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by Sheila | Dec 13, 2010 | Areas of Weight Loss Resistance, Natural Weight Loss
What are you doing New Year’s? Are you excited to dress up and show off or would you rather hibernate and hunker down? Maybe it’s time to do something else. Has losing weight always been heartbreaking for you? Are you afraid to try again? Why can’t you get together with friends and make the changes that you’ve been hoping for AND have fun? Wouldn’t it be great to dress up and feel GOOD about it?
Well, now you can. Introducing the ‘Little Black Dress Class’! It’s the group weight loss class with Optimal Body Balance. We’ve designed a program that brings together the science of weight loss with the fun of doing it together with friends. We want to celebrate the journey and make the changes that will help you have more energy, lift the brain fog, feel good, look great. And oh yeah, lose the weight. You will have great foods, lots of support; a great education on overcoming weight loss resistance and you will feel so great about yourself!
The program starts with your individualized Getting Started Visit with program director, Sheila Robertson. Sheila has helped hundreds of people reach their health and weight loss goals. Using humor, empathy, compassion, cheerleading and motivation Sheila really helps you get to the root of your problem and overcome your weight loss resistance.
The Getting Started visit includes:
*Review health history, eating habits
*Take initial total metabolism test to determines your exact metabolic rate
*Determine/uncover your areas of weight loss resistance
*Connect with motivators
*Initial dietary guidelines
*Goal Setting
*Personalized Menu Planning
This initial visit will last approximately 1 ½ hours and can be conducted the week of January 3rd –January 8th. Then we jump right into the group classes starting January 11th at 6pm. Each week we will discuss the topic for the week, learn about nutrition, review your food journals, create menu plans, questions and answer sessions, go on field trips, get motivated, learn how to stock your pantry and have fun while learning what your body needs to lose weight for the last time.
At the end? We will have a little black dress party! Celebrate the success you’ve enjoyed during the 13 weeks with healthy snacks, photos, a reason to get dressed up and and night out at Monkey Business Institute improv comedy. This party is Saturday April 2nd.
The class is taught by Sheila Robertson, Nutrition Coach and Program Director of Optimal Body Balance, Dr. Chad Oler, ND of the Natural Path Health Center and Sarah Droege, Nutritionist. You will have your own team of professionals to put together the education, information, motivation, skills, humor and enthusiasm you will need to get to your goals.
Need more motivation? There is an optional ‘contest’ too! Participants who want a little bit more to shoot for other than looking great, feeling fantastic -there is a chance to win a makeover! First, Second and Third place winners will win a new ‘little black dress’ (or outfit of choice for $100) hair style and make up and a photo shoot. It is based on the percentage of body fat lost during the 13 weeks on the program. Don’t feel the need to be ‘In it to win it?’ Don’t worry –you can still do the class, have fun, get healthy and join us for the Little Black Dress Party to celebrate with everyone!
The Optimal Body Balance program is valued at $900 –your group class cost is only $397! We need a minimum of 10 people to get this class rockin’ and rollin’. So join with your friends and family and have a blast together!
Contact Sheila Robertson to join
[email protected]
608.274.7044 x 12
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by Sheila | Nov 15, 2010 | Areas of Weight Loss Resistance, Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized
Jacquie’s Story
17.5 pounds of fat and 19 inches in 13 weeks!
Jacquie before the OBB program
Jacquie after 13 weeks!
I am so thankful for the Optimal Body Balance Program. I had been steadily gaining a few pounds every year and was 30 lbs. over my best weight. When I listened to the teleseminar about what keeps us from losing weight, I knew I had to sign up. The OBB program uses every strategy for losing weightin a healthy way, but the best part was Sheila’s coaching every week. Each week she gave me strategies to help me balance out my life in every area.
It turns out that I was not only dealing with stress, fibromyalgia pain and constant headaches, but with sensitivity to foods that caused weight gain and belly fat. When I took the blood tests for food sensitivities I found that egg whites and lemon were my food sensitivities, so I cut them out of my diet. Right away I lost belly fat and I began to lose about 2 lbs a week. Through metabolism testing Sheila set an eating plan for me that upped my protein intake, and helped me burn fat all day and minimize the effects of cortisol stress on my body. She provided not only specific meal plans, but also shopping lists for the exact amounts of food I would need.
