These last few weeks have been hard. Very hard.
My family has gone through some changes with schedules.
A friend passed away very suddenly and unexpected last week (she was 48).
My daughter has been having friend drama at school.
My son is now in middle school, and we are having a difficult time transitioning into middle school life.
It has been a difficult few weeks/months.
Over the summer, my weight loss stopped. I was yo-yoing back and forth being on plan, then being off. I was not sticking to the plan for more than a few days at a time. The good news is that my weight basically stayed the same....I didn't regain a ton!
I thought that being back at school would make things easier. Well, take a look at what I wrote above. Things were not easier....far from it, in fact.
I was in a bad place for a long time. I thought about changing my plan. I thought about giving myself a break. I didn't even want to blog because I felt like a hypocrite. One day I was motivated, then the next, I was not. I made bad food choices, thinking it was easier to just do what others were doing. I let myself get out of control.
Then something happened. My friend's sister passed away. She was at her son's track meet, and collapsed. She had a brain aneurysm, and died the following day. When something like that happens, you can't help but take a long hard look at your own life. I know that I am unhappy with my weight (I have known that for years). I know that I have been making excuses. After much thought, soul searching, researching, questioning, and eating.....I just knew I needed to do something. Last week I started looking into gastric surgery. I was in a place where I just needed to do something, and a co-worker is having a gastric sleeve next week, so I asked her a bunch of questions. I looked things up online. I registered for an information seminar. I made an appointment with my doctor to discuss this (among other things!). As I was researching, I found that for the first few weeks, you can only have liquid....that means everything goes in a blender. I also found that there are certain foods you should not have. If you do, you could feel really sick...among other things. The more I found out, the more I began to question. If I can't make good choices now, will I be able to after this surgery? I weigh a lot, but I am at the lower end of those who have this surgery. I am not at optimal health, but I am not sick because of my weight right now (high blood pressure, sleep issues, diabetes, etc)
So, I decided on taking things one day at a time. Starting last Thursday, I decided to stick to my plan for one day. I did. I made it the whole day. Then I tried for Friday. I made it. I asked my coach for some tricks and tips for Halloween, and she said that there really aren't any tricks....you just have to do it. So, Halloween came....I did not have even one piece of candy. I made cauliflower pizza and ate all my MF foods! When I woke up Sunday, I felt a change.
Something was different. I was actually doing the plan.
Today is Friday....a week after I really first started (again). I have lost about 4.5 pounds, and I can honestly say that I have not had one piece of candy. I have stayed on my plan, and I have not been "sneaking" any bites or pieces of anything. I don't know if I finally hit my bottom, but something clicked. I began to think....I can do this! I will live without the ______________. It took me from January to finally actually do the program! I just have to do it. No tweeks, no tricks, no quick fixes.
How am I feeling now? I am feeling in control. Am I still stressed? Absolutely! But I am not going to eat a piece of pizza because it looks and smells really good and it would be a heck of a lot easier to eat the pizza than make something else. Am I out of the woods? Will I be on track forever? I am not even going to say I am. What I am going to do is take it one day at a time. Tonight my kids want us to order pizza (It is Friday pizza night). I KNOW that is going to be difficult for me. My plan is to make sure all the pizza is ready and easy for them to get, give them one piece, then close the box. If they want more, they can get it themselves. I know I can make it through it, because I made it though looking at all the Halloween candy and not taking even one.
It is really hard to make good choices, but the more you do, the (slightly) easier it becomes. Maybe there will be a day I can look at that pizza and say, "Wow! That looks great....but I don't want any."
Maybe.
But until then, I am just going to do it.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Monday, September 14, 2015
Not. Giving. Up.
The last few weeks have been challenging for me.
I've struggled.
I've been on plan.
I've been off plan.
I have basically been going up and down the yo-yo this summer.
Then this weekend happened.
After talking to my husband about money, I became depressed. What it comes down to is that my daughter's dance classes are going to be a lot more than we paid in the past. A whole lot more. We discussed how we are going to be able to do it because right now, we can't. I hate money.
This was Saturday. To make a long story short, I went off plan. The whole money thing sucks. My husband and I work hard. We make enough money to get buy and be somewhat comfortable, but we have to be very careful. We don't really have a whole lot of extra money each month. When we were discussing whether our daughter can do dance, I began thinking....
I have been doing Take Shape for Life for a while. I have been losing, but not as much as I want/should. This summer has been a bust....didn't lose a thing. Yet each month, I am spending a lot of money on meal replacements for myself, and I may not be able to let my daughter do dance. In my mind, I thought, well, this is a no brainer. I am spending all this money on myself, and not very much is coming out of it. I need to stop buying Medifast products, do something else, and let my daughter do dance. I talked about it with my husband. We talked about how hard it is to be eating so differently from everyone else. My family is supportive, but that doesn't stop them from wanting pizza, macaroni and cheese and ice cream. He asked me a lot of questions and we talked a lot. I starting thinking about going off Medifast and trying something different. I even said I would spend the last few weeks on plan, since I still had a few weeks of food left. In the mean time, I would look at something that is less expensive.
Then I woke up Sunday. Sunday, I began thinking, again. I remembered a text my health coach sent me when I was struggling a few weeks ago. She said, "You want this, right?" Yes. I want this. I want to be healthy. I want to lose weight. But like I tell my kids, "It's nice to want things." Wanting something is not enough.
And I am not going to get what I want if I keep doing what I am doing. I could go through all the mistakes I have been making for the last few weeks. I could tell you exactly what I have been doing wrong. But what it comes down to is that I am not doing the program. I do not always get my 5 meals in. I sometimes have a meal or two that is not on plan. I started drinking a lot of Diet Coke. The program is not going to work if I do not work the program. You could say that about any program. Even if I stopped Medifast today and did something else, would it work for me? The answer is not if I continue to do what I have been doing. I am not going to be successful on any program if I don't work the program.
I thought that I was being selfish spending all this money on me. And in a way, it is selfish. I am being selfish if I continue to spend the money and not do the program. I decided instead of going off this plan and do something else, I am going to stick to Take Shape for Life 100%. I am not going to waste any more of my money or my time. If I am spending this money on myself, I am going to do something with it....not waste it. My daughter is going to do dance classes this year. I am not exactly sure how we are going to pull it off, but we will make it happen.
I am not giving up on myself. I am not giving up on my family. Today begins the day I work this program....for real.
I've struggled.
I've been on plan.
I've been off plan.
I have basically been going up and down the yo-yo this summer.
Then this weekend happened.
After talking to my husband about money, I became depressed. What it comes down to is that my daughter's dance classes are going to be a lot more than we paid in the past. A whole lot more. We discussed how we are going to be able to do it because right now, we can't. I hate money.
This was Saturday. To make a long story short, I went off plan. The whole money thing sucks. My husband and I work hard. We make enough money to get buy and be somewhat comfortable, but we have to be very careful. We don't really have a whole lot of extra money each month. When we were discussing whether our daughter can do dance, I began thinking....
I have been doing Take Shape for Life for a while. I have been losing, but not as much as I want/should. This summer has been a bust....didn't lose a thing. Yet each month, I am spending a lot of money on meal replacements for myself, and I may not be able to let my daughter do dance. In my mind, I thought, well, this is a no brainer. I am spending all this money on myself, and not very much is coming out of it. I need to stop buying Medifast products, do something else, and let my daughter do dance. I talked about it with my husband. We talked about how hard it is to be eating so differently from everyone else. My family is supportive, but that doesn't stop them from wanting pizza, macaroni and cheese and ice cream. He asked me a lot of questions and we talked a lot. I starting thinking about going off Medifast and trying something different. I even said I would spend the last few weeks on plan, since I still had a few weeks of food left. In the mean time, I would look at something that is less expensive.
Then I woke up Sunday. Sunday, I began thinking, again. I remembered a text my health coach sent me when I was struggling a few weeks ago. She said, "You want this, right?" Yes. I want this. I want to be healthy. I want to lose weight. But like I tell my kids, "It's nice to want things." Wanting something is not enough.
And I am not going to get what I want if I keep doing what I am doing. I could go through all the mistakes I have been making for the last few weeks. I could tell you exactly what I have been doing wrong. But what it comes down to is that I am not doing the program. I do not always get my 5 meals in. I sometimes have a meal or two that is not on plan. I started drinking a lot of Diet Coke. The program is not going to work if I do not work the program. You could say that about any program. Even if I stopped Medifast today and did something else, would it work for me? The answer is not if I continue to do what I have been doing. I am not going to be successful on any program if I don't work the program.
I thought that I was being selfish spending all this money on me. And in a way, it is selfish. I am being selfish if I continue to spend the money and not do the program. I decided instead of going off this plan and do something else, I am going to stick to Take Shape for Life 100%. I am not going to waste any more of my money or my time. If I am spending this money on myself, I am going to do something with it....not waste it. My daughter is going to do dance classes this year. I am not exactly sure how we are going to pull it off, but we will make it happen.
I am not giving up on myself. I am not giving up on my family. Today begins the day I work this program....for real.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Getting My Groove Back
This summer has been difficult. Don't get me wrong, I have been having a great summer! I didn't realize how stressed I was until I had some time away from work!! I saw some things that I was doing to throw myself off course, and I have been able to spend so much time with my family.
As for staying on plan....it has not been easy. I have actually "taken off" a few days because I was starting off the day with a bang, but then something would happen, and I would go off plan.
Why? Why am I doing this to myself? I know I want this. I want to be healthy. I deserve to be healthy. Why am I back to making excuses and going off plan?
There are always choices to make. Here are some of the choices I could choose from:
1. Take a break from the program. Go off for a few days, weeks, etc. to get things out of my system, pick a new start day, and get back to it at a later date,
2. Figure this isn't working for me, so I might as well stop, maybe try some other program. Maybe I need something different?
3. Stop whining, complaining, making excuses, suck it up and get it done!
I am going to go with choice #3. I am not being accountable to myself if I just give up. I will not give up....I will get this done. So, I need some motivation and a kick in the pants.
When you do TSFL, you get a health coach. If you don't use your coach, you are missing out. I have not been using my coach. She is fantastic. She is motivating, helpful, funny, and is always there when I need her....however, she does not have a crystal ball telling her when I am having a difficult time. I need to make a commitment to her, so she can help me. I find it really hard to ask for help. It is something that I just don't do.....so it looks like I am going to have to get over it if I want to change. I have to remember that I am not in this alone. I can ask for help. When I ask for help, no one is going to judge me. We have all been here a million times.
Tonight, my coach did a zoom call about starting, stopping, restarting, then stopping (I swear, sometimes she does have a crystal ball because it was just what I needed to hear!) I am not the only person who does this, and I won't be the last. I took three pages of notes, because I needed to get it ingrained into my brain. I am getting my groove back, and I will be getting things done!
Tomorrow will be my Day 1. I am getting back on plan first thing tomorrow morning. No more of this taking a break or making excuses. Its time to get healthy!
LET'S DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
As for staying on plan....it has not been easy. I have actually "taken off" a few days because I was starting off the day with a bang, but then something would happen, and I would go off plan.
Why? Why am I doing this to myself? I know I want this. I want to be healthy. I deserve to be healthy. Why am I back to making excuses and going off plan?
There are always choices to make. Here are some of the choices I could choose from:
1. Take a break from the program. Go off for a few days, weeks, etc. to get things out of my system, pick a new start day, and get back to it at a later date,
2. Figure this isn't working for me, so I might as well stop, maybe try some other program. Maybe I need something different?
3. Stop whining, complaining, making excuses, suck it up and get it done!
I am going to go with choice #3. I am not being accountable to myself if I just give up. I will not give up....I will get this done. So, I need some motivation and a kick in the pants.
When you do TSFL, you get a health coach. If you don't use your coach, you are missing out. I have not been using my coach. She is fantastic. She is motivating, helpful, funny, and is always there when I need her....however, she does not have a crystal ball telling her when I am having a difficult time. I need to make a commitment to her, so she can help me. I find it really hard to ask for help. It is something that I just don't do.....so it looks like I am going to have to get over it if I want to change. I have to remember that I am not in this alone. I can ask for help. When I ask for help, no one is going to judge me. We have all been here a million times.
Tonight, my coach did a zoom call about starting, stopping, restarting, then stopping (I swear, sometimes she does have a crystal ball because it was just what I needed to hear!) I am not the only person who does this, and I won't be the last. I took three pages of notes, because I needed to get it ingrained into my brain. I am getting my groove back, and I will be getting things done!
Tomorrow will be my Day 1. I am getting back on plan first thing tomorrow morning. No more of this taking a break or making excuses. Its time to get healthy!
LET'S DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Post - Vacation
I had some great intentions for my vacation.
I brought all of my food, I planned meals, I got in the right mindset.....
Intentions are great. Planning is great. But when it came down to it, did I stick with it?
That would be a resounding no.
Did I gain some weight? That would be yes.
Was staying on plan for vacation a bust? Yup.
Am I upset, depressed, and unwilling to go on? Absolutely not.
Actually, you can say I am more motivated than ever!
When you are an emotional eater trying to recover, you get to the point that you realize that it is not about the food. Losing weight and getting healthy is more than just eating right. There are things that you need to deal with way before you can be successful on any plan. If you don't deal with those emotional things, you are NOT going to be successful.
I realized that I have been working on staying on plan, eating right, losing weight, but I have not been dealing with some things emotionally.
I am not going to get into all of my problems here. Let's just say, I have some issues. Issues with my self esteem, relationships with my family, emotions that I have that I bottle up because I feel that I am not important or worth it. Let's just say lots of issues.
While on vacation, there were some opportunities for me to deal with some of these issues. Normally, vacation is a time to get away from your problems and hide, vacation for me was meeting some of my problems head on. I met some head on because some of the people I have had issues with live where I was going on vacation. I could not hide from it. In fact, I had to go out of my comfort zone, and make myself contact them and make plans to visit.
