Weight Loss Tips #19: Don't Stop Moving

First off, I need to apologize for my blog sabbatical.  I was horrendously busy at the end of the school year, and since then I've been walking every morning and reading every night or gymming it.  I've had little time to sit down and blog.  I miss writing when I don't make it part of my life though, so here I am: back!

Weight loss is indeed a simple formula.  Expend more calories than you consume, and you will lose weight.  There are all sorts of people out there touting some miracle way to have the pounds float away: drink cabbage soup for a week, eat only carbs, eat no carbs; but the truth is the way to lose weight and to be more healthy is to eat less and to MOVE MORE. 

I love to be lazy.  I love to sit around and do nothing, especially after a long day at work or a long night up with a toddler who won't sleep, but I really do think the key to long term and long lasting weight loss (think keeping it off forever) is moving as much as you can. 

We spend a lot of time sitting.  If you have a desk job, then you're not moving much unless you make yourself.  If you're just starting this movement thing, then there's no need to jump into going to the gym five days a week unless you really want to.  You just need to start trying to walk 10,000 steps a day.  You can track steps by using a pedometer or a fitness tracker. 

I have the UP24. 

 

 

This little band goes on your wrist, and tracks your life.  The compatible app tracks your steps, and it tells you how many resting calories you're burning and how many active calories.  It tells you the most active you've been during the day, the most idle, and whether or not you've reached your goal. It tracks your weekly trends of movement and sleep.  The app also gives you advice and tells you interesting facts.  It will set goals based on your recent movement (or lack thereof).  It links up to other apps: Myfitnesspal and Mapmyfitness among others. 

 

When I started, I was amazed by my non-workout days.  I was generally moving less than 10,000 steps.  It led me to change little things about my life.  I started trying to take Skippy for a walk every morning to increase my steps.  I started parking at the far end of the parking lot.  I made an effort to get up every thirty minutes and walk around.  I noticed when I started moving more I started feeling better.  I slept better, and the weight started coming off more quickly, because I was expending those calories I was taking in.

 

Once you start moving more, you can make it a lifestyle change.  Similar to reducing portion size, increasing movement will lead to weight loss and better health overall.  I've replaced mornings of sitting with coffee and surfing the Internet to mornings soaking in the sunrise, communing with nature, and increasing my activity!  It's funny how after only three weeks, I feel like it's a way of life.  It's easy to make changes if you do it and you stick to it!  Make it a life long habit. 

 

CHECK OUT THE LAST EDITION OF WEIGHT LOSS TIPS--->HERE!!!

 

 

 



If It Doesn't Challenge You, Then It Doesn't Change You

Today was my run day.  I didn't go. Instead, I decided to take a rest day and move my run days to Wednesday through Friday of this week.  I went to Spin yesterday and Zumba on Sunday, and the backs of my thighs are sore, plus my lats and my back muscles.   It's a good kind of pain though. The meaningful kind that tells you you're making progress. 

In Spin, I like to close my eyes and pretend I'm riding out in the middle of the country.  I can see the grass swaying in the breeze and out in the distance is a red barn.  In the class, I'm always working to reach that red barn.  I have no idea what my instructor thinks when I close my eyes.  It helps though, for whatever reason, to remove yourself from the here and now and pretend you're somewhere else.  It always allows me to spin faster and forget about the pain.  My RPMs jump up and sometimes I can increase the tension on the bike, getting a better workout.  

I'd like to do that while I'm running, but let's face it, running with your eyes closed is simply not a good idea!  I'd probably fall in a hole.   For me, exercise is not fun.  I always enjoy it AFTERWARDS.  Afterwards, I say to myself that I'm so glad I went, that I love the way I feel energized and the way my body aches.  During exercise, I'm always hating it, unless I can pretend I'm somewhere else or really just get into the song and then it's easier.  Yesterday, Charles played some oldies but goodies, and I sang along like you only sing in the shower.   Release your inhibitions and just go for it. 

My challenge for the rest of this week is to run the next three days, 2 miles tomorrow, 3 miles Thursday and 4 miles on Friday.  Friday will be tough, as I haven't done a four mile run in over a year.  I'll do my best to meet the goal though, and if I fail then at least I know I tried. 

Discipline

Today is going to be a busy Saturday, though much less busy and much more relaxing than a Saturday during meet season.  I love Son Number One's gymnastics meet season, but it wears me out with the travel and the constant running around.  It is always a relief when it is over. 

