Busy!

I'm suprised at how easy last week was for me. I didn't see that coming at all. With that said, I'm positive that I won't be saying the same thing about next week's challenge. I have a lot going on in my life right now (good things!), and I don't know if I will have the time or patience to figure out what I can or can't eat and then implement it into cooking for my family. We'll see how it goes.

Because I am crazy busy, it's nice to be "required" to sleep for at least 7 hours each night. I get up at 5:30 to work out every morning, and I'm often up past 10:30 or 11:00 at night. When that happens, I really feel it the next day. I'm making sure that I am in bed by 10:00. I felt so refreshed this morning! It was fantastic. And thank you for the counting tip. It worked great for me!

My current motivator for getting up so early is the BBC's tv show Robin Hood. (On Netflix). I just want to cheer after every episode! There are only three seasons because the writers did something IDIOTIC at the end of the second season, but I am still very entertained. Richard Armitage (of North and South fame) plays an evil/sometimes good guy. Love it! Seriously, finding something like a good flick or a good friend to motivate you to exercise is key. Good luck everyone.

Good Night! Sleep Tight!

I wanted to give you a tip if you have a hard time falling asleep or getting back to sleep after being woken up.

Count backwards from 300 by 3's.  300, 297, 294.......etc.

My mother has a hard time sleeping and shared this with me!

I am blessed to be able to hit the pillow and be out. Being able to get renewed and refreshed for a new day is so important. My heart goes out to people who have a tough time with sleeping! I will be praying that you will all get a wonderful nights's sleep this week!

Rebecca

No refined flour and sugar-

I know next week has a few of you a little worried. So, in an attempt to answer questions and calm fears ;) I will try to clarify and give ideas. May I also suggest that everyone post one recipe or meal idea so we have a lot of different options. The purpose is to recognize how much we rely on our processed (and therefore less healthy) foods. Natural is of course always the best choice but the main idea of the challenge is small changes. So, give this week a try and see what small changes will work for you!

Many of you know I have done this before. So, rather than reinvent anything I will repost the information from the last time I did this. It may get kind of long but hang in there!! Hopefully it will clarify everything and you will find some very helpful information. If you still have questions or concerns please ask here or email me at jen.matthews@comcast.net.

Basically, it's no refined sugar (white, brown, powdered..), but honey, agave syrup, pure maple syrup, evaporated cane juice syrup are all still okay. Anything that just sugar or any form of fructose corn syrup is out. No refined flour, so anything whole grain is still fine. Whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas or wraps, whole wheat bread would all work.

So, for example, you could have plain yogurt with honey or vanilla, but the flavored types (with a lot of added sugar) would be out. Greek yogurts are okay but be careful because some can be very high in fat. Many of the Kashi cereals would be fine - they are made with all whole grains, and cane juice as a sweetener. Oatmeal with honey or maple syrup would work for breakfast also. Any natural sugar or sweetener is still okay - fruits and juices are all acceptable. Tortilla chips - as long as they're corn, would be fine. Again, as long as there's no refined flour or sugar in there you're good.

Another post from my last challenge that was really helpful-

I have found some yummy snacks: Kashi makes a dark chocolate oatmeal cookie that is totally whole grains and un-refined sugar. They aren't the best cookie I've ever had, but they do help to fill that sweet need I have. Also, Lara bars and Trio bars. Lara bars are just fruit and nuts and spices (like cinnamon) made into a chewy bar. Also helps hit the sweet spot with out refined sugars or flours. Trio bars have 3 nuts, 3 seeds and 3 fruits in each bar. They are definitely sweeter because they are made with some un-refined, yet natural, sweeteners. I found all 3 of these products at Costco, not some health food store. I actually don't know any health food stores in my new area, but I'm finding that normal grocery stores carry many healthier choices. I've also been looking at a lot of canned items - if you look you can find ones that don't have sugar. I've found it's often the cheaper generic brands that don't add in the sugar.

I went through my fridge and pantry today to see the list I could come up with of items that are okay for this "no refined" challenge. I was surprised how long it was:
milk, cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, hummus, spinach, carrots, apples, pears, lettuce, garlic, mustard, whole wheat tortillas, plain greek yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, butter, salt, grilled chicken, salsa (the green kind I happened to have in my fridge), soy sauce, onion, chopped green chilis, fruit juice (no sugar added)
natural peanut butter, honey whole wheat bread ( you'll really have to read the labels on bread. I'll probably bake some for this week, but it is possible to find!), cornmeal, rice, vinegar, nuts,
oil, Kashi cereal, oatmeal, corn tortilla chips, tuna, diced tomatoes, popcorn, fruit crisps (Freeze dried fruit)
Whole Wheat pasta, ranch dressing mix (mix with sour cream for a dip, or buttermilk/milk and sour cream for a dressing), many canned veggies - just read the labels.

I also looked through my recipes to find ones that would work.

Baked Cream Chicken Taquitos (these are a family favorite - so yummy. Just make sure you use corn tortillas or whole wheat tortillas.)
Cafe Rio style food - I have a shredded chicken recipe that I'll have to change up a little to make homemade dressing for (store bought always adds sugar) but I found one here. Then you just cook the chicken breasts in the dressing with some chili powder, cumin and garlic, on low for several hours, serve on a bed of lettuce with homemade pico, gaucamole, sour cream, cilantro lime dressing, made with sour cream, instead of mayo, and corn tortilla chips. YUM!
Spaghetti Carbonara (with whole wheat spaghetti)
Homemade spaghetti sauce - my recipe has canned tomatoe puree (Great Value makes one that is only tomatoes, nothing added), carrots, onion, celery, Italian sausage, italian seasonings and salt, cooked all day, and then processed until smooth. I find it's a great way for my kids to get some veggies without complaining. Then serve with whole wheat pasta. I sometimes cook myself whole wheat separate from the family, and let them have white pasta, but not all the time...
Cheeseburgers on a whole wheat bun with gaucamole and veggies
Grilled chicken with steamed veggies and a whole wheat roll.
Black Bean and Corn Salad - one of my all time favorite dishes. I like to add grilled chicken and chopped romaine lettuce. Serve with sour cream and corn tortillas. A great way to increase your veggie intake as well.
Baked Potatoes topped with cheese, ranch dip (see above), bacon, scallions, butter, salt, I could go on and on...

White chicken Chili. I LOVE this soup. Just check the labels on your canned foods to make sure there's no sugar in there. And corn tortilla chips to top it off. I love to throw some avocado chunks into mine.
Black Bean Soup Another fave. Can you tell where I go to find great recipes?
Taco Soup - again, you'll have to check out your labels to make sure you're going sugar free on this one. I also found a recipe for taco seasoning that looked really easy, in case yours has sugar or flour. Again serve with corn tortilla chips, light sour cream, cheddar cheese, avocado, etc.

Hopefully you will find this helpful and make next week a little less intimidating! I must say I am so proud of everyone for working hard and sticking it out!! Please don't give up! If you have fallen back recommit and start where we are now. We are almost there!

