Zone Diet Holiday Give-away

I want to achieve "goodness" this year. Not greatness, mind you. For this New Year, I think ‘goodness’ is the way to go.
Starting slow, with an indirect way for me to become the person I really want to be, makes for not only a reachable goal, but one that I can get behind. Here it goes…
STOP WATCHING THAT DARN TV! Each day I come home from work and what do I do? I turn on that electronic deity. What does my watching TV cause you ask?
-- Mindless eating
-- Lack of movement
-- Brain goo (OK, I made that up…I think)
It seems that many conventional resolutions could be ultimately solved by sticking to this one resolution.
After a few weeks of NOT watching TV when I get home, all of my ‘to do’ items for the next 3 months will probably be complete. Then, what WILL I do with myself?? I might get crazy and
-- Go back to volunteering
-- Take a class
-- Walk my dog more often
The possibilities are endless! And, don’t look now, but I might just achieve that ever-illusive, ever-inclusive resolution item…to lose weight.

My resolution is simple: I'm going to be more aware of my food portions.

I eat pretty well, but I eat too much, so I need to be more aware of how much I am actually eating.

Happy New Year!

My resolution is to be walking comfortably without a cane by next year. To do this, I will:
{1} walk on the treadmill at least three days a week
{2} Make a concerted effort to walk outside around the block {4/10th of a mile} at least three times a week leaving my cane at home.
{3} When I walk the 4/10th of a mile, I will constantly be aware of keeping my back straight and NOT sticking my butt out!
{4}I will call the physical therapy place recommended by my doctor and do abductor-strengthing exercises in a pool and at home.

As I look upon 2009, I resolve to continue my promise to myself to obtain a healthly lifestyle. Since July I have dropped 85lbs! I have achieved this by sticking to the Smartforlife program.Now I face a greater challenge how to continue this metamorphis so that I can live my life to the fullest in a world surrounded by temptations.

My new year's resolution is not to exercise more or lose weight like most people. My resolution is to be nicer to people. The reason for this is I always gripe about my brother's fiancé. She has a lot of annoying traits but her good traits definitely outweigh the bad ones. The point is, she loves my brother and he loves her and I would feel terrible if someone criticized me the way I make fun of her behind her back. I admit, doing that makes me feel better about myself.
So, with that said, to achieve my goal, all I have to do is just keep my mouth shut and remind myself that I would hate if someone did the same thing to me. No one likes to hear someone complain and I don't want to be one of those people. Plus, when I do find someone special to spend the rest of my life with, I would hate it if his sister or family member made fun of me. That’s not fair.

My resolution is to spend more time in the kitchen -- and ENJOY it. I like cooking with fresh, natural ingredients, but I often get so busy that I end up eating something pre-made and less healthful. It's happened a lot lately, and my weight has gone up because of it. So, if I can set aside time to ACTUALLY cook real meals (like, using the stove and EVERYTHING), I think I'll feel and look better.

This year (2009) my resolutions are:-

1) To stay smoke-free. (It's been 2 months of non-smoking for me now!)
2) Be as sexually active with the lovely boyfriend as it is now. (I'd like to believe that it keeps me thin.)
3) Buy a new dress every month. Dresses are so pretty, I find that they motivate me to eat healthy.
4) Sleep at least 6 hours daily.
5) Anything good - I don't like the number 4.

My resolution is to try 125 recipes from my favourite [vegetarian] cookbook. I am not a vegetarian, and I am a very picky eater. I want to "broaden my taste buds" with more healthy food. I think I can handle the tofu, beans, and lentils, but conquering the mushrooms will be my greatest challenge. I don't understand why people eat fungus off of the ground but I will try my best at the new recipes :)

I am a cardio addict, and I know I need to find new ways to challenge myself physically. Going to the gym has become a habit, but is not longer a challenge. It's so easy to go and do the same thing every day. This year I am striving to include each week: strength training (3 days), yoga (1 day), and an outdoor activity. I'm also training to do a relay marathon. Here's to mixing it up in 2009!

I am determined to make resolutions and stick to them this year, so I thought long and hard about what that would take. First of all, I realized that I am setting myself up for failure if I try to start them all TODAY. So I decided that I would take on a new "lifestyle change" each month of this year. 28 days of practice makes a habit, right? So if I can do one new thing to improve my lifestyle each month, I will be in great shape without overwhelming myself.

