Success Stories

Dear Kimmer,
 
I am teared up writing this because you have given me so much back in my life that I took away 12 years ago when the scale hit 200 and never went down.

I am a military wife of 5 great kids that never have known their mom as under that 200 mark or even near it and I made this week.

I have lost 60 lbs in 3 months and 6 days!!! I still have 45 to go and I know that is where the challenge is.

My husband is stationed in Hawaii and we bought a retirement farm in MO to raise our kids on and let them settle down. He will join us in a few months or a few years (who knows when it comes to the military), but we knew the risks when we bought our home.

He will be coming back from Iraq to his duty station in 12 days and will be meeting me at the airport since I fly in the day after he gets back (my fault I bought my tickets too soon not knowing when he was flying).

He has not seen me under 200 pounds in 12 years!!!!

We are having our honeymoon we never had for 16 days in Hawaii while my mom (who is also on Kimkins) takes care of our kids. I am so excited.

I want to explain what Kimkins has given me.

I used to ride professionally when I was in my late teens and early twenties. I have stayed around horses (instructing kids and owning horses) all this time and I have ridden being 200+.

I know it is not fun for the horse and it is not fun finding the clothes to do this either. I ride English and jump. I have really tall horses, but now I am able to ride again and not just a little. I am able to work my horses and even show.

I train children and I am able to show them my true abilities now instead of just telling them. I am also going this summer to become a certified instructor in Center-riding which is a dream of mine. YOU made it come true.

I have also spread the word. I hope my sales experience is helping me make believers out of the many people that have asked me, "How did you lose so much weight?"

Thank you again,

Christina MacMiller

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

8-12 large cabbage leaves
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/4 pound ground sausage
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt & black pepper
1/2 tsp ground sage

Drop cabbage leaves into boiling water, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain well. For filling combine ground beef, ground pork, onions, peppers, egg and spices. Mix well.

Place 1/8 of meat mixtures into the center of each cabbage leaf. Roll leaf around the filling and fasten with a toothpick. Place in a baking dish seam side down. Add water to 1/4 inch and cover pan with aluminium foil.

Bake for 45 minutes, remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Mindless Eating

A pioneering book that deals with the underlying psychological reasons we overeat is "Mindless Eating". In his new book, Brian Wansink, a food psychology professor at Cornell University, explains why we eat with our eyes and not with our stomach, and how this can affect our weight.

The following is an excerpt from "Mindless Eating." Do you see yourself?

The Mindless Margin

Did you ever eat the last piece of crusty, dried-out chocolate cake even though it tasted like chocolate-scented cardboard? Ever finish eating a bag of French fries even though they were cold, limp, and soggy?

It hurts to answer questions like these.

Why do we overeat food that doesn't even taste good?

We overeat because there are signals and cues around us that tell us to eat. It's simply not in our nature to pause after every bite and contemplate whether we're full.

As we eat, we unknowingly -- mindlessly -- look for signals or cues that we've had enough.

For instance, if there's nothing remaining on the table, that's a cue that it's time to stop. If everyone else has left the table, turned off the lights, and we're sitting alone in the dark, that's another cue.

For many of us, as long as there are still a few milk-soaked Fruit Loops left in the bottom of the cereal bowl, there is still work to be done.

It doesn't matter if we're full, and it doesn't matter if we don't even really like Fruit Loops. We eat as if it is our mission to finish them.

How to Pick a Personal Trainer?

There's a reason movie stars and financial moguls use personal trainers: Working with a trainer is one of the fastest, easiest, most successful ways to improve your health and fitness.

In fact, personal training has proved so effective that it has spread well beyond the realm of the rich and famous.

Today, personal trainers are used by people of all fitness, age and economic levels to help make lifestyle changes those people couldn't achieve by themselves.

How do you know if hiring a personal trainer is the right choice for you?

Consider the following things a personal trainer can do:

1. Improve Your Overall Fitness.

Surveys show the primary reason people hire personal trainers is to get professional assistance to improve cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, endurance, posture, balance and coordination. A trainer will monitor your progress and fine-tune your program as you go, helping you work your way off plateaus.

2. Reach or Maintain a Healthy Weight.

Body fat reduction, weight reduction or management, body shaping and toning can all be achieved with the aid of a qualified trainer, who can help you set realistic goals and determine safe strategies, all while providing the encouragement you need.

3.Learn to Stick to It.

Sticking with well-intentioned plans is one of the biggest challenges exercisers face. Qualified personal trainers can provide motivation for developing a lifestyle that places a high priority on health and activity. A trainer can help you brainstorm ways to overcome your biggest obstacles to exercise.

4. Focus on Your Unique Health Concerns.

Surveys show that 50 percent of personal trainers clients have special medical needs, such as arthritis, diabetes or obesity. A personal trainer can help you with these or other issues, including low-back pain, rehabilitation from injury and pre/postnatal training.

Your trainer can work with your physician, physical therapist or other health care provider to plan a safe, efficient program that will speed your recovery or enable you to reach your health goals.

5. Find the Right Way to Work Out.

You will learn the correct way to use equipment, and appropriate form and technique for cardiovascular work and free-weight training.

6. Stop Wasting Time.

Get maximum results in minimum time with a program designed specifically for you. Workouts that use your strengths and improve on your weaknesses are efficient and effective.

7. Learn New Skills.

Want to improve your tennis game, learn to ski, become an in-line skater, golf like a pro, better your weekend basketball game or get ready for a wilderness adventure vacation? An individualized program can improve your overall conditioning and develop the specific skills you need.

8. Enhance Your Mind, Body and Spirit.

A personal trainer can act as a doorway to new personal growth experiences. Many trainers provide mind-body activities, such as yoga or tai chi sessions. Your trainer may help you uncover new insights about yourself or find potential you didn't realize you had.

9. Benefit From the Buddy System.

What could be better than making a commitment to regularly meet with someone who will provide you with individualized attention and support?

10. Take Charge of Your Program, and Do It Your Way.

With the right trainer, you can find the exercise program that works best for you. Are you more comfortable with a demanding program or a gentler approach?

Would you like to train at home or at work, at a club or in a trainer's facility?

How many times per week or month do you want to meet your trainer, and for how long?

Carefully choosing a personal trainer enables you to select the type of guidance that will benefit you.

You can get fit and healthy your way and take ultimate responsibility for your own health.