A Quest for Motivation

By: Sensa Intern, Danielle Brosh

This year my New Year’s resolution was to get in to shape.  I was excited and positive about my potential life change.  After fully recovering from my night of celebration I, like countless Americans, joined the gym.  I looked at all of the other people joining on January 2^nd and said to myself, I’m different.  I was in this for the long haul.  This wasn’t going to be some 1 month fad; this was my first step toward improving my health and fitness, my weight loss motivation.

Do it!

Fast forward 6 months and I am looking at my bank statement wondering why there is 50 dollars less than the previous day.  Oh right, the gym.  After about three weeks of dedication and the occasional elliptical session here and there, I fell off the bandwagon back in to my lazy inactive ways.  Now the gym has become nothing more than my monthly charity to which I contribute 50 dollars each month.   I thought to myself, if I’m going to be donating 600 dollars a year to something, someone better be working on a cure for Cancer.

I needed to come up with some new ways to get me back to the gym and to be excited about going.  The first thing I needed to do was assess what was holding me back.  Was I too busy? Was it too hard? No, the problem was simple.  I just couldn’t motivate myself to get there.   So, I came up with some tips that have motivated me for the past month to get off my butt and go work out.

1. Put out clothes the night before—I found that having my entire outfit down to my socks and iPod ready for the next morning force me to get dressed and go.
2. Change it up— I don’t do the same thing every day.  For instance, on Mondays I do cardio, Wednesday is yoga, Thursday is spinning and Saturday I do weight training.  Adding some variation keeps things exciting and helps me to look forward to certain workouts.
3. Tell someone about your plan to work out—my mom is a health nut, so every night I call her and we talk about what I’m going to do the next day.  It is inevitable that she is going to check up and ask how my workout went so I am sure to go to the gym just to avoid the shame and embarrassment of a failed attempt.
4. If all else fails I Remind myself how good and accomplished I feel after a workout…and how guilty I feel when I don’t go. It’s a daily reminder to stay focused!

I have been using these tricks over the past month to be sure that I get out the door and working on my fitness.  These three simple guidelines have changed my attitude toward the gym and get me excited about working out.  Hopefully these new techniques will allow my 2011 resolution to be pushing my already existing fitness plan harder, rather than starting over from zero again.

Vegas Tips: How to Prepare + What to Do

by: Brian Deutsch, Sensa CRM Specialist

I frequent Vegas regularly throughout the year. Having just returned from a Vegas excursion this past weekend, the topic still fresh in my head…VEGAS! I, like many, have a difficult time resisting the allure of table games, pool clubs, sports betting, and nightclubs all intertwined in 24/7 madness. While Vegas can provide an extremely enjoyable experience, it also proves pretty taxing on your body. It becomes difficult to sustain energy and be mindful of your health in a city that easily prompts you to engage in destructive behaviors. Nevertheless, here are some Vegas tips for preparing your body, and what to do you once you’ve arrived for the fun!

Part 1 – How to Prepare

Before you embark on your Vegas adventure, prepare your body. Let’s face it, when you’re poolside in Vegas, you’re probably going to want a cocktail – or 2, or 3, or 4. And pretty soon you have no reservations about mixing liquors with beer and eating unhealthy snacks. So prepare yourself ahead of time. For all the toxins you’ll undoubtedly introduce into your system – fight back ahead of time with…you guessed it, antioxidants. If your trip is well planned, start eating rich antioxidants a few days prior to your departure. I’m talking GREEN veggies like broccoli and  spinach leaves…mix those with tomatoes and garlic and you’ve got a simple yet great salad. Topped with a pear vinaigrette dressing, you’re set with a flavorful salad rich in naturally occurring compounds that will protect your body from free radicals.

On the fruit side, berries, although small and fragile in appearance and touch, are packed full of minerals, vitamins, healing antioxidants, and fiber. Load up on blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and any other ones you can get your hands on! They will pay significant dividends…when all your friends are retiring from Vegas festivities after 1 night of partying, you’ll still be strong and ready for round 2. On top of that, make sure you hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. It is so important to ensure you are adequately hydrated prior to Vegas. Drinking dries out your body, so I always ensure that my body is ready. The day before I leave and during my travels into the city, I drink bottle after bottle of water. It makes a world of difference.

