The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle once said "You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor."
Does it take courage to lose weight? You bet it does! The question then becomes.....do we have the courage to lose weight?
Let's take a look at some of the weight-loss pitfalls we may need courage to overcome. Although all of these won't apply to everyone, we need to be aware of these traps.

* SIBLING RIVALRY - Do you have a sister that you're always competing with? Although we love our siblings, we need to realize that our weight loss success may not always get the warmest response! If we finally start exercising and drop that extra 40 lbs., but our sister doesn't, how will that impact the sibling relationship? All too often our sister will get jealous and react negatively to our success. A snide comment here, a cold shoulder there, and soon we may find ourselves regretting our own success.

* GUILT - Yes, we may even feel guilty about our weight loss success! What if we lose that extra weight, but our best friend doesn't? Similar to 'survivor syndrome', we might even call this phenomenon 'success syndrome'. Consider the woman who, with her mother, has been battling her weight all her life. This has been a journey of 15-25 years!! Suddenly the daughter is thin, and the mother is still obese.....these types of scenarios can create feelings of guilt in the successful person. 

* ATTENTION - Once we start exercising regularly, we will start to lose fat and tone muscle. It's likely that, as we become successful in our weight loss efforts, we will start to attract attention from the opposite sex. As fun as that may sound, it may be uncomfortable for some of us.

* SPOUSE - "In a marital or romantic relationship there may be an equilibrium that is established over time. Take for example a marriage where a husband smokes or drinks and does not get promoted and his wife is overweight. If she then upsets the equilibrium by losing weight, there is implicit pressure on him to make progress in his own areas of struggle. 
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Another reason that someone may not want their partner to lose weight: Let's say one person is angry and has a difficult time talking about their feelings, so they badger the other person for having a piece of apple pie. If their partner loses weight, then they no longer have that means to control or express hostility.
Or someone may nag their partner, saying 'You don't look as good as you used to,' but then when their partner begins to lose weight they may resist, not feeling 'good enough' for them any more. One woman told me that her husband was actually feeding her off his plate. He felt threatened when she lost weight and did his best to undo her weight loss." 

* COURAGE! - It's easy to see that some of us may need courage to cope with our weight loss once we've achieved it. But we CAN find the courage to handle these issues! Some tips for courageous weight loss:

    Invite the jealous sister to exercise with us. If the offer is refused, then remember that we DID make the offer!

    Remember that we can only be responsible for our OWN failure and success.....if a friend or family member fails to lose their excess weight it's not our fault! We are only in charge of us!

    Invite our spouse to help us shop for healthier foods and cook healthier meals.

Be courageous! WE CAN DO IT!

I know protein is good for me, but do I need a supplement? Whey, egg, casein and soy  which one protein is right for me and what does each one do?
Letís get the facts straight. Protein exists in virtually everything that moves and makes sounds, or in almost any animal. Primary dietary protein sources include fish, eggs, chicken, pork, beef, venison, buffalo and many other wild animals.


​But which is the best source of protein? Ah, the million dollar question. As with any supplement, no protein powder will match what Mother Nature provides on earth. Natural proteins deliver more quality nutrients to your body than any protein powder ever could. Still, protein powders do have their place.
Scientist have come a long way in their development of protein supplements, including how they taste. Even recently, the best you could hope for with a protein shake was that you could choke it down in spite of its chalky taste and consistency. Now they actually taste good. Today there are plenty of protein powders and meal replacement shakes on the market. The key is finding the best quality products with the highest level of bioavailability.
Your primary source of protein should be meat, fish, poultry, eggs and other seafood. The protein source should be organic and grass-fed, free-range or wild. These furnish the body with the highest quality protein, provided that they are not cooked, or cooked very lightly, because heat denatures protein (kills proteins).
Other sources include commercial meats, farm-raised fish, and other genetically modified organisms like soy. Protein also can be found in other foods like nuts, legumes, some veggies and certain grains. However, your best sources of protein for packing on the muscle are organic meat and fish.
Protein shakes or meal replacements should be the last place you should look to fulfill your bodyís protein requirements. Although they can be beneficial, remember, nothing beats Mother Natureís proteins ó not even a scientist-developed protein ó for making you healthy and strong. Protein supplements are particularly useful for vegans, vegetarians and non-meat eaters, as well as for people with problems digesting heavy proteins or whose lifestyle prevents them from consuming proteins during the day.

A protein drink or meal-replacement shake is a great morning meal for those get-up-and-go types who only are short on time but understand how important breakfast is to losing fat and gaining muscle. Breakfast is the most important meal of any healthy diet, so a quick protein shake is a must for people who just donít have time to prepare a good breakfast.

The best protein powders or shakes are made from egg or whey. Use casein, protein from dairy products, sparingly. Avoid soy proteins, as these are the cheapest products you can buy and typically are genetically modified. Genetic modification means scientists have altered the organism from its natural state, a practice discouraged by most non-soy-paid scientists. Do your own independent research if you like, but always consider the source. Take with a grain of salt the comments of specialists who are paid by companies to say theirs is the best stuff for your body.

Remember, these are general protein recommendations. If thereís something on this list that you are allergic to, that obviously would not be a good product for you. A food allergy test is recommended before you begin any supplementation program to determine if you have specific allergies and if there are particular substances your body has problems processing.

One last note: All the protein in the world wonít help you if your body is deprived of other nutrients, such as essential vitamins and minerals. For optimal health, make sure you consume enough protein, eat organic and supplement with a great multivitamin.
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The Number One Recommended Protein Products that will deliver your body the highest amounts of quality protein. These Supplements will give you the most gains and help you lose the most fat.