Great Article

I found this great article on Web MD. It's the Dietitian's Top 10 Diet tips. Note the word "Dietitian." This is the person you want diet advice from. She has a BA degree (or more) in her field. Unlike a "nutritionist" which could mean anything. These are great tips because they are common sense.

Happy Healthy Lifestyle, everyone. :)

Healthy Lifestyle Update Babble

It's been a while since I've done a Healthy Lifestyle Update. As you may or may not know, Sunday is my weekly weigh day. I don't believe in weighing yourself more than once a week because the body fluctuates and it can be very stressful seeing the needle on the scale go up and down.

My goal is 1 pound a week because it's a healthy goal. The whole idea behind losing weight is to be healthy. Losing weight and looking better is a fantastic side benefit, sure, but developing healthy habits to take with me into my 40's is the ultimate goal.

So today is the last day of week 27 and I've lost 31 pounds. I couldn't be happier with my results. Sure, if I went on a crash diet I could have lost it faster, but this way I don't feel deprived. I don't know about you, but when I feel deprived, I find something really bad (a pint of Ben and Jerry's regular ice cream--not the frozen yogurt which isn't bad--or a bag of soft batch cookies, or wedge of cake from the bakery counter, or a giant Cadbury Milk Choc Toffee bar) and eat the whole thing. Not good. We eat at restaurants and fast food places on a regular basis, by the way, but I make healthy choices.

Tonight we ate at Red Lobster. I ordered grilled shrimp, a garden salad with low fat dressing, steamed broccoli (I love broccoli-no sacrifice) and yes, I did have a cheese biscuit. There are 9 grams of fat and 160 calories in a cheese biscuit, but I was careful the rest of the day. The other items I ordered only had 8 grams of fat and 300 calories total! And it was delicious. It's important to eat delicious things so you don't feel deprived. Remember this is a healthy lifestyle, not a diet. Depriving yourself is not what it's all about. It's better to make small changes every day. Small changes daily equal big results weekly.

I think I'm going to start posting healthy lifestyle tips on a regular basis. I grew up with a dietitian mom. I'm surprised that a lot of things I think are common knowledge, many people don't know. For example: carbs are NOT BAD FOR YOU. I live for carbs. If I had to go on Adkins I'd have gained 31 pounds by now. Too much protein makes me feel full, sick to my stomach and weighted down. If you are like me, you don't pig out because you're hungry, you pig out because you're not satisfied or feel deprived. Protein foods do not satisfy me. Of course I eat protein, but I eat it as part of a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, lean protein and some fat. A healthy lifestyle follows the food pyramid because your body needs all the food groups to run smoothly.

Goals for 2008

I've been thinking a lot about goals for 2008, and it's sort of stressing me out. LOL! I think I'll keep it really easy this year. So, here goes...

1) Continue on with the healthy lifestyle I began in July of 2007. This includes a balanced, low fat diet with lots of fruits and veggies and walking every night. This will eventually include getting my butt back in the gym, but I won't stress over it. I renewed our memberships this month, so we'll get there eventually.

2) Write 15 minutes a day during ther month of January, and up it to 30 minutes per day going forward. An hour a day would be ideal. Work up to that most nights if humanly possible.

3) Lose 25 more pounds.

4) Throw a blow-out 40th/60th birthday party for my mother and I this summer. (Pick a date and plan it!)

5) Replace all the interior doors in our house, including the closet doors in the three bedrooms. This also includes new doorframes and doorknobs (levers, actually).

6) Have the contractor come to the house and give us an estimate on the room addition we've been wanting. Discuss all the options and set goals to achieve the one that's the best for our financial situation.

7) Paint the bedroom and replace the window treatments.

8) Spend more time with my family and friends. Take our nephews to the movies, attend our niece's dance ricitals, have a tea party with G and play games with A. Take Mom and the MIL and FIL to lunch, a trip to LA, etc. Just enjoy each other's company.

9) Attend RWA National in San Francisco. (I've already started saving.)

10) Complete a manuscript. Any manuscript, whether it be the Healer story, the Witch story, or Adam & Cricket's story.

11) Volunteer a bit of my time to get the Democratic candidate elected.

Go me!

Healthy Lifestyle Update: I'm so jazzed to report that I made it through the last 2 weeks and was still able to lose 2 pounds. With all the baked goods and chocolate that's been floating around the home and the office, and with my week off to boot, it's been a real challenge. I'm really proud of myself. 28 pounds in 24 weeks.

