the weight loss papers

The past week has been a bit of a roller coaster. My husband was home on vacation, painting the house interior and such but 2 of the kids ended up ill so they were home as well. It was a bit hectic. As a result, I didn’t maintain my plan. Even so, I didn’t eat too badly but exercise - aside from helping paint an hour or two a day - was non-existent. Since the kids were home sick, I didn’t even get in my normal walking routine of before and after school.

Thankfully, I have a pretty routine grocery list I stick to so although I neglected to make a menu last week and my husband did the majority of the cooking, our meals were rather healthy. I just simply don’t buy junk to begin with (except the occasional cake or other sweet for someone’s birthday).

One of the things that helps, not only with eating right, but also on the food budget, is to make a shopping list. This is why creating a weekly menu is so beneficial - it makes writing out your shopping list ultra easy. It also helps cut down on buying junk especially if you follow a simple rule - if it’s not on the list, don’t buy it! Unless it’s something essential to your menu that you completely forgot to write in. However, this shouldn’t happen if you’re diligently following your menu for the week as your write your list out.

So, I’ll say it was a good week nonetheless.
I’ve got some cool recipes planned for later this week and tomorrow I plan to talk about some more tips that I’ve found useful. Feel free to post your suggestions in the comments. Don’t be shy!!

Let me know what you think - do you plan a menu? Use a shopping list? Why or why not?

To your health,

~ 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

For past few weeks I’ve had a very bad sinus infection and haven’t felt much like doing anything. The medicines I tried didn’t help relieve the pressure, congestion or pain I’d been feeling. And if you know me, you know I don’t take commercial medicine unless it’s absolutely necessary.

I have not done well sticking to my daily plan as a result of feeling poorly. Nothing tasted good. I was nauseous from the gunk going down the back of my throat and I just plain didn’t feeling like eating much. The good news is that I did manage to still eat more healthy foods when I did eat and take my daily vitamins.

Though not quite normal, I am finally feeling a lot better. Which is nice and I’m very happy about because I was thinking of resorting to seeing a doctor. And because it’s supposed to be somewhat sunny this weekend. The weather is finally getting a bit warmer and I’d like to spend some time outside.

My intention is to get back on my plan. Although I’ve done fairly well eating good foods, I haven’t stuck to my 5 mini meal plan nor done much exercising (besides walking) since I got sick. That will change here as I continue to feel better and better. By Monday, I should be back on track.

I really think my plan is working too. My clothes continue to fit differently and in fact, I think I’m going to have to buy some new pants soon! That, or a belt.

Bottom line - you CAN find ways to eat healthy even when you don’t feel well. In fact, it’s MORE important than at any other time that you do eat good food when you’re sick. Since getting plenty of vitamins is essential for your body, it’s a good idea to eat the foods that will help replenish your body and help you get well.

Eat right, get plenty of rest, drink as much liquids as you can, take some supplements like Vitamin C and Zinc and you will be on the road to wellness.

~ Annie

Some might think that weight loss and the Super Bowl do not mix. And usually, you would be right. Anyone who’s been on a diet knows that days like Super Bowl Sunday are pig-out heaven - especially if you or someone in your household is throwing a Super Bowl Party.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

On my plan, I give myself 2 “cheat meals” per week. Those cheat meals are where I can eat anything I want to. And it works great! Because I get to eat foods I enjoy, it helps stop cravings (which are the #1 reason people fail when dieting) and because it helps keep my metabolism in check.

So tomorrow is no big deal around our house. We’re having pizza, chips and dip, and maybe even a little soda or candy. It won’t blow my diet - namely because I’m not on one! But mostly because it’s scheduled right into my plan and menu for the week.

See you at kick-off!

~ Annie

Yesterday I mentioned that my plan includes some elements from a variety of resources that I’ve been studying and today I’d like to share that plan briefly with you.

My plan is broken down into a few categories - food, activity, supplements and mindset.

Let’s start with food.

