Health Info
I remember sitting at my 8th grade graduation {yes, that’s a thing} getting so excited to start high school. There were quite a lot of reasons to look forward to starting a new school of course, but what I looked forward to the most was the freedom.
You could pick your own classes, sign up for sports, and park wherever you wanted. I was incredibly dismayed to learn there really wasn’t so much freedom after all. I mean, you couldn’t even in eat in class. Blasphemy. How was a growing teenager supposed to last 3 whole hours between first period and lunch? Don’t even get me started on how long you had to wait to eat if you had last lunch. Torture. Just torture.
I quickly learned to keep my locker stashed with snacks I could quickly grab and chow down on in between classes. I’ve always been a snacker and don’t see anything wrong with that- it’s a great way to keep from getting too hungry and scarfing down more food than you need later in the day.
Here are some of my favorite quick and easy snacks:
Thank goodness you were allowed to eat in class in college. 😉
What’s your favorite go-to snack or quick recipe?
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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Activia via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Activia
Health Info
Hi SoS readers! I’m Theodora from Losing Weight in the City, and I’m guest posting for my girl Heather while she snuggles with her new little one. We first met when we roomed together at the Healthy Living Summit a few years ago, and Heather’s been one of my favorite blog friends ever since, so I’m happy to be posting here.
I may not be a Registered Dietitian like Heather or a personal trainer like some of you, but I do know a few things about losing weight and keeping it off.
January 2009
January 2012
In February 2009, I decided enough was enough. I was going to be in my friend’s wedding in Aruba that summer, and I was 26 years old. Too young to be hiding out under my towel hoping nobody looked at me. Too young to be so unhappy about how I looked (although I learned there’s never any age when you should be that unhappy about how you look.) And so I changed my life. I started going to a personal trainer who taught me how to love exercise and healthy food.
Within 6 months, I’d lost 35 pounds, and by a year later, I’d hit my goal weight–for a total of 50 pounds lost.
It’s been nearly two years since I hit that final goal weight, and I’ve managed to keep all of the weight off, save for the occasional 3-5 pounds that comes and goes sometimes.
Here’s how I do it:
1. Weighing myself–and not making excuses. I made so many excuses when I hopped on the scale before I lost weight. My clothes were heavy, I’d just eaten, I must have had something salty the day before. Sure, I hear about the girls that said they’ve ditched the scale and have never been happier–and kudos to them–but I can’t do that. I need to have an idea of where I stand so that I don’t slip. I don’t weigh myself everyday, but I weigh myself probably 1-2 times per week and cut back a bit if I see the number rising.
2. I found exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise. I discovered running, and I fell in love. It’s not always easy, but running mostly feels like fun to me, and it’s a great way to push myself. I started off with a 5K two and a half years ago, and became so hooked that I’ve run 9 half-marathons and 2 full marathons since! Maybe you’re not into running, though. Find what feels like fun to you and keep doing that. (But also make sure to keep pushing yourself.)
3. Reminding myself I chose this lifestyle. Believe me, I don’t always want to eat healthy and work out. Most of the time I enjoy how it makes me feel, but I also enjoy laying on my couch, drinking beer and eating nachos sometimes. (Not all at once.) When I’m dragging my feet to go to the gym, I remind myself that I don’t have to go, I’m going because I care–about my body and about my goals–and that usually convinces me to go.
4. Setting goals that aren’t just tied to the scale. Yes, I do still weigh myself consistently, but if I just set scale-related goals, I’d be miserable. I set goals for myself like more strength training, hitting a goal race time and eating in more. 
5. I sweat with friends. Hell, I even ran a whole marathon with a friend. (I digress.) While I definitely still go out to eat and for drinks with friends, I find ways to make exercise as social as possible and make gym and running dates with friends.
6. I’ve made it a lifestyle. For me, this means I make healthy decisions at least 80% of the time, but don’t stress about the other 20%. It also means I do what fits into my own lifestyle, not someone else’s.
If you’ve lost weight, what’s helped you maintain it?
Holidays
If there’s one thing that really gets me this time of year, it’s the barrage of “healthy holiday eating” information that bombards my inbox, reader, newsletters, websites, and newspapers.
I’m tired of hearing tips like:
“It’s ok to refuse food from the host.”
“Sit at the table for 15 minutes before you start to eat.”
“Eat a light breakfast and lunch so you can eat more at dinner without eating too many calories.”
“Use candy for holiday crafts, not eating.”
“Only take 3 bites of any one food.”
“Eat your food from a napkin instead of a plate.”
“Re-gift food presents so you don’t eat it yourself.”
While there’s an inkling of truth behind these words of wisdom, are these the kind of rules you want to be focusing on this holiday season? I sure don’t think so- some of them are downright ridiculous.
So what do you do? Attempting to avoid all treats and indulgences and saying no to food and drinks at parties is just not realistic, but it’s no secret that the holidays are a time of weight gain for many people. In fact, the problem with the weight people gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s isn’t so much the weight gain itself- it’s that people tend not to lose the weight. That weight gain, year after year, leads to problems.
So instead of focusing on what you shouldn’t do this holiday season, why don’t you focus on what you can do?
– Make exercise a priority. You may be busy, stressed, and not interested in going out in the cold and dark, but now more than ever is the time to get your butt moving. You don’t have to make a huge commitment- just do something to get the blood flowing as many days as you can. This can be a good time of year to exercise in the morning- It’ll set the stage for a healthy day.
