Dear friend,

July 2009! It’s hard to believe that half of 2009 is gone. It’s with hard reality that I discovered this morning that it’s time to start working. It‘s time to start preparing your body as summer is just a few months away. If you are like the rest of us you are carrying a few extra kilos and need to shed them if you want to take out those bikinis and budgie smugglers.

Let’s get started! They say that success is all in the planning. This might be true but personally I find planning boring and I’m sure many of you will feel the same. Unfortunately lack of planning is so often the reason why many projects fail. The same with your weight-loss programme. Planning is one of the most important factors when starting your programme. Let me help you with your planning;

How – Set your goal by visualizing your long-term goal. What’s of importance is that your goal must be measurable, specific and achievable.

What – Take action and be your own manager. You’re the one in charge and you are the one who answer to yourself whether you have met your goals. You’re also the one that can make changes to your plan

When – Now! How often have you said you will start your diet on “Monday”? We’ve all said it. Why wait for Monday? Today is the first day of July. Start now!

Which – Prioritise by defining what is important to achieve your short-term and long-term success.

Losing weight is not something that one can do overnight. An effective weight-loss programme must include a realistic meal and exercise planner. Under “Tools” on www.howucandoit2.com you can download forms that can assist you in creating your own 7 day meal planner and daily workout log.

There's a famous Chinese proverb that says "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step:" That's why, above all else, I encourage people who want to lose weight to get started… I don’t endorse any weight-loss programme or any weight-loss “remedy”. I support you! I know how you feel as I was also obese, confused, didn’t know how to exercise correctly and most importantly I didn’t know where to start.

I decided to write a book myself - a book that in my opinion, comprises everything I feel is important about losing weight and changing one's lifestyle for the better.

That's why this book contains the following information:

• How to get started
  
• How to stay focused
  
• We are what we eat
  
• How to exercise correctly
  
• How to budget a weight-loss programme
  
• How I did it

As I said, I support you! Therefore I am making my book available to all those who are serious about their weight-loss at a discounted prices of R 150 for the month of July 2009. A whooping 50% discount. All I ask is for you to make that decision and to get started! If I can you can!

A warm welcome to all the new subscribers. Make the decision, plan, stay focused and say, I can do it!

Should have any questions or need any advice, send them to info@howucandoit2.com or place them in the forum on www.howucandoit2.com website.

Enjoy!
Pat

My message to you, if I can do it so can you!

Enjoy!
Pat

Letters

Hello Pat,

Ek het goeie nuus. Ek is nou al 'n maand met my “re-feed” klaar en ek het hog nie 1g opgetel nie. Ek ek het vir my 'n oefen fiets gekoop, so dit help baie.

Baie geluk Realette! Om 44 kilogram te verloor en daarby te hou is nie maklik nie. Jy is ‘n goeie voorbeeld vir ons almal

Hi Pat,

Here's another good one LOL...

Hope you well...

This is my story and I’m sticking to it!

Meredith

Well Meredith I just hope you have the right food in that fridge of yours

Hi Pat

Thanks so much for getting back to me, and for the info from Gumtree! Fantastic that you lost so much!

I will look at the tools on your website.

Have a wonderful evening.

Liz

Good luck Liz!

For those of you that are new or that don’t know. On the homepage of www.howucandoit2.com under the “Tools” button you will find tools that will help you in not only setting your goals but also tools that can put you on a road to a thinner you.

5 Essential facts on weight loss

It’s quite incredible to think of how many thousands of people, every single day, make the difficult decision to lose weight. Some do it from sheer necessity. Others do it for the sake of vanity. Still others do it because they want to be healthy and live longer. The sad part is that the vast majority of these people will fail at their first attempt at weight loss. What is worse is they may likely end up gaining even more weight to compensate for their failure.

There are five, very useful as well as very important facts that you should know about weight loss if you want to ensure that you don’t fail.

1. Weight loss is as much a state of mind as it is a physical action designed to reduce your calorie intake while increasing the rate at which your body burns calories. After all, the human body has this great design with a built-in program that is supposed to regulate its weight and muscle to fat ratio. When we knock that program out of balance by eating too many foods that we are not designed to easily digest while depriving our bodies of the natural exercise they are designed to do, we gain weight. A simple shift in the way we live, by eating more of the right foods and doing sufficient exercise, brings that program back into balance and our bodies regain their correct weight and fitness levels.

2. Trying to lose weight too fast by overzealous exercising can actually be counterproductive in most people, unless you are a trained athlete of course. That’s because we are not naturally built for such rigorous training and can place ourselves at risk of injury, which will force us to stop exercising completely. If that happens, the weight will soon creep back on again.

3. By trying to lose weight too fast by crash dieting can not only be counterproductive, it can be downright dangerous to our health. By withholding essential nutrients and fiber from our diets, we place our bodies at risk from infection and illness that an otherwise healthy body would easily be able fight off. Being incapacitated by illness is a sure way to gain weight, even if we are not eating very much because our bodies are not burning many calories through immobility.

4. Approaching weight loss with a consistent and leisurely pace brings many benefits. It’s always best to begin any exercise program slowly and then gradually pick up the pace as your body gets used to the additional work.

5. If you consume more calories, through food and drink, than you burn off through exercise, you will gain weight. There is no argument about this and no matter what you say, hear or believe, the simple fact remains you cannot gain weight unless you eat more than your body is able to burn off. This makes it a simple case of making it your mission to reduce your intake of calories through food and drink, while increasing the amount of calories you burn off through exercise in order to lose weight.

Being in possession of these five pieces of pure gold will make your bid for successful weight loss a far more positive one that it may have been without them.

• Article from: www.dietinfocare.com

By Jim Stubbs

Two weeks is a long time in exercise – if you do the right things. "Abbreviated training" is a way of exercising to the maximum in a short space of time. This programme is designed to use the largest amount of muscle mass possible to increase your metabolic activity, both during and after your exercise sessions.

So here's the deal. For my "Beach-fit in 14 days" programme to be effective, you need to commit to exercising for 30 minutes a day for the next two weeks.

Starting tomorrow, I need you to get up an hour earlier each day, and get your workout out of the way before you go to work. Sounds grueling – but at least this way, you'll have a better chance of sticking to the regime and achieving your goal.

This programme alternates resistance exercises that you can do easily at home (or in a gym, if you prefer), with some cardio-vascular activity. If you cannot walk, jog or run, try an alternative, such as cycling or swimming.

The key to effective exercise is intensity – which is why it is important that you work hard at each element of this programme, rather than just go through the motions.

When you perform these exercises – in the combinations outlined opposite – they should leave you out of breath and sweating. You should find that you can speak but that a conversation would be difficult. Be honest with yourself: you should be working at about seven-out-of-10 effort, where one is sitting down with your feet up and 10 is running away from a rabid dog.

I'm going to assume that you have no medical condition that might prevent you from training. At the end of your 30-minute workout, make sure you stretch.

THE EXERCISES

1. THE ALPHABET: Lie on your back, arms by your side, feet together in the air and stomach pulled in tight. Now "draw" the letters of the alphabet in the air with your toes.

2. BALL COBRA: Face down on the exercise ball, hips in the two o'clock position, with toes on
the ground, hands behind the ears. Now raise your body up off the ball so that your spine is straight. Pause, and return slowly to the start position.

3. REVERSE CRUNCH: A good exercise for the lower abdominals. Lie on your back, legs straight up in the air, arms by your side. Slowly lower your legs down towards the floor until you feel your lower back rising from the floor. Keep your feet a few inches off the floor and hold, before slowly returning to the start position.

4. THE PLANK: Assume a press-up position but with your arms bent and your elbows pulled in directly below the shoulders, so you assume a straight line from ankles to shoulders. Hold your abdominals in tight in this position for 30 seconds.

5. OBLIQUE BALL CRUNCHES: Lying sideways over the exercise ball, with your feet against a wall and your hip on the ball in the two o'clock position, cross your arms over your chest and drop sideways over the ball until you feel a stretch in your sides. Pause, and return to start position.

6. MEDICINE BALL SIT UP AND TWIST: Lie on the floor, with your knees bent and your feet flat. Take the medicine ball in both hands and hold it on the floor above your head. Now sit up and rotate your upper body slightly to touch the outside of your left hip with the ball. Return slowly to the start position and repeat, this time turning to the right.

7. BODY WEIGHT SQUAT: Stand with your feet just wide of hip-width apart, with your feet slightly turned out. Bend the knees and sit back as if you were going to sit on a chair, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your spine straight, your head up and chin tucked in. Try to keep the weight in your feet between the mid-foot and the heel.

8. PRESS-UPS: On your toes, facing the floor with your hands beneath your shoulders, slowly lower yourself down so that your elbows bend at 90 degrees. Pause at the bottom and then push back to the start position. If you cannot do a full press-up, try pushing up from your knees rather than your toes.

9. THE LUNGE: From a standing position, and with your hands on your hips, take a long step forward with your right foot. Drop your left knee until it is just off the floor, keeping your right knee directly above your right ankle. Push back off your right foot and return to the standing position. Repeat on the left leg.

10. STANDING ROW: Select a resistance band that will challenge you to maintain good form for the required number of repetitions. Run the middle part of the band around a secure fixing such as a door handle or table leg, and then hold one end of the band in each hand. Sit back into a half-squat position with your weight in your heels, your spine straight and your chest proud. Slowly pull the band towards you, squeezing your shoulder blades together until your fingernails are pulled into your rib cage. Hold the squeeze briefly and return to the start position.

11. THE COBRA: Lying face down on the floor, elbows bent and your middle fingers at your temples, squeeze your shoulders back and buttocks together. Gently lift your chest as far away from the ground as you can, keeping your chin tucked in to your chest. Pause at the top, and return to the floor.

THE KIT YOU WILL NEED

Exercise ball

Also known as a Swiss ball, this giant inflatable is handy for perfecting abdominal crunches. Can also be used in place of a weights’ bench to perform upper body and arm exercises. Available at most sports shops.

Dyna-Bands

Resistive exercise bands that can be used to give a full body workout in place of dumbbells or barbells. Colour-coded according to strength, you should purchase three pairs of differing resistance – one light, one medium and one heavy – to challenge a range of muscle groups.

Skipping rope

These days, this piece of PE equipment comes in many guises – some count how many reps you’ve performed, some are weighted – but just about anything rope-like can be used to get your heart rate up.