I’ve learned that eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day helps control cravings and hunger. It also helps me to eat foods in the right proportions. I really like this way of eating and is in fact similar to how my mom always planned our family meals when I was growing up. Now, I must say - my mom is a nutrition expert and has never had an ounce of fat on her in her life. She’s in her 50’s and still weighs just about what she did when she was 18.

Eating on a particular schedule really helps as well. As such, here’s the plan I try to follow every day:

6:30 - 7:00 am - Breakfast (meal 1)

9:30 - 10:00 am - Brunch (meal 2)

12:30 - 1:00 pm - Lunch (meal 3)

3:30 - 4:00 pm - Snack (meal 4)

6:30 - 7:00 pm - Dinner (meal 5)

9:00 - 9:30 pm - Snack (meal 6) **IF** needed

You may have heard some health experts say not to eat after 6 pm and for many people who are eating 3 regular meals per day, that’s probably sound advice. However, when you’re eating 5 small meals per day, it’s not such a big issue really. The key for me here is to remember that each meal needs to only be roughly 250 - 280 calories. This way, I get about 1200 - 1400 calories per day which is what is recommended for a person of my height/weight following a weight loss plan.

The one rule that most health gurus advise that I do stick to, is no eating within 2-3 hours before bed. Since I go to bed between 11:30 and midnight most nights, it’s not a problem if I *do* need to have a small snack around 9 pm.

In addition to that, there are some other strategies I follow but I’ll post those later since this is just an overview.

Moving on to activity.

Working out in the morning is incredibly beneficial. I’ve found that when I work out first thing - and I do mean FIRST thing — before breakfast, before coffee even - it works. I feel better, have more energy and actually eat LESS. The best part is, it’s been scientifically proven (if I remember correctly, in the Journal of American Medicine was a study some time ago) that when you exercise first thing in the morning, your body actually burns an extra 300 + calories! It also helps boost your metabolism and keep it up all day.

I also walk 1.5 miles in the morning after breakfast taking the kids to school and another 1.5 miles in the afternoon when I pick them up. It’s a great way to get in some extra exercise and the kids enjoy it. Plus, it gets us out in the fresh air and allows our bodies to get the much needed Vitamin D from the sun.

Additionally, I do a stretching and toning routine in the evenings on occasion. This includes using the stability ball and hand weights. I’ve found it to be very relaxing and helpful to sleeping well. I try to do this around 8:00 pm or so. And I do try to be sure to get it in within 2-3 hours before bed as exercising too close to bedtime can cause insomnia.

There’s a little more to it, but that’s basically it. I’ll share my full routine in the coming days.

The next category is supplements.

Having a good vitamin supplement is essential. Our foods have become depleted of some of their base nutrients in recent years due to poor soil quality and over harvesting. Plus, many of us just don’t eat the right foods all the time. Getting enough vegetables and fruits to get ALL of the necessary vitamins our body requires on a daily basis is difficult. I use a handful of vitamins every day and space them out with my meals. They include:

• Fish Oil
• Calcium
• A multi vitamin
• CoQ 10
• A supplement with Spirulina and other trace minerals
• Yogurt with live cultures
• Flaxseed Oil

I also take a few supplements to help with various things like cholesterol and heart health, kidney health, etc such as read yeast rice, garlic and cranberry.

There’s not really much else to tell here. I do think it’s absolutely beneficial to take a quality multi vitamin if nothing else.

And we come to mindset.

Perhaps you’re wondering what mindset has to do with weight loss and that’s a good question.

For me, it’s about connecting with the Universe, learning to love myself, keeping stress in check as well as keeping motivated to stay with my plan. I don’ think one can truly lose weight and keep it off without some sort of mental balance.

I have a gratitude journal I write in daily as well as meditations I do throughout the day that help keep me mentally awake, balanced and joyful. It’s truly about a lifestyle change, not just losing weight.

This is definitely a subject I will continue to explore and write about on this blog.

So, that’s basically it! That’s my plan. And I’ll expand on these things later but I hope this gives a good overview of what I’m doing on this journey.

Thanks for reading!

~ Annie