Put A Pencil In Your Mouth - Week 7

Put A Pencil In Your Mouth - Week 7

This week, I speak on smiles and how they can impact your day.  Being positive is of the utmost importance while going through your weight-loss journey.  I hope this video helps you out and keeps you smiling!

Be Happy❤Be Healthy!

p.s.
I caught an error I made.  My BMI info: I am 31.2, placing me in Class I and not seventy-something, for Class III.  I can't believe I missed that! LOL  I'm still happy though- and smiling!

Defeating The Need To Cheat!

 

HA! We all have experienced this, eh? Craving something so bad that it eats at your inner-being, causing you to sneak and eat. Or you break out in a sweat as you watch a television commercial, showing Pizza Hut's stringy, mozzarella cheese gliding across the screen. You may have even burned out your refrigerator light because you're constantly opening and shutting the door, only to find nothing is in there that you truly want/need to eat! This is when you begin to do the one thing that can make or break your strength. You begin to think it's okay to add a ..."Cheat Day." Oh yes, we've all done it. So many times, we tell ourselves, "I've been good all week. I deserve to eat whatever I want today!" Don't succumb to this fantasy, this myth. It's not real- you aren't dieting, this is your life! I don't know about all of you but when I revamped my lifestyle as of January 1st, it wasn't for a resolution. It was because I'd been dealt a hand that wasn't allowing me to win. I kept working at what I wanted (healthy weight-loss & vegan lifestyle) but wasn't determined enough. I kept allowing my husband or friends convince me that a day wasn't so bad and that I deserved to do whatever for that day. The problem was that those days popped up more than the ones where I was supposed to stay on track! I was getting nowhere fast. So I decided that enough was enough. I paid a visit to my GP, re-evaiuagted my goals and desires and made a plan of action. I started on New Year's Day only because it was so close to the beginning of the year, it seemed fitting. Honestly, had it been the middle of the summer, I'd have done the same. Anyway, I then put together a Defensive Plan. This plan steps in when the desire to 'cheat' rises. I designed a list of things to do, to eat, or places to go to stay the need to eat something. Just yesterday, I kept wanting to take advantage of the $10 pizza deal- I know you all have seen it. When I was about to ask my son if he wanted pizza for lunch, I caught myself and ran downstairs and jumped on the computer to make sure of my remaining calories. I then snatched him up and ran to QuikTrip and snatched a kid's 12 oz cup of my safety Fat-Free Blackcherry Slushie! A treat that's not bad for either of us. It was so good, cold and filing that the pizza crave vanished! I had to rearrange my entire food journal to accommodate it but in the long run, it was truly worth it. I was away from the crave and found myself happy. This morning I got up and weighed myself. I was down two pounds! THIS tells me, I did the right thing. Had I eaten that pizza, I could have gone up three! Or more, who knows with my body! The thing is, there are no true cheat days. Even if you eat a few too many calories or something that was not planned, you can go back on track with the following meal or snack. But when you throw Cheat Days in, you're only fooling yourself. You only push back your goal and keeps you in the habits that you so truly want to be released from. Don't do it. If you want to treat yourself, go for it but don't allow your entire day to get away! It's not real- there are no Cheat Days! Be Happy❤Be Healthy!

Indian Spiced Rice with Raisins and Tofu Recipe

1 tbsp canola oil 1 cup onions (chopped) 1 tbsp ginger root (minced fresh) 1 clove garlic cloves (minced) 12 tsp coriander seed (ground) 12 tsp ground cardamom 14 tsp ground nutmeg 12 tsp ground cumin 1 14 cups jasmine rice (dry)

34 tsp salt 12 cup lentils (dry) 3 cups water 1 potatoes (peeled and diced) 1 red bell pepper (chopped) 12 cup green peas 3 tbsps raisins 1 tbsp butter (optional)

1	In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently until they have softened. Sprinkle in the ginger, garlic, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, and cumin. Cook for 3 minutes more, stirring frequently.
2	Pour the rice into the saucepan and saute the rice with the spices for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the lentils and salt into the saucepan. Pour 3 cups of water into the pan, stir.
3	Place the potatoes into the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pan and turn the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes.
4	Place the bell pepper, peas, and raisins into the saucepan. Stir well, then cover the pan again. Cook 10 minutes more, or until the rice, potatoes, and lentils are tender. Stir in the butter, if you like. Serve and enjoy. Amount Per Serving Calories 439 Calories from Fat 66 % Daily Value * Total Fat 7 g 11% Saturated Fat 2 g 10% Trans Fat 0% Cholesterol 8 mg 3% Sodium 482 mg 20% Total Carbohydrate 81 g 27% Dietary Fiber 11 g 45% Sugars 7 g Protein 13 g Vitamin A 18% Vitamin C 49 mg 81% Calcium 65 mg 7% Iron 5 mg 30% Potassium 702 mg 3% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. I modified it by eliminating th lentils and butter, using I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and tofu instead.  I also added a little red pepper flakes.  I think you;ll enjoy this one! Be Happy❤Be Healthy!

