What old habit are you willing to exchange for a newer, healthier one.....??? Start today!!!
They say old habits die hard. That phrase was never more true than for a dieter trying to change lifestyle habits. I say changing lifestyle habits instead of focusing on just the kind of food you eat and when you eat it because losing weight, getting fit, and staying that way is not a short term gig. It requires a whole change in the way you view your health and how to live your life. That may seem overwhelming when you think of it, but it’s really not. You just need to know which steps to take and then take them. The simplest way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a new habit that is healthy. When you think of it that way, it doesn’t feel like you’re giving up something you like because you’re filling that void with something else.
If you’re one of the many people who love to feast on a bowl of popcorn while watching a midnight movie you need to seriously consider how that late-night snack is ruining your diet. Sure, popcorn has a high amount of fiber, something that is good when you’re on a diet. It’s not the actual food that is the problem, but the time of day. You should stop taking in calories no later than 7:00 PM and just continue to drink water to fill you up. By that time, most people have had their dinner and are beginning to wind down from their day. That means that any calories you consume will not be burned off. They’ll be stored in your body as excess nutrition for your body to use later. Stored calories are held in fat cells.
You probably have a barrel full of excuses that you pull out every time you talk about why you haven’t lost the weight you want to lose. It could be anything from a sluggish thyroid to faulty genetics to just not having enough time to think about weight loss. I’m here to tell you to knock it off! The only way you will lose weight and keep it off is stop making excuses for why you’re not succeeding. I’m not saying that any of those excuses aren’t valid. Many are.
In fact, having a sluggish thyroid or other genetic problem may be an additional barrier to how fast you can lose weight. But using that excuse as a crutch will only keep you from making any progress at all. People with “bad” genetics and even health problems do manage to lose weight when they put their mind to it. The thing that keeps them from losing weight is falling back on the reason it is so difficult for them.
If you feel yourself slipping back into old habits, continue using the journal and stay on course. As soon as you start forgetting to exercise or stop paying attention to what you’re eating, you’ll begin to gain weight again. That is the last thing you want to do after all your hard work. Allow yourself to be human and don’t beat yourself up if you do cheat on your diet or exercise program. But as soon as you recognize that make sure you stop and get right back on the program to prevent further damaging your momentum. It’s not enough to say that you’ll do an extra set of crunches or next 15 minutes of aerobics. You want your body to be in balance, to lose fat and gain muscle in a slow and steady pace.
Remember, it takes to three weeks to start a new habit. But it takes just one day to break it.
Please~~~~~Keep at it!!
Southwestern Pasta Salad~~
Here’s a nice variation to a pasta salad! Really delicious too!
For the Dressing, combine these ingredients:
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic
Mix together for the Pasta Salad:
1 pound cooked whole wheat elbow pasta
1 pound cherry tomatoes quartered
1 cup corn
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped red onion
1 small can sliced black olives
Stir the dressing into the pasta and enjoy!
Approximately 14 – 1 cup servings. Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 5
Original recipe from Yummy.
They say old habits die hard. That phrase was never more true than for a dieter trying to change lifestyle habits. I say changing lifestyle habits instead of focusing on just the kind of food you eat and when you eat it because losing weight, getting fit, and staying that way is not a short term gig. It requires a whole change in the way you view your health and how to live your life. That may seem overwhelming when you think of it, but it’s really not. You just need to know which steps to take and then take them. The simplest way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a new habit that is healthy. When you think of it that way, it doesn’t feel like you’re giving up something you like because you’re filling that void with something else.
If you’re one of the many people who love to feast on a bowl of popcorn while watching a midnight movie you need to seriously consider how that late-night snack is ruining your diet. Sure, popcorn has a high amount of fiber, something that is good when you’re on a diet. It’s not the actual food that is the problem, but the time of day. You should stop taking in calories no later than 7:00 PM and just continue to drink water to fill you up. By that time, most people have had their dinner and are beginning to wind down from their day. That means that any calories you consume will not be burned off. They’ll be stored in your body as excess nutrition for your body to use later. Stored calories are held in fat cells.
You probably have a barrel full of excuses that you pull out every time you talk about why you haven’t lost the weight you want to lose. It could be anything from a sluggish thyroid to faulty genetics to just not having enough time to think about weight loss. I’m here to tell you to knock it off! The only way you will lose weight and keep it off is stop making excuses for why you’re not succeeding. I’m not saying that any of those excuses aren’t valid. Many are.
In fact, having a sluggish thyroid or other genetic problem may be an additional barrier to how fast you can lose weight. But using that excuse as a crutch will only keep you from making any progress at all. People with “bad” genetics and even health problems do manage to lose weight when they put their mind to it. The thing that keeps them from losing weight is falling back on the reason it is so difficult for them.
If you feel yourself slipping back into old habits, continue using the journal and stay on course. As soon as you start forgetting to exercise or stop paying attention to what you’re eating, you’ll begin to gain weight again. That is the last thing you want to do after all your hard work. Allow yourself to be human and don’t beat yourself up if you do cheat on your diet or exercise program. But as soon as you recognize that make sure you stop and get right back on the program to prevent further damaging your momentum. It’s not enough to say that you’ll do an extra set of crunches or next 15 minutes of aerobics. You want your body to be in balance, to lose fat and gain muscle in a slow and steady pace.
Remember, it takes to three weeks to start a new habit. But it takes just one day to break it.
Please~~~~~Keep at it!!
Southwestern Pasta Salad~~
Here’s a nice variation to a pasta salad! Really delicious too!
For the Dressing, combine these ingredients:
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic
Mix together for the Pasta Salad:
1 pound cooked whole wheat elbow pasta
1 pound cherry tomatoes quartered
1 cup corn
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped red onion
1 small can sliced black olives
Stir the dressing into the pasta and enjoy!
Approximately 14 – 1 cup servings. Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 5
Original recipe from Yummy.
