Happy New Year blog readers! I have some delightful news! My book, No Salads Required! How I Lost 159 Pounds WITHOUT Salads, Celery, Sit-Ups, or Surgery and How YOU Can Too! is now available for sale at Target.com! As a former Target employee, this makes me very happy indeed. I received a lot of support and encouragement from my coworkers at Target, when I was losing weight, so it’s especially nice to see that Target is now offering my book on their website.
If you don’t have my book yet, I really encourage you to buy it! Not only is it full of extremely helpful tips on weight loss, it’s also full of humor, recipes, and some really fun poetry about weight loss which I think you will greatly enjoy. There is also a group study guide in the back of the book which is perfect for book clubs and other groups of people who enjoy reading and discussing books together. You will also be happy to know that my book not only comes in the traditional paperback and hardback formats, but it is also available as an e-book that can be read on your phone, e-reader, or any other device you can read a book on these days.
You can also still buy No Salads Required! at Amazon.com, BarnsandNoble.com, Christianbook.com, Google.com, iTunes, Westbowpress.com and many other places that sell books online. Another convenient way to buy my book is to request it at your local bookstore. Most bookstore owners will be delighted to special order it for you even if they don’t have it on the shelf when you come in.
I also have a special note of both thanks and encouragement for my readers all over the world. Thanks to all of you, my weight-loss story has reached people in seventy different countries! That being said, I realize that many of you reading this blog post are not in the United States, so I want to be sure to let you know that many of the online outlets that sell my book ship all over the world, so feel free to order it and have it shipped to wherever you might be. If one distributer doesn’t ship to your country, try another! If you really want a copy, there is probably a way get it.
I also want to wish all of you wonderful success in meeting your weight-loss goals in 2018. May this be your year to see all your dreams come true!
One of the greatest things you can do to keep yourself healthy, lose weight and improve your memory is to drink enough water! Yet it’s one thing that many adults neglect.[1] I am sure most of my readers know that the human body can only survive for a few days without water[2], but what many of you do not realize is how much water you need to keep every part of your body running at peak performance.
This photo was taken before my weight loss. I weighed 281 pounds.
In my recently published book, No Salads Required! How I Lost 159 Pounds WITHOUT Salads, Celery, Sit-Ups, or Surgery, and How YOU Can Too! I quoted Don Colbert, MD, who recommends that everyone weigh themselves and divide the number of pounds they weigh by two and drink one ounce of water for every pound of half their weight. [3] For example, if you weigh 100 pounds you need to drink fifty ounces of water per day. However, if you live in an area where the weather is hot or if you are doing a lot of exercise you can feel free to drink even more water than Dr. Colbert recommends. According the The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Losing Weight, “It’s practically impossible to overdose on water.”[4]
It’s also important to understand that you need to drink the right amount of water whether you feel thirsty or not! Doctor Colbert says: “As we age, our bodies signal for thirst tends to decrease, which may be the reason why some elderly people don’t drink as much water as they should. Their water reserves are typically lower, and their vulnerability to be more dehydrated tends to increase.” [5]
Fox News recently reported a story in the news about this very topic. Meatloaf, the famous rock singer and actor, who is 68, collapsed on stage due to “severe dehydration” during the end of his concert in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on June 17, 2016. The story went on to say that he was taken to the hospital and at the time the story was published was “responsive and recovering well”.[6]
You don’t have to be famous to suffer from dehydration either! A recent example of this problem recently arose in my family, when a senior citizen, who we love very much, was found unconscious on the floor in the middle of the night and ended up in the hospital. She received excellent medical care from the hospital staff and after running every possible test on her to make sure her heart and other body organs were in good shape, her doctor concluded the reason she had fainted and fell on the floor was that she suffering from the same problem as Meatloaf. The irony was that she was attempting to fill a cup of water to give herself a drink when it happened!
I have talked to her since she came home from the hospital and she says that now she is drinking enough water every day she feels “much better”. This should not be surprise considering that every part of the human body needs water to work properly.[7]
You will also be interested to know that proper hydration can help you reduce your weight. Dr. Colbert says, “New research shows that being dehydrated may cause your body’s fat deposits to increase. Dehydration can contribute to an inefficient metabolism by affecting body temperature. When you are dehydrated your body temperature drops slightly and causes your body to store fat as a way to help raise or maintain your body temperature. Also, as some savvy dieters know, drinking water reduces your appetite by giving you a full feeling. “[8]
I made it a point to hydrate myself while I was losing 159 pounds in fourteen months and I think it really did help me. I should mention though that I did not lose weight by drinking water alone. I also ate healthy foods, exercised every day, and took nutrition products.
