After Dinner & Night Snacking

There are lots of experts weighing in about whether eating after dinner is bad for you. Some say do not eat anything 2 hours prior to bedtime. Others say that it is calories in vs. calories out. I think it is more complex than that and I just happened to read a great article on one of my fav sites, Diet Detective, about this very subject. They talk about why you eat, what you are eating & solutions for the whole issue of snacking at night, especially those of you that really eat too many high calorie foods at night and/or are just eating way too many calories whether it is a healthy snack or not. Here is the link to this great article:

http://www.dietdetective.com/content/view/1136/156/

As for me, if you want to know what I do, I have a few healthy snack options that I rely upon for my post last meal of the day. I actually can consider it one of my small mini meals since I am an "eat 5-6 mini meals throughout the day rather than 3 main meals". The other thing I do (which is a point in the previous article) is that I brush my teeth right after eating my snack. That keeps me from eating any more after that. This may not work for all but it does for me!

Please read this article!!! The information is fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is on Your Mind?

Hi readers! I really want to know what you want to hear from me. What do you want me to write about? What are your biggest concerns about weight loss, weight management, healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.. or anything else? Please email me and let me know! I will attempt to answer all email questions & even post the question and answer on my blog.. anonymously of course... so others can have the benefit of your input.

Thx again for visiting my blog and email me or comment to the post!!!! My email can be found to the right side of this blog under "EMAIL ME".

Best Time to Work Out

Here is a "guest blogger", my sister. She wrote this to me and I know I have discussed this in the past but it is worth saying again: Here is what she wrote to me:

"Workout time recommendation ... people need to be in tune with their inner selves and their inner clocks. They should work out at the time(s) when their psyche is the strongest , at which time they will be more likely to do their workout. For example, I had folks come to my classes specifically and intentionally BEFORE work because they knew their schedules would be unpredictable, erratic and out of their control, so to ensure they were able to complete their workouts, they 'scheduled' their workout time to accommodate that. If you get tired in the afternoons, you should schedule your workout time in the morning or early afternoon, otherwise it's going to be passed over repeatedly. One must be in tune with ones bodily rhythms so that strengths can be maximized and pitfalls avoided as much as possible. Also a person cannot beat oneself up if a workout is missed or a meal is messed up. We're human, we make mistakes. But we're also able to recognize that, make adjustments and move on."

Great advice from my sister. As you can tell, she teaches exercise classes. A point to add to the above: If you are best at night than by all means, work out at night, but be sure that you are a person that does not let those end of day things constantly get in the way. Not only do you want to work out when it is best for you but also when you know you will have the best chance of keeping it CONSISTENT! The key is consistency.

Thx sis for the great advice!

Think Outside the Box

I know I have said it before but I feel I must remind everyone that exercise does not have to be all gym workouts or jogging yourself to death. Do things that are fun for you & then just up the intensity. Maybe you like to bike ride or hike or swim or walk on the beach ... lots of things to do!!! I even heard on the news that belly dancing is all the rage now. An intense 1 hour class can burn almost as many calories as jogging per the experts & with all that "movement", you are really working the middle area and many women have lost a couple inches there just from the classes... and they are having fun!!!!!! There are all kinds of classes one can take these days. Look at ballroom dancing that has become popular after Dancing with the Stars hit TV. That is a great workout too! You can find something that you will stick with... just do it with intensity!

Do you have kids? Play at the playground with them. Run around, kick a soccer ball, you can use the equipment there to even do push ups, pull ups, squats etc. while the kids are playing... why do you have to just sit on your butt while they are playing. Utilize the time & place to get some exercise as well & it is setting a good example for the kids!!!

Hey, I have a sister back east (4 years older than me!) that cuts wood & piles it high, tends to 5 acres of land, is redoing her house too. Don't you think all the chopping, lifting, scraping old wall paper & paint is a workout too!!!!! Hey, you can even do bicep curls, shoulder moves & tricep moves with smaller pieces of wood or paint cans ... where gloves so you don't get splinters!!! For The Biggest Loser fans, remember last season when Jillian had her group for a week without the gym & they still were the biggest losers for that week!