So, I brainstormed a list of a bunch of changes I would like to enact. These included nutrition (Resolution: I will eat mostly natural, whole foods); exercise (Resolution: I will challenge myself at the gym), and friendships (Resolution: I will make an effort to get in touch with at least one friend every day.) I brainstormed until I had 12 solid ideas that I really feel would change my life for the better.

Finally, I picked the hardest and decided to start it today. Why's that? You have to tackle the frog first, my friends! Even though I'm spreading out my resolutions, I'm feeling very motivated right now and it would be so nice to get the most challenging one out of the way! (By the way, this resolution is to eat a GERD-friendly diet - I have acid reflux, and really have not changed my diet in the way that I should to reflect this yet.)

Oh, and one last thing. I wrote each resolution down on the first day of the month in the calender. I can't wait to see how it goes! Good luck to all of you with your resolutions!

-Kristi

Instead of setting way too many New Year’s resolutions and failing at executing them all within the first two weeks, I’m deciding to take a new approach this year. I’m setting 12 life-lutions: goals that I will fully commit to for one month a piece. At the beginning of each month I’ll provide information on the goal, the science behind it, and tips for others who want to commit with me!

You can see my life-lutionsat choosinglosing.wordpress.com!

I'm so tired of yo-yoing for the last 9 years of my life.
I'm sure it's been the same with all of us .
My doctor call's it stuffing your emotions .
I want to learn to like myself again with the way I look.
My son died ,I ate .
My husband had open heart surgery, I ate .
Well, everything is good now and I still stuff myself.
Go figure ! I'm stuck .
I have no excuses now and I want The Zone and I to work together to get me healthy beginning in 2009 .

Ella

I will make an effort to be calmer, healthier, give myself more love and attention, floss my teeth, tweeze my eyebrows, polish my toenails, eat more fruit, drink less booze, eat more veggies, save more money, be more positive, give more compliments, smile on the street, give up seats on the subway, appreciate my husband, remind him daily how wonderful he is, eat slower, be grateful for all that I have when I feel that I don't have enough, don't let the shame monster or the greed monster take over, keep my clothes clean, shower more, be more empathic, judge less, criticize less, find something good, or try to- about everyone I encounter. Laugh harder, love harder, drink more water, watch sad movies and scary movies and let them go after I've let myself feel the emotion. Live more purposely and consciously.

I've come up with my third annual "self-improvement" resolution. Two years ago, I resolved to be fearless - if something scared me, I sucked it up and did it anyway. Last year I resolved to be more decisive, and it almost worked too well - by March I'd become somewhat of a control freak and actually had to dial it down a bit! This year, I've resolved to gossip less and be more private, keeping my personal life to myself.

Before I started this list of resolutions, I was a meek, frightened girl with a complete lack of social skills, and now, two years later, I'm whole, complete, and happy - and absolutely dedicated to making myself a better person, one year at a time.

I'm not one to make resolutions. But this year I resolve to be healthy, period!

I'm too young to be on medicine.
I'm too young to ache in my joints.
I'm too young to waste my life on my butt.

This year I am going to make a lifestyle change.

I am going to eat better and less.
I am going to be active everyday.
I am going to be a role model to my children.

I will DVR less and WALK more.
This will be the best year...
Bring on 2009, I'm ready!

My resolution, as cliché as it sounds, is to live like each day could be my last. My grandmother is eighty-eight and currently knocking at death's door thanks to pulmonary fibrosis. Recently, she and I had a conversation about the things she's accomplished in her life and things she wished she had done. The one thing she told me that she always wanted to do was go to Hawaii. She didn't go, according to her, because my grandfather didn't want to go. However, my grandfather passed over two decades ago. During that time, my grandmother could have visited Hawaii with any of her siblings, her children or even her grandchildren. Instead, she's left with a regret.

I'm making a list of 101 things to do in the next 1001 days. There's wacky things like making a quilt out of all my clothes that no longer fit because I lost weight. There's things from my bucket list like writing a novel.

I can't blow off life and live like a nomad. I have to work to provide for my family. But I can make sure that at the end of my days, I did everything on my list.

