Health and Nutrition That Is AboveNBeyond

In addition to using Weight Watchers and Herbalife, my wife and I also make use of Lean Cuisine.  The coolest thing about Lean Cuisine in our opinion is that they have the weight watchers points right on the box.  Talk about another great option to use when using the Weight Watchers point system.  I just became a member of the Lean Cuisine website and it has a lot of neat features such as Meal planning, fitness planning and wellness planning.  Just more reasons to get on track to getting fit and lean.  When it comes to loosing weight, it’s not about starving yourself or doing with out eating lots of great food.  It’s about eating to  loose weight.  You have to learn to substitute what you eat with great alternatives or find ways to change recipes to bring about a healthier meal plan.  Don’t think of it as a diet, think of it as a change of lifestyle.  Diet is a bad 4 letter word that is sometimes misconstrued.  Try thinking of a diet in terms of a meal plan instead.  Lean Cuisine is a great way to adjust your meal plan to work on loosing those pounds.   My most favorite Lean Cuisine is the Chicken Club Panini.  Oh, by the way, Lean Cuisine makes for a good lunch to take to work, which is what I do.

See video #8 in our Video Vault on Lean Cuisine for a past commercial.

Running is the  easiest and accessible sport for everyone to take advantage of today.  Unfortunately, there are many who don’t take advantage of it.  In fact, many don’t get active at all with any kind of sport.  This is a shame too.  Chronic inactivity and obesity are known to yield many diseases, which could be avoided simply by getting active.  Getting away from being inactive can lead one into a fun and exciting new reality.  If you excuse the saying, “Just because you grow up, doesn’t mean you can’t have fun anymore”.

Let the little kid in you escape.

Having a healthy diversion is good for everyone.  Getting active yields many benefits, such as, mental clarity, weight management, & muscle tone.

What’s a matter?  Are you afraid someone will see you out on the road running when you could be on the couch all comfy?  When I started running, it was right smack in the middle of when I was depressed.  Talk about being very hard to get out there, but, I did! Got sneakers? Can Run!

Now, if weight is not an issue for you, sure, you’re lucky, but, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be active.  You don’t want to fall under the realm of chronic inactivity.  Ironically, there is some truth to the saying “All work and no play, makes {you} a dull person”.

There are some videos in the video vault regarding running.

If you are not sure what you want to do, you can check out NEWU or refer to other posts on running.

Back when I was an Herbalife Distributor, I started to see that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another person. One person told me over the phone that she does not like powdered drink mixes. Well, regardless how good a product is, if someone doesn’t like the type of product, then it will NOT work for that individual despite the reason. This is one of the fundamental factors that AboveNBeyond4u.com is all about. About finding what bests work for you. Liking a type of product is half the battle regardless of it’s usage. However, until you try something, it’s hard to tell if you’ll like it or if it will work for you. We all want to look and feel good. Getting good nutrition, striving for good fitness, and loosing and/or maintaining weight is important. For it all works together to get the results we are all looking for.

Sometimes you can’t do it alone, in other words, there are products available that can help you further your goals if used right. With a little patients, research and effort, you can get more results when you use products that are effective in achieving your goals, whatever they may be. Isn’t it time to start conquering your goals?  Go  for it!

See also the following:

I recently found something and am recommending that you check this out – click here and see what you think regarding fat loss and your abs.

See other posts for burn fat, weight loss and supplements.

Some give lots of effort and some don’t on loosing weight and burning fat. The truth is, until the individual has a strong mind set and has mentally committed to the effort to loose the weight and burn off the fat, the battle will continue on. You have to take control and make changes to bring about results to achieve your goals. Until you get their “mentally”, you are not there and won’t get there. It all hinges on the brain, your control or command center of your life. You have to decide where you want to be. One’s mind set is any of the following: a) wants weight loss bad, b) dreams of weight loss, c) happy, or d) doesn’t care. These are just some possibilities of where someone is mentally on this subject.

But as I said, until you make that all important decision to get it done, you’ll never be done.

It’s not just about loosing the weight, it’s about changing your life and creating a new lifestyle. If you don’t change your habits, you’ll only end up right back where you started from or worse. Ask yourself this question “If I figured out how to do something good for myself that works, why would I stop?”

For the weight loss issue, there are many options to choose from. You could do any of the following:

1. Exercise, portion control and getting proper nutrition
2. Herbalife weight loss, exercise, portion control
3. Weight Watchers, exercise and portion control
4. Other weight loss method, exercise and portion control.