Think outside the box.... you can work your body in many different ways without being in the gym. Have fun! The key is TO MOVE!

Eat This, Not That

There is a very interesting book out titled "Eat This, Not That". It outlines many of the fast food & restaurant foods out there. It shows how substituting one item for another one on the same menu can save you a great number of calories & fat grams. The really interesting thing about it is that you will be surprised by some of the things that you actually thought were "healthy". Check it out at your local bookstore, online or the library (if they have it). I also have seen it at Costco. It will be an eye opening experience for those of you that eat out a lot and/or do not check the nutritional information of what you are eating. Remember, one of my fav websites, CalorieKing, has this information & you can also buy the book, CalorieKing, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter to carry with you!!!!!

White or Dark Turkey Meat

Remember the days when we were told to stay away from dark meat. Well, read the short article at this link from Yahoo Health that dispels the rumor that we should not eat dark turkey meat. BUT, keep in mind that this is SKINLESS turkey meat!!! I still like the white meat better but this is good info for those of you that are fans of dark turky meat.

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/joybauernutrition/25107/white-or-dark-which-turkey-meat-is-healthier/

What Weights Did for Me

OK, please excuse the hair and outfit!!!!!! This is a very OLD picture of me in the 1980's! This was after I lost weight BUT I had not incorporated a good program of weights/resistance training in to my routine. I also ate less, weighed about the same (maybe a couple pounds less since muscle weighs more than fat) and I now where a size smaller... sometimes 2 sizes smaller!

Look at this picture vs. my current picture or even the one I posted when I was 40 years old. Weight training, cardio routines and eating consistently healthy with sufficient protein, adequate carbohydrate intake from the "better carb choices" (not white flour, not sugar carbs etc.) and enough fat calories from healthy fats has made all the difference.

Muscles burn more calories at rest so that right there is a reason to add resistance training. I will again say that the food portion of this equation is HUGE! I eat very clean because I want the lean look I have now. Not everyone has to eat "as clean" as I do. Each person's goals are different so make your exercise/food program based on your particular goals. BUT, if you want that lean & very muscular look, you are going to have to get down to business & eat very clean. It is just a fact.

Do what is right for you, not what is right for someone else!

Make Yourself Important Enough!

I got an email from a reader asking me how she can motivate herself to keep to an exercise routine.. that things and life always seem to get in the way. I wrote back with a number of things but the main point that caught her eye was: MAKE YOURSELF IMPORTANT ENOUGH! She said this really hit home and she was actually going to make it her mantra for awhile.

I think so many of us, especially women, get caught in this trap of putting everyone before ourselves. But as the old saying goes, if you are good to yourself, you can be that much better for everyone else.. especially if you like yourself vs. always putting yourself down. PLUS, you will be around for them too if you make yourself & your health a priority.

I am not saying that you have to ignore everyone else. For example, I don't buy myself very many things or clothes. The money needs to go to bills and things I want to do for family & friends. BUT, I do make my fitness routine & healthy eating a priority no matter what. If I am going out of town or if I have meetings/get togethers that are coming up, I always sit down & figure out how I can fit my exercise routine in or at least some form of exercise no matter what. I PLAN AHEAD FOR IT! It does not have to be what I normally do, but I want to do something. This is where I always come first.

See, you don't have to be selfish about everything but you can be selfish about keeping yourself healthy & MAKING YOURSELF IMPORTANT ENOUGH!

