Renee-When I am at work, I stay so busy I don't have time to think about snacks. The weekends are hard for me. Then I am tempted to snack like crazy. I like your meals. They have been healthy. I should be eating more like you with healthy snacks in between meals. I need to make a plan, and get the hubby to buy some apples, bananas, or grapes for me so I can snack on them at work.
Terapet-you are doing great! Sometimes it just takes time for the scale to budge. Don't be dishearted. You are staying focused. Good job.
Jog with dog.
B-Seeded roll, cheese, mixed lettuce, 2 strips of veggie bacon
L-Salad
D-Spinach & Cheese Tofu Schnitzel
Walk with Dog
Who doesn’t want to be healthy and happy? In my work with clients, I find that one of the most common barriers to happiness is dissatisfaction with their weight, body or looks. It’s one of the main reasons they resort to restrictive, unsustainable dieting and weight-loss plans. Can you relate?
The sad truth is diets leave you hungry and unhappy. They have a 95 percent failure rate and they don’t even lead to good health. What if you did something different? What if you stopped focusing on the wrong outcome (your appearance) and instead spent your energy working on positive lifestyle choices you can actually live with? You might actually be happier and healthier. “What you can live with” is actually up to you to decide. I can’t choose that for you. I can, however, offer ideas that help you change your habits in a realistic way without the exhaustive extremes of diets.
Here are nine tips to help you live a healthier and happier life without exhausting yourself with diets.
Decorate your plate with color, and don’t eliminate the foods you love. Start with half a plate of veggies and fruit, and fill the other part with whatever you're craving. Maybe it’s salmon one day and pizza the next. Don’t eliminate foods you love, because that deprivation will likely lead to overeating later. Be reasonable and balanced in your portions. Don’t be a “food cop.”
“Healthify” your home. Refresh your refrigerator and pantry so making meals is easier. Make healthy foods accessible to you and your family. Place a bowl of fruit on the counter instead of a bag of chips. Revamp your grocery list into a more healthful one by adding more whole foods to your list.
Do a “quick prep” for work, on-the-go and home. Take an hour or two on weekends to prep lunches, get meals started and assemble on-the-go snacks. Clean and chop your produce for salads and snacks, cook hard-boiled eggs and make some whole grains such as faro or quinoa to throw in salads or serve as a side. Portion your items out into individual containers, so all you need to do the night before (when you’re already exhausted from your day) is throw items into lunch bags. This will save several hours through the week and lots of day-to-day frustration. With everything ready to go, it will be easy to eat healthfully every day – you won’t have to invest any time or thought into what to pack, and you won’t find yourself too tired and reaching for less healthy options.
Master the “mini workout.” If you feel like you don’t have the time to include an hour-long workout in your schedule, 10 minutes at a time can have positive physical and mental health benefits. Have walking meetings with other fitness-minded coworkers, do body weight exercises such as push-ups, planks and jumping jacks, climb the office stairs, or do a short yoga series. Any movement is better than none at all. You’ll not only be helping yourself get healthy and strong, but taking these exercise breaks can help you feel better, improve focus and elevate mood.
Make movement your stress reducer. Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever by boosting your “feel good” endorphins and distracting you from daily worries. The rhythmic breathing of exercise helps you tolerate “fight or flight” and reduce blood pressure. Spend more time with nature. Go for a hike and bring along a DIY trail mix, like this Gluten-Free Spicy Blueberry trail mix. A proper balance of carbs, protein and fats will provide a steady flow of energy that will power you along the hike.
Activate your life. The average person gets 17 minutes of exercise a day when we really need 60 minutes. Build activity into your life with physical projects, exercises and events that fulfill you. Walk or bike to work instead of driving, and delegate other “jobs” to free your time.
Schedule at least one hour a week to do something you truly love – a happy hour where you put “me first.” Whatever it is that makes you happy – indulging in a trashy novel, getting lunch with a friend, trying a new workout or exploring a new part of your town or city. When you take time for yourself, you’re taking time to “recharge.” Even if you feel too busy, you’ll likely end up being more productive once you’ve taken the time to decompress.
