Just DO IT!!!

My family 2011

Why did I post a picture of my family and why is this post entitled "Just DO IT"?! When it comes to exercise you need to JUST DO IT!!! Another motivation for me is figuring out WHY I want to exercise...what motivates me and keeps me going!?

Well, that would be my family!! This picture is almost 3 years old and we now have 2 more grandsons. However, I think this picture speaks volumes!! Our youngest child, and only son, is to the far left. He is a busy, active, athletic teenage boy. Next to him is our youngest daughter. A busy, active, athletic young woman going to College. I'm next to her. (Remember, I've kept 55 lbs off for over 30 years!!) Our middle daughter is the one in the wedding dress next to her hubby. They now have a little 17 mo old son and just finished College. My hubby is next. He's on his own weight loss journey and has lost 20 lbs this year! Our oldest daughter is next to him and beside her is her oldest son and hubby who works in trauma. They now have a little 15 mo old son. Both of our daughters are blessed to be stay-at-home moms. SO proud of my family!!

THEY are the reason I do what I do! I want to stay healthy and fit so I can play with my grandsons. I want to be around for a LONG time and thrive...not just survive!! THEY are the ones who keep me motivated!! But, that's just the start. NO ONE can do it for you! You MUST make a promise to yourself, no matter WHAT your goal is in life, and keep that promise to yourself...PERIOD!

As far as getting into an exercise routine...JUST DO IT!! Start TODAY!! Even if you just walk around the block. If you can only walk around your house....DO IT!! Anything is better than nothing! And, you will find that as you continue, it gets easier. As you set a goal and accomplish it, your feelings of self-worth get a little better each day. Each workout...each goal reached...each milestone reached...it's empowering!!!

JUST DO IT!!! Start NOW! I'm here for you!! Send me a private message and I can help get you on your journey. I can help you with a meal and exercise plan to get you started. You CAN do it!!!!

There's an APP for that!~ and, Phase 2

Yesterday my daughter texted me and told me that...get ready for it...there's an APP for "The Fast Metabolism Diet"! Woohoo!! It's $2.99. I personally don't have it. I'm a stay-at-home mom so, it's easy for me to eat whenever I need to. But, I looked it over and it seems to be pretty legit and would help you keep track of what you're eating, what TO eat, when to eat, etc. Take a look at it! It may help your journey!!

Also, a friend of mine texted as well yesterday and said for her fruit snack she put frozen mango, water, vanilla and stevia in her magic bullet. How yummy is that!! Don't forget that, with Phase 1, you can have rice milk. It actually tastes like real milk! You could add that to your smoothie as well!

Tomorrow starts Phase 2....who's ready!? Below is a typical day for me:

B~ Egg white omelet or just eggs whites with Franks Red Hot sauce, celery

S~Egg whites or hamburger meatballs (I roll my hamburger into bites size meatballs, put them in a really hot pan to brown one side REALLY well, then turn them over, turn the heat down a bit, and put the lid on to finish cooking) yummy!!

L~ Chicken or steak on a HUGE salad with red peppers, cucumbers, celery, and red wine vinegar.

S~Egg whites, or some other protein

D~Chicken browned well then, towards the end of cooking, add veggies to pick up flavor of the meat. I usually use celery but, onions and mushrooms are nice, too.

There you go. Don't forget to eat every 3 hours and don't forget to drink PLENTY of water!! This Phase is really hard for me so, spices are a BIG reason I am able to stay on this Phase.

Go get "The Fast Metabolism Diet" book by Haylie Pomroy and reap the full benefits of this diet/new way of eating!! Good luck friends!  :)

It's what's for breakfast~Phase 1~Week 3

OK, so, here's the scoop. I'm starting the 3rd week of "The Fast Metabolism Diet" by, Haylie Pomroy....tomorrow. It has been such a blessing in my life! I'm not going to talk about weight loss just yet. I will share my total at the end because, as I've stated before, I'm NOT trying to lose weight! I'm trying to re-set my metabolism and feel better!!! Not gonna lie, losing a couple of pounds would be OK because, well, I've gotten this cute little muffin top in the past couple of years and it would be nice to have that gone!  ;) But, my main focus is to be more energized so I can keep up with my adorable grandsons!!!

So, tomorrow I begin again. As Haylie says, your body will respond differently each week because, if you think about it, as you've re-set your metabolism, eaten better, hopefully exercised, the week before, when you start over the following week with Phase 1 again, it's like starting over with a NEW body and it will respond differently!! It's TRUE!! i'm FINALLY starting to get a little energy! YEAH for me!!!

I'll share what I do. I'm a creature of habit. I typically eat the same things every day. Probably told you that before but, I feel it's relevant here. I eat the same things for each meal and snack during each Phase. Especially the 1st week when I was eating food I don't typically eat. Well, at least not THAT much of those foods. Below is my menu:

B~Oatmeal, blueberries, Peaches, strawberries with some Xylitol
S~2 small oranges (those little cuties...yum!)
L~1/2 c. Brown rice, 4oz. chicken, BIG salad with tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, red peppers, and an apple. Sometimes my tomato is my fruit.
S~1 c. Strawberries with Xylitol
D~1/2 c. brown rice, steak, BIG salad with TONS of veggies.

