Fit Friday: Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

Thank you, Smart Phone. I am finally able to get back to my health-reading habit since my smart phone allows me to squeeze that activity into the nooks and crannies of time available in my 3-Ballplayer-Mom lifestyle! Which leads to our Friday Tips, Tricks and Inspiration.

Tips: Choose a Plan You Can Stick With and GET SUPPORT

I'm not one to get into flame wars so in complete honesty, the part of this editorial  ("Why Protein Isn't Bad for You") that goes after Dr. Ornish wasn't personally interesting to me. However, this thought provoking op-ed piece reminded me once again of the importance of a balanced, moderate approach to eating and the importance of in-the-flesh, ongoing support in your weight loss efforts. It never hurts to be reminded!

The salient points are these:

• Choose a moderate and healthy eating plan that you can continue over a long period or -- ideally -- forever. 
• Protein is a necessary part of our diet. Avoid processed meats; really folks, these should be for occasional treats or actual emergencies
• Any eating plan is more successful with regular -- think weekly -- ongoing support
• Online support has simply not been proven successful as a sole means of support; in the high tech age, it turns out we all still need people "in the flesh."

Tricks: Gastric Bypass Surgery is Not a Panacea for Instant Happiness

In fact, it's a proven successful method of weight loss that comes at a high price. For many people, it's life saving. Yet it's not easy nor instant, and the changes that come with it are hard for some people to handle. I hope you will take a minute to read this first-person account of weight-bias with a few words on the side effects of gastric bypass.

Who Knew? Getting Off Our Butts is Saving our Lives! Friday Inspiration.

I do write about this frequently but that's because there is an explosion of research on the topic. This recent study looks at the effects of sedentary behavior as related to our mortality. Straight from the researcher's pens' is this conclusion: 

" . . . long periods of sedentary time was positively associated with an increased risk for dying (from all-causes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases) and increasing the risk for certain forms of cancer . . ., cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Our meta-analysis found that the largest association was with type 2 diabetes (91% increased risk)."

That's pretty hard to ignore. One of my loved ones died of complications of diabetes after a tough battle of many years that saw her losing both her legs, Death by diabetes is slow and painful.

The study authors go on to suggest that 30 minutes/day of physical activity is critical to longevity and health. They also mention other recent studies that suggest even that amount of activity will not necessarily counteract the negative effects of long periods of sitting. This has been much in the news lately, resulting in recommendations that we never sit longer than 20 minutes at a stretch. This is a very challenging goal to meet; I know because I try to keep it. 

It would be instructive to just notice how long your stretches of sitting are currently. If you have a Fitbit or Jawbone or similar device, it's easy to do: Just look at your data. If you do not have an activity monitor, it would be easy enough to keep a notepad on your desk or near your sofa. Try wearing at least a basic pedometer and increase your steps every day, paying particular attention to long periods of sitting.

It's easy enough to do:  I am going to focus on getting up during commercials when I watch TV in the evening which is when almost all my sitting takes place.  I am also going to make sure I get a minimum of 10,000/steps every day (even when ill!) which will help me accomplish the previous goal.

What will inspire you this week?

The Meat/Blood Pressure Equation, Fitness Trackers, and a Crazy Workout: Friday Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

Happy Friday Fit Friends!!

It's time for your weekly dose of Tips, Tricks and Inspiration to cheer you into your weekend. How has your week been?

I have had some physical challenges this week and had to employ the strategy of rest to heal up my right foot once again. I am finally fed up with this ongoing right foot issue and have committed to myself to go to the podiatrist the next time it starts acting up. I'm no doctor but my best guess is it's a stress fracture. I am on my feet all day at work so I have to take good care of them. I also finally got fed up with a pair of my work shoes that seem to exacerbate the issue and have ordered replacements. I'm sticking with Reikers, by far the best fitting, most pain-free shoes I've ever owned!

