A Healthier Way

I have tried them, crash diets. To put it bluntly they suck. You feel hungry lose weight, then a few weeks later, gain it all back. What I have learned in previous years it comes down to the simplicity of: calories in vs. calories out. That's all it is ladies and gentlemen. There's no need for a crash diet, cutting everything out. It's about choosing correctly what to eat and what not to eat and getting in exercise.

Losing weight can be hard and frustrating. I'm frustrated. I was eating healthy and then stopped. My partner in crime went off the wagon and a few days later I followed. It's a tough up hill battle. I love food. I used to love to exercise but since having a child, I don't have the motivation to do it anymore. I have to motivate myself. I do have a few goals I am trying to reach. I AM going to run a 5K this year. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough soon to start running again. Something can always get in our way, there is always an excuse but when it comes down to it, WE HAVE TO MAKE THE TIME! That's all there is to it.

When I posted this blog my husband said, "Now you are accountable and what if you don't lose anything." My answer is simple and it still remains. I want this to be realistic. I STRUGGLE WITH LOSING WEIGHT! I always have in one way or another. If my next picture shows I put on five pounds then that's it.

To my readers, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We will go through this together and it will be tough. We need to keep each other motivated. Because my partner in crime went off the wagon, I still had the choice to stay on but I didn't. It's much harder to jump back on once you've been off it awhile, but it will be worth it. Your body will appreciate it.

Finally I'm recommending an article by netdoctor, it's entitled, "How to Lose Weight the Healthy Way." I recommend it because it's to the point, and it's about doing it the correct way, a little bit at a time. Please read it and try to keep motivated. In the meantime, try and squeeze in a workout. Oh the article mentions exercising during commercial breaks, I have done that in the past and even recently, it's worth it. A few minutes is better then nothing at all. Drink water and put in 100%. Good luck.

Water

Recently I have been drinking a lot of water. Normally I am lucky if I have a couple glasses a week, but thanks for my son, I'm drinking several 16 ounce bottles a day. Bradley has a fetish with wanting water bottles and taking them to mommy. Once I get them, I have to open them, but in order for them not to be spilled everywhere I drink most of it. He'll take a few sips then pass it back to me. Essentially I drink the entire bottle with the exception of a few big gulps at the end, which I give freely to Bradley. My little boy tends to hand me about three bottles a day and I drink them all.

Over the past week, I have noticed several changes:

1) I use the bathroom quite a bit. I have heard, but not sure if it's true, once your body is used to it, the frequency of the bathroom trips will be much less.

2) I have more desire and energy to workout.

3) I am happier. Don't get me wrong I do struggle at times with patience for those toddler years.

4) I don't snack nearly as much.

5) I lost three pounds....(I originally started at 165.8, then I was down to 160....then I got sick and was down to 157 0r 158.....then it climbed back to 164.8)....I weighed in yesterday at 161.4 and that's without working out.

6) Sweets (my biggest downfall) aren't as tempting anymore and I have a desire to eat healthier.

7) I am more alert.

8) I have a cold but it's not nearly as bad as my colds have been in the past. I know water plays a part in this because of a previous cold and drinking water toward the end of it, helped with post nasal drip...now it's helped even with the runny nose (this was a tip learned from a family friend and guess what her nursing school paid off because it works!).

I have done a little research on water. A lot of this information I knew from high school but here are the facts:

1. Water makes up 2/3 of the body weight.

2. Without water we would die in a few days.

3. The body cannot work without water.

Here are the facts I didn't know:

1. The human brain is made up of 95% of water, blood 82% and lungs 90%.

2. Losing 2% of your water can trigger signs of dehydration, which are: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen.

3. Water plays a key role in the prevention of some cancers.

I highly recommend you check out the website....it's FreeDrinkingWater.com. It's clearly informational and definitely worth the quick read. Learn what it can do for you. So far for me it's done a lot! And as the website would say....DRINK UP!

A Healthy Dessert

Desserts are my downfall! I LOVE sugar. I am addicted to it. I am not a fan of icecream, however give me cake and I'll want the flower, corner, whatever has the most frosting. I love it. For Valentine's Day I made a healthy dessert for me and the hubby....he loves chocolate covered strawberries and it's in the South Beach Diet....that's not the recipe I used, use whichever one you decide but it's healthier then cake that's for sure. In addition to that, it was easy and fun to make.

Ingredients

Strawberries

13-16 ounces of semi sweet chocolate morsels

2 tablespoons of butter/margarine or shortening (it makes it glossy and easier to dip)

Directions

1. Fill a pot, 1/3 full, of water. Bring to a boil. In a medium bowl (that will fit on but not touch the water or bottom of pan) add morsels and butter. Place on pan. Stir until melted. Dip strawberries (that were rinsed and dried), put on parchment paper or wax paper to harden chocolate. ENJOY.

I, by the way, had too much chocolate for the amount of strawberries I had, so I dipped some bananas as well. YUMMMMMM....