Sugar. Oh yeah, I’m going there. But wait… I’m not coming at you with a mantra that it’s of the devil and you can’t ever have it… trust me….
Those who know me, know I don’t mind some Peanut M&M’s or that I think homemade chocolate cake is the frosting on life….
I love baking… with real sugar and real butter. Yes. I do. I don’t try baking with stuff that’s supposed to pose as “real” ingredients.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I know you can make some good healthy substitutes with some ingredients. I’m ok with that too.
No, this post is more about awareness of sugar that you take in, and how much of it you might consume.
Excess sugar contributes nothing but fat to your body… no benefits there.
Sadly, so many foods today are processed or made with added or extra sugar. Sometimes it’s so subtle you might not have any idea.
I hope to get you thinking about things you consume in your day and if you’re wanting to make health changes this is an area you might look at.
First, for your info, one teaspoon of sugar (4 grams) contains 16 calories and zero nutrients.
Below is a chart you can see common items and how much added sugar they have…
You also need to understand that many foods have added sugar and others contain natural sugars ( fruits, veggies, dairy) but these are also packed with vitamins and minerals and other good for you things.
To get a grasp for how much (added) sugar you might be taking in you need to become a label reader. If sugars are in the top five of ingredients you might want to select something else. Ingredients are listed in the order that primarily makes up the product you are looking at.
Sugar also comes in many names, some you may know and other may be unknown to you. These can include, brown sugar, sucrose , corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, raw cane sugar or syrup.
Excess sugar has also been linked to a host of health problems including, diabetes, visceral fat, chronic disease and hunger ( refined sugar can mess with the hormones that make you feel full) in another interesting thought… research shows our brains are hardwired for pleasure and sugar works like many addictive drugs in our bodies ( this is a whole topic unto itself)
If you are wanting to lose weight or even if you are at the weight you desire and are maintaining your health, being aware of your sugars and how much you take in is crucial to staying healthy and even more important if you’re trying to lose weight.
Take a good look at your daily food and drink intake. I’m often surprised at how many people drink large quantities of sugary drinks. Begin there and slowly weaning yourself off of them ( or greatly reduce) can help you start your weight loss process.
Become a label reader to know where your “unknown” sugars are coming from and be aware of sugar you add to food and drink are all steps you can take to manage sugar consumption.
But hey…along the way… remember …life is good… and so is an occasional piece of chocolate cake 😉
Yeah.. it’s Monday beautiful people. I know it came as a startling realization as your alarm blared you to life and left you scrambling trying to remember what day it was and what planet you were on.
Nothing like shaking the sleep out… shaking the body out… and rolling into a Monday.
You’ve already got the to-do list planned and a weekly agenda lined out.
Perhaps, if you’re like many, you’ve decided today….today is THE day.
No.. not to quit your job….
The day you’re finally going to get started…get moving… do things differently.
It’s time to take back your life… to lose weight and get moving again ’cause you’re tired of being fat ( let’s just be honest here, ok? if I can say that about myself where I was 8 years ago… it’s ok… being real is the first step to success) and you’re tired of well…feeling tired. Or feeling sluggish and having no energy or getting out of breath doing simple daily tasks.
You can change all that. Really. It won’t happen overnight, but it won’t happen if you don’t get started.
I don’t care how young or old you are you can start doing things differently to impact your life in a better way.
So, if you’re one of the many who rolled out of bed today with this on your mind, may I offer a few suggestions? Ideas? Tips?
First… I’m super proud of you for wanting to improve your health! And if you’re going to do this remember…
Take one day at a time. I know that sounds rather…simple? But seriously…take one day. Don’t look six months out or think about how you need to lose a zillion pounds… that will intimidate anyone and make them wanna quit. Focus on the day you’re in and focus on making better choices for yourself. Don’t expect perfection just aim for improvement.
Eat a little less, listen to your body when you are hungry, stop when you’re comfortable, practice eating more whole foods, don’t completely deprive yourself.
You know… just little things through your day that will start to add up.
Then… in that same day…try and see how you can add more purposeful movement into your day. Take the stairs, park further out at the store, go for an evening walk, go to the park and really play with your kids.. get creative.
Now… you made it through your day… get up tomorrow…repeat process… only this time you’re gonna try and do just …. a little more….
