Eating Intuitively

I started reading this book about weight loss called Intuitive Eating. I am really loving the principles that lay the foundation of this weigh loss program. I do not believe in all the diets that say "Loss up to 10 lbs in one week!" Although you may have lost those 10 lbs, it's most likely water weight instead of fat. 

One thing that sparked my interest and made me want to write was a little section about willpower. I have always been taught that if you want something, it requires a little bit of willpower. Tribole and Resch define willpower as an "attempt to counter natural desires and replace them with proscriptive rules." When one goes on a diet, this is exactly what they are doing. The diet says not to eat carbs, so you are countering your bodies need for energy by replacing your carbs with protein or something else. Willpower is not a part of the Intuitive Eating program. The book explains that listening to your personal signals will reinforce your natural instincts rather than fight them. When you fight them, you are setting yourself up for a backlash--which is also talked about in the book. You may start to rebel against these rules or overeat after you finish the diet. 

Successful weight loss occurs gradually, but remember, the number on the scale doesn't matter; how you feel matters. Hopefully I will be able to write some more insights about this book on the blog, but if not, I am sure you can pick it up at your community library. I have already ordered a copy for myself.

Challenge: Get rid of the scale and start listening to your body and what it is telling you it needs.

Tasty Treat

I LOVE my sweets! Sometimes it seems like I crave a cookie right when I wake up. It's a terrible thing. However, I have found that if I have fruit around I will eat that when I have a sweet tooth and it takes the craving away. Lately I have been making a smoothie with frozen fruit and orange juice. It makes for a great snack or a healthy breakfast to start your day.

Makes approximately 12 oz
1 1/2 cup frozen fruit (I use a Dole mixed berry blend of strawberries, pineapple, peach, and mango)
3/4 cup orange juice

This 12 oz smoothie is 180 calories. You can try any kind of fruit you want. Today I even put a banana in it. This kind of treat is especially good on a hot summer day :)

Challenge: Try eating a fruit next time you have a craving for something sweet.

A parent's guide to exercise

I found this video on Youtube and thought it was quite humorous, but really these are good tips if you want to help your kids (and even yourself) get in shape. Enjoy!

Challenge: Implement these exercises in your child's life and even in your own life.

Courage to start

I saw this on Everyday Health's Facebook page and thought I would share. This is so true. You never know what you can accomplish if you never start. You don't know the lives you can touch, the places you will go, the people that will come into your life, the goals you will accomplish, etc... so if you don't know, why not try and see what will come of it?

Challenge: Have courage to start/change/do something new.

Happy and Accomplished

Yesterday I ran my first half marathon with one of my good friends, Valerie. It was the Tommy Vaughn's Marathon and More and it was such a fun race! We were trying to run it in 2:10 or under and we were making really great time, until my IT band started to hurt me. I told Val to go ahead of me and I ended up with 2 hours 13 minutes. I wish I could have done better, but considering the circumstances, I am still happy with the results. 

Challenge: Participate in a race whether it be to actually run/walk or just being a volunteer. Both will make you feel happy and accomplished!

Knee pain?

I am a runner. One of the most common injuries for runners is IT (Illiotibial) band pain. I wanted to know more about how to stretch and strengthen it, but first I will tell you a little bit about it. IT band pain is pain that occurs mainly from overuse. It usually occurs in individuals who are over-training or running a certain way. The IT band is rubbing against the knee causing inflammation to occur. The pain is on the outside of your knee. Here is a picture of where the pain is located on a right injured leg.

I found some great exercises. These two stretches have come from the May 2004 issue of Running Times Magazine. There are more exercises if you want to check them out. The pictures below are demonstrating a right IT band injury, so if it's your left leg that is hurting, do the opposite. 

Stretch #1: You pull your food up to the back of your buttocks. Then cross your uninjured leg over the injured leg and push down for 30 seconds.

Stretch #2: You cross your injured leg over the uninjured side and pull the leg as close to your chest as possible. Hold for 15-30 seconds.

Challenge: If you have IT band syndrome, incorporate one of these stretches into your workout. If not, let me know about something you would like to stretch and work on.

Be happy

So I stumbled upon this article and it is quite interesting. Basically it is saying how people have this ideal body image that they are trying to achieve but do not want to put in the work to do so. If you want to change, you have to put in the work and change one thing at a time. It takes baby steps, so it will take time. You just have to keep a positive attitude and love yourself. The article says that most people have this idea that when they lose those 5 pounds that their life will change. Truth is, it will probably be the same. YOU have to be the one who makes your life different. Go out there and be happy with who you are. Take care of yourself. Make sure you are clean and work hard to accomplish the goals that you have. Like I said before, it will take time. Eventually you will get where you want to be and love life as you are getting there. I love this picture. It gives me motivation on those days that I really need it.

Challenge: Be happy while you are working towards your new goal.