– Fill up on fruits and veggies. Put the focus on filling your plate with greens and other fruits and vegetables. Not only will they help fill you up so you’re less likely to stuff yourself with junk, they’ll provide you with the nutrients you need to stay healthy and energized. {Which is especially important if you’re eating more junk than usual.}
– Eat healthy at home. While your schedule may be slam packed with social events and holiday parties, it’s not likely you’ll be booked for every single meal. Take advantage of the meals you’re eating at home and make them count. Put an emphasize on having a healthy and hearty breakfast, pack a lunch instead of eating out, and load up on veggies and fiber for dinner. Then when you’re at a party, it’s no big deal to indulge in the holiday treats you love and you don’t have to worry if it’s not the healthiest meal you could eat.
– Don’t skip meals. Please, oh please, do not skip breakfast and lunch so you can have more room for dinner, or so that you can eat a big dinner and still not go overboard on calories- it’s a bad, bad plan. Skipping meals makes you more likely to overeat throughout the day, and your body is going to want to hold on to those calories since it’s not sure when the next one’s are coming. See above- chose healthy breakfast and lunch choices with adequate protein, fiber, fruits, and veggies.
– Get some sleep. Boring, I know. But getting enough sleep helps your body properly process glucose, restores your energy for the next day, and helps keep you from getting sick.
If you want some support to stay healthy through the holiday season, check out Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s holiday challenge. {He’s the author of Eat to Live & Super Immunity, and emphasizes a high-nutrient diet.}
Dr. Fuhrman is challenging you to:
- Eat a large salad every day
- Eat a generous serving of greens with mushrooms and onions
- Satisfy your sweet tooth with 3 fruits a day
- Have at least one serving of beans per day
- Avoid white flour
- Avoid refined sugars/artificial sweeteners
- Use oils sparingly
I’ll tell you straight up I dislike anything that says “avoid”, especially since avoiding a piece of grandma’s pumpkin pie all season long is just going to drive you crazy, but the emphasis on greens, veggies, fruit, and fiber is what’s important. If you take the challenge, you get a free six week membership to the Fuhrman website, which has online tools for support and information- might be helpful this time of year.
What are you doing this season to stay healthy?
Health Info
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I can picture the scene already, even though it’s likely years from happening. Our baby’s not even here yet, and I’m already worried about what he/she is going to eat. The first couple months, or year, if everything goes well, will be easy. I’m planning on breastfeeding and doing everything I can to make it work.
Don’t start squirming, this isn’t going to be a post about that.
It’s about what happens after that. When the baby can eat real food. When the toddler can make decisions about what goes in his or her mouth. When the child is being fed by someone else.
It’s the last one that really gets me. I’m terrified of leaving my child with someone and having them feed them bologna or potted meat {hey, I live in the south}, or feeding them milk too early.
It’s no secret that I think what you put in your body makes a huge difference. A difference in how you feel, a difference in how your body works, and a difference in your health. I also believe in balance, and making the best choices most of the time- not all of the time. But how do you teach a child that? Or a caregiver, without sending mixed messages?
Heck, even the husband and I have different views on food. Will we raise our child vegetarian, or no? He’s not vegetarian, so that could get interesting. As much as I’ve tried to teach him about healthy eating over the years, there’s still a lot he doesn’t know- or doesn’t care about. It doesn’t bother me at all- everyone gets to make their own decisions about their health, but when it comes to a child, we both need to be on the same page.
The best way I can think of to do this? By example. We don’t need to wait until we have a child to start working on the habits we’d like to instill in him or her. We can start now.
Being healthy and promoting family wellness doesn’t have to be hard:
Make healthy snacks as easily accessible as unhealthy ones. Why do we reach for the bag chips? Because it’s easy to open the cabinet, stick your hand in a bag, and be rewarded with a satisfying crunch. Well, carrots and celery are crunchy too- if they’re already sliced up and in an easy access container {and visible!} in the fridge, they’re suddenly as easy of a snack as potato chips.
Create a balance. Veggie sticks can be made a lot more appealing if they come with a fun dip. Try peanut butter, ranch, or hummus for veggies, or caramel, fruit yogurt, or fluff dip for fruit.
Make it meatless. Regardless of your style of eating, shoot for at least one meatless meal a week. If that’s easy for you, try one meatless meal a day, or more. Cutting back on meat, even occasionally, improves your health and helps your budget. Teaching your family that food can taste good even if it’s not the traditional plate of meat and potatoes will go a long way.
Don’t be too strict. So you’ve had nothing but whole grain cereal, veggies, fruit, and beans all day. Why not have dessert? There’s nothing like being to strict or feeling confined in your diet to make you go off kilter and indulge in everything in sight. Dessert, or another indulgence, is perfectly healthy, as long as your getting the nutrients you need the rest of the day.
Eat at the table. We fail miserably here. We used to be better, but one meal on the couch leads to another, then another. Eating at the table is not only good for your waistline, it’s good for your kids too. When you sit down at the table to eat, your telling your body and your brain to focus on your meal, which keeps you from mindlessly over eating. It also shows your kids that meal time is important, plus gives you a chance to catch up as a family.
Make it a group effort. This works better with kids than it does husbands, but if you can get yours onboard, go for it. Involve your family in the entire cooking process- going to the grocery store, making menus, and preparing meals. It helps them learn more about the foods they’re eating, instead of just having a plate appear in front of them three times a day. I’m certain dragging my husband to the grocery store and having him see me make decisions on what to buy is one of the things that contributed to him switching to soy milk without a word of insistence from me.
How do you keep your family healthy? How do you handle other people feeding your kids things you don’t want them to have?
Don’t forget to help Walgreens help others! Visit their Facebook page here to learn about their charitable partners and decide which cause Walgreens will donate to with a quick vote. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
