I'm not sure if you are aware but we have been given the designation by Yahoo Small Business
as a Yahoo 5 Star Website. This award is accomplished by giving great customer service and insuring that all our customers needs are met. We encourage our clients to report to Yahoo the experience they have had with Health Management and Nutrition (www.myhealthmanagement.com) and it will in turn report back to us so we know where we stand and if necessary take corrective action in order to improve our service. The following are some of the actual reports from our clients on how we conduct our business. And no we did not cherry pick, these are the real McCoy. Here goes:

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/1012
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Good
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:The customer service that this company offers in EXCELLENT! I had a problem with my order and they were right on the money to straighten it out.

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/985
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Good
Shipping Options Rating:Good
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:This merchant always takes care of his customers. If I ever have a question or concern it is immediately handled to my satisfaction. I would recommend this merchant to everyone.

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/1020
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Excellent
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:I will continue to do buy products from this merchant. They are very friendly, fast and my orders have always been accurate. Thanks for the great service.

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/909
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Excellent
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:It was such a pleasure! Couldnt have been any easier. The price, personal touch, convience is 5 star. I will be back.

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/928
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Excellent
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:I wish that I could buy everything I need through this site, that would make my life complete!

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/1008
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Excellent
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:One of the things that I find most amazing about this site is that they are sending a product to me that I can get at a local clinic, yet I can taste that it is fresher from My Health Management! And Im not paying them hundreds of dollars to talk to me, yet they are perfectly wiling to do so at any time. Im proud to refer friends and co workers to them, and they are never disappointed. As always I cant say enough good things about Gene and Jan and the awesome company they run!

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/1001
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Excellent
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:Good prices, fast shipping, excellent communication Will order from again.
Thank you!

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/959
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Excellent
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:Great service, prices and products. Web site is easy to navigate and ordering is simple. I am very pleased with all aspects of this merchant.

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/1055
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Excellent
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:Each time I have placed an order, it has been an excellent experience - from the ease of ordering, to the low prices, free shipping, discount, customer service and super-fast shipping. Whenever I have a question, I send an email and it is generally answered immediately. It is refreshing to do business with someone like this!

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/1062
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Excellent
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:I love this place. My order is always perfect! They always send free samples, they have the best prices around. Great customer service. This place is #1 in my book!

To view this order follow this link: https://us-f2-edit.store.yahoo.com/RT/MGR.yhst-71897475536871/order/1092
Rating: Excellent
Comments:
Price Rating:Excellent
Shipping Options Rating:Excellent
Delivery Rating:Excellent
Ease of Purchase Rating:Excellent
Customer Service Rating:Excellent
Title:
Body:My Health Management.com is still doing an excellent job. I have e-mailed with questions in the past, and Eugene has called me on the phone and personally answered all of my questions. MHM provides and easy, healthy and TASTY diet plan, along with food options that fit well into other existing plans. Thanks again!

Do we have more of these to show you? Of course, but I think you get the idea by now that we bend over backwards to insure our clients have what they need in a timely fashion and at a realistic price. If you have had less than a stellar experience with one of our competitors then come over and do a little business with us. I think you will like the experience and your budget will thank you.

Gene C.

We have added a new line of products in an effort to bring you more healthy choices for your health management. We now have available from Protos, Inc their delicious line of meat snacks.
We are currently have the Ostrim line of meat snacks available in three flavors; Barbecue, Teriyaki and Pepper. We are awaiting the arrival of the Ostrim Mighty Mini Sticks which are small meat sticks that can go in your pocket or purse and are handy for whenever you get a tinge of hunger. It will satisfy your immediate craving and perhaps keep you from that Big Mac or that Number 2 at Wendy's which will surely wreck your diet and otherwise contribute to derailing your efforts at eating well. Jan and I have tried all three as well as the Mighty Mini Sticks and we love them. They taste great, are easy to chew and offers the same or more nutritional benefits than most sports bars. They are shelf stable, require no refrigeration and their convenience and portability is second to none. For the person on the go, be it an athlete, commuter, motorcyclist, over the road driver, bicyclist, physical fitness enthusiast, high protein dieter, kids, weekend warriors, executives or soccer Mom shopping at the mall, these products are great to have close at hand whatever you may be doing.

