Good Old Fashioned Oatmeal

The post today is about food. I really love food and one item that I have grown to love alot lately is Oatmeal. I admit that this was not always the case. I had to work my way to loving oatmeal. I took baby steps with oatmeal, but now I am singing it's praises. At 150 calories a serving and 5 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber to boot it is a winner with me.

As I mentioned I did take baby steps with oatmeal. I started out eating packets of oatmeal. I used the Quaker Oats Weight Control Oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon and then I moved to Quaker Oats Quick Oats. Now I have gone hardcore with the Old Fashioned Quaker Oats Oatmeal. I love this oatmeal because it sticks with you alot longer than a quick breakfast of cold cereal or fruit with whole grain bread. I would suggest you give oatmeal a try. You may be like me and decide that the world is suddenly at peace when you have a hot bowl of oatmeal to eat!

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Chubby Girl Meeting

As most of you know I lost weight through diet and exercise. I totally believe that you have to do both to win this game of weight loss. I continue to believe that you have do to both to keep weight off. The photo just above is one that I carried around in my gym bag so that I could remember where I had been. I believe this photo was taken around May of 2002 and my weight was probably over 170! The photo at the very top was taken this month and my weight was 133 that morning. I have fluctuated from a low of 123 right after knee surgery (muscle atrophy) to a high of 135 (too much holiday stuffing and heavy squat work).

I continue to go to the Chubby Girl Meetings as I fondly call them at least once a month in order to maintain my Life Time membership with Weight Watchers aka Chubby Girl Meetings. I went to my monthly meeting last Thursday and wanted to share some thoughts with you. I noticed that the meeting consisted of alot of talk about food. The other members talked as though they were living to eat instead of eating to live. I have never heard so many suggestion on how to use cream cheese spread. I had one thought for the rest of the day and it was this...it is not about the food when it comes to losing weight. I feel like you have to separate yourself from the food and not let it have so much power over you. I thought to myself to just let it be fuel instead of trying to figure out how to manipulate it so that you could have more. I found myself wanting to stand up and say "Do any of you people exercise"? I know that there must have been a point where I was all about the food and wanted to figure out a way to get more of it and not gain weight, but I am happy to say that I am past that feeling. My goals now are to use it to fuel my body and my activities and to contribute not contaminate by eating nutricious things instead of cream cheese.

I am happy to say that Weight Watchers has jumped on the healthy eating band wagon and are suggesting that all of us Chubby Girls of the world pick healthy filling foods instead of contaminating ourselves until we are just content for the moment. I applaud this move my Weight Watchers.

Please don't get me wrong...I think Weight Watchers is the best program if you want to lose weight and keep it off. I will always remember who I came to the dance with as far as weight loss is concerned. The meetings are always informative and I am always inspired by someone there. I always feel welcome and I always feel like I am not alone in my weight loss journey. If you are looking for a way to jump start your weight loss then I think you should at least attend one meeting and check it out for yourself. I would be happy to go with you if you are ever interested in going to a meeting. They also offer their program online if you can not attend the meetings.

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Alternative Bread

I am a girl that loves the bread and I stumbled on to a great product. The name is The Alternative Pita Bread and The Alternative English Muffin. I found them at Sprouts and they are wonderful. The pita bread is awesome with 110 calories per piece and 8 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein and very low fat to boot. The english muffin is 100 calories per muffin with 8 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber and guess what very low fat as well. I am in pita bread heaven!!!

You may find out more about these products by visiting their website at Western Bagel.

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Remember When

I saw my sweet Lorrie at Target today and we had the best conversation. Although she hasn't been to work-out in over 8 weeks...I am willing to forgive her and continue to be hopeful that she will return really soon. She has started a new job and I know that soon she will be back in the groove of working out with us! I am counting on it.

Anyway, our conversation was brief but it made me really think about diet and exercise in general. As I walked away I asked myself just what is it that works for me when it comes to diet and exercise? What keeps me on this journey of good health? What keeps others on their journeys of good health. I decided that I would share some of the things that people in my life have done to find success in diet and fitness.

The first section will be food and eating. My success comes from Weight Watchers and the continued accountability I have with my monthly weigh-ins! Knowing that I have to step on that scale every month keeps me in check. I also eat 6 or 7 times a day. I try to eat what I call "God" food. This to me is food that has little man handling done to it! Think fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats and some whole grains and non-fat dairy. I have also realized that there are some foods I just can't have such as donuts! I jokingly call the donut shop the "crack house"! Although I have never had the drug crack I have learned that it is highly addictive. I feel the same way about chocolate covered donuts. I haven't had one in over 3 years and don't plan on having one ever again! I am too weak when it comes to the donuts!