I did not meet my weekly challenge to run for the rest of the week.  We had a bit of a monsoon, and I didn't really feel like running in a thunderstorm.  Lightning is not my friend.  I hate treadmill running.  For some reason, I completely suck at it.  I can't get going on the treadmill. I feel better when I have the outside world to run in.  It helps me free my mind.  So, today the rain is supposed to dissipate, and I'm planning on fitting in a 2-3 mile run.  I need the routine to enforce the discipline of running, to increase my endurance, and to feel comfortable running a 5K in approximately one month. 

Speaking of 5Ks: I'm running with my office, and I'm trying to fund raise.  You can click here to donate, if you'd like.  It's for the Walk of Life: funding for mammograms for people who can't afford it and for early detection of breast cancer. 

Back to discipline.  Discipline is such an important part of life.   Taekwondo taught me discipline, and it's one reason I miss going there. I also miss the social outlet.  I made some great friends there.  But the discipline is incredible: literally training your body to do what you tell it to do, and having to go a certain amount of times a week and being accountable.  These are all things I'm trying to do on my own now, and it's about ten times harder without people to encourage you.  But I'm doing it.  I'm putting myself out there, and I'm exercising.  I'm making myself have discipline, which is not something that comes naturally to me.  I'm a rule breaker, and I've always been willy nilly and done what I've wanted to do.  I've never cared too much for things that require self control and discipline, but it is a skill and it improves with a little work and requires stepping out of my comfort zone. 

Another member of our family will be working on discipline today too:

That's right: Skippy is starting discipline school.  It's much needed too.  He's a spoiled rotten dog.  He loves to jump up and give kisses.  That's the Jack Russell in him.  He can be so sweet and such a lap dog, but he's developed some bad habits, so we're going to make sure he gets the proper training to be disciplined and do what he's supposed to!  I never thought I could love a dog as much as I love this little guy though.  Just seeing him in the morning makes me smile.

Discipline: the theme of the week in the Greene household. 

The Family Dinner

I woke up today thinking about the Family Dinner!  Strange thing to think about a 5:50 AM, when Darling Daughter is curled up tight in her pink blankie beside me like a little roly poly (you should hear her say that word--so sweet!). 
 
Hubby and I have always made the family dinner important in our home.  My parents did before us, and his too.  Every day, we sit around our kitchen table, and we reconnect, like these people (minus the horse!):

Later British painting by Cotman
           image copyright 2003 www.clipart.com

                                                    Family Dinners are so important.  For one thing: I think my boys would only eat snacks if we didn't actually sit around the table and feed them fruits and vegetables and some sort of protein.  We probably have about 5 family dinners a week, which is a feat, because we're always running in opposite directions.  During the year our schedules go sort of like this: Rise and Shine, Kids to School, Pick Kids up from School or after-school, pick kids up from various after-school programs, run home, eat family dinner that Hubby has so lovingly slaved over, and then run off to our various corners of our house (or for the parents to our various exercise choices!).  This leaves one IMPORTANT time for reconnection: the Family Dinner.
 
What are the benefits of the family dinner?  I'll tell you:
 

• Reconnect with your children: Show them you care.  Ask them about their day.  If you show them there is a special time for them to discuss any problems they are having.  You'll be surprised how they will just open up to you if you LISTEN.

• Influence their Food Choices: Family Dinner is a time to have your kids TRY different foods.  It's a time to show them how eating healthy is an important part of their life.  This is important today, where so many kids are obese. 

• Fruits and Veggies: Kids Who Eat Family Dinners aren't eating Junk (unless you're serving junk).  They're more likely to get their daily dose of fruits and veggies.

• Builds Confidence in Kids: This can turn into greater success at school and in their various relationships throughout life.  The Family Dinner is a time to talk about everything, so kids often LEARN at the table. 

• Pride and Family Connection: Kids who eat family dinners on a regular basis innately know their parents are proud of them.  We start off our family dinners asking everyone around the table this simple question: What was the best thing that happened to you today?  We follow it up by this:  What was the worst thing that happened to you today?  This allows your child to receive praise and to vent.  These are two things everyone needs!

Our world is so fast-paced.  Everyone is always moving in opposite directions, so to me the most important part of family dinner is RECONNECTION. 

