So, this is my problem...

I do not have much of a sweet tooth so not eating sweets is no problem for me.  I love to go for walks, especially since I have a dog now, so exercising is no problem for me.  The problem that I always run into whenever I try to lose weight or get into shape is not knowing HOW to eat healthy, or WHAT to eat.  What are some healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas?  I feel as though every time I attempt to eat something that I think is healthy, some nutritionist expert tells me it is not healthy.  It is very confusing to me.  Any insights on this would be greatly appreciated!  :)

Jess Knox

I Think I Can... I Know I Can

This week marks the beginning of what, for many, has become a month and a half long celebration. While celebrations are fun and offer a change of pace from the regular day-to-day activities, this time of year has unfortunately turned into a gluttony of food, busy-ness and credit cards with little or no time spent on reflection or simply enjoying the moment. This year, I am determined to have more of the latter.

I know it won't be easy and, at times, I will struggle. The busy-ness will still be there as well as the yummy temptations and family gatherings where everyone else will be enjoying (indulging). But when January comes I want to be filled with happy memories, old and new holiday traditions, a grateful heart, and a healthy body.

While the past three weeks have been hit and miss, something "clicked" in my head a few days ago and I am more committed than ever to take on this challenge. I won't let a moment or hour or day or week of prior poor choices carry over into this next moment. I am choosing to make permanent life-giving changes.

The following is a quote from a blog post I read recently. If you'd like to read the whole post, here is the link: http://jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/Entries/2012/11/21_Thanksgiving_Thoughts.html

"The holidays are a time to celebrate, give thanks and, yes, perhaps for some of us, even overindulge a little. It is important to remember, however, that Thanksgiving is just one meal on one day and is not the start of a month–and–a–half long celebration. The occasional indulgence on the occasional holiday (i.e., the actual day & meal itself) will not be damaging to overall health and well–being if healthy eating and exercising take place on a regular consistent daily basis throughout the rest of the year.

 

"The holidays are also a time to focus on family and friends — not just food. Catching up and sharing laughs with loved ones will allow you to feel the spirit of the holidays more than a second helping of pie. Allow yourself to celebrate, but do so without throwing all caution to the wind or hurting yourself.  And remember, your body is never not watching!"

I know we can do this!

Checking in!

So, I will be honest, week one was pretty difficult for me. I really struggled with the sweets and exercise.  But week two I decided I would just do the full 45 minutes of exercise everyday and get the 7 points, and if I really needed a sweet that day then at least I would have extra points to subtract from! And it worked! Knowing I could have a sweet everyday really helped.  I also got my 9 year old daughter to join in on the challenge with me and being accountable to her really made me step it up. She would remind me to cook a second veggie for dinner and we did a lot of exercise together.  Unfortunately, she doesn't want to do the challenge anymore because we are going out of town for Thanksgiving and she just wants to focus on having fun. I don't blame her - I want to do that too!  I begged her to keep going but it's definitely not worth the argument with her (sheesh, who knew 9 year olds could be SO teenager-ish already?!)   But at least I have you guys to help me along!!

How did everyone else do week 2? Was it easier because you had habits in place? Harder because the newness and excitement is wearing off? Are you traveling for Thanksgiving or having a crowd at your house? We leave Friday for North Carolina and it will be hard to leave my own home where I have my routine in place. But my mom likes to take long walks, so I will try to do that with her everyday and just try to save all my sweets for Thanksgiving Day! Oh, and I am not packing any candy to snack on during the 15 hour drive. I will rely on sunflower seeds and beef jerky to keep me alert! 

Hope to hear from you guys!

Inspirational Quote

I know that this quote was given in the Priesthood session, but I really like it so I wanted to share it:

"Brethren, our destiny is not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward."  - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Water

WATER
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 30%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Week One. The Good, the Bad...and the Good

I'm not gonna lie. Last week was rough. 9 hours on the road. 6 kids. 8 days. Keeping my brother's house spotless for potential buyers. I'm grateful to be home.

The Good I went walking every day except one. Their backyard leads to a great walking trail, and I got out before the kids were up and moving. I stayed fairly consistent with water, fruits and veggies. And there was very little snacking going on after 8:30.

The Bad My emotional ties to food are VERY strong. Actually, I already knew that but the abundance of Halloween candy and stress of the week really got to me. Result: negative in the sweets category; fortunate not to be in the negative overall. I'd like a do-over... :)

The Good My brother's house sold on my first and only showing. They also found a perfect home in Arizona. Denise made a delicious meal of soup and rolls for my family so they didn't starve while I was gone. Your wonderful comments on this blog kept me going when I wanted to quit. I got back Saturday at 9pm to a clean house and a meal ready for Sunday, thanks to my wonderful husband. And as far as the challenge is concerned, I'm doing better with the sweets, I went walking this morning in below freezing temps even though my body screamed "NO!", and I've already downed 32 ounces of water. Things are looking really, really good.

Totally unrelated...I love Winnie-the-Pooh and here are two of my favorite quotes.

"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day."

How to Stop Overeating in Seconds...

In my Paleo research, I came across this article that I found fascinating!

Thought I would pass it along to see if it would help anyone.

How to Stop Overeating in Seconds!