For months now I've been able to ignore the ginormous Costco muffins my husband buys every two weeks but today my will power completely failed me. I don't even want to think about how many calories I've eaten today, I feel so full and disgusted with myself. I had two large mugs of hot chocolate, six sugar cookies (of course made with butter) and two ginormous huge Costco muffins and that's not including the real food that I also consumed. On top of that, I talked myself out of going to the gym yesterday and today. I hate my lack of discipline, thank goodness tomorrow will be a fast day for me. I wish my hubby wouldn't buy those EVIL muffins.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Ginormous EVIL Costco Calorie Laden Muffins
For months now I've been able to ignore the ginormous Costco muffins my husband buys every two weeks but today my will power completely failed me. I don't even want to think about how many calories I've eaten today, I feel so full and disgusted with myself. I had two large mugs of hot chocolate, six sugar cookies (of course made with butter) and two ginormous huge Costco muffins and that's not including the real food that I also consumed. On top of that, I talked myself out of going to the gym yesterday and today. I hate my lack of discipline, thank goodness tomorrow will be a fast day for me. I wish my hubby wouldn't buy those EVIL muffins.
If Only
My cute, little grandma (Grandma Selin, not Mary Jo, Min) cracks me up! She's in her early-mid seventies and looks great. She sends us a family letter once a month and I love reading them. This is a small excerpt from her latest that made me smile:
"I’ve figured out why I can’t lose weight. The shampoo I use in the shower that runs down my body says: “For extra volume and body.” I’m going to start using Dawn dish washing soap. It says: “Dissolves fat that otherwise is difficult to remove. I hope it works."
-Grandma Selin
Isn't she cute!?
Crabby Kitty
Friday, March 4, 2011
Mom's Brite Bite
So the other night I was sitting with the Queen when she showed me this book that a protein drink company had given her. I was flipping through it and found myself giggling. So this doctor has add "Mom's Bright Bite" quotes. I can only imagine what this woman is like...think eternal optimist with a big dose of cheese. So I think I'm going to share some of these occasionally.
Here is the first:
If you have a problem exercising, try walking early in the morning before your brain figures out what it is doing-it works for me!
Here is the first:
If you have a problem exercising, try walking early in the morning before your brain figures out what it is doing-it works for me!
Time to STOP Making Excuses
Ridiculous Animal Photo #3One of the reasons I left the blog is because I was tired of keeping track of everything. It gets tedious after a while, and I've always had good eating habits. So, I kinda lost motivation. The difference between going full force on the blog and going back to my "normal" way of life was 4 pounds. It's hard to devote that much energy and thought to something that's only getting you four pounds lighter. I knew I needed to exercise, and I wanted to exercise, but it got cold outside. Running was no longer an option. I made excuses and justified it because I only gained back four pounds.
Well...
I've added seven more pounds in the last 5 weeks. Now I'm 2 pounds heavier than when the blog started last March. I'm puzzled and alarmed by this. It seems like a lot of weight to gain when I've maintained my previous weight for 4 months- and through the holidays no less.
I've got to get back on track. I'm out of excuses.
When Real Life Interrupts . . .
My little fellow fell very ill yesterday. All the bad stuff - fever, vomiting, chills, achy, etc. I had totally been rocking my water so far this week. But yesterday all I did was hold a sick baby and worry. The water went right out the window. Obviously it is not enough of a habit yet because all it took was a day of crazy and I couldn't even tell you where my water bottle was. I guess that is the trick here - making real life and the goals we are trying to master one and the same. Not there yet - but still trying.
Sorry for the Confusion
I tried to make this as simple as possible but I guess sometimes simplicity creates confusion.
The "normal" points system is null and void for this special 5 week challenge. You do don't need to worry about tracking all those points.
We are focusing on one goal at a time. Hopefully those that you struggle to be consistent with when we are doing the "normal" points system. For many of us that have been working at this a while it does not mean throwing our those good habits. For example: I'm working on tracking my food. I'm still exercising, 64+ ounces of water and taking my vitamins. BUT, I'm not collecting points for those. Only the 5 points if I'm successful at writing in my food journal.
The only other points you are collecting are for commenting and posting. This is how we continue to build our community and supporting each other.
Next week you will be tracking two goals meaning you can earn 5 points for EACH goal accomplished that day.
I'm hope this clarifies things. I developed the simple points spreadsheet to help with this.
Are we all on board now?