Medicine ball

Forget the huge, leather-clad affairs we used to throw at each other in the school gymnasium. For this programme, you’ll need a simple sand-weighted ball that clocks in between 3kg and 5kg; one with handles might make some of the exercises more comfortable.

Ready? You will be in just a fortnight…

THE PROGRAMME

DAY ONE

Kick start your regime by heading out into the morning sunshine for a warm-up.

Start with some simple, steady shuttle runs – jogging to the end of your garden and back, or between two trees in the park – for 10 minutes. Work to a level where you are out of breath, but not gasping for it. Remember to take sips of water to keep yourself hydrated.

Next, we’re going to start getting your midriff in shape for the beach. Neurologically, the best way to work your abdominal muscles is to engage the deepest layer of muscle first, before working the more superficial ones.

So, for the first week of this programme, we are going to focus mainly on the lower abdominals, before moving on to the oblique’s (sides) and finally the upper abdominals. By engaging the deep muscles first, you will be able to achieve a flatter-looking stomach, which will instantly make you feel more confident in your beachwear.

Do the following exercises in “supersets”, which means alternating between two sets of exercises until you have completed the required number. Rest for 30 seconds between each superset before moving on to the next.

• Superset 1
  Perform the Alphabet once, then 15 repetitions (reps) of the Ball Cobra.
  
• Superset 2
  Perform 15 Reverse Crunches, then assume and hold the Plank position for 30 seconds.
  
• Superset 3
  Perform two sets of Oblique Ball Crunches, 10 per side, then 15 Medicine Ball Sit-Ups With Twists.

DAY TWO

The body works at a higher intensity for longer if you have regular but short rests, which is the thinking at the heart of interval training.

Rather than aiming for a certain number of reps of a given exercise, you perform as many as you can against the clock. After a timed rest, move on to the next exercise.

You should also stick very closely to the rest times since the rest time effectively dictates the workload on the muscles in this instance.

With today’s routine, beginners should do the exercises for 20 seconds and then rest for 15 seconds; those already in good shape should work for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. In total, you should complete eight sets of each exercise before taking 60 seconds’ rest and starting on the next exercise. Now complete these exercises in the order shown.

• Body weight squats
  
• Press-ups
  
• The Lunge
  
• Standing Rows
  
• The Cobra

DAY THREE

Time for cardiovascular interval training. For this, you’ll need to head outdoors. Take five minutes to warm up with a gentle jog, then alternate running hard for one minute and walking for one minute as recovery. Repeat this minute sprint, minute rest 10 times, before spending five minutes cooling down.

DAY FOUR

Repeat routine from Day One

DAY FIVE

Repeat routine from Day Two

DAY SIX

A day off!

DAY SEVEN

Repeat routine from Day One

• Article from: www.telegraph.co.uk

Good luck!

Pat Jewell

Dear friend,

This month I’m starting my newsletter with Imperial Bank’s “Biggest Loser” competition as I’m not only proud of all the contestant that took that first step to say “I’m in” but extremely proud of those who stayed committed to the end. To be part of their weight-loss journey was fantastic and I hope that this can only be an inspiration to all of you.

Between these 3 contestants with a staggering combined weight-loss of 19.7kg, we have a winner. Well done to Logan Reddy(Left), with a weight-loss of 7,6kg over a 9 week period.

Now it is up to all of you to play this forward. Start your own “Biggest Loser” competition even if it is just between you and a friend. Should you wish to start it at your work with a bigger group send me an email and let’s see how we can get you all going with your weight-loss programme

5 is alive! How true! I’ve lost the 5 kilograms that I’ve gained in the month of February. I trust that many of you can say that you had a good weight-loss this month. If you can say yes, CONGRATULATIONS! If not, just keep on eating right and keep those legs moving!

You’ve been on your diet plan for several weeks now. You've gotten into the groove, you've been planning your meals, and you've been tracking what you've been eating. So far, so good. Why, then, does the scale show the exact same number? One of your subscribers, Meredith Pollock, thinks she has the answer after all these years. Read more in Letters

A warm welcome to all the new subscribers. Make the decision, plan, stay focused and say, I can do it!

This month I want to focus on emotional eating. Defined it means that you eat in response to how you feel and not how your body feels. Thus you eat but you are not hungry. So many of us experience this problem and often it is the cause of obesity not only with adults but also with children. More in The month of April is “Emotional Overeating Awareness month”

Enjoy!
Pat

My message to you, if I can do it so can you!

Enjoy!
Pat

Where to buy the book from

You can order your book from the HowUcandoit2 online shop or you can purchase it directly from the following bookstores;

• Exclusive Books – The Zone Rosebank
  
• Exclusive Books - Clearwater
  
• Exclusive Books – Woodland boulevard
  
• Exclusive Books – Bayside Mall - CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Century City CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Greenstone mall\
  
• Exclusive Books – Bedford Centre
  
• Exclusive Books – Mandela Square
  
• Exclusive Books – Hyde Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Eastgate
  
• Exclusive Books – Nelspruit
  
• Exclusive Books – Vincent Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Airport CTN
  
• Estoril Books – Cresta
  
• Estoril Books – Fourways
  
• Estoril Books –Irene
  
• Wordsworth long Beach CTN
  
• Wordsworth Gardens CTN
  
• Wordsworth Willowbridge CTN
  

Get you own copy of Pat's book HowUcandoit2. You can now buy it at all leading book stores or even order your copy on line.

HowUcandoit2 – Forum

New in the Forum – Recipes

• Chicken
  
• Beef
  
• Mutton
  
• Vegetables
  
• Salads
  
• On the sweeter side

Join now, help others and share your favorite recipe

• http://forum.howucandoit2.com

Ek kan na ses weke sê die oefenprogram werk. Ek het cm’s verloor sowel as gewig en my langbroeke sit weer reg. Baie dankie vir julle wonderlike program,

Nou besef ek eers wat is hard oefen. Anina

Dankie vir jou mooi briefie Anina! Glo my dit gaan ‘n inspirasie vir soveel ander wees

The correct way to weigh yourself………

I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years, Meredith Pollock.

Thanks Meredith, I’m sure you are going to put smiles on a few faces this month

Fantastic exercise programme for all women, send in by Heine Jordaan

Take one Weetbix and take an Aero chocolate bar. Crumble the Aero over the Weetbix. Voila! ................ AEROBIX

1. Allow yourself a 2-3 kg range to play with. If you gain so be it. If you lose be thrilled with it

2. Weigh once a week and always on the same day. I have this golden rule not to weigh on a Monday

3. Keep on exercising!

4. Say “no” to a lot more! It’s all about you and not about pleasing others. Most importantly don’t feel guilty about saying

5. Enjoy eating! Eat what you feel like BUT always remember that there are some foods that you should have in smaller quantities. It’s when you don’t allow yourself to have these foods that you start feeling deprived of food and “stuff your face”

Emotional eating is for sure a way, for many of us, to cope with stress or unpleasant issues and situations. I’m one of them and not shy to admit it. Eating comforts us. BUT, that ever BUT, don’t sink the boat. You can overcome it.

Cheryl M Brown, Philadelphia weight loss examiner mentions the following emotions and situations that trigger emotional eating;

Emotional - eating due to loneliness, anger, anxiety, boredom, stress, depression, fatigue or tension

Social - eating to fit in because other encourage you to eat, low self esteem, family gatherings were you are expected to eat, eating in response to stress, anger, tension, etc.

Physiological - eating due to increased hunger, because meals were skipped, or to soothe headaches, and other physical pains

Situational - eating because it's available. Also connected with events such as eating out, watching TV, or sporting event

Are you an emotional eater?

According to Jennifer R. Scott, About.com you are an emotional eater if you answer yes to any of the following questions;

• Do you ever eat without realizing you're even doing it?
  
• Do you often feel guilty or ashamed after eating?
  
• Do you often eat alone or at odd locations, such as parked in your car outside your own house?
  
• After an unpleasant experience, such as an argument, do you eat even if you aren't feeling hungry?
  
• Do you crave specific foods when you're upset, such as always desiring chocolate when you're feeling depressed?
  
• Do you feel the urge to eat in response to outside cues like seeing food advertised on television?
  
• Do you eat because you feel there's nothing else to do?
  
• Does eating make you feel better when you're down or less focused on problems when you're worried about something?

This is all fine but you how do you deal with it?

Be aware of what triggers your eating, and if you reach for food when stressed, consider the following:

• Keep a food diary. In your diary record data under these column headings: time, place, food eaten, amount, and your feelings. Identifying any stress, negative thoughts or emotions you’re having at the time will help you determine why you are eating.
  
• Identify patterns of emotional eating. Many people find that overeating tends to occur at specific times and in specific places. For instance, you may overeat in front of the TV in the evening after a stressful day.
  
• Plan alternatives and change routines. Instead of sitting down in front of the TV with a bag of chips after a stressful day you could take a walk, take a long bath, call a friend, write in a journal, or read a book. Do something that removes you from the situation that results in overeating.
  
• Remove tempting foods. Don’t buy the foods you crave when stressed! Having them in your house or desk is a disaster waiting to happen. If you really want to watch a favorite TV show in the evening, have nutritious low-calorie foods on hand. Better yet, find something to occupy your hands while you watch: give yourself a manicure, iron clothes or exercise.
  
• Know when and how to give in. It’s all right to occasionally give in to cravings. When you really do want to eat chips, buy a single serving instead of a whole bag, or take a small portion out of the bag, put in a small cup, and put the bag away before you eat.
  
• When you eat, focus on the task at hand. Do not watch TV or read. Sit down at the table and leave when you are finished. Consciously eat slowly to give your stomach time to tell your brain when it’s full. If you’re still hungry after finishing your meal, wait 20 minutes before having a second helping or dessert.
  
• Plan nutritious meals and snacks. If you wait until you are ravenous, you’re more likely to reach for the wrong foods and to overeat. You may also find yourself nibbling all the way through meal preparation.
  
• Reward yourself when you eat in a healthy way. Buy yourself a novel or a new journal, go see a movie or get a massage. Rewarding yourself will increase the likelihood that you will maintain your new healthy habits.
  
• Make “The Healthy Refrigerator,” otherwise known as “you can’t eat the wrong food if you don’t stock it. One of the easiest ways to ensure healthier eating is to periodically clean out the refrigerator and get rid of all the junk... the junk food, that is.

Making dietary changes, and especially those centered on emotional eating, is tough. Changing eating habits that have been ingrained for years takes time. Take it one meal and one day at a time. You will be successful in combating overweight, obesity, and stress when you combine both diet and exercise. Treat the whole you and you will feel better about yourself.

