So, its the end of day four and I feel so fabulous! I mean, I am not focused on food at all! It feels so free! I am FREE! I pray that it stays that way. I know it will stay that way. No longer will I be a slave to food addiction.
Oh, did I say I cheated?? I mean that I stepped on the scale today. Now, I wasn't going to step on the scale every few days or so. I told myself to only do it once a week, on Mondays. I know that it has only been four days ( only three complete cause it was before lunchtime) but I was just curious. Can you believe that I was down 5.4 pounds???????? I was super shocked!
I am THRILLED! I wonder what the scale will say Monday?? I wonder what the scale will say when I start adding exercise to my new healthier lifestyle?? I cant wait to see! This is actually more exciting than I thought. I am starting to envision a healthier and happier me!
By the way, I finished Genesis today. I cant believe how much I thought I knew, but didn't! I keep meaning to tell you where I am at in my Bible reading daily. Sorry. My whole theme for 2009 is "Getting Fit from the Inside Out". That means that I am getting fit inside(spiritually) and that spills over to my physical self! I have got to remember to talk about what I have read and what God has shown me through the reading of His Word!
God Bless
Heather
Thursday, January 15, 2009
To Journal Food or Not to Journal Food???
Ok, Journaling food. Should someone trying to lose weight do it or not do it? I think the definite answer would be YES! Now, I know what you are thinking. Here I am, doing my best to lose weight (and feel great!) but I have not journaled yet! One thing at a time is what I say! I am trying to hard to just focus on what I am supposed to eat this week! And of course starting this blog. I can only tackle so many things at once!
Ok, besides me who else recommends that you keep track of what you eat?? I mean, you don't have to take my word for it! Here are the other organizations/people that recommend you keep a record of what you eat!
American Diabetes Association:
"Start by seeing how much you eat. Find out by writing down everything you eat each day. Be sure to write down what you eat and how much. Do this for at least three days. You can use our Food & Activity Tracker or just keep a list on a piece of paper. Many people find that they eat more than they thought!"
OregonLive.com: (very interesting)
Double your weight loss: Keep a food diary
by Don Colburn, The Oregonian
Wednesday July 09, 2008, 1:00 AM
"Dieting starts with plenty of chances to fail: denial, taste buds, desk jobs, snacks, wishful thinking, appetite, misleading diet promoters, potato chips, ice cream, fill in the blank.
But one of the largest weight-loss studies ever done has pinpointed two tactics that usually help dieters succeed: Showing up. And keeping track.The study, conducted partly in Portland, found that dieters who kept a daily food "diary" and wrote down what they ate lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. Those who attended weekly educational meetings and shared results with fellow dieters also did better."
WebMd:
Keeping Food Diary Helps Lose Weight
It's All About Accountability and Awareness, Weight Loss Expert Says
By Miranda HittiWebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
"July 8, 2008 -- Keeping a food diary may be a key to losing extra weight, a new study shows.
The study, published in the August edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, included 1,685 overweight or obese U.S. adults aged 25 and older.For six months, they kept food diaries and were encouraged to eat a healthy diet and be physically active. They also met weekly in groups to share their food diaries and brush up on skills like how to judge portion size.
After six months, participants had shed almost 13 pounds, on average. The most powerful predictor of their weight loss was how many days per week they kept their food diary, says Victor Stevens, PhD, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore.
Those who kept food records six days a week -- jotting down everything they ate and drank on those days -- lost about twice as much weight as those who kept food records one day a week or less, Stevens tells WebMD.
Why Food Diaries Work
"I think the most powerful part is accountability and the next most powerful part is increasing awareness of where those extra calories are coming from," says Stevens.
Showing your food diary to someone else is even better, in terms of accountability; that's what participants in Stevens' study did. "You're accountable to yourself when you're writing it down and you're accountable to other people who are looking at your food record," says Stevens.
Food diaries can also help target areas for improvement. For instance, Stevens says a food diary might make someone realize that he or she is eating 1,000 calories at lunch and set a goal to trim lunches."
