Tips, Tricks, and Tidbits Part 3

Here are a few more things that I have learned over the course of my weight loss journey.  And I have to warn you they may be a tad bit personal.  But all are absolutely things that have to be talked about, and the third one is extra personal.  Double if you are a woman.  So guys if you want to skip the last tip go ahead, I would recommend reading it though so that way you can be a little more sensitive about what we have to go through as women.

First up...WATER!  You have to drink it.  It's essential to life and it's important to weight loss.  I drink probably about a gallon to a gallon and half a day.  I can not even begin to stress how important it is to stay hydrated. I run into people who say they don't like water, and then there are those who don't drink water.  I always wonder how they are still alive and walking around.  A person  can go several weeks without food...if you have water.  Not that I would recommend it.  But a person can only live 3-5 DAYS without water.  That's under normal circumstances.  Someone who is physically overexerted in the heat without replacing any fluids can actually die within a period of several hours.  Scary.

How much water should we be drinking a day?  The old stand by is 8 cups a day.  But after doing lots and lots of research I have found several different places that say what you should do is take your body weight divide it in half and that is the number of ounces you should be drinking in a day...at least. Example:  Let us say you weigh 150 pounds then you should be drinking AT LEAST 75 ounces of water a day.  If you are physically active then you should drink more.  Drink during workouts and after especially if you got really sweaty.  These are my two glasses.  The Dallas Cowboy glass holds 4 cups or 32 ounces, and the Texas Made glass holds about 3 1/2 cups or 28 ounces.  I drink 3 Dallas Cowboy glasses through out the day, one with breakfast, one with lunch, and one with dinner.  I drink two Texas Made glasses, one at the gym and the other one when I go to pick up my daughter from school.  When I was at my heaviest 280 I had to drink 140 ounces of water a day and I just got used to it. So that's why I still drink that much water.  Besides I always loved water so it wasn't that hard for me to get used to drinking so much of it.  Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink.  By that time your body is begging for water.

If you are having trouble drinking your allotted water throughout the day there are a few things you can try.  Try drinking it through a straw.  This will help you drink it faster and you will be able to finish it quickly.  Also you can try squeezing a wedge of lemon into it.  And now there are water bottle infusers.  They have a section where you can add fruit or vegetables or even herbs or a combination of stuff to make flavored water. Here is a website dedicated to infused water. http://nutritionstripped.com/simply-infused-water/  As for me I prefer my water with nothing in it.

There are certain fruits that have a high water content. Watermelon and strawberries are among the highest. Other fruits with high water content include grapefruit, cantaloupe, peaches. Also included are pineapple, cranberries, oranges, and raspberries.  The list goes on and on with apricots, blueberries, plums, apples, pears, cherries, grapes and even bananas  And if you eat your daily servings of fruit can also get water from them.  And don't forget about vegetables. On top of the vegetables list are cucumbers and lettuce. Zucchini, radish, celery, tomato, cauliflower, eggplant, red cabbage, peppers, spinach, broccoli, carrots, green peas, and white potatoes.  http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/list-fruits-vegetable-high-water-content-8958.html  And water is just one thing you get from fruits and vegetables.  Don't forget about all the other benefits from getting your daily servings of both of those.  But don't rely on just fruits and veggies for your water intake, you need actual water, and in case you're wondering, coffee, sodas, and tea do not count toward your daily intake of water.  Sorry.


