DIET TIPS
Watch your sodium intake by choosing fresh, natural foods over fast, commercial or packaged foods.
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Success Story from Elizabeth

Christmas 2006 		I've been fat all my life, had some successes in the past with 'dieting' and gym time, but it I could never sustain it. I'm an RN, I used to feel 'old' (46)...but with NS I feel 36!!! I realized when on a travel assignment in Klamath Falls (elevation 4300 some odd feet) that I was getting sooooooooooooo winded going up the 28 or so steps to the parking lot that if I didn't make some life style changes I WAS GOING TO DIE A WHOLE LOT SOONER THAN I SHOULD..................I even contemplated gastric bypass, but I've seen waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many people die or almost die from it + my insurance wouldn't cover it (29K) .........which in retrospect I'm sooooooooo happy I didn't do. I had picked up a People magazine and read about a bunch of different people who lost a significant amount of weight in various ways, plus the commercials got to me; I was spending $6.50 to 7 a DAY on lunch at the cafeteria, so the $$$ end of it was a no brainer. I used to drink (probably more than my share) alcohol...usually beer, sometimes wine, and almost everyday.

I 'officially' started making changes on April 10th...I was in K falls, and just made better choices (oatmeal instead of cup O noodles for breakfast), took chicken salad sandwich to work and used lean cusine for dinner (remember, I'm lodged in a little motel room) LOL.....I cut the beer out, and in the first 10 days lost 17.5 lb..........a lot of water weight, but some fat too. I got my NS food and started 'on program ' April 21st.

I started walking while in K falls........I would take my dogs to the middle school (before I'd SIT and throw their balls), but now I was walking around the track...(1/4 mile...did it once the first day, around twice the next time for a grand total of 3 laps=3/4 of a mile by the end of the last 8 days there).

Yosemite trip before NS
April 26th my assignment changed to the Oregon coast (BIG SMILE), and I started walking in the sand with my 'boys'...........baby steps of course.....could only do about 1/2 mile at first....sand is WAY tougher than pavement, but also much more forgiving on your shins, so it's a trade off. I also walk when I'm home (grants pass) cause I live close to the sports park. I tried a few step jogging...........about 50 feet, and thought I was at the level 9 on NS' perceived exertion list ...I even called a friend and told her I was on level 9 and she laughed her butt off!!!! Each time exercising, I would increase the distance I would jog, (I go pretty darn slow-3.6 to 3.8 mph !!), but it keeps my heart rate ~140-150, so it's perfect. I'm up to 4 miles now, takes 1 hour on average.

So that's kinda the 'back story' as it were; my typical week is like this:

I work 12 hour shifts (days right now thank God)--on the days I work, I don't *usually* exercise, ...12 hours doesn't leave much time, by the time you shower in the am, 15 min in drive (not far yeah), work 12.5 hours (if no overtime), then drive home, eat and try and settle down to sleep.

On days off, I run/jog 3 .1 miles (5K). I do 15 minutes of yoga, otherwise I never stretch properly. I occasionally do the Turbo Jam DVDs too, and am setting up a gym in my garage since the weather in Grants Pass bites in the fall/early winter (foggy rainy ick!!)

(photos used with permission)