Swap bad habits for good ones

I read an article today about how to retrain your brain and swap bad habits for good ones. I thought it was interesting and wanted to share it.

What does it really take to change a habit? It may have less to do with willpower and more to do with consistency and a person's environment, researchers have found. Click here to read the entire article...

Exercise is AWESOME

Don't you hate those days when you just don't want to exercise? You lack time, desire and motivation. You just want to sit around and read a good book or watch a good flick and have the benefits of exercise miraculously just sort of descend upon you. Days like that are rough.

I've always said that exercise is 90% mental and 10% physical. (My own personal philosophy--I don't have fancy statistics or brilliant experts to back me up. Just my own experiences.) I exercise 5 days a week. I get up at 5:30 a.m. and go running outside in good weather, or on my treadmill in really cold or bad weather. I do this on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I either ride my stationary bike or do a hiking trail on my treadmill.

So...what motivates me to get out of bed? If I'm running outside, it's my iPod. I love listening to good tunes. I haven't been able to find a running partner compatible with my schedule or pace, so when my cute mom goes out walking with her friends, I run their route. I do a lot of backtracking. :) I'll be honest. With outside exercise, I don't need a lot of extra motivation. I love being out there. It's time for myself, and there is nothing like a runner's high.

The treadmill is a different story. It is SO boring. To break up the monotony I've done several different things. I have a TV and DVD player in my exercise room, so I'll watch a movie. Sometimes that's not enough so I'll put the subtitles on the movie and listen to my iPod simultaneously.

Lately, my favorite thing has been watching Netflix while I workout. It has a lot of shows I have never seen. I'm totally catching up on shows that I never thought I would watch. Buffy the Vampire Slayer anyone? I can't believe I'm admitting that! Total guilty pleasure. The point is that the shows are new and different to me, and I don't feel guilty or like a couch potato because I'm exercising while watching.

The point is to do something that is fun. If you hate to run, try Zumba or Yoga. If you can't stand the gym, go outside. If you think you can do it and you convince yourself that you actually want to do it, you will find yourself actually looking forward to it instead of dreading it.

Happy Exercising Everyone!!

Feeling Better!!!

With all the changes I have made this last week, I am feeling so much better.  Not only have I been watching what I'm eating, but adding exercise has really made a difference.  I love the fact that just after one week, I have more energy, and have been able to accomplish more than I have in a long time.  I was able to go on a quick weekend trip to San Diego.  We toured a Naval ship called The Midway.  It has ladders and stairs that go up and down to all the different areas of the ship. Some of them 60 at a time.  I am not saying that it wasn't hard, because it was.  However, I was actually able to do it.  I find it very interesting that I could feel this much better in such a short time.  I know that being conscious of what I am eating, and making a concentrated effort not to OVER-EAT has made all the difference!

Week 1 down and I did pretty well! I wasn't going to post on the blog but realized if I don't there isn't any way I can have a chance at winning. Next week I will attempt to come up with something better to say. This week is just about getting the points. 5 points to me...check!

learning to make REAL food

since we love to share on our blog, my contribution is: "bodybuilding.com". it's more than what you think the URL might suggest. it has a lot of great articles about working out, nutrition, motivation, recipes... SO for what it's worth, feel free to check that one out.

can i share one more thing? beans. my mom taught me how to cook raw black beans (1 cup is full of fiber, protein, delicious but low on calories). quite inexpensive, like a dollar a pound, and that pound  makes cups! 

1. rinse off desired amount

2. fill crock pot with water and the rinsed beans (water level should be higher than bean amounts)

3. sprinkle in 1/2 tsp of baking soda

4. cook on low for 3 hours

5. drain

they taste so good in chili, or try them in a whole wheat tortilla, or veggie soup, or rice... 

this challenge, if anything, is teaching me how to make REAL food! college here i come.

Let the fun begin!

I think this is going to be the hardest part of the challenge for me...posting to the blog. I am behind the times and have never blogged.

