We're Hanging Out on Facebook!

Happy New Year!

Right now, I'm just barely able to keep up with life, and so most of the gang is hanging out over at The Perfect 10 Diet Recipes Facebook page.  Come join us!  We are all banding together to keep each other accountable and on track - sharing ideas and cheering each other on.  


Come meet us there:  The Perfect 10 Diet Recipes Facebook page

Second Verse...Same as the First!

The last time most of you saw the post below was November 2012.  My dad had just died and I was a mess and waaaaaay off track from following P10.  Today I was browsing back through the blog, saw this old post and I realized that I was right back in this place AGAIN.  And I started crying.  Because I cry a lot lately.  Because life happens and taking care of myself once again falls by the wayside.  And I read this and realized that I CAN pick myself back up again.  Sorry if you dropped by looking for recipes, today will be an advice column.  Maybe you can use it and maybe you can't.  And maybe you can save it for another time when you do need it. 

You know what I WISH?  I wish we could all get together and talk and hang out like they do at WW meetings.  How about you?  Since that would be a logistical nightmare, come on by the Perfect 10 Diet Recipes Facebook Page and say hi, chat a while, see how others are doing.  I promise not to weigh you in public! 

Take care!  J

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Just This Once...

So lately I’ve had a lot going on.  My wonderful bestest ever Dad died, family came to town, things at work got really busy and my wallet is really empty -  and I’ve used all that as an excuse to not worry too much about eating right or exercising and I started comfort eating many foods I haven’t had in a long time…just this once…

Well folks, that ‘just this once’ turns into again and again and again and a GAIN!

And the stuff I wanted to eat – just this once several times– sure didn’t taste as good as I’d remembered it…it was greasy and left a filmy layer on my teeth and not to mention all the other ‘benefits’ such as:

Hungover feeling

Unable to get to sleep and unable to sleep soundly (twitchy feet)

Feeling tired and cranky and emotional

Cravings and hunger returned

Aches and pains

Headaches and exhaustion

Aching tummy with disgusting ‘musical’ accompaniment

COMFORT EATING WAS NOT VERY COMFORTING!

So WHY WHY WHY would I let myself fall back into this when I know better?  Why is it so hard to get back on track when I already know the answer?

Other P10 followers have mentioned this as well, so I sat and thought about what or why we sometimes do this to ourselves – here’s some of my thoughts.

One time I read that many homeless people are actually people with mental health problems who stopped taking their meds because they ‘felt better’ and then were not able to take care of themselves.  And of course, one would say ‘well of course you felt better, it was the meds!  Why’d you stop?’

I think on P10 we start to feel so much better physically and emotionally that we forget just how BAD we felt before and so we think we can put our big toe across that line and eat like that ‘just this once’ and then we are surprised by how bad it feels.  If you get a hold of yourself you can go right back onto P10 and keep going.  Or if you’re like me, you can think ‘well I already blew it I might as well cross the line a little more while I’m at it’ and then one day you realize that you’re veeeeeeeeeery far from shore.

For those of you who have experienced childbirth, it’s the same principle.  Scientists tell us that we forget how painful it was and that’s why we are able to have other children, because we block out the pain and remember the joy.  I think that applies to P10 as well.  We’re so jazzed to feel great and lose weight we lose sight of just how miserable we were before and then we start putting a toe over the line – just this once – and then again and again, etc.

Well, let’s be frank – you’re not cheating on P10 at all.  You’re cheating yourself.  I love hearing from the new P10 peeps about how they’re losing weight and feeling great and how awesome is this?  We get in the habit of eating right and feeling good and tend to forget how far we’ve come and how hard we had to work to get this far…

I remember being able to turn my nose up at the bread plate or smiling and sweating every day after my 5am workout and I wonder where that person went.  Sure, we all have stress and issues and problems, there’s no getting around that.  What happened to that person that decided that I was worth the extra effort, the discipline, the praise and the sweat?  My ‘old self’ took advantage of me being down and out and crept her way back in. 

Time to throw her out.  Time to take back my health and P10 lifestyle.  Time to start feeling GREAT physically, mentally and emotionally.

That’s the beauty of P10.  No need to sign back up, recount your points or wait until Monday to start over.  JUST DO IT RIGHT NOW.  The next meal, and the next and the next.  And if your brain thinks it needs that grilled pastrami sandwich and onion rings or chocolate shake tell it to wait – it’s not like that stuff is going to disappear in the next five minutes.  It’ll still be there days, weeks, months and years from now. 

One meal, one day, one step at a time.  Take the time to get back on track and take care of yourself.  We use stress as an excuse to eat badly and get lazy but FOR PETE’S SAKE when you’re taking care of yourself the stress doesn’t eat you alive. 

I apologize if this rant doesn’t have to do with you.  I figure we’re all human and we all have our issues and maybe you can get a germ or two of wisdom/experience from all this.  Maybe you’re new and you’re like ‘oh that won’t happen to me, I’m doing awesome.’  And you are and I hope you continue to do so…

BECAUSE WE ALL DESERVE TO FEEL BETTER

Thanks for listening.  I’d like to hear your constructive comments about how you worked through your own situation where you turned around and realized you were headed into deep water.

Happy New You!

Exactly one year ago today, January 7, 2012 – I started The Perfect 10 Diet.  What a journey, what a time of learning and growing (mentally, not physically!) and mostly, finding out what works for me and what doesn’t. 

