Friday, October 14, 2016
Day 1: My New Plan
I made it through Day 1!
There were moments throughout the day where I had to remind myself that I didn't have enough points to afford to eat something I wanted. And then I'd find myself realizing I wasn't even hungry, but I was eating for other reasons.
I'm just going to go ahead and tell you that I'm following Weight Watchers SmartPoints-- thanks to a Groupon and an extra coupon code.
I definitely increased my fruit and veggie consumption today and decreased my processed food consumption. I know I'm going to feel a lot better very soon simply for these two reasons alone.
When I got on the scale this morning to see my starting weight, I had actually lost 6 lbs. from my highest weight-- so that was a really good feeling. I'm going to make myself get on the scale regularly so I don't lose my focus and let things get out of control.
My husband doesn't read my blog often, so I think it's safe to go ahead and say that he doesn't know I'm doing Weight Watchers yet. I am terrible at keeping secrets from him so we'll see how long that lasts! I just didn't want to feel the pressure of knowing he is probably thinking "here she goes again...it never works for her". I have told him that today was going to be my first day of getting healthy and he hasn't asked any questions as far as what I'm doing-- but he did check up on me to see how I did today.
I am focusing on the fact that I'm using Weight Watchers as a way to learn how to eat healthy again. Somehow my good habits I developed a few years ago were completely disregarded in the last year or so. I want to feel like I used to feel when I had lost almost 100 lbs. I was doing something right at that time!
The more I think about it, I realize that my disordered eating habits truly became a big problem when I hit a plateau that first time around. I want to write more about this and why I think it contributed to my backslide soon.
I'm not going to lie-- I'm so hungry right now. I'll be going grocery shopping this weekend and can stock up on the things that I should be eating. I'd love your recommendations on snacks with low SmartPoints values. This is all kind of new to me!
I made my Easy Beef Stew for supper tonight with some rolls. I may have eaten a little too much stew, but I only ate one roll and no dessert. I'm happy with that! The stew is full of veggies. It was perfect for this fall day.
Let me know if you are following the current SmartPoints WW plan!
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Super Easy Funny Face Pancakes
This shop has been compensated by CollectiveBias, Inc. on behalf of its advertiser, Similac. #NutritionintheMix #Collectivebias #Walmart
Save this recipe for those hectic school day mornings by pinning it on Pinterest! And try it now too, of course. I'd love to know what you, and your littles, think about it.
- 1 egg
- 1/2 banana (ripe)
- 1/8 tsp. baking powder
- Toppings of your choice to make the face. Suggestions: strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, oranges, bananas, whipped cream, chocolate chips
- Blend the egg, banana, and baking powder. It works quickly with a blender.
- Pre-heat your griddle and spray with cooking spray.
- You will use one packet of Go & Grow by Similac® Mix-Ins™ for one serving (or 1/2 cup of food), so add the packet to the batter and blend.
- Pour the batter on the griddle to make three pancakes. Use 1/2 the batter to make one large pancake, 1/4 of the batter to make one small pancake, and the last 1/4 to make another small pancake. Cook.
- Once cooked, place the smaller pancakes at the top of a plate. Place the larger pancake so that it slightly overlaps the bottoms of the smaller pancakes.
- Add toppings to make your funny face!
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Calorie Restriction vs. Calorie Adjustment
I was reading through a forum where someone commented about calorie restriction and adjustment. I can’t remember what site it was on, but it got me thinking anyways.
When you think about calorie restriction, you might imagine your ordinary diet—you eat less so that you can lose weight. A typical calorie restrictive diet is a plan followed temporarily until the results you are looking for are achieved—primarily with weight loss.
Being that I am overweight, but otherwise healthy (no medical problems contributing to weight gain), it’s evident that I consume far more calories than I burn—hence, my body stores the excess energy in fat cells.
As a 5’5 woman with a medium build, a healthy weight for myself would be about 130 (give or take). According to the American Cancer Society Calorie Counter, a 30 year old woman of this size would need about 1,900 calories to maintain that weight.
This means that throughout my life I have consumed more than 1,900 calories per day on average. I have no idea how many calories I would consume on a day where I am not consciously trying to limit my calorie intake, but let’s say I consumed 2,500 calories per day.
