I can’t forget how excited I was the first week I started Plexus Slim. Having been heavy my whole life, I had tried diet after diet, each failing miserably taking me right back where I started or even worse, even heavier than before. Reluctantly, with these failures in the back of my mind, I started my journey with Plexus Slim and that reluctance turned to excitement when I stepped on the scale to reveal a twenty-three pound loss the first week. The excitement has only grown as each week the numbers continue to fall.
However, on occasion, I have had people ask me, “I’m taking my Plexus Slim but I have stopped losing. What now?’ These comments, although not very frequent, still make me want to fix the problem, I want everyone to experience the same success I am having, to have the increased energy I’m feeling, the added self-confidence I have. So if you’re one of that handful of people who are asking, “What Now”, let’s look at common problems with weight loss and try to identify and correct the problem area.
Are you in this Mind, Body, And Soul?
Believe it or not our very mind plays an integral part of weight loss. Your greatest asset in your weight loss journey is your mind. It is to have your mind made up about losing weight. You have to be in control of Emotional Eating. You have to be committed to seeing yourself reach your goal. Your body wants desperately to lose the excess weight, to be healthier, leaner. But if your minds not in it, committed Mind, Body, & Soul, even the best diet can leave you broken and disappointed.
Are you Drinking the Right Drinks?
We’ve all heard the old saying you need to drink 8 glasses of water a day to lose weight. While for many it’s a routine they live by, for others it’s nothing but nonsense. Have you ever wondered which way of thinking is right?
Until now there were not really any scientific proof that these eight glasses helped your cause, but a recent study done in Germany lends credibility to the old belief. Michael Boschmann, MD, and colleagues from Berlin’s Franz-Volhard Clinical Research Center tracked energy expenditures among seven men and seven women who were healthy and not overweight .
After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water, the subjects’ metabolic rates — or the rate at which calories are burned — increased by 30% for both men and women. The increases occurred within 10 minutes of water consumption and reached a maximum after about 30 to 40 minutes.
The study also showed that the increase in metabolic rate differed in men and women. In men, burning more fat fueled the increase in metabolism , whereas in women, an increased breakdown of carbohydrates caused the increase in metabolism seen.
The researchers estimate that over the course of a year, a person who increases his water consumption by 1.5 liters a day would burn an extra 17,400 calories, for a weight loss of approximately five pounds. They note that up to 40% of the increase in calorie burning is caused by the body’s attempt to heat the ingested water. The findings are reported in the December issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism [1]
Since hydration plays such an important role in the weight loss, it stands to reason the opposite, dehydration, could have negative effects on weight loss. Try to stay away from drinks with a lot of caffeine which actually helps to cause dehydration. Coffee and tea are fine, just make it Unleaded (decaffeinated ) please.
Sodas are linked to obesity. They tend to have a high sugar content and very little nutritional value. A lot of people think that switching from regular soda’s to diet soda’s are the answer to their weight loss woes. Shockingly that is just not the case. People who drink diet soft drinks don’t lose weight . In fact, they gain weight , according to an eight year study by Sharon Fowler, MPH and her associates at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.
“What didn’t surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity. What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher. There was a 41% increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day,” Fowler says.
Other drinks to avoid are energy drinks that tend to be loaded with caffeine and sugars (most around 27 grams) and alcoholic mixed drinks full of sugar as well as empty calories.
Alcohol is an opponent of weight loss. While a glass of red wine a day certainly provides health benefits, the consumption of larger amounts of alcohol only will lead to reduction in weight loss, probably even weight gain. Normally, the body gets it energy from the digestion & metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, and fats in the foods we eat. When alcohol is present, metabolism changes due to the fact that alcohol is metabolized differently by the body. The alcohol molecules require no digestion and immediately begin to move through the stomach and can reach the brain and liver in only minutes. The liver gives it attention to the alcohol (full of sugars & yeast) and the carbohydrates, fat, & proteins in the food consumed are converted to body fat and stored.
