So ... after much thought, I feel like my last post was lacking. I left some things out - unintentionally of course. But there is so much to losing weight that we get overwhelmed! So here is part II
Just to be clear, yesterday's post was all about Moderation. I firmly believe that all things in Moderation. One thing I failed to touch on (look at that, I forgot something ... huh ... weird - sarcasm!) is that, yes you can and should eat the things you want. However, if you eat 17 bowls of chips and argue that they are different chips, and then 15 pieces of mini candies arguing they are all different ... you won't see the results you want. You have to make a cut back. It doesn't and in my opinion shouldn't be extreme. I feel like to the most people who don't stick with their weight loss plans are overwhelmed, frustrated and too tempted. After all we are all Social Butterflies and must go to every Birthday party, bachelorette party, bridal shower, baby shower, etc etc etc ... and we want to eat all those little goodies we see!!! If you give in a little to temptation you will feel vindicated and satisfied but still have a sense of accomplishment. So, when I say indulge yourself, I don't mean in 82 bowls of ice cream, I mean in smaller portions and less often. Moderation. I just wanted people to know that I don't think you can lose weight by eating the same amount of junk food just in a different format.
Additionally, no, I don't think Junk Food is good for you. In fact, one of my favorite books growing up was "The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food" by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Remember those books?? Yeah me too ... good stuff! But anyway, it's all about these two bear cubs that eat too much food that isn't good for them. Of COURSE you should eat carrots over chips, or celery instead of ice cream. But the reality of the situation is that we as people on a course in life can't flip a switch and change our habits overnight. Well you can if you are on one of those super crazy ultra weight loss make over shows. But those are professional trainers with monitoring from doctors. Real life isn't a TV show and we shouldn't expect those kinds of results in real life. "Slow and steady wins the race!" Sure those people looked fabulous after such an intensive regimen, but did they stick with it? Did they learn anything? Most sure, but for regular people, who don't have someone other than our own minds screaming in our ears, it's not like that. Starting small will get you big results in the end. Mostly because you'll see how easy it can be and stick with it longer!
Note 3: EAT BREAKFAST. This should be self explanatory but for most people it isn't. Breakfast is LITERALLY breaking a fast that you had overnight. It's the best method of jump starting your metabolism for the day. There are arguments all over the place on weather it should be the largest meal of the day or the smallest, but my personal opinion, I look at it like fueling for a marathon, would it be wise to carb load before or eat a buffet after? Your body works off of carbohydrates (carbs) that is the "gas" for your "engine" (What? I married a mechanical engineer, what do you want from me?!) If you only put a little gas in, you're only gonna go a little way. But if you fuel properly, you'll last longer. Now, don't take this to mean you go to Bob Evans and order the Farmers Breakfast every morning and say "Well Christie told me to start my day like this!" No. Just eat more than 1 slice of toast, or a cup of yogurt. You're just going to feel hungry sooner. Eat a healthy lean protein like turkey bacon, or eggs and some carbohydrates, like whole wheat toast or an English muffin.
Lastly, the people who experience the best outcomes are the ones who have an accountability buddy. In college when I was on my own "I want to look hott for summer" mission, I had a buddy "Dubs" (What up Dubs!) She and I would push each other like CRAZY. If one day I didn't feel like working out she'd drag me to the gym, and vice versa (Although the vice versa of that rarely ever happened but still). I had the closest thing to a 6 pack when I went home from school since I was 10. If you have someone to hold you accountable, you will be less likely to "cheat." You will also have someone to talk about temptations or bad days and they will (hopefully) keep you on track. This should be someone looking to do the same things you are. Same or similar goal in mind. If you are working with someone who wants to lose 5 pounds and you're on the road to lose that baby weight, you won't feel equal, get frustrated or embarrassed and quit. We don't want that. So pick someone you get along with, won't quit on you, and push you to reach your full potential.
All that being said, I think I'm more satisfied with my outline for this thought. Bottom line, don't over think weight loss. Sure it's hard, or else everyone would be skinny and I wouldn't have anything to blog about. But at the end of the day, set a goal, a real achievable believable goal, get a buddy, take baby steps, and knock it out of the park!