Eat a little less, eat something more healthy, go for a longer walk, think of a physical activity you want to try and then do it….
And you will focus on caring for yourself one day at a time.
Oh, and if you have a day you don’t do so well with ? You will get up tomorrow and start again. Do not quit.
Focus on one day at a time, with small goals ( focus on 5lb weigh loss increments) adding in healthier foods, allowing occasional treats, and getting in purposeful exercise will have you moving steadily on your way to your goals.
From that point keep challenging yourself to do a little more each day, and each week. Measure success not just in weight loss but also in things like, inches lost, energy level, mental well being, lab/doctors visits, confidence and feeling empowered at tackling your days for your health and fitness goals, and overall satisfaction with how you’re feeling.
New Year and the diet industry is gearing up to guilt you into needing their products. You are being bombarded with all the reasons you need to get on their wagon.
Oprah now basically owns Weight Watchers and her commercials have been going like crazy. Her mantra is to make “2016 the year of your best body”.
I’m certainly not against that mantra… I mean… I want to be better this year than last year. I’m down for another year of my best body.
I can still be stronger, leaner, more fit. I just don’t plan to go about it with all the hype and diet products to achieve it.
Coming up this week is a new TV show called “My Diet Is Better Than Your Diet”. I’m wondering if it will be the awful train wreck that “The Biggest Loser” is which also had it’s season premier this week.
I just have to wonder why it’s still around. I read a story on it the other day that the contestants workout 6-8 hours a day on about 1,000 calories or less. A gerbil eats more.
I’d say all of that is insane but I don’t even know it that’s the best word to describe it. People will tune in and watch as a form of “entertainment” forgetting these are hurting, desperate and needy people who have been brought to this point. They have vast amounts of weight to lose.
The fail rate (that they don’t tell you about) is tremendously high.
Why? Because there haven’t been key important changes made.
Namely this… and it’s true for those on a reality TV show, or you my readers, and true of myself before I figured it out a few years ago.
There is this missing piece… and it’s crucial for permanent, life changing success.
If you don’t get your relationship with food right, and in the right place in your life, you will forever battle it. It will control you.
If food is more important to you than losing weight to be healthy and energetic then it’s time to look at it’s role in your life.
I firmly believe that food is not the biggest issue as is the reasons behind what drives someone to eat beyond what they need to support their lives and feed their hunger.
Sometimes ( and often) there are hungers and needs deeper than our appetites.
Loneliness. Boredom. Pain. Feelings of failure. Loss. Need. Lack of love. Acceptance. Routine. Emotional needs.
Mindless, empty eating, we use to try and fill aches, pains, and other issues in our lives.
It’s why I don’t think these shows will ever really work. It’s why I’m troubled over the “quick fix” surgeries that can rapidly drop pounds, but it’s not addressing the real reasons a person eats so much food to be in that place to start with. If that person doesn’t make a mental shift and get food in it’s proper place, they will continue with the same behaviors and attitudes that made them fat.
The underlying issues need to be recognized to turn it around, to make food be what it is, enjoyable, life giving, but also controlled and managed appropriately. Food is much of a dangerous drug for someone as cocaine is to another.
This is why 6-8 week diet plans will fail. And good intentions will go down the drain and you’ll console yourself with food again. It’s why patients who have weight loss surgery will regain weight they lost and be able to eat as much later on after surgery as before.
Years ago I figured out some of my triggers. I realized I had grown up in a family of emotional eaters. It was weird how I clearly saw it one day and called it for what it was in my life.
It wasn’t overly controlling for me ? But in my mom and grandmother it was very easy to see. They were both considered morbidly obese. I could look back at times and see how food was used for more than nourishment. It was often used as a form of comfort. The more you ate, the better you would feel, right ?
My brother had struggled with it too.
Now I am able to identify it in myself when I see it going on. Only now I ask myself questions and question why I’m eating? Why am I doing what I’m doing? How am I feeling ? What emotions are propelling me to go to food ?
Trust me… this was a huge step in my health and fitness journey.
So yeah. Let’s make 2016 “the year of our best body” but let’s decide first to get real with some things in ourselves that hinder us from moving forward to that goal.
If I offer any humble suggestions to you in this it would be….
*Pay attention to why and when you eat ( beyond meal time)
*Question yourself. Really, you can. Ask those hard questions. What is making you eat at that moment? Are you truly hungry? How are you feeling?
