StrangePassion
Lady Of America-Fitness Center for Women
Oct 11, 2011
Hello Everyone,
It's been a minute since I've checked in with everyone, I've been crazy busy, I'm a bad girl 
LOL!
I wanted to touch base and let everyone know that I'm doing great and my weight loss is still continuing and I'm in great health! 
I also wanted to share with you my video that I did for my gym,Lady of America, they were inspired with my story of my weight loss and asked if they could share it on their website! I was so honored to do the video and now it's on the national website for all to see, check it out and let me know your thoughts, stay in touch! http://ladyofamerica.com/ I'm towards the bottom, right next to SHAQ, or should I say on the left! Oolalah! 
Chandra aka StrangePassion!
BURN THE FAT!
Oct 01, 2009
http://a2f42-lk19tx1-22ydprv8l42z.hop.clickbank.net/
"My Goal Was To Be a "Hot Mamma At 40," And I Think I've Achieved That. I lost 23 Kg's and 12.5% Body Fat!"
"I am a 40 year old mom from South Africa. I have 3 children, aged 11, 6 and 4. My weight before was 85kg’s my body fat was 36.5%, size 40. I was fat and miserable, and my family life and my relationship were suffering. I was not able to do anything with my kids, and I was tired and constantly irritated.
I've always counted calories, but this just wasn't working for me anymore. Someone my husband knows had done the Burn The Fat programme and it had changed his life, so I decided to do it too. I lost 15kg’s within 8 months and kept it off.
In the last 3 months, because of my training and desire to be "hot at 40," I've taken this to a new level. Tom taught me how to control my carb intake and I have lost another 8kg’s in this time and am preparing for my first competition, in the bikini or figure division. My current weight is 62.5kg’s, size 33 and my body fat is 24% (with calipers), and dropping.
My goal was to be a ‘hot’ 40 year old Mamma, and I think I have achieved that and I am very proud of myself, as are my family and friends. Thank you Tom, for all your dedication to helping people."
- Bonnie VanNiekerk
http://a2f42-lk19tx1-22ydprv8l42z.hop.clickbank.net/
Tips from Jillian Michaels-The Biggest Loser
Jun 28, 2009
FRIDAY-July 3, 2009: FEELING GOOD
Get Seven Hours of Shut-eye for a Healthier Mind and Body
A full night's sleep is not a luxury — it's a basic necessity for healthy hormone balance. Once you dip below seven hours a night, you are increasing your risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, depression, and obesity.
Some researchers believe that slow-wave sleep — the deep, dreamless sleep that you ideally sink into about three or four times a night — may actually regulate your metabolism. Sleep researcher break down sleep into five stages. Stage 4 slow-wave sleep, which begins about an hour after we fall asleep, is when we release our greatest pulses of growth hormone, the hormone that prompts the body to burn stored fat. When we're young, we spend about 20 percent of our time asleep in slow-wave stages 3 and 4. But as we get older, we may only spend about 10 or even 5 percent there.
Sadly, just two nights of bad sleep will cut your satiety hormone leptin by 20 percent and increase your hunger hormone ghrelin by 30 percent. That one-two punch makes you much more likely to snack on high-carb treats, which couldn't come at a worse time for your insulin levels. In a recent study, University of Chicago researchers found that just three nights of poor sleep made the bodies of young, healthy test subjects 25 percent less sensitive to insulin. This level of insulin resistance is comparable to that brought on by carrying 20 to 30 extra pounds.
In order to block fat-storage hormones and allow the full release of fat-burning hormones, you need to get at least seven hours of sleep a night!
Monday's Tip-July 6, 2009: Stronger Every Day
FRIDAY - June 26, 2009: FEELING GOOD
The New You knows how to deal with setbacks and get back on the wagon. And after all, there are no mistakes, just learning experiences. Weight loss is a process — it takes time. You will encounter small failures — everyone does — but every pound you gain can be lost.
And if you miss a workout, it's not the end of the world! Get to the gym the next day and continue to focus on your short-term goals. Just because you made bad choices today doesn't mean you can't start over tomorrow. New day? New beginning. And don't you forget it! Stay tuned for more Jillian's Biggest Loser! LosingIt@JillianMichaels.com
Suffered a Setback? Here's How to Get Back on the Wagon
It happens — you miss a few workouts and you feel like you've fallen off the weight-loss wagon. It's tempting to mentally slap yourself around, right? (Or head for the fridge.) Before you start, I want to remind you of something: Being hard on yourself is the Old You.
