The "In-between" Days

We're still in the midst of the holiday season. If you are like me you've already made it through one of the most food intensive days of celebration and are preparing for the next. For me it was Christmas Eve and Day celebrations, now I have a few days before New Years festivities. Whichever winter holiday you celebrate chances are you've made it through the bulk of the major "eating days" and are preparing for the next.

Its hard to pass up all those left over cookies, nut rolls, cakes, goodies, and other sweets, but these "in-between days" as I like to call them can be the key to avoiding the typical 5 to 10 pound holiday gain. Use these days to refocus your healthy eating efforts. If you are the kind that likes to go visiting during this time of year, where you are offered treats at entry house, you can still be polite and eat a cookie, but opt for water instead of soda, alcohol, or blended drink.

Use the time you have to yourself to make the best healthiest food choices so when you are confronted by treaty treats the impact won't be as severe. If you keep in mind that the holiday its over and today is just another day (as far as eating goes) its easier to get back on track. It's also easy to let your workout regime slip during this time of year, making sure you get that metabolism boost will also prove to be worth the effort.

If you use a calorie counting website our App to help you stay on track, chances are you may have changed your goal to maintaining your current weight or only losing half a pound a week, today is the day to change your goal back to your typical weekly weight loss goal and keep at it until the New Years Eve party.

This morning I started off with yet another better breakfast....oh and my better breakfast did incorporate some left over holiday ham!

Goal #1: Achieved - Lose 20 lbs by My Birthday!

So, here they are, the dreaded "Before" shots. I'm looking forward to the after shots. I will try to update them after every goal date.

My original goal: Lose 20 pounds by my Birthday which is in the beginning of December.
My original weight was: 175

<----In this picture these are my stats:
weight: 172.5 lbs
Measurements: The tape measure I was using only went up to 40 inches...
Bust with sports bra on: about 41 inches
Waist: 40 inches
Hips: ?? the tape measure I was using only went up to 40 inches! How embarrassing is that?
Thigh: 22 inches





Goal #1 achieved and then some!
Today I weight 149.5 which is a total loss of 25.5 lbs so far!

In the picture to the Right, these are my stats! -------------->

Weight: 149.5lbs
I got a new measuring tape that went up well beyond 40.
Bust with sports bra on: 40 inches...
(whos says that the first place every woman loses weight? LOL)
Waist: 35 inches... yes folks, that's a 5 inch difference.
Hips: 39.5 inches.
Thigh: 20.5 inches.

HOW AM I DOING IT???

How am I doing it? I have been giving people the short and sweet answer because I've found that when I've tried to tell the all the details they stop listening as soon as I say the word exercise, but you folks are reading this for a reason so I'll give you all the details.

First of all, as many of you know I have been using MyFitnessPal.com to keep track of my calories and nutrients. (Yes, I know that sounds a whole lot like counting calories doesn't it? That's a lot of work. Most people's eyes glaze over when I say that and they stop actually listening, because, who wants to be bothered with doing something as tedious as counting calories?)

FITNESS TOOLS

Well, MyFitnessPal doesn't making it as tedious. I even have the app for it on my smart phone so all I have to do is search the data base for the item I'm eating or one similar to it and click the "Add" button for whichever meal I'm eating. It counts the calories and nutrients for me. And if there are times that I have a food that isn't in the database and I can't even find one that's similar to it it's just as easy to add a new food based on the stats on the nutritional labels. The other benefit of MyFitnessPal is that it's a built in support group. You can find people just like you fighting the same battle against weight loss, cheer each other on, give and received advice and tips, and keep track of all your progress all in one place.

My other weapon of choice is EA Sports Active 2. Ok, this was a gift from my dad who has heard me whine about wanting to get healthier and be in better shape. I love this game. One of the few video games I will actually play, mostly because it gets your whole body moving. I jumpstarted my weight loss by using the 9 Week Program built in to this game. It's was awesome!

When I first started I didn't think I would make it through the first workout, but I kept pushing through. This game gives you everything you need, a resistance band for building muscle, a heart rate monitor, and it keeps track of your stats within the game as well. You can get nutrition tips and keep track of your weight loss all within the framework of this game.

CHANGING THE WAY I EAT

I used to eat 3 planned meals a day and snack whenever I wanted to on whatever I wanted to. When I started my current job they provided breakfast and lunch for the children under my care and since I was their teacher I had to eat the meals with them. So I adjusted my schedule to include a small snack in the morning so I could eat breakfast and lunch at school with my children, then I'd eat dinner at home with my family, and once again snack whenever I felt like it. Which is one I could never lose the weight I gained from my pregnancy and in fact was adding more.

So, now I eat 5 or 6 smaller meals a day. Each meal is planned as far as how many calories I can eat at each one based on the daily calorie goal caculated by MyFitnessPal.com. I start my day with a small health snack under 200 calories as this point, breakfast is under 320 calories, lunch is 500 calories, dinner is 450 calories, and my late night snack is 120 calories. Remember this is what I eat to lose about a half pound of weight a week at the current weight of 149.5. How much you weight now and the rate at which you want to lose weight would change your total number of daily calories which would also change your calories allotted per meal. Your daily activity during the day also plays a roll in the number of calories you can eat in a day, since I'm constantly running after 17 three to five year olds five days a week I consider myself to be lightly active which allows me to eat more calories then someone who would consider themselves to be sedentary during their work day. Again, these calories are all calculated by MyFitnessPal for me.

There are days I allow myself to splurge, but I track it all so I'm aware of how many calories I am going over my goal each day. If you've been reading my blog for a while I'm sure you've read the article on the benefits of splurging once in a while.

THE FORBIDDEN FOODS

I have none. Yep, that's right, there are no forbidden foods. I keep my focus on trying to eat the healthiest lower calories foods I can like veggies, lean proteins, fruit, water, etc. But I do allow myself to eat the things I love once in a while. I've had a Whopper Jr on occassion and there's no way I was passing up my sister's pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, and I love me some chocolate every now and again. I've just gotten more disciplined ad when I allow myself to eat these types of foods. If I know there's birthday party coming up, I make sure the meals I eat during the day are that much healthier and lower calorie to make room calorically for the birthday cake and ice cream I might have at the party. And then, I try not to go overboard at the party. A small piece of cake a little scoop of icecream and log it all in MyFitnessPal. Along with my article on splurging is the explanation of how changing up your diet once in a while can actually be good for your body because then it doesn't become complacent. It doesn't get used to buring the same type of calories in the same way every day. If you don't completely deny yourself a certain food then you don't crave it as much. No cravings means no binging, no binging means better weight loss.

WATER

In the past few weeks I've been making it a point to drink more water. I will have an 8 oz glass as soon as I wake up in the moring with my multivitamin. Another 8 oz when I get to work in the moring, another 8 oz on my break if I get one and then several others when I'm at home. I have noticed a drastic increase in my weight loss since I've started drinking more water. As a matter of fact, even though

EXERCISE

As I've mentioned I have been using EA Sports Active 2 as my main workout regime, but I've also take the opportunity to get in some physical activity whenever and where ever the opportunity has presented itself. I've gone on many many walks with neighbors and friends, took part in a Zumba Class that was part of a training day at work, taken the long way or the stairs at my daughter's day care...etc. But don't think I'm someone who's working out every single day without fail. I started out workout out 4 days a week with EA Sports Active 2 as was part of the requirements for the 9 week program, but as my grad class become more intense during midterms and finals I found I've had less and less time for pretty much everything else in my. So, my fitness routine turned into a once a week event usually on Sunday. This is important because I was still aware that I needed to workout. I didn't just give up on trying to exercise. And now that I'm finished with my grad classes I'm going to start hitting it hard again as many days a week as I can.

PEOPLE

I can not tell you how important it is to surround yourself with positive supportive people. I'm very fortunate to have the family and friends that I do. They have noticed my progress and have kept encouraging me from the first noticible 5 pound loss where I am now. I've also learned how to ignore the neigh sayers and the negative influencers that try to tell me to eat more or give me excuses why you should not worry about tracking my calories or try to tell me that I don't need to lose any more weight. I have my goal in mind, a healthy goal and I am determined to stick to it.

DISCIPLINE

Adopting a healthier lifestyle has more to do with discipline than anything else. You have to be strong in your mindset to commit to your goals. Today, I can walk out to my kitchen to get my daughter something to eat or drink and see the chocolate cake sitting on the counter and not even feel tempted to eat it. When I go out to eat with friends, if I haven't planned the meals a head of time, I have the discipline to choose the healthier items on the menu. At this point, four months into this lifestyle change I actually prefer the healthier foods.

I also have the discpline to not let a rough spot get me down. I am committed to my weighloss goal. If I don't lose a half pound one week, I don't dwell on it. I keep in mind how much weight I've lost so far and get back at it the next day.

REALISTIC GOALS

In closing, I just want to remind all my readers old and new that my approach to weightloss and fitness is not meant to turn anyone into a super athlete. Nor is it some scheme to lose weight fast. This is a realistic approach for the average working person. A way to get healthier and stay healthier through simple lifestyle changes. The goals I set for myself and the changes I make to my lifestyle are all based in reality, nothing drastic. Which is why I have been met with such success for the past four month. I do not take any form of weight loss pill, I do not subscribe to any particular diet plan, to lose weight and keep it off, your plan of attack has to be one that you can sustain for an extended period of time... i.e. the rest of your life. Diet pills and restrictive diets do not fit that bill. The only supplement I take is a daily vitamin to help make sure my nutritional goals are met.

