Weigh Yourself: Wake up, go potty, weigh yourself, and track it on your tracking sheet. This is EXTREMELY important to your success!  Weigh and track everyday!  You should measure as frequently as you like and track this, as well, and we recommend at least weekly.  We all need to be reminded it’s Pounds and INCHES!   Below is a sample of the Simeon’s daily diet plan.

How to Take the Drops:
During load, you will want to let your body adjust to the drops in your system if it is your first round. Load by taking .50 ml 3x a day for the first 2 days and then increase to .75 ml 3-4 x a day. Place the drops under the tongue and hold for 2-3 minutes and swallow. Do not eat or drink anything for 10 minutes before or after. This dose may need to be increased as needed to .75 4x a day. Everyone has a happy dose where they are only hungry around mealtimes so don’t be afraid to adjust it. If you need any help with dosing or have questions please email.

Dr. Simeons states that the first three days are “ineffective” and that you will need to start your weight chart from the 4th day.

“We distinguish between the first three injections (doses), which we call ‘non-effective’ as far as the loss of weight is concerned, and the subsequent injections given while the patient is dieting, which we call “effective”. The average loss of weight is calculated on the number of effective injections and from the weight reached on the day of the third injections (dose) which may be well above what it was two days earlier when the first injection was given.”

Breakfast:
Coffee/Tea/Water. 1 tablespoon of milk per day. Use stevia for sweetener. If you need to eat, you can have one of your fruit choices. During the first week, you can even add in some egg whites in the morning. You will experience some cravings the first 4-5 days and the egg whites will help. Adding supplements also will help with cravings. Magnesium, calcium and L-glutamine are recommended.

Only 2 fruit servings are to be eaten in a day but can be spread out throughout the day as snacks.

Lunch:
100 grams (weigh raw) of lean beef, veal, chicken (boneless, skinless breast only), sea bass, flounder, sole, halibut, other fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp.
One vegetable – spinach, chard, beet greens, lettuce of any kind, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions – white, yellow, or red, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, or cabbage.
1 Grissini or Melba Toast

Snack:
One serving of fruit (orange, apple, 1/2 grapefruit, 10-12 large strawberries or 1.5 cups sliced)

Dinner: same as lunch but always vary your choice of foods to keep a variety.
100 grams (weigh raw) of lean beef, veal, chicken (boneless, skinless breast only), sea bass, flounder, sole, halibut, other fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp.
One vegetable – spinach, chard, beet greens, lettuce of any kind, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions – white, yellow, or red, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, or cabbage.
1 Grissini or Melba Toast

Track Calories: You must track calories and get as close to 500 as possible. This requires more veggies. Choose your two protein sources for the day and fruits and make up the rest of the calories in vegetables.  Going under 500 calories causes stalls and hunger issues. 

Drink plenty of water and tea throughout the day. You are allowed 1 whole a lemon a day and seasonings of choice. Be sure to read our post on seasonings and teas.

The post Daily Do’s – A Sample of a Day in Phase 2 appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Eating healthy nourishing whole foods is essential to boosting your body’s immune system and giving it the power to do its job and FIGHT for you! You can start by removing processed foods, fried foods, white sugars, white flour, and artificial preservatives, sweeteners, and flavors! It sounds like a lot, but a little bit of label reading, and it becomes like second nature.

I used to suffer from allergies every spring and took medications daily (and nightly!). Changing my diet has alleviated many of my symptoms, and I have more energy to do the things I am supposed to be doing. People rely on me! I need to be at my best – and that begins with properly fueling my body.

For your Spring cold or allergies, focus on a WHOLE FOOD diet full of fruits and vegetables. “Eating the rainbow” is a fun way to encourage us to vary our veggies and fruits. The different colors are actually indicative of the different powerful phytochemicals in the plants that help our body!

Get back to basics – before over the counter medications were readily available, our ancestors used items found right in our pantries to help fight the common cold. These are just a few foods and beverage ideas.

Tea – a mug of hot tea will help relieve congestion of a common cold. Add a little bit of manuka honey to help soothe a sore throat. Green and black teas contain antiviral properties along with anti-inflammatory abilities to help shrink swollen tissues in the throat.

Garlic – this little wonder food contains compounds that are antiviral, antibacterial, and antimicrobial. This has also been called nature’s antibiotic – it is that awesome!

Chicken Soup – Make a nice pot of chicken and vegetable soup using numerous herbs and spices. Let it sit in your bowl for a minute under your nose so you can breathe in the steam. This will help clear out a stuffy nose. Follow this by enjoying the favorable meal of healthy vegetables and spices.