Knitting: I just finished knitting my first skein of yarn (I think that's what it's called) this morning. It's a simple scarf (half of one, actually) with pretty variegated yarn in shades of green and brown. Once I learn how to join the second skein of yarn to the first, I'll be off and running on completing the second half of the scarf. It's taking forever since I'm using #7 needles, but the stitches are tight and even and the scarf should be quite warm as well as pretty.

Writing Update: No writing to speak of in 2008 so far. That's going to change. Today I have a critique to write and then I'm going to read over all the critiques I received on my scene all the way back on the first week of December. Between my mother's eye problems, my father in law's car accident, Christmas, New Year, and vacation, I've yet to give writing the time it deserves. I will, though. I promise.

On Profile Blurbs & Resolutions

I guess it's time to rethink my profile blurb:

2007 is a brand new year, ripe with possibilities. It's my year to get healthy, organized and nourish my creative side once more. I will give myself time and permission to write on a regular basis. I can't call myself a writer if I'm not writing. And so I will. Look out world; here I come!

I wrote that last January, filled with hope for the new year. I shouldn't feel bad about 2007 since I accomplished some of what I'd hoped to. On the "It's my year to get healthy" front, I've lost over 26 pounds. As for the "nourish my creative side" part, I attended a wonderful private writing conference (which ended up being pretty expensive) because I decided I was worth it, as well as joined a new critique group.

Finally, the "I can't call myself a writer if I'm not writing" section... That part's more complicated. I succeeded in finally getting it through my head that I have permission to write every day, but the actual writing is the tough part. I had to put my healer story on the back burner because the plot was going nowhere. I started a witch story, but I can't seem to get my voice right. I have been writing, but not as regularly as I should. December was so busy, I didn't write a single word! That can't happen again next year. I won't allow it.

All in all, I'm pleased with the strides I've made in 2007, I just need to kick it up a notch. I need to renew my goal to write every day, even if it's only for a half hour. I'd like to write for two hours, but most days I don't have that kind of time. Once I have a half hour down, I'll up it to a full hour. I should be able to manage that.

I'm off to mull over my new profile blurb and my New Year's Resolutions. Have you been thinking about yours?

Christmas Craziness

Sorry I'm so quiet. Christmas is kicking my butt. After much shopping every night this week, I've managed to narrow my list down to 11 people--one of whom is my mom who gets multiple gifts--plus my neighbors (and some family) who usually get baked goods, and did I happen to mention nothing is wrapped? I'm looking at 20 such gifts right now, sitting on my desk, taunting me with their nakedness.

If I play my cards right (and no, there will be no Christmas cards this year, but possibly New Year cards) I may get everything done on time. No slacking for me this weekend!

Healthy Lifestyle Update: Last week's half pound brings the total to 26 pounds lost. Temptations have been great this week, but not as great as I thought they'd be. Sometimes it just takes putting yourself in the right frame of mind. I'm there 95% of the time. The other 5%, I splurge, or walk away and pine. :)

Happy frantic holiday shopping to you all.

temptation pt II

Thursday: Later in the day someone put a macadamia nut and fudge pie in the break room. You can bet I was jazzed I didn't eat a donut when I cut myself a bite-sized piece. Oh, was it ever delicious!

Friday: We had our company holiday party and I figured my diet was shot. Surprisingly, the buffet was small (but nice) and not as dangerous as buffets can be. I filled half my plate with salad and had about 1/3 of a cup of pasta and ate a couple of ounces of chicken breast. The dessert table had mini (1" size) items. I had just 2, German choc cake and a fruit tart. Diet accomplished!

I also won a prize, which should be titled "temptation pt III", a $50 gift card to the Cheesecake Factory and a $25 gift card to the movies. It's partially my fault I won this particular prize. There were 30 prizes and we received 3 tickets to put in a little box next to the prizes we wanted. Being Healthy Lifestyle Girl, I could have put all three of them into the women's bike box, but I didn't. :)

Life is full of temptation at this time of year. The closer we get to Christmas, the greater the temptation. So far, so good. I lost 1/2 pound last week and am fitting into stuff I haven't been able to wear in a couple of years, like the red pantsuit I wore to the party yesterday. I liked the way I looked in it, so I'm not going to let myself go too crazy this season.

temptation!

My uncle used to say, "I can resist anything but temptation." He was a lover of corny jokes. Anyway, two different people brought donuts today. I'm not really a donut fan (fried things bother me, especially in the morning), but I really want one today. A cake one, white cake with white icing and sprinkles. I just don't want to eat 15 grams of fat at breakfast since I've been trying to keep it between 20-25 grams for the whole day and my lean cuisine is a higher fat one today, 9 grams.