Its finally here. It's 2009 and in less than 3 months I am going to be 30!!! Ive lived my whole life struggling with health and weight. (Gastic bypass, subsequent anemia and deficiencies....couch potato to marathoner to average. In the spirit of turning 30 this year my goals are as such:

By my 30th birthday on March 22nd I will:

~ Hold my weight in the mid 130's (Currently 149- I think though challanging, this goal is totally doable. I've not touched the 130's since the Regan administration....)
~ Run a 5K in 30 minutes...or less. (I would not even say that I "Run" persay! It's more of a "scurry" or "scamper". None the less, I feel I should certainly be able to shuffle through the finish line in under 30 minutes. I usually come in around 33 minutes.
~ Exercise 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week. (Frankly, if I cant find time for this, I should not be albe to find time to enter online blog contests either methinks.)
~Eat at least 30 grams of fiber a day. (I'm really bad about this one)

So that is it. I could rattle on with lofty nutrition goals and the like but who wants to be overwhelmed? Turning 30 is already enough to deal with! Im keeping it simple (well...kinda) and hoping for the best.

Happy New Year everyone!
:)

I resolve to never again "start over fresh tomorrow" or "start again on Monday morning" - because when I claim that I'll "start fresh tomorrow morning" - what I'm really saying is "I've decided to give up the rest of today."

And I'm not going to decide to give up.

My biggest challenge is not eating enough veggies, so I'd like to take a vegetarian cooking class in 2009.

Well I'd say to count chemicals instead of counting calories, but in truth I gave up on the calorie lark years ago.... but I do intend becoming far more aware of the chemicals in food this year.

“Plan your work and work your plan…” This is a little saying that I learned to achieve success in anything I choose to do with my life. It has always worked for me when I’ve used it in the past and I don‘t see why it won‘t work now! My main goal for the New Year is to implement this positive thinking attitude into my diet, exercise and weight loss program to achieve my desired results.

I believe the first step to making a plan is acknowledging that a problem exists, the second step is to figure out a manageable and sometimes creative way in which to fix it, the crucial step is following through with the plan you make for yourself consistently and the final step is to reward yourself for sticking to your plan.

I acknowledge that I am 5’1” and currently weigh 170 pounds, about 50 pounds more than my body frame can handle. I didn’t realize that I really had a weight problem until 6 months ago when I needed to buy a size 14 pair of jeans. We don’t have full length mirrors in our home, and I’ve always had a slender view of myself inside my head, so it was quite easy to avoid the truth. The real shocker for me was when I looked at myself in a family picture this past Christmas. I knew for certain then that I need to make some lifestyle changes to improve my long term health this new year.

I am in the planning stage right now. I have been exploring the many different dieting and exercise programs online to determine which is best for me. But I truly believe that it doesn’t matter which one I choose as long as I like it and use it consistently. Therefore, I’m not looking for a quick fix to lose weight, but a consistent plan of action to create a long-term healthy and balanced lifestyle.

The challenge for me will be the medications I take which cause me to gain weight by increasing my appetite for sweet foods. I will have to come up with a diet and exercise plan that deters me from doing this by choosing healthier foods, snacks, supplements and choosing an exercise regime that I will enjoy doing at a minimum of 3 times a week for no less than 30 minutes; but will still boost my heart and metabolism rates to increase my chances of success. I will also have to come up with a reward system that has nothing to do with food, but still makes me feel good about myself, my progress and encourages me to continue working my lifestyle change plan on a daily basis.

I know that willpower is only half the battle, by planning my work and working my plan I will ultimately lead myself to a healthier me.

2009 Goals
225 Bench Press (current 195)
+90lbs dips (current 50)
+90lb Pullups (current 55)
400 Squat (current 335)
500 Deadlift (current 405)

I posted my resolutions/goals on my blog just the other day. Here is my plan.

T/W/Th-cardio at gym
Sa/Su- Spin class and weights

Monday and Friday will be a rest and recover day off from the gym but I will do some form of activity whether it be in-home workouts, Stability Ball work, etc.

I will keep track of my water intake and I’m pretty sure I’m going back to keeping a food journal. I may skip counting calories in the beginning to see if I can manage with just staying accountable to what I eat.

I will weigh in every Monday and post my results on Wednesday.

I will take measurements and photo updates every month and post those to the blog.

A few other goals I have for myself are to follow a few online challenges, sell or donate my ‘big’ clothes that are taking space in my closet and I would like to fit into a few pairs of pants/jeans and tank tops that are waiting for me!

I’m keeping this short because I don’t want to overwhelm myself at the beginning.

Nice prize. Thanks for the chance to enter.

Dr. Sears is dangerous. His Diet is bogus and is impractical. It's unfortunate hes more concerned with promoting himself then establishing sound nutritional methods. Sure you may find the Zone useful for a week, but you won't sustain it.

