Wednesday, September 30, 2009

September 30th 2009

Well, I feel as though I'm not so focused on losing weight. When I say that, I mean my every waking minute isn't spent thinking about it, and I'm actually seeing some progress. There's one reason to be grateful for sickness! It makes you lose your appetite. Can't complain there. I decided to not put so much thinking into it and live, but adjust. I want to lose 1 pound a week. Shouldn't be too hard one would think, but those people probably haven't REALLY tried to lose weight right?! If our society weren't so engrossed in food for EVERY occassion it would be a little easier. I've been watching Biggest Loser and I thought, the show is what, like 10 weeks, maybe a few more, so if I can watch that, gain a little inspiration, then as soon as 10 weeks pass, I'll be 10 pounds lighter. That's the idea anyway. I get so wrapped in up in losing weight, and so frustrated with it, that I do the discouraged and binge, but start again tomorrow. I think those of us who have "issues" need to take a different approach to it. It might take longer, but after a year of trying, how far have we come? No where for me, not even after 4 years of "trying". So start small, for example, if you drink pop every day, cut it out. I think I heard somewhere if you were to cut out pop, you could lost 10 pounds. That's just for a drink. The key is to not replace it with something else though. The journaling is huge though (eventhough I don't do it. Well, I will tomorrow though :)). There are so many things we probably put into our mouths and don't realize it. For me, a bite here and there from my kids lunches, or their snacks. I mean, over the course of a day, it's probably 100-200 calories I'm sure. Anyway, change one thing and start there. It's just the starting that can be hard sometimes!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Much Too Busy!

Ok, LISA, I finally signed on to this thing. It's been almost 2 wks since I've even checked my email. Don't know what to say about the weight thing except that it's a BEAST! I am, however, going to attempt to confront the beast and beat it back. Will update as I go. In the meantime, choose your foods wisely - they can be your enemy!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

I BLEW IT!!! Now what??

The title says it all! You had a bad day. Don't we all? We start out with great intentions and somewhere along the way we lose our focus. Maybe a neighbor or coworker brought goodies, maybe you found that goodie you had hidden away (Mama is FAMOUS for this!! We've found petrified goodies every once in a while.), maybe you're going out to dinner on impulse.

These kinds of things can throw us off track and we lose sight of the goal.

The goal isn't to lose 50 pounds (or whatever you need) TODAY. The goal is to make the best CHOICES today. If you do that every day you will be healthier- in every area of your life.

So, back to the title...

You did great for breakfast and terrible for lunch- don't worry, you have the rest of the day to choose better. You did great until after dinner and the snacks got you- prepare for that temptation. Only allow healthy snacks. Place treats far away from easy reach. If you snack downstairs, put those chocolates upstairs in the linen closet. Make it an effort to get to them and that will allow time to rethink whether you really need to eat it.

When you know dinner out is the plan, make your other meals and snacks very light and healthy. You can have a HUGE salad with FF/SF dressings- even balsamic vinegar. Fill up on the things that have the least caloric consequences.

Before you go to dinner, have 1/2 a cup of raw carrots and a glass of water. Again, like a previous post said, look at the menu on line or even call ahead and ask what their healthiest options are. Then enjoy your meal. Make sure the amount of food they bring fits into your day's needs. They often bring huge portions of food. Have them wrap half of it to take home or share the meal.

When you totally mess up, you can refocus and start with the next meal- don't wait until MONDAY to start again. In 4 hours or so it's mealtime again and you can be in control right away.

Maybe you can get a walk in. And if you've already walked this morning, try to get a short one in this evening. Don't let one bad episode ruin your ultimate goal~ a happy, healthy, strong body.

Recognize your mistake- what factors influenced your choices. What can you do to avoid those or change those factors? If you can't avoid them, what can you do to face them? Visualize this in your mind and you will have the strength to choose better later today or first thing in the morning. You CAN do it!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Write Stuff

You've heard it before, haven't you? When you're trying to lose weight, keep a food journal. Did you dismiss it, thinking you could keep track "in your head" of all you ate for the day? Sure, you can remember what you've eaten in a day, so why write?
There are a few reasons why keeping a food journal is a great tool in your weight loss "tool kit".
1. You may NOT remember all you ate for the day. Did you record that little bite of cookie, or that can of pop? The candy dish on the table- did you get that piece written down? Which brings us to #
2. It may keep you from BLTs- bites, licks, and tastes. Knowing you have to "report" to your journal may give you second thoughts about that piece of candy or bite of cookie... Nothing is wrong with a little treat - even daily, but write it down and figure it into your day.
3. Writing down your daily intake lets you see WHAT you are eating as a whole- that helps you determine what you NEED. If you had oatmeal and toast with milk for breakfast and a ham sandwich with chips and drink for lunch you can quickly see that you haven't had any fruits or veggies and maybe you've had enough grains for the day. Knowing we need at least 5 fruits and veggies would throw all those servings into dinner.
4. Keeping a journal lets you see what works for your body. Are you protein-based or carb-based? Which one gives you more energy? Which one satisfies and lasts for you? Should you start the day with carbs or protein? By writing down your menu you can look at your week and see that your mornings were sluggish and maybe that's because you had cereal. Try more protein the next few days and see if it sustains your energy level longer.
5. May help with variety. See how many days you've had chicken this week??? You definitely need variety in your diet. Chicken isn't as high in protein or iron as beef. Beef doesn't have Omega Fatty 3's like fish. You can look at your journal and see where you may be lacking a well-rounded diet.
Can YOU think of MORE reasons a journal is a good idea? Can you think of any reason it's NOT a good idea? Then give it a try! You don't even need a formal journal. Take a cheap spiral notebook and keep it in the kitchen where you can write. Make it small so you can take it to work and write your lunch in.
Journaling is a great tool to help you have success in your healthy life~ good luck!