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Real People I Respect: Control During Thanksgiving

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

How do you not eat everything in sight on Thanksgiving?

Rachel @ To Hab and To Hold

How do I not eat everything in sight at Thanksgiving?! That is a good question! I think going into the holidays knowing you are going to eat more then usual is a good attitude to go in with .. then you are not constantly beating yourself up with each bite of decadent & delicious food. With that being said it’s all about portion control. It’s ok to try everything and not beat yourself up about it. The best advice I can say to you & especially to myself is portion control & enjoy the time with your family!! :)

Rachel better known as Rach is a wife & mother of three beautiful kidlets. She started her journey of getting her sexy back about a year ago. She is currently on a journey of finding her abs & herself along the way.

Thanksgiving is not a holiday my husband enjoys, so I’m kind of off the hook. I generally cook a turkey & prepare side dishes that are for four since I’m the only one eating the sides. I love Thanksgiving leftovers. Portions are still important to remember on holidays. Its not a time to deny or over indulge. After all I can make turkey anytime of the year…that is what the freezer if for.

Megan aka MNMSpecial, is a Western mom of 30 moved Midwest. A mother to four and wife to her love at first site. She shares her tales of Domestic Mommy-Hood at Mnmspecial (Mom’s New Moment). She is on a mission to get fit, be healthy and do it all happily. You’ll also find Megan on twitter @mnmspecial

 

Angie Newton @ Weight Loss Blog

It’s hard, don’t get me wrong. BUT what I have done in the past and plan to do this year is not sit near the food or graze. I will start my plate with a nice size salad (watch that dressing ha ha) and lots of veggies. You can also bring healthy options as your dish to make sure you have something to choose from. Then I just make the best possible choices I can. When it comes to dessert, I’ll be honest, I have a real hard time. We spend Thanksgiving with my family and workouts are a real struggle to get in while there but I’m going to make it a point to do something Thanksgiving morning (I see some jumping jacks, high knee jumps and pushups in my future). In a perfect world I would get in our home gym and hop on the treadmill or spin bike before the meal but that is not possible so I have to make it work. Will power baby! We all have it, we just have to use it.

Angie Newton writes about her weight loss and fitness journey and shares tips on living a healthy lifestyle at her weight loss blog. Feel free to drop by for a visit!

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Real People I Respect: Holiday Dinner Planning Stress

November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

With the holidays right around the corner do you start to stress about planning the big dinners?  How do you cope with that stress?

Holidays have always involved huge family gatherings and when we haven’t been able to get to family we cook for friends. My mother always made holidays stressful so I never enjoyed myself until the food was served. I do a lot of prep work the week of rather than the night before or day of. Now I enjoy the people, although I generally stress about how clean the house is the night before, haha. I clean & “delegate” to deal with my stress.

Megan aka MNMSpecial, is a Western mom of 30 moved Midwest. A mother to four and wife to her love at first site. She shares her tales of Domestic Mommy-Hood at Mnmspecial (Mom’s New Moment). She is on a mission to get fit, be healthy and do it all happily. Check out her corn free Holiday recipe for Gingerbread Pancakes.

 

Angie Newton @ Weight Loss Blog

I personally do not plan the big family dinners so there is no stress when it comes to that. The stress I do have around the holidays is the feeling of giving in at times and overeating like I used to. I don’t deny myself foods but I need to always make sure that I keep my portions under control. Even as a vegetarian, things can get out of control if you let it. I want to make sure that I keep up with my exercise routine through the holidays. That is most important to me. And exercise is the perfect way to cope with any type of holiday stress!

Angie Newton writes about her weight loss and fitness journey and shares tips on living a healthy lifestyle at her weight loss blog. Feel free to drop by for a visit!

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Real People I Respect: Falling off the Wagon?

November 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What do you do when you feel yourself falling of the wagon?

Rachel @ To Hab and To Hold

I can definitely feel myself falling off when I no longer care about portion size, how many calories are in something, my workouts are slacking, my h2o intake is very low but my soda consumption is higher. I can also really feel a difference in my mood, energy level & where workouts lie in my priorities.

To be honest right now I have fallen off of the wagon and am trying to get back on. My workouts have seriously slacked. I have not been watching (at all) my calorie count. I thankfully have not gained any weight in the past few months and as nice as that has been, I have also not been loosing any. I need to get back on track!