Ostrim is not your ordinary meat stick! Made from a combination of naturally raised ostrich meat and premium lean beef with no fillers, Ostrim Meat Sticks are specially formulated for the growing list of consumers looking for snacks that offer taste, nutrition and convenience.

Check out our websites, www.myhealthmanagement.com or www.bariatricfoodproducts.com for pricing and nutritional information.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them. We would like to hear from you.

Gene C.

For those of you who have been following the 26 lessons in bahavior modification and feel you can benefit from it we have an e-manual available if you choose. This manual is free of charge and all you have to do to get a copy is to send me an
e-mail with your e-mail address to either:

gene@myhealthmanagement.com

or

gene@bariatricfoodproducts.com

We will send you the manual in complete form so you can refer to it when needed and it can also be shared with friends and loved ones.

We always like to know how we are doing and if we are satisfying your information needs. If you would like to send us a comment we would welcome your input. It can be done right here on this blog or you can use one of the two e-mail addresses listed above.

Be well.

Gene C.

Conclusion

Putting It All Together

You may be surprised to discover that you have reached the end of the HM&N Behavior Modification Program and are now ready to enter maintenance. If that prospect seems overwhelming, take heart, here is what you learned:

1. You have developed the technical skills needed for effective weight management.
2. You have developed a positive self image and increased self esteem.
3. You have learned ways of dealing with both the internal and external forces around you.
4. You have learned to recognize stress and discovered ways to minimize its effect upon your life.

The Present

Take this opportunity to feel comfortable and confident. Also take time to remember that while the weight loss phase is over, the HM&N program is far from finished. Permanent weight control depends on lifestyle change which may take many months to accomplish. While eating habits and behaviors have been modified during the HM&N program, it is only the beginning.
We have outlined some of the tools and crutches that you will need to develop healthy attitudes towards eating, but you are the one who has to take responsibility for implementing them in your life. It takes time, practice and the help of some crutches before the positive attitudes will function on their own.
At first, these may seem awkward and silly and obvious, like any crutches, but you may need to use them until your positive attitudes are healthy and self sustaining. Eventually, you will get to know your Achilles Heel (those cues, beliefs and attitudes, and thoughts and feelings that are particularly destructive) well enough so you can counter its effect before it takes control of the situation.

Future

You have your game plan, now you must execute it. You must continue in maintenance to refine these skills under the supportive care of your HM&N team. By continually practicing these skills under our watchful eye (like an athlete preparing throughout the season with his coach for the Superbowl), you will improve your chances for long term weight control. In time, you will be able to make your own choices and deal with food cues and behavioral situations wherever you may find them; but for now, listen to your coach.

Remember, you are still in training!

Gene C.

Lesson 26

Resistance Tactics: Strategies For Change

Resisting Change

You are likely to resist change because it creates chaos and conflict. Change riles things up, bringing out emotions you are not used to or comfortable with feeling. It also means you are striking out into dangerous territory, the unknown. Your mind may panic at the thought of having to change comfortable patterns of negative behavior to more positive ones. If you take a good, honest look at your behaviors, you will probably discover some common resistance tactics.

Identifying Your Resistance Tactics

Delay.
Do you often procrastinate or forget things that you wanted to do so much? I can not go to the beach today. I will go next week, next month, next summer, when I am thinner.

Denial.
Do you see problems in everybody except yourself? My friend thinks the reason she does not have a boyfriend is because her nose is too big. She really should see a therapist.

Blame.
Do you always blame either yourself or someone else for keeping you back or stopping you from making positive changes in your life? My mother never told me I was pretty. It is her fault I have such a bad self-image.

Rationalization.
Do you tell yourself every reason in the book, except the real reason, why you are not willing to change? I can not wear straight skirts because I need to project a professional image.

Avoidance.
Do you get sick, lose things, arrive late to avoid confrontations that feel threatening? I forgot to bring my lunch today. There is nothing low calorie I could buy for lunch, so I may as well splurge and have a pizza.

Overcoming Resistance
Once you figure out which resistance tactics you have been using, it will be easier for you to catch yourself when you are in the act of resisting. The first step is to admit you are resisting something. Next, set modest goals that you think you can achieve. Expect that you will succeed, and concentrate on your progress, not your setbacks.

Start to act.
Action makes you feel less helpless and more powerful. If you decide that you want to start an exercise class, then do it! You wll discover that resistance keeps you stuck in one place, but action serves as a catalyst, moving you forward toward more change. If you change old behaviors gradually rather than all at once you are more likely to succeed. Your mind and your body need time to adapt and adjust to these new changes.

