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!!!

 

 

 



Weight Loss Tips #18: Be Your Own Cheerleader!

Yesterday, I ran the 2014 Walk of Life with some of my co-workers.  I ran it last year too.  Last year, I was in way better shape than I am this year, and I also had been running a lot prior to the race.  I had a stress fracture in my leg though and after the race I had to take some time off from running.  Part of me wanted to just stop running completely. 

I wanted to run the Walk of Life in 40 minutes or less.  The course was 3.25 miles long (so a bit longer than a 5K), and I completed it in 42 minutes 14 seconds.  I was bummed.  I was bummed I didn't reach my goal. I was bummed I walked part of the way.  I was bummed I didn't beat my time from last year (36 minutes), even though that wasn't my goal to begin with. 

And then I realized while I was beating myself up that I accomplished my goal of finishing the 5K.  I ran a large part of it, and I can train to beat my time next year. I can run more 5Ks for great causes and improve my time as I go.  Everyone around me was telling me what a great job I did, and all I was doing was making myself feel bad. 

Two words: STOP IT! 

Be your own cheerleader in order to go further, to lose weight, to run harder, and you will do better and feel better about it!  Similar to a positive thinking mentality.  Sometimes thinking negatively is a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

I think this is why so many people stop trying to win the battle of obesity and stop trying to lose weight when they have ONE bad day.  They beat themselves up!  Instead of telling yourself you can't lose those 5 pounds, start telling yourself you can.  Praise yourself when you lose 1 pound.  Pat yourself on your back when you run 1 mile, or heck, even a 1/2 mile!  All of these are accomplishments worth being proud of because they lead you to your ultimate goals.  Be your own biggest cheerleader and the weight will come off.  Revel in how you have taken control of your life and keep up the momentum by praising your own efforts.  Listen to people when they tell you you're doing a great job, because chances are they're telling you the truth.  Stop the negative thinking!

Here are a few people who have motivated me lately:

• Listening to Other People's Stories: My sisters and the guy at Chappy's.  These people had some great advice for me on how to lose weight, how to keep going, and how to think positively while doing it. 
• My friend Miranda Grace: She and I are taking this journey together.  It helps to have someone who can ground you.  She and I motivate each other, we hold each other accountable to exercising and eating right.  We compare food diaries on MFP.
• My friend SB: He likes to say things like, you can run a half-marathon with me in October.  HA!  But seriously, having another person who THINKS you can achieve something that wild and crazy is motivating.
• Seeing Other People Who've Been Through the Same Struggle: I love seeing people who've been in the same boat as me, who have struggled for so many years and have achieved their goals!  It's amazing, and it makes me want to get there again and keep it off for good!

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

In Moderation

It's July 4th, and a wet one at that.  We have been stuck in the house with the kids, and they are going stir crazy, as only little boys know how to do.  In fact, they are walking around the house wearing one of Darling Daughter's tutus, and I'm writing this in hopes that one day their future girlfriend will read this and laugh!  Yes--blackmail is a wonderful thing.

I haven't blogged in some time.  Hubby took me to New Orleans for our TEN year anniversary.  I still can't believe we made it 10 years.  It has been rough, but worth it, and I recommend a trip without kids for any married couple.  We had a wonderful time, and we really reconnected.  We ate a LOT, drank a LOT, danced A LOT, and sweated A LOT!  Excuse the qualities of the photo.  My camera is still broken, so every photo I've taken recently has come from my iPhone.  I miss my camera.

 

 

Here we are in front of the St. Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square in New Orleans.  The weather was beautiful, though HOT.  We enjoyed ourselves so much, and it was a much needed vacation without the kids. 

 

Okay: moving on.  This post is supposed to be about goals.  I have been neglectful in my goals.  I stepped off the path, and I took a long detour but I'm BACK.  It took me realizing I had gained back 20 pounds of the 50 I lost to realize I need to have goals in my every day life...again.

 

I came back from New Orleans rejuvenated and ready to make the necessary changes.  Watching your weight and exercising is a lifestyle change, as I have said many times before, and it takes constant adjusting to stay on track and not get waylaid by the taste of chocolate or alcohol!  (Those are my two biggest weaknesses!)