Some Ways To Get Back On Track

  • You have to start somewhere. Any increased exercise & movement is a start & a great place to start. Start with lunges, jumping jacks, sit up’s, squats & also increasing your steps. You can do that by taking the stairs rather then an elevator, going for a walk around your neighborhood or inside a local mall if the weather is icky.
  • Don’t obsess about calories, it will only drive you nuts … but do your best to make healthier choices. Choose veggies over chips .. crunch without the calories.
  • Do not weigh yourself daily! That will really drive you crazy. Pick a time of day and a day of the week. The most you should weigh yourself is once a week. Another great way to track progress is with measurements. When I had weight loss of a couple of pounds here or there I felt like all of my hard work wasn’t doing much, but when I saw how many inches I was dropping it really made up for that!
  • Accountability. Find someone you can check in with. You don’t need someone to breathe down your neck, but find someone either online or in your daily life to help keep you on track. Maybe you can work toward your fitness goals together.

Rachel better known as Rach is a wife & mother of three beautiful kidlets. She started her journey of getting her sexy back about a year ago. She is currently on a journey of finding her abs & herself along the way.

 

 

Megan @ MNMSpecial

I haven’t really had a chance to fall off since I decided now is my time. I have caught myself dangling a leg of the edge, but then I reach out to friends for motivation.

Megan aka MNMSpecial, is a Western mom of 30 moved Midwest. A mother to four and wife to her love at first site. She shares her tales of Domestic Mommy-Hood at Mnmspecial (Mom’s New Moment). She is on a mission to get fit, be healthy and do it all happily.

 

 

Angie Newton @ Weight Loss Blog

When I feel myself falling off the wagon, I just keep going.  Like Dory says in Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming”.  If you feel like you are falling, change things up.  If you are bored from your workouts, try something new.  If you are bored of the same foods, try a new recipe.  Even after gaining back a lot of the weight I lost, I can say that I know it’s possible to meet my goals and I won’t let it get the best of me.  I thought that taking a mini break from exercise would help but that is furthest from the truth so don’t ever do that.  Even if you only walk for 10 minutes a day and do nothing else, always be moving.
Another thing that has helped me when I feel down about this journey is to get motivated by others.  I head over to my Facebook page where everyone shares their workout accountability and I’m right back feeling inspired to get moving.

Angie Newton writes about her weight loss and fitness journey and shares tips on living a healthy lifestyle at her weight loss blog. Feel free to drop by for a visit!

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REAL People I Respect: The Trigger Point

November 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What was the trigger point that made you realize you had to do something about your weight?

Rachel @ To Hab and To Hold

Until I was pregnant with my first daughter I was always very small & could eat whatever I wanted to. Unfortunately during my first pregnancy I did eat anything I wanted. After having my daughter fitness was not  something that was high on my priority list. I didn’t do anything about it really. I was too busy being a mom (I was 18 when K was born). Five years later I had H and when she was six months old we found out that A would be coming in a matter of months. So between the H & A I didn’t really have a chance to loose the baby weight that had been accumulating. Needless to say I can’t eat whatever I want & not have to workout or worry anymore.

Another turning point for me was when I really worked on why I was gaining & not loosing. I used my weight as a wall. A wall to hide how I was truly feeling inside. I also used clothing that was baggy to hide under too. Let me tell you one, everyone can see how “big” you are under those baggy clothes and 9 times out of 10 those baggy clothes make you look even bigger then you are. Two, people can still tell that something is going on weather you are a size 2 or 22! I had many reasons for trying to hide my emotions and my body, but hiding them was not making them go away. Until I was ready to face what was really going on the weight wasn’t going to be going anywhere ….. but up.

I reached a point when I was comfortable with who I was, where I had been & life as it is now. At this point I knew that all of this time I spent feeling fat, out of breath & depressed because my clothes were not fitting like they used to, etc was not doing anything to change how I was feeling it was just making me feel worse. I figured if I was going to feel miserable it should at least be for a good reason like .. hardcore workouts or something productive. So there began my journey of finding my abs & myself.

Rachel better known as Rach is a wife & mother of three beautiful kidlets. She started her journey of getting her sexy back about a year ago. She is currently on a journey of finding her abs & herself along the way.

 

I realized it was time to really be serious about losing weight a long time ago, but it took moving back home near family and a run in with an unflattering mirror to really hammer it home.

