Dropping the Pounds, How I've Succeeded

Moderation and exercise are definitely the key aspects  to my weight loss. I want to discuss a few simple changes in my diet and activity that have really accelerated my progress.

Water
Maybe you love sodas, or any drink that isn't water. I assure you I was probably worse than you. I drank about five sodas a day, among other drinks such as tea and Powerade. If you can manage to get in eight glasses of water a day, as opposed to drinking these other drinks, the benefits are substantial.

Regular water consumption will do a few great things for you. The Diet Channel lists all four

• It will help you lose weight. Water will flush out the excess fat breakdown in your system.
• It will lessen your hunger. Drinking water before a meal can satisfy your body's craving for water, thus making you less hungry.

The concept sounds simple. But if you are like I was, it sounds disgusting. To increase my water intake, I only purchased 24 packs of water when I went shopping. Every time I opened my refrigerator I would see nothing but water to drink. This also acted as a reminder of why I needed to drink the water. Over time I came to love the taste of water and now I will hardly drink anything else.

Vegetables
A year ago, you could not get me to touch a vegetable. Now it is the central part of my meals. The benefits are hard to beat. Vegetables are low fat, low in calories, low in sodium, and high in fiber and nutrients. But you may be like I was, and loathe the idea of consuming a single vegetable of any kind.

I started slow. When I would go somewhere like Subway, I would add small amounts of lettuce and peppers to my sandwiches to get used to the taste. Later, I began finding some foods containing vegetables, but the taste of them was overpowered by the main dish.

Eventually I came to enjoy the taste of most vegetables. If their taste still makes me cringe, I cook them in a stir fry with a ton of other vegetables, masking the taste.

Exercise
There is surely some form of physical activity you enjoy. I personally love basketball and tennis. I am able to find people to play these sports with every day if I have the time.

You may not enjoy a sport though. There are all kinds of things you can do though. Walking is a great, simple calorie burner. Even house cleaning has been considered worthwhile exercise. There will be a way for you to get active you just have to decide what it is you enjoy.

I hope this offers at least one of you some support. It may not sound like much, but it makes a world of difference.

I enjoyed hearing from some of you on my last post.I want to ask this question again for those of you who did not comment on my previous blog.

What ways have you found weight loss success?
Do you think you could apply these ideas to your own lives to find success? Why or why not?

Dropping the Pounds

Over the course of the past two months I have been able to lose 25 pounds. I have more confidence, I am healthier, and I am just more positive about life as a whole.Some of you may yearn to lose weight but have failed to find success. I want to talk about the simple steps I've taken to effectively change my weight, appearance, and health.

You have probably heard it time and time again, but by simply changing your diet and exercise habits, weight loss is quite attainable.

So if you do not already know, you may be asking, what exactly is required to lose weight? It is simply burning more calories than you take in. This is one reason why exercise is so important to a healthy lifestyle. It is important to note, however, that there is a point where you can burn too many calories. At this point your weight loss could actually come to a stall.

Figuring out how many calories you need and how much exercise to do in a week can be difficult to figure out. I personally have been able to start my weight-loss regimen with Sparkpeople. This website allows me to track my calorie intake, daily exercise, and allows me to connect with a network of others that are striving to get in a better physical condition.

I have heard that many look to specialty diets to attempt to lose weight. The creators of these diet plans feel that they have discovered some revolutionary weight loss tip that no one else is aware of yet. I honestly could not tell you if they work or not, because I've never been motivated enough to stick to the ones that I attempted for very long. These specialty diets may very well help drop some pounds during the course of them, but if a beneficial change is not made in your eating habits you will more than likely not keep the weight off.

I feel that if you want to experience the weight loss you may desire, it is important to develop a program where you can take in enough calories to nourish your body, while burning enough to initiate the process of losing.

If you have had trouble losing weight, what has been your biggest hurdle?
Maybe you have succeeded at losing weight. What has worked for you?
Have you found success in any specialty diets that you were able to maintain for an extended period of time after the completion of the program?