 

I came back and I went to three Taekwondo classes in a row.  I hopped back onto MyFitnessPal, and I started tracking my food.  I started full throttle back into my lifestyle change, and hopefully this time I will be able to stick with it for LIFE.  The thing about changing your lifestyle is it shouldn't be HARD.  You should still be able to eat what you want, but in limited quantities.  The problem comes in when you try to cut out foods you love COMPLETELY.  That will never work, because as soon as you start eating those things again you'll keep eating more and more of them, thus sabotaging your hard work.

 

I love MyFitnessPal, because you can literally eat anything as long as you try to stay at your calorie goal or below.  I can still have my chocolate occasionally and my alcohol occasionally, IN MODERATION.  Those two words I have trouble with.  I don't really like doing anything IN MODERATION.  I know this about myself, and it's a battle I fight daily.  I like to eat to excess, I like to laugh to excess, talk to excess, read to excess, drink to excess.  It is one of my many flaws, so I really have to work hard against letting it take over my life and lead me down the wrong path.  Self-worth and self-reliance, reigning in control of our natural tendencies towards self-destruction is one of the many lessons in life--at least I feel that way.

 

No one is perfect.  Nothing is handed to you.  The key to success in everything, including weight loss, is hard work.  Hark work, will power, motivation, and realizing you don't have to give up everything you love to eat and drink in order to live a healthy life will take you a long way.

 

Hopping back on the horse right now, and galloping towards my goals.  See you on the other side.

 

 

 

 

 



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 #17: Exercise is Essential

Wow I can't believe I've done 17 of these little weight loss editions.  Crazy!  Okay: onto the good stuff.

Remember, way back in the beginning, like edition 2 of my weight loss tips.  Okay, you have the visual picture now, good.  I said that weight loss is a lifestyle change and not the D word!  This is so true.  If you're changing your lifestyle to become healthier, then exercise should be incorporated in your life.  Exercise helps you burn off any extra calories you've eaten, it helps give you energy, and most importantly (to me at least) it lifts your mood. 

One of the things I hate to hear the most is people who say, "But I have no time to exercise."  It is simply not true.  If I can fit it into my schedule with work, Number One's gymnastic schedule, three kids, and a husband, plus trying to write and publish a book on the side, then you can definitely fit it into yours.  It may mean getting up a few minutes earlier, it may be doing short, simple exercises throughout the day, but any type of exercise is better than none. 

Let's get started, shall we?

1. Exercise FIVE times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes a day:  FIVE TIMES.  Are you trying to kill me, you might be saying.  First of all, the 30 minutes is a total.  You can do 3 10 minute exercises throughout the day.  You don't have to do it all at once.  And this is your goal, so you may need to build up to this, incorporating exercise into your day one or two days at a time, and then adding in a couple more days.
2. Interval Exercises: Interval training is BEST for weight loss.  Interval training is where you go hard for a few minutes, then easy, then hard again.  I HATE interval training.  Let me say that again: I HATE it, but it works and it is great for your body. This is also good news for those people who say they don't have time, because you can do interval training in 10 minute bursts! 
3. Find an Exercise that You Love: To me this is essential.  When I found Taekwondo, I knew I would be able to stick with it. I love the atmosphere, the people, the built-in accountability, and I love the sport.  If you find an exercise you love, then you are much more prone to stick with it.   
4. Track Your Exercise:  There are 5,000 tracking tools out there, and I know I've done a list before.  Endomondo is what I'm currently using, but there is Runkeeper, Nike+, Gyminee, MapMyRun.  A lot of these have the word "run" in them, but they do track other exercises as well.  Sometimes it helps to see the visual of how much you've exercised recently.  I'll give you an example, here's a chart of my exercise over the last couple of weeks:

Unfortunately, the legend didn't populate, but the beigy pink is martial arts (what I do most).  The green is running (was taking a break because of my leg), the purple is walking and the light pink is dancing.  What a cool way to track your workouts!  I love Endomondo. 

Remember: the more you move the more calories you'll burn, the more you'll lose weight and incorporate a healthy lifestyle into your life. 

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK'S EDITION RIGHT HERE!!!

 

 

 

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!

