What I have figure out is that dieting is a lifestyle change. if I do not change my habits I will never lose weight and keep it off. Below are some tips to weight loss that I was reading and thought I would share them with everyone. Every now and then I need to read something inspirational.
Lifestyle tips
Get plenty of exercise – Exercise is a dieter’s best friend! It not only burns calories, but can actually improve your resting metabolism. No time for a long workout? Research shows that three 10-minute spurts of exercise per day are just as good as one 30-minute workout. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or park in the back of the parking lot. Every bit helps.
Get proper sleep – Get proper sleep. People with improper sleep have a much higher risk of obesity. Exhaustion can make you feel hungrier, and impair your judgment. Aim for around 8 hours of good sleep a night. Turn off the TV – You actually burn less calories watching television than you do sleeping! If you simply can’t miss your favorite shows, get a little workout in while watching – do easy exercises like squats, sit-ups, jogging in place, or using resistance bands or hand weights
Cook your own meals – Cooking meals at home allows you to control both portion size and what goes in to the food. Restaurant and packaged foods generally contain a lot more sodium, fat, and calories than food cooked at home, plus the portions sizes tend to be larger.
Make sure to shop when you are not hungry. Create a shopping list to stick to, and store tempting foods in cabinets or drawers out of your sight.
Eat early, eat often. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism. And will help to keep you from binging later in the day. Likewise, “grazing” on healthful snacks like fruits, veggies and protein-packed almonds, and eating 6 small, healthful meals throughout the day, rather than the standard 3 large ones, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks.
Well I am here at work good ole Monday. Mondays are my late nights I work from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm but the rest of the week I work from 8:30 to 4:30. Mondays are pretty challenging because I have to make sure I pack and bring with me all my meals.
Today I am feeling somewhat sluggish maybe I didn't get enough sleep. See "mommyofsix" I love your previous post about getting enough sleep tidbits that I need to be reminded of. I am planning on jumping on my exercise bike or treadmill when I get home. Hopefully that will pick up my spirits.
Wait a minute....my co-worker Tracy (sweetest person in the world) just came by and massaged my shoulders wow I feel a little better she said my shoulders are still tense though. (ha, ha, ha - luck me). I will post back later on after my treadmill journey.
Well I made it through another long Monday. I got home and hopped on the treadmill (I am pretty proud of myself) and as tired as I was it sure went quick.
“MommyofSix” did you ever go to a LAWL Center? If yes, do you recall the Nutritional Facts of any snacks (e.g. Cheese Curlz or Baked Twists).
What are your favorite choices to satisfy the food intake requirements?
I like to ask what other people eat so I can learn how to change my choices up a little bit.
Here are mine:
• Fat:
Diet Margarine
• Dairy:
Fat Free Milk or Axelrod Yogurt (I found this to be the lowest calorie yogurt)
• Starches:
40 calorie bread (white or Rye), I am also addicted to Wasa Crisps.
I also like to eat the Nonni's Biscotti with tea in the morning since it counts as starch and fruit.
• Fruits:
All of them (however it can be challenging finding small fruits…they have
big everything)
• Veggies:
I like anything that is portable and real crunchy. I purchased a Salad
Shaker from a School Fundraiser and I have had it forever and I love it.
• Protein:
I eat beef once every 2 months….I love ground turkey meat…I eat a lot of
grilled chicken breast…I also like Soy Milk when I have busy days…I also
need to take a trip to Trader Joes in my area because they have salt-free
canned tuna….I also like Morning Star Veggie Burgers
The cheese curls and baked twist count as a starch on the LAWL plan, I have never purchased any, but my mother does LA and I will ask her if she knows the nutritional values.
Fat:
Brummel and Brown butter or lite mayo
• Dairy:
plain yogurt(light and fat free) and add in frozen fruit like blueberries
• Starches:
I like the Sunbeam 35 calorie bread it has fiber but it is hard to find and I like the kashi crackers most of all I love the wheat pitas
• Fruits:
I saw on Oprah that certain Superfoods promote natural weight loss so I have been eating oranges, blueberries and grapefruit.
• Veggies:
i agree with the portable part, I eat carrots everyday but am trying hard to eat the green veggies
• Protein: I eat chicken and turkey with some shrimp and fish I am trying not to eat red meats for awhile
I also stew chicken every week and make a chicken salad with lite mayo red grapes celery a few onions and some salt-free seasoning, it is great in a salad or in a pita
Hi ladies! I was reading your posts and you gals are doing awesome! So proud of you! I like all the suggestions you are giving each other. Very informational.
Question about stweing the chicken, what does that mean exactly that salad sounds yummy!
"Cecil" thanks for the words of encouragement. I was starting to think that maybe I was posting too often. But every now and then I have to remind myself that I am not alone in my journey and that this specific forum is filled with people just like me following the same eating regimine. I noticed that you started a Summer Challenge as well - good luck to you. I will try to pop my head in there every now and then. You are also more, than welcome to join this challenge in addition too or instead of.
"MommyofSix" all I can say is WOW thanks for the great information. I don't know why I always think I have to eat my food seperatley I never think about putting fruit in my yogurt. Do you know for as long I have been following the LAWL Plan I always thought carrots was considered a starch. I love carrots...I can't believe that I stayed away from them for so long. Also, don't laugh I had chicken salad for the first time in my life back in November and boy was it delicious. So I will definetly take your approach in makeing the chicken salad.