We follow this simple rule for our family dinner: NO ELECTRONICS at the table.  This means no DS, no phone, no TV on, no music on.  Just food and us.  This way no one is distracted, and everyone can focus on eating and being together. 

More Than Just a Number

I'm one of those people who "sweats" everything.  I think and I over analyze, and I think some more.  I'm a quick decision maker, usually, but I worry about almost every single interaction I have with everyone in my life.  I wonder if that made him mad.  I wonder if I hurt her feelings.  Does she like me?  Does she hate me now?  This probably stems from some deep rooted insecurity or self-esteem issues I have, due to alopecia and how it's affected my emotional well being.  At least, that's was a psychologist would say.  People are people though, and they all act differently and think differently, and over think differently, or don't think at all.  I'd take over thinking over not thinking at all any day.

Over the last couple of years, I've been thinking about health and weight.  I've been over thinking it and analyzing every last bit of food I've put into my mouth.  When I have a splurge day--despite telling YOU it's OK--I usually beat myself up!  I'm really good at beating myself up and being hard on myself.  It's one of my greatest flaws: perfectionism.

I read this article on Shine yesterday, and I absolutely LOVED it, and I needed to share it with all of you who have struggled with your weight your whole life and seem to not be getting anywhere.  I'll sum it up for those of you who are too lazy to click on the link.

Basically the article is called, "Can you be Fat but Fit?"  The consensus through new studies is YES!!!  If you work out and eat relatively right, but don't lose weight then YES, you can be fit.  The key is working out and eating right.  That's always been the key to being healthy: reducing caloric intake and increasing caloric output.

My favorite party of this article was the fact that moderately obese people live 3.1 years longer than normal-weight people.  Now, I don't know how much of this is actually TRUE, because I read this on Yahoo!, and I didn't go looking for statistics to back it up, but I like this idea.  I like the idea, and I think I've always tended to agree with it, that if you are doing the right things, like eating and exercise, then you are prolonging your years and your life.  The number on the scale just doesn't mean a thing, even though we all have a psychological need to see it go down.  We've been fed bull crap about ideal weight our whole life, and we've been fed unrealistic images of men and women whose life is to EXERCISE every day.  These actors and actresses in magazines have personal trainers who basically kick their asses for a living.  Regular old people simply don't have the time or the need to want to exercise 8 hours a day.  We don't live in front of a camera.  We live our lives, and we need to make sure we're healthy to be their for our kids and to get the most out of life: to fulfill our purpose, if you will.

http://www.runwriterace.com/2013/01/scales-cant-tell-you-everything.html

Don't sweat the small stuff and hem and haw when that number on the scale doesn't go down.  Live your life in a healthy way by doing the following:

• Moderate Exercise for 30 minutes a Day.  This can include walking.
• Eat Right, but don't monitor EVERY BITE
• Stop looking at the Scale
• Know in how you feel how fit you are.  Everyone can tell when they start a new exercise plan.  Their breathing improves, they can walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded, and generally they become more active.  You can sense your body feeling and looking stronger.
• Annual Physicals: Keeping an eye on your cholesterol and blood pressure is a better indicator of total health than the weight on the scale.  If these things are in check, then most likely you're doing fine.
• Addressing Your Mental Health: Mental Health Issues can take away your drive, from exercise and eating weight.  If you're depressed then deal with it in a productive way.  Seek help from a counselor or a psychologist.  Talk to family and friends.  Figure out how to get out of your funk so you can live a healthy life. 

Keep Moving!  Never Give Up!  Live a Health Life. 

 

 

 

Weight Loss Tips #16: Motivation!

Did someone say the "M" word?  If you haven't figured it out already, these weight loss tips are just as much of a reminder for me, as they are tips for you.  And lately, I've been having trouble with motivation.  I think it's because I moved away from my routine, in which my daily habits had dug themselves in, and now it's hard to get back to a motivated spot. 

So for today, I thought I'd give you all some great tips to motivate you to exercise and to eat right.  Maybe, I'll follow a few of these myself and get moving.  Packing my bag to run at lunch RIGHT now...(or not exactly right now, because I'm blogging right now but you know what I mean!).

Tips for Motivating Yourself to Exercise: 

• Time for You:  I'm putting this as # 1 on the list, because for me this is #1.  The #1 reason I want to go for a run is time for myself: not for kids, not to listen to my boss, husband, PTA Mom, Gym Mom, etc.  It's built-in time for myself, where I can go out and listen to music and be by myself, or do a TKD class with friends. 

