Don't Wait Til January To Lose Weight!

Photo: Liz Navarrete

If you plan to start your new diet or weight loss plan in January, why not start today?!! Why not make today Day 1 of your weight loss journey? Today is December 14, so if you get started today, you will jump start your weight loss more than two weeks early, and it will motivate you to continue in the new year! Weight loss is a long and tedious process, so the sooner you start, the better! There are so many people that make a New Year's Resolution to lose weight, but do you want to be one of the many people that start well but then quickly fall off the bandwagon?

Think about if you had a jump start to quit smoking. Imagine you were hospitalized and unable to smoke for three weeks. By the end of the three weeks, your body was already adjusting to being smoke-free! It would be sooo much easier to then continue your life without smoking.

Being overweight started with unhealthy habits, so losing weight will require forming new habits. Anyone can start a new habit by repeating the desired activity every day for several weeks. So if you start a healthy habit on December 14, your new habit will be almost formed by January 1st! And by the end of January, it will be a solid and natural part of your lifestyle!

Any part of your weight loss that is not changing your unhealthy habits for healthier ones will likely not last. You can make drastic changes to lose large amounts of weight quickly, but if you are not forming long-term healthy habits, you will gain back the weight once your lifestyle reverts back to your old ways. So here is my action plan for you...today!

Step 1. Select your weight loss program, and write it down at the top of the first page of a journal, notebook, or note page on your phone. For example: My Weight Loss Plan: Dec 14, 2017: Weight Watchers. I will begin weight watchers today and complete it for two months.
Step 2. Select your exercise plan, and write it down. Example: I will walk in my neighborhood for twenty minutes per day, 5 days per week, for the next two months.
Step 3. Share your plan with someone who will hold you accountable regularly (every week or even every day).
Step 4. Weigh in. Write down your starting weight. You will not weigh in again for at least 1-2 weeks, if you are consistent with your new eating and exercising habits.
Step 5. Write down your plan for tomorrow that includes your new habits. For example, I will exercise for twenty minutes at 4:00 pm.  I will not drink any Coke. I will not buy any fast food.

Here are some other examples of healthy habits you may want to incorporate:
-I will start a "Subway Diet", which includes a 6-inch sub for every lunch this week (instead of fast food).
-I will replace chips with light popcorn.
-I will decrease my soda intake by 50%.
-I will eliminate sweet tea from my diet and replace it with unsweet tea.
-I will decrease fast food meals from three times daily to one time daily.
-I will pack my lunch for work this week, including healthy and fresh items.
-I will drink 5 glasses of water every day instead of sugary drinks.
-I will go to a Zumba class two days per week.
-I will not buy ice cream to keep at my house.
-I will join Planet Fitness and go there every day on my way home from work.
-I will watch one less hour of TV and replace it with cooking/cleaning.
-I will write down everything I eat tomorrow and share it with my accountability partner.
-I will buy a pedometer or Fit Bit, and take at least 10,000 steps every day.

Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad: A Healthy Review

The Cobb Salad at Chick-Fil-A is a delicious and healthy alternative to your usual fast food meal. I have enjoyed it so much that my husband now eats it as well. The cobb salad is made with Romaine and greens, not iceberg lettuce. It's additional veggies are cherry tomatoes, corn, cabbage, and carrots, which are a nice variety. The extra yummy toppings are cheese, bacon, and fried bell peppers. Another healthy addition is hard boiled eggs. And it comes with crispy chicken unless you prefer grilled. With this alone, I love it even without salad dressing. But if you need dressing, I most recommend the Avocado Lime Ranch. This salad is filling, tangy, textured, and colorful!

Because I enjoy the taste of salads, I usually try them wherever I dine. Some other good, fast salads are at Which Wich, McAlister's Deli, Moe's, and Zaxby's. But the fact that my husband eats this one at Chick-fil-A means that it is likeable even for meat-and-potato fans. Lastly, I like it too much to even try their other salads.

Reference: www.Chick-fil-A.com

4 Components of Weight Loss

            It is never too early or late to lose weight if you are overweight or obese. Even if you became obese at a young age, you can change habits now and lose weight! It takes determination, discipline and hard work, but the rewards are countless! One of the biggest benefits of weight loss is having less pain, including back pain. Moreover, it is easier to prevent obesity than to treat it. So if you have found yourself 10 or 20 lbs overweight, start working to reverse the trend. Otherwise that could turn to 50 or 100 excess pounds that you never expected to have.

4 Components of Weight Loss  

1. Change in mindset. Admit that food controls you and recognize why you overeat. Until you know what your problem is, you cannot fix it. 

2. Change in activity level. You must increase your daily amount of activity and exercise in order to lose weight. No pill or diet by itself can replace the benefits of regular exercise. 

3. Change in eating habits. You cannot eat the same amount or kinds of foods that you have been eating and lose weight. Look at your eating habits and start to modify them. 

4. Perseverance over time. There is no easy way to lose a lot of weight, no matter what the ads may say. It takes time and hard work. Do not give up! Keep working at it and you will succeed. Find the help you need, whether it is an exercise partner, a weight loss group, a gym membership or an appointment with a nutritionist or dietitian. 