Finding the Right Fitness Tracker

Good equipment is paramount, isn't it? Sometimes it's worth paying a bit more to get the thing that really is a good "fit" for you. My tip this week is to consider purchasing a fitness tracker to help you in your health goals. I personally love my Fitbit One because it not only counts my steps and other activity with it's accelerometer, it also differentiates between light, moderate and "very active" activity. This motivates me to pick it up as the day nears an end. Don't take my word for it though, here is a helpful review of several different fitness products. Not included in this review are the Weight Watcher's ActiveLink product which is surprisingly much lower priced than most of its competitors and can be even used in the pool! Also not included is the BodyMedia armband, offspring of the once-popular BodyBugg, made famous by the show, Biggest Loser. I believe both these last two products do require subscriptions to access their measurements. Check it out for yourself and consider treating yourself to a very useful step up from a simple pedometer.

Why You Might Want to Eat Less Meat

Are you or someone you know suffering from high blood pressure? Here's a simple trick to lower that number In my wellness reading recently I came across this JAMA paper review on Obesity Panacea that shows eating less meat can help lower blood pressure. Having been raised in a rural area, I am from the meat-eater ancestral pool. I have been vegetarian for several months at a time but it is not a way of life that is sustainable for me personally. Nonetheless, "Meatless Monday" and "Fish Friday" have helped me reduce the amount of meat our family eats and we also have meatless lunches at least half our days. Take a look at the article for yourself and see if there are some practical changes you can make.

Bookend Your Weekend Days with Workouts

Finally, a little inspiration for your weekend. If you tend to overdo on the weekends, try book-ending each day with a couple of workouts. Research shows that working out on the weekends makes us more mindful not only of what we are consuming but also of the work it takes to burn off the excess.  I tried out this SparkPeople video recently and it gave me a good run for my money! It's an all-over toning plus cardio piece that runs 28 minutes total. Give it a shot and let me have your thoughts! My commitment for the weekend (Friday through Sunday) is to break my workout into two pieces - morning and evening - so I'm less tempted to overdo on the snacks and alcohol. If you have some other inspiring weekend motivators for us, please share them in the comments.

Fall Friday - Tips, Tricks and Inspiration!

Fall -- don't you love it?  When we have fall weather in Texas, we celebrate; it can turn back to summer at any moment.

The downside of this time of year is that we have dark evenings and they are especially dark for the next two weeks until the time change. I noticed our neighborhood walkers have disappeared with the dark evenings (and not just because I can't see them! - ha!). In the autumn we have to revamp our exercise routine to factor in cooler weather and darker evenings and mornings. Here's a tip, take time this week to figure out how you can continue exercising in consideration of the environment. Maybe it's time to take all the clothes off the clothes rack -- err, exercise bike -- or dust off the yoga DVDs. "Just Dance" is an ever popular form of exercise in our house when it's too cool or dark outside. Maybe you can incorporate a stop by the gym into your commute or ride your bike for work or errands. Making a plan now ensures that we will be able to keep exercising through the holidays. My personal plan is to hit the home gym before I fix dinner each night. The Littles will need a hearty snack after school to tide them over to a later dinner.

Fall is time for soups, stews, and chili's, right?  Trick your family and your metabolism with this yummy no-meat chili. To speed things up, cook the beans in the crock-pot and then dump it all in a saucepan to finish after work. Alternately, cook the beans a day ahead and store them in the fridge until ready.

You Won't Miss the Meat Chili

Serves 6 

5 Weight Watcher's Points Plus per serving 

Freezes Great

1# 9-bean or 7-bean soup mix; discard the seasoning packet. (Cook beans according to package directions.  Do NOT add remaining ingredients until the beans are soft).

When beans are cooked or nearly so, add:

2.5 T chili powder;
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Cumin
1.5 t salt; 
1/2 tsp Cayenne (or omit if too spicy)
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger (helps with "repeating")
2- 16oz cans diced tomatoes, un-drained; 
1 can (16 oz) tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced

Heat til bubbly; reduce heat, cover, simmer 30 minutes. 