Excuses don't elevate you to excellence. Hard work, perseverance, and attitude are the steps that will lead you to excellence.
Stick it out, you'll get there, and you'll be happy you made the climb!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Just Eat It!
I remember when Subway Restaurants first became really popular, or at least when they hit Ohio. I started off timid with just a cold cut sandwich they used to offer and then progressed to the Spicy Italian. Mmmm Salami, ham, cheese ... DELICIOUS. Why is it that all the very best tasting foods are the worst for us?? I tell people all the time that donuts are my Kryptonite. I may and or may not die with a donut in my mouth. If that doesn't happen I'll die eating chips.
I like many women seriously struggle with my weight. And I'm not talking vanity 5-10 pounds. I'm talking 30+ pounds. I don't want to accept reality that I'm no longer 10 years old with a six pack that can eat whatever I want. The fact of the matter is that I'm not nearly as active as I used to be. I played 4 sports when I was in elementary school and was decent at all of them. Now, I'm lucky if I get 2 walks in a day. It's hard to want to work out and do the things we know we should when we're in a constant state of exhaustion. So ... here is the key to weight loss and also HAPPINESS with yourself!
Weight loss in my mind = depravity. Horrid horrid depravity. We must deprive ourselves of everything in order to lose weight and be successful. I disagree. Strongly. I have a degree in Sports Management (Which to some of you means a degree in play time!) but many of my classes discussed health and physical education. In fact, pretty much all of them. I studied this. I know this. And my ultimate mindset is ... Everything in Moderation. There are SOOOOOOOO many fad diets these days. (Atkins, Paleo, South Beach ...) You can stand in line to buy groceries and look at the covers of 47 magazines and they will all tell you how to lose 50 pounds fast! Everywhere all the time we are talking about losing weight. Every New Years you can almost FEEL the resolutions being made to lose that poundage! But the problem isn't that we haven't tried the right diet yet, it's not that we haven't paid Jenny or Weight Watchers to take the weight off for us, it's that we try too hard. Yep. You heard me ... or read me ... whatever, we try TOO hard. Think about this for a moment. We live in a society where instant gratification is the only way. If we cut everything out of our diet I'll lose 90 pounds in 90 minutes ... PERFECT. Well when that obviously doesn't work we get frustrated and quit. I'm not seeing the results I want, forget it. I think in my past personal experience I have tried a lot of different weight loss techniques (from anorexia to calorie counting to exercise to the max), and to my unsurprise the only thing that works is Moderation. Don't over think it. You don't have to never eat a donut again (unless you're me with a Homer Simpson like addiction to those stupid fried sugar things of deliciousness - DOH!) or cut out chips! That's what every weight loss show and health expert says, but in my opinion it's unrealistic! If you cut out everything all at once - like Atkins which you must not eat carbs - your body will adjust and then when you give in to temptation one day and eat something ... what happens ... your body goes ballistic and balloons like crazy! YIKES! So where does that leave us? Moderation. You can eat cheese, and chips and candy - just not nearly as much. Take baby steps! The smaller you start the bigger the results.
For me my will power is about nill. So instead of every time trying to resist and failing, I give in. I restrict myself but I give in. Not only am I working toward a goal, but I feel better! I have a much more positive attitude and my results are more to my liking because I'm able to stick with it for much longer. For example, my love affair with chips. On bad days I will take the whole bag to the couch and watch out ... they won't last long. But on days when I'm conscious of what I'm doing, I put a small portion ... okay a medium portion in a bowl. That way when I'm done I'm done. I had my chips, but not an entire bag in one sitting. Moderation. If I want candy or chocolate, I don't go to the grocery store and buy the regular or even the king size. Instead I buy a bag of the bite size ... Yep bite size. Again, on bad days I'll eat too many, but on good days, I control myself to 5-7 pieces of 35 calories a piece candy. I get the taste, but reduce the caloric intake. Moderation. Instead of putting 4 pounds of cheese on my salad, I put a lite sprinkling. Moderation.
