We Don't Have to Wait Until New Year's To Get Back on Track!

Oh yeah!  There's little doubt that most of us are looking just like the grabby Octopus at certain times during the holiday season.  For the most part, there's no way of getting around that fact during this time of the year.  We also know that there are times we can make every effort to get back on track as soon as possible.

It's a heck of a lot better than chalking it up and waiting until the first of the year to go on a the latest or greatest "diet".  We don't have to wait.  There are measures we can take right now.  We can begin to try to work off some of the extra calories each day.  We can rid our home of the high fat items that are leftover from the holiday meals.  We can freeze them or give them away.  As I've stated before, it's not the one day holiday itself that presents a major problem, it's the days after where we repeat eating the rich leftover foods!  Yikes!

It was great to see so many people jogging the day after Christmas.  People of all sizes were making great attempts at working off the extras they had eaten the previous day.

Most of us know that we're not going to work off all of the extra calories in one day but heck, it's a start and it doesn't take long at all to take off a little weight over a couple of week's time.

I'm going to do my best to return to my normal healthy eating pattern until the first of the new year.  At the start of the new year, I will create a small deficit in order to take off a few extra pounds I've put on over the holidays. 

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

Are You Ready For the Upcoming Holidays?

At this point the holidays are coming whether we are ready or not.  The rush is just starting to kick in for me.  It's so funny but I find myself thinking back to my past old eating habits over the course of the previous three decades before I had lost the weight.

In the past this was a free for all time for me.  It was like someone gave me the green light to eat anything in sight, afterall, it was the holiday season.  I can remember gathering up the candy making and baking items way ahead of time.  Like I've mentioned before, I can remember purchasing the brightly colored foiled candies, just to have around the house.  Of course, I now realize, as I did then, I was the one who mainly ate most of these items.  I can't imagine how many calories I consumed just tasting as I went along!  Of course, as I've mentioned before, ignorance is bliss, and I didn't want to know because I did not want to be held accountable.  Food was a comfort for me.  I used food to deal with happy, stressful, sad or boring times in my life.  Food was my pacifer before I formed a new relationship with food back in January of 2008.

I think differently now during the holiday season.  I will make these special items right before the holiday itself but I won't be making these items over and over for weeks ahead and afterwards into the new year. 

I've learned how to put the BRAKES ON!  This means that I realize I am no longer the grabby octopus we highlight on the blog.  I'm not first in line to grab a candy or a high caloric treat.  I've learned to think first.  I've learned not to make these things ahead of time.  I now make them for a special occasion and then I enjoy a serving, not multiple servings. 

I have the brakes on and there is nothing in my home at this point to grab throughout the day that is not a part of our daily healthy eating pattern.  We all know that in the days ahead there will be family gatherings where we can slack up a bit and eat things we don't normally eat in a moderate fashion.

So, for now and up until the family gathering, I'm staying within my 1,800 normal daily intake to the best degree possible.  I'm exercising daily with at least 20 minutes of Pilates and on most all days, 30 minutes of my run/walk.

I check almost daily and my weight is still being maintained.  I feel if I keep at it, like I did last year at this same time, I won't have any additional weight gain by January 1, 2010.  That's my goal.  I don't mind taking off a two pound gain over the course of a couple of weeks but I sure and heck see no reason to pack on an additional 5-10 pounds just because it is the holiday season!

For me, so much of the holiday season is about the love I feel for my family and friends.  I am thankful to God for all that I have been given in life.

Still I am saving some room for a couple of my pecan tarts! 

Have a great day!

It's a Big Back on Track Monday!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I really enjoyed Thanksgiving.  It's funny but the day after I realized what I loved most about that day.  I enjoyed being with my family and friends.  Sure, like everyone, I loved the food but what I loved most was being with my family and friends.  I think most everyone feels that way.  Since I have lost the weight and set up my healthy eating and exercise patterns, I can now see a huge difference in the way I celebrate the holiday season. 

In the past, there were few limits and I really couldn't tell when the holiday season began or ended.  Actually, it was a huge blur.  That's because I made it that way.  Let me provide you with some examples.  I would start cooking and baking things early and snack all the way throughout the process.  I would eat the day of Thanksgiving and the days before and after.  Very soon after Thanksgiving, I would begin to buy Christmas colored treats in the store such as Peppermint Bark and chocolate Kisses.   Yes, I would have those treats in my home for everyone to eat any time they wished.  Of course, who I am I fooling, I was the one who ended up eating most of these treats!  Yikes!  A week before Christmas I would start making fudge, pecan tarts and pralines.  I would eat them all along the way and right up to New Year's Day!

I'm far from perfect but I have now found a great balance.  There is no such thing as perfect in life anyway.  There is a place where we can aim to find a balance in our lives.  That's my overall goal and it is the goal I strive for each day in order to maintain my weight or balance out the special eating occasions in my life.

If you stop and think about it, we are now less than a month away from Christmas Day or the holiday season.  There are many things we can do right now to prevent any additional extra weight gain.  Sure, some of us may be waiting for the New Year to begin watching our weight but why wait?

The truth is, we don't have to wait, we can start right now by not gaining any extra during the holidays.  This way we have less to take off in January!

Here are a few reminders of how to prepare for the holiday itself way ahead of time.

1) Look forward to eating "off track" on that one particular day with family and friends.  That's the day where we can moderately eat "off track".

2) Limit what you bring into your home over the course of the next few weeks and before and after that one special day. 

3) Limit what you eat at any holiday party you will be invited to during the season.   If you have an opportunity, take a couple of your own healthy dishes.  That's what I did when I was in weight loss mode.

4) Have a plan in place before you attend these parties.  Eat before so that you will not be starving.  Taste and take small amounts of only the items you truly wish to eat.  Stay away from the areas where food is served.  Keep reminding yourself, "I'm here to mix and enjoy the people at this party."  Make a mental note of the weight goals or fitness goals you want to reach in the near future and start trying to get that image in your mind now. 

5) Oh yes, this is a biggie, because it has helped me more than ever.  Get your basic cardio in each day.  It does not have to be anything big.  You can walk out your door and walk 30 minutes a day.  Build up to it if you're not ready to go for the full 30 minutes.  Believe it or not, this one thing, helps keep the weight off and makes you keenly aware that you are doing what you need to do each and every day to form an everyday balance.  This also gets rid of a lot of the mental stress associated with the holidays and it improves your mood overall.

Remember to always check with your Dr. before you begin to establish an exercise pattern.

I love the holiday season but I'm not about to let the holiday season control my eating patterns for a solid month.  I'm going to control what I choose to eat every step of the way throughout the holiday season.

I'm going to keep up with my exercise more than ever.

I'm going to remember what the holiday season is truly all about. 

Have a great "Back on Track Monday!"

Are You Ready for the Holiday Festivities!

Are you ready for the holidays to begin?  Whether we're ready or not, they're about to begin starting off this week with Thanksgiving.  As I mentioned in my last post, I love Thanksgiving! 

