rachaelbmh

Slowing down and checking in with yourself after about 20 minutes. It usually only takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the signal of being full - so once you hit that "full point' - putting the fork down and just being done is key. If at a restaurant - I like to check in with myself BEFORE the meal to gauge how…

There are a lot of vegan protein sources you can use in place of meat. Whole grains, nuts and seeds and beans are all excellent sources of protein without the need for additional supplements. You also mentioned sugar from fruit - maybe try replacing some of those servings of fruit with a veggie and see how you feel? Sugar…

This might sound lame, but have you considered turning the dialogue around? You said "This can not be a platau because I havent lost enough and I am still huge!!!" What about switching the thought pattern around and thinking "It's not where I want it to be, but I'm doing my best" - honestly, the words we think/say have a…

I love your attitude, Ted! We are all in this together - working to the same thing - to have a body and life we can be proud of!

Congrats! How exciting! You're going to do great!

Hi Cheryl - plan to set one or two small goals each week and see how you do. I'd really encourage you to get into the kitchen and learn how to make even some very simple recipes (even ones that don't involve cooking at first). Your kitchen will be your best friend when it comes to making changes in your body.

Set really small goals at first. Things like drinking one extra glass of water or taking a 15 minute walk. As you build on your small goals, you'll start seeing results and will be encouraged to make more goals. It's a process so be patient with yourself and if you make a mistake - don't feel guilty or put yourself down.…

There is really no need to cut out all sugar from your life. Cutting the processed white stuff and HFCS will do wonders for your body. Fruit also contains loads of vitamins, minerals, and fiber that your body needs to remain healthy. Don't try to cut it out entirely if you don't need to (a health condition like diabetes or…

I don't know if there's a hard and fast rule for this. I eat within about an hour of waking, but mainly because that's when I'm hungry. What's the difference of an hour, really? Just be sure you're getting a good quality breakfast and timing shouldn't really matter.

Make most of your meals using fresh produce, nuts and seeds and whole grains (from the bulk bins), and lean high-quality meats and you should have no issues. Stay away from a bunch of packaged foods as it's so much simpler to go with whole unprocessed foods.

I'd encourage you to treat it like any other day. Just because it's a holiday doesn't mean that you need to eat like you never have or not get your workout in. I'm of the mindset that sure, you can go a little easier on yourself, but don't throw caution to the wind, because you might end up going overboard. Think of it as…

I plan to eat more veggies than any other year in the past (healthfully prepared ones), be active, and indulge mindfully.

Can you focus in on what's causing you stress and try to find a way to cope with that? If you're stress-eating, maybe shift your focus to what's causing your stress so that you can move forward confidently towards your goals.

Focus your mindset in on how you feel instead of what the number on the scale tells you how to feel. Do you like what you see in the mirror? Does it all go downhill when you get on the scale? Hone in on the body that you want based on how you feel instead of what you're letting the numbers dictate to you. Health is more…

It's totally normal, which is exactly why I threw out my scale. I hated that I was dwelling on the numbers that showed up when what really mattered to me was how I felt overall. How do you feel in your skin? Does the weight difference that shows up on the scale FEEL different? Have you made connections on if certain foods…

If you're strong, you're sexy. Learn to love the body you've been given! :)

I love your outlook on this! Sometimes instead of needing a shift in diet and exercise, we just need a shift of perception. It's awesome that you're satisfied with the results you've achieved - you're doing awesome! Thanks for being so inspiring!

I'd encourage you to stick with it. Sometimes it takes a while for results to show up. Keep up with eating clean and exercising - if nothing else, you're giving your body what it needs to be healthy. Even if you're not seeing the abs you're desiring, focus on your overall health. Things will fall into place when you're…

Thank you! :)

Great recipe - thanks for sharing! I just made a batch of cranberries for dinner last night - so yummy!

Have more sweet vegetables with your meals - you might not crave those sweets later on. For myself (and this might sound strange), I found that the more green vegetables I eat, the less sweets I crave. I think my body was craving the nutrients in these other foods, but my brain was telling me I needed sugar for the…