How does water help with weight loss?  http://www.ehow.com/facts_5499258_drinking-water-lose-weight.html  It keeps you hydrated and can keep you from overeating.  You should drink water before, during, and after a meal.  And there are many times that we confuse thirst with hunger.  If you find you are hungry but it's not time to have something to eat, then drink water and wait 30 minutes or so if your still hungry then have a piece of fruit, that way you can get even more water in your system.  And if you are well hydrated then you shouldn't get those hunger pangs until it's the actual time to eat.  Water also aids with digestion.  http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/does-drinking-water-help-you-lose-weight  It helps lower blood pressure, and cholesterol.  Not only that it's so good for your skin.  After years and years of battling pimples and using all kinds of creams and potions, water is what finally cleared it up.  It also helps your liver burn fat.  And we are all for burning fat right, so drink up!  Being in a good health is vital if you are trying to lose weight.  And nothing does it better than drinking water. It washes out the toxins, making your body cleaner and healthier. Which is a very important condition under which your body will be able to restore its balance and get into shape. http://allwomenstalk.com/10-ways-how-water-helps-you-to-lose-weight/   You should also drink before, during, and after a workout.  Water helps build muscles and it will also help with soreness.  And you may think that drinking all that water will make you feel bloated, but actually if you don't drink enough water it can cause you to be dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to water retention which means you’ll be bloated and have extra water weight.

If you are wondering if you're well hydrated then the simple rule is pale yellow pee.  Check it, it's not gross it's important to know that you are drinking the amount of water you need.  

So let us say you are retaining water. One thing you can do is cut back on your sodium.  All that salt will make you hold on to extra water.  Every month I have this problem, yup when I'm on my period (I told you it was going to get personal).  One day I was talking to my fitness sisters about how I retain water during my  menstrual cycle.  And one of them told me this little nugget.  Try drinking powdered fiber.  It worked for her sister although she cautioned me that it doesn't work for everyone but even if it didn't work for me at least I would be getting extra fiber and it's something that our bodies need any way.  So I tried it and IT WORKED!  It's 2 teaspoons (not 2 tablespoons) in at least 4 ounces of water.  You can put it in tea but not into anything that is fizzy.  And it doesn't dissolve very well if the fluid it is really hot or cold you get big clumps of powder swimming around your water.  No amount of stirring or shaking will make those suckers dissolve.  The reason I say not 2 tablespoons is because my dear sweet mixed up husband one day accidentally used a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon.  And it says it right on the back  2 TEASPOONS! He's so crazy.  I also have the On the Go packets, in case I'm not at home.  Recently I bought the gummies but I have not tried them yet so no verdict on if they work the same as the powder.  The fiber powder is also sold in orange flavor but like I already said I like my water flavorless.

WARNING THE NEXT SUBJECT IS OF A SENSITIVE NATURE

We as women put our bodies through a whole lot.  And if you have had a baby then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you laugh too hard, or cough too hard, or even sneeze...you pee.  Having baby sure does a number on our bodies.  It seems that nothing works like it used to before baby.  Even without having a baby, age also has a way of taking a toll on our bodies, or if you have had surgery, and certainly being overweight doesn't help.  I had started using these pads a few years ago, after I got really fed up with accidentally wetting myself after sneezing.  Mind you, if there are still guys reading this, it's not like a whole stream of pee comes out, but enough to where I had to change my undies and I was sick and tired of doing that.  I found these pads at Walmart and I'm not ashamed to say that they have really helped me.  They are not for periods, they are for bladder protection.

After I started working out I found that they also help in the gym.  I had lost about 20 pounds and we were doing modified jumping jacks.  Well, I thought I would give regular jumping jacks a try and the first one popped one knee, the second one popped the other knee, but the third one made me pee.  So that was enough of that.  And I know I'm not the only one who has this problem.  I have talked about it once with my fitness sisters but it seems like it's a taboo subject.  I don't know why, it's not like we can help it.  It's just that after having a baby, and being so overweight for so long, those kegel muscles just don't seem to work like they used to.  Although there are exercises that women can do to try to strengthen them.  Here is some good info on kegels.  But I'll go ahead and recap what it says.  http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/kegel-exercises/art-20045283   Kegel exercises strengthen those muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum.  If you are wondering where your kegel muscles are they are pretty easy to find when you are using the potty and you are peeing, try to stop midstream. If you succeed, you've got the right muscles.  Once you find them here where is what you do.  Finish emptying your bladder and lie on your back. Tighten the muscles, hold it for five seconds, and then relax for five seconds. Try it four or five times in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions. For best results, focus on tightening only those muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or glutes.  And as with any exercises avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises. Aim for at least three sets of 10 reps a day.  And FYI, don't stop urinating mid-stream as your regular kegel exercise routine that's just for trying to figure out which muscles they are. Doing the exercises while peeing can actually have the opposite effect, weakening the muscles.  You can do kegel exercises, pretty much anytime.  I could be doing them right now...you don't know.