Celebrate the Change

You will notice as you work toward changing your negative body image that it never really mattered how your body looked. What mattered most is the way you viewed it, how you thought others saw it. Whereas before you looked at yourself with self rejecting eyes, you now view yourself with self acceptance, with generosity and forgiveness. Look in the mirror and say to yourself, I like myself just the way I am! Then celebrate the changes that helped you to realize that you can love your body and yourself.

Gene C.

Lesson 25

Learning To Love Your Body

Everyone carries around an inner view of how he or she looks to the world. This is known as your body image, the way you see your body through your minds eye. Depending on whether your body image is positive or negative, it can support you on the road to success or pull you down the path to failure.

What Is Your Body Image?

It is visual, based on what you see when you look in the mirror. It is emotional, based on how you feel about the way you look. It is kinesthetic, based on how you feel about and control your body parts. It is historical, based on the way people have responded to your appearance throughout your life.
The way you see yourself depends to a large extent on how you think others see you. Most of us see ourselves as a caricature of who we really are. The minds eye presents a distorted image of the way you look. There are two common ways you can distort body image; by seeing a particular body part (nose, hips, thighs, etc.) as abnormal or viewing yourself as having the wrong size or shape. Either way you are doing yourself an injustice.

Understanding Your Body Image
Examine your own feelings by asking yourself a few simple questions:

Are you often self-conscious about your appearance?
Do certain body parts tend to dominate your thoughts? If so, which ones?
Do you often compare your looks to others or to those of models?
Do some body parts seem dramatically different from one day to the next?
Do people say you look better than you think you do?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you need to set some new goals for yourself. Think about how you feel about your body, and then write down how you would like to feel about it.

Setting Goals For a New Body Image

When you select your goals, keep your list short and manageable.
I will stop demanding perfection.
I will stop setting up unrealistic standards for myself of how I should look.
I will stop criticizing my appearance and look for my good points.
I will learn to love my body and treat it with respect.
Be patient. Remember that it took many years to develop your body image, therefore, do not expect your self perception to change overnight.
To succeed at body love, you must first acknowledge that you and your body need to establish a new relationship. Then you need to learn concrete ways to change your body image.

Gene C.

Lesson 24

Integrating Thinking, Feeling and Acting

Some forms of behavior are automatic, like breathing or scratching an itch. Others, like eating are rarely automatic. Eating behaviors are the end result of a continuum or a sequence of events which are influenced by your thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Defining the Continuums

Some input or cues trigger thoughts and feelings that in turn lead to some kind of output or behavior. That continuum looks something like this:

INPUT
FILTER
PROCESSING
OUTPUT
Cue
Beliefs and Attitudes
Thoughts and Feelings
Behavior
Controlling the Continuum

Using the following HM&N Continuum Exercise to keep track of your thought, feeling, behavior continuums. Soon, you will start to recognize patterns, certain situations, ideas and feelings that regularly set you off in search of food. And you will find more and more ways to deflect the continuum away from eating behaviors into more appropriate ones.

HM&N Continuum Exercise

INPUT
What cues are particularly dangerous for me in terms of wanting to eat?
What cues might be at work right now?
FILTER
What negative beliefs do I hold that affect me in this situation?
How could I rephrase those beliefs to allow for the possibility of success?
What information could these beliefs keep me from seeing in this situation?
PROCESSING
What am I thinking about that is making me want to eat?
Could I think about something else? Or could I be thinking about this in more constructive ways?
How do I feel right now? Bored, anxious, unhappy, angry?
What can I do or think about to change these feelings?
OUTPUT
I am going to (a) eat or (b) do something more constructive and appropriate for which I will reward myself with_______________________________________________________

The most important thing for you to know about the thought/feeling/behavior continuum is that you can change the outcome.

Gene C.

Lesson 23

The Behavior Chain

You have probably noticed by now that certain behaviors trigger other behaviors. That is, that there is often a chain of events that leads you to want to eat for reasons other than hunger. The key to handling a behavior chain that may lead you to overeating is first to recognize what is going on. For example, perhaps you know that when you enter the kitchen after you return from work in the evening you want to eat. The chain of events goes like this:
You walk into the kitchen. Immediately you start to think about food. You see an open bag of potato chips on the counter next to the stove. You go to the stove, begin cooking dinner, and reach for the chips. Before you know it the bag is half empty.

