HOW TO REACH YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOAL 

I call our lifestyle and eating habit changing program DROP A POUND A WEEK because one losing lb. a week is a realistic goal.  

When we eat a little better and move around a little more, that one pound can melt off our hips, bellies, and thighs steadily without us feeling hungry, tired, or irritated.  

To drop a pound, we need to either skip 3500 calories a week or burn that many more. Doing a bit of both is a much more reachable task. 

Click into the link below and see where you are with your goals. If you want to drop 50 lbs., give yourself the year. Don't rush it. I always say that crash diets were given the perfect name. Why? They make most of us crash a few weeks into it. Then we go right back into our old habits. Ladies (and gents) we did not gain the weight overnight. Don't try losing it that way either.   

There are tons of weight loss calculators out there. I included one for you below. 

https://calculator-online.net/weightloss-calculator/ 

BUILD IN A 1000 CALORIE DAY EACH WEEK 

I try my best to fast one day every week. When I say that, I mean I drink freshly squeezed veggie juice. I am not picky about it. For me its carrots, celery, beets, an apple and always a lemon. I can't drink carrot juice without lemon or my throat starts itching. I'm glad I found my way around it by squeezing in a lemon. This tip might be coming in handy for you as well. Make a mental note of it! I squeeze a big batch of juice in the morning and fill it into little bottles to take with me. That is all I consume all day next to water and herbal tea. 

Juicing for a day gives my tummy a break from digesting hard, cleans out my gut a bit and I can load up on vitamins. In general, I am guessing my juice is in the 150-200 calorie range per glass and I drink 4-5 of them. Add this up and we are at 600- 1000 for that day. Perfect. 

Should you not like doing a one day fast I suggest you build a 1000 calorie day to help boosting your weight loss goals a bit. 

Make yourself a list of the things you’d like to eat on such a day. Find yourself a calorie chart like the one I listed in the link below. DOUBLE CHECK with another list or two. The lists often list mistaken counts or are not clear about the amount of food their count includes. Comparing with others will clear that up for you 

 https://www.calories.info/food/legumes 

Take a look at my simple chart below . It is very apparent that, when you eat wholesome food, you won't go hungry even on a low-calorie day. Remember that you will cook with oils, make sauce or add dressing. Account for those as well. With a little focus and time, you can develop your own personal 1000-calorie day and actually look forward to that day. Tweek it as you go along. Exchange the chicken with shrimp or maybe an egg. The one thing I strongly suggest you do on that day: PREPARE THE NIGHT BEFORE AND BRING LUNCH FROM HOME. 

I copied the below paragraphs from livescience.com. Here is the link should you care to read more. And that, my dear friends, concludes today's thoughts. Seriously consider giving this a try. It is hard the first few times, especially the juice fast. But the results are great and pushing your willpower a bit will make you feel even better. Until next week!  

 https://www.livescience.com/52802-what-is-a-calorie.html   

What are calories, why do we need them, and can a better understanding of calories help us maintain a healthier weight throughout our lives? 

Calories are units of energy that a food or drink provides. You can usually find calorie counts listed on food items, and wearables like the best fitness trackers allow you monitor how many calories you're burning by doing different activities. Certain foods, such as fatty, fried, or processed foods, tend to have more calories. Other foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, tend to have fewer calories. However, some healthy fruits and vegetables can be high in calories, while low-calorie foods, such as diet soda, don’t provide any nutritional value.  

We need calories to give us enough energy to move around, stay warm, grow, work, think, and play. Even our blood circulation and digestion need the energy gained from calories in order to function well.