional eating, something i am extremely guilty of and has been a problem my whole life. whenever i get stressed out or upset, i turn to food and binge. By increasing serotonin levels, HCA improves your mood and stops you from reacting to stressful situations with food.

I know, something this good must cost a fortune because its too good to be true, however, its not that expensive at all [depending on where you buy it of course]. since garcinia cambogia is so abundant and simply comes from a fruit, its extract can be found for a good price, but beware of certain vitamin stores who will try and charge you $60 for the same product you could get for $15 at a walmart or cvs.

I started taking my supplement about 4 days ago, and im going to give it two weeks to start looking for results, as i know it takes time to get into your system and start working, but so far i can say that my appetite is definitely under much better control, and having 3 midterms coming up on thursday, i am very stressed but have not once turned to food as i usually would have. my exercise and diet has not been as good as it should be so going into week two, im going to work really hard to eat right and get in a good workout 5x a week to really get the best results possible

 

source/more info: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/garcinia-cambogia-hca

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The Challenge begins: September 1, 2013

so i did as i said i would and took my measurements today and came in at a whopping 165lbs..the heaviest I’ve been since i was diagnosed with pcos. i really need to start getting myself back on track and keeping myself motivated so i can be happy with the way i look again. when i was diagnosed with pcos, i was 138 pounds..so ive come a long ways up, and i know its going to take a long time to get back down.

since i know its going to be hard, instead of trying to lose 2 lbs a week, ill be doing 1lb a week, just so i stay on track and have an easier time reaching my goals. though i am embarrassed by them, i will be uploading progress pictures on the first of every month to see what progress i have made.

this being said, by october 1st, i plan to be at the bare minimum 4 pounds less putting me at 161. i know i can push myself to lose more in one month, but thats my goal for now, but I’m going to do what i can to crush it and lose even more.

id say i was off to a good start today, as i went hiking for 5 hours on a mountain in massachusetts [blog post with pics to come]. if i can stay this active and get a hold of good eating habits, i should be losing weight and feeling better in no time.

doing the 1 pound a week calculation, if i stick with it and work hard, by new years i should be down at least 16.5 lbs, putting me at 148.5, which would be spectacular. though my plan is to return to my original weight of 138, having an end of the year goal of 148.5 is a great way to start and ill work from there

Say Yes to the Dress

yesterday some of my friends and i were watching say yes to the dress where a few girls were looking for brides maid’s dresses and one of them had pros. it was really sad watching her struggle as she had been diagnosed a year earlier and gained 100 lbs. she didnt like what she saw in the mirror and wished she looked like she had before.

i could completely relate to her story as i look in the mirror, all i can see is a fat girl who used to be in great shape with a nice body. however, she did also make me feel better about myself as she gained 100 lbs in a year while ive gained 20 in two. it gave me motivation to really get a hold of my pros, because in a few years, i dont want to be the unhappy bridesmaid trying to find a dress that fits and looks good.

“Self-Monitoring Body Weight and Food Intake Regularly”

the title of this post is one of the subheadings in Karen Roush’s book, and i think it’s important enough to discuss, as it has given me success in the past.

in her book, she says:

“studies show that checking your weight regularly and keeping records of food intake promotes long-term success in weight control. when you keep a record of what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it, eating becomes a conscious, thought-out process. You pay attention to your food intake and the decisions you make about food.”

on my blog, i have a food journal category  where i normally post my daily meals as well as my exercise [when im not detoxing]. this helps me keep track of what i eat, and also puts a little pressure on me to eat better since im sharing with the whole world what i ate for the day.

years ago, i had a different blog, with the same purpose of weight loss, but i had not yet been diagnosed with PCOS. the blog and recording what i ate, as well as support from the blogging community ultimately helped me reach my weight loss goal. Now that things are a little different, i decided to start a new blog, tracking my weight loss as well as my PCOS symptoms.

As well as this blog, i also have an app on my phone called Loseit! which ive had for years [and used back in the day when i had my other blog]. its a free app that calculates how many calories you should consume a day depending on your height, weight, gender, how much weight you want to lose, and how fast. each day you are supposed to record your meals [it counts up your calories as well as your nutrition info], as well as your exercise. it helps keep you on track, and helps you set goals that are within reach.

even if you dont have a phone with app access, they also have a website where you can sign up for free [loseit.com] with the same benefits as the app. i highly recommend checking this app out, or any other calorie counting app, as they will keep track of your caloric intake, your weight along with your weight loss progress, your nutrition information, and how many calories you burn during exercise.

having any source of organization and recording when trying to lose weight is most beneficial.

Quote of the Day 4//2/13

“It’s not that some people have willpower and some don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.” ~James Gordon

 

I hear people complain on a daily basis that they don’t like what they see in the mirror or that they need to lose weight, yet they do nothing about it but wallow in their insecurities. They may say they have attempted a diet or to exercise more, but it didn’t last. It may not be that these people can’t lose weight or they’re just not the type of person who eats healthy and exercises regularly, but that they aren’t ready to face the fact that they need to make a lifestyle change. You really need to think about what you intend to get out of life and decide if putting in the time and effort is worth leading a healthier life [which i hope you do]. Once you decide that this is something you MUST do for yourself, the motivation will come easier, especially once you start seeing results. So, think.plan.do.