Breaking the Chain

Avoid going into the kitchen immediately after work. If you have two entrances to your home, go in through the door that is not in the kitchen. If you must enter through the kitchen, do just that walk through the kitchen to another room.
Find an activity to keep you occupied for at least ten minutes, even if you are legitimately hungry. Remind yourself that it is okay to feel hungry. You are not going to pass out just because you are feeling some hunger pangs which you plan to satisfy soon.
You can go to your room and phone a friend or change into sweats and do ten minutes of stretching exercises. Talk to your children. Water the plants. Sit in a chair, close your eyes and relax for ten blissful minutes. The only thing you cannot do is step foot into the kitchen, not yet. After 10 minutes, the urge may very well have passed.

Planning for Success

But what if you try to break the chain and it just does not work? What if you eat a planned snack at work, walk right through the kitchen, stay out for ten minutes, keep all snacks out of sight and still feel an uncontrollable urge to binge? First, use self talk to combat what feels like an overwhelming urge at the moment. Ask yourself what you are doing and why. Remind yourself how you will feel after the deed is done. Do you really want to return to old behaviors? Will that make you feel happy with yourself? The answer, as you know, is a resounding NO! Remind yourself of how hard you have worked to come so far, of the new behaviors you have been working on, and the new approach to eating that you now have.

Gene C.

Lesson 22

Behavioral Control 4: Special Situations

What About Home?

Are you a victim of your environment? Or are there ways you can change your environment to adapt to your needs? Obviously there are some things you cannot change, at least not right away.
If you live near the best bakery in town, you cannot just pick up and move because you have a temptation right around the corner. You can plan your itinerary so that you do not pass by that bakery every day.
If your husband loves to eat ice cream every night, you cannot ask him to change his behavior to suit your needs, or can you? You certainly can ask him to eat in another room, or excuse yourself and go to your bedroom while he indulges in his snack.

What About the Workplace?

Treat your office like your home. Designate a place where you can eat, probably at your desk and make it clear to yourself that this is the only place where eating is allowed. If you are brown bagging it, plan ahead and make sure you include foods in your lunch that will tide you through the work day.
If you go out for lunch, do some investigating first. Visit the restaurants near your office and examine their menus. Which ones offer low calorie selections? Beware of calorie counter lunches that offer chicken salad, tuna salad or seafood salad that may be loaded with hidden fat.

What About Ordering In?

What if everybody decided to order a pizza and asked you to join in? Well, there are two ways you can handle that situation with ease. First, it is okay to order pizza with your coworkers if you put in your request for plain pizza, or extra veggies. When the pizza arrives, take two pieces of pizza, walk back to your desk and eat them slowly. When the pizza on your plate is finished, your lunch is finished even if there are leftovers that are offered to you.
If you know you cannot handle the pizza challenge, tell your coworkers that you are meeting a friend for lunch and head out the door to one of your usual lunchtime eating places. Then you have removed yourself from the temptation. Make sure that you order something satisfying for lunch, something you really enjoy, so that you do not feel deprived when you return to your office. Tell yourself when you are finished that you are full and that you will not eat pizza when you return to your desk.
On the way back to your office, stop at a fruit stand and buy yourself a fresh orange or apple to munch on at your desk. If your coworkers offer you pizza when you return, you are prepared to give the thin persons answer; No, thank you. I am full. And you will discover it is really true!


Gene C.

Lesson 21

Behavioral Control 3: Altering Responses

Think Thin

Healthy choice making is a process by which you train yourself to think and make choices from a thin viewpoint. You already have the knowledge, all you lack is practice. The key to healthy choice making is how to follow up on the awareness which you have gained through the HM&N program.
Most people are aware that bacon contains a lot of fat. Just knowing this fact, however, will not help your diet if you keep it in the freezer. A follow up plan not to purchase bacon at all is a sign of healthy choice making. Sticking to a low-fat diet and maintaining self control is easier when high fat foods are eliminated from your cabinets.
Self control and ideal choice making are not absolute states. You may take a considerable amount of time developing enough self control to resist all the temptations of our modern world.

