PEERtrainer

How PEERtrainer Got Started

I am part of a very helpful and interesting women's group called 85 Broads. It was started as an alumni group for women employees of Goldman Sachs, whose headquarters are at 85 Broad Street in Manhattan.

This group then grew beyond just Goldman to other investment banks and law firms. The organization is now simply "a global network of 20,000 trailblazing women who are inspired, empowered, and connected." So often we hear that women don't help each other and all that-- this organization is designed to disprove that thesis.

One of the other members recently interviewed me about PEERtrainer and my career. Her interview gives a good background to how the site got started and what we are up to!

http://www.85broads.com/experts/eunice-rho/jackie-wicks-founder-of-peertrainercom-85-broads-member

Dr Oz Show Looking For PEERtrainer Members....

Hello!

Hope your day is going well. I am happy to share that I ran 3 miles today! Doesn't even compare to some of you marathon maniacs but it was HUGE for me. I've been more focused on tennis over the last year but just last week, a friend of mine mentioned a woman he knew started running for the first time at age 39 and she finished the chicago marathon in 3 hours and 10 minutes. I was really impressed and realized that's what is so great about running...you can start at any age, focus and do well. So I decided to get out there today and I'm feeling great.

But the real reason I'm writing is because the Dr. Oz show called me yesterday to tell me about a special event they are holding in honor of their 100th episode. They are gathering 100 people who have lost 100 pounds to come together and tell their stories on national television. Some will have a spot in the audience and will be called on to share their story; some will be on stage giving inspiration. I cannot wait to watch!

Some of the PEERtrainers that have been featured in magazines, radio shows, TV sharing their story tell me the emails they receive afterwards make it all worth it. Sometimes just seeing someone do it -- listening to their struggles and challenges and the eventual win -- can be the catalyst to help someone get on a new trajectory.

So...if you've lost a 100 pounds and want to be featured on the show, reply back here with your story, how you did it and please include a before and after photo. If you have lost less than 100 pounds but would like to a chance to tell your story in a different magazine or TV show, please email me as well with your story and photos. The press reaches out to us frequently so you may have a chance for the next one.

Last thing I want to throw out there: if you know someone who might be ready for a weight loss "intervention" or a brother/sister, mother/daughter who you think are really ready to make a change, please reach out to me as well. The specifics aren't in yet but they will be soon.

Hope you're having a GREAT day. As I write this, Habib, who finished an hour workout with Blake and Bodylastics on liveexercise.com, is actually out running 8 miles. He is a wild man.

Btw- Blake is in the process of filming dozens of workouts that you can watch for free on his site. We are going to be embedding many of them on PEERtrainer as well. For $50 you can get a resistance band set from Bodylastics and you will be able to get a killer workout without paying for a gym or a trainer. It is very innovative. Habib is appearing in several of the workouts for guys and I will be appearing in several of the videos for women. If you have not gotten your bands yet, you can do so by clicking here. If you want to get stronger this year, you will want to make sure you have a set.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Jackie

How To Remember To Drink More Water, How Much Water Should You Be Drinking?

"I need to work on drinking enough water daily.  I know that I should, and I am willing to. But I need to find a way to REMEMBER to keep drinking. If you have ideas or suggestions-- I am open to them." 

1. Get a workout in your day:  When you sweat, it’s almost effortless to remember to drink water.  Your body just needs it.  
2. Buy a large, beautiful water pitcher and first thing in the morning, make sure it’s filled up.  You might even want to add a few lemon or grapefruit slices, or make it “spa-like” with cucumber slices.   Place it on your desk or in a high trafficked area so every time you pass it, it becomes a reminder to keep drinking.
3. Keep your water bottle at close range and make sure it’s ready to go in the car and when you’re running around.  If it’s there, you’ll see it and you’ll remember.

On a different note, there are many differing opinions about how much water you really need.  Here’s a response from one of the discussions in the community when asked, Is all that water really necessary?”

“It really depends on the person in terms of how much water they need to drink. I am reading "Eat To Live" by Joel Fuhrman (MD) and he says that if you exercise you need to replenish the fluids you lose. He also says that the amount of water you needs depends on your diet. If you eat a diet low in fruits and vegetables, you are going to need more water, and vice versa. His assertion is that three glasses of water a day is all you need IF you are eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables. (page 233 of the paperback) But he has a pretty high standard, so odds are that very few of us meet that, and thus need a decent amount of water.” 

Fruits and vegetables have a high water content so they’re known as “water-rich” foods and can play a significant role in hydration. The discussion is pretty interesting.

And here’s another discussion on how much water to drink when you are running that links to a Runner’s world article that gives a simple formula based on the approach that seems to be the conventional and also "dominant narrative" regarding the amount of water you should drink: 

 

 

Male Drinking Requirement, in fluid ounces:

Body Weight x .35

 

 

Female Drinking Requirement, in fluid ounces:

Body Weight x .31

 

 

Example: A 132-pound women needs to drink 41 ounces of water a day (132 x .31= 41). She'll get the rest of her daily water supply from food and metabolic processes.

The article also gives some specific advice tailored to runners that you might find interesting.

Oh, one more thing I forgot.  It tends to be easier to drink more water if it’s room temperature rather than ice cold.  If you have any other tips, please respond below!

 

-Jackie

Related PEERtrainer Post:

Is Too Much Water Bad For You

How To Eat More Vegetables: Some Ideas...

"Dear Jackie.  Thank you so much for the list of veggies.... I went shopping this morning and got spinach and spaghetti squash which I haven't thought of in years.  I am going to look for kale next.  Thanks heaps!"

I listen to people say I’d like to eat vegetables but I just don’t like them all the time and most of the time, there’s at least one vegetable that you like that you forgot about, such as artichokes or corn.  Sure, they aren’t the highest nutrient greens but they are still vegetables and once you start to incorporate just one or two, you begin to remember others that you could potentially like.  Here’s a bit of what we do in the Point of No Return program:  Make a list of every vegetable--you’ll find a partial list here:

http://blog.peertrainer.com/tip_of_the_day/2009/04/complete-well-almost-complete-list-of-vegetables.html  

Take a look through and circle the ones you like and make it a point to buy one or two on that list to eat for the week.  When you start to eat one or two, it starts to snowball into other ideas and your mind begins to forget the mantra of “I hate vegetables”.  What is even more surprising is how quickly you start to have the urge to try one of the big leafy kinds that you might have stayed away from for years. 

There’s also a great book called Vegetables Every Day that I highly recommend for recipe ideas.

My good friend gives it as a birthday present to everyone she knows and I was the lucky recipient a few months ago.  Not only does it give a variety of recipes but it also gives an explanation of when they are in season and a general, easy to digest understanding of each kind.  It has over 350 recipes and what I like the most is that some are gourmet, some are 5 minutes, and the author gives you a real sense of what spices go with what vegetables.   I love it!  

I also want to include this great discussion in the PEERtrainer community called "I Don't Like Vegetables." You might find some great ideas like this one:

“My favorite quick 'n easy veggie prep:

I steam green beans, thin down couple of tablespoons of tehini w/ a little water, drizzle over the hot steamed veggies, toss lightly, and sprinkle lightly crushed roast almonds on top.”

 

Let me know what you make with the spaghetti squash and kale!  Yum.  I love spaghetti squash.  Thanks for the reminder.  

-Jackie

PEERtrainer Success Story: 30 Pounds Lost In A Year Following Dr. Hyman and Dr. Fuhrman

This is a great success story. This woman managed to totally transform her body while working on a PhD. She sent me her story and then I asked her how she did it. I got a great response that I think will be helpful to everyone. One thing stood out from this story- once again we are hearing of a doctor (Dr Hyman) recommending the elimination of wheat as a way to lose weight and improve energy.

Btw- if you want to see the before and after pictures before reading this story:

click here to see missbec's before and after pictures

Hi Jackie,

Last weekend I attended an out-of-town conference and arranged for my friends (who live in a nearby town) to meet me at my hotel after the conference was over. We hadn't seen each other since September 2008. I joined PT in February 2009 and have lost about 30 pounds since then.

