The basic rules of thumb for healthy weight loss are to: ~~~lose one pound of fat you have to burn 3,500 more calories more than you consume. ~~~
I have a confession to make. I'm not perfect. Sometimes, I fall off the wagon with my diet and fitness activities. Sometimes I eat more fat than I would like too. Sometimes I eat foods that don't make me feel great. Sometimes I end up being sedentary for a little while. Let's face it. It's rare that you'll find someone who will commit 100% to something and never look back or have a breakdown. But your ability to succeed will be measured by your determination and focus, as well as your ability to learn from your “mistakes”. Some peoples' fun is physical pleasures while other peoples' fun is joy. Pleasure could be compared to listening to music on a static-filled transistor radio while joy is like listening to your favorite song live with the original artist. Joy reaches dimensions you'll never experience with mere pleasure. And yet so many of us settle for momentary pleasures when we could be experiencing lasting joy and happiness. Among all those joyous memories I didn't once remember a wonderful cheesecake I ate on a particular date or the excitement of a new car or a television show I watched or a movie I saw. Sure, those things brought pleasure for the moment, but nothing lasting. Yet, I will never forget my wedding day or holding my babies in my arms for the first time. I can replay the thoughts and feelings of those occasions over and over. But, I can't replay the feelings or sensations of eating a hot fudge sundae. Joy has a lasting positive impact on our character and on who we are. Everybody gets a little worried that all their effort is for naught because of a slip-up. If it’s not the immediate guilt that gets you fretting, it’s the acute stomach pain, the nauseated sensations, the bloating, or the instant drop in energy. You feel like utter crap after eating that candy bar or this muffin – and isn’t that a sign that you’ve just ruined everything? Are you therefore back to square one, left to toil for weeks just to get back to that Primal sweet spot? After all, it took so long just to get your body acclimated to the new mode of eating; doesn’t it follow that the slightest deviation from the routine will send you flying from the tracks?
A single meal – or even several meals – of carb-laden foods won’t be able to throw you off your game. In fact, it would take about three or four weeks of junk binging just to get you back to an insulin-resistant, carb-dependent state.
~~~Don't Be Hard on Yourself
We're really fast at acknowledging our shortcomings, but much less at acknowledging our successes. It's very easy to beat yourself up when you fall off the wagon and never take time to celebrate all the successes you've had so far. So don't be hard on yourself and just look at what you've accomplished, no matter how small it may look! Compared to where a lot of people are at right now, you've already come a long way.
~~~ List Your Benefits
When you have the time, take a moment to list all of the reasons *why* you are committed to a healthy lifestyle. Why do it at all? Unless you know the *why*, you won't know the *how*. Any small difficulty will throw you off balance.
So your homework assignment is to list at least 25 benefits or reasons for eating well (however you define it at this point) and exercising. Then put this list in a place where you can see it!
~~~Recommit (I feel is the most important!!)
Commitment is very important. It just means that you're willing to do whatever it takes to get to where you want to go.
After you've listed your benefits, take a moment to commit to your success. All it takes is *share* your list with someone else, someone who can support you (ideally, your “success buddy”!) and tell them you commit to achieving those results.
~~~Give Yourself a Goal
In addition to writing your list of benefits, give yourself one to three short-term goals that you believe you can accomplish within the next 6 to 12 months.
Maybe it is to *release* a certain amount of weight. Maybe it is to lower your body fat level down to a certain percentage. Or maybe it is to succeed doing so many push-ups in a row. Set a few realistic goals that are also a little challenging, and keep your mind focused on them.
~~Be Prepared for the Next Breakdown
No matter how well you do in life, there *will* be another breakdown. I'm not saying that you'll necessarily fall off the wagon. Maybe it will just be a period of doubt and fear. Or you'll find yourself in a situation where you're not sure how to maintain your diet. Prepare for success and envision different things that could potentially be challenging. What would you do in those moments? Take a moment to think about that and discuss it with your coach or someone who supports you.
~~~Even the best athletes in the world have their own coaches. How do you think that you will make it without one?
A good leader will not only push you to get beyond where you want to go, but will also support you in the process and celebrate your successes with you.
Without support, it will be much more difficult to make your list of benefits come true.
