Healthy Tip #7 Would you give up an hour per day to save the life of someone you love? Love yourself enough to regain your health. Find one hour out of your 24 to exercise. You are an amazing person who deserves to be happy and healthy, it's ok to be selfish for one hour per day!
“I just don’t have time!” I hear this phrase over and over again when people ask me how I have lost weight. When it comes to exercise, most people find every excuse in the world why they cannot do it. I know, because I used to do the same thing! But the truth is that if it is something we want bad enough, we will make the time to do it. So, we have to make it personal. Ask yourself the question above, “would I be willing to sacrifice one hour out of my day if there was even a remote possibility that it might save the life of someone I loved?” For most all of us there is no hesitation in answering “yes” to that question. If our spouse, children, or parents lives were dependent on seven hours out of our week, we would do whatever it took to be faithful to those seven hours. Therefore, my challenge to you is to love yourself enough to add years to your life by exercising one hour per day. We have not had a “before and after” computer analysis of our bodies like they do on “The Biggest Loser” show, but I know that by exercising and eating healthy Tom and I have added several years to our lives.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Eat to Live, Do not Live to Eat!
Healthy Tip #6 All of us use food to celebrate...we have to change our
mind set. We should look at food as something we need to survive, not for
pleasure or pastime. When you have something to celebrate, reward yourself with
something other than food. EAT TO
LIVE, DO NOT LIVE TO EAT!
As far as I know, every culture includes food as part of their
celebrations. In fact if we hear about
an upcoming event, we automatically begin to wonder what kind of food they will
serve. This is a very difficult mindset to change because most of us grew up
planning birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners and New Year’s
Eve, Super Bowl and Fourth of July Celebrations. The big question is always, “What shall we
eat?”
I love to eat food that tastes good.
I love to taste a variety of cultural dishes and I have always enjoyed
delicious desserts. However, Tom and I
decided that if we were going to live a healthy lifestyle, we should find other
ways to celebrate. We would think of an
activity that we would enjoy doing together or with the whole family.
We recently celebrated our 20th anniversary. We talked about dressing up and going to a
nice restaurant in Memphis. However, we
realized that with the lifestyle change we had made, we would probably pay for
meals that we would eat very little of and we would just be throwing our money
away. Instead, we decided on an activity
that we would enjoy doing together. So,
we went to Little Rock for the day and climbed Pinnacle Mountain! We would have probably eaten the food at the
fancy restaurant and forgotten all about it, but our first mountain climb
together was an awesome experience we will never forget! We took plenty of pictures and we will always
have those memories.
mind set. We should look at food as something we need to survive, not for
pleasure or pastime. When you have something to celebrate, reward yourself with
something other than food. EAT TO
LIVE, DO NOT LIVE TO EAT!
As far as I know, every culture includes food as part of their
celebrations. In fact if we hear about
an upcoming event, we automatically begin to wonder what kind of food they will
serve. This is a very difficult mindset to change because most of us grew up
planning birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners and New Year’s
Eve, Super Bowl and Fourth of July Celebrations. The big question is always, “What shall we
eat?”
I love to eat food that tastes good.
I love to taste a variety of cultural dishes and I have always enjoyed
delicious desserts. However, Tom and I
decided that if we were going to live a healthy lifestyle, we should find other
ways to celebrate. We would think of an
activity that we would enjoy doing together or with the whole family.
We recently celebrated our 20th anniversary. We talked about dressing up and going to a
nice restaurant in Memphis. However, we
realized that with the lifestyle change we had made, we would probably pay for
meals that we would eat very little of and we would just be throwing our money
away. Instead, we decided on an activity
that we would enjoy doing together. So,
we went to Little Rock for the day and climbed Pinnacle Mountain! We would have probably eaten the food at the
fancy restaurant and forgotten all about it, but our first mountain climb
together was an awesome experience we will never forget! We took plenty of pictures and we will always
have those memories.
Eat to Live,
Healthy Tip #6 All of us use food to celebrate...we have to change our
mind set. We should look at food as something we need to survive, not for
pleasure or pastime. When you have something to celebrate, reward yourself with
something other than food. EAT TO
LIVE, DO NOT LIVE TO EAT!
As far as I know, every culture includes food as part of their
celebrations. In fact if we hear about
an upcoming event, we automatically begin to wonder what kind of food they will
serve. This is a very difficult mindset to change because most of us grew up
planning birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners and New Year’s
Eve, Super Bowl and Fourth of July Celebrations. The big question is always, “What shall we
eat?”