So that's about it for now.  After talking about all that water stuff, I got a bit parched.  Time to get a glass of water...please do the same your body will thank you.  Cheers!

Menu for April 18 to April 24

I want to take the time to talk to you about portion control.  You have to watch your portions.  For most of my recipes the serving size is 1 cup.  Vegetables are usually way more than that.  That's because you can basically eat as much veggies as you want.  If I have Veggie Straws or cracker chips I follow the portions on the nutritional label. Chicken I try to keep it between 3 to 6 ounces.  And I have a food scale that I use to make sure that my servings are accurate. When people ask me what I eat I tell them that I still eat ALMOST the same as I used to.  But, mostly I keep an eye on my portions, and try really really hard not to stuff my face.

Saturday:  Homemade Pizza and veggie straws.  My daughter requested to have pizza sometime this week.  And she would actually prefer homemade pizza to Pizza Hut.  I think the main reason she likes my pizza is that I control how much sauce goes on it.  She usually doesn't like a lot of sauce on her pizza and even when I ask Pizza Hut to go light on the sauce they seem to put too much for her.  Also I use big, huge pepperonis.  She and I pretty much like the same toppings on our pizzas.  Pepperoni and hamburger, but I substitute turkey and it comes out just as good.  My husband likes to have different things on his and I'll talk about that in a bit.  First up though mine and my daughter's favorite.

Homemade Pepperoni and Turkey Pizza

1/4 cup Contadina pizza squeeze pizza sauce

1/8 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup cooked ground turkey

12 deli slices of pepperoni

1 ( 13.8 oz.) tube pizza crust dough

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (part skim milk, low moisture)

Preheat oven to 425.  Spray a cookie sheet with Pam.  Roll out dough on the cookie sheet. Spread pizza sauce over dough. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over sauce. Place pepperonis in a single layer over Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle turkey on top. Then top with mozzarella.  Bake 14 - 16 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Slice into 12 even slices and serve!

My husband's favorite pizza

1/2 cup Contadina pizza squeeze pizza sauce
1/8 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup cook ground turkey
2.25 oz can sliced olives, drained
4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 (13.8 oz.) tube pizza crust dough
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (part skim milk, low moisture.

Preheat oven to 425.  Spray a cookie sheet with Pam.  Roll out dough on the cookie sheet. Spread pizza sauce over dough. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over sauce. Place olives, mushrooms, artichokes, and turkey over Parmesan cheese. Then top with mozzarella.  Bake 14 - 16 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Slice into 12 even slices and serve!

The best thing about these pizzas is that you can customize them to your own personal tastes.  If you want just veggies or different meats go for it.  Just remember to make sure that all meats are cooked before you put them on the pizza.

Sunday: Hoisin- Orange Pork Chops, brown rice, and veggies.  I found this recipe in a Weight Watchers 5 ingredient 15 minute recipe magazine.  And I tried to find it online but I couldn't.  So here is the recipe which I did not change one thing.  What really caught my attention is the cook time.  This was fast and delicious, just my kind of recipe.  At first I was kind of skeptical because you broil the pork chops and that's not a method I'm very familiar with, but they came out beautifully and delicious.

