It's been a month since our first post about ending the weight obsession in exchange for a healthier way of eating and treating our bodies. No more beating up on ourselves or doing crazy things to try to be perfect. I have been implementing my get-healthier habits, and with the exception of this weekend, it's gone pretty well. I am a few pounds down, which doesn't sound too exciting, but it beats being a few pounds up. Ideally, I'd like to lose thirty pounds, so as of today, I am down two, so twenty-eight to go!
Here are some things that have worked for me. They're not fast fixes, but my goal isn't to return to a life of self-abuse and rapid weight loss, but to treat my body like I appreciate all that it does for me.
-Get enough sleep. When I'm tired, I crave sugar like a junkie looking for a hit. That's where I went wrong this weekend. Fatigue pushes the body to look for energy in the form of food, usually high carb quick hits.-Hydrate. Drink enough water. I've read that your body confuses thirst with hunger- have a glass of water before scarfing a cookie.
-Shoot for 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Thinking of what you should be eating over what you shouldn't eat helps change the brain's food obsession.
-Keep a food journal. Like Jo Wake commented last week- writing down what you eat is helpful. I use an app on my phone that tracks my intake and calories. Doing this keeps me conscious of my snacking. If I'm not logging in what I eat, I tend to do too much mindless grazing, especially when I'm tired, busy, or stressed.
-Move. As a writer, I spend a lot of time in a chair. Time to make exercise a priority. I've been
walking a mile a day, at least.
-Avoid fast food. This is the hardest of all the changes. It's so handy to grab dinner from a window rather than cook when I'm busy and tired. I've found keeping healthy lunch meats and soups in the house is a good alternative.
-Get rid of the junk. If there are chips and candy in the house, I'm grabbing handfuls mindlessly.
-Choose healthier snacks. Popcorn, fresh fruit, brownies- without the oil. I quit adding the oil to my cakes and brownies years ago and as long as you don't over bake, you will never miss the oil.
It's also the last post of the month! Time for our entertainment check in. It's a good thing I had a weight obsession post planned because this month's entertainment was slim pickings. My husband and I were on a roll in April choosing one bad movie after another.
I did switch up my satellite line up. I reduced my channels to a much smaller package and joined Hulu. I was able to catch up on all the sitcom episodes I missed. My two favorite for the month?
New Girl
The series begins with Jess surprising her boyfriend (and his date!) with a striptease. She leaves the cheater behind and moves into an apartment with a group of crazy, lovable guys. New Girl always makes me laugh and the characters are loyal and enchanting.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Jake Peralta is a quirky detective working among the most unique, hilarious staff of co-workers. Unique characters, unlimited shenanigans.
What I'm reading...
The Moral Compass by KA Servian
Set in the 1800's, the heroine, Florence is forced to leave England with her indebted family for the wilds of New Zealand. It's a romance with plenty of twists, turns, and engaging characters.
I did switch up my satellite line up. I reduced my channels to a much smaller package and joined Hulu. I was able to catch up on all the sitcom episodes I missed. My two favorite for the month?
New Girl
The series begins with Jess surprising her boyfriend (and his date!) with a striptease. She leaves the cheater behind and moves into an apartment with a group of crazy, lovable guys. New Girl always makes me laugh and the characters are loyal and enchanting.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Jake Peralta is a quirky detective working among the most unique, hilarious staff of co-workers. Unique characters, unlimited shenanigans.
The Moral Compass by KA Servian
Set in the 1800's, the heroine, Florence is forced to leave England with her indebted family for the wilds of New Zealand. It's a romance with plenty of twists, turns, and engaging characters.
Keep going Liz. Sounds like you have it beat at the moment. I am rooting for you.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest downfall is usually getting frustrated. Tara and I were chatting and decided maybe checking in on our progress will help us stay on course.
DeleteThanks for the support. You're the best!
Drink lots of water. Here are a few simple ways to be sure you’re drinking enough fluids. Drink 16oz with breakfast. Drink at least 8 with every meal. I eat 5-6 tines a day so that really adds up. Add flavored water drops if you don’t want to drink plain water. And there are a ton of diff waters on the market.
ReplyDeletePrep your food. I grill a ton of chicken. I use a meat mallet and pound it til it’s thin and it literally takes 5min per side.
I buy a rotisserie chicken 1-2 times a week. Sometimes I throw it out but it’s $5 at Costco and it beats eating crap food. Plus it’s good. I pull all the meat off the bone when I get home and put it in salads or whatever.
Change your thinking. If you tell yourself you hate exercise then you will hate exercise and find every excuse not to do it. You don’t even have to think about it. You know Nike’s slogan - just do it. That’s what they mean..... don’t think just do. Same thing with eating healthy. Just do it. 1 last thing, eat the same thing. Doesn’t need to be for every meal and it might sound boring but it takes out all the thinking. For instance, eat the same breakfast every day. Eat the same lunch every day, and take it with you if you’re not going to be home. Who cares. I take food with me all the time.
I'm sorry Sandra, but this 8 glasses a day is outmoded. It doesn't actually matter what you drink or eat. Your body will extract the fluids it needs from your intake. As for eating the same thing, getting bored is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard of. Guaranteed IMHOP to make you eat something not boring.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Sandy! I appreciate the advice...taking notes!! I love the idea of limiting food choices. I told my kids at Christmas that I was taking all buffets off the table (no pun intended, lol) because there is just too much variety. Living in a house of men, they LOVE their buffets, but they agreed and support me.
DeleteI never thought of the rotisserie chicken. I'll remember that for quick meals. Anything to avoid the drive through burger line.
And I'm with you on the water...at least for me. I know water isn't the magic bullet and a lot of people misunderstand (living with athletes, I realize the hydration thing isn't as easy as drinking water while exercising, but hydrating the night before to get it into the muscles because trying to hydrate while actually exercising can lead to the flush of electrolytes)
But for me, if I'm not drinking water, I'm drinking pop, coffee, or tea and that might be hydrating me, but I'm also adding extra calories that rack up fast.
Jo, a real foodie like yourself would probably go nuts without variety! Not all ideas will ever work for all people. Someone like me, who more of a functional eater, I am most guilty of grabbing quick fuel. Finding low-cal easy replacements might work for me because if not, I'll just eat the exact same thing at McDonalds--double cheeseburger, small fries, large diet coke. That's my standard.
My youngest son is a foodie. He will find new recipes and put a lot of effort into his meals. He's lost over thirty pounds since football season ended. He's not like his mom. He needs variety, but he scouts out recipes and makes food plans-- unlike his Philistine (that still cracks me up!) mother. LOL
You're doing great! I lost 4 pounds in March... only because I was sick. =P I'm trying to stay on the exercise wagon. It's a bumpy ride, though!
ReplyDeleteI left my Kindle on my treadmill. It's my carrot.
DeleteGood luck staying on the wagon!!