• The Way It Makes You Feel:  Every time I ho hum about exercising I forget about how I feel afterwards. I'll be starting a run, and these thoughts cross my mind: "Why the heck am I doing this?  This sucks.  I hate running!," but by the time I finish I always feel refreshed, amazing, and I can't wait to go for another run (OK--to be fair, I can't wait to go when my shin isn't killing me!). 

• Reward Yourself: Especially when you're first getting started with any exercise regime.  If  you have kids, then you know ALL about the reward system: Sit on the potty and I'll give you a sticker, clean up your room for a week and you'll get an allowance, eat all your vegetables and I'll give you dessert.  Heck, if you have a job you know about rewards: sit in a cubicle for 40 hours a week and you'll get a paycheck!  Often times, when I exercise in the morning I reward myself with my cup of coffee when I get back, or a nap in the afternoon.  Do something to thank yourself for getting up and moving. 

• Reaching a Goal:  You all know I'm goal oriented, and there is NOTHING better than setting a goal and reaching it.  I'm going to run a 5K.  When I accomplish that goal I know I will feel great.  Goals are motivating.  Set some and motivate yourself!

Now that we have some good ideas for motivating yourself to exercise, what about eating healthy?

• Partner Up: I've said this about a 100 times, but having an accountability partner helps greatly.  I have one in my good friend, Miranda Grace, and also now in my husband who I've dragged over to the dark side of healthy eating and fitness over the last few years!  Having someone to brag to when you lose weight and to turn to when you have a rotten day helps motivate you.  They can offer encouragement, and in turn you can offer it back to them.  I think having an accountability partner is the single most important motivation factor when you're trying to eat healthy and eat less.

• Remember What Eating Healthy Feels Like:  If you have taken a binge of unhealthy eating for a day or two years, then try to remember what eating healthy feels like.  Overall, when you cut out the fried food, the overeating, etc. your body will feel so much better.  Try to remember that feeling and strive to feel that way again. 

• Health Benefits:  Think of the health benefits of eating better.  Living longer, lower cholesterol, healthier teeth and bones.  Use these thoughts to motivate you. 

• Enjoy a Splurge: In moderation!  Like I've said before, splurging in moderation is okay.  You can have a bowl of ice cream occasionally!  Just don't make it an every night treat. 

 

Check Out the Last Weight Loss Tips-->Right Here!

Excuses

I woke up making excuses this morning for why I couldn't go for my run.  The excuses went like this: it might be cold, I have to drive to Atlanta tonight, I'm not even packed, I'm still sore from Taekwondo last night and kisado the night before, and the best one ever: I just don't want to go.  All of these excuses got me thinking, as I dressed reluctantly for my run and headed out the door. 

As I ran I thought about excuses, and I thought that I really need to stop making them.  I sat on the couch for years making excuses about why I couldn't do things.  I can't write, because no one will want to read it, or I'll never come up with a good enough story, or my dialogue and description stinks. I can't exercise because I don't have enough time.  I can't eat healthy because healthy food costs too much money.

Give me a break!  When you make excuses, the only person you're holding back is yourself. You're stopping yourself from realizing your full potential.  Stop making excuses about why you can't do things and start making excuses about why you have to! 

I have to exercise, because it's good for my health and my body and my mind.  I have to write, because it's something I love to do, it gives me a feeling of satisfaction, and it makes me feel whole.  I have to eat healthy foods to nourish my body and to set an example for my children so that they live healthy lives too. 

It's just as easy to make a positive excuse to do something than a negative one, and it makes you feel about a thousand times better.  Postive excuses also help motivate you, while negative excuses help you procastinate: putting off something that could change your life in ways you never realized. 

I'm still making excuses though. Today I had to do an interval run.  One minute fast, 1.5 minutes slow.  I HATE interval running.  Every time the lady's voice would ring out through my headphones and say, "One minute fast," in her sing-song voice, I'd think to myself, "Geez lady, I'm not a gazelle!"   Then when she would come on and say, "One minute thirty seconds slow," I'd think, "Is walking slow enough?  Can I just walk?"  I was making excuses to a recorded voice in my iPhone (thanks Mike--it's spelled correctly here!).  And that is so silly.  So I started making good excuses to myself, "The quicker I run, the quicker I can get home to my coffee, type my blog, and work a little bit on my novel."  That was my motivation, and it worked. 