Things I Have Done Wrong

When I was young and lost my weight, I did lots of things the wrong way & learned from experience not to do them again. Here are just a few:

1. Eat too FEW calories - the body goes in to starvation mode & holds on to every last ounce weight and fat on you.
2. Not eat enough healthy fat - If you do not eat enough healthy fat, your body can't sustain a healthy body. Healthy fats are integral to maintaining those all too important muscles, it helps with healthy hair & skin among many other things.
3. Not read labels - You really have to become a food label reader to know what you are eating... labels can be very misleading!
4. Exercise TOO much - every body needs rest. Working out intensely 7 days week will only lead to overtraining, overuse & beat the body down. Your body needs some down time & rest!

These are just a few of the things I did wrong way back when! More to come another time.

Short Routines Still Provide Benefits

Ok, let's say you don't have the 45 minutes to do your normal exercise routine today. So what!!! Studies reveal that you can do 3, 10 minute routines & still get the benefit. The key is to up that intensity for those 3 exercise breaks. Hey, it is only 10 minutes.. you can push yourself! You can do 3 walk breaks or stair walking breaks... maybe you want to do 2, 10 minute cardio routines & 1, 10 minute resistance routine. Don't make excuses for not doing it! We all have been there when we "talked ourselves out of exercising". If you have that time, do it. Remember, studies show we benefit from it. Hey, think about it.... even if the studies did not show that. Isn't doing something better than doing nothing!!!!! Be true to yourself!

Important Reasons to Start a Health Program TODAY!

Strokes in middle aged women, 35 to 54, have tripled in recent years per a report from Yahoo Health. The survey showed that women's waistlines have increased by nearly 2 inches from a decade earlier and that can lead to strokes. "Obesity "sets the stage for all the other risk factors to come in" like diabetes and heart disease" per this article. This is not only another reason to start today on a health and fitness program for life BUT should BE THE REASON if you are currently overweight. Read the full article at this link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080220/ap_on_he_me/obesity_strokes

"Quick Fix Workouts" and ABS!

I saw this great article on one of my fav websites, Exercise at About.com. Click on the following link to view some great mini workouts WITH PICTURES! The great thing is they show people doing them at home which is great. You will have to invest in a few pieces of equipment, obviously to work out at home.

http://exercise.about.com/b/2008/02/20/quick-fix-workouts-supersetting.htm

In addition, there is also a great article on ab exercises. I actually do variations of most of these ab exercises... PICTURES TOO!!!! I have read numerous articles saying that the bicycle exercise, the captain's chair and the plank (many types) are some of the best for working the abs/core. For me, I vary my abs exercises often and have found by trial and error that some things work better than other for me. BUT, the main thing is the abs like variety & change. Mix it up just like you do your cardio and weights!

http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises.htm

Stretching

Quick comment on stretching since I mentioned in my previous post. Always stretch AFTER you are warmed up. Stretching prior to exercise or when you have done nothing to warm up the muscles is not the way to go. Do some form of cardio for 10 minutes or so if you just want to stretch but are not working out that day. If you are working out, the better time to stretch is once your body is warmed up meaning after the workout. If you are doing weights, you can stretch the muscles you are working as an active rest in between sets.

A quick comment for those in cold climates. When I do floor stretching at home during cold weather, I sometimes put a heated blanket on the floor at a low setting to keep my muscles warm against the cold floor or carpet!

A Little More about Me

I am sure that some of you are wondering what my workout program is like. As I outline this, please keep in mind that I am considered an advanced workout person since I have been at this for so long. I work out 5 days per week and sometimes a sixth day of strictly core/stretching.

I work out in the gym 4 days per week and a do an outside jog along with ab/core exercises and stretching on the 5th day.

