Pay Attention!
No, not you, me. :D I've gotten away from paying attention to what I am eating. This goal fits with resolution #3 - Nutrition. For me, certain foods make me feel gross. But they are quick & easy so I eat them anyway. And then I feel... gross!
How can I pay better attention to what I am eating? http://www.caloriecount.com is one solution. I find that when I am tracking what I am eating, I am paying attention to what I am actually consuming. Not only how much but what the actual food is. This network of people who are all working towards similar goals is a great way to stay on track. I mean, who wants to admit they ate a box of crackers for dinner?
More tasty recipes coming very soon - anyone up for a delicious veggie lasagna, gluten free?
Showing posts with label Goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Goals. Show all posts
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
2014 - Goal #1
Park and walk.
This is a reinstituted goal. It's an easy one, actually, as long as I remember to do it. Whenever I go to a store, bank, etc., I park as far from the door as possible (still in the parking lot) and walk.
Throughout 2013, I made a point of this - even going as far as parking in the "second" lot at Superstore and walking down to the store. However, as the cold weather came back around, I let myself get lazy about this one and I've been parking in whatever spot I can find. Not anymore. Time to park & walk again.
See you all at the far end of the lot!
This is a reinstituted goal. It's an easy one, actually, as long as I remember to do it. Whenever I go to a store, bank, etc., I park as far from the door as possible (still in the parking lot) and walk.
Throughout 2013, I made a point of this - even going as far as parking in the "second" lot at Superstore and walking down to the store. However, as the cold weather came back around, I let myself get lazy about this one and I've been parking in whatever spot I can find. Not anymore. Time to park & walk again.
See you all at the far end of the lot!
Monday, December 30, 2013
2014 - Resolution #3
Nutrition.
I learned a lot about nutrition and myself in 2013 but I've also let non-nutritious foods creep back into my life. So January 1, 2014 is a good day to wipe out the empty foods again. Processed foods, sugars, wheat... time to say goodbye. I've also gotten away from planning and preparing my meals which leads to more "meals on the go" and the likelihood of picking up quick, empty foods.
Stay tuned for more healthy, tasty recipes in 2014.
I learned a lot about nutrition and myself in 2013 but I've also let non-nutritious foods creep back into my life. So January 1, 2014 is a good day to wipe out the empty foods again. Processed foods, sugars, wheat... time to say goodbye. I've also gotten away from planning and preparing my meals which leads to more "meals on the go" and the likelihood of picking up quick, empty foods.
Stay tuned for more healthy, tasty recipes in 2014.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
2014 - Resolution #2
Blog every day.
There are several reasons to blog every day;
1. I enjoy it.
2. You enjoy it - you know who you are, Gayle, Phil, & JR.
3. It helps me to focus on my training, nutrition, etc. for THE RIDE.
Look for more blogging from me in 2014. And feel free to leave comments on my posts. What you enjoy, what you don't enjoy, what you want to read more of... I'm flexible as long as I get a healthy dose of adventure in.
There are several reasons to blog every day;
1. I enjoy it.
2. You enjoy it - you know who you are, Gayle, Phil, & JR.
3. It helps me to focus on my training, nutrition, etc. for THE RIDE.
Look for more blogging from me in 2014. And feel free to leave comments on my posts. What you enjoy, what you don't enjoy, what you want to read more of... I'm flexible as long as I get a healthy dose of adventure in.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
2014 - Resolution #1
Ice skating.
I resolve to ice skate more in 2014. Why?, you ask. Ice skating brings back memories. When I was younger, my mom would take my sisters and I ice skating on Sunday afternoons in the winter. We'd go to White's Park in Concord, NH after lunch and skate for hours. I spent hours first learning to skate, then practicing twirls and turns, then learning to skate backwards. My sisters and I would race each other around the pond, giggling when we fell, dusting ourselves off, and taking off again. After several hours, half frozen and with flushed faces, we'd pile in the car to head home for warm baths and hot chocolate (always with marshmallow fluff floating in it).
I brought the skates with me from NH to AB and this year they are going to get some use. Can I still skate? It's been about 10 years since I've been on the ice but it's just like riding a bicycle, right? A quick stop at Canadian Tire for a sharpening and the skates are ready to make the upcoming New Year's trip to Canmore.
Stay tuned...
I brought the skates with me from NH to AB and this year they are going to get some use. Can I still skate? It's been about 10 years since I've been on the ice but it's just like riding a bicycle, right? A quick stop at Canadian Tire for a sharpening and the skates are ready to make the upcoming New Year's trip to Canmore.
Stay tuned...
Friday, December 27, 2013
Clean Slate
As the days of 2013 become fewer, my thoughts float towards 2014 and that age old tradition of resolutions for New Year's Day. I enjoy making resolutions.
I get to start over: wipe the slate clean and reach for new goals. It is important to forgive yourself your backslides of the year gone by. Let yourself learn from your mistakes and move forward with a clear conscience and positive attitude.
Today is December 27th. 5 days until New Year's Day and my clean slate. Onwards and upwards -let the resolution scheming begin!
I get to start over: wipe the slate clean and reach for new goals. It is important to forgive yourself your backslides of the year gone by. Let yourself learn from your mistakes and move forward with a clear conscience and positive attitude.
Today is December 27th. 5 days until New Year's Day and my clean slate. Onwards and upwards -let the resolution scheming begin!
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Global Community
I'm setting a new goal for the 2014 Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer - a Global Goal.
My goal is to raise funds from as many countries as possible this year. Cancer is a global epidemic. Not only do I ride to raise funds for Alberta, Canada but also for the world. How will these funds be used?
Money I raise for the Alberta Cancer Foundation through The Ride will directly support patients and families at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton and 15 cancer centres throughout Alberta. The Alberta Cancer Foundation provides funding to a team of top doctors and scientists whose search for new discoveries and improved patient outcomes will have a real impact in Alberta, across Canada, and around the world.
Discoveries made in Canada don't stay only in Canada. They are shared with the world. Won't you help me to raise donations from as many countries as possible in 2015?
My fund raising link: http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/nhkayakgirl2014
After you've made your donation, I am asking you to share out my story with as many people as you can - though email, social media, word of mouth, however you can. Together we can make an epic impact!
<3
Donations have come in from:
United States of America
Netherlands Antilles
Vietnam
Donations have been promised from:
Canada
England
Ireland
Let's grow these lists!
