Thursday, September 13, 2012

Dr. Oz's 10 Weight-Loss Commandments

While looking around on Pinterest a few minutes ago, I came across this link to Dr. Oz's 10 Weight Loss Commandments and figured I should remind myself of them on my weight loss blog in hopes of getting myself motivated again to get back on track with losing weight!  I had to give a little Amen shout when reading number 9 because that vending machine at work is the devil to me!

1. Thou Shalt Not Wear Pants that Stretch

Your clothing is an early-warning system for weight gain. When it's getting hard to snap your jeans, you know it's time to be vigilant. Wearing stretchy clothes allows you to live in ignorance of how your body is growing, making it easier to pack on pounds without knowing it.

2. Thou Shalt Not Keep Fat Clothes in Your Closet
When you keep the clothes you wore at an unhealthy weight, it gives you a back-up plan if the pounds don't come off. Instead, force yourself to stay on track by 86ing your "fat pants."

3. Thou Shalt Not Eat Meat That Walks on Four Legs More Than Once a Week
Meat that comes from an animal with 4 legs is higher in saturated fat (the unhealthy kind) than that which comes from 2-legged animals such as chickens, or animals with no legs, like fish. Plus: women who eat large amounts of red meat more than once a week have a 50% higher chance of dying from heart disease and have higher cancer rates.

4. Thou Shalt Not Graze
Plan your meal before you open the refrigerator, get what you need, and close the door. Opening it throughout the day leads to impulsive choices and overeating.

5. Thou Shalt Not Eat After 7:30pm
When you eat late at night you are more likely to be eating in front of the TV (when you won't pay attention to how much you're putting in your mouth) and you're more likely to pick high-calorie snacks.

6. Thou Shalt Not Pile Food More than 1 Inch High or Within 2 Inches of the Plate Edge

Larger portions equal more calories. 'Nuff said.

7. Thou Shalt Not Chew Food Less than 20 Times Per Bite
Chewing allows your body to realize that you are eating food, prompting it to create a sensation of fullness at the appropriate time. When you don't chew enough, you get ahead of that process, eating well past when you are actually satisfied.

8. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Plate
Spend your day nibbling bites on someone else's sandwich or afternoon snack, and you will add on 1,000 calories easy.

9. Thou Shalt Not Carry Small Bills
Nothing loves a small bill better than a vending machine. When you have them at the ready, you are one step closer to an impulsive, calorie-loaded afternoon slip up.

10. Thou Shalt Not Eat While Standing Up
Eating sitting down enables you to be aware of what you're eating and eat it slowly so that your body can tell you your full before it's too late.



Sunday, September 2, 2012

The Diet Fork

I found this "diet fork" on Facebook and thought oh my, I definitely need one of these!  Then I realized that the unhealthiest foods don't require a fork....pizza, chips, cookies, candy, etc :(  So no thank you, I'll take my regular fork any day!
 

Friday, July 27, 2012

Hey, Fat Girl

I am copying this blog entry from the website www.myfitnesspal.com and it came from their Motivation/Support message boards.  Such encouragement to me!  Now I'm off to google this blog for some new reading!
___________________

This is a blog entry from flintland.blogspot.com.


I am in love with this person!

Hey, Fat Girl.

Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.


You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.

You are awesome.

If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others.

You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible.

You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again.

You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration.

I bow to you.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Where have I been?

Seems like all of my posts start with I'm back, or MIA, or starting over.  I'm sure this one is no exception.  I realize it's been close to 6 months since I've last posted or did anything with this blog.  I need to make a habit of posting more often so that it will be a constant reminder of the weight loss journey that I am.

I'm still trying to lose weight, and I am losing, but it's just taking a long time.  I was a paying member of WW, although I couldn't tell you the last time I actually tracked anything.  At the beginning of the year, our church started a weight loss program similar to WW, so my husband and I are participating in that.  The only thing I dislike about that is it's a new scale and weighs more than the WW does so when I start recording weight, it won't be accurate with the WW scale.  Then at the beginning of February, our church started the Daniel Fast again, which is basically like a weight loss program.  I also enjoy doing the Daniel Fast, and one of the reasons is because I usually lose around 20 pounds doing, so that will be a HUGE motivator and jumpstart at getting back on track and losing weight.

Hiking at Audubon Park

(I originally typed this in October 2011 and never got around to posting it for some reason.)

My weight and WW has been somewhat of a roller coaster these past few weeks/months.  At my last weigh-in for WW, I lost 2.2 lbs, so that has me motivated again!  I've found out awhile back that some local parks have hiking trails, in different lengths, and I have been wanting to walk them.  One inparticular at Audubon Park is called the Wilderness Trail and it wraps around a lake out in the middle of nowhere.  The only way to get to this lake is via the trails.  There is a fun wooden bridge around it and I've been wanting to find it and take some pictures of it.  So this past Sunday, Shawn and I had a picnic lunch at Audubon - we had KFC chicken - not the best choice, I know, and then we walked on a few trails.  It was much more of a hike than a walk....






The gray car in the middle of the picture is mine!  I'd never been sooo happy to see my car!