And I did. I made sure I was able to visit these family members so my children could begin to know them, and I could make peace with things. I even brought up some stuff with my husband that had been bothering me that I needed to talk about. My husband and I work opposite schedules, so we never get any time to ourselves and we never get to talk without the kids being around. This vacation gave us some time so I could talk about some things that were bothering me and we could work out.
We got home yesterday, and I really feel good. I started back on plan today, and as I said, I feel more motivation than ever. I know I was not good on vacation (on plan wise), but I feel that this vacation helped me to get my head back in the game, and deal with things that I have been putting off dealing with for a long time.
If you are finding you are not sticking to your plan, it may be more than just wanting a piece of ______________. Are there emotions that you are not dealing with that are getting in the way of your health? I know that I still have work to do. I know that I will be dealing with my self esteem issues, family relationships, bottling up emotions for my whole life, but putting those things out there and starting is only going to help me to be stronger and healthier. Mentally and physically.
So this vacation was far from a bust. Sometimes you need to take a few steps back in order to go forward. And I am moving forward for sure!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com. Also, join my private group on facebook, Finding Our Fit with TSFL, for support, motivation, and great ideas!
I brought all of my food, I planned meals, I got in the right mindset.....
Intentions are great. Planning is great. But when it came down to it, did I stick with it?
That would be a resounding no.
Did I gain some weight? That would be yes.
Was staying on plan for vacation a bust? Yup.
Am I upset, depressed, and unwilling to go on? Absolutely not.
Actually, you can say I am more motivated than ever!
When you are an emotional eater trying to recover, you get to the point that you realize that it is not about the food. Losing weight and getting healthy is more than just eating right. There are things that you need to deal with way before you can be successful on any plan. If you don't deal with those emotional things, you are NOT going to be successful.
I realized that I have been working on staying on plan, eating right, losing weight, but I have not been dealing with some things emotionally.
I am not going to get into all of my problems here. Let's just say, I have some issues. Issues with my self esteem, relationships with my family, emotions that I have that I bottle up because I feel that I am not important or worth it. Let's just say lots of issues.
While on vacation, there were some opportunities for me to deal with some of these issues. Normally, vacation is a time to get away from your problems and hide, vacation for me was meeting some of my problems head on. I met some head on because some of the people I have had issues with live where I was going on vacation. I could not hide from it. In fact, I had to go out of my comfort zone, and make myself contact them and make plans to visit.
And I did. I made sure I was able to visit these family members so my children could begin to know them, and I could make peace with things. I even brought up some stuff with my husband that had been bothering me that I needed to talk about. My husband and I work opposite schedules, so we never get any time to ourselves and we never get to talk without the kids being around. This vacation gave us some time so I could talk about some things that were bothering me and we could work out.
We got home yesterday, and I really feel good. I started back on plan today, and as I said, I feel more motivation than ever. I know I was not good on vacation (on plan wise), but I feel that this vacation helped me to get my head back in the game, and deal with things that I have been putting off dealing with for a long time.
If you are finding you are not sticking to your plan, it may be more than just wanting a piece of ______________. Are there emotions that you are not dealing with that are getting in the way of your health? I know that I still have work to do. I know that I will be dealing with my self esteem issues, family relationships, bottling up emotions for my whole life, but putting those things out there and starting is only going to help me to be stronger and healthier. Mentally and physically.
So this vacation was far from a bust. Sometimes you need to take a few steps back in order to go forward. And I am moving forward for sure!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com. Also, join my private group on facebook, Finding Our Fit with TSFL, for support, motivation, and great ideas!
Monday, July 6, 2015
Staying On Plan While On Vacation.....Is It Possible???
In just a few days, my family and I will be going to Florida on vacation. We are going with another family, and we will be gone for over a week. I am so excited, but I am also dreading it. How am I going to stay on plan for vacation??
Has anyone ever gone on vacation and stayed on plan? Anyone?? Anyone?????? I am planning on staying on plan....maybe not to the letter, but I am not going crazy and gaining 10 pounds!
Here are some things that I am planning (you do have to be prepared for anything!). If ANYONE has any suggestions or helpful hints, I would LOVE to hear them!! Here is what I have so far:
1. On my last MF order, I got a bunch of bars! I usually have at least one a day, but I thought having a bunch of bars would be helpful when we are out an about! I also have some cereal and pretzels....things that do not have to be prepared at all to make it as easy as possible. Every morning I have hot cocoa with coffee....I have that with some disposable travel cups so I don't have to worry about losing my mugs!! Or cleaning it out! I am hoping to have coffee in the condo, but just in case, I got some packets of instant coffee. I know....instant? But it is better than no coffee at all! So I am planning on bringing enough food so that I only have to worry about one meal a day.
2. I bought a new purse. Haha! I know that is not essential to staying on plan, but Vera Bradley was having a 50% off sale, and I found a perfect cross body with zippers and pockets. I will be able to keep my MF separate from the tickets, wallet, sunscreen, etc. I figured if it would help me, why not!
3. We are driving to Florida, so we will be in the car for over 24 hours. Yea. Should be good times. Anyway, we planned out some snacks, lunches, etc. so that we do not have to stop at a McDonalds for each meal. I know that I will not be able to get in all of my water when we are driving (my bladder is about the size of a can of diet coke!), but we will have water bottles to drink on the way! I also bought some sugar free gum for myself....when I am feeling tempted, I can chew on a piece of gum!!
4. Since we will be at Universal Studios for three days, I looked up some of the food choices so I can plan out the best places to get my lean and green each day.
I know this is going to be hard. But so is being overweight. I know that I can do this.
There is one more thing I am planning on doing. I probably will not be able to blog that much, but I will be on Facebook. I am starting a new private group called, Finding Our Fit With TSFL. I know that I am not the only person who struggles to stay on plan and change my lifestyle. We can help each other out, share new recipes, ask/give suggestions, and work on reaching optimal health together! When you get a chance, ask for an invite. I will keep it private so no one but those in the group will see your posts.
Hope to see you there! In the mean time, if you have been on vacation and have helpful hints, I know I would love to hear them!!! Have a great day everyone.....and stay on plan! :)
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Has anyone ever gone on vacation and stayed on plan? Anyone?? Anyone?????? I am planning on staying on plan....maybe not to the letter, but I am not going crazy and gaining 10 pounds!
Here are some things that I am planning (you do have to be prepared for anything!). If ANYONE has any suggestions or helpful hints, I would LOVE to hear them!! Here is what I have so far:
1. On my last MF order, I got a bunch of bars! I usually have at least one a day, but I thought having a bunch of bars would be helpful when we are out an about! I also have some cereal and pretzels....things that do not have to be prepared at all to make it as easy as possible. Every morning I have hot cocoa with coffee....I have that with some disposable travel cups so I don't have to worry about losing my mugs!! Or cleaning it out! I am hoping to have coffee in the condo, but just in case, I got some packets of instant coffee. I know....instant? But it is better than no coffee at all! So I am planning on bringing enough food so that I only have to worry about one meal a day.
2. I bought a new purse. Haha! I know that is not essential to staying on plan, but Vera Bradley was having a 50% off sale, and I found a perfect cross body with zippers and pockets. I will be able to keep my MF separate from the tickets, wallet, sunscreen, etc. I figured if it would help me, why not!
3. We are driving to Florida, so we will be in the car for over 24 hours. Yea. Should be good times. Anyway, we planned out some snacks, lunches, etc. so that we do not have to stop at a McDonalds for each meal. I know that I will not be able to get in all of my water when we are driving (my bladder is about the size of a can of diet coke!), but we will have water bottles to drink on the way! I also bought some sugar free gum for myself....when I am feeling tempted, I can chew on a piece of gum!!
4. Since we will be at Universal Studios for three days, I looked up some of the food choices so I can plan out the best places to get my lean and green each day.
I know this is going to be hard. But so is being overweight. I know that I can do this.
There is one more thing I am planning on doing. I probably will not be able to blog that much, but I will be on Facebook. I am starting a new private group called, Finding Our Fit With TSFL. I know that I am not the only person who struggles to stay on plan and change my lifestyle. We can help each other out, share new recipes, ask/give suggestions, and work on reaching optimal health together! When you get a chance, ask for an invite. I will keep it private so no one but those in the group will see your posts.
Hope to see you there! In the mean time, if you have been on vacation and have helpful hints, I know I would love to hear them!!! Have a great day everyone.....and stay on plan! :)
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Holiday Madness
Hey there everyone!
How are things going? I am working hard on getting into the summer swing of things. Last week, I said I was going to blog everyday....well.....I haven't quite gotten there yet! I will work on that as a goal, but right now, there are some stressful situations coming up.
First situation.....4th of July. Picnics. cook-outs, BBQs, camp fires, friends, you name it....and all of them involve food. Carb loaded salads, hamburgers and hot dogs with soft buns, chips, munchies, drinks....the list goes on and on. I know that I really need to be focused to stay on plan. In the past, I would be really good for a few hours, then I fall apart. This year, I am not going to fall apart. I am going to have fun and stay on plan!
But, how do you do that? How do you go to all of the parties and be faced with all the ice cream, munchies and bread, and stay on plan?
1. Remember why you are doing this, and how much you are worth it. I am doing this plan in order to learn how to eat healthy, lose weight, and gain optimal health. Do you want those things more than the hot dog....chips....beer?
2. Plan in order to be successful. First, make sure you have plenty of MF meals ready. I like to make sure I have the ones that I can just grab and go. Bars, pretzels, cereal.....things that I don't have to prepare in order to eat it. Just be careful with the bars....they can get really mushy and melt in warm temps! Second, assume your hosts will not have any food that you can eat on plan. Since they won't have something, you need to bring it! A veggie tray or deviled eggs are things that are on plan and picnic friendly. You can even make some diet root beet pulled pork. You can find the recipe for it here. I plan on making that tomorrow!! I will use the lettuce as a wrap, my husband and the kids can have buns! I have also made this cauliflower "potato" salad in the past. Believe it or not, it is actually delicious!! So be sure to bring things that you can eat that are on plan. This is a great time to try something different, so do it! Then bring it an let other people try it too!
3. Drink lots of water. I like to pick out some flavored sparkling water (a few big bottles of it!), and sip on that throughout the day. Make it fancy and add a slice of lemon, lime, or something to make it seem as if you are really having something special!
4. Go back and reread #1. It's important! Keep reminding yourself of your goals throughout the day....or when you are tempted to drink a beer, or have a big slice of cake, or whatever.
What are your plans for the 4th? We will be starting early, doing some picnics on Friday and Saturday. Saturday night, we are going with a bunch of friends to a baseball game at our local stadium. I can't really bring my own food there, but I plan on eating some of my MF meals there since we will already have had dinner!
So, one day at a time. One moment at a time. We can do this! We can enjoy ourselves and stick to our goals. At the beginning of this post, I mentioned a couple of stressful situations. Next week I have a major stressful situation coming up that will make the 4th of July look like a walk in the park! We are leaving Thursday morning for vacation in Florida for a week and a few days. I am stressed about it, but for now, I am going to focus on getting through this weekend, then I will focus on vacation plans! I know that sticking to my plans will only help me feel stronger when I am on vacation next week.
What are some things you are doing in order to stay on your plan for the 4th?
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
How are things going? I am working hard on getting into the summer swing of things. Last week, I said I was going to blog everyday....well.....I haven't quite gotten there yet! I will work on that as a goal, but right now, there are some stressful situations coming up.
First situation.....4th of July. Picnics. cook-outs, BBQs, camp fires, friends, you name it....and all of them involve food. Carb loaded salads, hamburgers and hot dogs with soft buns, chips, munchies, drinks....the list goes on and on. I know that I really need to be focused to stay on plan. In the past, I would be really good for a few hours, then I fall apart. This year, I am not going to fall apart. I am going to have fun and stay on plan!
But, how do you do that? How do you go to all of the parties and be faced with all the ice cream, munchies and bread, and stay on plan?
1. Remember why you are doing this, and how much you are worth it. I am doing this plan in order to learn how to eat healthy, lose weight, and gain optimal health. Do you want those things more than the hot dog....chips....beer?
2. Plan in order to be successful. First, make sure you have plenty of MF meals ready. I like to make sure I have the ones that I can just grab and go. Bars, pretzels, cereal.....things that I don't have to prepare in order to eat it. Just be careful with the bars....they can get really mushy and melt in warm temps! Second, assume your hosts will not have any food that you can eat on plan. Since they won't have something, you need to bring it! A veggie tray or deviled eggs are things that are on plan and picnic friendly. You can even make some diet root beet pulled pork. You can find the recipe for it here. I plan on making that tomorrow!! I will use the lettuce as a wrap, my husband and the kids can have buns! I have also made this cauliflower "potato" salad in the past. Believe it or not, it is actually delicious!! So be sure to bring things that you can eat that are on plan. This is a great time to try something different, so do it! Then bring it an let other people try it too!
3. Drink lots of water. I like to pick out some flavored sparkling water (a few big bottles of it!), and sip on that throughout the day. Make it fancy and add a slice of lemon, lime, or something to make it seem as if you are really having something special!
4. Go back and reread #1. It's important! Keep reminding yourself of your goals throughout the day....or when you are tempted to drink a beer, or have a big slice of cake, or whatever.
What are your plans for the 4th? We will be starting early, doing some picnics on Friday and Saturday. Saturday night, we are going with a bunch of friends to a baseball game at our local stadium. I can't really bring my own food there, but I plan on eating some of my MF meals there since we will already have had dinner!
So, one day at a time. One moment at a time. We can do this! We can enjoy ourselves and stick to our goals. At the beginning of this post, I mentioned a couple of stressful situations. Next week I have a major stressful situation coming up that will make the 4th of July look like a walk in the park! We are leaving Thursday morning for vacation in Florida for a week and a few days. I am stressed about it, but for now, I am going to focus on getting through this weekend, then I will focus on vacation plans! I know that sticking to my plans will only help me feel stronger when I am on vacation next week.
What are some things you are doing in order to stay on your plan for the 4th?