Within a few weeks I not only had started to lose weight and inches, but I suddenly realized that I had no headaches and no fibromyalgia pain in my muscles or joints. I also did not have the least bit of craving for sugar. Before I started the program, I would get intensely hungry at about 10:30 and 3:30, and felt I had to have something sugary to keep going, so this was amazing. I also had more energy, and less “brain fog”.
Each week when we met Sheila and I set goals for the next week – not only for an eating plan, but for other important components of a balanced life – sleep, exercise, and relaxation activities. When I went on trips she helped me plan how to get the meals I needed while at conferences or on the road, so I could continue to lose weight. She was also incredibly encouraging when I felt I hadn’t done as well as Icould have.
One of the best aspects for motivation was having metabolism testing. A simple test showed how much fat I had lost, how much muscle I was gaining, and how saturated my cells were with water (to maintain good hydration). One week I was discouraged because the scale showed that my weight stayed the same. Then the BIA showed that I had lost 2 more lbs of fat, but gained muscle weight – a good thing. That encouraged me to keep going because good things were happening, instead of giving up because itdidn’t seem like my efforts were working.
A BIA printout showed my weekly progress, and over the course of the program I lost 17.5 lbs of fat, and 19 inches, my belly fat disappeared, and I dropped two sizes. I am still following the program to continue to lose weight and gain muscle, and have now lost 18 lbs of body fat.
Another aspect of the plan was having meal/cooking demonstrations where we could learn new healthy recipes, and try them out during class to see what we liked best. The recipes were delicious, and I am building a new cookbook of really healthy and tasty meals. It has been fun to meet other people in the program and share food hints and where to get groceries at the best prices, and how to change the recipes for new dishes. It was great to be with people who were finding success at losing weight, but more importantly building healthy habits and a new lifestyle.
I am really enthusiastic about the OBB program, and love telling people where they can find help when they have been struggling to lose weight and get healthier.
by Sheila | Nov 10, 2010 | Areas of Weight Loss Resistance, Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized
8 Tips to Look GREAT in 8
We all want to look great and we all want it right now! These are some healthy tips to make you look as great as you can in 8 days.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MFSgmygkm4]
Smoothie Basics
Use a rice, hemp or pea protein as a base aim for 15 – 20 grams of protein. Use ½ cup of a ‘milk’ try unsweetened almond milk, rice
milk or coconut milk. Add 1 cup of organic berries. Don’t forget the fat (yes, fat. You NEED fat) ½ tablespoon of coconut oil, flax seed oil or 1 tablespoon of flax seed meal. Mix, blend and add water or ice to get it to the thickness that you desire. Add variety as much as you can in the 5 days that you are doing the jump start program.
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by Sheila | Nov 6, 2010 | Areas of Weight Loss Resistance, Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized
Read what Maleah has to say about the program during week 4 of 13!
“I came to OBB because the time was right. All my life I have been overweight and also very educated about whole foods, but there was a disconnect. I would eat healthier than my friends and I was still bigger than them. I just started to workout this past year and even with bootcamp style workouts I wasn’t losing as much as my friends. I was eating well and burning, but the loss was slow and something felt out of balance. I’m in week 4 of the OBB program now and have lost an inch everywhere, gained muscle, lost fat and increased my hydration levels. The food on the plan brought a smile to my face because I liked all the suggestions. The timing of the plan and the combinations of food are magic. I am eating real food, learning to balance my plate and blood sugar. The results are proving to me that it’s not hopeless. I can live the life I imagine. I look forward to the next 8 weeks of learning and support at OBB. Sheila has been a guiding force. She gets it. I’ve cried, laughed and felt like she’s on my side. Thank you!”