At the last 10 minutes, mix:
6 oz. of beer (room temp is fine)
2 tablespoons masa (corn flour) or regular flour

Add to the chili.

 For a slightly more caloric version of this chili, try this version with cornbread dumplings. SO yummy.  

I also love Surprise Chili which is a more conventional chili but includes pumpkin!

Finally, this week's inspiration is from our little Bennie. He's a four-year-old gabby gander but surprisingly wise. He has India on his mind this week; apparently he's been watching the news. When Tinker said she wanted to move to India, Bennie said, "Don't do it! They don't have enough water!" The next day as we were both exercising, he asked, "Mom, do people in India have elliptical's? " "I doubt it son; I don't think in general they have problems with overeating. I think they have trouble getting enough to eat." "Well," he said, "that's sad." 

I would use the word "humbling." It's the perfect example of a "first world problem." Poor me, I have to go in my home gym and watch my  big screen tv to exercise off all the pounds I gained by overeating. (Whine).

Oh my goodness. I am going to try to put things in perspective this week and actually stop eating when I've had enough to eat. I am not a big over-eater  but I am aware that several times a week I do eat when I am not hungry. I think a little more hungry in my life could be useful.

Fall Friday Tips, Tricks, and Inspiration plus a Challenge

It's fab Friday! Time for some tips, tricks and inspiration, plus a challenge.

Here's a tip: Don't Instagram your food if you want to fully savor it. In an interesting study on satiety, researchers see a link between a loss of enjoyment and Instagramming photos of food. I take a lot of photos of food to use in my "Menu Plan Monday" posts and also in my recipe file, so this study made me sit up and take notice. Now to be sure, it's a "first world problem." Nonetheless, as a weight watcher, enjoying my food is part of what keeps me on plan, so maybe I will cut back on that food photography!

Have you ever tried veggie noodles?  This is a simple trick to get more veggies, fiber and vitamins into your diet. In the interest of full disclosure, these "Zoodles" (recipe below) do not taste like noodles, but they are surprisingly satisfying.  I actually crave them now. I love my pasta but these Zoodles are good! My solution has been to eat the zoodles and include a half-serving of pasta along with them. I've fed them to the kids too; I just don't try to convince them it's pasta.  I love them most with tomato based sauces but am experimenting with other recipes too. Try them and let me have your thoughts.

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Zoodles

4 - 6 Servings

Ingredients:

4 medium zucchini

Salt 2 tsp.

1 Tblsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

Preparation:

Julienne the zucchini using a julienne peeler, mandoline or spiralizer.  Salt it liberally (use 1/2 tsp. per zucchini) and allow to sit in a mesh strainer for 20 minutes. Don't skip this step; it's essential. 

Rinse the squash to remove some of the surface salt and then gently squeeze it with your hands to remove some of the excess water.

Heat the olive oil gently in a non-stick skillet and add the garlic; when the garlic becomes fragrent, increase the heat to medium high and add the zucchini.  Gently stir fry until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Serve with any sauce you enjoy with pasta.

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Just in time for fall, my inspiration this week came not from a weight loss story, but from a story about apples and a man who loves them. I promise, there is a farmer in me somewhere. Please enjoy this lovely story about apples and then visit a farmer's market near you in search of a new apple to enjoy. If the first story intrigues you, the second one on the same vein is also fascinating. 

I've decided to add a new item to my weekly Tips, Tricks and Inspiration blog: A challenge!  This week's challenge is to make an apple based dish in celebration of fall. Let me know what you love and I'll share your findings here! 

Happy Friday, Friends.

Vegetarians, Exercisers, Potassium (Spuds) and Saturday

Happy weekend! I missed my Friday "Tips, Trips and Inspiration" because I am getting over a terrible cold and just couldn't wrap my brain around getting up even earlier. But here I am on Saturday so, hello!  And hello to my 23 new followers reading from Feedspot; I look forward to your comments.