A Better Breakfast - with Green Peppers

Its been a while since I added a better meal mostly because my breakfasts & lunches consist of what I have to eat with my Pre-Kers during the program day. But feeling the need to get back in the health nut groove I reached for a couple healthy classics and added a fruit and veggie for a filling healthy breakfast diverse in nutrients.

3 scrambled egg whites

4 strips butterball turkey bacon

1 green bell pepper raw (cut into strips)

1 Clementine orange

1 cup Fat Free Organic Milk

1/2 cup Wench's grape juice

This breakfast is quick and easy to make and includes protein, dairy, fruits, some fats and oils, and vegetables for only 360 calories is you only use cooking spray to fry the eggs and bacon. 

Enjoy! And as always if you have a Better meal that you would like to share please do so under the "YOUR Better Meals" Links!

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Understanding the Body Mass Index (BMI)

Everyone has their own idea in mind for what their ideal body weight would be. Some of those expectations come from our own personal experience, such as the weight we were when we considered ourselves to be in the best shape of our lives. Sadly many of our body image issues and lofty goals come from the media, unrealistic depictions of what the perfect woman or man should look like. We forget that the men and women magazines depict as being beautiful have a team of people working with them to help project these images. The other source we might go to, and in my opinion the only source that matters, are medical standards of what is a healthy weight for our bodies. Our body weight can affect many aspects of our health, put us at risk for certain disease or help prevent others. Of all the influences that are out there I feel that health related sources for ideal weights are the most reliable. Our memory of what we used to be or our weight from when we were in "the best shape of our life" might be unrealistic because as we get older our bodies change, our schedules change, and the things we used to do to be at the weight we once were just aren't realistic.

Our family and friends are great cheerleaders, most of the time, but it's too easy to not believe family or friends when they tell you that you look great because let's face it we all think the same thing, "They are your family and friends so they are supposed to tell you that." But medical and health related tools are unbiased. They don't care who you are, what you used to look like, or what the media thinks. Their only concern is that you are at a healthy weight.

There are many different health related sources out there some more accurate than others, but some also more easy to use and understand than others. One source many fitness sites offer is one of the simplest tools to help you determine your ideal body weight. The Body Mass Index (BMI). Many sites offer free BMI calculators in which all you have to do is input your height an weight and they determine where you fall on the BMI index.

The numbers differ slightly from site to sight but in general when one looks at an BMI chart or uses a BMI calculator a score below 19 indicates that you are underweight, between 19 - 24 is considered "normal" (I personally do not like the word normal as a descriptor for anything, but that's the classification they use.) A BMI score between 25 - 29 is considered overweight. 30 - 39 is considered obese, and 40 or above is considered extremely obese sometimes referred to as morbidly obese. This information is all really great, but it doesn't really give you a goal weight to focus on for your height. In order to determine a healthy goal weight it's best to look at a BMI chart instead of just using a calculator.

This image of a BMI chart was taken from the Fort Worth Lap-Band website.
 http://www.fortworthlapband.com/BMIChart.aspx

I chose this image mostly because I feel that it is the easiest to understand and includes weight for every height between 4'10" and 6'4" instead of every other inch like some of the other charts do. As you can see from this chart there is quite a range of weight for each height that is considered "normal" or healthy. Basically, one's goal reach a body weight that puts them in the GREEN column.

For example, I am 5'3" and am currently 152.5lbs. which as you can see, still puts me in the "overweight" category. Which is much better than the 175 I was in August of 2011 when I first began my weight loss journey. Note that the "Normal" weight for someone of my height is between 107 and 135. That's almost a 30 pound weight range. The reason there is such a big gap is because there are many body types out there and BMI indexes cannot differentiate between weight from muscle and weight from fat. This is where your have to use a little bit of common sense and honesty with yourself. I know from experience that I will never see 107lbs. I haven't been 107lbs since I was in middle school. When I was the thinnest I ever was in my adult life I was 117lbs and only had 14 % body fat (as indicated by a skin fold calipers test). But I was also on an alarmingly low calorie diet (at the time I didn't realize how unhealthy it was) lifting every day, and running every other day. To lose enough weight to get to the lower end of he "normal" range of BMI for my height I would have had to lose muscle mass. So, instead my goal weight comes from a more realistic and healthy version of me when I was in college. For the majority of my adult life I had been around 125 pounds. Which as you can see puts me well within the "normal" range for my height. And was the result of working out regularly and eating a healthy diet.

There are other health related tools you can use to help you determine your ideal weight such as the skin fold caliper test I mentioned, if you can find someone who is trained in how to accurately use them. There are other more sophisticated and expensive tools uses by professional athletes and other health professions, but the BMI charts and calculators are the best tool for the average person. As long as you keep in mind that weight is not the most important factor. That is why most fitness sites encourage you to take other measurements such as waist and hip measurements or heart rate tests.

I have included links to several websites that offer free BMI calculator from sites associated with the health issues or diseases that can result from being overweight and of course the

 The Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institute of Health
 http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/


American Institute for Cancer Research
http://www.aicr.org/reduce-your-cancer-risk/weight/tools_bmi_calculator.html?gclid=CPmbpt7BxawCFcZM4AodkVbtqg

You can also find many other BMI calculators and charts by using your favorite search engine.

Don't get hung up on the young girl or guy you used to be.
Don't let the media tell you what your ideal body weight is.
Set realistic goals and aim to be healthy!

Make Your Next Food Choice a Better Food Choice!

One mistake many dieters seem to make is thinking that if they don't eat perfectly (according to their diet plan) their whole day is shot so they should just keep eating whatever they want and start anew tomorrow. While making sure you eat better tomorrow is definitely a good idea, you don't have to wait that long to make better food choices.

One misstep doesn't ruin your whole day. I know sometimes it's frustrating when you have been eating and working out according to your plan and then in a moment of weakness or special occasion you eat something that you or your diet plan has deemed as "forbidden" and it feels like all the work you have done this far was for nothing. Don't give into that feeling of guilt or hopelessness and especially don't let it ruin the rest of your day. You can start making better food choices with your very next choice. So, just because you ate a piece of chocolate cake at Uncle Fred's 80th birthday party at 2:00 doesn't mean you should just give up for the day and eat a whole bowl full of Bon Bons as a midnight snack and it definitely doesn't mean you should skip a meal altogether.

Remember when you eat multiple small meals throughout the day it keeps your body in calorie burning mode. So if you know there's going to be cookies and cakes at a Wedding Reception, don't skip a meal to reserve the extra calories for the junk food you know you will fall victim to, just eat small healthier, lower calorie meals before the reception. This will have you feeling fuller at the reception so you will be less likely to eat more junk food. Going to the reception hungry because you tried to reserve calories for the special occasion could back fire in a big way because you'll eat more of the higher calorie less healthy foods there.

Each food choice you make can help make a difference. So start with your next food choice. If you had that piece of chocolate cake. Make sure you drink water instead of soda and eat a better meal later that day.  That way you only took on a few extra calories today. And you can still start new again tomorrow and make sure you stay on track!

Setting Mini Goals

You've made one of the most important decisions of your life. You've decided to adopt a healthier lifestyle, to lose weight, and get in shape. You look in the mirror and pick apart the parts of your body you fantasize slimming down or becoming more defined. You step on the scale and think to yourself, "I'm X number of pounds heavier than I ever wanted to be in my life." According to BMI indexes you fall into the "overweight," "obese," or "morbidly obese" categories. At this moment the concept of losing as much weight at you need to be considered healthy seems insurmountable, especially if you have tried many different ways to try and lose weight in the past. So what do you do?

Set mini goals. We all have mini goals in our minds anytime we set out to do anything. The same is true when we evaluate ourselves in the mirror, on the scale, or in any other way when it comes to our bodies. We all think, "I'd feel so much happier if I could just get down to my pre-pregnancy weight" or "I'd look so much better if I could just lose an extra 10 pounds" Almost immediately following that thought is, "but it would sure be nice if I could get down to the weight I was when X number of years ago" and then finally, but I would sure love to to be in as good as shape as I was when I was in college or the the shape I was before..."

When you look a big goal it's easy to get discourage, especially in weight loss because weight is gained so much easier and faster than it is lost. So, when you're only losing weight at the rate of a pound or two a week (the best case scenario to develop better food and health choices over a long period of time). It's hard to get excited about being 5 pounds lighter in one month when you have 50 pounds or more to lose. This is where the mini goals come in. When you sent a mini goal you get that sense of accomplishment several times along your weight loss or fitness journey. Which motivates you to keep pushing toward your overall goal.

Those of you who have been following me on facebook, twitter, or myfitness pal know that I have set several minigoals for myself. I started out with an overall goal of losing 50 pounds. My first mini goal was to lose at least 5 pounds in one month. My next mini goals was to lose 20 pounds by my birthday (in 4 months). Once I reached both of these goals... one well head of schedule as my birthday isn't until next month! I decided on another reasonable mini goal. 10 more pounds by the new year. This is a rate of 1 pound a week... yes even over the holidays.

The other key to continued success is being able to forgive yourself and setting realistic expectations. If you only lose 9 pounds when your goal was 10... still recognize the 9 pounds you did lose. Set a more accomplish able minigoal for he next round.

So to recap.

1) break down your overall goal into mini goals
2) be realistic about your mini goals
3) acknowledge your accomplishements even when you don't make your mini goals
4) forgive yourself and keep focused.

EverydayHealth.com: How to Reduce Stress With Diet Diet Center - Everyday Health

Message from Sender: Saw this article posted on twitter. Thought it might be interesting to share.

Everyday Health: How to Reduce Stress With Diet Diet Center
A healthy diet can help reduce stress, and some foods in particular offer stress-busting qualities.

Make The Most Of Your Health, Every Day!