Part 2 – Where to Stay/What to Do

Everyone has their own Vegas tips – where to go, what to see, whether to bet on black or red. And everyone enjoys different elements of Vegas. I’m going to focus on a couple of Vegas tips I swear by…First, a crucial component is location. Make sure you stay on the strip – you can find economical solutions that will still position you centrally to the action. My recommendation is Treasure Island. There’s a great energy to this place – you’ll find all different types of people running around even in the wee hours of the night. Plus it’s conveniently located on the strip next to Mirage.

During the day, I like to hit the pool clubs. These have really increased in popularity in the last few years. I recommend the new Liquid Pool Lounge at the Aria hotel. Luxurious and lively, Liquid offers a fun-packed atmosphere in an intimate space. Famous DJs like Tiesto and Kaskade frequent Liquid, so the top quality music really adds to the great energy of this place. On top of that, I was pleasantly surprised with the service. For a lounge chair, you are required to order $100 minimum food a drink. However, split between a few people, we reached this mark quickly, and the servers were very quick and unlike other pool clubs, didn’t so quickly forget about us. Plus, the cocktails and food were great – I recommend the fish tacos and classic mojito. And of course, always remember to bring your Sensa with you and sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle! For settings such as these, I recommend bringing Sensa Slims On-The-Go packets. If you don’t already have SENSA Slims, you can find them in the online store.

I hope your Vegas experience proves as enjoyable as mine! But keep away from the blackjack tables if you want to come back with a full wallet…

Cheers,

Brian

Last week my husband competed in an event called the Badwater Ultra Marathon, which was a goal he sought after for five years.  Badwater is known as the toughest footrace on the planet, totaling 135 miles, lasting up to 60 hours, starting 285 ft below sea level in Death Valley and finishing at 8,371 ft at Whitney Portal, a total of 17,700 feet of elevation change. The race has been around since the late 1970’s.  Up to 90 athletes are invited to participate each year.  I know it sounds crazy, but yes, there are copious amounts of people clamoring to pay to run well over one hundred miles through the desert.  This year my husband was one of the lucky ones to experience this epic adventure.  Temperatures surpassed 120 degrees; there were 40 mph winds that were so hot it felt like a giant outdoor heater, and the radiating heat off the pavement measured around 150 degrees.  No words could really describe the intensity of these conditions; it was truly an otherworldly experience.

80 runners from around the world toed this years’ starting line, 73 finished, my husband placed 16^th overall and absolutely rocked it his rookie year.  Each runner can have up to two crew vehicles and 6 people to assist them along the way.  Crew teams leap frog along with the runner all day (and night), giving them fuel, water, ice, clothing changes, pacing help, sunscreen, mental support and anything else needed.

Normally I would be crewing, pacing or running the race myself.  But this time I was just merely a cheerleader.  There were a few reasons why: I had never been to Badwater and was therefore rather inexperienced with what was needed in particular, I am not all that great in the heat, and in the end we didn’t want my husband to be out running a race and worrying if I was okay.  So, he assembled a super support team to ensure his success, which put my mind at ease.  I knew he would finish.

I must admit there were definitely moments where I felt left out and wondering why I was there.  However, I very quickly realized that no matter what you are doing, you are either supporting your loved ones in achieving their goals or you are having quite the opposite effect.  When you stop to analyze your thoughts and actions it’s easy to choose the path that will help further those around you in reaching their finish lines.  During Badwater I drove between checkpoints cheering everyone on, channeling good energy, telling my husband I loved him, helping runners (and crew) get past any hard moments and doing whatever I could to contribute to the race as a whole.  In the end I was surprised how much fun I had, how many amazing people I met, how absolutely beautiful the desert and Mt. Whitney are and that I was able to make a difference even though I wasn’t a part of the race. I guess sometimes being off the court is actually being on the court, just in a different way.  I also absorbed priceless tips for future trips to this race to help crew, cheer or maybe even run it.

What I took away from this experience is how crucial a strong support network is to help launch you toward your goals, whether they are weight loss, career related or crossing a finish line at a race.  Remember, you are not alone in the journey.  And the best way to get inspired is reach out and help your loved ones go after their dreams.  Look at what you can contribute, whether it’s telling someone you believe in them, scheduling early morning workouts or helping with healthier food choices.