If I go on a “diet” and only eat 1,500 calories per day, is that truly restricting calories? You could think of it that way, but thinking of it as a calorie adjustment is more indicative of lifestyle change.
The reason for this is that I only truly need 1,900 calories per day to function and maintain my weight. For weight loss reasons, eating 1,500 calories per day would cause me to lose weight—but in reality it’s only 400 calories less than I would theoretically be eating if I were at a healthy weight of approximately 130 lbs. and wanted to maintain. Yes, it’s also 1,000 calories less than what I would be “over eating”, and a larger body requires more energy to function—so it would equal more weight loss.
If I am used to eating 2,500 calories per day and suddenly I am only eating 1,500, I’m probably going to be hungry because my body has gotten used to the higher calorie intake. Sometimes the hunger will be physical and other times emotional.
You could think of this as calorie restriction, but is it really restriction if your body doesn’t truly need 2,500 calories per day to function?
A calorie adjustment, which would mean that you are simply readjusting to consume the amount of calories that your body actually requires, and that once you lose the excess weight you will have adjusted to the true calorie requirement that your body needs.
It doesn’t stop there. If you begin to eat more calories than your body requires, the weight will come back on.
So my point is this—use the time that you are actively trying to lose weight to let your body adjust and work on an adjustment of your mind also. If you’re like me, a significant part of the reason you are overweight has to do with your emotions.
It’s kind of like re-calibrating the body and the changes truly will be an adjustment, both calorically and mentally.
This is my goal right now—to analyze my thought process which leads to over eating, and work on re-calibrating and adjusting my mind and body to a place of good health. I want the weight loss to be permanent this time—not just temporary.
What are your thoughts?
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Making the Most out of the Days and Nights While Working Towards Good Health and Fitness
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HealingNightsSleep #CollectiveBias
It has been a couple of weeks since we moved our clocks back and lost an hour and I think we’re finally used to the time change. Isn’t it amazing how one hour can make such a difference? Instead of feeling sleep deprived, we’re finally making the most of the daylight hours.
As you know, hubby and I have been working toward better health and fitness. We’re both doing really well with the weight loss and have been working toward adding more activity and workouts into our week.
Primarily, we go for walks. It’s always fun to check out a new trail and explore the area. We love going for bike rides when the weather is nice. But pretty soon we’ll get getting our activity in by sledding and, dare I mention it, shoveling.
The funny thing is, I think I got a better workout from climbing up a playground ladder at lightning speed than I have from anything else I’ve done lately!
I should explain.
I will preface by saying that our Little Miss Sunshine is a dare devil at only 18 months old. Not much scares her. She loves to stand on the merry-go-round and walk around while it’s spinning. Her favorite pastime lately is spinning around in circles until she’s dizzy and then trying to walk. This is followed by loads of giggles.
While at the playground, she was walking across a very safe area of playground equipment bridges with rails. And suddenly, she made her way to the adjoining section of the playground shown below. From the ground, I told her to come back, but she just kept going until she was making her way up the steps to the tall slide.
I almost had a heart attack! I climbed up the 8’ ladder (the S shaped type to the left) faster than I thought possible and grabbed her as she was at the very top step to the slide.
You wouldn’t believe how sore I was that evening. I couldn’t believe it. Yet another reason to increase my fitness level—so I can keep up with the little one!
Little Miss Sunshine keeps us on our toes and gives us a workout every day.
I believe another important part of healthy living is having an organized environment that’s free of clutter—it’s good for mental health. So I have been slowly working on getting rid of things that we really don’t need.
I have cleared my closet of so many clothes that I could probably open a shopping mall. Recently, I finally conquered a book shelf that has been making me feel unsettled every time I looked at it.
There have been so many 20-gallon totes filled with clothes and books that I’ve had sore arms from carrying it all around. You have to love good functional exercise too.
So much better. Clean home, clear mind.
Our diet has changed drastically. I’m cooking a healthy and balanced supper each night as opposed to feeling too tired to do anything except pick up the phone and order a pizza.
The plan that we are following is low glycemic so we have cut out sugar for the most part. At first, we had withdrawal symptoms—headaches especially. But it’s for a good cause—better health.