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• Health information, personalized just for you!
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Join us at Everyday Health

The Eating Season: Tips to Survive!

So, Halloween has come and gone and sitting somewhere in your house may be a huge stash of your kids' candy. And you've been feeling guilty and maybe even a little like you're losing your focus or maybe have even fallen completely off the weight loss wagon. Fear not! And don't give up! With the holidays coming up everyone stresses and worries about overeating and trying all kinds of tricks to try to stay within their calorie or nutritional goals. All the stress isn't helping. So maybe it's time to just relax and accept that yes, you are going to over eat at least a few days out of each of the next few months, but you've worked hard to this point to lose the weight you've lost and get in the shape that you are in now. Don't throw it all away over a few days of feasting. There's plenty of days between Trick-or-Treat and Thanksgiving that you can get back on track, and days between Thanksgiving and your winter holiday (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Solstice...etc) to get back on track and even a few days between the winter holiday and New Years Eve to workout and eat right. After that, unless you celebrate Three Kings Day or Russian Orthodox Christmas (or some other January holiday that I'm not aware of) you can pretty much get your healthy lifestyle back in full swing. Also keep in mind, sometimes varying your diet can sometimes help boost your metabolism for a while. This following is a repost of a blog post I wrote when I had the A Better Reflection: Nutrition Blog as a separate blog.

Boost Your Metabolism: Splurge for a Day!

As you may know, health and fitness isn't a new concept for me. I used to be in fantastic shape (as evidenced by the Picture/Logo I use for A Better Reflection blogs and FB page.) I do keep in mind that research is constantly being done on key health and fitness issues and people are constantly learning knew things about how the body works. When I was in college, I used to restrict myself to eating healthy and watching my diet diligently during the school/work week, then on the weekends I'd allow myself to eat however my social life dictated. Keep in mind this didn't mean I went out and made it a point of eating more calories or unhealthy food, I would just relax and not focus on it so much, and yes, I'd have a big slice of chocolate cake and 2 scoops of Ice cream at a friend's birthday party. I had read that varying your diet in a similar way actually shocks your system and boosts your metabolism as long as it doesn't happen more than once a week.

The theory behind this is that your body is expecting to burn a certain number of calories a day in the form of specific types of food. So, when you have a random day in which you take in a considerable amount of more calories and foods that you don't normally eat, it shocks the system and kicks it into high gear for a little while.

I have been using this theory since I started my journey to get back in better shape and so far I am finding success with my nutrition and weight loss plan, but never wanting to be one that passes on misinformation, I decided to do a bit of research to see if there is still anything out there to support the Splurge to boost your metabolism theory, and I was able to quickly find one!

Check out this article on Model Diet Plan to find out more about this theory and more tips to boost your metabolism such as these 10 Tips:

1) Don't Starve Yourself - this actually decreases your metabolism
2) Cut Back on Alcohol
3) Put a little spice in your life... or a least in your food!
4) Take your vitamins and Omega 3s
5) Build some muscle!
6) Take time for Green Tea
7) Get more Iodine in your diet
8) Keep it cooler in your house - your body will burn more calories to regulate your body temp
9) Eat more Blueberries and Watermelon!
10) and of course, Vary your diet once in a while

For more on these tips visit:
http://www.modeldietplan.com/metabolism.htm

Sponor Women's Professional Football Player Rebecca Sabo-Shriver!

Rebecca Sabo-Shriver is a friend of mine. She plays football Sunday morning with my dad, the guys, and me. She recently tried out for the Pittsburgh Passion the Women's Professional Football Team and earned a spot on the team. Each player needs to find their own sponsors to help pay for their expenses. Check out the link she shared via Facebook and try to help her out if you can! She's an awesome player and excellent wide receiver.

This is the post she shared on Facebook:

~I am searching for corporate sponsorship to play for the Pittsburgh Passion Ladies Pro Football Team. There are some great advertising packages...games are covered on ESPN3. Greatly appreciate any help and promise to represent with pride! ♥ Thank you for all your support! ~Sabo #54~

http://www.pittsburghpassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2012PassionSponsorships.pdf

http://www.pittsburghpassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2012PassionSponsorships.pdf


www.better-reflection.blogspot.com
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Shakeology - Not Your Average Meal Replacement!

I'm always looking for ways to better my health. Healthy foods low in calories and high in nutrients that leave me feeling full and energized. Everyone wants to try to sell your their version of a meal replacement supplement be it a bar, gel, juice, or shake, but few live up to their claims, until now. Shakeology isn't your average meal replacement product, but before I tell you about it. Let me tell you how I found it.

I have been hearing people raving about their results from P90X workouts in various fitness websties, blogs, and social media. So intrigued was I by this that I decided I would try it after the holidays. Why after the holidays? Because I'm sure I'll need the extra push by then and I'll be finished with my grad classes so I'll have the time to really commit to it on a serious level. Then I saw one of my twitter followers (who is now also my BeachBody Coach) tweet about P90X2. So, I checked out his website. http://www.JeffWittFitness.com from there I stumbled on to his Shakeology Website (which was something else I've been hearing a lot about in the fitness world.) www.myshakeology.com/Jeff5by5 He was offering a free single serving sample of Shakeology. So, I thought I'd try it out to see what all the fuss was about.

There were two options to choose from Chocolate or Greenberry (which is said to have a "healthy" flavor that isn't for everyone") Honestly, I was afraid that either flavor would have the typical meal relplacement chalky taste and/or after taste, so knowing that I would be writing at reveiw I opted for the Greenberry flavor. Why? Because I want to give Shakeology the chance to make the best first impression it could and if chocolate doesn't really taste like chocolate I was going to be very upset. LOL

Within 24 hours I received notification that my order was received and that it would be sent out in the mail the next day. I received it with in 3 days. I couldn't wait to try it! It arrived with a brochure that broke down all the essential facts and nutritional information about Shakeology. It also came with a pamphlet that offered few recipes for both the chocolate and greenberry flavors and a DVD. I sat down and watched the DVD right away. It was very informative and I have to admit, very good at selling the product. 

In general Shakeology contains 70+ natural ingredients including Protein and essential amino acids to help build muscles and reduce food cravings. Prebiotics and digestive enzymes to help aid in improving digestion, regularity, and nutrient absorption. Antioxidants and phytonutrients help counteract free radical damage that can lead to degenerative diseases and a daily dose of vitamins and minerals provides your body what it needs to function for optimal health. It is caffeine and gluten free and only 140 cals (if you only mix it with water an ice). And is now certified as having a low glycemic index.

I decided to wait until the morning and have my Shakeology drink for breakfast just to see if it could live up to its claims of being filling and making you feel energized. It also claims to be able to help you:

• Lose weight
• Reduce cravings
• Increase energy and stamina
• Promote healthy digestion and regularity
• Lower cholesterol

However these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Admisistration.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the Shakeology packet was that it didn't have that typical health food supplement smell. As a matter of fact it didn't hardly have a smell at all. Which was a pleasant surprise. I decided to make it using the Greenberry Sunrise recipe that was included on the pamphlet with my free sample.

1 serving of Greenberry Shakeology
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup water
Ice to taste

I blended it all up and poured it in a nice big glass. I took a moment to prepare myself for whatever I might taste and to my suprise it actually tasted GOOD and I don't mean good for a health drink. I actually liked the taste.  As I went on with my day I noticed I didn't feel hungry. Even when approaching my typical meal times I eat about every 3-4 hours (6 times a day. 3 small meals and 3 snacks)

Staying within my calorie goal was easy because I felt so full from this healthy nutritional drink. The next morning I woke up wishing I had another one. So, I looked into purchasing more. When you order Shakeology you have the option of choosing just chocolate, just greenberry, and a combo pack of the two or having them alternate the flavors each month. You get free shipping with automatic delivery each month. And you have the option of choosing a big bag which contains enough for 30 days or a box containing 24 individual servings so you can take it with you on the go.


Shakeology sells for a retail price of $119.95, if you are a club member you can get it for $107.96, and only $89.96 if you are a Beachbody coach. When you order not only do you get the free shipping each month and 2 free workout DVDS. With your second monthly shipment you get a free Shakeology Shaker Cup. but you also get a 30 day risk free trial with their 30 day money back garauntee. If you don't like Shakeology for any reason you can cancel.  If you can swing the monthly payment, I highly recommend you add Shakeology to your healthy lifestyle!

I have recently noticed that they have a Tropical flavor of Shakeology coming out sometime this fall! I can hardly wait to try it!


If you would like to try Shakeology contact BeachBody Coach Jeff Witt
www.JeffWittFitness.com
www.myshakeology.com/Jeff5by5
www.beachbodycoach.com/Jeff5by5

What's in Your Fitness Tool Box?

It's hard to believe that for the past few years I have been trying to accept the fact that I was going to be 50lbs over weight for the rest of my life, and now I'm down 14.5 lbs and am feeling better than I have in years! My biggest excuse  was always that I didn't have time to workout. I'd purchase gym memberships with the thought that maybe if I'm actually paying for a gym membership I'll force myself to actually use it, but the fact is when my schedule started getting busy again or the weather started getting bad I still wouldn't go. I convinced myself that between working full time, taking grad classes at night and being a single mommy, I was never going to be able to have time to workout out.

I had plenty of excuses. I didn't do home workout videos because I never seemed to be able to be coordinated enough to keep up with the movements or even keep the rhythm of aerobic type workout programs. Over the years I have found some that work for me. Yoga, is one, I think because the movements are slower and more defined. I'm a perfectionist so I get frustrated if I can't do the movements exactly as the instructor or coach does them on the video.