My beloved Joe has had success by simply not eating at night. He does sometimes slip up as we all do, but as soon as he is back on track and not eating after say 7 pm he feels much better. My training partner RUNNER SUSAN has had tremendous success by eating clean and following the guidelines of the EAT CLEAN DIET by Tosca Reno. My long lost buddy Deana has the most success when she is doing Nutri System or Jenny Craig. She loves the fact that her food is portioned out for her and it keeps her organized and in control. Another client of mine Jill gave up soda and continues to watch portions and just keeps out the junk in her diet. My trainer and business partner Denny is great at eating a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and is a very loyal drinker of Post Recovery Work-out Shakes from ADVOCARE. I swear the boy is bionic because he just keeps going and going. I know one day I am going to stumble on to some of his spare bionic parts at the EDGE facility in Keller.

Each of these individuals have found what works for them in the food category and they stick with it! They remember what works and stick with it.

When it comes to fitness and exercise I continue to thrive in the group dynamic. I love to ride my bike with RUNNER SUSAN on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday and I train with Denny and Doug on Monday/Wednesday and Friday. They all make me accountable. Susan is great on the bike and can leave me in the dust. Denny and Doug whip me in the gym as well. I always say train with people that are better than you. You will always be working hard when you are trying to keep up!!! I in turn feel like I keep them motivated as well. I know that Doug and Denny don't want to be beat by a GIRL!!!

RUNNER SUSAN has mentioned that her fitness is both a physical outlet as well as a social outlet. She looks fabulous as well so I know that the results she is seeing are keeping her motivated. The girls gets up at 4:15 on Tuesday and Thursday to come to be tortured by me. Now that is motivation! Jill has mentioned that she is motivated by the results she is seeing in the mirror! She looks great and her success has come from continuing to just show up to work-out and be consistent.

My point to all of this rambling is this...remember back when you felt your best. What were you doing? How was your diet? What type of exercise program were you following? I have found that it doesn't have to be anything drastic. If you are exhausted from your work-out you might need to tone it down and find something more doable. I would love for you to be training with me, but if you are not just do something! If you are starving or can't even get out of bed then maybe what you are doing is to drastic. I do believe that if you take baby steps and have balance that you can figure out what will work for you. I do believe that you can figure out some thing that will be sustainable for life.

Take some time today and remember when.....

Show up and make it count!
For information on Runner Susan, Tosca Reno or EDGE click on their names above.

Fiber One Chewy Bars

I am all about the food and I have found a real gem. Fiber One Chewy Bars are awesome and provide 35% of your daily needs for fiber. They are also lower in sugar than most bars at only 9 grams per serving. They come in 4 different flavors: Chocolate, Caramel, Peanut Butter and Strawberry. I have tried them all and they are GREAT! It is the perfect treat if you need something sweet. One thing I have noticed is that with fiber comes the dreaded flatulence aka GAS!! I would suggest taking a food enzyme diet supplement before such as the product Beano! Like the commercial says...take Beano before and there will be no gas afterward. Spare your loved ones and trust me on this one!

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Just One Thing

I had the pleasure of attending a nutritional seminar at the COOPER INSTITUTE in Dallas this past week. Kim, one of the ladies at our Keller EDGE asked me what was the one thing that I took away from the seminar that stood out the most. I would have to say it was this...cardiovascular fitness will improve your overall health more quickly than weight loss. I thought this was great because so many of us wait until we are thinner before we start working out. I can't tell you the number of people who tell me that they are embarrassed to go to the gym because they feel like they are too heavy. The Cooper Institute has done studies and have proved that cardiovascular fitness improves your health and reduces health risks more quickly than just losing weight alone. So just remember that changes and health benefits occur on the inside far more quickly than they might show up on the outside. I say get to the gym, take a walk or run, just do something to improve your cardiovascular system. So ladies don't wait until you are in a size 6 jeans or men don't wait until you have a 36 inch waist before you start working out.
Show up and make it count!

For additional information on the Cooper Institute or the EDGE click on their names above.

Chicka-lay may be OK

When my girls were very small I took them to a Chick-fil-a Restaurant almost daily for lunch. It was a cheap way for their mother to have a mental health break from being in baby jail all day with two small children. My youngest daughter fondly called it "Chicka-lay" and still does to this day. Anyway I was pleasantly surprised by this article on fast food that stated that "Chicka-lay" is one of the better fast food restaurant choices. I still love this restaurant to this day. If they ever trade publicly on the stock market I would love to buy some of their stock and make money off of myself. If you are smart in your choices you can find a somewhat healthy meal on their menu. Show up and make it count!
You may find additional information by clicking on the word Chick-fil-a and "Chicka-lay" above.

A Jazz Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Over the past 3 years I have been eating better and have come across some really great food. One of those great foods would be the Jazz Apple from New Zealand. This is one of the best on the market and is a little hard to find. I have consistently found them at Central Market in the Colleyville/Southlake area. They are a little expensive at around $2.49 a pound, but worth every penny. My experience with them is that they are always crisp and fresh with a wonderful flavor. My kids love them as well. I know that in the fall the apple buying season is beginning...so why not give them a try. There are many more apples to chose from than just Red Delicious. Why not try Pink Lady, Cameo or Jona Gold. Show up and make it count!

For additional information on Jazz Apples and Central Market click on their names above.