*Look at your family. Your childhood one and the one you have as a grown adult ( married etc) what are the eating patterns and habits? How is food used ? For more than nourishment?
*Do you eat when you are out by yourself ? In the car? Drive thru’s? Is it a habit ?
*Do you eat alone at night? In front of Tv? How much “mindless” eating do you participate in?
*What hurts you inside? Do you use food to soothe your emotions ?
This is a place you can start. Understanding your relationship with food and taking a hard look at things like this can really help you move forward in your health journey…mentally and physically =)
“Well, I’m just gonna get started in January, you know, once the holidays are over.”
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it, yeah, a lot.
The New Years Resolution.
The New Years promise to finally “get in shape”, to “lose weight”, and to “get healthier”.
What it might amount to is a fairly guiltless free for all of eating for weeks like a man condemned to the gallows never to see good food again.
Then with a rigid determination come the official first of the year and a stoic do or die approach, you set out to finally lose weight.
All the good foods are gone ( you might have helped eat them to “get them out of the house”) you’ve stocked up on celery and rice cakes and pulled out the Jillian Michaels workout video that you will overdo on and hurt like heck the next day ’cause your body is protesting all that activity. You will hop on the scale looking for it to show some “loss” to reward you for your first hard day of labor and suffering.
Ha.. ok.. I’m messing with you, but maybe you see yourself in there somewhere.
I do. I used a lot of my past to kinda make fun of the predictable behaviors so many go through each year.
Sad thing is, those good intentions, almost never last past that first month.
I just want to encourage you to not wait for the New Year to start focusing on taking care of yourself. Each day is a new opportunity to eat well, and get in some good purposeful movement. I was talking with someone and again the conversation came up that exercise is something our bodies require for health and wellness, not just to be used as a tool to lose weight ( although it helps with that too).
Exercise is crucial to our overall well being! And needless to say, eating well, gives us good energy to move through our day.
I want to challenge you to not wait for 2016 to start making changes, but begin today.
Taking small steps each day will position you to continue forward movement after the holidays are over towards permanent healthy changes.
Can you think of a better way to start off your New Year ?
Why hello December! November certainly was a whirlwind, wasn’t it ? Here in the States we just wrapped up Thanksgiving last week… which is always an amazing overload to the senses.
A day full of delicious food and tasty treats… how can you go wrong with that ??
Thanksgiving is like this seque into Christmas with it’s plethora of delights.
Candy. Cookies. Rich meals. Cakes and treats.
I grew up with a grandmother and mom who were baking queens during the Christmas season. I will share more on that in another post, but it’s safe to say, I learned all my tricks from them. What a wonderful heritage to be given.
I love baking and I love giving it away. The week of Thanksgiving I took a variety of treats to my local Starbucks ( ’cause I love all my little baristas there 😉 and I want them to know I appreciate them. One of the comments I got was…
“How do you stay in the shape you’re in, and bake like that??”
My response, ” I bake, but I don’t eat much of it” 😉
Then comes something I’ve gotten used to hearing from people.
” I just don’t have that kind of will power”
Ah yes, the illusive “will power”. It’s defined as control of ones impulses and actions, self-control.
Often when I’m talking with people that subject comes up. They are struggling, wanting to lose weight and move into a positive lifestyle change yet feel their willpower is lacking.
Can I say at best, it can fail us ? Oh we will be “good”. We will decline treats and special foods and maybe for awhile feel successful. We will drastically alter all of our eating and feel like we are finally getting somewhere. After attempting to keep rein on our willpower we can even begin to feel angry with it.
“Why can’t we have that treat?”
“Why can’t we enjoy the things we really love?”
And then… one day.. we snap.
Everything that’s been off limits, is now far game. If it can run, it better get outta the way. You’ve held on to your willpower for as long as you can and now it’s anything goes. You deserve to enjoy things too, right ?
And then… you’re back at square one. You might have feelings of failure, discouragement and frustration that once again, you just don’t have the willpower to control things and you’ll never get your goals.
May I offer an alternate suggestion ? One that you slowly, simply, build into your life?
Habits. You begin to build new habits, day in and day out until it’s seamlessly a part of your life and willpower doesn’t really have to do with what you eat. You begin to develop comfortable boundaries with what you eat and when.