Then my dad bought EA Sports Active 2 for his PS3. I started out doing some workouts and I really liked it because it combined cardio and strength training. I can do it in my own home, at my own convenience, for whatever lengths of time I might choose. I can even choose the type of workout I want. This is awesome! This is so very important to me because not only does it take away the cost of the gym member ship, and the inconvenience of finding a baby sitter, it also allows me more quality time with my daughter because I can plan to workout after she's gone to bed for the nigh or during her naps! Quality time with my daughter is the most important thing to in the world to me! So this was one major tool in my fitness tool box that I really needed!

Then a friend of mine told me about MyFitnessPal.com. The FREE calorie tracking social website. (Thanks Trish!) Now I had all the tools I needed. A website that provided me with an exact Calorie Goal for losing a certain amount of weight each week and a workout routine that both fit my schedule and was something I really enjoyed doing.

I'm starting to enjoy my fitness routine and it's results so much I just want to keep adding to it. EA Sports Active 2, walks with friends, and most recently I ran across my old Turbo Jam DVDs.( I purchased the entire Turbo Jam Program and the fitness equipment that goes with it when I was in North Carolina. I've used it sporadically since moving back to PA a few years ago, but never really got into it--because of the coordination and rhythm issues). So, tonight I've added Turbo Jam to my fitness Regime. I've accepted the fact that I don't have to be able to do all the moves perfectly for it to benefit my health and fitness, I just need to keep moving! The more I do the workouts the better I will get at routines and sooner or later it'll all come together!

I also have support, not just some of my real life friends  and family who occasionally go for walks with me or ask me about my weight loss  progress, or in my dad's case, support me by buying fitness products and trying to keep healthier foods in the houses (Thanks Dad, you have no idea how much this all means to me),  but also through the social aspects of fitness websites such as MyFitnessPal.com and my Team Beach Body Coach, Jeff Witt and other Team Beach Body members.

The key to keeping up with a healthy lifestyle, especially when it comes down to the exercise and workout aspect of health and fitness is not necessarily finding that ONE thing you can enjoy doing several times  a week for the rest of your life, but finding as many fitness activities as you need to keep you moving and interested in your workouts.

You have to do what works for you. If you can't afford a gym membership, or a Weight Watchers Membership, or NutriSystem, or any other nutritional supplements or fitness programs, forcing yourself to purchase them is only going to add more stress to your life. If you can realistically commit to a certain schedule, time or day of the week to make it to a specific fitness classes. Then it's not going to work for you either. All of these programs that I have mentioned and others that I haven't, will work if you use them correctly. So, I do not discourage anyone from trying them or adopting them into their lifestyles, everyone needs to find the tools that work the best for them in order to meet with the greatest success!

Chewing It Over

So, you're at you're nearing your caloric limit for the day and it's only 6:30pm, but you are craving something sweet. This is where a stick of gum can come in handy. I've found that when I'm craving something sweet that I can pop a piece of gum in my mouth and it satisfies the craving until it passes or it's time to eat another planned meal. My gum of choice lately has been Eclipse. Just one lil rectangle can tide me over for a good while and at only 2.5 calories per rectangle it's a quick fix to what could lead to a disastrous sweet tooth overindulgence.

I also tend to drink water when I'm chewing gum too. Did you know that many times when you think you are hungry you are actually thirsty? Water is a 0 calorie way to feel fuller longer and water is a great way to flush out your system :)

Rest and Soreness

Any fitness expert will tell you that it's a good idea to take a day to rest every so often. The frequency of rest days varies depending on who you ask. Just remember any day you workout that you normally wouldn't have is a step in the right direction. However, most fitness novices and gurus alike will tell you you should workout at least 3 days a week. How often you workout and how often you rest is dictated by what you are training for. Professional athletes can train on a daily basis only resting a couple times a month, where as those how are just getting into a fitness program may need to rest a few days a week.

The best idea that I have found is to have planned rest days. This helps push you through those days that your are sore and don't feel like working out, because believe it or not, doing another light workout when you are sore actually helps move the built up lactic acid (that's causing the soreness) through your body. I've found that if I rest on a day I feel "too sore" to workout I end up only feeling more soreness by the end of the day. Make sure you drink lots of water every day not only to keep your body healthy in general but it also helps to flush out the lactic acid as well!

Know the difference between feeling sore and being hurt. It's one thing to push yourself through the pain when you are feeling sore, it's another to push yourself through the pain when you are actually hurt. If the pain you are feeling is from a pulled muscle or it feels like it's something more than just a soreness from working a muscle that hasn't been used in a while. Then its a good idea to rest. Pay attention to your body. Some say that pain is weakness leaving the body, but sometimes pain is your body trying to tell you there's something wrong.

Know What You Are Eating: Frozen Dinners

Sometimes life gets a little busy and you just want to something you can cook up quick without much prep or clean up. Frozen dinners often fit that niche, but before you just grab a frozen dinner out of the freezer isle take a look at what you might actually be eating. Chances are if you select a frozen dinner that is marketed as "diet" you'll be getting a lower calorie meal compared to those that are not, BUT what do the dinners include? Is it a balanced meal? How many calories are from fat? Take the time to compare the nutritional information on the packages before you just purchase one.

I compared two frozen dinners today. One is marketed for healthy eating the other was not. Both were similar meals. IF I was going simply by the number of calories in each dinner I would have bought the regular meal as it only contained 290 calories compared to the healthy dinner's 360. However, 120 of the calories in the regular meal came from fat as apposed the mere 90 calories in the healthy meal. The healthy meal included Breaded Chicken Breast in Marinara Sauce with Cheese, Whole grain Penne pasta, broccoli, and a caramel apple multigrain crisp.

The regular meal just included the Breaded Chicken Breast in Marinara sauce and Penne Pasta (the pasta was not whole grain). This means the 290 colories are coming from 3 main food groups, Meats (proteins) and Carbohydrates (pasta) the marinara sauce giving it a little vegetables, oh and don't forget the fats and oils!

The Healthy meal hit on all the main food groups, Meats (proteins) Carbohydrates (pasta), Vegetables (sauce & broccoli), fruit (apple crisp), Dairy (cheese), and of course some fats and oils.

Remember when dieting the key to weight loss is eating less calories than you burn in a day, but you don't want to end up malnourished or end up with other health problems from eating too much of the wrong things. Being healthy is more than just the number of the scale, there is a lot more to consider.

A New Better Breakfast: Corn Tortilla and Turkey Mini-Wrap

1 Corn Tortialla - 50 cals
2 Egg Whites - 34 Cals

1 oz Butterball Peppered Turkey Breast lunch meat - 60 cals

0.5 oz shredded Hot Pepper Jack Cheese - 45 Cals

1.5 oz Snow Peas in Pods - 18 cals

1 sec spray Pam Non-Stick Cooking Spray (original) - 7 cals (to heat and make corn tortilla pliable)

1 cup orange juice or apple cider (120 cals or 110 cals)

This has become my favorite breakfast meal. Only 325 calories or 335 calories with orange juice instead of cider. It is filling and delicious! My current calorie goal, because I am now down 14 pounds is only 1420 per day. This allows for 3 snacks of about 109 calories, and 3 meals of about 370 calories. Of course you can always adjust it if you're snacks have more or less calories of if you know you are going to be eating a calorie heavy meal at some point in the day.

You can also find this meal under the My Better Breakfasts tab! Enjoy!

Timing it Right!

I don't know about anyone else, but everyone I talk to & every thing I read gives you different advice. It's enough to drive you crazy. The first thing I've decided to do is to let go of the idea that I have to do everything exactly right. One ideal and piece of advice I just had to get over was the idea that I shouldn't workout late at night because the boost in energy from the workout will cause me to have trouble sleeping.

While there is some truth to this statement, the fact is, I don't always have the time or luxury of working out at a specific time everyday... Unless I do it late at night. The fact is, I have trouble sleeping any way especially now that the school year has begun. I'm forced to stay up late as is working full time as well as taking a grad class, while being a single mommy leave little time for much else during the day. I've survived the last few classes by waiting until my daughter goes to bed, then staying up and doing my classwork. Often getting myself to bed around midnight or later. Even then I am not able to fall asleep right away so I may as well do something good for my health while I'm not sleeping.

And I am SO NOT a morning person so getting up earlier than I already do to workout will probably not be a very successful lifestyle change. So, I definitely need to let go of some ideals and do what works best for me. Sometimes adopting a Better lifestyle means adapting it to fit your personal style. I've noticed in the past two months that as I become more and more successful at making little changes I'm more willing to try bigger changes. Sometimes, I think it's totally worth it and find a way to merge it into my current routine or adjust my routine to fit it, other times it just doesn't work yet for some reason or other. It might just be a matter of timing. I have found that when I come back and try it again when the timing is right I am more successful at it.  In the mean time keep making better choices.

Combining A Better Reflection Blogs

As some of you may know. I have had 3 separate blogs running A Better Reflection, A Better Reflection: Nutrition and A Better Reflection: Workout Journal. I am in the process of combining the three blogs into one so that you can find all the ABR health and fitness information in one spot at Http://www.better-reflection.blogspot.com

I hope this change will make it easier and more convienient for you to find all the information you are looking for. In the mean the Nutrition blog and Workout Journal will still be linked to the main Better Reflection blog until the tranfer is complete.

Thank you :)

And always remember, Perfection cannot be reached without first making an improvement. Every day strive to be a little better and Perfection will be inevitable!