Adapted from The Stress Owner’s Manual: Meaning, Balance & Health in Your Life (2nd Ed.), by Ed Boenisch, Ph.D., and C. Michele Haney, Ph.D. Available at online and local book­stores or directly from Impact Publishers, PO Box 6016, Atascadero, CA 93423-6016, by phone at 1-800-246-7228, or www.bibliotherapy.com

We all know that exercise is an important part of our life. When we don’t exercise, several parts of our bodies start to develop a variety of problems.

If you have ever doubted the importance of exercise you should spend the day driving across the country and see how your body feels when you finally get out of the car.

Physical Benefits

People who exercise regularly know that they have an increased metabolic rate, a stronger heart, and a more limber body. What we don’t realize is that regular bouts of exercise also strengthen our bones and makes us less likely to develop osteoporosis. A person who exercises responsibly can actually help cheat death and drastically slow the classic signs of aging.

Other Benefits

Exercise is about more than just physical benefits. People who devote a small amount of time every day to exercise are usually more confident and self assured than people who spend the entire day sitting on the couch and playing video games. In addition to a confidence boost exercise provide individuals with extra energy that leads to an increase in productivity. People who get enough exercise are more likely to climb the corporate ladder than people who fail to exercise.

Don’t Over Do It

One of the things that you have to remember is that exercising too much is nearly as dangerous as exercising too little. Getting too much exercise can lead to injuries. Most experts agree that the average person only needs to exercise between thirty and sixty minutes a day.

Enjoy What You Do

Find an exercise that you enjoy. If you hate running but like to swim, then you should create an exercise program that involves the water. The more you enjoy what you are doing, the more likely you are to actually exercise regularly.

Create a Routine

Create an exercise routine. If you don’t have a regular exercise routine it can sometimes be difficult to find the time to exercise. But if you set aside time every day you will start to treat it just like you would a job requirement.

Find a Buddy

Having an exercise buddy will make your exercise routine feel more like a play date than a workout. In addition to making your workout more enjoyable, your exercise partner will also provide you with motivation whenever he feel like you are starting to lose your focus.

Dear friend,

Those of you who received February’s newsletter will remember what I wrote about how getting sick can put a wrench in your weight-loss programme. Little did I know at the time that I was going to experience it firsthand. I’ve just had a terrible month of not feeling well. A month of seeing 5 different doctors, the operating theatre twice, acupuncture and physiotherapy treatments, x- rays, a brain scan and a month of ample medication.
“5” It looks like 5 is alive as I’ve also gained 5 kilograms.

Yes, I’m also human! It’s back to basic for me also!

Let me share 5 tips with you this month that you can take with you on your weight-loss programme and also once you have completed your programme;

1. Be selective in what you eat. You can choose well in what you wear why not doing it with your food choices. Eat food that is low in calories but high in nutrients

2. Watch your portions at home and when you eat out! If you can do it now and for the rest of your life you have won half the battle

3. Drink lots of fluids and keep the 80-20 principle. 80% water and 20% of other fluids

4. Never skip breakfast as it jump starts your metabolism. 78% of individuals who have successfully lost weight and kept it off eat breakfast every day

5. Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! If you watch what you eat and you don’t exercise it it’s like going to school without doing your homework. You have to do both to get the results that you are looking for and most importantly to keep those results that you’ve worked so hard for

A warm welcome to all the new subscribers. Make the decision, plan, stay focused and say, I can do it! We now have over 600 subscribers.

Congratulations to all of you who have showed a weight loss in the last month. I’ve seen results from 0.5 to 6 kg for the month. Well done!

Imperial Bank launched their Biggest Loser Competition and the contestants are showing fantastic results. Christina Thoka is in the lead with nearly 5kg and is chased by Fleur Nomthandazo and Aneen Engelbrecht. To all you of, whatever you do just don’t give up! Complete your 12 weeks and be the one to say, I did it!

Lastly, we teach our children the importance of sharing their toys when playing with other kids from a small age. I want to share my story with fellow South Africans that are experiencing weight-loss problems. If you know of any event where I can be a guest speaker let me know.

Enjoy!
Pat

My message to you, if I can do it so can you!

Enjoy!
Pat

Where to buy the book from

You can order your book from the HowUcandoit2 online shop or you can purchase it directly from the following bookstores;

• Exclusive Books – The Zone Rosebank
  
• Exclusive Books - Clearwater
  
• Exclusive Books – Woodland boulevard
  
• Exclusive Books – Bayside Mall - CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Century City CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Greenstone mall\
  
• Exclusive Books – Bedford Centre
  
• Exclusive Books – Mandela Square
  
• Exclusive Books – Hyde Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Eastgate
  
• Exclusive Books – Nelspruit
  
• Exclusive Books – Vincent Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Airport CTN
  
• Estoril Books – Cresta
  
• Estoril Books – Fourways
  
• Estoril Books –Irene
  
• Wordsworth long Beach CTN
  
• Wordsworth Gardens CTN
  
• Wordsworth Willowbridge CTN
  

Get you own copy of Pat's book HowUcandoit2. You can now buy it at all leading book stores or even order your copy on line.

HowUcandoit2 – Forum

Thank you to all my “M” friends for keeping the forum going!

From the forum;

Hi, well weighed myself this morning after all , only 1kg down, but that's fine at least I know the scale isn't stuck ...

Hope you all have had a good week so far and have a great weekend...

Hi Meredith
Hey, hey so glad about that kg. Good going. The scale has to play along eventually. It may decide to stubbornly stick BUT if we do as we should it has to move sometime.

Great stuff and congrats.
Mandy

That's why the forum is there, to help, support and complement each other. Join now and help others!

• http://forum.howucandoit2.com

I would just like to know, what makes this diet different from all the others out there? Also how long have you maintained your weight?

Thank you
Marelize

Hi Marelize!

So often I received an email with this question.

I don’t endorse a specific diet, I endorse ALL diets. I say, get of your butt and do it! Look what diet worked in the past for you. Furthermore look at what you’ve done wrong in the past. Was it that you did not drink enough water, or maybe that you didn’t exercise enough or was it a financial reasons? Now take all this information and work with it.

I’m there to help you to get started. I help you to plan your programme and to assist you in setting your goals. I teach you how to exercise, at home and in the gym and I help you to stay focused so that you can also say “I did it”!

Good luck!

And then, I received an email from Debbie Rielander and she had the following slogan as a footnote "Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you."

Thank you Debbie!

Nothing is more frustrating than doing everything exactly right yet finding that the scale stubbornly refuses to budge. You might question if you’re really losing weight, or worse, you might be tempted to give up on your diet.

Weight loss is not always a continually progressive endeavor. There will be times when weight loss is steady and others when you hit a plateau. Sometimes the body needs to readjust a bit before further weight is shed.

Here’s a short list of ways to gauge your success and maintain your motivation which don’t depend upon the scale:

1. How are your clothes fitting? Try on a pair of jeans that didn’t fit before you started your diet. How do they fit now?

2. At the end of the day, do you feel satisfied that you’ve stayed in control of your eating?

3. How is your energy level? Do you find that you need less sleep or that you’re more active than you were before you started your diet?

4. Have your measurements changed? Frequently weight loss shows up on the tape measure before it shows up on the scale.

5. Consider all of the positive changes that you’ve made since starting your diet. Successfully changing a poor habit is worth celebrating, perhaps even more than the numbers on your scale.

6. Try making a list of reasons why you want to lose weight. Be sure to include things that may seem insignificant such as “I want to be able to play on the floor with my kids.” Look at this list to keep your motivation up on those days when the scale isn’t cooperating.

The scale is only one tool out of many for use in determining your weight loss progress. Don’t give it more power than it deserves.

• http://www.examiner.com

Send in by Annemarie Velleman from Bloemfontein - The Pasta Diet and Your Health

ITALIAN PASTA DIET -- IT REALLY WORKS !!

1.. You walk pasta da bakery.

2... You walka pasta da candy store..

3.. You walka pasta da Ice Cream shop.

4.. You walka pasta da table and fridge.

You will lose weight!

AND....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the English.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the English.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the English.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the English.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the English.

CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

By Shaun Karp

If you've been maintaining a regular exercise routine and y ou're suddenly struggling to lose more weight or reach a particular fitness goal, you've likely hit a training plateau.

There are generally three things that lead to fitness plateau: using improper exercise technique, poor organization and a lack of variety in your workouts. You can avoid reaching a fitness plateau by taking time to analyze your program regularly and using the following strategies:

Working hard but using improper exercise technique is actually counterproductive to reaching your fitness goals.

If you aren't executing an exercise properly, you will not get the full benefits of the exercise and may actually risk injuring yourself. Poor technique is usually the result of not carrying through the full range of motion of an exercise, engaging the wrong muscle groups or using too heavy a weight. It is important to use proper mechanics while exercising by performing each movement through the full range of motion, in order to maintain and improve flexibility and develop strength.

Make sure you are using proper technique before you increase the weight with each exercise. Using improper exercise technique often results in muscle imbalance injuries by targeting the wrong muscle groups. For example, while performing barbell curls, many people use their bodyweight to swing the barbell up to their chest and then drop the weight down to their legs without control, which is not only ineffective, but also dangerous.

Be sure to slowly control the weight through the full range of motion.

VARY YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE

Change up your routine as your fitness level improves. It is difficult to stay motivated and interested in your program if you don't add variety to your routine, and your body will eventually adapt to your workout, making it more difficult to reach your fitness goals.

Changing your routine may be as simple as performing an exercise with more repetitions and less weight, focusing on muscular endurance while executing the movement.

You could also change the number of muscle groups that are engaged in your workout. For example, if you have been doing a whole body workout for a while, try starting a two-day split, which involves working out half of your body one day (for example, arms, abs and shoulders), and then working out the other half of your body (legs, back and chest) during your next workout

You'll be able to advance your exercise routine in this way, as splitting your whole body workout into two parts allows for more time to exercise each muscle group.

RECORD YOUR WORKOUTS

The best way to monitor your progress and help to reach your fitness goals is by keeping a well organized record of each workout. This also helps to keep you on track with your fitness program and reduces the likelihood of overworking certain body parts

Keep a record of the particular exercises your perform during each workout, including the sets and repetitions of each exercise. It is also a good idea to record different aspects of your fitness program, such as the duration of your breaks between sets, your weight or body fat percentage, the stretches you perform during each workout, and any specific areas of muscle soreness following a workout. Keeping a written record will enable you to monitor your progress and track improvements in strength and endurance.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information go to www.karpfitness.com

With the lot of rain we are experiencing I know of a number of people who have fallen prey to bad colds and even flu’s. I was one of them. Not only could I not follow my workout but I actually got totally depressed.

