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Really Successful Weight Loss

All winter long, we get cozy with the idea that our bulky cold weather clothes, inactivity, and increased consumption of comfort food do not amount to very much weight gain or hide body changes. Then we stand in the fluorescent lighting of the department store changing room, trying on new clothes for summer, and our denial evaporates, often to be replaced with an urgency to lose weight and get back in shape  . . . fast.

When the latest fad diet doesn’t deliver results in record time, we may despair and give up.  It is an unhealthy pattern that repeats itself over and over, and you are certainly not alone. However, you can lose weight and get back in shape if you make a commitment and give yourself some time and encouragement to succeed.  I have created a plan for healthy diet changes and interval training exercises that will get you back on the road to fitness (see links to follow). And in this issue of Terry Talks Nutrition, I am going to share with you my top picks for supplements that can impact healthy weight loss and weight maintenance—naturally.

Diet and Exercise Plans You Can Live With

To aid you in getting started on losing those excess pounds, I have developed menu suggestions and a simple workout routine. For reasonable weight loss, I recommend that most people consume 1,600 to 1,800 calories a day from a good quality, lean protein, and fresh fruits and vegetables, and minimize carbohydrate intake, especially refined white flour and white sugar. Don’t forget to include a moderate amount of healthy fat, like olive oil or oil-rich fish. For weight loss and aerobic conditioning, I highly recommend the use of kettlebells and interval training. The details for my diet and exercise program are on my website at www.terrytalksnutrition.com. Look for Terry’s Menu for Health and Longevity and Terry’s Exercise Plan.

Helpful Supplements

Even those who are committed to making healthy choices can sometimes be overwhelmed by cravings for the not-so-healthy foods. As a pasta lover, I know the problem all too well. That's why I was so excited to find products that can help you get your appetite under control and minimize the effects of the occasional indulgence.

Dieter's Choice for Carb Control™
This revolutionary, all-natural starch blocker is far more effective than anything else on the market. Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control is a highly purified, water-based extract of white kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, which inhibits the activity of alpha-amylase, the digestive enzyme that breaks down starches and complex carbohydrates. When Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control is taken with a carb-containing meal, the amylase enzyme is blocked, and some of the carbohydrates aren’t digested, therefore passing through the intestines—much like fiber—instead of being absorbed and stored as fat.

One Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control tablet is up to 120 times more concentrated than other carb blockers. Those products require taking up to 1,500 mg to get the carb blocking effects, while the highly concentrated extract in Dieter's Choice for Carb Control gets results in a small, 2 mg tablet. And that’s only part of the story. Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control features a special enteric coating that enables it to pass safely through the stomach, into the intestines, so it activates where starch absorption occurs. Put simply, Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control delivers more starch-blocking power to the region of the digestive tract where it can do the most good than other carb-blocking products. One Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control can inhibit the absorption of up to 50 - 75 grams of carbohydrates, or 300 calories, per meal.  Big results are packed inside each tiny, easy to swallow tablet.

There are some definite advantages to reducing carbohydrate intake. Fewer digested carbs helps in minimizing the peaks and valleys of changing blood sugar levels and gives you a more sustained level of energy - without the ensuing crash in the afternoon.  It also improves the digestive system as it prevents the fermentation of carbohydrates.  Finally, Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control does all this without the nasty side effects caused by other, high-dose carb-blocking products. It will not cause you to experience bloating, gas, loose stools or emergency trips to the restroom.  

PommeTHIN™
Most of us prefer to eat apples that appeal to our taste buds, so the emphasis has been the production of sweet tasting apples. There is, however, a green sour cider apple grown in Europe that contains exceptionally high concentrations of active compounds called phloridzin and quercetin. Research on the effects of these naturally occurring apple actives has shown they can have a significant effect on weight loss. While you may now be tempted to run out and buy a bag of apples for your “apple diet” you should know that it takes 300 lbs of sour green apples to produce one pound of the concentrated extract shown to be beneficial in scientific research.

Phloridzin
Apple is the only fruit that contains a compound known as phloridzin, which significantly burns fat, reduces calorie absorption, and reduces appetite by controlling blood sugar levels, therefore increasing energy levels.  Phloridzin reduces the absorption of sugar and inhibits the accumulation of fat in the fat cells of the body misleading the intestinal receptor responsible for the introduction of glucose (sugar) into cells. Phloridzin’s affinity for this receptor is 1,000 times superior to the glucose molecule. Glucose is the sole molecule able to cross the cellular membrane. Phloridzin has the capacity to fix on the glucose receptor site to make it momentarily unavailable for the assimilation of the surrounding glucose.

