Independence day tips

A big celebration is around the corner as we celebrate our country. As always food will be center to our celebrations. There are things we can do to keep from blowing our diet efforts and still enjoy the day. BB Q'S and parties are center of our celebrations. Let's look at the typical menu that most of us recognize. Hot dogs are one of the most consumed foods on this holiday. The average hot dog has 385 calories, a hamburger has 433 calories ( and  this does not include cheese), potato salad 455 calories per 1/2 cup serving. Cole slaw and cake count even more. So how do we enjoy the day and not deprive ourselves of the taste and fun we all want. There are hot dogs out there that have lesser calories you just have to read the labels. I recently tried veggie dogs and they were great with the bun and mustard I couldn't tell the difference. Have the burger but you a sandwich thin type bun or better yet for go the bun and wrap your burger and toppings in lettuce. You can do Kabobs with chicken and veggies this is a great choice it tastes great and is low in fat and calories. Instead of going for the heavy mayo potato salad or Cole slaw go for pasta salad instead. Make a whole wheat pasta and veggie salad with low fat Italian dressing this is great and filling. Relish and fruit trays are also great. So instead of grabbing the cake have the fruit instead. Melons are filling, and digest quickly and consist of mostly water. Make sure to drink plenty of water. The key is that we can still celebrate and enjoy the food if we plan ahead and make those smart choices in advance. Planning is key. Oh yes, I will be going to the gym to burn off some calories before I even eat them. Have a great and safe 4th of July holiday. May you find success.

What to Drink

Water is the most abundant and yet most overlooked substance in the human body. The balance of water in the human body is indeed a delicate one. Water plays a vital role in all the bodies functions such as chemical receptors, lubrication, nutrient delivery, and waste elimination. Water represents 45 to 65 percent of the human body. Water is so vital that if we do not take in enough our bodies systems can take a hard blow and worse even begin to shut down. In the Summer months it is even more important to make sure we take in enough water. Our bodies need more water in order to regulate our bodies temperatures and keep our systems that rely on our water intake in order to function properly. So just how much water does our body use and how much do we need to drink in order to stay well hydrated.

In order to maintain the fluid balance within the body water gain needs to equal water loss. Fluid loss is heavily dependent on a person's activity level as well as environmental temperature and humidity, but for a sedentary adult in this country, an expected total water loss would be approximately 2500 ml per day and would comprise:

• 1500 ml/day excretion by kidneys in the form of urine500ml/day evaporation and perspiration from the skin300ml/day from the lungs 200 ml/day from the gastrointestinal tract.
  
  It is advised that during Summer months we need to drink more than 8 oz. glasses of water.
  
  How do we recognize that we may not be getting enough and therefore putting our lives in jeopardy?
   
  
  • Decreased flow of saliva
  • Decreased blood volume
  • Increased blood osmotic pressure
    
  These three reactions to dehydration stimulate the thirst centre, which is situated in the hypothalamus in the brain, producing a the sensation of thirst. However, the thirst mechanism is relatively slow. Although a person can only survive a few days without water, and yet the body can survive without food for around 30 days, the drive to eat is much greater than the drive to drink.
  To the majority of recreational exercisers thirst will be viewed as an indicator that they need to drink or they will become dehydrated. In actual fact, thirst is a sign that the person is already dehydrated, albeit in the initial stages. This is particularly pertinent when considered in the light of the fact that the thirst mechanism also tends to be depressed during exercise which increases the level of dehydration which occurs before thirst is sensed. This is why fluid replacement should be considered before, during and after physical activity rather than relying on thirst to indicate that the body needs fluid.
  
  
  
  
  For those trying to loose weight water is vitally important as well. Drinking water has zero calories and it helps flush out the system aiding in your weight loss journey. Raise your glasses everyday and make sure you are taking in the most important liquid that your body needs in order to take care of you.

What is this addiction we call food?