Most importantly, do not leave out any of these four components or you are less likely to get the weight off and keep it off.  Do not forget to consult your physician about your weight, in case it is related to a medical problem.

Additional reading on WEIGHT LOSS:

http://thinklikeapt.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-loss-perseverance.html

Top 10 Reasons To Eat More Fruit

Photo: Wickerfurniture

10. Fruit is easy to take to-go. Whether it is an apple, banana, or smoothie, you can easily take fruit with you for a healthy snack or small meal. For women, it can fit into your purse. Men can fit it into your jacket pocket. It is the ideal mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. Or it can serve as your dessert after lunch. So the next time you are headed out for the day, be sure to take a piece of fruit with you! That will get you one serving closer to your daily recommended 5!

9. Fruit is a cost-effective snack. Healthy food can be expensive in general, but a piece of fruit is cheaper than a bag of chips from the vending machine. If you buy fruit that is in season, it is very reasonably priced! A 3-lb bag of apples costs about the same as a large bag of potato chips. Several times recently I have found pears for $1.50 per pound and strawberries for $2 per pound (at Publix, my grocer of choice for fresh produce). And, of course, bananas are always the cheapest and are rarely sold for more than 75 cents per pound. So on your next trip grocery trip, spend your snack bucks in the fresh produce section! Or consider dried fruits as another good alternative to chips, cookies or candy bars.

8. Fruit is perfect for dipping. There is no better snack than a fruit tray with dip, whether chocolate, caramel,  or cream cheese. This makes it ideal for parties or served with any meal. If you have surprise guests and you don't have dessert in the house, just cut up some fresh fruit and plate it with some yogurt as a dip. It is ideal for kids of all ages. Young children especially love fruit and dipping their foods, so teach them proper eating habits at that age. I continue to practice the good eating habits that my mom passed on when I was young!

7. Fruit can satisfy your sweet tooth. If you are like me, you might look for something cool and sweet at night to satisfy a craving. So why not munch on strawberries or grapes instead of chocolate, cookies or ice cream? Save the calories and boost your health while still enjoying something sweet and delicious. Try replacing your candy jar with a bowl of fresh berries on your kitchen counter. There is no guilt in grabbing a couple of grapes every time you pass by.

6. Fruit is the perfect complement to a warm, sunny day. What is a July 4th cookout without watermelon? When your kids come in from playing outside, serve them grapes or orange slices. After doing yardwork or jogging outdoors, munch on some cherries. Pack an apple in your picnic lunch basket. Fruit is cool and refreshing because it is full of water, which will help to keep you hydrated. A fresh fruit smoothie is a perfect alternative to a high-calorie milkshake.

5. Fruit helps to prevent future disease. Blueberries can help to prevent Alzheimer's Disease. Healthy eating can prevent heart disease and stroke. Good eating habits should begin at a young age and continue throughout your lifetime in order to maximize your health and minimize future medical issues.

4. Fruit helps you to lose weight. It is a low-calorie food, so it is the perfect snack for those who are dieting. If you want to lose weight, try replacing all sweet snacks with fruits. If you are really rushed for time in the mornings, cut up your fruit the night before and pack it in a tupperware to eat with breakfast or as a snack. If you do not have 1-2 servings for breakfast and lunch, it will be nearly impossible to consume your recommended 5 per day.

3. Fruit is full of vitamins and minerals. It is one of the best ways to increase your vitamin intake without taking a vitamin supplement. And the best way to benefit from vitamins is naturally, from your foods. Whether you need to boost your immunity, eyesight, bone/joint health, heart or mind, fruit will give you the vitamins needed for your body to function optimally.

2. Fruit is full of fiber and water, which maintains a healthy digestive system. While 100% juice has vitamins, fresh fruit is healthier because you eat all of the good parts of the fruit, especially the fiber/pulp and skin. Without sufficient fiber in your diet, you will continually look for products to improve your regularity. So do it the natural way with plenty of fresh fruit!

1. Fruit helps to fight cancer in your present and future. It is stocked full of antioxidants, which fight free radicals that enter your body through the environment and bad foods/chemicals. There are many anticarcinogenic foods, but none ranks higher than fruit. So if you want to have a healthier future, start by eating healthy now. 20 or 30 years from now may be too late to prevent cancer in your body.

Top 10 Healthy Desserts: Made With Fruit

Photo: Ralph and Jenny (Creative Commons)

1. Chocolate-covered strawberries

2. Caramel apple

3. Peaches and cream

4. Banana split

5. Berry/yogurt parfait

6. Strawberry shortcake

7. Fresh fruit w/cream cheese dip

8. Apple crisp

9. Pumpkin pie

10. Carrot cake

If you like sweets yet need to cut calories, this is a perfect combination! Some of us have the willpower to cut out desserts completely from our diet for weeks-months or more, but the rest of us need at least some healthier options to choose from.