Regular readers of this blog know: I'm not a vegetarian. Although I have a wandering palate and interest in many types of foods, I have never succeeded at vegetarianism because I find it too hard to get my protein. That said, some studies, including the big one in this Fooducate report, have indicated that vegetarians are indeed thinner than the rest of us. It's an excellent tip; move toward a consciously plant based diet if you want to be thinner. There is a lot missing from the aforementioned study, like the cause of the body differences but it isn't too big a leap to say that adopting a conscientious eating style will serve you in the long run. I notice that as I have personally cut back on my consumption of meat in the past several years, I am getting more protein from other sources, naturally.

The trick of the week is . . . (insert drum roll here) exercise. Yes, it's so simple. For those of us with stubborn metabolisms and seriously obese ancestors, it's especially important. Lean muscle speeds up your metabolism in a way nothing else does. That's why those crazy TV "scripted reality" shows have those contestants exercising 6 hours a day. Lean muscle changes the way our bodies respond to food. I am NOT saying that 30 minutes a day of leisurely walking will change your body much  -- though it does benefit your heart and your mind! -- but serious exercising where you are actually building muscle will change things over time. Calories in, calories out is now and always will be the true equation for weight loss but for those of us with metabolic issues, exercise is crucial. You cannot  My commitment (now stated out loud) is to 6 hours a week until January and then I will ramp it up again. What are you committing to?

These two things have to find balance; if we adopt a vegetarian or more vegetarian lifestyle, balancing those proteins is important. If we are increasing our exercise in a significant way, getting enough protein and enough healthy carbs is also important. I would love to see more of us adopting simply healthy lifestyles where we enjoy healthy foods 90% of the time with occasional treats, exercise regularly, sleep enough, etc. I'm at about 75% on all of that. My goal is to be at 90% by the end of the year.

I've been brushing up on my veggies lately; potatoes have gotten such a bad rap in the "bad carbs" hype --but white potatoes and sweet potatoes too are full of fiber, vitamins and other nutrients, like potassium. Should we eat potatoes smothered in butter and cheese at every meal? Of course not. If, however, you are going to eat the carbs (and we know you are ) then consider potatoes at these meals instead of pasta or rice; you will get a lot more bang for your buck.

Get inspired this week to make a beautiful, healthy meal for yourself and your loved ones. My favorite meal of the week was Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala to which I added green peas. We served it with a lovely whole grain couscous and Cucumber Raita.  I make the Tikka Masala waistline friendly by removing the chicken then cooling the sauce so as to completely de-fat it.  It was so delicious. We also use non-fat yogurt in our Raita and it is so lovely beside the spicier Tikka Masala.

Thank Goodness it's Friday! Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

I lost 5 lbs. this week. Normally that would be cause for celebration but it was the 5 pounds I gained the week before due to my weigh in falling in the few hours I had between two hospital stays. That said, I could honestly say that I was in my points range for the whole 3 weeks so far and I stayed on plan, even in the hospital. I will stay the course and see how I do this week.

Thank goodness it's Friday. I went back to work yesterday and while I did okay, I was beat when I got home. So I only have today and tomorrow morning and then some time to rest.

I have a simple tip for this week: Eat more watermelon! I read these fun facts about watermelon on Fooducate and realized my over-the-top love for this fruit is actually justified. I'ts a good source of Lycopene, and Vitamin C and it's a "filling food." The article offers some alternate serving suggestions at the end but to me using watermelon as an ingredient is akin to grinding up steak and using it as an ingredient. It's already perfect the way it is! I'm not too much of a purist though, a fat slice with a little cayenne and salt is the perfect snack.

You've tried logic, so now you want to know how to trick your teens into giving up sugary sodas. A new study had a surprising finding: If you label the soft drink cooler with the amount of exercise it will take to burn the calories from the soda, a lot fewer teens will choose the drink. Who knew teens were logical? Read the details in this brief article by The Salt on NPR.