Well, 4 out of 7 ain't bad.  This week we had 2 birthday celebrations and a mission 'farewell' and, yes, I succumbed. And, may I say, it was delicious!  This week has taught me that I'm very glad the best adage for nutrition is all things in moderation.  We don't have to give up sweets, we just have to be mindful of how much we eat.

I know that this coming challenge--get 7 hours of sleep--will be extremely difficult.  Life is just too crazy.
Oh well, at least this challenge keeps me exercising, thanks for that!

Not so bad

I dreaded this week but now looking back, it wasn't so bad. I discovered that I probably mindlessly eat sweets because they are there but by declining i realized that I didn't miss eating the goodies. In reality, very few desserts and sweets are worth the calories, so now I will be better at deciding if the calories are worth it.

It's Almost Over!

This challenge has been my least favorite so far. It's probably the best one for me but that doesn't mean I like it. I can't believe how often I wanted something sweet this week. Even while I'm typing this I want to go eat something sweet. That would be totally dumb since it's almost bedtime on the last day of the challenge (yes, I go to bed early).

I'm surprised at how much fun I am having doing this. Thanks again for challenging me!

Small Triumph....sort of!

I have done this week of no sweets before...a couple times. The first time was the hardest by far. It seems everyday there was something deliciously out of the ordinary I had to resist. The second time was easier for sure. I wasn't too worried this time because I knew I could do it. Monday we were out of town with family. I had sent all our treats and temptations home with Spencer so there would be nothing for me to tempt me. Well, I started out just fine. As the day progressed, I was talking to my nephew who is currently at BYU. He was telling me about a project he had done in his entrepreneur class. He proceeded to tell me about a project one of the other groups had done....cake bites. One girl had made 900 cake bites to sell. As he was telling me this, he pulled them out and told me to try it. They were cherry which doesn't appeal to me at all but just to be polite, and clearly without thinking, I took one and had a bite. As I took my second bite, it occurred to me what I had done and I spit out the second bite. Here's where the small triumph comes in-although I had already blown it for the day-I did not have another sweet for the rest of the day. (this is where you ooh and aah) I'm not going to lie-I don't know if I can go another week for the make up points-one week is hard enough....but we'll see what Monday brings!!

Happy Sleeping!!

Keep up the Good Work!

You are all doing an amazing job! You are great examples to me and are helping me stay positive. Thanks friends! This week has been really hard for me...full of stress and temptation...but I am staying the course and hanging in there.

I have had to avoid the doughnuts and chocolate milk my son had Monday am, the Peanut Butter Bars at Family Night, the homemade chocolates my daughter made,  lunch out with Grandma and a box of chocolates my mom brought over. Yikes! For some who don't like sweets this week has probably been a breeze but for me it has been really tough. I am just grateful that I haven't slipped as I've made treats for the family or walked in my sleep to the choclate stash :) We can do this ladies! Thanks for reminding me we can do hard things!!

A quote from a friend: " Never underestimate the power of doing the simple things the right way in a consistent manner." Janalyn Holt

Keep up the good work!

Rebecca

I'm obviously not the only one!

So, in just scanning the entries this week, I am not alone. I agree that being told I can't do something is much harder that being told I can. Monday was the longest day EVER! Probably because I had the day off and didn't have my normal schedule to follow and really wanted junk. I made it through the day somehow and then have made it through the week. How, I have no idea. Only two and half more to go. It seems every day I crave something sweet, which isn't like me. Don't get me wrong, I like my sweets, but I have never been a person who has them every day.

This weekend my niece, who is 8, is coming to stay with my sister and me. We usually watch movies, eat popcorn, eat junk food and go and do fun things. Well the movie and fun things will still happen I just have to remember I can't eat the sweets. Her mom told me this morning that she was packing treats for our movie watching. Ought to be fun tonight!

Last week my challenge was to get 7 and 1/2 to 8 hours of sleep a night and continue drinking 64 oz. of water. The sleep was so hard! I felt like I was rushing each night just to make it to bed on time. I did make it, but it was difficult. The water has been easy for me, I have continued to drink at least 64 oz this week.

This is the longest week...

I've sure appreciated what you all have been sharing.  It's so helpful to know that some of you have been having some of the same feelings that I have.  I never realized how often I pick up some little piece of something sweet just because it's left-over, the only one there, or I don't know what to do with it.  Yesterday was a friend's birthday, and on Tuesday I thought I would make her some special cupcakes!  Then I quickly realized I couldn't do that--couldn't taste the icing to make sure it had enough of something in it, etc.  So I went to Sugar Daisy and bought her some cupcakes!  This has been hard enough--not looking forward to two weeks from now with no sugar or white flour. I'll have to try Rebecca's bread!

I can do this right?

Can I just say how hard this challenge is for me? I am struggling like none other. I am looking for ways to get a food fix without eating "sweets." I am the girl that ALWAYS has a little hershey kiss after every meal. I was just telling my husband how hard this is for me. I am dying. (okay not really, but it is sure feeling that way!)

I have found that I am eating more all-natural fruit leathers. The ones from Costco. They give me a half serving of fruit and I am able to stay away from sweets.

I asked for a definition of what this challenge was to one of the other participants, and after talking with her, I realize that her view is not my view. With that said, I am avoiding candies of all kinds and then baked goodies; brownies, pies, cookies, bars and cakes. I can handle this a little easier. Maybe other's feel like it needs to be more, but for me, this is what works.

Here is to three more days of this. I can do this! I know I can! I KNOW I can! I KNOW I CAN!!!!!

You're not alone-We can do this

Sundays are pretty slow at my house. Our church doesn't start until 1:00 and my husband is gone most of the morning, so we read and play games.  We have a late breakfast and then eat dinner after church.  Fast Sunday is not so slow, by 9:00 my son is counting down the hours until we get home from church so he can eat.  In February I teased him.  I reminded him that we didn't normally have breakfast until 10:00 on Sunday-and at 9:00 he was starving.  We laughed, it is a mental game.

So last night I told my daughter that I couldn't wait until Monday.  She laughed and said she couldn't believe it was so hard because I didn't eat a lot of treats anyway.  I just smiled and told her it was like fast sunday.  I had even picked out the candy bar I was going to eat for breakfast on Monday.  Funny thing, I never eat a whole candy bar by myself. When you can't have something it seems like you want it evern more.

I have learned that it is easier for me to 'do' an activity than 'not do' an activity.  I can count water and write down food, but if it is a don't do week I am constantly asking myself, "Can I do/eat this?" 

--Yes we can do this.

Any menu suggestions for week 7?  I am starting to collect ideas-potato bar, taco salad (with corn chips), omelets, haystacks...

Mental Health

I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel as though I am mentally exhausted from this challenge.  We are halfway through it and I am beginning to lose the initial excitement that kept me really motivated.  I am hoping I can keep pushing forward.  

