Snacking is My Downfall

Snacking is bad for me.

Snacking is a downfall.

I had lost two pounds last week.  I gained one pound back.  I know why.  It's my snacking.  This is good and bad.

It's bad that I gained weight, of course.  No one wants to regain weight.  I didn't want to regain any weight.  I worked to take the weight off.  I am disappointed.

There is good news.  I have found out that the snacking makes me gain the weight back.  It feels great to learn what has been sabotaging me.  If I snack the right way, I will keep it off.  If I snack without discipline, I will gain weight.

A positive move happened this weekend. 

My hubby embraced buying more fresh fruit.  My youngest daughter loves strawberries.  My youngest son liked blueberries.  Hubby bought both this past Saturday.  We also bought raspberries and blackberries.

We also bought two large batches of spinach.  My teen daughter has wrapped chicken nuggets with spinach.  She's used either ketchup or ranch dressing as a spread.  I like eating spinach in a taco or in a salad.  My youngest son likes to chew them on its own.

I also like tomatoes.  Youngest daughter can eat them on their own, too.  I think she likes anything red but can't handle cherries.  Tomatoes are slowly coming in from our garden.  We bring them in green, and I ripen them inside.

My plan is to move the snacks out of my room.  Having them in my room allows me to snack too much.  I need to put them back in the pantry.  I need to put them in a high shelf.  The snacks need to be out of reach to my kids and ME.

Thanks for reading this entry. I appreciate it.

By posting this update, I am jotting down what's working for me.  I would also hope this information helps someone else.  Please pray for me, if you have a chance.  Weight loss is not the ultimate reason for changing food choices and exercising.  I want to feel, and be, healthier.

How about you, my readers?  Have you struggled to lose weight?  Have you struggled to eat right?  Are you snacking too much?  I encourage you to consider bite-size changes in your life, gradually accumulating the better habits in your life.  If you need to improve your health, search your heart and ask God to help you.

This is an entry for Medical Mondays.  For past entries, click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Exercising With Technology & Music

Dancing to music and uploading onto technology.

I can barely type these words because I'm listening to a song called "Rhythm is a Dancer." It's so catchy that I'm dancing while I'm sitting here. How many people are willing to admit they wiggle in their seats when a good song comes along. In fact, I'm gonna get up and dance right now!  (You won't even know I'm gone.)

There, I'm back!

I have a few songs like that one in my mp3 player. Sometimes you just gotta love technology! Some people will gladly thumb their noses at technology. Me: I love using it to my advantage. 

Take, for example, this lady on Youtube. This Dancing Queen loves to dance, and she isn't ashamed to show it.  This is how she uses dancing as a form of exercise. I challenge you to visit her channel and subscribe if you need a little push to exercise. Dancing is a great way to lose weight; believe me, I did it.

There are a few things you can do to optimize your fitness quest. First, suck in your stomach because that's what Dr. Oz, my fitness guru, advocates; wear a belt if it helps.  (I did.)  Second, stand or sit as straight as you can.  Third, twist your body, side to side, to the beat of the music.  Fourth, find music that makes you want to hop up and move!

Exercise has several benefits, of course. You can stay fit. You can lose weight.  Those of us who are flabby, can get toned.  Research also shows that it can help fight off depression.

How about you, my readers?  Do you exercise?  Do you dance?  I hope you will consider dance as an extra way to optimize your health quest.

May God bless you all with His peace and wisdom.

This has been part of my Medical Mondays series.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Inflammation Information from You On A Diet

I'm learning about inflammation in You On A Diet.

I enjoy learning about my body. You On A Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management by Michael R. Roizen, M.D. And Mehmet C. Oz, provides me with loads of information. The authors speak in a conversational tone, with lots of jokes. I love the pictures that explain the functions of the body parts. They are humorous but very informative. It is worth taking a look at this book.

You On A Diet picture explains inflammation of the gut.

One of my concerns is inflammation within my body. This book addresses that situation. Basically, the doctors say that there are irritants in the form of allergens, toxins, bacteria, and stress that cause inflammation in the gut. Further, they consider the gut as the second brain in the human body.