Self-Control and Choice-Making

Do not strive for perfection. Every little choice that is positive is important. As you exercise your choice making powers, you will gain more confidence. Remember too, that behavioral changes, such as healthier choice making, do not occur overnight. Years of developing bad habits lead to difficult patterns to break.
Stopping cold turkey is not always necessary. Sometimes a slow adjustment to your lifestyle will result in the confidence to continue. Every little choice and admittance of desire to change proves that you are gaining control over your own life.
Not reacting immediately will allow your self control time to react. And as you develop more self control, the process of curbing bad habits will become easier. Stop and think before you react. As you reach for a cookie, think about the consequences instead of making one motion from hand to mouth.
Learning to choose is very rewarding. You will feel the true meaning of success as you gain self control and self determination in the pursuit of your goals.

Eating for Health and Longevity

Food and eating are a very large part of the social life of most Americans. We like foods that taste good and are easy to eat. Nobody can dispute the fact that a diet high in fat (especially saturated fat) contributes to many diet related illnesses such as hypertension, obesity, heart disease, gout, and even certain forms of cancer (such as colon cancer). Controlling your diet is a positive step in preventing these diseases.

Gene C.

Lesson 20

Behavioral Control 2: The Environment

Situational Eating Responses

You know certain situations, foods and emotions are red lights for you, warning you that danger lies ahead. Examine your past behaviors and attitudes toward food. Do you want to eat every time you watch television, talk on the telephone, walk into the kitchen? It is possible that your old behaviors were linked behaviors, that is, you linked eating to another behavior. It took time to develop that link and it is going to take some work to make sure that the destructive link does not return.

In the Kitchen

When you have to be in the kitchen at meal time, make sure that tempting snacks are out of sight. Remember, OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND, OUT OF MOUTH! Do not make it easy for yourself to grab potato chips, pretzels, etc. while you are cooking dinner. If it is time for a snack, measure out an ounce of pretzels, sit down at the table and eat. Beware of the urges you will feel while in the kitchen and put away tempting foods.
While you are cooking, beware of tasting as you cook. This can quickly add up to a full portion. And, of course, when dinner time comes you sit down with your family for yet another portion! And do not forget the commitment you made to eat only while you are sitting at a table with a measured portion of food.

The World Around You

There are sights, sounds, smells and seduction from food all around you. And it is so easy to give in to the constant temptations. The world is not going to change for you. It is you who needs to change your attitudes and beliefs about food. The only person who can take care of your needs is you! If you give in every time you see a hot fudge sundae, or hear an ad on the radio, or walk into a grocery store, bakery or restaurant, you will quickly discover that you are eating all the time.
The temptations will always be there. It is up to you to learn to use the little word NO, when you are bombarded by temptations. Temptations, seductions, they are everywhere. But you can handle them now because you are in control of yourself and in control of your environment.


Gene C.

Lesson 19

Behavioral Control 1: Basics of Change

The 8 Rules of Eating Lead to Successful Weight Control

Rule 1: Only eat when you are sitting at the table.
No eating on the run, in the car, on the street, at the playground, in the park, or while you are in front of the television. If you are standing up you should not be eating! It is that simple. Simplicity is what makes it easy but only you can make it work.

Rule 2: Put your fork down between mouthfuls.
Enjoy what you are eating. Relax and give yourself a chance to feel full before your plate is empty.

Rule 3: Teach yourself when to eat.

Structure your life so that you make time for eating healthy meals. Eat while your sitting down and not while you are rushing off to an appointment.

Rule 4:

Healthy does not have to mean boring.

Do not eat the same meals every day. Vary your menus, adding new spices, new tastes, new textures to your meals. The reality is that healthy, low-calorie, low-fat eating can be just as exciting and much more energizing than the high-fat, high-calorie regimen you were used to before.

Rule 5: Be clear about what you want to eat.

If you are craving something ice-cold like ice cream, do not try to talk yourself into a muffin or a slice of toast or anything else that is not cold. You can treat yourself to a frozen yogurt treat and still feel in control. You will also feel satisfied, which means that you will stop eating after the yogurt, rather than seeking out other foods to fulfill your urges.

Rule 6: Eat on a small plate.

Fill the smaller plate, enjoy your food and never feel a moments guilt about overeating.

Rule 7: No seconds!

As you eat, tell yourself that whatever is on your plate is going to satisfy you. You do not need any more food.

Rule 8: If you need a taste, take a taste!