Hoisin-Orange Pork Chops

3 tbsp. hoisin sauce

2 tsp orange peel

1 tsp. less sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp. Chinese five spice

1 tsp sesame oil, divided

4 pork loin boneless center cut chops

Preheat broiler.  Combine hoisin, orange peel, soy sauce, and five-spice in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk.  Rub pork chops with sesame oil, and baste with hoisin mixture. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with Pam. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until done; basting occasionally with remaining hoisin mixture.

Brown rice is a boil in the bag kind.  Just make it according to package directions.  I like to toss a cube of chicken broth into the water to flavor the rice.  When it's done, I season the rice with Mrs. Dash, a splash of less sodium soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp. Land O'Lakes Light Butter with Canola.

The vegetables are Green Giant Steamers: Antioxidant Blend.  Just make them according to the package directions.

Monday:  Steak, vegetables, and side salad.  I'm not a big steak eater, but my husband and my daughter love it.  Tonight was steak night.  It's a London Broil.  I put it in a Lawry's Steak and Chop marinade in the morning and let it soak up those flavors all day long, in other words 8 hours.  Then when I get ready to make it, I'll take a frying pan spray it with Pam and heat it to medium.  When the pan is hot then I'll put the steak in and cook it for about 4-5 minutes then flip it over and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes until done.  Because of my daughter I cook the steak to well done.  When it's done then I'll put it in baking dish and cover it with foil for 10 minutes to let it rest and to let the juices redistribute.

The vegetables are Green Giant Steamers: Baby Vegetable Medley.  Just make according to package directions.

I always keep salad ingredients prepped and ready to go which I have written about in a previous blog:  http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/03/menu-planning-and-meal-prep.html. That way side salads are a cinch to throw together.

Tuesday: Baked Paprika Flounder, veggies, and coleslaw.  This week I had wanted to try a different kind of fish.  I have made cod, salmon, and tuna.  When I saw the flounder at the store my first thought had to do with eating The Little Mermaid's best friend.  But I set those thoughts aside and figured what the heck I'll give it a try.  So I bought Flounder, it's not like I killed him or anything, and came home to look on pinterest to find a recipe.  And after a few minutes I found one that I was pretty sure I could manage.  It's actually a very easy recipe and the flounder came out delicious.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/14396/baked-paprika-flounder.html

Baked Paprika Flounder

4 to 5 small flounder filets
Pam
salt
pepper
Italian herbs (1 tbsp. dried oregano, 1 tbsp. dried basil, 1 tbsp. thyme.  Mix)
paprika

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray baking sheet with Pam.  Place filets on baking sheet and spray lightly with Pam.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, Italian herbs, and paprika to taste.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until white and flaky.

The vegetables are Green Giant Steamers:  Healthy Vision.  Make according to package directions. 

To make the coleslaw I mixed 1 1/2 cups of tricolor coleslaw mix, with 1 tbsp. Kraft Creamy Poppy Seed dressing and the juice of one lemon wedge. Stir to combine.  That makes one serving.

Wednesday:  Leftovers.  So today I made....Chicken tostadas.  It's only my favorite way to use my prepped chicken.  But this time I thought I would try one regular, and one buffalo chicken.  I have written about how I prep my chicken here is the link:

http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/04/recipes-for-prepped-chicken.html

