healthy weight loss

Post Thanksgiving Review

Post Thanksgiving review starts with this quote, “The best laid plans of mice and men…”exercise

Cooking and Exercise

I had intended to try Rebecca J. Clark’s, author of The Checklist Diet suggestions for cooking and exercise.
  • Calf raises—whenever you're stirring something on the stove.
  • Side leg raises—while stirring/mixing away from the stove.
  • Stand on one leg—while washing your hands (don't forget to switch legs).
  • Arm circles—while waiting for the pot to boil.
  • Deep breathing—while chopping vegetables (in through the nose, pause, out through the mouth)
I’d also planned to play plenty of music and dance while I was cooking, but all I managed to do was a couple of calf raises. And the outdoor exercise I’d planned, never got off the ground. Of all… Read More

Holiday Weight Maintenance

savor Walnut trees turning color Tis the season when pounds start magically appearing. Exercising and maintaining my weight can be a challenge this time of year. My routine gets out of whack with guests to entertain and an abundance of food to eat. Suddenly, I’m not exercising regularly, overeating and not savoring my food or the holiday.   savor Cattle grazing under Mt. Shasta

New Traditions

This year in my quest for a healthier lifestyle, I am instituting some new traditions. Instead of vegging in front of the television the entire time, I will take a walk. If there’s snow, instead of cuddling up by the fire, I… Read More

New Exercise Routine

New Exercise Routine

exerciseIt’s fall, and while I absolutely love this time of year, it messes with my exercise routine. This is mostly due to the change in weather. When it’s raining or the wind is howling I don’t ride my bicycle outside, so I have to adjust my routine and ride the indoor bicycle. And some of the mountain biking trails I love get shut down because of weather. It doesn’t mean I can’t ride in the winter, it just means I have go to more winter friendly trails.

Shaking It Up

This changeup isn’t bad, it just means I have to readjust. It takes time for me to get in the groove with these changes. Instead of assuming I will… Read More

Mental Clutter=Weight Loss

Mental Clutter

I started to blog about mental clutter=weight loss, but my enthusiasm fizzled. Why? Because I feel fat! mental Image courtesy of Okolaa at FreeDigitalPhotos.net My scale is being Sheila (the name I give it when I don’t like what she says). Sheila says I’m several pounds heavier than I want to be. To add insult to injury, my loose jeans feel tight today, and that’s all I can focused on! No matter what I’m doing these thoughts are in the back of my mind circling like a pack of rabid dogs taunting me, tormenting me. It makes me want to jump on the old diet wheel and get rid of that excess weight before I can pile… Read More

Managing Sugar

Managing Sugar

Managing sugar is a hit and miss problem for me. In the past, the more I eat, the more I want. When I’m not eating it, I don’t crave it, but when I am, I want more. It’s been addictive for me and I craved it constantly. I managed it by avoiding sugar all together. sugarBut an interesting thing has happened since I’ve started my weight loss quest. Now that I no longer deprive myself of desserts and sugar because I’m on a “diet”, I find I don’t crave it like I used to. I know I can have it, so I don’t treat it like it’s taboo or that I have to be good on my “diet”… Read More

Setting Weight Loss Goals

Weight Loss Goals

I’ve always been a goal setter—from work to exercise to weight loss. I recently read a post by Diane Carbonell on are you focused on the right thing when losing weight. goals Crash mountain biking in Bend, Oregon. Good news the bike survived! Her blog was about goal setting, and it made me realize that setting a goal to just lose a certain amount of weight wasn’t enough to be successful. For me, it also included an attitude change. I was no longer just losing weight, but changing my lifestyle by eating when I was hungry, stopping when full and getting plenty of exercise—not just a set amount of exercise, and even challenging myself… Read More

Exercise Tips

exercise Doing Push-ups I’ve been following Rebecca J. Clark's 30 Day Weight Loss Challenge on Facebook, and it is loaded with fabulous exercise tips. Did you know that after just two weeks of being a couch potato you could lose 25 percent of your strength? That made me sit up and take notice, especially with winter on the way.

Exercise Tips

exercise Elbow Planks Rebecca said doing this circuit workout one to two times a week can maintain your strength.
  • Sit and stand from chair—20x
  • Jumping jacks—20-50x (if you can do 50, do 50)
  • Push-ups against the wall/counter/floor—15x
  • Step ups (up, up/down, down on step)—20 each leg
  • Elbow planks—hold as long… Read More

Social Eating

victories Taking a new path on my lifestyle Sorry for the hiatus last week. I was at a writers conference and just ran out of time to blog. But I came home with a topic after being dependent on restaurants and conference meals. This has always been a real challenge for me, especially before my lifestyle changes.

Eating Challenges

That isn’t to say there weren’t challenges and that I didn’t overindulge, but I did so mindfully. I accepted that I was eating when I wasn’t hungry and with food I didn’t necessarily want. victories View from the plane flying into Seattle But, I didn’t stuff myself until I… Read More

Dieting Again

32639157_s Image courtesy of Okolaa at FreeDigitalPhotos.net I’m dieting again. The three most dreaded words in my vocabulary. Fortunately I haven’t used those words in almost two years, but they still haunt me. They lurk in the back of my mind. What if what I’m doing stops working and I start gaining weight again? Ever find those thoughts and fears becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy? In the past, that’s what it’s been for me, but I’m starting to feel more confident that what I’m doing is working, and will continue to work. I attribute much of this to the fact that I no longer deprive myself of foods I love until I lose weight or until I go off… Read More

Weight Loss Struggles and Successes

I blogged a few weeks ago about how where I eat is directly related to the amount I eat and my ability to judge fullness. I have used the table more, but even with good intentions, I’ve slipped back into old habits and still eat in front of the television a lot.successes

Struggles

The truth is, I like eating in front of the television. It’s a reward after a long day of work, and when I force myself to sit at the table, I feel deprived. I don't have the same reaction eating on the patio or at a restaurant . I also continue to struggle with late evening snacks. Sometimes I’m hungry, sometimes I just want the snack. Last night… Read More