There's no doubt that all of us already know we will soon be bombarded by foods during the holiday season that we do not normally eat on a daily or weekly basis.  It's the holiday season for goodness sake; we're supposed to enjoy them but remember, we can also choose to enjoy them within reason.

Just because it is a holiday does not mean we have to stuff ourselves like we would stuff our own turkey!  We can pick and choose what we truly wish to eat and stay away from the things that we really don't love.

It doesn't have to be an all or nothing type day.  Moderation, even on a holiday is extremely important.  There's a way to eat many healthy items that are often a part of the holiday season.  We know turkey is a healthy choice but so are green beans and other side dishes.  We can remember to taste smaller portions of the high fat dishes that we enjoy.  It's also important to eat slowly and enjoy the conversation surrounding the dinner table. 

It took me a long time to learn that celebrations such as Thanksgiving Day need not be so greatly focused on the food and eating.  It's so wonderful when we can begin to focus on how great it is to be together and share such a beautiful meaningful day with family and friends.

Of course I am also looking forward to eating special things that I don't eat on a normal basis.  These are the times I look forward to these special dishes.  Right now I am making sure that I am sticking to my normal pattern of eating even more closely.  I am doing this because I know ahead of time this will help me minimize the effects of my "off track" eating for Thanksgiving Day.

My plan is to enjoy myself that day and eat a regular breakfast beforehand.  I now know the importance of not being famished at any point in my daily pattern of eating.  This also works fantastic for "off track" eating events and special holiday occasions in our lives.  I will make sure to eat a healthy midmorning snack so that I am not overly hungry before the Thanksgiving meal.  These little things make a big difference in the long run.  My goal will be to pick and choose what I really want to eat.  I am taking two dishes to the get-together, so I won't have a lot of leftovers to deal with afterwards.  That's a big plus!

Since I have lost and maintained my weight for close to two years now, I realize the importance of limiting my "off track" eating or special occasion eating to that one day.  This means that I don't start eating "off track" several days before and I don't eat "off track" the day after.

This is where I got into a lot of trouble in the years I was 40 pounds overweight.  I am continually trying to improve here or there in maintenance, so that I can be better prepared or incorporate new ideas along the way.

Once again, have a great Thanksgiving!

Best Wishes!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

I, like many people, love Thanksgiving Day!  It is one of my favorite holidays because it is a day to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for without a lot of fuss.  I think it's safe to assume that Thanksgiving Day will be an "off track" day of eating for the majority of us.  It should be if you stop and think about it.  These are special times in our lives where memories are created.  This day should be different from how we normally eat on the regular days of our lives.

Although these things make sense.  It also makes sense to keep a few things in mind along the way.  This does not mean we have to eat everything in sight.  This does not mean we have to sample everything on the table.  This does not mean we have to stuff ourselves to the point of feeling sick.  It simply means that we can make great choices and eat foods that we mostly choose to eat only on very special occasions.  Eating off track whether you're in weight loss mode or maintenance is not going to set you back in a major fashion at all.  If you limit your eating "off track" to just one day, you'll simply have a small hiccup in the area of weight loss or maintenance that you can easily correct within a few days.

Here are a few hints or examples of ways to keep it all in check on Thanksgiving Day.

1) Eat your normal healthy breakfast.  This will prevent you from becoming overly hungry.  Try not to "pick" at anything.

2) Hopefully there will be great healthy choices at your Thanksgiving meal so take advantage of choosing these foods first and foremost.  Sample the rich dishes and desserts in a small to moderate fashion.

3) Limit your "off track" eating of the rich foods and desserts to this day only.  Enjoy the other healthy dishes for the next couple of days.  Give the rich desserts and dishes away or simply freeze them if possible.

Now that I have lost all of the weight I had put on for close to two decades, I can easily look back to see how I accumulated all of those extra unwanted pounds.  I am astounded at how easy it has been to keep them off now that I have gained knowledge in the areas of setting up a healthy eating and fitness pattern for life.  Wow, I wish I would have simply taken the time to educate myself properly and make myself a priority back then.  I can't believe at times that I carried that weight for close to two decades when I never had to at any point.  I know I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving in many areas of my life.

I can now look back and realize that I treated most everyday like a holiday feast.  There never had to be a reason for me to eat high fat foods and desserts.  I now reflect on how I used to eat throughout the day on Thanksgiving Day and how I continued to eat 3 or 4 days afterwards in regards to the leftovers.

Therefore, it is not the holiday itself that presents a problem.  It is all the days before and after a special holiday that matter in the long run.

I, for one, cannot wait for Thanksgiving.  My first important goal is remember what the day is all about and for me, that is being thankful to God for all of my family and friends.  I can't wait to see everyone and I want the emphasis to be on that area and creating another beautiful memory in all of our lives.

I will also attempt to choose only the foods I really want to eat and I will eat them in a moderate fashion.  I will enjoy the desserts but I have no plans of eating to the point of feeling like my stomach could burst at any moment.  Those days are over for me and have been for a long time.

I have no intention of feeling guilt over the choices I make for special occasions because I realize this is not the way I eat on the regular days of my life.

That's why I can't wait for Thanksgiving Day!

Have a great day everyone!

Why Do We Need to Count Calories To Lose Weight or Maintain Our Weight?"

Counting calories is an almost surefire guarantee that you will eventually lose every last pound you've ever wanted to lose while keeping it off for a lifetime.   It takes the guessing and all the "drama" surrounding weight loss and maintenance out of the overall picture.   Once we reach our goal weight we will have the information we need for life from the knowledge we gained from becoming accountable for the amount of calories we eat each day.  This knowledge will be ours for a lifetime!

We talk in depth about the importance of knowing your count or daily intake of calories in weight loss mode in our book "Tame Your Inner Octopus!"  We feel it is the single most important skill we acquired in order to lose all of the unwanted weight.  Knowing your count is extremely important once you reach your goal weight also.  Yes, we all know that we can follow a particular "diet" or we can simply take a guess at our daily intake.  We wanted results; we didn't want to guess.  We wanted the facts.  We felt it was extremely important to see what our intake added up to each day in weight loss mode and thereafter in maintenance.  Research confirms knowing our count and writing it down daily makes us become accountable. This leads to overall success on a weight loss and maintenance journey.

This puts the power in your hands when it comes to determining how many calories you choose to eat each day!  You can look up the calories for a particular item on the Internet, from a calorie counting book or simply purchase a calorie counting device if you're short on time.  Then, you simply jot down what you eat throughout the day and add it up at the end of the day.  The facts are there staring at you straight in the face; there is no guessing and you are educating yourself for a lifetime each time you do it.  It is then, you will be able to see what 1,400 calories looks like in weight loss mode or what 1,800 calories looks like in maintenance for an average woman.

That's why people who keep a journal of their intake in weight loss mode are so successful.  They instantly become accountable and it keeps them on track each and every day.  They simply know they are doing everything possible, along with exercising, to reach success.  There is no guessing involved.

Once you have this valuable information; you will have it for a lifetime.  There will be no need to search for a new "diet"; there will be no guessing; you will have the knowledge you need to maintain your weight for  life!