As a refresher though, on Sundays I like to prep chicken for the week.  I use a lemon pepper marinade.  First I trim all the fat off of boneless skinless chicken breasts.  Then I cut them in half, and with a meat mallet, I pound them all to an equal thickness.  Put them in a ziplock baggy and refrigerate about 6 hours.  When I get ready to cook the chicken.  I spray a frying pan with Pam, and heat to medium.  Then I take the chicken sprinkle each side with lemon pepper seasoning and place them in the pan.  Cook for about 6 or 7 minutes.  Flip them over and continue to cook for 6 to 7 minutes.  Take them out of the pan and place in a baking dish to cool down.  Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the chicken tostadas I preheat my toaster oven to 375, you can use the regular oven too if you are going to make more that two tostadas.  Line the baking pan with foil, and spray it with Pam.  Warm up two corn tortillas in the microwave.  Place them flat on the baking sheet and then spray the tops with Pam.  Bake for about 10 minutes turning once until light brown and toasty.  Keep on eye on them because they will go from being perfect to burnt in a blink of an eye.  I know, it's happened to me.  Once they are done.  I split one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese between the two corn tostadas.  Then spread black beans, that I also prep on Sundays,
http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/03/menu-planning-and-meal-prep.html, divide 6 ounces of diced warmed chicken and pile it on top, add salsa, sour cream, and devour.  You can add any kind of salsa and guacamole as well.  This time though I added 1 tbsp. buffalo wing sauce to 3 ounces of chicken. And used hot sauce on the other one.  Add a serving of veggie straws, yummy!

Thursday: Brussels Sprouts & Noodle Stir Fry, vegetables, and spring rolls.  I love stir fry.  It's quick and easy.  This one caught my eye in one of my magazines and I wanted to try something totally different.

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/brussels-sprouts-and-noodle-stir-fry-with-cilantro-and-almonds/

Brussels Sprouts and Noodle Stir Fry

3 oz. whole wheat thin spaghetti

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced red onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

16 oz brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp. less sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup grated carrots

Break spaghetti into 1-inch pieces. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Return spaghetti to hot pan; cover and keep warm.  Pour oil into a large skillet; heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add Brussels sprouts, ginger, and crushed red pepper; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth and soy sauce.  Cook about 2 minutes more or until liquid is almost evaporated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.  Stir in cooked spaghetti and carrots. Before serving, if desired, sprinkle with almonds and chopped cilantro. 

IF you want you can add 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast or ham or cooked shelled and deveined shrimp to the skillet when you add the broth. That way it's not just a vegetable dish.  Like my husband said, "Do I look like a vegetarian to you?"

I didn't have 2 cups of cooked chicken, I only had a 2 ounce piece of my prepped chicken so I added that to my plate.  My poor husband had to be a vegetarian for that one meal.  Don't tell him that it had chicken broth and not a vegetable broth. But next time I will definitely add 2 cups of some sort of cooked protein.

The vegetables were Green Giant:  Teriyaki Vegetables.  Just make them according to package directions.

The spring rolls, were mini vegetable spring rolls, that I baked in my toaster oven.  Once again just follow the package directions.

Friday:  Red Curry Chicken Burgers with lime mayo and Special K Sour Cream and Onion Cracker Chips.  I had been wanting to try a different burger recipe.  And one day on pinterest this one came up.  It's really really good.  The only thing is that the mix is very wet.  But don't worry it's supposed to be.  And my favorite thing about the recipe is that there are only 2 ingredients.   The lime mayonnaise is a perfect accompaniment to the chicken burgers. This recipe is so simple, super easy, and done in less than 30 minutes.

http://foxeslovelemons.com/red-curry-chicken-burgers-with-grilled-pineapple-a-giveaway/

Red Curry Chicken Burgers

2 tbsp. thai kitchen red curry paste

16 oz raw ground chicken

Preheat grill over medium high heat. In a medium bowl combine chicken and curry paste. Form 3 patties (you can make 4 patties but they are kinda on the small side), making sure not to over work meat mixture.  Spray both sides of chicken patties with nonstick spray. Transfer to grill. Cook patties for 13-15 minutes or until internal temperature of 165 is reached, turning once. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

Once again you can make these in a frying pan.  Which is what I did.  Instead of spraying the patties I sprayed the pan with Pam, heated it to medium and followed the directions.

Lime Mayonnaise

1/2 juice of 1 lime

1 tsp lime zest

1/4 cup best foods canola mayonnaise

In a small bowl, stir together lime juice and zest, and mayonnaise. Refrigerate until ready to use.