My 2009 New Year's Resolution:

Each and every day, I will get out of my sweatpants after my workout and put on some stylish clothes before I pick the kids up from school, I will floss everyday, I will help someone in need each day, but most of all, I will be happy again.

Good luck to everyone with their resolutions!

Five babies. 51. I have everything going against me, yet I want to make 2009 the year I shed the baby weight, and really adhere to a lifestyle change. Can I do it? With motivation, yes. Winning this would certainly be a tremendous spark to push me in the right direction!

Well, this probably isn't the most original, but my plan is to just quit eating so damn much! That, combined, with not sitting in front of my computer all day long (ouch). I resolve to exercise more and eat less. And write down everything that goes into my mouth in hopes that will keep me from eating too many bad things -- what if my hubby sees it? Shudder. Oh yeah, and to stop believing the old wives tale that calories don't count if no one sees you eat them.
digicat{AT}sbcglobal{DOT}net

My resolution is to treat each day like New Year's Day. If I mess up, I call a mulligan and start again without letting my mistakes hang over me. After almost eight years of a difficult (but much improved) marriage, and as many years of infertility, I have decided to risk a minor surgery that may cause me to get pregnant - and if I do get pregnant, I will enjoy it. I could never really say that before, not knowing where my marriage stood, but I have much more confidence now. I am committed to eating in a healthy way to prepare my body for that possibility. I will switch from soda to green tea and water, and my snack choices will reflect my commitment - veggies, nuts, and fruit.

My New Years Resolution is like most people's. I just happen to have a couple.
1. To lose weight and to exercise more
2. To be better organized
3. Not to get stressed out over the small things
4. To spend more time with my family.

To most people these may seem to be small things but, to me they are very big and important. They all happen to tie together in one way or another. I'm hoping to achieve at least one or all of them this year.

I remember the days when I thought I was fat
What I would give to again look like that
I pledge this year to eat more veggies and beans
With hopes to again look good in my jeans
I'll start out small and pass on the treats
Take a few extra steps and start moving my feet
I won't let discouragement get in my way
And remember tomorrow will start a new day
I can dream about my body and how it should be
But enjoy life now and be proud to be me!

My resolution has a catchy motto...

90 in '09

I resolve to lose 90 lbs this year (or get as close as I can.) That will put me right around my ideal weight according to the calculators.

Wish me luck!

My New Year's resolution is a variant of one that I've had many times before, but this year there is some new motivation behind it. I just got engaged December 19th and my fiance and I are planning on getting married January 10, 2010. In the midst of all the joy and happiness I'm feeling there's also the part of me that realizes I am 100 pounds overweight. I don't want to put on a wedding dress being an obese woman. So my resolution this year is to eat better, move more, and get to a weight that will allow me to happily put on a wedding dress and marry the man of my dreams.

Another part of this resolution is declaring it publically here and to those close to me so I will have others helping to hold me accountable for my decisions.

Best wishes to all of you with your resolutions. Let's make it a fabulous 2009!!!

Last year, I received a giant lump of coal.
Instead of losing the 25 pounds I set out for, I gained ten. Were the diet gods not smiling down upon me?
Repeated concentrated efforts to eat right and exercise in between rotating shifts at work were deemed fruitless. The scale never budged except upward until I finally adjusted the setting dial figuring it had to be broken. I starved myself for days at a time only to succumb to a binge on Special K. The stuff that really works on TV. The final humiliation came when my doctor said I had high blood pressure and prescribed a water pill that obviously diluted my protein shakes rendering them ineffective.

This year, I’m making no resolutions. I’m going to sit on the couch, stuff my face with Krispy Kremes and watch reruns of Becker. Forget good nutrition, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle. I’m taking control of my life NOW. This yo-yo has reached the bottom. And if the gods of reverse psychology have any compassion, I’ll be 25 pounds lighter next year.

My resoution is very simple, very boring. I want to get back to running 7 miles a day, with the hopes of getting up to 13 by June. I recently got married (November 21st), and did not go to the gym since returning from London in early December. Not to mention that the Holiday's got the best of me. :) Anyway, being one of your success stories:

http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2007/07/30/how_young_men_lose_weight_and_change_their_lives.php

I would like to get back down to my target weight of 178, as well as be more built, and right now I'm about 10 up from that. Mainly due to the lack of running. See you at the gym today! Talk to you all soon!

Eric