Top Tips on Weight Loss From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! CUTTING OUT EXTRA CALORIES!

I would love to say that I am one of those RARE people who know how to maintain their weight perfectly who never, ever go over their five pound cushioned area on the scale.  Everyone of us knows that type of person.  You've never seen an extra pound of fat on them in your life!  If you're one of them, I applaud you!

I'm not one of them but I am in awe of their commitment and control over their eating patterns.  I do strive to become one of them but I seem to miss the "mark" on occasion.

I am happy to say that I have been successful in maintaining my weight in a healthy area for over two years now but I still have to "tweak" my eating pattern if I go off course.  I would like to get to the point where I don't have to do much "tweaking" and I'm able to eliminate the little extra calories that creep on over time.

I've recently mentioned that I was in the process of taking off a few pounds added from back to back "special occasions" in my life.  I'm happy to say that those three to four pounds are gone!  Sure, I realize it doesn't sound like much but it is if you stop and think about it for a moment.  That's almost the weight of a five pound bag of sugar!

That's why I make it a point now to STOP and get rid of a few extra pounds before it becomes a problem.

That's why it's important to "tweak" your eating pattern in order to eliminate extra calories to get the extra unwanted pounds off so that you can return to the safe cushioned area on the scale where you maintain your desired weight.

It feels good to take off those 3-4 pounds but I'm going to continue on this path and take off a few more.  The holidays are right around the corner and I want to be in a comfortable place before they hit.

Wish me luck because I'm going to need it!

Top Tips on Weight Loss From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! TAKING OFF A FEW POUNDS!

It's not fun realizing you need to lose a few extra pounds.  It's far better to be able to shake them off right after they begin to accumulate but sometimes that's not possible.   Sometimes, special occasions fall back to back.  This summer we went on a summer vacation, had family visit from Louisiana capped off with two birthday celebrations.  This created several back to back situations of eating "off track".

I had to "STOP" and face the fact that I was five pounds over my safety cushion on the scale!  Yikes!  I also realized that very soon the holidays would be approaching.  That's when I knew it was time to get serious and create a deficit of calories in order to get rid of the few extra pounds.  I'm happy to say I've already had great results and I've lost three pounds.  I'm going to continue until I get to the low part of my cushion so that I can be ahead of the game once the holidays arrive.  I have no plans to go "hog wild" but let's face it, I want to enjoy Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day without restricting my calories to any great degree.  These are special times in our lives that we want to enjoy.

It's been a week and half and as I go through this process flashes from the past have re-surfaced.  I'm remembering how hard it was at first to break all of my old bad habits in order to lose all of the weight in the first place.   It makes me thankful that the healthy eating pattern I set up over two years ago has made it possible for me to maintain my weight in a good area. 

It also makes me realize why it's difficult for so many of us to lose weight in the first place.  People overeat for a multitude of reasons.  Here are just a few that I have observed and experienced.

• Boredom
• Stress
• Depression
• Happiness
• Comfort

I've noticed, once again, since I've restricted my intake that there is a tremendous degree of focus on food in our everyday lives.  Everywhere I look I see advertisements, magazines and restaurants that call out for the average person to focus on food.

There's little doubt that one could be labeled as slightly "abnormal" if they are able to stick to a healthy pattern of eating in order to maintain their weight for an extended period of time.

I'm convinced one of the main reasons that 68% of our nation is overweight or obese is because we simply have too many options.

Think about that for a second.  There was a time when man had only the barest of choices.

Realistically, do you think a "caveman" would be able to pass up a slice of Key Lime Pie?  I think not!

Top Tips on Weight Loss From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! Do Thin People Actually Eat?

What is it about those naturally thin people?  From recent statistics there are only approximately 32% of Americans that fall into this category.  The other 68% falls into the category of being overweight or obese.  Not good.

What traits do these thin people have in common?  Why do they seem to always have their eating habits under control?  It seems they have the ability to maintain their weight effortlessly.  Are they strongly intuitive and simply know when to stop eating or walk away from items many of us can't seem to resist?

I would venture to guess it's a combination of many of these things.  I, like many, used to believe they simply didn't eat and perhaps they were simply starving themselves in order to stay slim.  That can't be true because many of them would have passed away by now.

I looked up to them as if they were a "freak" of nature.  I told myself that because I couldn't imagine I would ever be able to maintain my desired weight without denying myself of great foods for eternity (that's a long time!) 
 
I now realize they've figured out a pattern of eating that works for them.  I had a father and mother-in-law who knew when to quit and how to eat in a healthful manner all throughout their lives.  I think most everyone has someone they know that falls into this description.

It's not a bad thing to observe their great habits and try to mimic them in order to set up your own healthy eating pattern for life.

I continually work to improve my daily eating habits.  I must; I know the consequences if I don't!

Have a great day!

Top Tips on Weight Loss From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! Taking off the dreaded "CREEPERS!"

Most of us experience putting on a couple of extra pounds after "special occasions" in our lives.  I call them the dreaded "creepers" because they're the 3-5 pounds that seem to creep on without us realizing when or how it happened! 

Maintaining control over the foods we eat each day is not always easy but it's the "key" in keeping weight off.  Some people do it effortlessly.  That amazes me!  It must be awesome to be able to instinctively know when to quit eating.  I had to set up a "go to" healthy pattern of eating in order to lose weight and maintain my weight.  I couldn't simply wing it and hope for the best.

I am in awe of thin people who aren't even tempted to overeat or eat things that they know will add pounds!  It makes me wonder if their taste buds are working properly or if they simply possess some type of "supernatural" control.  I have to admit, I'm not one of them!  I have to stay away from foods like that and not bring them into my home on a daily basis.  I have to make sure there aren't too many "special occasions" of off track eating in a row so that I can rid myself of any unwanted pounds before there's another holiday or "special occasion" in my life.

I know these things now because I failed at doing them for close to two decades.  That's why I am always questioning and "tweaking" my eating patterns.  I have to admit it's been a learning process since I've lost the weight two years ago and I find I'm still experimenting here or there.  That's a good thing because there is no "one" perfect way to maintain your weight.  You have to find your own way of doing it and do what works for you!  Like I've read recently: It's OK to always be working on losing the last 3 pounds because it keeps you from gaining more!

I've made efforts to watch when a few pounds show up on my body.  Here's my latest observation.  Most of the time, it's not one single thing that we do but a culmination of "special occasions" that set up a pattern where we continue to eat off track here or there.  I'm not talking about binge eating; I'm talking about simply adding a couple of a 100 or more calories here or there on a daily basis.  It all adds up and it's easy to do, even when you're eating low fat and sugar free items.  It takes approximately 3,500 extra calories in order to put on a pound, so it has to be a culmination of all the things we do both big and small to put on extra pounds over a period of time. 

That's what happened to me this summer.  It's no big deal.  I still fit in all my clothes but they're now a little snug.  I don't like snug.  Snug can turn real fast into not being able to button your pants.  You all know what I'm talking about.

I know how these "creepers" came back on and it's a good thing to know because it's a lot better than being in a state of denial!  Here's the list of how they came back on:

• We went on vacation (I ate many things I don't normally eat)
• Right when we came back I made a big "feast" for family members visiting from Louisiana
• I did it again the next day because I was on a roll and had an excuse to eat "off track" again
• We had a family birthday and I made another "feast" with pumpkin cake and Blue Bell ice cream
• On an everyday basis I started to slip here or there with my light snacks; I ate more than usual

All of the above caused me to gain 5 additional pounds that I don't normally carry.  I've noticed I haven't been able to shake off those pounds as fast as I normally do for the following reasons:

• On an everyday basis I started to slip here or there with my light snacks; I ate more than usual

That's the one reason I haven't been able to shake off those few extras pounds.  I haven't changed a thing about my daily exercise, so that hasn't been the issue.  This proves that exercise alone does not equal weight loss if you're eating more than you normal eat to maintain your weight.  I quickly realized I am not about to workout consistently and work against the grain of maintaining my weight by eating too much.  That's totally frustrating! That's why I am always experimenting.  I have to if I wish to maintain my desired weight.  I'm happy that I take the time to STOP to figure out where I've messed up and why I can't shake off undesired weight.  Here's my plan and it's already working.

