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I've got some great tips in this new "mailbag"
including how to resist sugar temptation, how to
stop late night binge eating, how to control your
PMS cravings, how to start believing that you CAN
lose weight, and the best exercises to firm up your
butt.
So let's get started...
*** QUESTION FROM READER ***
Hi,
I am sooo happy that you send out these newsletters!
I have a question though. What is the best excercice
for your buns? I have a fairly small stomach when
compared to my buns. Also, what if you don't like
running? I know you have said something about
endorphins. About how long do they take to "work"?
I am very curious!
Sincerely,
Jordan
P.S I am very happy to have E-mails from you! They
are very inspirational!!!
*** MY COMMENTS ***
Dear Jordan,
I am so glad you are liking these newsletters and
you are getting inspiration from them.
I know what it's like to have an area of your
body that you desperately want to tone up.
Everybody has these and every BODY is different.
Unfortunately, where we store the most fat is
genetically wired in us. That means that it's the
first to gain weight and the last place it's going
to come off... that's a drag, huh!
But not to worry. There are things you can do
for your WHOLE body and your buns will eventually
catch up.
There are exercises you can do to "tone-up" the
muscles in this area, but you won't see the
muscle tone until the fat on top of it goes away.
By eating a healthy diet and getting regular
exercise, you will lose the fat all over your body
and then you will be able to see all the "toning"
you've been doing.
So here are some exercises for toning your buns,
but remember, eating a healthy diet and being
active DAILY is what will eliminate the fat on
top.
>> #1. Lunges
Lunges are a great exercise for your buns and for
your entire lower body. And you can do them
ANYWHERE -- lunge across your living room, in a
parking lot, or outside at a beautiful park.
>> #2. Stairs
Running or walking up stairs really gives a nice
shape to your backside.
You can walk or run up and down the stairs at your
office building during your lunch break, or maybe
there are some stairs in your apartment building,
or find a nice flight of stairs in an outdoor
shopping area.
One of the best positive habits you can have is to
TAKE THE STAIRS INSTEAD OF THE ELEVATOR.
Climbing stairs EVERYWHERE brings activity
into your DAILY life. Don't wait until you get to
the gym or put on your tennis shoes and work out
clothes to be your official "working out" time...
Be active ALL the time.
Take the stairs throughout your day. The world is
your jungle gym -- Play on it!
And when you're feeling extra spunky, you can walk
2 stairs at a time -- you'll really feel this in your
butt.
>> 3. Leg Press
When you are at the gym, one of the best machines
you can use is the Leg Press (it's the one where
you are laying down with your legs bent and your
feet are on a platform that you "press" away from
you as you straighten your legs).
Leg press with your feet as high on the foot pad as
possible. The higher you go, the more you work your
glutes (which are the muscles in your butt) and the
lower you place your feet, the more you work your
quads (the front thigh muscles).
Experiment with different weights so that you
reach exhaustion (meaning your muscles literally
can't push anymore), and go SLOW...
the SLOWER you go, the more you can concentrate on
your buns and the more effective your work out is
going to be.
So start doing these 3 exercises to tone up your
buns and along with a healthy diet and daily
activity, soon you will be loving your backside view.
And as for your question about endorphins --
Endorphins are the "feel-good" hormones that are
released when your body is ACTIVE.
I see them as a signal that my body is LIKING
what I'm doing, or else why would I get such a
great rush of pleasure, right?
It happens like this...
Just when you think you can't go any further and
you're body is telling you to stop, suddenly there
is a pleasure "rush" that fills up your entire
body and it feels so good that you never want to
stop. You feel like you could go forever.
Now it's important to always gage your level of
exertion (how hard you are working) because you
should never "push" yourself through pain. Pain
is a warning that something is wrong, where
"resistance" is something that you can gently
push through to the other side.
Once you get past the "resistance", there will be
a great reward... an endorphin rush.