I am excited for this health challenge and glad Jen W. invited me to participate. This weeks challenge to keep a food journal has been interesting. It really makes you pay attention to what you are eating and is interesting to look back and see how you've done all week. I must admit though that keeping track of my food and having to write it down didn't deter me this week like I thought it would. I guess that's part of the challenge, I need to be more conscientious. The exercise is not a problem for me. I made a decision a year ago to switch gyms so that I could attempt going in the morning (I am not a morning person so I don't know why I thought I wanted to do that), but it was a great decision for me. One year later (this week) I have not missed a weekday morning but two days and when I was on vacation for a week. It is great, I love working out! It isn't a question each day of whether or not I am going, I just am. That has been the biggest thing for me, it isn't a choice, it's a given!

week 1 is done!!

Hey ya'll it's been a great week!!  So I've taken a nutrition class and I have some software that can do a diet analysis for you.  All you do is enter in the food you ate this past week and it will break down how much carbs, proteins, and fats consumed along with how many calories you ate.  This is a great way to see how you are eating and to see where you can improve!  If anyone wants me to do a diet analysis for you, just let me know.  I would love to share the CD with you:)
PS: If anyone wants a great exercise that will totally get their hear rate up and make them feel like they're on top of a mountain (figuratively and literally) GO SNOWSHOEING!!! I went up Adam's canyon yesterday and it was AMAZING!!!  The scenery is breathtaking (figuratively and literally).
Well, Have a great week!!  GO, FIGHT, WIN!! I mean BE HEALTHY!!!

What I learned from the food journal

It didn't really discourage me from eating a handful of m&m's, or a cookie-but I don't think I ate those out of control anyway.  What I did learn is that I am not eating the recommended 5-7 servings of fruits & vegetables daily.  Hence, I am not consuming the vitamins an other nutrients that will keep my body healthy!  Good learning experience!

Loved It!

Our challenge began on Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon!!!

I was so excited to begin this challenge! This week was super busy for me but I looked forward to exercising ( a thing I have been neglecting to find time for) each day. I discovered a new way to exercise that was very fun. I tried DDR for 3 of the days. DDR is Dance, Dance Revolution It's a game we have for our Play Station.  It is doing dance moves on a mat. I did the exercise mode and it told me how many calories I was burning and how much time I had spent. My kids love this and I saw the benefits. I am not nearly as coordinated as they are, but I was getting better each time. The first time I could only stand to do it for a few minutes, then 30 the next day and an hour the next. I also tried some Zumba with my daughter and I also went walking a couple of times.

This challenge was a good one for me. I am pretty good at eating 3 regular meals but I saw the many opportunities I have to eat badly. Having to record what I ate was very telling. Do we post what we ate or do we only have the benefit of knowing for ourselves and seeing where we could make improvements? If I had to tell everyone what I was eating it might make a difference.

I am loving this! I hope you are all staying motivated and enjoying it as much as I am. I needed it the most so I hope to see the most improvement :)

Rebecca Pond

Why I love the treadmill!

Working out is not my favorite but I do love what I learn when I am on it. I learn all about the lady walking next to me and her very off family, the other lady behind me and how much she loves to sing along to Celine Deone. Do I know any of these ladies? No , but it keeps it interesting when I am trying to forget about the 3 slices of pizza I ate the night before. I eat therefore I work out.

ROCKY video of the week

Each week I am going to try and post an inspirational video from the Rocky series because what is more inspirational than Rocky!? (Except for Rocky V which is awful). This week's is the training montage video from Rocky IV. Man, I hate you Drago.

ENJOY

what a wake up call--food journaling and exercising

This has been quite the week. I have had a body bugg for quite some time and with that I log my food each night. I realize just how much I eat. (and how much more I eat when I am cycling-my period.) I feel like I have set my self up to fail, because of the binge chocolate candy eating. I always do this!!! It is frustrating for me. I need to figure out a way to not eat what I crave!!!! I did find a great app on the i-phone to log food intake immediately. So far it has had on it every food item I have eaten, with the exception of freezer jam. I love this app, maybe even more than my bodybugg. :)

Clarification!

