Last week, I talked about negative triggers that get in the way of our weight loss, good eating habits and exercise goals. This week I want to talk about the positive side -Motivational triggers. Things that will have the opposite effect and instead help with weight loss, assist you in keeping your good eating habits and encourage exercise. If you took a few minutes to track or recognize your negative triggers, you can see how the connection is made. Repeated behaviors, things you do over and...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The Biggest Loser
It looks like I'm doing the Biggest Loser summary again. Again, this won't be as good of a job as Trish does. I saw more than half of it, but my sister called, and it was on mute for a good period of time.The former contestants who had been voted off returned, and two were allowed to stay at the ranch. It was sad to see how large some of the former contestants still are. The Brown team was particularly striking in that area. To determine the first person who could stay, the contestants still...
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Great April Experiment
Only two more days until my experiment with more intense exercise and calorie counting. Beginning this Thursday, I will be devoting four hours per day to exercise. I will be strict with my calorie count, and I'm going to keep track of my measurements. It's like my own mini version of The Biggest Loser. I'll chronicle my progress here each Tuesday, and I'm hoping that it will be productive and inspiring. This comes at a good time because I've been traveling for two weeks now, and though I haven't...
Monday, March 29, 2010
Is This For Real?
I am now heading towards having lost 35 pounds since January 2009 and 45 pounds from my highest weight ever, and that just amazes me. I can’t believe what I have accomplished. It’s astonishing. Is this for real? The problem with asking is this for real is that there is a little voice in the back of my mind that sometimes answers no. It’s not. You are right to doubt this. Come on, do you really think that you can continue to lose weight and keep it off once you reach your goal weight? Get...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Inspiration Sunday
Inspiration Sunday is a series at the Healthy Writer blog. Every Sunday, we post a quote, anecdote, fact or other item that will inspire you to keep moving forward on your journey to becoming and staying a healthy writer.The Serenity PrayerGod, grant me the serenityTo accept the things I cannot change;The courage to change the things that I can;And the wisdom to know the difference.-Reinhold NeibuhrLet us know what you think of this prayer, this series, and if you have any suggestions for further...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
More Comfort Food
I'm finding the maintenance part of weight loss a challenge. Being able to have a little of something, or a bit of everything, has brought up a whole new struggle. Portion Control. So, I've returned to weighing and measuring my portions so I can keep myself aware of how much I'm eating.
This past couple of weeks I've tried out some healthy recipes for Macaroni and Cheese. The following turned out well. But, I did cut the recipe in half so I wouldn't be tempted to eat all the leftovers.
Macaroni...
Friday, March 26, 2010
Yoga: The Right Exercise for Me
By Elaine FoxI knew yoga was the right exercise for me when one of my early teachers passed on this favorite yogic maxim: “Don’t just do something, sit there!”Like any woman with normal body obsessions, I’ve done my share of exercise videos and aerobics classes; I have a closet full of free weights and stretchy elastic bands; and I’ve wasted my share of gym memberships. It wasn’t until I discovered yoga that I learned there was something out there for which I did not have to make deals with the...
Thursday, March 25, 2010
All those Triggers
Have you ever been hypnotized? There is a tool in hypnosis called triggering. This is used in a variety of therapies as well. Basically, it's creating a connection between actions, or between an action and a message.Negative triggers are ones we often develop over time, and are usually unaware of.Reaching for sweets when we feel hurt. ("Here, baby, have a cookie while momma puts a bandage on that skinned knee.")A soda and large popcorn - with butter - at the movie theater. (We've ordered it...
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Headed for Home on The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser contestants experienced a week at home during this week's episode. It's always interesting to see how their families and friends react to the changes in the contestants and how the contestants fare weight-wise after a week back in the real world. But what would The Biggest Loser be without a twist? After arriving home, each contestant learned a large wooden crate had been delivered ahead of them. And when they opened them, they found stationary bikes and a video from Alison telling...
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Let's Play Portion Control!
I'm on the road back from Florida, so I thought I'd post a quick, but fun and informative, post today. We've talked about portion control and its importance quite a bit here at Healthy Writer, but did that information sink in? Can you apply it when it's staring you in the face? Take this quiz to see how you do and report back your results. While you're taking the quiz, be sure to read the little boxes of information that pop up after you've answered each question. For the record, I scored a ...