My goal is to raise funds from as many countries as possible this year. Cancer is a global epidemic. Not only do I ride to raise funds for Alberta, Canada but also for the world. How will these funds be used?
Money I raise for the Alberta Cancer Foundation through The Ride will directly support patients and families at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton and 15 cancer centres throughout Alberta. The Alberta Cancer Foundation provides funding to a team of top doctors and scientists whose search for new discoveries and improved patient outcomes will have a real impact in Alberta, across Canada, and around the world.
Discoveries made in Canada don't stay only in Canada. They are shared with the world. Won't you help me to raise donations from as many countries as possible in 2015?
My fund raising link: http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/nhkayakgirl2014
After you've made your donation, I am asking you to share out my story with as many people as you can - though email, social media, word of mouth, however you can. Together we can make an epic impact!
<3
Donations have come in from:
United States of America
Netherlands Antilles
Vietnam
Donations have been promised from:
Canada
England
Ireland
Let's grow these lists!
Friday, August 9, 2013
The Day Before
Bike? Check!
Bell? Check!
Helmet with tracking chip? Check!
Bike name plates affixed? Check!
Nutrients mixed and bagged? Check!
Laundry washed and bike & camp clothes packed? Check!
New hotel booked because the original hotel failed miserably on booking the right date? Check!
Camping gear packed? Check!
Camelbak assembled and packed with rain gear and fleece? Check!
Last minute items picked up and packed? Check!
Directions printed for shuttle stop? Check!
Nails painted in several colors? Check!
Chocolate packed for after ride? Check!
Truck packed with all of the above? Check!!!
Bell? Check!
Helmet with tracking chip? Check!
Bike name plates affixed? Check!
Nutrients mixed and bagged? Check!
Laundry washed and bike & camp clothes packed? Check!
New hotel booked because the original hotel failed miserably on booking the right date? Check!
Camping gear packed? Check!
Camelbak assembled and packed with rain gear and fleece? Check!
Last minute items picked up and packed? Check!
Directions printed for shuttle stop? Check!
Nails painted in several colors? Check!
Chocolate packed for after ride? Check!
Truck packed with all of the above? Check!!!
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Mt. Jefferson
Trip report - Mt. Jefferson - Coos County, New Hampshire - Saturday July 27th
Elevation: 5,712 ft (1,741 m)
Trail: Castle Trail (from Route 2)
Distance: 10 Miles Round Trip
Time: 10 hours (8am - 6pm)
Hiking Partner: The Super Amazing Miss Julie Smith!
You know you are going to have a fantastic hiking day when you find something as cool as this on the way to the mountain...
The day started at 4:45am. I'd packed the night before: Camelbak (complete with nutrient sludge), poles, headlamp, compass, extra layers, rain gear, map, spare socks, snacks (energy bar, foil packed tuna, apple, orange, 2 Luna bars, dark chocolate!), and spare water bottle (full and frozen). I grabbed my pack, hiking boots & poles, and my after hike clothing and hit the road. Dover, NH to the trail head is about a 2.5 hour drive. With an 8am meeting time, I was on my way by 5:30. Having posted my hiking intentions over a month ago, I was lucky enough to schedule the day with Julie Smith, a kayaking friend. If you've ever had the good fortune to paddle or hike with Julie, you'll understand when I say that she is the perfect trip leader. Julie knows her stuff, plans ahead, and has the patience of a saint. No kidding. You try leading 8 crazy kayakers down the Kennebec Gorge at high level during a dam release... Just saying.
Arriving just at 8, I met up with Julie, we geared up and headed off. I was not familiar with this mountain and had reached out to a friend for suggestions on trails. I took half of his suggestion and chose the Castle Trail. We decided to hike both up and down on this trail rather than looping off on several other possibilities.
The day was overcast and I was concerned that we might not make the summit as Julie & I had agreed that rain, fog, or extreme wind would cancel. I mentally crossed my fingers that the day would clear.
The first part of the hike is through a field, under the high-voltage lines, and into the forest. Fairly quickly you reach a stream that you'll need to cross to continue on up the mountain. The water level was low but still covering most of the rocks so we took our time picking a crossing a bit upstream & the poles were a great help. After the crossing we were fully under tree cover and hiking a decently wide path, well cleared, and only a mild incline for the first mile or so in. And then....
The trail became steeper and composed of rocks and roots which often formed steps in the hillside. Some natural, some man made. Now, I don't wear a watch and my cell phone was tucked away for the trek so I'm not sure how long we hiked up and up and up but it was at least an hour of fairly steep, breathing hard, heart pounding in my ears, hiking. And I was loving every second of it!!! All I could think of was how far I had come (figuratively) since November. I couldn't help but grin.
We stayed under tree cover as the trail flattened out for a good long stretch (Mt. Jefferson is a sneaky mountain, lulling you into a false sense that it will be an easy hike) and the sun began to peek through the clouds. All the while I could hear the stream babbling along on our left. Little did I know what the mountain still had in store as the trail took another upward turn and we headed for The Castles which give this trail its name.
As we hiked higher, the trees became shorter and shorter. Approaching The Castles, it looks as though you are nearing the peak of the mountain and have only a short distance to go. How wrong I was (but more on that later)! A few small scrambles over fairly large boulders and a steep, root grabbing, scrabbling climb later, we reached the first Castle. See below.
Stopping to take a couple of pictures, I couldn't believe where we had come from. Though the mountains to our left were still shrouded in clouds, the path we had traveled was clear behind us. The long flat section, of the trail that we had hiked, crossed the mound you see below. We had come from the far side of that mound!
The view to the left was not so promising as the clouds still menaced the tops of the mountains to the left. I'll admit that I was concerned about making it to the summit at this point.
After our picture break we began tackling The Castles. Up, over, through, over, scramble, crawl, is pretty much how it works through this section of trail. The Castles are comprised of HUGE boulders that push up out of the ridge of the mountain and the trail goes from Castle to Castle (and through them). Here are a couple of shots as we went:
Here is where Mt. Jefferson really starts its trickery: once you complete the castles, you see that you are not, in fact, at the summit but are faced with the scene below. Okay, I wasn't ready for this hike to be over anyway! I remember pointing to what looks like the summit and asking Julie "Is THAT where we are going?". She confirmed that it was. What I should have asked is "Is that the summit". :) Feeling a theme here? Tricky mountain!
