My official dieting buddy, Lisa, is still going strong with me on the HCG diet. She’s a few pounds behind me, but we’re both pretty happy with the results we’re getting from the HCG diet renewal kit from HCG Diet Direct. We’ve got a side bet going so I have to admit that I’m glad I’ve lost a little bit more weight than her; I really want that new pair of blue jeans!

I volunteered at the kids’ school today. And for my efforts I was offered a very sweet gift in appreciation for my service. It was the hugest iced, sugar cookie I’ve ever seen in my life. I love sugar cookies. Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, ‘You didn’t!’ And I’ll have you know…that I absolutely did not. Instead I stashed it in the desk of the kid who got up to sharpen his pencil. I think he’ll be excited to find it there later.

So that was definitely a high point for me on HCG. I patted myself on the back; no worries. I better back up now though and start at the beginning. I weighed 159 this morning. That’s one pound down.

I took my HCG three times today as I was supposed to and I took the B-Total Sublingual once (also as I recommended). Lisa says that the HCG stings when she takes it. I think she’s totally hilarious because I’ve never noticed anything like that happening. But that’s just an interesting side note. You’ll have to find out for yourself if it’s her that’s crazy or me!

For lunch I had chicken (leftovers). First I put chopped up tomatoes and onions on Melba Toasts and then I put the shredded chicken on top of that. It was a pretty good little lunch. I had it with strawberries on the side. And strawberries always seem to be the perfect finishing touch. I tried to make sure I drank water all day long and it was a bit tedious just so you know. But I do think that after all the trouble I went to I was able to get in plenty of water.

At dinner I decided to forego the chicken and I opted for steak. It’s my daughter’s ultimate favorite so she was happy even though we had steamed asparagus on the side which she does not like (even though she’s never tried it). Funny how that works, isn’t it? They made do with the fresh loaf of French bread I got for them even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to have any. Melba Toasts didn’t quite compare, but I stuck with it. And the Mock Apple Cobbler finished off the night for all of us just perfectly.

The recent trend to be in a prefect shape has led health conscious people to either refrain from certain foods or restrict their consumption. Such extreme measures may lead to a decrease in weight for a short span, but create serious health hazards if continued for a long time. Exercising regularly for some time under the guidance of a personal trainer is a lot better alternative than engaging in strict dieting.

However, a high percentage of people are not sure about the advantages of working with a personal trainer, and express doubts as to how effective such a program would be. There are, in fact a whole lot of reasons to engage a personal trainer.

Firstly, a personal trainer provides the motivation that you need to attain your goals through a regimented exercise program. This will help you become more determined in your efforts to care for your health and fitness.

Secondly, a personal trainer, being a specialist, guides you on the correct exercises and methods to use while working out, and will offer an exercise regimen and diet plan tailored to your body and its specific requirements. Thus, you can move beyond random exercising and strict dieting towards a plan that really gets results for you and does not harm you in any way.

Thirdly, issues related to your health and fitness levels that you might be disinclined to face will be posed to you by your trainer. Your path to a better and healthier life will also be cleared by a personal trainer who will devise for you mechanisms to battle against general ailments.

How to avert an injury and how to rapidly recover if you have suffered one, can also be taught by a personal trainer, and he can eventually make you able enough to carry out the exercises on your own.

Lastly, a personal trainer generates in you an obligation towards the maintenance of your good health and makes you more conscious and committed about your time tables and deadlines.

A personal training arrangement makes it simple to make sure that the trainer is concentrating on only you and your requirements. Optimizing your benefits from personal training is merely a matter of being clear about your requirements and goals right at the beginning. Besides, you can check through the qualifications of the trainer well in advance, and make sure that you have a fruitful communication with him when training commences. If you work on all of these recommendations, personal training can perform miracles for you.