Yea! I finally broke my 1.5 lb a week slump... =) not by a whole lot, but I did and I'm very happy. I lost 2.5 lbs since last week. And to top that off I tried on a pair of dress pants this morning that I last tried on 2 weeks ago and they were still far from buttoning....and they buttoned this morning! I still can't wear them b/c they are still tight enough they give me a permanent wedgie =). I'm still thrilled though b/c that shows me how far I've come in the last couple months. It makes all that hard work and portion control worth it! And it makes me want to work even harder on Thanksgiving Day to watch my portions and eat the good foods over the bad ones.
Oh, total lost to date- 12.5 pounds!!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tips for Permanent Weight Loss!
10 Strategies for permanent weight loss
1. Exercise is essential for weight loss
It's nothing new, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five 30 minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old "no time for exercise" excuse. Be certain to find something you enjoy. You'll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an intramural sports league, participating in outings with a group like The Sierra Club, or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your psyche as well; you will literally become "hooked."
Having trouble getting a workout in? Why not try one of these Diet Channel recommended programs:
15 minute boot camp workout
Power workout for busy executives
10 minute workout for busy moms
Want to Build Muscle Strength? Check out these 3 Home Fitness Options
Cap Barbell Omega Recumbent Bike - 16 levels of computer controlled magnetic resistance allow you to workout at the level that best suits your fitness needs. Home Gym Systems - If you have the room at home, splurge and get the weight training system you need. Plain Old-Fashioned Barbells - Get some dead weights, head to the garage, put on some music, and start pumping.
2. Weight loss and weight training
We chose to list this separately from the "exercise" category because of the significant weight loss benefits attached to weight training in and of itself. The basic equation is this: the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will burn. This is why world class weight lifters must eat thousands of calories a day to maintain their weight. Muscle is active tissue, fat is not. Thus, muscle "burns" a significant number of calories each day for its own maintenance. In her book Strong Women Stay Slim, Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University researcher, showed that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44% more fat than those who only followed the diet. While aerobic activity can help burn calories, muscle's where it's at when it comes to giving your metabolism a significant daily boost even at rest.
Read Cardio and Strength Training: How do you create a balanced routine? to find out how best to pursue numbers 1 and 2 above in tandem.
3. Keep a diary for triggers that hinder weight loss
Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Devote some time each day to record what you have eaten and how much, your hunger level prior to eating, and any feelings or emotions present at the time. A food diary can provide a large amount of self-awareness. It can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating, foster greater awareness of portion sizes, and help you discover your personal food triggers. Study any patterns that emerge from your food diary and identify where you may be able to make more healthful changes. A food diary provides an added benefit of keeping you focused on and committed to your goals. Start keeping a food diary today by printing our food diary.
4. Stay focused on being healthy, not on becoming thin
Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motivation changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body's weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.
5. Find out why you overeat
All too often overeating is triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions. Learning to deal with emotions without food is a significant skill that will greatly serve long term weight control. The Solution, a book and national program developed by Laurel Mellin, RD, helps participants to identify their eating triggers and respond to them without food. A research study showed that the participants in this program demonstrated a better rate of long term weight loss maintenance than those who simply diet and/or exercise and don't address behavioral and emotional issues. Chronic over-eaters and "emotional eaters" can be significantly helped by learning new behavioral skills such as those Mellin presents. You can also seek help with behavioral and emotional eating issues from a licensed counselor or psychologist in your area.
6. Weight loss support: join a weight management group
A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. You can check to see if groups such as Jenny Craig offer programs and resources in your areas. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian conducts group weight loss programs.
7. Weight loss and portion control
With the advent of "super-size" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.
8: Lose weight slowly with small changes
Try to remember that "losing 15 pounds in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight. Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. By making small changes like eliminating 250 calories a day from food and expending 250 calories a day from exercise, you can lose one pound (of mostly fat) per week. You can calculate how much time you need to exercise to burn 250 calories by clicking here. You can calculate your caloric needs by clicking here, and then subtract 250 from that number.
9. Eating slowly can lead to weight loss
Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That's because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy and savor every tasty morsel.
10. Weight loss through eating less fat - but do it wisely
We've known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.
1. Exercise is essential for weight loss
It's nothing new, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five 30 minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old "no time for exercise" excuse. Be certain to find something you enjoy. You'll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an intramural sports league, participating in outings with a group like The Sierra Club, or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your psyche as well; you will literally become "hooked."