• Cardio: I do cardio 4 days per week but longer sessions with varying intensities. I have mentioned that I am not a cardio fan but it is integral to my program and over time I have changed it many times. I used to do shorter sessions over 5-6 days. At this point in my life, I prefer doing my cardio over 4 days. I vary the equipment in the gym using the treadmill for jogging, intervals and hill walking. I also use the Step Mill which is the revolving stairs and the Elliptical Trainer.
• Weight/Resistance Training: I do a fairly intense weight workout 4 days per week. I vary the body parts so I am not working the same body part 2 days in a row. I do circuit training which is when you move from one exercise to the next with little or no rest in between the moves. This keeps my heart rate up & burns additional calories. I find this has really contributed to me staying leaner. I have been doing some form of circuit training for over 12 years now. I do vary & change my routine all the time though.
• Abs/Core/Stretching: I do ab/core exercise 5 times a week. I have found this works for me but everyone is different so you may need to do less & rest more in between days. I also do stretching after every workout. DO NOT leave out stretching!!!!!

I want to emphasize again that I am an advanced trainer. If you are a beginner, start slow, learn the basics & then start experimenting with different routines.

Also, there is controversy with experts on whether to do cardio or weights first. I think you have to find what is best for you. I do cardio first which really gets my body going and my heart rate up. From there, I move right in to my circuit training. This really helps me burn calories and fat and keeps that after burn going for hours after the workout. I also am very aware of my body so I am able to maintain the correct form while doing my weights. IF you are too tired to keep your form correct after the cardio, I would suggest doing the weights first.

For those lifting heavier to increase muscle mass, most experts suggest doing weights first.

Keep up the good work!!!!

What Motivates Me; What Motivates You

Many may wonder what motivated me to lose weight and keep it off for so many years. For me, motivation has changed with time. When I was younger and "less mature in my thought process", losing weight to not be called fat, to have guys be attracted to me, to get compliments for once in my life was a motivating factor. I think long term, you have to find very positive motivating factors to keep you going BUT whatever gets you started is OK with me as long as you get started & start feeling better. Once you start to lose weight & feel healthier, your motivations then turn to you doing it for you along with maybe doing it for your family, loved ones etc. BUT, the motivation to do something good for yourself comes after starting to feel better about yourself. Weight loss & being healthy will do that!

With age, my motivation has changed & with that it has become more about me wanting to do it for me vs. getting accolades from others. What keeps me going now... I LOVE having muscles and being healthy. Knowing that I am doing everything I can to feel good about myself makes all the difference. I am not the biggest fan of cardio but I do it to be healthy, for heart health & yes, to burn calories. BUT, I also like the feeling of accomplishment when I push myself to new limits.

I also LOVE lifting weights. Not only does my body look better for it, but I burn more calories at rest, I can eat more than I did when I was younger, I feel better & can do so much more for someone of 50. And yes, I do love getting compliments still about how good I look for my age. And, yes, I do enjoy people telling me that it is amazing that I work out harder & keep up with people that are 25 + years younger than I am.

But, with all of that, my motivation is that I just love being fit & healthy. I like feeling good about myself and I like being able to keep up with 6 small step grandchildren!

Find what motivates you! We all have different reasons for starting a program but ultimately as long as you start, that is great. Start feeling good about yourself & let that motivation take you to new heights!

Please don't forget to make comments on my site or email me at truth2beingfit@yahoo.com. Let me know what you think, what you want improved/changed and what you want to hear more about!

Heart Health

How many of you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women over 25 years old? Many women don't know this & don't take the steps to address the underlying problems that cause heart disease. Another huge issue is that women's symptoms differ from men's symptoms. Eating healthy and exercising are two very important steps you can take to avoid heart disease. If nothing else, this should be a motivating factor to start a fitness and healthy eating program today!

Please go to the American Heart Association's home page at the link below to find out more about the warning signs along with tons of other information to help you on the road to a healthy & heart healthy life! Follow their Go Red Campaign!!!

http://www.americanheart.org/

Coming Soon! What About Me...

I am sure that some of you are wondering about my story. I am working on a post to tell you about me, when I was heavy, how I lost the weight and lessons learned along the way. In addition, I will chat about my sources of motivation, the things that keep/kept me going at this for so many years.

Please don't forget to make comments on my site or email me at truth2beingfit@yahoo.com. Let me know what you think, what you want improved/changed and what you want to hear more about!