While looking for something else, I stumbled across this government publication on the benefits of losing weight. If you have a metabolism like mine and weight loss comes slowly, it's helpful to have a little inspiration to keep working at it. Take a look at it and see which of the many benefits would mean the most to you right now.

I am focusing on small changes now. For instance, I am committed to journaling  my food, no matter what I eat. Knowing I will be logging it later helps me make a good choice in the moment. What small changes are impacting you right now? I want to hear from you!

Friday Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

Happy Friday! Here are your tips, tricks and inspiration to start your weekend strong.

We have a crazy busy weekend planned so I am working to get in two hours of exercise today. To combat the boredom, I am mixing in some new exercises and activities. I found some great tips to fight the flab in my arms.  These exercises use a medicine ball, but you can substitute a cantaloupe   Alternately, you can make your own medicine ball by taking a kids playground ball (the durable rubber kind), cutting a slit in it, insert a ziplock bag, fill with sand or earth, then zip the bag. It's always a good idea to mix up our workouts not only for variety, but to keep our muscles challenged. Here are the instructions on Livestrong.


I decided to refresh my knowledge on Cholesterol lowering foods since one of our kids has a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol.  These foods are actually a health trick since they raise your HDL ("good" cholesterol) which affects the LDL/HDL ratio and lowers your overall cholesterol score. Some studies have found that emphasizing these foods has a much bigger impact than focusing on foods which contain cholesterol. We eat a lot of these foods regularly in our household, but I did find a few surprises.


There was an interesting and inspiring Washington Post article recently on Japanese school lunches. Having spent (too) much time in my son's lunchroom, this style of lunching appealed to me.  The kids in the feature are not used to choices -- there is one meal served and they eat it (kind of like at home!).  They involve the kids in the serving and the meals are simple, healthy and do not contain sweets. For a fascinating glimpse at what "could" be, please check out the article.

Have a wonderful, healthy weekend.

An Apple a Day - Friday Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

I have neglected this blog lately; the reason is simple -- I had a big "no" in my head to the whole weight loss process.  I am still losing weight-- down 17 pounds in the last few months -- but occasionally I have a little tantrum about it.  You see, my belief is that I should lose 2 or 3 pounds a week and I don't like it when it's a half a pound a week.  Isn't that ridiculous?  It's so sneaky though -- I don't even notice I'm thinking it right away.  Now I've awakened and it is what it is; I'm staying the course until I get there!

Now for the news.  Some years ago, a study discovered an apple a day really is good for your health, especially your heart.  Now it looks like 2 apples is even better, especially if you're a woman.  My kids eat an apple a day; I guess I will start following their excellent example!  Your Friday tip is to make sure you are getting those 5 or more servings of fruit and veggies every day because I'm betting similar research on another fruit or vegetable would yield similar results!


Your trick of the day is to clean up your environment to protect your weight loss efforts.  FYI, that now might extend to avoiding food ads both in print and on TV.  If you look at photos of food it actually make does make you hungry.  Ghrelin is the hunger stimulating hormone.  A recent study confirms what we already guessed:  Ghrelin levels increase simply by seeing the foods and then you can no longer rely on your body signals!  Will power is the worst way to control weight, so definitely we can benefit by controlling our environment!


Now for your inspiration, I bring you London 2012!  Whenever I start thinking I'm not up to my little 300 calorie burn for the day, I just spend a few minutes watching the athletes who train 8 hours (or more) each and every day in order to be the world's best for a little while.  The dedication and discipline of this group of athletes is truly inspiring.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday! Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

I have been reading a lot of studies lately that show that Omega 3 and Omega 6 are not only good for heart health and fighting cancer, but play a large role in brain health as well.   So clearly I have been actively working to include more of these foods in my diet (need all the help I can get), but it is a lot of information to digest.  I made a short list of foods I enjoy that are high in these foods so I can remember to incorporate them regularly.  If you need some tips on getting in those Omega 3's, their "mystery" is unraveled here. 