I always make my burgers with sandwich thins or a Hungry Girl foldit flatbread, instead of hamburger buns.  I like those two so much better.  To make this red curry chicken burger: on the top bun I spread 1/2 tbsp. of the lime mayonnaise, on the bottom bun I smeared a wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese, added a squirt of hot and spicy mustard, then comes the chicken patty, topped it with tomato, red onion, and spinach.  Add Special K Sour Cream and Onion Cracker Chips and it's ready to go!

I Made IT!!! I REACHED MY GOAL!!!

14 months ago I decided to take charge of my health. I had had enough of being so over weight.  Of feeling bad about myself.  Of being ashamed of how I looked. And that was enough of that!  I started at 280 pounds and my BMI was 51.21. After several months I only lost 3 pounds but I didn't give up and today I reach my goal weight of 150...in fact I surpassed my goal! That's 131.4 pounds lost, a 46.93% weight loss, and my BMI 27.18. It wasn't easy, but it was totally worth all the hard work. 

  

After being so frustrated for those first 3 months I really needed to take a good close look at what I was doing and mainly what I was eating.  I decided to start to keeping track of everything I was putting in my mouth. I had my food scale and I would weigh what I was going to eat, but one day I was wondering exactly how many calories were in the banana I was going to eat, I did a search I found a site called fatsecret,  http://www.fatsecret.com/ and I started an online food journal and logged every single thing I ate and drank.  On FS you can even keep track of your activities.  And find lots and lots of support.  I really truly turned the corner when I found fatsecret.  I even downloaded the app to my phone and my Ipad. So I can have it with me everywhere I go.  And FS is not the only website dedicated to helping people lose weight.  I know some of my friends use spark people, http://www.sparkpeople.com/landing_free_plus2011.asp  I'm sure there are many sites and apps out there to help you keep track of what you are eating.  Besides you might as well keep track of your food, because even if you don't I promise you, your body is.  Another thing that helped me start to really lose the weight was that I completely quit sodas, sweet teas, and all those sugary drinks. I wasn't a big soda drinker to begin with but just stopping the occasional one I was drinking made a huge difference.  You can't even imagine how much sugar is in one of those cans.  It's pure poison.  Quit them, they are slowly killing you.  And I know, I've heard it before, you have to have that Dr. Pepper, but you really don't need it.  Would you eat 22 packets of sugar?  Then why drink them?

One day I was looking on Pinterest and I came across an idea to make a weight loss chart.  I thought it would be a good way to gauge my weight loss.  So I got myself a poster board and a ruler and got started.  At this point I had already lost 40 pound and I considered starting the chart at that weight.  But I had already worked so hard to lose those 40 that I realized that I needed to start it at my original weight of 280.  This is when I really had to think about my goal weight.  Where did I want to end up?  I thought that maybe 160 would be a good goal.  So marked off to 160 and I put the chart in my bedroom where I would see it every day.  Because this journey is an everyday mission.  It's not just Monday to Friday, it's the weekends too.  And every pound I lost would get crossed off.  I sure did get a lot of satisfaction crossing off those numbers.

When I finished crossing off the front of the poster board.  I started to think that maybe I could actually make my goal weight 150. I discussed my new weight goal with with my family doctor and he said that 150 would be an ideal weight for me.  Especially factoring in my age, and that I had a baby.  He said 150...perfect.  When people asking me about losing weight and exercising, I tell them what I had decided for myself but to always discuss any questions they have with their doctor.  I went ahead and added those last 10 pounds to the chart and kept on plugging away. When people would tell me, that I had lost enough weight and I should stop.  I would just smile and think, NOPE I'm going to reach my goal. And today I got to cross off those last few pounds.  Talk about a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction!     