Fit from the Inside Out

I want to talk about my tip of the day. Many people fail to recognize that there are many events in our life that lead to the unhealthy person that one may have become today. We fail to address possible links between loss of parents or loved ones, fear of failure, others making you feel that you will never be good or worthy enough, among many other reasons that lead a person overeat. I am not saying this is everyone. Some people just love food and eating & fail to use portion control. But, in many cases, there is an underlying reason why one eats too much.

Your best bet for long term success is to not only look at the outside & fix that but also look at the inside & make sure you fix that too. Whether you heal it first OR fix it while you are in the process of losing weight, my opinion is that you absolutely need to heal the inside if you want to keep the weight off for life.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all. Give yourself the gift of health & exercise today. You don't have to be in a gym to do that. Take a walk, dance to some music while you are home, play with the kids... whatever it is, just move and have fun!

Healthy Living

I happened to see this post on Shape.com regarding National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: http://www.shape.com/EHTML_bottomlink/shapeyourlife/8008. Eating disorders are a huge problem and especially for women who have been bombarded my advertising and the media that women should look a certain way. I want to emphasize how thin so many of the stars on TV look these days. And remember, they usually look 10 pounds heavier on TV then they are in real life. VERY SCARY!!!!

There is no reason to aspire to these overly thin & unhealthy looks. By adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes exercising, eating healthy with right amount of calories vs. these very low calorie plans and understanding the emotional reasons behind why you eat so that you can tackle & change those issues is the way to go.

Chocolate & Valentine's Day!

Here are some interesting chocolate facts from one of my fav websites, The Diet Detective. Click on this link to read about it: http://www.dietdetective.com/content/view/1139/158/

Also, click on the link below from another of my fav websites, Hungry Girl, to see a brownie recipe makeover along with some good deals on Vitalicious items. Hungry Girl also gives Weight Watcher points to her recipes for those of you on that plan.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=1336. You can get to the Vitalicious Home page from both of these sites.

Tip of the Day

I happen to really like the "Tip of the Day" so I am leaving it up for a few days. I am working on a place to put all the old "Tips of the Day" so you can access them if you happen to miss a day here or there.

Enjoy and don't forget to email me with any questions, comments or things you would like to see on my blog.

Eating Out

Diet Detective, one of my fav websites, has a great eating out tool in their most recent newsletter. They have teamed up with Glamour magazine to offer this to its readers. You can sign up to receive the Diet Detective newsletter by email from their site. From my blog, just click the link, Diet Detective, under "Favorite Websites" .

For quick reference, here is the link to the eating out guide: http://www.glamour.com/images/pdfs/eatingout_glamour.pdf

Don't Ever Give Up!

Well, I thought I would show you a picture of me that is about 10 years old. You can see that at 50, I still look almost as good as I did at 40. Yes, we may get older but we can always work at staying fit and healthy. We may have to modify some things, change our program here and there to accommodate body parts that may have changed with age or "worn out a bit" but NEVER GIVE UP. You can do it & we all can do it. Hard work does pay off!!!!

Don't Go on a Diet!

So, my tip of the day says don't go on a diet. I know you have all heard this & went on one anyway! Look, if you don't make a lifestyle change that you can live with for life, it ain't gonna work.. as they say!

For example, if you are a carb lover but decide to go on a low carb diet to lose weight, what happens when you start eating carbs again? You will put the weight right back on once you start eating carbs again & it will come on quickly.

I know you are saying that you are not going to go back to eating all those carbs again BUT let me tell you from experience, if you are a carb lover, a low carb food plan will not work FOR LIFE. Why not find a way to change your food plan to incorporate all the wonderful healthy carbs out there AND some of the other ones you like as well. It is just a matter of give and take.

Me, I love bread.. luckily I love it plain without butter because I just love the taste of it. I have made it part of my life by eating all the wonderful 100% whole grain, sprouted seed and many other breads out there that have great ingredient lists. I always look for bread that also has at least 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein & minimal sugar grams.