The following was posted in the forum;

I need some of your wisdom again ... I hardly did any exercise the past week because I have the flu and I only dropped 1kg, don't get me wrong I am grateful I still dropped, but I was just wondering what exercise would be best when you not feeling very well (flu). If I try and do any aerobic kind of exercise my chest gets tight and sore and the breathing kind of laboured, so what can I do to keep moving...

Getting sick for sure can put a wrench in your weight-loss programme. So often we just ignore these symptoms as we “need” to stay on our programme but when is it time for you to actually listen to your body and put your gym back under your bed?

I found the following on the Internet;

Neil Schachter, MD, medical director of respiratory care at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York explains that "If your symptoms are above the neck, including a sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing, and tearing eyes, then it’s OK to exercise." He also mentions that "If your symptoms are below the neck, such as coughing, body aches, fever, and fatigue, then it's time to hang up the running shoes until these symptoms subside."

I often tell people to “listen” to their bodies. Your body cannot operate 100% if you are not well therefore if you find that you have to rest between sets when training or if you have to lower the intensity of the workout you have to listen. Exercising while you are not feeling well can be fatal.

Should I go on a diet? Dieters are very clever people. They know how to hide their fat. This is what I did. We get people telling us that we should lose weight and then we also get those that tells us that we are looking good just the way we are and that they love us for who we are. Only you can answer this question. I just ask one thing, be honest!

The past month was indeed an excellent month for me. Not only could I tell my story to 3 million 3Talk (SABC3) viewers but I had my first seminar in Klerksdorp. Thanks Thandi for your support with both of these events. Furthermore I was the guest speaker at the launch of Imperial Bank’s Biggest Loser Competition. More than 40 employees entered. Wow! This is how we are going to change South Africa to a “thinner” nations. Thank you to all of you for helping me in achieving my dream.

A warm welcome to all the new subscribers. Make the decision, plan, stay focused and say, I can do it!

Enjoy!
Pat

My message to you, if I can do it so can you!

Enjoy!
Pat

Where to buy the book from

You can order your book from the HowUcandoit2 online shop or you can purchase it directly from the following bookstores;

• Exclusive Books – The Zone Rosebank
  
• Exclusive Books - Clearwater
  
• Exclusive Books – Woodland boulevard
  
• Exclusive Books – Bayside Mall - CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Century City CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Greenstone mall\
  
• Exclusive Books – Bedford Centre
  
• Exclusive Books – Mandela Square
  
• Exclusive Books – Hyde Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Eastgate
  
• Exclusive Books – Nelspruit
  
• Exclusive Books – Vincent Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Airport CTN
  
• Estoril Books – Cresta
  
• Estoril Books – Fourways
  
• Estoril Books –Irene
  
• Wordsworth long Beach CTN
  
• Wordsworth Gardens CTN
  
• Wordsworth Willowbridge CTN
  

Get you own copy of Pat's book HowUcandoit2. You can now buy it at all leading book stores or even order your copy on line.

HowUcandoit2 – Forum

Thank you for the advice, tips, support and encouragement. I am going to do this and shock everyone who has said I can't do it LOL... My only support is you and the people on the forum, but that's all I need, knowing people are behind me. So thank you. As soon as I can I will get my pledge printed - I don't have a printer but will email it to my mom's work and ask them to print it for me, then I'll fax it from work.

That's why the forum is there, to help, support and complement each other. Join now and help others!

• http://forum.howucandoit2.com

What if I told you that by doing less, you would get a better result? And, what if I could prove it to you? Would you still continue to punish yourself with long, boring workouts?

Even with all the new studies coming out each month FINALLY proving what my team and I have already known for years about short, intense workouts trumping longer ones, I still get dozens of reader questions asking me what more they can do after they’ve finished one of their quick metabolic resistance workouts and fat burning intervals… what more can you do???

NOTHING!

I can’t stress this enough. You do not need to grind your body into the ground in order to lose weight.

It’s actually less effective for several reasons. First, you need to look at weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight as a lifestyle you can maintain for LIFE. Second, if you go hard for a month and then crash and burn what good did that do? You’re just going to gain back the weight when you realize you burned yourself out and can no longer keep that pace going…

Instead, why not put to use what I’ve been successfully using for the past 12+ years in helping my clients achieve amazing results – the type of results that they can easily maintain for life with some tweaking of their current diet and exercise plan.

Sure, my clients lose weight rapidly right out of the gates, but they also know that they don’t need to go overboard and reach their breaking point by doing too much too soon. Follow the plan, but don’t do more than what is recommended.

For example, you can get fantastic results with this quick and easy workout plan:

• 5 minutes - Dynamic warm-up consisting of body weight movements
  
• 20 minutes - Metabolic, resistance interval-based workout using minimal equipment
  
• 5 minute – Fat burning interval on a cardio piece or using body weight exercises

You’re also welcome to add in stretching at the end, but do you really need more exercise than what was outlined? And if so, why? If you’re just starting out, I can tell you that this example is plenty. Your goal should be to work out more days per week and not just to do massive workouts 2x a week. Plus, you should have a goal of being active outside of your scheduled workouts…

There’s more to weight loss than just the time you put in. We know this to be true, because if it was just about logging hours on the treadmill there wouldn’t be so many people in the gym who never make any progress… you would think they would have realized by now that doing the same thing that they have always done will not lead to better results. If it hasn’t worked in the past, why would that change now?

So my advice to you this week is to just stick with an exercise plan that is designed to help you lose weight and keep it off. More is not better and the type and quality of the workout does matter.

As always I wish you the best of health and keep on living the Fit Life!

• http://www.examiner.com

Here are my Valentines tips to all of you dieters

• Plan your Valentine’s meal long before the time
  

• Plan you venue – there is no better place than at home where you are in control
  

• Choose diet-wise foods like:
  

  • Roast chicken
    

  • Vegetable kebabs
    

  • Fresh & fabulous salads (example - walnut salad)
    

  • Fresh strawberries
    

• Stay away from alcohol
  

• Create a romantic mood with scented candles with soft scents. This will relax and smooth. I can recommend a vanilla scent
  

• Eat a small meal before the time
  

• Fill the room with soft, romantic music. This will allow you to consume your meal at a SLOW romantic pace
  

• Enjoy each other and you will find that in the end it is worth far more than that box of chocolates that you think you are losing out on

From HowUcandoit2 a Happy Valentines!
Pat

Back to school.. back to reality! Or should it be.. Back to the diet.. Back to reality!

Most of us are back from a great Festive Season and holiday. I trust that peace and plenty was the first to latch at your door and that happiness did fill your home.

Unfortunately all good things come to an end. Also the “good” cheats we had. Why do I call it “good” cheats? The “good” cheats was so “good” that we picked up a ”good” few kilograms! Can you relate with this? I can. I also had a few “good” cheats. I do not feel bad about it as I am back to basics! I’m back on my programme, I’m back at the gym and I’m back at weighing every Tuesday morning. It’s now your turn to get back to basics. Don't miss the message Twas the month after Christmas that was send in by one of the subscribers.

For those of you who didn’t have that “good” cheat. Well done! Yes, believe it or not, there are those who persevere;

Ek is so bly die Kersseisoen is verby. Kyk, dit was glad nie maklik om al daai lekker kosse te sien en nie eers een keer te mag proe nie. Maar, ek het dit oorleef en EK HET NIE “GECHEAT” NIE!!!!! Ek het net weereens besef die mens se wil en uithouvermoe is baie sterker as wat jy dink.

Realette’s weight-loss is now nearly 30kg. Well done girl! You are an inspiration to all of us and those with “get thin” New Year resolutions will be following you every step of the way.

For those of you who did had that “good cheat”;

• Don’t be hard on yourself – It’s over!
• Recommit
• Set your goals and lastly
• Get support – join the forum

2009 is going to be a great year for all of us with loads and loads of kilograms shedding! Mark my words! This is what I wrote in December’s newsletter. So often we say, write and do things without thinking twice about it. 2009 indeed started with a bang!

• 20 people have registered in the last week on www.howucandoit2.com! Bringing the numbers of weight-loss friends registered on the website now near to 250! What’s sad about this is that it has become impossible for me to phone each one to welcome him/her. To all of you who have just registered, a warm WELCOME! If I can do it so can you!

• I have received my first invitations to be guest speaker in 2009 on events enabling me to tell my story and to inspire others. Keep a close eye on “What’s on”

• I was contacted by SABC3 – 3Talk to be a studio guest on Wednesday 21 January 2009! Is this not fantastic? I couldn’t ask for a better place to tell my story and to get other motivated to get started

• We are planning our first major seminar in Gauteng and hope to have 500+ attendances. We are currently working on getting sponsors for this event. Should you be able to assist in any way please send us a mail to info@howucandoit2.co.za

For those of you that have signed up for the challenge.. hang in! You can do it too!

Enjoy!
Pat

My message to you, if I can do it so can you!

Enjoy!
Pat

Where to buy the book from

You can order your book from the HowUcandoit2 online shop or you can purchase it directly from the following bookstores;

• Exclusive Books – The Zone Rosebank
• Exclusive Books - Clearwater
• Exclusive Books – Woodland boulevard
• Exclusive Books – Bayside Mall - CTN
• Exclusive Books – Century City CTN
• Exclusive Books – Greenstone mall\
• Exclusive Books – Bedford Centre
• Exclusive Books – Mandela Square
• Exclusive Books – Hyde Park
• Exclusive Books – Eastgate
• Exclusive Books – Nelspruit
• Exclusive Books – Vincent Park
• Exclusive Books – Airport CTN
• Estoril Books – Cresta
• Estoril Books – Fourways
• Estoril Books –Irene
• Wordsworth long Beach CTN
• Wordsworth Gardens CTN
• Wordsworth Willowbridge CTN

Get you own copy of Pat's book HowUcandoit2. You can now buy it at all leading book stores or even order your copy on line.

HowUcandoit2 – Forum

I'm very new here and despite a few days of struggling to get to the forum page (I assume there was some maintenance on the go ... or maybe the site was on a Christmas break) have found the site very informative.

