Does eating right cost too much money?

Friday’s tip this week comes from guest blogger, Stephanie Watson.  We were so excited and thankful that Stephanie took time out of her busy schedule to share her insight with us this week.  Thank you Stephanie and I welcome you back any time!

Today’s Tip:  Eating right doesn’t have to cost too much money

Eating Right Costs Too Much Money

I hear all the time that eating right costs too much money. I have even said it myself. But honestly it is just not true. It’s a good excuse at the time that might make me feel better about buying that bag of chips, instead of the bag of carrots, but it just does not hold up under the scrutiny of logic.

If you look at it realistically it does not cost more money to eat right. Sure, some of the groceries cost more initially, but honestly, why would any of us pay one dime for a bag of potato chips?

What is in a bag of potato chips?  Salt, Fat, Sugar, Starch. There is not one ounce of nutrition in a bag of chips. Just fat, calories, and too much of nothing. When you think about it paying $2.00 for a bag of nothing but calories is pretty expensive compared to paying $2.00 for a bag of carrots that has lots of vitamins and goodness in it.

Also if you are eating right and watching portion sizes the food is actually going to cost a lot less than if you’re eating wrong and as much of it as you want. If you check out the FDA pyramid it is clear about what a serving size contains. If we all stuck to that serving size of each food group each day I bet a lot of us would not only eat less, but we would spend less money at the grocery store too.

Stephanie is a Virtual Assistant http://www.stephaniewatson-va.com and recently started a support group for others struggling with losing weight. http://www.toughloveweightloss.com.

 

Mini Trampoline Workout

Have you been keeping up with the cross blog conversation that Shannon over at The Shrinking Mommy and I have been having this week?  Remember you can follow it easily here (Shannon’s blog) or here (my blog).  Today I answer Shannon’s question for me from yesterday.

“You’ve mentioned that rebounding used to be part of your workouts. At what point in your weight loss journey did you start using it (I’m concerned about weight limit) and do you have any tips on getting started rebounding?”

Love this question Shannon because the rebounder is my friend! Such a great workout.

Stamina InTone rebounder

The mini trampoline workout was definitely something I did on a consistent basis in the beginning when I started my new lifestyle.  When I was growing up my mom had a mini trampoline aka rebounder and we had a blast jumping on it so remembering those good times, I knew I had to have one.

There are different types of rebounder trampolines out there so as far as weight limit, they differ.  I want to say my first one mentioned a weight limit but I exceeded it by quite a bit and was fine but you’ll definitely want to do your research and choose wisely.  I also want to mention that the one I started with did not have a balance bar.

Oh and by the way, this topic fits perfectly into my Friday Fit and Healthy Lifestyle tips category so let me share a few benefits of rebounding exercises with everyone.

Friday tip: Benefits of Rebounding Exercises

The mini trampoline workout is a total body workout!  You cover all bases such as aerobic/cardio, toning, etc.   And you can lose weight and inches and have hardly any stress on your joints. It’s a low impact workout and a great calorie burner too.  Any one from beginner to advanced can use a rebounder trampoline. The biggest thing I have learned is that it’s so good for lymphatic circulation and helps to rid toxins from your body and speeds up your metabolism. Plus it helps the immune  and digestive systems.  Amazing benefits wouldn’t you agree?

A mini trampoline is more rigid than your basic outdoor yard trampoline the kids play on but it’s just as fun!  It’s so much better for your joints than running outside or using the treadmill. The rebounder is easy to use, fits in small areas so you don’t need much room and as with any exercise you’ll feel great and be motivated to do more.

As far as getting started with rebounder exercises, you’ll want to first choose a rebounder trampoline that you think will fit your lifestyle best.  Then what I recommend is testing out the waters for  few days by just doing the basic health bounce where your feet do not come off the rebounder.  Once you are ready, you can start trying different moves. You can usually find a variety of moves on DVD’s that might or might not come with the purchase of your mini trampoline or there are books as well.  I purchased a mini trampoline workout DVD called Keep On Rebounding and love it.  There are a variety out there.

I always recommend wearing socks and tennis shoes, no bare feet or just socks. I just feel it’s more safe and by wearing shoes you are able to protect your ankles and feet better.

