Sunday, May 30, 2010

HOW TO STAY ON TRACK DURING THE WEEKENDS

The weekends can be difficult for some of us because we get out of the daily routine of preparing healthy food for the upcoming day.  What  I have learned to do over the past several years is to treat the weekends like it's just any other day of the week.  As we know the most important meal of the day is breakfast so I make sure that I eat a good healthy breakfast when I get up which helps to keep me on track for the rest of the day.  In the past I would sleep in late and then skip breakfast which would leave me very hungry for lunch.  I would then have a large lunch eating pretty much whatever sounded good at the time without thinking about how healthy or unhealthy the meal was because I was so hungry.  I would also do the same when I ate throughout the rest of the day and evening.  So I would highly suggest eating a good healthy breakfast on the weekends to get you off to a great start of the day which will keep you away from getting too hungry when you eat the rest of your meals throughout the day.

Friday, May 28, 2010

SEVERAL DESSERTS I ENJOY TO SATISFY MY SWEET TOOTH

Several nights a week I like to have a small dessert about an hour or so before I go to bed. I enjoy several different desserts and I will list some of my favorite ones that are guilt free and satisfy my sweet tooth. Single serving healthy popcorn, weight watchers giant sorbet & ice cream bars that come in different flavors, weight watchers single serving ice cream cups that come in different flavors, weight watcher individually wrapped chocolate chip cookies, smart ones individual wrapped frozen sundae's, and weight watchers giant fudge bars. These are all excellent tasting desserts that I enjoy a lot and can be found in most grocery stores for when you are in the mood for a healthy treat before you go to bed for the evening. 

Monday, May 24, 2010

Healthy afternoon snack ideas

I usually have a small afternoon snack around 3 p.m. which keeps me satisfied until I have my dinner especially on days that I go to the gym to lift weights which is 3 days a week in the afternoon.  My afternoon snack that I have varies but is always something filling and taste good. As of late I have been eating one or two of the following snacks. a small bag of wheat thins, small bag of baby carrots, apple, sugar free applesauce cup, strawberries, grapes, fat free pudding cup, fiber one bar, and an individual bag of healthy popcorn. On the days that I go to the gym I bring with a low calorie gatoraid that gets me through the workout to keep me hydrated and replenishes my electrolytes. 

Sunday, May 23, 2010

A FEW IDEAS FOR A HEALTHY LUNCH

 I have my lunch between noon and 12:30 p.m. during the week and always make my lunch along with my other snacks the night before so that I'm prepared for the upcoming day. For lunch I like to have a healthy sandwich using whole grain bread that is high in fiber and around 100 calories for 2 slices of bread. I eat tuna, deli sliced turkey, ham, or roast beef and put lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard on the sandwich which makes for a very tasty and healthy sandwich.  On days that I prefer to have something else besides a sandwich I have recently been having a turkey hot dog which is low in calories on a whole grain hot dog bun with mustard which tastes great. To go along with the sandwich or turkey dog I have a fat free pudding cup, a fat free yogurt, a 100 calorie snack, and a fiber one bar which is very filling along with a 32 ounce bottle of low calorie gatoraid.  I also like to have some fruit with my lunch like a banana, orange, apple, grapes, strawberries, or some mixed fruit.              
   

Saturday, May 22, 2010

MID MORNING SNACK IDEAS

I like to have a mid morning snack in between breakfast and lunchtime which keeps me satisfied until lunch.  I do this because It prevents me from getting too hungry at lunch which can lead to a unhealthy meal.  I like to have a few small snacks a few hours before my lunch.  Snacks that I enjoy are apples, suger free applesauce, fat free yogurt, bananas, grapes, fiber one bars, 100 calorie snacks, and a small bag of baby carrots.  I also like to have a bottle of water with these snacks which helps to fill me up and get my fluids in for the morning.  These are just a few examples of what I like to have for a mid morning snack but any healthy snacks that you like are great to have to get you through until lunch time. 

Friday, May 21, 2010

THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY

Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day that gives us energy and helps speed up our metabolism throughout the day.  I have found that eating fruit, filling foods, and protein are a great way to start the day.  For fruit I enjoy bananas, apples, strawberries, and mixed fruit but any fruit that you enjoy is great.  As far as filling foods go I like to eat whole grain bread, cheerios, sandwich thins, and eggos.  Try to find filling foods that are high in fiber and low in fat which will satisfy you.  For protein I enjoy turkey sausage which I often have inside of 2 toasted whole grain eggos, sandwich thins, or whole grain english muffins.  Eat what you enjoy for breakfast with fruit, filling foods, and protein along with a glass of milk to get yourself off to a great start of the day while speeding up your metalabolism.  Doing this will also prevent yourself from getting very hungry around lunchtime.  I have found that when I don't have breakfast I usually don't make healthy choices for a mid morning snack or at lunch time because I'm hungry

Thursday, May 20, 2010

MAKE EXERCISING FUN DURING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

As I began to build endurance as the pounds dropped, there were many activities that I enjoyed which were fun, and they did not feel as though I was just exercising. I hit golf balls at the local golf course, shot baskets at the park, went swimming (which is great for the entire body), joined the gym, and began to lift weights to build strength. Eventually, I have been able to play a full round of golf, full court basketball games, swim for long periods of time, and do full body workouts for 90 minutes or more. These are just a few examples of activities that I did, and still do, that are a lot of fun and are a great source of exercise. So I would suggest to find many different forms of exercise that you enjoy and have fun during your weight loss journey.          

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

MAKE SHORT TERM GOALS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

As I started to eat healthier, exercise, and slowly drop weight off I began to make short term goals for myself that we're very attainable.  When I first started out at the beginning I knew that my ultimate goal would be to drop well over 200 pounds and to go from wearing a 6 XL shirt to a XL shirt and from wearing a size 64 inch waist shorts and pants to a size 36.  This sounded and seemed almost impossible so I decided to make small goals along my weight loss journey that were attainable and within reach in short periods of time.  So what I did was set a goal of dropping 5 pounds at a time which didn't feel like I had a huge mountain to climb. With each 5 pounds I lost, I would then set a new goal of dropping another 5 pounds. I continued to set these goals throughout my entire journey which helped me out tremendously. As the weeks went on, I was gaining confidence that dropping the weight was not impossible at all. I would suggest for anyone that has a large amount of weight to drop, make short term goals along the way.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

A FEW TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE DAILY EXERCISING FUN

What has helped me out a lot is changing up my exercise route so that I do not get bored with always doing the same exact thing everyday, so if this is a problem for you then try to mix up where you walk or exercise daily.  A change in scenery still to this day helps me from getting bored which is probably one of the top reasons that most people quit exercising so mix it up and make exercising something that you look forward to.  I like to go to different locations to exercise away from my neighborhood often like the beach boardwalk, local park, high school or college track, gym, mall/shopping center, or anywhere different to change up the scenery.  On rainy or hot days it's great to walk through the mall, go to the gym, or anywhere that is indoors so their really isn't an excuse for not doing some form of exercise everyday.  Listening to your favorite music on your ipod or personal portable music player while exercising is also a great way to keep you from getting bored and is a great motivator which I use most of the time while exercising.