One of the single, best ways to lose weight is to eat more fruits and vegetables, which are low in calories and high in nutrients! So why not fit in that extra serving of fruit as you feed your sweet tooth? My husband, kids and I go to the mall (Village at Sandhill) at least once a week for dinner and dessert, so we are very familiar with all the local ice cream shops (Rita's, Marble Slab, Yogenfruz), cafes (Nestle Tollhouse, Panera, Books a Million, Starbucks), and my 3-year-old's favorite: candy stores (The Peanut Man). So whenever we end up at The Peanut Man (they sell popcorn, boiled peanuts, snow cones, candy, chocolate, etc), I have quite a decision to make! Thankfully, they sell chocolate-dipped strawberries and caramel apples, which I love! They taste great and have some nutritional value! 

For those ice cream lovers out there: Marble Slab has a lot of fruit toppings to choose from and even serves frozen yogurt. Yogenfruz sells frozen yogurt that actually tastes like yogurt (not ice cream), so if you are in the mood for ice cream, it may not satisfy your craving. Rita's and Nestle Tollhouse likely do not sell anything with nutritional value, but their desserts are pretty awesome, and you can always order a kid-size serving, which should be enough to make your sweet tooth happy.

The last strategy for dessert-lovers like me is to modify your dessert recipes to add fruit. Bake a cake with applesauce instead of oil (it turns out fluffy and light). Add mandarin oranges (without the juice) to a yellow cake mix. Bake oatmeal raisin cookies instead of sugar or chocolate chip. Let fresh fruit be the star of your dessert tray; no one will turn down juicy strawberries with a dark chocolate dip!

Protein Bars: Are They Really That Good For You?

The other day as I was leaving the gym, my 3-year-old spotted a box of free goodies on the front desk, so he ran straight to it to, somehow knowing the ingredients included chocolate. They were chocolate mint "Builder's" protein bars. Having never tasted a protein bar before, I was curious to try it and was sure to steal a bite from each of my toddlers. To my surprise, it looked and tasted like a chocolate bar. Had I eaten it without seeing the wrapper, I would have assumed it was some form of candy. Only later did I look at the ingredients and nutrition info to see if it was healthy at all.

You would assume protein bars are healthy, right? While they are packed full of protein and vitamins, I would not consider them healthy for most of us, and here is why. The biggest rules of healthy eating are to eat fresh and lean: fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, lean dairy, and whole grains with minimal sweets and fats. The only things from this list that fill protein bars are sweets and fats. Processed foods are full of preservatives and a ton of questionable ingredients that you have never heard of. So if you are new to eating and cooking fresh, the first step is to shop around the perimeter of the grocery store (fresh breads, fresh produce, fresh meats, fresh dairy). A strict, fresh diet would exclude all processed foods and pre-made frozen meals. So, unfortunately for chocolate-lovers, protein bars should probably not be a regular part of your diet. Instead, get your protein from lean meats, legumes, nuts and dairy. And get your vitamins and minerals from a fiber-filled, balanced diet.

There are a few groups of people that could likely benefit from regularly indulging in protein bars. These tasty  bars could be a decent meal replacement for those who are extremely busy. They provide protein, vitamins, calories and fat to hold you over until your next meal. Protein bars also may be a good addition to the diet of someone who is calorie-deficient, such as an elderly person who does not eat well. Obviously hard-core athletes could benefit from the extra protein and calories. Athletes trying to gain weight might want to add protein bars to their high-calorie diets.

In many ways, a protein bar is similar to an "Ensure" shake or a "Slim Fast" shake if it is used as a meal supplement or replacement. But if you are using meal replacements (such as a protein bar or protein shake) to lose weight, you may need to consider which weight loss program will be most effective long-term. I would argue that a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise will more likely help you to lose weight and keep it off than eating a protein bar every day for lunch. Likely you may enjoy the taste of a protein bar as I did, but I recommend you spend your grocery money on salmon and avocados.

Choosing Your Ideal Weight

There are several things to remember about your ideal weight.

First, it is a number that YOU should choose. There may be lists, charts and guidelines for your ideal weight based on your height, but those are only tools to help you make your own weight goals. There is nothing wrong with being a few pounds over what a list says you should weigh as long as it is a weight that you are completely happy with. Your body type and shape is different from everyone else's, so do not expect yourself to fall perfectly into the 50th percentile. 

Secondly, your health matters more than your weight. There are a lot of unhealthy, skinny people out there. If you focus more on health and less on weight loss, you will likely lose more weight! Weight loss is a natural result of healthy lifestyle decisions. On the other hand, starving yourself is bad for you, no matter what size you are. 

Thirdly, try to appreciate your body type and shape instead of hating your curves (or lack of them). Do not expect that weight loss in itself will make you love your body. Even when you lose weight, you likely will still have physical characteristics that you love and hate. They all are your God-given features, so at least accept them as part of who you are. 

Finally, do not compare yourself to others, whether friends, siblings or movie stars. This is an issue for most women and some men. Only a few women in the world look like models, but the rest of us are beautiful as well! And if we spend our time trying to be someone else, we miss out on our own life, beauty, talent and purpose. 