• Since I couldn't shake off the weight, I had to get serious and cut back like I did when I lost all of the weight and drop my daily caloric intake to @ 1,200 calories (no lower for a woman).  A younger woman may choose to stay in the 1,400-1,600 range for weight loss.
• I upped my exercise routine by changing things up and increasing my cardio here or there. 
• I added swimming back into my routine.  I now realize it was a big factor last year in keeping weight off when it became so hot outside that I couldn't walk in the morning as usual.  I could only walk at night but even then, there's always an occasional rained out evening.

I've already lost 2 lbs. but more than that, I feel like I am in control, sort of like one of those "skinny" people who seem to possess "supernatural" powers.  I'm far from feeling hungry so that means the great foods that I've chosen, my basics, allow me to feel satisfied.

I guess I'll always be experimenting and that's a good thing because it means I have finally realized that I am the only person who is in control of my eating patterns when it pertains to maintaining my desired weight.

Do you have your own method of losing a few extra pounds?

Best Wishes!

Top Tips on Weight Loss From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! The Importance of Tweaking Your Workouts!

Let's face it, if you're like me, every now and then you become bored with your workouts.  Sometimes we don't even realize we're bored until we "tweak" our routines.  I workout consistently (thank goodness because I like to eat).  Even though I workout almost every single day (that's a good thing), I knew I was bored with my same routines.  In fact, I was becoming increasingly bored with my exercise routines.  I needed to do something fast before I began to dread working out out in general.

I kept remembering how much I enjoyed swimming laps last summer.  I reminded my husband how much we enjoyed it and I continued to mention that we needed to get back out there and test the waters (pun intended) again.  He happens to have a foot problem that has been interfering with his tennis and walking routines, and I knew this would be a good thing for him also.  We both enjoyed lap swimming years ago, when our children were younger and swam competitively.  We knew it would be a good thing to do.

Wow, I have to admit, it was an awesome idea!  There's nothing like getting into a 25 yard Olympic sized pool, where others are swimming laps right next to you.  Everyone is encouraging and it's plain fun to be out there with the sun shining brightly and you're so close to nature.  I love the way swimming allows you to work out every part of your body and relaxes you at the same time.  I'm glad we decided to get back in the water.  It's so beautiful being outside.  Sometimes, during cool down, I'll turn on my back and look up at the gorgeous blue sky and I'll see the tips of the Palm trees swaying in the breeze.  I forgot how relaxing swimming can be.  It's also a wonderful place to meditate.  It's just you, the pool and your thoughts.

There's little doubt that it can be difficult to get a walk/jog in with the summer heat.  I've done it but I have to admit it's been difficult at times this summer.  I imagine it's like that for everyone during the summer in most areas.  I'm glad I still managed to do it but in the future, I don't think I'll forget to add a swimming routine during the summer.

I've learned a huge lesson.  I've learned the importance of "tweaking" my exercise routines and not allowing myself to get in a rut!  I think it would be a great thing to switch things up each season or at the very least take a long look at your workout routines.  Maybe take some routines out and add new things in and bring them back later during another season.  That way you'll never allow yourself to get bored because you'll soon be changing things up! 

I need to work on that and while I'm doing that, I'm long over due in deleting all of my songs off my I-Pod.  Maybe that's what's been boring the heck out of me.  If I hear "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson one more time, I may begin to weep.  I don't care if I only add in 10 new songs, I can't bear to listen to the same songs that I've been listening to for the past two years!  Isn't it amazing how easy it is to stay in the same old rut?  Sometimes you don't even realize you're in one.  I guess we all have to remember to "tweak" different areas of our lives. 

Have a great day!

Top Tips on Weight Loss From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! Do We Over-Glorify Food in America?

Before I lost the extra pounds I had accumulated over the course of a near two decades, I found myself continually glorifying many of the foods I chose to prepare and eat.  Take Key Lime Pie, it's one of my favorites as everyone who reads my posts knows by now. It would be easy for me and I've done it, to over-glorify this dessert.  Here, let me give you an example of what I'm talking about with this picture of a slice of Key Lime Pie:

The crust is a rich golden brown shell made with crushed graham cracker crumbs and rich creamy butter.  The filling melts in your mouth, it is to die for as it contains two cans of luscious condensed milk, not one, and 1/2 cup of authentic Key Lime Juice from Key West.  The topping is real whipped cream that can be made into lovely miniature rosettes to adorn the edge of this creation.

That is an example of how people tend to over-glorify food.  Of course, I still enjoy things like Key Lime Pie, pecan pralines and peanut butter fudge but thank goodness, I am no longer "foaming at the mouth" in anticipation of preparing or eating these special delights.  Simply put, I had to stop OVER-GLORIFYING food and think more about getting the best fuel into my body in the proper amounts on a daily basis.

It doesn't even have to be a dessert, it could be lasagna from a special restaurant.  Just last night one of my daughters was asking me if I had eaten lasagna from a great local restaurant.  We both went on describing how it melted in your mouth.  I mentioned that the pasta had to be made from scratch because you can't get pasta like that from a box.  I will spare you the full description!  In the back of mind, I was thinking the entire time, that I was once again, over-glorifying food!  At least I am now aware of the problem.

It's OK to enjoy special desserts and special meals for special occasions in life.  We all know it's important to enjoy these times in life.  It's not a good thing, at least it wasn't for me, to eat these type foods on a daily basis and expect to maintain a proper healthy weight.

That's when we get into trouble.  We get into trouble when we over-glorify everything we eat and when we choose to eat this way on a daily or weekly basis.  If we do this, most of us cannot expect to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  I sure couldn't!

I had to form a new relationship with food.  I realized that right from the start.  I was way too involved in an emotional way with the preparation and enjoyment of food, especially foods that I should not have been eating on a daily or even weekly basis. I had to learn real quick to think of food as great fuel for my body.  In my mind I have only a certain amount of fuel my body requires each day in order to operate well and maintain my weight.  I had to LEARN to respect food and choose wisely.

I find it funny now because I am easily able to notice people who over-glorify food.  Last week I noticed someone famous on TV over-glorifying a high fat dish that was being prepared on the show.  This person is my age and has struggled with weight for decades.  I wanted to tell her all that I had learned.  I wanted to say, "Yes, it's a great dish but it's only food and we can't over-glorify these type foods.  We have to save them only for special occasions in our life! Don't over-glorify these type foods or you will continue to struggle to lose and maintain your weight!  I was just like you until I formed a new relationship with food."

No, I didn't talk to the TV set but I wanted to!  I realize all I can do is put it in a book and write it on my blog, so that I can continue to reach out to others to discuss the importance of enjoying these type foods on special occasions in our lives and eating in a healthful pattern 95% of the time.  I'm far from perfect but that's what I try to do on a daily basis. 

Have a great day!

Top Tips for Weight Loss From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! Losing the Last Five Pounds!

Most of us have experienced the difficulty of losing the last five pounds.  Why is it so difficult? One of the main reasons is because there’s less room for error in the area of cutting calories.  Many of us have felt the great rush of the first few pounds slipping off at a swift rate when we first cut back on calories. Not long after, we realize the scale seems to move at a much slower rate. In fact, many of us feel like there's a great deal of time in between dropped pounds where we begin to question if our scale is working properly. Trust me, it’s fine, it simply takes time and patience to lose weight. It will move again. The experts continually remind us that it’s best to lose weight in a healthful manner and at the rate of 1-2 pounds per week.

Once we get down to the last five or ten pounds patience while remaining consistent in our eating and exercise patterns comes into play in a big way.

