Bring IT! Part II: Team No Excuses

mrsyac2

I kicked my own butt today at the gym tonight 724 calories in an hour an 14 minutes. I usually try to burn atleast 10 calories a minute but I did way more than that- But I am not complaining Im hoping to have a nice drop in weight come Sundays weigh in

mgullette

I kicked my own butt today at the gym tonight 724 calories in an hour an 14 minutes. I usually try to burn atleast 10 calories a minute but I did way more than that- But I am not complaining Im hoping to have a nice drop in weight come Sundays weigh in

Awesome! That's a lot of calories mrsyac2. I think I forgot you on last night's roll call. Please forgive me! I think you'll be happy on Sunday...I hope I have the same results!

M

mrsyac2

I kicked my own butt today at the gym tonight 724 calories in an hour an 14 minutes. I usually try to burn atleast 10 calories a minute but I did way more than that- But I am not complaining Im hoping to have a nice drop in weight come Sundays weigh in

Awesome! That's a lot of calories mrsyac2. I think I forgot you on last night's roll call. Please forgive me! I think you'll be happy on Sunday...I hope I have the same results!

M

Its okay I was around lastnight but may not have posted on this thread- However I brought it yesterday and Tuesday as well--
Basically I bring it everytime I enter the gym

AmyNVegas

Some of you posted that you feel bloated and have stomach issues from eating clean here is a shake I use when I need to get things cleaned out and moved through(it's the extra fiber that is getting you) I got it from Jorge Cruise's 3 Hour Diet cookbook It is a whole meal.

1/2 cup ice
1/2 cup kashi GOLEAN Crunch cereal( I use Trader Joe's high fiber instead)
1 cup skim milk(I use almond milk unsweetened vanilla)
1 cup frozen blueberries or any berry of your choice
1 Tbsp psyllium husk powder
1 Tbsp organic flaxseed oil( I don't add it I just take a capsule of the flax I normally take)

Combine all in the blender and drink.It's about 400 calories following the recipe. I cut some so mine is closer to 300.

sweetapplepi

Hubby and I went for an hour walk with our doggies. It was chilly out tonight though, or we would have walked a few laps on the runner's path at the park. It was nice to get a bit more exercise with my hubs and get the dogs out.

I would highly recommend Jillian Micheal's work out DVD's. I just use On Demand and use the ones that are free there. I used one of her DVDs today, and I am sore, but it was a very very good cardio workout.

sweetapplepi

Some of you posted that you feel bloated and have stomach issues from eating clean here is a shake I use when I need to get things cleaned out and moved through(it's the extra fiber that is getting you) I got it from Jorge Cruise's 3 Hour Diet cookbook It is a whole meal.

1/2 cup ice
1/2 cup kashi GOLEAN Crunch cereal( I use Trader Joe's high fiber instead)
1 cup skim milk(I use almond milk unsweetened vanilla)
1 cup frozen blueberries or any berry of your choice
1 Tbsp psyllium husk powder
1 Tbsp organic flaxseed oil( I don't add it I just take a capsule of the flax I normally take)

Combine all in the blender and drink.It's about 400 calories following the recipe. I cut some so mine is closer to 300.

Um...I am so going to try this! I heard that psyllium was great for stomach issues and perhaps even for getting the metabolism going. Flax seed is great as well, I use it as a dressing on my salads with lemon juice. Thanks sooo much for this post!!! :bigsmile:

Phoenixflame

I want to jump on this boat!

I'm a college student, so I have temptations at every corner. But, I'm proud to say, a French fry has not passed my lips in 5 months...and I used to live off of French fries.

I try really hard to eat clean. Like, it's a huge thing for me. I work out 6 days a week with cardio, 3 x a week with weights.

I'm 18 and 5'4". My goal weight is 125, I'm currently 140. More so, I want muscle and firmness.

I seem to be having a hitch though. It's hard for me to eat enough--like, I'll wind up hovering at 1100. I've been consistent this week at 1240 though! I need to slooowly get them up to 1500-1600. I'll just start getting super paranoid. I hate it. But I'm trying, and getting better. It's just frustrating because some times I'll be "Duh, that's what's slowing you down and keeping you flabby looking." Then another voice will whisper "No, you're probably eating way more than 1100, you just don't realize it." But like I said, steady progress!

My rewards for reaching my goal: A sexy, slinky dress, and a cute little bikini.