It’s fantastic to have a SA site ... and it's free ... what more could we ask for!
BUT ... why are there so few postings?

I can diet and exercise on my lonesome but it has not worked for me in the past and I want to try something new ... this is ideal ... from home I can vent; sympathise; cry on shoulders; share tips; brag a bit; offer advise; find advise; and generally share the experience when and as often as I choose.

It just won't be much fun if others don't participate ... I see there are a few members already ... but why so quiet?

Regards
Mandy
Hoping to be an active member

What Mandy is saying is so truly. As it is, to be on a weight-loss programme is not easy. To do it all by yourself is even more frustrating. That's why the forum is there, to help, support and complement each other. Join now and help others! - http://forum.howucandoit2.com/

Twas the month after Christmas.........

Twas the month after Christmas,
and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me,
not even a blouse.

The cookies I'd nibbled,
the chocolate I'd taste
At the holiday parties
had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales
there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store
(less a walk than a lumber),

I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely reared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt...
I said to myself, as I only can,
"You can't spend a winter, disguised as a man!"

So, away with the last of the sour cream dip.
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
Till all the additional kilos have vanished.

I won't have a cookie, not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie.
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore...
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.

Happy New Year to all, and to all a good diet.
Anelize

By Dr. Rallie McAllister Monday, January 12 2009, 05:32 AM EST Views: 118

If your list of New Year's resolutions included losing weight, you're probably paying closer attention to your diet and spending more time exercising. But if you aren't getting at least seven hours of sleep each night, you could be unintentionally sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

Mounting scientific evidence supports the notion that sleep deprivation significantly increases the risk for becoming overweight or obese. While the reasons for this phenomenon aren't entirely clear, experts have several theories.

One theory is that sleep loss produces changes in the body that ultimately lead to an increase in food consumption. Over the past decade, several studies have shown that sleep restriction suppresses blood levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin, while increasing levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger.

In a scientific investigation conducted at the University of Chicago, researchers confirmed that one of the first consequences of sleep restriction is a dramatic boost in appetite. Volunteers who slept only four hours nightly for two nights were found to have a 24 percent increase in appetite.

The sleep-deprived subjects reported feeling significantly hungrier, and they weren't in the mood for grilled chicken and salads. The foods they craved most were those loaded with calories and carbohydrates, including candy, cookies, chips, bread and pasta.

After just two days of sleep restriction, blood tests performed on the subjects revealed an 18 percent reduction in appetite-suppressing leptin levels and a 28 percent increase in appetite-boosting ghrelin levels. The researchers concluded that these hormonal fluctuations, prompted by lack of sufficient sleep, stimulate hunger and trigger a strong preference for carbohydrate-rich foods.

Some scientists speculate that the impact of sleep loss on weight gain has more to do with alterations in a person's energy expenditure than with changes in appetite and calorie consumption. Sleep deprivation may slow the basal metabolic rate, the number of calories burned by the body while at rest.

Missing out on necessary slumber appears to influence a process known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, which refers to calories burned during fidgeting, maintenance of posture and other physical activities of daily life. Scientific evidence suggests that people who spend less time sleeping at night may also spend less time moving around during the day, thus expending fewer calories than they would if they were well-rested.

Whether sleep loss causes folks to eat more or move less, there's little doubt that it ultimately leads to weight gain. Researchers investigating the link between sleep duration and weight status analyzed data collected from nearly 70,000 middle-age women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study over a 16-year period.

The scientists found that women who regularly slept for five hours or less each night not only weighed more at the beginning of the study, they also tended to gain significantly more weight over time. Compared to women who habitually slept at least seven hours a night, these short-sleeping women were 32 percent more likely to experience a major weight gain, defined as an increase of 33 pounds or more, and they were 15 percent more likely to become obese.

Getting just one extra hour of sleep each night was beneficial in terms of preventing weight gain and obesity. Compared to women who regularly slept at least seven hours nightly, those who routinely slept six hours a night had a 12 percent greater chance of experiencing a major weight gain and a 6 percent greater chance of becoming obese.

The link between weight gain and sleep is supported by other epidemiologic data. Over the last 40 years, American adults have cut their average sleep time by nearly two hours.

In 1960, U.S. adults slept an average of 8.5 hours a night. By 2002, most were sleeping less than seven hours nightly.

As sleep duration has fallen, the average weight has risen. In 1960, only a quarter of adults were overweight, and obesity was practically nonexistent. Today, more than two-thirds of American adults are overweight, and nearly one in three is obese.

The good news is that for most folks who are short on slumber, there's a simple solution: spend more time sleeping. For those who have trouble falling or staying asleep, it's wise to enlist the help of a physician.

If weight loss is your goal, watching what you eat is still mandatory. And although it may seem too good to be true, hitting the sack may be just as important as hitting the gym.

Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including "Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom's Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim." Her website is www.rallieonhealth.com.

Article from: www.paramuspost.com

By Marjie Gilliam
DAYTON DAILY NEWS
Monday, January 12, 2009

Convenience is the biggest reason people opt to work out at home. Here are some things to keep in mind if you've been thinking about setting up your own home gym:

• The quality of a workout is not dependent on how much room is available. Decide where you plan to work out and make note of the size of the area. This will help you to make a wiser choice when it does come time to purchase equipment. Remember that bulkier pieces can take up a considerable amount of space and tend to look smaller in the store than they do at home.

• One of the greatest benefits of exercising at home is that it saves time. You can work out when the mood strikes you, no gym bag to pack and unpack, no waiting for equipment or driving back and forth to the gym. Having the phone ringing next to you, or people coming in and out of the room, however, can interfere with your workouts, so try to choose a space where you're less likely to be distracted.

• The most durable, inexpensive, compact, portable and versatile pieces of exercise equipment usually include resistance bands, jump rope, wrist weights and dumbbells. Resistance bands weigh only ounces and take up practically no space and so are also great for traveling. Dumbbells also fit neatly into a small area. Wrist weights are ideal because you can use them alone or as a way to increase resistance when doing dumbbell exercises without having to purchase additional sets.

For aerobic conditioning indoors, treadmills, stair steppers, elliptical trainers and stationary bikes are great choices. The downside is that these machines take up a lot of space and can be expensive.

If you want a good cardio workout but lack the money or space for bulky equipment, step benches are inexpensive, lightweight and don't require much space.

A new product you might want to try is FitDeck (ww.fitdeck.com), invented by Phil Black. Black got the idea from a card game that he played while attending Yale University. He and his roommates would shuffle a deck of playing cards and do pushups that matched the card that was selected, such as doing 10 pushups if drawing the 10 of spades. He took this deck-of-cards workout and created FitDeck, incorporating dozens of exercises he later learned as a Navy SEAL.

There are many decks to choose from, each containing illustrations and instructions describing dozens of exercises, stretches and movements. The current line consists of 24 FitDeck titles ranging from Pilates to a Navy SEAL workout.

Another great product is the GoFit Gravity Bar, which allows you to do suspension training at home. In suspension training, your body weight is all the resistance you need to perform exercises that build overall strength and increase balance and core stability. The Gravity Bar mounts in any standard doorway and is especially good for toning the abs and lower back. For more information, visit www.gofit.net.

• Decide how much money you wish to invest. If you are unaccustomed to exercise, start with basic equipment, until you are certain you are going to stick to your exercise program. Typically, its best to wait until you have at least six to eight weeks of consistent training under your belt before expanding your gym to include more expensive equipment. If the items you want are over your budget, consider buying them used.

Article from: www.statesman.com

Through diet after diet though, I remember seeing the hurt in her eyes. I know how much she wanted to lose weight and even recall wiping a tear from her eye and encouraging her.

Because I’ve been blessed with a small figure I can’t really imagine what it must be like to be over-weight and how difficult it must be lose so much weight.

My mom has always been such a fantastic woman, yet there has also been this barrier which I believe has kept her from really blossoming. Now for the first time in years I see a brighter sparkle in her eyes…

I’ve never thought of my mom as being over-weight. I just see a wonderful person who inspires me and who I adore.

Here is my mother’s story;

My journey to “I did it!” (posted on www.howucandoit2.co.za)

After many years of being obese my journey started after my unsuccessful entry to the South African version of “The Biggest Loser” reality show, November 2007. I was so disappointed that I didn’t make the “short list” that I labeled it as yet another failure in my life. I can guarantee you many others felt the same. However I didn’t let it get me down, I used it as a turning point.

My journey to a thinner me has taken me on various roads of trial and error but most importantly it has also taken me on roads of satisfaction. It became a journey of monumental importance to me.

I’ve learned that to care for myself is hugely important to my success as I’m worthy of my dreams. I’ve showed myself that I can make time, one of the things I always thought I don’t have.

I made sure that I knew where I was going and I had my destination written down. I’ve spoken to numerous people during the time that I wrote my book and most of their failures were due to lack of goal setting.

I’ve enjoyed the journey even those side trips that made the journey longer. So often we give up on what we do before it becomes joyful.

I’ve stayed focused. So often I wanted to take the short cut but by reminding myself about my goal I persevered. I had a point to prove and although it was difficult at times, I allowed abundance into my life.

DJ, Gareth Cliff, made a statement that he doesn’t like “fat people”. I was shocked. Is this the kind of thing that you say on the radio with thousands of over-weight listeners tuned in? Why did he say that? Is it once again the perception that fat people aren’t winners? All I know is I was so disappointed in what I heard that I didn’t take any further interest in what he had to say. At that stage I had only one thought and that was to show him. If this was the thing that would keep me focused, so be it. I completed the journey! My original goal was to lose 50kg in 7 months, I lost 52kg and subsequently I’ve been a guest on Gareth’s morning show. I had the opportunity to tell him what I thought of him.

I’ve done it!

I now have a new goal, to help others and through my book and website, “HowUcandoit2” and www.howucandoit2.com, I reach out to the millions of people who have, are and will experience problems with their weight as I know that it is not easy. I want them all to say “I did it”!

I don’t endorse any specific diet. My advice to you is to stick to what works for you, exercise and whatever you do, don’t give up! If you get lost find a map and get back onto the road. You can do it too!

Mom has a new goal and that is to help the thousands even millions of over-weight people in her beloved country South Africa in their cry to a thinner me. Here are just some of the cries that were posted on the website;

I really want to lose this weight forever. I come from a obese family, my mother and sister, and I am afraid I will end up like them. I am still young and I feel that I still have my whole life ahead of me. I was always very active but for the last 2 1/2 years I changed from a very active job to a desk job. I struggle to motivate myself, because my husband is naturately thin. He does not always understand the struggle I have to go through to lose weight. This makes it very difficult for me. I have an exercise bicycle and a vibration machine at home. I do not see any results from using them. I am not sure how to use them effectively. Please help me!!!!!

