Thursday, May 26, 2011
My Idea!!
For those of you who know me, I am really not a blogger. I have just found a platform that I am very passionate about, so bear with me please. I have a couple ideas. I have established a healthy lifestyle support group on F-book. I think this could be a great way for us to support each other in our goals and establish some healthy habits. I will try to post tips each week and monthly challenges. If used the way I envision it we could share our struggles and victories and encourage each other. I am also working on getting a trainer friend of mine to join the group to help give exercise and nutritional tips. All this said, anyone who has wanted to make changes, continue on in changes already made,or just wants to get in a the habit of a healthy lifestyle, this is for you. Everyone is welcome, just let me know and if you are not already invited in the group I will add you. . Remember this is not a DIET club, I still think that is a bad word, this is for creating healthy habits and changing your life. It is always easier with the support of Friends. Happy/healthy lifestyle to you all!!!!
Monday, May 23, 2011
I Have gained!!!
It has been a while,since my last post I have "Gained A Lot." I have gained the ability to cross my legs, sit Indian style, walk up and down stairs several times w/o getting winded, shop in a section that does not say plus size,run miles with eeze, and gained a little more pep in my step!!! I have officially lost 30 pounds!!!! It has taken 21 weeks, but it is worth the wait!!! I have gone from a size 20 to a size 14/16 pending on the brand : ) Oh, and you know that diet challenge, I actually won it!!! I got to buy 2 new outfits and some sneakers for my new favorite hobby, Running!!! That's right running. Those who know me, know that I said I will never be a runner, but I guess I never could enjoy it before. I have been running 5 days a week for around a month now. It has been a wonderful oasis for me. I get 30 minutes of peace and quite with my i-pod and God. I LOVE it!!!!
Now what are my new goals??? Well, I still have a lot ahead of me. I am definitely slowing down in the weight loss department. This is pretty typical, but can be a little discouraging. I am trying some new things and playing with my calories a little bit too. My new goal is 30 more pounds. I would like to do this by Christmas time, but at least 20 by then. I would love for you all to pray with me as I try to keep my body healthy and get an even healthier one in the near future. I could easily be tempted by food and laziness, so any prayers are appreciated.
I will leave you with some tips and bible verses that may encourage you if you are struggling with me in the area of weight.
1. Pray everyday, for yourself and for others.
2. Read your bible everyday.
Communication is a basic requirement for any relationship. These two steps allow us to build and strengthen our relationship with God. Praying is our way of talking to God. Reading the bible is God’s way of talking to us. We must do both to create two-way conversations.
4. Call or visit with that person/group at least once a week.
. Transforming old habits into new healthier habits is difficult to do without help. We need to know that other people are interested in our well-being and our progress. Sometimes we need the opportunity to focus on others and their well-being instead of our own. Sharing our experiences keeps all of us from feeling isolated.
Losing weight with a partner or group increases your likelihood of success.
A lot of us have tried to lose weight on our own. Most of us have been unsuccessful. We get to places where we are stuck. We have bad days and hard weeks. We have months that test our resolve. Some of us have had years of swimming in darkness. We lose our sense of humor and we forget to pray. This is when we need to ask for help. Whether it is a little pebble in our path, or a big boulder, we don’t have to do it alone. We can call on God to help us, and we can call on other human beings too. A good time to ask for help is when we feel confused, frustrated or hopeless. When we think we are undeserving of help, and that no one wants to help us anyway, that’s our signal. It’s time to open up to others. Whenever feelings like this creep into our minds, it is a sure bet that the time has come to pray. Call a group member or a friend right away. Before you know it, things will start to make sense again.
Water does a lot of good things for our bodies. It keeps our bladders and kidneys functioning properly. It improves our skin and makes our wrinkles less noticeable. Water keeps us hydrated so we have more energy. It flushes impurities out of our bodies and puts a spring our step. Soda pop, coffee, tea and kool-aid do not count as water. Water counts as water. If you don’t like your tap water then drink filtered or bottled water, or keep water in your fridge.