Of course, you will need to set up a balanced healthy eating pattern both in weight loss mode and afterwards in maintenance.  This can be achieved by following the healthy guidelines at  http://www.mypyramid.gov/.  All of these suggestions and many examples are in our forthcoming book "Tame Your Inner Octopus!"

Maybe the question should be:  "Why wouldn't we want to count calories in order to educate ourselves so that we can lose weight and maintain our goal weight for a lifetime?"

Have a great day!

Do We Have To Give Up Our Favorite Foods Permanently To Lose Weight and Get Fit?

No way!  Who would do it?  If you stop and think about it, who actually wants to be thin and fit by staying away from all of the foods they love permanently?  Certainly not me or anyone I know.

But if we are not happy about being overweight or if we find ourselves struggling to maintain our weight, we may wish to form a new relationship with our not so healthy favorites.

Realistically, I think most of us would agree that we simply cannot eat cupcakes, ice cream, creamed sauces or most high fat or sugary foods on a daily basis.  It's common sense or we will struggle every day to lose unwanted pounds or maintain our desired weight.

In our minds we need to realize that our bodies only require a certain amount of calories each day.  We need to know that number.  Many experts state the approximate number of calories an average woman needs each day is in the area of 1,800.  Of course, this may be different for pregnant or nursing women or women who have a more active or less active lifestyles.  Always check with your Dr. when in doubt.

For the most part, if we wish to maintain our goal weight, we would need to stick to that number on a daily basis.  The problem of gaining weight occurs when we continually go beyond our everyday suggested intake.  This is where the pounds come on and stay on over the course of time.

So, we do not have to give up our favorite foods permanently but common sense tells us that we certainly don't need them hanging around the house while we are in weight loss mode.   We also don't need to have them within our eyesight on a daily basis if we know that we should not be eating them on a daily or weekly basis.  There are many healthy new favorites we can add to our daily pattern of eating which can replace these not so healthy favorites.

Many people have had to form new healthy relationships with their favorite foods in order to shed extra pounds or maintain their desired weight once reached.  This is one of the single most important goals to accomplish in order to lose excess weight and to maintain it for life.  I have had to form this new relationship with many of my not so healthy favorite foods.  I have also formed a healthy relationship with the great foods that I eat on a daily and weekly basis.  I now realize that I don't have to banish my not so healthy favorite foods from my life permanently; I can choose to eat them in a moderate fashion on special occasions or events in my life.  Trust me, there is always a special occasion or event right around the corner!

To sum it up, we can still enjoy our high fat and high sugared favorites.  We simply have to make sure we limit them for special occasions or events in our lives and eat them in a moderate fashion. 

Anyone can do it!

What Is a Healthy Lifestyle Change?

When it comes to losing weight or getting fit, most  of us have all heard the following: "It simply has to be a lifestyle change."  I'm sure we would all agree that this sounds great but exactly what does it mean and how do you create a "healthy lifestyle change" after years of doing your own thing?

Some of you reading this blog may already have a healthy eating and exercise pattern in place.  You may be reading this blog simply to add on new ideas or re-enforce the great habits you've already incorporated into your life.  Good for you; that is awesome!  You fall into the approximate 33% of our nation that is not overweight or obese.   Sharon, the co-author of "Tame Your Inner Octopus" and I clearly did not fall into that category.  We were in the category of you better do something quickly to reverse the bad habits you've created over decades or you're going to stay fat and unfit for the remainder of your life!  We were in trouble but we are proof, that no matter what age you are in life, whether you are younger or older, you can most certainly accomplish your goals when it pertains to eating correctly or setting up a healthy fitness pattern for life.

Yes, we were with the approximate 67% of our nation that is either overweight or obese.  We were among the millions who evidently didn't have a healthy eating or fitness pattern in place.  We both had our "That's It - Enough is Enough!" moment.  We both knew it was a now or never situation.

We simply knew we had to create a personal LIFESTYLE CHANGE.  What we didn't know was how we were going to go about setting one up.  There was no such book that we could find that spelled it out in an easy to understand manner on a level that reached us personally with all of the information we greatly needed. 

Here are a few of the feelings we had when we had our "That's It - Enough is Enough!" moment.

• I cannot continue to eat in this manner.
• I'm tired of carrying the guilt and the burden of all of the extra pounds.
• I'm tired of having no control over when and what I eat each day.
• I have to make a lifestyle change in order to overcome the unhealthy habits I now have in place.
• I realize it may at first seem extremely difficult to turn this around but I'll get past that and accomplish my goals. 

How did we incorporate a new healthy lifestyle change into our lives?

• We changed our eating habits and began to slowly incorporate exercise on an almost daily basis.
• We became accountable for how many calories we ate each day.  We created a deficit in order to lose the weight and we stuck to that intake until every pound we wanted to lose was gone.
• We replaced feelings of guilt with feelings of control and elation as the pounds dripped off week after week.
• We removed unhealthy items from the house immediately and we wrote down everything we ate daily so that we would stay on track and meet our personal goals as we began to educate ourselves.
• We researched the food pyramid at http://www.mypyramid.gov/ and set up our own healthy eating pattern based on our own  personal favorite foods.

Of course, there is so much more and all of it will be within the pages of our forthcoming book, It's Never Too Early or Too Late to Lose Weight - Tame Your Inner Octopus! In 30 days or Less!

Have a great day everyone!

Check Out These Three Awesome Exercise DVD's!

I have learned the hard way that when it comes to choosing exercise DVD's it is best to ask for recommendations from friends, family or co-workers.  I've bought a few that I wish I had not purchased but these three are the absolute best that I've come across!  I wanted to share them with you.  I'm going to break down why I like them and why I still use one or two of them on a daily basis.  I ordered all of them from Amazon.com at the following link:  http://www.amazon.com/

Winsor Pilates - Basic 3 DVD Workout Set was the very first exercise DVD I purchased close to two years ago when I first made major lifestyle changes in my eating and exercising patterns.  It is absolutely awesome for several reasons.

• Mari Winsor is a top instructor and has been in the business for over two decades.  She is highly professional and knows her stuff.  She has worked with many movie and TV stars.   She has three DVD's in this set.  One is a 20 minute overall body routine.  This 20 minute routine is great to start off with when you're getting back into conditioning after a layoff or when you simply want a great, short overall workout.  I started off with this 20 minute version because it allowed me to slowly build up strength.  It took me a month or so to get down the moves and I became stronger over time.  This 20 minute version of Pilates was my main DVD that I used for months and I used it almost daily. There is also an instructional DVD that breaks down the moves and there is an awesome accelerated 50 minute version of Pilates that I now use once or twice a week.  It is awesome!

I love this DVD by Denise Austin.  It was recommended to me by a young woman who loved her workouts.  It is awesome for the following reasons:

• It is divided into 10 minute mini routines that focus on the core, abs, hip, thighs and buns individually.
• There are different levels of intensity you can choose from and you can start out low and work your way up.
• You can put together your own custom routine.  My favorite routine on this one is the abs & waist, hips and buns.  I do this one at least two days a week.