I am only 23 years old. I was wearing size 34 in 2006. I got pregnant the same year and I gained weight. I’m now wearing size 38 and I hate myself, I desperately want to lose weight.

I AM MISSAREBLE, I AM ON DIETS SINCE I WAS 10 YEARS OF AGE AND THIN THEN FAT THIN THEN FAT AND THAT IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE SINCE MY SECOND CHILD I JUST CANT SHED THE EXTRA KILOS

So maak almal van ons probeer dit en dat en niks werk nie. Ek besef ek moet oefeninge doen maar kan dit nie op my eie doen nie. My man oefen elke dag en ry baie fiets maar ek kan nie saam hom oefen nie want sy vermoe is ver bo myne. Al die jare het ek glad nie daarvan gehou en ek weet as ek iemand het wat kan help sal die deursettings vermoe beslis daar weesso ek het ook 'n Paul Immelman nodig? Help asb

She has written a book HowUcandotit2, has published it herself, and through the profit she makes on this she has started a website, helps a group in the evenings in the gym, have made more than 200 phone calls, attends functions, acts as motivational speaker and give seminars at no cost. She is committed to changing lives of those who are over-weight no matter what diet plan they are following.

The story she tells and the results she is getting is truly amazing;

Dankie vir die geleentheid Saterdag. Ek het dit baie geniet en sien nou al uit na die volgende bymekaar kom oor 3 maande. Dankie aan jou en Mariaan. Nogmaals dankie en sterkte met die groot werk wat jy aangepak het.

Het Pat ontmoet met seminaar wat in Potch gehou is op 15/11/08. Aangesien ek ook my lewe lank al 'n stryd het met my gewig en op al wat 'n dieet was het ek gaan hoor wat die formidabele vrou sê. Ek was so gemotiveerd toe ek daar uitstap dat ek sommer die volgende dag, op die Sondag begin het om weer op Sure Slim te gaan. Ek het meer as 2jaar terug by Sure Slim begin maar soos altyd nie lank gehou nie. Maandag 17/11/08 gaan ek weer "re-join" en hierdie keer gaan ek deur druk. Daar is niks fout met my nie en as ander mense dit kan doen, hoekom nie ek ook nie. Buitendien is my 40ste verjaarsdag ook volgende jaar en ek gaan nie vet wees nie!!!

Pat baie dankie vir jou motivering, ek gaan nog baie op jou en Sure Slim se knoppies druk!!!

Sien jou weer in Maart 2009 wanneer ek 20 kg ligter en gesonder is!!!

Mom has one big request and that is to “play it forward”, if she helps you and you make a success of it you must help at least one other person.

It is my turn today to “play it forward”. I am turning 21 on Christmas Day and my wish for this special day is for you to help this truly amazing woman in her goal to help and change the lives of those who are experiencing weight problems. Help her to tell her story and by doing this it will be THE Christmas Wish for 2008 touching and changing the lives of thousands!

I love you mom!
Tamsin Jewell

My daughter’s wish did not become a reality as it was not chosen for Highveld’s Christmas Wish but just the fact that she send it in made me a proud mother. I can promise her that nothing is going to stop me to change the thousands of lives that she is referring to.

Have a wonderful January 2009 with ample weight loss!

Pat

It is the Festive Season and for some of us holiday time!

For most of us it is a time of joy, a time of sharing, a time of celebrating and yes, also a time to over-indulge. Over-indulging? It does not have to be this way. You and only you are in control of your weight-loss programme. I started my weight-loss programme in November 2007 and went through the last festive season without eating wrong. I worked too hard and was not prepared to put on weight. You can do the same.

5 Tips to help you through this period:

• Recycle those eatable gifts – get rid of that box of chocolates you just got!
  
• Say “No thank you” – I know this is not easy and take a lot of guts but you can. As Tush Kickin says; “Learn to say thank you in different languages”. French – “No merci”
  
• Eat before the event – If you eat before the time you will be less hungry
  
• Dish smaller portions – Do not dish in a dinner plate but dish in a side plate
  
• It is a Holiday – If you do eat wrong, remember it is a holiday and not a week or month. Get back on track the very next day!

For those of you that have signed up for the challenge.. hang in! You can do it too!

I am planning a well deserve rest and will be back on my post in the New Year supporting and sharing with you.

2009 is going to be a great year for all of us with loads and loads of kilograms shedding! Mark my words!

Happy holidays!

The Ideal Christmas gift!

My book HowUcandoit2 is the ideal Christmas gift. Not only will you help someone else by setting them on their road to a thinner me but by purchasing it you will assist me in my goal in helping others.

My message to you, if I can do it so can you!

Enjoy!
Pat

The Ideal Christmas gift!

You can order your book from the HowUcandoit2 online shop or you can purchase it directly from the following bookstores;

• Exclusive Books – The Zone Rosebank
  
• Exclusive Books - Clearwater
  
• Exclusive Books – Woodland boulevard
  
• Exclusive Books – Bayside Mall - CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Century City CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Greenstone mall\
  
• Exclusive Books – Bedford Centre
  
• Exclusive Books – Mandela Square
  
• Exclusive Books – Hyde Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Eastgate
  
• Exclusive Books – Nelspruit
  
• Exclusive Books – Vincent Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Airport CTN
  
• Estoril Books – Cresta
  
• Estoril Books – Fourways
  
• Estoril Books –Irene
  
• Wordsworth long Beach CTN
  
• Wordsworth Gardens CTN
  
• Wordsworth Willowbridge CTN
  

Get you own copy of Pat's book HowUcandoit2. You can now buy it at all leading book stores or even order your copy on line.

HowUcandoit2 – Forum

The Forum on the website is up and running. I now need the help of all of you to support and to give advice.

I’ve been following Melanie from Viljoenskroon’s weight-loss road over the last few weeks. She is doing so well and is truly an inspiration for all of us. Come on! Give her your support.

Well done Melanie!

http://forum.howucandoit2.com/topic.asp?$sid=&id=15

We are all human and we all want to hear from others what they are doing, how they doing it and most importantly that they are doing well. With topics like “success stories”, “recommended products” and “inspiration” I am sure that the forum can only help all of us in reaching our goals. For those of you who did not get my first newsletter, after reaching my goal I now have a new goal, to help others and through my book and website, “HowUcandoit2” and www.howucandotit2.com, I reach out to the millions of people who have, are and will experience problems with their weight as I know that it is not easy. I want them all to say “I did it”! Go and register, start sharing and help me in achieving my goal. Together we can make a difference!

My Christmas blessing to you of Peace and Plenty

May Peace and Plenty be the first
To lift the latch to your door,
And happiness be guided to your home
By the candle of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!
Pat

It is hard to believe that a month has gone past since the first newsletter went out. So much has happened and I have so much I want to share with you. Before I start I first have to say congratulations to all those who have experienced weight-loss in the last month, Maryna, Christine, Estie, Realette, Lynette, Sanet, Melanie and all the others. Well done! Remember if you do not use your profile I will not know about your success. Set your goals and log your weight every week.

· Biggest Loser – Viljoenskroon

I was invited to attend the final weight-in of the Biggest Loser competition in a small town in the Free State, Viljoenskroon. It might be a small town but it is for sure a town with the spirit of a lion. SureSlim sponsored a group of 16 contestants and they all started a weight-loss programme three months ago. Week after week they gave their best and finally the big night was there. It was with tears in my eyes that I stood on the stage addressing them, getting a commitment that they are not going to give up and that they are going to “play it forward”. Jakes, the winner, had a weight-loss of 36,5 kg. Don’t forget, this was in only three months

· Yearend function - Die Dieet Waarvan Almal praat/The Diet Everyone Talks About

On the 8th of November I attended the year end function of The Diet Everyone Talks About . This was truly an event that I will not easily forget as it got me inspired all over again. The three winners, Christo, Elmie and Martin had a weight-loss of 266 kg just between the three for them. Congratulations!

· HowUcandoit2 seminar in Potchefstroom – Read more in My visit to Potchefstroom

· A personal highlight for me is that there are now just on 200 members registered on HowUcandoit2!

Whoohoo! With this my support had to activate a Forum on the website as it is no longer possible for me to support everyone personally with phone calls. I now need the help of all of you to support and to give advice. We are all human and we all want to hear from others what they are doing, how they did it and most importantly that we are doing well. With topics like “success stories”, “recommended products” and “inspiration” I am sure that the forum can only help all of us in reaching our goals. Go and register now and start sharing. For those of you who did not get my first newsletter, after reaching my goal I now have a new goal, to help others and through my book and website, “HowUcandoit2” and www.howucandotit2.com, I reach out to the millions of people who have, are and will experience problems with their weight as I know that it is not easy. I want them all to say “I did it”! Go and register, start sharing and help me in achieving my goal. Together we can make a difference!

To view photos of the events or to read more go to the “What’s on” section on HowUcandoit2 website.

It is that time of the year again, end of yet another year, with the holiday and festive season knocking on our doors. It is the most difficult time to be on a weight-loss programme. I know as I started my diet end November 2007. To help you I am placing two articles that can help you this holiday season;

• Will taking a few weeks off from exercise hurt me?
  
• 4 Holiday Diet Tips

Why is my diet not working? This is a question I get asked on a regular basis and I felt it necessary to address it in this month’s newsletter. Only you can answer this question! So sad but it is so true. In my article I ask you a set of questions that you have to answer to enable you to discover why your diet is not working. Good luck!

My book HowUcandoit2 is the ideal Christmas gift. Not only will you help someone else by setting them on their road to a thinner me but by purchasing it you will assist me in my goal in helping others.

My message to you, if I can do it so can you!

Enjoy!
Pat

Order now!