Brett's Choice: Upcoming Release to Look for in November

Many new post hardcore bands seem to be receiving a lot of criticism for sounding too much like other bands already on the scene. Though I consider myself  a person that enjoys unique sounds in music more than most, I believe that reaching this point would be inevitable. If you look at any genre of music as a whole, you will notice it is difficult to find a multitude of artists that genuinely stick out.

This being said, the first upcoming release I want to talk about is Ten After Two and their EP, "If You Don't First" which will be available November 9, 2010.

Some have said their music sounds too similar to other post hardcore bands. However, they have a fantastic sound in which it is easy to tell that they pour their hearts and souls into their music. Since hearing this band, I have kept their music on repeat.

The guitars provide engaging riffs that encompass beautiful melodies and heavy breakdowns. I feel the drums compliment the guitars perfectly, providing the optimum beat throughout their songs. I enjoy the screaming vocals because they not only sound great to me, but sound more audible than most I have heard. The clean vocals sound natural which I really appreciate with the current auto tune craze.

I was also highly impressed with their live show. Many live performances in these days lack the tight, crisp sound that an album brings. The whole band plays exceptionally well, has good stage presence, and does a great job of engaging the crowd.

If you haven't checked these guys out yet, I highly encourage you to visit their Myspace page and listen to them.

What is your opinion of this band and their sound? Are you anticipating the release of their debut EP? What album releases are you most looking forward to in the near future?

Need to Relax?

First I must thank my friend Maddie for suggesting Mr. Dustin Kensrue to me. I have fallen in love with his music from the moment I heard it. Kensrue is the lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist of the band Thrice. In 2007 he recorded an album called Please Come Home, which I must highly recommend to any fans of acoustic music.

In today's world where the radio is dominated by artists such as Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert, Dustin Kensrue has a truly unique voice that I feel puts these Top 40 artists to shame. Have you ever heard someone mention that they can actually feel the emotion of a song? Kensrue is an artist that I honestly believe  puts his whole heart and soul into every song he has written.

Kensrue completely gains my approval in the lyric writing category. On his Equal Vision Records artist profile, Kensrue says, "I try to be an artist who aspires to find hope even in dark places: If I'm down, I don't want to bring people down to that place with me. I'm looking for a way out." This message is one that resonates with me and is evident in songs such as Consider the Ravens, Blankets of Ghosts, and I Believe. Hope is hard to find in today's world. I really appreciate when an artist takes a focus on a message of hope and redemption, instead of personal gain and status.

Whether you search any of the songs mentioned above, or you follow the link to Kensrue's video for This is War, I believe this is an unique artist that really deserves your attention. So give him a listen and let me know what you think. Do you share my opinion of him? Do you know of a similar artist that you would suggest?

Love is the Movement, Part 2

Dissapointment, rejection, loss, humiliation, and low self esteem. These things can only begin to scratch the surface of what might lead one to feelings of depression or acts of suicide.

It is evident in our world today that suicide is a MAJOR concern. I do not know about you, but a strong arguement based on facts and statistics can bring me to a point of understanding the severity of something.

So what do we need to know about this tragic topic? Onlineschools.org shows us that:

• Over one million people worldwide commit suicide within a year.
• Another way to consider this is that one million people a year is equal to one death every 40 seconds.
• It is the second leading cause of death among 25-34 year olds in America.
• 2009 was the 12th straight year that more than 30,000 people committed suicide in Japan.
• The act of jumping out in front of a train has become so popular in Japan that train companies now charge the families of the victim for damages.

These statistics are daunting to consider and led me to take this subject much more seriously than I previously had. Looking at these statistics there is one word I would like to highlight, VICTIM. Maybe you have heard friends or acquaintances discussing a suicide. Some choose to call these people cowards and say that their choice to end it all makes them worthless.

Here is my view on this matter. If we are going to end depression and suicide, we have to look at ourselves. Those who do not speak up and provide a place for others to confide their thoughts and desires may ultimately be the cause of this epidemic. But it is also unfair for me to jump to this conclusion. We can help by knowing what signs to look for.