Weight Loss Tips # 15: Move It to Lose It

These photos are from February 2012.  Time for some new TKD pictures!

I've had a hard weight loss week month.  We have been traveling a lot with Number One's team.  I've been doing a lot of sitting and not as much moving.  This week and last week, I've tried to incorporate exercise and eating right back into my life.  It's hard when you fall off the wagon to get back on, but adding the exercise back in really is a HUGE step for me and usually all the other positive choices follow.

This week, I ran on Saturday then it rained for three days and is still raining, so I didn't run again, BUT I went to Taekwondo on Monday and Tuesday.  My arms sort of feel like they're going to fall off, because our instructor has been push-up happy this week (and crab walk happy, which apparently takes a lot of arm and shoulder strength and makes me feel like I've returned to 1st Grade). 

Does exercise really help you lose weight?  My answer is YES.  Studies vary.  BUT...one thing about exercise is it will make you feel so much better.  You will feel fit, and you will start feeling good about yourself and what you can achieve, and this can help you make other positive changes in your life.  Exercise can help speed up your metabolism.  Exercise can burn off calories.  Also, recently I read those who exercise regularly have an easier time of burning off extra calories when they overeat!

The key to losing weight is using up more energy than you store.  If you add a regular exercise routine to your day, then it's likely with a few diet changes too, that you will start losing weight.  The diet changes are important.  You can't exercise and keep overeating.  You have to overhaul it all, but you can always start with one change and slowly add the others.

In the winter, a lot of people complain they can't exercise, but there are TONS of indoor exercises.  Here's a list:

• TAEKWONDO: Of course it had to be first on the list, because it's my favorite. 

• RUNNING: On a treadmill.  I don't like this, so it wouldn't be my first choice. I love running outside.





I'm not doing such a good job blocking here!

• WALKING: On a treadmill.

• EXERCISE VIDEOS: Jillian makes a great one, even though you tend to hate her by the end of it, and when she says, "This is only 30 minutes, so you don't get a break." 

• DANCE: Zumba, Latin Craze, Ballroom Dancing, Ballet--Whatever your cup of tea is, dance is a great way and a FUN way to exercise.

• INDOOR SOCCER: Soccer involves a lot of running, and it's a great way to burn calories.

 

• GYM: Go to the gym!  Hope on the Elliptical, use the weight machines, the treadmill.  If you have a good local gym, then sign up. There are some inexpensive gyms out there, without the frills.  Try one today!

• FENCING: I don't really know anything about fencing (but my niece does).  I hear it's great exercise.

• INDOOR TENNIS: I don't know if we have any facilities here, but when Hubby and I were living in Maryland there was a great indoor tennis facility.  We used to play USTA doubles there.  So much fun!

• BOXING

• EXERCISE BIKE

• MARTIAL ARTS (of any kind)

• PILATES

• YOGA

This is obviously not an all inclusive list, but it may help you to see this and be aware of all the choices you have in being able to exercise indoors this winter. 

 

THE MORE YOU MOVE, THE MORE YOU LOSE!!!

 

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK'S EDITION

 

 

 

 

Weight Loss Tips #14: Get Back on the Horse

I have bad luck with horses.  When I was about four or five years old, my family went to my Dad's nurses' house.  She had a lot of horses.  I wanted to ride one! Judy's husband Doug put me on a big horse, bare back, and the horse took off: bucking across the little ring they had put us in. 
 
I held onto the mane for dear life, and when Doug was able to stop the horse and pull me off I said, "Can I ride again?"   I did ride again, but the next time I was safely in a saddle with Doug sitting behind me.  My Dad used to tell this story to everyone, "Let me tell you about the time Lauren rode the bucking bronco and wanted to go again..." 

Then at 15, my Dad decided we all needed to take horseback riding lessons, because he was going to a Dude Ranch with some friends.  He signed us up, and we began taking lessons at some horse farm off of the Northern Bypass.  Things went swell at first, until one fateful day.  Dad and I were riding near each other, and I took my horse up towards Dad, sidling up too close. His horse apparently had a grudge against my horse, and the horse kicked me HARD.  My horse took off with me clinging tight, at a full gallop.  I held on, and I was eventually able to corral him back to the barn. 