I would just like to clarify for some of you I may have confused. Everyone should have weighed in at the beginning of the week. From here we weigh in each Sunday morning and from that weight determine either weight lost, maintained, or gained. You should be weighing in the same day each week to track your progress. Each Sunday night you will email Jen Ward at wardjen@ldschurch.org your total points for everything for the week. If there are any other questions let us know. Thanks for joining the fun!!

So far so good!

Well, we are almost through with the first week and it has been a good one. A food journal has never really stopped me from eating what I want. I just eat it and write it down. After talking to a few of you and reading your posts, I decided I better start looking at it differently. So, I started writing down what I was going to eat before I ate it. For some reason, writing it down before has helped me more. Maybe by writing it down first, I am eating it vicariously ;). I am snacking a lot less and sometimes I'll write something down and then decide it's not what I really want. It seems to be working! Great to hear how everyone is doing! Keep up the good work!

Well, this is (for me) the morning after...the day after Chinese food and cheesecake!  My first week and my first attempt ever at blogging.  I thought it would be easy to write cheesecake on my food diary, but it was as hard to do as it was easy to eat!  Oh, I know it was really my "birthday cake," and that's the reason I thought it wuldn't matter (and anyway, it isn't the week of challenge with no refined flour or sugar, right?)!  Only consolation...I didn't eat my usual second piece as a snack later on!   I'm finding that doing my exercise is harder than I thought it would be.  My favorite exercise is walking, and right now that's a little difficult, but hopefully it will get easier as the days go by.  I have my bike, but it's a pain in the you-know-where, and I mean that literally!  Still doing it though...I'm determined to stick it out!  Thanks to everyone who comes up with ideas and inspiration--I'm one who needs them.

Food Journal

I am glad we started the weekly challenge with keeping a food journal. When I track my food I am always shocked at the things I eat each day. I do not realize how many little snack foods I am eating until I really stop to think about what I have put in my mouth. I was so surprised last night when I realized I had eaten 3 sugar cookies without much thought. As a result, today I have really payed attention to my food intake and have actually stopped my mindless snacking quite a few times. It is really hard not to take those mini bite sized chocolate candies and eat them all up, but because I am paying attention to my food intake I don't mindlessly do it without thought of the consequences. Thanks for letting me in on this health Challenge!!

A Food Journal Works for Me

I have to admit when I saw the first challenge it sounded pretty easy to me.  I have never kept a food journal before, but- I thought- I can write down everything I eat in a day.  I was gone most of Monday, so my list wasn't bad. Yesterday was a little bit more challenging.  I was home most of the day. Around 11:00 I started looking for my first snack.  The thought of writing it down made me think twice, instead I had a drink of water.  I decided to keep track of how many times during the day I reached for a snack but put it down when I remembered I would have to write it down.  SEVEN, that is how many times I walked away and had a glass of water instead.  A food journal works for me!

Exercise Wins!!!

For some time I have been trying to get the benefits of exercise out of a cat nap.  Although I found cat naps to be refreshing-sometimes-they can not compare to the way walking made me feel yesterday.  Yay exercise!!

"Live your Life on Purpose"

Hi  my healthy friends and competetors. First time ever  to blog. It works with the help of Hannah.
I was thinking of a mini Mission Statement for this nine week challenge: "Live your Life on Purpose
or in other words choose to act and not to be acted upon. So if you want I'd like to hear what motivates you, and come up with a mini M.S. of your own. Happy record keeping :)

The Challenge I Wasn't Expecting

So I have been thinking about this Health Challenge for a week or so now, contemplating if I should back out or not.  I reviewed the various challenges and decided that it would be good experience for me to stick it out and see how I do.  I figured it would be good for me to do these challenges and become aware of how balanced (or unbalanced)  I am with my health habits.  I spent so much time thinking about and making plans for the upcoming weeks that I forgot  I have to blog about it all.  Let me tell you, this is as much of a challenge as the rest of it.  I feel as though I should know more about computers and technology than I do for my age, not to mention I get really nervous posting things I have written.  I have to thank Jen W. for walking me through how to even sign on to this blog.  Hey maybe, if nothing else, the weekly posting will help me master some of my technical weaknesses as well as overcome my fear of public writing.  I guess that is another good reason for me to "just do it."