Shannon, I am so excited to hear that a trampoline was a big part of your daughter’s weight loss.  Whether or not it was a mini trampoline or a full size outdoor one, that is exciting and goes to show that the more active kids are the better.

I mentioned the other day in our cross blog conversation about fitness challenges that I was in the process of planning a fitness challenge for February and it’s perfect timing to bring it up because it will be a fun REBOUNDER CHALLENGE!  Of course I’m still working on the plans for it but I’ll be sure to announce the specifics soon.  I can’t wait!

Now it’s time for my last cross blog conversation question to Shannon.

“Shannon, I followed your Thanksgiving challenge where you stayed accountable on your blog for a few days leading up to the big day when it came to food and exercise.  Do you plan on doing something similar for Christmas and if so have you thought about what your goals might be to stay on a healthy track through the holiday?”

Looking forward to reading your response tomorrow (Saturday)!

Question to my blog readers:

Have you ever done a mini trampoline workout?

 

Link love Friday

Today I’ll be sharing some great links I found around the web over the past few weeks.  Hope you enjoy!

Bobbi from NHerShoes blog wrote a great guide on staying fit during the holiday season.  We can all use these tips!

Mary, one of the cool bloggers I follow over at A Merry Life spent some time recently at a weight loss program and spa for women called Green Mountain at Fox Run.  It’s been really interesting reading and hearing about her experience.  She made a neat little video too!

I have posted about it before but you really need to check out Operation Beautiful!  I adore Caitlin and she’ll be coming out with a book soon. Go Caitlin!

And Shannon from over at The Shrinking Mommy blog has a simple and yummy recipe for Roast Potatoes and Sweet Potato fries. Be sure to check it out! Oh and Shannon and I have something special coming up on our blogs next week so be on the lookout!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Did you find or write any interesting blog posts or articles this week?  Feel free to share in the comments!

 

Benefits of exercise on mental health

Exercise is not only great for physical aspects like losing weight, building muscle and becoming lean but it’s also great when it comes to mental health.

Today’s Tip:  Benefits of exercise on mental health

1)  Helps to control emotions especially when  sad or feeling down about something.

2)  Helps to manage stress and relieve anxiety.  Less tension should help put you in a better mood too.  Once I get moving it feels like I’m just releasing all stress which leads me into the next benefit

3) Helps with  your ability to think straight and process stuff.  I definitely seem to retain more when I can focus better.

4) Helps to keep you more relaxed and fall asleep faster.  I usually sleep better too!  A good night’s sleep is always good for your health.

5) Helps with confidence and strength.  I feel strong and more confident while also proving to myself I have the discipline to keep going no matter what obstacle I might encounter.

Exercise appears to help with various health issues so it’s highly recommended (but of course you’ll want to check with your physician before starting any fitness program).  I personally find that exercise definitely helps with my mental state and I experience many of the benefits listed above.

Hey some say exercise might even make you smarter!  Hmm maybe this means that I should workout hard before the scuba exam that I am so nervous to take while in Jamaica.  I don’t retain stuff well and it takes me a while to grasp things so maybe I’ll hit the resort gym after the class instruction and before the test.  Hmmmm

Here are some more benefits of exercise on mental health and other hidden benefits of exercise

Have you personally found that exercise helps your mental health and if so in what way?

P.S. The book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain sounds like a great read.  Have you read it yet?

 

How to stay healthy during holiday party season

This week’s Friday Fit and Healthy Lifestyle Tips article is written by my friend Judy who will become a regular guest blogger here on my weight loss blog.  Judy has been in the health and wellness field for many years and I’m happy that she’s willing to share her expertise with us.  Judy has a blog about living a healthy lifestyle called Quick Steps to Health.

Please help me welcome Judy!

Today’s Tip:

Tips on eating healthier and ways to stay active during the holiday party season

fruit bowl
source

Are your eating plans ready for the Holiday party season?

With the holiday season upon us we will soon be offered the temptations of excessive alcohol consumption and fatty buffets.  This can be very difficult for those of us who are trying to lose or at least not gain weight.