For my interval workout today, I did 2.19 miles in 21 minutes 38 seconds for an average minute per mile of 9 minutes 54 seconds.  Not so bad, even though I did walk a little bit.  Next time I'll have to make a perfectly good excuse NOT to walk!

*Artwork found on Google.

I Must Be Crazy

I seriously must be crazy. I had committed this year to do a 5K.  Remember?  It was one of my 2013 Goals.  Well last week, my co-worker sent out an email about a 10K race that the Montgomery Junior League is Sponsoring. I thought, "Wow, there's no way I'm doing that.  I have to do my 5K first."  I mean, a 10K is TWICE as long as a 5K, and I haven't gotten close to running 6 miles yet. 

So yesterday I hit the reply button, and I told Amy that I would run the Shamrock Shuffle.  Seriously, I'm crazy.  Anyway, my goal is to run at least a 5K and then maybe walk the remaining 5K, unless I really amp up my training between now and then.  Or who knows, become Superwoman?  That would be great.  I could get a lot done in my life if I had super powers!

 

 

So if any other runners in Montgomery want to run with me, just let me know.  I can get Amy to help sign you up.  I'm excited for it, but a little bit nervous about the commitment of a 10K.  At least the run is located near where I run every day, so I'm used to the terrain. 

 

I'm typing this while sitting on the couch and drinking coffee.  I was supposed to go for a run this morning, but I woke up cold and I did not want to go out in the 34 degree weather.  I'm going to have to give that attitude up if I want to achieve my goal and run the Shamrock Shuffle!  I need to put in more and longer miles.  I know I can do it, it's just a matter of setting my mind to it.

 

Now on to another topic...

 

I've been brainstorming about finding an agent for my book and figuring out how to go about getting published.  I've received positive feedback from the few people who have read it so far.  I did a no-no last night, and I opened up the revisions that my friend Aubrey sent me.  I looked through, and I made a few adjustments.  In one point, I had changed the character's last name several times.  I love the "find and replace" feature in Word.  It makes my life so easy.  My sister said she thinks the book is totally marketable.  And I'm realizing that when people read my work it makes me happy, even excited, to see their take on it.  I hate criticism, but I WANT them to critique it and tell me what needs to be added, changed, and where the holes are.  I WANT them to tell me if the story flows and makes sense or if I need to change things around, delete, etc. 

 

I've been reading a lot on the Internet about the world of publishing, and I know the steps I need to take.  I'm steeling my heart for the rejection slips that will follow too.  You have to deal with rejection in order to get to the good stuff in life.  And most importantly, I'm still writing.  I've scribbled down approximately 10,000 words on my 2nd novel, which is whole-heartily different than my first and taking me longer because I've had to do some research on what life in Alabama was like in the 1920's.   

 

I'm achieving my goals this year, and I'm doing things I didn't even think I could do last year.  It's such an amazing feeling.

Weight Loss Tips 11: What to Eat and How to Keep Going

I'm exhausted this morning.  Darling Daughter crawled into bed with us some time in the middle of the night, and she thinks that her little 2 year old body should own the whole bed!  She sleeps on my head, on my pillow, on my stomach.  So much for her staying in her bed.  I really need to work on that after my upcoming road trips, because I'm pretty much out of town every weekend for the foreseeable future, and Darling Daughter will be Hubby's child.  Hopefully without me here, he can whip her into shape (not literally, because we rarely spank!). 

So this mornind I was laying in bed wondering what I was going to blog about.  I don't really have many more weight loss tips up my sleeves.  Yesterday, I randomly took photos of my breakfast and snacks to show you what healthy, clean eating looks like, so here they are:

 

For breakfast, I had a bowl of Oats with fresh cut up strawberries.  I buy the regular Old Fashioned Oats, and for sweetness I add honey.  Honey is a natural sugar, so your body processes it better than pure white sugar.  I cook my oatmeal with 2% milk for the calcium.  This is so tasty.  Then, I added a boiled egg for some protein to tide me over.  I was seriously stuffed after I ate this.  Oatmeal expands in your stomach, and it keeps you full for a longer time in the morning and less likely to snack. 