Of course, you can switch this workout any way you like and you can make the workout as long or as short as you like.  I go for 30 minutes on this one as I've stated and I hit the abs & waist, hips and buns sections.  It is awesome!  I love the tropical scenery.  She is motivating!

Denise Austin's Personal Training System is off the charts!  It was recommended to me by the same young woman.  I use this one 3-4 times a week because it works your body in a totally different way than Pilates.  It is more like strength training that you can do in your own home. 

• This DVD centers on your upper and lower body areas.  She provides three different intensity levels which are low, medium and high.  It is awesome! 
• The mini individual workouts are each only 10 minutes long. 
• There is an upper body dumbbell routine.   I gradually built up to using five pounds and eight pounds weights for this routine and I mostly stick with the low intensity area because the medium and high level incorporate pushups.  This is awesome for people who like pushups but I stay with the low intensity in the upper body area on this one.  Believe me, it gets results and it is challenging.
• The lower body workout is incredible.  I started at the medium intensity on this one and I now stick to the high intensity.  It is so great because it has built up the areas that surround my knees.  I had problems in my knee areas when I first started walking briskly consistently.  Do you know once I added on this workout with all the squats and lunges I no longer have any sort of knee pain?  I am amazed.  I look at this DVD as a big bonus because it's sort of like a weight routine for me where I don't have to go to a gym.

I also love Exercise TV and during the week on the days where I am doing the dumbbell/squat routine, I do 20 minutes of Nicole Stewart or Elizabeth Garcia's Pilates.  They are awesome and it's good to mix things up.

I am always looking to add in great DVD's as I go along but these are the main great ones that I love and they provide great results if used consistently.  This may sound like an awful lot of exericising but it's not.  I only do 20 minutes of Pilates on the day I do my squat/dumbell routine which is also 20 minutes.  On the days that I don't do the squat/dumbell routine I do 30 minutes of Pilates.  I do my cardio of walking/running for 30 minutes six days a week.  So, I'm basically working out around an hour a day and at my convenience from my own home and surrounding area.  I've learned the hard way about finally making myself a priority. 

I wanted to share this information with you, so that you know these DVD's come highly recommended. 

Have a great day!

Is There Way Too Much "Drama" Associated With Food In America?

If you stop and take the time to notice, there's a tremendous amount of "drama" associated with discussions about the foods we eat throughout the course of any given day or week.  Whether it pertains to a "diet" or food in general, many of us talk about food as if it were human and possessed some sort of supernatural powers!  In fact, we give food way too much power, which diminishes our own self control over what we "choose" to eat at times.  It's time to take the "drama" out of our daily pattern of eating and put the emphasis on setting up an overall healthy eating pattern for life.  Realistically, we can and should enjoy great healthy foods every day of our lives but it's time to put food in its proper place in America.   There's far too much emphasis on eating the wrong types of food for all sorts of reasons.  We're way out of control with approximately 67% of our nation presently overweight or obese.

Food is not human, we all know this yet how many times have you heard the following type comments?

Myth:  I couldn't resist that cupcake; it was calling my name and I simply had to eat it!

Fact:  Cupcakes can't talk; they're not human; we make "choices".

Myth:  I feel like I'm in a "battle" or a "tug of war" with weight loss; it's an ongoing struggle. 

Fact:  Food is not human, we shouldn't feel like we're in a battle or tug of war, we make "choices".   We're giving way too much power to food if we talk in this manner.  It mentally puts us in an inferior position and we're not inferior, we're intelligent humans who take responsibility for the foods we "choose" to eat.

Sharon and I wrote about this topic extensively in our forthcoming book, "Tame Your Inner Octopus!"  We felt that we needed to first understand how we became overweight before we set out on our own personal weight loss journey.  We felt we needed to see the entire picture.

We quickly realized there was far too much "drama" and emphasis on food in general in our own lives and we knew it was an overall problem in our nation.  We saw the staggering statistics of being overweight and obese in our nation and we immediately knew we wanted to be on the lower side of the equation.  We wanted to be with the approximate 33% of our nation that was not overweight or obese.

We achieved our goal and it was not difficult.  One of the main reasons we were able to reach success came with the realization that there was way too much emphasis on food in our personal lives.  We realized very early on that we must take responsibility for the foods we choose to eat if we are to be successful for the remainder of our lives.

There's no doubt in our minds that thousands of others can do the same.

Have a great day!

Lordy Be! Study Shows Fatty Foods Head Straight for the Brain First!

A recent study by the UT Southwestern Medical Center, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that foods high in certain fats may head straight to the brain.  From that point the fat molecules encourage the brain to send messages to the body's cells to ignore the appetite-suppressing signals from leptin and insulin which are two important hormones involved in food intake and body-weight regulation.  Worse yet, our bodies may be tricked into eating more and the effect may last up to three days!

Wow! Although this study was conducted on mice and rats, researchers feel this strengthens existing dietary recommendations to limit saturated fat intake.

This study explains a lot if you stop and think about it.  How many times have most of us woken up the morning after a huge holiday meal or special occasion feeling like we wanted to eat anything within sight? Many times we haven't been able to pinpoint exactly why we have felt this way.  I strongly feel that most of us can also relate to the urge to continue eating that way for several days afterwards. 

In fact, here's a short story.  Our absolute favorite ice cream brand from back home branched out into the south florida area this past year.  Needless to say, we ran to the store and bought some!  Seriously, we could have easily chosen to clear the shelf.  Heck, I had lost all of the weight I wanted to lose and surely I could eat my most favorite ice cream in the entire world!  Hmm...my husband and my son gobbled it up with me.  Actually, one half gallon didn't last for more than two days.  After a month or two of eating it for one reason or another my son made this statement:  "I feel I have no control over eating this ice cream; I feel like I have to keep eating it for days until it is gone."  Do any of you notice his comments substantiate this recent research in rodents?  Granted he's not a rat nor is he a top researcher but I feel he did say something quite profound.  My husband and I felt the same way but like most people we really didn't understand why we felt this way.

Now, we have studies, such as this latest study that suggest there may be solid reasons to back our lack of control over our urges to eat certain foods day after day.

To me, this is yet another great reason why we should try to eat in a healthful manner 95% of the time.

I'm just like most people.  I enjoy eating high saturated fats but I have also learned that I can no longer allow them to rule my patterns of eating.  There's a time and a place to eat them and I'm in charge of when and if I choose to do so.  I don't believe in labeling certain foods as "bad".  When I do eat these type foods, I have  learned the importance of limiting my intake.  I know I may temporarily enjoy them but I also realize overall, they are not in my best interest to eat on any type of consistent basis.

I am finally learning to limit these type foods for special occasions and trust me, there are always special occasions around almost every corner if you stop and think about it.  I can't eat these foods everyday because I don't wish to struggle or battle out the repercussions of trying to get my body back on track.  I know that fatty foods work against me being able to control my intake of calories and regulate my body weight.

Yes, I must admit I feel a great deal of compassion towards the rodents in this research.   It was only a couple of years ago when I was in the same predicament!

Have a great day everyone!

Part II of The Not So Sweet Side of Sugars!

