Back in 2004 we wrote an article on keeping your New Years Resolutions, and you know what? The same things are relevant today. So check it out: Keeping New Year Resolutions. You’ll be glad you did!
Author Archive
Keeping Your 2010 Resolutions
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010Weight Loss Update – Air, White Tea, and Calcium
Thursday, October 29th, 2009A recent article in Pharmacy Times gives some more information about the kinds of things that affect obesity.
Researchers found that less air may mean a bigger spare tire. Decreased lung function (meaning less air to the body) had a direct effect on metabolic syndrome, which is largely credited to abdominal obesity. This connection was found to be independent of smoking and drinking.
They also found that White Tea is showing promise for combating fat, even moreso than green tea. It stimulates fat mobolization as well as inhibiting the generation of new fat cells.
And, increasing calcium can aid weight loss. Upping your intake of calcium (if you lack calcium) do daily recommendations can help prevent hunger. Women on a low-calorie diet taking calcium lost close to 13 pounds (over 15 weeks) versus women who did not take calcium (or took the placebo), who lost only about 2 pounds. They hypothesize that your brain detects calcium deficiencies and stimulates your body to feed itself to get more calcium!
Checking if a Recipe is Balanced
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009NOTE that this article contains a LOT of information, but the time it takes to actually USE the new recipe builder is very quick. I just wanted to be completely thorough for you for all of the options and information!
You have two options:
Option 1: Label Analyzer
IF you know the totals for grams of fat, protein, and carbohydrates, you can use the Label Analyzer (www.formulazone.com/labelanalyzer.html). Just enter the grams into the appropriate boxes on the label analyzer, and it will tell you if it is balanced, and a best-guess at the glycemic index.
Option 2: Recipe Builder
If you don’t know the totals, but want to enter the ingredients to find out the totals, then you should use the Recipe Builder (you were in the right place!). You might try the tutorial (it’s the question-mark link at the far right end of the orange toolbar at the top). Plus, I’ll try to add some information here that may not be clear from the tutorial:
- Step 1 is to find the ingredient you want to add. The new recipe builder is MUCH smarter than the old one when searching, but still some tips apply.
- First, try NOT to enter too much in the name field. The more you enter, the more it restricts the list, and the less likely you are to find the food you want. For example, entering “94% ground beef” will not give ANY results, but entering “ground beef” will show a short list of the available ground beef options
- Remember that “close is good enough”. Sometimes you can’t find the EXACT ingredient – that’s ok. Finding one that is close is good enough. The nutritional differences between 94% and 95% ground beef are effectively irrelevant, so don’t worry too much about it!
- Don’t think “brands”. Because it’s complicated enough with SO many ingredients already, we don’t typically put in every different brand of something (unless it is nutritionally significantly different). So, think of the food itself – not about the specific brand.
- Once you see the ingredient in the list, just click on the one you want to use. In our example with the “ground beef”, you’d see about 8 options – just click on the “Beef, Ground, 95% lean” to select it. Clicked the wrong one? That’s ok – just click on the right one.
- Once you’ve selected the ingredient you want to use, then it’s time to enter the amount called for. Enter the amount, select the measure from the drop down, and click the “Add Ingredient” button.
- Once the ingredient is added, you can STILL make changes. In the list of ingredients in the recipe, you still can change the amount, change the measure, or even delete the ingredient.
- ALSO, once the ingredient is in the list, you will see the carbohydrates, protein, and fat – as well as the Glycemic Index (L for Low, M for Medium, H for High, or VH for very high).
- Repeat steps A through C for each ingredient in the recipe. As you add foods, you will notice that there is a row just below the list of ingredients in the recipe that shows you a lot of information about the recipe:
- “Balanced” or “Not Balanced” (along with the balance ratio),
- a link to help you balance it (makes suggestions for foods to add)
- The TOTAL carbs, protein, and fat
- The overall glycemic index of the recipe.
Happy Balancing!
Weight Loss Factors of Success
Wednesday, January 5th, 2005The average person on the national weight loss registry has lost about 36 pounds, and kept it off. How do they accomplish this? Research has been done, and what they have found is very interesting.