In your weight loss journey, it may be more effective to make goals for clothing size or waist size instead of pounds. Or select goals based on exercise instead of your weight (such as jogging 3 miles or exercising 40 minutes per day). Don't let the number of your weight become an obsession because it can fluctuate daily. Instead, weigh yourself once per week or less. Focus more on what you are doing to improve your health than the numbers on your scale. As you become healthier, you will feel great physically! And the weight will come off as a result (and stay off)! 

Losing Weight By Eating More

If you are overweight but you do not eat very often, that may be part of your weight problem. Here are some helpful tips to help you eat more and still lose weight.

1. Do not skip breakfast. Eat a healthy breakfast very soon after waking up. Some ideas are 1 serving of whole grain cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk, 1 slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and 1 cup of skim milk, 1 granola bar with 1 banana, or cottage cheese with peaches.

2. Do not go all day without eating. Likely you will overeat in the evening, which is the worst time to do so.

3. Eat something small every 2-3 hours, such as a piece of fruit, a serving of nuts, yogurt, etc.

4. If you eat little volume of food, be sure whatever you do eat is healthy. You need 5 servings of fruits/vegetables every day. Protein and dairy are also important.

5. If you are going to eat more volume of food and still lose weight, you must minimize sweets, junk food and fast food.

6. If you already eat well and still need to lose weight, you must exercise more. Your minimum should be 45 minutes per day, 6-7x/week. The more you exercise daily, the more you will lose (weight, inches and clothing sizes).

7. Change your daily routine to eat breakfast early and to exercise in the morning. You will lose more weight if you wake up early and go to bed early. For example, eat breakfast at 7 am instead of 10 am, and eat supper at 6 pm instead of 9 pm.

Making Weight Loss A Priority

What are the priorities in your life? If you want to seriously lose weight, it will not happen unless it becomes one of your top priorities every single day. Look at those who are very successful in a sport, hobby or activity. They have prioritized practicing and training in that area in order to reap the benefits. Michael Jordan did not become great by practicing 30 minutes per day. 

Prioritizing weight loss means sacrificing other things. Consider how you use your time outside of work. Write it down! How much time do you actually sit on the couch every night? As much as you like your favorite TV shows, they do not care about you or your health. You also must sacrifice some or all of your favorite foods. Every time you choose the better food alternative, you are saving calories! And every time you choose exercise or activity, you are burning more calories.

Do you know anyone who is obsessed with exercise? They may be extreme, but at least they understand the endless benefits of fitness. It is not hard to become an exercise addict; it just takes consistency for several weeks. Once you go to the gym every weekday for 4 weeks, it becomes a habit. One of the greatest benefits of exercise is that it motivates you to eat better. Why work out so hard if you are going to eat McDonald's for supper and negate all the exercise you just did?

There is a breaking point that must be reached in your weight battle: you finally take responsibility for your weight and choose to do whatever it takes to win. When people ask me about weight loss, I can immediately tell how serious they are by their response to this question. "What are you doing to lose weight?"

Response 1: "Well... I am trying to eat better." (I guarantee you are not that serious)

Response 2: "I joined the gym, so I go when I can." (not serious)

Response 3: "Weight loss pills." (not serious--sorry)

Response 4: "I am trying Atkins this time around." (somewhat serious but likely yo-yo dieting)

Response 5: "I am doing Weight Watchers and I go to the gym 6x/week for 1 hour." (very serious)

Response 6: "I do cardio every day for 45-60 minutes, I do strength training 5x/week, I work with a personal trainer and I am on a 2000 calorie/day diet for the next 3 months." (best answer)

What things are keeping you from achieving your weight loss goals? How can you overcome them?!!!

Weight Loss Perseverance

If you are in the process of losing weight, the single most important thing to remember is to persevere! Do not give up when you fail or cheat or gain a pound or go two weeks without exercising. Just start fresh right now (don't wait until tomorrow)! Review the weight loss program you are supposed to be on, and see how you may have fallen off track. Modify the areas you have not been consistent with, and maintain the ones you are doing well!

Don't forget that losing weight and keeping it off requires long-term healthy decisions, starting now and continuing after you have met your weight loss goals. A healthy lifestyle is not one you will ever give up because you will love the results: look amazing, feel even better, have more energy, sleep well, decrease the need for some medicines, do the activities you enjoy, and the list goes on!

It is never too late to start new, healthy habits! What are your bad habits that keep your weight above where you want it? If you do not have the willpower to eat less, then start with replacements. Replace your high-calorie, high-fat, high-grease, high-sugar foods with healthier ones. And for those here in the South, replace your sweet tea with ice water! You will not lose the weight you want without such replacements.

At some point you will grow tired of making excuses. Stop blaming other people/things, and take responsibility for your own body, your own weight and your own health! No matter how you became overweight, you are the only one who can lose the weight and keep it off. That is the choice before you today! Don't look at the past, your childhood, your family, your difficult circumstances, your prior failures, your successes, your previous diets, etc. Simply make the decision to be healthier starting now and to not give up on weight loss. If you persevere long-term, you will achieve weight loss and all your healthy goals! You will be able to do much more than you can imagine!


