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JustLoseItwithBerta
Volume 1
Issue 22
06-3-2010
Hi !
Welcome back! I can't believe I've written 22 ezines and blogs
already! I'm really happy with what I
have published for you, but I remain frustrated. As I have mentioned before, I
love writing these because there is so much to say and there is such
misinformation out there that it feels good to put down on paper what I believe
is true: tried and true, to be exact.
However, I continually find this new undertaking frustrating. Despite the fact that I can share my
knowledge about many aspects of weight loss and nutrition, I do not feel that I
am connecting with you on a personal level, and that is what I intended to do
when I embarked on this new venture. I
began this ezine and blog with the goal of guiding more people than I could
physically council because I know that my methods work and the very large
majority of my clients enjoy sustained weight loss. In my private business, I meet with men and women each week and
connect with them on an entirely different plane. They come to me for support when they need
someone to be strong and positive. Mine is the shoulder they cry on, and I am
available to pick them up and get them back into the game when they have
fallen. In time, very close friendships
arise from these weekly meetings: it is almost impossible for that not to
happen. Best of all, I get to see their amazing physical and emotional
transformations. Yes, the two always occur
together. Unfortunately,
I do not feel that I have bonded with you, my readers. In fact, I feel somewhat
disconnected from you. I realize this is the nature of mass communication, but
there are ways around it. Instead of my making informed guesses-based on my
experience with others-about what your struggles might be each week, I really
wish you would touch base with me and let me know exactly how things are going.
I began these sites so I could act as your sounding board. I want you to reach
out and tell me how I can help make your journey easier. If you're having
difficulty, tell me about it, and I will try to correct the problem. If this
format is working for some or many of you, I would appreciate your feedback,
just as much. Meanwhile,
my blog this week might clear up something many find puzzling. It seems as
though everyone out there is trying to lose weight, doesn't it? But, not
everyone succeeds, and of those who do, many gain it back, usually with a
little extra. What is going on, and how
do we correct this major problem? Well,
perhaps it's simpler than it might at first appear. After all these years, I
have found that overweight people fall into one of three distinctly different
categories, and those in each group lose weight differently than those in the
other two groups. What am I talking
about? Check it out, at www.justloseit.com/blog,
and find out what group you belong to.
Tea Time with Berta: 
The
look of relief that washes over people's faces when I announce that they
needn't continue counting calories is absolutely priceless! Truly there is no reason for continuing this
practice that has proven ineffective. However, despite my protests, I find that many of
my clients and readers revert back to calorie counting, as if staying below
some magic number will cause their weight to melt away! If only it were that easy. But wait! It isn't
easy at all; and it doesn't work! So, why are you still doing it? Probably because it's been so deeply
ingrained that you automatically check the little "Nutrition Facts" chart the
second you lift the box of donuts off the shelf. (There's
an oxymoron-Nutrition Facts on a box
of donuts!) Personally, I do look at the little chart on the back of
some boxes to check the salt content, and admittedly, since I have the box in
my hand, I might as well look at the calorie content. I'm trying to stop, and
you should too! I digress.
I
know you have heard that you should limit yourself to a certain number of
calories per day if you wish to lose weight, but what number is that? 1200? Not
enough? 2000? Perfect? 3000? Too much? How do you know? Really, how do you know? Doing the math involved to arrive at a
relevant number would be impossible. Seriously. You might be thinking, "Here
she goes again, saying silly things off the top of her head!" Well, no and no!
What
is a calorie? It is a measure of energy,
and energy is exerted to burn off fat. What? How does energy get measured? How
do you know how much energy I am exerting at any give time? How much do you exert? Is it the same amount as
your neighbor exerts? How many calories do I, Berta, exert when I go for a
walk? Who can possibly tell me how much I exert from day to day, so how could anyone
tell me how many calories I need to take in to lose weight? I know a calorie
can be measured, but I certainly can't measure the energy entering and leaving
my body! The math and science behind
this question make it impossible for a layman to use calorie counting as a
reliable means of planning a weight loss program!
The
other problem with ineffective calorie counting is that it keeps the counter
from consuming high-calorie healthy foods-particularly those containing
essential omega 3 fatty acids that are vital to good health. Avocados, bananas,
olive oil, and salmon all have a comparatively higher caloric value, but
restricting your intake of these healthy foods is nothing short of ridiculous.
I want to scream when I hear of women compromising their health because they
refuse to eat foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids. They are NOT too fattening,
for goodness sake!
I
wonder if you might consider the possibility that there is plenty of
information out there that is not based on sound
reasoning, scientific fact, or common sense. My advice? Listen to your body, people!
Listen carefully. It will tell you when
you have consumed too many calories. It's not a game; it's your health and it's
up to you to monitor it. You have
completely lost the ability to interpret your body's signals to the point that
some of you sit down to a huge meal and can't even
determine when you are satisfied! You allow the size of the portion you are served to
determine how much you will eat! And then you
rely on the back of a box to tell you what is healthy. You omit fruit because
it's fattening, of course you don't know exactly how fattening because it
doesn't carry a government required chart telling you what it has inside of it.