Georg

I'm feeling good tonight. I had a good work out after work, then rode the bike here at home. I listened to the woman on the machine next to me talking about the great dinner she was going to make for her family when she got home - Pizza Hut lasagne.
:embarassed:
I hated to tell her I'd be making turkey & spinach lasagne. Low fat, low cal, whole wheat.
:bigsmile:

neeterskeeter

Some of you posted that you feel bloated and have stomach issues from eating clean here is a shake I use when I need to get things cleaned out and moved through(it's the extra fiber that is getting you) I got it from Jorge Cruise's 3 Hour Diet cookbook It is a whole meal.

1/2 cup ice
1/2 cup kashi GOLEAN Crunch cereal( I use Trader Joe's high fiber instead)
1 cup skim milk(I use almond milk unsweetened vanilla)
1 cup frozen blueberries or any berry of your choice
1 Tbsp psyllium husk powder
1 Tbsp organic flaxseed oil( I don't add it I just take a capsule of the flax I normally take)

Combine all in the blender and drink.It's about 400 calories following the recipe. I cut some so mine is closer to 300.

Thank you Amy!!!!! I am the one (or, one of the ones LOL) with abdominal bloating issues so I really appreciate this!! And I already eat the Go Lean, skim milk and blueberries so I have them on hand... just need to get the other stuff. Thanks again!

neeterskeeter

I want to jump on this boat!

I'm a college student, so I have temptations at every corner. But, I'm proud to say, a French fry has not passed my lips in 5 months...and I used to live off of French fries.

I try really hard to eat clean. Like, it's a huge thing for me. I work out 6 days a week with cardio, 3 x a week with weights.

I'm 18 and 5'4". My goal weight is 125, I'm currently 140. More so, I want muscle and firmness.

I seem to be having a hitch though. It's hard for me to eat enough--like, I'll wind up hovering at 1100. I've been consistent this week at 1240 though! I need to slooowly get them up to 1500-1600. I'll just start getting super paranoid. I hate it. But I'm trying, and getting better. It's just frustrating because some times I'll be "Duh, that's what's slowing you down and keeping you flabby looking." Then another voice will whisper "No, you're probably eating way more than 1100, you just don't realize it." But like I said, steady progress!

My rewards for reaching my goal: A sexy, slinky dress, and a cute little bikini.

Welcome Phoenix!!! That is impressive that you have given up french fries as a college student. I'm sure you'll be able to up your calories, maybe with some nuts or peanut butter and banana! Good luck.

neeterskeeter

I'm feeling good tonight. I had a good work out after work, then rode the bike here at home. I listened to the woman on the machine next to me talking about the great dinner she was going to make for her family when she got home - Pizza Hut lasagne.
:embarassed:
I hated to tell her I'd be making turkey & spinach lasagne. Low fat, low cal, whole wheat.
:bigsmile:

Awesome job Georg. WOW can you believe what people try to pass off as "meals"??? Turkey and spinach lasagna sounds great... healthy *and* delicious!

mgullette

I want to jump on this boat!

I'm a college student, so I have temptations at every corner. But, I'm proud to say, a French fry has not passed my lips in 5 months...and I used to live off of French fries.

I try really hard to eat clean. Like, it's a huge thing for me. I work out 6 days a week with cardio, 3 x a week with weights.

I'm 18 and 5'4". My goal weight is 125, I'm currently 140. More so, I want muscle and firmness.

I seem to be having a hitch though. It's hard for me to eat enough--like, I'll wind up hovering at 1100. I've been consistent this week at 1240 though! I need to slooowly get them up to 1500-1600. I'll just start getting super paranoid. I hate it. But I'm trying, and getting better. It's just frustrating because some times I'll be "Duh, that's what's slowing you down and keeping you flabby looking." Then another voice will whisper "No, you're probably eating way more than 1100, you just don't realize it." But like I said, steady progress!

My rewards for reaching my goal: A sexy, slinky dress, and a cute little bikini.

Welcome Phoenixflame!

Thanks for hopping on the Bring IT thread. You have very realistic goals and you sure will achieve them if you stick with us! I, too, am a college student, and while everyone faces temptation, it seems like most college students just think they're invincible. They eat like it's Thanksgiving at every meal:noway:

We have lots of good discussions, inspirational articles, recipes, and words of GET REAL, motivational encouragement. Thanks for joining us, and get ready to Bring IT daily with us.