The sky continued to clear as we ascended, affording us some amazing views of the valleys below. As we climbed, we discussed the challenge this hike afforded. There is something for everyone here: Steep inclines, scrambles, scrabbles (I differentiate scrambles as going over boulders with fairly easy hand/foot holds and scrabbles as steep, root grabbing climbs where you may very well slide back down to where you started and then some), and amazing views (see exhibits 1 & 2 directly below).
One of the interesting parts of this hike is that once you get past The Castles, you encounter a series of lawns and granite boulder fields. There is no going around the boulder fields, they spread out across the mountainside. So over we went. Fortunately there are cairns to guide you as you hop from rock to rock in the general direction of the summit. Each boulder field is an uphill climb that finishes with a small dip into a lawn of scrubby grass and alpine flora. And then onto the next boulder field. I was more than thankful to have my poles during these climbs. If memory serves, there were 3 sets of boulder fields and lawns to climb/cross before the final ascent to the summit.
The above is looking up towards the start of a boulder field. The path heads to the right of this picture and the boulder field is not the deceiving little strip of rocks that it looks like. You could easily spend 10 - 15 minutes traversing a field before you came to lawn again.
Finally reaching the summit, I found Julie and the sun waiting for me. Julie was kind enough to "save" the highest point for me and I climbed up with joy. I was standing on top of the world! This was a personal best. The tallest mountain I had ever climbed, the longest hike I had ever participated in. It was an amazing feeling that is nearly beyond words and the views went on forever! Gorgeous George was in full view in all his glory, Great Gulch and all! It looked as though you could just walk across in a few minutes (as I wish was the case!).
After a bite to eat and about half an hour of soaking up the sun & taking photos, we were ready to head down. What a completely fantastical and amazing day! Thank you to Julie for the wonderful company and to Mother Nature for bringing on the sunshine!
The rest of the photos are here.
Elevation: 5,712 ft (1,741 m)
Trail: Castle Trail (from Route 2)
Distance: 10 Miles Round Trip
Time: 10 hours (8am - 6pm)
Hiking Partner: The Super Amazing Miss Julie Smith!
You know you are going to have a fantastic hiking day when you find something as cool as this on the way to the mountain...
The day started at 4:45am. I'd packed the night before: Camelbak (complete with nutrient sludge), poles, headlamp, compass, extra layers, rain gear, map, spare socks, snacks (energy bar, foil packed tuna, apple, orange, 2 Luna bars, dark chocolate!), and spare water bottle (full and frozen). I grabbed my pack, hiking boots & poles, and my after hike clothing and hit the road. Dover, NH to the trail head is about a 2.5 hour drive. With an 8am meeting time, I was on my way by 5:30. Having posted my hiking intentions over a month ago, I was lucky enough to schedule the day with Julie Smith, a kayaking friend. If you've ever had the good fortune to paddle or hike with Julie, you'll understand when I say that she is the perfect trip leader. Julie knows her stuff, plans ahead, and has the patience of a saint. No kidding. You try leading 8 crazy kayakers down the Kennebec Gorge at high level during a dam release... Just saying.
Arriving just at 8, I met up with Julie, we geared up and headed off. I was not familiar with this mountain and had reached out to a friend for suggestions on trails. I took half of his suggestion and chose the Castle Trail. We decided to hike both up and down on this trail rather than looping off on several other possibilities.
The day was overcast and I was concerned that we might not make the summit as Julie & I had agreed that rain, fog, or extreme wind would cancel. I mentally crossed my fingers that the day would clear.
 |
| Only 3.7 Miles to Go! |
We stayed under tree cover as the trail flattened out for a good long stretch (Mt. Jefferson is a sneaky mountain, lulling you into a false sense that it will be an easy hike) and the sun began to peek through the clouds. All the while I could hear the stream babbling along on our left. Little did I know what the mountain still had in store as the trail took another upward turn and we headed for The Castles which give this trail its name.
As we hiked higher, the trees became shorter and shorter. Approaching The Castles, it looks as though you are nearing the peak of the mountain and have only a short distance to go. How wrong I was (but more on that later)! A few small scrambles over fairly large boulders and a steep, root grabbing, scrabbling climb later, we reached the first Castle. See below.
 |
| Looking Up at The Castles |
 |
| Looking Back from the First Castle |
After our picture break we began tackling The Castles. Up, over, through, over, scramble, crawl, is pretty much how it works through this section of trail. The Castles are comprised of HUGE boulders that push up out of the ridge of the mountain and the trail goes from Castle to Castle (and through them). Here are a couple of shots as we went:
 |
| Julie Picking the Route |
 |
| Looking Up Past The Castles Towards What Appears to be the Summit |
The sky continued to clear as we ascended, affording us some amazing views of the valleys below. As we climbed, we discussed the challenge this hike afforded. There is something for everyone here: Steep inclines, scrambles, scrabbles (I differentiate scrambles as going over boulders with fairly easy hand/foot holds and scrabbles as steep, root grabbing climbs where you may very well slide back down to where you started and then some), and amazing views (see exhibits 1 & 2 directly below).
 |
| Exhibit 1: Oh the views! |
 |
| Exhibit 2: Clearing clouds |
One of the interesting parts of this hike is that once you get past The Castles, you encounter a series of lawns and granite boulder fields. There is no going around the boulder fields, they spread out across the mountainside. So over we went. Fortunately there are cairns to guide you as you hop from rock to rock in the general direction of the summit. Each boulder field is an uphill climb that finishes with a small dip into a lawn of scrubby grass and alpine flora. And then onto the next boulder field. I was more than thankful to have my poles during these climbs. If memory serves, there were 3 sets of boulder fields and lawns to climb/cross before the final ascent to the summit.
The above is looking up towards the start of a boulder field. The path heads to the right of this picture and the boulder field is not the deceiving little strip of rocks that it looks like. You could easily spend 10 - 15 minutes traversing a field before you came to lawn again.
Finally reaching the summit, I found Julie and the sun waiting for me. Julie was kind enough to "save" the highest point for me and I climbed up with joy. I was standing on top of the world! This was a personal best. The tallest mountain I had ever climbed, the longest hike I had ever participated in. It was an amazing feeling that is nearly beyond words and the views went on forever! Gorgeous George was in full view in all his glory, Great Gulch and all! It looked as though you could just walk across in a few minutes (as I wish was the case!).
After a bite to eat and about half an hour of soaking up the sun & taking photos, we were ready to head down. What a completely fantastical and amazing day! Thank you to Julie for the wonderful company and to Mother Nature for bringing on the sunshine!