I have a confession to make. I'm not perfect. Sometimes, I fall off the wagon with my diet and fitness activities. Sometimes I eat more fat than I would like too. Sometimes I eat foods that don't make me feel great. Sometimes I end up being sedentary for a little while. Let's face it. It's rare that you'll find someone who will commit 100% to something and never look back or have a breakdown. But your ability to succeed will be measured by your determination and focus, as well as your ability to learn from your “mistakes”. Some peoples' fun is physical pleasures while other peoples' fun is joy. Pleasure could be compared to listening to music on a static-filled transistor radio while joy is like listening to your favorite song live with the original artist. Joy reaches dimensions you'll never experience with mere pleasure. And yet so many of us settle for momentary pleasures when we could be experiencing lasting joy and happiness. Among all those joyous memories I didn't once remember a wonderful cheesecake I ate on a particular date or the excitement of a new car or a television show I watched or a movie I saw. Sure, those things brought pleasure for the moment, but nothing lasting. Yet, I will never forget my wedding day or holding my babies in my arms for the first time. I can replay the thoughts and feelings of those occasions over and over. But, I can't replay the feelings or sensations of eating a hot fudge sundae. Joy has a lasting positive impact on our character and on who we are. Everybody gets a little worried that all their effort is for naught because of a slip-up. If it’s not the immediate guilt that gets you fretting, it’s the acute stomach pain, the nauseated sensations, the bloating, or the instant drop in energy. You feel like utter crap after eating that candy bar or this muffin – and isn’t that a sign that you’ve just ruined everything? Are you therefore back to square one, left to toil for weeks just to get back to that Primal sweet spot? After all, it took so long just to get your body acclimated to the new mode of eating; doesn’t it follow that the slightest deviation from the routine will send you flying from the tracks?
A single meal – or even several meals – of carb-laden foods won’t be able to throw you off your game. In fact, it would take about three or four weeks of junk binging just to get you back to an insulin-resistant, carb-dependent state.
~~~Don't Be Hard on Yourself
We're really fast at acknowledging our shortcomings, but much less at acknowledging our successes. It's very easy to beat yourself up when you fall off the wagon and never take time to celebrate all the successes you've had so far. So don't be hard on yourself and just look at what you've accomplished, no matter how small it may look! Compared to where a lot of people are at right now, you've already come a long way.
~~~ List Your Benefits
When you have the time, take a moment to list all of the reasons *why* you are committed to a healthy lifestyle. Why do it at all? Unless you know the *why*, you won't know the *how*. Any small difficulty will throw you off balance.
So your homework assignment is to list at least 25 benefits or reasons for eating well (however you define it at this point) and exercising. Then put this list in a place where you can see it!
~~~Recommit (I feel is the most important!!)
Commitment is very important. It just means that you're willing to do whatever it takes to get to where you want to go.
After you've listed your benefits, take a moment to commit to your success. All it takes is *share* your list with someone else, someone who can support you (ideally, your “success buddy”!) and tell them you commit to achieving those results.
~~~Give Yourself a Goal
In addition to writing your list of benefits, give yourself one to three short-term goals that you believe you can accomplish within the next 6 to 12 months.
Maybe it is to *release* a certain amount of weight. Maybe it is to lower your body fat level down to a certain percentage. Or maybe it is to succeed doing so many push-ups in a row. Set a few realistic goals that are also a little challenging, and keep your mind focused on them.
~~Be Prepared for the Next Breakdown
No matter how well you do in life, there *will* be another breakdown. I'm not saying that you'll necessarily fall off the wagon. Maybe it will just be a period of doubt and fear. Or you'll find yourself in a situation where you're not sure how to maintain your diet. Prepare for success and envision different things that could potentially be challenging. What would you do in those moments? Take a moment to think about that and discuss it with your coach or someone who supports you.
~~~Even the best athletes in the world have their own coaches. How do you think that you will make it without one?
A good leader will not only push you to get beyond where you want to go, but will also support you in the process and celebrate your successes with you.
Without support, it will be much more difficult to make your list of benefits come true.
I would reccomend coming to Saturday morning 8:30 am meetings!!! Julie Swartz is my wonderful leader~teacher~friend.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
312 W MAIN ST
MARSHALLTOWN , IA 50158
Full of fiber and flavor, this tasty black bean dip recipe is incredibly filling. Serve it as a dip with fresh veggies, baked pita chips, or baked tortilla chips as a delicious and healthy appetizer recipe. I also used this dip as a sandwich spread on a turkey breast sandwich. Deeelish! This is really such an easy dip recipe, you can make it in no time, so it’s a great snack idea if you need to whip up something healthy – fast! Also, I am obsessed with spicy foods, so if you don’t like things as hot as I do, just take out the jalapenos in this recipe. :) Though this is not an official one of Weight Watchers Dip Recipes, it’s 1 Point Total servings, make it an ideal dip for any dieter.
Spicy Black Bean Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup shredded carrots
- 3/4 cup fresh pico de gallo or chunky salsa
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp fresh jalapenos, de-seeded and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor blend until chunky or smooth (depending on which consistency you prefer) Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro.
Entire Recipe makes 8 servings
Serving size is 1/4 cup
Each serving = 1 Point Total
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