There sure is an awful lot of pain involved in getting healthy and fit, right? From headaches, to sore muscles, and let’s not forget a growling stomach—ok maybe that’s not considered pain, but it sure feels like it sometimes!
At the end of a long and productive day, when my body aches and it’s keeping me from getting a good night’s sleep, I’ll turn to Advil PM for a Healing Night’s Sleep. A good night’s sleep is the only way to ensure productivity the next day.
I picked up a bottle of Advil PM at Walgreen’s in the Pharmacy section and it has been nice to have on hand.
It also helps to use the foam roller to alleviate pains and I always make sure to drink lots of water, which can help you recover faster.
I look forward to someday having aches and pains from completing a triathlon or running a marathon rather than just from chasing after Little Miss Sunshine!
Working towards our health and fitness goals will be worthwhile someday and a little discomfort now will seem like nothing when the time comes when we finally achieve our goals.
How do you manage the aches and pains required to achieve health and fitness goals?
If you need a little assistance from Advil PM or other Advil products, you can save with these offers so you can get a healing night’s sleep.
Friday, September 4, 2015
Weigh in Day: Switching to Simply Filling
I lost 2.2 lbs. this week after my gain last week. I’m happy with that because I feel like I’m making progress despite numerous setbacks. That’s a total loss of 6.7 lbs…so I am up overall from my lowest, but I’m still on the losing side from where I began, so I’ll take that as a win.
I’ve been really struggling with eating the right foods. I’m not so sure it comes down to willpower or if those junky foods really do affect our body chemistry in a way that makes us feel like we need the foods—as if we’re addicted.
A simple solution is to keep the foods out of the house but somehow I keep thinking, I can eat anything I want on Weight Watchers if I do so in moderation. And that’s fine and dandy if I actually kept to that rule and only ate in moderation—but all too often I end up eating too much and then throw in the towel.
So I believe that I need to spend at least a week eating good, nutritious foods so that I can get myself back into the mindset that I used to have where I actually did eat all foods in moderation—and that didn’t mean eating 1 serving of this junk food, and 1 serving of that junk food, and maybe 1/2 a serving of another junk food. You get the point.
Yesterday, I tricked myself into believing that I was changing my weigh in day and that I was starting a new plan. I actually changed it all on Weight Watchers and weighed in and everything. This helped me get back on track yesterday instead of waiting until today. So today, I weighed in again and deleted yesterday’s weigh in and changed my weigh in day back to Friday in the system. Tricky. Tricky. And sad that I require these mind games!
What’s my new plan, you ask? I’m going to follow Simply Filling for at least a week. So far so good. It’s all a mind game, once again. I like that I can eat a variety of healthy foods and not have to count the points for them. But my trial run yesterday showed me that 1) I really need to get groceries, 2) I will have to practice moderation with foods that aren’t on the list of Simply Filling foods, 3) I feel so much better physically when I’m eating nutritious foods.
The last two days I’ve eaten oatmeal with fruit for breakfast along with a glass of milk. For a snack, I ate Smart Pop popcorn. I kind of overindulged for dinner at the in-law’s house because their cooking is just so good. Thankfully, there were also lots of veggies so I didn’t do too horribly.
I want to start seeing the weight come off again. I have been hovering around the same weight for far too long and it’s simply because I’m not staying on track—I quit counting my points.
I keep reminding myself that it’s not too late to change my habits so that the little one learns the skills for living a healthy life. She’s still a baby and I can still do this! But I also need to be very careful not to be too hard on myself and feel like a bad mother because I’m obese— I travel down that road far too often and I need to let go of guilt, per my therapist!
My only focus this week will be to follow the Simply Filling plan. Exercise will be an added benefit if I feel up to it. All too often I start something with great intentions such as, I’m going to eat X way, exercise 5x this week, drink 64 oz. of water, eliminate all sugar and carbs, only eat fat in the mornings, etc. etc. Nope, starting small again this time.
I have a feeling that I will get over the food boredom I’ve had lately once I start cooking those delicious meals with fresh and healthy foods!
How was your week? Did you meet any goals? Are you making any small changes? Do you have a favorite Simply Filling recipe to share?