This challenge has opened my eyes to negative habits and tendencies I didn't know I had.  On the positive, it has made me see that I do have inner strength and discipline.  This week in particular, I am realizing that this challenge requires an enormous amount of mental strength.  Various circumstances have come up this past week that have added an increase level of stress to my life.  I feel I do a decent job with managing stress, but this week I am coming up short.  It hit me that I am probably more uptight because I can't turn to food to ease the tension in my life.  Surprisingly I look forward to the time I get to workout, knowing it will help lift my spirits.  I know that if I continue to do these hard things, they will get easier, and hopefully become second nature.

I have always loved this quote:

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed, but our power to do so is increased.” 

― Heber J. Grant

To quote Frasier Crane, "wishing you all good mental health."

No Sweets Update

I needed to share with everyone how proud I am of making it 3 days (almost) of no sweets. I guess I can't fully count today because it isn't done yet, but I still can't believe I have made it this far.

I grew up in a house where we had dessert after lunch and dinner. My body is trained to have a little something sweet after every meal. I do find my body wanting that sweet ending to my meal. But I have resisted the urge so far, even with Red Vines staring at me in my cupboard last night.

Now I just have to make it 4 more days.

Whew

I barely made it through last week. Last minute, my family and I decided to go away for the weekend. I had chosen to drink 64 ounces of water, not eat after 8 and keep a food journal. The journal was the easiest part. Because it was a long drive, I didn't want to drink too much water during the day. That left the night time to catch up. But I did it!

Not eating after 8 was also a challenge, being on vacation. This was probably the hardest. One night I really really wanted an E.L. Fudge double-stuffed cookie after 8. Luckily, my husband is my biggest cheerleader, and he convinced me it wasn't worth it to slack off. I used to think that I wasn't capable of mustering up enough willpower to do things like this. I'm proving myself wrong and it feels great!

So....with a weekend of indulging in sweets behind me, I enter into this week having convinced myself completely that I am ready for a break from them. (I'm convinced that this is a mental, not physical battle). It was hard riding in the car on the way home and keeping my hands off the Swedish fish and m&m's, but I did it. One day down. I'm taking this one day at a time. I've never gone an entire week without sweets before. I'm fairly certain of that. There's a first time for everything!

I'm a little worried about my weigh-in at the end of this week. Sometimes I over-compensate the lack of sweets with eating other unhealthy things. I am not going to do that this time! I have lost a little bit each week so far, and I hope it will continue.

Go for this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

No Sweets? No Way..

This is going to be a tough week for me. I love sweets! And most of you know that my favorite thing in the world to do is recipe test desserts. Since I work with a bunch of you I will help you out this week by not testing any recipes and bringing in sweets.

It doesn't help that I have 3-4 slices of Sour Cream-Lemon Pie at my house right now. I am going to throw it in the trash unless someone wants to come claim it tonight for their family.

It's a good thing I have not realized my dream of owning a bakery. There is no way I would make it through the challenge this week. But I am determine to stay strong and stay away from the cookies in my cupboard and the Red Vines and the Tootsie Pops and candy bars. Maybe I should just stay away from my house all together.

My solution for this week is to have tons of fruit on hand so that when the cravings begin I can eat an apple, nectarine, blueberries, banana. The other thing that has helped me in the past has been to eat one teaspoon of peanut butter when the cravings start.

Fruits and Vegetables and Brownies

I picked the challenge to eat 3 fruits and 3 vegetables a day because I wanted to work on eating more healthy foods.  It was tough for me.  I did find myself eating less "other stuff" because the serving of fruit and the serving of vegetable each meal really helped fill me up.  Confession...I had family over this evening for some games and I ate a bunch of brownies.  It was partially because I knew I couldn't have sweets this next week, but it was also because I tried a new recipe, that made me feel less guilty.  I made the brownies with a can a pureed black beans instead of using the oil and the egg.  I found the idea online and it worked great.

Healthy Mind, Healthy Body

What should I blog about? I guess my challenge this week was a mental one. I tried to feed my mind with positive thoughts. About me, about others. I tried to push myself in my workouts harder than I have in the past, and try to reach my limits. Follow through with the decisions I was to make. It is soooo mental. Making decisions is, and it takes practice. A lot of trial and error. I ran the mile and 800m at Simplot. I had a goal that would push me, and I achieved that goal! I am really working hard to develop mental strength and health... It really all starts in out thoughts- sow a thought, reap an action; so an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap an eternal destiny. "IT" being everything. Keeping positive thoughts is, I think, the beginning to achieving a healthy life. ;)

Eating together

So my health challenge this week was to sit down as a family and eat our family dinner meal together. I fixed some good meals and the family (when we were together) enjoyed eating together. They seemed more satisfied with their meal and I think we snacked less.  Sometimes there was only three of us but it still was just as important to sit down and eat together.  I want to continue this again this coming week. Have a good week everyone and keep up the good health challenge.

I can't believe we are already to week #5.  It's hump week - next week starts our downhill slide.  That must mean it's gonna get easier, right?  This past week I have been grateful to be participating in this challenge with all of you.  It has gotten me out to exercise when I probably would not have had it not been for this challenge.  Thanks!  This week's challenge is going to be a challenge for me.  Good luck everyone!

Glad the week is over

Doing the Special K challenge was rough. It is difficult to limit yourself to a few food choices. It taught me that it is just better to eat healthy and in moderation. Plus, I pretty sure it is a marketing ploy to get you to eat the cereal.

A Funtastic Week

I absolutely loved this week! I learned so much from my challenge of health tips. I learned so many new things. I posted what I would be doing the night before so that I had to be accountable and follow through. I found some fun challenges that went along with the days of the week. I posted about my experiences each day. I'm sure it was a bit wearisome to see me posting so much but due to the fact that it is challenging for me to be blogging I found it very helpful!

I am loving this challenge and even looking forward to this week which is one I have been dreading. :) Best of luck everyone! Having friends to share this Health Challenge with is SWEET and I will be focusing on that!

Rebecca

Goal Update

It has felt a little strange this week with everyone working on individual goals, but a good opportunity to work on something we feel is important.

My goal was to track my daily fiber intake and take steps to improve where needed.  I learned two things: 1- I was not doing as bad as I thought, I was getting about 2/3rds of what I needed 18 out of 25 grams, 2- There are little things I can do to improve.  I thought eating a green salad at lunch was good, it is only about 3g of fiber, but if you add 1/4 cup of craisins it doubles.  Multigrain bread is better than wheat, and a bowl of fruit with breakfast usually double the fiber in multigran cereal. By the end of the week I was closer to 23 grams. The shift to 25 this week shouldn't be a problem.

Today I am cleaning my kitchen of all the half empty boxes and bags of treats.  If the bag is open it is easy to sneak a snack, but if it isn't open it won't be as much of a temptation. 

Good luck with the goal this week. 

My challenge this week!

I decided for my challenge to continue to eat a balanced diet all day. Eat a treat when craving one to see if I could Maintain all week. It was a success! Ok course I need to lose more but maintaining can be a challenge after losing 30 pounds.