Orange Juice – Freshly squeeze some oranges for some fresh Vitamin C. You can also take Vitamin C supplements.

Red Bell Pepper –  A powerful antioxidant loaded with nutrients and containing almost three times the Vitamin C of an orange! A whopping 300% of our daily Vitamin C intake. Add to your favorite recipe or roast and enjoy.

Greek Yogurt: This yummy meal or snack contains probiotics, the healthy bacteria in yogurt, and will help build a strong immune system.

Take Vitamin D daily. Most think to take Vitamin C for colds, but Vitamin D is just as important. Being deficient can leave us more vulnerable to many illnesses – including cancer.

Don’t forget to wash your hands – wash for 15-20 seconds to remove viruses associated with cold and flu. Hand sanitizer is another alternative, although not as effective as soap and water. Try to find a natural hand sanitizer, such as Thieves or a homemade (and natural) recipe.

The post Beat Allergy Season with Nutrition! appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Your weight-loss success depends in large part on your readiness to take on the challenge. If you jump in before you’re ready, your weight-loss plan may buckle under the first challenge. Use these questions to assess your weight-loss readiness.

1. Are you motivated to make long-term lifestyle changes?

Successful weight loss depends on permanent lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy foods and exercising more. That could represent a significant departure from your current lifestyle. Be honest. Knowing that you need to make changes in your life and actually doing it are two different things. You may have to overhaul your diet so that you’re eating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, for example. You’ll also need to find time to exercise for at least 30 minutes nearly every day of the week. Exercise is especially important to prevent regaining your lost weight.

Your motivation for undertaking these changes may be better health, improved appearance or just feeling better about yourself in general. As long as your motivation is a healthy one, it doesn’t really matter what it is. Find your motivation and focus on it.

2. Have you addressed the big distractions in your life?

If you’re dealing with major life events, such as marital problems, job stress, illness or financial worries, you may not want to add the challenge of overhauling your eating and exercise habits. Instead, consider giving your life a chance to calm down before you launch your weight-loss program.

3. Do you have a realistic picture of how much weight you’ll lose and how quickly?

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong process. Over the long term, it’s best to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. To lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day. You can do that through a low-calorie diet and regular physical activity or exercise.

Initially you might lose weight more quickly than that if you make significant changes — just be sure the changes are health supporting. Don’t get discouraged if your rate of weight loss slows a bit after bigger initial losses.

4. Have you resolved any emotional issues connected to your weight?

Emotions and food are often intertwined. Anger, stress, grief and boredom can trigger emotional eating. And if you have a history of an eating disorder, weight loss can be even trickier. Start by identifying your emotional issues related to food so that you’re prepared for the challenges. Talk to your doctor about what weight-loss options are best for you.

5. Do you have support and accountability?

Any weight-loss program can be difficult. You may face moments of temptation or become disheartened. Having someone in your corner to offer encouragement can help. If you don’t have friends or family you can rely on for positive help, consider joining a weight-loss support group.

If you want to keep your weight-loss efforts private, be prepared to be accountable to yourself with regular weigh-ins and a log of your diet and activity. You might also want to consider joining an online program or using a certified health coach.

6. Have you embraced the weight-loss challenge?

If you don’t have a positive attitude about losing weight, you may not be ready. If you dread what lies ahead, you may be more likely to find excuses to veer off course. Try to embrace the vision of your new lifestyle and remain positive. Focus on how good you’ll feel when you’re more active or when you weigh less. Picture yourself celebrating every little success along the way, whether it’s opting for a low-fat cottage cheese snack instead of chips or going for a walk.

You’re ready for weight loss: Now what?

If you answered yes to all or most of these questions, you’re probably ready to make the lifestyle changes necessary to work toward permanent weight loss. You may be able to forge ahead on your own, creating your own lifestyle program for healthy eating and exercising. Or you may feel you need help.

Educating yourself about the process of successful weight loss and maintenance is a start. For example, learn more about the dietary changes necessary for losing weight. See a dietitian or enroll in a behavior-based weight program that can help you change the habits that can interfere with weight loss, such as eating when you’re stressed or bored. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, you may benefit from medically supervised weight loss with a team of health professionals that may include a dietitian, a therapist or an obesity specialist.

What if you’re not ready?

If you answered no to more than one of these questions, you may not be ready to embark on a weight-loss program right now. And that’s OK. Explore what’s holding you back and face those obstacles. In some cases it may simply be a matter of timing. For instance, you may need to resolve other stressors in your life first. In other cases, you may need to work on related issues, such as your feelings toward weight loss or your willingness to commit to permanent lifestyle changes.

