Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Dieting...Whatever It Takes

One of the reasons I do this blog is so that I can have a place to put things that inspire me. I am going to attempt to lose weight this year and I am looking for anything that will help me.

52 tips to change your life in 2009
By Liz Doup, Nick Sortal and John Tanasychuk
Published in the San Diego Union Tribune

The problem with New Year's resolutions is that they're way too big.
Lose 30 pounds! Work out every day of the week! Quit eating sweets!
We've been there and we know: Big resolutions lead to big disappointments when our resolve starts to soften around Feb. 1.
So for 2009, we recommend a new tack: Start small. Very small.
With this in mind, here are 52 small tips. One for every week of the year.
We can't guarantee miracles. But we can guarantee that each small tip represents a practical and manageable change for the better.
1. Drink diet soda instead of regular.
2. Keep a packed gym bag in your car at all times. That way you're always ready to work out.
3. By noon tomorrow, do something that has you in a full sweat.
4. When you go into the boss's office, balance on one leg. It will strengthen your core.
5. Include two servings of fruit or veggies at every meal.
6. Pick out a 5K or bike ride in your community and pay your registration fee well in advance. That way you won't drop out.
7. Tell a friend that you did No. 6. Now that you opened your mouth, you gotta do it.
8. Eat from a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.
9. Don't skip breakfast. When we're hungry, we make bad choices.
10. Eat slowly.
11. Don't deny yourself a guilty pleasure. But have just a bite or two – not the whole thing.
12. Keep a food journal.
13. Sit when you eat.
14. Order one dessert and share it.
15. Only drink alcohol on the weekends.
16. If you work out in the evenings, don't stop at home from work. The mail, phone messages – and refrigerator – will still be there after your exercise.
17. Use mustard instead of mayo.
18. Keep in mind that one portion of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
19. Eat fish twice a week. Omega-3 fatty acids are good for the heart.
20. Bookmark prevention.com on your computer and read it during your lunch hour.
21. Always have salad dressing on the side.
22. Eat your last meal of the day at least three hours before bedtime.
23. Curtail your treat consumption. If you're eating a bowl of ice cream every night, it's no longer a treat. It's a habit.
24. Bake, grill, microwave or steam foods instead of frying.
25. Set little goals and reward yourself, but not with food.
26. If you work out in the mornings, set your clothes out the night before so you'll get dressed by rote.
27. When ordering in a restaurant, ask the server to bring you half of the meal and to set the other half aside to take home. That way, it won't even tempt you on your plate.
28. Use olive oil on bread instead of butter.
29. Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream – a healthier choice without compromising taste.
30. Skip sugar-laden exercise drinks. You're probably not working out hard enough to need the electrolytes they provide. Instead, have watery fruits such as watermelon or grapes in addition to water for hydration.
31. Choose egg whites instead of whole eggs.
32. Taste food before adding salt.
33. Trim all visible fat from meat.
34. Use fat-free or 1 percent dairy products.
35. Substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes. More flavor and better nutrition!
36. Gradually shift from eating white-flour pasta to whole-wheat by mixing half of each until you're accustomed to the flavor and texture of whole wheat.
37. And on that note, eat whole wheat instead of white bread.
38. Park far from an entrance and walk instead of driving around to find a closer spot. Saves gas, too.
39. Rather than sitting and having a conversation, take a walk with a friend or loved one to talk about the day's events.
40. Before you eat a calorie-laden treat, go to caloriesperhour.com to see how long you must exercise to burn the calories.
41. Combine a small bit of protein with carbohydrates to keep your blood sugar from spiking and making you feel hungry. For example, add a few nuts to your fruit snack.
42. Always keep nuts and dried fruit with you so you don't get hungry.
43. Instead of eating whole almonds, eat slivers. You'll feel like you're eating more.
44. Make working out a family affair. While your kids are on the ball field, jog around the park.
45. Find workout activities your family can do together. Ride bikes, hike or jog.
46. Alter your exercise routine to avoid getting bored. If you take an aerobics class one day, try yoga another.
47. Get a workout partner so you encourage each other.
48. Schedule your workout like an appointment so skipping the gym is not an option.
49. Create a daily log of fitness activities with specific goals, then keep track of them.
50. Check out several exercise CDs or tapes from your local library. Try them all and buy the ones you like.
51. Go to your local track with a stopwatch once a month and time yourself for a full-out, one-lap sprint.
52. When you're home watching TV, sit on a large exercise ball, rather than the couch, to tighten your core.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Ok, Not That Size Anymore...Go Up!