I love to eat food that tastes good.
I love to taste a variety of cultural dishes and I have always enjoyed
delicious desserts. However, Tom and I
decided that if we were going to live a healthy lifestyle, we should find other
ways to celebrate. We would think of an
activity that we would enjoy doing together or with the whole family.
We recently celebrated our 20th anniversary. We talked about dressing up and going to a
nice restaurant in Memphis. However, we
realized that with the lifestyle change we had made, we would probably pay for
meals that we would eat very little of and we would just be throwing our money
away. Instead, we decided on an activity
that we would enjoy doing together. So,
we went to Little Rock for the day and climbed Pinnacle Mountain! We would have probably eaten the food at the
fancy restaurant and forgotten all about it, but our first mountain climb
together was an awesome experience we will never forget! We took plenty of pictures and we will always
have those memories.
mind set. We should look at food as something we need to survive, not for
pleasure or pastime. When you have something to celebrate, reward yourself with
something other than food. EAT TO
LIVE, DO NOT LIVE TO EAT!
As far as I know, every culture includes food as part of their
celebrations. In fact if we hear about
an upcoming event, we automatically begin to wonder what kind of food they will
serve. This is a very difficult mindset to change because most of us grew up
planning birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners and New Year’s
Eve, Super Bowl and Fourth of July Celebrations. The big question is always, “What shall we
eat?”
I love to eat food that tastes good.
I love to taste a variety of cultural dishes and I have always enjoyed
delicious desserts. However, Tom and I
decided that if we were going to live a healthy lifestyle, we should find other
ways to celebrate. We would think of an
activity that we would enjoy doing together or with the whole family.
We recently celebrated our 20th anniversary. We talked about dressing up and going to a
nice restaurant in Memphis. However, we
realized that with the lifestyle change we had made, we would probably pay for
meals that we would eat very little of and we would just be throwing our money
away. Instead, we decided on an activity
that we would enjoy doing together. So,
we went to Little Rock for the day and climbed Pinnacle Mountain! We would have probably eaten the food at the
fancy restaurant and forgotten all about it, but our first mountain climb
together was an awesome experience we will never forget! We took plenty of pictures and we will always
have those memories.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Choose wisely at restaurants
Healthy Tip #5 We all go to restaurants occasionally...1.) Study the menu and make the healthiest choice possible, 2.) Share a meal or if that is not possible eat only half and take the rest home for tomorrow. Not only will you be saving on your calories, but also your wallet! (If you have to do fast food, choose Subway.)
For the first several months of our healthy lifestyle, we avoided restaurants. However, we decided that if this was going to be a way of life, we would occasionally go out to eat. Our favorite food is Mexican, so we decided to go to our local Mexican restaurant. The first time we went, we tried to choose the healthiest meals possible. We decided on the plate called “tacos carne asada” which included fajita steak on tortillas, beans and rice. We each ordered a plate and in the meantime enjoyed some chips and salsa( one of the snacks we allow ourselves). After our food came, we attempted to eat our meals and realized we had way too much food. The next time we went, we decided to order the same meal, but this time we shared. Also, we asked for corn tortillas because they have fewer calories than flour. We were still quite full after sharing a meal so we decided that when we went again we would leave off the rice. Since then we have always shared a meal at restaurants. We only go once or twice per month, but we try to make a healthy choice and control our portions. If we are in a situation where we need to eat lunch quickly, we try to find a Subway sandwich shop and we share a foot long sandwich. We have come to realize that most plates you order at restaurants have enough food on them for two people. We also realize that eating half that amount is sufficient; we are never hungry when we leave a restaurant…and the good part is we usually save about ten dollars on our bill!
For the first several months of our healthy lifestyle, we avoided restaurants. However, we decided that if this was going to be a way of life, we would occasionally go out to eat. Our favorite food is Mexican, so we decided to go to our local Mexican restaurant. The first time we went, we tried to choose the healthiest meals possible. We decided on the plate called “tacos carne asada” which included fajita steak on tortillas, beans and rice. We each ordered a plate and in the meantime enjoyed some chips and salsa( one of the snacks we allow ourselves). After our food came, we attempted to eat our meals and realized we had way too much food. The next time we went, we decided to order the same meal, but this time we shared. Also, we asked for corn tortillas because they have fewer calories than flour. We were still quite full after sharing a meal so we decided that when we went again we would leave off the rice. Since then we have always shared a meal at restaurants. We only go once or twice per month, but we try to make a healthy choice and control our portions. If we are in a situation where we need to eat lunch quickly, we try to find a Subway sandwich shop and we share a foot long sandwich. We have come to realize that most plates you order at restaurants have enough food on them for two people. We also realize that eating half that amount is sufficient; we are never hungry when we leave a restaurant…and the good part is we usually save about ten dollars on our bill!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Choose an exercise plan that works for you!
