No weekend splurge

How do we avoid wasting everything healthy we did during the week when the weekend comes?

Some of the main problems we face on the weekends are eating out and not wanting to exercise. Well, I think the answer is seeing the problem and being conscious about it.

For some reason we think weekend calories don't count. I hate to be the bear of bad news, my friends; they DO. Many people consume 500 or more calories a day during the weekend. (I found this in a study but I can't find the link) The main problem you ask? We trade in the healthy breakfast, oatmeal, fruit, etc, we ate all week for pancakes eggs and bacon. Another culprit is the alcohol we drink on the weekends. My suggestions is just having one drink, not five.

I am not saying don't treat yourself to something on the weekend. I am saying to limit it though. Don't do it everyday just because "it's the weekend."

I hope everyone has a good week, and keep up the good work. I will post some of the health benefits of eating healthy soon.

Not So Easy Dieting Tips

So, people let's get real. We can't lose all the unwanted pounds by exercise alone. Dieting, or as I call it, healthy eating, has a huge impact on your weight loss success. If we exercise and then eat/drink all of the calories we just burnt, well, we won't lose any weight.

Let's just look at the big picture of healthy eating right now. First, don't eat unless you are hungry. This is hard because we as humans emotionally eat. We eat when we are bored. We eat when we are sad. When something great happens, what better way to celebrate than with a piece of cake? Hmm... sounds like a lose/lose situations.

Here are some starting tips.

1. Drink more water. It keeps you full, and many times when you think you are hungry your body is just thirsty. If you drink a cup of water and wait a few minutes before you eat, I bet you aren't as hungry as you thought you were.

2. Control the portions. Do we really need the whole sandwich, or is our stomach full after just half? Think about it, a lot of times we eat just because it is there. If you get fast food (which should be kept to a minimum-like NEVER) order a small.

3. Don't snack. So many extra calories get consumed by that handful of this you had earlier, and then the handful of that you grab as you pass a desk at work with candy on it. When you are desperate for a snack though, eat a piece of fruit or a handful of almonds (not a cupful) - they are fattening, but a handful will keep you full.

The problem is healthy food isn't always (or hardly ever) available to eat. That means plans ahead! How? Bring your snacks with you. Bring something easy, and not hard to prepare. For example: a banana, a bag of blueberries, or what about strawberries. You could even snack on pita chips with hummus. Just remember portion control is a HUGE part of eating healthy.

Alrighty, that's what I have for now, but later, I will get into more detail of what kinds of food to actually eat vs the ones that should be avoided.

SEXY BACK

So I see a lot of people are starting the #sexyback11 campaign started by Grant Jenkins and his friend Carlos. If you don't know what this is, it is a a group of people that want to support each other to lose the extra pounds that don't seem to go away. For some that means cutting out the sweets, and for others that means lacing up the shoes and heading for a jog. Some may have 10 to lose, others may have 100. Who knows, all I know is we are all in this together.

I think this a great thing being done, but I think the biggest challenge for all of us is where to begin. Anyone wanting to make a lifestyle change (and yes I said lifestyle change NOT diet) needs a little nudge in the right direction to get started. Everyone wants to eat healthier and exercise more but it can all seem overwhelming if you don't have a plan.

So today let's go over a few exercise pointers:

1. Set realistic goals

For example, if you want to become a runner signing up for a half marathon in 3 months when you can barely walk a mile is unrealistic. Signing up for a 5k on the other hand is realistic. Therefore, since the goal is obtainable it is more likely it will get accomplished (esp with a support group). And for all of y'all out there interested in a free Couch to 5k program here in Nashville, here is the link. Seriously, this is what started my transformation.

2. Have friends to go with

I can't emphasize this enough, friends are the best motivation to go. Think about it, if you set a time and a place to go with a friend you are more likely to go. If you try to exercise by yourself (or in my case at least), it gets put off until it is too late and other things are planned.

3. Most importantly: Do something you enjoy

If you hate to run, don't run. You will give up in a week. Find some exercises you enjoy and get to moving 4-6 times a week. Nashville has so many options of ways to get exercise. There are trails to hike on, greenways to bike on, and plenty of places to run. There are also many local groups for specific interest (google can help).