It's about time for my friends to show up and I'm finishing the details with checking out and about to print my airline boarding passes from the hotel computer when my cell phone rings. It's my friend. "Becky, we're here!"

"Where are you?"

"In your hotel lobby."

I'm looking around and I don't see anyone. "I'm standing right here in the lobby. What are you wearing?"

She tells me she's wearing a lavender sweater. I spot her husband before I spot her, at the same time she exclaims, "I didn't recognize you! You're so skinny!"

I'm not at my goal weight yet and I'm not perfect, but it is certainly encouraging to hear these comments. My Iranian friend, who I also hadn't seen since Sept 08 and visited with on this same trip, didn't know how to say, "You're so skinny!" in English, so she substituted with "Your fat is finished!" As we say in church circles, "That'll preach!"

I have before-and-now pics posted on my profile (missbec) if you're interested.

Thanks for the site - I know that it has made a huge difference for me!

Happy new year!

Becky

After getting this email I asked her to describe some of the changes she made and the things she did to help with this transformation. Here is her response:

Jackie, 

I don't think I'd be where I am today if not for my PT group and the encouragement and ideas I receive there - and being able to post whatever I'm thinking or struggling with at any time and know that someone in my group will read it and respond.

My story:

When I went to the doctor for my annual physical two years ago, she told me that my triglycerides were too high and she wanted to start me on cholesterol medication - at age 38! I said no way and I knew what I had to do. I had followed Eat to Live several years ago and had been very successful with it, but in the intervening years had slipped and gained all of the weight back. Although I had remained vegetarian, I had started eating a lot of cheese and a lot of carbs, especially bread, and even cookies and other sweets (especially if I was baking for my husband). I told my doctor to give me a few months to see if I could get the level to come down through diet; I told her I was going to follow Dr. Fuhrman's plan (she was familiar with his work because they both practice in Flemington, NJ).

I started following Dr. Fuhrman's plan seriously and exercising some, but not regularly. I lost about 10 pounds and when I went back for my follow-up blood work several months later, my doctor was amazed at the reduction in my triglyerides. I don't think she believed that I would really be able to do it on my own just through changing diet. Then my husband and I moved, the holidays arrived, and I gained some of that weight back. I realized I had to get serious about being healthy.

I found Peer Trainer in February 2009 and joined a group and started logging daily. I started wearing a pedometer and made a goal of walking 2000 steps each day, then increasing my daily goal each week. Whenever I wanted to eat something that wasn't good for me, I would think about how I was going to have to log it on PT, and that would be enough to discourage me from impulsive poor choices. (I'm always honest in my logs - if I eat it, I log it.) Just the discipline of logging was a big help for me. I also track my weight daily in the private part of my log, so I can see the trends.

I read Dr. Mark Hyman's "The Ultramind Solution" last June. I've stayed with Dr. Fuhrman's eating program, but I added vitamin and mineral supplements recommended by Dr. Hyman, and followed his advice to eliminate wheat, dairy, and sugar from my diet. I wasn't eating dairy before that, and not very much sugar, but eliminating wheat made a huge difference in my energy level. I still have an occasional bit of dairy (but I don't keep it in the house), but I try to avoid sugar as much as possible (especially refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners), and I eat very little wheat because it now gives me headaches. We moved again in August 2009 so that I could start work on a PhD in California. It's been a challenge adjusting to the routine of school and living in the city.

I'm not perfect and I still have times when I eat things that are not healthy - like a slice of cheesecake my sister made over the holidays, or some cheese, or tortilla chips. But I try to regroup as soon as possible when I slip and maintain a consistently healthy lifestyle. I don't bake cookies for my husband any more and I try to encourage him only to get junk food that I don't like. I always try to eat more and more veggies, and I make most of my food from scratch...lots of beans in the crock pot, since a grad student has neither an overabundance of time nor a lot of money!

This is really about being healthy for life, not just about achieving my goal weight. I know I still have a ways to go in getting my exercise program to where it needs to be for optimal health; that is hard to do when my studies can be so intense. And I'm actually looking forward to going to see my new doctor for my physical exam this week, because I'm so pleased with what I have accomplished in the last year!

Becky 

click here to see missbec's before and after pictures!

198 Books, Ideas, People and Programs That Have Helped People On PEERtrainer

Another question we recently asked our members was "What ideas, people, books or programs helped you during this time?" Meaning while they have been a part of PT, what has helped them. We like being able to share this stuff, and I think this perspective is pretty unique. We seek to be the "the mothership" in the sense that we are not proprietary about our service, and we have set out to create an open source environment where our own ideas and "products" can seamlessly coexist with everything else out there. 

While we want to be as helpful as we can and serve as many people from a business perspective, the reality is that people use a dizzying array of tools to help them. And you will see all the different things that PT members use here. This list also gives us some great ideas of books and programs to look into, to write about and potentially promote. We have put some links into this list where appropriate. You can also download the raw data file here in PDF format.

There is no one tool or service that will help people, and we think that part of the reason the weight loss industry has failed to serve people is this insistence that a particular product or approach is the only way, is the solution or the magic bullet. Btw- the people on this list have lost anywhere from no weight to more than 100 pounds. But the overall level of success is astonishing, and we are looking at ways to present that data in the proper context.

1 I started with ww about 8 months ago and stopped when I found PT.

2 Winter hibernation teammates mmostly

3 The Point of No Return course with PT, the How to Think Like a Thin Person, by Dr. Beck, and summarized by PT (which is how I learned of it)

4 co bloggers, husband, 6 day makeover, weightwatchers.com, biggest loser with Jillian Micheals.

5 I am incorporating Dr. Fuhrmans Eating for Health concepts. Yum :) And Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods. I like the strength training routine in Abs Diet for Women book. I like Thich Nhat Hanh and Pema Chodron for breathing, and inner support and strength.

6 I like the groups of 4 and are in a solid private one now. This is very helpful for all of us. We are all hoping to be more on top of it this year.

7 Hypnosis, Dr. Furman, Jinny Ditzler

8 the idea of looking inward for my real motivatio s

9 I read all the info you give us. I think about it throughout the day.

10 My naturopath recommended Suzanne Somers' Somersizing program (which is a healthy version of Atkins) and it has helped me lose TONS of weight.

I also believe that having a cheat hour once a week gives me something to look forward to. (Only an hour so the insulin rush isn't too overwhelming.)

11 Master Your Metabolism, The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution. I like the tips on here like how to fight late night hunger, things to do like get a exercise buddy and accountability partner. Again lacking time and people to converse with about goals etc.

12 DietPower software program

13 daily inspirational emails.

14 The cooking tips, such as when Jackie made her vegatble soup. Using greens for smoothie. Books by Joel Furman are really helpful. Also the Tip of the Day! That rocks!

15 Logging definitely has helped, as has the support of 3 support groups

16 my group members are awesome - sometimes they're the only ones who keep me focused

17 The Dr. Oz show, the Biggest Loser.

18 My small groups have been the most helpful. They give me encouragement when I am struggling.

19 Keeping in mind that failures can be redefined as learning experiences.

20 Tips from other participants - how they get through emotional eating and late night snacking.

21 I look at Tip of the Day from Jackie often and learn from it, but, mostly logging and following others in the groups has helped the most.

22 Tip of the day really gives me a little nudge to keep my mind on track.

23 Joel Fuhrman's emphasis on vegetables, esp. greens. I have read his books. The daily email, I've seldom missed a day reading it. The idea of taking what works from various diets and doing 'diet fusion'.

24 the idea of how much willpower i have. Whenever i wanted food when i didnt need it i had to make myself think of what i would become if i kept eating nonstop

25 I follow the plan of Weight Watchers. Trying to change life style and dietary choices.

26 I've started incorporating a lot more greens in my diet.

27 logging, logging, logging. keeping a record of intake (food), exercise, and weight loss.

28 Self Motivation, Challenge with a neighbour , Nowloss.com - big follower of this website has helped me a lot in every stage.