Healthy Tip #4 Find an exercise plan that is right for you. Start off reasonably. For example, if you choose to walk, start with a mile and build up from there. Don't try to conquer the world in one day...remember this is a lifestyle change, not just a short term recreation!
The first day Tom and I exercised, we walked less than a mile. We didn’t (couldn’t) walk very fast and we were huffing and puffing and complaining by the time we got home. We had been so inactive physically that our muscles hurt from that one walk. However, we didn’t let it stop us. We continued to shuffle down the streets of our neighborhood day after day. I’m sure that in the beginning some of our neighbors probably thought we were a lost cause- two extremely overweight people hobbling along –but we kept on. Soon we had increased our walk to two miles and by summer we were up to a daily four mile walk! At that point we had gained some confidence and we bravely bought bikes(cruisers). The first time we rode our bikes, we laughed the whole way because neither of us had been on a bike in 15 years. But, by the end of the summer we had added a 10 mile bike ride to our four mile walk. I imagine at that point, our neighbors were thinking these people are actually getting somewhere! We continued our biking and walking through the fall of 2010, and then we put our bikes away till spring, but kept walking. When spring arrived we decided to add a little bit of running to our walk. So, we started out by running about a tenth of a mile for every mile and gradually we increased it to running a tenth, walking a tenth and then running two-tenths, walking a tenth and so on. In the summer of 2011 we decided to challenge ourselves to what we called “Hell Week.” We actually doubled our exercise for an entire week, we did two- four mile walk/runs and two- ten mile bike rides each day. At this point our neighbors were actually stopping and telling us they had been watching us from the beginning and we had inspired them! As summer went on, we began to increase our run to longer distances. At the end of September, we did our first 5K race (3.1 miles). Since then we have done a trail run, climbed a mountain and started training for a half marathon (13.1 miles). On Sunday, January 1st, 2012 we ran eight miles (Tom has made it to 10). So we went from walking a slow mile in March of 2010 to running between 25-30 miles per week in January 2012. It has taken us 22 months to get to this point, but as I said, “You can’t conquer the world in one day!”
The first day Tom and I exercised, we walked less than a mile. We didn’t (couldn’t) walk very fast and we were huffing and puffing and complaining by the time we got home. We had been so inactive physically that our muscles hurt from that one walk. However, we didn’t let it stop us. We continued to shuffle down the streets of our neighborhood day after day. I’m sure that in the beginning some of our neighbors probably thought we were a lost cause- two extremely overweight people hobbling along –but we kept on. Soon we had increased our walk to two miles and by summer we were up to a daily four mile walk! At that point we had gained some confidence and we bravely bought bikes(cruisers). The first time we rode our bikes, we laughed the whole way because neither of us had been on a bike in 15 years. But, by the end of the summer we had added a 10 mile bike ride to our four mile walk. I imagine at that point, our neighbors were thinking these people are actually getting somewhere! We continued our biking and walking through the fall of 2010, and then we put our bikes away till spring, but kept walking. When spring arrived we decided to add a little bit of running to our walk. So, we started out by running about a tenth of a mile for every mile and gradually we increased it to running a tenth, walking a tenth and then running two-tenths, walking a tenth and so on. In the summer of 2011 we decided to challenge ourselves to what we called “Hell Week.” We actually doubled our exercise for an entire week, we did two- four mile walk/runs and two- ten mile bike rides each day. At this point our neighbors were actually stopping and telling us they had been watching us from the beginning and we had inspired them! As summer went on, we began to increase our run to longer distances. At the end of September, we did our first 5K race (3.1 miles). Since then we have done a trail run, climbed a mountain and started training for a half marathon (13.1 miles). On Sunday, January 1st, 2012 we ran eight miles (Tom has made it to 10). So we went from walking a slow mile in March of 2010 to running between 25-30 miles per week in January 2012. It has taken us 22 months to get to this point, but as I said, “You can’t conquer the world in one day!”