My Challenge Day 7

For today it was fun to teach the kids that they could watch a movie and enjoy a healthy and fun snack! I provided grapes and the 1/4 cup of M&Ms recommended in the post. My kids thought a 1/4 cup was PLENTY!

For Sunday...Tip #74 from Melanie Douglass

Spiritual Motivation

"Most of us know what steps we should to improve our health. Eat more fruits and veggies. Drink more water. Eat less fat. Eat less every-thing. Exercise more. Does any of this sound like breakthrough science? Likely no. We've heard all this before-so why is it so hard to follow through with these basic health principles? Life is busy; that's for sure. Sometime you just don't have the time or the resources to make the healthiest choice. But let's be honest-sometimes we simply lack the motivation to make better choices.

     If you suffer from lack of motivation today, read Doctrine and Covenants section 89. It's only twenty-one verses long, and it teaches and reminds us about our great "principle with promise": the Word of Wisdom. The Word of Wisdom clearly tells what we should eat in order to be spiritually and physically strong--helping us to feel our best and live to our full potential. Verses 18 to 21 explain the benefits of obeying the Word of
Wisdom; those verses are especially inspirational, encouraging, and motivational."

I'll be reading this section again on Sunday to motivate me and remind me of the real benefits to healthy living!

Rebecca

I have to admit that for me this week has been the most difficult one so far--and it's really my fault!  I really wanted to do this challenge--not for the hope of winning some money--but to get myself on track and be able to accomplish some of the other things I needed to do. 

One of my life challenges at this time is to get my hip back to normal so that I can walk without a limp and so that I won't get so tired before the day ends.  So this week my own choice of challenge was to faithfully and COMPLETELY do my "hip" exercises.  Oh, I've been doing them since I got home from rehab, but not as faithfully as I should, so I thought this would help me be more diligent.  You've heard of self-defeating behavior(!) and that's kind of what I've been doing this week.  Instead of getting up and doing my exercises when I'm "fresh" and not tired out, for the most part I've been waiting until day's end (even as late as 11:00 p.m.) to do them.  I will say that I have done them, but it has been hard and definitely not a pleasant experience.  If only walking or riding the bike would fix it, I'd have it made!

I plan to continue on next week with my exercises, so wish me luck.  "No sugar" will probably be equal to this week's challenge. 

I wish you all a wonderful sugar-free week!

If only it were that easy!

French fries.

Potato chips.

Apple pie.

Chocolate covered strawberries.

Peach cobbler.

5 servings of fruits and veggies-check!

If only it were that easy!!

I can do this!

Here we are nearing the end of the fourth week and I am wondering how I am going to fare this weekend. It is President's weekend and going to be beautiful here in sunny St. George. Now for most people this wouldn't pose any sort of a problem, but for me it is going to be HARD!!!! All of our extended family lives along the Wasatch front and we have three families coming into town and my in-laws. How in the world am I supposed to be having fun when I continued the "no" eating after 8:00 at night? I have to admit that I am praying for the will power and self control to do this. It is going to be interesting. I have to remind myself about the monetary reward to keep me going. I hope to get to the point that it is the "good" feeling that I get from being healthy!

My Challenge Day 6

Today's challenge was fun because I got to eat at a Mexican Restaurant! I used a couple of the tips...on my salad I picked off the tortilla strips and I ate half the salad which was just the right size!

Now for Saturday's challenge. Tip #148 from Melanie Douglass

Movie Night...with Healthy Snacks!

Watch a movie with your family tonight. There is one rule, however: you have to serve healthy snacks. Seriously your body will appreciate it! When you barely move a muscle for two hours and top it off by eating a bunch of high-calorie food, your poor body has to find a place to use or store all those extra calories.

     Here's to the healthiest movie-watching experience of your life. Try one or two of these ideas:

• A bowl of mixed fresh fruit: grapes, cantaloupe, berries, and so forth
• Plain popcorn: with a dash of salt and a little spray butter
• Veggie tray: dip with ranch dressing, but not sour-cream-based ranch dip
• One portion of one treat per person: one-quarter cup M&Ms, two small cookies, and so forth (allow one portion; then put the rest away--out of sight)
• Hard candies: try four to six per person (they take longer to eat and can satisfy a sweet tooth with a small amount of calories)
• Sugar-free frozen yogurt: skip the ten to twelve teaspoons of sugar in regular frozen yogurt
• Ice water

I'm doing this on Saturday!


Rebecca

My Challenge:



This week I decided to do portion control. My goal is to not eat more than 500 calories in one sitting. This challenge will force me to spread my caloric intake throughout the day instead of eating a lot at lunch time. It has been going really well. Soups are my go to food for lower calories and feeling just as full as eating a regular meal.
Thanks Rebecca for all the recipes!

My Challenge- Day 5

Report on today...I enjoyed some healthy fat...20 walnuts for a snack. Yum.

For tomorrow, Friday, tip #229 from Melanie Douglass

Eating in a Mexican Restaurant?

Mexican food is one of the most popular cuisines in America today. And like many restaurants, the wrong menu choice can conjure up metabolic mayhem thanks to a huge portion of food laden in calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium.

If you'll be gracing a Mexican restaurant with your presence today, try to make it a more helathful visit by following these rules:

• Order one entree. Skip the combination platter.
• Order black beans, not refried.
• If the main entree is served in a hefty portion size (sensible portions fit in the palm of your hand), skip the rice.
• Don't eat more than ten chips with salsa.
• If your entree contains cheese, skip sour cream and guacamole.

For Salads

• Skip fried tortilla strips.
• Pick one of these high-fat toppings: cheese, guacamole, or sour cream.
• Order baked taco shells or fresh tortilla "soft shells." No fried versions.
• If the salad has rice and beans in it, top with a low-fat or fat-free salad dressing.

I'm going to try this great tip Friday!

Rebecca

My Challenge- Day 4

The wheat bread was fabulous! I ground the wheat and usually I make it half white and half wheat but this whole wheat was very good. My whole family enjoyed it!

On to tomorrow's challenge...

"A Matter of Fat ( Tip #328 Melanie Douglass)

Eat something that's a good source of one of the healthy fats today. We Americans need a bit of retraining to realize that the right kind of fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet. Monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids are the healthiest fats; they promote cardiovascular health, and omega-3's can actually reduce the risk of dying from a heart attack. People often get confused about which fat is healthy and which fat is bad so check out the list below-- if you eat it, you'll remember it! Eat one of these healthy fats today:

• 1 ounce almonds or walnuts (1 handful or about 20 nuts)
• 1/4 of an avocado
• 1-2 tablespoons ground flax seed (add to any baked item or cereal)
• 1 tablespoon flax seed oil or fish oil
• 6 ounces fatty fish ( salmon, trout, herring, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter".

I'm going to try one of these healthy fats on Thursday!

Rebecca

My Challenge- Day 3

Report on today...i have never savored a piece of chocolate by letting it just melt in my mouth. It was great.