It's a grape, for goodness sake! Eat
it! Please make the commitment to eat
delicious, healthy foods; stop before you are full, or just before you are truly
satisfied; eat healthy fats; go to bed feeling a little bit hungry every night.
I know what I am saying here might throw you, but it is the truth. Take back your power to determine what is
good and what is not. How many calories
did you take in today? Who cares? Are
you a little bit hungry before you go to sleep? Well then you did not eat enough to sustain your current weight. Good
job.
Count
losses... not calories!
Did you know...
that
you need to drink water if you want to lose weight! It's true, and many of you don't realize the
importance of doing so. You all know that water is essential to overall health
and well-being. As I reminded you in a previous ezine, our bodies are made up
of approximately 65 % water. Water
contributes to brain and organ function, overall energy, healthy eyes, hair,
and nails and, basically, everything!
But did you know that it is nearly impossible to lose weight without
it? I know you might not believe that
water plays as crucial a role in weight loss as it does, so I'm going to
explain it, and then I hope you will commit to drinking it!
The
liver's function is to convert stored fat into energy. It also picks up the slack for the kidneys
(don't worry, I will keep this simple) which, by the way, need a lot of water
to work properly. If the kidneys don't
get enough water, the liver has to do the work of the kidneys as well as its
own work of converting fat to energy. Obviously, an overtaxed liver can't
do its job as efficiently as it should. Therefore, if the liver can't
effectively metabolize fat, your body will store more and more fat!
I
know that drinking a lot of water and having to pee every 15 minutes is a drag
at first, but annoying as it is, when you are running to the bathroom around
the clock, your body is efficiently eliminating all the water it has been
retaining for a long time: all of the bloat that you feel puffing your ankles
and stomach, back, face, neck, and fingers!! If you continue to hydrate properly, your body will regulate itself and
the constant urination will cease, as will the holding and retaining. In turn,
you will store less fat and your liver will be able to convert more to
energy. You will feel better and lose
weight a lot easier!
Please
try to drink straight room temperature water. Don't believe that you are getting your water through sources like your
morning coffee, sweetened powders added to your water bottle, or colored
vitamin drinks. Just drink plain water the same substance you are made from-and you will be doing your body a real service.
At
the risk of repeating myself, please drink 64 ounces of water every
day. Fill up your reusable water bottles and make sure you always have
one on hand. You will feel fuller as
time passes and you might even notice yourself eating less. Take the water challenge: up your intake to
at least 64 fluid oz. per day. I know it sounds lot a lot, but give it a shot.
Keep to your regular eating plan and see if you don't start dropping those
pounds that have eluded you thus far. And let me know how you did.
Water!
Just drink it!!
My favorite things to eat!
Vegetable Antipasti!!
Serves 4
It's
almost summer: time to fire up the grill and party! This can be tricky if you don't have a backup
plan for those spontaneous, carefree, get-togethers. Therefore, you might want to try this recipe
for grilled veggies from Easy Summer Food by Ryland Peters and Small. Not only is this dish good for you,
but also it's so delicious that you won't feel deprived, at all! I must warn you to make extras because yours
will be the most popular platter on the patio!
What
you will need:
2
red bell peppers
4
baby fennel bulbs
1
large eggplant
2
large zucchini
1
red onion
1
recipe Herb, Lemon, and Garlic Marinade (recipe below)
a
few fresh herb leaves, like basil, dill, fennel, mint, and parsley
extra
virgin olive oil, to taste
freshly
squeezed lemon juice, to taste
sea
salt and freshly ground black pepper
What
to do:
Cut
the bell peppers into quarters and remove and discard the seeds. Trim the fennel, reserving the fronds, and
cut the bulbs into ¼ inch slices. Cut
the eggplant into thick slices and cut in half again. Cut the zucchini into thick slices,
diagonally, and cut the onion into wedges.
Put
all the vegetables in a large bowl, add the marinade, and toss gently until
evenly coated. Cover and let marinate in
a cool place for at least 1 hour.
Preheat
the grill and cook the vegetables on the grill rack until they are tender and
lightly charred. Let cool, and peel the
bell peppers.
Arrange
the vegetables on a large platter, sprinkle with the herbs, reserved fennel
fronds, olive oil, and lemon juice, then season (very lightly) with salt and
pepper.
Serve
at room temperature.
Herb, Lemon, and
Garlic Marinade
What
you will need:
2
springs of rosemary
2
springs of thyme
4
bay leaves
2
large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
pared
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1
tsp. cracked black peppercorns
1
cup extra virgin olive oil
What
to do:
Strip
the rosemary and thyme leaves from the stalks and put them in a mortar. Add the bay leaves, garlic, and lemon zest,
and pound with a pestle to release the aromas.
Put
the mixture in a bowl and add the peppercorns and olive oil. Set aside to steep until ready to use.
Bon Appetite!
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