Having trouble getting a workout in? Why not try one of these Diet Channel recommended programs:
15 minute boot camp workout
Power workout for busy executives
10 minute workout for busy moms
Want to Build Muscle Strength? Check out these 3 Home Fitness Options
Cap Barbell Omega Recumbent Bike - 16 levels of computer controlled magnetic resistance allow you to workout at the level that best suits your fitness needs. Home Gym Systems - If you have the room at home, splurge and get the weight training system you need. Plain Old-Fashioned Barbells - Get some dead weights, head to the garage, put on some music, and start pumping.
2. Weight loss and weight training
We chose to list this separately from the "exercise" category because of the significant weight loss benefits attached to weight training in and of itself. The basic equation is this: the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will burn. This is why world class weight lifters must eat thousands of calories a day to maintain their weight. Muscle is active tissue, fat is not. Thus, muscle "burns" a significant number of calories each day for its own maintenance. In her book Strong Women Stay Slim, Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University researcher, showed that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44% more fat than those who only followed the diet. While aerobic activity can help burn calories, muscle's where it's at when it comes to giving your metabolism a significant daily boost even at rest.
Read Cardio and Strength Training: How do you create a balanced routine? to find out how best to pursue numbers 1 and 2 above in tandem.
3. Keep a diary for triggers that hinder weight loss
Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Devote some time each day to record what you have eaten and how much, your hunger level prior to eating, and any feelings or emotions present at the time. A food diary can provide a large amount of self-awareness. It can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating, foster greater awareness of portion sizes, and help you discover your personal food triggers. Study any patterns that emerge from your food diary and identify where you may be able to make more healthful changes. A food diary provides an added benefit of keeping you focused on and committed to your goals. Start keeping a food diary today by printing our food diary.
4. Stay focused on being healthy, not on becoming thin
Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motivation changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body's weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.
5. Find out why you overeat
All too often overeating is triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions. Learning to deal with emotions without food is a significant skill that will greatly serve long term weight control. The Solution, a book and national program developed by Laurel Mellin, RD, helps participants to identify their eating triggers and respond to them without food. A research study showed that the participants in this program demonstrated a better rate of long term weight loss maintenance than those who simply diet and/or exercise and don't address behavioral and emotional issues. Chronic over-eaters and "emotional eaters" can be significantly helped by learning new behavioral skills such as those Mellin presents. You can also seek help with behavioral and emotional eating issues from a licensed counselor or psychologist in your area.
6. Weight loss support: join a weight management group
A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. You can check to see if groups such as Jenny Craig offer programs and resources in your areas. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian conducts group weight loss programs.
7. Weight loss and portion control
With the advent of "super-size" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.
8: Lose weight slowly with small changes
Try to remember that "losing 15 pounds in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight. Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. By making small changes like eliminating 250 calories a day from food and expending 250 calories a day from exercise, you can lose one pound (of mostly fat) per week. You can calculate how much time you need to exercise to burn 250 calories by clicking here. You can calculate your caloric needs by clicking here, and then subtract 250 from that number.
9. Eating slowly can lead to weight loss
Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That's because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy and savor every tasty morsel.
10. Weight loss through eating less fat - but do it wisely
We've known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.
Healthy Eating Tips for Thanksgiving Day!
TOP 10 TIPS TO AVOID PACKING ON HOLIDAY POUNDS
1. Get plenty of sleep. Being tired often triggers eating pangs.
2. Drink plenty of water. If you don't take in liquid, the body retains it, increasing body weight by 10 to 15 pounds.
3. Curb appetite by loading up on "good carbs" - high fiber veggies like beans, whole grains such as oats and brown rice and fruits.
4. Limit your intake of proteins.
5. Keep stress levels down by walking, exercising and meditation. Stress can spark the appetite.
6. Avoid "bad carbs" like high-starch potatoes, breads and desserts.
7. Vinegar reduces the body's absorption of "bad carbs" so use a variety of vinegar with olive oil for salad dressings.
8. Stay away from foods with hydrogenated oils and the sweetener aspartame. These substances do not aid in weight loss.
9. Choose foods with "good fats" like soy beans, avocado, nuts and seeds, fish like salmon, tuna and halibut and leafy green veggies.
10. Keep in touch with a pal who has similar diet and health goals to boost your willpower during the holiday food feast.
I especially like # 10! Thanks, Patty! Lol..... =)
1. Get plenty of sleep. Being tired often triggers eating pangs.
2. Drink plenty of water. If you don't take in liquid, the body retains it, increasing body weight by 10 to 15 pounds.
3. Curb appetite by loading up on "good carbs" - high fiber veggies like beans, whole grains such as oats and brown rice and fruits.