 

 

 

Snacking is not bad though if you're aware of what you're putting in your mouth.  Here are the snacks I brought to work yesterday.  If I have these, then I'm way less likely to go to that EVIL vending junk machine that is in our hallway!  My snacks consists of a bag of pistachios, an orange, a banana, and a homemade trail mix.  The trail mix will last me a few days, as that portion size is way too big to eat in one day.  It consists of mixed nuts, raisins, Chex mix, and a few chocolate and peanut butter chips.  The homemade trail mix is really my favorite snack.  I bring it to work almost every day. Nuts provide you protein and energy throughout the day, and they also make you less hungry. 

 

Now that you have some visual aids, here are a few tips for this week:

• Stay Consistent: If you've already committed to exercising and reducing your food intake, stay consistent.  This doesn't mean you can't splurge, but make the conscious decision to live your life in a healthy way every day. 
 
• Prepare, Prepare, Prepare: Planning out your meals and your snacks helps you avoid eating catastrophes.  Having pre-packaged snacks at work might help you avoid eating something that you shouldn't.  Having a plan is always a good thing!
 
• Incorporate Exercise in Your Life: Exercise can be so fun!  That's why I go to Taekwondo, because I enjoy doing it so much, and I also get the added benefit that it's good for me.  I went to a Latin Craze class earlier this week, which I loved but alas I have no more time or money in my life to join yet another exercise group!  You'll find once you incorporate exercise in your life, you'll miss it when you don't do it.  Exercise is great for your mental health too.
 
• Never Give Up: If you give up, you'll never know what you're capable of achieving! I've achieved so many things this year I never thought I could do, because I never gave up.  I can ran 3 miles now, where six months ago I couldn't even run 1!  I can do it, because I stuck to it. I trusted myself, I egged myself on, and I stopped the negative feed in my head, tuning only in to the positive. You can do it too!

 



Sleep, oh Sleep

I woke up with great intentions to run this morning, but Darling Daughter woke up at the same time too.  I cannot keep the child in her bed.  I decorated her room, and it is adorable.  I mean, I'd like to have her room as my room.  I love her so much, but she is so super attached to me.  She follows me around all day when she's awake, and she likes to sleep right next to me.  Right now she's laying on the couch, in need of a few more hours of sleep, watching Dora.  I need suggestions on how to get the child to stay in her own bed.  Cry it out does not work for her.  She'll generally fall asleep up there, but join me in my room at some point in the middle of the night.  I know I just need to get up from my sleep and put her back, but I get so little sleep that I value every minute of it!

And speaking of sleep, one of my friends told me about this SleepCycle app for the iphone.  I downloaded it for .99 cents.  It was the first app I've ever spent money on (yes I'm that cheap!). 

Here are my graphs for the last two nights:




When I look at these graphs, it's blatantly obvious to me that I'm not getting enough deep sleep at all.  The first night, I spent the majority of the night towards awake.  The second night, I began waking up around 1:00 until finally my alarm clock woke me up at 4:58. 

Oh, that's another neat thing about this app.  If you set a wake up time for 5:00 AM, it will wake you up at the lightest stage of your sleep when you're closer to awake than deep sleep from about 30 minutes before until your latest wake up time that you set.  So, on Thursday it woke me up at 4:38 AM and then today it woke me up at 4:58 AM.  This supposedly leaves you feeling more rested during the day then being woken up during a deep sleep phase. 

I've always thought I was a light sleeper, but these graphs confirm it. I now know why I don't wake up rested very often.  I need to figure out how to get better quality sleep.  Maybe get Darling Daughter out of my bed?

Weight Loss Tips #9: Taste the Rainbow

I've been thinking about food a lot the last couple of days, as I try to readjust my diet after the holidays.  Unfortunately, there is still a huge, Costco-size bag of Cape Cod chips in my pantry.  They are my downfall!  I swear, I could eat that whole bag in one sitting if I wanted to. 

Nothing taste as good as skinny feels, right?  I don't know if that statement is totally true, because the cheesecake that's sitting in my fridge right now taste darn good, maybe better than skinny.  Maybe it should be nothing taste as good as healthy feels.  But talking about taste, there are some food choices that can help you lose weight without feeling like you're depriving yourself. 

• Add Color to your Diet, Lots of It:  Not food dye coloring.  Add natural blues, reds, blacks, yellows, greens.  The more colorful your diet is, the better and more natural foods you are eating.  Some great-for-you and tasty bright foods are: Blueberries (wonderful antioxidants), Cranberries, Mangoes, Bananas, Apples, Tomatoes, Avocados, Blackberries, Oranges, Brussels Sprouts (seriously, if you have avoided these your whole life you need to try them roasted!).  Colorful, natural foods are usually beneficial foods.  They provide certain vitamins that can help you have more energy to get moving. 