M

mgullette

I'm feeling good tonight. I had a good work out after work, then rode the bike here at home. I listened to the woman on the machine next to me talking about the great dinner she was going to make for her family when she got home - Pizza Hut lasagne.
:embarassed:
I hated to tell her I'd be making turkey & spinach lasagne. Low fat, low cal, whole wheat.
:bigsmile:

Sigh. :huh: I just don't get it. I realize people are busy, but there are ways to make healthy and quick meals just as easily. Your meal sounds far more appealing to me anyway though. When can we expect our dinner invites? :laugh:

neeterskeeter

I really want to thank you guys for motivating me to stay on track. Today was a rough day because my boyfriend and I had to take his dad to the ER last night and we were there until really, really late while he got tests done. It turned out to be his gallbladder which luckily is not a major issue, they are just going to remove it with a minor surgery. So that was great but I was so worried and up all night or trying to sleep on the least comfortable chair in the coldest waiting room in history!

So today I was all out of whack, very tired and lacking in energy. It was a rare "rest" day for me because I seriously thought I'd pass out if I tried to run. I just curled up on the couch with my boyfriend when I got home from work and watched American Idol ha ha and ate fruit and nonfat yogurt, and salad with tuna.

I was really craving hot chocolate, marshmellows and alcohol (all together). It's weird because I usually don't get those cravings... I think from all the stress and just wanting to relax and take the edge off. I was so tempted but I came here and read through all of this and now I realize, that won't help, it will just make things worse by givnig me a sugar rush and empty calories. So thanks everyone. I think I'm going to call it a night and go to bed early so I can wake up early, hopefully with more energy! Good night.

MyaPapaya75

Welcome to the Bring it Bunch Phoenix!!

Well it looks like everyone had a great Bring It day and everyones day ended on a high note. Isnt that the best feeling to go to sleep knowing you kept your promises to yourself?
Tomorrow is a new day filled with new challenges as long as we stay consistent and shoot for the stars we will reach them in due time. The best thing is we will all reach them together!! TY Bring it Bunch!!! *throws a pear at Sassies head* Nite Nite:drinker:

osmium

M - I have had a quick look at the P90x site and it does look great. It's going to be a bit too expensive at the moment though as the NZ $ is really low at the moment. Basically it's 50c US, which means anything in the US I have to double and then add postage. Perhaps once I get a bit fitter the dollar will rise too and everything will magically coincide.

Georg - ooh recipe please. Sounds yum

neet - I understand your stress. I am just this minute back from the hospital and visiting my Dad. He's got some superbug and is more at risk than I had originally thought and won't be out until next week sometime at the earliest. It immediately made me think of eating junk. I am still feeling strong though and I won't go down that route. I have to be wary though as it is many years for me of bad eating habits to put behind me.

It's good to hear that people are similar to me in their exercise logging. If I'm not in my "gear" with my HRM I won't log it!

meisje

good morning!
a big problem in the past has been when i skip workout days... i never concidered them rest/recoup days and so my motivtaion would plummet and i would tend to grap whatever horrible "comfort" food i could find to fell better. so ridiculous...
yesterday i fell asleep in the sun (got a bit of a burn on my arms in the process) and realised that maybe a rest day (NOT a plummet day) was in order. i skipped the gym, but ate wicked healthily anyway. i went to bed early (9:30) and slept ten glorious hours.
i am now feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day (without all that awful guilt that i used to have every time i fell off the wagon) - what a great feeling!
hope you all wake up with the same postive energy!

RiverRatChick

I really want to thank you guys for motivating me to stay on track. Today was a rough day because my boyfriend and I had to take his dad to the ER last night and we were there until really, really late while he got tests done. It turned out to be his gallbladder which luckily is not a major issue, they are just going to remove it with a minor surgery. So that was great but I was so worried and up all night or trying to sleep on the least comfortable chair in the coldest waiting room in history!

So today I was all out of whack, very tired and lacking in energy. It was a rare "rest" day for me because I seriously thought I'd pass out if I tried to run. I just curled up on the couch with my boyfriend when I got home from work and watched American Idol ha ha and ate fruit and nonfat yogurt, and salad with tuna.

I was really craving hot chocolate, marshmellows and alcohol (all together). It's weird because I usually don't get those cravings... I think from all the stress and just wanting to relax and take the edge off. I was so tempted but I came here and read through all of this and now I realize, that won't help, it will just make things worse by givnig me a sugar rush and empty calories. So thanks everyone. I think I'm going to call it a night and go to bed early so I can wake up early, hopefully with more energy! Good night.