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
I'm Still Here!
Friday started my "official" summer vacation. As I mentioned, I am a teacher, and our last official day was Thursday. Since then, I have been trying to get things back into order, but I have had some things to do.....like make a graduation cake!
One of my hobbies is making cupcakes and cakes. I just love to make them! Since I have been working on the habits of health, I have been rethinking my side business/hobby. Is it really good for me to be working with all this sugar, when I know I am crazy for it?? I have been going back and forth on it, but I found that as long as I am making things for others, and I don't have any here, I can do it without having any. But that is for another conversation....
I baked this giant 3 tiered graduation cake. As I was decorating, I found that one of the things I wanted to do was not working out. I had to scrape all the frosting off and do something else. It had to be finished for a party at 2:00, and it was 1:00. Talk about stressful! But I managed to finish, it looked good, the customers loved it, and I was done!
I did not eat any (ok, I did have to have a taste of the frosting to make sure it was ok, but that was it!)
Cake done without eating any. Got in all 5 MF meals, and my Lean and Green. Friday night my lean and green was lacking my green. I did not have enough veggies to make it a full green, but I had most of it. I could also have had some more water over the last few days.....
So, I wasn't perfect, but I was very close! I am going to have to make sure I have my act together, because summer can be like a giant weekend, and I need to keep in control of being in control!
This afternoon, we are going to the movies. I already have some MF snacks and a bottle of water packed! I hope you all are having a great weekend....and staying on plan!!!!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
One of my hobbies is making cupcakes and cakes. I just love to make them! Since I have been working on the habits of health, I have been rethinking my side business/hobby. Is it really good for me to be working with all this sugar, when I know I am crazy for it?? I have been going back and forth on it, but I found that as long as I am making things for others, and I don't have any here, I can do it without having any. But that is for another conversation....
I baked this giant 3 tiered graduation cake. As I was decorating, I found that one of the things I wanted to do was not working out. I had to scrape all the frosting off and do something else. It had to be finished for a party at 2:00, and it was 1:00. Talk about stressful! But I managed to finish, it looked good, the customers loved it, and I was done!
I did not eat any (ok, I did have to have a taste of the frosting to make sure it was ok, but that was it!)
Cake done without eating any. Got in all 5 MF meals, and my Lean and Green. Friday night my lean and green was lacking my green. I did not have enough veggies to make it a full green, but I had most of it. I could also have had some more water over the last few days.....
So, I wasn't perfect, but I was very close! I am going to have to make sure I have my act together, because summer can be like a giant weekend, and I need to keep in control of being in control!
This afternoon, we are going to the movies. I already have some MF snacks and a bottle of water packed! I hope you all are having a great weekend....and staying on plan!!!!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Wednesday, 6/24 and the Voices In Your Head
Good morning!
Yesterday I started to feel it.
The feeling of, yea, I'm doing great....I can eat something bad. I know I already had my Lean and Green for lunch, but if I just get some sort of salad, I should be ok. I found myself making excuses for myself and reasons why it would be ok to go off plan.
But I knew it wouldn't be ok.
One bite would turn into two, then three, then I'll just eat the whole thing because I already had so much of it.
Instead of giving in, I did something else.
I took my dog out for a walk. I talked to my neighbors. I got a huge glass of water. I did not go off plan. I did not eat anything I shouldn't have. And you know what?
The world did not end. I did not feel as though I was missing out on anything. I survived, and it felt good!
There is a lot that happens in your head when you are trying to be healthy. There are these "voices" that help you along the way to help with your decisions. Depending on where you are in your journey, one voice can be much louder and more intimidating. One voice will start in when you see/smell/want something off plan. It will do everything in it's power to convince you that you should go off plan. It will be good. It's just one bite....Go for it! You deserve it! This is the voice that is a master at making excuses, and it can be persistent.
But there is also another voice...which can be much smaller and quieter when you first begin. That voice tells you that you don't need it. There will be other times to eat that, but not now! You have been working so hard, you don't deserve to stop your progress for a bunch of sugar and carbs. You want to be thin! You want to lose weight! This isn't going to help with that!
As I am typing, the two voices are arguing in my head.there is a huge chunk of cinnamon bread and a chocolate frosted cookie right behind me. One of my co-workers gave them to me as an end of the year gift. I really want to eat it. I appreciate the thought, but I just can't eat it. I know it will be delicious, but it's not like I haven't had something like it before. Just one bite won't hurt. I am thinking of someone who I can give it to, or how I can throw it away without my coworker seeing. Right now, it is staying in the bag!
So, how do you get that loud, persistent, excuse making voice to be quiet? I am still struggling with that, but I have found that when you pay more attention to that quiet, more reasonable voice, that one will become louder. Don't get me wrong, that bad voice may start screaming it's head off, but after ignoring it a few times, it will become quieter and quieter. You will give that quiet voice more confidence, and it will become louder and louder as well as easier and easier to make those good choices!
I am ignoring that bad voice telling me that I want those treats. I already feel better about not eating it. As for what I ate today, I had my MF hot cocoa with coffee, a bar, a salad from Chipolte with chicken, a bag of MF pretzels, another MF bar, and a MF strawberry shake.
Another day down!
Have a great one!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Yesterday I started to feel it.
The feeling of, yea, I'm doing great....I can eat something bad. I know I already had my Lean and Green for lunch, but if I just get some sort of salad, I should be ok. I found myself making excuses for myself and reasons why it would be ok to go off plan.
But I knew it wouldn't be ok.
One bite would turn into two, then three, then I'll just eat the whole thing because I already had so much of it.
Instead of giving in, I did something else.
I took my dog out for a walk. I talked to my neighbors. I got a huge glass of water. I did not go off plan. I did not eat anything I shouldn't have. And you know what?
The world did not end. I did not feel as though I was missing out on anything. I survived, and it felt good!
There is a lot that happens in your head when you are trying to be healthy. There are these "voices" that help you along the way to help with your decisions. Depending on where you are in your journey, one voice can be much louder and more intimidating. One voice will start in when you see/smell/want something off plan. It will do everything in it's power to convince you that you should go off plan. It will be good. It's just one bite....Go for it! You deserve it! This is the voice that is a master at making excuses, and it can be persistent.
But there is also another voice...which can be much smaller and quieter when you first begin. That voice tells you that you don't need it. There will be other times to eat that, but not now! You have been working so hard, you don't deserve to stop your progress for a bunch of sugar and carbs. You want to be thin! You want to lose weight! This isn't going to help with that!
As I am typing, the two voices are arguing in my head.there is a huge chunk of cinnamon bread and a chocolate frosted cookie right behind me. One of my co-workers gave them to me as an end of the year gift.
So, how do you get that loud, persistent, excuse making voice to be quiet? I am still struggling with that, but I have found that when you pay more attention to that quiet, more reasonable voice, that one will become louder. Don't get me wrong, that bad voice may start screaming it's head off, but after ignoring it a few times, it will become quieter and quieter. You will give that quiet voice more confidence, and it will become louder and louder as well as easier and easier to make those good choices!
I am ignoring that bad voice telling me that I want those treats. I already feel better about not eating it. As for what I ate today, I had my MF hot cocoa with coffee, a bar, a salad from Chipolte with chicken, a bag of MF pretzels, another MF bar, and a MF strawberry shake.
Another day down!
Have a great one!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tuesday 6/20/15
When I got on the scale this morning, I was down 2.5 pounds from Sunday morning! Woohoo! Go figure....staying on plan actually works!!!
Today was rough.....first day with no students, but so much paperwork to do before I can even think about getting my classroom ready for the summer! Started the morning with a bang.....had a MF bar, worked on report cards, getting ready to do all the comments, then BAM! We lost power. Which means no access to internet (which is how we get to our report cards), and no access to my files on my school drive. So, in the dark, I started cleaning up, throwing stuff away, and moving things that needed to be moved while I had a MF tropical punch.
Power was still off, but it was lunch time, so we all went to the cafeteria for a wonderful lunch provided for us by our PTSA! You should have seen the spread! Rolls, coldcuts of all kinds, macaroni salad, potato salad, veggies and dip, bags of chips, soda....it was wonderful! For dessert, they had cupcakes, cookies, and icecream. It all looked so good! What did I do? Well, I had some turkey, cheese, yellow mustard, celery, and carrots (I know those aren't on plan....but I only had a few). I did have a diet soda. I am really cutting down on the diet soda, but I thought the diet soda would make me feel like I was having a treat instead of suffering for not eating the rolls, chips, cupcakes and icecream! I do have to say, I felt really good about my choices! I made my lunch my Lean and Green Meal for the day, so I was able to participate in the lunch with everyone, but still stay on plan!
Finally the power came back on, so I hussled to get all my report cards done so I could get home. I took my kids to our local farmers market, and got strawberries for the kids and some green zucchini for me! The rest of my meals were MF pudding, pretzels, and another bar. I made oreo cookie ball pops in the shape of apples for my kids teachers (my own kids last day of school is Wednesday), and I was able to not eat one bite. Boy does that feel good!
I feel as though I am in control. I am really being aware of what I am eating and when I feel like taking a bite or taste of something, I don't, and each time I say no, it gets easier! All of these good choices this week will help me to be strong over the weekend....because let's face it, weekends can be hard, but I am going to stay in control!
Have a super day, and I'll see you tomorrow!!!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Today was rough.....first day with no students, but so much paperwork to do before I can even think about getting my classroom ready for the summer! Started the morning with a bang.....had a MF bar, worked on report cards, getting ready to do all the comments, then BAM! We lost power. Which means no access to internet (which is how we get to our report cards), and no access to my files on my school drive. So, in the dark, I started cleaning up, throwing stuff away, and moving things that needed to be moved while I had a MF tropical punch.
Power was still off, but it was lunch time, so we all went to the cafeteria for a wonderful lunch provided for us by our PTSA! You should have seen the spread! Rolls, coldcuts of all kinds, macaroni salad, potato salad, veggies and dip, bags of chips, soda....it was wonderful! For dessert, they had cupcakes, cookies, and icecream. It all looked so good! What did I do? Well, I had some turkey, cheese, yellow mustard, celery, and carrots (I know those aren't on plan....but I only had a few). I did have a diet soda. I am really cutting down on the diet soda, but I thought the diet soda would make me feel like I was having a treat instead of suffering for not eating the rolls, chips, cupcakes and icecream! I do have to say, I felt really good about my choices! I made my lunch my Lean and Green Meal for the day, so I was able to participate in the lunch with everyone, but still stay on plan!
Finally the power came back on, so I hussled to get all my report cards done so I could get home. I took my kids to our local farmers market, and got strawberries for the kids and some green zucchini for me! The rest of my meals were MF pudding, pretzels, and another bar. I made oreo cookie ball pops in the shape of apples for my kids teachers (my own kids last day of school is Wednesday), and I was able to not eat one bite. Boy does that feel good!
I feel as though I am in control. I am really being aware of what I am eating and when I feel like taking a bite or taste of something, I don't, and each time I say no, it gets easier! All of these good choices this week will help me to be strong over the weekend....because let's face it, weekends can be hard, but I am going to stay in control!
Have a super day, and I'll see you tomorrow!!!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Monday
The first thing that went through my head this morning when I woke up was "Last Day of School! Last Day of School!" Just like Nemo did in the movie Finding Nemo (except he was saying First Day of School!). There is something special about the last day of school for teachers. On one hand, you are excited to start summer vacation! You worked hard all year, and in a few weeks you get to start all over again with a new bunch! On the other hand, you think about all the time you spent with these students and how much they have grown. You think about the kids who drove you crazy, and realize those are the ones you are going to miss the most! It is a bittersweet day, but we kept busy and made it through!
When I arrived at school, there was this......
It was a huge cake from a family saying thank you to our staff. We really do have the best parents here....I am sure it was delicious, but I wouldn't know because I did not have any. Not even a taste of frosting! At one point, I was avoiding the teacher's room because I did not want to be tempted! I had my MF chocolate chip cookie dough bar....and it was delicious!
So, the day started with an awards ceremony, then my students went to PE. When they came back, we had a make your own sundae bar. Here is what was left....
after dishing out 23 bowls of ice cream, I drank my water and a MF tropical punch. All the leftovers were thrown out (to be honest, there really wasn't too much left over!)
The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning out desks, lunch (I had some MF mixed berry cereal crunch), passing out last minute papers that never got handed back, then we had our Moving Up Day, where the kids get to go and meet their teacher for next year. Then it is back to the classroom, pack up, and head out!
Our school has a tradition where the busses circle around the bus loop a million times, and all the teacher's line up and wave. It was great! Then I had to speed home so my husband could go to work!
MF Pretzels in the car on the way home, scrambled eggs with veggies for my L&G, a MF mint chocolate soft serve to end the day.
Even with the challenges today....another 100% on-plan! Yea!
I hope everyone had a great day today!!!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Sunday
So, today I start my daily blogging adventure!
I have been messing up. So here I am. I am being accountable to me, for me....not for anyone else.
Today is Father's Day. I started the day with a brownie and some coffee with half and half. Everyone else was having donuts, so I thought I would have my own on-plan donut, by having a Medifast brownie. Eating that and the coffee was like heaven! I didn't feel like I was missing out on what everyone else was eating...and that is important!
We had a quiet Father's Day. After my in-laws left, we all got ready, ate lunch (I had some water and Medifast Pretzels), then took off for some shopping. My husband wanted to go to some video game stores and the Lego store. Both my son and husband are HUGE video game fans. They also like Legos and our store had some Simpson mini-figures my husband wanted.
After some shopping, we came back home...my husband went to work and I started fixing dinner for the kids. I have not been grocery shopping, so I pulled out a frozen cauliflower pizza crust and made myself a pizza! The kids had some leftovers from dinners out this weekend, but I stayed on plan with my pizza....and it was delicious! Here is a pic:
Sorry it is sideways.....but you get the idea! I used a small salad plate, so it looked HUGE!
