Making the Better Choice

Filed under: Motivation , Tipping the Scales Getty Images I had a beautiful aha moment the other day. In the midst of moving issues and emotional stress , I realized that sometimes being healthy doesn’t mean picking the vegetables over the potato chips. Of course, that is a great example of making a healthy choice. There are times when being healthy might mean actually paying attention instead of blindly making food choices. There are times when perhaps it isn’t about making the right choice but about making the better choice. Sometimes being healthy means making the best choice available to you at the time. Sometimes being healthy means eating out and choosing to keep your meal small or getting the value size instead of the mega or extra-large food mountain. I finally stopped making food choices based on my feelings and started making a conscious effort to at least pick the better option. I actually logged in to my tracking system. I took the first step toward getting my healthy lifestyle back on track, and it felt amazing! I have also learned the importance of just saying no. No, I don’t need to finish that meal. No, I don’t need dessert every day. No, I don’t need the fried option; the grilled selection will do just fine. People like to say that it is the small decisions that add up to big rewards. I am committed to creating opportunities for minor successes with the confidence that those tiny changes will reap large benefits in the (hopefully) near future. When I realized that even though I didn’t have any fresh fruit or vegetables but managed to stay in my calorie range for a few days, I was ecstatic! Yes, I could have been upset because I didn’t have any fruits or veggies, but I chose to focus on the fact that I was in control and managed to stay within an acceptable calorie range. It has been weeks since I’ve went a day eating less than 2,000 calories. I am not proud of the food selections I have made, but I made them. Now the only option I have is to learn from those mistakes and move on. Aside from my aha moment, I had a small problem with my scale. Somehow, the scale did not survive the move. When I took it out of my husband’s trunk to use earlier this week, it refused to function. I think the scale was trying to send me a message. Perhaps instead of stepping on the scale and being disappointed, I get another week or two to work on getting my habits back on track and to hopefully see the numbers read my pre-move weight. I am actually excited to go buy a new scale and resume my weekly weigh-ins. While I did not make large strides in the exercise department recently, I am happy because we found an apartment that has a gym facility on site . I will be able to resume my fitness routine and I am thrilled! I am looking forward to starting and ending my day with quick walks with my dog and enjoying the treadmill and other machines in the gym area. I feel like I am seeing the light at the end of a very dark series of unhealthy choices. I am mentally, emotionally and physically ready to be on track, and I have started taking those steps. It is amazing how much clearer the path of weight loss is when you actually have a plan to follow. I don’t necessarily mean a detailed plan such as a specific gym routine or an itemized diet plan . Rather, the plan for me is to track my food, start with a simple exercise such as walking leading into running and to continue making the better choice. After decades of dieting only to gain it back, two That’s Fit readers have decided to finally rethink their relationship with food and exercise over the next year to move toward a lifetime of fulfilling, healthy living. Come by every week as Ashley and Lee share their successes and challenges as they tip the scale. While Ashley is eating healthier, Lee has resolved to ditch diet soda. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Making the Better Choice

Smarter Eats: When Dining Out, Get Grilling

Dining out is a great way to try new foods, hang out with friends, and take a break from cooking. It can also be an easy way to put a glitch in a healthy diet. Many restaurant dishes are laden with hidden calories from butter and oil, which isn’t always clear when you order the fish or salad. If you’re worried about hidden fats in your dishes, but don’t want to look like a high-maintenance diner , stick to grilled menu items. Chef friends of mine say that grilled dishes tend to be the healthiest in restaurants because less fat is used to cook these dishes. And even though butter or oil is used to keep foods from sticking to the grill, the amount of added fat is much less than compared to dishes that are sauteed or fried. And rather than cook in its own fat, the fat from grilled food tends to drip away. Another bonus: I find that healthier food options like leaner proteins and fresh veggies are usually the only grilled menu items in restaurants. But just sticking to grilled menu items is not enough to keep the calories from building when dining out. I try to make my experience healthier by sharing an entree or enjoying an appetizer as a main course . I also keep myself from going overboard on the bread basket and will often skip dessert. How do you keep dining out a healthy experience?

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Smarter Eats: When Dining Out, Get Grilling

Train Your Brain to Control Cravings (3 Simple Tricks!)