Tears were streaming down my face as Mom and Dad helped me off the horse.  I couldn't place any weight on my right leg.  They took the boot off and my sock was completely drenched in blood.  I had a puncture wound on my right leg from where the horse kicked me.  Dad and Mom took me to the hospital, and Dad sewed me up.  Luckily the leg was not broken!  The scar is still there today.
 
And I even decided to go horseback riding after that happened!  I just waited awhile to face my fears again.
 
So what's the point of this blog, you may be asking yourself?  Persistence, facing your fears, and getting back up when you've fallen down.  These are all traits that can help you succeed in weight loss and any other endeavor you might wish to undertake in life. 
 


Bucking Bronco, Frederic Remington, 1908

If you are struggling to lose weight and you've had a bad week eating everything under the sun (kind of like my weekend in Panama City Beach), then just start over.  Throw that week away in your head, and get back on the horse, even if you're afraid, just do it.  You'll be happy you did, and you'll be healthier in the end. 
 
Most of the time the only person holding you back is yourself.  As a child, I could have been scared to death of horses, but I wasn't.  I faced my fears, I was persistent, and I always got back on.  This is what it takes to lose weight.  It takes looking one bad day or one bad week in the eyes and saying, "I'm going to start over.  I'm not going to let that destroy me. I'm not going to let my fear of change drive my health or my eating habits."  Positive self talk, and the ability to know that if you've failed once you can always try again. 
 
Many people eat out of fear, out of emotion, out of a desire to fill some void inside them.  Simply because eating is emotional, these people are afraid to face their demons and change their habits.  Change your habits, face your fears, get back on the horse.  You'll be happy you did it!

 See Last Week's Edition-->Right Here!

 

Weight Loss Tips #13: Scheduling and Consistency

I woke up today with the strangest memory.  I had this memory of going down to the Alabama River with my parents when I was a kid, sitting on the big steps and eating a huge Wendy's cheeseburger. (This is probably because my husband left Wendy's coupons in the kitchen for some unknown reason!)  My parents used to take the four of us down to the river on Sundays a lot.  It was one of the only times we would be allowed to have fast food and SODA!  We would picnic, watch the boats on the river, and then play on the long-since gone wooden playground near the Silos.  Some of my best memories are from those Sundays spent with my family. 

Of course the portion sizes back then, even at Wendy's, were smaller than they are today.  So my huge Wendy's cheeseburger was (maybe) an appropriate size for a seven or eight year old girl wearing turquoise overalls covered in butterflies.  Oh the 80's! 

Anyway--I'll get to the point of this blog, because apparently I just love to change subjects.  One of my co-workers yesterday said this to me, "I don't know how you do everything, Lauren."  That little statement got me thinking, because you know, I just love to spin the wheels in my brain. 

What does it take to lose weight?  It takes a REALISTIC schedule and CONSISTENCY!  I have a little bit of an obsessive compulsive personality, and when I started out I wanted to workout every single night.  I wanted to go to Taekwondo no matter what else was going on in my life.  This was not REALISTIC!!!  For one thing, I was missing out on my children's lives.  Another, I was not giving my body the time it needed to rest.

So, when you're starting a workout routine you need to ask yourself: How many days can I feasibly workout?  What times can I go?  When can I fit this into my schedule?  You need to do this and still make sure you have time for yourself, time for your spouse, time for your kids, and time to rest.  So, if the only times you have to work out are at 5 AM, then I suggest finding a morning Boot Camp, or finding a really good video that you know you'll stick to.  I, for one, really like a class because of the accountability factor, but classes are not for everyone and will not fit into everyone's lives as easy as they have into mine. 

And now for the big one: BE CONSISTENT!!!  Once you start eating well and exercising right make it a part of your life.  You know how they always say the key to disciplining a child is consistency.  Well the key to disciplining yourself is exactly the SAME.  Once you've committed to going to the gym three days a week: GO!  Stop making EXCUSES!!!  It will take weeks and weeks before you actually want to do it, so just drag yourself out of the house with the negative talk going in your head, until one day you just get in your car and drive there and realize this is now a part of your life. 