Before we get to where we’re going, we need to know where we are. Before we can follow a new food plan we need to know what we are eating today. It isn’t easy to write down everything we eat. As a matter of fact, for some of us it is extremely difficult. It still has to be done. Some of us may wonder why we have to keep track of the chaotic way we eat. After all, we know the old chaos isn’t working, that is why we are ready to change. Writing down what we eat brings order to the chaos. It helps us come to face to face with our own behavior. Forming a habit takes 3 weeks. Writing down everything we eat for a week or two, without the worry of following a meal plan yet, gives us a head start on this habit.
8. Follow your food plan everyday.
Choose a food plan or life style plan. It can be the diabetic/weight loss exchanges, the USDA pyramid, or another healthy food plan of your choice. Next, look over the records you’ve kept for the past week or two. Make note of any trends in your eating behavior. For instance, you may notice that you don’t always eat enough vegetables or that you eat a lot more fat than your plan allows. Keep these things in mind and address them in your plan. Our weaknesses are the pathway to success. When we can see the weak points in our behavior, we have the opportunity to overcome these weaknesses and turn them into strengths.
Exercise builds muscle. It increases metabolism and decreases appetite. It gives us more energy. Exercise makes us stronger. People who exercise regularly struggle less with depression and mental fatigue. Exercise is easier to do with a friend. If you have a friend you can exercise with, Great! If you don’t, you can still exercise by yourself. Plan on spending 20 to 30 minutes a day, 4 to 6 times a week, doing some type of healthy physical activity.
Now what are my new goals??? Well, I still have a lot ahead of me. I am definitely slowing down in the weight loss department. This is pretty typical, but can be a little discouraging. I am trying some new things and playing with my calories a little bit too. My new goal is 30 more pounds. I would like to do this by Christmas time, but at least 20 by then. I would love for you all to pray with me as I try to keep my body healthy and get an even healthier one in the near future. I could easily be tempted by food and laziness, so any prayers are appreciated.
I will leave you with some tips and bible verses that may encourage you if you are struggling with me in the area of weight.
1. Pray everyday, for yourself and for others.
2. Read your bible everyday.
Communication is a basic requirement for any relationship. These two steps allow us to build and strengthen our relationship with God. Praying is our way of talking to God. Reading the bible is God’s way of talking to us. We must do both to create two-way conversations.
– Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.3. Find support. A group or an individual.
– Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
4. Call or visit with that person/group at least once a week.
. Transforming old habits into new healthier habits is difficult to do without help. We need to know that other people are interested in our well-being and our progress. Sometimes we need the opportunity to focus on others and their well-being instead of our own. Sharing our experiences keeps all of us from feeling isolated.
Losing weight with a partner or group increases your likelihood of success.
– Proverbs 3:28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.5. Ask for help when you need it.
– Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
A lot of us have tried to lose weight on our own. Most of us have been unsuccessful. We get to places where we are stuck. We have bad days and hard weeks. We have months that test our resolve. Some of us have had years of swimming in darkness. We lose our sense of humor and we forget to pray. This is when we need to ask for help. Whether it is a little pebble in our path, or a big boulder, we don’t have to do it alone. We can call on God to help us, and we can call on other human beings too. A good time to ask for help is when we feel confused, frustrated or hopeless. When we think we are undeserving of help, and that no one wants to help us anyway, that’s our signal. It’s time to open up to others. Whenever feelings like this creep into our minds, it is a sure bet that the time has come to pray. Call a group member or a friend right away. Before you know it, things will start to make sense again.
– Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.6. Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day (64 oz total).
– Psalms 16:7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
Water does a lot of good things for our bodies. It keeps our bladders and kidneys functioning properly. It improves our skin and makes our wrinkles less noticeable. Water keeps us hydrated so we have more energy. It flushes impurities out of our bodies and puts a spring our step. Soda pop, coffee, tea and kool-aid do not count as water. Water counts as water. If you don’t like your tap water then drink filtered or bottled water, or keep water in your fridge.