29 My current group have been helpful as well as the articles Jackie has put on my emails.

30 Peertrainer's mindset approach to losing weight - I never realised before how much weight loss it is a mental battle.

31 Dr. Furhman's Eat to Live, the encouragement of people on the PT site, Beck Diet Solution

32 Joel Fuhrman

Judith Beck

bodybuilding.com

PT PONR Program

33 recommendation of Fuhrman's and Mittlemen's books

34 My group has been my encouragement to try new things and to keep going.

35 reading your tips has kept me interested in the program and determined to lose the weight I want to lose.

36 joel fuhrman

37 the daily mails are great motivators.

38 friends that joined weight watchers helped. mom helped too and also suggested this site.

39 My group was great but my computer crashed and I was removed from my group and that was the begining of the end.

40 The diet ideas.

41 Just hearing how people do what I'm doing

42 My PT group! And Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Dr. Mark Hyman.

43 tip of the day and goal setting also getting rid of Poulos and associated programsI find these are a lot of hot air,verbal diarrhoea and money grabbing

44 I've been on weightwatchers for this time period as well. I have really appreciated your insights, and they've motivated me a lot. Things like "motion changes emotion". It's true! Or discussions about becoming more optimistic and what the difference is between optimism and pessimism. I've actually been able to use these concepts in my life. Maybe they've helped my fitness program. They've definitely helped my self-perception.

45 daily tip

46 My group members have helped me with motivation

47 I like Jackies questions about what are you losing weight for and what success you have and what are your road blocks. I just discovered the community and have started to explore some of the other tools.

48 Beck Solution

49 Point of no Return is awesome. I need daily reminders. I get more help from Jackie and Joshua's articles than I do from members.

50 Other members have been great.

I consult the following websites:

calorieking

shape

mensfitness

womensfitness

self

51 I have been using the Beck Diet Solution and it works.

52 Bodylastics were purchased directly due to exposure on your site.

53 dissatisfied

54 Team members, the team approach I found very helpful.

55 The people in my groups over the years. Reading about the days of people with similar struggles. Will get around to reading the beck Diet solution. The book that really resonated true to me is: “Ultra metabolism” and how it promotes real foods. No corn syrup/hydrogenated oils. Etc .

I participate in a 3 week cleanse twice a year(for two years now)-that I LOVE-. Acupuncture and therapy.

56 The emotional eating emails

57 Also through Peer Trainer I happened on Gould's book and motivated myself to go see the school Nutritionist who recommended Intuitive Eating. Both were good reads. Finally getting a swimming partner again was the actual best help for me. Just having a live body I meet regularly naturally makes me accountable for excercise (makes it fun!! and something to look forward to, and no excuses for skipping on a freezing cold day or a tired day) really helped. Additionally, talking to the nutritionist, who was truly more like a counselor helped me cut down on emotional eating and make a plan of other things to do with myself when I go stir-crazy/lonely. Finally, getting pregnant again cut down snacking the first trimester, but now it's the second trimester and my aversion to food is gone. I love food again!!!

58 Ongoing, new info is the most helpful. Furman's ideas, the ongoing encouragement on a daily basis.

59 the audio downloads have been the best so far

60 My groupmates, general weight loss ideas from multiple programs/ diet plans

61 Jackie's e-mails helped tremendously, as well as the interviews that you link for us to listen to/read. Whether we have 20 or 200 lbs to lose, weight loss comes down to the same principles (calories in vs. calories out) and people seems to have the same struggles mentally with it. Logging my food made a HUGE difference for me as it brought me "out of the dark and into the light" when it comes to calorie counts!!

62 The Tip of the Day helped me, and I love and respect Dr. Fuhrman's advice.

63 Eat to live

Daily exercise in the logs was a good reminder

64 The support and ideas I get from group members has been most helpful. I feel accountable to them. Also helpful -emails, emotional eating recordings, Slow Burn, Body for Life for Women, The Beck Diet Solution, using community "threads" to track weight with other PT members (spot trends, patterns)

65 Nothing so far.

66 Its only been a week, but I ordered "slow burn" by mittleman

67 Ideas: 1 lb of spinach or 1 lb of cabbage per day

Eat to Live book was a great recommendation

I love Jacquie's manner: girlfriend next door popping in to give encouragment on so many levels - videos!

68 Dr. Fuhrman, Roberta Temes, concepts such as how to eat at a restaurant, the 3-bite rule, the "One Good Day" concept. All great ideas and I fully believe in them all. I just can't seem to live it!

69 The weekly articles

70 Various website content

71 The point of no return

Dr Fuhrman's way of healthy food

The idea that one should do at least one good thing every day whether regarding the food or some sort of work out

72 My sister and friend who joined my group. I love the eat clean cookbook by Tosca Reno it has awesome easy healthy recipes.

73 no one

74 Your daily newsletter is great.

75 Weight watchers/ Peer trainer/ Hungry Girl/

76 PT articles - Jackie & Joshua

Beck

Fuhrman

T. Venuto

my PT diet buddy & my groups

77 daily emails

78 The motivation from team and group members.

79 None to date, like the public blog and success stories and tips

80 i dont know

81 Mostly the articles.

82 Learning about getting active .

83 Bob Greene's Best Life Diet.

A group's idea about lifting weights, on this site.

84 hypnosis 

peers

85 The daily tips help remind one to stay the course of change.

86 Mittleman and his ideas. Your Energy soup for sure.

87 youtube, the vegetable soup,what to keep in your refrigerator (love that vegetable soup)

88 Regular logging plus the Boot camp calls and the Emotional Eating calls.

89 I just got two books , Eat to Live and Slow Burn for Christmas. the questionaire of where you are in the weightloss( are you a 1,2 or 3) mindset was very important to me.

90 My group has been amazing - 3 of us have been together since I joined

91 I became motivated when I finally realized that I needed to loose the weight and start moving in order to make my surgeries successful.

92 Joel Fuhrman's books

93 Love the daily tips and especially love the soup recipe. Do you have any other recipes that help you curb your appetite?

94 I used the Hypnosis CD's by Roberta Temes, I read the Joel Furhman books and am half way thru Stu Mittleman's book. I did not use the online groups all that much. Loved the email of the day!

95 A lot of the eercise ideas have helped me.

96 Low calorie diets & excersizing

97 Some of your emails have been very inspiring. I am not disciplined enough in my own mind

98 There was one lady that lost quite a bit of weight, and she still had more to go, i found her story very inspiring.

99 Definitely #1 is Diet Fusion. The things that come to mind are the Dr. Furman principles and the woman who changed the 3 things (green tea, etc.) I really get a little something from everything you send. I love the New Balance link you just sent out. Thank you!

100 Just having the support of like minded people has helped me tremendously.

101 EE program! For sure.

102 dr becks diet solution

103 Team members, Te Master Cleanse,The Secret & The Four Agreements

104 We've supported each other in our successes and our 'failures'.

105 How To Build High Self-Esteem by Jack Canfield Audio Cassettes, (you can still get these on eBay, but sadly they do not have CD sets as they are that old.) Using his repitition system which are mantra's of sorts. He uses one for money as an example, but it works in all areas. I also find that using a beaded necklace and touching each bead with each mantra is successful. He says that all of your senses should be involved in the process, touch, sound, smell, etc. It does work, I tripled my salary in one year using it, so I decided to try it for Weight Loss, and have lost five pounds since I started chanting "I am losing weight, and feeling great." I also say this when walking and it keeps my brain from wanting me to sit down every five seconds, lol.

I follow Weight Watchers, my Peertrainer group, Qi Gong video workout.

106 the Point of No Return program, HANDS DOWN!, Joshua Wayne & Jackie Wicks and thus as result, also Dr. Fuhrman (Eat for Health)...the idea of emotional eating was a new discovery AND beiing the hero of MY journey is VERY motivating...finally, I truly know that my onging and permanent weight loss IS POSSIBLE!!!...finally, being accountable to my team and groups is very helpful...

107 the idea of fusion -- using concepts, programs from various books, diet gurus and i really like the emails

108 Just being accountable, even if I'm the only one in the group, with my daily log. It helps you to be more concious of what goes into your mouth.

