Health: Getting Back to the Basics

OK, here goes. I've got 40lbs. to lose. There, I said it out loud. I've lost it before, but gained it all back, because if there's one thing that I have figured out about myself is that I'm an emotional eater. I'm hoping that this time, public shame will help motivate me to lose the weight and along the way I can learn some new life skills to avoid eating during times of stress and once and for all keep the pounds off.

I know what to do when it comes to exercise. I know the cardio, I know the weight and strength training. I know what to do when it comes to eating. Eating, not dieting! I will not even mention the word diet in my house with 2 teenaged daughters, nor have I ever said the word 'diet' in front of them - ever. Except that it's something we shouldn't do, but it's a good one that we should have. I do have chips and cookies in the house for the kids if they want them (I always buy the kind that I don't like so I won't be tempted), but these things can go untouched for a week. For some reason, these foods call out to me to come and consume them, but I guess I'm the only one that hears the voices coming from the pantry!

No one else in my family is overweight but me. Everyone is athletic, all four kids play sports, soccer especially. My oldest daughter, a junior in High School, is currently being recruited to play college soccer. Even my husband is a workoutaholic and his eating habits are impeccable. Last year at his annual physical, his doctor informed him that he has the health of a 24 yr. old. I'm jealous of all of them! Happy, but sadly jealous. I used to be an athlete, too. Well, I ran track for a short time in school and was a cheerleader - that counts, right? Ok, so I'm athletically inclined.

We have a treadmill at home and a few weights. The treadmill isn't anything fancy, we've had it for about 10 yrs., but it does the job. I can easily get on for an hour and powerwalk a little over 3 miles every day. We have some weights and my husband has shown me all kinds of ways to target different muscle groups, and I can do that as well. I'm just not great at challenging myself. When things get to be too routined, the body just doesn't respond as well and then it's time to mix it up a little bit. I'm not too creative when it comes to challenging myself and mixing it up. Have to work on that also.

This week I'm going to start moving again, on the treadmill, that is. I can only focus on one thing at a time, so as I start powerwalking, I'll try to stay conscious about what I'm eating. Or what I should stop eating. And as I am thinking about what I'm eating this week, I will try to plan ahead for next week and write out specifically what I will be consuming at my meals. I know that I will not eat only from one food group, nor will I eliminate certain food groups. They are all important and all need to be present in moderation. As I am aging, there are also certain things that I would like to incorporate daily, and I really need to focus on portion control and cut the mindless grazing.

So this week, I came clean about my weight, I'm going to start moving again (get back on the treadmill right after I finish this post), and I will be more conscious about what I eat (I'm sure that Chex Mix doesn't count, does it?). I know what to do to get from point A to point B, it's just the how that I need to work on. Results don't come overnight, this is a lifestyle change and requires baby steps, and completing one baby step will not get me to my goal, but the accumulation of many will.

One of my favorite health sites is "RealAge" with Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen. Take the RealAge test to see how old you really are and take advantage of their
"Say Yes to Success" personal goal-setting plans. I love the newsletters that are full of healthy tips.

I want to encourage you to pull out those tennis shoes and start moving again with me this week. Don't make it too formal or you'll want to quit. Just move. Walk in your neighborhood, walk up and down the stairs in your house, put a phone book on the floor and step up and down (carefully!). Even if it's just for a few minutes! Those few minutes a day can build into something bigger! Think about the things that probably aren't so good for you to be eating and make a conscious decision to stop. Do this with me - we have a lot to lose and everything healthy to gain!

Happy Healthy Monday and thanks for stopping by!

SAVING YOUR SANITY FRIDAYS

Usually by Friday, I'm so wiped out by all the issues of the week that I could just pull my hair out. I guess goes the saying "Thank God It's Friday". With a house full of teens, I sometimes long for the days when they were little and the problems were so much simpler. The days when a bandaid seemed to fix everything!

Unfortunately, there's so much more out there in this world that can really put a monkey wrench in your stride. Everywhere you go, everything you do, your sanity is ready to be compromised.

On Friday, we can blow off all the steam from the week and put into practice things we've always heard that are supposed to be helpful, mantras we should follow, remembering to count to 10, you know what I'm talking about. But most of all humor. No matter what life throws at you, be ready to laugh about it later. You only live once, and life is only as serious as you make it.

Join me on Fridays in Saving Your Sanity.

Hey, don't forget to cut your coupons on Sunday, and go pull those 'tennies' out of the closet, because on Monday, you're going to be ready to commit to your health and start moving!

Thanks for stopping by!

HAPPY NEW YEAR / HAPPY SMART SHOPPING

I wish all of you the best that this new year can bring. It's a new start, a fresh beginning for anything you would like to accomplish.



This week I have begun to lay out my plan for my fresh start with this blog. Covering a different topic each day of the week, categories that I can also parallel with my life where I would like to do better and make improvements.



With that said, on Thursdays I create my shopping list. I know that Sundays are a big ad day highly anticipated by most. A lot of folks are really big on the CVS and Walgreens ads of which I hope to begin to utilize more in the future, but I love the Sunday paper for the coupons. I feel like like a kid again on Christmas looking for the coupons because I know that companies are giving me money to buy their products, and I can't wait to see who is giving me what! Well that's how I see it, anyway!



Ok, so my biggest day for the ads is on Wednesday. I know, it's not a big newspaper day, but that's when the grocery ads come out! I don't completely know what happens to me, but when I have the new grocery ads in one hand, and my coupons in the other, I am in total bliss. So excited to figure out how much money I'll be saving on my grocery shopping trip for the week! Anyway, I'd like to pass on some of that excitement to you and share with you my methods for saving money on groceries for my family of six. Let's just say that I don't feel completely accomplished on my grocery shopping trips unless I've saved more than half off my bill and I come home with some free items and I'll show you how you can too!



Thanks for stopping by!