There are six common habits of those people who have lost the weight and kept it off. They are:
- They Eat Breakfast Daily
- They Eat Out 3 or fewer times per week
- They eat 5 Small meals a day
- They exercise regularly
- They weigh themselves regularly
- They keep a food diary
Eating Breakfast is how you get your metabolism fired up in the morning. In The Zone, you actually are encouraged to eat more often, never waiting more than 4 hours to eat, so that your metabolism stays up. Plus, with the hormonal balance your body enters with The Zone, you keep yourself in Fat Burning Mode all day!
Eating Out is directly related to being overweight. You are more likely to over eat, you are eating foods that are higher in fat, and often foods that are higher-density calories. Let’s be real: you don’t go out to eat a nice salad, lots of fresh veggies, and a nice lean portion of chicken. You go out to eat a rich meal – whether it be a fatty cut of meat, some pasta, fries, or a burger. It’s amazing how many calories are packed into some of those meals!
Eating 5 Small Meals a day, like eating breakfast, keeps your metabolism turned up so you burn fat through the day. Plus, when you eat more often, you are less likely to binge, because you just don’t allow yourself to become starving!
Your body craves exercise, and for good reason. It keeps you energized, plus it improves your muscle tone (and muscles burn more calories than fat!).
Keeping track of your weight helps, well, keep you motivated. When you are doing well, you want to continue your progress. When you slip, you give yourself a mental kick in the butt and commit to doing better!
A food diary may seem like a chore, but it is so revealing. It’s pretty hard to be dishonest with yourself if you actually write down everything that you eat during the day. It’s a self-accountability that you can do with yourself that is very powerful.
Additional Habits that were common were:
- Positive problem-solving attitude
- Continued contact with suppor team
- Reduction of other health problems
Don’t understimate these things. They really do add up to powerful influences in your ability to be successful.
Some of the negative predictors included:
- Negative Life Events
- Family Dysfunction
What to Look For in a State-of-the-Art Weight Loss Program
The goal should be gradual permanent lifestyle changes to improve physical activity and performance, as well as food selection and cognitive health. Changes should be gradual to ensure weight loss and improved health at a pace that can truly be incorporated to replace decades of poor habits in order to keep the dropout rate down.
You get ALL of these things at FormulaZone.
We have worked hard to give you every single tool you need in order to have success with your weight loss.
Our Menus include breakfast, every day.
Our Menus help you to eat in, instead of out. We offer tons of pre-packaged meals so you can take something fast and easy with you to work. We give you the tips you need to eat out successfully.
Our Menu Planner requires at least one snack a day – and it is suggested that you have two or more.
We are introducing an exercise log that will help you keep track of your exercise.
The Weight Loss Log allows you to keep track of your weight.
The Food Diary allows you to keep a detailed food log easily, and gives you feedback.
The Discussion Forum provides a community for you to stay in contact with your support group.
Our Support Staff works with you to help maintain a positive problem-solving attitude.
FDA Rules and Trans Fat Deception
Sunday, November 28th, 2004
0 Grams Trans Fat...?
That is what the package says, but what does it mean? Could it be true?
You would think that if a package says zero grams of trans fats, then the food would have no trans fats in it, right?
Wrong! The label above lists partially hydrogenated vegetable oil as the third ingredient! (According to FDA guidelines, the ingredients must be listed in order – the most listed first, in order down to the least ingredient listed last).
If the food is broken down into serving sizes small enough so that there is less than 1/2 gram per serving, then they can put ZERO on the label. It appears that this is the case even if there is 0.49 grams of trans fat in that serving.
This is nothing new, however, and has been the case with regular fat as well for a long time. If a serving of a food had less than 1/2 gram of fat in it, then the manufacturer could put 0 grams fat on the label.