What Medications are you taking?
First and foremost let me Stress, NEVER quit taking a medication you have been prescribed without consulting your Doctor. While I know how disappointing it can be when others are losing faster than you, a slow, steady weight loss is a reasonable goal for anyone, especially those who are taking medications or have medical conditions. Some medications that may slow your weight loss include antibiotics and steroids. Again, it is not safe or healthy to choose a more rapid weight loss by discontinuing needed medications. Instead, focus on making healthier food choices and if your doctor says you’re healthy enough, increase your physical activity to give your weight loss a little boost.
Antibiotics, a wet environment, being exposed to mold or mildew, steroids, and oral contraceptives all can lead to an overgrowth of Candida yeast. Sugar cravings, fatigue, and anxiety can all be symptoms of this yeast overgrowth. Candia Yeast has been associated with Fibromyalgia, chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Diabetes and Yeast Infections. Candida yeast naturally live on all surfaces of our bodies and in small amounts in our digestive tract. When these yeast “Over Grow” they can cause a variety of health problems and impede your ability to lose weight. Treatment for this “overgrowth” can include prescription medications which are usually quite expensive, or natural remedies such as ProBio 5 available from Plexus Slim.
Are You Making Smart Food Choices?
One of the great things about Plexus Slim is that you can lose weight and still eat the foods you love. This alone attributes greatly to the success of those who chose Plexus Slim to aid them in their weight loss journey. I love food and many diets I have attempted failed because I was limited by the foods I could eat. I call Plexus Slim my ”¹…”Will Power”. I still eat what I want; I just eat less of it. I do not deny myself what I am craving; I can just control the amount. I now find it easy to eat one cookie vs. one package of cookies, a couple of fries vs. a supersize fry.
It also stands to reason that the smarter food choices you make, the faster you will lose. Avoiding foods with high amounts of sugars, starches, and those with empty calories only accelerates your weight loss effort.
Get Off the Couch, Experience Life
Just as making smarter food choices will speed weight loss, increasing your physical activity will boost pounds dropping too. While many are not physically able to participate in sports or strenuous activity, almost all are able to do some type of increased activity. There are many low impact, non strenuous exercises that can be done while sitting or even lying down by those who suffer from limited mobility.
If you are able to get outside, DO IT! Do not get me wrong, losing weight has been a blessing for me both mentally and physically. But one of the things I have enjoyed most since starting Plexus Slim and Plexus Slim Accelerator is the increased energy I have had allowing me to participate in activities I have not been able to do in many years. Start Slow, work Up. Use the extra energy as a benefit for your family. Get outside and play with your children, take family walks, enroll in ballroom dancing classes with your spouse. No matter what activity you chose, just get out and do it and stick with it.
Don’t Give Up till You Reach Your Goal
As we talked about earlier, weight loss is as much mental as it is physical. God has made each one of us delightfully different. Our bodies are different and so, our weight loss will be different. Set obtainable goals to use as encouraging waypoints on your journey towards your overall goal. Don’t get discouraged or jealous if someone is losing faster than you. Be happy for them and use that as encouragement to you that Plexus Slim WORKS and you will one day achieve your goals also. Stay focused. Our minds will often tell us to give up, after all it’s a lot easier that sticking with our plan. Remember, you are in control, and on your way to a lighter healthier you.
www.plexusslim.com/83060
Plexus slim, Plexus Slim Accelerator, and ProBio 5 are trademarks of Plexus Worldwide, Scottsdale, AZ
Plexus products are avilable from www.plexusslim.com/83060
Boyles, S. (n.d.). Drinking Water May Speed Weight Loss. Retrieved from WebMD.
Fowler, S. (n.d.). .””Artificial Sweeteners May Damage Diet Efforts.. 65th Annual Scientific Sessions, American Diabetes Association, San Diego, June 10-14, 2005; Abstract 1058-P. Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine, San Antonio. Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, director, s .