You can order your book from the HowUcandoit2 online shop or you can purchase it directly from the following bookstores;

• Exclusive Books – The Zone Rosebank
  
• Exclusive Books - Clearwater
  
• Exclusive Books – Woodland boulevard
  
• Exclusive Books – Bayside Mall - CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Century City CTN
  
• Exclusive Books – Greenstone mall\
  
• Exclusive Books – Bedford Centre
  
• Exclusive Books – Mandela Square
  
• Exclusive Books – Hyde Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Eastgate
  
• Exclusive Books – Nelspruit
  
• Exclusive Books – Vincent Park
  
• Exclusive Books – Airport CTN
  
• Estoril Books – Cresta
  
• Estoril Books – Fourways
  
• Estoril Books –Irene
  
• Wordsworth long Beach CTN
  
• Wordsworth Gardens CTN
  
• Wordsworth Willowbridge CTN
  

Get you own copy of Pat's book HowUcandoit2. You can now buy it at all leading book stores or even order your copy on line.

My visit to Potchefstroom

Born and bred in Potchefstroom it is a City that is very close to my heart and I wanted to go back and make a difference. It all started with an article in the local newspaper to which the response was just unbelievable. I took it one step further, phoned a friend of mine, Mariana Beukman from the Potchefstroom Country Club, who arranged for the first HowUcandoit2 seminar to be held. On Saturday 15 November 2008 Paul and I took the road to Potchefstroom where 60 people attended and six different weight-loss programmes were represented who all contributed to the huge success of this morning seminar;

• Die Dieet Waarvan Almal praat/ The Diet Everyone Talks About
  
• SureSlim Potchefstroom
  
• Curves: a place where women reach their fitness goals in just 30-minutes
  
• Driekie Rankin, Registered dietitian (SA)
  
• Dr. Cohen
  
• Dr. Johan (Slim-Eeze)

The speakers were awesome and all of them had the same message, get started and stay focused! Thank you Potchefstroom you have warmed my heart!

It was also on this day that the HowUcandoit2 Challenge was born with 8 contestants that entered. They all signed a pledge to lose weight and in three months we will all get together for a weight-in. I am so proud of all of them! They are determined to show me that they can do it.

Now if Potchefstroom can do it, so can you. What I am asking of you is to sign a pledge that you will give your best to lose weight until end December 2009. As easy as that. Click here to download the pledge

The last speaker was Sanet Le Roux, a lady with a weight-loss of 78 kg and who had us all in tears. Sanet was over- weight since childhood and she shared her life story with us. Thank you Sanet!

Wat n fees!!!

Baie dankie vir die geleentheid vandag- wat `n voorreg!!!

Ek loof en prys God vir mense soos julle- hou aan en verander lewens!!!

Baaaie lief vir julle span.

Enjoy- lovies Sanet

Thank you Potchefstroom you have warmed my heart! You have made me realized that I do have an enormous task ahead of met BUT that I can change people’s life’s and most importantly that I can make a difference in South Africa.

Thank you for your ongoing support, your sms message, emails and phone calls.

Thank you for making my dream come true!

I applause you!
Pat

Will taking a few weeks off from exercise hurt me?

By ALEX HUTCHINSON
From Friday's Globe and Mail

That depends on what you mean by "a few" and "off." Taking an occasional break from your usual routine can be an important refresher, both mentally and physically. Spending the month of December on the couch, on the other hand, could be a problem - especially if your usual routine is not that rigorous.

Earlier this year, Paul Williams of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California published some surprising results about a phenomenon he called "asymmetric weight gain and loss," based on a group of 55,000 runners he has been following since 1991. Put simply, he found that you gain more weight when you stop exercising than you lose when you subsequently resume the identical exercise program.

"In other words," Dr. Williams says, "if you stop exercising you don't get to resume where you left off."

The difference may be just a pound or two if bad weather and busy holidays force you to temporarily abandon the gym. But if you extrapolate that over a decade, it begins to add up. Fortunately, the effect wasn't seen at higher levels of exercise: Men running more than 32 kilometres a week and women running more than 16 kilometres a week were able to reverse their weight gains.

Given that we all occasionally face unavoidable time crunches, the question is how long we can afford to slack off. The literature on "detraining," or loss of fitness, is surprisingly complex, because different adaptations to your muscles, heart and metabolism fade away at different rates.

One pattern that emerges is that people who have taken up exercise relatively recently lose their fitness quite quickly; by many measures, they're most of the way back to their sedentary selves within a few weeks. Those who have been exercising for a long time, on the other hand, have structural adaptations like a larger heart and more capillaries to take oxygen to their muscles, which will endure for several months.

A series of classic studies in the 1980s explored the best way to maintain fitness during a break in your routine. You can get away with working out fewer times a week, and with doing shorter workouts, the researchers found - but if you reduce the intensity, your fitness quickly evaporates. In fact, subjects who were used to training six times a week were able to maintain key fitness indicators such as heart size and oxygen uptake by exercising just twice a week, provided that the intensity was high enough.

That's consistent with more recent research by exercise physiologist Martin Gibala and his colleagues at McMaster University in Hamilton - and it matches what elite athletes and their coaches have been doing. "I got an e-mail from a British track-and-field coach," Dr. Gibala recalls. "He said, 'You know, I never bought an excuse from my athletes that they couldn't maintain fitness during busy exam times.' "

The British coach advocated a short but hard workout, perhaps five repetitions of a one-minute sprint. The details, though, aren't as important as the principle: You can always find a bit of time, and you can pack a lot of effort into a short time.

Alex Hutchinson is a former member of Canada's long-distance running team, and has a PhD in physics.

Paul Williams's findings about "asymmetric weight gain and loss" suggest that light and heavy exercisers need different strategies to cope with breaks in their exercise routines

Light exercisers

If you exercise for less than two to three hours a week, stopping completely for a few weeks could add pounds that you won't later be able to shed. This means it's crucial to stay active by any means necessary - taking stairs instead of elevators, getting off the subway a few stops early and walking, or simply making a trip to the gym a higher priority.

Heavy exercisers

If you exercise more than three hours a week, and particularly if you exercise at a high intensity, taking an occasional break from your routine isn't a bad idea. But don't stop completely: Try alternative activities (for example, biking instead of running) to give your body a break.

High performance

If you need to stay in shape for a game or race, but are tight for time, try "high-intensity interval training." A simple cardio workout of 10 times one minute hard, with one to two minutes of recovery, done two to three times a week, will keep you in shape. But remember: It has to be hard.

How to Beat Festive Season Fat Traps Without Starving Yourself

Remember that feeling of delicious excitement that we used to feel as kids at the approach of the end of year holidays? Sadly, for many of us it's been replaced with a sense of dread… and not just at the prospect of opening our credit card bill in January!

For some an even bigger fear awaits - the prospect of facing the bathroom scale after weeks of festive food and drink.

It wasn't for nothing that they once called holidays like Christmas "feast days". Back in medieval times these feasts were rare islands of indulgence in oceans of famine lasting for months.

In the developed world these days, the closest we get to famine is when we work through lunch. It can be a battle to keep our weight under control in the face of everyday food temptations. End of year feasts can tip us right over the edge.

But it need not be like that. Here are four simple tips to beat the festive season fat traps… and the inevitable guilt that follows. You'll be relieved to hear that none of them involves starving yourself. In fact, the first tip actually advises the exact opposite…

1) Eat a Good Breakfast
This may seem counter-productive, but this advice applies to everyday life, so why change it over the holidays? Many people sleep in and skip breakfast during the holidays. By the time lunch or dinner comes along they're ravenous and cram far more into their mouths than they would normally.

I'm assuming, of course that your usual breakfast is a sensible, healthy one. Starting off the day with a stack of pancakes, grits, bacon and six eggs is NOT a good way to start the day, holiday or no holiday!

2) Drink Eight Glasses of Water a Day
You should be drinking plenty of water each day anyway. Over the holidays this is even more important.

We all tend to drink more alcohol or sugary sodas over holiday periods. I'm not going to be a killjoy and suggest you deny yourself these indulgences, but try to alternate each "bad" drink with a glass of water. If it's a glass of sparkling mineral water, with a slice of lime in it, you won't look or feel out of place. Your head and stomach will thank you the next morning.

3) Pace Yourself
This applies to the festive season as a whole and to each of the big meals you encounter over this period. By all means enjoy these feasts, but resist the temptation to turn every day between Thanksgiving and New Year into a feast day.

When presented with a table groaning with all manner of delectable treats, the natural response is to heap your plate high with as much of everything you can fit on it. Go instead for more, but smaller helpings. Have a slice of turkey with some greens. Then go back for a slice of gammon and potatoes. Hmm, that sauerkraut looks good…

Chew slowly and talk to your friends and family. Feasts are by their nature leisurely affairs. Use this to your advantage and take your time. This way your stomach will have plenty of time to register that it's full, which is not the case when you scoff down a huge plate of food.

The bonus is that you'll actually get to enjoy dessert, rather than forcing it down out of sense of obligation.

4) Take a Hike
Yes, the holidays do offer more culinary temptations. But they also offer more opportunities for fun, fat burning activities.

Go for a leisurely swim or walk on the beach if you live in a warm climate. If not, take a relaxing hike in the woods with your kids. Or cuddle up to your significant other in front of a blazing fire… which is sure to lead to one of the most effective and enjoyable forms of exercise!

Happy holidays

Hallo julle, my naam is Melanie, ek het vandag heeldag uitgehou. Slim-eeze twee maal gebruik, al my water gedrink en vis en slaai in die plek van vis en skyfies geeet en dit by Ocean Basket. Vir my wil dit gedoen wees want ek is mal oor aartappelskyfies. Ek het die uitdaging aanvaar en hier gaan ons.

Dankie Pat jy het my daai stoot gegee wat ek lankal nodig gehad het. Nou gaan ek swem want ek het nog nie vandag geoefen nie.

2nd letter:

2 kg af. Ek is 'n bietjie teleurgesteld. Het verwag dat dit meer sou wees. Die prbleem is nou die skale. Mens weet nie of hulle almal dieselfde weeg ne. Sal die week by my eerste skaal probeer uitkom en sien wat het regtig gebeur. Ek het my skaal weggevat omdat ek elke dag daarop klim. Ek moet sê ek het nie genoeg geofen nie en nie elke dag al my water gedrink gekry nie. Verder was ek baie soet. Selfs by funksies. Sterke aan al die ander ouens wat ook die stryd stry.

Melanie,

Dankie vir jou briefies. Groot was my verassing toe ek vanoggend jou brief kry en lees dat jy 2kg in jou eerste week verloort het. Jy is voorwaar ‘n wenner en ek is nie bietjie trots op jou nie! Vasbyt! Ek sien jou oor drie maande om te sien hoe na jy aan jou doelgewig is.

Groete!