Part I of The Not So Sweet Side of Sugars centered on the American Heart Association's recent recommendations of added sugars.  The guideline suggested that women consume no more than 6 teaspoons (about 25 grams) of added sugars a day and no more than 9 teaspoons (about 37.5 grams) of added sugars daily for men.

I also posted a video clip from the Dr. Oz show on my previous post.  Since I would like to stay in that recommended guideline, I have begun to look at the labels on the products I consume on a daily or weekly basis.  You may wish to do the same when you have the time.  I no longer use white sugar but I do sprinkle brown sugar about a teaspoon or less on my sweet potato.  I use one teaspoon of honey on my half English Muffin.  I would like to use more honey in items where I use artificial sweetners.  I want to look into the new product "Stevia".   These are two areas that I can work on in the future.  There is so much to be said about "substitution" in the quest of building a healthy overall eating plan.  We just have to keep working on it little by little.  Small changes here or there add up to huge differences over time. It's the same with exercise.

Here's why eating too much sugar matters and why we must pay attention.  The American Heart Association says that a high intake of added sugars is implicated in numerous poor health conditions, including
obesity, high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease and stroke. 

They further state that added sugars and solid fats in food, as well as alcoholic beverages are categorized as "discretionary calories" and should be eaten sparingly.  Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the number one source of added sugars in the American diet.

I went grocery shopping yesterday and our store, like many, has certain items upfront on sale as you walk in just to make you stop and check them out.  I'm a sucker of course and I stopped, as always, to check out some of the items.  I picked up an innocent looking six pack of apple sauce with cinnamon.  I thought that would be a great addition to my area of healthy snacks.  Since I had the recent recommendations concerning the added sugars from the American Heart Association on my mind, I decided to check out the sugar content on the label.  You are not going to believe what it was for one serving of that apple sauce.  Remember, as women, we're supposed to have 6 teaspoons or 25 grams of added sugar a day.  This one small serving contained 26 grams of sugar!  That's why "Ignorance is Bliss."  If you don't educate yourself, you have no idea what could hurt you in the long run.  I know this, because this is exactly how I got fat and stayed fat over the course of two decades.  I do want this knowledge now and I want to take responsibility for knowing my overall limits because I never want to be in that seemingly helpless situation again.  I now have the knowledge and you do too!

Can you believe 26 grams!  I couldn't.  That one little container of hidden sugars was already over my suggested daily limit.

So, this made me want to check out other areas of hidden sugars in many of the items I eat on a daily or weekly basis.  Check out these everyday seemingly low sugared items.  Some of them are fairly low but in some cases, you wouldn't even think that sugar would be in the item.  That's the tricky part for most of us.

Barbecue Sauce:  2 Tablespoons = 12 grams
Reduced Wheat Thins: 16 crackers = 4 grams
Ketuchup: 1 Tablespoon  = 4 grams
Healthy Bran Cereal: 3/4 of a cup - 5 grams
Pork & Beans:  1/2 cup = 12 grams
Organic Animal Crackers: 13 crackers - 6 grams
Ken's Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette:  2 Tablespoons = 7 grams
Edy's Fruit Bars (Splenda added) (no sugar added) 1single type bar = 1 gram
Edy's All Natural Fruit Bar (double the size of single bar) = 20 grams
Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter Creamy: 2 Tablespoons = 1 gram

Remember what many experts state about low fat products?  They said to watch out for them because they may lower the fat but they may also up the sugar to make it palatable.  Check out the low content of sugar in Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter; that's a great example of a low amount of sugar in a natural product.

I don't believe in an all or nothing attitude. I like sugar.  I don't wish to banish any one thing from my eating pattern since I do eat healthfully 95% of the time.  I do believe in possessing the knowledge and taking responsibility for staying within my limits as recommended by highly regarded associations such as the American Heart Association.

Most of us know all of these things are true. Sharon and I wrote "Tame Your Inner Octopus" after we, as baby boomers lost every pound we had put on over the course of a few decades. We wrote the book so that people our age as well as people younger or older could benefit from a book based on knowledge, experience, compassion and understanding that takes you by the hand and shows you exactly how to set up a healthy eating and exercise patterns for life.

We couldn't find one such book with all of the information we so greatly needed. After we achieved our goals, we took all of our research and experience and wrote it down to benefit millions of others who greatly wish to do the same.

It is never too early or too late to set up a healthy eating pattern for life.  Sharon and I are proof that you can turn your life around at any time and construct a healthy eating and fitness pattern for life.  It is all in our forthcoming book, It's Never Too Early or Too Late to Lose Weight and Get Fit!  "Tame Your Inner Octopus!" In 30 days or Less! 

Have a great day!

The Not So Sweet Side of Sugar!

In a recent statement the American Heart Association has issued specific advice regarding our daily intake of added sugar.  It seems that many Americans eat 22 teaspoons of sugar a day!  It is recommended that women should consume no more than 100 calories (about  25 grams) of added sugar a day.  They also recommend that men consume no more than 150 calories (about 37.5 grams) of added sugar each day.   This comes out to about 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons of added sugar a day for men.  This is a recent statement from the American Heart Association that provides us with a more detailed guideline.  These are added sugars, not sugars found in natural foods like the fruits we choose to eat in a healthy balanced diet.  This does include the hidden sugars in many of the items we eat.

I'm one of the last people to be surprised by these recent high sugar consumption findings.  I am a former sugar fiend.  I never realized how much I loved sugar until I removed refined sugar from my daily eating pattern in order to lose the 40 pounds I had accumulated over the course of a near two decades.  Trust me, I love all the sugary items our grabby octopus is holding to the right.  I can vividly remember the withdrawal and frustration I felt when I could no longer grab any type of sugary item within sight.  That's a hard habit to break if you stop and think about it.  They say it takes 30 days to break a habit and that's about how long it took.  No one dared bring any type of sugary item into the house during that time period.  If they did, they received a look that was sort of between scary and pitiful.  Truthfully, I needed all the help I could get at that time and everyone was supportive.  I had to break that cycle or dependence.  We can call it anything we like but we all know the point I am trying to make.  I guess after decades all of my family had  witnessed my weakness with sugar.  I like the word weakness better than the word addiction!

I know I am one of millions of people who love sugary items!  Just recently I was watching Dr. Oz's new show that comes on right before Oprah each day.  Here's a woman, who was just like me at one time.  He had some great advice for her and I've already made these changes in my life close to two years ago.  If you have a chance, check it out; it's awesome!  Here's a video from that show where he is talking about sugar.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/break-your-sugar-addiction

There are some great tips on this clip.  We'll talk about additional new research on the effects of sugar on our bodies this week on our blog, Tame Your Inner Octopus.

Have you incorporated ways to cut back on sugary items in your daily pattern of eating?

Have a great day and please check this great video out!

Do You Eat at Scheduled Times Throughout the Day?

Truthfully, I didn't eat anything on any type of schedule for a period of close to two decades.  There were so many times where I skipped breakfast!  Trust me, because I grazed or "snitched" I got more than my fair share of calories in throughout the course of a day.  Oh yeah, and I had plenty of extra fat on my body to show for it.