For Wednesday, ( Tip #11 by Melanie Douglass)

Baking for Busy Moms: Wholesome Whole-Wheat Bread

Try this simple and delicious homemade whole-wheat bread recipe.

Homemade Whole-Wheat Bread
Stir the following together and set aside:
1/4 cup warm water
1 T yeast
1 t sugar
In a separate bowl, mix together:
2 1/2 Cups hot water
1/4 cup canola oil ( i use olive)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 T salt
3 cups whole-wheat flour
Add yeast mixture and mix for 5 to 10 minutes.
Next add:
1/2 cup potato flakes (optional)
3 to 4 more cups whole-wheat flour
Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Divide the dough into 2 loaves and place in bread pans coated with cooking spray. Let the dough rise ntil it doubles in size; if you're in a hurry, let it rise for about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Makes 2 loaves.

Enjoy! This is what I'll be doing to stay healthy on Wednesday!

Rebecca

My Challenge- Day 2

Today I followed through on teaching my family about health. We had a brief demonstration, did Jen Ward's fitness set (once) and then went on a walk! It was excellent to share what I've been learning with my family!

For tomorrow, a fitting tip. (#35 by Melanie Douglass)

Valentine's Day: For the Love of Chocolate

Nothing means Valentine's Day more than chocolate. Enjoy some chocolate today, but keep it under control:

• Go for darker chocolate. If you've heard the rumor that "chocolate is good for you," you need to know it's dark chocolate that actually contains more of the beneficial antioxidants (in the form of flavonoids) that are good for your heart and blood pressure. Dark chocolate is richer but is usually more satisfying, so you'll eat less chocolate overall.
• Let it melt in your mouth.  Let the chocolate melt in your mouth so you fully taste it. If it takes you longer to eat, you'll eat less of it.
• Spread it out over a few days. See, I'm doing you a favor-now you get to eat chocolate for more than just one day. Really, it's better for you to not overload on a bunch of chocolate at once. You can't buy a bag or box of chocolate and expect it to "serve one". Every bag or box of chocolate will give you more than you need in a day, so eat small amounts and spread it out."  

Happy Valentine's Day!

Rebecca

I am running a race in June that I am supposed to be training for and haven't been. I am most definitely NOT a runner so I really need the training. So, for my challenge this week I am going to train everyday. I was supposed to start training 3 weeks ago and have only run 1 day. This is going to be very challenging for me. I hope I am up for it!

So, trying to come up with a challenge that would actually challenge me but that I could actually reasonably do has been difficult. I think I have figured it out though. I want to continue with last week's challenge of 64 oz of water a day in addition to getting 7 & 1/2 -8 hours of sleep a night. I have been worn out the last two weeks and complain every morning how tired I am. I need more sleep. So, lets see if I can be successful. It's not good to fall asleep at work!Good thing the challenge starts today, I would have lost out last night!

Fresh Food and an Inspiring Story

As I have been thinking about this "choose your own challenge" I thought it would be good to increase my awareness of serving sizes by measuring out all of my portions.  However, before I posted my goal, I decided to look back at my food journal to see if there was anything else that would be better to focus on.  As I looked I noticed I had little to no fruits or vegetables in a day.  Instead my meals were full of pre-prepared boxed and frozen foods.  I realized that having good portions isn't going to help if I am not eating the right foods.  I need the vitamins and minerals that come from FRESH FOODS.  This week my goal is to eat 3 servings of fruits, and 3 servings of vegetables each day.  I hope I will learn to like the natural sweetness of fruit, so I can use it as a substitue next week when I can't have sweets!

On a separate note, I wanted to share a brief thought from the LDS Worldwide Leadership Training on Saturday.   We watched a video that told the story of a deacon (a boy age 12 or 13), Spencer,  who felt responsible to care for the other boys in his quorum.  One of these boys, Dayton, had cerebral palsy and could only communicate through blinking.  Spencer wanted Dayton to be able to do things like other kids and invited him to do a triathlon.  Dayton blinked a "yes," so Spencer pushed and pulled Dayton through the entire triathlon.  Spencer said it was more difficult than the other triathlons he had done alone but he knew a good friend was only 5 feet away from him the whole time, and that kept him going.  This is a very inspiring story of love and service.  I was also inspired when Spencer said that he felt good knowing he could do hard things.  This health challenge is a hard thing but I know we can do it and that we will all feel better having done it.

Here is the link to the video.  Spencer and Dayton complete triathlon together I encourage all of you to watch this story.  Its only a couple of minutes long but is very moving.  The actual video begins at the 24:00 minute mark and goes to 26:41.

WE TOO CAN DO HARD THINGS!

This week

Last week was definitely eye opening for me as far as my water consumption is concerned. Despite the frequent bathroom trips, I'm going to drink 64 ounces of water again this week. And for good measure I'm going to tack on keeping a food journal and not eating after 8:00 as well. These things have really kept me in check. The water thing is difficult for me, and therein comes the challenge part.

I'm gearing up for next week. No sweets! Aaah!! I'm already beginning the mental battle for that one. I always joke that I exercise to support my habits. It's true. And I could never give up sweets altogether, but what's a week in the grand scheme of things, right?

I'm just glad it's not this week. My ward's RS is having a "Chocolate Appreciation" night on Wednesday and it would have been a shame to miss it. :) Good luck with your individual challenges everyone!

Fiber Anyone?

Last week I realized that I didn't get as much water as I should, so I wondered if there was anything else that my diet may be lacking.  Because of thyroid issues I make sure I get plenty of calcium, and we are really good about eating fruits and vegetables.  One thing I don't know about fiber.
My challenge for this week is to keep track of what I eat and see if I am getting enough fiber in my diet.  I originally thought I would say get 100% of daily fiber-25g.  Then as I was reading about it this morning I read that if you dramatically increase the amount of fiber in your diet it could have undesirable side effects-bloating, gas, cramps etc.  Doesn't sound fun, so I will monitor my fiber and if necessary make small increases daily.  But for now, I need to know where I am.

Good luck with your personal challenges!

Hardest challenge yet

This was the hardest challenge yet for me.  I started out great, but the week got stressful early on and I went down hill from there.  MAYBE I'll try a double challenge week this week, but maybe not. 

For my challenge this week I am going to be mindful of having protein, fruit/vegetable, and whole grains for breakfast every day.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so best to make it healthy!

Good luck everyone!  hope you have a successful week!

better skin

I loved this week's water challenge.  Sometimes I forget how much I love water and what it does for my skin. I drank little milk and mostly water and I noticed a good difference. At first it was hard to get it all in but as time went on I started to crave and enjoy just water.

So my new challenge for the coming week is to eat dinner together as a family at a regular time.  That might sound funny for those of you with small children but, where we have youth going in every directions this is a real challenge.  Tuesday evening dinner will be else where so I thought breakfast as a family. But we are committing to every other evening.

WOW what a week!!!!