It’s OK to always feel like we’re working on losing the last five pounds because it keeps us from gaining an additional five pounds. That’s why it is important to check the scale every couple of days. It’s a reminder of how well we’re doing at maintaining our weight. If we’re over the five-pound mark, it’s a big “red” flag that says, “You better watch your eating habits before the scale continues to move in the wrong direction.”

Most of us have said or heard others state the following: “I don’t know why I’m not losing weight; I’ve cut back on calories for several days; this is not working!” That’s what’s called being totally unrealistic. If you’ve cut back calories in weight loss mode to the area of around 1,400 daily for the average woman, you’re right on track to lose the extra pounds you wish to lose. All that’s required now is a great amount of PATIENCE. What’s most important to remember is that the process of losing weight whether it’s over a 100 pounds or the last 5 is the fact that it boils down to four steps:

1. Cutting back on calories in a healthful manner and sticking to your eating plan until you lose the extra weight

2. Exercise (aim for everyday, this way you’re covered if you have to miss a day or two)

3. Patience

4. Consistency

It may take a couple of weeks or more to lose five pounds at a rate of 1-2 pounds a week. It make take several months to lose 50-100 pounds or more but it’s going to happen if we do all four of the above steps.

It will happen; we simply have to possess the right mindset! We need to visualize how we want to look and feel from the moment we wake up, all throughout the day and until our head hits the pillow each night.

It’s not a matter of if; it’s only a matter of when. It will happen.

Have a great day!

Top Tips on Weight Loss from TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! 5 Tops Reasons We Overeat!

If you’ve been reading my posts, you’ve heard me repeat many times over that our bodies only need a certain amount of food each day to operate efficiently. If we eat more than our bodies require, it is stored as extra fat. Experts have stated that the average woman needs around 1,800 calories per day. It’s as simple as that in the average case.

If we stop and think about it, we might all agree that it would be awesome if we learned how to put the correct amount of food into our body each day. We might further agree it would be great if we chose the healthiest foods and spaced them out over the course of the day so that we could set up a healthy eating pattern for life.  It would wonderful it we learned to eat this way 95% of the time.

This all sounds so simple but the fact remains that the majority of our nation continues to struggle with overeating. Why do so many millions among us still operate as if overeating is not that big a deal? There are several reasons and here are my top five.

1) Eating without accountability is fun. We don’t want to count calories and learn how many calories we’re actually eating each day.  It would take the fun out of anticipating what we were going to eat next.  We like that element of surprise.  If we took the time to count calories and learn how many calories we’re eating, we would realize we’d have to become accountable in order to lose weight and keep it off on a permanent basis. If we don’t know how many calories we're eating and never take the time to find out, we can continue to throw complete abandon and know that we’re with the majority of the approximate 68% of our nation that is either overweight or obese.

2) Eating without accountability fills voids that we wish to ignore or don’t wish to face. Eating takes our mind off of the voids in our lives.

3) Eating without accountability temporarily relieves our everyday stresses in life.  Many times, we eat for comfort.

4) Eating without accountability can make us feel as though we’re temporarily lifting our spirits when we’re depressed.

5) Eating without accountability is a habit that we have ingrained into our systems over the course of many years. In many cases, it is a part of our culture.  Food is almost everywhere we look throughout the course of the day!

These are my five top reasons why many of us overeat in America. I say this because I personally experienced each and every one of them before I set up a healthy eating pattern and learned how many calories I actually needed to eat each day.   Please realize, once I learned this, I did not have to continue to count calories on a daily basis.  I did it all while I was in weight loss mode and shortly thereafter in order to learn to maintain my proper weight. 

We have the power within us to take the time and ask ourselves one important question each time we pick up a piece of food: What is the true reason I am considering eating this at this moment?

If it's for any of the top reasons above, put the food down and make the choice to distract yourself in another area.  Remember, you're breaking a habit.  When I first learned to do this, I had to actually take food away from my mouth, put it down and walk away.

Setting up a structured healthy eating pattern throughout the course of the day at scheduled times can prevent overeating. It can become your daily "go to plan".  It can become how you choose to eat in a healthful manner on a daily basis 95% of the time.  Choosing the best foods possible to eat at breakfast, lunch and dinner each day is a great way to break unhealthy habits. Eating healthy mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks can prevent us from becoming overly hungry before our scheduled times of eating.

Learning how many calories we need to eat in weight loss mode and maintenance is a great basis for losing and maintaining weight permanently. The knowledge we gain can prove invaluable for life.

We can do it; we simply have to face the facts and create new habits for life!

Have a great day!

Tops Tips From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! Key Lime Pie Recipe!

We've just returned from our annual vacation to Key West.  If you remember, I've recently discussed that Key West is known for its great Key Lime Pie.  They even have a Key Lime Pie Contest.  Since I apparently have some sort of fascination with Key Lime Pie, I thought it would be wonderful to take the time to share the best Key Lime Pie recipe I've been able to put together.

Of course we all know by now that this blog, for the most part, focuses on eating in a healthful manner.  That's a fact but there are times in our lives where we go on vacation or eat "off track" for special occasions in our lives.

In the past week, our family has had two of these occasions and they were back to back.  Our vacation was great and right after we returned we had relatives from Louisiana visit for a few days.  It was wonderful and I had two occasions and excuses to eat Key Lime Pie! 

Now it's back to my everyday eating "on track" pattern.  I've already steamed broccoli and cauliflower.  I've made a big batch of split pea soup.  I love having a healthy eating pattern in place.  It's made a huge difference in my life.  Just this past week it dawned on me that I once had an out of control eating pattern where everyday seemed to be a "special occasion" to eat "off track".  I don't live that way any longer.  That's why I've been able to stay in shape for over two years now.  That's why I thoroughly enjoy the special occasions where I do eat "off track" in my life.

Now, let's get back to the great recipe for Key Lime Pie!  It's wonderful to have around for "special occasions" in your life.  I hope you enjoy it also.  If you have any questions just write me back and I'll fill you in!  Please note, I will be including recipes in the future in my blog posts.  I will also be sharing a new great recipe for pulled pork!  Make sure you subscribe to my posts and have your friends and family hop on board also.  Some great things are coming!

Key Lime Pie

Crust
1 1/4 cup of graham crackers crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling
2-14 ounce cans of condensed milk
6 egg yolks only
1/2 cup of Kermit's Key Lime Juice or the juice of around 20 little key limes (I suggest you order the key lime juice on line at www.keylimeshop.com) You can make four pies from one bottle.   It's called Kermit's Key West Key Lime Juice.

Topping (optional)
1/2 cup heaving whipping cram
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

Use a 9" pie pan only.

Make the crust and press it into the pie pan on bottom and up all sides.  You don't have to make it go over the top perfectly.  Take a large spoon and press it firmly into the pan.  I then bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350.  This makes it harden slightly and it firms it up.

Take the crust out and set it aside.  Lower the temperature of the oven to 300.

Begin to beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until pale and fluffy.  About three minutes.  Slowly blend in the condensed milk and beat until you have a light and fluffy mixture for a couple of minutes also.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the key lime juice.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 15 minutes at 300.  The pie should be firm after this amount of time.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.  Once it has been cooled you can cover it loosely and store in the refrigerator to chill.  You can serve it after it has chilled.  It can be made a day or two before.

I like to make small rosettes with the whipping cream.  Just beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Add in the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  You can purchase the little tips made by Betty Crocker in the decorating section of the grocery store.  You can make your own decorating sleeve by snipping a small hole out of the tip of a small plastic sandwich bag.  Insert the small rosette tip and simply fill the plastic bag with the whipping cream.  You can proceed to make the small rosettes all around the top edge of the key lime pie.  Truthfully, I tried this method once and it works but it was sort of a mess.  I know it will be easier next time but it was a heck of a lot of fun and it came out so pretty!  I'm considering upgrading to a professional type tip/bag for the future.

