Meals
Egg and cheese omelet
Blueberry muffin
Spinach pasta
mock fish bites, cheese sandwich
Good job with your snack treats! I think focusing on each day, one day at a time, is a good way to tackle this effort. Hope you have a fabulous Thursday.
Tip of the Day:
17 Reasons Why You're Regaining Weight (continued).... Reason Number 3 - You Didn't Renew Your Gym Membership
While eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important aspect of any weight maintenance plan, sticking to an exercise program after you've reached your goal may be the key to keeping the pounds off long-term according to University of Alabama researchers. The study team noticed that participants who stopped breaking a sweat after losing weight experienced a dip in their metabolism while those who continued to work out for 40 minutes three times a week continued to fry calories at the same rate.
Counter It:
Whatever you enjoy—running, lifting, doing yoga or Crossfitting—just keep your heart pumping. Doing so will help you burn off the occasional beer or cheat meal of a slice of pizza and keep that pesky flab from sneaking back onto your stomach.
Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1 hr. weeding
1/2 hr. evening barn chores
Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
hard boiled egg, tomato and cheese sandwich
banana
canned apricots, spanish rice, peas
Started weeding the flower beds around the house. I have one in the shade and think I will put different colored hostas in it this year. In a few years time it will fill in and I won't need to do much weeding.
Calling for rain again this weekend....hope not, I have another show on Sunday. Looking forward to the warm-up next week.
Alot of rain here today. That is good because we need it. However, I hope it holds off this weekend. Busy day today. Got home late too. Hope you have a wonderful Friday! Keep focused, we can do this!
Tip of the Day:
17 Reasons Why You're Regaining Weight (continued).... Reason Number 4 - You're Committed to Your Fitness Class
So while working out is critical for maintaining your metabolism, if you haven't switched up your workout routine recently, your six-pack might easily melt into a barely-there two-pack, says Dr. Sean M. Wells, personal trainer and author of Double-Crossed: A Review of the Most Extreme Exercise Program. "If you've been doing the same workout for the past few months, your body isn't being challenged anymore, meaning it's not burning as many calories as it otherwise could," he explains.
Counter It:
If you typically stick to spin classes, consider checking out a boot camp or Zumba class to give your metabolism a kick. Can't bear to leave your Schwinn? Look for a more intense class or challenge yourself by turning up the resistance (yes, even when the instructor doesn't tell you to). Switching up your exercise routine is one way to overcome a weight-loss plateau.
Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1/2 hr. evening barn chores
12,686 steps
Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
hard boiled egg, tomato and cheese sandwich
banana
grilled steak, mac & cheese, sweet corn
Mulched some of the flower beds and did more weeding. I need to make a trip to the local greenhouse and get some plants for the garden. We should be able to plant next week.
We didn't get any rain yesterday, but are going to get a soaking rain tomorrow. Sunday looks pretty good....
Meals
Tofu Scramble
Fried Okra, corn on the cob, macaroni salad
Taco salad and tortilla chips
Wow, you are doing good on your steps. I need to find my pedometer too. You have motivated me to start using mine again. I need to get myself back on track again. Time for me to put myself into my own mini bootcamp and get things going. Now if I can just motivate my husband too so it can be a family affair where we all get back on track and get fit again.
Looks like rain this weekend. I hope it doesn't impact your horse show on Sunday.
Hope you enjoy your Saturday!
Tip of the Day:
17 Reasons Why You're Regaining Weight (continued).... Reason Number 5 - You're Skimping on Shuteye
You may already know that when you're exhausted your metabolism slows, but did you realize that losing as little as 30 minutes of sleep can up the odds the scale will stop tipping in your favor? In a recent study, researchers analyzed more than 500 participants' weekday sleep diaries and found that losing a mere 30 minutes of shut-eye increased their risk of obesity by 17 percent! Even mild sleep deprivation causes ghrelin—the hunger-stimulating hormone–to go into overdrive while simultaneously reducing levels of leptin–the hormone that suppresses appetite. In turn, this stimulates hunger even when you're full which can lead to overeating and weight gain.