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
My Sense of Self
Happy September!
I love September for a variety of reasons: it means that fall is coming (and I love fall), my birthday is this month (even though I’m hitting the big 3-0)…and yeah, pretty much I love September because my birthday is in September and my hubby spoils me. ha
Anyways, I am feeling better today—not 100%, but it at least feels like the fog is lifting. I’ve been making myself sleep until I really feel rested in the morning, which means that I miss out on my morning “me-time”, but I think it’s best for now. I feel excited about starting a new project or going somewhere and that means that I’m feeling positive about life again…that’s a huge relief!
It really helped me to write my post yesterday and just express what was going on in my mind. It helped me to process it all and have a good cry. I’m sorry for when I’m a Debbie Downer, but I want to keep record of this entire process.
When hubby got home, he offered to help me clean the house and told me I would feel so much better if the house looked organized. I pushed myself to do it and it did make me feel better, especially when I came downstairs to an organized house this morning. Hubby didn’t even help me very much…I see how that works. lol
I want to focus on eating foods that are good for me. I have salmon in the oven for lunch today. I need to get groceries because we don’t have a lot of food in the house right now, but I’m trying to use what we do have. I know that we will all feel better if we are eating healthier foods, which means that I really need to practice preparation.
I just don’t want to believe that I will be like this for the rest of my life. It’s all up to me and the choices that I make. It will probably mean exercising and eating healthy when I don’t want to or when I don’t feel like it. It’s required at first and eventually you learn to want to exercise and to want to eat healthy. I can’t wait to get back to that place again.
My life has changed so much. I went from working (and having weekends and evenings off) and doing what I wanted, whenever I wanted--to staying at home (a job that has no “off” hours), and prioritizing my child before myself.
Mothers are required to be selfless, and part of my struggle has been losing my sense of self. I used to think that my identity was wrapped up in my job and my weight, to be honest. And when I no longer had an employer or a position and my weight was heavier than ever, I just felt lost.
Over the past few months, I have begun to figure out what I like to do and what goals and aspirations I have. Yes, I am a wife and I am a mother first and foremost, but I am still a woman with interests and goals.
I’ve begun to put more effort into my blog because blogging is something that I truly love to do. I’ve started to read books again when I have the chance. I’ve been teaching myself photography—I purchased macro lenses and a backdrop to experiment with. I set a goal to write a book. I’ve begun to really write. I’ve been dabbling in web design. I have a variety of other things that I want to do when I am ready.
I’m slowly finding myself again and I am learning that who I am is not contingent on my title or on my weight, but who I am is determined by who I choose to become.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
9 Tips for Achieving Healthy Living Goals & Finding Life Balance
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SamsClubMag #CollectiveBias
Almost eight months have passed since you set those new year’s resolutions. Are you closer to achieving those goals or have you made steps in the wrong direction?
My progress has been slow, but I continue to make small changes with the ultimate goal of creating healthy habits that will last a lifetime and not just a couple of weeks.
With August being Health Awareness Month, it’s a good time to take a look at your health (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) and make sure that you are finding the right life balance. It’s a balance that takes mindful planning to achieve.
These tips are some of the ways that have helped me achieve success with my healthy living goals in the past and making this list has been a good reminder for me get back on track with my goals.
1. Do the Prep Work
There’s a lot to say for convenience. I am notorious for making bad food choices when I’m hungry. I’ll open the fridge and say, “There’s nothing to eat…”, and proceed to stuff my mouth with whatever is convenient.
Here’s the good news—with a little preparation, even healthy foods can be convenient.
For example, cut up fruits and veggies and have them ready to eat in the fridge. Fill small plastic storage bags (or small reusable containers) with the recommended serving size of your favorite snack to prevent overeating. Cook chicken or salmon on the weekends so that it’s ready to grab for a quick and healthy lunch during the hectic work week.
2. Prioritize Quiet Time
We live in an over-scheduled, noisy, and violent world. It’s important to take time to be quiet and listen to nothing other than our own thoughts. If you’re not used to this practice, it may seem difficult at first—but after a while you will come to treasure those peaceful moments.