Have a great day!  You have to make this pie!  Everyone will absolutely love it!  Trust me!

Tops Tips For Weight Loss From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! First Five Steps to Permanent Weight Loss...

These are great top tips for the first five steps to permanent weight loss while setting up a healthy eating pattern for life.

1)  Create the right "Mindset".  It is best not to think of this is as a "diet".  It is best to realize from the onset that you are setting up a healthy eating pattern for life.  This will be a lifestyle change.  This eating pattern will be your "go to" plan of eating on a daily basis 95% of the time.  This does not mean you will never eat another "brownie" in your life.  It simply means you know it would be hard to eat them everyday of your life and expect to reach and maintain your goal weight.  Realize, if you wish to lose weight, you will need to create a deficit of eating fewer calories each day.  Many experts suggest that the average woman requires approximately 1,800 calories a day.  If you are overweight, you are probably eating more than that each day in order to maintain your weight.  This is where the deficit of calories comes in.  Many experts suggest creating a deficit of 500 calories each day in order to lose one pound by the end of a week.  It takes approximately 3,500 fewer calories in order to lose one pound.

Sure, you can simply trim off 400-500 calories and set up a 1,400 calorie per day plan of eating.  That's a nice spot. You can do this by eating 400-500 calories less each day or by a mix of exercising off 200-250 and eating 200-250 less.  It's all up to you.  All that really matters is that your cutback or deficit equals 3,500 calories by the end of the week.  Remember, if you're eating way more than 1,800 calories like I was before I created a deficit to lose weight, you'll probably lose more weight initially.  It's widely known that there's no fast way to lose weight properly.  That's why 1,400 is a nice spot to start for the average woman, you can even go up slightly higher to 1,500 or 1,600.  It may take a little longer but it's all up to you.  It's good to note that experts do not recommend women go lower than eating 1,200 calories per day. One of the reasons is that your body could think that it's in some type of "starvation mode" and hold onto to fat for protection.  This is what happens at times when people hit a plateau.  Sometimes they are too low and don't know it because they don't know how many calories they are actually eating.  Eating way too few calories can work against your goals in weight loss.  That's why counting calories is an awesome way to know in your mind that you're doing all you can do in the correct manner in order to achieve your goals.  You don't have to do this for life but the information you get from learning what 1,800 calories looks like is invaluable for success in maintaining your weight for life.  You will no longer be searching for the latest or greatest diet; you'll know how to take off a large amount of weight or the last five pounds you've always wanted to lose.

2) Get rid of the junk food in your home or hide it away and out of your sight until you are strong enough to resist and after you've become comfortable with your new healthy way of eating.  This may take up to a month or two.

3) Compile a list of healthy foods you enjoy from the basic food pyramid, located at www.mypyramid.gov.  This site spells out what your body needs each day in order to form a healthy balanced diet.  This is a great place to pull from while creating your healthy grocery list.  It's awesome, you can see what your entire family requires based on their gender and age!  Go to the grocery store and purchase all of the healthy foods you enjoy eating on a weekly basis.  Realize this list will grow over time and it is perfectly fine to eat the same things over and over but always in the correct proportions in order to stay within the deficit you've created in order to lose weight while in weight loss mode.  You can find out how many calories are in the food you eat by purchasing a book or looking on the web at sites like caloriecount@about.com. Remember, to always write down what you eat throughout the day on a tablet or in a composition book.  This is a way of making yourself accountable for every article of food that you choose to put into your mouth!  This one habit in weight loss mode has been greatly proven to assist you in losing every last pound you've ever wished to lose.  Trust me!  I did this and it works!

4) Eat at the right times and in the right amounts.  If you know you have only a certain amount of calories you can eat each day in order to stay on course so that you will continue to lose weight until every last pound you've wish to lose is gone, make sure you eat at regular times throughout each and every day.  This is the key in preventing yourself from overeating by not allowing yourself to get to the stage of becoming famished.  Here's a sample guideline to follow.

Breakfast  Between 7:00 and 8:00 am
Mid morning snack  10:00 to 11:00 pm
Lunch 12:30 to 1:30 pm
Mid afternoon snack 3:00 to 4:00 pm
Dinner 6:00 to 6:30 pm

5) Exercise.  Week by week the weight will continue to drip off of you.  It only helps the situation if you can begin to walk or do some condition type exercises on a daily basis.  You don't have to join a gym; you can slip in a 20 minute yoga or Pilates DVD and/or begin walking by opening your front door each day.  It's all good and it all works towards reaching your goal.  Remember to stick with your healthy eating plan and look for new ways to introduce more healthy items into your daily eating pattern by adding them to your healthy grocery food list each week.

Do these top five things while in weight loss mode.  It's best to stay away from special "eating occasions" when you're in weight loss mode.  It's best to stay away from eating out often.  If you must, then choose widely.  Ask for your fish to be prepared with a small amount of oil.  Order two sides of healthy vegetables or salad.  Skip the rolls, desserts and appetizers.  It's all good if it all works in your favor and it will over time.

If there is a get-together that you feel you can't or don't wish to miss, make sure to bring your own healthy foods or eat before you and make small healthy choices once you get there.  This way you don't have to miss these special occasions; you can enjoy them without focusing on food items that work against achieving your desired healthy goal weight.

Later, we'll discuss how to incorporate "off track" eating into your healthy eating pattern.

Always remember it is widely recommend to consult with your Dr. before beginning a new diet or exercise program if you have any concerns.

Have a great day!

I Had Another Run-In With Key Lime Pie!

OK, I guess it's obvious, I happen to like Key Lime Pie!  This is the second post I've written on the subject.  I ate "off track" slightly Saturday.  It was a "special occasion" because a relative came into town and we took her out to eat.

It was lunch and I knew we would be eating "off track" Sunday due to it being Father's Day, so I didn't go overboard and I ordered a cup of soup and a half sandwich.  Trust me, there was nothing low cal about my meal but it was better than a burger with fries.  My husband ordered that; it's one of his safe favorites.

At the end of the meal, I asked, OK, I pleaded with everyone to have a dessert that we could all share at the table.  No one bit, so I did the next best thing and ordered it "to go" for myself.  Yes, it was the slice of Key Lime Pie again.  I took it home and I asked my husband to share it with me.  It always makes me feel better to split something when I know it's not in my best interest to eat it alone.  It's sort of like having a partner in crime and my husband is always up for a challenge of this type.

I discovered that this particular version of Key Lime Pie tasted more like a light cheesecake.  In fact I had to take a couple of bites before I found the little key lime distinctive taste.

My husband agreed.  I pondered a bit and realized that I need to be very selective about what "off track" type "high caloric" item I'm going to purchase.

I've decided, from now on, it's going to have to be worth it or it's simply not worth eating.  Who needs to eat an extra, not particularly healthy item for 400 calories or more and have it not be worth it?  Not I, said the pig...

I didn't finish off this slice of pie.  I passed it on to my husband.

I did learn a valuable lesson.  Make "Key Lime Pie" yourself or go to where you know you can get a great piece of Key Lime Pie that's worth eating "off track" for in life.  I have an awesome recipe by the way but it takes FOREVER to squeeze 20 of those little key lime suckers!

I also have an upcoming trip to "Key West" planned.  If my memory serves me correctly I think Key West is known as the home of the "Key Lime Pie".  I saw a special on TV about it. They even have a contest for the best Key Lime Pie where people compete from all over the place.

I'm going to the same restaurant I went to last year where I know they serve an awesome piece of Key Lime Pie.

As far as today.  I'm going to exercise and get right back to my 95% way of eating healthy on a daily basis.

But somewhere, in the deep recesses of my mind, I'll be dreaming of my next "off track", special occasion (vacation) type eating, where I will once again partake in the eating of a slice of Key Lime Pie!

Have a great day!

Top Tips From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! Eating Doesn't Have to be an Event; Keep It Simple Most Days.