Pat

Notes: What Melanie is saying about getting on that scale everyday is so true. I did it and I am sure that you are also doing it. It is the worst thing that you can do. I know that you are excited but the day that you are showing no weight-loss when you are expecting it or even gained a few grams is the day that it will disappoint you and make you despondent. It was one of the things I changed when I started my weight-loss programme. I started on a Tuesday, not a Monday and I weight only once a week, every Tuesday, on the same scale and at the same time of the day. This I will do for the rest of my life.

Get off that scale!

When speaking to those who have been on a weight-loss programmes before or who still are the two most common questions that I get asked is;

1. How did you do it?
   
2. Why is my diet not working?
   

My answers to these two questions are;

1. How did you do it? - It does not matter how I did it. What matters is that I have done it. We are all different and what works for me might not work for you. Find what works for you, start it and stick to it. Advice that I can give you is to shock your body by doing the opposite. I hated exercising and I didn’t drink water while I was on my diet history. This time round I did a lot of exercising and I drank a lot of water

2. Why is my diet not working? – Is it truly not working or are you just looking for an excuse to stop? This is the first question that you should ask yourself. Let me take you through reasons why your diet might not be working;

• Are you serious about losing weight? In other words, is your head right? If not you can just as well give up. For a diet to work you have to be serious about it and you have to have the right attitude towards it. I AM GOING TO DO IT and not, I will try doing it
  
• Do you have a goal? You have to make a firm commitment to lose weight and this normally happens when you set goals
  
• Is your goal realistic? Often I have seen diets failing because of goals that are not realistic. I know as I have made the same mistake on many of the diets I was on
  
• Are you on a new diet? So often something new takes longer to work. You have to give your body time to adjust. If you have been on a new diet for a couple of weeks and actually gained weight it is no good. You may have to change your diet and get advice from a professional
  
• Are you cheating on your diet? Being on a diet is not easy and often we work hard on it during the week but when weekends come we let go with the thought that we deserve it or even that we are allowed to. This is so wrong! Weekends are the most difficult period of our diets and we have to work ten times harder not to give in to those temptations and to carry on with our exercise programme. If your diet is not working it can be that you are not consistent with it
  
• Are you eating the right food? Make sure that you stick to your diet plan and eat from the food groups that you are suppose to. Green vegetables are the best for any diet
  
• Are you drinking enough water? Water plays a very important role in your diet. Not only does it flash out the excess fats and toxins from your body but it also have other benefits. I would recommend you read the chapter on water in my book HowUcandoit2
  
• Are you exercising? To help you with your weight-loss you have to exercise for 20 to 30 minutes at least 3 times a week. You will also get the best results by doing interval training. Interval training is when you take your heart rate to maximum for a period of 2 to 3 minutes and then by slowing it down for a rest period of 1 to 2 minutes
  
• Are you getting enough rest? When you are on a diet and exercise plan you do put your body through additional stress. Your body can only rejuvenate and rebuild itself if you take good rests. If your diet is not working it can be that you are not sleeping enough
  
• Are you focused? So often things happens that makes it more difficult to think about yourself and your diet plan. This might be changing of a job, moving house or a death of a family member or friend. In times like this it is not easy to plan your meals, to think about the right groups of food to eat or even to exercise. It is better to stop your diet plan for a period as you will only get despondent if you do not lose weight

Get your diet back on track and make it work!

You can!

By now I have spoken to most of you on the phone or we have communicated by email.

The response to the launch of my website has truly been tremendous. Over 100 people have registered in the last two weeks on www.howucandoit2.com. Bigger however are the responses to my phone calls. Often there is total silence on the other side as the person can't believe that it is actually me calling. Guess what? It is!

Here are just two of the cries that I have recieved;

I am struggling with weight loss. During the last 3 years I've gained about 15 kg. I am planning to get married in January 2009 so I need to loose weight.

Since the birth of my youngest child 12 years ago, I haven't been able to shed the extra weight.
Now I am weighing more than I ever did. I feel unhappy and ashamed that I allowed myself to become so big. I considered maxing out my credit card on a personal trainer.

Most of us can relate to these cries. Relating is one thing but to do something about it is what counts. You have to take that first step and that is the step of commitment. It is not easy but if you have the commitment to do it, that goal that you are focusing on, you are already a winner. The person who the last cry belongs to made that the commitment. She now joins me every evening at our local gym for a good workout. I am so proud of her!

The feedback I receive on my book brings tears to my eyes.

Thank you to all your remarks and emails on my book and website. I ask one thing of one, to "play it forward" to someone who needs it. Assist me in my goal in changing the lives of many obese people.

We celebrate our first star of the week. Lynette is from Randfontein, Gauteng and has lost 6kg! Well done Lynette!

This is the first of many newsletters to come. Should you have any news or if you want to share your story with the readers email it to info@howucandoit2.com or place it on the blog.

My message to you, if I can do it so can you!

Enjoy!
Pat

My journey to “I did it!”

After many years of being obese my journey started after my unsuccessful entry to the South African version of “The Biggest Loser” reality show, November 2007. I was so disappointed that I did not make the “short list” that I labeled it as yet another failure in my life. I can guarantee you many others felt the same. However I did not let it get me down, it was my turning point.

My journey to a thinner me has taken me on various roads of trial and error but most importantly it has also taken me on roads of satisfaction. It became a journey of monumental importance to me.

I have learned that to care for myself is hugely important to my success as I am worthy of my dreams. I have showed myself that I can make time, one of the things I always thought I don’t have.

I made sure that I knew where I was going and I had my destination written down. Without a goal in mind it will take you so much longer and you might not even complete the journey. I have spoken to many people during the time that I wrote my book and most failures were due to lack of goal setting. Don’t make the same mistake.
I have enjoyed the journey even those side trips that made the journey longer. So often we give up on what we do before it becomes joyful.

I didn’t make the journey on my own. People want to help, people want to share, people acknowledge success, people like to give advice, people are inquisitive and people like to encourage. Seek out people and expose yourself to their ideas and you will never be on your own!

I stayed focused. So often I wanted to take the short cut but by reminding myself about my goal I persevered. I had a point to prove and although it was difficult at times, I allowed abundance into my life.

I now have a new goal, to help others and through my book and website, “HowUcandoit2” and www.howucandotit2.com, I reach out to the millions of people who have, are and will experience problems with their weight as I know that it is not easy. I want them all to say “I did it”!

My advice to you, stick to what works for you, exercise and what ever you do, don’t give up! If you get lost find a map and get back onto the road. You can do it too!

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What diet to follow

I do not endorse any diet. For me it is important that you find what works for you and stick to it as we are all different and unique in our ways.

As I wasn't in a house for 3 months, like the contestants of the Biggest Loser, I had nobody to give me guidance on a diet or an exercise planner. I had to do it all by myself. I looked at what worked for me from previous diets. I got the best results from a low carb diet and that was then also the diet that I started on and am still on. I looked at what we eat as a family and how we eat it. I kept it simple by cooking the quick and easy meals as they are often the ones most love by your family. Not once did I cook a separate full meal for myself.

Furthermore I looked at what I did wrong previously and worked on hard on getting it right this time.

I don't like water but knew that I had to take it. What I do is to sip from a bottle frozen water. By doing this I do not have to face that glass of water but I also don’t realize how much water I actually take in on a daily basis.

Eating and drinking water is just half of the battle. Regular exercising is the other. I hate sweating and therefore I hated any form of exercising. This was for sure the biggest change I had to make. In my first 20 kg loss I trained on my own, kept track on what I did, what worked for me and did a lot of research. Thereafter I got the help of a personal trainer.

Looking back today I wish I had started ages ago!

I am a fan of one of your National radio station, 5FM. Not that I listen to it all the time but it is the radio station that I prefer listening to when driving. One morning I was on my way to work and the DJ, Gareth Cliff, made a statement that he doesn't like "fat people". I was shocked. Is this the kind of thing that you say on the radio with thousands of over-weight listeners tuned in? Did I hear it wrong? Why did he say that? Is it once again the perception that fat people aren't winners? All I know is I was so disappointed in what I heard that I did not take any further interest in what he had to say. At that stage I had only one thought and that was to show him. If this was the thing that would keep me focused, so be it. I completed the journey! My original goal was to lose 50kg in 7 months, I lost 52kg and subsequently I've been a guest on Gareth's morning show. I had the opportunity to tell him what I thought of him.

Today I can say, Gareth, I love you!

So often it is the smallest of things that keeps us focused. Find it!

• Make sure that you are rightly equipped for the exercise that you are going to perform for example, running shoes when you plan running
  
• Know what you are going to do and how you are going to do it
  
• Do not fire away and do too much when you start your exercise program. Start slowly!
  
• Always do a five to ten minutes warm up before the exercise
  
• Always do a five to ten minutes cool down after the exercise
  
• Monitor yourself to make sure that you work effectively
  
• Try new activities to avoid boredom and also to shock your body
  
• Give your body time to recover

I have decided to do something drastically about my weight! I could not even go to a clothing store in the hope of getting something to wear as it just did not fit! I had a very low self esteem almost no confidence! When I dared to look at myself in the mirror I wanted to run away of myself! After following a proper eating and exercise plan I lost 56.8kg! But yes it was not just SNAP! It was hard work and took a lot of dedication. And there I can say thank you too to Pat for here continuous support in my effort!

Leslie Davis

Staying focus is difficult as there are distractions all around us. It might come in the form of temptations, laziness, habits and a big culprit, time. Distractions are what direct you away from your goal. It is those "curve balls" that comes your way. The best way is to cope with them and to get them out of the way. This might not always be easy but the mind is extremely powerful.

For me the most powerful tool to use when focusing is visualization. I could see the "thin" me, I could see me wearing a jean again and I could see me gaining respect in meetings. Most importantly, I could see things coming true for myself. Every time I hit a brick wall I just went back to visualizing.

I bought my first jeans this weekend! The moment was just too big for me. I burst out in tears and was sad to part with it Monday morning so that it could be washed.

This can also happen to you. Stay focused!

I AM ON DIETS SINCE I WAS 10 YEARS OF AGE AND THIN THEN FAT THIN THEN FAT AND THAT IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE. SINCE MY SECOND CHILD I JUST CANT SHED THE EXTRA KILOS.

Belinda - Pretoria

Hi Belinda!

I have heard your cry and after our telephone conversation I know you are a winner! You can do it!

What ever you do, do not give up!

Some tips on the boxing;

Be warned! Boxing makes you tired. It does work!

Please keep us posted!

Strongs!

Pat