the weight loss papers

Spring is my favorite time of year. Everything is beginning to grow, the sun starts shining a little more often and of course, days get longer. It means I can get outside more. Sometimes being stuck inside due to bad weather all winter is mighty draining. I welcome Spring with open arms!

Today it’s relatively nice here in the Pacific Northwest, albeit a little cold. At least the sun is out. Walking when the sun is out and the air is a bit chilly is refreshing. I walked twice day, as usual. Once this morning to take my kids to school and then again to pick them up this afternoon.

I still have not gotten back to the strength training, though. The last time we all got sick back in February, it really just took a lot out of me and then the time change a few weeks later didn’t help any. The time change always royally screws with my inner clock and although I can usually shake it off within a few days, I haven’t been so lucky this year. But as soon as I can get to back it without causing any adverse health effects for myself, I plan to do so. Hopefully it’s sooner than later.

Anyway, I’m still not seeing much effects from the veggie juice yet. Today I haven’t followed the suggestions all that well - I had a pita sandwich with spinach and chicken for lunch. I must say, though, that my nose doesn’t seem quite as stuffy as it has been for the last several weeks and I can smell better. Maybe it’s having some success? I’ll keep trying it and find out.

Hope you’re enjoying your day!

~ Annie

I mentioned Saturday that I planned to follow the suggestions in the article about candida. So, I actually started following it Saturday and so far, so good. Haven’t noticed much yet but since it’s only been basically two days and not even quite three this morning, I won’t complain.

I have some healthy greens that you mix with water. They’re Isagenix and even though I don’t do Isagenix anymore, really (at least not the shakes), I still have some products and I do continue to use a few things (like the healthy greens and fruits). I just didn’t like the shakes after a while and had to stop using them. It got the point that the stuff just made me gag.

Aside from following the eating suggestions, I’m continuing the exercise - walking every day about 3 miles and will start strength training daily again here soon. With everyone being sick off and on for the past few weeks, I haven’t had much time (or inclination) to use the weight machine regularly.

So, that’s it for me. How are you doing and what’s your plan for this week? Post in the comments or feel free to write a post on your blog and link back here if you’d like.

Talk soon,

~ 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!

Just thought I’d share my workout plan with you. This is basically what I do weekly for exercise and activity.

The plan is to workout 6 days per week - Monday thru Saturday - with 3 days targeting upper body and 3 days targeting lower body. Each day, I do both strength training and cardio type workouts. And I try to workout first thing in the morning (between 6 and 7 a.m.) as it actually helps raise your metabolism for the entire day, allowing you to burn *more* calories!

Sample Week Schedule -

• Monday - Wednesday - Friday

• Upper body - butterfly, lateral pull-down, bench press
• Cardio - walking 3 miles (1.5 am/ 1.5 pm)
• Stretching exercises or stability ball

• Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday

• Lower body - leg press, leg raise
• Cardio - walking 3 miles (1.5 am/ 1.5 pm) and Gazelle for 20 minutes
• Stretching exercises or stability ball

And that’s it! I change the exercises every week or two to target different muscles and keep from getting bored. This also helps get over those plateaus.

~ Annie