The "normal" points system is null and void for this special 5 week challenge. You do don't need to worry about tracking all those points.
We are focusing on one goal at a time. Hopefully those that you struggle to be consistent with when we are doing the "normal" points system. For many of us that have been working at this a while it does not mean throwing our those good habits. For example: I'm working on tracking my food. I'm still exercising, 64+ ounces of water and taking my vitamins. BUT, I'm not collecting points for those. Only the 5 points if I'm successful at writing in my food journal.
The only other points you are collecting are for commenting and posting. This is how we continue to build our community and supporting each other.
Next week you will be tracking two goals meaning you can earn 5 points for EACH goal accomplished that day.
I'm hope this clarifies things. I developed the simple points spreadsheet to help with this.
Are we all on board now?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Your advice please.....
So...I've been eating healthy and exercising regularly. My calories average about 1000 a day. The most I could do was about 1400 (not counting the calories burned on exercise).
Exercise is mixed. If I get a good hour of racquetball (high intensity) then that's all I do for the day. If it's not intense enough, I follow up with some aerobic exercise at home. When Jake was in the hospital, I ran 2.4 miles on the treadmill. I think the calories claimed for racquetball are highly over rated. I don't feel nearly as exercised from 1 hour of racquetball as I did 40 minutes of running.
Breakfast is usually 1 egg and an orange (Was 2 eggs, whole wheat toast, OJ)
Lunch is usually a salad or veg. soup, sometimes veggies.
Dinner is a lean meat, fresh steamed veggies (I tried Uncle Ben's Whole grain medley with veggies and chicken. Delish!)
Snacks: celery or fruit, sometimes a few pretzels or Wheat Thins.
Trying to omit as much sugar as possible, so hardly any of that. Also, trying to go without yeast (while I'm ridding my body of some candida.) so I haven't been having my toast (for a week now).
I get at least 6-8 cups of water in a day.
No real change in weight. What can I change to make a difference? I tried eating more calories, but without wanting to eat sugar, it's hard to find something to add the calories. I don't want to put bad stuff in my body just to get more calories, so what do you guys suggest?
Am I eating too much, not enough? I am getting 7-8 hours of sleep (no toddlers!).
Stress level: ok I feel sadness over the death of my uncle and cancer in another uncle and disappointed in Jake's CT scan, but they don't consume me. I've also felt very happy today and at peace.
I take a thyroid supplement for low thyroid and blood pressure Rx.
Does anyone see any red flags? I'm tracking my progress on livestrong.com
Exercise is mixed. If I get a good hour of racquetball (high intensity) then that's all I do for the day. If it's not intense enough, I follow up with some aerobic exercise at home. When Jake was in the hospital, I ran 2.4 miles on the treadmill. I think the calories claimed for racquetball are highly over rated. I don't feel nearly as exercised from 1 hour of racquetball as I did 40 minutes of running.
Breakfast is usually 1 egg and an orange (Was 2 eggs, whole wheat toast, OJ)
Lunch is usually a salad or veg. soup, sometimes veggies.
Dinner is a lean meat, fresh steamed veggies (I tried Uncle Ben's Whole grain medley with veggies and chicken. Delish!)
Snacks: celery or fruit, sometimes a few pretzels or Wheat Thins.
Trying to omit as much sugar as possible, so hardly any of that. Also, trying to go without yeast (while I'm ridding my body of some candida.) so I haven't been having my toast (for a week now).
I get at least 6-8 cups of water in a day.
No real change in weight. What can I change to make a difference? I tried eating more calories, but without wanting to eat sugar, it's hard to find something to add the calories. I don't want to put bad stuff in my body just to get more calories, so what do you guys suggest?
Am I eating too much, not enough? I am getting 7-8 hours of sleep (no toddlers!).
Stress level: ok I feel sadness over the death of my uncle and cancer in another uncle and disappointed in Jake's CT scan, but they don't consume me. I've also felt very happy today and at peace.
I take a thyroid supplement for low thyroid and blood pressure Rx.
Does anyone see any red flags? I'm tracking my progress on livestrong.com
Sorry I'm a little dense...
Could someone help me with the points this challenge? Do we only earn 5 points a day and no points for the other stuff? Please splain it to me! Thanks!
Sleep: Laying the Foundation
With the flurry of post we had at the beginning of the week I think some of you may have missed this really amazing post about sleep that Melissa did a lot of research on. Sleep is as essential as water...read it.