Please, don't diet... make healthy lifestyle changes that will sustain you forever!

More About Choices

More about my choices post below. It was beautiful Saturday in my home of southern California today. People were out everywhere enjoying the summer like weather in shorts & t-shirts. Lots of treat eating go around!!!!

OK, I will get to my point! This is where you make choices about what you will & will not eat and how important your fitness program is to you. If you ask me what I do, this is it. I say to myself, what do I want most, a big ole cookie, an ice cream or whatever it is that might be your ideal treat. I make the choice of which thing I want the most & I savor every last bite of it. I do not eat everything in site.

If by any chance I get to that point where my mind wants to eat 4 cookies instead of 1, I take a step away and really think thru what this means in terms of my goals, how I want to look, what I would have to do to burn off the extra calories I had not planned for etc.

Take my advice, when your mind is pushing away your willpower, do what I said above. Step away for just a few minutes and think it thru. You will come to the right decision. You always have choices! Just remember, if you decide to go overboard on your eating, you will have at least thought it thru & understand the consequences & what you might have to do to work off those extra calories.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

YOU HAVE CHOICES!

It is a weekend & many of us like to go out and eat. For those on fitness programs, it is also a time to veer from our program... so many temptations out there! HEY! We all have the choice to partake or not. When I am out with people or at a get together, I don't eat just because others do. I think many of us fall into this trap. We are celebrating someone else's birthday or another event & we just fall into eating & celebrating too.

Remember, we all have choices in life & you can make the choice to just eat what is right for you. My family & friends are very used to me not eating the birthday cake or the big meal just because we are celebrating someone else's event... or just because we are out with friends. You can always ask for the restaurant to make a dinner a certain way, ask for the veggies or potato without butter etc. Even bring your own snack instead of eating the birthday cake. With time, people will get used to this & your healthy eating may even rub off on them.

There is a time & place for splurging, whether it be your bday or something else.... BUT, you can't expect to celebrate every event in your family (which can happen way too often) and still keep to your fitness and weight loss goals.

Choose the healthy option 85% of the time & allow a celebration every now & then... not every time. It is not as hard as you think. You and your body will be happier for the choice you made to be fit!

Calories In, Calories Out

I know you have all heard that it is all about calories in versus calories out. If you eat more calories than you burn in a day, you are going to put on weight. Many experts have even said that it does not matter what you are eating but that all that matters is that you eat less calories that you are burning up to lose weight.

I absolutely agree that if you want to lose weight, you do have to eat less calories BUT I do feel that it matters what type of calories you are putting in your body. Many experts say that a calorie is a calorie but I disagree. You can't eat a bunch of food that is non or low fat but all high in sugar grams & expect to look lean & fit.

I have been at this for 25 years plus. I have changed my food plan many times based on paying attention to what my body does and does not do based on the food I put in it.

For me, I found that by changing the types of carbohydrates I put in my body made a huge difference. First, I preface this by saying that every body is different so you need to find what works best for you by trial & error. But for me, I work better on close to a 40/40/30 type of program. My body likes to have approximately 40% protein, 40% carbs and 30% fat. Again, these are approximate numbers. I like to change it up at times to keep the body guessing but because I do a pretty strenuous weight & cardio routine, my body needs both protein for muscle building/maintenance & carbs for energy. Again, as stated in a previous post, healthy fats are integral to all of this. I have gone the super low fat way & it does not work.. meaning trying to cut your % of calories from fat to 10-15%.. don't do it!

Always remember, carbs are not bad. For me, eating more of the vegetables & leafy green types of carbs while mixing in sweet potatoes, yams, brown rice & things like this as a lesser % than the vegetables tends to keep me leaner. NOW, I DON'T ELIMINATE ANY FOODS, I just play around with the % of them in my food plan.