Now, I do eat pretty much on schedule throughout the course of a day.  I have to for many reasons.  This is one of the single main reasons why I have been successful in losing the extra weight I had put on over the course of two decades.  It is also the reason why I have been able to maintain my ideal weight for over a year and a half. I stick to a balanced schedule of eating and exercising.  It is that important.

If you think of your day as the face of a clock, you can imagine a time schedule where you could easily spread out your caloric intake over the course of a day.  This is greatly beneficial whether you are in weight loss mode or maintaining your ideal weight once reached.

Of course it doesn't have to be perfect or look like this:

7:30 am Breakfast
10:00 am Morning Snack
12:30 pm Lunch
Etc.

It can look more like this:

Around 7:30-8:00 am Breakfast
Around 10:00-10:30 am Snack
Around 12:00-12:30 pm Lunch
Etc.

There are so many solid reasons why this sort of eating schedule is important.

1) Breakfast provides you with fuel after your body has fasted all throughout the night.  You need to get your system fueled up for the day.
2) Eating breakfast starts the spreading out of calories throughout the day in a balanced fashion.
3) Eating healthy snacks between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner prevents you from becoming famished.
4) Eating within a certain time period for each meal or snack prevents you from becoming famished or overeating due to a delay.

Here's an example of why I adhere to this type of schedule.  Just last night my husband and I went to visit our eldest daughter.  She was in the process of purchasing a car with her sister, my second daughter.  We were taking her puppy for a walk and waiting around until she returned.

Of course it took a long time and supper had long past.  My husband and I are used to eating on schedule around 6:00 p.m. or so.  My daughter was going to order a pizza on the way home from the dealership.

Here's what happened.  We were hungry so we began to eat snacks.  Most all of the snacks were healthy choices but still, they were snacks.  By the time she did return home, thank goodness the pizza guy wasn't far behind!

I'm sure you all can figure out what happened next.  The pizza came and we were so hungry that I ate more than usual.  Not a great amount but most certainly more than I normally do with my healthy eating patterns now in place.  Of course, I felt no guilt or remorse because I stick to a healthy eating plan 95% of the time and when I do choose to eat something off track, I do it intentionally and I enjoy it because I made a "choice" to do so.  It just made me realize how I used to eat like that most everyday!  I was so much like the grabby octopus!

Now I know more than ever the importance of staying on schedule with my eating.  This type situation confirms it all over again.  It most certainly does matter.  It is not a great thing to put yourself in a situation where you are overly hungry at any point during the day.

I am happy to say that I have finally learned these important facts and I'm happy to realize that I no longer allow this to be a frequent occurrence in my life.

For the most part, do you stick to a scheduled eating pattern throughout the day?

Have a great day everyone!

Have You Made Exercise a Priority in Your Life?

      Truthfully there were times in my life where I stopped making exercise a priority and I paid a very high price.  I stayed fat for two decades.  Yikes!  Most of us know that exercise is not going to solve all of our issues with weight loss but I think we all would agree, exercise benefits us in numerous ways.  We know we can't eat a huge piece of cake for 500 calories and expect to burn it off by walking very briskly for an hour at a 4.0 pace.  A 150 pound person would only burn off 340 calories for a full hour!  That's still approximately 150 calories in the hole!  That's why exercise can't wipe out what we choose to overeat beyond our proper daily intake. 

       There's no doubt moderate exercise works off a couple of hundred calories, which assists in our weight loss goals or maintaining our desired weight.  Let's take a look at all of the additional great reasons why we need to make exercising a priority in our lives.

•   Exercise makes us feel productive
•   We feel like we're going the extra step in taking care of our body. 
•   Exercise simply makes us feel great from a mental standpoint. 
•   Exercise creates endorphins that are uplifting.
•   We release tension and unwanted stress when we exercise.

       So how do we fit exercising into our daily routine?  We simply must make it a PRIORITY in our lives.  It's not being selfish, in fact, it's quite the opposite.  By taking care of yourself from both a physical and mental standpoint, you become your best for everyone else in your life but most of all you! 

       Here's a tip on being prepared to exercise:  Make sure your at home attire consists of workout clothes.  Yes, that right there is a biggie.  Purchase workout shorts or clothing that you can throw on the minute you get home or at the start of your day if you work from home.  Remember to dress like this on the weekends also.  This makes it much easier to transition to exercise at any point of your day or night that you can fit it in.  You're already dressed and ready to go!

       Exercise doesn't have to be a full hour at a time and you don't need to go anywhere special to do it.  In fact, many studies suggest that it is better to get your exercising in at different times and for shorter periods.  I exercise three times a day on most days.  I take a 15 minute minute brisk walk for a mile in the morning.

       At some point during the day I do 20-30 minutes of an exercise DVD of Pilates or a dumbbell/squat routine.  In the early evening I walk/jog for 30 full minutes for 2 miles plus.  I slowly built up to the 30 minutes of walking/jogging.  I have an established routine of moderate exercise that works great when you're in the weight loss mode or when you achieve your goal weight in maintenance. 

       Many DVD's can be purchased that have 10 minute lower and upper body routines with low, medium and high intensity levels.  This way, you can easily get a full body workout out in during a 20 minute time period.  Many experts suggest building up to 30 minutes a day of cardio most days of the week.  If you're dressed and ready to go, there's no need to change clothing if you want to grab a 15-30 minute brisk walk.

       Exercise clothing can be worn to run all of your errands throughout the day.  It sure works for me.  I don't have to stop at any point when I'm home to change into workout clothing.  I'm ready to put on one of my favorite 20 minute Pilate or conditioning DVD'S at my convenience day or night.  I can also walk right out my front door for my 15 or 30 minute walk.

        Everybody is different but for me, nothing beats being ready to go and having the convenience of getting all my workouts in from my own home at my convenience.  That's what has led me to be successful in making exercise a priority in life.

         I hope some of these tips will help you in making exercise a priority in your life!        

How Many Servings of Grains Do You Eat Each Day?

On the site http://www.pyramid.gov/ you can research your age group and activity level in order to find out how many grains it suggests you incorporate into your daily eating plan. The site states that based on my age bracket, gender and activity level I should be eating 6 servings of grains each day. That's great but I strongly feel this is the area I had to watch closely when I was in weight loss mode. This is also the area I cut back on if I want to drop a couple of pounds in maintenance. Here's why. The site at http://www.pyramid.gov/ states that a woman my age should eat the following intake of foods each day.



Grains 6 servings. (1/2 cup of rice or pasta, 1 piece of toast)

Dairy 3 cups

Vegetables 2.5 cups

Fruits 1.5 cups

Oil 6 teaspoons

Meat & Beans 5 oz.