There are a variety of ways that you can make the most of your quiet time. Sit down and read that book you’ve been meaning to read. Journal your thoughts and enjoy the therapeutic benefits. Meditate or pray to benefit the soul. Even just leisurely sipping a cup of coffee and taking in the scent and taste can be centering.
3. Take Vitamins/Supplements
If you’re already taking a daily multivitamin, give yourself a pat on the back! There are a variety of supplements that can benefit body and mind. Taking fish oil can have numerous health benefits, including supporting heart health. If you have trouble sleeping, melatonin supplements can often help. Consult your physician to find out what’s best for you.
When shopping at Sam’s Club, I love to browse the Healthy Living section. They carry everything you could possibly need to stay happy and well. And they have the most heavenly produce section that makes it easy to eat nutritiously. I love being a Sam’s Club member!
4. Lend a Hand
Doing good for others is a natural mood booster. There can never be too much kindness in the world. There are a millions ways to give—donate your blood to save lives, volunteer in your community, visit the elderly, drop off a freezer meal at a tired new mom’s house, hold the door open for the person behind you, or shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk in the winter. The possibilities are endless.
5. Hydrate
The average human is made up of approximately 65% water. Think about that—over 1/2 of you is water! It’s pretty amazing to think about and proves how essential hydrating with H2O is to human life and health. I feel a million times better when I am well hydrated and I feel even better when I’m using a reusable water bottle—saving the environment one sip at a time!
6. Checkup on Your Health
Getting a regular health checkup can save your life. I’ve heard countless stories of people who, during a regular checkup, find out they are in the early stages of cancer, and the fact that it was caught early meant that they were able to effectively treat it. I’ve also heard countless stories of people who ignore the symptoms and end up finding out they have a terminal illness by the time they go to the doctor for a check up. Make yourself a priority and keep tabs on your health.
Sometimes achieving good health means having a health screening done and facing the facts so that you can set goals for improvement. Once you meet those goals, monitoring your health is important in maintaining it. On September 12th, Sam’s Club is offering an in store free health screening—the perfect opportunity to check up on your health.
7. Make Physical Activity Fun
I struggle to find exercise that I love to do and I know that’s the secret to being consistent with it. I love to go for bike rides and explore nature trails. I love to swim. Sometimes being active just means that I do whatever I have to do to keep moving—such as going to the mall and walking around window shopping.
I have also enjoyed running numerous 5Ks and saving my race bibs to make a fun collage, which is displayed in my workout room. I’ve earned one medal for participation, but it is a goal of mine to someday earn a medal for placing in my age group. Setting goals like this can make exercise more fun because you have something to work towards.
But the struggle is real and that’s why finding an exercise that you enjoy doing is so important. You have to love what you do!
8. Be a Lifelong Learner
You literally can never stop learning. Isn’t the thought of that inspiring? There is so much more to learn and discover!
One of my favorite ways to continue learning is to listen to podcasts while I’m cleaning the house. It makes an otherwise dreadful task more bearable. I am a bit of a nerd, so I listen to a podcast about grammar, but I also listen to podcasts about finance, personal development, creative inspiration, current events, and healthy living. I know that I am better because of it.
I also love to read, whether it be literature, news stories, or light hearted essays. The Sam’s Club Healthy Living Made Simple Magazine is a great source for keeping up with healthy living topics.
9. Unplug and Unwind
While scrolling through social media is enticing, you can waste a lot of time reading about the lives of others while you’re completely wasting away your own. Every once in a while, completely unplug—put the phone down, turn off Netflix, and shut down your laptop.
Grab some friends and family and have some good old-fashioned fun. Go for a picnic, play a board game, toss a ball around, or even run through the sprinkler. Live life. Enjoy life. You’ll never regret it and I’m also willing to bet that you’ll be much happier with the memories of a good time spent with loved ones than you would be if you sat on the couch looking at your phone.
Making good memories will give you something to smile about later—it’s just simply good for your health!
These are just a few of the many ways to find life balance for physical, emotional, and spiritual healthy living. Sam’s Club has everything I need to work towards my healthy living goals.
What’s your favorite item at Sam’s Club that helps you work towards your healthy living goals?
P.S. Don’t forget to get your free Health Screening at Sam’s Club!
Buy Now