These endorphin rushes have been called a "runner's
high" because you do get them when you're running,
but there ARE other ways to get this great
sensation.
The first time I felt an endorphin rush was from
doing yoga and I still get the best endorphin rushes
from yoga.
You can also get them from swimming, cycling, or
even when you're out dancing with your girlfriends...
Have you ever had that giddy feeling when you're
boogying down and you just don't want to get off
the dance floor?
Well, that's endorphins!
It's a strange sensation the first time you feel
like you're "flying" without leaving the ground,
but it is very cool.
I always take it as a signal that my body is very
pleased with me and is rewarding me for making
positive choices.
*** QUESTION FROM READER ***
Hello. I intend to order your book this comming
Wednesday when I get paid. I have a question for
you before I do.
What do you do when you just don't BELIEVE that
your body is capable of loosing the weight? If I
had that, and your book, I know I would succeed.
I just don't believe that I can. I feel like I am
destined to failure.
HELP ME ANDREA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
havilah
*** MY RESPONSE ***
Dear Havilah,
I am really glad that you are getting my book. I
wrote an entire chapter on this topic because it
is SO incredibly important.
You see, before you can get healthy, you have to
"GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION" to get healthy.
... Now you may be thinking, "Of course I want to
get healthy." But that is very different than
aligning your WHOLE SELF with your INTENTION to get
healthy.
This is where "GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION" means
that you are taking the power away from ANY part of
yourself that is self-destructive.
And I know from personal experience that this can
be very hard to do.
We all have our own personal reasons for sabotaging
ourselves and for preventing ourselves from
succeeding.
I can't speak for you or anyone else, but there is
some part of me that seems to identify with
struggle.
And for a long time losing weight and getting
healthy was one of the biggest struggles in my
life...
(to be perfectly honest, I still continue to
struggle with it, but I have learned how to turn
this "struggle" into "pleasurable effort" that I
now see as a gift)...
There were MANY times when I was losing weight and
on the right track to getting healthy, and then
something inside of me would just SNAP...
And I'd go back to all my old self-sabatoging,
unhealthy habits.
Why?!
Because I was punishing myself?
Maybe.
Because I was scared of the unknown?
Possibly.
Because I IDENTIFIED with being unhappy with
myself and my body?
... Sigh... Yes... It's true.
This was a BIG revelation that hit me hard.
I had spent so many years searching for the
solution to my weight problem, so many hours
complaining to my girlfriends about my fat thighs
and stomach, so much time pouring hatred into my
self... if all that stopped...
Who would I be?
What would I talk about?
Think about?
Struggle with?
If I ALLOWED myself to get healthy, then I would
lose a part of myself... that ego self-sabatoging
self that feeds on struggling.
The only way I was able to overcome this was to
learn how to silence that destructive part of
myself.
And it turns out that ego really wasn't a
part of me at all...
See, my TRUE SELF wants me to be healthy and
happy in every way possible.
The more time I spend paying attention and
listening to my TRUE SELF, the quieter that
self-sabatoging ego becomes.
There are ways to silence that destructive
voice inside your head that is telling you, "You
can't succeed. You're a failure".
I cover this in depth in my ebook.
Be sure to read and re-read the last chapter. It's
called "The Keys To Harnessing The Mental and
Spiritual Power Inside You".
In this chapter, you will find everything you need
for "Strengthening Your Inner Voice" so you will
stop telling yourself that you're a failure and
start BELIEVING that you are DESTINED to succeed.
Because you are.
I believe in you, and soon you will too.
...One more thing I want to share with you that
really helped me turn things around in my head...
"THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE".
That was one of the first quotes I learned that
really stuck with me and helped me make sense of
the world.
The universe is constantly changing... I am
constantly changing... YOU are constantly
changing.
Every minute old cells are dying and new cells
are being born.
This is constantly taking place whether you think
about it or not...
Your body is changing.
By making healthy choices, you are making
CONSCIOUS choices and CHOOSING what these new
cells are made of.