Make a “to-don’t-list” for yourself. Cross off anything you know is not going to get done. Back out of obligations in a responsible way if you feel they won’t fulfill you, and free up some time so there is actually “white space” on your calendar. Then schedule something fun for you and only you.
Slow down and recharge. Instead of spending money on materialistic things, invest in your own well-being. Spend more time preparing your own meals at home and with your family. Limit your screen time on your computer, phone or television, and instead enjoy a walk outside or play an interactive game with your family or friends. You’ll be amazed how much this can change your mood and energy level.
The mind and body must be in unison, in order to create a healthier and happier lifestyle. Use the "me first" attitude and make sure you’re taking care of yourself before you can be the best wife, mother or coworker you can be. Of course, there is nothing wrong with self-improvement. If you want to work on “you,” go for it. But let me leave you with this simple, but meaningful message. Make sure you don’t deplete your emotional health while you work to improve your physical health.
Morning walk.
B-Seed roll, veggie bacon, cheese, mixed lettuce
L-Veggie Pizza
D-Spinach and Cheese Tofu Schnitzel, Lentil Chips
Evening walk with dog.
S-Mint Slice Cookies, hopefully not too many as I type this.
Hi All, I'd love to join the conversation. I have fallen off my optislim shake diet recently and have been eating fast food the last couple of weeks. However, as of yesterday I have been fast food free and eating healthy meals.
Today:
B- Cup of tea
L-Optislim shake
S-Homemade pumpkin/vege soup and handful of nuts
D- Vegetable cannelloni
I normally have all bran and yoghurt/milk for breakfast but since I came down with some kind of food poisoning on Tuesday (from Subway for dinner) I am only just gaining back my appetite for solid foods. Can you think of a bigger kick up the bum to get me back on track!
Hi Corinna and everyone,
May I join you? Love the idea of living healthy, commitment, great attitude, good diet and exercise. That's how I lived until I ended up in the hospital for 6 months. It was discovered that I had 2 cancers - B Cell Lymphoma and breast cancer, due to a prescription my doc had me on. I had to have lots of chemo plus steroids, which can do a number on your body. And these last few weeks at home, I've been out of control in my eating. (I guess that's due to not being my old self yet.) However, I do not eat sugar.
Corinna, your tips brought me back to reality. Thank you! And everyone's diet plans have motivated me to get healthy again. Thank you!
Not perfect, but getting there.
Breakfast: egg, bacon
Snack: banana
Lunch: soup, yogurt
Dinner: chicken, small salad, almonds
Exercise: 20 minutes on treadmill - slow
Bad calories-370, Ex-walking in neighborhood. Good 'nough.
Welcome tyla! You've been through a lot. Glad you are home now and can pamper yourself with healthy nutritious food.
Hi FF! Sorry to hear about the food poisoning. Another good reason to avoid the fast food. My "bad" calories are the total calories for the non nutritious treats I eat. They could be cookies, candy, chips, alcohol, French fries and the like. Today it was a bite of pie and a small piece of peanut brittle offered in the kitchen at work today and the glass of wine I had with dinner.
Corinna-Loved the before/after pics. So inspiring. Thx!
Thanks Terapet, good to know still feeling a tad seedy today, but on the mend. I was up in the night with my boyfriend because HE had some kind of food poisoning from the pizza he ate last night. He may be slim, but that won't save him from the bacteria in poorly prepared takeout. So he is on the same page as me now - no more fast food! Especially from the bain-marie.
I've also been looking at Overeaters Anonymous online and although the meetings/sponsors aren't exactly for me, I found the information and stories helpful and motivating. The first step "Admit I am powerless over food and my life has become unmanageable" really spoke to me.
I don't know... some may look at that sentence as a bad thing.
But when I'm exposed to the fast food ads on T.V, remembering this helps bring me back to the reality of my lifestyle and what needs to change.
And WOW did it help to look up emotional hunger vs. physical hunger. The answer seems like common sense but actually reading the different signs has saved me from having a snack just now. I thought "I should probably eat something because I haven't eaten anything sustainable yet"
But my belly is not rumbling and I have no hunger pains??
I think I can wait a big longer then... haha.
Jog with dog.