Plus a certain amount of discretionary calories


It's pretty obvious that the first place I am going to cut would be the grains, dairy and discretionary calorie areas. Vegetables are low cal and are great fillers. The fruit area creates a balance and also provides me with something sweet yet natural. I must restrict my oils which include my all natural peanut butter, whipped butter and olive oil. I don't reduce much from 6 teaspoons because I know these measly 6 teaspoons are a fraction of what I ate when I wasn't eating in a healthful manner and I don't believe it has to be an all or nothing type change. I did measure consistently in weight loss mode in order to stay on track and remain accountable within my daily intake. This is an easy area in which to overestimate.


I take supplements for the calcium and I do eat yogurt, cottage cheese and skim milk but not always three cups. I like to eat 5 oz. of meat or beans because of the protein but I can also cut back there if need be.


Still, in my opinion the area of grains would be a great area to cut back on in order to lose weight. The site tells me that with my established exercise patterns I should be eating up to six ounces of grains each day. Without exercising I should be at five. The site also tells me that I need a minimum of three each day.


I like to cut back to three servings of grains in order to balance out my intake when I want to lose weight. Since I set up my healthy eating pattern I have switched over to whole wheat products and brown rice. It's funny but now my entire family loves whole wheat breads, pastas and brown rice.


Please take a look at what your body requires based on your age and activity level:

http://www.pyramid.gov/pyramid/grains.html


Here are some of the whole wheat products and grains I buy and have on hand in my home to pull from on a daily basis.

100 % Whole Wheat Bread by Arnold (Pepperidge Farms is another)

100 % Whole Wheat English Muffins by Thomas

100% Whole Wheat Hot Dog Buns by Natures Own

100% Pepperidge Farms Hamburger Buns

Whole Wheat Blend Spaghetti by Ronzoni Healthy Harvest

Whole Wheat Blend Linguine by Ronzoni Healthy Harvest

Whole Wheat Blend Rotini by Ronzoni Healthy Harvest

Mahatma Brown Rice Natural Whole Grain

Instant Brown Rice by Mahatma

All Bran Complete Wheat Flakes Cereal

Of course, there are many other whole wheat products that are of equal values. It's a matter of choice. These are products I am most familiar with and products that I use on a daily and weekly basis.


When I first set up a healthy eating plan, I went to this site and wrote down the products from each part of the food pyramid. If you're interested in setting up a healthy pattern this is a great way to create a shopping list while pulling from each category. This way you are choosing the foods you like from each category in order to set up your overall healthy eating plan for life. I will present each category of the food pyramid on my blog so that you can see how you can check out your areas of interests.


Have a great day!

Have You Checked Out www.mypyramid.gov? It is Awesome!

When I first decided to lose the weight I had put on over the course of two decades, I automatically knew that I was not going to start looking for the latest or greatest diet. For the most part, I did not "diet" during those past two decades. A couple of times when I did try to "diet", I quickly went right back to all of my old past habits. I felt I was just like the grabby octopus and that I simply had no control over my eating habits for the remainder of my life. I felt burdened and powerless.

I think I always knew deep down inside that it all comes down to eating correctly. I just didn't know how to set up an eating plan properly in order to eat balanced meals in the right amounts. Sure most of us may think we know but I soon found out I didn't really know! I had to educate myself and learn!

My Dad was a great example for me in life while growing up. He mastered the art of knowing how to "eat to live." He didn't live his life in a "live to eat" manner. My mom, bless her heart, was a wonderful woman but together they were very similar to a certain childhood poem most of us know well.

Jack Sprat could eat no fat.

His wife could eat no lean.

So betwixt them both, they licked the platter clean!

Yep, that pretty much sums up my parent's eating patterns throughout their lives. So, I was exposed to two extremely different eating patterns.

It's been well over a year now that I've lost the weight extra weight or fat as I prefer to call it. I am a realist and I have always called the extra weight that I carried around for two decades "extra fat". I think I realized from the start that if I was going to attempt to set up a healthy eating pattern, the first logical place to start would be from our basic food pyramid. That made a heck of a lot sense to me.

That's what I did, I went straight to that site and found out how many calories I should be eating each day and what I needed from each food group. My goal was to first set up a low calorie balanced pattern of eating in order to lose all the weight and then up my intake from the same food areas. That way I wouldn't have to get off a "diet"; I would already be eating correctly from the start. Of course I had to cut back in certain areas from what they suggested I eat daily for my particular age and activity level in order to create a deficit to lose the extra weight.

Check out this link to see what they suggest a person my height, weight and age should eat at 54 years of age on a daily basis. It's really interesting. Of course, remember I had to cut back in order to create a deficit in order to lose the weight but this is what they suggest I eat on a daily basis. I modify it and even in maintenance I eat fewer grains and dairy but this is pretty much the way I eat on any given day.

http://www.pyramid.gov/mypyramid/results.html?name=undefined&age=54&gender=female&weight=125&heightfeet=5&heightinch=5&activity=low&weightN=126&heightfeetN=5&heightinchN=5&validweight=1&validheight=1&

This site has information for everyone, no matter what age, height, weight, activity level or gender; it's awesome!

Setting up a personal healthy eating plan based on my particular likes really made the process of

losing weight and maintaining weight a wonderful experience. It is truly a method and pattern you can live with for a lifetime and you only have to learn it once. It sure beats waiting around for the next latest or greatest diet!

I think it is so important that all of us realize that we have this valuable site where we can all look up what's needed to create a healthy eating plan for life!

Have a great day everyone!

Do You Frequently Experience "Food Guilt?"

From time to time many of us express feelings of "guilt or remorse" after eating some of our favorite so called "bad" foods. How many times have you heard yourself or others utter the following:

• Gosh! I am so weak! I can't believe I ate that!
• I couldn't help it; it seemed to be calling my name!
• It's my favorite; I simply could not resist!

I could go on and on but I think most of you get my point. For me, this was a daily routine. I wasn't even conscious of what I was eating at times because I didn't want to take responsibility for anything I chose to eat or not eat for that matter. Still, on a daily basis I personally felt a tremendous burden of having so little control and repeating the same patterns over and over. Just like the grabby octopus!

There were so many times I felt like I was Bill Murray in the movie "Ground Hog Day". You know, where you get up with the best of intentions but no matter what you do, your entire day is pretty much the same as it was the day before.

I now realize that "Food Guilt" is not a good thing. If I decide to eat something "off track" or not a part of my daily or weekly pattern, it is a conscious "choice" I make. Therefore, I am taking responsibility for it because I want it and feel like I can work it into my healthy eating pattern without going overboard.

I don't like guilt. I think it is destructive and many times "guilt" keeps you in an inferior position when it comes to food choices. Many times we hear people say, "Losing weight or maintaining weight is such a struggle or tug of war."

I finally realized food is food. Food is not human; it is not a person calling your name. It doesn't have magnetic forces that force us to eat any particular item good or bad. We make choices and we take responsibility for the choices we make pertaining to food.

There is no room for guilt. The main goal we should have is to eat well 95% of the time and stay "on track" for the most part. When we do choose to eat something that may not be the most healthful choice, let's make it a "choice" and take responsibility for making that choice because we want to.

This way we are breaking any unhealthy cycle of guilt or remorse in our food choices!

Have a great day!

Do Thin People Really Eat?