You can CHOOSE to give them health, nutrition,
and positive energy.
And with your CONSCIOUS CHOICE OF HEALTH, you are
creating a NEW YOU...
cell-by-cell, moment-by-moment.
Science has proven this.
BELIEVE that you are transforming because you ARE.
You get to decide HOW you transform. How
you grow and change.
YOU have that power. You have the CHOICE of
who you will become.
Isn't that a wonderful feeling?...
*** QUESTION FROM READER ***
Hello Andrea. I was wondering if you could tell me
ways or some phrases to help motivate me to want to
exercise and get in shape? All day when I'm at work
or somewhere where it isn't possible to exercise I
think about how when I get home I'm gonna exercise
and do all kinds of things but when I get home I go
straight to the fridge and then either sit in front
of the computer or t.v.
-Andrea
*** MY COMMENTS ***
Dear Andrea,
Ah yes, the dreaded "mind games" we will play with
ourselves -- telling ourselves that we WOULD
exercise RIGHT NOW, if only it were possible.
And then as soon as it IS possible... the desire
is GONE.
Our minds are tricky little buggers, aren't they?!
This is a pretty complex topic and I don't have
the space to answer it all in this newsletter. It
would take 22 pages...
I know that because I have written an entire book
on this subject (and it took 22 pages to do it).
It's one of the free bonus books called
"How An Overweight Woman Can Learn To Love
Exercise: 5 Easy Steps The May Transform Physical
Activity From A 'Have-To' That You Hate... Into
A 'Habit' That You Love".
In this bonus book, I tell you exactly how to
re-program your thinking about exercise so your
mind will stop playing "games" with you and
start MOTIVATING YOU TO DO IT.
If you haven't downloaded your copy yet, you can
get that here:
http://www.andreasanswer.com/ebook/?s=10154&e=1
And once you start using the powerful tips and
techniques, be sure to write me back letting me
know how it has worked for you.
*** SUCCESS STORY ***
Andrea, Thank you, for writing a book that has
actually made sense to me. I have only just begun
and I already feel better. I was basically working
on the same kind of principles when I downloaded
your book I am half way through it now and you have
made everything, food, exercise and the spiritual
side so clear. I was one of those that felt like if
I starved myself and worked out hard I would burn
the calories and the pounds would have to fall off.
not so I love the fact that I can basically eat all
the time, I walk on my lunch hour and I do some
activity when I get home from work, and my body is
already changing, and I do feel much cleaner, on the
inside and in my mind. I know that I will have to
read the book many more times for it to become the
norm for me I was such a snack-aholic.
Thanks again, and I am sure I will have questions
along the way.
Barb
*** MY COMMENTS ***
You're welcome Barb!
And thanks for writing in with your success story to
help encourage other women that it can be done!
*** QUESTION FROM READER ***
i am a pastry chef and i work a lot, from early
mornings to late in the day. How can i keep from
nibbling on sweets all day long? besides having to
taste what i make there's the constant opportunity
to indulge. thanks, frances
*** MY COMMENTS ***
Dear Frances,
That is a tough situation. Although, I guess it's
just as difficult to deal with working in an
office where someone is always bringing in donuts
to share with everyone...
Ugh, don't you hate that!
Because you are in an environment where you are
surrounded by poison (that's what sugar is
after all, poison to your body and your mind)...
There are 2 things that will save you from eating
sugar all day long.
>> #1. You need to ALWAYS have healthy food with you.
Bring in fruit and raw nuts to eat throughout the
day.
Use the blender to make protein shakes with fresh
berries.
Bring in foods that are easy and convenient to
pack and eat outside of your home such as:
- boiled egg whites
- rice cakes
- bags of spinach
- bags of pre-sliced veggies
- sliced bell peppers
I know it may be difficult in the beginning to
think ahead and PLAN your meals for the day, but
once you get the habit of PLANNING ahead, you
will never leave the house without grabbing your
meals for the entire day.