We are pumped to share our fave story from Self here on FitSugar! One common work-week diet trap: the 3-o’clock munchies. You know the feeling. Before you know it, you’re standing before the vending machine, with the voice in your head saying “I want, I want, I want!” Here’s how to silence those thoughts without feeling deprived. Ready to take control over your cravings ? Follow these three simple tricks: Do indulge (in moderation): Denying yourself of the very treats you love is only going to make you want them more - and if you cut them out completely you may find yourself binging on them within a week’s time. Better to keep yourself in check by practicing moderation. Love chocolate? Eat two small squares daily rather than the entire bar. Is it crunch you crave? Trade in fatty potato crisps for a healthy chip alternative . Try positive self-talk: Be gentle with yourself. So you ate a few cookies , so what! It’s OK. Stay calm. You will not (I repeat): You will not blow up like a balloon. Rather than beat yourself up for allowing yourself a small indulgence, tell yourself “A few cookies is not an entire box. I deserve to satisfy my sweet tooth and I have. I don’t need to eat any more cookies (today).” Being mindful of your inner dialogue will do wonders for your self-esteem and your waistline. Breathe before you bite: When that explosive wave of “I want (insert cookies, cake, chips, dip, etc. here)” hits, step away from the fridge. Make a commitment to yourself to wait it out at least 10 minutes. Focus on your breathing and what you are feeling. Are you sad, angry, or tired? If so, try improving your mood without food - call a friend, blast a song you love, take a walk or write in a journal. Chances are your yen for treats will pass. If you’re truly hungry and feel your belly rumbling after those 10 minutes, eat - but try to choose a healthy snack . Find five more ways to train your brain to shut out (and up!) those pesky cravings inside your head. Need more food for thought? Read these stories at Self.com: Fend off cravings with 50 no-bloat bites Get a bikini-ready bum in eight easy moves

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Train Your Brain to Control Cravings (3 Simple Tricks!)

5 French Fry Alternatives

If you’re addicted to the hot, crunchy, saltiness of French fries , you may be having a difficult time kicking the guilty pleasure. But there are some healthier ways to satisfy the fry craving, including swapping potatoes for other veggies, baking instead of deep-frying, or rethinking the salty snack altogether. Since the first step to controlling what’s in your sides and snacks is to make them yourself, I’ve included five French fry alternatives with links to their yummy and easy recipes. Do you have other French fry alternatives? Why not share them in our Snack Attack community group? We may post it on FitSugar! View Slideshow ›

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5 French Fry Alternatives

Should I Get a Food Scale?

Here’s a question that FitSugar reader ShelleyHFan is asking in our Get Fit For 2010 group . I think that I am getting too much protein and not enough veggies, in addition to dinnertime when I’m not sure if I have too much or too little of all these things (like rice, the meat, and veggies) on my plate. I was wondering if a food scale would help me out somehow with measuring portions and such. I’ve never even thought to use one (wish I’d had the idea years ago!) and I don’t know how they are used exactly. Do I have to get a really expensive one or can I get a $30.00 scale? (I saw one at Bed, Bath and Beyond for about that much.) Do you have one you would recommend? Even though I’m looking at an inexpensive one, is price important? I’m open to different price points from affordable to relatively expensive ones. So if you can recommend one that would be great. Lastly, if you have a food scale do you find it helpful? Do you use it often? Thanks for you input! Share your fitness goals, advice, and encouragement in the Get Fit For 2010 community group . Be it losing weight, running a marathon, or eating a balanced diet - we’re here to help and listen. And your posts might end up right here on FitSugar!

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Should I Get a Food Scale?

Do You Overindulge on Holidays?

The Fourth of July is filled with so much barbecue goodness. It’s hard to resist overindulging on all the homemade hamburgers, BBQ ribs, and creamy potato salad. I definitely overate this weekend, but I’m OK with it, since it was a holiday. I won’t let a little splurging throw me off track completely. What about you? Are holidays a reason to eat whatever you want, or is it just another day of healthy eating for you? Do You Overindulge on Holidays? Of course! What’s a holiday without some yummy food? It depends on the holiday. No way. I always stay on track no matter what.

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Do You Overindulge on Holidays?

Don’t Give Up Because You Gave In

When trying to forge a healthy habit , even the strongest among us can slip up sometimes. Whatever our resolutions may be - working out every day, not eating sweets, having just one cup of coffee per day - we have unintended cheat days or weak moments. But just because you give in to temptation once doesn’t mean you should give up your healthy goals. I’ll admit that sometimes when I veer from my healthy habits, I’m tempted to stay off track - just throw up my hands thinking the damage is done. This particularly happens during the holidays: if I pig out at one meal, why not just overeat at the next meal too? Or, after skipping workouts on vacation , it’s difficult to motivate myself again. But remember: just because you give in to temptation once doesn’t mean you should give up entirely. In fact, it’s even more reason to reset your healthy goals. If you end up eating a Snickers bar for breakfast in a weak moment, don’t beat yourself up over it. Just make your next choice a healthy one and go from there. How do you deal with weak moments?