I'm on a sleep mission. To get others to sleep enough because sleep really is the foundation for so many other healthy habits and it's something that you don't have to think much about or stress over or remember to do . . . once you're doing it.
So here are borrowed snipits from studies and news reports on the importance of sleep:
You think you can cut on on less than 7 hours? Here's the Mayo Clinic on how much sleep your body NEEDS: 7-9 hours. If you get more or less, your ability to perform complex mental tasks is compromised and you fall into the statistical group known as: higher mortality rate. {Whenever my husband and I have a health related debate, it always comes down to checking either the Mayo Clinic or the Cleveland Clinic's web site for the official word on what's what.} Of course, I have to link to the Cleveland Clinic too since it's in my hometown. This paragraph pretty much sums it up:
"People suffering from sleep deprivation experience difficulty making decisions, irritability, problems with performance, and slower reaction times, placing them at risk for automobile and work-related accidents. Sleep loss can also adversely affect life by contributing to the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease." (This recent study maps the link between getting fewer than 6 hours of sleep and a higher incidence of a pre-diabetic state, known as incident-impaired fasting glycaemia).
And about that sleep/weight connection, Web MD cuts to the chase and tells us about the affect of little sleep on those important hunger hormones, grelin and leptin: "The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.”
Also, if you don't get enough sleep, you can still lose weight, but it's less likely to be fat. See here. My favorite part of the article is this quote: "If your goal is to lose fat, skipping sleep is like poking sticks in your bicycle wheels," by Plamen Penev, MD, PhD.
What's more, sleep even makes you look more attractive; yup, that's right, beauty sleep is for real! A good night's sleep also helps with memory and creativity.
So how do we get more sleep? Think of how consistent we are with our children's sleep schedules and routines. Basically, that's what we need to do for ourselves too. Same time every night, same calming routine, same avoidance of sugary/caffeine stimulants late in the day.
After perusing all these links, I know you'll want to get your 7 1/2 - 8 hours. Those hours translate into better attitude, energy and beauty, fewer food cravings, and an increased ability to find your keys, remember and keep the obligations on your calendar, scrapbooking, craft-making brilliance, and so much more!
P.S. If you're a medical news junkie like me, just go to sciencedaily.com and type in whatever you're obsessing about that day. Good stuff.
I'm on a sleep mission. To get others to sleep enough because sleep really is the foundation for so many other healthy habits and it's something that you don't have to think much about or stress over or remember to do . . . once you're doing it.
So here are borrowed snipits from studies and news reports on the importance of sleep:
You think you can cut on on less than 7 hours? Here's the Mayo Clinic on how much sleep your body NEEDS: 7-9 hours. If you get more or less, your ability to perform complex mental tasks is compromised and you fall into the statistical group known as: higher mortality rate. {Whenever my husband and I have a health related debate, it always comes down to checking either the Mayo Clinic or the Cleveland Clinic's web site for the official word on what's what.} Of course, I have to link to the Cleveland Clinic too since it's in my hometown. This paragraph pretty much sums it up:
"People suffering from sleep deprivation experience difficulty making decisions, irritability, problems with performance, and slower reaction times, placing them at risk for automobile and work-related accidents. Sleep loss can also adversely affect life by contributing to the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease." (This recent study maps the link between getting fewer than 6 hours of sleep and a higher incidence of a pre-diabetic state, known as incident-impaired fasting glycaemia).
And about that sleep/weight connection, Web MD cuts to the chase and tells us about the affect of little sleep on those important hunger hormones, grelin and leptin: "The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.”
Also, if you don't get enough sleep, you can still lose weight, but it's less likely to be fat. See here. My favorite part of the article is this quote: "If your goal is to lose fat, skipping sleep is like poking sticks in your bicycle wheels," by Plamen Penev, MD, PhD.
What's more, sleep even makes you look more attractive; yup, that's right, beauty sleep is for real! A good night's sleep also helps with memory and creativity.
So how do we get more sleep? Think of how consistent we are with our children's sleep schedules and routines. Basically, that's what we need to do for ourselves too. Same time every night, same calming routine, same avoidance of sugary/caffeine stimulants late in the day.
After perusing all these links, I know you'll want to get your 7 1/2 - 8 hours. Those hours translate into better attitude, energy and beauty, fewer food cravings, and an increased ability to find your keys, remember and keep the obligations on your calendar, scrapbooking, craft-making brilliance, and so much more!