109 None.

110 It helps to get your whole family involved and have an in house support group along with peertrainer.

111 I am writing down everything I eat.

112 the calorie counter really helped

113 NoExcusesWeightLoss

114 Stu Mittleman (Slow Burn), Robert Temes (Hypnosis tapes) and Dr. Fuhrmann (Eat for Health diet)

115 Tip of the day, Joshua and Jackie, my Peer Trainer group and Dr. Furhman ( I recently ordered 2 of his books).

116 I got injured right off the bat and dropped out at that time. Then just recently I got back on. I have loved Joel Fuhrman's books and Slow Burn. Even tho I am not faithful to the knowlege I am gaining, I feel that I am making slow progress.

117 Thanks to site indication, I read: Disease-Proof your Child, Eat for Health/Life (I got a e-book copy). Both were real eye-openers for me and I've incorporated some of the advice (did not do the program because I'm breastfeeding). Just started with Slow Burn this week. I absolutely hate running and the book explains why (and proposes a solution)

118 Ph Miracle for Weightloss

Just starting to read Slow Burn

119 Gosh, there were several from PEERtrainer, especially the weekly (or more often) emails I received from them. Also, my sister, daughter, and I are on this weight loss journey together, using Weight Watchers.

120 Just knowing someone is out there. I wish there was more in person.

121 The tips on Halloween were actually great, I always think of Christmas as a problem time but PEERtrainer pointed out the earlier weight-gain-start-date. I also like the emphasis on the power of positive thinking

122 The idea of just putting your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. Fellow PEERTrainers in the Spotlight group and the many people I met in my groups.

123 I recently purchased the Hypnosis Network CDs. So far, I haven't seen any improvement, but I have my fingers crossed.

124 I've used PT as part of my At-Work Weight Watchers program.

125 I read and applied the principles found in the book "Fasting" by Jentezen Franklin. This is based on the Daniel fast which is a 21 day period during which one does not eat any meat or meat products, dairy, sugar or bread. It taught me a lot spiritually and as a side benefit, I learned a lot about foods and lost a lot of weight. I read most of the articles found on the peertrainer site and got ideas from other fellow PT members. I followed a running programme to run 10K in 12 weeks and followed the exercise principles put forward on PT

126 The ladies in my group have greatly helped

127 Prayer.

128 Jackie's soup; Joel Fuhrman's books; my sister, for encouraging me to join PT & stick with it; food logging

129 One group I'm in-Commited for Life! The women in that program provide alot of positive feedback that has been very helpful. I'm also reading the Beck Diet solution, and the articles that Jackie sends via email helps too.

130 Tip of the day and the EE program / e-book and the PONR. Spark People. Beck Diet concepts.

I then utilized Eat For Health and high nutrient eating. Diet fusion is brilliant in its commonsense low anxiety approach of one size does not fit all and as an antidote to whay diets fail. I'd like to say the message boards and teams but really not so much. I'm not inspired- have to keep looking but I am doing well inspite of that. The calls are my favorite - wish they were longer! I use the when on the treadmill.

131 Couch-to-5k plan on marathon mamas page, tnt on preg before, during and after (now a facebook friend, used to read her logs daily b/c she had so much success).

132 YOU: On a Diet, by Dr. Oz was a good read. I also have read all the books by Michael Pollan and have greatly improved the quality of my diet.

133 The idea that has helped me the most was from the very beginning of PONR in bootcamp. That was to change just one habit. Which has turned into changing several habits, which has turned into losing several pounds.

134 Daily journaling, daily weigh in. PONR. PT teams.

Tom Venuto. Seeing Jackie, Habib and Joshua's logs!

135 I have been on the Fat Smash Diet for a week, so far it's going great.

136 I like the downloaded calls from Jackie and Joshua. I listen to them as I walk, and they have really stuck with me when I get into that "grab-and-go" mood when it comes to food. As I said, I am far more aware of what I'm doing, and a food log has helped me see where I eat, when, what I'm feeling--very interesting.

137 Dr. Fuhrman, Dr. Barnard, www.nutritionmd.org, Eat to Life, Eat for Life...

138 i have enjoyed and used the emailed tips and info from Jackie. They are helpful reminders. I did not use the Peer function. I use Weight watchers online.

139 I've been on 4 different teams throughout my time on PT. Currently still on 3 of them. I started one of them (triathletes) and got in on the beginning of another (men's team). Accountability has been a key benefit for me. We can hold each other truly accountable because the reason we know each other is to do that. There's nothing personal about holding each other accountable, it's uncomfortable when we see each other in another setting because we don't. I like the honesty and toughness that the anonimity offers.

140 Journaling - Wish I could keep at it.

141 logging and interacting with my team. keeping myself accountable by writing down everything i put in my mouth, counting calories.

142 The eat to live Dr. Furmahn book is helpful perspecitve.

143 Success stories.

144 Ideas and examples from other members.

145 The nice thing about PT is that its founders seem to regularly review a variety of ideas/approaches/tools and regularly share their passion for book or product. Though I may not choose to sample a given promotion, their passion for the various ideas usually results in my extracting a truth I can use, i.e., give your body the nutition it needs and perhaps it won't always seem to be calling out for more, more, more.

146 Peer Trainer Accountability, seeing how others are getting on.

How to stick to a diet; Weight Watchers, Paul McKenna

147 I liked success stories and stories about healthy and bad foods

148 the biggest loser on tv and the reminders by peertrainer

149 Well the girls in my "group" are fantastic. They have recommended work out dvd's. JM 30 day shred, Jm books, etc. Just the daily logging has been a big help.

150 I appreciate the info on 4-5 smaller meals, increasing my vegetable and fruit intake. I don't drink cokes, eat chips or eat anything with transfats, but have passed this info onto my children.

151 none

152 The people in my PT group have been a huge help. I have also used the Biggest Loser as inspiration to watch while exercising.

153 n/a

154 simple recipes like green smoothies + veggie soups. Eat to Live.

155 One of my groups has become my core group of friends. I also get emails from SparkPeople that are interesting. And I'm going to a gym pretty regularly for the first time in my life.

156 I didn't read any of this!!!! Sorry

157 9 days eating plan

158 My group-mates first and foremost. We are extremely tight knit and I have come to consider them close friends.

I also use Becks when I feel like I am slipping off track. I tried South Beach as well but the low carb aspect does not jive with my level of exercise.

159 My team mates!

160 The idea that ultimately you can't rely on any program to help you. You have to do it on your own. Seek local face-to-face support if need be (e.g., a trainer).

161 I love the group support. I've met some great women who I truly consider friends. I really like the Beck Diet Solution. The Dr. Phil books are what got me started. I've also read Eat to Live, The Fat Smash Diet books and more.

162 The Emotional Eating series of audiofiles have been the most helpful.

163 Just being able to communicate with my team is huge!

164 Some links have been very good. Recipes good also.

165 The emotional eating email. I am very healthy with my diet, but I would find that stress and lonleyness trigger the emotional eating. Now I stop look at my feeling and face them.

166 Ideas posted by other participants regarding organizing my home

167 I am enjoying the daily notes from Peer trainer.

168 Joined Crossfit; am considering the paleo lifestyle

169 They have all been of interest, none has brought me to a new revelation.

170 Faith, Family Physician, Biggest Loser and Personal Inspiration.

171 at the moment nothing seems to be lost motivation

172 weight watchers helped a ton, as did all the info I received from peertrainer: recipes and exercising info.

as well, tracking what I ate and the activity I did was hug.

173 My peertrainer group, husband, Weight watchers, my gym

174 My group "Marathon Veterans" has been a MAJOR inspiration. The members are very active loggers and we have daily chats.

175 Recently I loved the Limiting Belief article.

176 keeping track of my calories consumed helped me a lot

177 Recipes, quick tips (ie weighing at night sure puts a damper on raiding the fridge!) Jackie manages to personalize her responses to make you feel better connected

178 Point of No Return Program

Tip of the Day emails

Eat To Live

(The hypnosis cds you recommended are next on my list to try)

179 Fat Smash, WW

180 my group

181 7 steps to changing anything in your life.