There are tons of articles if you just search online, telling of the benefits of keeping a food diary! So, starting on Monday (starting my second week) I will begin a diary of everything that I eat. I will keep a notepad with me during the day to write it down and then in the evenings I will post what I have eaten for the day. I am excited to start doing this! It is another way for me to be accountable for what I eat! I will be completely honest! NO SECRETS! If I splurge, then you will read about it!
Well, I gotta run and get the laundry done.. fun.. and then go get the kids from school! This evening I will blog about the need to exercise (which sadly, I have not started either)!
God Bless
Heather
Ok, besides me who else recommends that you keep track of what you eat?? I mean, you don't have to take my word for it! Here are the other organizations/people that recommend you keep a record of what you eat!
American Diabetes Association:
"Start by seeing how much you eat. Find out by writing down everything you eat each day. Be sure to write down what you eat and how much. Do this for at least three days. You can use our Food & Activity Tracker or just keep a list on a piece of paper. Many people find that they eat more than they thought!"
OregonLive.com: (very interesting)
Double your weight loss: Keep a food diary
by Don Colburn, The Oregonian
Wednesday July 09, 2008, 1:00 AM
"Dieting starts with plenty of chances to fail: denial, taste buds, desk jobs, snacks, wishful thinking, appetite, misleading diet promoters, potato chips, ice cream, fill in the blank.
But one of the largest weight-loss studies ever done has pinpointed two tactics that usually help dieters succeed: Showing up. And keeping track.The study, conducted partly in Portland, found that dieters who kept a daily food "diary" and wrote down what they ate lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. Those who attended weekly educational meetings and shared results with fellow dieters also did better."
WebMd:
Keeping Food Diary Helps Lose Weight
It's All About Accountability and Awareness, Weight Loss Expert Says
By Miranda HittiWebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
"July 8, 2008 -- Keeping a food diary may be a key to losing extra weight, a new study shows.
The study, published in the August edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, included 1,685 overweight or obese U.S. adults aged 25 and older.For six months, they kept food diaries and were encouraged to eat a healthy diet and be physically active. They also met weekly in groups to share their food diaries and brush up on skills like how to judge portion size.
After six months, participants had shed almost 13 pounds, on average. The most powerful predictor of their weight loss was how many days per week they kept their food diary, says Victor Stevens, PhD, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore.
Those who kept food records six days a week -- jotting down everything they ate and drank on those days -- lost about twice as much weight as those who kept food records one day a week or less, Stevens tells WebMD.
Why Food Diaries Work
"I think the most powerful part is accountability and the next most powerful part is increasing awareness of where those extra calories are coming from," says Stevens.
Showing your food diary to someone else is even better, in terms of accountability; that's what participants in Stevens' study did. "You're accountable to yourself when you're writing it down and you're accountable to other people who are looking at your food record," says Stevens.
Food diaries can also help target areas for improvement. For instance, Stevens says a food diary might make someone realize that he or she is eating 1,000 calories at lunch and set a goal to trim lunches."
There are tons of articles if you just search online, telling of the benefits of keeping a food diary! So, starting on Monday (starting my second week) I will begin a diary of everything that I eat. I will keep a notepad with me during the day to write it down and then in the evenings I will post what I have eaten for the day. I am excited to start doing this! It is another way for me to be accountable for what I eat! I will be completely honest! NO SECRETS! If I splurge, then you will read about it!
Well, I gotta run and get the laundry done.. fun.. and then go get the kids from school! This evening I will blog about the need to exercise (which sadly, I have not started either)!
God Bless
Heather
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Plan
Ok, so I promised a post about how The Plan works! So, here it is. Now, don't worry! This is the easiest plan that I have ever seen (unless you plan to eat nothing at all , which is extremely dangerous and highly discouraged)! I am not a fan of cooking! Now, I have to cook because for some reason my four children have to eat.. go figure! Ha! But on this plan, I DON"T have to cook! That seriously thrills me! I have picked up so many magazines that promise dramatic weight loss but there is always all these tons of crazy recipes that you have to cook, that have ingredients that you would have to fly to South America to find.
Ready????