Thanks again for sharing all your tips. Now that I have new ideas to work with I won't get so bored. Also, I forgot to share that on Saturday I bought a Food Saver Machine. Between my friends digital scale and this cool doodad I have big plans with premeasuing and freezing my meats.
Also one more thing I have never been a big fish eater but I surprised myself with eating and liking Salmon last Wednesday and Mahi-Mahi on Monday. Okay...I will need to stop I am at work for heavens sake (ha, ha, ha)
Hi ladies! I was reading your posts and you gals are doing awesome! So proud of you! I like all the suggestions you are giving each other. Very informational.
Question about stweing the chicken, what does that mean exactly that salad sounds yummy!
I spray my boiling pan and fillit with water. I put in my chicken breast (boneless/skinless) frozen or fresh, first boil it and then turn down and let simmer until it is fully cooked. Some people all salt and season to add some flavor. It cooks the chicken fully and the chicken turns out tender and juicy. I have always called it stewing the chicken, it is probably one of those "southern" terms that no one else understands.
3 to 4 cups of cooked chicken breast
1 cup reduced fat mayo
1tbs lemon juice
1tsp salt(mortons light salt)
1/2 to3/4 cup red seedless grapes halved or quartered (your preference)
1/2 cup chopped clery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
mix well. Good over lettuce or on a sandwich
also some people add a tsp of mustard and 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish but again that is preference
on LAWL a serving would be 1 protein, 1 vegetable, 1 fat, 1 condiment
Cecil- thought I would share more with you
I got this receipe from this website- another way I use my "stewed" chicken
I also like to take my 1/2 pita cut it in half, make a round crust, spray with i cant believe its not butter, put in oven for a few minutes, take out of oven spread on BBQ sauce, add 4 oz of chicken, top with more BBQ, 2% mozarella cheese, red onions bake in oven for a few minutes. It is like BBQ pizza and is delicious simple and super easy.
Thanks for the other recipe! Also sounds great! I am really looking for something for lunch that doesn't count as a starch. So I can do a starch for Breakfast and a starch for Dinner. Since I will only have 2 once I start back on the weightloss plan. Right now I am currently on Maintenance but I starting back at the COD on Monday...! Soo excited and also sooo nervous!\
Thanks for all of your suggestions!
Just checking in Today we were quite busy at work so I didn't get a chance to chat until now. Work was very hectic today: a couple of essential people took off on one of our busiest days. Computers weren't working clients were coming in late and leaving angry because we refused to see them and many mistakes were made. WOW! My old self would seek off plan food to make me feel better but I am happy to say that I was POP. I also heard myself say a couple of times "As soon as I get home I will need to exercise some of this frustration" (ha, ha, ha). Do you know I have never said that before? The first thing I would normally do is eat to make me feel better then feel tons of guilt and regret later. But this time I handled it totally different and I am proud.
When I got home it was pretty late and rainy. As much as I wanted to just take a bath and go to sleep I didn't I cooked dinner and went on my stationary bike. Boy did I want to get off after 5 minutes but I stuck it out and completed the whole time. Also let me tell you I had a really good Protein Bar today. It was Atkins Day Break "Peanut Butter Fudge Crisp Bar" when I say it was awesome it was AWESOME!
Well I hope everything is going well with everyone. I will come back to chat real soon. Nite-Nite
that sounds great.. way to stay on plan and to still exercise after a busy day. Also thanks for the suggestion on the new bar I am always looking for different bars to try.
Today will be my busy day as half of my department is at a conference and the other half is not that helpful, but hey if I am busy I think about food less so that is one positive.
I have exercised 3 days this week. So 2 more and I have met my goal this week. i walked for a mile last night up and down hills pushing a stroller so I hope that burned some calories.
Hope everyone has a great day and stays on plan - including me!!!
Stock your kitchen with healthy convenience foods.
Having ready-to-eat snacks and meals-in-minutes staples on hand sets you up for success. You'll be less likely to hit the drive-through or call in a pizza order if you can make a healthy meal in 5 or 10 minutes.
Sass stocks her kitchen with:
94% fat-free microwave popcorn (20-25 calories per cup, and you can make it in two minutes or less)
maybe I didn't get enough sleep. See "
she said my shoulders are still tense though. (ha, ha, ha - luck me). I will post back later on after my treadmill journey.
Popping in while at work....
was considered a starch. I love carrots...I can't believe that I stayed away from them for so long. Also, don't laugh I had chicken salad for the first time in my life back in November and boy was it delicious. So I will definetly take your approach in makeing the chicken salad.
Today we were quite busy at work so I didn't get a chance to chat until now. Work was very hectic today: a couple of essential people took off on one of our busiest days. Computers weren't working clients were coming in late and leaving angry because we refused to see them and many mistakes were made. WOW! My old self would seek off plan food to make me feel better but I am happy to say that I was POP. I also heard myself say a couple of times "As soon as I get home I will need to exercise some of this frustration" (ha, ha, ha). Do you know I have never said that before? The first thing I would normally do is eat to make me feel better then feel tons of guilt and regret later. But this time I handled it totally different and I am proud.