So it turns out that if your teen wants to lose weight, you should probably butt out! The trick to teen weight loss seems to be "going it alone."  A handful of studies have shown that teens who took charge of their own weight loss were mores successful than those "helped" by their mothers.  Given teens' need to individuate, it makes sense.  [I'm sorry I lost the link on this one but when I find it, I'll come back and add it here.]

We all know my Friday title is a bit of wordplay, right?  There really are no tricks to lasting weight loss. But we don't want to be tricked, either.  So I bring you what we've all been waiting for, at last!  What you eat doesn't matter as much as caloric intake;  Here is a study to prove the obvious!  It makes sense to me that certain styles of weight loss will be easier for certain personalities and body types.  Pick the type of eating plan you think you can stick with for life, eat less than you do now, and while you're at it, make some choices to enhance your long-term health.

Are you having trouble getting that water in each day?  Here is some inspiration in and a couple of more good reasons to drink that water:  It turns out that dehydration can affect your energy level and your mood as well.  Try getting in a larger quantity of water next time you're feeling low and see if it helps.   Check out the article for more information.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Food Safety and other Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

It seems that there is always some food-borne illness in the news lately.  I have really been enjoying Food Safety's Newsletter  which helps me stay on top the issues.  In a similar vein, here another tip,  7 foods that experts think you should avoid.

Are we tricking ourselves with restrictive diets?  Decide for yourself; here is NPR's take on the popular Paleo diet.  Here is a review by US News;  it appears to be unbiased and based on nutrition science. I pondered this plan for a while but I thought it would be difficult to maintain for a lifetime. 

Since it's the season of parties, cookies, and other deliciousness,I thought we could use a little inspiration to stay on track.  Check out this mama on the move!

 If you enjoyed this post, please become a follower of my feed;  you'll find the subscription buttons at right.  For my Facebook readers, my blog feed will not be available on Facebook after the beginning of the year.

First December Friday: Your Tips, Tricks and Inspiration!

Have we been tricked into avoiding peas?  Yes, they have more calories than some other veggies, but they also have a lot to offer, like half of our vitamin K for the day, 9 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein!  This cleverly titled article has all the facts.

If you love honey for it's pollen induced benefits, I have a tip for you:  Know where your honey comes from and whenever possible, buy locally.  This may be harder than it sounds.  Yesterday I noted that a bottle labled "Texas Honey" contained honey from 4 other countries!  Here is some disturbing news about what you may really be getting.

Today's inspirations is what seems like pretty good advice on feeding kids;  I am doing some things well; and some --well -- not so much!  Check out the article for yourself.

Black Friday -- Survival Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

Happy Thanksgiving!  I mean it sincerely -- I am thankful for you, faithful reader!

Now, enough of that -- tomorrow is Black Friday my favorite shopping day of the year.

Do you get hungry when you shop?  I get ravenous.  Here's a tip for you:   As you're about to make your late night turkey sando, take 5 minutes to prepare for tomorrow.  Fill a small cooler with grapes, 100 calorie packs of crackers, water, oranges (peeled and sectioned), string cheese or a boiled egg, yogurt (spoon too, please) and baby carrots.  Each time you walk to your car to unload, take a 3 minute break.  Really, those door busters can wait!  Sit down, take a breath, and have a filling snack and 8 oz. of water.  Your shopping will go more smoothly and you will be less likely to pop into IHOP for your whole day's worth of calories on a single plate!

While you're at it, get in some tricky exercise during that shopping trip.  Park way out on the edge of the lot (daylight hours only, please) and really power-walk to and from that store.  I have been known to jog to and from my car, much to my 13-year-old's chagrin.  On Friday, she'll be in charge of pushing the cart while I get my groove on.  She will likely pretend she doesn't know me!  Also, forget fashion, folks.  Wear your exercise clothes and your running shoes.  You'll be less likely to nosh at the in-store coffee shop and more likely to jog in the parking lot.