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Don’t Give Up Because You Gave In

Karen Got Healthy and Now She’s a Size 2

Filed under: Motivation , Success Stories Name: Karen Chavez Age: 54 Height: 5 feet, 4 inches Before Weight: 129 pounds How I Gained It: In September 2008, Hurricane Ike was churning in the Gulf of Mexico, and my husband and I woke up to find that our zip code, and that of my elderly parents, was ordered to evacuate the Houston/Galveston area. We got out of harms way, but we returned to a lot of devastation that took months to clean up. Everyone we knew was affected by the storm. Besides dealing with cleaning up our properties and replacing our roofs, I was dealing with a father who had severe congestive heart and kidney failure . He was extremely confused, his memory was practically gone and he was fading quickly. The culmination of everything was almost too much to bear. I reached a point where I stopped taking care of myself — I felt I didn’t have the time or energy for it because the stress I was under felt so overwhelming. At night, when I had a little time to unwind, I would drink wine to numb the pain and eat all of the wrong foods, and I didn’t care what effect it was having on my health. That was extremely unusual for me since I had always taken care of myself. As my husband and I stood at my precious father’s bedside holding his hands, he passed away early in the morning on April 17, 2009. My focus quickly had to shift to taking care of my exhausted, grief-stricken mother. Breaking Point: I reached my breaking point about a year after the storm after putting on 21 pounds. That may not sound like a lot of weight for most people, but I have a very small frame and I had never been heavier than 107 pounds before in my adult life, except when I was pregnant with my son. My clothes didn’t fit anymore and my stomach had rolls, but the scariest part was the tightness in my chest that wouldn’t go away. I was so afraid that I’d end up like my dad with heart disease , and I never want to suffer the way he did. In September 2009, after a lot of soul searching and watching an episode of Dr. Oz that really made me think “God bless him for the work he’s doing!” I made a commitment to start taking care of myself again and eating right. I came to the realization that I was was leading myself down a path to self-destruction. It also occurred to me that I’m not going to do a good job taking care of others if I don’t take care of myself first. How I Lost It: I didn’t set out to lose a certain number of pounds — for me, it wasn’t about that or the number on the scale. I just wanted to get healthy and feel good again. I hadn’t felt good in a very long time, emotionally or physically, and I was just tired of it, plain and simple. I started my new healthy lifestyle by researching legitimate Web sites that promote healthy eating, and by making a list of the healthiest foods to include in my daily diet. I also created a spreadsheet to track my weight, what I ate each day, my calorie intake, the exercise I did, and how many steps I walked each day. I walk and jog at least 10,000 exercise steps daily , and up to 30,000 if I’m really motivated. My only Christmas gift request was a pedometer that my loving, supportive husband of 31 years gave me, along with a pair of new walking shoes. Besides lots of walking, I try to do other exercises at least five days a week, including weights, muscle-toning floor exercises and hula-hooping. My grocery list each week included things like green tea, tons of fresh fruits and veggies, 100 percent whole grain products, nuts, lean meats and salmon. I absolutely love to cook, so I often take my favorite recipes and tweak them to make them healthier. Portion control is so important, and I find eating on a smaller plate does the trick for me. Plus, half of the plate usually consists of veggies. What I’m doing to control my weight is nothing faddish or exotic — it’s just sensible. I do have days when I don’t eat as well as I should, but I don’t allow myself to feel any toxic guilt. I just try harder the next day and exercise a little extra to make up for it. My goal is to grow old gracefully and enjoy my golden years by staying as healthy as possible without having to rely on medication to control the damage that I created in my own body. I also hope to be an inspiration to others, especially women my age who think it’s too late to do anything about their health or their appearance. Even my 76-year-old mother has jumped on the bandwagon — she’s gotten into reading food labels and eating much healthier. One day I hope to take all of the healthy recipes that I’ve tweaked and write a cookbook. I love how I look and feel now. I have boundless energy, I sleep better, and I’m much happier and more content these days. My only problem now? Trying to find size 2 jeans! After Weight: 108 pounds It took two months for Karen to get her body feeling healthy again, and she’s determined to keep it off forever. Walking is helping Leon lose hundreds of pounds — be sure to check out his inspiring story . Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Karen Got Healthy and Now She’s a Size 2

What’s the Deal With Blue Corn?

I have a confession to make: I’m addicted to blue corn chips. You’ll often find this Tostitos alternative in the health food section, but are they really healthier than a regular corn chip? Actually, they are! Tortillas and chips made from ground blue corn pack more nutritional punch than white corn. Corn comes in many colors, including white, violet, blue, and black . The blue hue comes from anthocyanins, the same antioxidant pigments found in berries . That’s not the only benefit of going blue. Blue corn has about 20 percent more protein than the white variety, and it’s better for your blood sugar. Since blue corn has a lower glycemic index, it’s less likely to cause a spike in blood sugar, since the sugars are absorbed more slowly by the body. In terms of calories, fat, and carbs, blue corn chips stack up similarly to yellow and white ones , so you’ll still want to eat them in moderation. But at least you’ll know you’re getting something more from your snacks.

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What’s the Deal With Blue Corn?

Berry Nutritious - but Do You Know How Nutritious?

Berry season begins! The arrival of strawberries at the farmers market heralds the arrival of Summer, and blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cherries won’t be far behind. For such a tiny fruit, berries deliver an outrageous amount of nutritional benefits, and they’re a tasty addition to sweet and savory recipes . Find out how much you know about this seasonal treat. Take the quiz

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Berry Nutritious - but Do You Know How Nutritious?

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