Refocusing...

I just got back from a weekend trip to Idaho to see family and it seems it has taken me 4 days to get back on track from the 4 day vacation. But I am back and ready to share a few thoughts and insights. I am motivated and refocused!

Over the weekend I heard a lot about the HCG diet. Up to this point I had never heard about it, but once it was brought to my attention I have seen ads for it all over the place. If you haven't heard about it you can google it. You will find plenty of websites with info. I still have yet to find a website that actually explains how the diet works. Most of them are very vague. Essentially you eat a very low calorie diet (VLCD) and take HCG drops. There is also a list of approved foods you can eat. The diet is done for 3-4 weeks with the promise that you will lose 1-2 pounds a day on average.

I have never tried it so I can't give my personal opinion on the diet. Many people I talked to swear by it. I am still skeptical. Not skeptical that you will lose weight...if you are only eating 500 calories a day some pounds will be shed. I am skeptical as to why people want to do this to themselves.

Maybe you can lose the weight on this plan, but what happens once you stop the diet? You obviously can't keep up this type of diet regimen for long periods of time. And I am still not sure why starving yourself for weeks at a time is more desirable than trying a little exercise and healthy eating.

I understand the desire for quick results.

So I am not going to say you should or shouldn't do this diet. Or any other jump start diet. But the reality is if you don't change your ways (the ones that led to the weight gain in the first place) the weight will come back.

No matter what diet plan you choose to follow, you have to be ready to make lifestyle changes.

There are many things we can do to improve upon our health habits. But the one I want to focus on is all about going back to the basics. Time to cut back the refined and processed foods. I have a sis-in-law who has mastered this to a T. She has lost so much weight, looks fantastic, and feels amazing. The best part is she is a phenomenal cook. All her food is healthy and everything is delicious. She cooked for us all weekend and I was in heaven. Her example is what has motivated me to refocus my efforts. And I want to share with you the wonderful things I find.

I hope we can discover together that this journey to better health can be tasty and enjoyable. Your challenge this week is to cut back the refined foods. Try recipes that are full of fresh or frozen veggies. Learn to make sauces and seasonings from scratch so you can cut back the salt and fat, yet enhance the flavor. Figure ways to improve upon your favorite recipes that you cook the most often. I will be sharing my finds. Please share yours!

If you are going to do any of the crazy kickstart diets, that is your deal...but once you are done please join me here and lets get healthy by changing our habits one day at a time. These are the lifestlye changes we all need to make.

I already have a few fun recipes, but you will have to check back later if you want more:).