Consider seeking help from your doctor or another professional, such as a certified wellness coach, to help you work through these issues. Try to address the obstacles as soon as possible and then re-evaluate your readiness for weight loss so that you can quickly get started on a healthier lifestyle. Don’t let the chaos of life become a permanent excuse, however. There will never be an absolutely perfect time.

Still unsure?

You may have found that you couldn’t answer all of the questions with a simple yes or no. If you feel generally positive about most of your answers and you’re upbeat about a weight-loss program, consider starting now. You may never have definitive answers in life. Don’t let that rob you of a chance to achieve your weight-loss goals.

The original article can be read here on the Mayo Clinic website.

The post Ready to Lose It? appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Ingredients:
Allotted quantities of white fish or shrimp
1 T of coconut oil or MCT oil
1/2 cup of cilantro
1/2 cup cabbage
1 tsp of Lemon N’ Pepper
1 tsp of Three Amigos
4 Ezekiel tortillas or other gluten free tortillas (BFree is a great product)

Sides:
Shredded Cabbage Coleslaw
Chopped tomato
Chopped onions
Sour Cream (P3)
Avocado (P3)
Salsa

Directions:
Place the fish or shrimp in a bowl and marinate with the oil, lemon pepper, and Three Amigos seasonings.  Cook the fish or shrimp on the grill or lightly saute in a pan. Cut the cooked fish into small chunky pieces.
For P2, each as “fish taco salad” by serving the cooked fish over the shredded cabbage and omit the sour cream.
For P3 or P4, heat or warm the tortillas.  Add a light base of sour cream and then add your fish, cilantro, onion, and shredded cabbage.
Add salsa if desired.
They are delicious and easy to make!

The post P2 Fish Tacos – P2 and P3 variations appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

The problem is, these final 7-10 pounds can be the most stubborn and most frustrating of the whole endeavor. There may be many ups and down – physically, emotionally, and, sadly, on the scale readings. Here are some helpful hints for this exciting – yet trying – time.

Stay on protocol – and I mean the original Dr. Simeons protocol. Your body will be more finicky than ever and this is not the time to experiment with green beans and broccoli. This is the final stretch. Stay POP (perfect on protocol). You can do this!

Squelch boredom with variety. If you always eat lettuce with your chicken breast, try spinach. If you usually eat spinach raw, try it cooked. Add more spinach with your strawberries in a smoothie form. Cheating is not a good idea when you are this close to goal.

Keep good records. Document all of your food and drink intake and write down your beauty products. This will be imperative when seeking help from the administrators in the Facebook support group.

If you are on protocol and haven’t joined the group, then that is another helpful hint. Click here to join. If you need help, ask! We have seen so many through this program and can and will help you!

Some other useful options:
-Take detox baths. Find those instructions here.
-Drink detox tea (Yogi and Triple Leaf brands are great)
-Be sure and stay hydrated! Increase water intake if necessary. It helps flush out the fat, plus helps you feel full faster.
-Warm lemon water in the mornings is known to boost metabolism and help your liver perform at its best.
-Increase your intake of green leafy vegetables – especially spinach. Raw spinach is best but if you struggle with the quantity, you can lightly saute it.
-Keep your food clean and whole. Make your own broths instead of buying it, and use fresh tomatoes in lieu of canned. Even salad mixes can contain starches to prevent browning. Buy the head of lettuce and start from scratch to prevent these issues. Your body may be battling to hold onto these final pounds.
-Take short walks and stay moving. A little more activity may help.

You may need to increase your protein toward the end as you may suffer from protein deficiency. Hunger and weakness, even after altering dosage, tend to be the two biggest signals of needing to increase protein when you are on your final round.

Also remember to be sure to double check any supplements you may take for hidden sugars. Ask an administrator if you have questions on which supplements may be helpful.

Body lotions can also be troublesome. Although some people continue to use their normal products and still have success, some lotions and shower gels and other products can limit losses. If you are stuck, this is something to consider. Coconut oil is a safe moisturizer for most participants if your skin is screaming for moisture.

Enjoy this time and realize that your body is working hard. This is a wonderful time to realize that, although it isn’t always easy, it will be worth it. You are doing something great for yourself and getting healthier. Enjoy this time and relax. Stress less and realize this is all part of the journey.

Support is key, so if you have a problem or questions make sure you ask one of us for help. Let the process work with you, have patience and ENJOY reaching your GOAL!

The post Your Final Round appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Strawberries are a summer favorite because they are at the peak of ripeness. They make a light and refreshing addition to a salad, too!

Try this recipe for a yummy Strawberry & Cucumber Summer Salad.