Keep urges in perspective. When you are confronted with a high-calorie food that you really want, take a taste—even a small piece. Allow yourself to have the sensation of tasting that delicious homemade apple pie or fudge brownie or chocolate delight. But as soon as you feel that urge to reach for more, say to yourself, there is a tomorrow. Reminding yourself of this is your way of allowing yourself to have another treat again in the future.

Gene C.

Lesson 18

Smart Shopping

As with many other HM&N experiences, you must make time for calorie-wise conscious shopping. The shopping experience requires planning ahead.

Eat Before You Shop

Never shop on an empty stomach. Whenever you place yourself in a vulnerable position, your defenses weaken. When you first enter the supermarket, notice that baked goods and other tempting foods are often among the first items to meet your eye. The markets strategy of temptation is designed to lower your resistance. On a full stomach, you will have the strength to come to your senses!

Bring a List

If you have a list with you, your shopping trip will be more focused and efficient. Roaming aimlessly down the aisles allows you too much time to rationalize why you deserve that coconut custard pie at the frozen food section. It is so simple, what you do not take home, you cannot eat!

Read the Labels

As we have said before, labels are tricky. Becoming a skeptical consumer and recognizing the potential traps really gives you a head start in the label jungle. Learn not to trust the front of a box just because it says natural or lower in calories. Question all labels and choose your foods carefully.

Look for low-fat alternatives to your favorite foods.

Steer away from foods with simple carbohydrates and lean towards more complex carbohydrates.
Note amounts of saturated fats listed on the label. Aim for less than ten percent of your fat intake from saturated sources. With a 1500-calorie diet, only 5 grams should be from a saturated fat source.
Always remember that low cholesterol and low-fat differ immensely. A product can be low in cholesterol and high in fat. A product may even be low in saturated fat, but exceed your daily limit of total fat.

Be an Informed Shopper

Take shopping seriously. Conscious and conscientious shopping for food will be an important phase of your HM&N weight maintenance program. You will need to examine labels and choose only foods that are within your HM&N maintenance plan.
To make a final choice while shopping, follow your instincts based on your knowledge. If it makes it out of the store, it will inevitable make it into your mouth. Stop the temptation and start to feel the success!

Lesson 18

Smart Shopping

As with many other HM&N experiences, you must make time for calorie wise conscious shopping. The shopping experience requires planning ahead.

Eat Before You Shop

Never shop on an empty stomach. Whenever you place yourself in a vulnerable position, your defenses weaken. When you first enter the supermarket, notice that baked goods and other tempting foods are often among the first items to meet your eye. The markets strategy of temptation is designed to lower your resistance. On a full stomach, you will have the strength to come to your senses!

Bring a List

If you have a list with you, your shopping trip will be more focused and efficient. Roaming aimlessly down the aisles allows you too much time to rationalize why you deserve that coconut custard pie at the frozen food section. It is so simple, what you do not take home, you cannot eat!

Read the Labels

As we have said before, labels are tricky. Becoming a skeptical consumer and recognizing the potential traps really gives you a head start in the label jungle. Learn not to trust the front of a box just because it says natural or lower in calories. Question all labels and choose your foods carefully.

Look for low-fat alternatives to your favorite foods.

Steer away from foods with simple carbohydrates and lean towards more complex carbohydrates.
Note amounts of saturated fats listed on the label. Aim for less than ten percent of your fat intake from saturated sources. With a 1500 calorie diet, only 5 grams should be from a saturated fat source.
Always remember that low cholesterol and low fat differ immensely. A product can be low in cholesterol and high in fat. A product may even be low in saturated fat, but exceed your daily limit of total fat.

Be an Informed Shopper

Take shopping seriously. Conscious and conscientious shopping for food will be an important phase of your HM&N weight maintenance program. You will need to examine labels and choose only foods that are within your HM&N maintenance plan.
To make a final choice while shopping, follow your instincts based on your knowledge. If it makes it out of the store, it will inevitable make it into your mouth. Stop the temptation and start to feel the success!

Gene C.

Lesson 17

Heart Disease Prevention

Heart disease is commonly caused by hardening of the arteries, a process in which cholesterol plays a role in the thickening, hardening and narrowing of the blood vessels. If a blood clot gets caught, it may lead to a heart attack.