"For about 1,200 calories a day, you'll get all the energy and nutrients you need to speed to your goal weight. Drink as much water as you like; calorie-free beverages are fine in moderation. Exercise 20-60 minutes most days, adding length and intensity to your workouts as you get stronger. As always, get a doctor's okay before trying any new plan.
Breakfast: Enjoy Daily
1 bowl cereal, up to 170 calories
1 small piece fruit or 2/3 cup berries
1 cup of fat-free or 1% milk
Lunch: Choose One Daily
1 bowl cereal, up to 170 calories
1 small piece of fruit or 2/3 cup of berries
1 cup of fat-free or 1% milk
________________________________
1 1/2 cups mixed greens, 2/3 cups chopped veggies, 3 oz. lean deli beef or turkey, 1/4 cup shredded low-fat cheese, 2 Tbs lite dressing
2 small whole-grain crackers
1 small apple or pear
Dinner: Choose One Daily
1 frozen entree (up to 280 calories)
1/2 cup steamed vegetables
1/2 cup fresh fruit
__________________________________
4 oz. fish, baked or sauteed in 1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup cup mushrooms and 2 Tbs. ripe olives
1 cup steamed veggies
1 small whole-grain roll (less than 100 calories)
Snack: Choose One Daily
1 small pear or apple, 2 Tbs. peanut butter
-------------------------------------------
1 cup lite yogurt
1 Tbs. nuts
-------------------------------------------
100 calorie pack of almonds
-------------------------------------------
1 small fruit or 2/3 cup berries " *
OK, that's it! What do you think? Seems really simple! Since I already said that I don't like to cook, I am sure you can tell what I doing. Yep, I am eating a bowl of cereal both for breakfast and lunch. At each meal, I will also eat a small piece of fruit (I did buy some berries in the freezer section.. fresh fruit is too expensive for me!) Dinner is a frozen entree. I have not figured out how to do the steamed veggies. So I just make sure that I try to get a entree with veggies.
As to the snack, I purchased a couple boxes of Special K bars. They are very small and only 90 calories per bar. As a matter of fact, I just finished a Chocolatey Drizzle! They are pretty good. I know that is not on the list but oh well. I will mix it up with a yogurt once in a while. The lite yogurts that I eat are 100 calories so I figured a 90 calorie bar would be OK.
So, now you have heard about the plan. The reader, La'Vonne, who did the plan, said that she lost a steady 5 pounds a week and lost 105 pounds within a year. I don't know if I will lose that much a week but it would be awesome!
Well, let me get this posted. I have a lot of work to do on this blog!
God Bless,
Heather
*OK, I want to make sure I correctly site the article. The part that I did copy in here was word for word, hence the quotation marks. I am sure that I am not doing this in proper APA format, so I hope that my former professors don't read this! The title of the article is Turbocharged Special K Diet. There is no author listed that I can see. The magazine is Woman's World. The issue is 1/19/09 and the page numbers are 18 and 19. OK, I think that is all I have to list. I hope.
Ready????
"For about 1,200 calories a day, you'll get all the energy and nutrients you need to speed to your goal weight. Drink as much water as you like; calorie-free beverages are fine in moderation. Exercise 20-60 minutes most days, adding length and intensity to your workouts as you get stronger. As always, get a doctor's okay before trying any new plan.
Breakfast: Enjoy Daily
1 bowl cereal, up to 170 calories
1 small piece fruit or 2/3 cup berries
1 cup of fat-free or 1% milk
Lunch: Choose One Daily
1 bowl cereal, up to 170 calories
1 small piece of fruit or 2/3 cup of berries
1 cup of fat-free or 1% milk
________________________________
1 1/2 cups mixed greens, 2/3 cups chopped veggies, 3 oz. lean deli beef or turkey, 1/4 cup shredded low-fat cheese, 2 Tbs lite dressing
2 small whole-grain crackers
1 small apple or pear
Dinner: Choose One Daily
1 frozen entree (up to 280 calories)
1/2 cup steamed vegetables
1/2 cup fresh fruit
__________________________________
4 oz. fish, baked or sauteed in 1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup cup mushrooms and 2 Tbs. ripe olives
1 cup steamed veggies
1 small whole-grain roll (less than 100 calories)
Snack: Choose One Daily
1 small pear or apple, 2 Tbs. peanut butter
-------------------------------------------
1 cup lite yogurt
1 Tbs. nuts
-------------------------------------------
100 calorie pack of almonds
-------------------------------------------
1 small fruit or 2/3 cup berries " *
OK, that's it! What do you think? Seems really simple! Since I already said that I don't like to cook, I am sure you can tell what I doing. Yep, I am eating a bowl of cereal both for breakfast and lunch. At each meal, I will also eat a small piece of fruit (I did buy some berries in the freezer section.. fresh fruit is too expensive for me!) Dinner is a frozen entree. I have not figured out how to do the steamed veggies. So I just make sure that I try to get a entree with veggies.