Whatever you’ve been putting off, stop putting it off, go out there and get it!
What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

Check out this podcast interview post Badwater too!

Yours in Health,

Kardio Kate

Nothing says summer like a nice, crisp, fresh summer salad to help beat the heat and get rid of that muffin top.  Eating salads is one of the best ways to lose weight and naturally control your appetite by keeping you fuller longer.  However, for many of us, a good salad means ranch dressing, bacon bits, and many other fat filled, diet busting toppings.  I asked the 80 Sensa customer service representatives what their favorite salad toppings were and wasn’t at all surprised when bacon bits topped the list…it’s one of my favorites too.  Coming in at a close second was cheddar cheese with hardboiled eggs at number 3.  Just those three toppings alone added 200 calories to an otherwise healthy salad, and that doesn’t even include salad dressing!  What are some of your favorite toppings?  See how they stack up nutritionally, and if they hurt or help your weight loss goals.

Bet you didn’t know your favorite salad contained the same amount of fat and calories as a McDonald’s cheeseburger did you?  Salads are a basic staple of many celebrity diets, so if want to whittle your waist and get bikini ready for the summer, like Sensa spokeswoman Patti Stanger, follow these tips to keep you and your salad healthy:

1. The greener the better-Iceberg has a nice crunch but contains almost no nutritional value.  Pick a nice leafy green like spinach, arugula, romaine, or leaf lettuce.  Try tossing in some red cabbage for a nice crunch and added fiber.

2.  Use oil-based dressings-I’m a curvy girl who loves her some creamy Ranch dressing, but not at the expense of my diet!  Try using oil-based Vinaigrette to whet your palate instead.  You’ll save some calories and add essential Fatty Acids to your salad making the carbs easier to digest.  With any salad, order your dressing on side and dip your fork into it before each bite to keep your calories in check.

3.  Veggitize your salad- I just made that word up, but it fits right?  Adding veggies like mushroom, carrots, peppers, onions, and cucumbers help to keep your salad naturally low fat and low calories while upping the fiber ante, filling you up and never letting you down, naturally controlling your appetite.   Plus, you’ll reach the 5 vegetables quota we all stringently strive to meet in no time.

4.  Limit yourself to one serving of added fat topping  per salad- If you just have to have cheese, make sure it’s low-fat and skip the bacon bits.  If you need the bacon, as I so often do, omit the sunflower seeds.  Choose one fat that you just can’t stand to live without, and load up on veggies instead.  If you go overboard you might end up with a salad with the fat content equivalent to that bacon cheeseburger you’re actually craving.  In that case, you might as well go for the cheeseburger.

5. Choose your fast food salad wisely-If you’re pressed for time and opt for a fast food salad, choose wisely.  Anything with the word taco in it is to be avoided at all costs, as they’re usually around 850 calories and a whopping 45 grams of fat…yowza!  The same goes for anything with chili or bacon in it.  These are highly processed and contain little or no nutritional value.  Instead choose your average, run of the mill Caesar or Asian chicken salad, then ask for low-fat or fat free dressing.  Try to use only half the dressing in the pack to keep your calories low.  WebMD rated Subway’s Roast Beef Salad with 1/2 pack of fat-free Ranch Dressing their top pick as one of the best fast food salads, and with a calorie count of 150 and only3 grams of fat, I’m inclined to agree.   Mc Donald’s Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with 1/2 packs low-fat Vinaigrette, sans croutons, at 230 calories and 9 grams of fat also made the list.

Whether you create your salad at a bar or order from a menu, try to choose your toppings wisely to avoid turning a those healthy greens into a vat of fat.   Salads are fresh, fast, easy, and if you take my advice, the best way to lose weight. Summer is the prime time to get to the grocery store and load up on salad ingredients, as there are so many great recipes and varieties of salads you can make.  Peruse the top 20 salad recipes at Allrecipes.com for some tasty ideas! Whatever the variety, don’t forget to sprinkle Sensa!!

Bon Appetit!

Yolanda

Hello You Sexy Summer Sensa Sprinklers!!!!!

