This post has been sponsored by Somatropin/HGH. I’ve had a little bit of time to look through the scientific studies on the benefits of supplementing with HGH. I’ve always been curious about HGH as well as the hypothalamus gland as it relates to aging and weight loss (or gain, as is often the case). I thought I’d highlight some of the information from Somatropin HGH and provide the links for you to have a read.

HGH is a natural substance that is excreted by the pituitary glands in the human body. As a person ages, the level of HGH that their body produces decreases. However, human growth hormone drugs work to raise a person’s levels of HGH back to a youth-like level, therefore aiding in weight loss.

Myth 1: Skipping meals helps you lose weight

Fact: Skipping meals will create cravings and cause
you to overeat. But most importantly, skipping
meals causes your body to slow and not burn fat
as quickly as it would if you were eating a several
low-calorie, high-protein meals a day.

Myth 2: Carbohydrates cause weight gain

Fact: Carbohydrates are your body’s premier
source of fuel. If you don’t eat carbohydrates you
will be sluggish and irritable. There are two types
of Carbs: The good and bad carbs. So instead of
munching on sweets and cookies (bad carbs) find
an alternative among fruits, vegetables, whole
grain brown rice and cereal.

Myth 3: No snacks

Fact: If you observed your eating habits and
noticed that you eat at least only three times a
day, then it is probably best to have a snack. The
benefits of snacks is that it helps you to stop over
eating, and plus it gives you more energy and
keeps your metabolism working at its peak!

This is long overdue, because of course I am a big procrastinator when it comes to my food and diet plans. You can click on the thumbnail for a full size printable version of my new menu. I’ve got it split into breakfast, lunch and dinner options. These are all food combinations and meals that I am familiar with and wouldn’t have a problem sticking with on a regular basis, so long as I have some variety to choose from.

I have had a lot of success with these foods, and these portions. My problem is, has been, and probably always will be – making bad choices when something isn’t right in front of my nose to tell me what I should have. That’s why I created this menu.

I’ve just spent some time reading about this product, Dr. Chongs Wu-Long Tea. It’s been given a nod by Oprah as well as Rachel Ray, so of course I’m curious to know more about it!

Dr. Chong’s Wu-Long Tea™ is not a fad diet, it’s not a crazy weight loss gimmick, it’s a century-old proven way to supercharge your body into a lean, mean, fat-burning machine.

This tea is known to stimulate metabolism, and weaken the effects of carbs – which essentially keeps your body burning fat. One cup of tea in the morning (even sweetened with honey or flavoring like cinnamon) should give you a natural increased energy without the strange side effects of many diet pills on the market.

If you’re looking for some motivational articles that make a whole lot of sense, check out Diet Bites.  There are many free diet plans and lots of encouraging articles that can be accessed without membership.  I spent two hours just reading this evening.  I hope you find something useful there.

Just in case anyone is looking for a ready-to-go shopping list, here’s one I put together for my sister based on my own – which I relied heavily upon the WW Core food list to create. Hope this helps you get started!

BREADS/GRAINS:
whole grain tortillas
success brown rice boil in a bag
whole grain breads, soft bread – natural harvest is a good brand
high fiber cereal – shredded wheat w/grain (8g per serving), fiber one w/ honey crunch is high, but I couldn’t find it
trail mix california blend – no m&m’s
whole grain pastas
vegetable pasta (corkscrew multicolor)

VEGGIES:
green peppers
california blend frozen veggies (broccoli, cauliflower & carrots)
frozen corn
frozen sliced zucchini
carrots
celery
cauliflower
salad mix (bagged premade salad)
mushrooms
onions
delmonte diced tomatoes (italian seasoned, garlic, prepared diced tomato sauces)
dry soup mixes: cream of spinach, non chunky dry mixes for turkey burgers

I know I’m not the only one who watched that season finale of The Biggest Loser, man was I motivated! 8 months?! Seriously?!

Ok. So I’m checking this out – The Biggest Loser Club, there’s a community, free profile, personal progress journals and more.

Update: Signup is $19.95 or something a month – looks like it’s all the same thing that SparkPeople provides for free, so it’s all a matter of personal preference.

(Time to throw out the donuts!)