Quercetin
The apple contains one of the highest concentrations of quercetin, a bioflavonoid that is a powerful antioxidant. Quercetin has the same effect as phloridzin, affecting the glucose receptor sites, but it is also able to fix on other sugar receptors. One of the main roles of fat cells is to store the excess sugar after converting it to fat. By limiting the quantity of new sugar assimilated by the cells, the accumulation and transformation of sugar into fats is limited. Less sugar = less fat.

Sour green cider apple extract can minimize the effects of carbohydrates and sugars, and has been shown to reduce the appetite, control blood sugar levels and increase fat metabolism. Additionally, highly concentrated apple fibers create a feeling of fullness and therefore suppress the appetite. When combined with a sensible diet and exercise program, use of concentrated sour green apple extract has resulted in 1 to 1-1/2 pounds of weight loss per week.

Adrenaplex™
The adrenal glands are responsible for secreting important hormones, including cortisol, that help the body respond to stress.  Many of us, however, are living lives full of stressful events – work, family, commuting, finances and more. All this stress may cause our adrenal glands to work overtime, leading to what is often called adrenal fatigue, or adrenal exhaustion. In cases of adrenal fatigue, the adrenal gland production of cortisol drops. This can lead to a lack of energy, weight gain, sugar cravings, and reliance on stimulants like caffeine to get moving every day. To support the adrenal glands and production of healthy levels of cortisol, I recommend Adrenaplex. This formula contains the pro-hormones DHEA and pregnenolone, which the body converts to important hormones, including cortisol. Licorice aids in keeping healthy cortisol levels circulating in the body, while other key nutrients (P5P, l-tyrosine, pantothenic acid and rehmannia) help the body resist the negative effects of stress. When the adrenal glands are functioning properly you will have more energy to work out, decreased cravings for unhealthy, sugary foods, and an easier time maintaining a healthy weight.

No Magic Pills
There is no such thing as a magic pill for weight loss, so be realistic. We all want immediate results. But a major weight gain doesn’t happen overnight and neither does significant weight loss. It takes time to correct what took time to go wrong. Don’t expect to lose all the pounds in the first three days.  Allow time for your body to adjust. In fact, I suggest following the program for 30-60 days before you even step on a scale.  You will be amazed at the results if you do.

The Importance of Setting Goals
I firmly believe in the power of setting goals. I use this technique for everything I want to achieve in my life. First, write down what you want in your life. For example, I will lose 20 lbs and be in the best shape ever. Or, you can use a deadline goal, such as I will lose 20 pounds by October 1. I cannot stress this point enough – write down your goals!  It isn’t enough to just think about what you want to do, you must write it down. I don’t know for sure why putting your goal in writing is so effective, but I know it works. Next, read your list of goals once or twice a day. You might even want to get a picture of a person who has the shape that you admire and put it on your refrigerator and/or mirror in your bathroom.

Get a vision and a goal that you want to accomplish, concentrate on it, think about it, speak positively about it and you will accomplish it.  Not only will this goal setting plan work for weight loss, but it will work in every area of your life whether it be relationships, the home of your dreams, the country you wish to visit, the financial goals you wish to accomplish or that significant other you wish to meet. 

Your Plan for Success
After you decide what your fitness goals are, it’s important to have a plan. Please review my menu suggestions and exercise program at www.terrytalksnutrition.com. If you need some extra help, use the supplements we discussed earlier. The following explanation can help you determine which product is most appropriate for you. You may need one, two, or all three of them, depending on what is the biggest challenge you face.

Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control™ if you eat a meal with: potatoes (chips, French fries, baked); bread (muffins, bagels, pancakes, etc); cereal; pasta

PommeTHIN™ if you need to reset your metabolism, if afternoon “crashes” are a problem, if you need help in maintaining blood sugar levels, and also if you tend to consume more carbohydrates in your diet.

Adrenaplex™ if you have any of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue (weight gain, sugar cravings, low energy, etc). If you require help deciding if you need extra adrenal gland support please read this article on adrenal function at www.europharmausa.com/products/ which also has a quiz to help you evaluate your adrenal gland activity.

You can also combine 2 or all 3 of these products as needed. For example, if you tend to eat a lot of carbohydrates and hit a “wall” in the afternoons, take the Carb Control product and PommeTHIN. Remember – for Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control you must take it with or before a meal in order to get the best results. If you are lacking energy to get some exercise, and instead snack on carbs, take Adrenaplex and Dieter’s Choice for Carb Control.

By putting together your written goals, menu plan, exercise routine, and using proven supplements when needed, you have a very effective weight loss program.  Remember, you don’t need a miracle.  You are one!

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