Sorry to hear about your boyfriend's dad. Best wishes to him during his recovery! Good for you for giving yourself a break, but also making healthy choices. It's so easy to make bad choices when you are faced with such a stressful situation, but you didn't!! I'm drooling-- you had me at hot chocolate and booze! LOL I hope you have a better day today!

MyaPapaya75

Good Job Meisje staying motivated....did you say sunburn? I hope its not too bad..

Good Morning Bring It Bunch!!
I slept horrible last night but I am revved up and ready to get my day started shortly...I have to step on the scale today for my over 200 group weigh in....I just realized in 9lbs I will no longer have over 100lbs to lose...I will also have hit way beyond the 50lb mark of weight loss...whats cool about that is since I will have already had lost 50lbs I can take the other 2 ..50lb increments and make them mini goals....this is really becoming more doable that I ever imagined!! I hope everyone BRINGS It today and makes no excuses in the process...WE CAN DO THIS!!:drinker:

jessmomof3

Hello Bring it gang! :bigsmile: TGIF!

I did my ChaLean Extreme workout this morning, Lean Circuit #3. It is a chest burner! :bigsmile: Added on my 30 daily pushups after and my chest and arms were shakin'!!!

Which makes me think of something... do you have a daily goal?? What is it? My goal was 30 pushups (not including a regular workout that includes pushups) a day EVERY day for me in 2009! :bigsmile: I have hit my goal every day so far this year! (I think pushups are one of the most awesome exercises EVER!)

Just finished my power oatmeal and black coffee:

1/4 c. old fashioned oatmeal, 1/4 c. multi grain cereal, 1/4 c. Fiber one, cooked for 2 min 20 sec in the microwave w/ 1 1/4 c. water. Then add:
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1 Tablespoon Naturally More Peanut Butter, and 1/4 c. cottage cheese

I eat it nearly every morning, it gets me off to a great healthy start! :bigsmile: (355 cals/ 12g fat/ 56g carb/ 16g fiber/ 24g protein )

jessmomof3

Good Morning Bring It Bunch!!
I slept horrible last night but I am revved up and ready to get my day started shortly...I have to step on the scale today for my over 200 group weigh in....I just realized in 9lbs I will no longer have over 100lbs to lose...I will also have hit way beyond the 50lb mark of weight loss...whats cool about that is since I will have already had lost 50lbs I can take the other 2 ..50lb increments and make them mini goals....this is really becoming more doable that I ever imagined!! I hope everyone BRINGS It today and makes no excuses in the process...WE CAN DO THIS!!:drinker:

You go girl!!! that is awesome! I weighed over 200# at one point in my life... so I'm living proof that you can do it! :bigsmile: Mini-goals are a great way to do it! :drinker:

mgullette

Good Morning Bring IT team!

Well, I can barely lift my arms today as I write this, so it might be short. Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps X continues to kick my butt and my arms are feeling it. But they are also seeing results . I didn't end up adding cardio after CST, but since I skipped my recovery day this week, I didn't feel guilty. Today I am bringing it with YogaX and some additional cardio.

Glad to see everyone is rockin' and rollin' with workouts and nutrition. I'm going to have to snag that oatmeal recipe Jess. Sounds delicious!

Great job everyone! TGIF, and let's have solid, clean weekends!

M

neeterskeeter

Hi everyone, this morning I was happy to see that I am back down another pound, so only one and a half more pounds to go until I am at where I was at -- 132.8 -- almost two weeks ago. I am convinced that it was a combination of gaining muscle and also my body having to get used to my new diet. I think all the fruit threw it into bloating mode. Yesterday was quite bad with the bloating but it went away in the evening and today it is not there!!! Yay. I am so glad this was just temporary because I was getting so frustrated as ya'll know. I am SO ready to be back at 132 and then continuing to go down hopefully. I haven't been under 130 for quite some time, and when I have been, it was pretty temporary, due to overstrict dieting so the pounds came right back. I want to *consistently* be under 130.

Thanks RiverRatChick for the words of encouragement. I *do* love me some hot chocolate and alcohol, I usually only drinking when I'm skiing and then I figure it's a drop in the bucket compared to all the calories I burn all day.