I shared on my Facebook page this past Monday that I was ready to get back to “normal” and by that I meant I was ready for some serious exercise and lighter eating. You see, I was able to enjoy my Thanksgiving celebrations, but I’ve built habits into my life that I naturally want to return to.
For me, getting back on the road for a run and having a big colorful salad for lunch was normal for me. Over the past few years I’ve made exercise and eating well, in moderation, habits for myself. Once these things are ingrained in you, it’s not hard to return to them.
When I talk with people I try and stress the importance of building new habits to make the journey to a lifestyle change. I believe it’s ultimately, the only thing that will stick.
Understand this: habits aren’t built over night. They are built from a purposeful and intentional desire to do things differently. So many things we do in our lives are habit, good and bad.
Know you will bomb some days. You’ll feel frustrated and wonder if it will ever stick. It will. Get up and start at it again.
When I first started out walking I was so worried if I missed a single day I’d fall off the proverbial wagon. If I didn’t get my walk in the morning due to scheduling, when I got home, the first thing I did was grab my shoes and hit the road. ( this was before days where I was all super athletically haha) I wore what I had on, changed my shoes, and got it done.
You know what that was doing ? Building a habit in me that said “purposeful, daily exercise is important and necessary. You make time for it. ”
Food. In slow, daily, and steady changes I taught my body to appreciate eating healthy food. I also allowed it Peanut M&M’s if it wanted a few. When you KNOW you can have something, it really removes the power from it, because you know it’s there… if you really need it. In time, certain foods and treats honestly began to have less of a draw. I recognized how good I felt eating well, eating appropriate amounts and feeding my body in a healthy way.
Again, I had days I bombed, and days I felt like super woman. No matter what, I kept a forward moving mentality. Each day gained, got me that much closer to making those things permanent habits for me.
Not my amazing willpower. Not my superior strength of being able to say “no”.
New habits that were leading to a lifestyle change.
I’ve heard it can take 21 days for a new habit to be set in place. Depending on what it is, some things might take more or less time based on our personalities.
My suggestions if you want to build new positive, life changing habits?
Don’t try and change everything all at once. Pick one or maybe two things.
Slow and steady is best.
Do have a journal to write down your progress in the beginning to hold yourself accountable. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to ask you how you’re doing.
Focus on the day your in. Move through it making good choices. Allow yourself a measure of grace if you fall, but get up and get back at it.
No throwing in the towel!
Do not allow yourself to make excuses to not do what you’ve set out to do. You are more than capable of success.
Make a realistic goal sheet of habits you want to form.
Understand you have to practice your new habit daily to make it a um…. habit 😉
Seeking to build habits instead of having “willpower” will lead you to a new freedom and your healthier lifestyle.
What good habits do you have in place already? What habits do you need to work on and build to live a healthier lifestyle ?
Food. It was on my mind. I just wrapped up a little over an hour on my bike. That’s roughly… 12ish miles for me… lots of hills and inclines so it’s not always easy. Which really, I don’t want it to be.
Coming in and cooling down, my tummy rapidly reminded me food was a long time ago ( last night) and it’s grumblings and rumblings were a sign I needed some nutrition.
Breakfast is my usual fare…. eggs… tons of sautéed veggies…. milk…. plenty of good protein and carbs to fill me comfortably.
It has become natural now for me to reach for healthy, nutrient dense foods. I crave them. Not only that, how can you go wrong filling up on veggies that are amazingly good for you, satisfy your hunger, and leave you feeling strong and steady ( no dip and decline of blood sugar levels) for hours ahead and for minimal calories?
Win. Win.
it hasn’t always been like that for me. On my health and fitness journey these past few years like anything, it’s been a learning process.
Choosing healthier foods over ones that didn’t support my goals has been a learned thing.
I guess the eye opening moment for me ( and I believe anyone who is seeking to lose weight and be fit) is determining who your love affair is with ? What do you love/want more ?
Food… the taste, sensory, and emotional connection to fill your needs ?
OR
Food with balance and moderation with the goal being healthier and leaner ?
If you keep choosing food over your goals of health and wellness you will never get there.
You and you alone must decide….before something goes in your mouth….. is it worth it ? Does it support my goals? Do I want this ( thing) over my goals?