School is almost over for us. I am a teacher, and my last day with students is tomorrow. My own kids have a full day tomorrow, then two half days, so this week is going to be crazy. We are doing make your own sundaes with my students tomorrow....but I have a bar ready to go!
I prepped my meals for tomorrow. I wanted to make sure I had some munchie type stuff so I can keep myself busy and not eating treats!
My last two meals for the night was some chocolate pudding and tropical punch (of the MF type!). I was even able to serve my kids their evening snacks, and I did not take a bite! At one point, I made them both "unplug" from their tablets and video games and we all took a walk with the dog. We didn't walk very far, but it was a good walk before winding down for the night! It was a good day, and a good night!
I went to bed a little hungry....but not starving! One day 100%. Now, I am going to repeat that tomorrow!
Happy Father's Day to everyone!!!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Email me at evamburns@aol.com if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
What is it about the weekends???
According to Wikipedia, the word weekend is defined as follows:
The workweek and weekend are those complementary parts of the week devoted to labour and rest, respectively. The legal working week (British English), or workweek (U.S. English), is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labour. In most Western countries it is Monday to Friday; the weekend is a time period including Saturday and Sunday. A weekday is any day of the working week.
Who doesn't like the weekend? To most people, a weekend means not having to go to work, visiting friends, going out to eat, spending time with the family, doing fun things. But, to someone who is working hard to stay on a healthy plan.....weekends can be pure torture.
Not going to work = less structured schedule
Visiting friends = tempted with off plan food/drinks
Going out to eat = unwelcomed fat, sodium, and can we say bread basket???
Spending time with family = see visiting friends above**
Doing fun things = again, loads of off plan foods/drinks
To top it all off, we place weekends up on a pedestal...we look forward to it all week, and treat it like a mini holiday. So when faced with all of this "rest", we think we "deserve" something special, especially when we spend all week planning our meals, cooking healthy foods, drinking gallons of water, avoiding desserts and chips like the plague. We have a piece of bread, we take a taste of the nachos, we have one drink.....next thing we know, we fall off plan. Why did we fall off plan? Well, it was the weekend (like that makes it ok).
I have been noticing a pattern with my weight loss....it seems as though I lose weight, maybe 3 or 4 pounds, then I gain those pounds, lose them again, gain them again, repeat for the past few weeks. I remain the same weight for the whole month.
Why is that?
I think I know. Actually, I know I know.It's the little trolls who make me eat bad things on the weekend. It's the weekend.
But I LOVE weekends! It can't be that? No, it is not the actual weekend, it's how I treat the weekend. When you are an emotional eater, you feel that any time you do something good, you need to reward yourself with food. When you are an emotional eater and you have a really stressful week, you need to give yourself a treat because you deserve it. When you are an emotional eater, you will find any excuse possible to find a reason why you should eat something off plan.....one piece won't hurt, we are going out with friends so I can have it this once, she made this dish just for us and it would be rude not to eat some, my friend is eating off their plan so I can to....the excuses are endless.
I seem to make those excuses easier on the weekends than during the workweek, but the possibilities are still there. This weekend.....well, I did great...to start. My in-laws were visiting for the weekend to see my daughters dance recital Saturday afternoon, but I stayed on plan all of Friday night. For Saturday, we were planning on going out to eat after the recital. I planned my meal ahead....grilled chicken salad, dressing on the side, no croutons or bread. But then, my husband ordered nachos. I had a few...telling myself that a few are ok. No big deal. I then found myself nibbling on the crust I cut off of my daughters grilled cheese sandwich. OK...not so good, I need to stop. We get home, I grab a blueberry muffin my mother had made us (they came up for the day). I ate one, then asked myself, why did I do that? I know that was not a good choice. My daughter and I ended up going to a dance recital that evening to see the older girls....I forgot to bring a bar or something on plan (different purse). Very soon, I was making one bad choice after the other....and it started with just a few nachos.
So, how am I going to change this behavior? I am sick of losing, then gaining, losing, then gaining, and it seems as if I blow it over the weekend. Well, I have a few ideas....
First, identify the problem. I know I am making some bad choices over the weekend. I used to think that I had been totally on plan, and had no idea why I was not losing weight. I wouldn't recognize the fact that even one nacho will make a difference. Admitting that you have a problem is the first step!!!! It's not easy to admit that you keep slipping, but once you see where you are having problems, you can get some solutions!
Second, forgive yourself. Yes. I have not been totally honest with myself. I have not stuck to my program. Are there consequences? Heck yea! I have not been losing the weight I want to. I have spent lots of money investing in myself with the Medifast food, and I have been blowing it by not sticking to it. It's not that the plan doesn't work....its that I am not working the plan.
OK. I know my problem is not sticking to my plan. I am not losing weight. Now what am I going to do about it?
Sounds like I needa kick in the pants to be more accountable. I need to be more accountable to myself....not my health coach, not my friends, not my husband, not my family.....MYSELF.
I am doing this for me, and by not working the program, I am cheating myself.
For the next few weeks, I am going to keep myself accountable each day by blogging each day. Tomorrow, I will blog about today. Tuesday, I will blog about what I did Monday, etc. I am going to share my challenges, successes, meals, stresses, and my water count! I have some crazy things going on this week....last day of school with my students (and we are doing make your own sundaes), retirement party for a bunch of special teachers I work with, night out with the girls, and my first day of summer vacation (kind of like a great big, giant weekend....with a few work days thrown in), a wine tasting Friday night......and the day to day living with a husband and two kids!
Let's do this!!!!
The workweek and weekend are those complementary parts of the week devoted to labour and rest, respectively. The legal working week (British English), or workweek (U.S. English), is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labour. In most Western countries it is Monday to Friday; the weekend is a time period including Saturday and Sunday. A weekday is any day of the working week.
Who doesn't like the weekend? To most people, a weekend means not having to go to work, visiting friends, going out to eat, spending time with the family, doing fun things. But, to someone who is working hard to stay on a healthy plan.....weekends can be pure torture.
Not going to work = less structured schedule
Visiting friends = tempted with off plan food/drinks
Going out to eat = unwelcomed fat, sodium, and can we say bread basket???
Spending time with family = see visiting friends above**
Doing fun things = again, loads of off plan foods/drinks
To top it all off, we place weekends up on a pedestal...we look forward to it all week, and treat it like a mini holiday. So when faced with all of this "rest", we think we "deserve" something special, especially when we spend all week planning our meals, cooking healthy foods, drinking gallons of water, avoiding desserts and chips like the plague. We have a piece of bread, we take a taste of the nachos, we have one drink.....next thing we know, we fall off plan. Why did we fall off plan? Well, it was the weekend (like that makes it ok).
I have been noticing a pattern with my weight loss....it seems as though I lose weight, maybe 3 or 4 pounds, then I gain those pounds, lose them again, gain them again, repeat for the past few weeks. I remain the same weight for the whole month.
Why is that?
I think I know. Actually, I know I know.
But I LOVE weekends! It can't be that? No, it is not the actual weekend, it's how I treat the weekend. When you are an emotional eater, you feel that any time you do something good, you need to reward yourself with food. When you are an emotional eater and you have a really stressful week, you need to give yourself a treat because you deserve it. When you are an emotional eater, you will find any excuse possible to find a reason why you should eat something off plan.....one piece won't hurt, we are going out with friends so I can have it this once, she made this dish just for us and it would be rude not to eat some, my friend is eating off their plan so I can to....the excuses are endless.
I seem to make those excuses easier on the weekends than during the workweek, but the possibilities are still there. This weekend.....well, I did great...to start. My in-laws were visiting for the weekend to see my daughters dance recital Saturday afternoon, but I stayed on plan all of Friday night. For Saturday, we were planning on going out to eat after the recital. I planned my meal ahead....grilled chicken salad, dressing on the side, no croutons or bread. But then, my husband ordered nachos. I had a few...telling myself that a few are ok. No big deal. I then found myself nibbling on the crust I cut off of my daughters grilled cheese sandwich. OK...not so good, I need to stop. We get home, I grab a blueberry muffin my mother had made us (they came up for the day). I ate one, then asked myself, why did I do that? I know that was not a good choice. My daughter and I ended up going to a dance recital that evening to see the older girls....I forgot to bring a bar or something on plan (different purse). Very soon, I was making one bad choice after the other....and it started with just a few nachos.
So, how am I going to change this behavior? I am sick of losing, then gaining, losing, then gaining, and it seems as if I blow it over the weekend. Well, I have a few ideas....
First, identify the problem. I know I am making some bad choices over the weekend. I used to think that I had been totally on plan, and had no idea why I was not losing weight. I wouldn't recognize the fact that even one nacho will make a difference. Admitting that you have a problem is the first step!!!! It's not easy to admit that you keep slipping, but once you see where you are having problems, you can get some solutions!
Second, forgive yourself. Yes. I have not been totally honest with myself. I have not stuck to my program. Are there consequences? Heck yea! I have not been losing the weight I want to. I have spent lots of money investing in myself with the Medifast food, and I have been blowing it by not sticking to it. It's not that the plan doesn't work....its that I am not working the plan.
OK. I know my problem is not sticking to my plan. I am not losing weight. Now what am I going to do about it?
Sounds like I need
I am doing this for me, and by not working the program, I am cheating myself.
For the next few weeks, I am going to keep myself accountable each day by blogging each day. Tomorrow, I will blog about today. Tuesday, I will blog about what I did Monday, etc. I am going to share my challenges, successes, meals, stresses, and my water count! I have some crazy things going on this week....last day of school with my students (and we are doing make your own sundaes), retirement party for a bunch of special teachers I work with, night out with the girls, and my first day of summer vacation (kind of like a great big, giant weekend....with a few work days thrown in), a wine tasting Friday night......and the day to day living with a husband and two kids!
Let's do this!!!!
Monday, June 15, 2015
CONTROL
There are so many things that are out of my control.
I try to keep things together....I try to do all that I can. But there are just some things that I do not have control over.
When I get stressed and feel things slipping through my fingers, I reach for something that I can control. Most of my life, I reached for food. It wasn't the food itself I wanted....it was the feeling it would give me. Yes, I would be out of control and eat an entire pint of ice cream, but I was the one who decided to do it. I had control over being out of control.
When I would eat, it gave me a feeling of happiness. A feeling of relief. Joining in with the neighbors for a drink or a smore by the fire, gave me a sense of belonging....a feeling of being a part of something.
Control is a tricky thing.
My Health Coach posted a vlog the other day that really spoke to me. It actually took me a few days to view it because I was avoiding it because I knew it was going to be about me. No, she did not do the video about me....but I knew it was something that I could really relate to. You can check it out here.
The vlog is called Food Addiction, Eating Disorder or Just a Lack of Focus. I can honestly say that I can relate to all three of those. I am an emotional eater. I eat things to help me to feel better. I am also an addict. I crave the feeling the food gives me more than the food itself. And lack of focus? You bet. Giving in and eating bad (yummy) foods, takes me away from the real issues that I need to or should deal with. One of those things is feeling out of control.
So, what do you do when you are trying to gain control of what you eat, and you realize that you have a problem? You still have to eat to survive. You still have to make food for your children. You still will be in situations where people are going to give you food. So what do you do?
Before, I would have just given up. I would say I didn't care anymore, and I was just going to be happy and eat.
But here's the thing.....I did care. I wasn't happy.
Dr. A teaches us a strategy called Stop. Challenge. Choose. He has a free 100 page book you can download (email me to find out how you can get it). The strategy is simple. When you are faced with a decision....maybe someone offers you a huge chunk of your favorite cake.....or you order a pizza for your kids and it smells wonderful.....or you find a bag of chips calling your name in the breakroom....you need to STOP what you are doing. Before you dig into the cake or grab a slice, just stop. Once you stop, Challenge yourself. Ask yourself if that food is going to help you to accomplish your goals. Do you want the food or the feeling?? Then, Choose. If that food is not going to help you reach your goals or you want the feeling, not the food....then choose what to do. You could go ahead and eat it, or you can choose to do something else. If it is something I feel I absolutely need to have, even if it is a bad choice, I choose to wait. I say to myself that I will wait for an hour or two...or even the next day. If I still want it, I say I can have it. While I am waiting, I drink a big glass of water and move to do something else. I go into another room. I go outside. I bring my dog outside for a walk. Most likely, I will "forget" that I wanted something, and not eat it. Also, it gives my body time to stop the craving and make a choice with my head, not my stomach or emotions!
Is this successful for me all the time? Do I always make the best choice?
That answer would be no. However, I am changing the way that I think. I am not making a choice for just the feeling the food gives me for a few minutes. Changing your habits into healthy habits is not an easy thing. When I do make a good choice, I feel like a superhero! I feel as though I accomplished something great (which I did!). I try to remember that feeling so the next time, I can feel that success again. Over time, I will crave the good feelings of success of making good healthy choices instead of the few minute pleasure of the food.
What are some of the ways you help yourself be in control and make good choices??
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Message me if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
I try to keep things together....I try to do all that I can. But there are just some things that I do not have control over.
When I get stressed and feel things slipping through my fingers, I reach for something that I can control. Most of my life, I reached for food. It wasn't the food itself I wanted....it was the feeling it would give me. Yes, I would be out of control and eat an entire pint of ice cream, but I was the one who decided to do it. I had control over being out of control.
When I would eat, it gave me a feeling of happiness. A feeling of relief. Joining in with the neighbors for a drink or a smore by the fire, gave me a sense of belonging....a feeling of being a part of something.
Control is a tricky thing.
My Health Coach posted a vlog the other day that really spoke to me. It actually took me a few days to view it because I was avoiding it because I knew it was going to be about me. No, she did not do the video about me....but I knew it was something that I could really relate to. You can check it out here.
The vlog is called Food Addiction, Eating Disorder or Just a Lack of Focus. I can honestly say that I can relate to all three of those. I am an emotional eater. I eat things to help me to feel better. I am also an addict. I crave the feeling the food gives me more than the food itself. And lack of focus? You bet. Giving in and eating bad (yummy) foods, takes me away from the real issues that I need to or should deal with. One of those things is feeling out of control.