"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13

Bonefish Grill: A Healthy Review

Last weekend, my family selected Bonefish Grill (on Forest Drive in Columbia) for a birthday dinner, and having not eaten there in years, I was thoroughly impressed! I did not choose to eat all healthy menu items, but there were a ton of healthy seafood dishes, including many different types of fish served with your choice of sauce.

The first food I loved was the house salad. The dressing was light and delicious! And it had what looked like large sunflower seeds with a tasty, strong flavor. It also had a small slice of heart of palm, which was an unexpected, nice touch.

We ordered our usual calamari, which is a family favorite appetizer and one we like to taste at many restaurants. It was good enough that even my 3-year-old liked it more than his mac and cheese.

The bread served with olive oil and seasoning was perfect: warm, toasty on the outside, soft on the inside. Having eaten so much already, I ordered a small appetizer for my entree, which was the best food I have tasted in the past year. Bacon-wrapped scallops served with mango salsa. The scallops were cooked to perfection, the bacon added the crunch and smoky flavor, and the salsa was the ideal complement to the delicious duo.

My husband ordered salmon with a side of cheesy potatoes, both of which I tried and truly enjoyed. The serving sizes were larger than fine dining, of which my husband usually leaves hungry. He was actually so full that he gave me the last several bites of his meal.

The atmosphere is like fine dining but more casual. The prices are mid-range, with most seafood entrees ranging from around $15 to around $25. It is a beautiful choice for a romantic evening or any range of casual to formal dinners. So the next time you want to go out for a healthy dinner or special occasion, I highly recommend Bonefish Grill!

Buying and Cooking Fresh, Healthy Meals

Components of a Healthy Meal:
A healthy meal includes all of the food groups. Protein, fruits or veggies, healthy starch, dairy (may be optional). When planning your next meal, start with a basic menu of 3-4 items (only 1 of which is a starch).

Healthy Meal #1: Chicken, rice, and green beans.
At the grocery store, select lean cuts of fresh chicken (breast is leanest), brown rice and fresh or frozen green beans. Next, use fresh ingredients to cook the menu items. For example, slice onions, green peppers and tomatoes to cook with the chicken or as a salsa. Cook your rice with tomato sauce and diced vegetables, and steam your green beans with fresh, chopped garlic. So for the same price as chicken nuggets, Rice a Roni and canned green beans, you have a healthy, fresh meal!

Healthy Meal #2: Spaghetti, meat sauce, tossed salad. (Skip the garlic bread).
Choose healthy pasta, such as whole wheat or veggie. Select a lean meat, such as 90% lean sirloin, ground chicken or ground turkey breast. Choose dark, green leafy veggies and a variety of colored veggies for your salad.  Consider making your own pasta sauce from canned or fresh tomatoes (it is really easy). Add diced onions when cooking your ground meat. Add diced vegetables to your pasta sauce (green peppers, mushrooms, carrots, onions, chopped spinach, etc). You can even make your own salad dressing (olive oil and vinegar with Italian seasoning or fresh squeezed lemon juice with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper). Not only is it this option healthier, but it tastes better too!

Healthy Meal #3: Quesadillas and guacamole salad.
Select your protein for the quesadilla, such as chicken breast or beans (black, pinto). Choose whole wheat tortillas and shredded cheese of choice. Cook the chicken in salsa to add liquid and flavor. Saute mixed veggies to add to the quesadilla (zuchini, onions, mushrooms, carrots, peppers, etc). These can also quickly cook in the oven at 450 degrees with a little olive oil and seasoning (it saves you from standing by the stove). With all the other ingredients, you will not need as much cheese inside the quesadilla. Make your guac salad with onions, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, fresh lime, etc. If you use beans and cook the veggies ahead, you can throw the meal together in minutes! It is delicious and filling!

Keep a variety of fresh fruits and veggies in your refrigerator so that you can easily add them to your menu. Healthy dairy items are also great, fresh ingredients to add to any meal, such as low fat sour cream, plain yogurt, etc.

Eating fresh does not have to be more expensive; it just takes a little planning. Your family will love it! And so will your body!

Willpower, Exercise Priority and Why Dieting Does Not Work

Willpower
When you are trying to lose weight, it will be impossible unless you learn to demonstrate willpower in regards to food. You can make it easier on yourself by not having your favorite snack foods in the house, but at some point the food will stand before you, and you will have a choice. Indulge or have the willpower to say no? Think about what you do on January 2 when you see a plate of brownies in the break room. "No, thanks--my New Year's resolution is to lose 10 pounds." It is easy in January because you are motivated, you just set a goal, and everyone is doing it. But what about the rest of the year, long after your co-workers have given up? Saying no to food means that you have control over your mind and body. You can choose to say no, even though you may have never done so before. And depending on your weight loss goals and eating habits, you may need to say no forever! Having the willpower to avoid overeating will become a habit if you do it consistently, so try it daily for 30 days.