For example……Saturday morning hubby and I had determined a breakfast date for Cracker Barrel. If you’re in the south, you know what that means. If you don’t know, well, it’s this amazing southern foods restaurant that has all kinds of tasty treats.
I had biscuits on my mind. Coffee too 😉
All was well and good until our food came out and the waitress nicely says… “oh, we ran out of biscuits but we have some coming out in a few minutes” I assured her that was fine and launched into my meal, trying to not focus on the fact the eggs were slightly chilled…. and waited for my biscuits.
Hubby gallantly offered his up but I told him I’d wait….
and I waited… and waited…. until we were almost done and I flagged her down and she said… ” Oh I’m so sorry they aren’t done yet, but would you like a muffin ?”
Seriously. No. It’s like asking a soda drinker if they want Coke or Pepsi.
I told her no thanks and was starting to feel like a disgruntled little kid. Hubby told me to take his other one ( which was not so warm anymore) and she brings me solid, frozen butter for it.
I did make an attempt to eat at it. I just couldn’t. It was nothing like I had envisioned when I had breakfast on my mind. I didn’t wanna be a brat…but seriously… it was disappointing.
Here’s where I’m going. I’ve learned to be selective on my journey. I didn’t want a muffin. I didn’t want a cool biscuit with frozen butter. I’m at a place in my life and journey that if I eat something and take in those calories I want it to be good. I want to enjoy and savor it! I want it to be worthwhile. I don’t have to mindlessly shovel it in ’cause it’s there. I can say no and walk away.
I can be picky and selective.
In my journey though it is a battle to think in terms of “food” versus “health/fitness”. It is moment by moment decisions that lead me to victory.
It works like that for most of us.
It comes down to that moment of decision and deciding…. what do we want more…. food ? or our health goals ?
I’m not saying… don’t eat… I’m saying… make it worth while.
In time practicing this will become a new habit in you that almost becomes second nature =)
What about you ? Is it a habit to think about what you put in your mouth and determine is really “worth it” ?
So as life goes, and as I mentioned to you in yesterdays post on Motivation, I get inspiration and ideas from you, my 1.5 readers, and as mentioned, I love the fact that through my journey I’m able to motivate and hopefully inspire others to make lifestyle changes.
Yesterday, it presented me with a perfect opportunity for a new post.
But first, this disclaimer on how this inspiration occurred.
I’m gonna have to reveal I was in a store, in pursuit of a dress, I had seen the day before and I was back after it.
Like a hunter pursuing it’s prey.
You see when I’m not in full blown athletic mode, I delight in being totally feminine and have a weakness for cute dresses 😉
How cute and summer fun is this ?? I don’t usually care for orange…but it’s the right…orange… and plays up my tan. Not to mention the style is a homerun in my opinion =)
Hubby will now know I have a new dress 😉 Oh well…. I’m confident he will like it too haha 😉
Now….on with the show…..
After I had apprehended the dress and was ready to legally wed it, I wandered to the counter to make the transaction that would make us a permanent couple. The sales lady was one who has waited on me often and she is around my age.
She has often asked me what I “do” to look like I look. I’ve freely shared with her… and when I led a fitness challenge last Fall with 4 people she kept up with my stories I wrote in a little local magazine that tracked everyone’s progress.
I haven’t honestly seen her in awhile… till today… and I noticed she was remarkably thinner.
Of course I commented and told her I hadn’t seen her in awhile and noticed that she had really lost some weight.
She told me…. “when I talked to you during the time you were leading that fitness challenge it made me really think about things. I saw everything you had been doing and what you were doing with those people and I decided one morning that today was the day. I was going to do it!”
I commended her and said she looked good… and she responded “well I’ve lost more than…. a little weight… I’ve lost 42 pounds in 15 weeks.”
Ok… so at that point…. I kinda paused a bit……
That’s a good bit of weight to drop in such a short time…
One red flag showed up in my lil head.
She proceeded to tell me her doctor ( one locally in town) had this “diet” through her spa clinic and she had decided to follow that .
I listened as she rattled off things like no fruits, only certain veggies, “high” protein (8 oz. meat a day) using “their” products, no natural or refined sugars, ( limited artificial sweeteners??) no breads, no carbs etc…
( red flag 2 is going up in my head)
Till I finally blurted out…. “What do you eat??”
She pulls a small bag of chopped cucumber out of her drawer.
