Goal. Okay, this one is kind of a no brainer.
Tea. I can't help but wonder if this is more about lifestyle than actually drinking tea. Drinking tea means being willing to wait for it to steep.
Weightlifting. Muscle burns fat. Yep. I do this one. I've kept my weights pretty light and increased reps. I'm now holding to the same weight and reps but lengthening the time I hold an extended stretch. Instead of trying to whip through the exercises, I'm slowing down. I know what the writer suggests; I also know what my physical therapist would allow, not to mention what's practical. I've heard doing exercise in intervals is great, but if my exercise isn't done in the morning, it won't be done the rest of the day.
Protein. I have noticed upping my protein in my diet means I'm not so hungry. I try to be smart about it. I also discovered I need it throughout the day. I'm learning variety is a must.
Water. I had kidney infections on and off throughout my childhood. The only way for me to end the cycle was to drink 6-8 cups of water every day. I've learned to drink water when I'm hungry to check and make sure I'm actually hungry and not thirsty. I'm surprised by how often I wasn't hungry but thirsty.
Portions. I did not understand portions. I finally started ordering my food from Schwan's. Yes, I know how silly that sounds. Schwan's provides single portion servings. Yes, it was expensive, but it gave me an opportunity to learn what I needed to learn: What a portion looks like and how calories vary, so one has to be aware of what's in the portion. Yep, I'm able to see the different angles once it's laid in front of me. I do a lot of things from the end to the beginning. Now, I'm able to buy the basic ingredients and create a healthy portion, knowing what it's supposed to look like.
Weigh daily. Yep, I do that because it helps me be aware. I realize my weight goes up and down, but when it's creeping up I'm able to step back and question why and explore what is within my power to change.
Eat breakfast. It really does make a difference for me. I often have dinner for breakfast, something I learned in Thailand. Rice was part of every meal, so it always felt like dinner.
"Eat the bulk of your meals in the A.M. Then eat progressively less throughout the day." I've noticed this helps. Setting this pattern has helped me break the habit of snacking in the evening.
Don’t grocery shop hungry. I've heard this advice since I was a little girl. Really. I also find it better to shop in the morning, on a less busy day. The busier the store is, the more stressed I become, and the more likely I am to buy more, especially the treats.
Bake, don’t fry. I have never fried anything. I'm afraid of hot grease. Really.
"Fidget. A study published in the journal Science showed that those who fidgeted more often -- for example, changed their posture frequently -- weighed less than those who didn’t. This extra movement was termed NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)." I kept this one because I'd never heard of NEAT before. I grew up being criticized for being a "teetering snipe." I learned to hold still. No, I'm not blaming my excess weight on learning to hold still, but it didn't help. I'm learning to fidget again.
Laugh. The deep, from your middle kind of laugh. I don't do this every day, but I'm doing it a lot more often.
Don't clean your plate. The writer's reasoning is that "every little bit counts." Actually, this is a mind game. You're teaching yourself you have enough and a little bit more.
"When out to eat, split a meal." I usually ask for a box when I order my meal and put half in the box as soon as it arrives. Something else I enjoy doing is sharing. My sister and I occasionally will order a meal to split between us. We both have food issues, so this is actually not only an exercise in eating healthier but also in knowing our food is safe -- we'll have enough to eat that will be ours alone.
"Skip dessert." NO. I left this one in because it's important to know yourself. If I feel deprived, then I was binge later. I've mentioned before that I not only reward myself with food but I also punish myself with food. Dessert can be something as simple as a piece of Dove chocolate.
"Don’t socialize around the food tables at parties." This is unreasonable. Food is a common social point. Instead, figure out the tricks that will work for you. I try a little of all the things I want most. After that, I'm allowed to have a little more of what I liked best. Then I allow myself to eat all the celery and carrots and snap peas I want. I also drink a lot of water.
"Keep chips, dips, and other high fat junk foods out of the house. It’s not about willpower; it’s about being realistic." Again, I left this one to illustrate the importance of not sabotaging yourself. If I don't have treats, I feel deprived and will overeat "healthy" food. I have learned to keep only my favorites with which I'm able to exercise control. I used to have no self-restraint regarding Oreos (before they changed their packaging, and now they always taste stale YUCK). An open bag was an empty bag. I don't believe in wasting food either. I love Dove chocolates. I'm able to keep myself to 3 Dove Promise pieces a day. I've also found I like the 100-calories treats. Again, it helps me visualize portion sizes. 100 calories of popcorn is a whole lot different from 100 calories of chocolate-dipped graham crackers.
"Use smaller plates and bowls." This is something else I've heard for years. I collect place settings and enjoy changing out which pattern I use. It makes meals a bit more of an occasion.
"Slow down. It takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes for your stomach to sense it’s full. If you wolf down your food like a starving dog, you’ll likely out-eat your hunger." I like how the writer put this: "out-eat your hunger." Yep, I've done that. They say you shouldn't do something else while you're eating, but I find it the easiest way to slow me down.
"Plan ahead. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Yep. This works.
"Put yourself first. Many people (women in particular) put everyone else ahead of themselves and let their health fall by the side."
"Remember: It’s not all or nothing. If you fall off the bandwagon, jump right back on. Don’t let yourself continue to fall until all progress has been lost."
Wake up early to exercise. Yep, I do that.
Dumbest piece of advice in the whole article: "Get new friends. If your friends prefer pizza, wings, nachos and beer on a regular basis, find one’s who are like-minded and want to be healthy. Research has suggested that friends enhance (or can hurt) success."
Really? This is what you suggest? Really? First "friend" to go is this writer.
This is going to end up with a post all it's own.
Tea. I can't help but wonder if this is more about lifestyle than actually drinking tea. Drinking tea means being willing to wait for it to steep.
