Friday, March 19, 2010
Three months until summer...
Well, here it is past the middle of March already. Can you believe it? I'm still writing 2009 on some of my checks, so hopefully I'll get my act together here in the not too distant future. The fact that summer is only three months away means it's time to focus on healthy eating and more exercise. Warmer weather means shorts, tank-tops, and swim-suits, especially as parents of little ones. So, here are five suggestions to carve off a little bit of excess fat and to tone up your muscles as well.
First, drink water instead of that second or third cup of coffee or iced tea. It has zero calories and has multiple health benefits. The Diet Channel confirms the health benefits of drinking water by reducing headaches and fatigue along with the reduction of fat loss. They say that water allows your body to flush out the by-products of fat breakdown. They also give a tip for fat loss by suggesting that you drink water before eating your meals. This allows you to feel fuller before eating which means you'll eat less.
Second, eat half of what you put onto your plate. Then, wait ten minutes. If you still feel starved, then go ahead and eat the remaining food left on your plate. If you're anything like me, you sometimes feel like you have to scarf down the entire plate of food, simply because it's there. You've heard the adage, "Well, we can't wrap it up and send it to China." It's true, you can't, so give it to your doggie instead or dump it into your favorite trash-can. Even though you might feel guilty for a few seconds, you're tummy will feel skinnier and eventually you'll feel down-right proud of yourself for eating less.
Third, exercise more. Even if it means five minutes of sit-ups plus three sets of push-ups every day, it's gonna make a difference. You can get those five or ten pound weights out of the garage and put those to use for a ten minute circuit as well. Before your morning shower, why not work those biceps and triceps while watching your local news channel?
Sometimes we aim for the biggest goals, but they're unrealistic. So, even though you might want to run five miles three times a week, it might just be more practical to opt for a twenty minute walk five times a week instead? If it turns into a longer walk or even a half marathon, then you'll feel even better about it afterward, but keep it simple so you'll actually do it. The best laid plans of mice and men, right? Don't let your best intentions become your own worst enemy.
Fourth, eat cereal instead of chips. In the middle of the day, when you're craving a snack and the hunger pangs start to kick in, go for a handful of granola or cheerios instead of chips. Doritos are my personal bane, so I'm better off not even having them in the house. But, of course they are my kids' favorite chips in the entire planet as well, so I have to implement self-control or I end up downing an entire bag with them early in the week. Yesterday, I tried making myself a healthful bowl of cereal for an afternoon snack. It curbed my appetite until dinner; plus, I felt awesome for denying those tasteful chips their chance to add fat to my butt.
Fifth, don't eat so much damn dessert. It's hard to do, especially if you have little ones. But here's the thing: it's usually fattening. I'm not one of those soy-ice-cream eaters, so I mainly want the fattening stuff. But, there are some good low-fat choices; so if you must eat dessert, try to eat the fattening stuff once or twice a week while switching to the low or fat-free options on the other nights. Cherry on Top is a great frozen yogurt chain that offers fat-free and low-fat frozen yogurts with fruit and other healthy toppings as well. This month you can check out their newest flavor: Irish Mint. There are two locations in Riverside and one in Rancho Cucamonga, so check them out if you get the chance.
Just keeping it real and trying to get back into summer shape along with the rest of you. Hang in there Moms and Dads. You can do it! Share some of your health tips. We'd love to hear from you!
First, drink water instead of that second or third cup of coffee or iced tea. It has zero calories and has multiple health benefits. The Diet Channel confirms the health benefits of drinking water by reducing headaches and fatigue along with the reduction of fat loss. They say that water allows your body to flush out the by-products of fat breakdown. They also give a tip for fat loss by suggesting that you drink water before eating your meals. This allows you to feel fuller before eating which means you'll eat less.
Second, eat half of what you put onto your plate. Then, wait ten minutes. If you still feel starved, then go ahead and eat the remaining food left on your plate. If you're anything like me, you sometimes feel like you have to scarf down the entire plate of food, simply because it's there. You've heard the adage, "Well, we can't wrap it up and send it to China." It's true, you can't, so give it to your doggie instead or dump it into your favorite trash-can. Even though you might feel guilty for a few seconds, you're tummy will feel skinnier and eventually you'll feel down-right proud of yourself for eating less.
Third, exercise more. Even if it means five minutes of sit-ups plus three sets of push-ups every day, it's gonna make a difference. You can get those five or ten pound weights out of the garage and put those to use for a ten minute circuit as well. Before your morning shower, why not work those biceps and triceps while watching your local news channel?
Sometimes we aim for the biggest goals, but they're unrealistic. So, even though you might want to run five miles three times a week, it might just be more practical to opt for a twenty minute walk five times a week instead? If it turns into a longer walk or even a half marathon, then you'll feel even better about it afterward, but keep it simple so you'll actually do it. The best laid plans of mice and men, right? Don't let your best intentions become your own worst enemy.
Fourth, eat cereal instead of chips. In the middle of the day, when you're craving a snack and the hunger pangs start to kick in, go for a handful of granola or cheerios instead of chips. Doritos are my personal bane, so I'm better off not even having them in the house. But, of course they are my kids' favorite chips in the entire planet as well, so I have to implement self-control or I end up downing an entire bag with them early in the week. Yesterday, I tried making myself a healthful bowl of cereal for an afternoon snack. It curbed my appetite until dinner; plus, I felt awesome for denying those tasteful chips their chance to add fat to my butt.
Fifth, don't eat so much damn dessert. It's hard to do, especially if you have little ones. But here's the thing: it's usually fattening. I'm not one of those soy-ice-cream eaters, so I mainly want the fattening stuff. But, there are some good low-fat choices; so if you must eat dessert, try to eat the fattening stuff once or twice a week while switching to the low or fat-free options on the other nights. Cherry on Top is a great frozen yogurt chain that offers fat-free and low-fat frozen yogurts with fruit and other healthy toppings as well. This month you can check out their newest flavor: Irish Mint. There are two locations in Riverside and one in Rancho Cucamonga, so check them out if you get the chance.
Just keeping it real and trying to get back into summer shape along with the rest of you. Hang in there Moms and Dads. You can do it! Share some of your health tips. We'd love to hear from you!
Labels: exercise, health, weight-loss