Small Changes = Long Term Success

When starting a diet many people think they have to make a drastic change to their eating habits. So, they cut out all sweets or all of a particular food group (carbs usually) or they trade every little thing they eat in for it's lowest calorie, lower fat, lower carb, counter parts. While this drastic change may produce big results it's a hard lifestyle to keep up. Can you really go the rest of your life without ever eating another sweet? Another carb? Or eating only the low fat or no fat version of a certain food? Don't get me wrong if you can stick to a diet like this then yes, you will lose weight and probably fast. But the downfall of this type of diet plan is that the moment you eat something that you have deemed as forbidden it gives you a sense of failure which often leads to the silly rational of "Well I ruined my diet for today so I may as well eat whatever I want the rest of the day." Both of these ideas are what kill most diets.

While there are people out there that would argue that your body needs that drastic shock to it's system to really get you on track, the fact is small changes are easier to stick to and are more likely to produce long term results. Let me give you some examples. The first thing most people do when they start a diet is to try to eat more salads. This is a great idea. Salads are packed with nutritious veggies and are pretty low calorie compared to what you might have eaten before. So let's say you have decided to eat a salad for lunch every day instead of whatever your normal lunch time routine is. That's great! But many people then take it a step further and decide they will only eat low fat or no fat dressing on their salad as well. If you like the taste of low fat or no fat dressings (and there are some very tasty ones out there) this is great, but if you really like the taste of regular ranch dressing then don't make that sacrifice yet. You've already made your first health choice. If it takes eating regular ranch dressing on your salad for you to enjoy it and stick with it, then go for it! The few calories in the 2 Tbsps of Ranch dressing that you put on your salad are far less calories and fat then what would have been in that burger in fries, so you are still making a healthier choice.

If you are changing your diet to lose weight and not just to be healthier and you hit a platue in you weight loss then, you can switch to the low fat or no fat ranch dress to give you a little more edge.

My point is proper diet and nutrition isn't an all or nothing concept. The most successful dieters are the ones that understand they can eat anything they want just in the proper portions because they aren't turning any one type of food into the temptation of the "Forbidden Fruit." Another thing to keep in mind is that your body wants to stay nourished. If denied a certain food group for a long period of time it will start to crave the food group and you may find yourself binging on it. And that isn't good either.

YOUR Better Snacks

Do you have a better snack idea that you think everyone should try? Post your recipe as a comment here!

YOUR Better Dinners

Do you have a better dinner you think everyone should try? Post your recipe as a comment here!

YOUR Better Lunches

Do you have a better lunch you think everyone should try? Post your recipe as a comment here!

YOUR Better Breakfasts

Do you have a Better breakfast you think everyone should try? Post your recipe as a comment here!

The Magic Weightloss Pill? Seriously?

Ever notice how ALL diet pills state that they are to be used with a sensible diet and exercise plan? If you started eating better and working out better than you did before you started taking the pills, you would lose weight and get healthier anyway, without the possible side affect of the pill. Think about it.

Now that I am down 11.5 pounds, my weight loss is noticeable to more than just those who haven't seen me in a long time. Because of this I have had several people ask me how I've been doing it. What surprises me the most about their reactions is their disappointment when they find out that I don't have a magic pill. It gets even worse when they realize that the website and app I've been using is just a calorie tracking sight and the other secret to my successes is actual physical effort.

There is no magic pill, like everything worth achieving in life it only comes from hard work and dedication. I know the media, diet pill companies, and other weight loss companies would like you believe that it could be as simple as just take this pill or eat our food or do this simple activity for 5 minutes a day. My favorite claim is  "eat as much as you want and still lose weight" (which by the way is something everyone can do if you just eat certain foods. - I'll have more on this claim on my nutrition blog next week.)

You can play the dieting game  in which you eliminate and entire food group from you diet or only eat certain kinds of foods or foods that don't have a particular ingredient it in, but the long and short of it is, these diets work because they force you to eat healthier lower calorie foods. And all weight loss regardless of which fad diet you follow is based on one simple principle: You lose weight when you burn more calories than you consume. Yes, I know there's all these complicated strategies that say if you eat certain foods it helps you burn more fat because it helps you build more muscle or the types of food you eat some how work with your body chemistry to help you burn more fat for some reason or another, but again, it all comes down to that one simple fact.

The simplest way to make sure you are burning more calories than you consume is to track your caloric intake to be sure you are taking in less than you are burning (I strongly recommend using a calorie tracking website or smartphone app to help keep you on track - it makes calorie tracking quicker and easier) Keep in mind, the nutritional information you see on food labels are based on a 2000 calorie diet. This amount is based on a 5'8" 150lb male. So, if you are not 5'8' or and you don't want to weight 150 lbs and/or you are not male. You're caloric necessities will be different. This is where the benefit of calorie tracking website and apps come in handy. They help determine the appropriate amount of calories for you to consume on a daily basis based on your height, weight, gender, and daily activity level.

The simplest way to burn more calories is to get active. If you want a little boost from muscle make sure your activity includes resitance or weight lifting of some sort.

There it is, that's the real magic to losing weight.

The Dreaded Plateau - What can you do?

In every weightloss journey there are plateaus. Those weeks that go buy when your weight and your measurements just won't budge. The first plateau is always the most discouraging because you go from successfully dropping weight check-in after check-in to losing nothing. There are two facts about plateaus that I have come to find. 1) The more weight you have to lose the longer it may take for you to hit a plateau and 2) the faster you lose weight in the beginning the sooner you will hit a plateau. There's a reason experts recommend setting a goal losing only between 1-2 pounds a week. The reason for this is to prevent your body from going into panic mode. When you lose a whole bunch of weight in a short amount of time it's a shock to your body. Among other things feels threatened because it's emergency storage (your fat cells) are disappearing at what it thinks is an alarming weight, this sudden change to your body also triggers several other changes starting with signals to hormones throghout your body to adjust to try to conserve the it's stored rations that you have been carrying around in the form of fat for a number of years. This is why it is recommended to only lose between 1-2 pounds per week. This rate of weightloss allows your body to slowing adjust to it's new weight and doesn't trigger the panic affect that dramatic weightloss can. I started my most recently weightloss journey on August 3, 2011. Every week with exciting and amazing success I was steadily losing weight. I even dropped 4 pounds in week two of my journey. In the weeks that followed I have been pretty successful at losing between a half to one and a half pounds each week, and on weeks that I didn't lose a whole pound or more I've lost inches... until this week. I lost not a pound nor inches. I have lost a grand total so far of 7.5 lbs. in just 5 weekss. So, what do I do about it? Do I get frustrated and give up because I am still 43lbs away from my overall goal and have already hit a plateau or do I realize that my short term goal is to lose 5lbs a month until my birthday (a grand total of 20lbs by December) and accept the fact that I am still on track to meet both the monthly and short term goals and just keep plugging away. The answer is obvious. Try to make even better food choices and make working out an even higher priority. With the help of MyFitnessPal to help me continue to stay on track with my calorie goals I know I can do it. So can you. Do not go on a drastic diet or drastically reduce caloires to break through this goal. It's frustrating to hit a plateau but it's even more frustrating and upsetting to give up and gain back what you've worked so hard to lose! Keep making better choices and stay focused. Sooner or later you'll break through the plateau and start dropping again.

Just as I finished this blogpost I saw a link for this article on twitter:
12 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight by Julie Davis (Medically Reviewed) on Everyday Health
http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight-pictures/12-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight.aspx?xid=tw_everydayhealth_20110912_main#/slide-1

Something's Got To Give: Changing Priorities as Needed

I just wanted to let everyone know that my posting frequency on all 3 of the ABR blogs is going to decrease significantly due to the fact that I am back to work and I have started my final certification class. It is a graduate level class that is extremely time consuming (mostly because I'm a perfectionist) so I'll only get a chance to post on nights that I'm not doing classwork, research, or studying for a quiz for the next 15 weeks, but once the class is over I should be able to start posting pretty regularly (at least once a week on each blog). Thank you for your continued support an understanding.

Which brings me to tonight's topic. Changing Priorities as Needed

Unless we are really lucky or really boring no ones life is perfectly predictable with a consistent schedule and consistent needs. Often we have to juggle many things at one time and as soon as we get to put down one another is thrown into the mix or we may be handed something else on top of all of our already overwhelming responsibilities. This is when you have to know what you can do without and what you can't. It may mean giving up something you enjoy temporarily for something that is mandatory or necessary. In the past, I always put working out or cooking healthy on hold either skipping workouts altogether to get required work done or choosing fast easy to prepare foods over preparing healthy foods in order to make sure I had time for everything else. For many people this is their story too. Or they try to force themselves to keep doing all the things they have always done which leads to stress, lack of sleep, becoming run down, and generally unhealthy. I have learned that I deserve time to myself, especially if that time is spent doing something for my health, i.e. taking a few more minutes to prepare a healthier meal or time to workout. To avoid other pit falls that come with trying to do everything and be everything for everyone that you are already involved with, remind yourself that priorities often change and just because you are stepping down or stepping back right now doesn't mean you have to completely give it up forever.

We also put a lot of undue pressure on ourselves to continue doing everything we've always done, we or others may try to convince us that we are the only ones who can do what we are doing. That if we step down they won't be able to find someone else to take over. In many cases this is not true. It may be difficult for them to find someone, but not impossible. So, when you are feeling overwhelmed you need to evaluate everything you're involved in. Is there a way to combine activities, is there something you can set aside, or step down from for a while until things change. If you have to make a list of all your obligations and and rank them in order of importance and value. Then determine which of your extracurricular or voluntarily activities you can reasonably step back from.  This will be different for everyone depending on their personalities, values, and lifestyles.

Get Some Sleep!

