Saturday, January 28, 2012
A Yummy Desert...
SWEET!
So who doesn't have a sweet tooth? Just about everyone likes candy, cookies, or cake occasionally. "Not me," you say, "I only eat healthy foods." What about the "hidden sugar?" I hadn't really thought about the unexpected (or unknown) sugar in some foods. Pickles? Really? After reading a recent news article, "Consumer Reports Exposes Hidden Sugar," I learned that some things, including spaghetti sauce, low-fat yogurt, and pickles, may have high sugar content. Too much sugar can lead to high triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood stream) and the risk of heart disease. It was recommended that women not have over 6 teaspoons and men over 9 teaspoons of sugar per day.
So where is this sugar hiding? I recognize the sugar when it's listed under labels like sucrose, glucose, and high fructose corn syrup. According to the article, added sugar my be listed under names like fruit juice concentrate, malt syrup, and evaporated cane juice.
After realizing I didn't know so much about sugar, I checked out some other articles. Hidden Sugars-How to become a Nutrition Spy explains a little more about the effects of sugar. When you want something sweet, both articles recommend making the healthier choice of fruit over sugary snacks.
After realizing how little I knew about sweeteners in general, I located an article about the different kinds of sugar and sweeteners. The Skinny on Sugar and Sweeteners tells about the different varieties of sugar and other sweeteners, such as molasses, honey, and agave syrup. It also gives tips on cooking with the sweeteners, including artificial ones. Wow, who knew...obviously not me!
So where is this sugar hiding? I recognize the sugar when it's listed under labels like sucrose, glucose, and high fructose corn syrup. According to the article, added sugar my be listed under names like fruit juice concentrate, malt syrup, and evaporated cane juice.
After realizing I didn't know so much about sugar, I checked out some other articles. Hidden Sugars-How to become a Nutrition Spy explains a little more about the effects of sugar. When you want something sweet, both articles recommend making the healthier choice of fruit over sugary snacks.
After realizing how little I knew about sweeteners in general, I located an article about the different kinds of sugar and sweeteners. The Skinny on Sugar and Sweeteners tells about the different varieties of sugar and other sweeteners, such as molasses, honey, and agave syrup. It also gives tips on cooking with the sweeteners, including artificial ones. Wow, who knew...obviously not me!
(Click on the article title to read the entire article.)
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Organization and Weight Loss
I try to be an organized person...most of the time. Sometimes I let things take over. My desk gets piled up, my laundry gets piled up, I eat at my counter because my table is cluttered. I have noticed I can get more things accomplished and stay on my daily meal plan when I have "things" put away and in order. I thought this may just be the OCD side of me, but apparently being organized has an effect on weight loss.
In an article called "Control the Chaos," Peter Walsh discusses how getting a handle on clutter can lead to better living and more weight loss. There were many points in the article that made me say, "Wow, I resemble that remark!" or "That makes a lot of sense." Walsh points out that our choices have consequences...whether it's buying more to add to our physical clutter or choosing to put food in our body that adds to our weight problem. It's important to recognize our emotional clutter as well as our physical clutter. The article gives suggestions on decluttering your mind and decluttering your kitchen. I especially like the statement "Make mindful eating a way of life." To read the full article, click on the article title at the beginning of this paragraph.
Since I've posted on the importance of getting sleep to help weight loss, I checked out an article called "Add An Hour To Your Day (Without Losing Any Sleep!)." It was nice to see that some of the things mentioned I already put in practice. I have a "launch pad" by the door where I put what I have to take with me every morning. I actually get everything ready to go for the next day, including what I want to wear and a "To Do" list for that day. I also keep my keys on the outside of my purse to save time searching inside my purse. (The few times I've "lost" my keys at work I found them inside of my purse!) One of the tips in the article I need to work on is "Don't get sidetracked by your computer." I need to realize that my mail, facebook, etc. doesn't need to be checked as frequently as I do. I will really need to work on the suggestion to check email twice a day and respond once. All in all, there are some helpful suggestions for families to have some extra time each day. To read the full article, click on the article title at the beginning of this paragraph.
In closing this post, I want to give you another site you might want to check out. It is Get Organized Now! It has so much info, you might want to pace yourself. It has tips and articles on time management, getting your home and office organized, organizing storage, kids, and much more.
So now you know...getting organized not only in your planning of meals and grocery lists, but also in your home and life, will help you on your weight loss journey! What are some of your tips for organizing or saving time?