Why this is so imporant NOW is because trans fats are unlike any other fat – they are the worst fat out there. They wreak havoc with your body, causing irreparable damage to your cells. (To learn more, read our article: The Hazards of Trans Fats)
New Products Are Being Released…
That claim to be trans-fat free. Many truly are. Many are not. The only true way is to check the labels for ANY of these phrases:
- Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
- Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
- Partially Hydrogenated ANYTHING Oil
- Shortening
- Margarine
There ARE truly trans-fat free "margarine" alternatives, like Smart Balance and Earth Balance
The manufacturers that produce foods that claim to be trans fat-free (but contain trans-fats) rest their public position on the idea that the FDA has said that “the FDA …. recommends keeping your intake of both saturated and trans fats as low as possible.”
Note that the manufacturer is lumping trans fats in with saturated fats as though they were even close to the same hazard – they are not.
(For the truth about Trans Fats and Saturated fats, we highly recommend reading this book: Trans Fats, by Judith Shaw).
How do they do it, then? Their explanation is with somewhat tricky language like this: “As a result, some products qualify, according to FDA guidelines, for 0g trans fat per serving although they have as one of their components partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.”
The FDA has released new labeling guidelines that go into effect in 2006. Until that time, you will see many manufacturers adding the labels “No Trans Fats”, “0 Grams Trans Fats”, and other trans fat related information to their labels.
Unfortunately, the guidelines fall short, and there is only one way to truly know. That is to read the ingredient lists.
Trans Fat Tips
- Zero Tolerance. Zero is the only amount of this poison that you should allow into your body.
- Read Ingredient Lists. Frustratingly, you cannot trust even the nutritional panel when it indicates “0 grams” of Trans Fats.
- Go Natural. You will find that natural foods (nuts, milk, butter, vegetables, fruits, etc) are all trans fat free.
- Choose Wisely. Olive oil for cooking. Butter for baking. Butter or Smart Balance as a condiment.
- No Margarine. Some claim to be trans fat free, but they aren’t!
This book is a fast, easy read and contains everything you need to know to become trans-fat free.
What Foods Can You Eat on The Zone Diet?
Monday, September 13th, 2004What Should I Eat?
First and Foremost, while what you eat in The Zone is very important, there is no “list” of foods that you can and cannot eat in The Zone. Each food is a judgement based on important criteria.
Not only the Zone, but many nutrition resources advocate balanced nutrition. The body seems to run optimally on a balance of 40% of your calories coming from carbohydrates, 30% from proteins and 30% from fats. This also means each and every time you eat, each meal should be made up of this ratio.
Once you have established and understand this ratio, you should then look at the kinds and quality of these three macronutrients (carbs, protein and fats).
Simply put, each one plays an essential role in how your body functions and how your body responds.
Carbohydrates break down into glucose and fuel your body by entering your bloodstream and supplying your cells with needed energy. Insulin facilitates this process.
Protein supplies the body with amino acids, which repair and build muscles.
Fats break down into essential fatty acids, which facilitate the function of eicosanoids (super hormones). They also provide a stored energy source the body can pull from in time of need.
The quality and balance of these macronutrients is what keeps your body running in optimum condition.
Let’s look at carbohydrates first:
Low glycemic carbohydrates provide fiber, which aids in keeping the intestines working properly, which in turn can prevent certain colon cancers and other intestinal disease. They breakdown slower into glucose and release glucose steadily over a period of time. Higher glycemic foods break down more rapidly and release the glucose in a “rush”.
Now let’s look at proteins:
Proteins can come from both plant and animal sources. Animal sources contain saturated fats, which, when eaten in excess have been found to contribute to a number of diseases, including heart disease and stroke. Proteins provide amino acids which are the building blocks of muscle. There are 8 essential amino acids and 12 non-essential amino acids which the body uses. In order for the body to run optimally you must provide these amino acids by eating proteins. Eating lean meats and trimming fats from meats provides a good source of amino acids while cutting down on saturated fats.