Making Exercise a Priority
If you have tried multiple diets over the years but never keep the weight off, you may simply need to stick to one program long-term and add in more EXERCISE! Exercise must become a top priority on your daily to-do list. If not, it will easily get pushed aside, and you will not do it enough to help achieve and maintain your weight loss. So how do you make exercising a priority consistently? Build it into your daily routine; do it at the same time every day. Don't give yourself the option of skipping. What are the activities that you do every day? How can you modify your busy life in order to add something for your own health? Try adding exercise to one of your other usual activities, such as watching TV (on the treadmill) or playing with your kids (taking them for a walk).

Exercise Specifics
Exercise long enough (>30-40 minutes) and hard enough (you should be sweating and breathing moderately hard)! Challenge yourself by increasing your speed and intensity of cardio. Progressively increase your repetitions and/or weights for your strength training. If you are new to exercising, start at 15-20 minutes of mild-moderate exercise, then increase in 5-minute increments. As your body adjusts, you will be able to work out for longer and at a faster pace. If you have the time, ideally try to increase your exercise to one hour per day, 6x/week. This should include both cardio and strength training. This is especially important for weight loss because it helps to burn calories, build muscle tone, and boost your metabolism!

Eating thin!
Lastly, think about the thin people you know. What are their eating and exercising habits? Many thin people may have genetically high metabolisms, but many also work at it! And in general, it is safe to say that they eat in moderate amounts and are likely pretty active individuals.

Staying Motivated With A Healthy Lifestyle Change

If you have ever begun to eat healthier, lose weight, start to exercise or stop smoking, you have likely found that it is easy to stay motivated at first but it gets progressively harder to stay on track. And if you do not know how to stick to your new lifestyle change, you will fall back into old habits. So how do you persevere with the lifestyle after a few weeks or months?

First, you need support (A LOT OF SUPPORT)! You need someone calling you daily to ask how you are doing with the change and to offer moral support. You need people cheering you on, including family, friends, co-workers, facebook friends, etc. You cannot make a drastic lifestyle change without people pushing you, challenging you, helping you, motivating you, guiding you and praying for you. And I propose that the most successful lifestyle change happens when you do it together with someone else.

Second, you may need to change who you spend time with. For example, if all your friends smoke, it will be nearly impossible for you to quit smoking. Surround yourself with positive influences, who demonstrate the lifestyle that you seek.

Third, you need a plan that is very specific. Just saying that you want to lose weight will get you nowhere unless you plan the steps of your weight loss program. Be sure to have a short-term plan and a long-term plan with specific goals. You may do a diet for 2 months, but how will you maintain the weight loss afterward? Plan how you will respond the next time you are in a tempting situation.

Fourth, you must choose to say no! Once you start the change, do not turn back and do not begin to cheat. A little cheating will turn into continual cheating. For example, if you decide to become a vegetarian, you simply say no to every meat item on the menu. Or if you are giving up desserts, you simply say no to any dessert placed before you (even on special occasions). Do not give yourself the opportunity to cheat; just know that the choice is always no, whether it is January or June.


Here are a few examples that I have seen.
1. An individual wants to stop drinking, stop smoking and go back to college. So he moves to a new town, starts going to church/Bible studies and enrolls in a community college. Soon he has a Bachelor's degree and has been clean for 4 years.
2. An individual modifies eating so as to have a healthy breakfast, protein bar for lunch and healthy supper every day (with no additional snacks). Soon she is down to ideal weight and runs marathons. She has stuck to the plan for years now.


A true healthy change will become part of your lifestyle. Don't you admire people who have the willpower to say no? We all say it in January, but who says it the rest of the year? The ones who do are the ones who get the results. What has helped to motivate you to maintain your new lifestyle?

Practical Tips To Avoid Overeating

1. Try to avoid eating by yourself. Most of us do not binge in front of other people in fear of embarrassment.

2. Chew sugar-free gum. It keeps your mouth occupied without inhaling calories.

3. Keep yourself busy, and spend less time watching TV. When was the last time you watched TV without munching?

4. Drink more water than you think you should. If you feel like eating for no reason, then drink a glass of water.

5. Eat more fruits and veggies. If you want to eat more, then eat what has the least calories and the most nutrients! For example, you finished your supper (1 meat, 1 vegetable and 1 healthy starch), but you want something else. So have another serving of the vegetable.

6. Icy Pops. I lived on these in grad school (when I lost 20-25 pounds). If you tend to snack a lot, then this is one of the lowest calorie snacks I can think of. You could eat 10 of them and not feel guilty.

7. Keep your weakness foods out of the house! Whether it is chips, ice cream, candy or donuts, DO NOT KEEP THEM IN YOUR HOME! Do not flirt with temptation; chocolate wins every time. If you have a craving, go out for dessert and order 1 serving (small or kids size).

8. Eat slowly at mealtimes. Try to finish your meal when everyone else does. Otherwise, you may want to go back for seconds.

9. Stick to an eating schedule of 3 small meals and 2-3 small snacks per day. Try not to eat unless it is one of these times.