Felt great to walk today!

This is just the motivation I needed to get myself out into the cold to walk for an hour.  I love how I feel when I exercise, but I just hate the cold--and don't particularly like to exercise indoors.  I can already feel the difference the walk made today.  Usually I would be DRAGGING by now.  I am tired, but still feeling good!  THANKS!!

My Fitness Pal

Hi Ladies,

I wanted to let you know about myfitnesspal.com.  It is a great way to track your food intake. You can download it as an app on your phone or just using your computer. It tells you all the calories on so many different restaurants and just about every kind of food.

The best part is it is free. Let me know if you have any questions. I have lost 35 pounds since last July. I need another  boost this will be great. Good Luck everyone!

No Where To Hide

I love challenges like these we there is such a great support system. I think I am the luckiest person in the group because I have friends from all aspects of my life participating. Women from my ward, work, and the gym are participating - which means I have no where to hide.

Plus we have the blog to help encourage each other.

This week's challenge is tracking food and I have found that it is always the best thing to help smack you with reality. I know I can always fudge what I think I ate for the day if I don't have to account for it. Keeping a log is such a great way to monitor your calories and fat as well as make you aware of your weaknesses.

Don't forget:

Good luck everyone! Don't forget to build some muscles! I've experienced first hand this month how simply lifting weights has helped me lose weight whereas neglecting muscles and letting them turn to fat even though I'm still working out and eating right has not produced results. So don't make the same mistakes that I did and pump some iron!

Accountability

I love this first challenge. It's what I really need. I'm a runner. I love to exercise, and because of that, I can get away with bad food choices sometimes. Key word: sometimes! Lately my bad food choices have been all of the time. I try to rationalize my way out of it because according to my BMI, I'm not overweight. But just barely. I want to be more comfortably situated in the "normal" range, and a big part of that will be getting my enormous sweet tooth under control!

Life is about balance, and right now I am way out of balance. I know I can't eliminate my guilty pleasures completely. I'm really hoping this food journal will keep me in check. The mere thought of jotting down "half a bag of Hershey's mini kisses" in said journal makes me cringe. I'm hoping to keep a food journal as an ongoing thing. Not just this week. That's right. I'm saying that right here to make myself accountable.

Good luck everyone!!!

So it begins

Remember...you get in shape in the gym, but you lose weight in the kitchen.

Best of luck to everyone!

Nothing is Impossible

Good Luck Everyone!

Best of luck to everyone!  I hope you gain better health by the time the 9 weeks is up! 
I created a spreadsheet to keep track of my progress.  I'd love to share it with you.  You can access it here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/52659280/Health%20Challenge.pdf

On your honor

Since tomorrow is day one please be sure to weigh yourself. You don't have to share your number but you do need to know it for points each week. Of course if you want to share please feel free. I'm so excited so many people joined.

Jen W.

I am just thinking in Advance!!!

I was looking through the weekly challenges and am just wondering if someone has any ideas for meals for families on the "no refined flours and sugars" week. Let me know! stephmatth6@yahoo.com !!! Thanks so much!

And their off.......

.....well almost.

Please get your $20 to Jen Matthews (or Jen Ward if she is the only one you know) by Saturday January 21^st (yep 3 days from now).

The challenge will start on Monday January 23^rd. All the rules are posted on the blog.

Reporting points for the week: Email wardjen@ldschurch.org your weekly total of points and I will update the running total on the blog. Please have those updates to me by Sunday so we start each week with a current total count.

An email will be headed your way shortly.