The rest of the photos are here.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Quad Journeys
An update to the April 12th, May 15th, & June 13th entries:
This week marks my 36th week of nutritional changes, 27th week of fitness training, and 19th week of bike specific training.
As many of you know, Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer was postponed until August 10/11th due to heavy flooding in Calgary - water in the streets, mudslides, and washed out roads made a ride on June 22/23rd impossible. That gives us more biking to talk about! :) Lucky you! Stay tuned for pics from the trip in just over 4 weeks.
Now, let's look at the update:
36 weeks into my nutritional journey and I find myself revisiting my caloric intake needs as I'm far more active than I was at the start of this journey. I've also built up a fair amount of lean muscle mass (No, I don't look like Arnold) which requires more energy to maintain. I've gone from struggling to reach a 1200 calorie a day goal (meaning I often fell short of 1200 as I just wasn't hungry enough to keep eating at the end of the day) to having a major mental breakdown and needing to increase up to 1300 and then 1500 to now requiring close to 2000 calories a day to keep my body happy.
At the same time, I started my fitness training (27 weeks ago) with 2 - 60 minute TRX classes per week and found myself needing to add a 60 minute Butt & Gutt class as well as a 60 minute personal weight training session as I gained strength and stamina. Believe me, your body tells you when it needs more. Now starting my third session of fitness training, I have 2 - 60 minute TRX classes, 2 - 60 minute weight training sessions, and 1-2 days of endurance biking on my schedule each week.
You might be wondering how I did with my goals from a month ago. I can tell you that I do a pushup with every Burpie (And I still hate Burpies!), I do all of the suspended exercises in TRX and can even do side planks with a crunch (1 or 2, I didn't say I am a super star yet), I can do more reps and at a harder/steeper angle - pushing myself harder, and I can say that my mindset has changed from "can I do that?" to "I CAN do that!". Frequent reminders still needed (habits take practice) that "YES I CAN!!!" is healthier than "can I?" but I'm learning. :D
And the biking. To be honest, I had hoped to be done by now so that I could move on to to hiking and camping in the Rockies but all is not lost. More biking for me, more biking stories for you. Its a win-win! Stay tuned.
This week marks my 36th week of nutritional changes, 27th week of fitness training, and 19th week of bike specific training.
As many of you know, Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer was postponed until August 10/11th due to heavy flooding in Calgary - water in the streets, mudslides, and washed out roads made a ride on June 22/23rd impossible. That gives us more biking to talk about! :) Lucky you! Stay tuned for pics from the trip in just over 4 weeks.
Now, let's look at the update:
36 weeks into my nutritional journey and I find myself revisiting my caloric intake needs as I'm far more active than I was at the start of this journey. I've also built up a fair amount of lean muscle mass (No, I don't look like Arnold) which requires more energy to maintain. I've gone from struggling to reach a 1200 calorie a day goal (meaning I often fell short of 1200 as I just wasn't hungry enough to keep eating at the end of the day) to having a major mental breakdown and needing to increase up to 1300 and then 1500 to now requiring close to 2000 calories a day to keep my body happy.
At the same time, I started my fitness training (27 weeks ago) with 2 - 60 minute TRX classes per week and found myself needing to add a 60 minute Butt & Gutt class as well as a 60 minute personal weight training session as I gained strength and stamina. Believe me, your body tells you when it needs more. Now starting my third session of fitness training, I have 2 - 60 minute TRX classes, 2 - 60 minute weight training sessions, and 1-2 days of endurance biking on my schedule each week.
You might be wondering how I did with my goals from a month ago. I can tell you that I do a pushup with every Burpie (And I still hate Burpies!), I do all of the suspended exercises in TRX and can even do side planks with a crunch (1 or 2, I didn't say I am a super star yet), I can do more reps and at a harder/steeper angle - pushing myself harder, and I can say that my mindset has changed from "can I do that?" to "I CAN do that!". Frequent reminders still needed (habits take practice) that "YES I CAN!!!" is healthier than "can I?" but I'm learning. :D
And the biking. To be honest, I had hoped to be done by now so that I could move on to to hiking and camping in the Rockies but all is not lost. More biking for me, more biking stories for you. Its a win-win! Stay tuned.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Weight Loss - Getting Started
Having been working at, and succeeding in, losing weight for the past 8 months, I am asked a lot of questions about weight loss, nutrition, fitness, and what I am doing to be successful. This post is intended to give you the framework and tools that you need to get started on your health, fitness, nutrition, and/or weight loss journey. Remember, health & fitness are not a diet and exercise program, they are a lifestyle. You should expect to be making changes that you are going to stick to for the rest of your life.
Please note that before you make any big lifestyle changes (nutritional or exercise), you should check with your doctor to be sure that you don't have any underlying conditions that may prevent you from performing certain exercises or may cause you to have special dietary needs.
Tools:
BMR Calculator Online: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Calorie Count Online: http://www.caloriecount.com Also available as an APP for download
A notebook & pen - to use as a journal of your progress
A tape measure
A bathroom scale
Measuring cups & measuring spoons
Someone to support you and for you to be accountable to - This can be the other people using CalorieCount.com, a trainer, a friend, a family member. Basically anyone who you can call, email, etc to let them know how you are doing, ask questions to, & receive support from.
Assess your state of mind - The biggest road block that we face is our own mind. Are you ready to make and stick to your goals? Are you ready to be honest with yourself and push yourself? Are you ready to be accountable for your health and fitness? Are you ready to stop making excuses? Are you ready to make a lifestyle change? Do you believe that YOU CAN DO IT? If so, you are ready to start setting your goals.
Set your goal(s) - This is the "WHAT" goal. You need to decide what you want to do. Be specific. "I want to lose X pounds in Y time frame." With this in mind, remember that your goals must be reasonable. They must be achievable, actionable, & measurable. As much as we would all like our extra weight to magically drop off overnight, that isn't going to happen. It is reasonable to set a goal to lose anywhere from 1/2 to 2 lbs per week depending on how much weight you want to lose and how hard you are willing to work on your goals.
Set your supporting goals - These are the "HOW" goals. You need to determine how you are going to reach your "WHAT" goal by setting a series of "HOW" goals. These too should be achievable, actionable, and measurable. Some examples:
1. I am going to learn what my BMR is and then use this to calculate how many calories I need to eat per day to maintain my current weight.