– Psalms 107:9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.7. Write down everything you eat everyday.
Before we get to where we’re going, we need to know where we are. Before we can follow a new food plan we need to know what we are eating today. It isn’t easy to write down everything we eat. As a matter of fact, for some of us it is extremely difficult. It still has to be done. Some of us may wonder why we have to keep track of the chaotic way we eat. After all, we know the old chaos isn’t working, that is why we are ready to change. Writing down what we eat brings order to the chaos. It helps us come to face to face with our own behavior. Forming a habit takes 3 weeks. Writing down everything we eat for a week or two, without the worry of following a meal plan yet, gives us a head start on this habit.
8. Follow your food plan everyday.
Choose a food plan or life style plan. It can be the diabetic/weight loss exchanges, the USDA pyramid, or another healthy food plan of your choice. Next, look over the records you’ve kept for the past week or two. Make note of any trends in your eating behavior. For instance, you may notice that you don’t always eat enough vegetables or that you eat a lot more fat than your plan allows. Keep these things in mind and address them in your plan. Our weaknesses are the pathway to success. When we can see the weak points in our behavior, we have the opportunity to overcome these weaknesses and turn them into strengths.
– Galatians 5:24-25 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.9. Exercise 4 to 6 times a week.
Exercise builds muscle. It increases metabolism and decreases appetite. It gives us more energy. Exercise makes us stronger. People who exercise regularly struggle less with depression and mental fatigue. Exercise is easier to do with a friend. If you have a friend you can exercise with, Great! If you don’t, you can still exercise by yourself. Plan on spending 20 to 30 minutes a day, 4 to 6 times a week, doing some type of healthy physical activity.
- – Proverbs 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?13.
- 10.Weigh yourself once a week, no more, no less. Weighing ourselves everyday or several times a day is the same as measuring the length of our hair or fingernails everyday. It is a waste of our time. It will tie us up in knots and plant us firmly in the valley of confusion. The scale is only one way of measuring success. It may not always be the most accurate way. Do yourself a favor. Decide to weigh yourself once a week, and be content with your decision. Obsessive scale use only leads to disappointment.
- – Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
- 11. Keep the dishes done and the kitchen clean. When the sink is full of dirty dishes and the kitchen is cluttered, we can’t cook. If we can’t cook then we go hungry or eat unhealthy snack foods or go out to eat. All of these results sabotage our success. Cooking and eating homemade food brings us closer to our goals. Going hungry, eating out and eating processed or convenience foods makes it more difficult to reach our goals. The easiest way to cook at home is to keep the dishes done and the kitchen clean. Not everyone has this struggle, but many of us do. If you already keep your kitchen tidy, that’s super! If you don’t, then you are encouraged to make it a higher priority.
- 12. Do something very nice for someone at least once a week. Lots of us eat as a response to frustration, stress or anger. When we feel these feelings we need to find an alternative to eating. Being nice to someone is a great substitute to eating. When the kids or husband or a friend or sister are doing everything they can to get our goat, we don’t have to eat a candy bar or a bag of chips. We can think up ways to be nice to the offending person instead. Sure it is difficult. Sure it is challenging. It is still worth doing. We can turn this weakness into a strength. We can turn our wills to God and allow him to work inside of us when we are confronted with unfair treatment and unfair demands.
Happy life style to you all!!!
Monday, April 4, 2011
I lost something!!!!! Why????
It is official, I have lost 10% of myself!!!!(4 1/2 inches) OK,I am pretty excited!!! I know that this does not seem like much if you weigh 100 pds, but I assure you that is not the case for me. I have lost a few sacks of sugar, and it feels great. I can only imagine what it will be like when I meet my new goal of an additional 30 pounds. Now, the title of this is I lost something, and I assure you I never want to find it!!! Losing it means, I now can run 3 miles without dying, I can work in the yard all day with out feeling like an old lady in the end, and one of my favorites, I can actually get back to teaching swimming. I have a group of kids that I am teaching right now that in a matter of 2 hours have me swimming 50 laps, treading water,with out my hands for up to a half an hour, and even require me doing multiple laps of the infamous butterfly!!!! I am doing it and I do not even feel exhausted afterwards!!!! Love it!! Now if I had to attach that extra weight back,Maybe not!! So I am excited to see what else I can accomplish.