10. Exercise more. It will motivate you to eat well. What is the point of working out so hard if you are going to consume the same or more calories that you just burned?

11. Keep healthy options at hand. Be sure you always have fresh fruits, nuts, healthy granola bars, yogurt, etc. in your refrigerator/pantry. Take a healthy snack wherever you go so you are prepared for your between-mealtimes snack.

12. Avoid staying up too late. Late-night snacking is detrimental to your weight loss goals.

Weight Loss Struggles

As you get on board the weight loss train, give yourself a break sometimes. It is not easy to stick to a healthy diet and exercise routine! I am not overweight, but I struggle with snacking, as I suspect most of you do also. When I am home and the kids are asleep, it is so easy to find something to munch on even though I truly have no reason to eat. I'm not hungry, and it's not time for my mid-afternoon snack; I just feel like going to the pantry and finding something sweet to snack on. Chips don't tempt me at all. I could have 3 bags of potato chips in my pantry for years and I would not open them. But put some Oreos or Snickers in my pantry, and they will disappear in hours or days. Or put turtle tracks ice cream in my freezer, and it will be gone by midnight.

All this is to say that everyone struggles with healthy choices. Exercise is something I love, so it is not hard for me to go to the gym. Actually, it's harder for me to stay home instead of working out (I'm a little hyperactive). But maybe exercising is the part of your diet that you have struggled to maintain. Or maybe you struggle with an active lifestyle because all your hobbies involve sitting. You sit at work and you love movies and video games. Whatever your problem area is, you can overcome it! You might need a friend to help or a support group. But don't keep your feelings inside. Probably there are people all around you that struggle with the same thing. See if you can find someone who has the same difficulty so that you can help each other.

Some things are struggles in the mind; you want to eat but your mind says not to. Often, food wins because you do not even go to battle with it. You are not willing to fight against your cravings; you simply give in to them as soon as they appear. Next time you are tempted to eat when/what you shouldn't, see how long you can fight. If it is 1 minute, that is better than yesterday. If it is 5 minutes, it is better than ever before. And if you go all day without it, you have learned the secret of self-control.

What is your biggest weight loss struggle? Post in comments below!

Top 10 Healthy Eating Components

If you are trying to lose weight, there are several components of eating that must be modified. Now is the time to learn them, so the good habits will last long after your weight loss is complete.


1. Healthy drinking. This means avoiding sugar-filled drinks most of the time. On occasion, indulge yourself in your favorite soda or latte, but in general drink mostly water. Skim milk, plain coffee and unsweet tea are fine. 1 serving of 100% juice is fine to have once per day. The more water you drink, the fewer calories you will likely eat/drink.

2. Healthy grains. You cannot avoid carbs for the rest of your life, so find the healthy ones! 100% whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, oats, etc. are the best options. Don't be fooled when you see "whole grain" on the box; check the ingredients. Be prepared; healthy grains typically cost more than the bleached versions.

3. Healthy meats. Start the habit of eating less beef/pork and more chicken/turkey/fish. Vegetarian foods are also great choices for protein. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are easy to cook in a variety of ways. Fish also can be quickly seasoned and broiled. Simply move your meat from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before you plan to cook it, so it will be thawed and ready to prepare for supper.

4. Fruits/vegetables. Eat a variety of these very frequently. Try to have at least 2-3 fruits and 2-3 vegetables each day. Count up your servings so that you have at least 5 every day! Fresh salads and soups are great options for variety. Also, consider using vegetables or tomato sauces with your meats and/or healthy carbs.

5. Healthy dairy. Dairy is an important part of your diet, so choose low-fat varieties when possible. Do not avoid fat altogether, but make changes where you can (for example: light sour cream).

6. Desserts. Try to replace desserts with healthier options like yogurt, fruit or jello. But indulge yourself in a serving of your favorite dessert on occasion.

7. Snacks. Try to replace junk food snacks with things like granola bars, nuts, whole grain crackers (Triscuits), fresh veggies, etc.

8. Fats/oils. Minimize the use of butter; replace it with olive oil. Avoid fried foods and using bacon fat or other animal fats for cooking.

9. Eating out. Do it less if you can or choose healthy options. Avoid fast food and fried foods. Be careful of your portion sizes. Skip the appetizer or dessert. Order a side salad.

10. Processed food. Minimize pre-prepared, pre-processed foods and frozen meals if possible. They are full of salt and preservatives. Plain, frozen vegetables are fine to cook with because they do not usually have any added salt.

The Difference Between A Diet And A Healthy Lifestyle

Most diets work (at least temporarily) if you stick to them. But why don't they work in the long run? Because they are unrealistic! Eating no carbs or no sugar or counting every calorie is not something most of us can do for a lifetime. It is tempting to do a crash diet because the results are faster. You may actually lose 10 lbs in 1 week. But years from now, which weight loss technique will put you at your target weight and keep you there?

A healthy lifestyle "diet" is the best way to lose weight and to maintain the weight loss. It is not really a diet at all but a modification of your eating, exercising, activity levels and thinking.

