the weight loss papers

I don’t talk stats and such very often but I do want to just quickly post that in recent weeks, I’ve lost about 7 inches, most notably in my thighs (something which has always been a trouble spot for me). I’m at about the same weight, though, and I’m sure it’s likely due to working out - converting to muscle! That’s a good thing!

It is a bit disappointing when the scale doesn’t move, though. Now that I’m well, I’ll be amping up the workout routine again. My plan is to hit that hard come Monday. The fact that the weather is getting nicer is a huge motivator for me. I love this time of year - the transition between winter and spring - when the days are getting longer, sun is coming out, birds begin chirping and the flowers are beginning to pop up in the garden. It’s that sense of renewal and that is so inspiring!

My goal is to lose 10 pounds in March and another 7 inches. I have no idea if it’ll happen or not but I’m sure willing to try. The only problem, is that my husband and I’s anniversary is this weekend and his birthday is next weekend which I’m sure is going to mean . . . CAKE! And I *love* cake, as any good girl should.

Anyway, I hope you’ve had a good, productive week and I’ll write again soon! I’ve got some interesting posts planned for next week -

• A couple of recipes
• Some of my favorite foods
• The importance of food labels

And several more.

Stay healthy!

~ Annie

Mindset plays such a huge part in the success of ones life in everything and maybe even more so in weight loss. So, let’s talk about a weight loss mindset.

Now, in the past year and a half, there has been A LOT of hype about the law of attraction due mostly to the documentary movie “The Secret.” While the movie has some good basis and merit (and I do like it), it’s not the end-all, be-all that some would claim.

Mindset is much bigger than just the law of attraction. It encompasses more than simply asking, believing and receiving. One must do some work. Take action. You can’t just sit on your rear end and expect change to occur. Certainly visualization and focus are imperative to the whole process, but they alone aren’t enough.

It’s a lifestyle I’m talking about. And includes healthy eating habits, healthy mind habits, healthy spiritual habits and more. All areas of your life must be in congruence, in alignment. Having one thing out whack will make your efforts lopsided. They’ll be hit or miss and inconsistent.

Your mindset is what helps bring everything else together. Just like you can’t eat junk food all the time and expect to be healthy, you can’t put garbage in your mind and expect your life to be the way you want it. You can’t not brush your teeth and expect them not to all fall out eventually. It simply doesn’t work that way.

I’ve done an experiment on myself and my results using LOA for the past 6 months or so. And I’ve come to the conclusion that it does matter. It does make a difference and it does work. However, there are some huge misconceptions and important pieces left out of “The Secret.” (That, however, is a post for another time and for my main blog.)

But I do believe one can use the law of the attraction to lose weight.

Yes, I do eat healthy. Yes, I do exercise. And yes, I do use The Secret. All of these things have helped me lose over 80 pounds in the past year. I still have 50 to go before I’m at the weight I really desire - which is about what I weighed at age 18 - 110 pounds.

Every day I visualize myself at the weight I want to be. I spend a few minutes imagining that and thinking about what it feels like to be so healthy and in alignment with myself.

I am not an LOA expert by any means but I do know it has worked for me. I highly recommend anything written by Esther Hicks and also by Bob Proctor if you want to learn more about it and put it to use in your own weight loss mission.

Until next time,
~ Annie

One of the dilemmas I often have is deciding what to eat. Honestly, I’m a pretty picky eater mostly because of my allergies but still, there’s just some things I really don’t like. My likes and dislikes have changed a little over the years - for example, when I was a child, I didn’t like spinach though I do like it now and we tend to eat a couple of times per week. Fortunately, my husband is not as picky as me so I don’t have to worry about that.

Here are a few of my favorites -

• Lemon and spinach couscous with tuna
• Spinach with cucumber salsa, green beans, garlic and tuna
• Black bean soup with tomatoes
• Broiled salmon with broccoli, carrots and wild rice
• Lentil soup with a slice of homemade 10-grain bread

As you can see, I eat an almost vegetarian diet. We only have red meat about once a month anymore. But the real key here is the portions. I’ve been following a general rule that one should eat a half cup of protein and one cup of vegetables per meal. That’s really easy to figure out and if you’re eating 5 mini-meals a day, it’s quite filling. And a cup of vegetables is a LOT more than it sounds like. The second key is combining the right foods together but generally, this half cup of protein and one cup of veggies is quite doable for me most of the time.

Now, my kids won’t eat salmon or spinach so I usually prepare 2 meals - one for my husband and I, and one for the kids. Well, actually, usually just the protein portion. I’ll fix chicken for them and salmon for us and the same vegetables for everyone. Since I usually make 2 or 3 different vegetables at a time, everyone ends up with something they like.

I’ll post recipes of some of my favorites soon, probably on a separate page just for recipes only.

Really, the truth of the matter is that I hate eating. I like cooking but eating is a pain. I’m the kind of person who could go hours without eating something and not notice. If I had my way, I’d never eat. It’s just a bothersome chore. And that’s’ probably why I’ve had trouble losing the last 30+ pounds - I forget to eat so my body keeps hanging on to the fat because it’s gone into “starvation mode.” I think that’s why eating 5 small meals works so well for me . . . it keeps me fueled and helps my body realize it doesn’t need to store the excess - it can just get rid of it.

I like that a lot!

~ Annie

Is there value in meal planning? Should one plan meals weekly? Is meal planning really all that helpful? Does it work for people who are losing weight?

And the answer is . . . absolutely!

I’ve never been much of a meal planner even though friends and family have been telling me for years that I should give it a try. Well, sure I tried it a few times and didn’t stick with it for long. Something always hijacked my good intentions.
But back in January I began doing it again. Mostly for the kids because they were always asking what we were having for dinner or lunch or whatever. Or if they could have a snack. So, I created a menu template for the week broken down into breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and it’s really working well. Not only do I not get the nagging of what’s for dinner, but the kids know exactly what they can eat and when. It’s helping cut down on our grocery bills too which is a huge plus with 6 people in the house!

It’s also a great thing for my husband who is not always that good at deciding what (and how!) to cook. On days that I have homework and need the extra study time, he can now go into the kitchen, whip out whatever is on the menu and make dinner. Of course, I’m still stuck with lunch and what-not since I’m home with the kids during the day but it’s so much easier. It’s taking a lot less time to fix meals and it’s easy to shop, too. I find I don’t buy things that aren’t on my list anymore. That’s a bonus for more reason than one.

So, try creating a weekly menu plan. I will be uploading a PDF copy of my sample menu that you’re free to use if you like. I’ll try to do that by Wednesday this week.

It’s off to bed now, though, because I’m extremely tired already.

~ Annie

UPDATE - Here’s the template - Weekly Menu Template

It’s in PDF format so you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the file. It’s probably already on your computer but if not, you can get it from Adobe.com . Enjoy!