So what about the exercise part?? So what if I eat less, that won't give me the ultimate results! Okay yeah you're right, exercise should be a part of your life. But remember for some people the caloric reduction will be enough to start seeing results sooner! Just depends on your body and your BMI (Body Mass Index). But here is how you can start ramping up an exercise routine without going banana's. If you haven't been athletic, or it's been a REALLY REALLY long time, it's better for your health to start slow. Heart attack's are a real threat if you are there physically. Putting too much stress on your heart all at once isn't wise and you should always consult with a physician before beginning any long term weight loss plans. But here is what I recommend. When you're going to the grocery store, park 15 spaces further away than you normally would. Every additional step counts. When faced with the option, always take the stairs versus an elevator, especially when it's only 1 floor. Do your stairs 4 extra times in a day in your home. Do some leg lifts, crunches or lift small weights while watching TV according to your ability. *Hint if you don't have weights, soup can's make an AWESOME substitute! Take a 10 minute walk in the middle of your day.
There are so many ways to become healthier. I just don't personally think that all of them are the best way. That's not to say that people don't experience results from doing those other things!! I just think that for the majority of people, we look at weight loss from entirely the wrong perspective. We think if we pay more, buy that, don't eat ever again, we'll get the results that we want. Who want's to be miserable??!! Not me! I want to have a life and lose weight too!
So have your cake and eat it too!! Just cut that piece in half ;)
I like many women seriously struggle with my weight. And I'm not talking vanity 5-10 pounds. I'm talking 30+ pounds. I don't want to accept reality that I'm no longer 10 years old with a six pack that can eat whatever I want. The fact of the matter is that I'm not nearly as active as I used to be. I played 4 sports when I was in elementary school and was decent at all of them. Now, I'm lucky if I get 2 walks in a day. It's hard to want to work out and do the things we know we should when we're in a constant state of exhaustion. So ... here is the key to weight loss and also HAPPINESS with yourself!
Weight loss in my mind = depravity. Horrid horrid depravity. We must deprive ourselves of everything in order to lose weight and be successful. I disagree. Strongly. I have a degree in Sports Management (Which to some of you means a degree in play time!) but many of my classes discussed health and physical education. In fact, pretty much all of them. I studied this. I know this. And my ultimate mindset is ... Everything in Moderation. There are SOOOOOOOO many fad diets these days. (Atkins, Paleo, South Beach ...) You can stand in line to buy groceries and look at the covers of 47 magazines and they will all tell you how to lose 50 pounds fast! Everywhere all the time we are talking about losing weight. Every New Years you can almost FEEL the resolutions being made to lose that poundage! But the problem isn't that we haven't tried the right diet yet, it's not that we haven't paid Jenny or Weight Watchers to take the weight off for us, it's that we try too hard. Yep. You heard me ... or read me ... whatever, we try TOO hard. Think about this for a moment. We live in a society where instant gratification is the only way. If we cut everything out of our diet I'll lose 90 pounds in 90 minutes ... PERFECT. Well when that obviously doesn't work we get frustrated and quit. I'm not seeing the results I want, forget it. I think in my past personal experience I have tried a lot of different weight loss techniques (from anorexia to calorie counting to exercise to the max), and to my unsurprise the only thing that works is Moderation. Don't over think it. You don't have to never eat a donut again (unless you're me with a Homer Simpson like addiction to those stupid fried sugar things of deliciousness - DOH!) or cut out chips! That's what every weight loss show and health expert says, but in my opinion it's unrealistic! If you cut out everything all at once - like Atkins which you must not eat carbs - your body will adjust and then when you give in to temptation one day and eat something ... what happens ... your body goes ballistic and balloons like crazy! YIKES! So where does that leave us? Moderation. You can eat cheese, and chips and candy - just not nearly as much. Take baby steps! The smaller you start the bigger the results.