Counter It:
The National Sleep Foundation suggests logging a solid seven or eight hours of shuteye each night. If you want to get back to your more slender self, cut your nightly Netflix session short and make sure to get a solid night's sleep. Plus, mastering your bedtime routine could help your slim-down efforts.
Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1/2 hr. evening barn chores
Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
tomato and cheese sandwich
banana
roast beef, noodles, lima beans
No change for me...I don't know what I need to do anymore. I ate less and exercised more, but still no change
Raining here. I need to make a list of the vegetable plants for the garden. I'll go Monday and pick them up. It's going to jump right into Summer next week.
They'll probably cancel the show for tomorrow. All this rain will make the field we park in real soggy and the big horse trailers will get stuck.
My scale is laughing at me. It shows me that I am up one more pound.
Haven't found my pedometer yet. Still looking for it. I know I have 2-3 of them, but they must all be somewhere together.
Tip of the Day:
17 Reasons Why You're Regaining Weight (continued).... Reason Number 6 - Your Meals are Microwavable
These tantalizing frozen options are marketed as nutritious and convenient, so we can't say we blame you for grabbing one off the shelf. The issue is this, though: many of them are healthy-eating, pound-dropping enemies in disguise. Just because they're touted as portion controlled and low calorie, doesn't mean you should stock up on these. Like most ultra-processed foods, many frozen entrees from diet programs pack a surprising amount of health-harming sugar—7 grams! Not only that, but the 40 plus ingredient list is just completely unnecessary, and makes it more likely you'll be filled up with inflammation-causing, processed additives.
Counter It:
So many diets rely on pre-portioned microwave meals, but these additive-laden frankenfoods— along with other processed goods—account for 90 percent of the added sugar we unknowingly consume each day. Just cook at home to banish these added sugars as well as to cut calorie consumption by an average of 200 calories a day, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. And watch out for these sneaky sources of added sugar.
Exercise (D2MBC)
2 hour walk morning
75 minute walk afternoon
15 minutes stretching
27 minutes elliptical
Meals
Tofu scramble
Veggie sub
Berry scone
Mock beef strips and vegetables
Frozen banana bites
I was looking for some lavender plants today, but only found one small one, which I didn't buy. I went to Walmart, Lowes, and a nearby Garden shop. Perhaps next weekend I will be more lucky. Today was a fabulous day with the weather. I spent some good time with my dog playing out in the yard. He loves his pool. It was fun.
No more eating past 6 PM for me. I have to stick to it even if I miss a meal.
Tip of the Day:
17 Reasons Why You're Regaining Weight (continued).... Reason Number 7 - You Reward Yourself the Wrong Way
If you've recently shed a ton of weight, you should absolutely celebrate your success! But if your celebrations involve big portions of your favorite, fat- and sugar-laden treats, odds are good that's the reason you've gained back some of the weight.
Counter It:
Leah Kaufman, MS, RD, CDN, a New York City-based Registered Dietitian, suggests making a concerted effort to not use food as a reward. "Often times I see my patients reward weight loss by indulging in foods they know aren't the best for their goals. Instead, I suggest using things like manicures and SoulCycle classes as a reward for all their hard work," she notes. When you eat junk food during times of emotional eating, it "will only contribute to weight gain and lead to unhealthy yo-yo dieting."
Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1/2 hr. evening barn chores
Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
roast beef sandwich, hardboiled egg
pizza, small piece of apple pie
We had showers yesterday and last night around 8 PM we had a real strong storm with hail and strong winds. It took down trees and power lines. Today is very windy but sunny and warmer.
Looks like you really stepped up your exercise! Good for you!
Meals
Tofu scramble
Egg and cheese English muffin
Eggplant Parmesan sub
Fruit strip
Powerbar
Wow, you had some awful weather. I guess you will be picking up branches again just after you got them all cleaned up too.
I am trying to up my exercise a bit, but not too much so I don't wear myself out at first. Still haven't found my pedometers, but I know they are around somewhere. Haven't been able to motivate my husband yet to do some stretches with me or walk. I need to figure something else out to motivate him.
Hope you have a terrific Tuesday. We can do this and we will!
