Lose Weight - Tips and Tricks

If you’re not trying to lose weight, don’t bother reading this.

If you are trying to lose weight, you may find this info interesting, or even helpful. Personally, I’ve always been a “tips and tricks” type of person. For any hobby, like cooking or knitting, and even for the important stuff in life, like raising kids, I’ve always found I can take a little something away from a list of helpful tips and tricks. So, here are some of my weight loss tips and tricks, and I hope you find something useful.

Tip #1: Roast a bunch of veggies and keep them in your fridge. When everyone sits down for dinner and wolfs down a plate of pasta or tacos, you can join them by creating your own variation of the dish. I like roasted squash, onion, mushrooms, and maybe even some eggplant. You can add these veggies to your plate with some meat (turkey meatballs, chicken) or put them in a whole wheat tortilla with some salsa and fat free sour cream. The veggies last a long time and you can change the flavor depending on what you’re making for the rest of your gang.

Tip #2: Soup du jour/soup galore! The Weight Watchers veggie soup is so good and, again, you can add whatever protein you like. At Trader Joe’s I buy the pre-cut carrot, onion and celery soup starter and then add a pack of cole slaw and whatever I have around – like zucchini and garbanzo beans. Of course, I eat a lot of lentil soup, too. Soup is filling and usually low fat and low calorie. If you open a can, have ½ and then eat the other ½ as a snack or mid-afternoon meal.

Tip #3: Going out to dinner? This may seem tortuous, but save 500-600 calories for going out. Yes, you may be ravenous. Fill up on V8, or instant miso soup (unless you have high blood pressure.) Drink tea or have some low-cal snack like grapefruit or celery. Go online and look at the menu of the restaurant. Get excited about a nice piece of grilled fish, or whatever healthy entree you can find.

Tip #4: Keep an online food journal. There are a bunch of them, but I like Fitday. Yes, it takes some time to keep track of your food, but the more you do, the more you know what foods are filling, healthy and low cal.

Hope these little tricks help you, and please let me know about YOUR tips and tricks.

Fresh Starts

There were some wonderful holiday moments -- skiing with the kids, meals with extended family, not to mention my brand new laptop computer! But, when I dragged the tree out of the house yesterday, I admit, I felt relieved. Finally, I'm home alone and getting things organized. The boxes of decorations are returned to their perch on a shelf in the basement, and I have some big ideas for some redecorating touches around the house. The post-holiday, New Year energy is inspiring me and motivating me to make changes big and small.

For example, I love make-up. In fact, I think I should have gone into cosmetics and hair as an occupation. After dropping some hints to my trusty 11-year-old daughter, I found a cosmetic kit under the tree. Last night I dug through that old, crusty, make-up drawer. You know, the one with the three bottles of old foundation that never quite matched my skin tone? That drawer in which the blush broke and dusted the corners and crevices? I cleared out all of that old junk and kept only the basics -- the stuff I really use. It is such a pleasure to open that drawer now.

My schedule was also in dire need of an overhaul. I'm setting time aside not only for writing, but also for more reading. And, I signed on to take a course on writing Children's books! I'm excited for mental stimulation in 2009.

And, of course, I know I need to take better care of my body. The way I see it, I'm about half way through my life. So, I went to the gym today. I plan to attend the Body Conditioning Class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. And, when I went to the grocery store, I stocked up on tons of fruits and veggies. I also signed on to FitDay, which allows me to keep an online food journal so I can actually pay attention to what I'm eating (or what I'm not.) I know, I probably do these things every year, but still, I like fresh starts. I like the possibilities and hope they provide.

I recently read an essay by Andrew Sullivan, in the collection of essays, This I Believe. In describing the United States, and our lofty goals like liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he writes, "In the constant failure to arrive...lies the possibility of a permanent fresh start."

I realize that my house will be a mess again, as will my make-up drawer. I know that I will never be as fit as I was in my twenties. And, my writing and mental growth will suffer from the usual ebbs and flows. But the goal is secondary to the journey. As Sullivan says, " I believe in the pursuit of happiness. Not its attainment, nor its final destination, but its pursuit." For me, I believe in fresh starts, and I'm excited for 2009.

Pain in the Neck!

It was a morning like any other. I woke Lil’J, who headed to the shower, and I trudged back to my room to change out of my PJ’s. Somewhere along the line…crick…shooting pain from my neck down my back and into my left arm. Just one small movement did it -- pinched a nerve, poked a disc, or maybe even popped a thingamajig. Whatever it was, my head was firmly cemented facing forward, and looking neither left nor right was a possibility.

Okay, so I popped some Aleve and got a heat pack and went about my day. But, my day was tough. Backing up in the car was totally mirror dependant. I survived, and didn’t run anyone over. Laundry, walking the dog, any household chores were completely out of the question. Even talking on the phone was difficult. By 10 a.m. I was already depressed and frustrated.

So, I had a few hours (24) of pain. Slow stretching and deep breathing helped. Plus, I’ll admit it, I have a stash of some really strong muscle relaxants from a few years ago and one before bed did the trick. I slept like a rock and awoke with at least some neck mobility. But my pain in the neck left an impact. This being the Thanksgiving season and all, I couldn’t help but be really thankful that I would not have to endure another day of pain and depression.

My good health brought to mind many of my friends and family who are suffering on a daily basis. People very close to me are battling with Lupus, Fibromyalgia, neck and back pain, not to mention a close relative who just had a knee operation. If I found one day of pain exhausting, imagine what these people go through every day. So, I’m planning to check in on my friends who are having a tough time, and to remind them of their bravery. It’s a helpless feeling, being around someone in pain. But maybe talking, checking in, or just an acknowledgement that they are doing a good job dealing with their pain can help.

Eating Smarter and Walking Stronger

There is a chill in the air, the kids are back to school and I decided to wear an old pair of comfy jeans this morning – only, they weren’t so comfy. The waist was a bit snug. I had to smile, remembering ice cream on those balmy summer nights, or the new tasty flax seed chips I discovered and became addicted to this summer, or the trendy Sangria I ordered whenever possible. Yes, it was a good summer, full of fond epicurean memories that linger around my waistline. But now, reality sinks in and overfloweth my jeans.
The problem is, when it comes to diet and exercise, I feel like I’ve “been there, done that.” I just don’t have the desire to hit the gym anymore, and I find running to be tedious. I’ve done low-fat, I’ve done low-carb, and I’ve gotten so confused that I end up eating low-fat (pretzels) with low-carb (nuts) which translates to a high-carb/ high-fat diet.
So I decided to do some research, and while standing in Marshall’s waiting for Lil’J to come out of the dressing room, I picked up a book called Eat Smart, Walk Strong. This sounded like it was right up my alley, or aisle, so to speak. At first glance, I liked some of the concepts of Leslie Sansone’s book so much, I sprung and spent the $3.99 for the hardcover. (Marshall’s has great bargains!)
Sansone doesn’t say anything earth shattering in her book, but she presents health and fitness as a matter of improving habits. Basically, she explains that I shouldn’t spend all my time trying to break my chip-noshing habit; rather I should start a new healthy habit that will eventually squeeze the chips out of my diet. One recommendation I like is increasing water consumption -- yes, the old 8 glasses of water a day. After reading that, I remembered how much water I used to drink, and how full it made me. And, then there’s the classic 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. If I’m eating so many fruits and veggies, I may not have room for ice cream. These are just two of the many recommendations in the book -- I’ve decided to start small and see where it takes me.
So, in addition to walking my dog every day, and trying to squeeze in some strength training at home, I plan to change my eating habits. How are you working off those extra summer pounds?