Take Shape For Life featuring Medifast Meals

When I make a group presentation for Take Shape For Life I like using a graph to show that there are three distinct phases of creating permanent health in your life.  You can see the graph on the “be healthy” page of our website.

The 3 Phases are:

1. Before: In this phase of life we developed some habits and lifestyle patterns that led to an unhealthy state.  For most all of us (I’m included) this meant gaining excess weight.
2. Weight Loss Phase: With Take Shape For Life, we use the Medifast 5&1 plan because it’s the most effective way to lose weight quickly and safely.
3. Habits of Health: A Beslim lifestyle.  After you attain your ideal weight, this is the phase to enjoy good foods and a healthy lifestyle equally.  It’s possible through adopting new habits that become second-nature.

   Recently I read a quote that said:

“Bad habits are easy to adopt but difficult to live with.  Good habits are difficult to adopt but easy to live with” – Brian Tracy

I like this quote a lot because it sums up my own journey.  I started in the “before” phase having some bad habits that over time proved very difficult to live with.  Then I lost 37 pounds on the Medifast 5&1 plan.

That was eight years ago.  Had I stopped at that point and not adopted new habits, I would most likely be back in the “before” phase of life, perhaps going another round with weight loss again this year.

Teach a Man to Fish

As far as I’m concerned, adopting new habits of healthy eating is only as good as the food tastes.  But how does someone adopt new habits of eating after weight loss?  Something I want to share is one of our family’s latest “secret weapons” that will teach you very healthy recipes that are easy to make and absolutely delicious.  How can I say this?  Well…

For more than a decade I’ve been a big fan of “America’s Test Kitchen” including the magazine Cooks Illustrated and also the PBS programming.  This is a group of cooks and food scientists plus various panels of judges, who exhaustively test, review and tweak every recipe they print to give you the best tasting dish possible.  In the past they spared no calorie, no fat gram nor sauce.  Taste was everything! And they were always right on.

Delicious and Healthy

So what happens when these culinary professionals shift their focus to creating dishes that are delicious and also very healthy?  You’ve got:  America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

We’ve been cooking from this book since Christmas (it was one of my gifts) and have tried enough recipes now that I want to fully endorse it.

What I like most about this book:

n      Each recipe includes full nutritional information per serving

n      The recipes are practically goof-proof with simple instructions

n      Many healthy “makeovers” for classic family favorites

n      Many Delicious recipes that are compliant with the Medifast 5&1 plan!

n      Simple variations that allow you to substitute or improvise according to your family tastes and/or dietary requirements

Remember, adopting new—good—habits isn’t always easy at first but once you get past that initial phase, life is better and easier.  It’s the same thing with learning new healthy recipes.  It might take a little extra work up front to learn how to cook them but after a few times, healthy meals will easily and naturally become part your lifestyle.

Answer: Yes, there is life after weight loss, a very good life.  But if it’s not delicious, it’ll be a real tough go.  So take a little time to learn some new healthy–and delicious–recipes.  And if you are anything like us, you’ll discover family favorite dishes that you actually crave!

Sincerely,

Eric and Joy Blanchard

Certified Health Coaches

Take Shape For Life

After nearly 6 years of coaching more than 2,000 clients on the Take Shape For Life program I have only seen a handful of clients follow protocol without deviation from beginning to end.  When it does happen I’m very impressed but at the same time I know it just isn’t a reality for everyone.  For the majority of us, slips happen.

Slips Happen

I’ll be using the ubiquitous term slip in my weekly today but truth be told I am not fond of the term slip.  It implies you inadvertently or unknowingly made a simple mistake—like tripping on the carpet and falling mouth-first into a pizza then collapsing in pain to the floor as ice cream slides down your throat.  Oops!  The reality is most slips have some type of inkling, premeditation or justification preceding it.  So what I want to say here is get over it.  It’s not about the slips.  And feeling bad or feeling guilty when it does happen will invariably lead you back to the oscillating pattern of yo-yo weight loss and gain.

Creating a Vision of Health

Understanding the difference between losing weight and creating health will change your life.  In the mindset of creating health, slips are viewed as valuable feedback. Conversely, when you indulge regret or indulge other negative feelings about a slip you are engaging in conflict manipulation; which is nothing more than a fancy way of saying that your feelings are getting in the way of what you really want.  You can avoid this by changing the way you think.  Change your thoughts, change your life.

Here is what I believe to be the single, most powerful first step toward attaining your ideal weight once and for all:

Create a solid vision of what you will look like and what you will feel like at your ideal weight. This will increase the likelihood of attaining your goal immeasurably.  If you have not yet created your vision, choose some free time at your earliest convenience to take twenty minutes and quietly visualize what you will look like and what you will feel like at your ideal weight.  Make it personal by giving your vision the details that matter most to you; give it the details that make you smile.  VERY IMPORTANT: write it on paper and—for the most part—keep it to yourself because you never know where the saboteurs are lurking.  Only share your vision and goals with those you know are 100% supportive and encouraging.  Then read and re-read your vision often, especially when times are rough.  When I was on the 5&1 losing 37 pounds I made a practice of seeing and feeling my skinny self as I laid in bed drifting off to sleep at night.  Often I awoke in the morning to this image without even trying. Talk about powerful reinforcement!

Choosing to Slip

If through premeditation, circumstance or justification you do choose to go off plan, look at it for what it is.  You went off plan.  This type of thinking can actually set you free of yourself.  Then you can choose your slips strategically knowing these facts:

– Slips will slow down your weight loss

– You will spend more time and more money on the 5&1 phase when you slip

– Slips lead to increased hunger and cravings

– Compliance is empowering and encouraging, slips are the opposite

– Too many slips will prevent you from fully entering the magical state of “fat burning” where weight loss is rapid and you’ve got energy and you feel good.