2. I am going to use the number that I figured in item 1 to determine how many calories I need to eat per day to lose my goal of 1/2 lb per week. (it takes a deficit of 1750 calories per week to lose 1/2 lb per week or a 250 calorie deficit per day).
3. I am going to track the number of calories that I eat each day so that I am sure that I am only eating the amount that I figured in item 2.
4. I am going to learn more about the food that I am eating so that I can make healthier food choices. NOTE: This should be an ongoing goal. You can always benefit from learning more about healthy eating choices throughout your life.
5. I am going to park my car as far from the entrance as I can at work, the supermarket, the bank, etc. and walk.
6. I am going to (insert exercise) X times per week for Y amount of time. NOTE: Exercise can be anything from a brisk walk, run, bike ride, or structured exercise class to strength training in your own home. It does not have to be at a gym as long as you make a plan and stick to it. Hold yourself accountable and push yourself to improve no matter how small you start.
7. I am going to measure my foods so that I know I am eating proper portion sizes.
8. I am going to drink at least 8 cups of water per day.
It is important to write your goals down so that you can refer back to them, make notes on them as you work towards reaching them, and measure them. Remember, it is important that your goals be measurable. Write down how many minutes you exercise, what your calorie goals are, the healthy foods you are learning about, etc. Over time, as you reach your goals, you'll make new goals and it will be helpful to look back on your "old" goals and see what worked for you and what did not.
Remember, you don't have to start more than 1 new goal at a time. Just because you made a long list of goals does not mean you should tackle the entire list at once. You must be 100% certain that you can accomplish a goal in order to start a goal. Only take on as many goals as you feel that you can handle at a time. In the list above you may pick goals 1, 2, & 3 to start with and work on them for a couple of weeks until you feel really comfortable with your calorie needs and calorie counting. In the meantime, it might be easy for you to include goal 5 but you may want to wait a couple of weeks to start on goal 6. The point is, you want to be successful and you don't want to overwhelm yourself. Once you have a goal down, you are ready to add a new goal while maintaining the "old" goals.
Weigh & Measure Yourself - It is important to have a starting point and to track your progress. Take a measurement of your tummy at belly button height. You may also want to measure your hips (top of hip bone), thighs (stand with hands at sides and measure where the tips of your fingers end), upper arms, and chest but at the very least, your tummy will be a good indicator of size lost. Weigh yourself and write down your starting weight. IMPORTANT: Don't weigh yourself more than 1x per week. Our body weight fluctuates greatly from day to day and more frequent weighing in can be frustrating and defeating. Stick to 1x per week and record your weight. You are looking for a losing trend over time. Don't be discouraged if you begin lifting weights and gain a little weight as muscle weighs more than fat but is leaner than fat (you'll look thinner but might weigh a bit more as you start building muscle). And it is important to strengthen your muscles as the stronger they are, the more calories they burn.
Accountability & Support - it is important to be accountable to someone for your goals and progress. This can be anyone who you are comfortable talking about your weight loss journey with. Caloriecount.com has a lot of forums where people are very active with supporting each other and offering suggestions (remember, just like what you are reading here, make sure the suggestion is right for you, and healthy, before you follow it). It is very very very difficult to be accountable only to yourself as you will find that you occasionally need a shoulder to lean on, a cheerleader, or a drill sergeant.
Have questions still? Just ask. Good luck - YOU CAN DO IT!
Please note that before you make any big lifestyle changes (nutritional or exercise), you should check with your doctor to be sure that you don't have any underlying conditions that may prevent you from performing certain exercises or may cause you to have special dietary needs.
Tools:
BMR Calculator Online: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Calorie Count Online: http://www.caloriecount.com Also available as an APP for download
A notebook & pen - to use as a journal of your progress
A tape measure
A bathroom scale
Measuring cups & measuring spoons
Someone to support you and for you to be accountable to - This can be the other people using CalorieCount.com, a trainer, a friend, a family member. Basically anyone who you can call, email, etc to let them know how you are doing, ask questions to, & receive support from.
Assess your state of mind - The biggest road block that we face is our own mind. Are you ready to make and stick to your goals? Are you ready to be honest with yourself and push yourself? Are you ready to be accountable for your health and fitness? Are you ready to stop making excuses? Are you ready to make a lifestyle change? Do you believe that YOU CAN DO IT? If so, you are ready to start setting your goals.
Set your goal(s) - This is the "WHAT" goal. You need to decide what you want to do. Be specific. "I want to lose X pounds in Y time frame." With this in mind, remember that your goals must be reasonable. They must be achievable, actionable, & measurable. As much as we would all like our extra weight to magically drop off overnight, that isn't going to happen. It is reasonable to set a goal to lose anywhere from 1/2 to 2 lbs per week depending on how much weight you want to lose and how hard you are willing to work on your goals.
Set your supporting goals - These are the "HOW" goals. You need to determine how you are going to reach your "WHAT" goal by setting a series of "HOW" goals. These too should be achievable, actionable, and measurable. Some examples:
1. I am going to learn what my BMR is and then use this to calculate how many calories I need to eat per day to maintain my current weight.
2. I am going to use the number that I figured in item 1 to determine how many calories I need to eat per day to lose my goal of 1/2 lb per week. (it takes a deficit of 1750 calories per week to lose 1/2 lb per week or a 250 calorie deficit per day).
3. I am going to track the number of calories that I eat each day so that I am sure that I am only eating the amount that I figured in item 2.
4. I am going to learn more about the food that I am eating so that I can make healthier food choices. NOTE: This should be an ongoing goal. You can always benefit from learning more about healthy eating choices throughout your life.
5. I am going to park my car as far from the entrance as I can at work, the supermarket, the bank, etc. and walk.
6. I am going to (insert exercise) X times per week for Y amount of time. NOTE: Exercise can be anything from a brisk walk, run, bike ride, or structured exercise class to strength training in your own home. It does not have to be at a gym as long as you make a plan and stick to it. Hold yourself accountable and push yourself to improve no matter how small you start.
7. I am going to measure my foods so that I know I am eating proper portion sizes.
8. I am going to drink at least 8 cups of water per day.
It is important to write your goals down so that you can refer back to them, make notes on them as you work towards reaching them, and measure them. Remember, it is important that your goals be measurable. Write down how many minutes you exercise, what your calorie goals are, the healthy foods you are learning about, etc. Over time, as you reach your goals, you'll make new goals and it will be helpful to look back on your "old" goals and see what worked for you and what did not.