I am finding out that there are more benefits to a good night's sleep than I originally thought and that a lack of sleep can affect you in a lot more ways that just making you feel tired the next morning. Lack of sleep can impact your weight loss progress and/or even cause you to gain weight. A lack of sleep can lead to hormone imbalances including those that may affect you metabolism. Since I've started back to work I've only been averaging about 5-6 hours of sleep at night, which according to WebMD is a recipe for disaster when it comes to my weight loss goals. The scarey thing is, next week I start the final class I need to earn my Early Childhood Certification, which will only lead to even less sleep between now and Christmas.

According the WebMD.com website and the author or Beauty Sleep, Micheal Breus who is also a PhD and the clinical director for Arrowhead Health's sleep division in Glendale, Arizona 7.5 hours is the average for a healthy night's sleep. Which meant I was in trouble seeing as how that is about 3.5 more hours of sleep than I typically get once everything is in full swing during the school year.

So other than being tired and cranky all day what's so bad about not getting enough sleep? First of all, getting a good night's sleep allows your body to recharge and heal itself. It's also necessary maintain your body chemistry. Not getting enough hours of sleep can through off your hormone balance. Causing you to eat more to try to keep your body going when it hasn't had enough recharge. This imbalance also eventually leads to a slower metabolism, but it's not enough to just get a full nights sleep it has to be quality sleep. Seven to Eight hours of disrupted sleep doesn't really help either.

What can you do to make sure you get enough quality sleep? Plan you workouts so that they don't affect your ability to fall asleep. Avoid stimulants (like caffeine) in the late afternoon, they can keep your body from entering the deeper levels of sleep at nigh, and avoid big meals before bed time that can cause heartburn.

If you are eating healthy meals throughout the day, getting enough physical activity in during the day, and avoiding the things you should before bedtime and you're still having trouble sleeping. You may want to check with a sleep specialist.


http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/lack-of-sleep-weight-gain

ABR Associated Blogs

Just wanted to let everyone know that there are 3 blogs that are associated with A Better Reflection. There is this main blog (A Better Reflection), A Better Reflection: Workout Journal, and A Better Reflection: Nutrition blogs. There are links with snippets of one of the current posts from each of the other blogs on all the other sites so you can easily move between all the ABR blogs. Check them out and make sure you follow each of them individually so you don't miss anything.  You can also like A Better Reflection on Facebook and follow me on Twitter as JJasMyself!

Turning Negatives into Positives

You've heard it said "think positive and positive things will happen." I have never truly agreed with this statement, as a matter of fact my typical reaction to this statement is to role my else, because, the fact is, it doesn't matter how positive you think, bad things are still going to happen. The trick is to turn the negatives into positives.

Artists do it all that time,a blog of ink splatters on their paper and they turn it into part of the scenery, the paint runs a little thinner than they expected, they take something unexpected, and incorporate it into their work of out. As a matter of fact, some of the most famous works of art are noted because the artist did the best he could with what he had to work with. Michelangelo's original David sculpture cracked and the entire back half fell off. He could have gave up and focused on how ugly the back of the statue was,or how much marble he just waited, or he could have done what he did, continue working with what he had left and make a gorgeous sculpture that has been a noted work of art for hundreds of years and around the world. He also sculpted the Pieta, a sculpture depicting Mary holding her son (Jesus) in her arms after he was taken down from the cross. To sculpt Mary and Jesus to scale he wouldn't have been able to pose the figures the way he did, but instead of abandoning the idea and sculpting the figures in a different position altogether, he simply played with proportion until he created the moving moment depicted in the sculpture we see today. The sculpture of Nike originally had arms, but they broke off, but she is still noted as one of most beautiful and valuable sculptures of her time.

It's frustrating when things don't work out the way we want them to or the way we plan, because often there are variables out of our control. Instead of getting caught up in the negative and focusing on what went wrong, focus on what you can do now with what you have; make the most of what you have, and you will find that you're life may just end up being a priceless work of art.

I had an opportunity to capitalize on this sentement today. I woke up a bit earlier than usual, got myself and my daughter ready and make us both delicious healthy breakfasts. Headed off to day care and work, everything was going smoothly. Until I got to work and found out my schedule had been changed and I wasn't supposed to be their for another 3 hour and would be working 3 hours later than usual. At first I was upset because that's 3  hours of QT I could have spent with my sweet baby girl, not to mention the extra money I wouldn't have had to spend on day care since she wouldn't have had to be there for a full day. Then of course comes the frustration of trying to find someone to pick her up from day care at her regular time, and since I would be working later than usual that's time I wouldn't get to workout...etc. I could have dwelled on all the little irritants, OR I could have done what I did: realize I have 3 hours to myself, while my daughter was being well taken care of, she didn't know anything was any different, and I could do whatever I wanted with my time.

My next thoughts were, now what should I do with my free time? Get a few more hours of sleep? Find something fun to do? I had to do something because I wasn't allowed to stay at work and if I did, I wouldn't be getting paid for the extra hours. So, I went home and got a workout in! Yeah, baby!

This was a pretty simple way to turn a negative into a positive, and I know, it's not always going to be this easy and sometimes the negatives are going to be a whole lot more negative, but as long as you look for the positives and find ways to do the best with what you have, life will be a whole lot Better.

@msnbc_health: Study: An hour of TV can shorten your life by 22 mins, 15 mins of exercise adds 3 yrs!!! http://on.msnbc.com/nmIGSi

Staying Motivated to Make Better Choices

 We all have days where we stray from our master plan. We eat too many calories, we don't get a workout in, or both. There are 1001 different things that can get in our way or lead us astray and before you know it in a moment of weakness you're chowing down on Chocolate Chip Cookies while you're watching the Jets game. It's okay to have these day every once in a while. Be able to forgive yourself and resolve to make the next choice in the next moment a better one or actively seek out a way to end the day on a high note.

On MyFitnessPal.com I learned a new phrase: NSV which is the abbreviation for "NonScale Victory" When I first started on the site I thought it stood for "No Small Victory" Which is a concept I have adopted into my positive fitness mantra. Anything you do that you normally wouldn't have before you made the choice to Better your health is a victory, and in my world, there is No Small Victory. Find a way to end the day on a high note give, yourself credit for making Better choices, and keep up the positive thinking! Ending the day with a healthy choice can help refocus your mindset when you feel like you're losing control.

I'm sharing this with you now because today I was reminded how very important it is to make the next choice a Better one and when all else fails, making a plan to make tomorrow a Better day, and ending a bad day on a high note can help keep you motivated when you are starting to feel like you're losing control!

Today was a rough day for me. It was my second day back to work and I'm still working out the kinks of trying to get back into the routine. So, naturally I miss a step here and there. This morning I was glued to twitter in the few spare moments I had before heading out the door to day care and then work because James Harrison had announced he was giving away a signed football via twitter. So, I forgot to eat breakfast. (mistake #1). There really isn't anywhere I can stop on the way to work to get something to eat beside McDonalds and I told myself that any breakfast is better than no breakfast - which is true to a point. I ordered 2 breakfast burrittos (mistake #2 - especially when they have a fruit and walnut salad) Then I ate both burrittos (mistake #3) and a small orange juice.

I tried to make up for it by avoiding the treats and munchies buffet set up during our staff meeting (had I known there was going to be one I wouldn't have gone to McD's and would have settled for the grapes and pretzels - which were the healthiest things on the buffet.) I did even better when they brought the lunch (Subway sandwiches) I took a 4 inch slice of a turkey sub on wheat with fat free italian, veggies, and american cheese (okay, I could have done without the cheese). Then in the 45 minutes left on my break I walked downtown with a co-worker so she could pay a bill - 43 minutes of moderately fast pace walking - GO ME!  When I came home my dad offered to make pasta for dinner. So, I had 2 servings of small shells with spaghetti sauce, not totally bad as far as calories are concerned, but I could have made much better choices. Especially when I realized that I only had 53 calories to spare for the rest of the night and it was only 6:30. :: sigh:: Needless to say I gave into my hunger and eventually my sweet tooth. BUT I finished off the night on a high note. I got in a cardio packed workout with EA Sports Active 2 and drank lots of water. Ready to make tomorrow a better day.

My point is, we will all have days where we slip up or make some not so healthy choices and our Better days are not so good, try to finish on a high note and make a plan to make tomorrow a better day!

My Progress - Week 1

This is my 1st weekly check-in since I took my original measurements. I have lost an inch around my hips and an inch and a half around my waist. My weight has stayed the same this week, although, I have lost a pound and a half since I started this blog. So, inquiring minds want to know, "How am I doing this?" Well, I can tell you now there's no magic tricks. No magic pill. As a matter of fact, I'm not taking any weightloss or muscle building supplements at all. I hate to sound predictable, but all of my success has come from Diet and Exercise (and letting go of all my excuses). I've found a few tools to help keep me on track. MyFitnessPal.com and EA Sports Active 2 as well as a neighbor and friend who walks with me.

Diet and Nutrition - MyFitnessPal.com
As you may or may not know I have been using MyFitnessPal.com to help keep me motivated and stay on track. Along with meeting some really great motivational supportive people, I've been more accurately able to keep track of how many calories I've been eating and burning by using their Food and Exercise Diary. Today was my first check-in since I took my original measurements and weight. In a week I have lost 1 inch around my hips, and and inch and a half around my waist! My weight has stayed the same, but I'm feeling better and looking better too!

Keeping track of what I eat through MyFitnessPal.com has made me more aware of my food choices and I've been eating much healthier. I now understand how and why people can say that they eat constantly and lose weight, because it's all about what foods you are eating. I'm not starving myself, and I can still fit in a tasty treat now and then. I'm really liking MyFitnessPal.com!