“well, I snack on things like this” (like….there are almost zero calories in that)
Ok I’m all for veggie snacks…. but I wanna eat whatever the heck kind of veggies I want….not only certain ones.
She tells me she has “their” oatmeal for breakfast, one of their protein bars for lunch (eek that’s it ??) and some chicken and veggies for dinner… “and then there’s some supplements…..those….help. It’s amazing how little food you need.” ( I feel my breathing getting shallow….)
Now…. that third red flag is up.
Hey, I get that. I’ve learned it doesn’t take tons of food to deal with your hunger and satisfy your bodies needs. But then there is a point where you’ve crossed that line of not enough food.
Then she deals the final blow……
“Well, they really discourage exercise for awhile”
I am pretty sure at this point……. my eyes…..were bugging…..out. In fact, I know they were.
All the bells and whistles were now going off in me. I wondered how many more warning flags were gonna fly before my head exploded. I was kinda chewing on my tongue at this point….
I guess I was looking a bit blankly at her and she said….. almost whispering…. “well, the calories are so low, they want you to conserve your energy”
Seriously. The times I deserve an Oscar. Or an Emmy .Or some kinda statue for keeping control of my face… or the things that threaten to fly outta my mouth.
I hear myself ask…. “How many calories a day are you eating?”
To which she responds…… “I was afraid to count them in the beginning…. I’m not sure it was even 1,000.”
WHAT? WHAT?
I felt my head getting light just imagining it…. I said…. ” How did you manage to work? or do anything?”
She admitted in the beginning it was difficult… I cannot even imagine.
I couldn’t help it…. I told her to be careful dipping her calories that low it didn’t mess with her metabolism.
She looked kinda blankly at me…. maybe it was the lack of carbs to supply energy to her brain…. and I knew she didn’t get it.
She said she wanted to get to exercising but that she hadn’t had the energy to do so.
I bet…..
With calories that low I’m surprised she could work and think all day long. Actually she probably couldn’t. Your brain can get very foggy with a serious lack of carbs.
She did look good. She probably doesn’t need to lose anymore weight. I hope when she comes off their “program” she keeps it off.
Can I say this ?
First, I’m surprised a doctor would honestly put someone on such a restricted, low calorie diet. This lady was not horribly over weight, or into the “obese” range where they sometimes do drastic things for quick loss. I think of this as hocus pocus weight loss… now you see it… now you don’t.
Please hear me that I’m not shooting down her efforts. I applaud her for wanting to make changes. But if you’ve learned anything about me at this point it’s how much I hate this stuff.
Things that cost people money…a lot of it. Losing weight shouldn’t cost you a lot of money. Go buy honest food.
She also paid for the privilege to starve and buy their “supplements” and “food”.
I do hope when she’s off the program she will be able to keep her weight off eating normally again. This is the BIGGEST problem with these types of “diets”. Once you start adding real food back in, your body responds accordingly, especially when it’s been deprived.
This ( to me) falls into the category of those weight loss hype things. You pay big money, for their stuff, and yeah she lost weight, but she could’ve done it safer, and been more comfortable doing it ( not starving and dealing with all the consequences that come with drastic food deprivation) even if it took her a little longer to reach that goal.
Along with this program, they’ve not taught her about sane nutrition or allowing exercise to be a part of her fitness regime. I’m assuming as she is allowed more calories, she will have the energy to exercise.
Please….please tell me… I’m not the only one horrified that you aren’t taking enough food in during your day that you can’t even workout???
Hocus Pocus weight loss programs abound right now in this country. Most are simply after your money. Lots are sold by your next door neighbor….who knows nothing of nutrition or weight loss….or what’s in the products she/he is selling you. In this case, a doctors office offered up this great program….yikes.
Anyway, I’ll save my rant on Multi Level Marketing trends for another post.
Weight loss….slow….steady…sane….eat real food….toss in some physical activity… the only way to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
Have you ever participated in a rapid weight loss program? What were your results? Did they last ?
So I’m gonna tackle a topic that might be a lil off my usual stuff, but one that is definitely in national attention as well as making local news stories too. It’s something I believe seriously needs addressed.
I promise to resume my normal athletic(y) antics soon 😉
Childhood obesity.
It affects 30% of children making it the most chronic disease of childhood. This number has tripled since 1980.
Childhood obesity is a health issue.