PROTEIN... don't forget your protein, which women tend to do. It is very important to get that in along with your healthy fats. This is very important for not only building muscle which helps you burn more calories at rest but it also helps you get leaner AND prevents osteoporosis.

Pay attention to what you put in your body & start understanding what works for you. AND, always re-evaluate. I have had to make changes all thru my many years due to the exercise program I am on, hormonal changes, age changes etc. As long as you do this, you are on your way to accomplishing your goals!

Listen to Your Body

My tip of the day is a very important lesson. Many of you may go to the gym and get on that treadmill, elliptical machine or lifecycle & mindlessly go thru the motions. Then you may pick up some weights & do those exercises you saw in your fitness magazine the other day. I am not saying this is a bad thing. Absolutely, getting out there & doing something is always better than doing nothing.

BUT, may I add that if you want to step it up & keep your body challenged always, you need to have a mind body connection to what you are doing. When I am lifting weights, I link in to every muscle and fiber that I am working at that time. I can feel it, see it, understand it. By linking in to your moves, you really begin to understand your own body & what does and does not work for you. You also know if you really need that rest or you are just giving yourself an excuse to stop. The same goes for your cardio. Feel what you are doing & learn to understand if you can kick it up a notch.

You need to put this mind body connection to work for you. For me, it has made all the difference in the world. As my quote of the day says: YOUR BODY CAN DO MORE THAN YOUR MIND THINKS IT CAN! I mean it.. IT CAN!!!!!

Be Careful of the Scale

Many women and men or so focused on the numbers on the scale that they can actually sabotage themselves. I want all of you to remember that muscle weighs more than fat.

When a person first starts a weight loss & strength training routine, some see the scale actually inch up a bit. TAKE A DEEP BREATH and keep on your program. When a person replaces fat weight with muscle weight, the scale can add a couple pounds but your size may decrease. Pay attention to how your clothes fit. That can be more important at this time when you are struggling with the scale.

I know from experience that you can weigh more but where a smaller size. When I had less muscle, I actually wore a larger size than I do now. I weigh a bit more than I did when I was younger due to my added muscle but I also wear a smaller size!

Also, decide if weighing yourself every day/every other day or once a week is best for you. Studies have come out saying that weighing yourself every day keeps people on track & they have better long term success. Other studies say that the previous is self destructive because people get frustrated so just weigh yourself once a week.

As I always say, the key is WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU! I think that this whole weighing yourself thing comes down to what you feel most comfortable with & what helps you achieve your goals.

Keep Tempting Foods Out of the House!

Commenting on my tip of the day, by keeping tempting foods out of the house, office or wherever you are is a step towards success.

Let's look at me. I love cookies.... not those package kinds from the store though. I like big ole bakery cookies like the ones at Starbucks, Borders and places like that. I have certain ones that I know I like & I do not waste my calories elsewhere. If I happen to try a different one & I don't think it is worth the calories, I don't eat it!

I also plan for this as part of my overall food program. I keep only healthy snacks in the house but plan for my weekend cookie or two. I don't buy them & keep them in the house because we all know that there are days when the emotions get the best of us .. or the hormones for some of us women!

Make your goals for losing weight & getting fit easier by keeping whatever tempts you far away. For those occasions where you really want that treat you love, plan for it and/or make it part of your program.

Some people just can't stop at one or just can't stop after they eat something they consider "bad". I understand that & for those of you like that, just keep all that stuff far away & stay away from it while you are trying to reach your goal weight.

For me, I need to know that I will have times when I can have that treat that I love so much. As I said above, I plan for it & have made it part of my program. I know that I have to figure in the calories, fat etc. as part of my weekly total. When I was younger, I did not do this & I was a very frustrated person. I have learned that you can fit these treats in but you just have to plan for them, figure them in to your food program & know when to stop. Don't eat those big ole cookies every day. As long as you know that you are one of those people that can fit the treats in but then get right back to the business of eating healthy, I say this is the way to go.