I used to tell myself that skinny people simply didn't eat that much. I thought for the most part they had some sort of super control that most of us don't have in life. In my mind I told myself that surely they had to be suffering to look that good or to be in that great a shape. I am a realist and of course I "realized" that I told myself these things so that I would feel better in some small way.

Well, very often we all tell ourselves little fibs in life. I have no doubt this was my way of letting myself off the hook by not taking responsibility for the "choices" I made pertaining to my food selections in my everyday life. For me, it was all or nothing. So, I took the safe comfortable side and settled for all. That resulted in me gaining 40 unwanted pounds of fat over the course of almost two decades. I pretty much ate what and when I wanted. I was just like the grabby octopus at times!

So true, I didn't deny myself of "nothing". Double negative, I know, but I have to get my point across! The truth is I didn't want to take a "time out" and educate myself in the area of setting up a healthy eating pattern. The truth is, I didn't really know how to do it! Not that many people do. It's a hit and miss sort of thing.

I realize now more than ever that there are many thin people who do not starve themselves. Many thin people simply eat properly and exercise moderately. Most of us know that what we "choose" to put into our mouths is far more important then what we can "work off" during exercise.

There's no denying that eating properly 95% of the time and exercising consistently work hand in hand from a physical standpoint as well as a mental standpoint.

Our forthcoming book "It's Never Too Late or Too Early - TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS IN 30 DAYS OR LESS! has the secrets to losing weight and keeping it off permanently!

Have a great day everyone!

It's Friday and The Start of Labor Day Weekend!

Weekends are awesome for many reasons! The weekend is a time where we don't have to be as strict with our routines as we are during the weekdays. We have opportunities to catch up here or there or work on a project around the house. Heck, who knows, it can also be about getting several errands accomplished or relaxing at times. We can't forget about that either!

I like weekends because it's a time my husband and I get to do activities together. It may sound mundane to some but I prepare a grocery list during the week, that pretty much stays the same, and we replenish our staple healthy foods every weekend. This is the only way we've been able to be so successful with our healthy eating patterns in life. It is that important that we take the time to always have healthy foods to prepare and choose from to eat.

The weekends are also a time to get in extra activities that burn off calories or simply keep us in shape. Bike riding, swimming laps, walking, kayaking, it really doesn't matter there are so many ways to get extra opportunities in on the weekend.

Like I've mentioned before never underestimate gardening, washing your car or spring cleaning type activities. Those are the best, because you not only get in a great workout, you get something you've been wanting to do accomplished. That makes us feel productive and that's a great feeling for many reasons!

I've posted a picture of the breakfast I ate this morning. If you're a man, just add a hundred or more calories. You can add the other half of the English Muffin or increase the amount of grits. If you're a woman who would like to add more calories, just add the extra you feel necessary.

Here's the breakdown:

1/2 English Muffin 60

Quaker 5 minute grits 130

2 teaspoons of whipped butter 35

1 teaspoon of honey 20

2 small slices of cantaloupe 45

4 teaspoons Fat Free Coffee Creamer 40

Total Approximate Calories for Breakfast: 330

This works great for me!

Exercise: Small Efforts Do Add Up!

It's great to realize that our exercise routines don't have to be set in stone or laid out in some type of regimented manner each and every day. It doesn't have to be that way. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing type of goal each day. Exercise can be added all throughout the day and in any manner you choose. A person can get up in the morning and go outside for a simple walk at a brisk but comfortable pace of 3.5 miles and burn up to @ 133 calories in 30 minutes. Part of a lunch hour can be used for a 15 minute walk.



People who have pets can take their pets out for a walk 2 or 3 times a day and get their exercise in at the same time. All of these things count.

Exercise is not only about losing weight or burning off calories. It's great for our bodies in general. Exercise doesn't always have to be formal as in taking a specific class. Many times it's the little things like gardening, washing your own car or cleaning your own home that keeps us in shape while burning off extra calories.

Of course, it is great to have your standard routine to a certain degree. Routines like walking briskly daily for 30 minutes a day at a brisk pace are beneficial. It sounds easy and it can be but remember to build up as you go and to always listen to your body. Of course, remember to also check with your Dr. before starting any new routine when in doubt.

Walking for one hour daily at 3.5 miles can burn up to 277 calories.

These are all goals some of us may wish to keep in mind.

Never underestimate the little walks or efforts we make to stay in shape. It's all good and it all adds up over time!

Have a great day and keep moving! It all counts!

Do You Put Premium Fuel Into Your Body?

This may sound like a strange question but actually it makes a lot of sense if you stop and think about it. Many people purchase top quality vehicles. Very often they spend a great deal of money for these type vehicles and wouldn't dream of using regular gas over the premium fuel that is recommended by the manufacturer.

Yet, many people don't treat their own bodies in the same manner as they do their vehicle. Hopefully, we're much more valuable to ourselves and our loved ones then a car that can be replaced.

We should also be extremely "choosy" about what we eat on a daily basis, unlike the grabby octopus! We should reach out for premium fuel for our bodies in the correct amounts whether we're in weight loss mode or whether we've already reached what we feel is our appropriate healthy weight.

This way, we are operating at our very best each and every day! Remember, to check out mypyramid.gov to see what healthy foods are recommended for your age and gender.

Here's my breakfast for today! My overall daily goal as a woman who is in maintenance is in the area of 1,600-1,800 calories.

1 slice of Pepperridge Farms Whole Wheat Bread 100

1 tsp of honey 20

1 large egg 70

20 grapes 60

2 tsp of whipped butter 35

4 tsp of Coffee Mate 40

Total approximate calories: 325

Have a great day everyone!

Is Breakfast a Part of Your Everyday Plan?

Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day for many reasons. For one thing, this is the longest time period since your body has last eaten. It is sort of like a mini fast of several hours. That's why it is extremely important that you take the time to fuel your body in order to balance out your caloric intake over the course of the day in the best manner possible. This provides your body with the energy you need to get going!

Some people feel by skipping breakfast, they are thereby saving calories for later. This usually backfires and in most cases we end up being famished by the time our next meal rolls around. That's why the balancing out of our proper intake all throughout the day, keeps us satisfied and on target for the day. Always remember to add in a 100 calorie midmorning snack around 10:30 to ward off becoming overly hungry by lunch, plus, it's great for you. Add another low calorie snack in mid to late afternoon and it provides the same result. Some examples would be cantaloupe, a few grapes, a few nuts, a pear, banana, etc. This works beautifully.

I will be posting several examples of healthy breakfasts as I blog along the road of life. Today, I took a picture of my breakfast. I had to get on a chair to do, so I hope you like it! The total for this breakfast is approximately 350 calories with my coffee creamer included.

Here's the approximate breakfast breakdown:

Half of a Whole Wheat English Muffin 60

NonFat Yogurt 3/4 cup 110

Blueberries 15

Grapes 36

Banana slices 33

Honey 20

All Natural Smucker's Peanut Butter 1 teaspoon 35

Non Fat Coffee Mate Creamer 4 teaspoons 40

Total Approximate Calories for this Breakfast = 349

Have a great day everyone and a wonderful weekend!