For me my will power is about nill. So instead of every time trying to resist and failing, I give in. I restrict myself but I give in. Not only am I working toward a goal, but I feel better! I have a much more positive attitude and my results are more to my liking because I'm able to stick with it for much longer. For example, my love affair with chips. On bad days I will take the whole bag to the couch and watch out ... they won't last long. But on days when I'm conscious of what I'm doing, I put a small portion ... okay a medium portion in a bowl. That way when I'm done I'm done. I had my chips, but not an entire bag in one sitting. Moderation. If I want candy or chocolate, I don't go to the grocery store and buy the regular or even the king size. Instead I buy a bag of the bite size ... Yep bite size. Again, on bad days I'll eat too many, but on good days, I control myself to 5-7 pieces of 35 calories a piece candy. I get the taste, but reduce the caloric intake. Moderation. Instead of putting 4 pounds of cheese on my salad, I put a lite sprinkling. Moderation.
So what about the exercise part?? So what if I eat less, that won't give me the ultimate results! Okay yeah you're right, exercise should be a part of your life. But remember for some people the caloric reduction will be enough to start seeing results sooner! Just depends on your body and your BMI (Body Mass Index). But here is how you can start ramping up an exercise routine without going banana's. If you haven't been athletic, or it's been a REALLY REALLY long time, it's better for your health to start slow. Heart attack's are a real threat if you are there physically. Putting too much stress on your heart all at once isn't wise and you should always consult with a physician before beginning any long term weight loss plans. But here is what I recommend. When you're going to the grocery store, park 15 spaces further away than you normally would. Every additional step counts. When faced with the option, always take the stairs versus an elevator, especially when it's only 1 floor. Do your stairs 4 extra times in a day in your home. Do some leg lifts, crunches or lift small weights while watching TV according to your ability. *Hint if you don't have weights, soup can's make an AWESOME substitute! Take a 10 minute walk in the middle of your day.
There are so many ways to become healthier. I just don't personally think that all of them are the best way. That's not to say that people don't experience results from doing those other things!! I just think that for the majority of people, we look at weight loss from entirely the wrong perspective. We think if we pay more, buy that, don't eat ever again, we'll get the results that we want. Who want's to be miserable??!! Not me! I want to have a life and lose weight too!
So have your cake and eat it too!! Just cut that piece in half ;)
Monday, August 27, 2012
Free.99!
When I was in college my roommate and best friend told me about a company giving away free samples of deodorant ... Awesome! So I went on the website and got one. No strings attached - love it! Since then I have been hooked! I sign up for free stuff anywhere. (Seriously, what better way to get hooked on free stuff than in college!!??) I got out of the habit for a little while, having a job and a credit card, I could afford to buy things instead of getting them for free. But about two years ago my husband did a financial overhaul on our life. He made a lot of decisions to help get us out of the debt grind. It's working but it is a SLOW PAINFUL process. We are making incredible headway, which is exciting, however, in the meantime I'm stuck with zip dough to do anything fun with. And while I have not been working, I need something to liven up my daily diligence. I started googling free stuff. I found one of the greatest websites of all time!! And I'm going to not only share it with you, but some other awesome ideas to have a life on a budget!
http://www.sweetfreestuff.com ... This website is awesome. I have been requesting and getting AWESOME free samples of dozens of different items. It is literally no strings attached free samples. Some of the companies giving away samples may want you to fill out different information, like their facebook page, or have you fill out a short survey. The beauty about this website is, that you can pick and choose what you want to get for free. Anything from health and beauty products, free diapers, restaurant coupons and so much more! I can't even list everything I've gotten from this website it's been so much and so awesome! I look forward to the mail coming every day because there may be a free surprise in there! If one of your choices asks for too much information that you're not comfortable giving, just ex out of the page. It's brilliant. I love it mostly because I don't have to sign up or on to the website and it gives me all the freebies out there all in one spot! SCORE! Like I said I've been using it for months and have had no additional spam, no viruses nothing. Just a great site with free goodies!! They post new things every day so make sure you check often, I used to skip days and missed out on some hott stuff! They usually post the new deals around 2-3 pm EST.
A friend of mine told me about a service that our local libraries do and I thought hmmm could be cool. It's not cool it's AWESOME. Our local libraries rent toys!! FOR FREE! That's right, you can check out toys for babies, toddlers and kids like you can check out a book. It's amazing. Our library has an incredible catalog of toys at their disposal! Don't worry all you germaphobs out there, they thoroughly clean the toys upon their return and before they are sent out again! They have tons and tons of toys that you can request that are in great shape and will make your kid happier than a monkey on a banana. My sweet cakes LOVES her library toys and you will too. Plus your kid can get the benefit of Christmas come weekly. Check your local library for similar services! Your kid will never suffer from toy boredom again and you'll thank me!