• Go Nuts for nuts!  I eat a lot of peanuts, but I'm slowly learning to love other nuts like cashews, pistachios, pecans, walnuts.  I mentioned in a previous post that I make a little bag of trail mix to take to work most days with nuts, raisins and a few chocolate chips (just for that bit of sweet!).  Nuts are a great source of protein, so they'll curb your hunger.  Plus, they've been shown to fight against coronary heart disease. 

• Oats Aren't Just for Goats: I need to listen to this one, because I don't eat oats often enough.  Oats are so seriously good for you.  Not the processed packaged oats that I buy for my kids, but the oats that come in the cylindrical box with some old man's face on it.  Ding Ding Ding, those are the ones!  Oats are a great source of dietary fiber.  They expand in your stomach making you feel fuller in the morning, plus they get your digestive track moving, which is great for your overall health. 

• Reduce the Processed Food: Does anyone remember that Breyer's commercial, where the six year old is trying to read the ingredients off the other brand?  He's saying things like riboflavin and mononitrate, and wondering what the heck those things are.  Does anyone else wonder what the heck those things are and what they might be doing to your body?  Well you should!  Last I checked, an apple was just an apple and organic beef is just beef, without added processed chemicals.  Reducing processed foods means you have to get creative with lunches, if you're like me and work.  Make yourself a sandwich, eat tuna, take leftovers. I am not an all natural eater, though I would love to be, so I do allow myself one frozen meal a week.  Remember that processed food has a lot of other stuff in it that can hurt your weight loss attempts. 

Think before you eat.  Before long, you'll start gravitating towards the good choices instead of the bad, and you'll notice that it will make a change in everyone around you too. 

 

Check Out Last Week's Edition

Weight Loss Tips #7: Plan Ahead

Plan Ahead

It's that crazy time of year again: Holiday Season.  Time to go to tons of Christmas parties, drink and eat and be merry to your heart's content.  Hubby and I have about twenty Christmas parties to attend in the next few weeks...OK, not really, just 6! 

With regular life it can be hard to make good food decisions on limited time.  With Christmas thrown in, a couple of kids, gymnastics competitions...it makes it nearly impossible!  That's why it's so important to plan ahead when making your food and exercise commitments for a week.  This is also one reason I do the Goals post weekly, because it helps give me a guide to follow when life gets crazy (as it always does!).

• Plan Weekly Meals: Pick a day, and sit down and plan your meals for the week.  If you plan your meals, and you stick to this plan then you're less likely to make poor choices or just raid the fridge for fatty comfort foods when it's meal time! Also, eat sitting down with your family.  This encourages conversation, which makes you eat more slowly.  Eating slowly helps you not to overeat.

• Write a List: Before you go grocery shopping, write a list.  Stick to this list.  If you want to pick up some extra fruits and veggies, have at it, but stick to your list that has all the ingredients for your planned meals (above) and your healthy snacks.  This not only will help you in the food department, but it will help you budget too.

• Plan Your Lunches: If you're a working mother like me, then you're tempted with going out to lunch every day and getting chips and salsa and cheese dip (Mexican food is my biggest temptation!).  If you pack your lunch every day, then you're less likely to go out and make poor decisions.  Pack healthy foods and also prepare snacks too (like I wrote about here). 

• Traveling: This weekend, we went up to Pelham for Son Number One's first gymnastics' meet (a blog post will be coming soon about this!).  Hubby and I packed sandwiches and snacks, so we would not be tempted to stop and buy lunch or make poor choices when we reached the tournament. 

Plan Your Exercise for the Week: If you schedule your exercise in, then you are more likely to achieve your exercise goals, as well. Set an appointment on your smart phone to exercise, and ask it to remind you.  If you have the visual reminder, then you are more likely to put on your running shoes and go!  Every week, Hubby and I sit down on Sunday and discuss what days I'm going to Taekwondo, and what days he's going to cycle.  This way, I know on my off TKD days that I need to don my running shoes. 

Having a plan makes you feel like you have a commitment, and committing to be a healthier person for yourself and your family is one of the most important goals in life.  Living a healthy lifestyle will influence those around you to live a healthier lifestyle, including your children.  Make a change for the better today!