182 E-mails I received from Jackie helped a lot. Also reading about people who managed to go on 10K run was inspiring.

183 Having groups and people to talk to. Not giving in after having a bad day, each day is new.

184 I like the new emails from Jackie. Some good ideas there.

185 Not much - having very difficult time balancing time re: work, due to pressures there.

186 Dr. Oz's "YOU on a Diet" was my guidebook for the most part.

187 I love Bob Harper's attitude. I like this book because it talks about emotional eating. I liek Bob Green's Best Life Diet too. I think it is the best long term, sustainable plan.

188 Simple questions in my email. I love those. Hearing about others and their success, ways of eating.

189 I have been a member of Weight Watchers since April 2009, and signed on to PEERtrainer a month later. I have also joined a gym, and found numerous websites, cookbooks (a few of my favourites include Rose Reisman "Weekday Wonders", Janet and Greta Podleski "Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry", and the "Hungry Girl" series. I have many motivational techniques, and look for any new ideas that help keep me on track and focused (I believe you call it "diet fusion").

190 recipes, any practical information about food such as always having frozen veg. in the freezer

191 Two books that made me change my thinking.

Your Erroneous Zones from Dr Wayne Dyer

7 Habits of highly effective People from Dr Stephen Covey

Now that I changed my attitude and the way I approach things I use the Leanness Lifestyle to work on achieving new goals.

Books that helped me along the way where

Eat to live

Slow burn, less the training aspect, that was pretty useless to me, according to the book I was already doing everything right. But the attitude towards working out.

192 I like the articles.

193 Dr Joel Furhman has changed my life with his teaching of high nutrient food..so, my idea of a meal has changed from having to have some sort of fish (I don't chicken or meat) to just enjoying some braised bok choy or a huge summer squash for dinner.

194 logging meals and exercise on PEERtrainer; being introduced to Dr. Fuhrman; reading Healing Back Pain on Jackie's recommendation.

195 I found the choices in programs i could research was a great help to me. It was nice having everything avaliable at one web site. I also liked that you didn't say only one way will work, you gave us the choice as to which one would work best for us. I also like the communities we can joing. Your program is a very user friendly program. I also like I have the choice to recive so much for free.

196 Dealing with "Limiting Beliefs" that're inside me/hindering growth

197 I joined Weight Watchers and began an exercise regime 8 months ago for the umpteenth time in my life. It was at one of my meetings that someone mentioned Peer Trainer. I gave it a try and really liked the Tip of the Day. The tips got me thinking in a good direction. So, I started to explore the groups on Peer Trainer and after a lot of trial and error found my way into many that work for me.

Then at the suggestion of Jackie and Habib I purchased copies of "Eat to Live" and "Eat for Health" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I also read "Volumetrics." I think that was when things really started to come together for me--that's when my diet fusion really occurred. Without the idea of diet fusion, I can't see how Weight Watchers can be successful for me in the long run. (I can elaborate on this point if you need me to--it is at the heart of why I am successful at losing weight.)

At some point during my transformation I picked up on a television show on BBCAmerica called "You Are What You Eat." It's a fabulous look into why people are obese and has confirmed everything I have learned. Watching 3 episodes a week continues to give me great inspiration today. I purchsed a cookbook from Dr. Jillian McKeith, the nutritionist who hosts the show. Her recipes are vegan, they fit perfectly into the "Eat to Live" program, and they push me to explore all sorts of unique foods.

I also subscribed to the Peer Trainer series on Emotional Eating. I picked up on the fact that many people on PT were reading and exploring "The Beck Diet Solution." I was invited to join a PT team of people working through Beck's system together. Like "Eat to Live" transformed the way that I eat, "The Beck Diet Solution" transformed the way that I think. I continue to work her steps everyday.

I can't forget to mention the role that exercise has played in this. I started with Pilates on the reformer twice a week, added brisk walking 4 days a week, and finally began doing Power Vinyasa Yoga 3 days a week (which has supplanted the walking during the winter here in the midwest). The combination of strengthening, toning and cardio has altered the way my body looks. I also stay really motivated to stick to my food plan because I want to be able to excel at fitness and that's a lot easier to do at your ideal weight.

I really do not know where I would be without everything that I mentioned. My weight loss tools have come from a lot of different sources, but everything complements each other beautifully. I feel like I owe Jackie and Habib (by way of PT) my life. They have changed its course forever by creating PT.

198 Because I started so many things at the same time, I can't say for certain which one has made the biggest difference. I think it is the combination of several methods of focus that have made this final attempt at weight loss actually successful. I've quoted PEER trainer during Weight Watchers meetings, and have checked in on the message boards to see what others are doing. The accountability of weight watchers, the structure of a 10k training plan and then P90X and the encouragement of PEER trainer have worked together to get me through this.

Please add to this list in the comments section right below!

-Jackie

PEERtrainer member "Bendage" Before And After Photos And How He Did It

I posted a link about a month ago: PEERtrainer "Bendage" before and after photos, wow!  Here it is in case you missed it.  Definitely a weight loss and fitness success story.  Look at his before and after.

Here's the "before":
 

Here's "after":

After I posted this on PEERtrainer, he told everyone how he did it.  There's some great no nonsense advice here:

"Nutrition is not a vacation from fast food.  It's a new way of life.  You don't get to do it for a while an then return to the way it was. It takes discipline and it is a slow process that is only rewarding in long term effects.

"Include an exercise program that is made to shape and tone your body.  Dumbbells are not dumb."

The best part about PEERtrainer though is you can look through his actual logs and read what he does day to day.  It's not just someone telling you what they did afterwards. 

Look at this post from January 7:

"I am proud of myself. The smell of pizza is a huge weakness for me. Boss bought the whole office pizza for New Years for lunch. I smelled the pizza, grabbed my keys and ran!"

Nice work Bendage.

197 Tips For People Starting Any Part Of PEERtrainer

We recently sent out a survey to our members, and one of the questions we asked was "What advice would you give to people just starting any part of PEERtrainer?" So far we got 197 responses to this question, and we are printing them on this blog post with some minor edits. If you want to see the raw data file we have posted it here for download in PDF format.

The people who have responded here have been with us for between one day and 4 years, and have been using our groups and teams, our email programs our coaching programs. This is a stream of consciousness exercise of sorts, but you will see some patterns and common themes to the advice.

1 Keep at it, write things down no matter what. And focus on the positive not just the negative. 

2 To read the daily emails because that it what has kept me inspired. 

3 Find a team that has a consistent weigh-in, like a ww meeting almost--be held accountable--LOG!!! 

4 Join the Point of No Return, join at least two groups of four people. Those groups are what are helping me to continue to make healthy choices and help me if I am wavering. 

5 read the blogs, others have been there so you need their inspiration. 

6 Keep exploring the PeerTrainer website, you will find helpful supportive resources that will resonate with you. Keep connected. 

7 Find a solid 4 person group and go private with it. Move around until you find people who will write at least every few days and not just playing but are serious. 

8 Read as much as you can. Sign up for all that you can. Explore the site first before signing on to the 12 week point of no return program and if u find it's a good fit then absolutely sign up. 

9 try to check tips daily it gives you little snippets that are easy in incoporate a little at a time 

10 Like I have read on here--be as kind and understanding of yourself as you are to others. Forgive your mistakes and celebrate your successes no matter how small they are. 

11 To log, log, log, EVERY day. just knowing what is going in your body will automatically encourage most people to make better decisions. 

12 Do what works for you. Ask questions maybe someone in marketing from peer trainer will follow through or someone will post. 

13 Stick with your group, even if you only post once a week. Start to get to know the people in your group and make friendships so you can truly support one another. 

14 Rome wasn't built in a day. results will be slow but worth it. 

15 If they can't commit to anything but reading through the tips of the day....that will change their outlook about weight loss and healthy in the most positive way! 

16 Log, daily and everything. Don't be embarrassed! No one who is overweight hasn't had moments of losing control with food or making bad choices! 