If we all stay committed to this and a few less sweets, I guarantee we will bring sexy back this summer.

Random

No, I did not forget about this blog, just forgot to write in it. I have tons to write about but I can think of none of it. Today I have been so scatter brained I sound like the bing commercials that make no sense. That being said, I am sorry if this is all over the place.

Anyways, good news is I am an aunt, and baby Carson is beautiful (see pic below). Bad news is, tomorrow starts my work week. Oh, and I burnt my hand today then turned around to find my stove eye on fire. Whoops. P.S. the fire got “smothered” but the bread got burnt.

Also, the biggest news of the week, which I put last, but is definitely not least: Sunday equals Easter! So what to do to celebrate? Well our church group is doing a thing called “serve for seven.” What’s that? Well, we are going out of our way all seven days to do something nice for someone. Today, I cooked pear and brie sandwiches for some friends. I know what you are thinking: "I wouldn’t call that serving." And for my lame excuse.... (drum-roll)..... I had a binge sleeping problem today, so I didn’t get out much, hence the terrible service. Wow, that is a superb example of a carry on sentence and I apologize for that.

My thoughts are going everywhere right now, and I realize this is rando, so I will spare everyone and stop here. Hope everyone has a great week and blog I will try to keep up with you.

Adios.

Conflict Resolution

I remember in nursing school a teacher talked to us on this topic. She also stated that anytime nurses are asked what they want a seminar on, they always answer “conflict resolution.” I laughed when she said that because I thought I could handle conflict fine. Once I joined the real world though, I realized many times I was avoiding conflict all together (which obviously isn’t healthy).

Conflict is going to happen. It happens every day, to every person, in every job and in every relationship (even the healthy ones) and in every situation. I mean can two people really agree on EVERYTHING? I think not. The biggest issue then is how we handle it—do we avoid it or deal with it? Also, there seems to be healthy and unhealthy ways to deal with conflict. When we avoid it or deal with it in the wrong way, relationships can end up damaged. But, I think relationships can grow, if we handle conflict in a respectful way and try to compromise.

So, how do we deal with it? I am looking for the same answer, because it seems like I am not the only person struggling with this. After reading a lot on this, here are my thoughts on the healthiest ways to deal with conflict. Both parties need to be able to control their emotion by being respectful, calm, and not getting defensive when discussing the issue. Also, both parties need to be willing to give up a little in order to meet a compromise. Lastly, both parties need to be willing to forgive and forget without resenting or holding a grudge against the other person once the conflict is resolved.

Yes, I know, that is A LOT easier said than done, so I decided to pick up the good book and see what it says: (The Message version)

Bible Verses dealing with conflict

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? – Amos 3:3

Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. – Ephesians 4:26

Be even tempered, content with second place, quick to forgiven an offense. Forgive as quickly and contently as the master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic all-purpose garment. Never be without it. – Colossians 3:13-14.

Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourself long enough to lend a helping hand. – Philippians 2:2-4

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.– James 1:2-4

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you, get the best of evil by doing good. – Romans 12:17-21

Friends and/or happiness

As I think about what to write about, I want to rant and rave about some things. Then I realize no one wants to read a rant and rave blog; they want to read something that really makes them think. So here is what I have been thinking about: how to live out what I believe in. It is hard to live out your beliefs when they go against everything in this world, especially when you hang out with people that don’t believe the way you do. It is hard when the people you call “friends” end up bringing you down.

After a long “coffee shop” chat with a friend yesterday, I took a step back and analyzed my week. “Why on this day was I so happy… why on this day was I in such a funk.” After praying, thinking, and chatting about it, I came to the conclusion: many times the way we feel has a lot to do with the people we surround ourselves with. No, not everyone is perfect (actually no one is), but when we surround ourselves with people that bring out our good qualities rather than people that bring out our “bad” qualities, we can see a difference in our happiness. Is this the same for everyone, or just a battle I am struggling in? Think about it.

My goal for the week: surround myself with the people that bring out the best in me and have an accountability partner (you know who you are) to help me through the days when I struggle to do so.