>> #2. Eat every 2 hours
If you go more than 2 hours, your blood sugar
level gets dangerously low and that's when your
body sends out those powerful "EAT NOW" signals.
And because your body just wants calories NOW, it
will crave sugar and fat because it knows that's
how it's going to get the most calories FAST.
But unfortunately, this is what sends your blood
sugar up too high... which makes your body secrete
insulin and store fat.
So the KEY is to Keep your blood sugar levels
STABLE so you don't crave fattening, sugary foods.
And the way to do this is to eat natural foods
every 2 hours.
And it doesn't have to be a big sit-down, hour
long meal. Just grab a piece of fruit and a
handful of nuts. That only takes 5 minutes to eat.
Then you're good for another 2 hours and you'll
be able to resist from pigging out on all those
sugary desserts.
*** QUESTION FROM READER ***
Hi Andrea,
The biggest challenge over the years for my weight
loss has been binge eating at night, ESPECIALLY
when I am about to get on my period and right
before I ovulate, during this time I can eat four
times the amount that I usually would and I
sabotage all my well intentioned efforts. Part of
it is my cycles screwing me up but the rest of the
month can be difficult too(although not nearly as
hard). I have been mindfully using the 80% full
method which does help and I eat all natural foods
(for the most part). I have tried yoga and writing
and trying to figure out if I have deep seeded
emotional issues (who doesn't right) but it just
seems to come down to a lack of satiety at night.
Any suggestions or comments?
- Anonymous
*** MY RESPONSE ***
You should be VERY happy with yourself because
you are doing GREAT! You are well on your way
to building positive habits for a lifetime of
health.
You're doing SO many good things for your self:
eating natural foods, stopping eating when you
are 80% full, finding positive ways to process
and deal with your emotional issues (because you
are right, everyone has them!), you're trying
new activities like yoga and writing...
Wow! These are all great positive choices you
are making for your life and your SELF.
So take a moment to acknowledge and honor your
SELF for these new positive habits you are creating.
You may have noticed that the more positive habits
you create in your life, the easier it becomes to
create even MORE positive habits and to release
the negative ones that are no longer serving you.
The good news is that this late night binge
eating, and eating crap when you are having PMS
symptoms are nothing more than negative habits.
By now they may have turned into addictions,
and you are un-consciously allowing these bad
habits to control you.
The way to stop this is to do the opposite --
BECOME CONSCIOUS about why you are making these
choices.
Then you can make a CONSCIOUS choice to stop these
self-destructive habits and leave them behind.
I'm going to help you do this...
Really we are talking about two different
addictions here so let's break this down into
two parts:
#1 - How To Stop Late Night Binge Eating
#2 - How To Control Your PMS Cravings
Okay, first let's talk about the late night
binge eating.
I've noticed that A LOT of women have this
problem.
They seem to have a lot of "willpower" during the
day and are able to control what they eat (if they
even eat at all)...
but as soon as night rolls around, they lose it
BIG TIME and stuff their faces with as much crap as
they can find.
Well, fortunately for you I have spent a lot of time
researching why this happens and also experimenting
on myself how I can STOP the urge to binge at night.
Here's what I've discovered...
When I DON'T eat consistently throughout the day,
eating every 2 to 3 hours and getting in at least
5 or 6 meals, when nighttime comes I am RAVENOUS.
It's almost like when I am busy during the day,
I'm not AWARE that my body is lacking nutrition
but as soon as I settle in for the night... BAMM!
I'm starving to death!
And notice that I didn't use the word "hungry".
I said that I wasn't "AWARE" of my body's lack of
nutrition.
This is a VERY important distinction because so
many woman don't eat unless they are "hungry".
In fact, they take pride in the fact that they can
resist eating all day long and throughout the day.
It's like they are racking up ego points so they
can convince themselves, "I'm in control of my
eating. I don't have to eat."