For example, I know there are lots of chocolate lovers out there. Now, we have heard that certain kinds of dark chocolate are good for us BUT in limited amounts. I even know people that have a very small bite of it every day just so they have that taste in their mouth & that special treat for them. The key to this is to keep that amount SMALL .. a bite or small square of that dark chocolate bar. BUT, you must also figure that in to your eating plan & also know that you can stop at that one piece/bite.

The key point here is PLANNING. Know what you are putting in your mouth & plan out the calories/fat etc. in your overall program. Make it work for you!

Flat Abs!

Did I get your attention? I bet I did since everyone, men & women, want to have flatter abs or that elusive six pack. Let me dispel a big rumor; doing hundreds and hundreds of ab exercises is not going to give you that elusive six pack.

First, you do have to do a variety of abdominal exercises to work all angles of the abs and the core. But, more importantly, YOU HAVE TO WORK OFF THAT LAYER OF FAT COVERING YOUR "SIX PACK". You need to get on a healthy and clean eating program along with a cardio and strength program to help you burn off what is covering your abdominal area. You can do all the ab exercises in the world but if you don't get rid of the fat covering them, they will not be seen!

For women, don't get down on yourself. You really have to be lucky to have a body type that also allows you to see the 6 pack. Women carry a higher fat percentage than men so you have to learn to accept that & not get down on yourself. If you really want to see that definition in the ab area, you are going to have to work very hard, harder than a man, and you are going to have to eat very clean along with doing your cardio and strength program.

Saying that, you can still get lean and look great without having that 6 pack.. maybe it is a 4 pack! Being a women of my age, it does bring it's own demons. As women get older, it is harder to stay leaner & you have to work harder at it. Our hormones attack us & we just have to take a different plan of attack and also accept that we are not perfect & we are doing the best we can.

Be patient, do your ab/core work, eat clean and healthy, work at your cardio/strength program and you will get there. As many people have said, it took a few years to add on that extra weight so be patient with it coming off. Doing it right takes time but is worth it!

Quote of the Day

I want to let everyone know that I chose to leave my quote of the day rather than change it because I felt the words and meaning to them are so important. One really has to be ready for this journey of weight loss & better health. You have to be able to get to that point where you can say that you are more important than the food you are eating, that food that is making you look and feel a way you don't feel comfortable with.

Your health also has to be more important than the food going in your mouth. Find what will inspire & work for you. Is it to make sure you live to see your children grown & married? Is it to be there for your husband & other family members? Is it just for you? Is it all or a combination of the above.

Personally, I feel you really have to do it for yourself but if one of the other things or even some other motivation gets you started, that is fine with me! Once you get on the road to better health and fitness, it will become obvious that you now love yourself more than the food that was holding you back.

Find what it is & learn what you need to love yourself enough to make this change to a healthier, fitter and happier life.

Know What You are Eating!

Ok, all of you, don't run around telling people you have no idea why you are not losing weight when you are not doing your due diligence in knowing what you are putting in your mouth. Again, I want to go back to one of my other posts... DO A FOOD JOURNAL to understand exactly what it is you are eating. Don't cheat. There are plenty of free sites that let you log in your food so that you know how many calories you are taking in & what percentage of that food comes from fat, protein and carbohydrates.

Also, to my tip of the day.... READ LABELS. I am an avid label reader. Not only do I want to know the calorie/carb/protein/calorie make up of my foods, but I also want to know if there is saturated fat, how many grams of sugar, fiber grams, sodium level and what the ingredients are in my foods! A "no fat" food can still have tons of calories. Just because it says no fat does not mean low calorie. If you eat a whole box of no fat cookies, you still are ingesting A LOT of calories!!!! Same with "lite". Make sure you read the labels & KNOW WHAT YOU ARE EATING!

If you go out to eat, many restaurants have information about their food online. Check it out before you go. Also, check out calorieking.com, one of my favorite websites, for lots of information on fast food places and more.