Monday, March 22, 2010
Reward Yourself!
About a year ago, I finally passed the ten-pound loss mark. It was an exciting milestone. Yes, it took me nearly 3 months to lose those 10 pounds, but it was the fastest 10 pounds I'd ever lost, and I know I can be a slow loser. I’ve even accepted that I can’t or won’t lose weight fast. In 2009, I was prepared to give it my all for a whole year to lose weight and accept whatever results came my way....
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Inspiration Sunday
Inspiration Sunday is a series at the Healthy Writer blog. Every Sunday, we post a quote, anecdote, fact or other item that will inspire you to keep moving forward on your journey to becoming and staying a healthy writer."If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place."-Nora RobertsLet us know what you think of this quote, this series, and if you have any suggestions for further items...
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Expanding My Cooking Repertoire
I am in the fifteen month of what I now can call a lifestyle change without fear or the urge to choke back the words. To help me succeed on my journey to becoming and staying a healthy writer, I often ask myself how can I keep my efforts satisfying and fun. One of the ways is to play with cooking and change up what I eat. I'm always trying to expand my cooking repertoire while focusing on making...
Friday, March 19, 2010
Let’s talk about Stress, Baby
Let’s talk about you and meLet’s talk about all the good thingsand the bad things that may beLet's talk about it-- Salt-n-Pepa, “Let’s talk about Sex”, 1991, London RecordsOn sunshiny spring days when you get enough sleep, you don’t have a deadline to worry about, and nothing disturbs your routine, being healthy is easy. You can exercise with no trouble. You have enough time to prepare a healthy meal. You get a chance to unwind with yoga before going to bed. Those steady bread-and-butter days help...
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Compounding Pessimism
My husband and I were talking about the frustrations I've had in my quest to lose weight. It was an easy discussion, since this has been a good, losing week for me. And I think that losing and upbeat mindframe is what helped me really see just how negative it can get while struggling to make this habit a lifestyle, and a lifestyle that pays off.I've likened weight loss to the writing journey before. We begin with intentions, we learn the basics and add our own twists. We find a program, a writing...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Biggest Loser
Trish is traveling, so I'm taking care of The Biggest Loser post this week. I have to admit I was dancing around Clarendon last night trying on 10s and getting some kick-butt sports bras, so I did not start watching the show until the second hour when the contestants were already facing the scale. That is such a brave thing to do on national television.The smaller black team (the team of shorter women and one guy) had a five-pound advantage going into the weigh in, but the stacked, bigger black...
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
So Many Victories Along the Way!
My own post yesterday inspired me to go to the local Ann Taylor at lunch today and try on 6 pairs of pants in size 10. To my shock and glee, 4 of the 6 fit (though they were on the tight side), and I could get the two pairs of jeans on and might have been able to fasten them if I did something crazy like lie down before I tried to zip them. Oh, happy day! This was not the case just 2-3 weeks ago!! I need to pull out more of the 10s I got at the clothes swap Saturday to see if any of them fit. The...
Monday, March 15, 2010
A Third Vote of Confidence in Myself
For the third time in my life, I have done a full sweep of my wardrobe and pulled out all the clothes that are now too big. I seem to have a strong pattern to this process. Like the first and second times I did this, it starts in a frenzy of joy and celebration. It is so much fun to pull out all the clothes in a particular size, try them on, and discover that they are all to big. For more than ten...
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Inspiration Sunday
Inspiration Sunday is a series at the Healthy Writer blog. Every Sunday, we post a quote, anecdote, fact or other item that will inspire you to keep moving forward on your journey to becoming and staying a healthy writer."Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."-Thomas A. EdisonLet us know what you think of this quote, this series, and if you have any suggestions for further items to be shared here.Michelle Butler has made becoming a healthy writer...
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Broccoli & White Bean soup
The calendar reads March and the stores are filled with bunnies both chocolate and plush, but the view out my window is cold, gray rain. Dreary days are tough days for healthy eating. When the sky looks like slate and you need to turn on a lamp to see what you’re typing all I want is cake, muffins, and warm bread. Sadly, I’ve learned that carbohydrates are the devil for me. To stay healthy, I need...