And their ego may be convinced, but their body
is not.
Their body is literally starving for nutrition, but
that destructive part of their mind, their ego,
won't let them eat because it's obsessed with
feeling "in control".
Well, I'm trying to teach you that you need to eat
every 2 to 3 hours throughout your day EVEN IF
YOU'RE NOT HUNGRY.
That "hunger signal" is too easily manipulated by
your obsessive ego-mind... and if you don't
believe me, just ask any anorexic. She'll tell you
how easy it is to "silence" this hunger signal.
How many women starve themselves throughout the day
and don't eat?
Lots.
They think that they are doing something good by
not eating - they feel strong because they are
"dieting".
And it's easier to not eat during the day because
they are distracted by life - work, school, family,
errands...
But as soon as the sun sets and there are no more
distractions...
Your body revolts and sends out a very powerful
signal, "I NEED FOOD!"
This is when the urge to eat becomes overwhelming
and you can no longer distract yourself with work
or your daytime activities.
So the first thing you need to do is make sure
you are eating consistently throughout the day,
even if you're not hungry.
Eat small meals of natural food. The objective
is to keep your blood sugar levels STABLE.
That means you don't eat sugary, fattening food
that shoots your blood sugar level up too high,
AND you don't go too long without eating because
then your blood sugar gets too low.
When your blood sugar levels are STABLE, your
metabolism is firing on all cylinders like a
finely tuned race car and you'll also have the
energy of one throughout your day.
Then at nighttime, your body won't send out
that desperation signal, "I NEED FOOD!" because
it has been nutritionally satisfied THROUGHOUT
your day.
And another quick and easy thing you can do to
stop the late night binge eating is to get all
the processed foods out of your house.
That includes the chips, the ice cream, the
cookies... ALL OF IT.
Make your home a "safe place" that is free
from all the chemicals and processed foods that
are feeding your negative addictions and making
you get fatter.
If you have to go out to get your late night "fix"
then at least it will be a CONSCIOUS choice that
you are deciding to pig out on crap, instead of
just un-consciously walking into the kitchen and
stuffing your face night after night.
And as for the PMS cravings --
There is lots of evidence out there that proves
the healthier your diet and lifestyle, the less
you will suffer from symptoms of PMS.
An article on WebMD says, "Include whole grains,
fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet while
avoiding excess salt and sugar"... (sounds
familiar doesn't it?)
This is particularly important WHEN you are
experiencing PMS symptoms.
So all this crap you've been eating to satisfy
your PMS cravings, HAS ACTUALLY BEEN MAKING THEM
WORSE.
When you're feeling depressed, don't turn to
processed food with chemicals.
Make a POSITIVE choice and choose to lift
yourself up in a healthy way --
Take a walk.
Do some yoga in your living room.
Take a candle-lit bubble bath.
Paint a picture.
Sing a song.
And if you feel like you absolutely HAVE to eat
something, eat fresh, crunchy vegetables like bell
peppers, carrots, and celery.
They've proven that the more leafy greens you eat,
the better you're going to feel because they produce
serotonin which lifts your mood.
I have a friend who was able to quit taking
anti-depressants by eating lots of leafy greens
like kale and spinach.
Try it... it works!
The more healthy foods you eat, and the better
you take care of yourself, the better your body
is going to run, and the better you will feel
living INSIDE your body.
I can see that you are on the right track to
making healthy choices for a LIFETIME, so keep
it up!
And then write me back with your "success story"
when your PMS cravings and late night binge
eating disappear from your life forever.
Thanks to everyone for writing in with your
great questions. It really helps me to focus
in on what to write about and what future
products I can develop to help YOU in your
journey to gaining a lifetime of HEALTH.
I get so much joy from living a healthy life
and I want the same for YOU.
You deserve the best that this life has to
offer and I am honored to be sharing this
journey with you.
Your Friend,
With Love and Light,
Andrea
P.S. You can find more articles like this one by
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