More children today are diagnosed with diabetes, hyper tension and other co-morbid conditions associated with obesity and morbid obesity.
Obesity is defined as more than 20% above the ideal weight for a particular height and age.
The physical complications can be great for over weight children. Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma, sleep disorder, non-alcoholic liver disease, and early puberty or menstruation.
Besides the over arching problem of physical effects on these children, the social and emotional complications are huge. These children can often suffer from low self-esteem, bullying behavior, learning problems and depression.
The risk factors know no economic boundaries. Poor diet, lack of exercise, family factors, and socioeconomic all can contribute to children being overweight.
I’m gonna play the bad guy for a second and break up this word.
Child…. the first part of childhood. Meaning they are the children who are dependent upon the adult to provide food, provide boundaries and provide guidance.
Parents are the ones who shop for food and provide for their child. Good nutrition is so important, but often, parents feel they need to provide empty calorie snacks and drinks for their child. I’ve also watched in my world at times where the children have been allowed to eat unchecked with no reminder “you’ve had enough” or maybe ” 2 cookies is plenty” .
It’s really ok for parents to say “no” to kids when they’ve had enough. To teach proper portions. The “no” word isn’t just ok for some things, it’s ok when it comes to teaching children balance and moderation on food too.
Children will eat what we bring into the home. If they don’t have junk food to graze on, they won’t eat it. Oh I’m not the totally evil mom, I do have cookies and treats, but when my kids were in school they were the weird ones who had water bottles in their lunch instead of “juice” boxes which are often no more than glorified high fructose flavored drinks.
Although my 23 yr old wandered in one day and proclaimed “when you stated getting all healthy the good stuff went away!” ha that’s not entirely true as I still make a mean batches of cookies 😉 but I really keep the snack foods to a minimum.
As I’ve shared in previous posts, I grew up in a family with many family members being over weight. We were taught to clean our plates. I never made my kids do that, allowing them to eat till they were satisfied. My Mom flipped the first time I let my son leave the table with food still on his plate
I allowed them to learn and listen to their bodies natural signals. Alongside treats they learned about eating good foods too.
We teach our children so many things in life, shouldn’t eating well should be at the top of the list of what we teach them?
How do you help if you have an over weight child?
→ Improve daily diet making small gradual changes.
→ Offer water instead of sugary drinks.
→ Encourage exercise and outdoor activities. Let your child brainstorm fun ways to exercise.
→ Focus on the entire family eating healthy and exercising.
→ Teach balance and moderation in eating. If your child is old enough, encourage them to read the labels, looking at serving size, and measuring it out to help them understand what that serving looks like.
→Offer rewards and treats that aren’t food related.
→ Allow them to have input on the types of healthy snacks and foods they want to try.
Encourage their efforts and keep the focus off numbers with the goal of being healthy and fit =)
They abound everywhere, do they not ? There are the ones that seem to have been around forever, there are the ones that are major “companies” where you get support systems and eat their food, let’s not forget the current trendy ones all over internet, or ones that your neighbor is hawking.
All of them structured plans with the ultimate goal, to get you thinner, and more fat free.
In my past life when I participated in the diet games I’d find whatever might look promising in a magazine and give it a try…..for a week…or two… if I could grind it out that long.
You know what I finally realized ? I really HATED being told what I had to eat, when, and how much I could have. I HATED the idea that foods I loved were “off limit”. And I really HATED the whole feeling of deprivation and lack of fun that went along with it.
Why did something that was supposed to help me feel so…. life sucking ? Confining? Annoying?
I finally got it. I think it’s important to really understand yourself, how you roll, what makes you tick. Sometimes it might take awhile, but you get it.
I’m a total free spirit and a self confessed often rebel at heart…. no wonder conventional structured “diets” worked against everything in me.
I rebelled against being boxed into someone else’s food plan and ways of eating. I didn’t want to be nailed down to “a plan”.
When I decided to take control of my life and not be locked into a structured system of eating, here’s what I realized.
Taking away things I loved, or even things I randomly ate if I felt like it, made them way more powerful in my life than they needed to be ’cause it made me think of it more than I needed to… like “I can’t have these things…therefore…I want them”
Seriously, who wants to spend their mental energy thinking of food ?
