The South Beach Diet Plan - How I Made it Through Phase 1
I love to eat! I guess thats why I hate dieting so much.
most of those fad diets either totally restrict you from eating the foods you love (and crave), or they make you eat an overabundance of the foods that are well, not my favorite.
After all, how many eggs, peanuts or oranges can you really eat? I guess thats why I was so hesitant to follow my friends on the south Beach Diet bandwagon.
They were all trying it, and yes, even losing weight. I watched enviously as their waistlines got smaller and smaller, but couldnt get their groans and complaints out of my head during those first few days and weeks on the program.
Give up all sugar, carbs and fats for two whole weeks! Not me! No way! Not even for a smaller dress size.
Then I went to see my doctor for an unwell feeling I couldnt shake. I wasnt really sick, I just felt tired and icky all of the time. After some tests, he told me my glucose levels were rising, my cholesterol was hitting an all-time high, and even my blood pressure was boiling.
Me? Ms. Healthy? I knew it was time to get serious, so I asked around and did some research and actually found out that, in addition to being a diet, the south beach plan was being used by people not only as a safe way to lose the weight that affects your health, but it also teaches you how to eat in a more nutritious and satisfying way.
Okay, time to give it a try. And the very first thing I ran up against youre probably heard about it -- was the dreaded Phase I of the south beach Diet plan: the hell of restriction, as my friends like to cal it.
Luckily, I knew so many people whove been on the diet already, I could turn to them for assurance and advice.
By the way, thats tip #1: Get a Support System in Place.
For me it made all the difference. I honestly dont know if I would have succeeded without the support of my friends. They shared their tips and stories of surviving the first 14 days on the program and made me feel like I could too. Here are some of my favorite survival tips:
Indulge in one last favorite meal and dessert before starting the diet
Get everything thats not allowed to touch your lips in the first 14 days out of the house and threaten anyone who dares to sneak in contraband foods
Keep a daily journal about your feelings during Phase I (its great to read how those cravings and yearnings really affected the way you think and feel after its all just a distant memory
Avoid mall shopping during Phase I (the smells of the food court will kill you)
Dont plan on attending any family gatherings, school functions, parties, etc. for two full weeks (become a hermit)
Ill admit it, during those first few days on south Beach all I wanted was to dive headfirst into a bag of chocolate chip cookies, dipped in whipped cream, with a side a fries and a big slice of pizza.
But when a friend came over and cooked me the most delicious meal of lean chicken and sauted veggies sprinkled with low-fat cheese (yes, I said cheese!), I knew that Id make it.
Thats tip #2: Presentation.
The plate she set before me could have rivaled one found in any five-star restaurant. I learned that night that a beautifully prepared plate of colorful veggies cooked to perfection out beats a bag of Oreos 10 to 1.
Within a week my grumpiness was subsiding after all, my sugar levels were leveling out and my blood pressure was coming down and I wasnt even craving junky stuff anymore. I was actually looking forward to finding new ways to prepare and serve my new healthier food choices.
Which leads me to tip #3: Learn to Cook.
Since starting south beach I have learned how to really enjoy cooking. Watching a variety of cooking shows and incorporating their ideas using my south beach approved foods was one way I found to survive the first phase of the program, since you can always find new and interesting ways to prepare and enjoy the foods I was permitted.
I couldnt believe when the two weeks were over. It seemed to go by so fast, and then I was allowed to start reintroducing some of my favorites again into my daily eating plan, like fresh fruit and bread (thank God!).
The best part was I no longer craved some of those no-no foods like cake, ice cream and even, yes, those diet buster cookies! And I managed to lose a whopping 12 pounds, a true triumph for someone like me who had never been able to follow any diet for longer than a day or two before!
Was starting the south Beach Diet difficult? Yes, in the first few days, but it sure was worth it!
Did you know that most people who dont complete the south beach Diet plan drop out because they cant make it through Phase 1? Want to avoid becoming a part of that statistic? Check out my South Beach Diet Plan Survival Kit over on HubPages, my South Beach Diet Plan Making it through Phase 1 page on Squidoo, and my South Beach Diet Plan review page on Rate-Diets.com. Arm yourself with the tools you need to succeed!
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Promotional Golf Umbrellas
golf umbrellas are not just for the golf course. The beauty of a promotional umbrella is that it can be used in so many different settings. As well as on the golf course, golf umbrellas can be seen at the beach, the cricket, the football and even at childrens sports days. Add to that the high usage of umbrellas for community events, and even clusters of umbrellas sheltering market stalls, and you soon see that promotional umbrellas are a good branding tool for your business.