Exercise - EA Sports Active 2
So one of my biggest excuses was that I didn't have the time to go to a gym (or the money for that matter). For this past Christmas my dad had gotten me EA Sports Active 2 to help me try to stay in shape. I used it sporatically at first, but when I finally decided I wanted to really improve my life I set up a workout group (ABRworkout) and put myself on the 9 Week Program - Easy. Since I don't have to leave myself to get a great cardio and strength training workout (which means I don't have to find a baby sitter or miss out on quality time with my daughter - because I do my workouts when she's napping or asleep for the night) I've been able to stay pretty consistent on my workouts!

Exercise and Support - Real Life Friends
A friend of mine noticed all my fitness posts and Facebook and suggested we start walking together. So, on days that I don't do EA Active Sports workouts I'm at least walking and there are some days that I do both! It's great to get out and walk with a friend and be able to socialize while I'm doing something good for myself. And the great thing is, I often take my daughter with me. So, not only does she get to go for a walk, but I get the extra benefit of pushing a stroller while walking! Win/Win!!

*just a reminder, the websites and products I have mentioned in this blog post are just things that have been working for me. I am not paid by either MyFitnessPal or EA Active Sports 2 nor do I stand to gain any type of benefit from telling you about them (other than if you decide to join my and become my friend). This is just my personal experience. There are plenty of other way to keep in shape and I'm sure as the year goes on I'll try different things and share them with you.

YOUR weight, Pace, and Incline Burn More Calories while Walking

Your weight, pace, and the incline affect how many calories you burn when walking. For more checkout my workout journal or the original article at http://www.livestrong.com/article/311997-calories-burned-pushing-a-stroller/ 

Visceral Fat vs Subcutaneous Fat

Lately on blogs and fitness websites I'm a member of I have noticed a lot of concern and "advice" about Visceral Fat. I put the word advice in parenthesis because some of the information that is being passed around is incorrect and/or makes it a lot more complicated than it really has to be.


First, let's distinguish between Subcutaneous Fat and Visceral Fat.

Subcutaneous fat is the kind of fat that we all notice on ourselves as well as others. It's the kind of fat the lies just below the skin. So, when you reach down and grab the flat (if you have any) around your belly, you are essentially grabbing the Subcutaneous Fat. This type of fat is mostly just cosmetically unappealing to most people, although, having too much of it is a sign that a person is eating too much or too much of the wrong things in and/or is too sedentary (getting too little physical activity) which could lead to other health complications. Not too mention, the toll it is taking on their knees and other joints to carry around the extra weight. So, that is Subcutaneous Fat.

Visceral Fat is another type of belly fat that forms within the body taking up space between the organs. It is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat because it can trigger the body to release unwanted hormones which may cause negative reactions and even some serious complications.  Research is still being done on the most affective way to get rid of visceral fat. However, according to an article entitled "Abdominal Fat and What to do About It" by the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide it is believed that visceral fat is easier to get rid of than subcutaneous fat.

As it now stands, the best thing any one can do to get rid of either kind of fat is exercise! Imagine that! According to the Mayo clinic's website  in at article on Women's Health titled "Belly Fat in Women: Taking - and Keeping it Off" crunches and other abdominal exercises only help to strengthen stomach muscles, they do not get rid of fat. The article under the heading Trimming the Fat suggests moderate to vigorous aerobic activity is the best way to lose fat.

If you would like to read more about visceral fat, the complications it can present, or what you can do about it I suggest reading the articles referenced in this post.

The Harvard Medical School Family Guide: Abdominal fat and what to do about it
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/Abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it.shtml

The Mayo Clinic: Women's health: Belly fat in women: taking - and keeping it off
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/belly-fat/WO00128/NSECTIONGROUP=2

I have referenced and included these sites because they are reputable medical sites. I have read too many posts about visceral fat that are inaccurate and some are just down right scarey, not to mention misleading. One of the posts detailed a complicated exercise regime that the author suggested was the best way to lose visceral fat to the point of putting down many other workout regimens, thus discouraging and scaring many of the members of the site.

Any time you read a blog post or news article always double check with reputable peer reviewed sites to make sure you are getting accurate information. The person that posted the blog on the other site hinted at the idea that he was a personal trainer or something along those lines, which made me wonder if he wasn't trying to literally scare up some business for himself. If you read something that sounds kind of dramatic or something that makes you think you need to make a major change to your life. I encourage you to research it yourself using reputable sites. (FYI wiki sites, while they often do have accurate information, are not peer reviewed. So they may not be the best sites to seek health and fitness information.)

It just means that you take it a little easier. Instead of hitting the gym, go for a walk. Give your body a chance to recover. You'll feel better next workout!

A Day to Rest. Any fitness expert will tell you that you need to take a day to rest. That doesn't necessarily mean that you skip a workout altogether.

Every Minute Counts - become a Microtasker!

What can you do in 2 minutes? 10 minutes? 30 seconds? What can you do with the time that you have? In today's fast paced world most everybody has become a master at multitasking, I'm currently in the process of adding Microstasking to my time management skills. Microtasking is finding little things you can do to help you get ahead on what you need done for the day to help free up time later in the day.

Another way of microstasking is to get in miniworkouts when you don't have the time. To get in a full workout. So, your day is packed and unexpected tasks keep popping up, no matter how much you multitask today, you just aren't going to have time to hit the gym or go for that 30 walk, but you don't want to miss out on your workout today. Focus on what you CAN do right now! Got 2 minutes while you wait for your dinner to cool down enough to eat it? Do some jumping jacks or foot fires or push ups or crunches. Got another minute before the next load of laundry is ready to be folded do some squats or curl some hand weights or run in place.

Ok so this isn't the heart pumping muscle building workout that leaves you with that sense of accomplishment that you're used to, BUT it's better than nothing! You're still burning a few extra calories!

Workout and Nutrition Blogs

I have created two new blogs. One is solely dedicated to Diet & Nutrition the other is a Workout Journal. Check them out! I thought this would be a good way to keep these two keys to health and fitness stream lined. This way you don't have to search my whole blog if you just want to follow my workouts or if you just want to get ideas for healthy eating. :)

Workout Journal www.better-reflection-workouts.blogspot.com

Diet & Nutrition Journal www.better-reflection-nutrition.blogspot.com

Today's the day!

Each new day is a chance to start again! You haven't failed until you quit trying!

When first starting to get into a fitness program it's hard to get motivated and it can be very discouraging when you try and can't seem to stick with it, but remember, each new day is a chance to start again. You haven't failed until you quit trying.

I admit I kind of fell of the wagon when my daughter came back from visiting her dad out of state and I kind of let my workouts slide to spend more time with her. I even napped with her. I kind of set a goal in my head that I would start working out and eating right yesterday because I figured out that if I lose 5 pounds a month between now and my birthday I can be 20 pounds lighter by the time I'm 31! Yay! Well due to an ER tribe at 1:00 in the morning due to a mysterious bug bite I didn't have the energy to workout and I started off eating right yesterday, but that eventually fell to the wayside too. (EXCUSES, EXCUSES)

So today I vowed I would do this right. So far I've been eating a little better. For breakfast I ended up having most of the snack they made for the kids at Vacation Bible School because my daughter didn't like it and I don't like to see food wasted. It was a pudding snack made to look like the beach with crushed vanilla wafers on top, which, I admit wasn't the healthiest of breakfasts, but I'm willing to let that slide. To make up for it I had a grilled chicken tender and carrots for lunch with a diet soda. (I'm still allowing myself to have diet soda this week, but next week I'm switching to water, juice, or milk only) For dinner I'm planning to make BLTs using Turkey bacon and whole grain bread :) For a snack tonight I think I'll have some cantaloupe.

Soon it will be nap time for my darling daughter. Which is when I plan to do my workout. Another EA Sports Active 2 workout. I'm also contemplating joining a local gym just because I prefer to lift more than do any other kind of exercise. I'm torn between a 24hour gym so that I can go workout whenever I have the free time and can find someone to stay with my daughter, or another gym that offers baby sitting hours at certain times of the day and a swimming pool. Right now either gym would suit my schedule, but when the school year starts again and I'm working full time and taking college classes in the evenings the 24 hour gym would definitely be the better option.

espnW

I'm always trying to find good Health and/or Fitness websites to help support me in my journey back to a better me.  Today I found this website.

espnW

It's espn for women. It has a variety of information under 3 main topic headings News & Opinions, Features & Profiles, and Training. The link I'm most interested in is Training.

Under the Training link there are the subtopics of Workouts, Nutrition, Near You, and Forums.

Tonight I only really explored the Workouts tab. I liked the videos featuring the Drill of the Week and Workouts. These short videos show you how to do certain exercises. I think I will enjoy adding the Drill of the Week to my workout routine.

This link takes you directly to the Workout section of the espnW site.:
http://w.espn.go.com/espnw/training/workouts/

New FDA Labeling for Sun Screen - Thanks to Aveeno

I read this article on my sister's blog Free Stuff, Fun Sites, Contests and More (FFCM). I thought this would be good information to pass along. Aveeno has taken the time to explain the new FDA approved Sun Protection Factor (SPF) Ratings that will begin being used to describe the effectiveness of sun screens. 

http://angiewith2.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-fda-labeling-for-sunscreens.html

As most of us know, sunscreen is so important not only for our skins health but to prevent premature aging and keeping our skin looking gorgeous.

AVEENO recently sent this article over explaining the new labeling changes you will be seeing over the next 12 months or so. These changes are being made by new US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. The new FDA sunscreen guidelines will effect sunscreens, moisturizes and make up labeled as having sun protection factors (SPF).