If you haven’t gotten the drift yet, it’s all the same. The key factor is what works for you. What you want and need is what works and is nutritious for you. You don’t want something that is less-healthy for you. You’ll notice that each option above includes exercise and portion control. It’s just that you need exercise to burn off calories as well as to tone up. You need portion control to aide in the decrease of calories consumed. You don’t need to eat more than the body needs to sustain itself. If you eat a sensible portion and wait 20 minutes before deciding to have more, odds are you wont’ eat anymore because you’ll start to feel satisfied since the body would have caught up with what you just ate.

You’ll notice that AboveNBeyond4u.com is not affiliated with any one weight loss company. The reason for this is because what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work another. I used both Herbalife and Weight Watchers to achieve my goals. However, just because I had success with these two companies, doesn’t mean everyone will. You may find something else either through this site or on the Internet that you prefer. The main thing is that you find what works for you. As long as what you find is healthy and nutritious and works that is all that matters. As I find other options I will post them throughout this site.

Years ago, I saw things that I did not want for myself. Some people related to me or in my immediate family were overweight, or heavy drinkers and having health issues related to this reality. However it wasn’t until after my father passed away that the bomb hit me HARD! That experience transformed me into a health nut and hence fourth born this website (a long story very short). Sometimes the warning signs can be seen around you instead of on you. You just have to know what you don’t want and take action NOW! I’ve said that I did drink beer at one time, It’s been 12 years now since I gave it up and I don’t miss it at all. Ohhhh the calories not coming in as a result of that! I rarely over eat to extreme and almost always control my portions. I never have or never will smoke. Now, if you don’t smoke, but are around a lot of second hand smoke, you need to start complaining to those around you who are smoking. Second hand smoke is not good for you either. I know, because I was a victim of this. My father smoked and I had to get out of the house to get cleared up from the smoke.

Life is about making choices, and you make them everyday.

Isn’t it time to pull out the weeds and have a clear path to good health? You can’t rely on the doctor for everything. He’s just there to help you when you can’t help yourself. He’s not there to be relied upon around every corner. My doctor is lucky if he sees me once a year.

What happens yeas down the road when one starts to realize the outcomes of one’s choices and discover that they are not happy about it. If they are thinking correctly, they will stop and change course. Hence the phrase “better late then never”. The body is remarkable and making positive changes can yield positive results.

Ok, there is a huge number of those who are NOT active.  Oh yes, they’ll say, not active?  Hey, I work, I do chores around the house, help the wife/girl friend, I do this, I do that and so fourth.  Well, then why are they loosing the battle of the bulge?  Yes, Weight Watchers does count some of this activity towards your efforts to loosing or managing weight.  So, what’s the problem?  The problem can be attributed to a number of things.  Either one is consuming some of the wrong foods & drinks or the activity is not enough to burn off the calories being consumed or both.

I tell you the truth, if I did not run and exercise and only relied on nutrition and weight management, it would be much harder for me to control my weight.  Having an active life (in addition to your “other stuff”) really takes a bite out of your weight!  So, if you are not active and am having issues controlling your weight, you need to realize what you are doing or not doing about it. If you are active enough and are still having issues, then activity isn’t your problem.

If activity isn’t the problem, then it’s likely that portion control is. Unless you are the type that subscribes to the theory “oh, I don’t haven any problems controlling what I eat, I can eat anytime”. Then that’s the problem. Recently, I have posted more articles on portion control. This is a topic that has a great impact on weight management efforts. Portion control doesn’t only apply to your meals, but, also other items such as drinks, candies, cakes etc.

I’m sure that you seen this, people who seem like they never gain weight. It can drive one nuts to wonder why this is. Well, one issue is metabolism, everyone’s is different. Some suggest smoking as a factor, once they quit, they gain weight. I can’t comment on that but, that’s what I’ve heard. Weight management can be a balancing act to keep it where you want it.

We all usually get the right start in school with having access to a physicall education class, i.e: Gym class. After one gets out of school, fitness becomes less of a reality for some. This is unfortunate since by adding a fitness / active life can really be fun too in addition to it’s impact on ones overall health.

See other articles on – portion control

Fruits and vegetables are packed with nutrients and can also help with weight loss by reducing energy density.  This is according to an article I recently read:

A recent study from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University studied the relationship of energy density to dietary outcome. They found that lowering the energy density by increasing the volume without changing nutrient content can enhance s

It’s very hard to gain weight with vegetables unless you are eating potatoes or yams. Vegetables are not packed with a lot of calories. You can eat more fruits and vegetables and less of other foods that are higher in calories to make loosing weight easier. Thus, replacing foods that are higher in energy density with foods that are lower in energy density (fruits and vegetables) may help with weight loss.

Vegetables are a good source for Dietary Fiber and can provide extra energy.  The high fiber content helps us fill our stomach faster, thus putting a limit on the amount of food consumed.   Because of this, vegetables can help us control our weight.