P.S. If you're a medical news junkie like me, just go to sciencedaily.com and type in whatever you're obsessing about that day. Good stuff.
Choosing a different seat
Have you ever noticed that people tend to sit in the same pew in church every Sunday? Same is true at school. Even when the teacher doesn't give assigned seats, the students tend to assign seats themselves, rarely shifting from the spot they initially chose.
Well, yesterday, I had an assigned seat realization. I walked in the gym and "my" usual elliptical was taken. So were the other seven. I usually start with 20 to 30 minutes on the elliptical. I could have flip-flopped my routine and started with weights and mat work first. But instead I hopped on the treadmill and alternated between running and fast walking on an incline for 20 minutes.
How strange this new world was. I got a side cramp. The arch of my foot ached. I watched the little dot me making its way around the virtual track on my treadmill screen. It was fun! I was surprising my body by doing something new and unexpected.
Apparently, switching it up is THE way to avoid hitting a wall in your efforts because your body adapts to a routine every two months. For cardiovascular activities, your body adapts by becoming more energy efficient (same routine, fewer calories burned). For resistance training, your body adapts by getting stronger, but then plateaus.
Just want to encourage all of you to pick a different seat today and let your body see the world from a different perspective.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Dr. Oz Says....
A friend of mine emailed me this. I think it's pretty interesting.
I like Dr. Oz. Most of what he says usually makes sense to me.
Here are his suggestions for the best times to do certain things for weightloss. What do you think?
.......................
6:30 A.M. Weigh Yourself
6:35 A.M. Exercise
7:30 A.M. Breakfast
8:00 A.M. Metabolism Booster
10:00 A.M. Grocery Shop
12:00 P.M. Lunch
6:15 P.M. Fiber Supplement
6:30 P.M. Dinner
Dr. Oz Weigh Yourself In The Morning:
Dr. Oz said the best time of the day to weigh yourself is 6:30 in the morning or as soon as you get up because your the lightest in the morning. By going to the bathroom in the morning you are getting rid of about the same amount as a quart of wine. So always weight yourself in the morning and you will be able to see the consistency of your weight loss. Your weight goes up and down all day long.
Dr. Oz Best Time To Exercise:
Dr. Oz said people don't know when to exercise and it makes a difference, so exercise at 6:35 in the morning right after you weigh yourself. When you exercise in the morning your burning calories from different parts of your body, when you burn calories your burning fat immediately. If your having breakfast first you have to burn through the calories you just ate to get to the fat around your waist.
Dr. Oz Best Time To Eat Your Meals:
Dr. Oz explained that there is a best time of day to have a meal, if you get up at 6:30 A.M. you should have breakfast around 7: 30 within an hour of waking up. Around four and a half hours later you will be hungry again and you should have your lunch. Six and a half hours later you will be hungry again and time to get your dinner.
If you delay these times your going to be hungry and the hungrier you get the more likely you are to cheat. So within an hour of waking up have your breakfast and have your dinner more than three hours before going to bed.
Dr. Oz Best Time To Boost Your Metabolism:
Dr. Oz said the best time to boost your metabolism is at 8 in the morning. So you get up you weigh yourself, exercise, have your breakfast and boost your metabolism. He went to say that is the time when your body is the slowest and it needs to get going, it’s why you often feel cravings for caffeinated beverages, but there are other ways of getting you there.
Dr. Oz said to drink an ice cold glass of water, it’s one of the smartest things he can recommend to all of us. Water fills your stomach up plus it also forces you to burn calories to warm the water up in your belly. People who drink a big glass of ice cold water on average will lose about a pound a year – just from drinking water.
Dr. Oz Best Time To Grocery Shop:
Dr. Oz said the best time to go grocery shopping is at 10:00 A.M. because your still full from breakfast and your blood sugars are still at a stable point. Research has shown that when our blood sugar levels are low it impairs our decision making. Write down your grocery list to get what you need to get, not what your enticed to buy.
Dr. Oz The Best Time To Take Fiber Supplements:
Dr Oz said the best time to take a fiber supplement is at 6:15 P.M. Take the fiber supplement 15 minutes before eating your dinner, the fiber will form a jelly in your belly, expands and takes up the room that normally would have been the starch on your plate. By doing this Oz said you will cut out about 70 calories in your evening meal.
I like Dr. Oz. Most of what he says usually makes sense to me.