Finally, bring your best self to the shopping. I am not talking about your attire. Let your holiday spirit show on your face, slap a santa hat on your head, and be an inspiration to one and all.  I am always amazed at how much scowling I see on Black Friday.  Hey, people, we're shopping for gifts here; for our loved ones.  Go ahead and enjoy yourself.  Sing loudly to the background carols.  Hug people.  Act the fool.

Let me know how it goes!

Friday Lifesaver - Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

Hey, it's already Friday!  Time for some tips, tricks and inspiration rounded up through the week's reading!

Are you a fan of juice fasts or fasting to "jumpstart" weight loss?  This week's tip may have you rethinking the process.  The tip is:  Know what is happening in your body before undergoing any fast.  It may do the opposite of what you are hoping!  Follow the link for a fascinating article on the topic.

The trick of the week is a super one:  Eat SANE.  Check out this Fooducate blog post to find out the details but in essence, your weight loss plan should be Sustainable, considered an Approach (not legislation), be focused on Nutrition and include a big dose of Enjoyment! 

Now for your dose of inspiration.  Sometimes don't you just think "I'm too OLD to exercise?"  Here's proof that you (and I) are not! 

Have a fun and fit weekend!

September's Last Friday! Tips Tricks and Inspiration

We are still rocking the bentos this week.  Next week, our bentos will feature a "trip around the world" with dishes inspired by India, the Mediterranean, Spain and France, as well as one Asian inspired meal.  This week's bentos all came from my daughter's birthday present, The Just Bento Cookbook. 

This has lead to renew my love with all things pickled, so today's trick is pickling.  If, like me, you get tired of salad, this is a good and low calorie way to change up those veggies.  I came across this yummy sounding Polish pickle recipe on Snack Girl.

Snack Girl's blog is my tip of the week.  She has lots of low-cal ideas for all we snack crazed calorie counters.

Now, for your weekly inspiration.  Yesterday I was tasked with journaling some non-scale related changes in my life since beginning my weight loss journey.  I'm sharing my short list with you, but this week, you are to inspire yourself by doing the same.  Remember, they are not about weight but about the other things.  Here are a couple of mine:

• My whole family eats more healthfully
• I feel happy about what I eat
• I feel strong and fit
• I feel younger in age and have tons more energy
• I have developed my sense of purpose
• I have learned that I am worth spending time and energy on

 Please share your list with me and let me celebrate with you!

Tips, Tricks and Friday inspiration - Special K again

Several weeks ago, I did a blog on the Special K diet.  Here is a well thought out blog on the same topic, including some nutrition data. 

And here is some good news about a "big food" company who is going to wage battle in the war on obesity.  Although, when I read the article, I almost cried. 

Finally -- not seeing the success you'd hoped for?   I came across this Spark People article lately that gets to the root of the problem.

I realize I have been neglecting this blog a bit!  Back at it now!!  Happy Friday!

Kessler, Fat2Fit : Friday! Tips, Tricks and Inspiration

Today I am recapping some of my favorite tips because these are resources I depend on regularly:

I continue to be inspired by the book,  The End of Overeating (Kessler).   What amazes me is that months after reading it, I am still constantly thinking about and pondering things I read there.  I have read a lot of books on nutrition -- the fact that this one made such a huge impression speaks to its power.  It is a  fascinating story of what makes a craving tick and how "big food" is contributing by working hard to feed my cravings. I am working on a thorough book review on this so I don't forget what I learned.  I'll post it if I ever finish it! 

Here is a PBS Documentary, "Fat, What No One is Telling You." It's very thought provoking and full of news from research, but don't watch it if you're feeling hopeless. It's food for thought but not edited in an encouraging manner. Therefore, I'm recommending it with some reservations.