So, what do you do when you are trying to gain control of what you eat, and you realize that you have a problem? You still have to eat to survive. You still have to make food for your children. You still will be in situations where people are going to give you food. So what do you do?
Before, I would have just given up. I would say I didn't care anymore, and I was just going to be happy and eat.
But here's the thing.....I did care. I wasn't happy.
Dr. A teaches us a strategy called Stop. Challenge. Choose. He has a free 100 page book you can download (email me to find out how you can get it). The strategy is simple. When you are faced with a decision....maybe someone offers you a huge chunk of your favorite cake.....or you order a pizza for your kids and it smells wonderful.....or you find a bag of chips calling your name in the breakroom....you need to STOP what you are doing. Before you dig into the cake or grab a slice, just stop. Once you stop, Challenge yourself. Ask yourself if that food is going to help you to accomplish your goals. Do you want the food or the feeling?? Then, Choose. If that food is not going to help you reach your goals or you want the feeling, not the food....then choose what to do. You could go ahead and eat it, or you can choose to do something else. If it is something I feel I absolutely need to have, even if it is a bad choice, I choose to wait. I say to myself that I will wait for an hour or two...or even the next day. If I still want it, I say I can have it. While I am waiting, I drink a big glass of water and move to do something else. I go into another room. I go outside. I bring my dog outside for a walk. Most likely, I will "forget" that I wanted something, and not eat it. Also, it gives my body time to stop the craving and make a choice with my head, not my stomach or emotions!
Is this successful for me all the time? Do I always make the best choice?
That answer would be no. However, I am changing the way that I think. I am not making a choice for just the feeling the food gives me for a few minutes. Changing your habits into healthy habits is not an easy thing. When I do make a good choice, I feel like a superhero! I feel as though I accomplished something great (which I did!). I try to remember that feeling so the next time, I can feel that success again. Over time, I will crave the good feelings of success of making good healthy choices instead of the few minute pleasure of the food.
What are some of the ways you help yourself be in control and make good choices??
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Message me if you are interested in learning more! You can also visit healthcoacheva.tsfl.com.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Great Deals....But At What Cost??
We just had a new supermarket open near me. Now, this is a big deal. It takes less than 5 minutes to drive to this store. I live in a place where everything is at least 20 minutes away....so this is HUGE! To be able to "run out" to pick up something forgotten is awesome!
For the past three weeks, I have been doing my weekly grocery shopping there,,,,something about being able to just go and be back home before the ice cream starts to melt is just fabulous! Since this grocery store is new, they have a lot of great coupons and deals, but everything else tends to be more expensive. But since this is still a novelty, I went grocery shopping there.
Yesterday, I had my list, I grabbed their flier, and I went shopping. I got some really great deals! 3 jars of lower carb spaghetti sauce.....3 for $5. Buy 2 half gallons of ice cream, get 3 free (my kids and husband love ice cream!). Buy 2 cases of soda, get 4 six packs free! So as I emptied my cart and placed my items on the belt for the cashier, I realized that almost everything I bought and got a great deal on, were things that were not so healthy. Most of the "great deals" were for things with added sugar, lots of empty carbs, and junk. I mean, buying 2 bags of chips and getting 3 for free is a great deal. I know that with cook-outs over the summer, we will use them. But they are now in my house. They are there, so now my husband and children want them for snack. Even if I wanted to keep them for when friends come over, if they are available, my family will eat them. Not to mention tempt me!
Looking at my "deals", I realized that most of the items I bought were not on my list, and the amount of unhealthy food in my cart was overwhelming. Most of the things were not good choices. Most of the things in my cart would not help me reach my goals. The items would not help me or my family be healthier.
Having a grocery store so close to home is awesome.....buying unhealthy food at great deals is not. I now realize that if I want the great deals, I will have to research and make my list before I go to that store, and only buy the things that will help me to reach my goals and will help me teach my family better choices. It is too easy to go in there are put things in the cart, just because I am saving money. I do not have to buy things just because they are on sale!
I guess it is back to my other grocery store for now! 20 minutes isn't that far when you think about it...some deals are not deals at all!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Message me if you are interested in learning more!
For the past three weeks, I have been doing my weekly grocery shopping there,,,,something about being able to just go and be back home before the ice cream starts to melt is just fabulous! Since this grocery store is new, they have a lot of great coupons and deals, but everything else tends to be more expensive. But since this is still a novelty, I went grocery shopping there.
Yesterday, I had my list, I grabbed their flier, and I went shopping. I got some really great deals! 3 jars of lower carb spaghetti sauce.....3 for $5. Buy 2 half gallons of ice cream, get 3 free (my kids and husband love ice cream!). Buy 2 cases of soda, get 4 six packs free! So as I emptied my cart and placed my items on the belt for the cashier, I realized that almost everything I bought and got a great deal on, were things that were not so healthy. Most of the "great deals" were for things with added sugar, lots of empty carbs, and junk. I mean, buying 2 bags of chips and getting 3 for free is a great deal. I know that with cook-outs over the summer, we will use them. But they are now in my house. They are there, so now my husband and children want them for snack. Even if I wanted to keep them for when friends come over, if they are available, my family will eat them. Not to mention tempt me!
Looking at my "deals", I realized that most of the items I bought were not on my list, and the amount of unhealthy food in my cart was overwhelming. Most of the things were not good choices. Most of the things in my cart would not help me reach my goals. The items would not help me or my family be healthier.
Having a grocery store so close to home is awesome.....buying unhealthy food at great deals is not. I now realize that if I want the great deals, I will have to research and make my list before I go to that store, and only buy the things that will help me to reach my goals and will help me teach my family better choices. It is too easy to go in there are put things in the cart, just because I am saving money. I do not have to buy things just because they are on sale!
I guess it is back to my other grocery store for now! 20 minutes isn't that far when you think about it...some deals are not deals at all!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Message me if you are interested in learning more!
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
June Healthy Games
In just a few short days, it will be June! Yea!!! That means summer is right around the summer! I am a teacher, so I look forward to the END of June, just as much as the kids! I still have to work, however, summer means more time at home to spend with my kids!
It also means.....swimsuits, amusement parks, pools, etc.
I am losing weight and feeling better about myself, but I want to be the best I can be for this summer! That is why I am joining in the June Healthy Games. The Healthy Games is a way that I keep myself accountable and keep on track with a healthy lifestyle....and you can win money!!!
Here's how it works:
All participants ante up $22.99 to play (that includes a $2.99 service fee). To be qualified to win, you need to accomplish 2 goals:
1. Meet your weight goal: Each challenge has two categories for you to select from: Target Weight Loss, and Maintain.
***If you choose to participate in the Weight Loss category, you’ll need to lose at least 4% of your starting weight over the course of the challenge, and you’re free to lose up to 12%!
***If you are completing the challenge in the Maintain option, you have a different set of rules. You will be given a bracket of weight which you will need to maintain your weight within. You cannot gain more than 1%, or lose more than 3.9% in this category.
2. Meet your Point Goal.
During the course of the challenge, you will be earning Participation Points for various activities. There are many different daily, as well as weekly activities for you to participate in. Each activity will net you points, and you will have to accrue a minimum of 1,000 participation points in order to qualify as a winner.
If you accomplish those two goals, you are a winner! 50% of the pool of money from the participants gets divided among the winners. The other 50% is divided into two groups of 25%. One is used for prizes and incentives, and the other goes to the people who run the challenge.
So, now that you know about the challenge, why should you join in?
1. You can win money! If you are working on a healthy lifestyle, why not get some extra cash to help out!
2. There is so much to learn! Each day there is a reading that gives you information about creating optimal health. Each week there is a webinar, and throughout the other activities, you will learn lots of information about drinking water, the importance of sleep, ways to increase your activity levels, eating healthy, and so much more!
3. The best way to make a lifestyle change is to surround yourself with like-minded people. The Healthy Games is a great community of people who want the same things you do....to be healthy! What better way to get the support and encouragement you need from so many people!
4. No one will see your before/after weight or photos. Believe me....taking that first picture when I first began was not the best thing for my ego. But, it is where you are at this point in time, and no one will see them or know what you weigh! The ONLY people who will see your weight and your photos are you and the Meltdown Challenge Judge, unless you authorize it!!!
5. It helps to keep you accountable. The checking in, earning points, watching/reading keeps your mind on a health and making good choices.
Those are just a few reasons why you should join the Healthy Games for June. It really is fun and motivating! If you have any questions about it, or want to know more....send me a message!
If you are ready to join, check out the link below and sign up!!!
June Healthy Games Invite
For now, I have to get back to doing some more school work....it's not summer vacation yet!
Have a great day!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Message me if you are interested in learning more!
It also means.....swimsuits, amusement parks, pools, etc.
I am losing weight and feeling better about myself, but I want to be the best I can be for this summer! That is why I am joining in the June Healthy Games. The Healthy Games is a way that I keep myself accountable and keep on track with a healthy lifestyle....and you can win money!!!
Here's how it works:
All participants ante up $22.99 to play (that includes a $2.99 service fee). To be qualified to win, you need to accomplish 2 goals:
1. Meet your weight goal: Each challenge has two categories for you to select from: Target Weight Loss, and Maintain.
***If you choose to participate in the Weight Loss category, you’ll need to lose at least 4% of your starting weight over the course of the challenge, and you’re free to lose up to 12%!
***If you are completing the challenge in the Maintain option, you have a different set of rules. You will be given a bracket of weight which you will need to maintain your weight within. You cannot gain more than 1%, or lose more than 3.9% in this category.
2. Meet your Point Goal.
During the course of the challenge, you will be earning Participation Points for various activities. There are many different daily, as well as weekly activities for you to participate in. Each activity will net you points, and you will have to accrue a minimum of 1,000 participation points in order to qualify as a winner.
If you accomplish those two goals, you are a winner! 50% of the pool of money from the participants gets divided among the winners. The other 50% is divided into two groups of 25%. One is used for prizes and incentives, and the other goes to the people who run the challenge.
So, now that you know about the challenge, why should you join in?
1. You can win money! If you are working on a healthy lifestyle, why not get some extra cash to help out!
2. There is so much to learn! Each day there is a reading that gives you information about creating optimal health. Each week there is a webinar, and throughout the other activities, you will learn lots of information about drinking water, the importance of sleep, ways to increase your activity levels, eating healthy, and so much more!
3. The best way to make a lifestyle change is to surround yourself with like-minded people. The Healthy Games is a great community of people who want the same things you do....to be healthy! What better way to get the support and encouragement you need from so many people!
4. No one will see your before/after weight or photos. Believe me....taking that first picture when I first began was not the best thing for my ego. But, it is where you are at this point in time, and no one will see them or know what you weigh! The ONLY people who will see your weight and your photos are you and the Meltdown Challenge Judge, unless you authorize it!!!
5. It helps to keep you accountable. The checking in, earning points, watching/reading keeps your mind on a health and making good choices.
Those are just a few reasons why you should join the Healthy Games for June. It really is fun and motivating! If you have any questions about it, or want to know more....send me a message!
If you are ready to join, check out the link below and sign up!!!
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For now, I have to get back to doing some more school work....it's not summer vacation yet!
Have a great day!
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Message me if you are interested in learning more!
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Think and Eat!
Last week I was a rock star! I was on plan! I was drinking water! I was going out for walks! You could have called me the poster child for TSFL! But there was one exception.
My weight was not moving. It was the same all week long. Each morning, I would get up, get on the scale, and my weight would be the same as it was the morning before. I really could not think what was going wrong. I knew I was on plan. I was doing the right things. Since I am the queen of excuses, I thought that maybe I was losing inches and my weight hadn't caught up yet. My clothes were feeling better.
Then yesterday happened. I started on plan, but blew it at lunch. Didn't bring enough meals with me, and I ended up eating pizza and cookies. I almost went off plan for the whole day...but there was something that was nagging me.
No, it was not my health coach, although she must have some kind of telepathy because I received a text from her asking about my weekend right as I was deciding if I was going to eat what I was making my kids, or if I was going to have a MF smoothie.
What was nagging me was a quote I have seen floating around Pinterest and Facebook. It talked something about going off plan for an entire day because of one bad choice, is like slashing all of your car tires because one was flat. One bad meal does not mean that I destroyed the entire day. I should not let go of my plan because of one bad choice. I ended up going with the smoothie and eating the rest of my 5 MF meals, and did not have what the kids were eating.
It felt good to be in control!
I am proud that I was able to make better choices, but in that, I learned something else I was doing wrong. The week before, I was a rock star (see above). I know I was on plan. I was doing everything I needed to be doing, but the scale was not moving.
After my fallout yesterday, when I was cooking dinner for my kids and debating if I should just forget the day and just eat whatever, I realized that I was standing in the kitchen with a spoon full of peanut butter in my mouth.
Hello! Peanut butter????
I really had no idea. It was something that I always do, and I didn't even recognize I was doing it. I began to think back to last week. Yup. I am sure I had a spoonful or two each day of peanut butter. I didn't count it, didn't even realize I was doing it!
I love peanut butter. I know peanut butter is a problem for me, yet, I still had it in the house. Right in the pantry so I could see it as soon as I opened the pantry door.
It's the little things. Those "little" spoonfuls, which I am sure were not little, added up and were making my weight loss stop. When I realized that I was eating peanut butter, a light bulb went off. I know I have a problem with peanut butter. So, why do I need to have it in the house???
Last night the peanut butter went on vacation. It is gone. I am not going to buy it again. But then I got to thinking.....I didn't realize I was eating that peanut butter....what else am I eating and not thinking about? I am going to log my food on MyFittnessPal this week. I am going to log every bite I take. One of the reasons I love TSFL, is because you don't have to spend hours a week planning what you are going to eat every second. There is still some planning with the lean and green, but being able to grab a bar or something and go is a life saver for me. But that doesn't mean I don't have to think.