What a week ya'll!!  Wasn't it great!!! I love drinking water!!  64oz a day it's great!!  So I like to post the adventures i go on and this past week for one of my adventures, I swam a mile!  It was so fun!!!  Swimming is great exercise, nice on the joints and very relaxing too!  I'm also learning how to do the butterfly stroke, that is a challenge but it's coming along:)  I also went on a 30 mile bike ride!  That was great!  This winter has been so accommodating, I love it!!  I rode from my house to the top of antelope drive and then just rode my bike down the road all the way to antelope island! and then back to my house!  It was a great day for a ride!  Needless to say, I'm training for a triathlon for this summer. Does anyone want to train with me? It'll be fun!!!  Well have a great week!  Keep up the good work ladies!!!

You are what you eat...

Food. We love it. It fuels our bodies; we eat it when we're sad, we eat it when we're happy. Sometimes we don't even know why we're eating it. Sugar, fat and salt are what fuels our appetites to eat more sugar, fat and salt. For next week, the challenge of my choosing is to stay away from them and eat for fuel. WOO! I am a firm believer in "you are what you eat."

My very "special" challenge

I was stumped on what to challenge myself with this week when I realized I had quite a stockpile of Special K cereal (there was a good sale on them last month) and decided to take the Special K Challenge. Meal 1 is a bowl of Special K and some fruit. Meal 2 can be another bowl of cereal or a protein shake plus fruit. The third meal is as I normally would. They allow 2 snacks. I'm hoping it will teach me about portion control and being satisfied before I get too full. I also hope I don't hate cereal by the end of the week.

Next Week's Challenge - Day 1

For today I am going to have a Family Night Health Lesson ( Tip #345 from Healthy Living)

"It's shocking and horrifying. We are now seeing children and teenagers with early signs of heart disease, high blood pressure, and full-blown diabetes. Your children or grandchildren are growing up in times that are different from your own childhood! Technology and time-saving devices are robbing us of the daily physical activity we so desperately need to be healthy and strong.

Have one of your children sit on the couch. Ask him to change the TV channel by using the remote. Then ask him to get up and walk to change the TV channel. Let him sit back down, get comfy, and ask him yet again to get up and walk to change the TV channel. Have fun with it and repeat as many times as you like.

This object lesson will help your kids understand how the little chances to move muscles can add up to make a big difference through-out the day. Give a short lesson on the value of exercise and make plans to go for a walk or play a game of sports as a family. Kids need at least sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day. And every bit of activity counts!"

I'm in charge of the Activity tomorrow so this will work perfectly!

Rebecca

I'm glad it's over!

So last week I posted about choosing to be happy, and then I had a rough week. That will teach me! I am so happy this week is over. It was a long, hard week at work. Good thing there are weekends!!

The challenge wasn't a hard for me this week, 64 oz of water a day. I did have a few more interruptions during the day for those restroom breaks, but I felt good drinking water. Then again that is all I drink.

I have been thinking a lot about what challenge I would choose for the coming week. I think this will be the most difficult of all because I have to choose it and then stick to it. Hmm.........what to do?? I need to think about it a little more, I'll post tomorrow with my decision.

I choose - 3 meals 2 healthy snacks and nothing else

When I was first dieting a few years ago to lose 25 pounds, I was so strict and dedicated to my plan. Lately, probably because I hate being at work, I have become a muncher again. I'm not even hungry but more bored so I pop something in my mouth.

My challenge will be to eat 3 meals and 2 healthy (no more than 100 calorie) snacks and then eat joint else. Three years ago this would not have been a challenge but now it is going to be tough.

Drinking water isn't really a hard thing for me. It is my beverage of choice. I do really well during the week with drinking water all day while I am at work. The weekends are a little bit more difficult. It's almost 6pm and I still need to drink 18 oz before I go to bed. I bet if I wasn't counting the amount I was drinking it wouldn't be a big deal to drink 64 oz/day. Since I am counting I am a little nervous about getting the rest if it in tonight and not being up all night going to the bathroom. Wish me luck!

Looking forward to next week!

Next week the challenge is open for you to do what you would like. You can choose to do one of the challenges we have already done or one we will soon be doing. You can also come up with your own challenge. Something you need to work on. Keep in mind the key work is "challenge". It should be something that will challenge you and help you feel better. We'd like you to post what you are planning to do on Monday (unless you already have). That way we can be accountable to each other.

I do a lot better with the "do" challenges-ie, drink more water, keep a food journal. During the weeks of "don'ts" I find myself panicking mid-bite wondering if I am breaking any rules-ie-no eating after 8, no sweets. So, for my challenge this week I am going to eat 5 fruits and veggies. Although I am really good at making sure my children have fruit/veggies for every meal, I realized during the food journal week I am not good at getting my own. So, this will be a good week to prepare me for 5 veggies week.

Let us know what you are going to do!!

Tough Week

Well, this has been a tough week.  I have not done very well on ANYTHING!!! I am going to really try this next week. 

H2OHHHHHH!!!!

So, I thought that this was going to be the easiest challenge yet. I KNEW with out a doubt that I drink more than my share of water. I knew I didn't have to measure it out, because the consumption was a natural part of my life, as natural as going to the bathroom. :) I cannot leave my house without my water bottle. Grabbing it is as natural as grabbing the keys for the car. I actually feel lost if I don't have it. (can I just say, Fast Sunday is the worst!!)

So to cover my bases and humor myself, I decided that I was going to measure out my water each night. I pulled out the pitcher and measured my TWO quarts!!!! In the fridge it went, especially since I love my water cold. As a matter of fact, every glass I drink is filled with crushed ice. I have practiced my drinking like this for years. And, as an added bonus, I learned on "The Doctor's" that my body could burn up to 500 extra calories a week for drinking it cold. HOORAY!!!!! That is some great news!!!!

So even though the extra calories burned were an added bonus, I got a HUGE slap in the face with this challenge. I realized that I struggle with getting in my 64 ounces a day. What an eye opener. I don't drink any thing else, and haven't for about six years. For at least three of the days, I still had a lot to drink at 10 at night. Let the chugging begin and let the urinating come.

Needless to say, I am grateful for this week's challenge and the eye opener it has been for me. As for next weeks, I am going to combine this past three weeks for next. :)

Tip to Share

I wanted to share a tip from a book I've been reading on Healthy Living.

"Lost Your Motivation? It's Right Here

We all go through this. Feeling overwhelmed, feeling like you're not up to par, feeling tired, or just plain ready to give up. It's a natural part of the ebb and flow of life. But if you want to change your health for a lifetime, it's something you have to work on for a lifetime. All you need to do is be willing to try, try again. Try one of these tips to help you get back on the right path:

• Talk to a positive friend. The conversation doesn't even have to be about you. Hearing a positive spin on life is always inspiring.
• Listen to your favorite music
• Invite a friend or family member to work out with you. Set a time and date-and don't cancel it!
• Invite somebody to enjoy a healthy meal with you. The invitation will force you to follow through with making and eating the healthy meal.
• Ponder your true intentions. Tell yourself you "have" to do it in order to feel your best. You have no choice other than to fight for your health in this unhealthy world."