Flavors of Spring With This Quick and Easy Dish
May 27, 2009
WEDNESDAY, May 27, 09: RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Enjoy the Flavors of Spring With This Quick and Easy Dish
A farmers' market favorite, sugar snap peas are coming into season in many parts of the country, and they're a naturally sweet treat. Now, peas of any kind are a bit starchy, so in general I want you to go easy with these babies. Pairing them with protein-rich chicken, as this dish does, is a smart way to enjoy them. Serve a salad or some steamed kale or broccoli on the side and you've got a healthy, fresh, and filling lunch or dinner.
Chicken With Sugar Snap Peas and Spring Herbs
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 teaspoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 pound chicken breast cutlets, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces sugar snap peas, cut in half
1 1/2 cups frozen thawed artichokes, quartered
1/4 cup bean sprouts (optional)
3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as tarragon or dill
2 teaspoons champagne vinegar or white-wine vinegar
1. Whisk broth, mustard, salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons of flour in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the remaining 3 teaspoons of flour. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Increase heat to high; stir the broth mixture and add to the skillet along with snap peas, artichoke hearts, and bean sprouts. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the snap peas are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the vegetables, and simmer until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs and vinegar.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts per serving: 245 calories, 7 g fat, 16 g carbs, 28 g protein
Recipe reprinted with permission of EatingWell.com.
Tomorrow's Tip: Get Intense
My Trip to Las Vegas!
May 21, 2009
I just got back from Vegas this past weekend (5/14/09-5/16/09) after celebrating my friend Beth's 50th birthday! I haven't seen Beth in over 30 years, since high school and it was great to be able to see her, and when she saw me it was almost the same as seeing me in high school (weight, look/age, etc) after such a long time she was very surprised and happy!
Check out the pictures by clicking here, when you reach the website look towards the upper left and select "slideshow" to get the best results! Stay tuned for more weight loss changes.....
StrangePassion
XOXO
Curves-My Progress Update
May 08, 2009
JUNE 22, 2009
MAY 11, 2009
APRIL 14, 2009
Today's Tips-Jillian Michaels
Apr 28, 2009
Tips from Jillian Michaels - The Biggest Looser
Avoid Dangerous Situations
The key to success on any fitness program is having a game plan for every situation that might throw you off course. It isn't brain surgery — it's common sense. Think of yourself as being on a mission: If you take the time to think ahead, you can come up with ways to combat every situation. Here are a few surefire strategies:
- Go through your kitchen and throw out all the junk food and processed garbage immediately. (Hey, you can't eat it if it's not there!) Don't buy these foods anymore — just eliminate them from your kitchen entirely. Even if you have to put up with a little whining from the kids or your spouse, they're better off not eating that crap (tell them I said so!). Reacquaint yourself with your local supermarket, find the healthy sections, and try to avoid the foods that make you feel powerless.
- If you run into trouble at the office, make an effort to avoid the high-voltage areas. If there is a vending machine in the kitchen or if the cafeteria features frightfully fattening foods, stay away from these places. Bring healthy snacks and meals from home to stash in your desk. Do whatever you can to steer clear of anything that might throw you off course and hamper your success. Stay tuned for more............
LosingIt@JillianMichaels.com>
Monday's Tip: The Road to Success
Tips from Jillian Michaels - The Biggest Looser
Problems arise when your body starts creating too much insulin, which can happen for several reasons. One of the most common is that you ate too many highly processed, refined carbs, such as white bread or pasta. Such carbs increase blood sugar dramatically, requiring a rush of insulin to clear the blood. If your blood sugar surge is really dramatic (as it would be if you ate those refined carbs on an empty stomach), insulin overreacts and works twice as hard to clean the sugar from the blood. This overefficient removal of sugar means that your blood sugar concentration drops, with the result that you feel hungry again and crave (and probably eat) more carbs. That's the postsugar "crash and binge" cycle, the root of sugar addiction. In addition, when your muscles are still fueled from your last snack, the insulin converts those extra calories into fat. And as long as large amounts of insulin remain in the bloodstream, your body won't have a chance to tap into your fat stores for fuel — so you won't burn any fat, either.
