Saturday, August 29, 2009

Every day in every way I'm getting better...

Habits rule when you're not thinking.
Make your habits work for you and not against you.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Agreed

I agree with the planning. It needs to be planned, otherwise, you grab what's most convenient and fast (well, I do) and those are typically the things not to eat. There are a few things that I like to eat that are low whatever and good and quick. One for now:

Tortilla Soup

2 cans chicken broth (or 3 cups)
1 can corn (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (juice and all)
1 can (4 oz I think) green chilies
1 can chicken

Put all together, heat and eat. It calls for optional: cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. But beware, that's what turns a healthy soup into a "hearty" soup. Not always so good, but oh so goood! :)

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Thank goodness it's Friday!

A thought we often feel- if we can just make it to the weekend. That's not a bad thought, unless you're thinking if you're good all week, eating and exercising, then the weekend is free game. You can ruin your work and lose your focus on the weekend unless you plan for it.
If you're going to the movie and you always get popcorn, you can still have it. Order the small. If you're going out to eat, see if the restaurant is on the Internet and look at the menu early in the day. What are the best choices? Make them now while you're strong, not tonight when you're hungry. You can even call a restaurant and ask what their healthy choices are. If you make the best choice and it's still covered in cheese, scrape most of it off! Ask for dressing on the side.
The point is to PLAN AHEAD.
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is true in every case when we're trying to change something in our lives.
For example, today I had a book club luncheon. I ate light for breakfast- just a yogurt and a couple almonds. For lunch we had chilled raspberry soup, small chicken salad croissants, a fruit tray, a veggie tray and for dessert, pretzel salad. I had about a cup of soup, chicken salad w/o the croissant, and a little of the rest. It added up to a sizeable lunch, so when dinner was here I ate half a small potato, some chicken, a large green salad and some cantaloupe and watermelon.
Tomorrow we'll move Caroline down to Provo, so I'll be good all day and depending how the day goes, we may make sandwiches at her place or grab a Subway.
The same planning can work for exercising. Again, looking ahead to the weekend. Since we're moving Caroline in tomorrow, we'll be climbing the stairs multiple times, lifting loads of stuff to carry in. I can adjust my exercise to do less formal exercise since I'll get more later in the day.
Saturdays are a good day to do "free" kinds of exercises- go to the beach and get in! Walk on the beach, hike a trail, bike rides, walk the bridge. Things you may not have time for in a regular week.
There you go- it's Friday and you're ready for a great weekend! Reward yourself because of all your dedication this week by sticking with it! What have you got to lose?

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

I'll jump on this train

Now that our Bear Lake family weekend is over...it's a new day! I really think I gained 4.2 lbs. Oh well, it was delicious and plentiful! Now I have 5 days to loose it before Paul comes home! Two of my go-to snacks are bananas and honey, or apples and peanut butter. I mix it up. Gives me the fruit, the sweet, the crunch, the salty taste that I'm craving, but not all bad. Give it a try the next time you're munchie!
~jill~

Thursday, August 20, 2009

It's a new day- fo' real!

How many times have we said, "Tomorrow's the NEW DAY !"? Meaning that tomorrow is a fresh start and we can do better- we can do more, we can do less, we can do differently. It's always wonderful to "start at the very beginning, a very good place to start" but when you have so many "new days" for starting the same thing that can be a downer.
But those "old new days" are over. This is the "real day-eal"!! You never have to start again. You don't even have to finish- you just are. Or am. Or is. Whatever you want.

"This is how it's goin to play out" to quote Harrison Ford in Sabrina, (an oft-used quote by Mama). You may all have access to the password of this blog so you can write posts of your own. We can all respond. Recipes, exercise ideas, articles, encouragement. We can do it together.

Wherever you are, start now and regain power and control of your life. By eating healthier you will FEEL stronger- even the first week. You may only lose one pound like I did, but because I had followed my program I felt powerful and successful and motivated to go another week.

Pick any day that works for you and post your meal plan for the day. That way we can copy your day. Maybe just your dinner plans or your snack plan for the day.
I have a company dinner tonight, but my lunch was a sandwich with light mayo, half a small avocado, some cucumber slices and fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, lightly salted and freshly cracked pepper. I added a few pita chips for crunch. My breakfast was yogurt and grapes. I'm expecting dinner to provide protein and more veggies for me. The avocado was a good source of nutrients. The grapes are a great antioxidant. I need 3 dairy servings a day for my age, so I need to get more of that in today. And I'm drinking water.
What are your plans for YOUR new day? "Let's do it together" ( Gregory Peck in a Roman Holiday).
Julia ain't got nuttin on us.