Megan aka MNMSpecial, is a Western mom of 30 moved Midwest. A mother to four and wife to her love at first site. She shares her tales of Domestic Mommy-Hood at Mnmspecial (Mom’s New Moment). She is on a mission to get fit, be healthy and do it all happily.

 

 

Angie Newton @ Weight Loss Blog

There was no one thing that made me realize I needed to get healthy. I just knew that I was going to be in trouble if I didn’t work on living a more healthy lifestyle.  The thing that actually got me started though was a vacation that was planned to renew our vows on the beach in Jamaica. That helped me have a goal to reach for but something like that cannot be your only reason for wanting to lose weight.  Other things that drove me to want to lose weight were things like not fitting well in airplane seats, amusement park ride seats and things like that.  It’s really not fun when you have to always go to a plus size store for clothes.  I see all these adorable clothes out there I would one day like to wear (especially that pair of sexy knee high boots I want to buy so bad) so it’s time to make it happen. There have been struggles over the past 5 years but I have not given up.  And that is the key!

Angie Newton writes about her weight loss and fitness journey and shares tips on living a healthy lifestyle at her weight loss blog.  Feel free to drop by for a visit!

 

Filed Under: REAL People I Respect

REAL People I Respect: Easy Healthy Eating

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Please name one or more easy ways to eat healthy

 

Angie Newton @ Losing It And Loving It

Here are my top two ways to eat healthy.

Always start your day with a healthy breakfast.  It’s very important to fuel yourself up for the day ahead.  And I know a lot of people say they don’t have time so what I tell them is that it doesn’t have to be a big production.  If you feel you don’t have time, just grab some granola, a piece of fruit or prep something the night before.  I personally like overnight oatmeal (cold or hot). It’s filling, tasty and most of all easy to prepare.

The other way to eat healthy is to eat less meat, less processed foods and more WHOLE plant based foods.  I like to try and focus on the colors of my meals, the brighter the food on the plate the better.  Eat the rainbow! Here are some colorful healthy foods to eat.

Diana Walker – @ The Cravings CoachEasy ways to stay healthy, for me, include:


1.  Variety — Having a variety of foods that I enjoy and that are close to nature, not processed.
2.  Fiber – whole foods that contain fiber help make me feel full longer, are great for my digestive system, and are often easy to grab and go, such as fresh or dried fruit, raw vegetables, and nuts.
3.  Healthy Snacking – I plan ahead so that I have healthy snacks available
4.  Fruits and Vegetables – I have fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal

I have an outline on Four Easy Steps to Healthy Eating Habits here —http://thecravingscoach.com/blog/healthy-eating-habits
For me, it is important that my eating plan is easy — because I won’t stick with it otherwise!

Filed Under: Plus Size Inspiration, REAL People I Respect

REAL People I Respect: Self Motivation

June 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

How can someone develop self motivation when stuck?


Jillian @ I’m Finding My Weigh

Remotivating yourself can be a challenge, but when I’m feeling stuck or like I’m heading the wrong direction, it’s usually because I haven’t been keepin to my workout schedule. I plan a workout, and make sure I have a new (or re-jigged) workout mix on my iPod and I try a new variation on my workout. I find if I can find that one perfect song that just makes me want to push even harder on the treadmill, or while on the weight machines, I’m back in game and there’s no looking back.

Gillian is a wife, a mother, a career woman…and trying to juggle the fun that comes with all three!

She has two kids. The little man is providing endless hours of whining enjoyment as he enters the preschool years, exploring and pushing every boundary he can while keeping them laughing. The little miss is the newest addition to the family, arriving October 2009.

I joined Weight Watchers in December 2009 with a view to lose 50+ lbs. I’ve lost 70lbs and reached my goal on July 30, 2010. I am now a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers and I’m never looking back!

 

Diana Walker – @ The Cravings Coach

I first heard of the Law of Attraction when I was working with Dr. Paul Bragg in the 1970s.  It was not called Law of Attraction – but it was the same idea.  The idea that we each have choices and we can choose how we think and we find that — “what we focus on expands”.

It takes work, but we can change our “programming” so that we will have less and less of those times when we get discouraged and are not motivated to take positive actions that bring us joy and health.  I have been working with Affirmations and Visualization for over 30 years.