The new FDA created a standard testing for both UVA and UVB rays. If a product passes this test it will be labeled "Broad Spectrum" protection. Both UVA and UVB rays are factors in premature aging, skin cancer, sunburns, and more. As it stand right now, most SPF numbers are referenceing UVB rays. UVB rays can effect the outer layer of skin damaging cells and causing skin cancer. UVA rays however also factor into those negative effects on the skin.

With the changes, products that are labeled as Broad Spectrum with an SPF of 15 or greater will be allowed to state that the can reduce the risk of skin cancer and early aging when applied properly along with other skin care measures. Products with SPF 2-14 can also be labeled Broad Spectrum but only if they pass the test. These products however can only state that they help prevent sunburn but must including a warning that it has not been proven to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Here are some helpful facts:

--all sunscreen only works properly when applied correctly.  At least 1 oz, (about the size of a shot glass) is recommended when applying.  

--sunscreen should be applied every 2 hours.  

Also with the FDA guidelines products will no longer have the terms "waterproof", "sweat proof", and "sunblock".  A package will be allowed to state if it's water resistant but then must have labeled the recommended time that it should be reapplied (40-80 minutes).  All sunscreens will also include a drug fact box that will list things like active ingredients and claims of use.  

Thanks to AVEENO for passing on this important information and allowing me to share it with my readers.  

Note:  AVEENO Active Naturals hydrsport spray is already labeled as Broad Spectrum protecting against both UVA and UVB rays.

Thanks Angie and Aveeno for passing this along!

Progress So Far... Goal #1: Lose 20 pounds by my birthday.

So, here they are, the dreaded "Before" shots. I'm looking forward to the after shots. I will try to update them after every goal date.

My original goal: Lose 20 pounds by my Birthday which is in the beginning of December.
My original weight was: 175

<----In this picture these are my stats:
weight: 172.5 lbs
Measurements: The tape measure I was using only went up to 40 inches...
Bust with sports bra on: about 41 inches
Waist: 40 inches
Hips: ?? the tape measure I was using only went up to 40 inches! How embarrassing is that?
Thigh: 22 inches





Goal #1 achieved and then some!
Today I weight 149.5 which is a total loss of 25.5 lbs so far!

In the picture to the Right, these are my stats! ---------------------------->

Weight: 149.5lbs
I got a new measuring tape that went up well beyond 40.
Bust with sports bra on: 40 inches...
(whos says that the first place every woman loses weight? LOL)
Waist: 35 inches... yes folks, that's a 5 inch difference.
Hips: 39.5 inches.
Thigh: 20.5 inches.

HOW AM I DOING IT???

How am I doing it? I have been giving people the short and sweet answer because I've found that when I've tried to tell the all the details they stop listening as soon as I say the word exercise, but you folks are reading this for a reason so I'll give you all the details.

First of all, as many of you know I have been using MyFitnessPal.com to keep track of my calories and nutrients. (Yes, I know that sounds a whole lot like counting calories doesn't it? That's a lot of work. Most people's eyes glaze over when I say that and they stop actually listening, because, who wants to be bothered with doing something as tedious as counting calories?)

FITNESS TOOLS

Well, MyFitnessPal doesn't making it as tedious. I even have the app for it on my smart phone so all I have to do is search the data base for the item I'm eating or one similar to it and click the "Add" button for whichever meal I'm eating. It counts the calories and nutrients for me. And if there are times that I have a food that isn't in the database and I can't even find one that's similar to it it's just as easy to add a new food based on the stats on the nutritional labels. The other benefit of MyFitnessPal is that it's a built in support group. You can find people just like you fighting the same battle against weight loss, cheer each other on, give and received advice and tips, and keep track of all your progress all in one place.

My other weapon of choice is EA Sports Active 2. Ok, this was a gift from my dad who has heard me whine about wanting to get healthier and be in better shape. I love this game. One of the few video games I will actually play, mostly because it gets your whole body moving. I jumpstarted my weight loss by using the 9 Week Program built in to this game. It's was awesome!

When I first started I didn't think I would make it through the first workout, but I kept pushing through. This game gives you everything you need, a resistance band for building muscle, a heart rate monitor, and it keeps track of your stats within the game as well. You can get nutrition tips and keep track of your weight loss all within the framework of this game.

CHANGING THE WAY I EAT

I used to eat 3 planned meals a day and snack whenever I wanted to on whatever I wanted to. When I started my current job they provided breakfast and lunch  for the children under my care and since I was their teacher I had to eat the meals with them. So I adjusted my schedule to include a small snack in the morning so I could eat breakfast and lunch at school with my children, then I'd eat dinner at home with my family, and once again snack whenever I felt like it. Which is one I could never lose the weight I gained from my pregnancy and in fact was adding more.

So, now I eat 5 or 6 smaller meals a day. Each meal is planned as far as how many calories I can eat at each one based on the daily calorie goal caculated by MyFitnessPal.com. I start my day with a small health snack under 200 calories as this point, breakfast is under 320 calories, lunch is 500 calories, dinner is 450 calories, and my late night snack is 120 calories. Remember this is what I eat to lose about a half pound of weight a week at the current weight of 149.5. How much you weight now and the rate at which you want to lose weight would change your total number of daily calories which would also change your calories allotted per meal. Your daily activity during the day also plays a roll in the number of calories you can eat in a day, since I'm constantly running after 17  three to five year olds five days a week I consider myself to be lightly active which allows me to eat more calories then someone who would consider themselves to be sedentary during their work day. Again, these calories are all calculated by MyFitnessPal for me.

There are days I allow myself to splurge, but I track it all so I'm aware of how many calories I am going over my goal each day. If you've been reading my blog for a while I'm sure you've read the article on the benefits of splurging once in a while.

THE FORBIDDEN FOODS

I have none. Yep, that's right, there are no forbidden foods. I keep my focus on trying to eat the healthiest lower calories foods I can like veggies, lean proteins, fruit, water, etc. But I do allow myself to eat the things I love once in a while. I've had a Whopper Jr on occassion and there's no way I was passing up my sister's pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, and I love me some chocolate every now and again. I've just gotten more disciplined ad when I allow myself to eat these types of foods. If I know there's birthday party coming up, I make sure the meals I eat during the day are that much healthier and lower calorie to make room calorically for the birthday cake and ice cream I might have at the party. And then, I try not to go overboard at the party. A small piece of cake a little scoop of icecream and log it all in MyFitnessPal. Along with my article on splurging is the explanation of how changing up your diet once in a while can actually be good for your body because then it doesn't become complacent. It doesn't get used to buring the same type of calories in the same way every day. If you don't completely deny yourself a certain food then you don't crave it as much. No cravings means no binging, no binging means better weight loss.

WATER

In the past few weeks I've been making it a point to drink more water. I will have an 8 oz glass as soon as I wake up in the moring with my multivitamin. Another 8 oz when I get to work in the moring, another 8 oz on my break if I get one and then several others when I'm at home. I have noticed a drastic increase in my weight loss since I've started drinking more water. As a matter of fact, even though

EXERCISE

As I've mentioned I have been using EA Sports Active 2 as my main workout regime, but I've also take the opportunity to get in some physical activity whenever and where ever the opportunity has presented itself. I've gone on  many many walks with neighbors and friends, took part in a Zumba Class that was part of a training day at work, taken the long way or the stairs at my daughter's day care...etc. But don't think I'm someone who's working out every single day without fail. I started out workout out 4 days a week with EA Sports Active 2 as was part of the requirements for the 9 week program, but as my grad class become more intense during midterms and finals I found  I've had less and less time for pretty much everything else in my. So, my fitness routine turned into a once a week event usually on Sunday. This is important because I was still aware that I needed to workout. I didn't just give up on trying to exercise. And now that I'm finished with my grad classes I'm going to start hitting it hard again as many days a week as I can.

PEOPLE

I can not tell you how important it is to surround yourself with positive supportive people. I'm very fortunate to have the family and friends that I do. They have noticed my progress and have kept encouraging me from the first noticible 5 pound loss where I am now. I've also learned how to ignore the neigh sayers and the negative influencers that try to tell  me to eat more or give me excuses why you should not worry about tracking my calories or try to tell me that I don't need to lose any more weight. I have my goal in mind, a healthy goal and I am determined to stick to it.

DISCIPLINE

Adopting a healthier lifestyle has more to do with discipline than anything else. You have to be strong in your mindset to commit to your goals. Today, I can walk out to my kitchen to get my daughter something to eat or drink and see the chocolate cake sitting on the counter and not even feel tempted to eat it. When I go out to eat with friends, if I haven't planned the meals a head of time, I have the discipline to choose the healthier items on the menu. At this point, four months into this lifestyle change I actually prefer the healthier foods.

I also have the discpline to not let a rough spot get me down. I am committed to my weighloss goal. If I don't lose a half pound one week, I don't dwell on it. I keep in mind how much weight I've lost so far and get back at it the next day.

REALISTIC GOALS

In closing, I just want to remind all my readers old and new that my approach to weightloss and fitness is not meant to turn anyone into a super athlete. Nor is it some scheme to lose weight fast. This is a realistic approach for the average working person. A way to get healthier and stay healthier through simple lifestyle changes. The goals I set for myself and the changes I make to my lifestyle are all based in reality, nothing drastic. Which is why I have been met with such success for the past four month. I do not take any form of weight loss pill, I do not subscribe to any particular diet plan, to lose weight and keep it off, your plan of attack has to be one that you can sustain for an extended period of time... i.e. the rest of your life. Diet pills and restrictive diets do not fit that bill. The only supplement I take is a daily vitamin to help make sure my nutritional goals are met.