4. Limit your intake of proteins.
5. Keep stress levels down by walking, exercising and meditation. Stress can spark the appetite.
6. Avoid "bad carbs" like high-starch potatoes, breads and desserts.
7. Vinegar reduces the body's absorption of "bad carbs" so use a variety of vinegar with olive oil for salad dressings.
8. Stay away from foods with hydrogenated oils and the sweetener aspartame. These substances do not aid in weight loss.
9. Choose foods with "good fats" like soy beans, avocado, nuts and seeds, fish like salmon, tuna and halibut and leafy green veggies.
10. Keep in touch with a pal who has similar diet and health goals to boost your willpower during the holiday food feast.
I especially like # 10! Thanks, Patty! Lol..... =)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thanksgiving Plans...
Well this is my first Thanksgiving in a few years to be home and not on an airplane! See, my job requires me to be on a plane every thanksgiving and headed to Las Vegas. I know...you're probably thinking..fun, fun....but believe me it's 90% work. =) Somehow our dates got messed up and we're not flying out this year for our annual convention until December 11th. So I get to be home for Thanksgiving and I get to see Vegas decorated for Christmas! Our plans for Thanksgiving are to get up and go to Thanksgiving Mass at church at 6:30 am....that will come early! I'm sure after that we will grab a small fast food breakfast somewhere and head towards Success, MO. We will stop by my Great Grandma's for a little while, then head just down the street to my Grandmas house for lunch. We will probably stay at my Grandma's for an hour or two and then head over to my best friends' parents (from high school). I will eat just a little at my grandma's so I can save some room for a little at Kandy's house...Yummy! It's going to be hard since I have been working out and dieting, but I am going to try my best not to over eat.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thursday 13!
 |
2. My Husband 3. My Step Daughter (who turns 7 yrs old on Thanksgiving!) 4. My God Daughter (who turns 2 yrs old Dec. 1st!) 5. Family 6. True Friends 7. My Job 8. My first house....finally! 9. 10 lbs I have lost so far.... =) 10. My motivational work out/diet buddies! 11. My Faith 12. My dog Sasha! who sleeps 20 hrs of the day...lazy dog! =) 13. Our Freedom as Americans |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Weekly Weigh In
Well, Again...just another 1.5 lbs lost. I guess I'm still happy b/c I could have not lost any. I think I am going to try to not go over board on my cheat meal of the week. Last Sat. Mike and I went to Ruby Tuesdays for our cheat meal and boy did I eat a lot. I had a big 'ol burger, fries, fried cheese and a blondie with ice cream for dessert. =( I don't think my one cheat meal for the week is what ruined my results but I think I will still not eat as much next time. I'm still trying to work out at least once a day and have changed up my workout a little to hopefully help with losing weight. I am going to do one more new thing too with my diet. I've decided that when we go grocery shopping again I am going to try to get as much low sodium food as possible since sodium causes you to retain water. It's worth a shot. =)
Total Lost to date- 10 lbs.
Total Lost to date- 10 lbs.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday Weekly Weigh In...A day late
Ok, so yesterday was weekly weigh in's for Patty, Annette, and I. I forgot to do my blog yesterday tho... =) Again, I only dropped another 1.5 lbs., but I'm not getting discouraged. Muscle weighs more than fat so maybe we're just getting buff....lol.....but the positive thing is I do feel like I have lost inches and some clothes are fitting looser. I also tried on a pair of dress pants this morning and they were a little closer to buttoning again. =) So overall I think we're doing a good job girls! I've been at the gym at least once a day if not twice. So in a way I feel like I should be seeing bigger results but they will come. So until next Wednesday.......
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Weight Loss Journal Summary
Breakfast- Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal- 160 cal
McD Parfait w/ Granola- 160 cal
Drink- Caffeine free peach herbal tea- 0 cal
Snack- Quaker Buttered Popcorn multi-grain cakes! (Yummy)- 90 cal
Lunch- Lean Cuisine 4 cheese pizza- 360 cal
Drink- Water- 0 cal
Snack- Quaker Cheddar/SourCream multi-grain cakes!- 90 cal
Dinner- Campbells Steak and Potato Soup- 240 cal
Drink- Skim Milk- 80 cal
Total Cal- 1180
Gym- Morning 45 minutes
Gym- Evening 1 hr 10 min.