Jess-- I guess I don't have a daily goal per se, other than keeping with my daily calories and working out. When I'm training for a race I'll have a specific workout to follow each day -- speed work or hills or long run, etc.

sweetapplepi

I am so sore today. Every inch of my body hurts... atleast I know that I pushed myself hard yesterday though. No rest for me today though, I'm going to keep pushing my body. I also think I'm going to order my "goal" bikini today. It isn't sold in the store here for some weird reason, so I have to order it from the website. I'm going to order the small, and see how that fits. It's on sale, and I just can't pass up a sale. Having it around is actually going to motivate me even more to reach my goal fitness level I think.

I'm also super excited because we're going to purchase the elliptical machine Sunday. I love using one, and can't wait to have it in our home.


Have a great Friday everyone!!!

sweetapplepi

Also, I wanted to post this link for people who are concerned about fruits that are making them feel bloated.
Just FYI, I thought it might be an interesting read.

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/gas-amp-bloating-from-fruit.html

Glen

:blushing:

You seem to have alot of experience with diets, etc. I wonder do you have any information on a diet for diabetrics?

Dolly

mgullette

:blushing:

You seem to have alot of experience with diets, etc. I wonder do you have any information on a diet for diabetrics?

Dolly

Hi Dolly,

Thanks for hopping on our thread. Before the MyFitnessPal police come after me , I'd like to throw out a small disclaimer for everyone here. As far as I know, most of us are self-taught nutritionists (that is, we have found what works best for us). That being said, it's good to know your specific goals before we start throwing out information at you.

My father is also a diabetic, and it KILLS me that he doesn't follow a proper nutrition plan. Do you have Type I or Type II? Type II is more easily controlled with proper nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. As far as Type I goes, insulin is a daily necessity, though proper nutrition is important as well. I emphasize NUTRITION, not diet, as it is a lifestyle change, so diet is a bad 4 letter word to me.

I guess I need to ask what starting information you have about diabetic treatment and lifestyle changes. The popularity of clean eating, South Beach, Sonoma, and other similar "diet" books I believe is likely due to the fact that they work for everyone and go a long way in treating several ailments that come with sedentary lifestyles and poor food choices. While these all emphasize similar methods, the cooking methods are slightly different and tailored to different tastes.

Are you familiar with the Glycemic Index? This index measures the impact of different foods on blood sugar. It would be helpful to you because you can see those that have a high index number will have a quick-acting dose of glucose to your blood stream, while low index numbers indicate slow-acting glucose that will take awhile to be converted to glycogen.

This is just a little information, and I have more if you have more questions. I can also post recipes that are good for diabetics, because more than likely, they're good for the rest of us too

M

mgullette

Also, I wanted to post this link for people who are concerned about fruits that are making them feel bloated.
Just FYI, I thought it might be an interesting read.

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/gas-amp-bloating-from-fruit.html

Good article sweet. I too feel bloated after eating fruit sometimes. This clears it up!

mgullette

By Cecilia H. Lee

There are no substitutes for eating healthy and regular exercise, but experts say that your frame of mind and your attitude can make a huge difference to your weight loss success. Of course, we're not suggesting hypnosis or any of that silly voodoo. We're talking about cutting out the "mental fat"—the negative thoughts and emotional baggage we carry around that keep us from being able to shed the physical fat.


It's easy for us to make excuses for not getting healthier. Whether it be emotional problems, work-related stresses, or family pressures, something will always get in the way of eating better and making time to exercise.

Just as losing weight and getting healthier won't happen overnight, improving your thought process will take time as well. Be patient with yourself and work at it a little bit at a time. Below we've outlined 10 methods you can use to help you think better, smarter, healthier, and thinner!

1. Visualize yourself thin. Imagine how you'll look 6 to 12 months down the line. If you have old pictures of your thinner self, dig them out and put them up in a prominent place (like the refrigerator or on a bulletin board in your office). Remember how you felt back then. What habits did you have then that allowed you to be healthier? See if you can incorporate your better habits from the past back into your lifestyle now. Remember to see yourself in a positive light. Having a positive attitude and being happy with yourself will be helpful in achieving your health goals.

2. Make a list. List specific reasons why you want to lose weight. Perhaps you want to be more attractive to a certain someone, maybe you want to be able to fit into your old clothes again, or maybe you'd just like to have more energy. Whatever your personal reasons, great or small, write them all down on an index card. Look at your list every morning and carry it around in your wallet or purse. On the back of the card, write down motivating phrases to give yourself encouragement.