As we see the temps climb higher and higher, I hope you are seeing the numbers on your scale go lower and lower!  However, if your weight loss is slow….don’t fret…in clinical studies 1,436 people lost an average of 30.5 pounds in six months on the Sensa Weight Loss Program.  Now even though that sounds like a lot it still averages out to a healthy weight loss of 5 pounds a month (which could feel slow at times).  Good news when you consider that studies show that people who lost weight gradually are more likely to keep it off.

You know the other day, I happened to log on to CNN.COM and I noticed three separate articles touting the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight!  One article said you were less likely to get breast cancer, one article said a women’s memory was better when she maintained a healthy weight and another said women at a healthy weight might be less likely to suffer from hot flashes. Wow, but if that isn’t compelling enough to keep you motivated consider this…being overweight puts you at a higher risk for:

*Type 2 Diabetes

*Heart Disease

*High Cholesterol

*Sleep Apnea

*Varicose Veins

*Breast, endometrial, prostate and colon cancers

*Arthritis

*Gallbladder disease

*Rashes and skin abnormalities like warts (ew!)

*High Blood Pressure

And this is the short list!  I think another important reason is to be a good example for our children.  One out of every 3 kids is obese!!!!  Can you believe that??  For the first time in history, children may not live as long as their parents before them.  But the good news is if you are reading this you are on your way!  Even modest gains can have super health benefits. So keep sprinkling away…and know that not only are you doing a good thing for you (and your kids…by example).

Good luck and keep sprinklin’

xxoo,

Dayna

P.S. We are back on Shop NBC on July 18th and 19th…so check your local listings!!!!  And call in and share your story!

Dayna on Set

Hello Sensa Lovers,

We will be live at ShopNBC this weekend Sunday, July 18th and Monday July 19th.  We will have a special low price that can only be found at ShopNBC!

Please tune in and watch our three amazing testimonials:  Miriam, Solange and Robyn share their Sensa Stories!

All times are in CST:

Sunday, July 18th

11:00 pm – 1:00 am

Monday, July 19th

3:00 AM

7:00 AM -9:00 AM

12:00 PM

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

8:00 PM

And don’t forget, we LOVE to hear your Sensa Stories too!

Please call in and share your story with Dayna at:

Thanks!

JeJe

Some of the most popular questions we get about SENSA® on Facebook and through our Customer Service hotline are regarding our ingredients. Unfortunately a great deal of misinformation exists regarding the ingredients that make up SENSA® , and we wanted to take a moment to clear up any confusion.

Is SENSA® safe?

All ingredients incorporated into the SENSA® formulas were selected based on safety, prior food product usage and low or no incidence of allergic or other negative consumer response. Additionally, all ingredients included in the 6 months of SENSA® are approved for food use according to the FDA and Code of Federal Regulations. These ingredients are also commonly found in numerous food items, such as cookies, fruit snacks and food dressings that are consumed by the general population on a daily basis.

What ingredients are working to help me feel full on less food?

The functional part of the SENSA® formulas are the natural and artificial flavors demonstrated to provide the greatest satiety response. The other ingredients act allow the sprinkles to easily shake from the container and do not make an impact your satiety center.

How do the natural and artificial flavors work?

As you eat, smell and taste receptors send messages to your brain which release hormones that tell your body it’s time to stop eating. This is a phenomenon we call Sensory Specific Satiety. By enhancing smell, SENSA® Tastants were designed to help speed up the process and trigger your “I feel full” signal, so you eat less and feel more satisfied.

What is in SENSA®?

Brief descriptions of the ingredients that make up SENSA® are given below with foods or food types that commonly include these food ingredients.

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is used in this formula as a carrier mechanism for the natural and artificial flavors. It has no effect that contributes toward the weight loss benefits of using SENSA®. The maltodextrin used in these formulas is derived from corn and does not contain any glutens that cause concern in some individuals. There is no associated indigestion when using corn derived maltodextrin.

Corn-based maltodextrins are safe for patients with celiac disease since they do not contain proteins from wheat, barley, oats or rye.  Maltodextrins are not known to contain MSG. Diabetics should follow the advice of their physicians. They are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) food ingredients.

