Weight Loss and Milk + Free Download

Years prior to losing my weight, I made a switch to skim milk because I thought it was healthier for me. After all, it was fat free and if I could eliminate as much fat as possible from my diet, I'd start losing the weight. However, switching to skim milk did not solve my problems with an increasing waist line.

In this brief article, I want to share why milk can be a real problem for those losing weight and I want you to know that there are solutions.

CLICK HERE for our MILK Recommendations

From a weight loss perspective, milk can be a real problem. Consider these concerns:

1. Milk contains natural sugar (Lactose). Fortunately, milk does not contain added sugar, but one cup of milk contains 14 grams of sugar. Although it is argued that Lactose does not cause the same degree of insulin response as glucose, the reality is that milk does cause an insulin response in the body. Since insulin (we call it the "Fat Truck") is the main fat storage hormone in your body, you can be putting yourself in a fat storage mode-even with skim milk! Fortunately, there are better alternatives!

2. Milk is not calorie free. Since fat is the most calorie dense of the macronutrients (fat, protein and carbohydrates), removing the fat (e.g., skim milk) results in lower calories. However, one cup of skim milk still has about 90 calories. While that is not horrible, their are better alternatives.

3. Milk is often paired with cereal. This is a big problem because most cereals are loaded with sugar and starch. When you add the additional sugars from the milk to the cereal's sugars, the Fat Truck is in full swing-even if the cereal has whole grains and protein!

What about Almond milk?

Almond milk is great in some aspects:

• Low Calorie
• Lactose free
• Lower fat (less than 3 grams of fat in most brands)
• Very low carb

However, from a fat-burning perspective, most almond milks have little or no fire power (e.g., protein). I do not recommend using most almond milks in cereal. They may be used as a base for protein drinks and in recipes (provided the milk is not being used as a source of protein in the recipe). The good news is that there is now an almond milk which does work with cereals and I do recommend! Check out the free download to learn more.

CLICK HERE for our MILK Recommendations

Milk and Weight Loss?

Can you drink milk and lose weight ? Yes! However, you need to be careful because the Diet Demon lurks in the milk isle. Here are some milk and milk-like products you need to avoid in weight loss mode because they can easily put you into a fat storage mode:

1. Rice Milk
2. Coconut Milk
3. Skim Milk
4. Sweetened "Almond" Milk

Conclusion

Since I started my weight loss journey in 2011, many new and better milks have come on the market. These milks work great in a sustainable weight loss lifestyle. In addition, they range from organic, plant-based to cow's milk so you can choose the type of milk based on your preference. Bottom line, a sustainable weight loss lifestyle can include milk!

Straight Talk about Weight Loss + Evaluation Tool Download

In January many are going to be looking to lose holiday weight. I know the feeling. At one time I had lost over 10 lbs on a weight loss program. I was excited about my progress until the holidays hit. The weight gain started with Thanksgiving, continued with various Christmas parties and Christmas day events; it continued with New Year's celebrations and then my birthday. Before I knew it, I had gained back my 10 lbs and then some. I was deflated and frustrated with myself. I was ready to quit.

Of course, weight loss companies, fitness trainers and supplement companies know that there are hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people who feel the way I did after the holidays and they are ready for you. Honestly, my company, Achieve Weight Loss, is also in that mix of those who are anticipating the new year.

As you evaluate what to do to help you lose the holiday weight, let me give you a few questions to use to help you determine what is best for you.

1. Can I Sustain this Way of Life?
There are plenty of weight loss programs from which you can choose from and be successful in doing. Every weight loss program, product, fitness trainer, etc. has corresponding success stories and Achieve Weight Loss is no different.

The question you must ask yourself is: Can I live on this product, supplement, program, routine, etc. for the rest of my life? Yes, all those various options will result in weight loss-some will produce rapid weight loss, others will produce slower weight loss, but at the end of the day, you have determine if this is a way you can live for the rest of your life.