Too Thin Can Do Harm!

This article caused an uproar!  I found this in the Shine online mag from Yahoo.  It was by Brett Michael Dykes (Fall Beauty- Wed. Oct 7, 2009). But the purpose of my mid-week issue isn't to actually speak on the article but to voice the harm in the article.

     You see, when we strive to lose weight, sometimes we get lost in the idea of being thin.  We get raptured in the numbers and images on television - pushing for more loss until our perception is distorted and eventually lost.

     I've been there.  I've been a four before and thought it was the greatest thing in the world, until I saw pictures.  Looking back now, I understand why some kept telling me to stop.

     People who didn't know me thought I was awesome but the ones who did thought I'd jumped on the Crack Diet!  I was too small and they began to worry.  But not me; I loved it.  I loved being a smaller me but found it hard to maintain.

     Everyone isn't meant to be a zero or so.  Sometimes, our bodies relay messages that we refuse to listen, causing distress and even health issues like malnutrition.  Some folks even push to taking on new detrimental hobbies like Bulimia and Anorexia.  NO JOKE, we do harm when we try to live up to, well... tiny standards.

     As we traverse this arduous weight-loss journey, let's remember to listen to our GP.  Remember to eat and exercise.  Remember to make healthy decisions and drink water.  More importantly, do your best to be happy.  Avoid the sadness, deprivation and depression, seeking to be fulfilled and healthy.

     This time, it's about doing things properly.  Do your body, mind and spirit a favor and think positive.  Think about what YOU want and not about what others think or say.  More than anything else, find ways to not look like this chic from the Ralph Lauren photo shoot!

THAT'S NOT BEAUTY- IT'S STARVATION AT IT'S WORST!

H2"Oh Boy!" - Week 6

H2"Oh Boy!" - Week 6

This week, I mention a few reasons we need water and how to make it enjoyable for those who don't like to drink their 8 cups!

Be Happy❤Be Healthy!

Distorted

1. The average American woman is 5’4” tall and weighs 140 pounds. The average American model is 5’11” tall and weighs 117 pounds. 2. The average size of the “ideal” woman, as portrayed by models, has become progressively thinner over the years and has stabilized at around 20% below the average weight. This thin ideal is unachievable for most women. A 1995 study found that three minutes spent looking at models in a fashion magazine caused 70% of women to feel depressed, guilty, and ashamed. 3. It is estimated that 40-50% of American women are trying to lose weight at any point in time. 4. One out of every four college aged women has an eating disorder. 5. Almost half of all women smokers smoke because they see it as the best way to control their weight. Of these women, 25% will die of a disease caused by smoking. 6. At age thirteen, 53% of American girls are “unhappy with their bodies.” This grows to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen. 7. In a sample of male and female high school students, girls had higher body dissatisfaction scores than boys on all measures. Girls reported magazines as their primary source of information regarding diet and health. Boys reported their parents as their primary source of information. These are the typical messages girls can expect to get from womens magazines. 8. A majority of girls in a 1999 study (59 percent) reported dissatisfaction with their body shape, and 66 percent expressed a desire to lose weight. Only 29 percent of the girls were overweight. 9. At 5’9” tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 which is considered severely underweight. Because of her ridiculous proportions (39” bust, 18” waist, 33” thighs and a size 3 shoes!), if she was a real woman, she wouldn’t be able to walk upright – she would have to walk on all fours. Note that the target market for Barbie Doll sales are girls ages 3 to 12. 10. Nearly 11.7 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2007. Women had nearly 10.6 million cosmetic procedures, 91% percent of the total. (I don't know who to give credit to for this article.  It wasn't listed.)

Wednesday Recipe: Shrimp with Cheesy Grits

 Okay, so when you think of shrimp, you normally do not think of grits, let alone with cheese right?  I didn't think it would be good either but I must confess, it was tasty and filling.  

I originally got the recipe from my SparkPeople Cookbook, as you can see.  My problem was that no one else in my home eats shrimp.  So instead of actually following the recipe, I decided to make a revised version.  One that worked for me to enjoy the meal and not have to worry about food wasting away in the fridge.

So I tagged my own version below.  I hope you try either one.  It was wonderful and I will be eating it again.  My only difference was that I used  2 pks of instant grits, frozen veggies & asparagus, one serving of shrimp, diced tomatoes, and English cheddar cheese.

Wonderful meal and it cost me 563 Calories, 36 carbs, 26 fat and 24 protein!  It was very filling, tasty and not bad in the #'s department!

I hope you try it out- original or revised version!

 

  Mmm!

Be Happy❤Be Healthy

*if you'd like the recipe, slip me an e-mail!