Finally let’s talk about fats:
Fats come in many forms and each plays a role in nutrition: Saturated fats from animal sources and palm and coconut oil. Unsaturated fats come from plant sources. There are monounsaturated fats (Omega-9) and polyunsaturated fats (Omega-6 and Omega-3). Omega-3 can be found in cold water fatty fish like salmon (who eat the Omega-3 rich plankton), some range fed animals (who eat the grasses) and flax seed. There are also manmade or man-altered fats called trans fats and fake fats. These are chemically altered oils like hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils and margarines and products like Olestra, which are very unhealthy and should be avoided at all costs.
Each and every time we put something into our mouth, we set into motion a very complex sequence of actions and reactions which can either benefit or harm our bodies.
Each person is unique and reacts and responds differently to what they are exposed to in their environment.
The Zone diet, or balanced nutrition, provides a correct balance of the three macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats). It is not a deprivation diet. You COULD theoretically choose a 40-30-30 combination of nutrients from any source and still obtain this balance. However, in order to keep your body in prime condition, you should keep these essential things in mind:
- Eat quality not quantity. The saying “Garbage in-garbage out” does not only apply to computer applications!
- Eat LOW glycemic carbohydrates. These provide a slow release of glucose into the bloodstream and a minimal insulin response. They also are an excellent source of fiber.
- Eat quality lean meat and tap into the excellent benefits derived from soy products.
- Eat Omega-9 oils which include avocado, olives and olive oils, and nuts as your primary source of fats added to your diet. Supplement with Omega-3 oils in the form of Fish oil supplements and also eating wild, cold water fatty fish. Limit your intake of Omega-6 oils, which include vegetable oils. Avoid ANY partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils and margarine.
Some additional tips I can give you would be:
- Read labels carefully.
- Practice perimeter shopping when in the grocery store. (Go around the outer edges of the store, staying away from the middle aisles).
- Ask many questions and keep asking until you are satisfied and understand that which you question.
- Listen to what your body is telling you, keep a journal on what you eat and how you feel and make adjustments as necessary.
In summary, the bottom line is, no one can make you do something, they can only advise. It is up to you to make the final decision as to how and what you will eat. The success of following the balanced nutrition lifestyle lies solely in your hands.
Balance Bar Glycemic Index Confusion
Friday, August 27th, 2004Balance Bars. They are a great snack when you are on the go, or to keep in your desk drawer at work for those afternoon cravings. How are they for you, though?
They ARE Most are balanced. Their traditional bars, as well as their GoMix, are all balanced. They do have a few new lines, including “carb control” products, that are not balanced, so watch out for those.
The protein appears to be from good sources. Soy, soy nuggets, and nuts are the primary protein sources listed.
The fats also appear to be from reasonable sources. Natural sources, such as nuts, and other sources (they also seem to be Trans-Fat free).
It is the carbohydrates that you have to wonder about. The very first carb source listed on their GoMix packages are “yogurt flavored covered raisins”, which consist of sugar (high glycemic) and raisins (also high glycemic). The amounts of fruits (strawberries and others) are so small that their low glycemic index has little to no effect on the overall GI of the food. If you plugged these ingredients into the FormulaZone Meal Designer, the results would be a High Glycemic recipe. (Or, if you plug the entire label into the Label Analyzer, you are shown a high glycemic rating as well).
Yet the Balance company is promoting their foods as “Low Glycemic”. In fact, the GoMix packages claim right on their back panel to be “a Low GI Food”. We found this interesting, and decided to do a little research.
What they have done is restructured the Glycemic Index chart. They make the claim (and they are accurate) that there is no standardized glycemic index chart. You may also be interested to know that there is no government regulation of the Glycemic Index terms, so be sure to use your own common sense when looking at labels.
While there is no formal standard, there is a commonly accepted standard. Balance has chosen to not use this standard.