Remember, you don't have to start more than 1 new goal at a time. Just because you made a long list of goals does not mean you should tackle the entire list at once. You must be 100% certain that you can accomplish a goal in order to start a goal. Only take on as many goals as you feel that you can handle at a time. In the list above you may pick goals 1, 2, & 3 to start with and work on them for a couple of weeks until you feel really comfortable with your calorie needs and calorie counting. In the meantime, it might be easy for you to include goal 5 but you may want to wait a couple of weeks to start on goal 6. The point is, you want to be successful and you don't want to overwhelm yourself. Once you have a goal down, you are ready to add a new goal while maintaining the "old" goals.
Weigh & Measure Yourself - It is important to have a starting point and to track your progress. Take a measurement of your tummy at belly button height. You may also want to measure your hips (top of hip bone), thighs (stand with hands at sides and measure where the tips of your fingers end), upper arms, and chest but at the very least, your tummy will be a good indicator of size lost. Weigh yourself and write down your starting weight. IMPORTANT: Don't weigh yourself more than 1x per week. Our body weight fluctuates greatly from day to day and more frequent weighing in can be frustrating and defeating. Stick to 1x per week and record your weight. You are looking for a losing trend over time. Don't be discouraged if you begin lifting weights and gain a little weight as muscle weighs more than fat but is leaner than fat (you'll look thinner but might weigh a bit more as you start building muscle). And it is important to strengthen your muscles as the stronger they are, the more calories they burn.
Accountability & Support - it is important to be accountable to someone for your goals and progress. This can be anyone who you are comfortable talking about your weight loss journey with. Caloriecount.com has a lot of forums where people are very active with supporting each other and offering suggestions (remember, just like what you are reading here, make sure the suggestion is right for you, and healthy, before you follow it). It is very very very difficult to be accountable only to yourself as you will find that you occasionally need a shoulder to lean on, a cheerleader, or a drill sergeant.
Have questions still? Just ask. Good luck - YOU CAN DO IT!
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Micro Goals, Mini Goals, Macro Goals
This post was inspired by Lyz(y) and all of my friends who have asked: "How are you doing it?".
If you don't know what "it" is, you should read this first. And be warned, this is a loooooong post. But then again, setting goals and sticking to them is a big thing.
"It" all started with a very fuzzy thought:
I'm going to take control of my life, health, nutrition, weight, and fitness. I'm going to get back into shape. I am going to eat better. I am going to lose weight.
The above was a wish, a hope, a dream but it wasn't yet a goal. This is important because in order to create a goal, to achieve something, you need a specific, attainable, actionable, measurable item. That is when the thought becomes a goal and you are on your way!
As the title suggests, there are various sizes to goals. A Macro goal being the largest - the end result goal(s). Mini goals come next, they are smaller chunks of the Macro goal. And then there are Micro goals. Think of them as baby steps. Baby stepping to the Mini and Macro goals (thanks, Bob and FMM)!
So let's turn my wishes, hopes, and dreams into goals:
1. I'm going to lose weight. Okay, big sit down with self, looking self in the eyes and asking self... how much weight? You've got to have a number to make this work. My self looked right back at me and said: 163 pounds (Give or take 5lb as I hadn't been on a scale since June and this was November. We'll address scale-phobia later...). Great! Now I've got a Macro goal that needs a plan. HOW am I going to achieve this goal?
A. I am going to change my eating habits (another hope that needs to be turned into a goal - more on this later).
B. I am going to walk the dog for 1 hour a day, 2 days a week, every week - an actual actionable, achievable, measurable item!
C. Every time I go to the store, bank, etc., I'm going to park the car as far from the entrance as feasible and walk to the door - another measurable, item!
D. I am going to research exercise and understand how many calories are burned during different types of exercise. - an actionable item!
E. I am going to increase my exercise level as I become stronger, fitter, more capable - more of a hope than a goal unless you add an actual time frame so that you are increasing on a schedule. It is actionable but you need to have a HOW to make it work (sometimes even plans need plans!).
Now for the Mini and Micro goals to this Macro goal. The reason I started looking at this in smaller terms is that the total was too overwhelming for me. I couldn't even think about it without being taken over by self-defeating, paralyzing trepidation. A healthy weight loss average is 1 to 2.5 lb per week. Even losing 2.5 (the max) every week, week after week after week after week (see where I am going with this?), I could see that it was going to take me at least 65 weeks to reach my goal. MORE THAN A YEAR! That thought in itself was deflating. Yes, the end result is worth the time and effort but there was no reason to defeat myself before I got started.
Okay, how to handle this? Another sit down with myself and I decided to look at my goal in pieces. My Mini goals would be to lose the weight in 10 pound increments. Even this can be pretty daunting as it can take 4-10 weeks to reach this goal IF I lose the safe average. I needed even smaller goals, that I could achieve and celebrate (NEVER with a food reward) to stay motivated, so I broke my Mini goals down into Micro goals. Starting at 278, my first Micro goal was to get to 275. A tiny little 3 lb goal that I could reach in a couple of weeks. After that, I'd work towards the round number: 270. This Micro goal is slightly more than the first at 5lbs - but still less scary than 10lbs. Then, the next Micro goal: lose the last 2 pounds needed to reach the Mini goal! So each Mini goal is comprised of 3 Micro goals. And by concentrating on the Micro goals, the Mini goals JUST HAPPENED BY THEMSELVES! *BIG GRINS*. Where do I go from here? Repeat the cycle of Micro goals, of course! Next up, 265! As of today, 19 Micro goals later, I'm at 215lbs and headed south to 210.
Now you didn't think I did this all with just walking the dog and parking further away from the door did you? Nope, there is way more to it than that. Remember that eating hope from above? Yup, time to address it! (And after that is addressed, next comes increased activity/exercise goals from the above list.) Throughout my life I've been a researcher of healthful eating practices. In the 90's it was through "health" magazines, through the 00's and 10's it has been through the internet. For over 25 years I've learned a lot about nutrition, fads, diets, etc and the one thing that has stood out the most is that healthful eating is not a short term change that you do just to lose the weight. This is a lifestyle change that must be committed to 100% and then stuck to for life. So let's look at how I made this commitment. Remember, achievable, measurable, and actionable items are key here.
2. I am going to change my eating habits. Time to decide HOW to change my eating habits so that this can become a real goal and not just a wish.