Ingredients:
1 whole cucumber
Sliced strawberries
1 serving strawberry vinaigrette (see below)
Fresh ground white pepper
Stevia to taste

Directions:
Slice strawberries and cucumber. Toss with strawberries, dressing, stevia
and pepper to taste. You can also add fresh dill, fresh mint, ground cumin, or sweet paprika to taste.
Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
Strawberries
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Stevia to taste
Dash of salt
Dash of cayenne (optional)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Stevia to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour over
fresh arugula or green salad. Garnish with sliced strawberries and freshly
ground black pepper. Variations: use as a marinade or sauce for chicken.
Makes 1-2 servings (1 vegetable, 1 fruit)

The post P2 Strawberry & Cucumber Summer Salad appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

To create this tasty treat, you’ll want to grab:

-A handful of strawberries
-4 cups of ice
-Desired amount of vanilla stevia

Throw all of these ingredients into a blender and mix it until the ice is good and crushed. You can decide if you need more vanilla stevia after you taste it. (I like to use just a little bit and it does foam some, so add a little at a time).

Another alternative – if you have difficulty getting in enough leafy greens, you could add a handful of spinach to this drink and use regular stevia. You can’t even taste the spinach!

The post P2 Cool Off with a Frozen Strawberry Treat! appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Lemonade is a popular, refreshing beverage for a hot summer day, but BEWARE!!! Stay away from those “on the go” lemonade drinks brought to you by Crystal Light or Country Time. They are loaded with either white sugar or artificial (chemical) sweeteners. For example, Country Time’s first ingredient on their list sugar – which tells you that since ingredients are listed in descending order, the first ingredient is the one with the highest quantity; it has more sugar than anything else. Since people know to avoid white sugar, marketers came out with sugar-free options, however, many of the pre-made, “sugar-free” mixes contain aspartame which is very harmful for us and is known to cause many illnesses. (read more)

Lemonade
1 C fresh squeezed lemon juice, about 6-8 lemons
1-2 Tbsp. pure maple Grade B syrup (here’s why) OR
one of our favorite safe sweeteners *Be sure and use stevia for this if you are in P2!
Cool spring or sparkling water
Crushed or cubed ice, if desired

Makes 1 quart

The post When Summer Hands You Lemons, Make Lemonade! appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Here are some of the many symptoms PMS brings. As you can see with all this going on in our bodies, the scale could be a bit temperamental.

• Abdominal fullness, feeling gaseous
• Bloating of the abdomen
• Breast tenderness
• Clumsiness
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Food cravings
• Headache
• Less tolerance for noises and lights

Other symptoms include:

• Confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue
• Feelings of sadness or hopelessness (See also: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder)
• Feelings of tension, anxiety, or edginess
• Forgetfulness
• Irritable, hostile, or aggressive behavior, with outbursts of anger toward self or others
• Loss of sex drive (may be increased in some women)
• Mood swings
• Poor judgment
• Poor self-image, feelings of guilt, or increased fears
• Sleep problems (sleeping too much or too little)
• Slow, sluggish, lethargic movement

Combat PMS symptoms and minimize your weight gain nutritionally, by taking care of yourself, and by using natural supplements.

The best dietary solution for PMS is to be sure you get enough calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, B Complex, and Omega 3’s

Magnesium – The last two weeks of the menstrual cycle cause magnesium levels to drop.   When you are low on magnesium, you will bloat and retain water.  Taking a Magnesium supplement before your period is key to helping reduce symptoms.

Omega 3 – Only take in supplement form during Phase 3.  You can get this naturally from fish sources during phase 2.

B Complex Vitamins – B vitamins are essential as they help balance out your serotonin levels.  Look for a healthy sublingual B12 formula.  They are very effective and absorb well.  B6 for PMS is the key to mood balance.

Exercise – Get in light walking during PMS. This will help reduce stress and keeps the body active.

Caffeine – Limit your caffeine intake during PMS as this only exacerbates the symptoms.

Dinner – My doctor recommends eating a big steak and spinach for dinner right before I start.  This has helped me for years reduce the urge to eat the refrigerator.  Steak is high in iron.  If you do not eat red meat try to increase your iron from another protein source.

Chocolate Cravings – Stick with chocolate delight recipes.  This will keep you from eating “bad” or unhealthy chocolate during your period.  Click Here for Recipes.

Sleep – Make sure you get your 8 hours of sleep during this time.  Your body needs time to repair itself and it will help with the symptoms if you are well rested AND have the right nutrition.

Another important aspect of surviving the ups and downs of hormones is staying positive. It is uncomfortable during cycle changes, but keeping a positive attitude and nurturing our bodies is very helpful in getting through it and staying strong.