My goal is to obtain optimal health. In order to get there, I have to be thoughtful about what I am eating. I can't let a few bites of something cause me to stray from my journey. If I am going to eat something off plan, I need to make a conscious decision to do so. Every time I go to eat, I need to Stop, before I eat something. Challenge myself (is eating this going to help me reach my goals). And Choose if I want to eat it or not.
Logging my food and reflecting on my choices is going to be my goal this week. Are you thinking while you are eating????
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Message me if you are interested in learning more!
My weight was not moving. It was the same all week long. Each morning, I would get up, get on the scale, and my weight would be the same as it was the morning before. I really could not think what was going wrong. I knew I was on plan. I was doing the right things. Since I am the queen of excuses, I thought that maybe I was losing inches and my weight hadn't caught up yet. My clothes were feeling better.
Then yesterday happened. I started on plan, but blew it at lunch. Didn't bring enough meals with me, and I ended up eating pizza and cookies. I almost went off plan for the whole day...but there was something that was nagging me.
No, it was not my health coach, although she must have some kind of telepathy because I received a text from her asking about my weekend right as I was deciding if I was going to eat what I was making my kids, or if I was going to have a MF smoothie.
What was nagging me was a quote I have seen floating around Pinterest and Facebook. It talked something about going off plan for an entire day because of one bad choice, is like slashing all of your car tires because one was flat. One bad meal does not mean that I destroyed the entire day. I should not let go of my plan because of one bad choice. I ended up going with the smoothie and eating the rest of my 5 MF meals, and did not have what the kids were eating.
It felt good to be in control!
I am proud that I was able to make better choices, but in that, I learned something else I was doing wrong. The week before, I was a rock star (see above). I know I was on plan. I was doing everything I needed to be doing, but the scale was not moving.
After my fallout yesterday, when I was cooking dinner for my kids and debating if I should just forget the day and just eat whatever, I realized that I was standing in the kitchen with a spoon full of peanut butter in my mouth.
Hello! Peanut butter????
I really had no idea. It was something that I always do, and I didn't even recognize I was doing it. I began to think back to last week. Yup. I am sure I had a spoonful or two each day of peanut butter. I didn't count it, didn't even realize I was doing it!
I love peanut butter. I know peanut butter is a problem for me, yet, I still had it in the house. Right in the pantry so I could see it as soon as I opened the pantry door.
It's the little things. Those "little" spoonfuls, which I am sure were not little, added up and were making my weight loss stop. When I realized that I was eating peanut butter, a light bulb went off. I know I have a problem with peanut butter. So, why do I need to have it in the house???
Last night the peanut butter went on vacation. It is gone. I am not going to buy it again. But then I got to thinking.....I didn't realize I was eating that peanut butter....what else am I eating and not thinking about? I am going to log my food on MyFittnessPal this week. I am going to log every bite I take. One of the reasons I love TSFL, is because you don't have to spend hours a week planning what you are going to eat every second. There is still some planning with the lean and green, but being able to grab a bar or something and go is a life saver for me. But that doesn't mean I don't have to think.
My goal is to obtain optimal health. In order to get there, I have to be thoughtful about what I am eating. I can't let a few bites of something cause me to stray from my journey. If I am going to eat something off plan, I need to make a conscious decision to do so. Every time I go to eat, I need to Stop, before I eat something. Challenge myself (is eating this going to help me reach my goals). And Choose if I want to eat it or not.
Logging my food and reflecting on my choices is going to be my goal this week. Are you thinking while you are eating????
***Are you interested in reaching Optimal Health? I am a free Health Coach and can help you reach your goals! Message me if you are interested in learning more!
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
A New Beginning
Today something exciting arrived!
My bars, cocoa, pudding, and smoothies came today. I can not wait to have my coffee and cocoa tomorrow morning! Coffee just isn't the same without it! I always add the hot cocoa to a large Dunkin Donuts coffee. I may just want to get up early tomorrow morning for that!
But something else arrived with it.
Want to guess????
Today, my TSFL Health Coach Kit arrived!!!
Yea!!!!!!
Since I decided that I wanted to pay it forward and help others, I just could not wait to get started! I love the TSFL program. It has helped me with more than just losing weight. I am learning how to make better choices. I am learning how to not eat emotionally. I am in more control of my life, and of my health. My ultimate goal is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. No more dieting. No more beating myself up when things go wrong. I am making healthy choices everyday, and I am learning every day. I still have a long way to go, but I am on the path to get there.
I purchased my kit on Saturday. It took less than 5 minutes. Once it was submitted, that was it! I am a coach! I received a few emails with some information to get my website activated and where I can find resources to help me coach others. Even before I received my kit, I had a ton of information at my fingertips! I will admit that I found a bunch of training videos and watched a number of them on Sunday. I made myself stop because there were a few things that they referred to in the kit that I had not gotten yet (I did just order it the day before!). Now I just finished going through everything in the kit to help me on my way. I am making a list of questions and ideas so I can talk about them with my Health Coach. In the next 30 days I will need to take a certification test, but I can start helping others as soon as....well, as soon as right now!
I am so excited to take this step. I know that I can help others to "find their fit" in the same way as I have, because I have found my fit. It is right here with TSFL.
**If you are reading this and want to find out more about the TSFL program, send me an email! I would love to help you!!!
My bars, cocoa, pudding, and smoothies came today. I can not wait to have my coffee and cocoa tomorrow morning! Coffee just isn't the same without it! I always add the hot cocoa to a large Dunkin Donuts coffee. I may just want to get up early tomorrow morning for that!
But something else arrived with it.
Want to guess????
Today, my TSFL Health Coach Kit arrived!!!
Yea!!!!!!
Since I decided that I wanted to pay it forward and help others, I just could not wait to get started! I love the TSFL program. It has helped me with more than just losing weight. I am learning how to make better choices. I am learning how to not eat emotionally. I am in more control of my life, and of my health. My ultimate goal is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. No more dieting. No more beating myself up when things go wrong. I am making healthy choices everyday, and I am learning every day. I still have a long way to go, but I am on the path to get there.
I purchased my kit on Saturday. It took less than 5 minutes. Once it was submitted, that was it! I am a coach! I received a few emails with some information to get my website activated and where I can find resources to help me coach others. Even before I received my kit, I had a ton of information at my fingertips! I will admit that I found a bunch of training videos and watched a number of them on Sunday. I made myself stop because there were a few things that they referred to in the kit that I had not gotten yet (I did just order it the day before!). Now I just finished going through everything in the kit to help me on my way. I am making a list of questions and ideas so I can talk about them with my Health Coach. In the next 30 days I will need to take a certification test, but I can start helping others as soon as....well, as soon as right now!
I am so excited to take this step. I know that I can help others to "find their fit" in the same way as I have, because I have found my fit. It is right here with TSFL.
**If you are reading this and want to find out more about the TSFL program, send me an email! I would love to help you!!!
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Making Changes....Being Accountable
I have learned so much about myself during the past few months.
I have learned that I need things to be organized and planned to be successful.
I have learned that when I am stressed (which is a lot) I eat. I eat bad things.
I have learned that the weekends are difficult to stay on plan, so I really need to know what I am eating for each meal a head of time.
I have learned that I am strong. I have learned that I can do it.
I have learned that I am worth it (That one is really hard to remember when times are tough)
I know that this plan is working for me. I know that I can do this!
Which is why I am making some changes.
I have decided that I want to pay it forward and become a Health Coach. Sharing this program with others, helping them to become healthy, helping others lose weight........ is only going to help me improve myself as well.
Am I in the best physical shape right now? Have I lost all the weight I need to? Absolutely not.
But I am getting there. I said I wanted to make this a lifestyle. That is what I am going to do.
Now, I am going to the next step to make this a lifestyle, not a diet. I haven't become a coach just yet. I need to purchase my kit and get things going, but I wanted to put it out there that I am on my way!
I have made the commitment to a healthy life..... for life!
I have learned that I need things to be organized and planned to be successful.
I have learned that when I am stressed (which is a lot) I eat. I eat bad things.
I have learned that the weekends are difficult to stay on plan, so I really need to know what I am eating for each meal a head of time.
I have learned that I am strong. I have learned that I can do it.
I have learned that I am worth it (That one is really hard to remember when times are tough)
I know that this plan is working for me. I know that I can do this!
Which is why I am making some changes.
I have decided that I want to pay it forward and become a Health Coach. Sharing this program with others, helping them to become healthy, helping others lose weight........ is only going to help me improve myself as well.
Am I in the best physical shape right now? Have I lost all the weight I need to? Absolutely not.
But I am getting there. I said I wanted to make this a lifestyle. That is what I am going to do.
Now, I am going to the next step to make this a lifestyle, not a diet. I haven't become a coach just yet. I need to purchase my kit and get things going, but I wanted to put it out there that I am on my way!
I have made the commitment to a healthy life..... for life!
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
May Not Be As Bad As You Think.....
I had a horrible, off plan weekend.
I avoided my Health Coach, as well as my scale.
Today, I faced the music and got onto the scale. Up 1 pound.
At first, I was like, "whew! Just one pound....thank goodness!"
But then I realized, that the one pound I was up, could have been one or two down if I had stayed on plan. But still, it could have been worse...at lot worse!
After you make some really off plan choices, the best thing you can do is face it and move on. Learn from your mistakes, and do better next time. The worst thing to do is pretend it didn't happen.
When I pretend it didn't happen, I don't weigh in. I don't talk to my Health Coach. I continue to eat off plan. Then, instead of gaining just a pound or two, it becomes 5....then 10. Next thing I know, I have been eating lots of unhealthy food and the healthy habits I worked so hard to build, go right out the window.
Yesterday, I was back to 100% on plan. Today I am 100%. I am taking it one day at a time. Small steps. This week I learned that I am going to make mistakes along the way, but I am not going to make a small mistake an even bigger one.
I am going to weigh in. I am going to talk to my Coach. I am going to stick to the plan.
That pound is going to be gone before you know it....and it's taking some friends with it!
Have a great day!
I avoided my Health Coach, as well as my scale.
Today, I faced the music and got onto the scale. Up 1 pound.
At first, I was like, "whew! Just one pound....thank goodness!"
But then I realized, that the one pound I was up, could have been one or two down if I had stayed on plan. But still, it could have been worse...at lot worse!
After you make some really off plan choices, the best thing you can do is face it and move on. Learn from your mistakes, and do better next time. The worst thing to do is pretend it didn't happen.
When I pretend it didn't happen, I don't weigh in. I don't talk to my Health Coach. I continue to eat off plan. Then, instead of gaining just a pound or two, it becomes 5....then 10. Next thing I know, I have been eating lots of unhealthy food and the healthy habits I worked so hard to build, go right out the window.
Yesterday, I was back to 100% on plan. Today I am 100%. I am taking it one day at a time. Small steps. This week I learned that I am going to make mistakes along the way, but I am not going to make a small mistake an even bigger one.
I am going to weigh in. I am going to talk to my Coach. I am going to stick to the plan.
That pound is going to be gone before you know it....and it's taking some friends with it!
Have a great day!
Monday, April 27, 2015
Making A Lifestyle Change
For the past few months, I have been looking at doing Take Shape For Life not as a diet, but as a lifestyle change. I don't want to diet anymore. I want to be healthy and make healthy choices.
It's good to want things.
I can want all I want....but when it comes down to it, wanting it is not enough. I am going to have to make tough choices. I am going to have to tell that whining voice in my head to shut up and stop making excuses.
Why can't I do that? Why can't I make good choices instead of falling back onto old habits?
GRRRRRRR......
This weekend was one of those weekends. We were away for a family funeral. There was lots of food, beer, and cake (did I mention that it was also my birthday?). I could give you excuse after excuse, but I am not going to.
I blew it. I messed up.
I have been messing up too much.
It is time to get my head in the game, and get things done. I can not make healthy choices, so I need to take away my decision making and stick to the basics. Here is what I am going to do:
It's good to want things.
I can want all I want....but when it comes down to it, wanting it is not enough. I am going to have to make tough choices. I am going to have to tell that whining voice in my head to shut up and stop making excuses.
Why can't I do that? Why can't I make good choices instead of falling back onto old habits?
GRRRRRRR......
This weekend was one of those weekends. We were away for a family funeral. There was lots of food, beer, and cake (did I mention that it was also my birthday?). I could give you excuse after excuse, but I am not going to.
I blew it. I messed up.
I have been messing up too much.
It is time to get my head in the game, and get things done. I can not make healthy choices, so I need to take away my decision making and stick to the basics. Here is what I am going to do:
- Plan out my meals, get them ready, get my lean and green ready so I don't have to think about it.
- Change my mindset....instead of saying "why can't I have this.....", I need to say, "You get to have this for dinner!"
- Take it one day at a time.
- Log everything I eat into My Fitness Pal each day.
- Drink all of my water and not think of having a diet soda until at least 80 oz. of water is gone.
- My exercise has not been the best, only because when I take my walks, I take my dog. She walks, then stops, walks, then stops. I am going to keep walking with her, but take some without her so I keep my movement consistent.
I will get to the point where making healthy choices is my habit.
Monday, March 9, 2015
A Drop in the Bucket
Today, I hit a milestone.
20 pounds gone forever!
Yea! I am excited. I am proud. 20 pounds is huge!
Except, 20 pounds is just a drop in the bucket. I need to lose a lot more.
I wish I could say that I am fitting into a new, smaller size....but I'm really not. I am still wearing the same clothes as I wore 20 pounds heavier. But my clothes are fitting better and are more comfortable. I don't have to try to stretch a t-shirt to make it bigger...I can just put it on and leave it.
I wish I could tell you that I am feeling fantastic! But for the past couple of weeks, I have been dealing with depression, stress, and anxiety. I am not using food as a way to feel better. I used to just have a bowl of ice cream, or eat something super yummy, and it would help me feel better (at least I thought it was). Now that I am not going to food, I have to find other ways to "feel better". I am learning some new things. Like getting outside more, blogging, focusing on the good things that are happening. I am looking into some things that I can use instead of food. I have even tried some meditation and deep breathing exercises.