CLICK HERE to Download Your Evaluation Tool 

2. Is this Healthy?

Many diets deprive you of a macro nutrient in order to produce rapid weight loss. You will lose weight (often quickly on these programs) but at the expense of your long-term health. In many cases you will experience significant muscle loss as part of your weight loss. When it comes to programs based on a product, you need to evaluate the side effects of these products. Note also, that weight loss supplements and dietary products are not required to seek FDA approved. With that in mind, be sure to check out the background of the companies which manufacture these products. Some are legitimate while others are not. Click Here to read more.

3. Is this Affordable?
The price range for weight loss programs varies. Programs with pre-packaged foods, supplements, etc. cost several hundreds of dollars a month. In addition, you have to make additional purchases to supplement the pre-packaged foods. Supplement based programs also cost several hundreds of dollars and they too also require additional purchases as part of their diet. 

You will lose weight on these programs! Ask yourself this question: Can I afford to do this long-term. Realistic, sustainable and healthy weight loss is about 10 lbs a month. So if you want to lost 40 lbs you may be on the program for 3-4 months. Look at the program long term. For example: How much will losing that 40 lbs cost you on _________ program? 

4. Is this Educating Me?
Education is power! You will lose weight on whatever weight loss program or fitness regiment you choose. The questions you must ask are: 

1. Am I learning anything?
2. Is what I am learning applicable in the real world?
3. Am I being equipped to make my own choices outside of this program? 

Whichever program you choose is up to you, but make sure it is a program that educates you about food in your grocery store and not just about their products. 

5. Does these People Care about Me?
Weight loss is a multi-billion dollar business. Unfortunately, many companies are driven by one thing: profit. To be honest, companies have to make a profit to stay in business: Achieve Weight Loss has to make a profit to stay in business; we have to pay bills and eat too! 

Businesses have to make a profit! So, how do you determine if profit is the main motivator or simply the result of the company's motivation. Here are a few questions to ask in making that determination: 

1. Is the company's weight loss program built only on a product?
2. Does the company provide value beyond their product or program?
3. Is the company willing to work with you (e.g., are their flexible?)
4. Does the company offer a refund policy?
5. What are others saying about the company?
6. Is the company constantly pushing you to purchase their product?
7. Is this program endorsed by medical professionals and, if it is, are these local medical professionals who have experienced the program or are these paid endorsements?
8. Does the company set you up for success beyond their program or product? 

Hopefully, this article has provided you with some effective ways to make informed decisions. Whichever route you choose is up to you. To help you guide you in your decision, I have included a free Evaluation Tool you can print off. Use this cheat sheet as you are researching various programs for losing weight. 

I want you to succeed in your weight loss! So, I have included links at the bottom of this article to some of most popular weight loss programs in the country. Use your Evaluation Tool as you go through their website to determine which program is right for you. 

CLICK HERE to Download Your Evaluation Tool

Achieve Weight Loss

Weight Watchers
HMR Diet
Biggest Loser Diet
Jenny Craig
Dash Diet
TLC Diet
Ornish Diet

Have a Healthy Day!

Jim

5 Reasons Most People Fail at Losing Weight and How You Can Succeed

Since you are reading this blog, you may be one of the millions of individuals who has resolved to lose weight this year. Congratulations! If you will follow through on your New Year's resolution you can likely expect the following benefits:

• Weight Loss
• Reduced or elimination of medications
• Greater mobility
• More energy
• Improved self-esteem/confidence
• ...and the list goes on!

Check our Success Stories

Notice I said "If you will follow through on your New Year's resolution" to lose weight you can expect these things. The sad reality is that most people will quit within a day or week of making the resolution. Here are a few reasons I think most will quit and what you can do to be success

Reason #1: I can exercise myself into weight loss

I used to think that way. I enrolled in martial arts classes and eventually received two black belts--but I was still 35 pounds overweight! I was in shape, but overweight! It wasn't until I changed my nutrition that the weight came off. Exercise is great and I highly recommend it, but it is the worst way to try to lose weight! It is for that reason that most people quit within a few days or weeks of the New Year.