One way to lose weight and keep it off permanently is to de-emphasize food on an everyday basis. Food is basically fuel for our body and we only need a certain amount of it each day. If we eat more than our body burns off it shows up as excess fat on our body. It's as simple as that in most cases.

It goes back to "Eating to Live" versus "Living to Eat". Yikes! That's a mouthful if you stop and think about it. I can still hear myself saying the following: "I'm starving! Let's go get something "good" to eat. Where do you want to go?" Let me tell you one thing, ultimately the place I chose was not a place where I ate a simple, healthy, and in the right proportioned meal.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying food. I love to eat but I realized over two years ago that my thoughts cannot be centered around what I am going to eat next throughout the course of a day. I have to always have my basic plan in place. Food used to control me; now I control what I eat. I now realize why I gained 40 pounds of excess weight in the first place. I now have the knowledge of how to keep the extra weight off and under control. I know food is important in my life but I acknowledge that I must always aim to keep it "simple" most everyday of the week. I call that my "on track" daily eating habits. I try to go straight through the weekend eating this way. Guess what, keeping it simple and eating many of the same foods each week but in a slightly different manner at times is perfectly fine because it works and if it works, keep doing it!

It's OK to stick to meal plans that work for both you and your family. It's OK not to bring foods into your home that are known to be high in sugar and fats. This way, no one will be tempted to eat them because they won't be hanging around staring at you in the face each day. It's great to continually be working on healthy "replacements" for the high fat and sugary items in your life.

There's nothing wrong with eating "off track" every now and then. My gosh, we have enough birthdays, holiday celebrations, or special occasions all throughout the year to eat "off track".

It's best not to treat each day as if it were a holiday or special occasion in our lives when it pertains to what we choose to eat. We can't continually be rewarding ourselves with foods we know prevent us from losing weight or maintaining our "ideal" weight.

It's best to keep it simple, eat in a healthful manner and aim to eat what our body is capable of burning off each day. Doesn't that make great sense for all of us?

Have a great day!

Top Weight Loss Tips From TAME YOUR INNER OCTOPUS! It's Best NOT to Eat Off Track on the Weekends!

Hey, let's be realistic here! We've all celebrated the feeling of eating well all during the week and thinking it's OK if we eat "off track" all throughout the weekend. If you stop and think about it, it doesn't make great sense to nullify what we do all week long and simply blow it over the weekend. We end up being right back where we started on Monday if we "choose" that type of mentality.


Why not take on the "mentality" that we're going to attempt to stick to a plan throughout the weekend just like we do during the week? We're all constantly bombarded with new opportunities to "eat" for various reasons. At some point, we need to re-focus our energy on making the best "choices" so that we can always be in a great position to achieve the goals we wish to reach in this area of our lives.

We want to be in control of the "choices" we make as they pertain to the foods we "choose" to put into our mouths. We don't want to live the life of the "grabby Octopus" that shovels food into its mouth at any point in time throughout the day or course of the week.

We can do it! We can learn to eat well and accomplish our goals throughout the entire week!

That includes the weekends too!

Have a great day! Have a great weekend!

Aim to Walk for 30 Minutes Each Day!

Walking for 30 minutes a day sounds too easy. The truth is, it is easy and it's something you can easily fit into your daily routine. You can break it into two 15 minute outings. You don't have to hop in a car and go to a gym. You don't have to schedule it at any certain time. You can simply grab your I-Pod and walk out the door whenever you find that window of time. It's like anything else that's important in our lives, it needs to become a PRIORITY!

That's what's so great about always having your workout clothes on throughout the day or right after you return home from work. You're always ready to walk out the door to get your walk in for the day. Simply choose your own pace. Some people are brisk walkers. Some people walk so fast they end up jogging at times. All of this OK and it's something you can work up to over time.

It's a great feeling to get your 30 minute walk in each day. It revs up your metabolism, produces endorphins that make you feel great! You also burn calories while observing nature, getting fresh air and clearing your mind.

That's hard to beat and it's free!

Top Tips From Tame Your Inner Octopus! Wear Your Workout Clothes Every Chance You Get!

Make it a goal to slip into your workout clothes first thing in the morning or as soon as you arrive home after work. I know this tip sounds simple but this single tip automatically puts you in the best position possible in order to get your workout in on a daily basis. You don't have to stop to change your clothes; you're ready to go whenever you create or find that window of time!

Trust me, this works beautifully! When I first began to incorporate daily exercise into my life I quickly realized that I did not like the idea of having to stop what I was doing in order to change my clothes for a workout. I wanted to fit my exercise routine in when I felt like it and when I felt I had a window of opportunity.

It didn't take me long to figure out that I would always be in a great position whether I was ready to in pop in an exercise DVD or take it outside to get my 30 minute walk/run in. One thing's for sure, I'm dressed to go!

If you take the time to stop and look around while you're out doing errands, you'll notice that there are many people who are dressed to workout. In most cases these people are in great shape because they have made exercise a daily priority in their lives.

Dressing to workout not only provides you with comfort but most of all it puts you in a great position to fit exercise in as a priority. You're always ready to go! All you have to do is pop in a 20-30 minute Pilates or conditioning DVD or step outside to get your walk or run in for the day!

It's true! "Dressing to Workout" can assist you greatly in making exercise a priority in your everyday life!

Top Tips on Weight Loss From Tame Your Inner Octopus! Eat to Live! Aim to Get The Best Fuel Into Your Body Each and Every Day!

I was the type person who "lived to eat" each and every day! I ate when I was stressed. I ate when I was bored. I ate when I was happy. Truthfully, most of the time I ate for no reason at all! I didn't have to have a reason because food is everywhere we look! Yes, I did look just like the grabby Octopus, without the hat of course! To me, eating was one of my hobbies, and I had become an expert at it over the years.

I now realize that I allowed food to control me. I'm the type person who does not like feeling controlled by anything! I finally realized that one simple fact before I set up my healthy eating pattern for life. I also realized I was far from alone, approximately 68% of our nation is either overweight or obese. For some reason, that made me feel better. I guess I realized that food controlled millions of people's lives and it wasn't just my problem. Do you ever feel controlled by food or are you able to stay on course and eat in a healthful manner and in the proper amounts throughout the day?

I made the decision to let go of the guilt and set up a healthy eating pattern for life. I made sure not to mention the word "diet". To me, the word "diet" describes a temporary change. I knew what I was about to do had to be way more than the latest or greatest diet on the market. This was to be an incredible major change in my life. I realized I had already spent 18 years of my life eating out of control with no established healthy eating pattern in place. In most cases, I was eating based on my emotions and that is never a good thing. I made up my mind that I had to once and for all put the time and research in so that I could set up a healthy eating pattern for life.

I now control what I eat each and every day. I have learned how to put the best fuel into my body each and every day and I try to stay within my required daily caloric count in order to maintain my weight. If and when I "choose" to eat off track, it is a conscious decision that I make and I take responsibility for that "choice".

My goal has been to get the best fuel into my body in order to lose weight or maintain my weight on a daily basis.

I feel great every day and food no longer controls me. I no longer "live to eat".

I now "eat to live" and I love my healthy eating pattern.

Most anyone can do it!

Top Tips for Weight Loss at Tame Your Inner Octopus! Don't go on a diet; set up a healthy eating pattern for life!

It's important to realize that the words we choose to use in life are many times directly related to the goals we wish to achieve. Right from the start of my weight loss journey I knew what I was about to do would have nothing to do with the latest or greatest "diet" that was currently on the market. I knew my short and long term goals had to be much more than a temporary "diet" in order to lose weight and keep the weight off on a permanent basis.  I strongly felt that diets don't usually work for long term success in establishing permanent weight loss.

That's why, right from the start, I decided that I was going to set up a healthy eating pattern for life. To me, telling myself I was on a "diet" would have made me feel like I was continually depriving myself of so many of the foods I loved. I didn't look at it that way. I made the choice to tell myself that I was going to once and for all learn the correct way to eat on a daily basis for life. Words are important so we must choose them wisely. They frame our mental state and help set up our overall goals.