Think about activities you wish you could do that you can't do because of your weight. If you can, cut out a picture of that activity from a magazine and hang it near your desk (or somewhere else that's visible), so that you'll have something to look forward to.

3. Identify self-sabotaging thoughts. Pay attention to your negative thoughts. We all have them. They may be something like "This is too difficult," "I'll never be able to lose this much weight," or "I'm too tired." You can't stop them from entering your head but you can learn to respond to them constructively. 

Don't be overly critical of yourself—focusing on your negative aspects while minimizing your positive ones. Just because you feel or believe something doesn't actually make it true. Of course, there are no wrong or bad emotions, but identifying why something makes you feel bad can help prevent those situations in the future. If you get in the habit of identifying your self-sabotaging thoughts, you can nip them in the bud before they blow up into an ugly depression.

4. Distract yourself from cravings. Create a list of things you can do to distract yourself from tempting food. Perhaps you can read a book, flip through a magazine, or play a video game. Or better yet, go for a walk or pop in an exercise DVD, like Turbo Jam®, 10-Minute Trainer®, or Slim in 6®. The next time a craving comes up, do one or two things on your list. You may have to do more, but eventually the craving will pass. Cravings will pass 100 percent of the time.

5. Create small goals for yourself. Write down a list of tiny things you can do to improve your lifestyle. We all know that it's difficult to make huge changes to our lifestyles. So try accomplishing smaller goals. Try doing some of these workouts: Take a 30-minute walk in the afternoon. Eat one more serving of fruits or vegetables today. Forgo that soda or glass of wine and just have a tall glass of ice water. Order a side salad instead of those french fries.

6. Replace old habits with new ones. It's easier to replace an old habit with a new habit than it is to break an old one altogether. For instance, if you have a sandwich every day for lunch, choose low-fat turkey on wheat and skip the mayonnaise. Have plain or sparkling water instead of a regular sugared or diet soda. If you like to have an afternoon snack, grab an apple or a handful of your favorite nuts instead of a candy bar. There are so many ways you can replace even entrenched bad habits with healthier good ones. Be creative and have fun with it.

7. Keep a journal. Get a little notebook and keep a log of your weight. This way you can determine what is and isn't working and track the progress you make. Also, write down what you eat. Keeping track of the foods you eat will help show patterns. You may not have realized that you eat ice cream right out of the freezer every night after dinner, but your journal will keep you honest. Just knowing that you're going to write down what you've been eating may keep you from reaching for that extra serving of mashed potatoes.

8. Plan for the future. Every night before you go to bed, plan for the next day. Whether it be scheduling exercise in your calendar or prepacking healthy snacks (like fresh fruit, cut veggies, or low-fat popcorn), get ready for tomorrow.

This also applies to grocery shopping. Make a list before you go grocery shopping that includes fresh fruits and vegetables you like. Replace calorie-heavy, fatty foods like chips and cookies with baked crackers or dried fruit.

Armed with a plan and tools to help you maintain that plan, you'll have an easier time meeting your goals.

9. Be nice to yourself. When you've been good, do something nice for yourself. Reward yourself with something you enjoy (but not with food rewards, of course!). Perhaps you can enjoy a trip to a movie theatre, buy yourself a new book, or go for a foot massage. 

For instance, if you walked up the stairs to work this morning, treat yourself to a bit of Internet surfing or an online game before tackling your job. If you've lost 5 pounds, reward yourself with a new haircut. Whatever you do, give yourself rewards proportional to the goals you accomplish.

10. Surround yourself with support. We all need emotional support, especially when times get tough. Find friends and family to help you. You may even be able to find a diet buddy or join a support group (like the Beachbody Message Boards, for example). Many studies show that having a healthy social network is better for your overall health. Dieters who have friends and family pulling for them achieve better success than those who try to go it alone. 

So pick up the phone, call a friend, and flex those mental muscles. Many happy thoughts to you!

mgullette

6 Tips for Teaching Kids Nutritious Food Choices

By Suzy Buglewicz

It can seem like an impossible task to steer kids toward healthy food choices when they face a daily stream of endless advertisements depicting other kids happily devouring high-calorie foods loaded with sugar, fats, and sodium. But according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), our food and physical activity choices affect not only our health but how we feel today, tomorrow, and in the future. Studies show that a child's nutrition has a direct impact on how healthy he or she will be as an adult. With the holiday season behind us, and fewer visions of sugar plums and other treats dancing through our heads, there's no time like the present to reinforce a balanced diet. And the bottom line is that kids won't know about good food choices unless their parents show them what foods they need for their bodies to grow strong.

