Tuesday, November 25, 2014

My 6 Step Holiday Parties Survival Guide


I cannot believe Thanksgiving is this week. Are you all ready? Have you decided if it is a cheat day for you? I know it is for me. I remember, Thanksgiving is one day, the one day I make homemade stuffing and eat pumpkin pie. It is yummy.

With Thanksgiving, comes the beginning of Christmas parties, some we enjoy and others we are forced into. But, either way, with these parties comes the dreaded thought of the holiday weight gain. Lets do something about that this year, enjoy this beautiful season without the dread. 

One of the first keys is to set yourself up for success. 
Here are six steps to take to help you be successful:

1. Decide before you go to your party if this is a meal you really want to cheat on. If you have several parties to attend, it is not realistic to indulge at each one them, if you do not want the weight gain. Decide before and honor your decision. 

2. Do not go hungry. Eat something nutrient dense and small before hand, my go to is bone broth. If you are not starving, you will not need to eat everything in front of you and with good food already in you, you will be less likely to want to cheat. If you are lucky enough to have a nice dinner for your party, then go hungry.

3. Take a healthy dish such as deviled eggs, meat balls, bacon wrapped sweet potatoes. Be sure to make extra so you have something healthy to eat at the potluck. Most will thank you!

4. Do a once over of the food table before getting in line to eat. This way you know what is there, not start and by the time you are at the end you have a mounded plate because you do not know something was there and you want some. Know before. Also, be at the end of the line. All the food looks the best at the beginning, before anyone has dug in. If you are at the end, it will not look as appetizing and a lot of it will be gone, the healthier stuff is what is at the end.  Good reason to not go hungry.

5. Have positive mantras you are going to say to yourself and others when the temptations and comments come, you know they will. Things like: I am eating for my health, not the instant pleasure. This cheat is not going to help with my long term goals. I have decided this is not my cheat meal and I will honor myself. 

6. Stay away from the food. If it is not in front of you, you will not eat it. Go to the party for what it really is, being with family and friends to enjoy this wonderful season. 

Do you have tips and tricks you use to stay healthy during the Christmas season? I would love to hear them and I am sure others would like more ideas.

Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
God's bless,
Jenn

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Your Relationship with the Scale


If I asked you how much you weighed, could you rattle that number off without a second thought?
If I asked you when was the last time you weighed yourself, when was it?
Do you rely on the scale for your progress?
How many times a day/week do you weigh yourself?
Do you have a predetermined weight you think you need to be? If so, why? What is this number based on? How did you come up with it?

Most of these I would be able to answer no on. You see, I broke my scale habit some time ago. Not that I ever weighed myself much, because I did not. But, I did think I had a weight I needed to be. This was from hearing others talk about their weight and what they wanted theirs to be. This number would make me worthy, beautiful, successful, or so I thought. This number I decided on would not have been healthy for me and the pursuit of it would have been devastating. Luckily, I did not go much further with the scale issues, weighing myself constantly, making it my end all be all and doing whatever it took to be this weight or base my worth on the number. Through the years, I have learned the scale is a really bad way to measure my success and to base myself worth on. I could not tell you how much I weigh.

The last time I was weighed was about a month ago, went to the docs. I could not tell you what the number was, because I did not look, do not care. The last time I actually looked at the number was six months ago? I am sure in that time, the number has gone up with all of the crossfitting I have been doing and lifting. Do I care, nope. I know I am stronger, healthier and love my life.

The number on the scale is arbitrary for most people.
It does not tell you how much muscle you have, muscle to fat ratios.
If you are working out, you should be gaining muscle and losing fat, the scale is not going to tell you if this is happening.
The number does not mean you are becoming healthier, sicker, more or less beautiful, worthy, on the right track for health. Really, in the end, it is a number that does not tell us much. Yes, in very few cases, it can give us vital information regarding your health, but that is few cases.

Far too many base their success on this number. Everything is wrapped up in it and when that scale does not say what they want, there is no success.

If this is you, maybe you need to have a break up with your scale. Through your scale away and in it's place put a sticky note, with a positive mantra. You are welcome to use any of mine or come up with your own.
"I am worth more than the number on the scale."
"The number does not equal success."
"I am becoming healthy by nourishing my body with healthy foods."
"I am beautiful."
"I am strong."

Here are some better ways to understand progress:
Pictures, take before and after's.
Measurements
The mirror, do you like what you are seeing, do you notice the changes?
How does your spouse, significant other, family or friends say you look?
Are you lifting heavier in the gym, if this is what you want?
Has your endurance improved?
Do you have more energy?
Are you sleeping better?
How are your clothes fitting?

If this is a deep struggle for you, do not be afraid to seek help to unravel your struggles with your worth and weight.

You are worth more than that number on the scale.
Saving the world one stick of butter at a time.
God bless,
Jenn