If you include some of the tips below into your eating routine, you should be able to continue your weight loss and continue losing weight into the New Year.  The holidays do not have to always mean weight gain.   Paying attention is critical, however.

Try some of the following weight loss tips that may help you to lose weight more quickly before the Holiday party season in addition to maintaining your diet plans when you attend those parties:

1. Take a walk – Walking everyday for 45 minutes rather then the usually recommended 30 minutes can increase fat loss by at least 60 calories a day.  Use your lunch break to go for a walk every day.

2. Sometimes when we are thirsty, we feel like or think we are having hunger pangs.  The next time you feel hungry, drink a glass of water and wait a little while to see if you still feel hungry.  If you do, have a piece of fruit or a few almonds.  That should take care of it.

3. In order to boost your metabolism and prevent sudden drops in sugar levels, which triggers hunger signals, try to eat 5-6 small meals a day dividing the meals into 5 equal amounts of about 300 calories each.

4. There are a few natural things you can add to your diet like slimming teas that are meant to suppress your appetite or cut your fat intake or boost your metabolism but I’m not sure how any of these work.  As long as they are natural substances, you may want to give them a try but I’d sure check all the ingredients and any other information about them first.

Celebrate the Christmas season in style

1. Because alcohol is filled with hundreds of hidden calories that can cause you to gain weight, you might want to try having a glass of soda water with lime.  If you choose to have an alcohol drink, you may want to combine something like wine with soda water half in half for half the calories.  This helps in keeping your hands busy.  You can also drink something like fruit juice mixed with soda water to keep the calories down if you don’t like just soda with lime.

2. When your holiday party includes a buffet, try a few tricks so that you don’t end up snacking all night long devastating your diet.  Eat a regular fulfilling meal before you go to the party.  Be sure to make it something satisfying enough to keep you full all night.  Make it healthy too.   Only make one trip to the buffet.  Get a few things you really like and then spend the rest of the time engaging the rest of the people at the party.  Socialize!

3. Park yourself away from the buffet table so that you are not tempted subconsciously to start snacking on the foods close to you.  Find people on another side of the room to socialize with—they’re probably not the ones continually eating either.

4. Dance the night away! Enjoy yourself, get on the dance floor and use this opportunity to burn those excess calories.

To your health,
Judy Kelly
For more tips on living a healthy lifestyle visit my blog.  We have free e-books on Self-help and Secrets to Sleep Success you may need during this upcoming holiday season.

Thank you Judy for your guest post this week!

I most definitely have to work on sitting far away from the full table of yummy holiday food and just take a sampling of  my favorite foods to keep from overdoing it.

What is your biggest challenge on how to stay healthy during the holiday party season?

 

How much should I exercise?

Today’s tip is one of the most popular question I see asked and I’m here to give it to you straight.

Today’s Tip:  How much should I exercise?

Start your engines

There is no right answer!  Phew that was easy.  I honestly think it depends on each individual person.  I’m considered obese and I know I should be exercising at least an hour a day if not more and that is just my personal feeling.   It is imperative that I work hard at losing weight no doubt about it.  Sometimes I feel I have to take a day or two off each week but in reality I really don’t have to.  I know for me personally, I have to be careful because sometimes I tend to overdo it.

When I first decided to change my lifestyle and get off my toosh and exercise, I took it slow.  I started working out only 2 days a week and went up from there.  And I only started with Walk Away the Pounds in-home walking.  Many of my readers mention that they are shocked at how much I workout and  feel like they aren’t doing much but that isn’t true at all. You will get there!  You just have to start somewhere and if that’s only 15 minutes a day then so be it.  BUT you must start and never stop!

Now there is the chance for burnout and you don’t want to experience that. I have experienced that before and let it hold me back so I started switching things up on a regular basis once I was able to start doing more challenging workouts.  So my motto has always been “Mix It Up”. You can read an article I wrote a few years ago called Mix It Up-Exercise Made Fun.

My goal for November is to do something active at least 6 days a week.  I would love to see myself workout at least 300 minutes every week.  That equates out to 50 minutes of activity a day.  I do have the Pile on the Miles challenge that I took on from Nov. 1-Thanksgiving so I’m sure I can do this.

What is your November daily exercise goal?