B-Veggie Omelet, 2 veggie bacon slices
L-Grilled cheese, onion, tomatoes, and potato chips
S-Banana
D-Beans, Yogurt fruit balls
Not the best food choices for some meals.
Welcome Fresh Feeling! Glad to have you here. Oh my goodness, what a way to get forced back on track, and from Subway! I eat at Subway at least 1 or 2 times a month, so I will have to reconsider. Thanks for the warning. The input you provided from Overeater's Anonymous sounds interesting and helpful. I will have to browse their information some time. Thanks for sharing.
Welcome Tyla! Join right in. You are more than welcome. Wow, you have been dealing with a lot of changes to your body recently. I hope you are on the path to recovery. Sounds like you have your focus set on the right path. That's a great start, along with being candid about your situation.
Make Weight Loss Easier by Creating Daily Patterns
We all know how challenging it can be to create healthier eating and exercise habits. One way to make this an easier process is by creating daily “patterns” to trigger these new habits. By keeping some parts of your life structured, you’ll know what you need to do, you’ll know when to do it—and you’ll be less tempted to get off track when it comes to your weight loss plan.
Here are five ways you can create daily patterns:
1) Eat at the same time each day Rather than allowing your eating to be sporadic throughout the day, be sure to eat most of your meals and snacks at the same time every day. This is important because your body will get used to eating at those specific times, and you’ll be less likely to be overcome by cravings at random times. Not to mention, eating regularly will keep your blood sugar levels more stable and help you avoid drastic spikes and dips that can trigger more cravings.
2) Eat in the same place each day Whenever possible, eat your meals in the same place, like in the same spot at your kitchen table. This signals your brain that when you sit down in this particular place, it’s time to eat. Over time you will reduce the habits of eating while standing in front of the refrigerator, or while driving in your car. Retrain your brain to eat in specified locations at specific times, and you’ll be less tempted to overeat impulsively.
3) Exercise at the same time each day The same thing goes for your workout routine - do it at the same time each day and you will train your mind and body to accept it rather than resist it. Make it a daily habit like brushing your teeth. You don’t groan and fight it, you just do it and get it over with.
4) Cook and prepare food at the same time each day Lack of preparation and planning has sidelined many diets, and you can avoid this happening to you if you get into the habit of preparing healthy meals and snacks at the same time each day. Eventually it becomes one of those things you just do without having to think about it - which helps you stay on track with your healthy eating plan much more easily.
5) Drink water regularly Since drinking enough water can be a challenge for many people who aren’t used to it, you may also find it helpful to create patterns for your water intake. Try drinking an 8 oz. glass of water before every meal and snack. Or every time you visit the restroom, drink another small glass of water. Every time you drink a cup of coffee or tea, follow it with a glass of water.
The specifics of your patterns don’t matter - all that matters is you triggering your mind and body to expect certain things at certain times of the day. By deliberately setting up patterns like these, you automatically create new, healthy habits that will continue to serve you for a lifetime.
9 Habits for a Healthier, Happier Life
Welcome
Welcome 
Rather than allowing your eating to be sporadic throughout the day, be sure to eat most of your meals and snacks at the same time every day. This is important because your body will get used to eating at those specific times, and you’ll be less likely to be overcome by cravings at random times. Not to mention, eating regularly will keep your blood sugar levels more stable and help you avoid drastic spikes and dips that can 
Whenever possible, eat your meals in the same place, like in the same spot at your kitchen table. This signals your brain that when you sit down in this particular place, it’s time to eat. Over time you will reduce the habits of eating while standing in front of the refrigerator, or while driving in your car. Retrain your brain to eat in specified locations at specific times, and you’ll be less tempted to overeat impulsively.
The same thing goes for your workout routine - do it at the same time each day and you will train your mind and body to accept it rather than resist it. Make it a daily habit like brushing your teeth. You don’t groan and fight it, you just do it and get it over with.
Lack of 
Since drinking enough water can be a challenge for many people who aren’t used to it, you may also find it helpful to create patterns for your water intake. Try drinking an 8 oz. glass of water before every meal and snack. Or every time you visit the restroom, drink another small glass of water. Every time you drink a cup of coffee or tea, follow it with a glass of water.