The post Scale vs. TOM appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

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If you are stuck in a rut in any area of your life, make a list or a plan and change the routine. Check out my previous blog on being conditioned and how important it is that we change our conditions into new habits if we want permanent change. Click here to review that blog post.

This also applies when on protocol.  Our bodies get stuck in what I call “conditioned ruts” and sometimes we just need to shake up the routine.

In the article “Stalls Happen” you will find tips for breaking phase 2 stalls and causes of them.

When on Phase 2, we sometimes seem to stall on pounds lost because it takes some time for the inches lost to catch up with the pounds lost. (It IS called Pounds AND Inches). Some people are “clumpers” and lose a bit more every few days, as opposed to the 0.5 to 1 pound daily loss some others may experience.  Click here to read more Are you a clumper?

These lessons can be applied to any area of your life in order to experience a change in your routine.

Stop doing the same things every day and decide today you are doing to do just ONE thing different.

One of the most important things you can do is a take an inventory of the things you would like to see changed in your life. Keep your list short and start with just a few things. Do not overwhelm yourself or you may end up changing nothing.  The number one tip is to keep it simple and achievable.

Below are five simple examples of making small changes to your routine.

1. Stop eating sugar– The best way to stop eating sugar is to remove it from the house. Make a list of things you can do to help you achieve this goal. Spend a little time every day working toward it.
2. Exercise more– Getting motivated to exercise can be a grueling task for some. Make it a goal to do one small thing every day. Do 10 wall push-ups, walk around the block, park farther away from the office or grocery store.
3. Cook healthier meals– The best way to do this is start with one day a week and plan a meal. Look at recipe websites and find a reasonable meal to start with that you can achieve with great results.
4. Get up earlier– Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier every day and spend time studying something important to you. Improving your mind will improve your overall health.
5. Get organized- This is a big one with spring cleaning coming up. Instead of being overwhelmed by the large task, take 15-20 minutes a day and check something off your list. You will be amazed how fast it starts to snowball.  You can get 7 things easily checked off your list just by applying this principle for one week.

The biggest challenge to change is actually taking action. We fear failure so we do nothing. In doing nothing, we achieve nothing. You must start out with small goals and set yourself up to check them off one thing at a time. You do not have to reinvent your life overnight. Slowly start changing and making little choices every day that will accumulate big results and form a new routine.

For the next week, I challenge you to make one change to your routine. Just one! Do not try and reinvent the wheel overnight and do too much. One change per week accumulates to 52 changes in one year. Imagine what your life would look like with 52 improvements to your routine! Come back and comment and let us know the one thing you decided to change this week.

You can do it if you spend time on the little choices versus the big ones and do it consistently.

The post Change Your Routine, Change Your Life! appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.

Today, we can expand on that with some more benefits of an internal supplementation of MSM capsules.

If you’re reading up on this, chances are you care about the condition of your body; Either you want to improve yourself, your quality of life, your skin, or maybe you have some aches and pains from starting a fitness routine and are looking for relief.

Intense exercise can create oxidative stress and decrease glutathione levels. Studies suggest that the sulfur constituent in OptiMSM increases plasma glutathione levels to combat this.

Here are some more potential benefits of taking an MSM supplement. It may:

• It may help reduce exercise-induced inflammation
• decrease muscle soreness
• promote repair of connective tissue
• prevent cartilage breakdown
• and support healthy joints and range of motion.

It sounds like a pretty hefty list of perks, right?

If you’re anything like me, you read about all the benefits of these products, you decide you have to have them, buy them, and they you get annoyed that you have to take a handful of supplements sometimes more than once per day. So why should we choose this supplement?

Well, MSM is also known as DMSO2 – and it occurs naturally in certain fruits, vegetables, grains, and animals – but it is lost in these products due to processing, storing, heating, and food preparation. So while eating a healthy diet is imperative for good health, the fact remains that some helpful compounds are literally lost in the process.

Knowing that we don’t want to age without a fight, this is one supplement I definitely will be taking. I will take all the help I can get.

If you want your post-exercise pain and discomfort reduced, or your soreness decreased, or you want to support your skin, hair, and nails from the inside out, you might try MSM capsules.

If you are interested in more information and a more detailed, scientific explanation of how MSM works, here are a few very informative, very detailed spec sheets.

Recovery from sports injuries

Joint health and mobility

Healthy joints

Sports nutrition

To order your MSM products, click here:  MSM Capsules       MSM Lotion        MSM Gel

The post MSM Series – Part Two – Joints, Muscles, Recovery appeared first on Little Choices Everyday.