I didn't broadcast what I was doing because I wanted this commitment to be on a personal level. Of course, friends and family continually asked if I was on a "diet". It was so funny; they were amazed! It was like I was doing something so unnatural and going totally against the grain. Sadly, with approximately 68% of our nation either overweight or obese, I was going against the grain when I was setting up my healthy eating pattern. It's totally understandable why so many people asked but my answer was always the same and it was truthful. I simply stated, "I'm setting up a healthy eating pattern for life." To me, that's a profound statement.

It sounds simple doesn't it? It was a simple statement but that simple statement was loaded with conviction and determination. I was tired of carrying around the burden of the extra weight and I felt like I was stuck with my unhealthy daily eating patterns. To me, I felt like I was in the movie "Ground Hog's Day" where each day I would set out to eat in healthful manner but before I knew it I was stuck right back where I started the day before. I think many people feel the same way most days but I wanted out. I wanted to eat in a healthy fashion 95% of the time. That was my goal.  I knew I had to take the time, once and for all to heavily research what I needed to do to make these permanent changes.

First I found out how many calories I should be eating on a daily basis. It's funny but many times people embark on a diet because they want to follow an eating schedule that's already set up. They want a fool proof method to lose the weight. Sure, it may work temporarily but usually when people get off the diet, they fall right back into their former eating pattern. That's why the basic eating pattern of a person or family must change if there is to be long term success. That's why we all continually hear, it has to be a lifestyle change.  Many people don't know how many calories their body requires on a daily basis. I now know the average woman requires approximately 1,800 calories a day.

It's important to know that number. From that point I knew I had to create a deficit of calories in order to lose the 40 pounds I had put on over many years. That's right, I called it a "deficit" of calories instead of saying I was on a "diet".

I then created a healthy eating plan derived from the basic food pyramid. Many experts suggest the area of 1,400 calories when creating a daily deficit for women. I think it's a great spot. It's important to go no lower than 1,200 because your body may think it's in a starvation mode and then you may plateau or not lose weight.

I eventually lost all of the weight in a matter of 5 months. To me, that was such a short amount of time when compared to the 18 years that it took me to put the extra weight on.

That's how important my healthy eating plan is in my life. I started out in the right place by eating healthy foods at scheduled times throughout the day. In weight loss mode I stayed within the deficit level I had created. Thereafter, in maintenance, once I reached my goal weight, I simply added in a few hundred calories in order to maintain my goal weight.  It's great because I started the basic healthy eating pattern in weight loss mode and I didn't have to change any of the foods I was eating once I reached my goal weight.  I simply added in a few hundred calories from the same healthy items. 

If you wish to lose weight and keep it off permanently, take the time to Tame Your Inner Octopus and set up your own personal healthy eating pattern for life!

Best Wishes!

Top Tips for Weight Loss at Tame Your Inner Octopus! Don't Put Junk in Your Trunk! Purchase Healthy Items Each Week at the Grocery Store!

My new Twitter account is called inneroctopus.

Please follow me! One of the best and easiest ways to eliminate junk food from your daily eating pattern is to not purchase it or bring it into your home in the first place! Remember, we do not want to look, think or behave like the grabby Octopus!

I know, this sounds so darn simple but trust me, this is one of the very first things I did when I was in weight loss mode over two years ago. Think about that fact for one moment, if the unhealthy, high caloric items are not in your home, you can't eat them, so why purchase them in the first place! This one tip is extremely important both in weight loss mode and thereafter in maintenance once reached.

Think of it this way. When mothers are ready to wean their babies from the bottle, they don't put the bottle on the counter to remind the baby of the habit they wish for them to break. It would be sort of cruel to do so.

This is why it is extremely important not to purchase and bring these foods into your home or workplace in the first place. There's no need for them to be hanging around when you're in the process of getting extra weight off or when you're continuing to maintain your weight for life. Some experts state that it takes approximately 30 days to break a habit. It makes a great deal of sense to me not to have items in our home that work against what we are trying to achieve, especially when we are weaning ourselves from unhealthy habits.

From the very first week I made up mind to set up a healthy eating pattern in weight loss mode, I made sure that no foods of this nature were purchased or brought into my home on a weekly basis. I did it and it worked beautifully. If foods gifts from special occasions did come into my home, they were put out of sight very quickly, eaten by other family members or thrown away.

Remember, there's a difference between going on a temporary "diet" in order to lose weight and making a permanent lifestyle change and setting up a healthy eating pattern for life.

There's no room for unhealthy high caloric foods in life on a daily basis if we wish to be successful for life.

Try not to purchase them in the first place and save them for "special occasions" only in your life.

Have a great day!

Oprah! You Are Not Alone!

A few months ago, I, like many, witnessed "Oprah" expressing her long term struggle with weight loss. Tears came to her eyes, and I found myself cringing because I too have been there and like many, I have felt her pain. I wanted to say, "Hey Oprah, I know exactly what you're feeling! I've been there; I was just like you, minus the billion and I found a clear way to lose the weight; I can help you!" That's how life is for the most part, when we find a "solution" to anything we struggle with in life, we want to share it with those who may still be searching for answers.

Actually, I have a lot in common with Oprah. Please, refrain from laughing. We are approximately the same age at 55. We were both born in the month of January. We both have struggled with weight loss. We were both born in the deep south in states right next to each other, she in Mississippi and I, in Louisiana. Yes, unfortunately, I am not a billionaire like Oprah but fortunately I am no longer overweight.

I feel one of the reasons Oprah is so successful is due to the fact that she is a down-to-earth, open and honest person. She makes people feel like she's just like one of them and most people would would welcome the opportunity to get to know her better. Oprah is the real thing!

I admire the fact that during that small interview she had the courage to declare out loud, to the world that even with all of the avenues of help she has had in this area of her life, she still struggles with the issues of being overweight.

Oprah is one of the approximate 68% of people in our nation who is either overweight or obese. She's in the majority because there are only 32% of us that are not overweight or obese. Now that's a staggering statistic, isn't it? This is what I quickly came to realize at the start of my research at the beginning of my personal weight loss journey two years ago. After researching the statistics, right off the bat, I felt a sense of relief. I was not alone, this was not merely about me and my overall failed attempts at weight loss. Being overweight or obese in our country is close to a darn near national epidemic!

My next step was figuring out how and why becoming overweight or obese happens to so many of us. Then I had to delve much deeper to learn how to turn it all around.

I did, along with my co-author, and that's why we felt the great need to write the book, "Tame Your Inner Octopus!" in 30 Days or Less! We know for a fact that it is never too early or too late to make these type changes in your life.

It's real simple once you come to certain realizations and set up a healthy eating and exercise plan.

We did it; you can do it too!

Have a great day!

I Ordered a Slice of Key Lime Pie...

No, it's not a big deal if you choose to order Key Lime Pie. Unfortunately for me, at this particular time, it was not the smartest move I could have made. Allow me to set the stage.

My husband and I traveled to a nearby city so that he could play tennis with our eldest daughter. It was a beautiful day and I had been ahead of the game all week with my eating well and exercising routines. I was feeling pretty good while still trying to shed a couple of pounds I had put on over the course of the holidays, a cold weather snap, a brief unexpected medical problem, a four day mini trip and my recent birthday celebration. I was well on my way towards accomplishing the goal of losing the weight and feeling good. My plan was to stay away from reasons to celebrate where food was involved. Now we all know this is quite hard to do in America.

I had a great workout the day before and my plan was to sit on the sidelines, enjoy the beautiful weather and finish a book I had been reading. Not long after, during a court switch, my daughter casually asked if we would like to go out to eat after the tennis match. If you know me, I don't need to be persuaded in the least when the subject of food or eating out comes into play. I was like, "Yeah, I'm in!" Truthfully, I almost fell off the bench in anticipation.