For comparison purposes, This is the standard that FormulaZone uses. It is very common, and is the most widely used:
Standard Glycemic Chart
| Low | 0 – 35 |
| Medium | 36 – 70 |
| High | 71 – 100 |
| Very High | Over 100 |
On their website Balance has published an article on the Glycemic Index, where they show you a chart comparing their foods to White Bread as well as some other foods. Now, when you look at a GI chart, look for White Bread. On the standard chart, white bread is 100 (very high). On the Balance chart, White Bread is 70. This is what theirs looks like:
Balance Bar Glycemic Chart
| Rank | Per Balance | Adjusted |
| Low | 0 – 55 | 0 – 79 |
| Moderate | 56 – 69 | 80 – 99 |
| High | Over 70 | Over 100 |
The adjusted column shows how their range fits on the standard chart, as determined by calculating a factor of 1.429 by dividing 100 by 70 (is based on their claim that white bread = 70, vs. the common standard of white bread = 100).
What this really means is that when they claim a food is Low GI, it really means that the GI of the food (on the standard chart) is under 80. 80! That’s in the High range! (Look at the chart to the left!).
What they have done is changed the scale so that 70 is “high” (white bread on their chart is 70), whereas the standard chart shows white bread at 100. This has skewed their chart, making all of the numbers seem small. Further, they say that white bread is the low of the High range, whereas the standard chart uses white bread as the high end of the High range, and above is the Very High range.
Why did they do this? We can only guess so that when they show you their GI rating for their products (such as 35 for their GoMix product), you will see a low number and assume that it is Low GI.
Which is too bad because their products are good, and nobody can reasonable expect them to be Low Glycemic. They published their GI information for their products, and we have adjusted them to match the Standard chart. Look at their foods here:
Sample Balance Products GI
| Food | Per Balance | Adjusted | Adjusted |
| Balance Bar Yogurt Honey Peanut | 25 | 35 | (low) |
| Balance Bar Gold | 28 | 40 | (medium) |
The Hazards of Trans Fats
Saturday, August 21st, 2004Do you eat margarine? How about hydrogenated vegetable oil (or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil)? Shortening? Packaged foods? How about fast food?
You would be surprised at how much of these seemingly innocent foods you are eating – and they are bad news. They are what are known as “trans fats”.
Packaged cookies, crackers, fast food and so many other foods you take for granted are loaded with these foods.
Have you noticed Trans Fats listed on some nutrition labels lately? Have you wondered what they are, and why they are listed? Highly promoted for around half a century as the answer to our health problems, it has been proven to be worse for our health than saturated fats, the very food they were designed to replace!
The government has finally stepped up and is requiring nutrition labels to list the trans fats by 2006. Some manufacturers are doing it now to promote their trans-fat-free foods as awareness increases.
How Trans Fats are Made
- First, the desired natural beans are crushed (soybeans, corn, safflower, etc) to make a nice vegetable oil.
- Next, the oil is chemically treated with deoderizers and bleaches.
- Then a small amount of metal is added (such as nickel) to quicken the molecular changes about to take place.
- Last, hydrogen gas is added under very high heat and pressure.
- The result is a “plastic” that is thicker and can hold a shape, solid at room temperature.
Hydrogenated vegetable oil. Margarine. Shortening. Trans Fats. All one and the same. Watch the labels for these ingredients, and if you find them in the list, put the food back! If you find it in your pantry or your fridge, throw it away. You’ll be glad you did.
In case you are thinking this is just another scare, consider this: Over the past 20 years, Harvard University has spent more than $100 million dollars on three studies that clearly demonstrate that the people who eat the most trans fats are those who are most likely to develop heart disease.
What Trans Fats Do:
They fool your body. Your cells are designed accept fatty acids – good fats. But trans fats are NOT good fats, and trick your cells. They are accepted by your body, but cannot be metabolized like a real faty acid, and cannot be rejected. The integrity of your cell membrane is compromised and your cell is no longer able to function properly.
But the Government would have warned us, right? They are – finally – but it has been an uphill battle against powerful lobbyists to protect the economics of the companies that manufacture and use this wonder-food.
Making Your New Years Resolution Stick
Thursday, January 1st, 2004Happy New Year! Hooray for the new year, and all of the hope and happiness that it promises to bring. We hope that last year was wonderful for you, and the new year is even better.