Now the Why??? I would love to say it is for all the reasons above, but the truth is i am doing it for very self fish reasons. I have mentioned in the past that I have a very close person in my life that is morbidly obese.She is now pushing 400pds and only 5ft.2inches tall.This person is dying before my eyes.Obviously this could be me in a heart beat!! I could wake up in the morning and not be able to walk 5 feet without feeling like I might die. I could feel so bad about how I have let myself go that I loose the desire to live, I could live to eat and not live to serve. I could become a grandmother and not have the energy to play or visit my own grandchildren. I could be so heavy that my health is falling a part, slowly killing me. It would be so easy to fall into a routine of watching T.V. and eating, and letting myself become 300/400 pounds. Here is what gives me the fight.
I have 2 beautiful children:
Now the Why??? I would love to say it is for all the reasons above, but the truth is i am doing it for very self fish reasons. I have mentioned in the past that I have a very close person in my life that is morbidly obese.She is now pushing 400pds and only 5ft.2inches tall.This person is dying before my eyes.Obviously this could be me in a heart beat!! I could wake up in the morning and not be able to walk 5 feet without feeling like I might die. I could feel so bad about how I have let myself go that I loose the desire to live, I could live to eat and not live to serve. I could become a grandmother and not have the energy to play or visit my own grandchildren. I could be so heavy that my health is falling a part, slowly killing me. It would be so easy to fall into a routine of watching T.V. and eating, and letting myself become 300/400 pounds. Here is what gives me the fight.
I have 2 beautiful children:
My wonderful hubby:
But most important:
GOD I want to honour God!!! Here are some great verses that can encourage a person interested in changing there lifestyle:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "What? know ye that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,which ye have of God,and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body,and in your spirit, which are God's."
Romans14:17 "...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Isaiah 40:31 "Those who wait on the LORD will gain new strength,they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired (he-he),they will walk and not become weary."
Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful,but sorrowful,yet to those who have been trained by it,afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
I would like to say that if not for the God, I am nothing but a complete mess, so to God be the glory, and I am so thankful!!! I have all of you in my heart and prayers and wish you a very happy,healthy lifestyle!!!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Can I really eat out????
So lets get real,is it really possible to go to a restaurant and get food is it??? Well yesterday this problem presented itself to me. A dear friend of ours took our kids for the day and my hubby and I were off to Williamsburg for a day of adventure. Sounds great right, well it was!!!! The problem arose though, where would we eat, and how could I get away with eating out without wrecking my new lifestyle changes????? Well, this is how it went.
We decided to look at a menu and try to make a wise decision Now for those who do not know my regimen, I eat 12-1500 calories a day and try to make sure every bite counts, so looking at the menu was no easy task. We opened to the salad section, and thought this might be the best bet, a Santa Fe salad with black beans, chicken, mixed Greens, the usual salad stuff. Well, guess what we asked for the nutritional info and it was 1600 calories?!?!?!?!? A salad!!!!!! What??? How???? Well, this proves that salads are not always the answer, so we looked at the nutritional info sheet that gave us (most restaurants will give these to you if you ask) and settled on a nacho,half the chips,400 calories tons of fiber and protein! Perfect and I assure you it was yummy!!!