Here are his suggestions for the best times to do certain things for weightloss. What do you think?
.......................
6:30 A.M. Weigh Yourself
6:35 A.M. Exercise
7:30 A.M. Breakfast
8:00 A.M. Metabolism Booster
10:00 A.M. Grocery Shop
12:00 P.M. Lunch
6:15 P.M. Fiber Supplement
6:30 P.M. Dinner
Dr. Oz Weigh Yourself In The Morning:
Dr. Oz said the best time of the day to weigh yourself is 6:30 in the morning or as soon as you get up because your the lightest in the morning. By going to the bathroom in the morning you are getting rid of about the same amount as a quart of wine. So always weight yourself in the morning and you will be able to see the consistency of your weight loss. Your weight goes up and down all day long.
Dr. Oz Best Time To Exercise:
Dr. Oz said people don't know when to exercise and it makes a difference, so exercise at 6:35 in the morning right after you weigh yourself. When you exercise in the morning your burning calories from different parts of your body, when you burn calories your burning fat immediately. If your having breakfast first you have to burn through the calories you just ate to get to the fat around your waist.
Dr. Oz Best Time To Eat Your Meals:
Dr. Oz explained that there is a best time of day to have a meal, if you get up at 6:30 A.M. you should have breakfast around 7: 30 within an hour of waking up. Around four and a half hours later you will be hungry again and you should have your lunch. Six and a half hours later you will be hungry again and time to get your dinner.
If you delay these times your going to be hungry and the hungrier you get the more likely you are to cheat. So within an hour of waking up have your breakfast and have your dinner more than three hours before going to bed.
Dr. Oz Best Time To Boost Your Metabolism:
Dr. Oz said the best time to boost your metabolism is at 8 in the morning. So you get up you weigh yourself, exercise, have your breakfast and boost your metabolism. He went to say that is the time when your body is the slowest and it needs to get going, it’s why you often feel cravings for caffeinated beverages, but there are other ways of getting you there.
Dr. Oz said to drink an ice cold glass of water, it’s one of the smartest things he can recommend to all of us. Water fills your stomach up plus it also forces you to burn calories to warm the water up in your belly. People who drink a big glass of ice cold water on average will lose about a pound a year – just from drinking water.
Dr. Oz Best Time To Grocery Shop:
Dr. Oz said the best time to go grocery shopping is at 10:00 A.M. because your still full from breakfast and your blood sugars are still at a stable point. Research has shown that when our blood sugar levels are low it impairs our decision making. Write down your grocery list to get what you need to get, not what your enticed to buy.
Dr. Oz The Best Time To Take Fiber Supplements:
Dr Oz said the best time to take a fiber supplement is at 6:15 P.M. Take the fiber supplement 15 minutes before eating your dinner, the fiber will form a jelly in your belly, expands and takes up the room that normally would have been the starch on your plate. By doing this Oz said you will cut out about 70 calories in your evening meal.
...............
I'm not sure about the best time to grocery shop being 10 o'clock. I find that when I eat breakfast, I'm hungry sooner than when I don't. Going at about ten o'clock, I know I'm going to be suffering from some hunger pangs. I guess it would be a good time for a morning snack.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Bloated
I don't know what I weigh right now, because I refuse to step on the scales. Yes, I am a mature adult, I swear! All I know is that my size 16 pants will still go on, and the 18's are still a little loose, but other than that, I just don't wanna know. I ate like a pig most days in the past two weeks, and when the scales got in the upper 190's (the lowest I got down to since starting last summer was 185), I quit stepping on the scales. I was stuffing my face for no other reason than just to prove I could, just to enjoy the idea of endulging. But I kind of got sick of the bloated feeling, so I've cut back on the excessive snacking. But I'm still not out of the woods yet because while I physically don't want to be pigging out, emotionally I want to.
Get Up!!!
I love all the activity on the blog right now. Everyone, please keep it up, it is so inspiring.
I must admit even though the past few days have been awesome in regards to my goal for the week they have been less than stellar in the eating and calorie department (I think I have figured out what next weeks goal is going to be.) Anyway, as I was feeling kind of down due to my lack of control, I got an email from my mother-in-law with a story in it that was a great reminder and, I hope, a turn around for me this week. The message is simple: Get Up!
We are going to fall a lot in life, even on this HWHL journey, so what are we going to do about it? I hope it is to get up, brush ourselves off and keep moving forward. Hard things aren't done in a day.