– THE BIGGEST RISK OF ALL: one slip could potentially knock you completely off track.  Sadly, I’ve seen it too many times.  The vision gets tucked away and the excuses return.

There is great power in knowing the choice is yours.  You are choosing a new, healthy lifestyle that starts with weight loss.  If you want some help strategizing, please contact me.  I’m as close as a phone call, e-mail or text message.

Thank You for being our client!

Sincerely,

Eric and Joy Blanchard

Certified Health Coaches

Take Shape For Life

720-279-1024

eric@gohealth.org

joy@gohealth.org

Please always order directly from our site: www.eric.tsfl.com or email for assistance.  We can advise you on ordering options and greatest savings.  Thanks!

There are many reasons why it is important to drink water, especially when you are trying to lose weight on the 5 and 1 Program:

• Cravings are really a sign that your body is thirsty. So when you feel a craving coming along, reach for your water.  It’s the cheapest, safest appetite suppressant there is.
• Your initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water and that is why you need to drink a sufficient amount of water in order to avoid dehydration.
• When your body starts burning calories, it needs an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process.
• Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume and this causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles which can make you feel tired.
• Burning calories creates toxins in our bodies (think of the exhaust coming out of your car).  Water plays a vital role in flushing these toxins out of your body.
• Drinking water before and with a meal makes you feel fuller and will make you eat less.   However,  drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated (not hungry), our bodies need protein, sufficient calories and nutrients.  All of which can be found in each of the Medifast Meal Replacements and in your Lean and Green Meal.

Read our other post:  WHY WATER IS GOOD FOR YOU

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Keeping the Weight Off – A new plan that can help you make your slim-down permanent.

Watch Dr. Andersen on “Good Morning America – HEALTH”

There’s life after weight loss, and it starts with Take Shape For Life Transition Plan. Once you’ve reached your weight-loss goal, it’s time to make the transition into lifelong healthier eating.

The idea behind the transition phase is gradually increasing your calorie intake over time, while re-introducing a wider variety of the foods.

In general, how long you spend in the transition phase depends on how much weight you have lost:

• If you lost less than 50 pounds, allow 8 weeks
• If you lost 50 – 100 pounds, allow 12 weeks to transition.
• If you lost over 100 pounds, allow 16 weeks to transition.

Your transition needs may be different depending on your gender, age, height, weight and activity level. You’ll be adding an additional 100 calories each week until you reach your goal calorie level.

The Take Shape For Life Transition & Maintenance Guide helps you create an individualized approach to staying at your new, healthier weight.

For lifelong weight management-and other benefits of Optimal Health, be sure to get copies of Dr. A’s Habits of Health and the companion guide, Living a Longer Healthier Life, and follow their guidelines for a lifetime of healthier eating and living.

Maintenance

Once you’ve completed your transition phase successfully, you’re ready to sustain your weight loss and improved health for good. Monitoring your weight, balancing your calories, making smart food choices, and staying active can help you keep what you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Like the transition phase, the maintenance phase isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your gender, age, height, weight, and activity level will determine your calorie requirements. 

Hints for lifelong healthy eating

• Continue to eat 6 small meals a day.
• Continue to weigh yourself every week.
• Begin or continue to exercise daily.
• Make vegetables account for ½ of your plate at mealtime.
• Eat at least 2 servings of fruit each day.
• Choose lean cuts of meat in 4 – 6 oz servings (about the size of a deck of cards or a computer mouse).
• Bake, grill, steam, poach, and broil. Avoid fried foods and cream sauces
• Read food labels for serving size information.
• Drink calorie-free beverages, including plenty of plain water.
• Restaurant servings can be up to four times the size of a regular healthy serving of food. Get a“to go” box when you order at a restaurant and put at least half of your meal in the box as soon as it’s served. Or, split your meal with someone.
• Order sauce or dressing on the side, and use only a portion of it.
• Enjoy the superior nutrition of Medifast Meals as part of your lifelong approach to healthy eating.
• Stay in touch with your Health Coach and friends on Support in Motion, and reach out to new Take Shape users: It’s a great way to make your new beginning an inspiration to someone else.

If you start to regain weight

For an extra metabolism boost, try our Essential1: Calorie Burn products. Each serving of Calorie Burn Cappuccino or Calorie Burn Flavor Infusers^TM contains 100 mg of caffeine and 90 mg of EGCG to enhance fat burning and decrease appetite.

Essential1: Calorie Burn is specifically designed to help you break through a weight-loss plateau and maintain weight in your maintenance phase.

Here are some more tips to keep from regaining weight:

• Work closely with your Health Coach, who can help you learn to embrace healthy habits for lasting change.
• Watch portion sizes.
• Keep an eye on stress, and take steps to address the emotional issues that can undermine your success. Yoga, meditation, and walking may be good options.
• If you’re exercising, consider stepping up your routine in terms of duration or intensity.
• Surround yourself with your Bio-network, and plenty of healthy, supportive people who value what you’re trying to achieve.

Pay it forward

One of the most powerful things you can do to ensure your continued health is to coach others who are struggling to do what you have done.

Also, when you become a “walking billboard” for the Habits of Health, you are providing a powerful and inspiring success story that’s beyond words!

Let us know if you are interested in becoming a Health Coach yourself or if you would like to share your success story, click here.