Good and Bad Cholesterol

High density lipoprotein is called good cholesterol because it can actually help rid the body of excess cholesterol. The higher the HDL, the better. Ideally, it should be above 35mg. Smoking and obesity decrease HDL. Aerobic exercise increases HDLs.
Low density lipoprotein is called bad cholesterol. The lower the LDL level, the better. It should be below 130mg. LDL cholesterol is most affected by changes in diet. Excess intake of saturated fats and cholesterol increase LDL levels; polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats tend to reduce LDLs.

Recognizing Genetic Risk Factors

Family History. A history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and heart attack.
Gender. A higher incidence of coronary heart disease in men than women.
Race. A higher incidence of coronary heart disease among African Americans.
Age. A higher incidence of coronary heart disease among the 30 to 55 age group.

Recognizing Learned Behaviors As Risk Factors

Obesity. Defined as more than 20% over ideal body weight (IBW).

Smoking. Especially critical for heavy smokers who began smoking at an early age.

Lack of exercise. The result of the generally sedentary lifestyle of most Americans.

Stress. The work-a-holic syndrome.

Poor Eating Habits. A high fat, high sugar, high salt diet and not enough dietary fiber.

Dietary Management in the Prevention of Heart Disease

Reduce total dietary fat to 30% or less of total calories.
Lower saturated fat to less than 10% of total calories
Limit polyunsaturated fat to 10% of total calories.
Restrict cholesterol intake to no more than 250-300mg per day.


Gene C.

Lesson 16

Imagery and Mental Rehearsal

Psychologists have found that the human capacity for imagery and imagination is a potent tool that anyone can use to make improvements in their lives.

Imagery to Prepare for Difficult Situations

Using your imagination, you can use visualization techniques to help take charge of your eating habits. You can use your imagination to mentally rehearse difficult dieting situations and devise creative solutions to the problems presented. It is a kind of daydreaming with a purpose.
For example, perhaps you have a close friend who has not been tremendously supportive of your diet. Whenever you visit her, she always has something warm and sweet coming out of the oven just as you arrive. Try using imagery to help you deal with the situation before you visit her. See yourself refusing the cake in a way that reaffirms your self esteem and your commitment to your diet without hurting her feelings. By practicing beforehand, you will be able to fortify yourself with diet sustaining thoughts, bits of conversation and behavioral options to see you through all kinds of trying moments.

Imagery to Remove Temptation

Imagery is also a tool you can use on the spot to help you combat the desire to eat the foods in front of you. One way to do this is to change the image of a food that you have encountered into something inedible.
Suppose you are at a party and the hostess has placed a bowl of tempting, colorful M&Ms in front of you. You are in the middle of a conversation with another guest, so you cannot simply walk away to put them out of reach. Imagine that the candies are actually the plastic pieces of a childs game or brightly painted beads. Concentrate on the inedible image, thinking how unpleasant it would be to bite into a little chunk of plastic or wood. See what other images you can use to render other food inedible.

Imagery As Your Reward or Your Escape

Imagery is an especially powerful tool for self reward when paired with relaxation, and relaxation is, in itself, a good way to rid yourself of some of the many stresses that pile up on you throughout the day and make you want to eat. Relaxation can be as straightforward as breathing deeply and clearing your mind of anxiety producing thoughts for a few moments.
Try visualizing yourself in very pleasant and calming surroundings, perhaps lying on a beach, soaking up the warmth of the sun on a clear blue day, or lounging in the shade of a tree, listening to a stream trickle by. Imagine the scene in its every detail, the feeling of the sun and the breeze on your skin, the sounds of insects or birds chirping, the smell of the sea or the grass. This place can be one that you have actually visited or one that you have simply made up. Arrange the details of it so that it suits you to a T, it is to be your favorite place and nobody elses.

Gene C.

Lesson 15

Life Under 30 (% Fat)

Controlling Fat in Your Diet

Adjusting your eating habits to consume less than 30% of your calories from fat is not impossible. Remember that fat in your diet is easy to control once you recognize that many foods contain hidden fat. However, just recognizing the proper foods is not enough. You must then adjust your cooking techniques to effectively control your intake of dietary fat.

Where is the Fat?