Cleveland zoo offers FREE Monday's! That's right, you can get into the zoo for FREE on Monday's! I understand that it's a bit crowded on these days, for obvious reasons, but if during the spring, summer and fall months you need a zoo fix with out the zoo price, go on Monday.
If you're also plum out of fresh ideas and bored with the same old deal, visit your states website ( i.e. http://ohio.gov/tourism/ ) and see what your state recommends to do! There could be many things in your area you either didn't know about or didn't think of!
You can also find a local outdoor shopping area and just make a day of it. Window shop, go in stores, sit and have a beverage and people watch. These outdoor malls are magnificent during warm weather seasons. There is so much to do AND you can get a little extra exercise just doing all that extra walking. Spend a day with your friends or with your kids and you would probably end up spending very little. Plus you may find a great little store with some super sales!
Finally, here are my favorite things to do with my family when we have the time to get out but not the money. Go to a new park we just discovered, visit the metro parks, have a picnic, or go for a long walk. All these things are cheap, great for you and a lot of fun.
So now that you're in the know!! Go and be FREE!!!
http://www.sweetfreestuff.com ... This website is awesome. I have been requesting and getting AWESOME free samples of dozens of different items. It is literally no strings attached free samples. Some of the companies giving away samples may want you to fill out different information, like their facebook page, or have you fill out a short survey. The beauty about this website is, that you can pick and choose what you want to get for free. Anything from health and beauty products, free diapers, restaurant coupons and so much more! I can't even list everything I've gotten from this website it's been so much and so awesome! I look forward to the mail coming every day because there may be a free surprise in there! If one of your choices asks for too much information that you're not comfortable giving, just ex out of the page. It's brilliant. I love it mostly because I don't have to sign up or on to the website and it gives me all the freebies out there all in one spot! SCORE! Like I said I've been using it for months and have had no additional spam, no viruses nothing. Just a great site with free goodies!! They post new things every day so make sure you check often, I used to skip days and missed out on some hott stuff! They usually post the new deals around 2-3 pm EST.
A friend of mine told me about a service that our local libraries do and I thought hmmm could be cool. It's not cool it's AWESOME. Our local libraries rent toys!! FOR FREE! That's right, you can check out toys for babies, toddlers and kids like you can check out a book. It's amazing. Our library has an incredible catalog of toys at their disposal! Don't worry all you germaphobs out there, they thoroughly clean the toys upon their return and before they are sent out again! They have tons and tons of toys that you can request that are in great shape and will make your kid happier than a monkey on a banana. My sweet cakes LOVES her library toys and you will too. Plus your kid can get the benefit of Christmas come weekly. Check your local library for similar services! Your kid will never suffer from toy boredom again and you'll thank me!
Cleveland zoo offers FREE Monday's! That's right, you can get into the zoo for FREE on Monday's! I understand that it's a bit crowded on these days, for obvious reasons, but if during the spring, summer and fall months you need a zoo fix with out the zoo price, go on Monday.
If you're also plum out of fresh ideas and bored with the same old deal, visit your states website ( i.e. http://ohio.gov/tourism/ ) and see what your state recommends to do! There could be many things in your area you either didn't know about or didn't think of!
You can also find a local outdoor shopping area and just make a day of it. Window shop, go in stores, sit and have a beverage and people watch. These outdoor malls are magnificent during warm weather seasons. There is so much to do AND you can get a little extra exercise just doing all that extra walking. Spend a day with your friends or with your kids and you would probably end up spending very little. Plus you may find a great little store with some super sales!
Finally, here are my favorite things to do with my family when we have the time to get out but not the money. Go to a new park we just discovered, visit the metro parks, have a picnic, or go for a long walk. All these things are cheap, great for you and a lot of fun.
So now that you're in the know!! Go and be FREE!!!
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