In an article called "Control the Chaos," Peter Walsh discusses how getting a handle on clutter can lead to better living and more weight loss. There were many points in the article that made me say, "Wow, I resemble that remark!" or "That makes a lot of sense." Walsh points out that our choices have consequences...whether it's buying more to add to our physical clutter or choosing to put food in our body that adds to our weight problem. It's important to recognize our emotional clutter as well as our physical clutter. The article gives suggestions on decluttering your mind and decluttering your kitchen. I especially like the statement "Make mindful eating a way of life." To read the full article, click on the article title at the beginning of this paragraph.
Since I've posted on the importance of getting sleep to help weight loss, I checked out an article called "Add An Hour To Your Day (Without Losing Any Sleep!)." It was nice to see that some of the things mentioned I already put in practice. I have a "launch pad" by the door where I put what I have to take with me every morning. I actually get everything ready to go for the next day, including what I want to wear and a "To Do" list for that day. I also keep my keys on the outside of my purse to save time searching inside my purse. (The few times I've "lost" my keys at work I found them inside of my purse!) One of the tips in the article I need to work on is "Don't get sidetracked by your computer." I need to realize that my mail, facebook, etc. doesn't need to be checked as frequently as I do. I will really need to work on the suggestion to check email twice a day and respond once. All in all, there are some helpful suggestions for families to have some extra time each day. To read the full article, click on the article title at the beginning of this paragraph.
In closing this post, I want to give you another site you might want to check out. It is Get Organized Now! It has so much info, you might want to pace yourself. It has tips and articles on time management, getting your home and office organized, organizing storage, kids, and much more.
So now you know...getting organized not only in your planning of meals and grocery lists, but also in your home and life, will help you on your weight loss journey! What are some of your tips for organizing or saving time?
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Free Kindle Cookbooks
Just found these two free Kindle Cookbooks and wanted to share.
The first one is SMART SCHOOL TIME RECIPES: The Breakfast, Snack, and Lunchbox Cookbook for Healthy Kids and Adults. This cookbook encourages whole foods living for families, while offering ample alternatives to prepackaged meals and snacks. It has 125 healthy recipes for quick breakfasts, on-the-go snacks, and portable lunch items.
Next is Easy Vegetarian Recipes. It gives you full step-by-step instructions for Vegetarian dishes that, according to the description on Amazon, even die-hard meat eaters will love. All recipes come from Instructables.com, are written by veggie experts, and contain pictures for each step so you can easily make it yourself, even if it’s your first time in the kitchen. (This sounded really good to me because I'm a detail kind of person and work better if you show me instead of just tell me.)
Both of these Kindle books were free at the time of this posting. Please double check the price when you download. Sometimes the prices change without notice.
The first one is SMART SCHOOL TIME RECIPES: The Breakfast, Snack, and Lunchbox Cookbook for Healthy Kids and Adults. This cookbook encourages whole foods living for families, while offering ample alternatives to prepackaged meals and snacks. It has 125 healthy recipes for quick breakfasts, on-the-go snacks, and portable lunch items.
Next is Easy Vegetarian Recipes. It gives you full step-by-step instructions for Vegetarian dishes that, according to the description on Amazon, even die-hard meat eaters will love. All recipes come from Instructables.com, are written by veggie experts, and contain pictures for each step so you can easily make it yourself, even if it’s your first time in the kitchen. (This sounded really good to me because I'm a detail kind of person and work better if you show me instead of just tell me.)
Both of these Kindle books were free at the time of this posting. Please double check the price when you download. Sometimes the prices change without notice.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Get Up and Move!
So if the title had the word "exercise" in it, would you have still read on? Why is it when most people hear the word "exercise," they have negative feelings? (I resemble that remark!) In spite of possibly conjuring up negative feelings, this blog post is about exercise. There is a lot of information about the subject, so I will just hit the highlights of what I learned. At the very end of the blog post you can go directly to the articles which are more in depth.
First, I really didn't realize that there were different types of exercise that are for different purposes and have different benefits. Aerobic exercises (like walking) burn the most calories and can affect your diet by making you feel more satisfied instead of deprived. Resistance exercise (aka strength training) doesn't burn many calories, but it does preserve lean muscle mass which does burn more calories than fat. Flexibility exercises (stretching) are also important because they help prevent injury and improve performance.
The benefits of exercise are numerous. Everyone knows that exercise can help you loose weight and keep it off. That is only the tip of the iceberg! Exercise can reduce the risk of many health issues, including heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer and type 2 diabetes. It can reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression and anxiety. Exercise will build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints. The level of benefit for exercise is dependent on the frequency, intensity and length of the activity.