Loved this weeks challenge x 2 since I did last week's again as well. I am learning so much about these simple, healthy choices. They do make a difference! For next week I am going to choose a new health tip for each day, do it and post it! 

Have a great week everyone!

Rebecca

I have to admit, of the first three weeks this is the challenge I feared the most.  I know I don't drink enough water and I pictured myself sitting in bed with a bottle of water trying to get it all down before midnight.  Not so...  I like the benifits and now-after the last post- I guess I better chill my water.

Last week I tried to keep my pantry doors closed and my counter clear of junk food.  I walk through my kitchen so many times during the day and it is too easy to grab a quick snack without thinking.  My children are the culprits-yes I can blame them-, I gave up years ago reminding them to close the doors. So, now I just close the doors when they leave for school-out of sight out of mind.

Have a great weekend!

I'm Drowning

When I gave up caffeine about 7 years ago I swapped my Dr. Pepper for water. I am used to drinking a lot of water throughout the day. But 64oz is somehow just enough more to double my trips to the restroom (sorry for the over share).

The one benefit I get from drinking lots of water is I tend to snack a little less because my stomach is so full of fluid. I am liking this challenge but to be honest I am looking forward to it's end.

Here is an interesting tip about drinking ICE COLD water (which is my personal favorite)

Believe it or not when you drink cold water, the first thing your body does is heat that water up to the body temperature. This process takes approximately 50 calories to rise the temperature of 8 ounces of iced cold water to body temperature. It means that if you drink 8 to 10 cups of COLD water each day, you’ll burn an extra 400 to 500 calories. How about dropping 1 pound per week just by drinking water? Isn’t that fabulous?????

The Benefits of Water


This week has been difficult for me since I have a pretty bad cold with a harsh cough. I'm really glad we are doing the 64 OZ of water challenge this week. It is by far the best one to help me get rid of this cough. But I found out yesterday that even with a painful cough I am still able to exercise and feel great after wards. I've been using the bicycle machines at the gym and although it is a workout it isn't as hard on the lungs as running. Thank goodness for healthy challenges so that I won't prolong my cold!

Clarification and Ideas

I am looking for some clarification on next weeks challenge.  When it says "choose your own challenge," does that mean we come up with our own idea apart from the list, or do we just pick from the list?  If we are to come up with our own, my idea so far is to measure out and eat suggested serving sizes.  I would be interested in hearing some of your ideas as well.   

I'd been thinking about the water week for awhile.   Yesterday I came home from grocery shopping about 4:30 P.M. and it dawned on me--I'd forgotten about drinking the WATER!  Thinking I couldn't mess up on this assignment, I went to the kitchen, retrieved my quart sized mug, and proceeded to work on drinking it so that I could fill it up again and begin the second quart.  (I was thinking about the upcoming night and how many times I would be getting up!)  Finished the final drops around 11:30!  You can be sure that today the first thing I did when I got up was fill my water mug.  Definitely there's been no room for drinking much extra fluid, but that's okay because I've read all of the good things that water can do for our bodies. 

Water!!

I thought this week's challenge would be a piece of cake. I feel like I drink a lot of water every day, though I've never actually measured it to make sure. Yesterday, of course, I made sure that I drank the full 64 ounces. The actual drinking part wasn't hard...it was what came after!!

Maybe it's because I have had four kids. Or maybe I just have a small bladder, but good grief, I spent more time than usual in the ladies' room! At one point I was in there every ten minutes for an hour. For FHE we went to Applebee's and then to Costco and I had to go at both places. Forgive me if this is too much information.

Are any of you experiencing similar issues? I tried to distribute the water intake evenly throughout the day to prevent this, but it was unfortunately to no avail. (I'm laughing as I type this!) I welcome any and all bits of advice.

I also just want to thank Jen and Jen for extending the invite to do this. It has been just the kick in the pants I have needed. At first I scoffed at some of the challenges (Me? Go without sweets for a week? Impossible!), but I am determined to fulfill them. Though I don't know most of you, I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. They are helpful and motivating. Thank you!

10 Reasons to Drink Water

Below is a list I found at a website of 10 reasons to drink water:

1. Water is absolutely essential to the human body’s survival. A person can live for about a month without food, but only about a week without water.

2. Water helps to maintain healthy body weight by increasing metabolism and regulating appetite.

3. Water leads to increased energy levels. The most common cause of daytime fatigue is actually mild dehydration.

4. Drinking adequate amounts of water can decrease the risk of certain types of cancers, including colon cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer.

5. For a majority of sufferers, drinking water can significantly reduce joint and/or back pain.

6. Water leads to overall greater health by flushing out wastes and bacteria that can cause disease.

7. Water can prevent and alleviate headaches.

8. Water naturally moisturizes skin and ensures proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance.

9. Water aids in the digestion process and prevents constipation.

10. Water is the primary mode of transportation for all nutrients in the body and is essential for proper circulation.

Weekly Challenge Update

Please take note of the blog of what the weekly challenge is this week. We did change it at the very first and we didn't let you know because we did it so soon after starting this blog we didn't think anyone would pick up on it.

This weeks challenge is - DRINK 64oz OF WATER A DAY!!

Hello Healthy Challenging Friends.
This is a good healthy challenge; for it helps me to strive for accountability. Natalie laughed when I told her I was the Ron Paul of this challenge. I'm not going to drop out or stop trying. So even with some setbacks (husband deployed)  it gives me even more reason to move forward.


Something that is working well for me:
In the morning I decide what I am going to eat and write it down and then check it off as the day goes on. If it's not on the list it doesn't get eaten and I allow myself my favorite fruit always.

Bike Ride Adventure

Hey gang!!!  What a week, wow!  Was it good or was it good?  I have got to say I loved the challenge this past week of not eating after 8pm.  It made me feel so much better in the mornings!  I'm going to keep doing that challenge this next week!
So last week I posted my adventure of snowshoeing, this week i'll post my bike ride adventure.  Yesterday was a gorgeous day so I went on a bike ride to the Bountiful Temple.  It was amazing!!  However, that last hill killed me! My lungs and my legs were out of control, the burn was a great feeling:)  I highly recommend that ride it's about 26 miles total and you'll feel very tired after but it's a great workout nonetheless.  If anyone wants to go on a bike ride or snowshoeing with me please let me know I will gladly come along!!  Or if anyone wants some workout advice, I'd be happy to share!!  Have a happy up coming week!!!  You ROCK!!!

Be Happy!

So, I keep thinking I'll have some insightful tale to share and it hasn't happened. I think about the challenge all week and have it in the back of my mind keeping me on track. It is nice to have something holding me accountable. I have the exercise down but there is so much more to our health than exercise.