1. Plan menus as a family. One of the best places kids can learn about food and healthy eating is in their own kitchens. Sitting down to plan a week's worth of family menus might sound daunting and time consuming, but it will make the next two tips much easier and worth the effort. Pick a time before the week starts and decide on about 5 days' worth of menus. Pull out a few cookbooks, ask the kids for their input, and let them choose some of their favorite recipes. Nutrition experts recommend that parents offer a range of healthy choices that are similar in nutritional value instead of simply asking kids what they want to eat. It's a win-win since the kids feel in control by getting to make the choice and the parent knows that, whatever the choice is, the choice will be healthy. Encourage them to create a menu board on which they write down and decorate the week's menu. Don't forget to include desserts—healthy desserts, of course!

2. Go shopping. If you want your family to eat healthily, you have to shop healthily. Take your kids to the grocery store (feed them before you leave the house!), and, for the older kids, encourage them to read the nutrition information on the labels of their favorite snack foods. (Get Real with Shaun T™ and Shaun T's Fit Kids® Club both offer guides for teaching kids to read nutrition labels.) Ask them to look at the sugar, fat, and salt contents, and explain that the higher the percentages, the unhealthier the foods are. The more involved kids are in the shopping and meal planning, the better informed they'll be to make healthier choices about what they eat, even when you're not there to remind them.

Another benefit of taking kids to the grocery store is giving them supervised control to choose healthy snacks for the family. Consider fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season when they are at their peak flavor, and encourage the kids to choose a fruit and/or vegetable they've never tried before. Include breakfast items on the shopping trip, since studies show that eating breakfast gives our bodies the fuel we need to have enough energy for the rest of the day. And if you don't want your kids to eat junk food, don't buy it. Experts warn that eating too much junk food is contributing to the rise in childhood obesity.

3. Get cooking. It's no secret that eating out puts on more pounds than eating home-cooked meals. Eating at home also gives you a better idea of reasonable portion control, which has gotten out of control at restaurants, where plates are often supersized with extra starchy and fried foods like bread and french fries. Even with multiple family activities and schedules, vowing to cook at home just one more night a week than you do now can make a difference. Teach your kids how to cook; if they're too young, encourage them to help you in the kitchen. Not only will they learn what goes into a healthy meal, preparing meals as a family allows for quality family time. Kids can even reinforce what they've learned in school by helping look up and read recipes and measure ingredients. Even if you're really pressed for time, a meal as simple as grilled chicken breast with a green salad and a baked potato provides a nutritious dinner that can be on the table in 30 minutes.

4. Take a walk on the wild side: try something new. Kids need healthy food choices to fuel their growing bodies and active lifestyles, but sometimes they get stuck in a rut eating only things like carrots or cucumbers as their "healthy food choices." When introducing a new food on their plates, serve small portions so you'll both feel a sense of accomplishment when they finish eating. And be sure to let your kids see you try new foods so they're more likely to step out of their comfort zones and try something new as well.

5. The USDA recommends starting with one new healthy food at a time and adding a new one each day. One of the easiest ways to add more fruits and vegetables to a picky kid's diet is to serve the food cut into bite-sized pieces with healthy but tasty dips or spreads. Apple slices with peanut butter and carrots, celery, and broccoli with low-fat ranch dip, flavored hummus, or even homemade salsa are great choices. Talk to your kids about what different types of foods do for the body, such as the importance of calcium for building strong teeth and bones and vegetables and grains for building healthy muscles and having a healthy digestion system. If the kids only want to eat junk food because they think it tastes good, explain that they will ultimately face issues like fatigue, obesity, and high blood pressure, which will lead to lifelong health problems.

6. Practice what you preach. Be a good role model and show your kids that a nutritious diet is all about balance, not deprivation. Go ahead and let them see you splurge on an occasional chocolate bar or donut, but make sure they also see you regularly eating your fruits and vegetables. Continue the healthy eating trend when eating out as a family and encourage your kids to make healthier choices. A sub sandwich on whole wheat bread with a side of baked potato chips is a much better choice than a greasy burger and fries. The nutrition choices parents teach kids when they're young will likely stay with them as they grow. And while you can't expect bad habits to change overnight, small steps to improve what you eat along with regular exercise will lead to a lifetime of healthy habits.