That's it. SO yummy! SO easy!!! Happy food right there!! Buy the book and you will see the MANY varieties Haylie has for food choices. That way, you can choose what YOU like to eat! Make sure you drink LOTS and LOTS of water!!! You can add fresh squeezed lemon or lime (fresh ginger is great, too) and it will help your water go down a little easier AND it will help to detox your body!!

TIPS: Drinking ICE COLD water will help you burn more calories. It's true...look it up. :) Also, make sure you do some cardio to help burn, burn, burn that fat!! Email me with personal questions at beckyfolkman@hotmail.com. I'll be happy to assist!!  GOOD LUCK!!!!

Reality~

Let's be honest, if you need to lose weight and you follow the plan...you WILL lose weight...PERIOD! 

I get so tired of reading the 'diet supplement' box instructions and it says, "For you to be successful on this diet and using this supplement, you need to eat less and exercise more." REALLY!? Well, duh!!!

Remember to exercise! Remember to drink plenty of water! I'm giving you fair warning...if you don't drink enough water, you WILL get constipated...that's a fact! You're burning fat and releasing toxins from your body when you diet, especially with "The Fast Metabolism Diet". You want to 'flush' all of that crap (literally) and toxins out of your body!!! Putting lemon and lime juice, AND fresh ginger, in your water, it will help with the detox.

That's it for today. Keep up the good work and don't get discouraged!!! DO NOT weigh every day!! Once a week is fine. Oh, be prepared for headaches and tummy aches as your body cleanses...just sayin'.

Phase 3~my favorite!!

Did you know that April is Sexual Abuse Awareness month? The color is teal and I'm using this color today because I have a daughter who is a rape survivor. She's amazing, incredible, and has risen above this tragedy and helps others along their journey back to some type of normalcy. I love her so much and am very proud of her!

On to the DIET...Phase 3. This is my absolute favorite Phase!! Not only do you add back in your fruits and grains but, you also add in healthy oils...avocados, olive oil, raw nuts...you get the point! Love me some almonds!!!

On Phase 3 a typical day would look like this:

B~Fruit, fat, protein, grain and veggie

S~Veggie, fat, protein

L~Fat, protein, veggie, fruit

S~Veggie, fat, protein

D~Fat, protein, optional-grain

It's REALLY important you look at Haylie Pomroy's book to get the LIST OF FOODS she recommends that you eat. For instance, in Phase 2 where you only eat protein and veggies, you can't have tomatoes. I mentioned that already...you can tell it's a tough one for me. I had a tomato today,during Phase 2, and I DON'T feel guilty about it! ;) However, I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm trying to reset my  metabolism. Will this affect that? Probably. But, I was feeling really light headed and dizzy and I couldn't bring myself to eat another hamburger, or steak, or chicken...couldn't do it. So, I had a salad with a tomato and, well, I added the steak. It was yummy with my red wine vinegar and cracked pepper...yummy!!!

The important part of this WHOLE process with Haylie...you MUST follow her protocol. I'm not sure if it's legal for me to post everything in her book on my blog so, I'm not going to. If you want more information and personal help you can email me and I'll be happy to do that for you. I've had years of experience with diet/exercise and nutrition...let me share and let me help you!! I can pretty much guarantee you won't find anyone, anywhere, who will be willing to help you do this for free....take me up on it!!

To get her FULL diet/food list/reasons you'll lose up to 20 lbs in 28 days, you need to get her book, "The Fast Metabolism Diet", by Haylie Pomroy. You will NOT be disappointed and I think that $10 for a book on kindle that will change your life FOREVER....is totally worth it! I rented mine from the Library and purchased the cookbook version....  :)

Good luck on your journey! Don't forget to eat LOTS of veggies, which are a free food, and drink LOTS of water!! I made some limeade with lime juice and Xylitol...my new best friend! Oh, the exercise part...you MUST exercise or this will not work as well. Why change your eating habits and not your exercise habits. This needs to be a lifestyle change! If you don't look at it as a new way of life, as with ANY diet you undertake, you will NEVER change....PERIOD!!! You will ALWAYS gain your weight back! Enjoy eating better. Enjoy exercising and having more energy! If you exercise every day doing at least 30 min of cardio and then at least 2 days of weight training (I'll be happy to help with that one as well) you WILL see a change in your body in TWO WEEKS...I PROMISE!!! 

As your clothes start to fit a little more loosely, your skin starts to firm up a bit, your stomach flattens..you get the point...it will motivate and spur you on!! I was starting to get that muffin top thing around my waist...NOT a pretty sight!! Well, after a week it was gone! YOU CAN DO THIS!! I will be here every step of the way for you! Leave questions or concerns below and we'll work on them together!