So often in my life I have thought that if I lost weight I would be happy...well I have lost quite a bit over the last few years and it isn't weight loss that brings happiness. I saw a bill board somewhere recently that said something like the following about happiness..."Happiness is not a destination it's a choice." It is up to us whether or not we are happy where we are currently. I have thought about this a lot since I saw that and really believe it's true. We need to find the good in what we have and be happy, even though there is lots that can get in the way.

Remember the old song, "Don't worry, be happy!"

THIS IS FUN

I am really liking this challenge thing! The strange thing is I only know 2 of you that I am competing with but it doesn't matter. It's mostly about the competition with myself. The working out has been a habit of mine for a year now but adding these other things is fun and adds some excitement. Thanks for challenging me!

those cookies smell good. BUT!

peanut butter cookies were just made. however, i am not going to eat one. one lady mentioned craving curbing. i am going to go on a walk! cravings are so in the moment. if i can just force myself to see ahead, see my goals, see what it is that i really want... the temporary craving takes its toll then is gone. i learned the more i overcome, the easier it gets. oh yeah. going for a little walk!

That week went fast for me.  It was a great week to be a part of this challenge as some of my days were so busy it would have been easy to not exercise.  Being accountable to this challenge really helped me get out there. 
As we go into this week's challenge of drinking 64 oz. of water, I just wanted to post some of the benefits of water to your body, from mayo clinic.  Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissue.  It also regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, helps prevent constipation and helps dissolve minerals and other nutrients to make them accessible to the body.

Sweating Like a Pig!

I have really been sweating this week! EWW!!! I found that I needed to find new ways to exercise to get me excited about sticking to it. This week I went to the library and found some exercise DVD's. I think it is much easier to exercise with a friend. It helps keep you motivated and makes it more fun. I need to find a friend to exercise with! I used to walk with a group of ladies and it was great! We walked fast and it really helps when others are there to keep you going when you feel tired or not wanting to push yourself.

I had an oops this week! This challenge wasn't that hard for me and I became pretty complacent. I had a meeting on Wednesday and when I got home I popped some popcorn in my mouth as I walked by the table. I casually looked at the clock and it was after 9:00! Ahhhh!! I guess I'll being doing double duty next week.

I didn't lose any weight this week. My kids say it's because muscle weighs more than fat. We shall see if I can break through this wall.

I have a couple of medical issues that have come up this year. Thyroid and High Cholesterol. Both go together and both effect the metabolism. At the Dr this week my check-up was looking good. The exercise seems to be helping. This challenge has been a wake-up call and a much needed change for me!

Thanks to all!  Rebecca

Calories in and Calories out

So when I first started this journey of weight loss and getting fit, I thought that it was just about exercising and watching my calories. After all, that is what the biggest loser teaches. I am learning that this is SOOOOO not the case. I have been watching my caloric intake for months, with regular exercise. And, when I say exercise, it is doing the 30 day shred with Jillian Michael, running a couple days a week, and doing a power walk. I have seen little to no change with my body. This has been extremely frustrating for me.

This weeks challenge of not eating after eight o'clock, came pretty easy for me since I started walking at nights consistently, it was easy to be done eating by 6:30, to not have side cramps from the walking. This coupled with my new knowledge has given me a little bit of a boost of enthusiasm as to what I can accomplish. This new knowledge that I am talking about is a book called  "Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About it." I love this. It is seeming to make perfect sense as to why I am busting my butt to get to an ideal weight and not seeing the results. If it were truly about calories in calories out, then I should be dropping weight at a pound a week. I should have been where I want to be months ago. I am just at the beginning of this book, and highly recommend it. It has been a real eye opener for me.

Sore but Good

Thanks to this health challenge, I am now exercising!  Needless to say, I have been sore.  Each day I feel the effects of the previous days exercise.  I don't love feeling too sore, but a little sore is good.  It is a friendly reminder that I pushed myself to do something that was hard for me to do.  I can be proud, and that feels good.  

Lovin' It

Another week almost down and I'm feeling pretty good. I am loving all the helpful articles and advice. Thanks for all your comments and support. It really is the way to stay fit and eat better! Keep up the good work!!

I like to read some of Dr. Oz's articles, and he has 5 tricks to fight food cravings.  I do have several foods (at least) I crave at times.  He says the following:

"...weight loss isn't as simple as "eat less and exercise more."  He has some ways to give temptations the slip.

"Practice mindful meditation.  Spend just 7 minutes a day focusing on recognizing, accepting, and experiencing your cravings rather than trying to ignore or suppress them.  Dieters who do have far fewer food cravings, and resist them better.  Here's the trick to eating mindfully so you'll eat less.  Get on your feet.  Especially if you're craving chocolate.  A quick walk will curb even major chocoholic cravings in just 15 minutes.  It works by stimulating feel-good brain chemicals and feeding your spirit.  Hit the mute button and do sit-ups when commercials come on.  You'll switch off cravings, too.  People eat more snack foods after watching TV shows loaded with food ads.  Try yoga.  Aside from making you stronger, suppler, and calmer, yoga helps you tune in to your appetite and recognize whether you're actually hungry or just bored.  Have that little cookie you can't stop thinking about.  Sometimes, trying to stifle a craving makes it grow so intense that, when you finally cave, you eat the whole bag.  Having one little cookie now may save you from having 30 later.  Don't beat yourself up.  Relish it.  Take a small bite, savor the taste, have another bite.  Thoroughly enjoy it.  Then move on."

Some of these things really help me--and I've appreciated the fact that I can't eat anything after 8:00 p.m.  Most of all, I haven't felt deprived of anything, and it's okay!

Burn calories during commercials

I read an article in the newspaper about burning calories during TV commercial breaks. I thought it was good, so here's the link.

No eating after 8

It usually isn't very difficult for me to not eat after 8. I don't really like to have food sitting in my gut late at night before bed. Just thinking about it makes me feel full. I do have one trick for those nights where I can't seem to stop snacking and it works every time and keeps the snacks away.

The Trick - Brush your teeth

After I am done eating dinner/dessert I will brush my teeth. After that I don't want to eat any more since I have minty fresh breath.

Snacks:

Since I love to snack and since I really want to do well on this healthy challenge I had to think of new things to snack on. Yesterday I had two very good and healthy snacks. 1- peppers: smiths has a huge bag of small red, orange, and yellow peppers that taste very good for only 5$. 2- lunch meat: I ate 6 whole pieces of ham which was very filling it is only 45 calories and has 9 grams of protein. I felt very full after that. There are plenty of ways to eat lots of food and stay healthy at the same time.

I just got home and would much rather curl up by the fire with a good book, but I am headed to my treadmill-too cold for me outside today.  Thanks for keeping me ontrack with the health challenge.  Maybe I'll still have time for that book when I am done.

After breakfast on Monday I sat down to write in my food journal and then realized that it wasn't necessary so I put it away.  I decided that for the health challenge to work I needed to adopt the things I learned each week into a healthy lifestyle-one that doesn't end in 9 weeks-and one that I can live with.  Lesson from week 1 to carry forward: I  need to make eating and snacking a conscious choice. So far so good.  Have a great week.