Weightlifting. Muscle burns fat. Yep. I do this one. I've kept my weights pretty light and increased reps. I'm now holding to the same weight and reps but lengthening the time I hold an extended stretch. Instead of trying to whip through the exercises, I'm slowing down. I know what the writer suggests; I also know what my physical therapist would allow, not to mention what's practical. I've heard doing exercise in intervals is great, but if my exercise isn't done in the morning, it won't be done the rest of the day.
Protein. I have noticed upping my protein in my diet means I'm not so hungry. I try to be smart about it. I also discovered I need it throughout the day. I'm learning variety is a must.
Water. I had kidney infections on and off throughout my childhood. The only way for me to end the cycle was to drink 6-8 cups of water every day. I've learned to drink water when I'm hungry to check and make sure I'm actually hungry and not thirsty. I'm surprised by how often I wasn't hungry but thirsty.
Portions. I did not understand portions. I finally started ordering my food from Schwan's. Yes, I know how silly that sounds. Schwan's provides single portion servings. Yes, it was expensive, but it gave me an opportunity to learn what I needed to learn: What a portion looks like and how calories vary, so one has to be aware of what's in the portion. Yep, I'm able to see the different angles once it's laid in front of me. I do a lot of things from the end to the beginning. Now, I'm able to buy the basic ingredients and create a healthy portion, knowing what it's supposed to look like.
Weigh daily. Yep, I do that because it helps me be aware. I realize my weight goes up and down, but when it's creeping up I'm able to step back and question why and explore what is within my power to change.
Eat breakfast. It really does make a difference for me. I often have dinner for breakfast, something I learned in Thailand. Rice was part of every meal, so it always felt like dinner.
"Eat the bulk of your meals in the A.M. Then eat progressively less throughout the day." I've noticed this helps. Setting this pattern has helped me break the habit of snacking in the evening.
Don’t grocery shop hungry. I've heard this advice since I was a little girl. Really. I also find it better to shop in the morning, on a less busy day. The busier the store is, the more stressed I become, and the more likely I am to buy more, especially the treats.
Bake, don’t fry. I have never fried anything. I'm afraid of hot grease. Really.
"Fidget. A study published in the journal Science showed that those who fidgeted more often -- for example, changed their posture frequently -- weighed less than those who didn’t. This extra movement was termed NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis)." I kept this one because I'd never heard of NEAT before. I grew up being criticized for being a "teetering snipe." I learned to hold still. No, I'm not blaming my excess weight on learning to hold still, but it didn't help. I'm learning to fidget again.
Laugh. The deep, from your middle kind of laugh. I don't do this every day, but I'm doing it a lot more often.
Don't clean your plate. The writer's reasoning is that "every little bit counts." Actually, this is a mind game. You're teaching yourself you have enough and a little bit more.
"When out to eat, split a meal." I usually ask for a box when I order my meal and put half in the box as soon as it arrives. Something else I enjoy doing is sharing. My sister and I occasionally will order a meal to split between us. We both have food issues, so this is actually not only an exercise in eating healthier but also in knowing our food is safe -- we'll have enough to eat that will be ours alone.
"Skip dessert." NO. I left this one in because it's important to know yourself. If I feel deprived, then I was binge later. I've mentioned before that I not only reward myself with food but I also punish myself with food. Dessert can be something as simple as a piece of Dove chocolate.
"Don’t socialize around the food tables at parties." This is unreasonable. Food is a common social point. Instead, figure out the tricks that will work for you. I try a little of all the things I want most. After that, I'm allowed to have a little more of what I liked best. Then I allow myself to eat all the celery and carrots and snap peas I want. I also drink a lot of water.
"Keep chips, dips, and other high fat junk foods out of the house. It’s not about willpower; it’s about being realistic." Again, I left this one to illustrate the importance of not sabotaging yourself. If I don't have treats, I feel deprived and will overeat "healthy" food. I have learned to keep only my favorites with which I'm able to exercise control. I used to have no self-restraint regarding Oreos (before they changed their packaging, and now they always taste stale YUCK). An open bag was an empty bag. I don't believe in wasting food either. I love Dove chocolates. I'm able to keep myself to 3 Dove Promise pieces a day. I've also found I like the 100-calories treats. Again, it helps me visualize portion sizes. 100 calories of popcorn is a whole lot different from 100 calories of chocolate-dipped graham crackers.
"Use smaller plates and bowls." This is something else I've heard for years. I collect place settings and enjoy changing out which pattern I use. It makes meals a bit more of an occasion.
"Slow down. It takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes for your stomach to sense it’s full. If you wolf down your food like a starving dog, you’ll likely out-eat your hunger." I like how the writer put this: "out-eat your hunger." Yep, I've done that. They say you shouldn't do something else while you're eating, but I find it the easiest way to slow me down.
"Plan ahead. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Yep. This works.
"Put yourself first. Many people (women in particular) put everyone else ahead of themselves and let their health fall by the side."
"Remember: It’s not all or nothing. If you fall off the bandwagon, jump right back on. Don’t let yourself continue to fall until all progress has been lost."
Wake up early to exercise. Yep, I do that.
Dumbest piece of advice in the whole article: "Get new friends. If your friends prefer pizza, wings, nachos and beer on a regular basis, find one’s who are like-minded and want to be healthy. Research has suggested that friends enhance (or can hurt) success."
Really? This is what you suggest? Really? First "friend" to go is this writer.
This is going to end up with a post all it's own.
I like your take on the information. I think I will skip the original since they are likely to stomp on a trigger or two or three or.... You understand. Hugs for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. They had other stuff like eating fruits and veggies... most of it wasn't new. I'd even heard of eating cayenne, but since i'm allergic, I didn't see the point of putting it on my list. Hugs back!
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