So much for control, not even a moment's hesitation. After the match, we piled into our cars and proceeded to drive to a quaint little seafood/burger type restaurant on the beach. I ordered the peel & eat shrimp for an appetizer.

By the way, peel and eat shrimp is always a great choice! We split it three ways and I had five shrimp.

Here's the aha moment that I apparently missed. I didn't stop to think about the best choices I could have made for my main meal, in fact, I felt entitled to eat a hamburger because I rarely eat one out anymore and I rarely eat fries. Forget about the things I sometimes do eat that I shouldn't, these two things I rarely eat and that's a fact if anyone cares.

That's when my husband and eldest daughter's mouths dropped open and their faces immediately expressed great concern. You see, it's like my little family unit has this fear that I'll turn back into the grabby Octopus and start treating myself like a human version of a garbage disposal. Hey, guys, I got rid of my GDS or Garbage Disposal Syndrome two years ago! Give me a break!

Then it came down to another big decision. Do I order a burger and fries for myself or should my husband who can finish a half burger in two bites in less than minute and I share one order? I don't trust him. I know the pattern. He eats his and then starts in on mine. I have a problem with anyone touching the food on my plate. It is my domain and everyone who knows me knows this. I wasn't about to let that happen and again, I had done so well all week long, this was my REWARD! Yikes, food can't be a reward, I know that, it's in our book, "Tame Your Inner Octopus!" Yes, I knew all of this but when the waiter came over I promptly blurted out. "I'll take a hamburger medium well with FRIES!" I could see the fear in my husband and daughter's faces. It was like they were thinking, "Wow, she's going for it; I hope she's not reverting to her old pattern of eating."

I ate only a half of that burger and of course, I didn't eat all of the fries, my husband and daughter took a few and there were a few left over. I was TEMPORARILY happy but then I had another dilemma, was I to "choose" to order dessert?

Well, remember I had done well with my eating and exercising all week long, why not I told myself. My daughter sort of looked at me like, "You're not going to order dessert Mom?" In fact, I don't think she thought it, I think she said it out loud, "You're not going to order dessert Mom?" I've always been the rebellious type and I quickly stated, "Yes, I am."

I did it and I ordered coffee too. In my mind I was celebrating the beautiful day, the quaint little beach side restaurant and the opportunity to be with my husband and eldest child. In my mind I was creating a beautiful memory.

The truth is, I have a lot of beautiful memories and I really did not enjoy that Key Lime Pie, it wasn't the greatest I had ever eaten. I only ate about four small bites of it and it wasn't worth ordering. I wasted money and it simply wasn't necessary. Another valuable lesson learned and at least I am now able to assess the situation after the wrong choices are made.

In the past, when I was overweight, I wouldn't have cared or have been aware because I was the grabby Octopus who ate mindlessly throughout the day and I did treat my body on a daily basis like a human garbage disposal.

The moral of this story is to know when not to order Key Lime Pie!

Have a great day!

Here's What 1,400 Calories A Day Looks Like!

As a woman, my goal in weight loss mode is to modify what the food pyramid says I normally need to eat on a daily basis so that I can lose unwanted pounds. I do this by simply creating a deficit from what I should eat to what I need to eat in order to create a deficit of around 400 calories each day.

I will first list an example of how I modify my calories in weight loss mode at approximately 1,400 calories. My goal has always been to set up the best balanced healthy eating pattern while in weight loss mode. Once I reach my "ideal" or "preferred" goal weight, I simply add in around 400 healthy calories from the same food basic food groups in the food pyramid in order to maintain my weight. This comes out to around 1,800 calories a day.

Here's An Example of 1,400 calories a day in Weight Loss mode:

Breakfast (Around 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.)

1/2 of a Whole Wheat English Muffin 62

1 teaspoon of peanut butter (Smucker's All Natural) 33

1/2 of a sliced banana 55

1 teaspoon of honey 20

6 oz. of Plain Non Fat Yogurt (I mix in Splenda) 80

25 blueberries (mixed in the yogurt) 20

4 teaspoons of lite or fat free Coffee Mate creamer 40

Breakfast Total: 310

Mid morning snack (around 10:30)
1 cup or @ 37 seedless red grapes 110

Lunch (around 12:30)
1 slice of whole wheat toast 110
2 oz. of Boar's Head sliced turkey breast 70
1 teaspoon of Kraft Olive Oil Mayonnaise 15
1 cup of steamed Broccoli 52
1 tablespoon of Ken's Lite (on top of steamed broc) 40
1 cup of split pea soup without ham 150

Lunch Total: 437

Afternoon Snack (around 4:00 p.m.)
1 Yoplait Yogurt Lite Strawberry 100
2 teaspoons of lite coffee creamer for afternoon coffee 20

Dinner (around 6:00 p.m.)
3 oz. skinless chicken breast 83
1 Tablespoon of ketchup 20
1 medium sweet potato 103
1 teaspoon of lite butter 17
1 teaspoon of brown sugar 19
1 cup of green beans with onions and 1 teaspoon 60
lite butter

Dinner Total: 302

Dessert or snack
Edy's Frozen Strawberry All Fruit Bar 80
1/2 banana 55

Daily Total: 1,410


Please note, I use Crystal Lite or assorted green teas at different times throughout the day most days. I also try to get the recommended amount of water in each day.

In my next post, I will discuss what mypyramid.gov lists as a recommended daily intake for women according to age when not in weight loss mode.

Have a great day!

Let's Begin to Set Up a Healthy Eating Pattern Today!

Are you ready! Let's begin to set up a healthy eating pattern. The first thing we may wish to consider is whether we want to set up our eating plan in order to lose weight or maintain our current weight.

Remember, the average woman requires an intake of approximately 1,800 calories daily. At this intake most of us would be able to maintain our proper weight, along with exercise.

If we are overweight or obese we can assume that we have been eating more than the 1,800 calories our body requires each day. If we wish to take off the extra weight, we're going to have to create a deficit in order to gain control over our eating habits in order to lose all of the extra weight we have put on over time.

There are different spots we can choose when creating a deficit. I chose the 1,200 calorie area. In hindsight, although this area worked well for me, I would recommend dropping to an intake of around 1,400. I think that's a great spot. This way, you're creating a deficit of 400 a day just from what your normal intake should be and you can also burn off 100 calories through walking which would result in a total reduction of 500 calories a day overall.

Remember, a reduction of 500 calories a day is equal to a 3,500 reduction at the end of 7 days. It takes a reduction of 3,500 in order to equal a one pound loss. This also explains why we drop more pounds in the beginning of starting a weight loss program. If we are way over our daily intake at 2,400, we will lose considerably more when we drop back to 1,400 a day. That would suddenly become a 1,000 calorie reduction per day. See, right there would account for a possible loss of 2 pounds a week.

It's all about the numbers, when you get down to it. Learning what 1,400 calories looks and feels like is extremely important towards achieving success in weight loss.

Sure, we could follow the latest or great diet and we could also look for a magic pill to solve our problems in these areas. The one sure way to reach our goals and preserve them for life, is to set up a healthy eating pattern based on staying within your numbers.

Do you know your body may not allow you to lose weight if you go too low? That's right and that's another reason to realize the importance of knowing your count. Many times people want to wing it and do it on their own by simply guessing. Many times, in their excitement to do something quickly, they eat too little. It's quite easy to do and most of us have done it that way.

What usually happens is that we quit early because we're not eating enough. Our body has a self preservation mode it goes into when it thinks it might be starving. It will not allow us to shed pounds and it will hold onto to the extra pounds.

Many times this is what happens when we plateau. It's like our body says, "I better start conserving so she won't starve to death!"

That's why we need to know what 1,400 looks like when we're trying to lose weight. Many experts agree that women should go no lower than 1,200 calories a day. We also need to know how to pack in the best foods we can throughout the day in order to provide great fuel for our body. It's that simple.