• Death of a family member or friend. The idea of someone you care about no longer being alive to experience things with you can have traumatic effects on person's mindset and emotions.
• Divorce and break ups. Whether a person is going through these things themselves, or if the person is a child having to deal with the sadness of seeing their parents split, divorce and break ups are very hard to deal with in the world we live in.
• Abuse. Knowing some who have been effected by abuse, it is extremely hard for me to even think about the suffering that occurs. If it is that hard for me, imagine how the person being abused feels! They likely are living in a personal "hell" so to speak.
• Financial setbacks. These tough economic times have worn out its welcome on all of us. Someone who may have once experienced job security and a prosperous life, may now be burdened by unemployment and a feeling of worthlessness if they are unable to provide for themselves or their families.

These obviously are not all of the warning signs to look for. The internet contains many resources  about what to look for in a person that may very well be depressed. I suggest looking into these so you can be there for someone that may need you to survive the trouble they currently face. I guess the reason I am writing this is in hopes of touching someones life to reach out to another person. To understand the pain someone else may be going through, and be strong enough to do something about it.

Being a religious person myself, I've always found comfort in the words written at 1 John 4:8, in which part of the scripture reads "God is love." Looking into the Bible and drawing close to those I care about has always helped me through tough times. Maybe this isn't the same for you.

What has helped you or someone you know get through a tough time in their life? Have you ever been able to be there for another person and help them in a time of depression? How did you do it?

All in all, I mainly wonder this. What are your thoughts on depression and suicide? Do you think the ideas mentioned above are beneficial? What would you suggest?

Love is the Movement

A new shirt I recently purchased has these words in large white letters on the front. Browsing the Internet a few weeks ago, I discovered the organization To Write Love On Her Arms for the first time.

I was moved by the story that describes the beginning of TWLOHA. I am sure the majority of us know someone who has suffered from depression, addiction, abuse, self injury or suicidal thoughts and the devastating act itself. I personally have battled my own demons with depression and know others who have been affected by the other things mentioned.

If you are like me you want these terrible things to stop, which is why I appreciate TWLOHA so much. Our support can bring about the possibility of a day where these these things will no longer be an option entertained by the inhabitants of this planet. Check out the link above and browse the site some if you never have. We can all find a way to help.

So what are some of the causes that lead to these problems? I want to spend the next few days looking at some of these problems.

I believe MSNBC summed it up best on the subject of bullying in an Ohio school. It is just baffling to see that this bullying problem was not effectively handled. How many kids must succumb to suicide before these bullies realize the damage they are causing? I appreciate the way Cartoon Network has stepped up to show kids how to Speak Up against those who bully others.

What are your views on bullying? Do you know anyone who was bullied? How did you handle the situation? What advice would you give to others witnessing someone being bullied?

New Chiodos Brings Desirable Change

One of the recent hot topics of discussion is the departure of ex-Chiodos front man Craig Owens who was replaced by ex-Yesterday's Rising vocalist Brandon Bolmer.

I personally loved Chiodos' first two studio albums All's Well That Ends Well and Bone Palace Ballet. Owens voice really stood out to me above the music. Though he isn't my favorite, songs such as The Word's Best Friend Become Redefined and The Undertaker's Thirst for Revenge is Unquenchable frequently have and continue to find their way in my playlists.

That being said I am highly impressed with the job the entire band has done on their new album Illuminaudio, which was released on 10/5/10. Not only was Bolmer quite possibly the perfect replacement for Owens, but all of the other members songwriting hit a new high in my opinion. I can not speak for the entire album, but if the three songs I have heard (Love is a Cat from Hell, Modern Wolf Hair, and Those Who Slay Together Stay Together) are any indication of the rest of the album, this will easily be the groups best release to date in my opinion.

How do you feel about the change in vocalists? Why do you like/dislike the new Chiodos? What songs do you like on the new album?

Also, what other bands would you like to discuss via this blog?

Let me know in a comment.