are you on track?

Having trouble staying on track?  What is your weakness? 



Dessert?
Snacking?
Eating out?
Eating too much while cooking?
Portion control?
Too many drinks with dinner?
Not working out?

Whatever your trouble area is, there is a way to stay on track!  You are not alone either!  Many of us have issues with each and every one of these problems. 

Mine right now is Dessert!  I never used to crave sweets, now I can't get enough and I am not kicking the sugar to the curb....

Dessert:  Stick to one dessert per week.  Make it rich and decadent.  When you plan for one GREAT sweet treat per week, you can indulge and know that you are going to get that craving out of the way!  This gives you something to look forward to!  In the meantime, try fruit instead,  how about some berries with a drizzle of agave, or berries with greek yogurt if you eat dairy products.

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Snacking:  Munching non-stop will pack on the pounds quickly, so if snacking is your problem try to keep busy, keep your hands busy.  Most cravings last about 15 mins.  So, do something else for those 15 mins.  Call a friend, do needlework or a crossword puzzle, go for a walk, drink a glass of water.  If you can't kick that craving go for a healthy snack.  Fruit or fresh veggies, try the Pirate's Veggie Booty, graham crackers. Be aware of what you are putting in your mouth.  Brush your teeth right after you finish dinner.  This signals the brain you are done eating for the night!

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Eating out:   This is a tricky one.  So many hidden calories in our meals.  So, be picky when you order.  Get your protein grilled without extra butter or oils. Skip the bread basket and the butter.  Tell them to not even bring it. It's too tempting.  Ask for a box when you get your meal.  You can put half to-go and save a ton of calories.  We are all guilty of eating too much when we are visiting with friends and not paying attention to when we are truly full.  Check out the menu online and choose what you are going to order and STICK WITH IT!   Skip dessert.  Order a cup of tea or decaf coffee instead.  This keeps you social, but avoids the calories of that  cheesecake.

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Eating too much while cooking: If you are starving when you start cooking, you are going to nibble here and there and before you know it, 500 calories have been consumed.  Try having a little snack before starting - a handful of almonds, small salad or better yet, drink a big glass of water.  Wear your snug clothing instead of sweats.  Be aware of your waistline.  Make all your food over the weekend, freeze it and then you can just pop it in the oven and no noshing while cooking!

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Portion control:  I have issues with portion control.  If it tastes good, I always want more.  So what to do?  Dish up your food on your plate and put the rest away.  This will stop going back for seconds.  Remember a serving size, get used to eye-balling it. 

This is from webmd.com:

Vegetables or fruit is about the size of your fist.

Pasta is about the size of one scoop of ice cream.
Meat, fish, or poultry is the size of a deck of cards or the size of your palm (minus the fingers).
Snacks such as pretzels and chips is about the size of a cupped handful.
Apple is the size of a baseball.
Potato is the size of a computer mouse.
Bagel is the size of a hockey puck.
Pancake is the size of a compact disc.
Steamed rice is the size of a cupcake wrapper.
Cheese is the size of a pair of dice or the size of your whole thumb (from the tip to the base).

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Too many drinks with dinner:  Drinking adds many extra calories.  Having a strawberry margarita before dinner and a beer with dinner adds 400 extra calories.  I'm sure it won't come as a surprise to you that people that drink with their dinner eat more calories than those people that do not.  Stick to one glass of wine with dinner - order it to come with your meal.   If you feel left out try a club soda with lime, sparkling water or get your water in a wine glass. 

Not working out:  This one is tough.  If you don't love working out, you probably haven't found your DREAM workout!  I say keep looking.  There is something out there that you will LOVE!  It may be walking with a friend, running, dvd's at home or going to the gym. You may love the elliptical, the latest, cool class at the gym.  Find one you love and you will be excited to get moving!  Get a workout buddy.  You will be held accountable and know that someone else is counting on you to be there ( I am happy to be that buddy for you!!)  My dream workout is Turbo Jam.  I didn't like to workout, only did it because I knew that I needed to.  Dreaded it every, single day.  Now, I LOVE Turbo!  I do many other workouts and don't mind it as much, but I always add in Turbo!!    Working out will give you more energy, the endorphins will make you happy and that is so important, plus you will meet so many GREAT people!


Discussion:  What is your downfall and how do you cope with it?

Getting back on track

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had been struggling with my workouts and diet. I've let sugar back into my life, I'm not eating enough vegetables and fruit, I'm not journaling like I know I should be and I'm just not moving enough. I'm spending way too much time on the computer ( a little addicted maybe?????), I've been watching more TV and just not having a great attitude about myself.

It always amazes me how our self-talk can really impact how we act. If I have a lot of negative self-talk, I tend to let things slide that I normally wouldn't.

The reason that I am talking about all this is that someone told me that it is easy for me to stay in shape, eat healthy and be happy. It's not. Really, it's all about each decision we make every single moment. Do I want to eat that cookie or do I want to eat a piece of fruit? Do I want to go for a walk or do I want to sit on the couch and watch the repeat of the Real Housewives of New York City that I have already seen?

So, in the moment, I am going to ask myself: What can I do that is the better choice? I'm really trying to get back on track and do the right things. I know what they are, I'm just not always doing them.

I'm going to the Beachbody Coaches summit at the end of this month. I really want to look my best and it is going to take quite a bit of work on my part to accomplish this!

I've been playing with my food choices thinking that I need to eat a certain way to get the results I want. I really know what works for my body and that is what I am going to do. Mostly fruit and veggies and whole grains with eggs and fish occasionally. Avoid processed foods and sugar. So, I'm going back to basics. Food combining works for me, so I'll food combine. It's so much easier when you don't eat animal products.

Food combining is eating your foods a certain way. You don't mix your animal proteins with carbs. Eat your fruit alone. I will do a whole post on food combining if there is interest - leave me a comment if you want to know more. I learned about food combining from Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover. Great book, highly recommend it!

Last night I watched the Biggest Loser. I love this show. It's so inspiring and I know just how hard these people are working. I would love this opportunity to work with Jillian and Bob. Can you just imagine how fun that would be?

Jillian Michaels is on the cover of Success magazine. Check out the article here. She certainly has branded herself and is a huge success.


“When you take control of your physical health, it transcends. When you’re feeling strong physically, it transcends into your personal and your professional life. It transcends into every aspect of your life. And that’s why when you take control of yourself, ultimately you can determine the outcome of any situation in your favor, because you’ll never control the other person. You’ll never control the outside world. But when you control your reactions and emotions, then you control your destiny—and that is the key to being happy and being healthy in every facet of your reality.” Jillian Michaels

I am looking forward to her new show, Losing It with Jillian . The show comes out this summer. Are you going to watch?

Discussion: how do you get yourself back on track? Do you find shows like Biggest Loser to be inspirational and help you to stay on track? Are you making the right decisions?