Tip of the Day:
17 Reasons Why You're Regaining Weight (continued).... Reason Number 8 - You Stopped Paying Attention to Protein
After hitting your goal weight, some regimented dietary habits are bound to fall by the wayside. And, if eating adequate amounts of protein is one of them, it may be the reason the weight is starting to sneak back on. While getting enough of the nutrient can keep your muscle from breaking down, not getting enough can slow your metabolic rate. Just maintaining muscle mass helps to burn calories faster, so your body will then turn to torching unwanted fat. Without muscle, you'll be more susceptible to unwanted weight gain.
Counter It:
Protein needs differ by individual. However, for many people, consuming 0.8 to one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day should be sufficient enough to help maintain your weight loss. For a 130-pound person, that would equal to between 46 and 58 grams of protein. Good sources of the nutrient include low-fat dairy, beans, chicken, fish, lean cuts of beef, pork, and quinoa. These 23 High-Protein Snacks can also help you fit more of the nutrient into your diet.
Exercise
1 1/2 hrs. morning barn chores
1/2 hr. evening barn chores
Meals
oatmeal with blueberries
banana
tomato and cheese sandwich
pretzel
asparagus, cheese tortellini
Went and got all my plants yesterday. We need to wait another day to rototill the garden because of all the rain. I also started some zinnia seeds in jiffy pots,
I finally got a purple martin, but the tree swallows are chasing him around. I hope he stays and brings some friends.
Oh I hope the purple martin stays and attracts others too!!! I will keep my fingers crossed.
We are suppose to get some hot weather tomorrow in the 90's, so expect you will get some warmer weather too to dry things up a bit. It is already dried up here. We could use some more rain already.
Well today I went grocery shopping after work and they had Mother's day cakes on sale for $2-$3 dollars. What a deal!!! Normally they were $17-$20. I saw a lovely shaped chocolate covered yellow cake that was egg shaped with flowers for only $2. I grabbed it quickly and put it in my cart. However, as I walked around looking at the fruit rows, I realized it was more than I could eat, so I went back and got a smaller rose shaped one. It had more icing on it in the shape of roses. Very pretty, a little bit more at $3, but less to eat. However, as I walked around the store filling my basket up with other healthy foods, yes, I wandered back to the pastry section and put the cake back on the shelf. So when I left the store, I only had healthy food choices. One day at a time.
Tip of the Day:
17 Reasons Why You're Regaining Weight (continued).... Reason Number 9 - You Started a New Rx
If you were prescribed a new medication and subsequently noticed a few of those hard-lost pounds creeping back on, your Rx may be to blame. Antidepressants, birth control pills, beta-blockers, anti-seizure and migraine meds, steroids and rheumatoid arthritis treatments can all affect appetite, metabolism, and weight. That doesn't mean you should take yourself off the drug, though.
Counter It:
Confirm with your doc that the medication is indeed the culprit, and discuss what other treatments are available. Your doctors might be able to prescribe a different medication that doesn't carry the same belly-bulging side effects.
Meals
Tofu scramble
Tofu and fried rice
Mock Chicken bites, cheese, and salad
Yeah!! I hope the purple martins stay!! How exciting for you.
Didn't get much exercise today. Traffic was horrible going and coming back. I am exhausted. I got home at 7PM. I wasn't going to eat after 6 PM, but I had to eat something because I was feeling weak and didn't want to get sick. I feel better now.
Tip of the Day:
17 Reasons Why You're Regaining Weight (continued).... Reason Number 10 - You Frequent Happy Hours
It's completely normal to want to blow off some steam with your co-workers after a long day at the office. But while drinking in moderation every so often won't do too much harm to your waistline, making it a habit can slow down your metabolic rate. Why? Because your body registers alcohol as being toxic, your body preferentially breaks down your cocktail before any food that you've already eaten that's waiting to be digested. This slows down the entire metabolic process. In fact, some researchers claim boozing can decrease the body's fat-burning ability by up to 73 percent!
Counter It:
On the occasions that you decided to indulge, stick to low-calorie drinks. Alternate your alcohol with water to slow your pace, and cut yourself off after two drinks. And before you head to the bar, watch this video where David Zinczenko, author of the Zero Belly Diet, explains How You Can Drink Alcohol Without Gaining Weight.