I have a favorite podcast - Fat 2 Fit Radio -- which segues perfectly with my sensible eating, moderate loss rate plan. They have a good BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator. I found instructions for calculating this in lots of places on the web, but the simplest way was to follow the instructions I found at Fat 2 Fit. 

They have a very inspiring podcast.  When I start losing my vision, I listen to these down to earth and inspiring guys.  If Spark had a podcast -- it would sound like this one.  You can find it on iTunes or here.

Finally, here is my inspiration for the day; I am paraphrasing "Gabriella" from MTV's "I Used to be Fat:"  I can be mad and then eat something and feel better for two minutes and then turn my anger on myself and feel guilty.  Or I can be mad and deal with my feelings and really get my anger out - and keep losing weight.

Happy weekend everybody!

Tips, Tricks and Friday inspiration

Today's inspiration comes from a cool blog on celebrating the small things.

I'm constantly inspired by my dear hubby, who is maintaining his 70 pound loss since May.  Recently we talked about how much fat you really need and found this great article to advise us.

On a personal front, my parents have just arrived with their RV for a visit of several weeks.  Traditionally, I throw my health plans out the window when we have guests but I am going to do things differently this time.     I don't want to see a six-week setback so I am committed to staying the course.  Here is what I commit to:

Log all my food
Get 3000+ calories of exercise each week (log it!)
Post a weekly check-in each week after weighing in.

The day of my check-in post may change as I accommodate sight seeing -- but I will weigh in and post each week. 

That's it for today folks.  Happy weekend!

Note:  Can one of my faithful readers please let me know if these links don't work for you?  I'm not sure if SparkPeople works without logging in!

Tips, Tricks and Friday Inspiration

Woo-hoo another weekend!  Good for the soul -- but will it be good for the body?  My "default" weekend plan is to stay the course but I recently heard an idea that is now in my "back-up plan bag." 

Consider maintaining for the weekend, particularly if you have some type of social event or on holiday weekends.  Why?  Most of us have had the experience of going into the weekend with a vague promise to "be good," making some impulsive poor choice, then throwing the food plan out the window with a vow to start anew on Monday.  The trouble is, this happens weekend after weekend.  Plus, we all know the "weekend" actually starts with Friday lunch.  This is how it looks graphically.

Progress Toward goal Monday through Thursday: 
+ + + +
Back-tracking from goal Friday through Sunday:
- - -
Assuming you do no more damage on the weekend then the progress you made on the other days, you are actually only making progress on ONE day:
+

When I look at it like this, no WONDER I fail to lose some weeks!

If we maintain our weight on the weekend, it looks like this:
++++ = = =
so 4 days net progress, 4 times the results for the week.

I am putting it on my calendar each Friday morning to look at the weekend and make a conscious decision to either lose or maintain.  How about you?

PS:  Here's a link to my favorite article this week - it's on corn syrup.

Tips, Tricks and Friday inspiration

Today I need some inspiration, so I decided to assemble in one place some of my favorite tips and tricks. Maybe they will inspire you too! (The colored phrases are clickable links)

There are lots of useful reminders in Weight Watchers "25 Little Tips for Big Weight Loss"

The End of Overeating (Kessler). A fascinating story of what makes a craving tick and how "big food" is contributing by working hard to feed my cravings. I have started re-reading this book this week.

Here is a PBS Documentary, "Fat, What No One is Telling You." It's very thought provoking and full of news from research, but don't watch it if you're feeling hopeless. It's food for thought but not edited in an encouraging manner. Therefore, I'm recommending it with some reservations.

I have a favorite podcast - Fat 2 Fit Radio -- which segues perfectly with Spark. They have a good BMR (basal metabolic rate) calculator. I found instructions for calculating this in lots of places on the web, but the simplest way was to follow the instructions I found at Fat 2 Fit.

My commitment through the weekend is to review all these tools and to stop moping about. I'm healthy. I'm halfway to goal. It's within my control. Time to stop whinging and start fighting!