This cycle can eventually lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which your body produces insulin but the cells become insensitive to it — as a result, the insulin can't do its job to lower the glucose concentration in the blood. Insulin resistance is a precursor of type 2 diabetes and is common among overweight people. Elevated levels of glucose in your blood is a surefire sign of it. There is hope for preventing the problem. The key is to maintain low levels of insulin by eating whole foods, pairing carbs with protein, and avoiding highly processed carbs. When your insulin-release mechanism works the right way, it helps keep your weight in check. When it's not working, you're in trouble. If you can take control of your insulin's ups and downs, you'll be primed to lose weight and restore your body's hormone power! Stay tune for more tips from Jillian.............
StrangePassion
XOXO
Get a Grip on Insulin's Ups and Downs
One of the endocrine system's most important hormones is insulin, which plays a critical role in how your body uses food. When you eat, your digestive system breaks food down into glucose, and the glucose circulates in your bloodstream (where it's often referred to as blood sugar). In response to the rise in glucose after a meal, the pancreas releases surges of insulin, whose job is to clean the glucose from the blood. Insulin directs some of the glucose to the body's cells, which use it for energy. Some of the glucose is diverted to the liver, where it's converted into glycogen (stored glucose) for later use by the muscles. Insulin then helps turn any leftover glucose into fatty acids and stores them in fat cells, where they can be tapped later for fuel.
Jillian Michaels' Corner/The Biggest Loser
Mar 30, 2009
How Much, How Fast?
Q: I love that I have the information I need to lose 2 pounds a week; however, I would like to lose more than that. How can I lose 4 to 5 pounds a week? I have a total of 96 more pounds to lose.
A: To lose a pound, you must burn 3,500 calories. As I've said before, it's all about the math — how to burn more calories in the most effective way.
You can only do so much resistance training without damaging your muscles and impeding your results. Additionally, you can't starve the weight off: If you eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day, you will sabotage your optimal results. Therefore, cardio is weight-loss extra credit — it allows you to burn additional calories without overtraining. This is one of the reasons my Biggest Loser contestants can still lose 10 pounds a week several weeks into the program.
Think about the math: If you are eating 1,500 calories a day — we assume your base metabolic rate (BMR) without exercise is 1,600 (this is actually my BMR) — and you do two 1-hour cardio sessions that burn 500 calories each (one in the morning and one at night), the two sessions, along with your regular daily activity, will speed up your base metabolism to at least 2,000. As a result, you will have burned about 1,500 calories that day — that is, almost half a pound. At that rate you will be losing up to 3.5 pounds a week.
That said, you are bound to lose more weight during the first two weeks of any weight-loss regimen because of the dramatic change in your diet and the loss of excess fluid. After that, it's all about crunching the numbers, and cardio is the key.
Stay tuned for more tips from Jillian...................
StrangePassion
XOXO
What to eat 3 weeks Post Op - For AMY!
Jan 06, 2009
I will need to input later as I'm not able to load adobe files here, I will need to save and add as a jpg, check back later tonight.
StrangePassion
XOXO
I'm On My Way!!!
Jan 06, 2009
It's been so long since I've been in touch with you to let you know about my progress but wanted to give you a brief update:
I had my surgery on 11/12/08 and everything went wonderful, I had no pain, pulled out my own pain tube, didn't hurt at all
I was not able to eat for about a week and half because I was not hungry at all! I could look at food and not be hungry, I tried to eat, drink and was not able to no matter how hard I tried! I try explaining it to people i.e., the holidays are a good example, say you're sitting down to eat your Christmas dinner and everything looks soooooo good and you want and do eat everything you desire, you eat and eat until your heart's content, you're stuffed, you've eaten until you just can't eat another bite,
then someone says here have some more pie, you haven't had dessert yet, you look at them with a glazed over look and you say, in a minute I'll have some later, well that's how I feel all the time! I feel as full as a tick! I can't eat anything because I have that full feeling!!Now it's getting better, I have an appetite but still nowhere it should be, I'm now doing all my meds (multivitamin, B12, Vitamin B & Calcium/Chews) by liquid form, just found them easier to intake. I'm getting my protien in by eating sushi, I love sushi so I can get it with my tuna, salmon, yellowtail, eel, etc, and I can eat sushi 24/7 I LOVE IT
! Thank goodness the surgery didn't affect that and I'm getting in more water, not exactly 64oz,but around 40-48oz, which my doc, nut says it good.I'm down from a 22/24 to an 18/20 and I've lost about 42 pounds thus far, my motto, get fit by 50 and I have 11 months to go!
Well, I guess that's it for now, stay tuned for more.............
StrangePassion
XOXO
About Me
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