So, where do we start? To me, it came down to common sense. I didn't look for a special diet. My thought was how do I go about setting up a great healthy eating pattern for life. I knew it couldn't be a "diet". It had to be something I could understand and learn to live with for life. It had to be based on all of the foods I like not foods someone else chose for me. Doesn't that make great sense?

That's when I turned to the best source I could think of and that was our Basic Food Pyramid. Think about it. All of the great foods we know are in that pyramid and everything there is healthful.

I found a site that our government and our taxes probably pay for, so I decided to make the most of this great information. I've noticed lately, this site now has awesome commercials, advertising all the great things it's set up to do for everyone of us in our nation.

You can check it out for yourself! Here's the site, take a little time to study it. It's great for your entire family! www.mypyramid.gov

On my next post I will explain how I discovered what the food pyramid states my body requires on a daily basis. I will then show you how I modified that area in order to create a deficit to at first lose all of the extra weight I had put on over time. You see, early on I realized that I wanted to start at the right place and finish at the right place. That's exactly what I did and I know it can work in the same way for anyone who takes the time to check it out!

Have a great day!

Oh! Oh! Valentine's Day Is Right Around the Corner!

Yes, Valentine's Day is coming up next! It's our next "special occasion". It's seems like we just celebrated the New Year, my birthday, a family marriage and let's not forget the "Super Bowl"! It's always something; isn't it? It's just another day in our lives that is celebrated or centered around food! I'm not trying to be negative; I am simply stating facts. I happen to love food and I adore candy but common sense tells us we have to become accountable at some point or we'll look just like our grabby Octopus with no control over our eating habits. Our eating habits will control us if we allow them to and if we "choose" to not become accountable.

When I had my "Aha! Moment" a couple of years ago, I soon thereafter began to set up my healthy eating pattern in order to lose weight. I knew it couldn't be a "diet", so I didn't go out looking for the latest or greatest "diet". I knew it couldn't be a pill; it had to be a transformation, a way of life. It had to be "profound", I love that word! I also instinctively knew I had to create my own healthy way of eating.

It was then that I began to immediately notice all of the "special occasions" where high fat or sugary food items came into my life. I was amazed! I had to put my foot down and not allow these things into my home or at the very least keep them out of sight while I was setting up my healthy pattern of eating. Let me tell you, it was not an easy thing to do but boy, was it enlightening.

Before, I looked just like that grabby Octopus! If food was in sight, you had better get out of my way and clear a path. I was like a football player going in for the recovery of a fumble at the Super Bowl!

Heck, my kids used to say things like, "If you want some of the bread pudding Mom just made, you better get it now before she wolfs it down!" I laugh, because my children have a warped sense of humor and I don't know where they get it from! Wolfs it down is something my eldest daughter made up and she still jokes about it even now after I've lost the weight and become fit. I have to admit, it is quite funny but sadly most of all it was factual. I did "wolf down" pretty much anything I wanted for a period of 18 years! I wolfed down the peanut butter fudge that I said I made for my children as a treat but I ate half the plate before they had arrived home from school. I wolfed down this special ice cream that I love whenever it was in the house. I can go on and on, I was pretty good at wolfing things down, let me tell you!

Yes, I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. That's why it was at first difficult for me to attempt to set up a healthy eating pattern. I had to work against the grain in order to break the cycle of eating that had been a part of my life for almost two decades! As I state in our book "Tame Your Inner Octopus", I can best compare to it to taking away a bottle from a baby. For many people, food represents "comfort". We reach for it, all throughout the day, without a thought, out of habit and it soothes us temporarily. Going over our proper intake for the day on a continual basis also makes us pile on extra fat and this makes us overweight or obese and that's far from being comforting or soothing if you stop and think about it.

It didn't take me long to realize how many "special occasions" or reasons I had for eating things I shouldn't have been eating. I was shocked to tell you the truth because I had never realized how many obstacles are in the path of trying to eat in a proper manner. It's no wonder why approximately 68% of our nation is overweight or obese. It's the reason why so many people can't stick to a diet or the proper way of eating. There are too many "special occasions" right around the corner!

Let's take a time out, no pun intended and realize that the average woman is supposed to ingest around 1,800 calories each day while exercising on an almost daily basis. We can't afford to go "off track" on every single occasion that high fat foods or celebrations come into our lives. We have to be choosy; we must be accountable and we have to aim to eat within that 1,800 count each day. If we're trying to lose weight we need to be in the area of 1,400 calories and no lower than 1,200 as a woman.

The healthy pattern of eating that I set up close to two years ago has been my salvation. It's my day to day game plan. It's the healthy eating pattern that I revert to after eating "off track" for special occasions in my life.

Right now, when you get a chance, please take the time to get a clear picture of how many times "food" comes into play in your life on a daily basis. It could be an advertisement on TV, in a magazine, or on a billboard. It's downright shocking that so much emphasis is put on food on a daily basis. You too will be amazed if you do this for a week or a month.

This realization was one of my biggest "Aha! Moments".

We simply cannot eat like the grabby Octopus and expect to lose weight or maintain our ideal weight for life.

Have a great day!

FOOD KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

The following is a great quote:

"It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."

Epictetus

Let's stop an apply this quote to losing weight or maintaining a goal weight for life. Approximately 68% of our nation is presently either overweight or obese. If you ask many of these people if they know how to lose weight and keep it off permanently, many would probably emphatically answer "yes".

This would mean one of two things:

1) They really do know but don't want to lose weight and keep it off permanently.

2) They really don't possess the key knowledge in order to take the weight off and keep it off permanently.

I happen to feel most of us fall into the area of not having the right type of knowledge to lose weight in the most effective manner in order to keep it off for life.

I know because I was one of those people who felt they knew but really didn't know how to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together in order to lose weight and keep it off permanently for life. I only began to be able to put the puzzle together through a great deal of research. I then implemented all that I had learned into my lifestyle and only then did I meet great success through personal experience. Trust me, you can do this too.

Knowledge is power. I know that more than ever now that I have gained the knowledge I needed to make these tremendous changes in my lifestyle as it pertained to my eating and overall fitness patterns.

Realizing that I didn't know what I needed to know in order to reach success was the first issue I had to grasp. For 18 years I was in "limbo land". This is an area where I too thought I knew everything but really didn't know most of the basic numbers that I needed to know. Looking back I now realize I, like many, knew bits and pieces but I had no idea of how to go about setting up a healthy eating and fitness pattern for life.

Knowledge is power and food knowledge is critical when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off permanently yet so many of us want the quick or easy way out. Losing weight and keeping it off permanently is not about searching for the latest or greatest diet. It's not about taking a "magic" pill.

It's about coming to the realization that we must take "time out" in order to make it a "priority" in our lives to reach the weight and fitness levels that we wish for on a permanent basis.

If you've been reading my blog, as a woman, you will know the answers to the following four questions.

1) How many calories does the average woman need to ingest each day?

2) How many calories should the average woman consider cutting back to each day in order to create a deficit.

3) How many calories does it take to lose one pound?

4) How many pounds do most experts suggest we aim to lose on a weekly basis?

The answers to these questions are four of the most critical parts of losing weight and keeping it off permanently. This is the starting point. This is where the first areas of the "key" knowledge comes into play. Here are the answers.

1) Approximately 1,800 calories.

2) Around 1,400 but no lower than 1,200.

3) A deficit of 3,500 calories.

4) 1/4 to 2 pounds weekly.

Sounds simple doesn't it? It is, but the next step and we'll discuss this in depth, is learning how to parse out 1,400 calories throughout the course of a day in order to lose the extra weight while fueling our bodies with the best foods possible. Once we reach our goal weight, we can then up our intake to the area of 1,800 calories in order to maintain.

We'll discuss ways to incorporate great foods and exercising into your daily life in upcoming posts.

Of course, always check with your Dr. before starting any new eating or exercising program.

Have a great day!