Love you gals and hope you are having a fantastic week. Here is a link to the story for anyone interested in reading it.
eat my daily servings of veggies
I am not a veggie person. I don't really love them. I never have issues with eating my daily servings of fruits but veggies never seem to make it on my plate. So my goal is to eat my daily servings of veggies. So far so good. Can I also say that I am loving these baby steps. It is just what I needed to get back into the swing of things.
Talking Myself Into It
I wish I could say that I just love exercising, I keep trying, but I don't think it's ever going to happen. I will confess though, that I love the results I've gotten from exercising this past year. Alas, the past few months I've been slacking off and I don't like those results at all. My # 1 goal for this session is to get back into a regular routine of 5-6 six days a week of serious exercise. I have to talk myself into it every single day and I've come to accept that for me that's just how it is.
A year in the life
What a wonderful year it's been here on HWHL.
Thanks to Audrey and all participants near and far!
I'm, on average, 5 to 10 lbs fitter.
I drank more water this past year than in the previous two years combined.
I rediscovered back and arm muscles.
I walked 120 miles.
I made at least 8 new salads.
I tried at least 12 new vegetables.
I made new bloggy friends.
I consumed several bottles of vitamins.
{But I still have the roll around the middle, left over from pregnancies.
I think that's my Trainer Momma thigh touching issue:
never to be achieved, just gotta accept that part of my body the way it is.}
Sheepish
Dear Regulars, (aka people who never abandoned the blog because they got a better offer (for me that offer was laziness and cheese.))
I admire you and I want to be like you. You are too good. I'd resent you all if you weren't so damn likable. Can I join up again?
Dear Newbies,
I used to be like you, all zealous and what not. That lasted for about 5 months. Now I've lost all the ground I'd gained in that time. When I exercised for the first time SINCE SEPTEMBER last week, I really really really really regretted leaving. Let that be a lesson to you.
Love,
Mindelicious
PS- It's water, I'm starting off with water. Do we really have to report that in a post each week?
Monday, February 28, 2011
bedtime snacks
I really need to make posting and commenting my goal, but I didn't check the blog till today, and discovered that I completely missed yesterday. Oops. That will have to be next weeks goal. So instead, I have chosen to stop eating 2 hours before bed. This one is a little tricky for me some nights because of my workouts. I usually eat a little something after I exercise in the evenings, but this week should be a good week to start my workouts a little earlier so I can be sure to finish, eat my snack, and then get to bed 2 hours later.
This week's goal...
I have so many goals that I should be making, but this week's goal is to drink more water. Easily said: we'll see if it's easily done.
Introducing...
HI! My name is Tobi. I'm an Army wife and stay at home Mom of two amazing kids. We are currently stationed in beautiful Colorado. Which just happens to be home for my husband and I.
I despise this picture. It was Father's Day weekend of 2010. I was packing at least 20 extra pounds. Half of which I seemed to be carrying around in my bra. (Hello!) But I love this picture too. It's the last picture I had taken with my Dad, a mere five weeks before he died in a sailplane accident.
This picture was taken just two weeks ago. Better right? The problem is loosing weight was the furthest thing from my mind. I didn't start exercising or watching what I eat. What you see is a direct result of stress. And it wasn't just that my Dad passed away. Honestly 2010 was the WORST year of my life. It's great that I lost the weight but that certainly isn't how I would have chosen to do it.
Now it's time to move on and kick my slightly saggy behind in gear. It's time to work toward maintaining a healthy weight and an active lifestyle. I've started by cutting Soda out completely and drinking my 8 glasses of water a day. I'm starting by walking five days a week. I'm starting by joining all of you at Healthy Wife!
I despise this picture. It was Father's Day weekend of 2010. I was packing at least 20 extra pounds. Half of which I seemed to be carrying around in my bra. (Hello!) But I love this picture too. It's the last picture I had taken with my Dad, a mere five weeks before he died in a sailplane accident.
This picture was taken just two weeks ago. Better right? The problem is loosing weight was the furthest thing from my mind. I didn't start exercising or watching what I eat. What you see is a direct result of stress. And it wasn't just that my Dad passed away. Honestly 2010 was the WORST year of my life. It's great that I lost the weight but that certainly isn't how I would have chosen to do it.