As to the snack, I purchased a couple boxes of Special K bars. They are very small and only 90 calories per bar. As a matter of fact, I just finished a Chocolatey Drizzle! They are pretty good. I know that is not on the list but oh well. I will mix it up with a yogurt once in a while. The lite yogurts that I eat are 100 calories so I figured a 90 calorie bar would be OK.
So, now you have heard about the plan. The reader, La'Vonne, who did the plan, said that she lost a steady 5 pounds a week and lost 105 pounds within a year. I don't know if I will lose that much a week but it would be awesome!
Well, let me get this posted. I have a lot of work to do on this blog!
God Bless,
Heather
*OK, I want to make sure I correctly site the article. The part that I did copy in here was word for word, hence the quotation marks. I am sure that I am not doing this in proper APA format, so I hope that my former professors don't read this! The title of the article is Turbocharged Special K Diet. There is no author listed that I can see. The magazine is Woman's World. The issue is 1/19/09 and the page numbers are 18 and 19. OK, I think that is all I have to list. I hope.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Day One is a VICTORY!
Well, day one is now chalked up as a victory for me! Do you know what is amazing about that? The fact that I did not even dwell on food. Not even for a minute! Ok, well I did have to think about it when I was fixing my bowls of cereal and heating up my frozen dinner. It is no joke. The past several months all I have thought about is food! It has been all but non existent today! Can you believe that??
Wanna hear my theory? My theory is : since I shed all the "junk movies" in my life that the Holy Spirit has led me to get rid of, then He has now helped me to change my mind set. What was my mind set? My mind set was that food was the only thing in the world that would provide comfort to me! I depended on food! To make me feel good in the bad times as well as the good times! You have heard of emotional eating. Well, all my emotions led me to eat. Whether I was sad, happy, mad or estactic! Now , that the Holy Spirit has helped me to change, I can finally focus on Jesus instead of food and the benefit is that I will lose weight!
Now I know that you are about to die to hear what the diet is, if you dont know already! Well, I am not going to tell you the exact plan until tomorrow! I want to devote an entire post to "The Plan"! OH NO! I used the "D" word. I did not mean to! I am not going to just diet but change my entire way of life! The change will begin with the inside and then that will spill over to the outside as well.
The inside you say? No, I am not talking about my intestines or anything like that! I am talking about getting my heart right and getting spiritually fit first! I have been reading my Bible everyday since January 6, 2009! It has been so illuminating! I cant get enough! I WILL read the entire Bible through this year and I plan on doing it every year! I will have separate posts everyday about what scripture I read for the day! I look forward to sharing that with you as well!
Well, I am beat. The kids are in bed and I finally have some me time! I think I will go take a shower and then curl up with a good book! I am reading The Paradise War: Song of Albion. I think that is how you spell it! The author is Stephen Lawhead. This is the first book of his that i have read! I got it from the Christian bookstore Lifeway! Another part of my life that has changed but that is another post for another day!
God Bless
Heather
Wanna hear my theory? My theory is : since I shed all the "junk movies" in my life that the Holy Spirit has led me to get rid of, then He has now helped me to change my mind set. What was my mind set? My mind set was that food was the only thing in the world that would provide comfort to me! I depended on food! To make me feel good in the bad times as well as the good times! You have heard of emotional eating. Well, all my emotions led me to eat. Whether I was sad, happy, mad or estactic! Now , that the Holy Spirit has helped me to change, I can finally focus on Jesus instead of food and the benefit is that I will lose weight!