Why exactly are we addicted to food? To answer this we need to go back to our very beginning. As humans food is a vital part to our survival. Somewhere along the way we found that food not only feeds our bodies but it feeds our emotions. Food is the center of our celebrations, our sad times, our social times. Look at our holidays. We start planning our menus way in advance. When we have a celebration we focus on the food and what everyone will enjoy. When we have a breakup or other sad event in our lives we turn to our best friend... comfort food. It is no wonder that with so much emphasis on food that it becomes our go to thing, How many of you like me have started a day thinking about what is for dinner when we haven't even ate breakfast yet. The truth of it is that we have gotten so far away from what food is truly for (a life force for our bodies) to self gratification through that candy bar, ice cream, potato chips or what ever our food of choice is. Then when we are over weight, sick, and dying we just can't seem to understand why. Then when it comes to the realization that we need to change things our addictions have gotten so bad that is difficult to break them and change our lives for the better. At least I know this to be true to me.

It is about choices. Each day I have to make conscious choices to eating the right foods. Heck, lets be honest sometimes it is a minute by minute choice. Sometimes I succeed at making good choices and at times I give in to that craving and find that I really didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. What it comes down to is this that our bodies are amazing machines. If we feed it properly and take care of ourselves our body will take care of us. Make those right choices, move a little more and watch what amazing things you can do.

The Climb

Today is a day like any other day. That is when it comes to cleaning up around my home. I put on some music and listen as I am cleaning. Today I was listening to a song by Miley Cyrus entitled the climb. The words to this song are an inspiration to me and pertain to this journey I am on as well as so many others. The words are as follows;

 I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going


And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa.


It is the climb we are all on no matter what journey we are taking in life. It doesn't matter if it is a journey of weight loss, being a parent, being an honest working member of society, being a good friend, or standing alone in the world for our beliefs and morals. It doesn't matter what is on the other side it is how we take the climb and the differences we make along the way.

Today like any other day is a struggle with making good choices not only with the food I eat, but how I will take care of my family and the world around me. What difference will you make on your climb?

Celebrate sucess

Along with all ventures in life comes success as well as times when we feel as if we failed. What is success? Well that answer is a personal one for each of us. The world's definition is different than mine. I feel that I have succeeded when I set out to accomplish something and each day make those small changes that will help me get to my goal. Success is never giving up. So many times in the past I have set myself on the path to rid myself of this prison I have locked myself into. So many times I took steps and started out so well only to give up a few weeks into it believing it is just to hard. Well guess what it is hard. Losing weigh is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

I have raised three children pretty much on my own. I have gone to college and finished my B.S. in Education. There are so many things that we each do in our lives that is truly difficult. This journey is bar far the hardest for me. I have so many ups and downs but I just won't give up. The small steps I take each day are success to me. Eating breakfast when I never was a breakfast person, choosing to exercise, making those small choices that are turning into big ones. Some weeks it is just facing the scale no matter what. Yesterday was such a day. I went to my weekly weigh in and was surprised to see I was down 3 more pounds and have now lost a total of 51 pounds. Each small success lets me know I can accomplish my goal. Failure is a choice we can make as well as for success. Failure for me is not an option. You see failure is not how many times you fall down it is whether you will pick yourself up, except what has happened and then brush it off and continue on. Today I chose to succeed. What is your choice?

The Cost of Eatting

How many times have you heard others or even yourself say that eating healthy costs to much? I was once one of those people. As you can see from above that eating healthy really doesn't have to cost more than not. In fact when we look at not only the cost of healthy fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts that we all should be consuming more of in our diets vs. the cost of fast food and processed foods in our grocery stores, the cost of the healthier items is actually less expensive. The cost of fast foods and processed foods doesn't even begin to compare to the cost of medical expenses we face due to our poor diet choices.

I will be honest with you that when I first starting changing my eating habits I found it difficult. I had headaches, felt shaky, and went through numerous withdraws from the chemicals I had filled my cells and body with for so many years. Lets not forge the fact that I had to retrain my taste buds to like the more healthy foods. Now has time has moved forward not only have I found that the money I spend at the grocery store has gone down, but I enjoy eating those foods. My body wants them and I crave the fruits and vegetables vs. the soda and sweets.