17 be patient with your group. sometimes it takes a while to find just the right mix of people to click for you 

18 Take it slow and never give up! 

19 Post comments and log on daily! It doesn't help when there are group members who don't log on at all. 

20 Be ready to digest a lot of material 

21 Come in with an open mind and force yourself if necessary to give suggestions a fair shot. 

22 Give it time, try to log often. If you fall off, come back and try it again. It really helps to relate with others and get ideas from them, including food, exercise and state of mind. 

23 Tip of the Day, and using the many links you give us. They're helpful. There's always Something for everyone, and pretty interesting. 

24 Not to get overwhelmed. Plan, as much as possible, what you will be eating for the day. Write it down. I try to think through basically what I will eat early in the day, and write it down.

 25 lay off the sodas! haha try to eat moer veggies and healthy food.. 

26 Be honest. You can look back on what worked well for you and what didn't. 

27 start slow, don't give up. Slowly build up. Log, Log, Log and meet new people, encourage each others.

 

28 That not everything will apply to your situation, but at some point, you'll find helpful relevant information. 

29 LOG HONESTLY!! 

30 I do admit it's hard in the beginning to workout every day , you have to push yourself everyday .You have Imagine looking good how you'd feel in those smaller set of clothes . Your toned body ,also appreciation from your family members ( I do see it everyday my husband said "I never thought you could do it , I am amazed by your transformation"). Now after a loss of 30 pounds I feel I can handle them all family,kids ,etc and still have energy to play with my kids . Tue, Jan 12, 2010 9:02 AM 

31 Be consistent. 

32 To jump in with both feet and commit to every idea. 

33 Take things one day at a time, celebrate the small successes, and don't be afraid to ask for help...oh and LOG...which I haven't been doing and I'm paying for it in POUNDS! 

34 Just do it! Try PT! Use it! Log. Join groups and/or teams. Make friends. Be open to new information. Be an active PT member and you will not be sorry. There is so much to learn and gain from using all the resources that PT makes available to its members. 

35 don't get discouraged by the overwhelming amount of e-mails 

36 Be sure to log in daily and write down everything you eat! 

37 Give it a go and be prepared to do some thinking about where you're going, whether you're serious about losing weight or getting fitter. 

38 To Log and write down goals 

39 it makes you organised in loosing weight and u know more about your body and the food u eat and ur workout.. knowledge is power and that what u need to loose weight.. 

40 get the daily note. 

41 Try some of their idea but when you find something that works stick with it and ignore all the other information 

42 Go slow and ask questions. 

43 Take it one little step a time. There is lots of information so break it up! 

44 Join a group that logs regularly and log every day! Be totally honest about what you're eating and your exercise, and your struggles with your group. 

45 use what you need and work thro different offerings,I've suggested to 2 people but don't think they are using you so far 

46 It's OK to go slow. Slow and steady make sense. First figure out exactly what you are eating and how much. Then figure out what you really like out of everything you are eating. Give up nothing that you absolutely love, but give up all of the empty calories that you really don't really yearn for. These two processes can help people figure out what patterns they are following, and what kinds of small changes can make a difference. Once you start seeing results, you will be motivated to change more. 

47 just trust the process 

48 Keep your mind open 

49 Give it a try. 

50 Keep talking, even though no one answers. Talking about what should be done and what you want accomplished puts you in a good frame of mind. 

51 Read as much as you can! Lots of great info. Join a few groups and a few teams. Log every day and stay active with your groups. 

52 Log every day and log everything. There is no point to being on PT if you modify your logs to 'look good'. 

53 It's all about habits, and it just takes time and consistency to change habits. Just stick with it. Fall down seven times, get up eight. 

54 Don't dwell on the past, only look to the future. 

55 Don't expect too much. 

56 Be kind to yourself, and accept slip ups as part of the process. 

57 LOG- LOG- LOG. And keep logging till you find a group that clicks.  

58 read your emails and participate.. do what they say and it will work! 

59 Hmm..don't join too many groups/teams etc, it can be overwhelming to feel obligated to keep up with everyone. Just check in a little. I got very excited in the beginning, wrote way too much and got overwhelmed and had to cut it off, so I could start getting work done. I enjoyed peer trainer more than my work at the time!! That was a problem. Anyhow--writing down what you ate, and how much you excercised daily and not much more is a great way to start! 

60 Read everything, use what makes sense for you and go back later to add more 

61 Injest the audio before searching the online articals for direction. 

62 Start your own group, keep consistent contact with your groupmates (let them know if you'll be on vacation so they don't just think you quit, really talk about issues, be their cheerleader but don't be afraid to ask for their support when you need it) 

63 Do not underestimate the value of logging!! LOG LOG LOG because it forces you to look at what you're eating. Denial is a powerful mental tool that tricks us and sabotages us when we're trying to lose weight. Logging delivers a serious blow to denial about what you're eating (even if you don't count calories....just laying it all out there is enough sometimes!!) 

64 Try to be as open and honest as you can. 

65 Be prepared to change but it will be gradual and you have to learn new habits of cooking, eating, food shopping and exercise. 

66 shop around different groups until you find two or three that are active and the people are a good fit for you. I would highly recommend starting your own group. Also would recommend trying things you haven't tried before (like giving up sugar) even if it's only for 3 or 4 days, participate in short-term challenges with group members, and set do-able goals (baby steps). Adapt diets/exercise plans to your personal needs - change most things gradually. 

67 Read the exercises and have some time to write down what they suggest to do. 

68 concentrate on one thing at a time, I'm still new so I'm not sure 

69 Advice... Get a buddy to share your journey with. Start a notebook. Journal. 

70 Draw as many resources from the site as possible to find messages that resonate with you. 

71 Log! 

72 Explore the website - search for something that interests you - search for training videos 

73 Do something every day: give up some unhealthy food, eat one more piece of fruit or some salad, walk for 20 minutes... 

74 Do not think of the entries as daily homework but as something that is helping you exercise and eat right. You eat something bad or dont work out you have to type it in this always keeps me in line :o) 

75 Say commit yourself to sticking to it. 

76 Work it...if you don't post and don't account for your food, it wastes everybody's time. Don't go into a group and then just "lurk" there and don't post. It takes up space that is needed for those who will appreciate it. 

77 Read them daily/ It truly helped me to have them "in my face" to remind me daily and keep me focused and on track. 

78 LOG every bite take advantage of all the great info on the site  

79 get daily emails sent to u that way ur obligated to check your email & do it 

80 Find an active group. If no one has commented for a week...look elsewhere. 

81 go slow and determine what you want to do. 

82 Take the time and read through all the site 

84 Even though you are working with alot of folks, I always felt like it was pretty personal. Stick with it. There's so many offerings....some make you say aha! 

85 It is a very useful tool . 

86 I tell everyone that I know, that peertrainer helps you by helping you to log your food and exercise. It is crucial to weight loss. 

87 stick to it 

88 Do the daily food and activity logs. 

89 Just keep reading until something sinks in. 

90 watch youtube, i already referred three people to peertrainer 

91 Keep looking until you find an active group. Be as active as you possibly can. Take time to read other people's logs....give-don't just take. Never give up. 

92 To take it all in an determine what works for them. 

93 find a group that logs daily. 

94 Read the articles. Go to community and blog with others who are going thru the same problems. 

95 Workout. And use your logging to learn and grow, not whine and justify. 

96 To try to take the time to explore the website. 

97 I don't know about others but because I was journaling online on WeightWatchers I didn't use Peertrainer's. I just didn't have time to do both. I really think you need to be mentally ready to change your life, not just your eating habits. The tip of the day emails really got me motivated and help me stick to my plan. 

98 Listen to all of the advise given becausse it makes a lot of sense and really helps you. 

99 Use it as often as possible, the more you log, the more accountable you will be. It is so helpful to look back and see, oh I really didn't need all 6 of those snacks! This helps you change your habits in the future 

100 Read and apply what Peertrainer is telling you. 

101 Read the tips, and stories, and hopefully they will find something that works for them. 

102 I personally use it as one of many resources for helping me stay motivated and stay focused. 

103 I would advise them to be honest when they log, otherwise they are just cheating themselves. Take small steps, remember any changes for the better, no matter how small are an improvement - if you had chocolate everyday last week, but this week only 3 days, then you are doing well. 