Now I know that you are about to die to hear what the diet is, if you dont know already! Well, I am not going to tell you the exact plan until tomorrow! I want to devote an entire post to "The Plan"! OH NO! I used the "D" word. I did not mean to! I am not going to just diet but change my entire way of life! The change will begin with the inside and then that will spill over to the outside as well.
The inside you say? No, I am not talking about my intestines or anything like that! I am talking about getting my heart right and getting spiritually fit first! I have been reading my Bible everyday since January 6, 2009! It has been so illuminating! I cant get enough! I WILL read the entire Bible through this year and I plan on doing it every year! I will have separate posts everyday about what scripture I read for the day! I look forward to sharing that with you as well!
Well, I am beat. The kids are in bed and I finally have some me time! I think I will go take a shower and then curl up with a good book! I am reading The Paradise War: Song of Albion. I think that is how you spell it! The author is Stephen Lawhead. This is the first book of his that i have read! I got it from the Christian bookstore Lifeway! Another part of my life that has changed but that is another post for another day!
God Bless
Heather
So Excited!
Ok, so this is day one of my new Supercharged lifestyle! I am so very excited! I totally feel like God led me to this new "lifestyle" (instead of the word diet)! I was at Walmart with my two older younguns. We had just got finished selling all my movies that the Holy Spirit led me to get rid of! I was so feeling wonderful! I truly felt like God was holding my weight loss back until I "shed" some of my old life such as movies that are displeasing to Him!
Anyways, I was walking in Walmart getting ready to check out when I saw this magazine about a girl who had lost 105 pounds which is close to what I needed to lose! I just picked up the magazine to peruse the article while waiting in line! The Magazine was Woman's World! It is the January 19, 2009 edition. On the cover of the magazine, the title of the article was Turbocharged Special K Diet! Underneath it was three things listed : 1) Lose 12 pounds a week; 2) Spend less on groceries; and finally 3) Never feel like you are dieting! These hooked me at once!
Now, normally in these type of articles the diets are very detailed and require alot of cooking special recipes and such! I do NOT like to cook! Its not that I cant cook, but its just that its not my favorite thing to do! When I cook for the kids, then it is usually something simple! Well, I took a chance.. opened the article.. found the page number and voila! It looked so easy! This excited me to no end!
I have seen alot of commercials and such advertising by Special K about how people are losing weight doing the Special K challenge! I never paid much attention to it.. but this made me stop and read! It was so easy and I knew that God led me to this new way of losing weight! Well, new to me anyways!
I am so excited! I started this morning! I feel great! I need to start drinking water now! I forgot to fix me a glass ! OOPS! I will explain the challenge in more detail in another post! Right now I better go fix me some water and get some laundry done!
God Bless
Heather
Anyways, I was walking in Walmart getting ready to check out when I saw this magazine about a girl who had lost 105 pounds which is close to what I needed to lose! I just picked up the magazine to peruse the article while waiting in line! The Magazine was Woman's World! It is the January 19, 2009 edition. On the cover of the magazine, the title of the article was Turbocharged Special K Diet! Underneath it was three things listed : 1) Lose 12 pounds a week; 2) Spend less on groceries; and finally 3) Never feel like you are dieting! These hooked me at once!
Now, normally in these type of articles the diets are very detailed and require alot of cooking special recipes and such! I do NOT like to cook! Its not that I cant cook, but its just that its not my favorite thing to do! When I cook for the kids, then it is usually something simple! Well, I took a chance.. opened the article.. found the page number and voila! It looked so easy! This excited me to no end!
I have seen alot of commercials and such advertising by Special K about how people are losing weight doing the Special K challenge! I never paid much attention to it.. but this made me stop and read! It was so easy and I knew that God led me to this new way of losing weight! Well, new to me anyways!
I am so excited! I started this morning! I feel great! I need to start drinking water now! I forgot to fix me a glass ! OOPS! I will explain the challenge in more detail in another post! Right now I better go fix me some water and get some laundry done!
God Bless
Heather
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