Over the course of this past year I have done all kinds of different exercises.  I started with one of my friends who is an instructor at our local gym.  Her class is called Healthy Beginnings, and she had us doing different workouts.  We did weight training and cardio and pretty much anything that would get us moving.  I learned how to use the free weights, the weight machines, the medicine balls, the stability balls, and the kettlebells.  After I started losing more weight I would try different things or use just a bit heavier weights, to make sure that I wouldn't not hit a plateau.  And I never hit a plateau. In July I did my first 5K powder run...well I had to walk it, but I finished it!  In August 2014 my friend brought in a PiYo DVD.  PiYo = a combination of pilates and yoga.  At first it was pretty hard.  But you do get stronger as each week goes by.  It's an 8 week program, and if anyone hasn't tried it, I recommend it.  It's a fantastic program.  After the 8 weeks I sent my results to beach body, http://www.teambeachbody.com/ and I got a free PiYo t-shirt.  In fact at the beginning of this month, we started our second round of PiYo, and now I'm seriously considering becoming a certified PiYo instructor.  After PiYo we did T25, challenging.  But it was fun and the workouts are only 25 minutes long.  Then came P90.  The prequel to P90X.  I really loved it.  Weight training and cardio and Tony Horton showing us how to punch and throw elbows. Fantastic! I have also done a couple of zumba classes but I'm not very coordinated so zumba is kinda hard for me.  I walk on the treadmill and the elliptical.  I still work all parts of my body.  My advice is don't get stuck in a rut. Your body will get used to the routine and that's when you can hit a plateau.  Always listen to your body it will tell you when it's ready for more.  And you will be surprised as to what your body can do.  In March I was hired to have my own workout class at the gym.  I was so surprised and honored to become an instructor and I named my class Total Tone. Talk about going places I never even dreamed were possible 14 months ago.  

 

I took me years to put on 100+ pounds, and so I knew that it was going to take a while to lose it.  And it took me almost exactly 14 months. Time well spent. Tears and sweat and frustrations, it was all worth it! Was it hard?  Yes, but like I say, hard does NOT equal impossible.  Losing weight and getting fit and health is something that we can all do.  YOU CAN DO IT!

The Uphill Battle, Just Keep on Climbing

About a year ago my husband quit smoking.  Thank goodness!  It wasn't easy for him, and I couldn't be more prouder him every single day he goes without a smoke.  During those first few weeks, I tried to be as supportive as possible, but I have never been addicted to nicotine so his struggle was not something I could completely understand.  BUT, I do know something about food addiction.  When I first started on my new healthy lifestyle, I had to get rid of all the junk food that I had been eating.  Everything that was unhealthy went into the trash.  I cleaned out the fridge, the freezers, and the pantry.  At first I felt bad because I had used my husband's hard earned money to buy all that junk food and I felt like I was wasting that money.  But I told myself that I had already wasted it by buying stuff that was slowly killing me.  I always had a problem with wasting food.  If I was eating a bag of Doritos and I got

close the bottom of the bag, and just the crumbs were left.  I would tip the bag into my mouth and finish every last crumb instead of just throwing it away.  Hey, I didn't want to waste food right? And stopping all those bad habits was really hard.  I have been overweight, and it was wreaking havoc on my body.  Now I have been working on losing the weight and yup, it's hard too.  You just have to decide which hard you want.  I can speak from personal experience that at least with losing weight the hard is worth it!  

Another thing that was not easy was quitting sodas, sweet teas, and all those yummy sugary drinks.  I would tell myself that they were poison.  And we don't ingest poison.  After a week the cravings started to go away.  And after about a month I quit craving sodas all together.  In fact after about a month I had a sip of one, and it was the NASTIEST thing ever.  I'm so glad that I was able to quit them.  Sodas are probably one of the worst things you can put into your body.  I know people it's hard to quit them but do it!  It will only take a little while for your body to adjust to the change, and you won't be sabotaging all the hard work you are doing.  And don't think that by choosing diet sodas that you are doing yourself any favors, because diet is even worse than regular.  Just drink
WATER!