Imagine that you have had a successful promotion and have given away your branded umbrellas to conference participants, clients or staff. Your umbrellas may go to all parts of the city or indeed, the nation. The one thing they have in common is that your company name and logo is on every single one of them.
Now lets take that one step further. The clients take the umbrellas with them on their weekend outings. Some of your promotional umbrellas are seen at the beach. People passing by notice them for their visual appeal. On a particularly hot day they may attract envious looks from people whod like some shade. No matter what attracts their glance, your logo is in their line of sight. That all reinforces your brand name and heightens awareness of what you have to offer.
All of those people who notice your promotional umbrellas are potential customers. If they arent in the market for your services or products right now, they may be in the future. Dont underestimate word of mouth. They may pass on your company details. How many times have you jotted down a number youve seen in passing because you thought it would be useful for yourself, a colleague, friend or family member?
But now for the jackpot. Some of those participants are bound to take your umbrella to a televised sporting event for some shade or to fend off the rain. Mad keen sports fans arent going to let either scorching sun or rain stop them. They come prepared, and part of their sports outing toolkit is the trusty umbrella. When the television cameras pan the crowd and home in on a spectator with your branded umbrella, imagine the kudos and awareness factor for your company.
Given the number of televised local, regional, national and even international outdoor sporting events, that umbrella with your brand name could be seen on television by thousands, if not millions of viewers at home. Do you know the cost of television advertising? Let me tell you, a promotional umbrella campaign is a very inexpensive investment.
In Australia a popular radio station encouraged listeners to be creative with getting the station logo on television at televised outdoor events. Incentives were given and of course, it created a media buzz too. Like the radio company, you can get other people you dont even know to partner with you in advertising your business. All it takes is deciding on your promotional umbrella campaign. You can start right away.
For additional information on printed umbrellas, promotional gifts, advertising marketing business gifts and corporate promotional products simply check out the internets leading promotional gift suppliers where you will find a massive choice of promotional items and whats more available at highly competitive prices compared with traditional offline gift companies.
Gareth Parkin is the co-founder of Ideasbynet, the UK's leading online promotional umbrellas and printed umbrellas company based in the north of England. Established in 2001, he has taken the UK gift market by storm by the application of modern business thinking and the latest search engine marketing techniques. For more details visit www.ideasbynet.com
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Satellite Phone Rental
Satellite phone service providers offer many different rental plans and phone plans to get into the game. When you are in the market for a satellite phone you need to choose a phone and a plan that will meet your specific needs. For example for short term use or to try before you buy you might consider only a satellite phone rental rather than buying a phone and getting a plan.
Of course if you are looking for a long term commitment then you should consider all the different plans that are on the market. When you get into the cellular market you choose a phone and plan thats right for your particular needs. Satellite phones are no different. Although there may not be as many satellite phone styles as with cellular there are still plenty.
Choose the carrier that you want to deal with. If you have no preference then you might think about finding a phone you like and then choose your carrier accordingly. So first you will choose a satellite phone that you like which might be a handheld or an in car style. You then choose a plan that will meet your needs. You might choose a monthly plan, a prepaid plan, or even a hibernation plan. different plans are offered by different companies. The plan is the most important part your purchase so choose wisely.
So to summarize heres the order that you should consider doing things.
If you are on a budget you might also consider buying a used phone. Some phones might require buying the services through them but not always. Often you can buy a phone and hook up with any company you want. It certainly pays to shop around and there are definitely much better prices online than there are in many of the local dealers so make sure that this option is always available to you.
This might be a newer industry but it still is very competitive and if you want a satellite phone rental online is definitely worth considering and that it is what you want for coverage. Although satellites are fairly straight forward when it comes to coverage make sure you understand how it works so that you get the right plan for the job.
There are all kinds of packages, programs, and rentals offered including prepaid calling cards, free emails and/or text messaging, various plans that include different minutes and features, and lets not forget about those novel packages that are too good to be true.
If you are going to be a heavy user you will want to choose a plan that fits your type of communication but if you are only going to use the phone every now and then you might want prepaid so you dont have those on going monthly fees. There are even special plans for emergency usage only. These plans are designed for a specific style of usage that is of the utmost importance.
Whether you choose a satellite phone rental or a complete satellite phone plan package is up to your personal needs.
About The Author
Morten Hansen has been focused on the Satellite Phone area for several years and is mainly writing about subjects, that make it easier for people to understand the different Opportunities with Satellite phones. For more details about Satellite phones visit our website www.SatellitePhoneTips.com
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