I just spent two hours trying on clothes for a trip to my Mother's house in Northern California. I haven't seen my mom in six years. Can you imagine? All the clothes I was wearing and feeling pretty good in last summer don't fit. I have gained back about 15 lbs of the 30 lbs that I had lost in the early part of last year. I'm so bummed because, I feel and look crappy and now I have to wear the old clothes that I was wearing the last time I felt and looked crappy. None of my "cute - Ha" stuff fits.

First thing on my list when I get home is to lose that 15 lbs AGAIN. I much prefer the way I felt then. I felt prettier and much stronger.

OK, so how did I let this happen? Total slip! Started eating cereal, milk and bread again. It started in December when I made that batch of cookies for the cookie exchange, then it just escalated from there. I completely stopped counting points, writing down what I eat. I even stopped walking for a while. Since Christmas, I put 10 lbs. on, then since Gary got sick, I gained the other 5 lbs. Needed that cereal bad...total comfort food.

Since I must end this note to myself on a good note, thank goodness I didn't gain the entire 30 lbs. back. I did manage to put together a couple of outfits for my trip. I still have some cute clothes in my closet for when I do lose that 15 lbs. I've started walking again and am enjoying it. I'm getting those niggling thoughts in my mind about the desire to feel better. Those thoughts are what help me get motivated. When I get that motivated feeling, I'm good to go. I'm feeling pretty good about this. Oh, and I'm remembering that, for me, abstinence is the key...no more cereal and milk...yeek, yucky, gone, out, ptuey...no more.

I won a kit from http://lialuvsblythes.blogspot.com/
I feel kind of like a kid who knows she's going to get a present. It's so fun. I'll have a package to look forward to opening when I get home from my mom's. Then I'll have fun with new scrapbooking things to play with.
Thanks again Lia.

xokat

P.S. Not more than 15 minutes after I wrote this, my sweet sweet husband walked into the house and handed me a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup...KING SIZE...there are four of them here. Oh God, puleeze help me.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

What?...Vertigo


I honestly thought this blog would have more scrapbooking layouts and what-nots in it. I guess I'm a little disappointed that I haven't used it in a more creative way. However, I still have that plan... and am looking forward to executing that soon.

This is my seventh day with Vertigo. I can't move my head or body without having a dizzy spell. I feel like, well, you know what and I'm bummed because I can't do anything productive. I had this horrible, debilitating, incapacitating, horrible thing once before, about ten years ago and it only lasted a couple of days and poof, it was gone. The doctor doesn't know what causes it or how to get rid of it. I'm seeing a neurologist on Friday and having a CT scan next week.

Here's what I know right now. I can breath, walk, talk, and write this reminder of my Dr. appointments in my blog. Much much more than many.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Weight Loss Tips - 52 Ways to Lose a Pound a Week!

I found this great article today. It's well worth reading especially if you're like me and want to lose some weight and stay healthy. I copied it to a word file and saved it in My Documents so that I could share it with family and friends.

An entire year's worth of personal, winning weight loss, and keep-it-off tips from Prevention readers By Anne Alexander, who is the author of Win the Fat War (Rodale, 2000).
For more information on this article check out the website: Prevention

An Article from WXII12.com
http://www.wxii12.com/health/15709745/detail.html