Solution: Exercise but focus primarily on your nutrition.

CLICK HERE & Download the 5 Weight Loss Rookie Mistakes!

Reason #2: I have to deprive myself of good tasting food

The first three letters of the word "Diet" is "DIE"! Many people think that to lose weight they have to eat food with names they cannot pronounce, that tastes like cardboard or is boring. Who wants to live that way?! I haven't lived this lifestyle for almost 5 years eating exotic, bland or boring food! You can still eat eclairs as part of your lifestyle and lose weight!

Solution: Educate yourself about the tons of food options which will satisfy your cravings without causing you to store fat!

Reason #3: Sustainable Weight Loss is not possible

Have you had the experience of losing your weight and then regaining it? I have. Why does that happen. First, many people lose weight on an unsustainable diet plan. Once they get off the plan, they gain back the weight. Second, many people lose weight without understand how their program worked. They start making assumptions and the weight starts coming back because they were never educated about real food. Third, they never developed a weight loss lifestyle mindset. They may have learned nutritional information, but they never dealt with their mindset about food. 

 Solution: Develop a weight loss mindset coupled with knowledge about food. 

Reason #4: I live a fast-paced life

Who doesn't? Most of us live a fast-paced lifestyle complete with travel, kids, jobs, etc. People think that they cannot make fast food work for them, but they can! People think that they cannot eat health on the go, but they can!

Solution: Educate yourself about fast food options!

CLICK HERE to Download Your McDonald's Cheat Sheet

Reason #5: I have to cook for too many people

I hear this one a lot. Yet, the reality is that your meals are going to have a protein and it is most likely going to be in one of the three protein categories we teach. You are going to have some sort of vegetable and/or fruit and they are going to be in one of the three carbohydrate categories. Yes, you may not be able to eat everything you fix for the kids, but you can eat the majority of it and still lose weight. 

How to Make McDonald's Work for You

You know the drill: you are running from place to place and you don't have time to go home and fix something to eat. As you drive down the road, you see the "Golden Arches" of McDonald's gleaming in the sunlight. Your children suddenly start complaining they are hungry and want to go to McDonald's. (I am sure that their Happy Meal with its prizes is also a factor in your kid's decision!)

You let out a sigh of resignation as you see your "diet" plan once again put on hiatus.

Don't be discouraged! A trip to McDonald's need not derail you! Believe it or not, there are plenty of options which you can eat at McDonald's that will not move you away from your weight loss goal! However, there are a few landmines you need to know about before you venture into the Golden Arches.

CLICK HERE to Download Your McDonald's Cheat Sheet

At Achieve Weight Loss we stress that knowledge is power, so let me arm you with some knowledge about what to avoid, what you can eat, and some simple tricks you can use to keep you in a fat-burning mode. Let's start with what you need to avoid.

#1: Avoid the Bun!
The typical bun at McDonald's contains 150 calories! In addition, the bun has only 1 gram of fiber, a whopping 5 grams of sugar, and about 23 grams of starches. This bun will immediately cause your body to go into a fat storage mode! Who wants to eat a hamburger without the bun? No me! In our free download, we give you a trick to get around this dilemma (and no, it is not wrapping the meat in lettuce-that's still not a hamburger!)

#2: Avoid the Fries!
Even a small serving of McDonald's fries contains over 220 calories! They also contain 23 grams of starches which will convert to blood sugar upon digestion once again triggering fat storage. You would have to walk for over an hour just to burn off the small McDonald's fries!

#3: Avoid the Regular Soft Drinks
This should be a no-brainer! These Diet Demon Delights are loaded with enough sugar to cause insulin to run out your nose! You trigger fat storage every time you consume these gut-busters!