Many of us make promises to ourselves at the beginning of each year. The typical New Year Resolution. If you are like most, your resolutions include something about losing weight, eating health, or getting in better shape. And, if you are like most, these resolutions have a tendency of slipping away. But it doesn’t have to be that way! You can, with the right planning and approach, make 2004 a wonderful year in which you keep your resolutions.
How do you keep your resolution? How do you make this time different than the others? While ultimately it is up to you, try our tips and techniques- you will be equipped with tools that will help you succeed! For the sake of convenience, the rest of this article will be geared towards a goal of losing weight, however these techniques apply to all goals that you set for yourself.
Get out a piece of paper and a pen. As we go through these tips, take the time to write this down. The absolute best way to ensure you meet your goal is to make sure you understand it. And nothing beats writing it down and reading it. Something about writing it down, having it on paper, makes it a reality, and gives it importance.
Consider your motivation. The first step you should take is to think about your reason for losing weight. This may take time, but it is key to being successful. Ask yourself- why do I want to lose weight? Getting a firm understanding of exactly why you want to lose weight will help you find that mental and emotional space that keeps you motivated.
Write it down! Then read it to yourself- out loud. It can be more than one reason. In fact, it can be many. Having several reasons will give your goal more meaning. Revisit them often- you may find that your reasons change over time. If they do, write down the new or different reasons to keep them updated.
Set a goal. The hard truth may be difficult to face- but it’s OK. We’ll take it in smaller bites. Whether your goal is to lose 20 pounds or to lose 120, you need to find your final goal. Write it down- and remember that it can be in many forms. It can be a goal weight, a clothing size, or a measurement (such as waist or hips). Write it down! When you look at it, tell yourself out loud that you will reach that goal. Every time you look at the goal, tell yourself out loud. You will reach your goal!
Break it down. Break your final goal down into weekly mini-goals. Why do this? Because it gives you a sense of satisfaction when you meet your weekly goal. And, it is much easier to renew your commitment if you slip up when you look at your next weeks goal.
Be realistic! If your final goal is to lose a lot of weight, then you need to stay realistic. The medical experts will tell you that it is not realistic to lose more than 2 pounds per week, and that is probably true. However, there are many testimonies of members who have lost 3, 4, or even 5 pounds per week for many weeks. Just remember that as you approach your final goal, the weight loss will slow down. So, if you have 10 pounds to lose, your weekly mini-goal should be 2 pounds or so. If you have 40 pounds, your weekly mini-goal could be 4 pounds or so. It is tempting to set aggressive goals, but they only lead to disappointment, frustration, and eventually, quitting.
Keep your mini-goals realistic. Now, write them down. Yes, there may be many of them, but write them down. Imagine yourself halfway to your goal. Imagine how great it feels to have met your mini-goals, and to be halfway there!
Keep a log. On the same sheet of paper that you have written your mini-goals, set up a column in which you can write your progress down. Watching yourself succeed helps you stay motivated! And, if you find that you are not keeping up with your mini-goals, don’t despair. Re-evaluate them. Adjust them to be more realistic to your lifestyle, and write them down. Make sure you can achieve your goals- remember to be realistic!
Seek Support. If you find that your mini-goals are not being met, or that you have a particularly difficult time with a certain time of day, a certain day of the week, a certain food, or anything else, then Seek support. Whether you request support in the Discussion Forum, request support from us via e-mail, or seek support from your spouse, make sure you find the support you need. You don’t have to settle for the first answer that you are given, either! If it doesn’t work, it isn’t your fault- it just means that you may need another way to overcome the challenge!
You can do it! And we are here to help. You don’t have to be the expert- that’s why we are here. The staff at FormulaZone has one goal: to do everything we can to help you succeed. Our members are just like you- they want you to succeed, too!
So make your resolution. Invest a few minutes in it, write down your goal and your plan, and you will succeed. You can do it!
Keeping New Years Resolutions
Thursday, January 1st, 2004Happy New Year!
Hooray for the new year, and all of the hope and happiness that it promises to bring. We hope that last year was wonderful for you, and the new year is even better.
Resolutions, anyone?