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by Sheila | Oct 22, 2010 | Areas of Weight Loss Resistance, Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized
When trying to lose weight, the majority of people will opt to replace their favorite sodas with the diet versions to cut calories out of their daily intake. In theory, this makes sense and sounds like a good idea. BUT when you look at the research, studies have shown over and over again that drinking soda, both regular and diet, encourages weight gain! What is it about diet sodas that is contributing to weight gain? The artificial sweeteners. Sugar is what gives regular soda its calories, in order to be a diet soda, the sugar has to be removed and it is replaced by artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners are engineered compounds that don’t give us any calories. Aside from unexpected weight gain, artificial sweeteners have many other negative health effects.
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is found in a wide variety of food and drink. It is also known as Equal, Nutrasweet and Sugar Twin. Aspartame does provide calories when consumed but it is up to 220 times sweeter than sugar. This means very very small amounts are used for sweetening in food products and amounts this small provide virtually zero calories. Even though teeny tiny amounts are being used, aspartame is the most controversial artificial sweetener. 70 % of complaints to the Food and Drug Administration are due to aspartame. Aspartame causes neurotransmitter imbalances. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in your brain that travel to different parts of your body and tell it what to do. They also affect mood, sleep, weight and concentration. Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter which means it calms the brain and creates balance. Aspartame decreases serotonin levels leading to cravings for carbohydrates (sugar!), insomnia, body temperature changes, headaches and migraines, seizures and moodiness. It also causes an increase in the excitatory neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters stimulate the brain. An increase causes anxiety, dizziness, memory loss, spasms, muscle pain, tinnitus (a ringing in the ears) and blurred vision.
When consumed during pregnancy, aspartame can have lasting effects on the baby. It can lead to mental retardation, impaired vision and birth defects as well as behavioral, emotional and learning difficulties.
In the OBB program, we know that one of the main areas of weight loss resistance is neurotransmitter imbalances. Having the wrong balance of neurotransmitters with not only prevent you from losing weight but also could be causing you to gain more weight. Even if you are not trying to lose weight, knowing about the negative effects of aspartame should make you reconsider some food and beverage choices.
Check back soon for more information on artificial sweeteners — spenda/sucralose and acesulfame K — as well as an explanation of what goes on in your body when you consume these sweeteners and some suggestions on what you should try in place of diet soda!
by Sheila | Oct 15, 2010 | Areas of Weight Loss Resistance, Natural Weight Loss, Uncategorized
Dawn’s Story
15 pounds and 17 inches in 13 weeks!
Dawn before the OBB program
Dawn after 13 weeks!
“Here I am in week 13 of Sheila’s Weight Loss Program at Natural Path Health Center.
Who would of “thunk” that the answer to so many of our weight loss problems would be solved by something as simple as “clean eating”? Seriously? Yea, seriously! Plain and simple, back to the basics.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that easy. Boy did I ever love sugar! Sweets galore, donuts, carrot cake and brownies. I craved all of them, ate all of them and some days would rather just eat a day of sweets.
All the nutrients and protein I needed were obviously missing. It was much easier after I had a blood test named LRA by ELISA/ACT. I found that I had several food sensitivities. After cutting these out of my diet, within only 1 week I lost inches in my midsection. If I cheated and ate some of my strong sensitivities I paid for it. Runny nose, dry throat, being tired and puffy all came back within almost ½ an hour of eating these foods.
Some I had a clue on bothering me, others I had no idea. For instance: Lemons… I love lemons and always put them in my water, and used in cooking. Cottonseed Oil… was in my coffee creamer, now I know why I was belching after having my coffee. Cottonseed Oil is also in a lot of chocolates and dressings.
I have only lost about 15 pounds, BUT I have lost over 17 inches! I feel so much better, am not puffy, tired or sore. I have a much better self – esteem. Sheila has been wonderful and continuously reminds me how far I have come in the changes I have made.
I did not have a lot of money to spend, but after years of going up & down & not losing any weight; I felt I had to finally take the time for me. I cut back on any unnecessary expenses, ate at home just so I could afford the extra testing for my food sensitivities. Every penny spent was well worth it. Finally an answer. Sheila’s program has changed my life and I highly recommend it.
From day one I have not looked at this program as a DIET, rather as a new style of life and trying to eat as clean as possible. You always have a choice on what you put into your body. You just need to decide which consequence you want to live with. I chose loving myself enough to change the way I was living.
Thanks so much Sheila!”