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Choose to eat healthy
Healthy tip #3 Set yourself up for success. Do NOT go out and buy expensive diet food...use regular food that you and your family can eat every day. The key is to choose wisely... start reading labels!
I have heard many people say, “I can’t afford to go on a diet!” In fact, I have said myself that it is cheaper to buy junk food than healthy food. However, when I made up my mind to be healthy, I did not go out and buy all the things that said diet, sugar free or fat free on them, I decided to buy regular food that anyone in my family would eat. We chose to follow a diabetic exchange food plan. I have an example of a 1500 calorie plan below:
You can exchange or trade one food for another from the same food group. For example, you can choose 1 slice of bread instead of 3/4 cups of dry cereal, or a potato instead of a dinner roll. For other alternatives, see the lists under "Diabetic Exchange Plan."
BREAKFAST Food Groups
• 2 breads or starches, such as 3/4 cup (6 ounces) corn flakes and 1 slice toast
• 1 fruit, such as 1 small (5-inch) banana or 1/2 of a 9-inch banana
• 1 milk, such as 1 cup skim or 1 cup 1 percent milk
• 1 fat, such as 1 tsp. margarine
LUNCH Food Groups
• 2 ounces meat or protein, such as 2 ounces sliced turkey breast
• 2 breads or starches, such as 2 slices bread
• 1 vegetable, such as 1 lettuce leaf and 2 tomato slices
• 1 fat, such as 1 tsp. regular mayonnaise or 2 tsp. low-fat mayonnaise
AFTERNOON SNACK Food Groups
• 1 milk, such as 1 cup (8 ounces) skim or 1 cup 1 percent milk
• 1 vegetable, such as 1 cup carrot sticks
• 1 fat, such as 2 Tbs. fat-free salad dressing (can use with carrot sticks)
DINNER Food Groups
• 3 ounces meat or protein, such as 3 ounces lean roast beef
• 2 starches, such as one 3-inch baked potato and 1 medium (2-1/2 inch) dinner roll
• 1 fat, such as 1 tsp. margarine
• 2 vegetables, such as 1 cup (8 ounces) cooked mixed vegetables
• 1 fruit, such as 1-1/4 cups fresh strawberries
EVENING SNACK Food Groups
• 1 bread, such as three 2-1/2 inch square graham crackers
• 1 meat or meat substitute, such as 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
Some of the food we include in our food plan are: Breads-whole wheat bread, oatmeal, wheat/triscuit crackers. Meat- chicken, hamburger patty, lean deli turkey or ham. Vegetables- frozen, fresh or raw- any kind. Fruits- bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe (cheaper to buy whatever is in season). Milks- low-fat (skim or 1%) milk, deli sliced cheese. Other- peanut butter (I buy Peter Pan whipped 1/3 less sugar), barbeque sauce, salsa. Snacks- popcorn, tortilla chips. Drinks- water, un-sweet tea, coffee.
We grill our meat and use seasoning or marinade. We do not buy canned foods. We read labels and we measure our amounts. I buy the small snack bags for lunch, so it helps me measure and limit the amount of food we take to work. We buy water flavorings for our water and we use an artificial sweetener in tea or coffee. Also we add sugar free creamer to our coffee.
The key is control and consistency
I have heard many people say, “I can’t afford to go on a diet!” In fact, I have said myself that it is cheaper to buy junk food than healthy food. However, when I made up my mind to be healthy, I did not go out and buy all the things that said diet, sugar free or fat free on them, I decided to buy regular food that anyone in my family would eat. We chose to follow a diabetic exchange food plan. I have an example of a 1500 calorie plan below:
You can exchange or trade one food for another from the same food group. For example, you can choose 1 slice of bread instead of 3/4 cups of dry cereal, or a potato instead of a dinner roll. For other alternatives, see the lists under "Diabetic Exchange Plan."