#4: Be Careful with the Salad Dressing
Say after me: "Salads are not automatically healthy!" Salad dressings can be loaded with fat and sugar and can destroy the health benefits of the vegetables in the salad (Okay, so you will get some vitamins and minerals out of it, but you are still storing fat with your salad!). Be of good courage, there are some salad dressings at McDonald's which you can enjoy without destroying your salad. We list those in the download.

#5: Avoid Super Sizing
Portions have grown over the years. What used to be standard in 1955 is now the small size today and even the small sizes today are slightly bigger than the standard size fifty years ago! The temptation to upgrade for a few cents more is tempting, but the weight gain (and the feeling that comes with it) is not worth it.

Can you eat at McDonald's and still burn fat? Yes! You don't have to avoid an occasional trip to McDonald's! (In the interest of full-disclosure, I occasionally eat at McDonald's because I do like the taste of their hamburgers.)

Recently, at Achieve Weight Loss we taught a class about our best menu picks of 4 fast food restaurants. I have put together a quick-reference sheet with menu choices at McDonald's that you can enjoy and still stay in fat-burn mode. I have also included some tricks that can help you make your food work for you at McDonald's (including hamburgers!).

Have a Healthy Day!

Jim
Founder of Achieve Weight Loss

CLICK HERE to Download Your McDonald's Cheat Sheet

Avoiding the Thanksgiving Hangover

Several years ago I was losing weight on a diet program and I was so excited. I was having fun making meals out of their cookbook and I was seeing success...until Thanksgiving. The pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, chicken and noodles, etc. got the best of me, but it didn't stop there. A few days later the Christmas parties and events started. With only a few days between Christmas and New Year's day I just continued to eat like before the diet. My birthday is only a few days after New Year's day, so I continued in my old habits.

By the time the holiday season was over, I had regained my weight back-and then some. I was depressed and defeated. I didn't have the drive or the excitement I had before the holidays and so I didn't go back to my "diet" plan.

You don't have to be derailed by the holidays! You can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas parties, Christmas dinner and New Year's celebration just like everyone else and not get derailed on your weight loss! I know because since losing my weight 4 1/2 years I haven't been derailed!

CLICK HERE to Download 8 Meal Ideas Utilizing Thanksgiving Day leftovers

The following are some strategies to help you keep from being derailed:


1. Drink plenty of water on Thanksgiving Day

• Water keeps you feeling fuller making you less likely to overeat. If you drink a glass of water before your Thanksgiving dinner you will get fuller much quicker!
• Water is a natural lubricant so your food will easily move through your system.

2. Don’t "junk" every meal

• Eat a simple, light breakfast of an egg whites, veggies, and whole wheat bread (Better yet, eat Achieve Weight Loss approved "Broccoli Bread.")
• Eat a light supper following the big Thanksgiving meal. 

3. Don’t skip breakfast on Thanksgiving. You will be less likely to overdo it at the Thanksgiving meal.

4. Wear tight fitting clothes. The uncomfortable feeling will be a good reminder of why you need to limit your portions.

5. Skip the fillers like nuts and bread. 

6. Watch your portions. At Achieve Weight Loss we recommend that you use a 6-8" inch plate. Try using a salad plate instead of one of those gargantuan plates!

We cover many more ideas in our "Preparing for the Holidays" lifestyle class; however, I know that these six ideas can help keep you from getting derailed on Thanksgiving. If you want to know how you turn you Thanksgiving leftovers into fat-burning meals, download our PDF of meal ideas utilizing your Thanksgiving Day leftovers.

CLICK HERE to Download 8 Meal Ideas Utilizing Thanksgiving Day leftovers

Why These Subway Choices Work PLUS Free Pocket Cheat Sheet

I spend a lot of nights teaching weight loss classes in churches, schools, businesses as well as my own training center. Many of those nights I am traveling back home in the late evening. I am hungry and tired.