Did I Eat Today? (Your new way of saying DIET)

Yes, that's Haylie Pomroy's acronym for DIET and it's wonderful!! I love her attitude! 

People have such an obsession with food...whether good or bad. We all have to eat to stay alive and function...FACT of life!! YOU are the one who chooses what to put into your body! It's a conscious choice and YOU decide what fuels your body the best.

One of my favorite things about this diet (I really hate to call it that because I do NOT feel like this is a diet!) is that you don't count calories...SERIOUSLY!!! It's wonderful and so refreshing!! Haylie really gives you a pretty large variety of foods to eat in each of the Phases.

I'm on my first day of Phase 1...again. Each week you start the 3 Phases over. You start with a 'new body' so-to-speak because your body has responded to the diet the week before. Your metabolism is getting re-set, you're burning fat, you've lost weight, you have more energy...it's a 'new body' on a new quest. I lost 4 pounds last week! I did NOT start this journey to lose weight! I have been the same weight for over 30 years. I started this diet for 2 reasons:

1. To keep my hubby motivated.  :)

2. To re-set my metabolism and hopefully get some energy.

A little about Phase 2...this is a hard Phase for me. You can only eat protein and veggies...period!!! For TWO days!!!! I love my brown rice and fruit so, this Phase is difficult. But, I'm willing to try it to see if it works!

Phase 2 (Unlock fat stores) ~ That's the purpose of this Phase so, who WOULDN'T want to do it!!!!

Here's what I ate during this Phase~

B~4 egg white omelet and celery or red peppers

S~boiled egg whites with Frank's Red Hot sauce...YUM!!

L~Hamburger meatballs and a BIG salad with ALL kinds of veggies

S~Protein

D~Protein and Veggies

It's imperative that you get the book and see what foods she suggests that you eat. To see what condiments you can use. For instance, you can't have tomatoes during this Phase.  :(  

Oh, you also do certain exercises with each phase. I, for one, am just going to start P90X, walking (which tones my lower body faster than ANY exercise I do!) and Body for Life weight workout.

So, there you go. You're now 4 days into your new diet. I'm not sure I can post too many things from her book so, I'll share a little and then you need to get the book. I personally think it's going to be wonderful to keep that little gem around forever! I can guarantee that we'll be doing it again at some point in our lives!

Let's begin....Phase 1:

OK, so, here we go. The name of this wonderful new diet/way to eat is called:

"The Fast Metabolism Diet" by, Haylie Pomroy. She's a nutritionist and works in CA. I really LOVE her acronym for D.I.E.T...."Did I Eat Today"?  Isn't that wonderful!! On this diet you do NOT count calories! Of course, you're not suppose to over-eat and stuff yourself. But, you literally eat every 3 hours...literally!! Even if you have dinner at 6 and you're still up at 9...you eat. It sounds crazy and doesn't make sense because we've been taught that we need to count calories when we diet. To find out more about how she explains this, YOU will need to get her book and read all the yummy details!  ;)

So, what Haylie does is this...she gives you a list of foods that you can choose from to eat for each "Phase" of the diet. You MUST eat what's on the list! Period!! Here's a little sampling of what you would eat on Phase 1, which lasts for 2 days:

1. First, you MUST eat within 1/2 hour of waking up! If you don't have food in your tummy to let your body start using it as fuel, guess what your little body does? It eats, but NOT food, it eats your muscle. This is correct so, read it again, if you don't feed your body, your body will eat your muscle, NOT your fat!!

2. Phase 1 (Unwind and Stress)

~Breakfast~ Grain and Fruit

~Snack~Fruit

~Lunch~Grain, Protein, Fruit, Veggie

~Snack~Fruit

~Dinner~Grain, Protein, Veggie

(If you want to find out which foods you must eat on this Phase, you need to get the book. No, I'm NOT being mean. If you're really SERIOUS about trying this diet/new way of eating, you really need to understand ALL of what's going on!! (PS. you can find it on Amazon for Kindle and the book is $10.  SO worth the investment!)

This is what I eat in Phase 1:

~B~ Oatmeal, blueberries, peaches, strawberries

~S~Fruit

~L~Brown rice, lean hamburger, salad with a tomato (Which counts as your fruit)

~S~Fruit

~D~Brown rice, chicken, salad or broccoli or both (You can have unlimited veggies!)

YUMMY!!!!!

You MUST eat every 3 hours! Your exercise for this Phase (which lasts 2 days) is at least ONE day of cardio...that's it! Do NOT eat more than 6oz. of meat.

I think that's it. You will NOT feel like you're on a diet!  As you read her book you will understand what this Phase does which, in a few words is, flooding your body with nutrients to stimulate your digestion and metabolism. You will love this Phase...I promise!  If you have any questions, you can ask me. 

**PS....something WONDERFUL that we found that you use on this diet...Xylitol...it's a natural sweetener that looks and tastes like sugar...and I'm not exaggerating!! It's heavenly to be able to sweeten up your fruit and oatmeal!! Good luck friends!