Your willpower, your inner strength is like a muscle.  And like any muscle the more you work it the stronger it gets.  I am going to tell you something that you may not want to hear.  When it comes to junk food, yes, you should absolutely deprive yourself.  I have gotten into many discussions over this.  And people will tell you that you shouldn't deprive yourself because it will lead to failure.  But how is it deprivation if it's something that you shouldn't even be consuming?  By not depriving myself, I ate my way up to 280
pounds.  And I will never find myself back at that place ever again.  Another thing that people will tell you is that every once in a while it's okay to go hog wild.  Hey it's your birthday, it only comes once a year, hey it's your significant other's birthday, it only comes once a year, hey it's your kid's birthday it only comes once a year (and what if you have more than one child?), hey it's your anniversary, it only comes once a year, it's Thanksgiving, it's

Christmas, it's Valentine's Day, it's this special day, it's that special day...notice how many times this happens?  And try not to listen when people tell you to go ahead and have a little bit.  They would never tell a recovering alcoholic or a recovering drug addict the same thing.  I know I never told my husband to go ahead and smoke just one cigarette.  A food addiction is the same thing.  I never wanted a little bit, I wanted the biggest piece of chocolate cake I could get.  What you have to do it you need to dig down deep and find that inner strength and work the crap out of that muscle.  I know it's hard, but you can totally do it.  I have faith in you!

About a month after my husband quit smoking he was still having a hard time.  He was thinking about what he had to give up.  The satisfaction from that first inhalation, the high from the nicotine, and so on.  I told him that he was thinking about this process all wrong.  It's the same thing with a healthy lifestyle change.  People tend to focus way too much on what they have to give up.  They have to give up sodas, they have to give up sweets, they have to give up chips, and they have to give up all that junk food.  I told him what I had told myself, you need to focus on what you are gaining instead of what you are giving up.  That junk food is slowly killing you.  It was shortening your life.  What you gain from this journey, far out weighs what you had to give up.  You gain health, energy, and a better quality of life.  I get way more satisfaction from healthy lifestyle, and from hearing my family say they are so proud of me, than I ever did from that bag of chips.

I still get cravings, I'm not sure if they will every truly go away.  There are a few things you can do if you find yourself wanting junk food.   First is: Just don't buy it.  If it's not in the house you can't eat it.  That's what I did.  After I threw away all the junk food, I didn't buy any more.  And after a good long while I allowed myself to have some of the healthier stuff in the house, like the frozen yogurt and the veggie straws.  Because now I know that I can be strong enough to say no.  The second thing you can do is ask yourself why?  Why do I want to eat that?  Then you have to talk to yourself and realize that you don't need that junk food.  A few moments of pleasure are not worth the pain of guilt and regret.  And I had a lot of guilt and regret in the past.  I would eat the king size candy bar, in about a minute, but the guilt would last longer than that.  Another thing I would do is after my daughter went to bed, I would eat the chips that were supposed to be for her school lunches and then run to the store to replace them, like that would make it better.  It never made it okay.  And try not to find comfort in junk food.  It will let you down every time.  The last thing you can do is you find a way to refocus your mind.  Try to distract yourself. Read, workout, get on the computer, find someway to get your mind going in another direction. 

And lastly don't reward yourself with food.  You're not a dog!  Work daily on your goals.  You can't expect to reach them without any effort on your part.  You can either wish for a healthier life, and a fitter body or you can actually work for it.  Only one is going to work though and it's not the first one.  If you haven't done the work then you won't see any results.  But, I know you can accomplish all your goals.  If I can go from eating donuts for breakfast, an entire big grab bad of Hot Cheetos with melty cheese sauce for lunch and then for dinner, a  large coke, a double quarter pounder with cheese, and supersized fries, to making better and healthier choices for myself, then so can you.  I have heard all the excuses, I have used all of them myself.  Once I put them aside and really started to focus on what was most important, which is my health, that's when the weight loss really started to happen.  And you can do the same thing.