Okay, I know I should be exercising, so why don't I? Time, too tired, too busy, too cold....I can find excuse after excuse. I purchased some of the exercise kits at Weight Watchers; they sat under my stairs for several weeks. Two weeks ago, I actually opened them and aired up the exercise ball. I've been through the warm-up exercises. During the next couple of months, I will be going to some water aerobic classes at the Y. I'm still trying to find some kind of routine. I will not give up: I can't afford to give up. I have a lot of living to do and I need to be healthy to do it!
What are some ways you incorporate movement into your day? I'd love to hear your ideas. In the meantime, take a look at this exercise routine I found on YouTube. It's to the music of Mercy Me. At home, I tend to dance to the music while listening to the radio. I plan to incorporate some of these moves!
Body Weight and Exercise
Health Benefits of Exercise
Exercise and Preventing Weight (Re)Gain
First, I really didn't realize that there were different types of exercise that are for different purposes and have different benefits. Aerobic exercises (like walking) burn the most calories and can affect your diet by making you feel more satisfied instead of deprived. Resistance exercise (aka strength training) doesn't burn many calories, but it does preserve lean muscle mass which does burn more calories than fat. Flexibility exercises (stretching) are also important because they help prevent injury and improve performance.
The benefits of exercise are numerous. Everyone knows that exercise can help you loose weight and keep it off. That is only the tip of the iceberg! Exercise can reduce the risk of many health issues, including heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer and type 2 diabetes. It can reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression and anxiety. Exercise will build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints. The level of benefit for exercise is dependent on the frequency, intensity and length of the activity.
Okay, I know I should be exercising, so why don't I? Time, too tired, too busy, too cold....I can find excuse after excuse. I purchased some of the exercise kits at Weight Watchers; they sat under my stairs for several weeks. Two weeks ago, I actually opened them and aired up the exercise ball. I've been through the warm-up exercises. During the next couple of months, I will be going to some water aerobic classes at the Y. I'm still trying to find some kind of routine. I will not give up: I can't afford to give up. I have a lot of living to do and I need to be healthy to do it!
What are some ways you incorporate movement into your day? I'd love to hear your ideas. In the meantime, take a look at this exercise routine I found on YouTube. It's to the music of Mercy Me. At home, I tend to dance to the music while listening to the radio. I plan to incorporate some of these moves!
Articles to check out:
Body Weight and Exercise
Health Benefits of Exercise
Exercise and Preventing Weight (Re)Gain
Thursday, January 12, 2012
You Snooze, You Loose...Pounds?
I've always been a "night owl." Sometimes I stay up to read or get motivated to clean house around 10 p.m. I plan to get in bed earlier during the week, but don't always make it. Since I get up around 5:30 a.m., I usually get at least 5 or 6 hours of sleep, instead of the recommended 8 hours. A friend told me that lack of sleep would affect my weight loss. I really haven't thought much about the connection until I started this blog. I read a few articles and found out some interesting information.
All the articles I read supported the idea that lack of sleep leads to obesity. They mentioned several studies and other research. At the end of this blog post, I've listed links to the articles so you can read the details.
A few interesting findings include that people who get less than 7 hours of sleep a night have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and are more likely to become obese. Lack of sleep affects some of the body's hormones that regulate appetite, which may cause cravings for high carb foods and salty foods. Not only does length of sleep affect weight, but also type of sleep...you need the deep, restful kind. Lack of sleep was cited as a possible reason why new parents and shift workers tend to gain weight.
So what do we do? The articles had a few suggestions in order to get a good night's sleep. (I've also added a few from friends.)
Articles:
All the articles I read supported the idea that lack of sleep leads to obesity. They mentioned several studies and other research. At the end of this blog post, I've listed links to the articles so you can read the details.
A few interesting findings include that people who get less than 7 hours of sleep a night have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and are more likely to become obese. Lack of sleep affects some of the body's hormones that regulate appetite, which may cause cravings for high carb foods and salty foods. Not only does length of sleep affect weight, but also type of sleep...you need the deep, restful kind. Lack of sleep was cited as a possible reason why new parents and shift workers tend to gain weight.
So what do we do? The articles had a few suggestions in order to get a good night's sleep. (I've also added a few from friends.)
- Establish a bedtime routine. (This isn't just for kids! I like to read and enjoy a hot cup of tea.)
- Don't nap during the day.
- If you exercise in the evening, do it at least 3 hours before bedtime.
- Don't go to bed hungry. Drink a glass of water before you get a light snack. You may not be hungry and the water will take care of that "hungry" feeling.
- Don't eat a huge meal before bed.