BREAKFAST Food Groups
• 2 breads or starches, such as 3/4 cup (6 ounces) corn flakes and 1 slice toast
• 1 fruit, such as 1 small (5-inch) banana or 1/2 of a 9-inch banana
• 1 milk, such as 1 cup skim or 1 cup 1 percent milk
• 1 fat, such as 1 tsp. margarine
LUNCH Food Groups
• 2 ounces meat or protein, such as 2 ounces sliced turkey breast
• 2 breads or starches, such as 2 slices bread
• 1 vegetable, such as 1 lettuce leaf and 2 tomato slices
• 1 fat, such as 1 tsp. regular mayonnaise or 2 tsp. low-fat mayonnaise
AFTERNOON SNACK Food Groups
• 1 milk, such as 1 cup (8 ounces) skim or 1 cup 1 percent milk
• 1 vegetable, such as 1 cup carrot sticks
• 1 fat, such as 2 Tbs. fat-free salad dressing (can use with carrot sticks)
DINNER Food Groups
• 3 ounces meat or protein, such as 3 ounces lean roast beef
• 2 starches, such as one 3-inch baked potato and 1 medium (2-1/2 inch) dinner roll
• 1 fat, such as 1 tsp. margarine
• 2 vegetables, such as 1 cup (8 ounces) cooked mixed vegetables
• 1 fruit, such as 1-1/4 cups fresh strawberries
EVENING SNACK Food Groups
• 1 bread, such as three 2-1/2 inch square graham crackers
• 1 meat or meat substitute, such as 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
Some of the food we include in our food plan are: Breads-whole wheat bread, oatmeal, wheat/triscuit crackers. Meat- chicken, hamburger patty, lean deli turkey or ham. Vegetables- frozen, fresh or raw- any kind. Fruits- bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe (cheaper to buy whatever is in season). Milks- low-fat (skim or 1%) milk, deli sliced cheese. Other- peanut butter (I buy Peter Pan whipped 1/3 less sugar), barbeque sauce, salsa. Snacks- popcorn, tortilla chips. Drinks- water, un-sweet tea, coffee.
We grill our meat and use seasoning or marinade. We do not buy canned foods. We read labels and we measure our amounts. I buy the small snack bags for lunch, so it helps me measure and limit the amount of food we take to work. We buy water flavorings for our water and we use an artificial sweetener in tea or coffee. Also we add sugar free creamer to our coffee.
The key is control and consistency
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
"Healthy" is a choice!
Healthy Tip #2 Do not use the "D" word ( DIET). This is a lifestyle change, not just a fad or a health kick. Make up your mind that HEALTHY is the choice you are going to make from this day forward.
Tom and I decided that our motivation was to be healthy. Our goal was to improve our health so that we would not be dependent on medications and doctor visits. We did not drag the scale out and weigh ourselves on March 14, 2010. In fact, we didn't weigh for at least the first two to three months of our lifestyle change. However, Tom did test his blood sugar on a daily basis and I monitored my blood pressure. I believe because we made health our motivation instead of weight, we were able to get through those first few months (the hardest part) to the point where we were seeing healthy results (lower blood sugar and blood pressure) and the weight loss was just an added benefit. Now Tom's blood sugar stays around 95 and my blood pressure averages about 112/70. However, we have to constantly remind each other that we have chosen to live this way in order to be healthy. It's too easy to become obsessed with the scale and worry more about losing the next pound rather than remember the health benefits.
I won't deny that we have enjoyed sharing the "numbers" of our weight loss. However, our real reward is that we have regained our health, we feel great, we take no medications, we've had very few doctor's visits and our bodies seem to recover much more quickly if we do contract a virus or bug that is going around.
If you are ready to make a lifestyle change, let your HEALTH be your motivator.
Tom and I decided that our motivation was to be healthy. Our goal was to improve our health so that we would not be dependent on medications and doctor visits. We did not drag the scale out and weigh ourselves on March 14, 2010. In fact, we didn't weigh for at least the first two to three months of our lifestyle change. However, Tom did test his blood sugar on a daily basis and I monitored my blood pressure. I believe because we made health our motivation instead of weight, we were able to get through those first few months (the hardest part) to the point where we were seeing healthy results (lower blood sugar and blood pressure) and the weight loss was just an added benefit. Now Tom's blood sugar stays around 95 and my blood pressure averages about 112/70. However, we have to constantly remind each other that we have chosen to live this way in order to be healthy. It's too easy to become obsessed with the scale and worry more about losing the next pound rather than remember the health benefits.
I won't deny that we have enjoyed sharing the "numbers" of our weight loss. However, our real reward is that we have regained our health, we feel great, we take no medications, we've had very few doctor's visits and our bodies seem to recover much more quickly if we do contract a virus or bug that is going around.
If you are ready to make a lifestyle change, let your HEALTH be your motivator.
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