Water can also help you to improve your memory! Colbert states that new research shows that even humans with damaged brains can grow new brain cells, providing they keep their bodies properly hydrated. “Your brain loves water,” he writes. [9]
Of course, there is one challenge many people face when they first start drinking enough water. Colbert says “During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to you are running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it certain can interfere with an otherwise normal daily routine. Take heart; it’s really your body’s way of getting rid of excess water and toxins. You are flushing out your system.”[10]
To sum it up, that old legend about “The Fountain of Youth” really has something to it. Drink water faithfully every day and you will find yourself feeling healthier and better no matter how old you are!
SPECIAL NOTE: Those of you who want to purchase my book, No Salads Required! How I Lost 159 Pounds WITHOUT Salads, Celery, Sit-Ups, or Surgery and How YOU Can Too! may order it from my website at www.howilost159pounds.com or from almost any bookstore. It is available in paperback, hardcover and e-book formats. Get your copy today!
[1] Don Colbert, MD. The Seven Pillars of Health. First Ed. Lake Mary, Florida:Siloam,2007,6
[2] Susan McQuillan, M.S., R.D. and Edward Saltman, M.D. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Losing Weight, New York, New York: Macmillan,1998, 132
It is my delight to invite all my blog readers to visit the new website my publisher has created to help me promote my book! The address to the website is www.howilost159pounds.com and the name of my book is No Salads Required! How I Lost 159 Pounds WITHOUT Salads, Celery, Sit-Ups or Surgery and How YOU Can Too!
This is the “before” photo from the cover of my book. I weighed 281 pounds when this was taken.
The book describes the story how I lost 159 pounds in fourteen months, and also explains my easy-to-understand weight-loss program in a format that includes humor, poems, advice on how to lose weight successfully, and some of the delicious recipes I enjoyed eating while I was losing the weight.
The website features a description of my book, my author biography, my “before” and “after” photos and the opportunity to order my book directly from the website. I also have included a link to this blog on the site and direct links to some recent blog posts. The site also includes sharing buttons so that you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest, and also, share my new website with your friends on social media.
The media page is where I will be posting upcoming events where I will be doing motivational speaking and signing books. If you click on the “Read More” button below “Upcoming Events” you will find a place where you can follow my page via email and also leave me a message, if you would like.
You can also click on the “Read More” button below the before and after photos displayed on the media page and see a larger collection of before and after photos that you can click on and see them in a larger version and also see the credits for the talented photographers who took the photos.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the special people who took these lovely photos of me and also the hard working designers at WestBow press who made this website a reality! I hope you all enjoy it!
Losing weight and keeping it off takes a lot of time and effort! The good news is that you don’t have to do it all by yourself. In fact, you may be surprised how much your friends and family are willing to help you. You can also join a support group for people who are also on a weight-loss journey. Many communities already have groups like this who meet on a regular basis to both encourage one another in developing healthy habits and to talk through the problems that the group members used to try to solve by eating. If you don’t already have a weight-loss group in your area, now would be a great time to start your own!
This is me prior to my weight-loss program. I weighed about 281 pounds at that time.
I recently lost 159 pounds in fourteen months and I have to say that the help and support I received from my friends and family really contributed to my success. Their support has also been helpful as I work at maintaining my figure. In fact their help was so important that I have included a whole chapter about it in my new book, No Salads Required! How I Lost 159 Pounds WITHOUT Salads, Celery, Sit-Ups or Surgery and How YOU Can Too! The chapter is called Gathering Support and in it I discuss variety of ways that my friends and family helped me as I was undergoing radical transformation. I also included a Reader’s Discussion Guide in the back of the book for groups who are reading my book together and want to meet regularly to discuss both the book and also how the members of the group can support each other as they work toward reaching their own weight-loss goals.
One of the most important things my friends and family did was believe in me and encourage me! The two shining heroes in this regard were my parents. I share a home with them and I can’t begin to tell you how helpful their encouraging words and hugs were as I started down my new path to better health.
Mom and Dad also volunteered to assist me in practical ways like keeping the house clean, buying groceries and doing most of the cooking so I would have time to exercise faithfully every single day.