It is at those moments many people stop at a fast food restaurant and make choices that send their bodies into fat-storing machines. However, it doesn't have to be that way!

With few exceptions, you can eat at any fast food restaurant and still burn fat. (Hint: you don't have to eat only the salads!) One of the easiest restaurant options is Subway.

I stop at Subway a lot when traveling back home after a long day of teaching people how to make food from their local grocery store work for them.

  CLICK HERE for your Subway Pocket Guide

In the FREE download, I am offering you several options at Subway which you can enjoy and still be in a fat-burning mode. Of course, these are not magical weight loss meals, but when they are eaten in the context of a "Healthy Day" they can keep the Fat Truck parked and your body in a fat-burning mode. Here are some reasons why they work:

1. They don't contain excessive calories. Calories are nothing more than a measurement of energy. Your body only needs so much energy. These foods supply you with enough energy to make it to your next meal. After all, that is all the energy you need-enough to get to the next meal.

2. They don't cause the Fat Truck to run. These meals and options will not cause your body to go into a fat storage mode. You can walk out of the Subway with plenty of energy from your food without causing your body to start the fat storage process.

 3. They supply your body with adequate intake of macronutrients

The macronutrients are: Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates. By having an adequate intake of these nutrients you will maintain muscle mass, have energy and enjoy health.

For your convenience, I have created a small, pocket-sized, fold-over sheet you can keep in your purse or wallet to help remind you of great, fat-burning options at your local Subway. If you make this a part of a healthy lifestyle, you can enjoy losing weight and-just as importantly-keeping it off.

CLICK HERE for your Subway Pocket Guide

5 Food Tips for a Fast Paced Life PLUS Free Download

At a recent health fair, I talked to a young mother. She lamented that she knew what she needed to do, but she just didn’t have the time to cook and eat healthy.

Are you struggling to find time to eat healthy? Are you constantly stopping at fast food restaurants, grabbing a quick snack at the convenience store, devouring your meals because you have to be somewhere quickly? Let’s face it, we live in a fast-paced world. Our days are filled with running from place to place.

When you live a fast-paced life losing weight seems to be impossibility, but it is not. Here are a few tips that will help you.

1. HAVE A COUPLE “GO-TO” FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS 
There a several “safe” options at restaurants which you can enjoy without fear of packing on the weight. To help you succeed in your weight loss in our highly mobile society, we have created a PDF download of “safe” options in 3 national fast food chains.

Click Here for Your Download of "on-the-go" Options

2. AVOID THE SUGARY SOFT DRINKS
When you are on-the-go, it is easy to grab a sugar-filled soft drink. After all, the sugar provides you with an energy bump. However, the sugar also throws your body into a fat storage mode. Sitting in your car, sipping a sugary drink coupled with little activity is a recipe for disaster.

3. AVOID THE SUGARY SNACKS
Just like the sugar soft drinks, the candy bars will give you a brief energy boost, but put you into a fat storage state. Plus, you will find yourself craving more food within a short period of time. Included in your download is a list of 3 snack bars found in many grocery stores and gas stations which will not hurt you in your quest to lost weight.

4. KEEP QUICK BREAKFAST OPTIONS AVAILABLE 
Although I want you to cook your own meals, the reality is that you need to have a few items you can grab out of the freezer, cook in the microwave and eat on-the-go. Since breakfast is a difficult time for most of us, we have included 3 quick breakfast options you can quickly heat up and eat before you run out the door.

5. CARRY A FEW EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
Recently, I was in a fast food restaurant and I ordered their grilled chicken salad. When I asked for the salad dressing options, I found out that they did not have any good options. (Word of warning: low fat does not mean always mean weight loss.) Fortunately, I had some salad dressing packets in my car which I could use that would not derail me. We have included an easy portable option in the download.

Admittedly, it can be difficult to lose weight in this fast-paced word, but it is not impossible! You can do it and these tips and tools can start you in the right direction.

Click Here for Your Download of "on-the-go" Options