Simple Tips

Jillian Michaels, that Biggest Loser trainer, has a website in which she talks about behavior modification.  Under rule #3 Curb Mindless Eating she states, "Brush your teeth after every meal and snack.  Food never seems as appealing when you have that toothpaste taste in your mouth."  Sounds like an easy enough thing to do!

Other tips I found while searching online:
1.  Don't eat processed foods (they have added sugar, fat, and salt, not to mention chemicals)
2.  Boil or steam food (cooking with oil adds fat)
3.  Reduce sugar and/or salt consumption
4.  Burn more calories than you take in
5.  Use a digital scale that weighs to 0.2 pound (some daily/weekly losses are less than a pound and this will still show your success)
6.  Drink 8 glasses of water a day (helps you feel full and aids in digestion)
7.  Eat raw veggies (low in calories and full of nutrition)
8.  Let others know you are on a diet (helps build a community of supporters)
9.  Remember that a 30 minute work out is an equal amount of time as watching a half hour sitcom
10.  Keep a food diary
11.  Make breakfast the biggest meal of the day and keep dinner light
12.  Set your plate up with 50% vegetables, 25% protein, 25% whole grains
13.  Eat your meals at the same time every day
14.  Don't eat fast food
15.  Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night
16.  Reduce stress
17.  Be confident and have a positive outlook
18.  Eat at least 10 grams of fiber a day
19.  Avoid soda (and other sugary drinks)
20.  Eat at the table and always use utensils
21.  Instead of eating 3 big meals a day spread it out to 6 small meals.  (Eating 100-150 calories every 2 hours helps to keep metabolism higher.)
22.  Remember it's a lifestyle change
23.  Avoid fad diets
24.  Read other success stories
25.  Eat grapefruit

9/11 Heroes Run at SVSU

SVSU is one of 45 locations in the world that is hosting the 5k run or walk memorializing September 11, 2001.  The race is scheduled for Saturday, September 14, 2013, 1:00 pm.  Participants earn a race shirt, medals, post-race snacks, a ticket to that nights SVSU football game, and tickets to the carnival rides for the SVSU Street Fest scheduled that day!  The overall male and female winners will receive US flags flown in Afghanistan.  Prizes for age categories will also be awarded.  Cost is $25 with half of the proceeds going towards the Travis Manion Foundation, which supports families of killed service members and the remaining proceeds going towards the One Hundred Club of Saginaw County which supports families of police, firefighters and emergency personnel killed in the line of duty in the Great Lakes Bay Region.  The children's 400 Meter Dash race is free!  It starts at 12:45 and they will earn a race shirt and medals!  Registration is available online:  http://911heroesrunsaginaw.eventbrite.com.   

I really want to do this!  Who wants to bring their families out for some fun?!?!?!

Don't Give Up!

The good news is, I lost my first 10 pounds (last week)!  Unfortunately I also lost my dieting steam and ate foods that weren't in my plan.  I gained this past week.  It could have been a disaster, where I gained back everything and gave up even trying.  Fortunately, having friends who are striving for similar goals helps.  This post is a salute to my friend, Jill, who currently has unbreakable will power.  She is so motivated with incorporating work outs into her routine and eating healthy foods.  Salad Queen!  Her fire to meet her weight loss goals has inspired me to do better as well.  I appreciate her invitations for walks, discussions on healthy foods, and most importantly her cheer leading skills repeating, "We can do it!"  Thank you, Jill!