Sigh.

But I really want a donut.

Really, really do.

Healthy Lifestyle Update

Today the scale says I've lost 25 pounds. Yay! I'm halfway to my goal. Just thought I'd share.

Diet Progress

I forgot to post these the other day. Here are my weekly averages since I started watching every single morsel (seriously) that goes in my mouth over three weeks ago:

Week 1- Calories-1,260, Fat grams-25.6, Pounds lost-5
Week 2- Calories-1,120, Fat grams-20.6, Pounds lost-3
Week 3- Calories-1,130, Fat grams-22.5, Pounds lost-2

I have been walking 6 nights per week, but I've been a slacker and haven't been to the gym in a couple of months. I'm going to have to get back to my 4-5 times per week workouts. Hopefully that will kick the weight loss up a notch, but if it doesn't, I'll still be pleased as long as I can lose a pound a week.

Day 6

Here I am at day 6. Surprisingly enough, I don't feel the least bit deprived. We even ate out last night at a nice little Mexican place that makes the best fish tacos. Not the breaded and fried kind, the grilled white fish, cabbage, pico de gallo and a sprinkling of cheese on tiny little corn tortillas kind. Heaven! I treated myself to 3 chips and some of their wonderful fruity sugar-free iced tea with Splenda. Yes folks, you can still eat out on a diet. it can be done.

This morning I weighed myself and I lost 5 pounds!

Yes, I know it's all water, but I could have kept those 5 pounds on, so I'm considering this a victory none the less. The next five pounds will probably take me a month, but that's ok. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Someone please remind me I said that when I'm whining in a few weeks.

Off to the grocery store. Lots of yummy fresh produce on sale. Red and black plums, broccoli crowns, white corn, green beans, tomatoes, cantaloupe, blueberries. I'm hungry already!

New (Fiscal) Year Resolutions

Well... It doesn't seem that long ago that I typed that bio over on the right side of the screen. A new year to get healthy and blah blah blah... I made a whole lot of false starts too. But this week I began anew with a simple thing, making a food journal. I'm lucky enough to have been raised by a registered diet technician mom, so I can mostly do all the calorie and fat counts off the top of my head.

It's a simple thing and something you hear all the time. Write down everything you eat. You'll be surprised. Well, for me the writing everything down and adding everything up becomes more of a challenge. Can I make my goal? Can I save calories from breakfast and lunch if I know we're eating dinner out? Etc.

I don't have a problem with making healthy balanced choices, I was raised eating healthy, but I do like my treats. I also realized that when trying to eat low calorie, I do have to take calories into consideration, not just fat grams. I generally try to watch my fat intake for health reasons even when I'm not dieting--even when I'm really blowing it. But my morning cappucino mix that only has 2 grams of fat (for my X-L mug)is 220 calories. That's not so bad, but I'm trying to get down to 1,200 calories. 1/6 of my calories on a mug o' joe? Uh-uh. The morning cappucino is now classified as an occasional treat. Since I also love hot tea, I have an X-L mug of that (with Equal) for 0 calories and 0 fat instead. Go me.

This is my fourth day and I've done very well. No one really reads this anyway, but I thought if I posted my progress, it might make me stick to it a little better. Here are my totals for the first 4 days:

Monday- 1,375 calories, 32 fat grams
Tuesday- 1,133 Calories, 17 1/2 fat grams
Wednesday- 1,475 Calories, 30 fat grams
Thursday- 1,375 Calories, 22 1/2 fat grams

An interesting note: Mon & Wed were days I ate leftovers from restaurants. It's much harder to watch your fat when eating out, but it can be done. I believe there's something like 30 gm of fat in a Big Mac. Even on my higher fat days, I had a whole day's worth of food for the same amount of fat. Much more heart healthy.

I want to work my way down to about 1,200 calories a day and keep the fat grams at 20-25 grams, but I feel like this week has been a good experament and I'm pretty close and not trying too terribly hard.

Exercise is an important part of it too. We walk 5 or 6 nights a week and Tuesday (I have a dentist appt Monday) I'm back in the gym at least 4 days a week. My goal is 5, but sometimes I have an appt, so 4 is ok, especially since we also walk at night.

That's all for now. If anyone out there is trying to eat healthier, work out, or set any other goals, let me know. We can cheer each other on!