Lets take a second and look at the costs of eating healthy vs. not. It’s long been the stigma that eating junk food costs less and is more available to those middle-to-lower income families. Well, that may be a thing of the past. Comparing the cost of foods by weight or portion size shows that grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy foods are less expensive than most meats or foods high in saturated fat, added sugars or salt. According to the associated press in an article they published.
That means bananas, carrots, lettuce and pinto beans are all less expensive per portion than French fries, soft drinks, ice cream or ground beef.“Using price per calorie doesn’t tell you how much food you’re going to get or how full you are going to feel,” said Andrea Carlson, scientist at the USDA’s Economic Research Service and an author of the study.
For example, eating a chocolate glazed donut with 240 calories might not satiate you but a banana with 105 calories just might.
In the comparisons, the USDA researchers used national average prices from Nielsen Homescan data, which surveyed a panel of households that recorded all food purchases over a year from retail outlets.
The cost of eating healthy foods has been the subject of growing debate as experts warn Americans about the dangers of obesity. More than a third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the government, and researchers expect that number to grow to 42 percent by 2030.
“Cheap food that provides few nutrients may actually be ‘expensive’ for the consumer from a nutritional economy perspective, whereas food with a higher retail price that provides large amounts of nutrients may actually be quite cheap,” the study said.
The USDA study criticizes a 2010 report from researchers at the University of Washington, which found that calorie-for-calorie junk food is more cost-effective for low-income people than eating healthy.
“If they buy a bag of chips for $2, they think it’s a good deal, but if they buy a bag of apples for $2, they think it’s a lot,” Wootan said. “We need to do more to help people understand that fruits and vegetables are not as expensive as they think they are.”
Wootan said shopping smart can make healthy eating more affordable. Consumers should be more flexible about choosing less expensive fruits and vegetables that are in season and supplementing those with frozen or canned fruits and vegetables so they don’t have to throw away as much.

I guess when it is all said and done the individual must decide. Is it a easy change to just make healthy choices. Well no not in the beginning but as you make more healthy choices and create those habits it does become easier because that is what want to eat. Oh and by the way the moe healthy choces you make the better you will begin to feel and the side affect just may be a few less pounds carried around and that always feels good,

A Reflection

Reflecting back on the beginning of my weight struggles I find myself questioning what= takes us  so long to do something about it. Well the answer is simple. We simply won't do something until we are ready or forced to do it due to a health risk. For me it was both. First, even though I have tried so many times in the past I really wasn't ready. Second, I abused myself with food for so long that I found myself slowly loosing my mobility due to knee problems. Also, even though it was never diagnosed by a doctor, I believe I was in the beginning of congestive heart failure. My lungs were constantly full of fluids and I coughed uncontrollably for a long period of time. I knew that in order to save my life it was time to do something about all of this.

I am a spiritual person and my first approach was to turn to my Father in Heaven to ask for direction. I was led to once again give weight watchers a try and only this time put my whole heart and soul into it. I spent hours of research looking for the answers that would change not only my health but save my life. Amazingly the weight is beginning to come off and I am seeing changes in my body. My energy is returning and moving about during the day is becoming easier. Before beginning the program I couldn't do more than five minutes of housework without my back feeling like it was going to give out. I can now do more around the house than a few months ago. Also, another notice I have made is the ease of getting up from a sitting position. Before, I could barely stand up without help and when I did it felt as if my knees were going to buckle under me and that I would fall. Now I can stand up without help and don't feel like I am going to fall to the ground.

I guess I would say that as I reflect back on the past six months of my lifelong journey I am excited for my future. It all begins with a small step and continuing to take those small steps each day. Now you might ask if I have days that I fall short or take some backward steps. Well that answer is yes. After all I am human and not perfect. The key however is to not let it become a stumbling block and keep me from picking myself up and moving forward. In the past I would have just said, "Well I really messed this up". Then I would have quit. Not this time. This time I will succeed.