Found in: Crystal Light, Cookies, Cakes and Muffins, Hard Candies, Fruit Snacks, Margarine, Salad Dressings, Donut Glazes and Cake Icings, Ice Cream, Instant Sauces and Gravies, Caramel and Chocolate Syrups

Silica (Silicon Dioxide)

Silica is added to this formula to promote easy shaking of the powders from the shakers. Silica acts as a flow agent and anti-caking agent to promote free flowing characteristics of the powdered formula.

Found in: Commonly found in pressed nutritional tablets and pharmaceutical tablets

A wholesome diet, rich in silica, calcium and iron, will help reduce or prevent hair loss. Green, leafy vegetables, especially sea vegetables, are good mineral sources. Raw oats provide silica

Tricalcium Phosphate

Tricalcium phosphate is used in powdered spices as an anti-caking agent. It is added to this formula to also provide anti-caking and flow properties to the powder.

Found in: This ingredient is commonly used in Dannon yogurt. It is added to table salt, sugar, baking powder. It is also used as a nutritional supplement.

Natural and Artificial Flavors

The combination of artificial and natural flavors have been researched and tested to demonstrate their ability to affect the satiety response. To protect our formula we do not list the exact combination of artificial and natural flavors that make up each month of SENSA.  All of these flavors are produced by corporations that specifically supply these and other flavors to the food industry for incorporation in a very wide variety of foods. All flavors have a very strong record of safety and all are tested to comply with all FDA requirements. Certificates of Analysis for all these flavors confirm the fact that they are approved for use in a regulation of Food and Drug Administration, or are listed as Generally Recognized as Safe on a reliable, published industry association list.

Milk and soy ingredients may be used in the preparation of some flavors added to the formulas. Concentrations of milk and soy products per serving are less than 0.1 mg.

We hope this helps answer any questions you had regarding the ingredients that make up SENSA®. Please do let us know if you have any further thoughts in the comments!

CONQUERING THE CANYON

Rachel and the Grand Caynon

Although many of us are perpetually working towards fitness goals, sometimes the motivations behind them become diluted. It’s easy to say “I’m going to eat healthier” or “I want to lose weight” but it is just as easy to lose sight of the reasons WHY we set these goals for ourselves. Many of us want to lose weight to ward off illness and disease and make it easier to move about and enjoy ourselves. We want to “look and feel great” and fit into our “skinny” jeans!

Although I cannot speak for all Americans, I can certainly speak for myself and others may or may not identify with me! I live in a fairly safe area. I have a car and I can drive to wherever I need to go, and if I need to go far, I can fly or take a train. I buy my food at a grocery store and my sanitized, drinkable tap water comes out of a faucet when I turn it on. When it’s hot out, I stay inside and turn on a fan, and if it’s REALLY hot, I go somewhere where there is A/C. I don’t worry about being ambushed by criminals or attacked by wild animals, but if for some reason this happens, I will grab my cell phone and call 911.

Rachel Hiking

My boyfriend and I decided to brave the odds and hike into the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River and back in a day, a feat that is discouraged by park authorities because of its difficulty. The difference in elevation between rim and river is over 6,000’, temperatures are over 100° at the river, terrain is rugged, cell reception is patchy at best and the presence of park personnel is almost nonexistent. Thoroughly prepared with provisions and armed with the trusted advice of Kardio Kate, we descended into the Canyon and commenced the most difficult physical challenge either of us had ever experienced. It took 16 hours, countless liters of water and several encounters with scary wildlife (wild big-horned sheep, snake, scorpions and mangy squirrels) but we did it and lived to tell about it!

Depending on who you ask, some may say we bravely embarked on a great adventure while others would say we stupidly put our lives in great danger. Both statements are arguably true. It was after this hike that I was reminded of a very real reason why we should keep our health and fitness at optimal levels: to survive when survival is truly difficult!

Essential Gear:
-“CamelBaks”: backpacks with hydration vessels
-Bodyglide: essentially body lubricant, especially useful on feet to prevent blistering
-Lambswool socks: they sound hot but actually keep you cool and dry!
-Electrolyte capsules: to maintain your body’s water/electrolyte balance
-Sunblock
-Beef Jerky: amazing source of non-perishable protein and my new favorite snack. Alien Fresh Jerky is the best!
-Flashlight: in case you are caught in the dark, which we were.

Prepare Your Body:
-Stretch!
-Strength-train your hamstrings, quads, glutes and calves
-Interval training: work to reduce your “recovery time” from short bursts of exertion. The faster your heart and breathing rates decline, the better off you are on uneven terrain.