A. I am going to eliminate processed sugar from my diet (the white stuff, the brown stuff, the stuff hiding in many packaged products, the fake stuff, all of it). - An actionable item!
B. I am going to eliminate empty calories from my diet. - An actionable item!
I covered Empty Calories in the Journeys Too post but as a recap:
In my book empty calorie foods are foods that have nothing in them but calories from sugar/carbs, and/or fats and not much else. No nutrients, vitamins, minerals - nothing that is actually naturally occurring in the ingredients of the "food". This includes enriched foods. If you can't get the nutrients from the ingredients because they have been processed out, what on earth is being added to make up for that?
C. I am going to count my calories - every. single. one. - An actionable item! (I recommend www.caloriecount.com or the iphone app Calorie Count - same program, different format. Or Livestrong's My Plate website or app).
D. I am going to learn just how many calories I need everyday and formulate an eating plan based on those calories. - an actionable item!
E. I am going to plan and cook all of my own meals - not eat out and not buy meals or snacks on the run (this is actually way easier than you might think). - An actionable item!
F. I am going to eat 3 regular meals a day with a morning and afternoon snack. - An actionable item!
Making a major lifestyle change when it comes to eating habits is not easy. I was used to eating convenience foods. I'd always loved to cook but had gotten out of the habit of cooking. I'd become more of a "just throw a few things together and call it a meal" eater. Granted those things would usually be fairly nutritional foods (carrots, cheese sticks, nuts, dried fruits, yogurt, fruits and veggies, a sandwich, soup, etc) but I had no problem calling a bag of chips dinner either. Time to change that.
First off, I needed to start eating breakfast. Breakfast and I had been enemies for many years. I never really felt like eating breakfast. I wasn't usually hungry when I woke up. Sometimes my stomach just didn't feel like it could handle breakfast (with a bag of chips for dinner, who could blame it!). I still didn't really feel like eating in the morning so I packed my breakfast and morning snack to take to work with me. Yogurt with cereal and a banana. I wasn't eating until at least 9am but it was better than skipping breakfast. This would change as I became more active. I now wake up by 6am and am pretty well "starving" for breakfast!
One way to manage the food you are consuming while making planning easy is to have the same breakfasts, snacks, and lunches for a week. I go a step further and have the same dinners for 7 days straight. I cook everything on the weekend, pack it up and I'm ready to go. This weeks menu:
Breakfast - 1 scrambled egg, 1/2 cup milk
Snack - a green apple, 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Lunch - 1 can light tuna in water with 1 tbsp mayo, 1/2 cup milk
Snack - 1 small avocado or 1 cup red peppers and cauliflower, a smoothie (recipes here)
Dinner - 1.5-2 cups homemade kitchen sink chili
12+ cups of water throughout the day, 1 cup of coffee and 1+ cups of tea
I occasionally mix up the snacks but the format doesn't change. I don't have to think too hard about what to have. I have the snacks with me at work so when I am hungry, I eat. I'm never at the point where I feel like I am starving, and this is so less stressful than worrying about what to eat. I've checked out these foods. I know that if I eat the above, I'll consume ~1700 calories in a day. Adding in protein powder and electrolytes on workout days brings the total to ~1900, and bike days where I ride 45+ miles, I'll add in enough supplements to bring my intake to nearly 3000 as I am expending at least 1200 calories just in biking alone.
The second change was cutting out the sugars. Right after Christmas... I gave them up. Poof! Gone. No soda, no sugar in my coffee or tea, no foods with added sugars. After a couple of days I didn't miss it and now, if I do have a bite of something with sugar added, it tastes overly sweet and generally gives me an upset stomach. I than picked Lent to give up processed foods. I wasn't eating many by this time, down to whole grain breads, cereals, and some pasta. I cut them all out. I was eating only whole foods now. I replaced the processed grains with Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley and am still searching for more whole grains (non-wheat because it upsets my system) to assure that I am getting a good balance of healthy carbs in my diet.
Okay, now that we know the basics of how I did/am doing it, remember: When making changes, start slowly. Pick a change that you KNOW 100% that you can make and then stick to. Once you have that change down for 2 weeks, make the next change. This is a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. YOU CAN DO IT!
As this is such a big topic, I'll write on it again soon and add some links, breaking down some of this stuff further. Good luck!
If you don't know what "it" is, you should read this first. And be warned, this is a loooooong post. But then again, setting goals and sticking to them is a big thing.
"It" all started with a very fuzzy thought:
I'm going to take control of my life, health, nutrition, weight, and fitness. I'm going to get back into shape. I am going to eat better. I am going to lose weight.
The above was a wish, a hope, a dream but it wasn't yet a goal. This is important because in order to create a goal, to achieve something, you need a specific, attainable, actionable, measurable item. That is when the thought becomes a goal and you are on your way!
As the title suggests, there are various sizes to goals. A Macro goal being the largest - the end result goal(s). Mini goals come next, they are smaller chunks of the Macro goal. And then there are Micro goals. Think of them as baby steps. Baby stepping to the Mini and Macro goals (thanks, Bob and FMM)!
So let's turn my wishes, hopes, and dreams into goals:
1. I'm going to lose weight. Okay, big sit down with self, looking self in the eyes and asking self... how much weight? You've got to have a number to make this work. My self looked right back at me and said: 163 pounds (Give or take 5lb as I hadn't been on a scale since June and this was November. We'll address scale-phobia later...). Great! Now I've got a Macro goal that needs a plan. HOW am I going to achieve this goal?
A. I am going to change my eating habits (another hope that needs to be turned into a goal - more on this later).
B. I am going to walk the dog for 1 hour a day, 2 days a week, every week - an actual actionable, achievable, measurable item!
C. Every time I go to the store, bank, etc., I'm going to park the car as far from the entrance as feasible and walk to the door - another measurable, item!
D. I am going to research exercise and understand how many calories are burned during different types of exercise. - an actionable item!
E. I am going to increase my exercise level as I become stronger, fitter, more capable - more of a hope than a goal unless you add an actual time frame so that you are increasing on a schedule. It is actionable but you need to have a HOW to make it work (sometimes even plans need plans!).