McD Parfait w/ Granola- 160 cal
Drink- Caffeine free peach herbal tea- 0 cal
Snack- Quaker Buttered Popcorn multi-grain cakes! (Yummy)- 90 cal
Lunch- Lean Cuisine 4 cheese pizza- 360 cal
Drink- Water- 0 cal
Snack- Quaker Cheddar/SourCream multi-grain cakes!- 90 cal
Dinner- Campbells Steak and Potato Soup- 240 cal
Drink- Skim Milk- 80 cal
Total Cal- 1180
Gym- Morning 45 minutes
Gym- Evening 1 hr 10 min.
Wednesday Weigh In
Well, this morning was weigh in morning. I only dropped 1.5 lb since last Wednesday, but I blame my 2 day work function last week.... =) I can't totally blame it but I did eat a lot of food I shouldn't have. I have been working out twice a day most days and I'm hoping that next Wednesday I see some BIG results. But, I am still happy with what I got today. At least it's going down and not up. That is always good I guess! Woo Hoo!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Baby-sitting
I almost forgot to blog about last Monday night. Last Monday I watched my friend Patty's children, Thomas (3) and Arianna (10 months??) so she could have dinner with her husband when he got off work that night. It was a fun night...hehe...we got to watch most of "A Goofy Movie", I got to change a poopy diaper...hehe..., and watch Arianna walk from the couch to the chair while thinking "I hope she doesn't fall". I let Thomas play with my giant stuffed dog pillow named Otis, after Mike and I's first dog. Our first dog was a yellow lab and Mike bought me the pillow b/c it looked just like Otis. =) Thomas loved Otis. And of course the night wouldn't have been complete without pictures! 
Doggie Day Care Day!
Today was Sasha's monthly trip to the Doggie Day Care for playtime, bath and nail trim. She played hard all day and got a good bath. She is clean, shiny and smells very good now. This time she got an orange bandana. Here are some pictures. Yes, mommy gets picture hap
py! =)
py! =)
Halloween
This year was the first year Mike and I really got into passing out candy since we have our own house. It turns out I bought too much candy and am now trying to pass the calorie filled treats onto others... =) But it was fun. I was happy to see that most children had parents accompanying them either to the door or at least waiting at the end of the driveway. Some parents even thanked us for handing out candy. My friends Patty and Elizabeth brought their children by too. I was able to get a picture of Thomas (Patty's son) and Lily (Elizabeth's daughter). 
Monday, November 3, 2008
Weight Loss Journal Summary
Breakfast- 400 cal
Snack- 90 cal
Lunch- 340 cal
Snack- 100 cal
Dinner- 440 cal
Total cal- 1370 cal
Gym- Early Morning- 1 hour
Gym- Evening- 1hr
Snack- 90 cal
Lunch- 340 cal
Snack- 100 cal
Dinner- 440 cal
Total cal- 1370 cal
Gym- Early Morning- 1 hour
Gym- Evening- 1hr
Saturday night Movies....
Saturday night Mike and I rented movies. Well I guess I should say Mike and I rented 1 movie together and then I rented one for me...=) We rented the movie "21" based on a true story. I liked it. It was kind of neat actually to watch how they counted cards. I enjoyed it.
I also rented "Sex and the City". Mike is not one to watch girl flics with me but for whatever reason he sat thru this one with me..=) Of course afterwards he said I owed him big time...hehe...and that was his one girl flic for a long time. I don't get him to watch them with me very often. I enjoyed the movie, but thought it drug on for a little too long.
I also rented "Sex and the City". Mike is not one to watch girl flics with me but for whatever reason he sat thru this one with me..=) Of course afterwards he said I owed him big time...hehe...and that was his one girl flic for a long time. I don't get him to watch them with me very often. I enjoyed the movie, but thought it drug on for a little too long.
Weight Loss Journal Summaries
Well, I feel like I ate way too much food at my work function last week, but I'm still weighing the same, 1/2 lb less actually. But I've worked my butt off at the gym everyday I think just to even out all the food I ate. =) Sunday was cheat day for me and man did I ever cheat bad, we had waffle house for breakfast and lunch at Sonic! hehe....so after lunch I went to the gym for about 1 hr so I didn't feel so bad about cheat day. I'm going to try extra hard to really watch my calories the next few days and work out twice a day if possible. I hope to see some good results come weigh in Wednesday! I feel a lot better, that's for sure.
Oh, and my friend Annette joined the gym now with Patty and I. So there's 3 of us to work out together and motivate each other! Fun Stuff!!
Oh, and my friend Annette joined the gym now with Patty and I. So there's 3 of us to work out together and motivate each other! Fun Stuff!!
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