The same goes for eating well.  Yes, eating a big Wendy's burger every once in a while, will not derail you, but once you've changed the way you eat you need to try to stick with it.  Go to the grocery store and make the right food choices.  Read labels, and see if you're eating actual food or just STUFF with salt added.  Gravitate towards natural foods and try to eat whole foods more often.  Soon, you'll notice that instead of that candy bar for snack you'll want some carrots, a banana, or some nuts. 

 

If you missed last week's edition: HERE IT IS!

 

*Artwork found on Google

 

 



Weight Loss Tips #12: Stop Comparing

So I was sitting on my couch this morning thinking about what to type to you folks, who are wildly anticipating my new weight loss tips edition.  At some point, I'll probably run out of weight loss tips because most of these are common sense, and because you'll have everything you need to know in order to change your lifestyle.

I've been a little down on myself lately, because I still want to lose fifteen pounds and I haven't been able to do so.  Last night, I was wondering if giving up my coffee with creamer would be worth the 15 pound weight loss, and my answer to myself was NO!!!  My body is healthy, I exercise 6 days a week, and I eat well most days.  I know I'm leading a healthy life, so maybe I don't really need to lose another 15 pounds.  Maybe my body just needs to stay where it is.  So without further ado, my big weight loss tip for today is this:

Don't Compare Yourself To Others:  Human nature, you might say?  Comparing ourselves to others is natural, but it is a huge no-no in weight loss or for body image.  Every body is different.  Everyone loses weight in different ways.  If you're looking at your best friend and wondering how she can still wear a Size 4 jean, even though she's popped out six babies then you're not doing it right.  Confidence in YOURSELF is what it takes to lose weight.  Stop comparing yourself to everyone else, including that skinny actress who exercises 80 hours a week and lives off soy milk, and start thinking about where YOU want to be and how YOU'RE going to get there.  Live with a positive self image, inside and out and it will be easier to lose the weight.  And praise yourself for the progress you make every day, and for your ability to create a healthy lifestyle.  It's cliche, but don't compare apples to oranges.  Nothing good comes from it!

Going along with this, women don't compare yourself to men.  Men, in general, have a easier time losing weight.  It seems like they can cut out a candy bar a week and lose 50 pounds, and we whine and complain it's not fair.  There's a reason we have an extra layer of fat or two: to haves babies and to protect our young.  So if your husband, boyfriend, lover is losing weight quickly and you're not, STOP comparing yourself to him.  You'll lose it eventually, if you make the right changes to your lifestyle.

And my motto for the year: NEVER GIVE UP!!!

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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!

 



Weight Loss Tips #10: Splurging?

So last week, I wrote about the correct foods to eat in order to lose weight and become healthier.  I have also been emphasizing along the way that you're making a lifestyle change and not dieting.  I know you might be sick of me beating a dead horse (so cliche!), but it's very important to remember that. 

Okay, that said, the question: Is it okay to splurge?  Is it okay to eat that candy bar that your friend bought you or go to your favorite restaurant and splurge?  Is it okay to eat something cheesy and meaty and full of wasteful calories?

 

The answer is a resounding YES!  And there's no reason to feel guilty about it, as long as you're doing it in moderation.  The key to losing weight and keeping it off is to do everything in moderation.  Don't splurge EVERY DAY, but having a high calorie, high-fat, yummy restaurant meal once a week is not going to ruin you if you've already made a decision to stick to the changes you're making in your lifestyle.  You know you're going to eat it and then tomorrow you're going to get up and go for a run or pack yourself your healthy snacks and your portioned meals, and you'll be right back on the wagon.

Now, if you know you'll eat it and continue to eat it every day afterwards, then don't do it.  Wait until you know you have the willpower to make it a once a week kind of thing.  Or a when I need it kind of thing.  It's important to be able to realize when you're ready to incorporate your splurges back into your diet without getting off track.  I think after a while you'll also realize that when you do splurge you eat a lot less than you used to because your body is trained to eat what it needs. 

If you don't allow yourself to splurge, you will not stick to your lifestyle change.  You'll feel like you're limiting yourself and at some point you'll just give up (this is why dieting does not work!).  Usually this point will be when you're out with a friend and they're eating a smothered chicken breast and you're staring down at a dry salad pretending that it taste just as good as what your friend is eating. 