Here is a quote from my ebook:

“Using affirmations is a technique that can help you overcome your subconscious “programming.”  Affirmations are like goals, but they are said in the present tense.  Affirmations are statements that are said with belief and feeling.  When they are repeated on the conscious level, they begin to “sink down” into your subconscious and become part of your programming.  When you use the right affirmations, you’ll be able to empower yourself to lose weight and overcome food cravings.”

So it all starts with developing the right thoughts, and “re-programming” our thought patterns from negative to positive.  That is what works for me.  It’s not always easy, and I am grateful that Dr. Paul Bragg put such emphasis on that in our Inspiration circles on the beach in Hawaii, after exercise class, so many years ago!

I have created a mini electronic report on Law of Attraction – How to Curb Cravings and Lose Weight Using the Law of Attraction – - See the bottom of the page at http://www.diana2.com to receive your free copy.  Diana Walker, Cravings Coach

 

Angie Newton @ Losing It And Loving It

The best advice I have for developing self motivation is to challenge yourself to do something a bit out of your comfort zone.  This challenge will show you that you are strong and that you can achieve anything you set your mind to do.  You have to want things bad enough to make them happen.  Here are some ideas that might help challenge you to get unstuck.
1) Take a new (or your first) fitness class
2) Add an extra 15 min. to your workouts 2x a week
3) Set a goal to do a certain number of sit ups/pull ups
4) Hire a personal trainer
5) Try a more challenging home workout (DVD, shadow boxing, rebounding, etc.)

 

Angie Newton writes about her weight loss and fitness journey and shares tips on living a healthy lifestyle at her weight loss blog.  Feel free to drop by for a visit!
Filed Under: Plus Size Inspiration, REAL People I Respect

REAL People I Respect: Health Affects

June 17, 2011 By 1 Comment

Whether we like it or not being overweight or obese has serious health affects, have you experienced that at all and if so, how did you overcome it?

 

Tishia Lee @ No More Plus Size

I’ve had quite a few weight related health issues – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, swelling of my feet/ankles, back problems – just to name a few. Luckily I haven’t had to be put on high blood pressure or high cholesterol medicine! I’ve had more than one doctor reiterate that all these issues are significantly increased because of my weight and being morbidly obese.

Aside from those I have some minor things as well like my legs, knees and feet constantly hurting. It’s harder to do normal things like walking up steps, tying my shoes, shaving my legs, exercise, etc.

The only way to overcome these issues for me was to change my eating habits and to get up and move! Once I start exercising and eating healthy swelling in my feet/ankles goes down, my blood pressure & cholesterol go down, etc. It’s amazing how something as simple as exercise and healthy eating can reverse negative health issues in our lives.

Tishia is just a small town girl rambling about all the ups/downs and in-between’s of being on a journey to lose 150+ pounds and become no more plus size…eventually.

http://www.nomoreplussize.com

 

Angie Newton @ Losing It And Loving It

I have been lucky to not experience any very serious health affects BUT being obese has limited some of the things I can do.  Last year I was hoping to run a half marathon but after trying to train that way, the running was not going to happen. I had a very hard time breathing so I had to train to walk the race instead.  I’m very proud that I finished that race but I’m almost sure it was my weight issues that were the result of the breathing issues.  The more weight I lose, the more opportunities I will have to do things I thought were a stretch.

Angie Newton writes about her weight loss and fitness journey and shares tips on living a healthy lifestyle at her weight loss blog.  Feel free to drop by for a visit!

Jillian @ I’m Finding My Weigh

I never had any serious health issues when I was at my heaviest, but I am amazed at how little my feet hurt NOW compared to before. I would suffer through sore and blistered feet every day, within a few hours of putting on even the lowest heels for work. I thought it was just my feet, just my shoes, but it never occurred to me that the extra 70lbs I was carrying around was the culprit.

Now I can wear almost any style of shoe with only the “normal” discomfort, and I can wear them all day! It’s a whole new world. :)

Gillian is a wife, a mother, a career woman…and trying to juggle the fun that comes with all three!

She has two kids. The little man is providing endless hours of whining enjoyment as he enters the preschool years, exploring and pushing every boundary he can while keeping them laughing. The little miss is the newest addition to the family, arriving October 2009.

I joined Weight Watchers in December 2009 with a view to lose 50+ lbs. I’ve lost 70lbs and reached my goal on July 30, 2010. I am now a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers and I’m never looking back!

Filed Under: Plus Size Inspiration, REAL People I Respect
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