Seven Habits of Highly Successful Losers...

In no particular order, here are seven habits of successful "losers":

1. Successful losers avoid sugar. Sugar does all sorts of things to sabotage weight loss, from adding calories to messing with your pancreas.

2. Successful losers avoid salt/sodium. The average person needs about 1200 mg of sodium per day;  you can get your entire day's worth in one Big Mac. There is a dish at P.F. Changs restaurant with nearly 8,000 mg. (Note: don't order the Double Pan Fried Noodles.)

3. Successful losers drink plenty of water. There are many reasons for drinking water, including improving liver function, reducing water retention, and eliminating excess sodium. (Divide your weight in pounds by 2 to determine how many ounces of water you should drink per day. A 200 pound person should drink 100 ounces per day.).

4. Successful losers exercise. There is a chart at the weight loss center that I went to that lists reasons to exercise... there must be a hundred, at least. Weight loss is aided by getting your heart rate up to about 75% of your max (220 minus your age is your max heart rate; roughly 75% of that number is where you want to be to burn fat).

5. Successful losers know what they eat, and how it affects their body. People who write down what they eat and track their calories are MUCH more successful at weight loss than those who don't. There are so many tools available with which to do this, from reading labels to the latest technology. I have become a huge fan of the website fatsecret.com and their very well-done phone app, Calorie Counter. You can simply scan the bar code on a product package, and it will automatically enter it into your food log. It will track your calories, fat, sodium, and all those other numbers that are so important. One button-click will sync it up with the website, from which you can print out your daily or weekly food journal. If you have a food that is not in their extensive database, you can add it.

6. Successful losers know how much they weigh. Some people weigh daily; some weigh weekly or bi-weekly. I've never seen a Biggest Loser contestant get on that scale for their starting weigh-in and say, "oh, I'm not as heavy as I thought I was." Unless they KNOW already, they are almost always shocked by how high the number has gotten.

7. Successful losers embrace a life-change, not a "diet". From shopping the perimeter of the grocery store, to just having that mental awareness that it takes to be committed, successful losers are in it for the long haul.

To those of you who are beginning (or resuming) a weight-loss journey, I am available anytime for advice, encouragement, tips, etc. I am willing to share with you what I learned during my own journey. I have promised PHC that I will not give away their weight loss plans, but they have no problem with me sharing the principles that I have learned from them (and that are freely available on the internet to anyone who does the research).

I hope 2011 brings you the change that you are looking for... be healthy!!!

Ed