That said: Talk about a splurge last night!  On a whim, Hubby and I took the kids to my favorite restaurant Ixtapa, and I had a cheesy chimichanga, rice and beans.  I enjoyed every bite of that chimichanga, fried and all.  I probably ate my weight in chips.  I am a sucker for tortillas and salsa.  Such comfort food. 

I came home, went to sleep, and I woke up this morning at 4:30 AM to run.  Run I did: 2.24 miles in intervals.  Interval running is hard.  Seriously.  I never want to slow down, and then when I slow down I almost feel like I'm walking in place.  I'll get there though with the proper training.  I love running and running in the morning gives me this crazy energy.  What a great way to make up for my HUGE splurge last night too!

What are your ideas on splurging?

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 #8: Losing Weight After the Holidays

Losing Weight After the Holidays

Christmas is Over.  Photos and videos will be posted in the next couple of days, but needless to say everyone in my family had a great Christmas.  The kids received pretty much every thing their little hearts desired.  My Hubby spoiled me with jewelry, which was so nice. 

So did you overindulge like I did over the Holidays?  I partook of too much of my sister-in-law's pumpkin caramel cheesecake.  I swear that is the best stuff in the entire world.  If you did, then it's time to start thinking about what you need to do to scale back.  Don't use the holidays as an excuse to fall off the wagon completely.  After all, you have made a lifestyle change, a commitment that should last you a lifetime. 

• First and foremost: Get moving again.  Go for a walk, go for a run, incorporate your exercise back into your life.  If your gym or dojang is closed, then find some other way to start moving again.  Get your whole family involved.  Exercising with your children shows them that it's a way of life, no matter what time of year it is.

• Amend your Eating Habits: Scale back.  Begin to eat three meals a day again.  Try not to snack so much, and try to cut back on the high calorie and high fat foods you've been eating through the holidays. 

• Throw out or Hide the Candy: If you received candy for Christmas, then indulge in it on Christmas day...and maybe the day afer.   Throw out the rest, hide it, or give it to the candy monsters in your life: your children!

• Spread the Love: Take your leftover pies to a neighbor who is feeling lonely.  You will be performing an act of kindness here and making sure your pants will still fit in the New Year.

• Don't get Discouraged:   If you gained a few pounds over the Holidays, remember that it could take a few months to take it off.  But, that's OK. Losing weight is not a race.  If you make amends to your eating habits and exercise then it should come off and stay off.

• Don't do a Crash Diet: Low carb diets, starvation diets, the Cabbage Soup diets...don't do them.  They simply do not work.  Once you start eating regularly again (and you will), you will gain every single pound back. 

• Remind Yourself Why You Wanted to Lose Weight in the First Place: I like to visually look back of a photo I took in Boston the summer of 2011 that made me want to lose weight in the first place. This visual reminder clues my brain into the fact that by losing weight I'm extending my life: guaranteeing more holidays to come, more joyful birthdays with my children, and maybe one day with their children.  Change your lifestyle to improve your quality of life and extend your lifespan. 

In order to lose weight, you must commit to making a lifestyle change.  Once you do it, other people around you will start doing it too, including your family members.  Don't use the Holidays as an opportunity to slip into your bad habits again.  Indulge a little bit, let yourself enjoy a piece of pie, or too many mashed potatoes, and wake up the next day prepared to work hard to maintain the weight loss that you have worked so hard to achieve!

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See Weight Loss Tips: Edition 7

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!

Weight Loss Tips #6: Big Girl Pants

Get Rid of Your Big Girl Pants!

 

Once you start losing weight, chances are you'll start losing sizes.  This is the real indicator of your actual weight loss, not the numbers on the scale.  Sometimes, you won't lose pounds but you'll lose inches.  This is your body toning and slimming down, and it's a great indicator to whether or not you're meeting your fitness goals.

 

 

One of the most important things to do when you start losing sizes is to rebuild your wardrobe, and to get rid of your old bigger clothes.  I think most women want to hold on to their old clothes, because it gives them something to fall back into if they don't make their goals or if they fall off the wagon.  Don't do it, as this is a sure way to sabotage yourself.