At the risk of my sounding like I’m recommending your becoming a vegetarian, the more vegetables and fruits you can eat the better.  Forget the old 5 a day saying and think “More is Better” according to the CDC and Produce for Better Health Foundation.

A bonus with fruits and vegetables and the Weight Watchers point system, check these out:

Corn: 1 cup = 2 points
Peas: (Green) 1 cup = 2 points
Beans: (Green) 1 cup = 0 or FREE
Beets: 1 cup = 0 or FREE
Carrots: 1 cup = 1 point cooked, 0 or FREE uncooked
Banana: 1 (7-9″ long) = 2 points
Apples: 1 small (2 1/2′ diameter) = 1 point
Apples: 1 large (3 1/4′ diameter) = 2 points

See also:
1. Weight Watchers
2. Fruitsandveggiesmatter

Adding an active life can be as simple or as advanced as you want. Start out small and grow from there. Just 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week is enough to get you started until you build yourself up. Get up 30 minutes earlier on the days you choose to “get active”. After a while, you’ll start to know the difference. Once you find your focus, you’ll open a door that will rock your world. As for me, you know, I’m a runner and cannot live without it! There is an activity out there for everyone, find it, do it and you’ll see the difference. For those who say “Well, Tim, I don’t have the time!” I say, “20 minutes, and a DVD player and you can have a workout. There are plenty of workout videos available on DVD out there now and that’s just for starters. If something is important to you, you’ll make the time for it. Don’t wait until you reach the point where you wish you did do something, do it now! Even if you have to do a series of exercises in the morning just to get started. What ever it takes for you to get started and explore the world of fitness. If you still feel you don’t have time, perhaps there are those things you are doing that you should replace with fitness? How much time do you spend just watching TV?

Check out our section called NEWU, it may be what can help you get started.

A side benefit of using Weight Watchers to help with portion control is how it can improve your attitude on what you can eat. You end up realizing and saying “oh, I can have a yogurt now”. When one has been used to eating a certain way, eating another way can be a hard reality to swallow. No weight loss program in the world will work if your head isn’t in the game. Portion control is an important issue because, if you can’t control your portions, then you are just spinning your wheels. Yes, we all love to eat, but, when your eating habits get out of control, so does your weight. Think of it this way, lets say that your workouts are fantastic, you are getting the right amount of nutrition, but, your eating habits are though the roof. Well, because of that one issue, your efforts are stalemated. There is nothing wrong with splurging now and then, but not daily. With portion control you can afford splurging now and then because you realized that you went overboard that one day and you are following a routine and therefore the impact of one time isn’t going to crash your efforts.

I just love Dunkin Donuts Medium Hazelnut Ice’d Lattes and I have at least one whenever I get a chance. By using the Weight Watchers Point system, I know that a 24oz Iced Latte is worth 2 points and that is cheap for what you get. Compare that to a 4 point McDonalds Medium Hazelnut Iced coffee.

Sound like a lot of work? Not at all, once you understand how the point system works, it’s a breeze. So, instead of being hampered you are actually enabled and weight loss actually becomes easier since your portions are under control and you are not stifling your efforts.

If you feel like you don’t want to be a member of Weight Watchers to loose your weight, well, no one ever said you’d have to stay a member forever now did they? Get in, Get Informed, Get It Done!
NO and I mean NO, I am not advertising Weight Watchers here, but, it DOES work.

As I’ve said, I also used Weight Watchers in addition to Herbalife to help with controlling my portions. One of the really neat things about Weight Watchers is that by utilizing their point system, you can really eat anything you want as long as you can live with the impact of how you use the points each day and week. See this Weight Watchers Online commercial.

You don’t have to order anything to have on hand at home or office, you can buy locally and literally eat anything you like. It’s in my opinion a very flexible system and again as long as you can make use of their point system effectively. It’s a great way to conquer the issue of portion control. I really like it and use it as part of my weight management system. A key benefit of Weight Watchers is that even after you stop being a member, you still can make use of their foods and other products as well as their point system. Kind of like the gift that keeps on giving or something like that?

Some people have a problem with counting calories. In this case, you are counting points. For example, one Yoplait White Chocolate Strawberry is worth 2 points. That’s cheap in the point system. On Monday’s and Tuesdays, I am up early and look forward to my 10am snack which usually is some Yorgurt. I can eat it without feeling guilty knowing that lunch time is just around the corner. Let’s say that your daily point limit is 28, and you just had some yogurt. You now have 26 points left for the day. That’s how easy it is. Hey, it works for me……

Now, if anyone is still having an issue with counting points, think of it as a guide to help you with your portions. It’s not so much about counting the points, but, seeing how much of a portion you can eat and still get what you need. This is a whole lot easier than counting calories and it works.