I know I am a work in progress...it is going to take time. But until then, I am going to shout from the rooftops.....I LOST 20 POUNDS! I am celebrating that fact because whether it is a drop in the bucket, or if it was the last 20 pounds before a goal, I did it. It is not an easy task....it will take time, but I did it! Here is to the next 20 pounds!
20 pounds gone forever!
Yea! I am excited. I am proud. 20 pounds is huge!
Except, 20 pounds is just a drop in the bucket. I need to lose a lot more.
I wish I could say that I am fitting into a new, smaller size....but I'm really not. I am still wearing the same clothes as I wore 20 pounds heavier. But my clothes are fitting better and are more comfortable. I don't have to try to stretch a t-shirt to make it bigger...I can just put it on and leave it.
I wish I could tell you that I am feeling fantastic! But for the past couple of weeks, I have been dealing with depression, stress, and anxiety. I am not using food as a way to feel better. I used to just have a bowl of ice cream, or eat something super yummy, and it would help me feel better (at least I thought it was). Now that I am not going to food, I have to find other ways to "feel better". I am learning some new things. Like getting outside more, blogging, focusing on the good things that are happening. I am looking into some things that I can use instead of food. I have even tried some meditation and deep breathing exercises.
I know I am a work in progress...it is going to take time. But until then, I am going to shout from the rooftops.....I LOST 20 POUNDS! I am celebrating that fact because whether it is a drop in the bucket, or if it was the last 20 pounds before a goal, I did it. It is not an easy task....it will take time, but I did it! Here is to the next 20 pounds!
Monday, March 2, 2015
Monday Maddness
Happy Monday!
Mondays are just awful for me. Not only is it the first day back to work after a weekend, but I have to be in two different places at two different times tonight! My daughter has dance class, my son has Boy Scouts, and they both overlap. I end up bringing my daughter to dance, then my son to Scouts, then back to pick up my daughter, then back to pick up my son before we get home. Before all this, I have to make sure both my kids have had dinner and homework is done.
I am not crazy about Mondays.
Anyway, I thought I would give an update of my progress so far.
I began Take Shape for Life Monday, December 29th. Today I start week 10. For the past 9 weeks, I have lost 18.5 pounds. That is about 2 pounds per week.
Have I been perfect? Nope.
If I had been perfect, I bet my weightloss would have been bigger. But, I'm not perfect!
My coach just texted me, asking if I could make a mini-goal for myself. That mini-goal is to make sure I get all 5 MF meals in every day. I am making a promise to myself, that I am going to work towards that goal, but I am also going to add to not take any BLTs. BLTs are Bites, Licks, Tastes. You know when you are getting some goldfish crackers for the kids, and you just take a few a couple and pop them in your mouth before you hand them over?
Yea, those.
All those little things add up to big things!
I have noticed that I am taking more BLTs than I have in the past, so no more of those!
So, mini-goal this week: all 5 MF meals, every day, and no BLTS!
Mondays are just awful for me. Not only is it the first day back to work after a weekend, but I have to be in two different places at two different times tonight! My daughter has dance class, my son has Boy Scouts, and they both overlap. I end up bringing my daughter to dance, then my son to Scouts, then back to pick up my daughter, then back to pick up my son before we get home. Before all this, I have to make sure both my kids have had dinner and homework is done.
I am not crazy about Mondays.
Anyway, I thought I would give an update of my progress so far.
I began Take Shape for Life Monday, December 29th. Today I start week 10. For the past 9 weeks, I have lost 18.5 pounds. That is about 2 pounds per week.
Have I been perfect? Nope.
If I had been perfect, I bet my weightloss would have been bigger. But, I'm not perfect!
My coach just texted me, asking if I could make a mini-goal for myself. That mini-goal is to make sure I get all 5 MF meals in every day. I am making a promise to myself, that I am going to work towards that goal, but I am also going to add to not take any BLTs. BLTs are Bites, Licks, Tastes. You know when you are getting some goldfish crackers for the kids, and you just take a few a couple and pop them in your mouth before you hand them over?
Yea, those.
All those little things add up to big things!
I have noticed that I am taking more BLTs than I have in the past, so no more of those!
So, mini-goal this week: all 5 MF meals, every day, and no BLTS!
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Hard Habits to Break
The last few days I have been struggling. Tuesday night, I totally lost it. I ate a big bowl of macaroni and cheese, and I ate one of those red heart shaped box of chocolate (about 9 pieces). Since I am the queen of making excuses, I looked back on what happened Monday.
I ended the Healthy Games challenge and weighed out. I made my 6% loss! Woohoo!
I had two different people tell me that I was looking good. They noticed that I was starting to lose weight!
I know....terrible things.
Actually, I have had worse days. So, why did I scarf down a bowl of mac-n-cheese and the box of chocolates? I could tell you that I did it because just as I finished making the pasta for the kids and started making my on-plan lean and green meal....the power went off. I couldn't use the oven or the microwave, and did not have anything to eat that didn't have to be cooked (which is actually true...grocery shopping tonight!). But that would just be making an excuse.
What I really think happened was that because I had compliments, because I made my goal, I reverted back to old habits. You know the ones.....rewarding yourself with food. I felt good that people are starting to notice. I felt good that I made my goal. But then, I rewarded my good choices with something bad. FOOD
Augh.
But, let's look at the silver lining.
In the past, I would have just made an excuse and keep on making bad choices. I wouldn't really realize that I was rewarding myself with food, I would have just made an excuse as to why I went off plan.
So now I am looking at rewards that I can give myself when I need a reward. No, it is not going to be anything with food...coming up with things can be difficult when you are so programmed to just eat something!
Here is to being honest with myself, and rewarding myself for the good things I am doing! I know it is going to be hard to break that mindset, but I am working on it!
Have a great week everyone!
I ended the Healthy Games challenge and weighed out. I made my 6% loss! Woohoo!
I had two different people tell me that I was looking good. They noticed that I was starting to lose weight!
I know....terrible things.
Actually, I have had worse days. So, why did I scarf down a bowl of mac-n-cheese and the box of chocolates? I could tell you that I did it because just as I finished making the pasta for the kids and started making my on-plan lean and green meal....the power went off. I couldn't use the oven or the microwave, and did not have anything to eat that didn't have to be cooked (which is actually true...grocery shopping tonight!). But that would just be making an excuse.
What I really think happened was that because I had compliments, because I made my goal, I reverted back to old habits. You know the ones.....rewarding yourself with food. I felt good that people are starting to notice. I felt good that I made my goal. But then, I rewarded my good choices with something bad. FOOD
Augh.
But, let's look at the silver lining.
In the past, I would have just made an excuse and keep on making bad choices. I wouldn't really realize that I was rewarding myself with food, I would have just made an excuse as to why I went off plan.
So now I am looking at rewards that I can give myself when I need a reward. No, it is not going to be anything with food...coming up with things can be difficult when you are so programmed to just eat something!
Here is to being honest with myself, and rewarding myself for the good things I am doing! I know it is going to be hard to break that mindset, but I am working on it!
Have a great week everyone!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Losing Weight With A "Gimmick"
One of my really good friends has told me, "I promised myself that I will not do any diet with a gimmick. I am done portioning food into colored containers, eating only a program's specific diet food, moving sliding windows when I ate something....I am just not going to do that anymore, because once I stop, the weight piles back on....and then some!"
Here is the definition of gimmick:
gim·mick
Let's face it.....many diet programs have some sort of "gimmick". These diet companies are trying to draw your attention, so you will join them. Many of my co-workers are doing the 21 Day Fix. The premise is that you have a certain number of servings of specific colored containers. You fill the container with the food specified, and then you are done with that group. Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig, you purchase their meals and eat a certain amount each day. Weight Watchers has you counting point values for the food you eat, and you subtract it from a total amount of points you have each day. You name it, diets tend to try to outdo themselves to make their plan seem the easiest to follow and lose the weight.
I am doing Take Shape For Life, which uses Medifast foods. I make one lean and green meal, but eat 5 of the Medifast packaged foods each day. Is that a gimmick? Some say yes, some say no.
Is losing weight by using a gimmick bad thing?
I believe it depends upon how you look at it.
Is your "diet" going to be followed for a certain amount of time, then go back to unhealthy habits?
Will you give up during your "diet" and just go crazy eating pizza, ice cream, chips, etc?
Or, are you looking to make changes that will last a life time? Are you just looking to lose weight, or are you looking to be healthy?
I am looking to get healthy. Losing weight is a part of that, but I need to relearn how to eat. I need to learn how to make better choices. If a "gimmick" is getting you into a mode where you can rethink how you eat, is that really a gimmick?
I think that the only diet that is a trick, is one that makes you believe that you can eat whatever you want, anytime you want, and still lose weight. The only way to lose weight is sticking to a plan, but once you reach your goal, it is not over. You may be over losing weight, but you still have a lot of work to do.
I remember reading about people who made it to their goal, and started to transition. Those people said that losing weight was the easy part. Easy part? Really? Even though I am not saying losing weight is easy, keeping and maintaining a healthy weight doesn't seem like a piece of cake either. I mean look at me....I was eating "normal" food and gaining weight without even thinking about it.
Anyway, I wish my friend would try Take Shape for Life with me, but she won't because she thinks it's a gimmick. So far I have lost 18 pounds. I am pretty sure this is the gimmick I need to get me to think about my choices and change my habits for a lifetime!
Here is the definition of gimmick:
gim·mick
/ɡimik/
noun
- a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or business.
synonyms: publicity stunt, contrivance, scheme, stratagem, ploy;
informalshtick"the trivia contest was a gimmick to sell more newspapers"
Let's face it.....many diet programs have some sort of "gimmick". These diet companies are trying to draw your attention, so you will join them. Many of my co-workers are doing the 21 Day Fix. The premise is that you have a certain number of servings of specific colored containers. You fill the container with the food specified, and then you are done with that group. Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig, you purchase their meals and eat a certain amount each day. Weight Watchers has you counting point values for the food you eat, and you subtract it from a total amount of points you have each day. You name it, diets tend to try to outdo themselves to make their plan seem the easiest to follow and lose the weight.
I am doing Take Shape For Life, which uses Medifast foods. I make one lean and green meal, but eat 5 of the Medifast packaged foods each day. Is that a gimmick? Some say yes, some say no.
Is losing weight by using a gimmick bad thing?
I believe it depends upon how you look at it.
Is your "diet" going to be followed for a certain amount of time, then go back to unhealthy habits?
Will you give up during your "diet" and just go crazy eating pizza, ice cream, chips, etc?
Or, are you looking to make changes that will last a life time? Are you just looking to lose weight, or are you looking to be healthy?
I am looking to get healthy. Losing weight is a part of that, but I need to relearn how to eat. I need to learn how to make better choices. If a "gimmick" is getting you into a mode where you can rethink how you eat, is that really a gimmick?
I think that the only diet that is a trick, is one that makes you believe that you can eat whatever you want, anytime you want, and still lose weight. The only way to lose weight is sticking to a plan, but once you reach your goal, it is not over. You may be over losing weight, but you still have a lot of work to do.
I remember reading about people who made it to their goal, and started to transition. Those people said that losing weight was the easy part. Easy part? Really? Even though I am not saying losing weight is easy, keeping and maintaining a healthy weight doesn't seem like a piece of cake either. I mean look at me....I was eating "normal" food and gaining weight without even thinking about it.
Anyway, I wish my friend would try Take Shape for Life with me, but she won't because she thinks it's a gimmick. So far I have lost 18 pounds. I am pretty sure this is the gimmick I need to get me to think about my choices and change my habits for a lifetime!
Monday, February 9, 2015
Planning for Stress
It is usually at this point in my "diet" journey that I get discouraged.
Something comes up.
I go off plan.
I think, "Well, I am already off, I might as well go crazy today and start fresh tomorrow."
When tomorrow comes, same thing.
I give into the junk food, and the weight comes back on.
This weekend was crazy. I am still feeling the stress from the weekend. I feel like I have a big tension knot in my chest.
I did give in a little this weekend. I had a cupcake. I had some nachos. I drank a lot of diet coke.
But there was a difference this weekend. When I "feel off the wagon", (let's face it....falling off would be making an excuse....I jumped off of my own free will) I started to hear that voice telling myself that I already had a cupcake, I might as well have __________. I started saying that I would start fresh tomorrow. But like I said, this weekend was different.
Instead of listening to that voice, I made a different choice. I made a gingerbread soft bake.
I did not go crazy and have the candy bar that my husband put in the fridge from my daughter's play this weekend. I did not order something off the menu that was pizza or pasta or bread....I ordered the grilled steak salad. Instead of having a bowl of icecream with everyone else, I made a MF brownie.
Yes, I skipped some MF meals. Yes, I ate things off plan. But I did not give up. I did not give into that little voice and go crazy. I stopped and made a different choice.
When I weighed in this morning, I found that my weight did not go up, but it did not go down either (at least not yet). I know sometimes the bad choices show up a day or two later. I know I am an emotional eater, and when I get really stressed, I tend to skip MF meals and get too hungry (then make bad choices).
I have identified this problem, and now I can anticipate when something big is coming up, I know what my behaviors are. Now that I have named them, I can plan to do things differently next time.
When I have five million things to do, like I did this weekend, I can automatically put extra bars in my purse, so I always have something easy on hand to eat.
If I am home, I can grab a bar. If I am in the car, I can have a bar. Making my MF meals even simpler will make it easier to get all my MF meals in, so I do not get starving, and go for the cupcake.
I feel that next time, I can be stronger, because I was stronger this past weekend. Sometimes you have to remember to focus on progress, not perfection. Life is not perfect. Mistakes are going to be made.
Did I make mistakes this weekend? Yes.
Did I realize those mistakes and stop? Yes.
Did I then make better choices? Yes.
Did I make progress? YES!!!
Just remember, one day at a time.
Something comes up.