Many of us make promises to ourselves at the beginning of each year. The typical New Year Resolution. If you are like most, your resolutions include something about losing weight, eating health, or getting in better shape. And, if you are like most, these resolutions have a tendency of slipping away. But it doesn’t have to be that way! You can, with the right planning and approach, make 2004 a wonderful year in which you keep your resolutions.
How to keep resolutions
How do you keep your resolution? How do you make this time different than the others? While ultimately it is up to you, try our tips and techniques- you will be equipped with tools that will help you succeed! For the sake of convenience, the rest of this article will be geared towards a goal of losing weight, however these techniques apply to all goals that you set for yourself.
Write it down!
Get out a piece of paper and a pen. As we go through these tips, take the time to write this down. The absolute best way to ensure you meet your goal is to make sure you understand it. And nothing beats writing it down and reading it. Something about writing it down, having it on paper, makes it a reality, and gives it importance.
Find your motivation
Consider your motivation. The first step you should take is to think about your reason for losing weight. This may take time, but it is key to being successful. Ask yourself- why do I want to lose weight? Getting a firm understanding of exactly why you want to lose weight will help you find that mental and emotional space that keeps you motivated.
Write it down!
Write it down! Then read it to yourself- out loud. It can be more than one reason. In fact, it can be many. Having several reasons will give your goal more meaning. Revisit them often- you may find that your reasons change over time. If they do, write down the new or different reasons to keep them updated.
Setting Goals
Set a goal. The hard truth may be difficult to face- but it’s OK. We’ll take it in smaller bites. Whether your goal is to lose 20 pounds or to lose 120, you need to find your final goal. Write it down- and remember that it can be in many forms. It can be a goal weight, a clothing size, or a measurement (such as waist or hips). Write it down! When you look at it, tell yourself out loud that you will reach that goal. Every time you look at the goal, tell yourself out loud. You will reach your goal!
Break your goal into smaller mini-goals
Break it down. Break your final goal down into weekly mini-goals. Why do this? Because it gives you a sense of satisfaction when you meet your weekly goal. And, it is much easier to renew your commitment if you slip up when you look at your next weeks goal.
Be realistic!
Be realistic! If your final goal is to lose a lot of weight, then you need to stay realistic. The medical experts will tell you that it is not realistic to lose more than 2 pounds per week, and that is probably true. However, there are many testimonies of members who have lost 3, 4, or even 5 pounds per week for many weeks. Just remember that as you approach your final goal, the weight loss will slow down. So, if you have 10 pounds to lose, your weekly mini-goal should be 2 pounds or so. If you have 40 pounds, your weekly mini-goal could be 4 pounds or so. It is tempting to set aggressive goals, but they only lead to disappointment, frustration, and eventually, quitting.
Check your mini-goals
Keep your mini-goals realistic. Now, write them down. Yes, there may be many of them, but write them down. Imagine yourself halfway to your goal. Imagine how great it feels to have met your mini-goals, and to be halfway there!
Keep a log
Keep a log. On the same sheet of paper that you have written your mini-goals, set up a column in which you can write your progress down. Watching yourself succeed helps you stay motivated! And, if you find that you are not keeping up with your mini-goals, don’t despair. Re-evaluate them. Adjust them to be more realistic to your lifestyle, and write them down. Make sure you can achieve your goals- remember to be realistic!
Get Help!
Seek Support. If you find that your mini-goals are not being met, or that you have a particularly difficult time with a certain time of day, a certain day of the week, a certain food, or anything else, then Seek support. Whether you request support in the Discussion Forum, request support from us via e-mail, or seek support from your spouse, make sure you find the support you need. You don’t have to settle for the first answer that you are given, either! If it doesn’t work, it isn’t your fault- it just means that you may need another way to overcome the challenge!
You can do it!
You can do it! And we are here to help. You don’t have to be the expert- that’s why we are here. The staff at FormulaZone has one goal: to do everything we can to help you succeed. Our members are just like you- they want you to succeed, too!
So make your resolution. Invest a few minutes in it, write down your goal and your plan, and you will succeed. You can do it!