104 You can do it! 

105 you must be ready... for YOU and no one else, right now, not first thing tomorrow or monday.. because the only one you are 100% accountable to is yourself (ie when its just you and that cookie and no one would know.. and you've been so good...blah blah) 

106 Join with Peers or research a group that is active for sometime. 

107 To try to lose weight for health reasons, but to accept themselves regardless. 

108 Even if you don't start making any changes in what or how much you eat, just keep getting and reading the Tip of the Day, and surfing the site for ideas...it builds confidence that you can actually do this, and don't have to do it alone if you just join a group. And don't stay with a group if it is not working for you, and don't think all groups are the same. They are like shoes, you have to find the right fit and style for you and your life. The first group I joined ignored my posts as they had all been together for a long time, so after weeks of no support, I found a great group. 

109 Stay with it, stay active... 

110 take it one step at a time absorb all of the resources don't feel you have to do everthing be accountable to yourself 

111 Be an active member of a group. it helps to bounce ideas back and forth and to know that you're not alone 

112 Make sure you have a handle on the technology before you buy. 

113 Remember to set your goals small and don't expect results right away. 

114 Figure out the website. 

115 Stay positive 

117 Jump in. Log. Log. Log. 

118 Don't be too hard on yourself and expect instant change. Life long changes in eating behaviors is a process so give yourself time to allow true growth to occur. In this society, we are trained to want an instant fix. 

119 Hang in there. Sign up for tip of the day, certainly, as well as the other helpful stuff you have. Your website is truly amazing!!! And it feels very REAL because you share your own journey with us!!! 

120 Subscribe to the daily tip and find a group you can relate 

121 Just stick with it - even if only for this minute, hour, or day. Readily forgive yourself for mistakes you make, this is a learning process. If you "fall off the wagon", all you have to do is get back on. Perseverance, perseverance, perseverance! 

122 Stick with it. If your group is not helpful, move on to another group. However let your group know you are moving on so they don't take it personal or think you just quit. 

123 To make sure that you have the time and space for it in your life so that you can truly make the resource effective for you. 

124 Take things slow. Depending on your fitness level, find what you love to do, and do it, whether its running, walking, swimming. Anything that will get you moving. Not necessarily sweating, but off the couch. Even yoga and tai-chi is a great workout. And eat sensibly. Small changes can have a lifetime of benefits. 

126 Take what works for you, and try your best not to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available on PT. 

127 To be willing and patient. To be realistic about their goals and appreciate every little step taken. To inform themselves as much as possible and then apply the things that they believe they can apply to their lives. 

128 Use the tools available to you. 

129 Log & find a small, active group 

130 You HAVE to find an active group. I've joined 5 groups and about 4 teams, and so far I've only had one truly active one, but those are the people I sign on for everyday. 

131 Read everything. Expose yourself to everything and try one or two things at a time. Look at the diet fusion concept. Read other people's postings. 

132 Read the logs of people that are successful in weight loss. Start on a team (more likely to find some people you agree with). Join a group later if you find several people you like on a team. 

133 BE THOROUGH! Log on every day. Get active in small groups and look through the public logs/blogs and find someone that you admire that is an active participant in the community. Follow their progress as you work on yours. 

134 Go slowly, develop your own pace. REALLY MAKE THIS FOR YOU--NOT WHAT YOU THINK EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING. 

135 Get active with PT teams. Log daily. 

136 Log every day and try a whole bunch of different groups, I tried a lot of bad groups, including one in which I was asked to leave because "my goal is silly," but I finally found a few groups with fun, supportive members. 

137 To stick around long enough to see how it works. Don't jump in and out. 

138 Find a friend to walk the walk with. 

139 sign up for the emails 

140 Get the daily email of your teams' logs! 

141 Keep track of all the e-mails and review them for support. 

142 Keep coming back and find what works for you. I find the forums aggravating as people tell each other how another members' diet method is so wrong and unhealthy. That doesn't work for me. We each know what works for us. I find my team and being accountable in a log helpful. You may not but peertrainer still has something you may find helpful. 

143 This program really helps give you the tools and knowledge that you need to succeed. 

144 Have a clearly defined goal and be organized in your thoughts and actions. 

145 Just embrace the emails, listen to the stories, eat healthy, and exercise for life 

146 Be consistent. Check in on good and bad days. Be honest about where you are and how it's going. Everybody (including you) benefits from seeing the natural ebb and flow that is part of changing our behavior for the better. 

147 Log in, you get out what you put in and if you find that the group your in doesn't suit you change! 

148 Really read the.emails they help a lot 

149 Read and take part in as much as your lifestyle allows, as it isn't about dieting and losing its about gaining a new life...yours! 

150 Try to find an active group to get daily support with. Then read over the great information that the site has to offer. It is great. 

151 Take one thing at a time and make it your own. Don't get overwhelmed because there is alot to making a lifestyle change. 

152 keep logging diligently, once you stop you become less accountable to yourself 

153 Be honest with yourself. Write down EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth. This will help you in your weight loss efforts. 

154 follow the plan 

155 stick with it and don 't be too hard on yourself b/c obsessing about health is just as unhealthy as eating bad things and not exercising. your mental health is important too 

156 Keep posting food to keep yourself honest..to yourself. 

157 Go swimming 

158 stick to it 

159 Join many groups, stay active in them all and see who you click with. After a few weeks cut down to those groups you really feel a connection with. 

160 Log on faithfully, keep a conversation going with your team mates. 

161 Don't expect support. Do it on your own. 

162 Keep going. YOU can do this. Find out what is holding you back and let go of it. You ARE worth it.

 163 Accept your resistance. Talk it over with a few very trustworthy friends. Take baby steps. 

165 Take what you need and leave the rest. 

166 Make it a life change not a diet. Diet is a dirty word that people use as an excuse to why they are over weight. 

167 It may be hard to find a group or team with active members 

168 Although you have peertrainer..do it with a REAL Peer . 

169 Taking notes and being reflective is the only way to change behavior. 170 At this point, I seek advice I do not give it. 

171 KEEP TRYING!!!! 

172 take it one day at a time 

173 Just read and take in the advice that suits you, there is a lot of good info out there, sound and sensible and realistic. 

174 stick with it for a couple of weeks. Once it is routine you will never want to stop posting your food

 175 LOG DAILY OR GET OUT OF A GROUP! 

176 To read the community notes. 

177 keep good records!!!! Writing things down is vital! 

178 Stick with it and you will find Jackie really does care...you are not just another cyber client 

179 To use this tool to the fullest, join several groups, log in your food, work-out and comment find a buddy all of this is so important 

180 Find a good group and stick with it 

181 Read all the articles that apply to you. Really read them and let them sink in. There are many good tips on this website. 

182 To keep track of what they do monitor themselves closely 

183 Keep at it, each day is new. You will change if you change your habits! 

184 Only do it if you feel that you can dedictate the time to it. 

185 Make logging a part of your daily routine and BE HONEST! 

186 Find a good, active group. If you don't like your group, don't quit PT, just find another group! 

187 To do all of the excerises answer as many questions about yourself as you can and log your food.

 

188 Keep an open mind! Set small goals and don't be overwhelmed. Everyone has opinions and advice, but only you know what works for you. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone and be open to new ideas. I believe PEERtrainer captures this perfectly. Thank you PEERtrainer! 

189 You need a lot of patience 

190 Find a group, find a group, find a group. Don't be afraid to leave one if you don't connect with the people, or if no one is posting or logging. It only works if you have a group of people with the same attitude/ goals who are active and really care. Be willing to go through three or four before you find the one you really like. Start your own, it will fill up in no time don't worry about being rejected it's not going to happen.  

191 To continue using it. 

192 The sooner you give up processed, poisonous food the sooner you'll be enjoying being craving-free from sugar and processed food. It's a war out there between the consumer who is trying to be healthy and the food manufacturers who are trying to addict us to their msg, sugar, corn syrup, white flour concoctions. 

193 Log your meals, and find groups that fit with you that are active and supportive. Read the suggested materials on diet and exercise. Figure out some way to exercise every day. 