Inflammation shows itself in the following symptoms: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and extra weight. Also, if you suffer with inflammation, then your body is not breaking down the foods you eat to convert it to energy. If you have low energy, you feel tired. If you have inflammation in your body, you remain fat.

This book also breaks the monotony of the information by including “You-reka” moments and “Myth Buster” signs. It is certainly entertaining, while it gives the information you need to get healthy.

At the end of the chapters, there are tests to check whether you have learned the pertinent information. “YOU TIPS!” are included in gray pages, and “factoids” are in squares on the margins.

Here are just a few of the topics actually discussed in the book:

--Exercise- that can be done in twenty minutes

--Supplement suggestions- turmeric, coenzyme Q10, and chromium picolinate, which can help metabolism

--Menu choices- for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time

--Recipes- include “What's in it for you?” listing the minerals and fat intake for each one

--Energy- how hormones affect your levels

--Metabolism- what is making it sluggish and how to optimize it

--Ideal Body- for most of us it will be when we were 18 years-old

--Your Emotions- how your feelings are tied to hunger

I believe that anyone trying to lose weight should read this book. It is informative, entertaining, and worth the money you spend buying it.

How about you, my readers? Are struggling with extra weight? Are you looking for answers as to why you cannot lose weight? Perhaps this book might answer some of your questions. I encourage you to read this book.

God bless you all with His peace, my beloveds.

This entry is part of my Medical Mondays series. Due to the Japanese turmoil, God saw fit to delay this entry and led me to post Wisdom Wednesdays' post this past Monday. Please forgive me.

On March 7th, I blogged about my desire to change up my diet.  I mentioned that I wanted to reread the book above.   To view that past entry, you can find it here: http://bit.ly/geqX4Y

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.

Decisions About My Diet

Diet help is a book on my shelf-- I decide to use it.

I am making important decisions to my diet.

There are habits I need to drop and some I need to add.  Years ago, I heard Dr. Phil say that in order to lose one habit, you must replace it with a positive one.  I want to get away from eating junk food which is convenient time-wise but harmful to the body in the long run.  Drinking caffeine gives a sudden energy lift, but I crash several times in the day.  That's why I am researching.

I want to get healthier.  Yes, I want to lose weight.  Yes, I want to be thin.  I just want to make sure to keep my mind focused on the right goal.  I don't want to starve myself to get there.

I want to reread some of the books that are already on my bookshelves.  To lose the initial 30 lbs., I used the tips in those books.  It's time for me to read them again.  I want to revisit books like: You, on a Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.   

 

I previously posted that I lost 30 lbs.  You might think this is a lot of weight, but I am not at a healthy weight, yet.  At my height of 5 feet  and 1 3/4 inches, 175 lbs. was too much.  I am now at about 140 lbs.  Since I am a woman, my optimum weight is about 117 lbs.  You see, 5 feet equals 100 lbs., plus 10 lbs. for the 1 full inch, and 7.5 lbs. for the 3/4 of an inch.

I could lose up to 23 lbs. for my petite frame.  Of course I may never get there or stay there, if I ever reach that weight.  I would be happy to weigh 127 lbs.  That means that 140 lbs. minus 127 equals 13 lbs. to lose.  That is doable!

My goal could be to lose one to two pounds per week.  Of course, I am tweaking my food plan.  I also need to tone away the flabbiness.   My body needs to adjust to the changes in my diet.  Finally, I must find and use the new tips I find.

There are some things to consider.  It is not the number of pounds that is the main focus.  A healthy lifestyle is my aim.  I think that for a long time I had been depressed and did not care for myself.  I am reaping the results of that decision, and I want to reverse the damage.

How about you, my readers?  Do you own the book I mention?  Do you own any of books of the series by Dr. Oz and his colleague?  Have you ever watched his show?  I hope you do because the books have loads of useful information to help you get healthier.

God bless you all with His peace, my beloveds.

Disclaimer: The viewpoints that I discussed here are just my opinions.  Please consult your physician before altering anything relating to your health.  I am only suggesting here to take charge of your health.  Don't just leave your health in the hands of your doctors; become your own advocate.  You know best how your body is doing.