- Do without caffeine and alcohol in the evening. (Yes, I'm sitting here with my Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper as I write.)
- Sleep in a dark, quite environment.
- Try relaxing sound recordings; some people like to listen to ocean waves to fall asleep or instrumental music.
- If you can't sleep, don't stay in bed after 30 minutes. Get up and go into another room and do a quiet relaxing activity that doesn't require a lot of movement. Keep lighting low. When you get sleepy, return to bed.
- Try breath prayers. I like to use some of the promises of God. Use one when you breathe in (peace, love, or grace) and one when you breathe out (rest, forgiveness, or mercy).
Articles:
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Great Commercial
Since I don't watch television regularly, I'm not up on the latest shows and commercials. Someone was telling me about the new Jennifer Hudson commercial for Weight Watchers. I found it on Youtube, so I thought I'd share it. The commercial is very creative and encouraging.
CONVENIENCE STORE CAUTION!
Usually, when I know I'm going to be out and about or will be taking a trip, I prepare a small bag or cooler of snacks. Sometimes, however, I don't plan to be gone so long or I leave my bag sitting on the kitchen counter. If I don't have something to eat on a fairly regular schedule, I get headaches, so I tend to stop for snacks. Because I'm not always near a supermarket, I tend to stop at a convenience store. That's not always the best place to pick up healthy snacks, but it can be a doable task. When grabbing healthy snacks at a convenience store, you just need check out the labels and beware of fat, carbs, proteins, fiber, sugar,and sodium content. (I include sodium for me because it makes me thirsty and I have high blood pressure.) Also, it's good to look for words like "baked" (if you just have to have chips) or "no-sugar added" (if you're getting a fruit cup).
Here are a few suggestions for convenience store snacks:
Please keep in mind, these are only suggestions. The best advice is always take your own snacks!
Here are a few suggestions for convenience store snacks:
- fresh fruits & vegetables (bananas, oranges, apples, baby carrots)
- hard boiled egg
- low-fat yogurt
- low-fat or skim string cheese
- whole wheat single serving cereal
- vegetable juice
- baked chips (Watch the serving size!)
- whole wheat crackers with peanut butter
- peanuts (Yes, they're high in protein, but I usually don't pick them because of the salt.)
Please keep in mind, these are only suggestions. The best advice is always take your own snacks!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Before and After
People have been asking about "Before" and "After" pictures. I very rarely post pictures on my blogs, but I've made an exception for these. The first picture was taken at my nephew's birthday party on the Tuesday before I joined Weight Watchers on a Saturday in April of 2010. The second picture was taken in December of 2011. I don't remember looking anything like the first picture. At the beginning of this school year I was in the office of the school where I teach and a student from my 2010 class was there. He didn't say anything when I walked by so I said hello and called him by name. He said, "Miss Roller, you're half gone!" That made me laugh.
Resolutions
New Year's Resolutions...I don't make them. I use to make them. I would be so excited at the end of each year as I prepared my list of all the things that I was going to change and make better. I'd start off strong for few weeks, but then would fail and start to feel guilty. Now at the beginning of each year, instead of making a list I simply say a prayer: "Father, please help me be the best me I can be and let what I do glorify you and help build Your Kingdom." Now, instead of making a list to follow, I look for opportunities to be the best me I can be, glorify God, and help build the Kingdom.
Instead of resolutions, I set attainable goals. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love quotes. A quote I found that I'm using as great advice for this year is :
"Don't be a time manager, be a priority manager. Cut your major goals into bite-sized pieces. Each small priority or requirement on the way to ultimate goals becomes a mini goal in itself." - Denis Waitley
Whatever goals we want to achieve in 2012 need to be broken down into small doable parts. Each part that is accomplished is a success that builds the road to our destination. Once we have "arrived," we need to look back to see what worked and what didn't work and learn from our experience. As we celebrate our achievement, let's look for opportunities to share our success with others and encourage them.
Each new year can truly be a new beginning. Whether or not you make resolutions, recognize you don't have to wait until the beginning of a new year to make changes to your life. A friend posted the following quote I found encouraging and am sure to read several times throughout the year:
"No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow your progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying." -author unknown
So keep trying and don't give up!
Instead of resolutions, I set attainable goals. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love quotes. A quote I found that I'm using as great advice for this year is :
"Don't be a time manager, be a priority manager. Cut your major goals into bite-sized pieces. Each small priority or requirement on the way to ultimate goals becomes a mini goal in itself." - Denis Waitley
Whatever goals we want to achieve in 2012 need to be broken down into small doable parts. Each part that is accomplished is a success that builds the road to our destination. Once we have "arrived," we need to look back to see what worked and what didn't work and learn from our experience. As we celebrate our achievement, let's look for opportunities to share our success with others and encourage them.