Now for the Mini and Micro goals to this Macro goal. The reason I started looking at this in smaller terms is that the total was too overwhelming for me. I couldn't even think about it without being taken over by self-defeating, paralyzing trepidation. A healthy weight loss average is 1 to 2.5 lb per week. Even losing 2.5 (the max) every week, week after week after week after week (see where I am going with this?), I could see that it was going to take me at least 65 weeks to reach my goal. MORE THAN A YEAR! That thought in itself was deflating. Yes, the end result is worth the time and effort but there was no reason to defeat myself before I got started.
Okay, how to handle this? Another sit down with myself and I decided to look at my goal in pieces. My Mini goals would be to lose the weight in 10 pound increments. Even this can be pretty daunting as it can take 4-10 weeks to reach this goal IF I lose the safe average. I needed even smaller goals, that I could achieve and celebrate (NEVER with a food reward) to stay motivated, so I broke my Mini goals down into Micro goals. Starting at 278, my first Micro goal was to get to 275. A tiny little 3 lb goal that I could reach in a couple of weeks. After that, I'd work towards the round number: 270. This Micro goal is slightly more than the first at 5lbs - but still less scary than 10lbs. Then, the next Micro goal: lose the last 2 pounds needed to reach the Mini goal! So each Mini goal is comprised of 3 Micro goals. And by concentrating on the Micro goals, the Mini goals JUST HAPPENED BY THEMSELVES! *BIG GRINS*. Where do I go from here? Repeat the cycle of Micro goals, of course! Next up, 265! As of today, 19 Micro goals later, I'm at 215lbs and headed south to 210.
Now you didn't think I did this all with just walking the dog and parking further away from the door did you? Nope, there is way more to it than that. Remember that eating hope from above? Yup, time to address it! (And after that is addressed, next comes increased activity/exercise goals from the above list.) Throughout my life I've been a researcher of healthful eating practices. In the 90's it was through "health" magazines, through the 00's and 10's it has been through the internet. For over 25 years I've learned a lot about nutrition, fads, diets, etc and the one thing that has stood out the most is that healthful eating is not a short term change that you do just to lose the weight. This is a lifestyle change that must be committed to 100% and then stuck to for life. So let's look at how I made this commitment. Remember, achievable, measurable, and actionable items are key here.
2. I am going to change my eating habits. Time to decide HOW to change my eating habits so that this can become a real goal and not just a wish.
A. I am going to eliminate processed sugar from my diet (the white stuff, the brown stuff, the stuff hiding in many packaged products, the fake stuff, all of it). - An actionable item!
B. I am going to eliminate empty calories from my diet. - An actionable item!
I covered Empty Calories in the Journeys Too post but as a recap:
In my book empty calorie foods are foods that have nothing in them but calories from sugar/carbs, and/or fats and not much else. No nutrients, vitamins, minerals - nothing that is actually naturally occurring in the ingredients of the "food". This includes enriched foods. If you can't get the nutrients from the ingredients because they have been processed out, what on earth is being added to make up for that?
C. I am going to count my calories - every. single. one. - An actionable item! (I recommend www.caloriecount.com or the iphone app Calorie Count - same program, different format. Or Livestrong's My Plate website or app).
D. I am going to learn just how many calories I need everyday and formulate an eating plan based on those calories. - an actionable item!
E. I am going to plan and cook all of my own meals - not eat out and not buy meals or snacks on the run (this is actually way easier than you might think). - An actionable item!
F. I am going to eat 3 regular meals a day with a morning and afternoon snack. - An actionable item!
Making a major lifestyle change when it comes to eating habits is not easy. I was used to eating convenience foods. I'd always loved to cook but had gotten out of the habit of cooking. I'd become more of a "just throw a few things together and call it a meal" eater. Granted those things would usually be fairly nutritional foods (carrots, cheese sticks, nuts, dried fruits, yogurt, fruits and veggies, a sandwich, soup, etc) but I had no problem calling a bag of chips dinner either. Time to change that.
First off, I needed to start eating breakfast. Breakfast and I had been enemies for many years. I never really felt like eating breakfast. I wasn't usually hungry when I woke up. Sometimes my stomach just didn't feel like it could handle breakfast (with a bag of chips for dinner, who could blame it!). I still didn't really feel like eating in the morning so I packed my breakfast and morning snack to take to work with me. Yogurt with cereal and a banana. I wasn't eating until at least 9am but it was better than skipping breakfast. This would change as I became more active. I now wake up by 6am and am pretty well "starving" for breakfast!
One way to manage the food you are consuming while making planning easy is to have the same breakfasts, snacks, and lunches for a week. I go a step further and have the same dinners for 7 days straight. I cook everything on the weekend, pack it up and I'm ready to go. This weeks menu:
Breakfast - 1 scrambled egg, 1/2 cup milk
Snack - a green apple, 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Lunch - 1 can light tuna in water with 1 tbsp mayo, 1/2 cup milk
Snack - 1 small avocado or 1 cup red peppers and cauliflower, a smoothie (recipes here)
Dinner - 1.5-2 cups homemade kitchen sink chili
12+ cups of water throughout the day, 1 cup of coffee and 1+ cups of tea
I occasionally mix up the snacks but the format doesn't change. I don't have to think too hard about what to have. I have the snacks with me at work so when I am hungry, I eat. I'm never at the point where I feel like I am starving, and this is so less stressful than worrying about what to eat. I've checked out these foods. I know that if I eat the above, I'll consume ~1700 calories in a day. Adding in protein powder and electrolytes on workout days brings the total to ~1900, and bike days where I ride 45+ miles, I'll add in enough supplements to bring my intake to nearly 3000 as I am expending at least 1200 calories just in biking alone.
The second change was cutting out the sugars. Right after Christmas... I gave them up. Poof! Gone. No soda, no sugar in my coffee or tea, no foods with added sugars. After a couple of days I didn't miss it and now, if I do have a bite of something with sugar added, it tastes overly sweet and generally gives me an upset stomach. I than picked Lent to give up processed foods. I wasn't eating many by this time, down to whole grain breads, cereals, and some pasta. I cut them all out. I was eating only whole foods now. I replaced the processed grains with Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley and am still searching for more whole grains (non-wheat because it upsets my system) to assure that I am getting a good balance of healthy carbs in my diet.
Okay, now that we know the basics of how I did/am doing it, remember: When making changes, start slowly. Pick a change that you KNOW 100% that you can make and then stick to. Once you have that change down for 2 weeks, make the next change. This is a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix. YOU CAN DO IT!
As this is such a big topic, I'll write on it again soon and add some links, breaking down some of this stuff further. Good luck!
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