If the battle of the bulge seems to be a lost cause, now there is some hope in this recent report of the effects of green tea on that ridiculous belly fat which sometimes lead to obesity.
It was uncovered that researchers in Tokyo, Japan noted that the daily consumption of green tea containing 690 mg catechins for 12 weeks reduced body fat, which suggests that the ingestion of catechins might be useful in the prevention and improvement of lifestyle-related diseases, mainly obesity.
Catechins, a natural components of green tea, help people lose weight by improving the metabolism of carbohydrates, preventing fat deposition and promoting heat loss.
This Japanese study showed that drinking a bottle of green tea extract containing 690 mg of catechins per day for 12 weeks helped test subjects decrease bodyweight, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat mass and surface fat area compared to a group that drank a daily bottle of tea containing only 22 mg of catechins.
Participants taking the green tea extract lost more than three pounds of total body fat and seven inches of surface fat, leading researchers to believe green tea extract may be an effective way to lose pounds and inches.
Some countdown, I haven’t been letting you gals know how things are going.
The basic facts are I need to lose at least 10lbs by my wedding day. Ideal would be 15lbs.
My starting weight is 160lbs. I have really slacked off in my workout routine in the past few months due to lack of time and “a little” stress. Since I began my countdown I have lost 5lbs. My lowest weight has been 153lbs with hydration back up to 155/156 during the day. I want to be a solid 150lbs for my wedding moon to alleviate the trip back up to 160lbs over the duration of the cruise. I can deal with gaining 5lbs but not 10lbs.
I don’t think I am getting an accurate weight measure right now due to Mrs. Aunt Flow being a week away. Thankfully, she will come and go for the big day. I wanted to double up this month but that makes me major irritable and I didn’t want to be all extra hormonal for my wedding moon.
Weight Loss Efforts
So what have I been doing? First, I have been tightening up on the work outs. I currently attend Rush Fitness 24/7 and I have been bumping up on my cardio instead of focusing so much on weights. I also am paying more attention to my core exercises. I actually like my size, I just need to tone up on my arms, back and tummy. My legs are actually becoming more defined which is nice since I used to have really cute legs when I was in my 20’s.
I have always been small-framed and averaged being in my 120’s throughout my 20’s. When I finished graduate school and started working a desk job – I ballooned up to the 150’s. I lost my mind temporarily last summer and ate uncontrollably. I was a whale of 170lbs. I snapped back to reality when I found out I weighed that much and immediately went on a liquid diet for 9 days. I was shooting for 10 days – but umm I broke down at the end. I lost a total of 15lbs. Ten of those pounds were solid. I’ve never gotten back up to 170, Thank GOD! However, I have bounced up and down the 150’s for the past year, which is so frustrating. I think it’s called “plateauing” (WHATEVER!!!).
Eating Habits
I know what I need to do and that is cut back on the night eating and snacking. I love food. I love grocery shopping. I enjoy eating. I can’t help it. One thing I am trying to do is eat more healthy foods. To be honest, fruits and veggies make me gag sometimes. But I force them down. I have rediscovered veggies I previously thought I did not care for, like Zucchini, Squash, Spinach. Rediscovering these veggies has been helpful because I can incorporate them more in my diet and cut out more mess.
The fruits are still a struggle but I am trying to drink more juice. Real juice – not the sugar water they call juice (i.e. Minute Maid Fruit Punch, Lemonade, etc.). I have been eating more bananas and pineapple. Pineapple is another healthy food I rediscovered, along with cherries. Fresh Cherries are great! They both are delicious! Apples and oranges are mostly consumed in juices.
Any Extra Help
Like most of you I have been seeing the ads for Acai Berry and Colon Cleansers. I actually had some colon cleanser around the house for a few months I brought and never used because I hate products that hurt my stomach. I also refused to pay the $90 or so for a bottle of Acai Berry, especially when most drugstores and vitamin shops carry them now. I actually saw a bottle of 1000mgs of Acai Berry at the local grocery store Harris Teeter for only $9.99. I have been taking this supplement daily for the past two weeks. While I can’t say it has helped any with weight loss, I can certainly say it has helped tremendously with ENERGY – something I desperately need with everything going on right now.
I did try the Colon Cleanser – Supreme and it didn’t cause any cramping (for me) like I expected, but I feel the dosage was too much (4 pills now and then 4 pills 4-6 hours later). I only took half the dosage (4 pills) before bed and did not take the second half because the first was sufficient. I doubt I will use the combination of Acai Berry and the Colon Cleanser, simply because I think a normal enema works just as well and I don’t have to take any pills.
This weekend is my bachelorette party and I am mentally preparing myself not to pig out. I also will be starting a spiritual fast with my future hubby starting this Sunday so that should help me out tremendously as well.