My sister has also been very supportive and encouraging. I really appreciate her prayers and kind words. She also gave me a wonderful recipe for prime rib with rosemary and garlic, which you can find in the recipe chapter of my book.
My neighbors were a great source of support too. From the moment I stepped outside to start my fitness walking program, people who lived nearby started encouraging me, and the more I stuck to my plan the more interested and supportive they became. And my support didn’t stop there! As my weight loss became readily apparent I received lots of encouragement from coworkers, my doctor, friends from church and even my mailman!
Besides prayers and encouragement, one of the most helpful things some of the women from church did was to clean out their closets and give me clothes that I could wear as I was rapidly changing sizes. This saved me thousands of dollars and also really inspired me to stay on my weight-loss program.
While I am on the subject of generous gifts, I also want to mention a beautiful used treadmill one of my neighbors gave me. She had seen me walking by her house every day for 6 months and she knew I would make use of it when the heavy summer lightning storms started in my part of Florida. I am SO thankful for that treadmill! It really was helpful as I worked to reach my weight-loss goals. Of course all used things wear out eventually, but I am happy to say I got a LOT of use out of that treadmill before I replaced it with a brand new one that I am still using today when the weather is uncomfortable for walking or when I need to do my walking after dark.
Another friend who showed me great kindness and support was Marsha Kemp, owner of Marsha Kemp Photography in Tampa, Florida. Marsha was so excited about my weight-loss story that she made room on her busy schedule so that I could hire her to take my “After” photos that you see on my book cover and various places on social media where I promote my book. She took them with loving care and really brought out the best in me!
You can also see some of those lovely photos on the website for my new online store where I am selling autographed copies of my books! The link to the store is:
I hope someday to offer autographed books to my international readers as well, but for the time being I encourage all of my blog readers who live around the world to buy unsigned copies of my book from westbowpress.com, Amazon.com, barnsandnoble.com and other online stores that sell books internationally. If one of these web sites doesn’t ship to your country, please try another one! These days you can buy books from almost anywhere!
Those of you with e-readers will also be happy to know that the e-book version of my book is only $3.99 US dollars, which is a wonderful deal! Be sure to tell all your friends about it! Maybe they will all want to buy a copy, read the book together and use the Reader’s Discussion Guide in the back. Not only will this be a lot of fun, but it could be the beginning of a wonderful weight-loss journey for all of you. I wish you the best of success!
Hello readers! Happy New Year! In honor of 2016 I have written a special poem that only can be found on my blog! It is a celebration of the opportunity all of us have to start the New Year with new, healthy habits that will lead to a beautiful and healthy figure.
This picture was taken a few months prior to the start of my weight-loss program. I weighed 281 pounds at that time.
As many of you know, I started a weight-loss program in January of 2013 that lead to my losing 159 pounds in fourteen months. It was a lot of work, but I am VERY glad I took that first step, because without a beginning I would not have been able to have the results I wanted so much.
For those of you who want to know more about how I lost the weight, I have written a book that explains the program I designed and followed, and also includes poems, humor, recipes, suggested meals, advice on exercise and everything else you would want from a weight-loss book. It’s called No Salads Required! How I Lost 159 pounds WITHOUT Salads, Celery, Sit-Ups, or Surgery, and How YOU Can Too! You can order it from http://www.westbowpress.com, Amazon.com, and anywhere else books are sold!
And now, here is the special weight-loss poem that I wrote for YOUR enjoyment:
Poem for 2016
A New Year is beginning
A chance to start afresh
And usher in new habits
That lead to happiness!
And when you take the first step
And the next one after that
Never stop believing
That one day you won’t be fat!
You CAN change your eating
But do it on your terms.
Pick heathy foods that you enjoy
Not ones that make you squirm!
And when it’s time for exercise
Do something that you like.
Some people go out walking
While others ride their bike.
The trick is to choose something
You want to do each day
Something that burns calories,
But also feels like play.
And as you get stronger
You can also try new sports
This is not only healthy
It’s so you won’t get bored!
And while you’re at it
Invite a friend or two
To join you when you exercise
That’s lots of fun to do!
And soon you will discover
You all are looking better
And that you really do enjoy
The time you spend together.
And before you know it
The months will disappear
Taking your fat with them
That will make you cheer!
And when the New Year comes again
You and your friends will pose
For a smiling photo
In your new small clothes.
Shelley A. Sonnenberg 