Tip Tuesday

How about that turkey? I enjoyed tons of good food on Thursday and I felt that I did overeat but not too much. I am getting to know what I can and can't do. Staying within personal limits is a nonscale victory!

Today's tip is to eat breakfast. After a long nights sleep, your body is ready and looking for fuel. Skipping breakfast is harmful because your body has to find fuel elsewhere (and elsewhere is not good for you. This makes losing weight difficult!)

I managed to eat the same lunch for 3 years, give or take a few months, and I seriously burned myself out on it. Fortunately, I have found a way to switch up my breakfasts. Right now, I am all about oatmeal (which photographs horribly). I've made steel cut oats with water or milk, pumpkin, peanut butter, brown sugar, wheat germ, and cocoa powder. I've attempted overnight oats, not bad but just did not work for me. I'm not done experimenting with oatmeal either but I am taking a break from the steel cut oats. I've done that for almost a year!

What do you like for breakfast? I love talking about food and if you can't tell, I photograph it and post it all over my blog.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Stepping the scale daily is not healthy for me. Weight naturally fluctuates and I don't need to drive myself nuts trying to micromanage my weight. My friend only weighs in once a month and as I sit here writing this post, that may be the way for me to go as well. I have been doing weekly weighins and I am still noticing a regular fluctuation by about two pounds. Possibly that's not a big deal, especially if my clothes still fit.

For now, I will keep the weekly weighins since I need to monitor my progress. As I have worked towards my goal, I have learned that that maintenance is particularly difficult. My brain is chemically sabotaging me to gain the weight back. I have been at or above 150 twice and over 140 once. I will always need a lazer focus to make sure I don't go back to 150.

For a bonus holiday eating tip, you must continue to count calories the entire holiday season. Counting calories keeps you accountable to what goes in and what you expend with exercise. If you keep a good diary through myfitnesspal.com, you will likely not gain weight. I usually put in breakfast, lunch, snacks, and exercise. My goal is to leave about 400 calories for dinner at the end of the day. I don't usually enter dinner because it is homemade and that's tough to count.

Don't you love all the food photos? I do that to show you how I constantly struggle too. Do you need someone to coach you torwards your weight loss goal? I'd love to help you. I can help you with nutrition and recommendations in the gym. I can constantly encourage you to meet your goals and stick to your plan. 

Tip Tuesday

As I was telling my friend over the weekend, a great way to start the holiday is with a run or walk. I plan on running the Edmond Turkey Trot first thing thanksgiving morning. I'm looking forward to seeing friends, exercising, and enjoying fresh air. We all tend to overeat on these days and getting a solid calorie burn can help counteract the additional calories.

On an unrelated note, I deleted most all of my photos from my picasa account without realizing that would also delete from my blog. Sadly, many posts do not have photos any more.

Please enjoy these random activity photos. Here's to a healthy holiday where we do not gain ten pounds! Who's with me?

Tip Tuesday

The holidays are just around the corner and it is time to be thinking of healthy eating strategies. I will be sharing tips to help you avoid the usual ten pound gain each year. I have typically gained ten pounds and had to lose it in January and that takes months to accomplish! Please tell me, I am not the only one to experience this problem.

In honor of Thanksgiving, just around the corner, today's tip is to help you avoid eating too many calories at the dinner table (or the snack table). Select the smallest plate or cup available. This is more of a mind trick, which tricks your mind into thinking you have loaded your plate, which you can do when the plate is smaller. When there's not enough space to fill it past your usual daily caloric intake, you won't have over eaten. You can enjoy everything that is offered but enjoy it in smaller portions.

Truthfully, I am horrible at portion control. I never stop when I know I should or sometimes I just don't know when to stop. Having a smaller plate in hand will help me and you keep away the calories we don't need. It will essentially force us to use better portion control.

Go ahead and give it a try. Tell me how it worked or didn't work for you. If you are looking for a coach to help you meet your weight loss goals, email me or leave a comment below. I would love to encourage you to stay healthy this holiday season.

I had wanted this post to be filled with random photos but got rather impatient with my computer. Hence the lack of pictures.

Tip Tuesday

Welcome back! I'm so excited to start sharing tips for losing weight! If you already know what I'm about to share with you, then consider this a reminder, especially if you are not doing it everyday.

WALK EVERYDAY 

I suggest walking because everyone can do it, no matter your fitness level. It's good for your heart and mind. In fact, walking is an excellent stress reliever. Do you have or feel stressed daily? The answer to that question is you should be walking. I would suggest that 30 minutes a day is ideal but any amount that fits your schedule is fine. If you need to break it up into several walks a day, that is also fine. The most important thing to remember is to walk everyday. 

I will continue to share tips for weight loss and if you have any questions please let me know. I will partner with you and you will be successful! 

Weight Loss Wednesday

I'd like to thank everyone who has encouraged me as I share my struggle to lose weight. This is the wrong time of year but every bit as important. I am down 2 pounds and looking to shed 7 more over the next two months or so. Having mouth surgery has led me to and kept me from healthy choices. I'm eating all carbs since that's soft and staying away from chewy candies for fear of ripping out the temporary crown.

On a separate note, I baked four items yesterday: chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, peanut butter fudge, and banana bread. Wheat flour was used every where but the fudge. I didn't eat any of it! Yay! I have them in individual baggies to give as gifts to coworkers, neighbors, and staff where I live. Sadly, the chocolate chip cookies were in the oven too long and are very crunchy (something I am not eating right now.)

I am accepting guest posters for weight loss Wednesday's. Do you have a good tip or encouraging story? I'd love to hear it and feature it on my blog. Please contact me by leaving a comment or emailing me at estherdavison@gmail.com. Thanks and please stay tuned for thankful Thursday.