194 Give it time, and please take advantage of all the help you offer. 

195 Think of advice given/write/try it....before saying No 

196 Make sure you read the e-mail tip everyday. If you are really "hungry" for successful weight loss, you just go with the flow of whatever sparks you from the tips and you will find what you need when you need to. If you are unsure of your committment to this process, I would encourage people to participate in the Point of No Return program and not leave it up to chance that you will uncover the information you need. 

197 Trust The Process! I was afraid, in the beginning, that even if I ate well and exercised properly, that I still wouldn't lose weight. It took longer than I thought, was harder than I had hoped, and I am happier than I could have imagined being at this point in my journey.

"Nutty Vanilla Sweet Potato and Kale Soup" Recipe

I believe "katheats" when she says this is "the best soup we've ever made!"  Looks so yummy and with the sweet potato and kale, you're getting in some great nutrients that will help you with hunger.  A couple of things:

If you have a dairy intolerance, you don't need the 2% milk unless you really want it.  Soup will be a bit thicker (which is usually more filling) but if that is unappealing you could add a bit more coconut milk 

I would also substitute the peanuts to salted almond slices or almonds and personally, I would nix the
raisins.  Unless you love raisins. 

Here's the recipe.  I've also added other comments in italics below:

• 2 pounds of sweet potato, cut into 1” pieces and microwaved in a bowl on high for 6.5 minutes to start the cooking process
• 3 cloves garlic,  pressed (Up the garlic to 5 cloves)
• 1 can lite coconut milk
• 1 cup 2% milk (or skim, or whole) (Substitute more coconut milk or go without if you have trouble with dairy)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (You can leave out the black pepper if you wish)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 cups kale, trimmed, washed and torn into small pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup raisins (Unless you really love raisins)
• 1/4 cup salted peanuts, for garnish
• Shredded coconut, for garnish (Nice touch but you can go without)
  

1. Prepare sweet potatoes in microwave.
2. Heat a large pot on medium high. Spray with cooking spray (substitute a bit of olive oil) and add potatoes, cooking until they begin to brown. Stir in garlic.
3. Add coconut milk, milk, masala, salt, pepper and flakes.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Mash potatoes with potato masher or puree with immersion blender.
   
   **** I have an important note about the immersion blender..  Many people have been trying to make these soups with their current blenders and they complain that soup goes everywhere.  It does.  These smart sticks are totally necessary.  IF you try to make the soups without them, you just get frustrated and you don't want to make them.  I highly recommend the one I have which is the Cusinart Smart Stick Immersion Blender but there are also others listed on the page. 
   
6. Add raisins, kale and vanilla and cover. Allow to cook for 8-10 more minutes, until kale is bright green.
7. Portion into bowls and garnish with 1 tbsp each peanuts almonds and coconut.

The Katheats blog has a lot more GREAT recipes.  Let me know if you make more of them!

Jackie

How To Make Better Decisions By Examining Your Assumptions

We continue to get extremely powerful responses to a new series of articles we have published, written by Jinny Ditzler, whom Habib and I have gotten to know recently. She coaches executives and companies on things like leadership and personal development, and has been working with us as we build PEERtrainer.

 

And our observation is that many of the skills someone would teach a CEO are extremely useful to people looking to make changes in their personal health and exercise habits. Think about this for a second, a CEO becomes more effective by making better decisions over time. I used to work in venture capital, and we would constantly be looking at companies to invest money in.

 

One of the main things we would look at was the decision making skills of the management team and CEO. This is critically important because if you make a decision based on a faulty assumption, bad things tend to happen. The ability of an executive to make a decision based on the correct assumptions can be the difference between success and failure.

 

The same thing is true with our own personal lives. Often times we believe things to be true that can be proven false very easily and are preventing us from taking big steps forward. This article that Jinny put together takes you through a 3 step process to help you uncover some of these beliefs for you:

 

http://blog.peertrainer.com/tip_of_the_day/2010/01/how-to-identify-and-destroy-the-beliefs-that-hold-you-back.html

 

You might have already read this article yesterday. If you did, please take a look at the online discussion we put together to see the results of this process from some others. Very interesting:

 

http://www.peertrainer.com/LoungeCommunityThread.aspx?ForumID=1&ThreadID=164987

How To Identify and Destroy The Beliefs That Hold You Back

When was the last that you came to some realization about your own behavior or mindset that was so obvious in hindsight?

Maybe you said to yourself "I cannot believe I used to think that!" The thing is, it is harder than we think to uncover those things. Usually we can't just list them out because if they were obvious to you, you would have made an adjustment right then.

The thing is, these things (called "limiting beliefs") are usually hiding in plain sight. There is a three step formula that you can take to uncover them.

How To Obliterate Your Limitations

The exciting thing is that once you learn this formula, you can create foolproof action plans to do almost anything. So often we think that we need to become these super-people with super-thoughts and super-beliefs.

When the reality is all we need is a plan. And a simple process around that plan. This is why the PEERtrainer group support function works so well for losing weight. It contains a simple but powerful tool to keep you on track. You log your food, talk to some people each day.

Every other goal you have in your life can be reached in the same way- you just need a plan, a process and a commitment to take action. This series of articles will help you a great deal with the first step of this process:

How To Obliterate Your Limitations

You might want to read through these articles, and then sleep on it. When you are fresh come back with a pen and paper and start to write. Make sure to let us know your results. We want to know your own experiences and what you have come up with. Either respond on this blog post or on the PEERtrainer community thread that we started.

Rethinking The New Years Weight Loss Resolution

(this is something I sent out to the Tip Of The Day members earlier) .....I thought it might make sense for all of us to take a step back for a second and think about something. It is "resolution season" and you are probably being surrounded by different messages and suggestions. Do this, buy that.

Maybe your friends and family are asking you what "your resolution" is, which is creating some pressure. Maybe that is a good thing for some of us.

But I also think that for many of us it might make sense to simply do nothing. Or at least wait before we act on something.

The reason why I say this, is that at PEERtrainer we get a lot of feedback about why people do things. Or don't do things.

At a very basic level people are either ready or not ready to do things. It is really that simple. We are always looking for that "deep insight" into why people were successful with a certain program or on the site, and often their answer is that "they were just ready, ready for a change, etc."

And the people who drop out of a program or stop doing something often say "I just was not ready." Funny thing is, those people often come back to the site, rejoin this email program, sign back up for PONR after stopping it. Sometimes this process takes years.

For those who are "ready" there is usually a very good reason or reasons to do something. These can be either positive or negative.

A very good friend who has been putting off dealing with weight for years finally decided it was "time to be taken more seriously at work." For others it was a culmination of things.

For others they hit a certain age and think "I was supposed to be...... by this age." And that provides the mental trigger to reframe things in their mind in an instant.

It is also important to think about what kind of change you are ready for. There are people who are ready for massive and radical change. These are the people who dig deep into the books we recommend, log daily, join all the programs.

And there are others who just want to tip toe into things, and take things very slowly. They just want one idea every now and then.

It is like there are people who want to "learn how to fish." And others who just want to be given the fish!

So in this new year at PEERtrainer we will be working hard to address the needs of both groups. And frankly, we need you to tell us exactly what you need, and where you are in your journey. You might have just joined the site in the last few days, maybe you are 50 or more pounds overweight, and you just want to be given a couple good ideas to work with.

You might also be one of these people who is ready to get on an "elite track." I will be using that word a lot in this new year, because we see people embrace amazing transformation. (Ed and company in the Marathon crew come to mind, and the people in the Acceleration team!)

Those of you who do end up radically transforming your diets, activities and mindset are really part of a very elite group of people on this planet. These kinds of changes are very possible and doable- yet very few people make them!

As usual, I will end this email asking you to reply to this email and think about where you are honestly right now, and where you want to head this year. Is getting on an "elite track" something that you are ready for, are interested in?

Is it something much simpler? It will be reading all the responses and answering as many as I can. Please feel free to ask a question on my Facebook Wall. (And please join me there if you have not already www.facebook.com/jackiewicks)

Lets have a great year and continue our wonderful conversation, debate, discussion.... 

-Jackie