Avoiding the following high fat foods will reduce your overall dietary fat intake and get you off to a good start.
High Fat Cheese
Ice Cream
Whole Milk
Cream
Sour Cream
Non-Dairy Creamer
Cured Meats Fried Foods
Nuts and Nut Butters

Helpful Hints for Reducing Fat in Your Diet

Increase your carbohydrate intake, especially complex carbohydrates. High carbohydrate diets promote satiety, as complex carbohydrates often contain substantial amounts of fiber. Fiber creates a sense of fullness and aids in the control of hunger.
Prepare meats by baking, broiling, roasting or stewing. Use lean meats trimmed of all visible fat.
Be on the lookout for hidden fat saboteurs! For example, the potato is a complex carbohydrate and ideal for this diet at just 90 calories. If, however, you add sour cream or butter you have added calories and a lot of hidden fat!
Stop thinking of a baked potato with sour cream and start picturing a baked potato with diet margarine. Substitute mustard on your sandwiches, instead of high fat mayonnaise. Use fat free or low fat salad dressings.
Have an apple 30 minutes before dinner to help curb your appetite. Having soup as a first course prior to dinner will also help fill you up.
Use spices to enhance palatability without adding fat and calories.
Soon this diet will become second nature, and it is worth every effort for how good you will feel.

Gene C.

Lesson 14


Nutrition 101

A Balanced Diet

Foods are composed of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, along with vitamins and minerals. Your body depends on all of these essential nutrients for good health. Nutrients are used by the body to produce energy that is measured in calories.
A balanced diet must include all of the essential nutrients but only in the quantities you need for weight maintenance. Weight loss occurs when more calories are used than taken in. Weight gain occurs when more calories are consumed than used.
And remember, all excess calories, regardless of their origin, turn to fat. Although nutrients are not fattening in and of themselves, your body only uses or burns what it needs. Excess calories from protein, carbohydrates or fats are stored in the body as fat. This storing of fat is a defense mechanism which your body uses to fend off starvation.

Nutrient Summary

Proteins are the building blocks of the body and are necessary for the growth and repair of tissue. They are generally gathered from beef, fish, fowl, eggs, dairy products and certain nuts and grains.
Fats provide the body with stored energy. They are also useful in lubricating the digestive tract, protecting organs and nerves, and providing insulation for the body. While this is an essential function, only small amounts are needed for this task. Fats are derived from butter, margarine, oil, diary products, and even some protein sources.
Carbohydrates are used to meet the bodys immediate energy needs, especially those of the brain. They also provide energy for numerous body functions and help in the digestion and absorption process.
Vitamins are essential for specific body functions of maintenance and growth. A balanced diet will include all of the needed vitamins. If the diet is deficient in vitamins, a supplement is recommended, however, mega doses of any vitamin may be dangerous and should not be taken without the advice of a physician.
Minerals support the structures of the body and regulate many body functions. Here again, the balanced diet will contain adequate minerals, however in some cases your physician may recommend a supplement.
Water is essential to all body functions. Without it, the body cannot survive more than a few
days.

Gene C.

Lesson 13

Control: What It Is, What It Is Not

The Power of Control

When you are in control of your eating, you feel in control of other areas of your life as well , powerful, focused, full of possibility. When you are out of control in the area of weight management, often other things in your life are out of control too, your relationships, your job, your progression toward important goals.
Being in control means saying to yourself, I am responsible for my own life. Notice how good you feel when you assume responsibility for yourself, important, validated, energetic, popular and worthwhile. All good things result from feelings of control, joy, strength, generosity and love. When you feel good about yourself, you bring joy not just to your life but to those around you.

Flexible Thinking

Flexible thinking will help you maintain control. Flexibility is the ability to adapt to new situations, the ability to accept your failures when they happen, the ability to go with the flow when you cannot have perfection. Allow yourself to make mistakes and then move on.

It is Not About the Blame!

It is easy to put the blame for being overweight on someone else, but this gives them control over you.
It is not my fault that I am fat! Everyone in my family is fat,my mother, father sisters, bother. Can I help it if my mother was a great cook? Is it my fault she knows nothing about nutrition? My family is to blame for my poor eating habits. I am nothing but a victim of circumstances that were beyond my control.
Maybe your parents are overweight. Maybe they love to eat and have no idea at all about which foods or behaviors are good for them. And maybe their parents were fat, also. Can you change that? No! Can you change the way that you are? Yes! You can blame others for the past, but you are responsible to yourself for the future. What happens from now on is up to you.
Make a new affirmation, I am not perfect, but I am on my way to being the best I can be!

Gene C.