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!