 

Some ideas for getting rid of your clothes: friends, Goodwill, Faith Rescue Mission, churches, shelters.  There are lots of places that take donations, and if you donate to a non-profit you may be able to deduct it on your taxes (I'm not an accountant, so ask yours). 

 

Getting rid of your clothes and beginning to buy new ones is a whole new step in the right direction, although it can be scary to lose the comfort of your Big Girl Pants!  Because money is a huge issue in my life, I've been slowly boxing up my bigger clothes and getting rid of them, as I add a piece or two to my wardrobe every paycheck.  Also, you can take larger shirts and put a belt around the middle to keep bigger shirts and wear them in a chic and fashionable way until you can afford to re-dress your wardrobe, so to speak.

 

Getting rid of your bigger clothes will surely show you that you're making a lifestyle change, and it's worth spending on being healthy and maintaining this new way of life that you're starting to live.

Weight Loss Tips #5: Snacking

Snacking

Oh snacking.  The downfall of many people.  Grabbing a cookie off a co-worker's desk mid-day and shoving it in you mouth, not even thinking about the way it taste.  Eating just to eat. 

I love snacking.  I am a huge snacker.  I crave chocolate and salty things just like everyone else.  The fat and preservatives and other junk in potato chips and candy bars and other not-so-good for you foods seems to make you crave them even more. 

In general, I allow myself to snack a little bit, but I try to give myself healthy alternatives.  Here are a few tips on how to snack healthily, so not to ruin your weight loss plan/lifestyle change.

• Prepare For Your Day: This is so important.  You may think you can get through the day without a snack, but if you go off to work and there are other goodies laying around you may be tempted to eat them.  I pre-portion snacks before I leave for work.  I put homemade trail mix in a baggie, and I bring fruit to snack on. The trail mix has a few chocolate chips, to curb my sweet-tooth craving for the day, and hopefully to help me not buy that candy bar at the machine!

• Snack When You're Hungry: Seems like a no-brainer right?  But as Americans, we stick a lot of food into our mouths mindlessly.  Don't bored eat.  Don't eat while doing something else.  If you really need a snack, stop what you're doing, SIT DOWN and concentrate on eating the healthy snack you have on hand.  This will help you to feel satisfied after you've eaten your snack and make you less likely to feel unsatisfied or in need of more.

• Don't Snack All Day: When I was first starting out, I realized I had a major problem with late-night snacking.  Sitting in front of the TV in a daze and stuffing my face.  Most of the time when people snack this way, they aren't even hungry.  They just need something to do while they're being lazy, so they put food in their mouth.  So when you first start making your lifestyle change, cut out one snack that you know you don't need.  For me, I cut out late night snacking, and then I allowed myself to have a 10 AM snack and a 3 PM snack.

• Let Yourself Splurge Sometimes: It is okay to let yourself splurge sometimes, and honestly if you don't then you won't stick with it for a lifetime. I generally let myself have a Coke or Diet Coke once a month, something that I have completely cut out.  I also let myself have a candy bar or a bag of chips or some no-no on my list about once a week.  I know that by eating it I'm not going to sabotage myself, because in general I'm going to stick with the other changes that I've made to get as far as I have.

• Snack After You Exercise: After I exercise I always want three things: water, a shower, and protein or dairy.  I almost always allow myself to have a small healthy snack after I exercise.  I generally crave a cheese stick or yogurt or pepperoni, something that sticks to my sides.  If you feel hungry after you exercise, allow yourself to have a small healthy snack.  After all, everything in moderation is really okay.  Just don't overdo it and sabotage the calories you just worked off.  For example, don't go for a double cheeseburger.  Choose a better alternative!

• Stay Away from Vending Machines: Nothing good comes out of that little hole on the bottom.  Seriously.  Almost everything in a vending machine is bad for you.  Plus, you can save your money by buying healthy alternatives at the grocery store and portioning them out to yourself during the week!

Here are a few ideas for healthy snacks for yourself and your family:

• Cheese Sticks
• Fruit
• Veggies (Raw broccoli, carrots, etc)
• Nuts, any type
• Homemade Trail Mix
• Yogurt
• Edamame
• All Natural Granola Bars
• Popcorn (without butter)
• Protein (lean meats)

Check Out Last Week's Edition: Portion Size