Now it's time to move on and kick my slightly saggy behind in gear. It's time to work toward maintaining a healthy weight and an active lifestyle. I've started by cutting Soda out completely and drinking my 8 glasses of water a day. I'm starting by walking five days a week. I'm starting by joining all of you at Healthy Wife!
H.2.Oh!
Image via Mr. Beaver/flickrNineteen months ago I gave birth to my last baby. Ever since he joined us I've had two very annoying problems. One, reurring UTIs, has landed me in the doctor's office twice in the last month alone. The other - I can't even talk about it here it's so personal and horrific - has had me on my knees crying in pain and frustration because it simply WILL NOT GO AWAY! Both of these problems would be helped {although maybe not solved completely} if I would just drink my dang water each day. As I type this at 8:30 in the morning on day one of Audrey's five week challenge, I have already finished 24 ounces of water. Now I just need to fill my bottle and finish it two more times today. I can do this. I will do this. Gotta go pee.
ps. Audrey {and Healthy Wife} is the topic du jour on my blog today since she builds other women up. Come take a look and tell her how awesome she is!
Sleep: laying the foundation
I'm on a sleep mission. To get others to sleep enough because sleep really is the foundation for so many other healthy habits and it's something that you don't have to think much about or stress over or remember to do . . . once you're doing it.
So here are borrowed snipits from studies and news reports on the importance of sleep:
You think you can cut on on less than 7 hours? Here's the Mayo Clinic on how much sleep your body NEEDS: 7-9 hours. If you get more or less, your ability to perform complex mental tasks is compromised and you fall into the statistical group known as: higher mortality rate. {Whenever my husband and I have a health related debate, it always comes down to checking either the Mayo Clinic or the Cleveland Clinic's web site for the official word on what's what.} Of course, I have to link to the Cleveland Clinic too since it's in my hometown. This paragraph pretty much sums it up:
"People suffering from sleep deprivation experience difficulty making decisions, irritability, problems with performance, and slower reaction times, placing them at risk for automobile and work-related accidents. Sleep loss can also adversely affect life by contributing to the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease." (This recent study maps the link between getting fewer than 6 hours of sleep and a higher incidence of a pre-diabetic state, known as incident-impaired fasting glycaemia).
And about that sleep/weight connection, Web MD cuts to the chase and tells us about the affect of little sleep on those important hunger hormones, grelin and leptin: "The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.”
Also, if you don't get enough sleep, you can still lose weight, but it's less likely to be fat. See here. My favorite part of the article is this quote: "If your goal is to lose fat, skipping sleep is like poking sticks in your bicycle wheels," by Plamen Penev, MD, PhD.
What's more, sleep even makes you look more attractive; yup, that's right, beauty sleep is for real! A good night's sleep also helps with memory and creativity.
So how do we get more sleep? Think of how consistent we are with our children's sleep schedules and routines. Basically, that's what we need to do for ourselves too. Same time every night, same calming routine, same avoidance of sugary/caffeine stimulants late in the day.
After perusing all these links, I know you'll want to get your 7 1/2 - 8 hours. Those hours translate into better attitude, energy and beauty, fewer food cravings, and an increased ability to find your keys, remember and keep the obligations on your calendar, scrapbooking, craft-making brilliance, and so much more!
P.S. If you're a medical news junkie like me, just go to sciencedaily.com and type in whatever you're obsessing about that day. Good stuff.
Long time, no see
Hellllooooo Ladies!!
I have been MIA for a couple weeks now, but I definitely need to get back on the wagon. My pants that were feeling nice and loose are starting to feel a bit snug again. : (
I've been trying to decide which thing to focus on this week. There are so many I've been struggling with lately. I've only been exercising about once a week the past several months. I've definitley not been drinking water and I've been having too much soda; and I most definitely have been neglecting my food journal.
I think that focusing on my caloric consumption this first week might help me get back into the program. I know last year, when I kept track each day of what I was eating, it really REALLY helped me.
So, there it is. Food journal. I will be tracking...starting tomorrow, since I also forgot this round started today.
Good luck everyone!
I have been MIA for a couple weeks now, but I definitely need to get back on the wagon. My pants that were feeling nice and loose are starting to feel a bit snug again. : (
I've been trying to decide which thing to focus on this week. There are so many I've been struggling with lately. I've only been exercising about once a week the past several months. I've definitley not been drinking water and I've been having too much soda; and I most definitely have been neglecting my food journal.