I go off plan.
I think, "Well, I am already off, I might as well go crazy today and start fresh tomorrow."
When tomorrow comes, same thing.
I give into the junk food, and the weight comes back on.
This weekend was crazy. I am still feeling the stress from the weekend. I feel like I have a big tension knot in my chest.
I did give in a little this weekend. I had a cupcake. I had some nachos. I drank a lot of diet coke.
But there was a difference this weekend. When I "feel off the wagon", (let's face it....falling off would be making an excuse....I jumped off of my own free will) I started to hear that voice telling myself that I already had a cupcake, I might as well have __________. I started saying that I would start fresh tomorrow. But like I said, this weekend was different.
Instead of listening to that voice, I made a different choice. I made a gingerbread soft bake.
I did not go crazy and have the candy bar that my husband put in the fridge from my daughter's play this weekend. I did not order something off the menu that was pizza or pasta or bread....I ordered the grilled steak salad. Instead of having a bowl of icecream with everyone else, I made a MF brownie.
Yes, I skipped some MF meals. Yes, I ate things off plan. But I did not give up. I did not give into that little voice and go crazy. I stopped and made a different choice.
When I weighed in this morning, I found that my weight did not go up, but it did not go down either (at least not yet). I know sometimes the bad choices show up a day or two later. I know I am an emotional eater, and when I get really stressed, I tend to skip MF meals and get too hungry (then make bad choices).
I have identified this problem, and now I can anticipate when something big is coming up, I know what my behaviors are. Now that I have named them, I can plan to do things differently next time.
When I have five million things to do, like I did this weekend, I can automatically put extra bars in my purse, so I always have something easy on hand to eat.
If I am home, I can grab a bar. If I am in the car, I can have a bar. Making my MF meals even simpler will make it easier to get all my MF meals in, so I do not get starving, and go for the cupcake.
I feel that next time, I can be stronger, because I was stronger this past weekend. Sometimes you have to remember to focus on progress, not perfection. Life is not perfect. Mistakes are going to be made.
Did I make mistakes this weekend? Yes.
Did I realize those mistakes and stop? Yes.
Did I then make better choices? Yes.
Did I make progress? YES!!!
Just remember, one day at a time.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
The Healthy Games
Competitive weight-loss challenge?
You bet!
A few weeks ago, I joined the Healthy Games. It is a Meltdown Challenge. What you do is, you first pay $20. That is the ante for joining the challenge. Right now, there are 15110 people in the challenge, and the total pool of $$$ is $302200. Once you join, you decide to lose 6% of your weight (or more) or you can maintain your weight within 1%. For six weeks, you log into the site each day and earn points. You get points for reading the different things that are posted, commenting on your team page, replying to a comment on the main board, completing exercise and food journals, and watching videos. Today was day 16, and I have already learned so much!
Once the 6 weeks are up, you "win" if you meet your goal (maintained within 1% or lost at least 6%) and earned 1000 points. There are also competitions each week. Last week was a wacky workout picture. This week is wacky ways to get in exercise! There are lots of different ways to earn some of the money from the pool.
So far, I have been doing well! I have earned all my points each day, and I have already won all the new info I have learned by watching the videos and doing the readings. When I joined this challenge, I went in it for a few different reasons.
My first reason was....lets be honest.....to win money. Who does not want to win money!
My second reason was to be accountable. I am in this for the long haul....I want to make changes for life....not just to lose weight. Which brings be to my next reason....
I want to lose weight. I want to get rid of this extra weight, and make healthy habits for life. Being able to log in, read helpful information, being accountable, is only going to help to keep me motivated and on track.
Ho do you sign up for this challenge? Unfortunately, the last day to sign up was Sunday....but never fear! I am sure there will be another challenge in the future!!!
So for now, I am going to take things one day at a time. I will keep you posted on the competition! Have a great week!
You bet!
A few weeks ago, I joined the Healthy Games. It is a Meltdown Challenge. What you do is, you first pay $20. That is the ante for joining the challenge. Right now, there are 15110 people in the challenge, and the total pool of $$$ is $302200. Once you join, you decide to lose 6% of your weight (or more) or you can maintain your weight within 1%. For six weeks, you log into the site each day and earn points. You get points for reading the different things that are posted, commenting on your team page, replying to a comment on the main board, completing exercise and food journals, and watching videos. Today was day 16, and I have already learned so much!
Once the 6 weeks are up, you "win" if you meet your goal (maintained within 1% or lost at least 6%) and earned 1000 points. There are also competitions each week. Last week was a wacky workout picture. This week is wacky ways to get in exercise! There are lots of different ways to earn some of the money from the pool.
So far, I have been doing well! I have earned all my points each day, and I have already won all the new info I have learned by watching the videos and doing the readings. When I joined this challenge, I went in it for a few different reasons.
My first reason was....lets be honest.....to win money. Who does not want to win money!
My second reason was to be accountable. I am in this for the long haul....I want to make changes for life....not just to lose weight. Which brings be to my next reason....
I want to lose weight. I want to get rid of this extra weight, and make healthy habits for life. Being able to log in, read helpful information, being accountable, is only going to help to keep me motivated and on track.
Ho do you sign up for this challenge? Unfortunately, the last day to sign up was Sunday....but never fear! I am sure there will be another challenge in the future!!!
So for now, I am going to take things one day at a time. I will keep you posted on the competition! Have a great week!
Monday, January 26, 2015
I Am Stuck!
What happens when your weight doesn't move, or......it........goes........up?
That's where I am now. My weight was on the down slope, but then last week, it seemed to stop. No movement. Nothing going down, nothing going up. And to top it all off, I am STARVING!!!!
Today I got on the scale, and guess what? Up .5. No, that is not a lot. But have I been on plan? Yes? Have I been drinking all my water? Yup.
So, if I am on plan, why is my weight going in the wrong direction?
When that happens, it is really easy to get discouraged. I used to say, "Well, it's up anyway, I might as well have _________. It will go back down." Or I would even say, "It doesn't matter what I do, I might as well have that ____________." Or I would just give up. It isn't working no matter what I do,
Today I could have thrown in the towel and stopped at McDonalds for a sausage, egg, and cheese McMuffin, or something else that is totally not on plan. Instead, I really looked at what I ate over the weekend.
Friday I ordered pizza for the kids...I had a chef salad. The salad had turkey and ham on it. Ding, ding, ding!!!! Sodium!!!!!
Saturday, we went out to dinner. I had a grilled chicken salad....again, sodium and who knows what was on the grilled chicken. I am not sure how much chicken was on the salad, but I am pretty sure it wasn't the full amount I was supposed to have. I also had a diet coke with dinner. I haven't had a diet soda in a few weeks, so that could have added to the gain.
Last night, I was in bed....asleep...and I woke up. I only ate 4 of my MF meals yesterday! Not eating all of your MF meals, and/or not enough protein of veggies with your Lean and Green can put your body in starvation mode. That is not good.
Now that I look back, I wasn't really on plan. I may have had too much sodium, not enough meals, and the diet soda probably didn't help.
So, what am I going to do now? I am going to DRINK MY WATER, and then some! I am going to make sure I get all 5 MF meals and my full Lean and Green, and watching the sodium content of things. I am laying off the diet soda for a while. I know there are going to be some ups and downs, some things I can control, and others I can not. But I am sure of one thing. I am not giving up!
That's where I am now. My weight was on the down slope, but then last week, it seemed to stop. No movement. Nothing going down, nothing going up. And to top it all off, I am STARVING!!!!
Today I got on the scale, and guess what? Up .5. No, that is not a lot. But have I been on plan? Yes? Have I been drinking all my water? Yup.
So, if I am on plan, why is my weight going in the wrong direction?
When that happens, it is really easy to get discouraged. I used to say, "Well, it's up anyway, I might as well have _________. It will go back down." Or I would even say, "It doesn't matter what I do, I might as well have that ____________." Or I would just give up. It isn't working no matter what I do,
Today I could have thrown in the towel and stopped at McDonalds for a sausage, egg, and cheese McMuffin, or something else that is totally not on plan. Instead, I really looked at what I ate over the weekend.
Friday I ordered pizza for the kids...I had a chef salad. The salad had turkey and ham on it. Ding, ding, ding!!!! Sodium!!!!!
Saturday, we went out to dinner. I had a grilled chicken salad....again, sodium and who knows what was on the grilled chicken. I am not sure how much chicken was on the salad, but I am pretty sure it wasn't the full amount I was supposed to have. I also had a diet coke with dinner. I haven't had a diet soda in a few weeks, so that could have added to the gain.
Last night, I was in bed....asleep...and I woke up. I only ate 4 of my MF meals yesterday! Not eating all of your MF meals, and/or not enough protein of veggies with your Lean and Green can put your body in starvation mode. That is not good.
Now that I look back, I wasn't really on plan. I may have had too much sodium, not enough meals, and the diet soda probably didn't help.
So, what am I going to do now? I am going to DRINK MY WATER, and then some! I am going to make sure I get all 5 MF meals and my full Lean and Green, and watching the sodium content of things. I am laying off the diet soda for a while. I know there are going to be some ups and downs, some things I can control, and others I can not. But I am sure of one thing. I am not giving up!
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Are You A Prepper?
People have lots of different organizational skills or styles. Are you a prepper or a "fly by the seat of your pants" kid of person? Now when I say prepper, I don't mean the people who hoard canned goods and beans in basement for the end of the world, or zombie apocalypse (whichever comes first), but someone who plans out the meals for the week, makes a detailed grocery list, buy what is on the list, then spend a day prepping meals for the week?
I can honestly say that I have all good intentions to be the best healthy food prepper. I want to be one of those people who have each week night meal planned out, ready to go, a fully stocked fridge with fruits and veggies, pantry filled with healthy snacks for the kids....
I really want to be like that.
But, I sometimes fall short. I have some ideas for dinners for the week, but then something comes up, and we have something else....or we eat out....or I have a really long day at work and don't have the energy to make a healthy meal after fighting with my kids to do their homework.
Life happens sometimes.
But my good intentions are still there. So, I have my own sense of prepping style.
First, Medifast has been a lifesaver. I pull out some packets for the day, fill my water bottle, and I am good to go. I don't have to spend hours making snack bags for snacks, containers with salad and protein, and a healthy breakfast on the go. When life gets in the way, I would just skip getting my stuff together and buy my lunch....which is not a good thing. Or I would get too hungry and eat something I shouldn't have. With Medifast, I know I am getting all of my nutrition and I am not going to be starving and giving into the vending machine! It also makes it easier that my husband gets the kids lunches ready in the morning and puts them on the bus!
So that leaves dinner and a last MF meal. I do have ideas for healthy meals, and I make sure I have the ingredients ready for the week. Usually on Sundays, I spend some time getting some things ready for my meals. I find that having some things in the freezer help for those days where life gets in the way, and I don't want to cook. I will make a batch of cauliflower pizza crusts, wrap them really well, and put in the freezer. Those are really easy to put together and delicious! I will also make a large batch of a meal, portion it in freezer bags, then throw in the freezer. I had made a ground beef, tomato, ricotta cheese, spaghetti squash lean and green meal a few weeks ago, and since I didn't want to eat it for every dinner that week, and no one else would have eaten it, I threw it in the freezer. I think I have one left....need to add those ingredients to my shopping list for my next prep day!
Prepping is not always easy, but if I don't have something on hand, I know I am setting myself up for failure. Sometimes spending one day a week, or even every other week cooking will make a huge difference in your success.
The next few weeks are going to be absolutely crazy for my and my family. I know it is going to be stressful and busy, so I am going to take a day to make some things for the freezer! I want to set myself up for success!
So, to all you preppers out there....whether it be to be prepared for your healthy lifestyle or the zombie apocalypse, keep calm, and plan on!!
I can honestly say that I have all good intentions to be the best healthy food prepper. I want to be one of those people who have each week night meal planned out, ready to go, a fully stocked fridge with fruits and veggies, pantry filled with healthy snacks for the kids....
I really want to be like that.
But, I sometimes fall short. I have some ideas for dinners for the week, but then something comes up, and we have something else....or we eat out....or I have a really long day at work and don't have the energy to make a healthy meal after fighting with my kids to do their homework.
Life happens sometimes.
But my good intentions are still there. So, I have my own sense of prepping style.
First, Medifast has been a lifesaver. I pull out some packets for the day, fill my water bottle, and I am good to go. I don't have to spend hours making snack bags for snacks, containers with salad and protein, and a healthy breakfast on the go. When life gets in the way, I would just skip getting my stuff together and buy my lunch....which is not a good thing. Or I would get too hungry and eat something I shouldn't have. With Medifast, I know I am getting all of my nutrition and I am not going to be starving and giving into the vending machine! It also makes it easier that my husband gets the kids lunches ready in the morning and puts them on the bus!
So that leaves dinner and a last MF meal. I do have ideas for healthy meals, and I make sure I have the ingredients ready for the week. Usually on Sundays, I spend some time getting some things ready for my meals. I find that having some things in the freezer help for those days where life gets in the way, and I don't want to cook. I will make a batch of cauliflower pizza crusts, wrap them really well, and put in the freezer. Those are really easy to put together and delicious! I will also make a large batch of a meal, portion it in freezer bags, then throw in the freezer. I had made a ground beef, tomato, ricotta cheese, spaghetti squash lean and green meal a few weeks ago, and since I didn't want to eat it for every dinner that week, and no one else would have eaten it, I threw it in the freezer. I think I have one left....need to add those ingredients to my shopping list for my next prep day!
Prepping is not always easy, but if I don't have something on hand, I know I am setting myself up for failure. Sometimes spending one day a week, or even every other week cooking will make a huge difference in your success.
The next few weeks are going to be absolutely crazy for my and my family. I know it is going to be stressful and busy, so I am going to take a day to make some things for the freezer! I want to set myself up for success!
So, to all you preppers out there....whether it be to be prepared for your healthy lifestyle or the zombie apocalypse, keep calm, and plan on!!
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