Friday, March 12, 2010
Wanna Workout?
By Keri MikulskiHey, everybody!! Thanks so much for having me! I’m loving this Web site.Yes, I admit it… I’m one of those people who actually enjoys working out. Well, I love the feeling after I workout. The feeling before and during…. Not so much. So why do I do it almost every day?Like writing, exercising saves me. When I’m stressed out, I work out. When I’m suffering from a block, I work out. And when I’m angry, I work out. Believe it or not, exercising literally saves me. I exercised throughout...
Thursday, March 11, 2010
It's All About the Process
I’m preparing to write my tenth contracted Blaze right now. After a few years, my editor and I have narrowed down and honed my writing process. For instance, we know I need a solid, clear-cut synopsis with the plot nailed down before I start writing. We know that the first three chapters will take me the longest to write, often just as long as the rest of the book. And because we know these things, we’ve established a pretty comfortable routine of me writing and turning in my synopsis, she edits...
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Biggest Loser Cheerleaders
When you try to lose weight, it's important to have people supporting you, keeping you pumped up -- cheerleaders, if you will. This week on The Biggest Loser, we got to witness team cheerleaders in action.O'Neal, as soon as he saw Sunshine was still on the blue team after last week's vote, launched into a big inspirational speech to his new teammates. And during the reward challenge, when both teams had to pull a semi truck while one member of each team picked up puzzle pieces, he inspired them...
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Eat When You're Happy, Eat When You're Sad
The title of today's post isn't a directive; it's what we tend to do from an early age. I was reading an article in one of the daily e-mails I get from Prevention, and it hit on a topic we've covered here several times because it's a constant battle -- emotional eating. It's ironic that this e-mail comes just a few days after I succumbed to a bout of emotional eating. Early last week, I got a call from my agent that my publisher was passing on a trilogy idea I'd submitted. And even though the editors...
Monday, March 8, 2010
Learning to Face the Scale with Zero Expectations
The scale has the power to break my heart and strip me of any motivation I have to keep going on this journey to become a healthy writer and eater if I let it. I work very hard to make sure I don’t let the numbers on a scale convince me to quit. To do this, I try to walk into my weekly weigh in at Weight Watchers with zero expectations. This will make me ok with a loss or ok with a gain. I try to be “Zen-like” about it so that either way, I’ll keep going and keep trying to lose weight. I...
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Inspiration Sunday
Inspiration Sunday is a new series at the Healthy Writer blog. Every Sunday, we post a quote, anecdote, fact or other item that will inspire you to keep moving forward on your journey to becoming and staying a healthy writer."I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."-Bill CosbyLet us know what you think of this quote, this series, and if you have any suggestions for further items to be shared here.Michelle Butler has made becoming a healthy writer a...
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Comfort Food
One of the challenges I face as I maintain the weight loss from last year, is finding recipes that replace the comfort food I've always loved and grown up with: lasagna, shepherd's pie, macaroni and cheese (yum.)
So I'm trying out some of the recipe's from Weight Watchers "Pure Comfort."
Here's a recipe for Shepherd's Pie that I love.
Hearty Shepherd's Pie
Serves: 6
1 3/4 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 C fat-free milk
...
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Road Back
Please welcome guest blogger Nancy Northcott!Nancy Northcott’s books combine adventure and romance in the development of true love for her characters. A two-time Golden Heart finalist, she has also finaled in the Maggies, the Orange Rose, Finally a Bride, the Daphne, the Windy City Four Seasons Awards and other chapter contests. Her manuscripts have won several chapter contests, including the 2008 Maggie Award for Excellence in Contemporary Single Title. A life-long book geek, she considers her...
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Admit it, Size Matters
Oooh, this post could go in so many naughty directions. But since I just turned in my latest Blaze, I'll step out of the naughty zone and behave ;-) I'm talking size when it comes to food. I know I'm reiterating quite a bit of what Michelle posted in these links, but it's worth hearing a few times. At for me, I know I need to hear things a few times before it sinks in. Measure It! Use a food scale and measuring cups. It really won't slow down your meal prep by much, and it's hugely enlightening...
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