Each new year can truly be a new beginning. Whether or not you make resolutions, recognize you don't have to wait until the beginning of a new year to make changes to your life. A friend posted the following quote I found encouraging and am sure to read several times throughout the year:
"No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow your progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying." -author unknown
So keep trying and don't give up!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
HELPFUL WEBSITES
It's really amazing how helpful some of the sites on the web can be in your quest to get healthy. I've listed just a few of the sites I visit regularly.
WeightWatchers.com ....gives info on the program, meetings near you, recipes, fitness, health, and success stories.
Dotti's Weight Loss Zone ...gives an amazingly long list of restaurants with lists of their items with Points and PointsPlus values calculated (not endorsed by Weight Watchers).
Genghis Grill- Make Your Own Bowl ...lets you make your own bowl before you go and will give you the nutritional value of the ingredients so you can calculate your own points, check the carbs, calories, or anything else in the dish.
Red Robin Customizer (click on "Build Your Own Meal")...lets you design your own meal, then gives you the nutritional information so you can calculate your own points, check the carbs, calories, or
anything else in the meal.
Inspired Reads...has nothing to do with food and nutrition, but I do visit this site a lot to find free or bargain books for my Kindle!
WeightWatchers.com ....gives info on the program, meetings near you, recipes, fitness, health, and success stories.
Dotti's Weight Loss Zone ...gives an amazingly long list of restaurants with lists of their items with Points and PointsPlus values calculated (not endorsed by Weight Watchers).
Genghis Grill- Make Your Own Bowl ...lets you make your own bowl before you go and will give you the nutritional value of the ingredients so you can calculate your own points, check the carbs, calories, or anything else in the dish.
Red Robin Customizer (click on "Build Your Own Meal")...lets you design your own meal, then gives you the nutritional information so you can calculate your own points, check the carbs, calories, or
anything else in the meal.
Inspired Reads...has nothing to do with food and nutrition, but I do visit this site a lot to find free or bargain books for my Kindle!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
An Introduction
Greetings!
The New Year has me starting a new blog and a new part of my life journey. In the past year and a half I had to face the fact that my weight could cause a significant health issue. After finishing chemotherapy (You can learn more about my cancer experience by checking out the posts on cancer on my blog "Requirements."), my doctor told me that my blood sugar was going crazy and I was headed for diabetes. I told her I had already done the cancer thing and one major life illness was enough. I asked her what I could do (in addition to prayer) in order to stop this. She told me I needed to loose a lot of weight. Okay, I knew I was over-weight and I was okay with that. I was happy with my life...my friends like me for who I am, not what I look like. When faced with another health issue which I could do something about, I decided it was time to get serious about loosing weight. My doctor's appointment was on a Thursday. I talked to a friend on Friday that suggested I join Weight Watchers. I joined on Saturday. Since then, I've learned how to make healthy choices and have lost 73 pounds. My blood sugar is okay now and I've even been able to decrease my blood pressure medication. I feel healthier than I have in a very long time. Because of this journey and with the encouragement of friends and family, I applied for a Weight Watchers Leader position and was hired. I've just started leading a regular weekly meeting and love being able to encourage others on their weight loss journey.
The New Year has me starting a new blog and a new part of my life journey. In the past year and a half I had to face the fact that my weight could cause a significant health issue. After finishing chemotherapy (You can learn more about my cancer experience by checking out the posts on cancer on my blog "Requirements."), my doctor told me that my blood sugar was going crazy and I was headed for diabetes. I told her I had already done the cancer thing and one major life illness was enough. I asked her what I could do (in addition to prayer) in order to stop this. She told me I needed to loose a lot of weight. Okay, I knew I was over-weight and I was okay with that. I was happy with my life...my friends like me for who I am, not what I look like. When faced with another health issue which I could do something about, I decided it was time to get serious about loosing weight. My doctor's appointment was on a Thursday. I talked to a friend on Friday that suggested I join Weight Watchers. I joined on Saturday. Since then, I've learned how to make healthy choices and have lost 73 pounds. My blood sugar is okay now and I've even been able to decrease my blood pressure medication. I feel healthier than I have in a very long time. Because of this journey and with the encouragement of friends and family, I applied for a Weight Watchers Leader position and was hired. I've just started leading a regular weekly meeting and love being able to encourage others on their weight loss journey.
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