I think that focusing on my caloric consumption this first week might help me get back into the program. I know last year, when I kept track each day of what I was eating, it really REALLY helped me.
So, there it is. Food journal. I will be tracking...starting tomorrow, since I also forgot this round started today.
Good luck everyone!
My extra challenge for the week...
I just returned from a fireside with my son. The young men in our ward have been challenged to have a missionary week, starting tomorrow.
They have goals for every day that they get points for. One of these goals is no computer or electronics. We have decided to take this challenge on as a family... so I am letting you all know that I am still around and I am still doing the challenge but I won't be checking in this week... which is sad since I won't be able to read all of your inspiring posts; BUT I think it's going to be a great experience for our family. If my 12 year old son and 15 year old daughter can do it, so can I! See you next week friends and good luck with this new challenge!
Wow, a whole week without the computer, I just might get some things done :)
They have goals for every day that they get points for. One of these goals is no computer or electronics. We have decided to take this challenge on as a family... so I am letting you all know that I am still around and I am still doing the challenge but I won't be checking in this week... which is sad since I won't be able to read all of your inspiring posts; BUT I think it's going to be a great experience for our family. If my 12 year old son and 15 year old daughter can do it, so can I! See you next week friends and good luck with this new challenge!
Wow, a whole week without the computer, I just might get some things done :)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Done by 8am
First off, my brain totally missed the fact that our challenge started today, so today is shot already! I guess I got a few points for not drinking soda pop and for eating all 3 meals, but that's about it. No exercise, no multivitamin, no calorie counting or food journal, nothin'. Oh, I guess I get 7 points for commenting and posting, so hey, I guess I got over 10, not a total loss. Anyway, there are several major things I need to work on - believe it or not it's not exercise. I do that every day, except Sunday, just because I need it mentally in order to function every day. My weaknesses are getting enough water, staying in my calorie range, remembering to take the multivitamin, and stopping eating at least 2 hours before bed. And I'm with Cammy, I'd love to do something similar to what she's doing for sleep - only the goal would be to be in bed with the lights out by 11pm, and then up by 6am. It's not eight hours, but it's still pretty decent. I want to capture those two hours before all the little ones are up, so I can have my exercise done, and be showered and dressed for the day, in order to be focused for my day at least Monday thru Friday. So, I think I'll make that my first goal - not just exercise everyday, but to go to bed earlier so I can have my exercise done by 8am, sort of a hybrid sleep/exercise goal.
To Sleep is to Dream
I know we have talked a bit about sleep on this blog and how important it is. I also know it is not one of the things on our points list so I hope I am not breaking any rules by choosing sleep this first week.I have teetered back an forth on a few other ideas but when I really look hard at what it is I need to improve most to help me become a healthier, happier wife this is at the forefront. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so I hope by taking this challenge on for the full five weeks, the extra two weeks will only help in establishing some valuable sleep habits.
So my first goal for the next five weeks is to be in bed (done reading, planning, etc) so that I can get a full 8 hours of sleep. Wish me luck because this one is really going to be a challenge for me.
(Audrey if this one isn't allowed let me know and I will go with my backup.)
Taking the High Road
I've been thinking about what goals I wanted to set over the next 5 weeks. Of course there are many things I'm already doing somewhat successfully but there is always room for improvement. So I was pretty sure I knew what I was going to start with until I had a conversation with a friend on Saturday. We were discussing our new 5 week challenge and what your different options of goals could be and she said. I always had the most success when I wrote down what I ate.
.I think writing down what you eat is one of the hardest things you can do but also can bring you the most success. Many of you have talked about how surprised you were when you actually wrote down what you ate...it can be real eye opening.
So, I've decided to take this one on, tracking my food in take. Doing this for 5 weeks with either make me or break me when it comes to achieving the goals I have set for this year.
.I think writing down what you eat is one of the hardest things you can do but also can bring you the most success. Many of you have talked about how surprised you were when you actually wrote down what you ate...it can be real eye opening.So, I've decided to take this one on, tracking my food in take. Doing this for 5 weeks with either make me or break me when it comes to achieving the goals I have set for this year.
H+O+O
The First 5 Point goal
I am resuming the water drinking in earnest. My skin is very dry in the winter and, as much as I dislike the continuous bathroom visits, I know that my body needs the water and that, when it comes to trips to the loo, clear is the winning color.
For me, water drinking is one of the hardest. Anyone joining me in the Water Club this week?
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