After walking around all day we decided to have a fast dinner, but you know what that means..... Fast Food!!!! Surely you can not eat fast food and stay under 1500 calories!!!! Well, the ever faithful Subway salad was unavailable, as there was no Subway to be found,so we walked into a Wendy's. Fries were out of the question, and fried was too, so what was left?? Did you know Wendy's posts the nutritional info on the wall. So after much deliberation, we settled on a small chili and a grilled snack wrap a total of 420 calories, and filling!! Not to shabby!!! Needless to say, later when we walked into the Candy Factory, I had enough calories left to have a small piece of chocolate at 75 calories. : )
All this to say, just because a special day has arrived, and you find yourself in a restaurant, that does not mean you have to order a boring house salad. Research low calorie options by asking for nutritional info.Always substitute fries for veggies of a baked potato. Also do not base your decisions on what sounds healthy, find out what is really has in it and how many calories it will cost you. Salad dressings add major calories, and many other added things are just as bad. So salad does not me good for you! We had a nacho at under half the calories!!!! So do not avoid eating out, just be smart!! Happy healthy lifestyles to you all!!!!
We decided to look at a menu and try to make a wise decision Now for those who do not know my regimen, I eat 12-1500 calories a day and try to make sure every bite counts, so looking at the menu was no easy task. We opened to the salad section, and thought this might be the best bet, a Santa Fe salad with black beans, chicken, mixed Greens, the usual salad stuff. Well, guess what we asked for the nutritional info and it was 1600 calories?!?!?!?!? A salad!!!!!! What??? How???? Well, this proves that salads are not always the answer, so we looked at the nutritional info sheet that gave us (most restaurants will give these to you if you ask) and settled on a nacho,half the chips,400 calories tons of fiber and protein! Perfect and I assure you it was yummy!!!
After walking around all day we decided to have a fast dinner, but you know what that means..... Fast Food!!!! Surely you can not eat fast food and stay under 1500 calories!!!! Well, the ever faithful Subway salad was unavailable, as there was no Subway to be found,so we walked into a Wendy's. Fries were out of the question, and fried was too, so what was left?? Did you know Wendy's posts the nutritional info on the wall. So after much deliberation, we settled on a small chili and a grilled snack wrap a total of 420 calories, and filling!! Not to shabby!!! Needless to say, later when we walked into the Candy Factory, I had enough calories left to have a small piece of chocolate at 75 calories. : )
All this to say, just because a special day has arrived, and you find yourself in a restaurant, that does not mean you have to order a boring house salad. Research low calorie options by asking for nutritional info.Always substitute fries for veggies of a baked potato. Also do not base your decisions on what sounds healthy, find out what is really has in it and how many calories it will cost you. Salad dressings add major calories, and many other added things are just as bad. So salad does not me good for you! We had a nacho at under half the calories!!!! So do not avoid eating out, just be smart!! Happy healthy lifestyles to you all!!!!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Favorite healthy lifestyle tips give away!!
One of my favorite healthy life style things is the Wii. I love to work out with Jillian on it. It is loads of fun and it gives you great tips, and recipes, and keeps track of the amount of calories you burn off. Love it!!!So now it is your turn to share. So I thought I would try to spark some interest and do a give away. All you have to do is give me your favorite healthy lifestyle tip and you could win this.........
This includes a couple of my favorite healthy lifestyle things. A low calorie snack,a great devotional, and since I can not have chocolate, I fill my house with the scent of a chocolate candle : )
If you are already a follower your name will be put in for the raffle once, and if you leave a comment about your favorite exercise, exercise tool, low calorie snack, or a weight loss trick, I will put your name in again. If you become a new follower and leave a comment I will also put you name in twice. Good luck!!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Armed robbery, seriously!!!!!