Cheers to Your Health!

Rach

Sensa Hits the Streets of Social Marketing!

We wanted to make sure you were taking advantage of all the fun stuff we do here at Sensa Headquarters.  We like to shake things up a bit and LOVE to get our users feedback whenever we can!

If you haven’t already please “like” us on our Sensa Facebook Page, we like to do contests, giveaways and bounce ideas off our fans from time to time.  Fans also receive first hand information about new products launched, information about celebrity guests who use Sensa and fun, interesting articles about the hottest trends in fitness and diet. Starting this summer we will be ramping up our $$$ contests, where users like yourselves can win $600 in Gift cards to your favorite retailers! That’s not all, we have a couple other fun concepts up our sleeves but that is for us to know and you to find out!

For all you Twitter Peeps, don’t fret, we haven’t forgotten about you! We have a Twitter account as well; you can find and follow us @Sensaweightloss! Your feedback and articles are always welcome here or on our Sensa Facebook Page.

See you there!

JeJE

An interview with our NEWEST Sensa Success Story!! Introducing Jennifer Rice who has lost 41 pounds in 6 months!

JeJe: How did you first hear of Sensa?

Jennifer: I actually heard about Sensa several years ago when I met Dr. Hirsch at a Psychiatric Conference. That is when I learned about his studies on the sense of smell and taste and how it effects weight loss. I followed the progress of his studies and decided to give it a try. I was very skeptical at first, it sounded too good to be true. Six months and 41 lbs later, I am so glad I tried it. My only regret is, I wish I had tried it when I first heard about it!

JeJe: Could you describe your personal Sensa journey?

Jennifer: I started using Sensa the day before Thanksgiving. I figured that would be the true test for me. My family thought I was nuts for “sprinkling” my Thanksgiving dinner. I was pleasantly surprised when I was full after just a few bites. I usually put on weight over the holiday’s, but this year I lost 7 lbs my first week of using Sensa. This gave me encouragement to keep on going and sprinkling everything I ate. I continued to lose weight easily and quickly.  Sensa has literally changed my life. I feel good about myself again. For years, I hated to go shopping, because I felt that nothing looked good on me and I really hated buying size 16/18. Now, I LOVE to shop for clothes. I can now buy a size that I have not been in since college, size 8. When I bought my first size 8, I wanted to turn it inside out and wear it with the size of the tag showing.

Jennifer: I have tried every diet out there, from boxed meals, pills, counting points, protein diet, personal trainers, etc. I have even gone as far as trying Liposuction. None of these worked for me. Sensa works for me for several reasons. It’s easy to use, it works and this is not a “diet” where I am told what I can and cannot eat. Nothing is off limits. You can eat anything, you just don’t eat as much.

JeJe: How does Sensa fit in your life?

Jennifer: I am a mother of five children in five different schools. I am too busy to keep up with count points, following a strict diet, remembering to take vitamins, eating boxed meals, pills, working with a personal trainer, etc.I had to find something that could fit into my busy schedule. Sensa was just the trick. I keep a shaker at home, and a shaker in my purse. So it is with me at all times. It is just as easy as seasoning your food, so that makes it so easy to remember. My children are so proud of my results, that if they have not seen me spinkle my food they say “mommy, have you sprinkled today?”.

JeJe: How did you like being on ShopNBC?

Jennifer: I LOVED being on ShopNBC! It was great to meet the Sensa gang and share my story with others. I hope that I conveyed the message, that I had tried EVERYTHING to lose the weight and if I can do it with Sensa..than ANYONE can!

JeJe: Any words or wisdom for our users?

Jennifer: If you are on the fence about trying Sensa, don’t wait! Order your supply right away. I wish I had started my weight loss journey with Sensa a long time ago and I would not have had to go through the ups and downs of my prior weight loss journeys.

If you are already using Sensa, keep it up and sprinkle everything! I also suggest that instead of just looking at the scales, take your measurements every few weeks. The scales do not always show the full picture. There may be a week where you have lost very little or none at all, take your measurements and 9 times out of 10, you have lost inches. Be consistent with your Sprinkling and your weight will fall off!

-

Jennifer