Eating is obviously the first thing that changes with a healthier lifestyle. My recommendation is to eat 6 small meals per day. Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, supper, evening snack. This is realistic because you probably enjoy snacking and do not want to feel hungry all the time. It is easy to divide up your larger meal in order to save some of it for your next snack. For example, instead of having a sandwich, apple, and yogurt for lunch, just eat the sandwich for lunch and save the apple/yogurt for a few hours later. Other areas to modify are eliminating sodas and sugary drinks, decreasing portion sizes, drinking more water, decreasing fried foods, and the list goes on.

Exercising must be added to your life in order to have a healthier lifestyle and to lose weight. Start with 20-30 minutes per day of cardio in order to start a new habit of daily exercise! It will become a habit if you do it regularly for several weeks. Pretty soon you will add in more strenuous cardio workouts and strength training. Both cardio and strength training are key to losing weight and boosting your metabolism.

Your general activity levels must increase if you want to lose weight and keep it off. So take a look at your daily routine and see how much sitting you do. If you sit most of the day, then your lifestyle is too sedentary, and you need to add in more standing/walking activities. The sky is the limit on what you can do standing up. Almost anything you do seated can be done standing. So see what you can modify in order to be up on your feet more throughout every day!

Lastly, your thinking must change in order to improve your eating, exercising and activity levels. What has your attitude toward these been? Do you eat because you are hungry or just because it is there? Do you eat too much because you are lonely or upset? Do you watch too much TV when you know there are other things that are better for you? Why do you make excuses for not exercising? Take control of each of these areas in order to have control over your own weight!


"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"  -Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

LOSING WEIGHT in February

January is almost over, and so far this year you have worked hard to lose weight. But how do you keep your New Year's drive and motivation for losing weight and/or improving your health as the year continues?

1. Select a diet program that you actually enjoy. Don't do the "subway diet" if you hate sandwiches. And don't do weight watchers if you hate counting calories. Don't go vegetarian if you love meat. You get the idea. Know yourself and your strengths/weaknesses. Nutrisystem may work for you or may be the worst option for you. If you cannot leave the grocery store without your stash of junk food, then consider something like Nutrisystem because they will send all your meals/snacks to you. If you hate cooking, don't select a diet that requires cooking your own foods. There are a ton of weight loss techniques out there, so be sure to choose the right one FOR YOU! Don't choose one simply because a lot of people are doing it. If you enjoy it, you will stick with it (year-round)!

2. Select an exercise program that you actually enjoy. Be creative in selecting your choice of exercise(s)! There are endless options for exercise/sports, so find one that you like! If you cannot motivate yourself, join an exercise class or group. Is there a sport that you and your family/friends could play together? Or would it be most convenient for you to start a walking program with some co-workers during lunch? P90X or Cross Fit might be ideal for you to do at home by yourself. If you have cable/satellite, check out the exercise channels for some good challenges. Find an exercise that you enjoy, so you will continue it after January ends.

3. Select a partner to lose weight with. You must know someone who is also trying to lose weight, so join together to motivate each other! Your spouse, a friend, a co-worker, or family member can provide the accountability you need to actually stick with your improved eating and exercise habits. Losing weight is not easy, so you need all the support you can get! If you have the means, hire a personal trainer to help. We need each other, especially when we are trying to make difficult choices/changes in life. So find a partner, and get to work! Let 2012 be the year you actually fulfill your New Year's resolutions!

Overweight Excuses

This does not apply to everyone, so please do not be offended or become anorexic.

So you are OVERWEIGHT, and you have been for some time now. You may have been able to lose some weight in the past, but lately you just can't. And you wonder why. We all make excuses for why we overeat, eat the wrong foods or do not exercise. I am the first to admit that. So let's look at some common excuses for being OVERWEIGHT.

1. "I don't have time to exercise."  That is why you have not lost weight! Make time!
2. "I don't have money to join a gym."  Then exercise at home or start walking!
3. "I don't have money to eat healthy foods."  Then take money from your unhealthy food budget and allot it to your health. Chicken breast costs less per pound than most cuts of beef.
4. "I am too busy with all my children to exercise." Then exercise together with them. Teach them the importance of healthy living.
5. "I work all the time."  Then exercise during every 5-10 minute break you get.
6. "I don't know how to lose weight."  There are a ton of free resources out there. Start online or at the library.
7. "I like to eat junk food."  If you want to lose weight, you must decrease the volume of junk food you consume.
8. "I don't have time to cook."  Then buy lots of salads. They take less than 5 minutes to prepare.
9. "Diets don't work for me."  Then stop dieting and start learning about a healthy, active lifestyle.
10. "My entire family is overweight."  Then be the first to start a healthy lifestyle. Then you can teach others!
11. "I am big-boned."  Have you ever watched Biggest Loser? Even "big-boned" individuals can go from 250 lbs to 150 lbs.


It takes a lot of hard work and difficult (but healthy) choices in order to lose weight, but the first step is to stop making excuses. You CAN do it!!!