O.k. So I know this is far fetched, but I willl try to tie this to my new lifestyle change some how. We were in the Ocean view shopping center, where I rarely like to go simply because it is a crazy place to be, to quickly buy some valentine stuff. I left my husband and son outside and ran in with Chloe to buy some candy for Sunday school, and then the craziest thing happened! Two men came running in the store,one complete with gun, and robbed the place!!! I know, sounds crazy, but sure enough, Chloe and I were standing there about to get in the check out line and the craziness began!!! It was lightning fast!!! They just ran in waved a gun around, pushed the cashier to the ground and grabbed a bunch of ciggarettes, and then ran off. They dashed thru the door, and I do mean thru the door.One went one way, one the other way and got in a car. Then half the store proceeded to run after them. One man got in his truck and chased after the car and as he was turning the corner crashed his car. Crazy right!!!! Ok, so what goes thru my mind while all of this is happening???? First, Chloe never really saw a thing as she was tucked under my arms, and being drug back into the candy section, and then when the coast is clear, I grab her and drag her out of the store to find out where my son and husband are. I left them in front of the broken door, so you can imagine what was going thru my head when they were not there. I am franticly loooking for them and a few seconds later they walk out of Radio Shack totally oblivious to the events that had just unfolded. Did I mention that I am standing out from with my hands full of merchandise that has not been paid for????? So shaking and glad to see that everyone in my family is safe, I throw, and I am not exagerating, throw the merchandise back in the store and walk away as fast as my feet will get me out of there. Now as I calm down, I realize how God's mercy had rescued us once again. We could have been closer to harms way if I was not so wishy washy about the candy, my husband and son could have been right out in front by the broken door where I left them, and no one was seriously injured. Now, the next thought that came to my head was, how stupid is it that they went thru all that trouble for ciggerettes?!?!? They did not ask for money, they just grabbed as many ciggerettes as they could and ran. Not too bright!! Well, I guess that is kinda like eating, if I stuff my belly full of junk, what is it really doing for me?? A few seconds of pleasure and a few extra pounds that add up to a few more and then what next??? Not too bright?!? Ok, so I told you it was a bit far fetched, but kinda true!!!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Tips on how to be a loser!!!
O.k. so I promised to share a few tips, so here I go. Now remember, I am not an expert, and what works for me will not necessarily work for everyone, so take it for what it is worth to you. I have gotten more then my share of unsolicteted advice,believe me,but these are few of my favorite ideas.
1.Exercise is great, but change it up often. Not only will you get bored with running around the block everyday, but your body will adjust to your routine, so have some variety. I do running, kickboxing, yoga circuit training, swimming, Wii workouts, the shred, weights, and change it up often. Have fun, do not let yourself get bored. Remember you do not need a Gym membership or fancy equipment, be creative.
2. Try to add strength training to your workouts.
3. Pick a calorie goal and stick to it. I have a thyroid disorder, so I switch between 1200 - 1500 calories a day.
4. Once you pick a calorie goal, record everything that goes in your mouth. You would be surprised at what you are eating. Just trying one of your kids chicken nuggets, or a casual thing here or there and your calories have gotten out of control. If you have a I pod or I phone there is a wonderful FREE app called My Fitness Pal, and it will even give you the calories for fast food and pretty much anything else. It has been a wonderful tool for me : )
5. Keep track of your exercise. During high energy workouts you can burn tons of calories, so you can bring your net calorie intake way down. I love the feeling of knowing that I ate 1500 calories then burned off 600, for the net calorie intake of 900!!! Be sure that you do not try to make up those calories by eating more or you will erase your work. : ) (The Fitness pal will keep track of this as well.)
6. Even the Biggest looser people eat at least 1200 calories a day, so do not short yourself. You do not want to put your body in starvation mode.
7. WATER, drink tons of it!!! Trust me it is worth it. It also makes your skin clearer!!!
8. Diet drinks really are not the best for you. They actually can increase your appetite, and cause some degree of memory loss over time. If you have to have them limit them to 8 oz a day. Also watch for things that have artificial sweetener. It seems to be everywhere these days.
9. Protein makes you feel fuller longer, so try to eat foods high in protein. For example, tuna, milk, lean sliced turkey, chicken breast, eggs, etc....
10. Fiber is good, enough said!
11. Do not deprive your self. If you want a piece of chocolate, go for it, but remind yourself that if you are going to cheat, do it wisely. That means you do not have to eat a big piece of cheese cake with a chocolate bar on the side. If you choose to have 1200, calories a day you have blown it!!! Try a york pattie at 130 calories, or 100 calorie packs. find something that will satisfy your craving, but not mess up any progress you have made.