That’s when I took my power back. That’s when I realized I really was a grown up and declared nothing “off limit”. If I wanted a piece of chocolate, I’d eat it and move on. I trusted myself that I really wouldn’t eat a whole bag if I wanted a piece ( disclaimer… I never ate a whole bag of anything 😉 haha
I remember about a month in to my experiment. The fam wanted to go out for a burger. My previous “diet girl” mode would’ve been to scope out a salad, eat it, and feel deprived and left out. No… I got my burger…and fries… and enjoyed myself… and kept rolling with my plan. I got up the next morning, business as usual. No beating myself up or over crazy workouts to “compensate” for it (as if).
A couple months went by and I was losing weight AND happy at the same time ( what a concept) overall I was making good food choices, eating normally, and allowing occasional treats …. those are the things that allow you to still feel normal while your in the process of becoming more fat free 😉
Then, along the way, I came across this verse from a man named Paul, who was an apostle I the Bible.
It said “All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial”
That really resonated with me and my current thoughts on eating and losing weight. All food was permissible, it just wasn’t all beneficial for me to reach my health and fitness goals.
It’s still a reminder to me. I don’t like labeling foods “good” or “bad”.
However…… I choose to examine it in the context of is it beneficial for me? For my overall health? for my fitness goals? for how I feel ?
I’m not sure where you are on your fitness and health journey. Maybe your doing just fine or may these words might be helpful to you in your process to lose weight.
All (foods) are permissible, but not all (foods) are beneficial. (mine)
I have two special friends, male and female, who have been extremely successful in their quest to lose weight and get into living a healthy lifestyle. Like myself, they have done it the plain old fashioned way of taking it slow and steady, losing weight and allowing their minds to be transformed along with their shrinking bodies. They have had good days and bad on their journeys to get where they are now. Nothing happened over night, but it did happen.
Now a much, much slimmer version of their former selves they have learned skills along their journey to stay successful. Eating better, eating less, building in their favorite “treats”, exercise and a positive attitude. These things all contribute to permanent success.
As things go in life, all of our paths have intersected and I now have enjoyable relationships with each of these people.
I found it interesting that in totally separate conversations, they voiced to me what I’ve often pondered myself on this journey.
“Why do some people get started and quit? Why do some start, re-start and start again and then something happens and it “takes”?”
All three of us have used the illustration of crossing over the bridge. Funny, because we each had this same thought and shared it within our conversations.
Maybe, perhaps, because we get it.
I think most people would agree, it’s fairly easy to put weight on, but requires a lot more from us to remove it.
Discipline to say “no” to things we want to eat. Discipline to pass on seconds, or foods we know won’t best support our health and wellness goals. Sacrifice to make room in our schedules for exercise or to get up earlier. Dedication to a new way of living that at first feels unfamiliar, foreign, and down right uncomfortable. Willingness to finally get real with who we are, where we are and how we got there. Not to mention a certain amount of tenaciousness to hold onto wanting to be successful like a bulldog with a favorite toy.
You see that ? All those things, they start in your head.
Discipline.
Sacrifice.
Dedication.
Willingness.
We tend to think of weight loss as just a body thing….” I’ll just stop eating to much and lose weight and it will all be fine” without realizing the huge part our minds play in the process of truly becoming successful.
Why do you think people who are going to undergo major weight loss surgeries are encouraged to go to counseling classes to help them process not just weight loss but what will be required of them from a nutritional stand point? Sadly, so many of these will go back to gaining all that weight again because even though their bodies are changing, their minds haven’t made a connection to a new way of living, they are still thinking about all the food that got them to that point in the first place and wanting to eat in the same ways.
Like many others, they will not have “crossed over the bridge”.
It’s that place where it all connects together and you understand exactly what has to be done, that it will be a process, and you simply settle in for the journey. You take a single day at a time. You strive to make the best choices (nutritionally) you can. You stop viewing eating good foods as a form of punishment. Exercise becomes just as valuable as brushing your teeth each day. You allow your body to slowly and steadily go through the losing part just like it did the gaining part. You get that there will be days that will bomb and you dust off and keep going.
You love yourself on the journey.
The journey, that crosses you over the bridge into freedom and into a new way of living.
A permanent lifestyle change. Welcome to the other side.
Sugar. Oh yeah, I’m going there. But wait… I’m not coming at you with a mantra that it’s of the devil and you can’t ever have it… trust me….
sassyfitnesschick 