12. Sleep, 8 hours of sleep really helps!!!
13. Never sit still, even if you are sitting, read, or do something, idle hands eat!!!
14. Carbs are not the enemy. Choose them wisely, but eat them!! Stay clear of processed carbs, and ones that contain lots of sugar. Steel cut oats, brown rice, buckwheat, even potato's can be great, just again watch the amounts.
15. This is the biggest, pray about it and hand it to God. Dive into the scripture, and see what it says about it. I think this could be a future blog post as well : )
Well, I hope some of these can be of some help to someone. I will try to share some of my favorite things to eat and great low calorie substitutes in my next blog, along with my favorite workout ideas and tricks. Oh, and one last tip, Diet, is a four letter word, never use it. I am not a dieter!!! I have changed my lifestyle. , The word Diet is overused, and often discouraging, so I do not like to use it!! Happy lifestyle change to you all!!!
1.Exercise is great, but change it up often. Not only will you get bored with running around the block everyday, but your body will adjust to your routine, so have some variety. I do running, kickboxing, yoga circuit training, swimming, Wii workouts, the shred, weights, and change it up often. Have fun, do not let yourself get bored. Remember you do not need a Gym membership or fancy equipment, be creative.
2. Try to add strength training to your workouts.
3. Pick a calorie goal and stick to it. I have a thyroid disorder, so I switch between 1200 - 1500 calories a day.
4. Once you pick a calorie goal, record everything that goes in your mouth. You would be surprised at what you are eating. Just trying one of your kids chicken nuggets, or a casual thing here or there and your calories have gotten out of control. If you have a I pod or I phone there is a wonderful FREE app called My Fitness Pal, and it will even give you the calories for fast food and pretty much anything else. It has been a wonderful tool for me : )
5. Keep track of your exercise. During high energy workouts you can burn tons of calories, so you can bring your net calorie intake way down. I love the feeling of knowing that I ate 1500 calories then burned off 600, for the net calorie intake of 900!!! Be sure that you do not try to make up those calories by eating more or you will erase your work. : ) (The Fitness pal will keep track of this as well.)
6. Even the Biggest looser people eat at least 1200 calories a day, so do not short yourself. You do not want to put your body in starvation mode.
7. WATER, drink tons of it!!! Trust me it is worth it. It also makes your skin clearer!!!
8. Diet drinks really are not the best for you. They actually can increase your appetite, and cause some degree of memory loss over time. If you have to have them limit them to 8 oz a day. Also watch for things that have artificial sweetener. It seems to be everywhere these days.
9. Protein makes you feel fuller longer, so try to eat foods high in protein. For example, tuna, milk, lean sliced turkey, chicken breast, eggs, etc....
10. Fiber is good, enough said!
11. Do not deprive your self. If you want a piece of chocolate, go for it, but remind yourself that if you are going to cheat, do it wisely. That means you do not have to eat a big piece of cheese cake with a chocolate bar on the side. If you choose to have 1200, calories a day you have blown it!!! Try a york pattie at 130 calories, or 100 calorie packs. find something that will satisfy your craving, but not mess up any progress you have made.
12. Sleep, 8 hours of sleep really helps!!!
13. Never sit still, even if you are sitting, read, or do something, idle hands eat!!!
14. Carbs are not the enemy. Choose them wisely, but eat them!! Stay clear of processed carbs, and ones that contain lots of sugar. Steel cut oats, brown rice, buckwheat, even potato's can be great, just again watch the amounts.
15. This is the biggest, pray about it and hand it to God. Dive into the scripture, and see what it says about it. I think this could be a future blog post as well : )
Well, I hope some of these can be of some help to someone. I will try to share some of my favorite things to eat and great low calorie substitutes in my next blog, along with my favorite workout ideas and tricks. Oh, and one last tip, Diet, is a four letter word, never use it. I am not a dieter!!! I have changed my lifestyle. , The word Diet is overused, and often discouraging, so I do not like to use it!! Happy lifestyle change to you all!!!
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