I’m far from done.  During 2012 I lost 28 pounds following The Perfect 10 Diet and I would like to keep losing.  No, I didn’t do it perfectly – the scale went up and down along with the rest of my life.  As you may have figured out by now, P10 is not a quick fix instant cure-all.  It took a while to put the weight on and it’ll take a while to take it back off.    BUT – this is the best, healthiest and least complicated lifestyle I’ve ever tried.  And even when you’re not 100% following P10 it’s with you in the back of your head for good – now that you know WHAT you know, it’ll stick with you.  

For those who don’t know much about me, let me share.  I’m a regular person.  I work 40+ hours a week as an Executive Assistant/Office Manager for a very small but extremely busy office.  I’m not in advertising, I’m not a dietician, a doctor or an expert on anything.  I started the blog because so many of us wanted some guidance on what to eat and what to try and how to make the P10 diet work for us.  I’m going through a serious case of ‘blog envy’ right now.  There are many bloggers I follow who are lucky enough to work at home, on their blogs, experimenting with recipes and getting extra education about nutrition and all that fun happy stuff.  Their blogs rock hardcore and I am happy that they are able to do this because they are able to find out the info that I don’t have the time or energy to do.  I really wish I could do more for all of you.  You’re just gonna have to put up with my best efforts and hang in there with me.  I'm not cooking all the time now so I don't have as much to share - so send me some recipes you'd like for me to post!

If you’re still with me, let’s review:

What have I lost?

1.  weight;

2.  midnight snacking;

3.  bad complexion;

4.  insomnia;

5.  feeling constantly exhausted;

6.  feeling continually emotional and depressed; and

7.  I’ve stopped wanting to throw rocks at skinny people.

What have I gained?

1.  a new respect for food and what’s in it;

2.  an appreciation for working out and how necessary it is to do;

3.  a great night’s sleep;

4.  energy to get stuff done and energy leftover to do fun stuff;

5.  a new appreciation for taking care of myself;

6.  a steady, calm positive attitude; and

7.  bruises from having strangers throwing rocks at me (what’s that all about?)

So…Happy New Me!   Happy New You!  - HAPPY NEW US!

If you get started now you can look back in a year and say ‘look how far I’ve come’.

On my cell phone I have a picture I took on the evening of January 6, 2012…I told myself that would be the last picture in which I’d ever look like that.  I look at it once in a while and remember what it felt like and I don’t want to feel like that ever again. 

The Perfect 10 Diet won’t make you a supermodel, you won’t magically grow cornrows and look like Bo Derek – but you WILL, you WILL, you WILL feel better – and it is very much worth it to keep going, get back on it and try again. 

ONE MORE THING – something else I’ve gained while following The Perfect 10 Diet – getting to know and work together with all of you!  Thanks for your questions and discussions and hanging in there with me as we go through this together.

So, leave a comment – HOW FAR HAVE YOU COME on your P10 journey? 

And don’t forget to join us on The Perfect 10 Diet Recipes Facebook Page.

Holiday Stress

Sorry I haven't been around for a while.  I've been working 12 hour days, planning holiday parties and functions and toy drives and I've just been missing my dad an awful lot - so whenever I'm not frantically busy I'm collapsing.  Thanks again to everyone for their kind words and prayers.  I really wish we could get together sometime!

It’s that time of year again – except that for most of us who’ve only been on P10 since (or after) January – it’s a whole different type of stress.

A week or so ago I was all pumped up to ‘lose 10 by year end’ but I’ll tell you I’m more likely to lose my mind instead of 10 lbs.  Have you noticed that every time you get going on P10, life happens?  Too bad we don’t get together and exercise instead of eating sweets and treats but we can all try to get through this together.

Christine writes ‘My husband and I just started the P10 diet the day after Thanksgiving and are anticipating holiday parties with some nervousness.  Any advice to get through them successfully?’

 

Here's some advice:

Before you go to a party, eat a P10 light meal or big snack to curb your appetite

OR try to get in a workout before you get ready to go, which will also curb your appetite



I made one of these for a work party
and everyone loved it!



If you're asked to bring a dish, bring something you'll be able to eat.

Scope out the snack table for fruit, veggies and nuts and cheese.

Keep some water bottles with you in case all there is to drink is booze, soda or more booze (that happened to me at a party, I was losing my mind, they didn't have anything else to drink!)

Don't don't don't beat yourself up.  Eat right, eat light but if you're going to die without a small brownie or cookie, have a bit of it so you don't feel like your night wasn't any fun.

A NEW TV GAME!  You know that drinking game where you’re watching a show (let’s say Top Chef) and every time they say certain key words like ‘passion, style, method’ instead of downing a shot, do five sit-ups, push-ups or arm curls with weights. 

Try to take some time to work out or walk it off or relax – just because you may not be eating as well doesn’t mean you need to let everything else slip.  The continual exercise will help you keep on track.  And now that it’s cold you have to keep moving to keep warm!

It's easy for me to say!  It's not so easy to do....let's all share ideas on how to get through the holidays together.

Handle with Care

Happy Monday!

With the holidays upon us, things are starting to get out of control very quickly - parties, drinks, SWEETS, treats, shopping, shipping, wigging and tripping about Christmas (and/or your applicable holiday events). 

So while we are hanging on by our fingernails trying to follow P10, let's not forget to take care of ourselves as best we can - please click on this link and go back and re-read this post from February 2012.

Handle with Care

Just this once…

So lately I’ve had a lot going on.  My wonderful bestest ever Dad died, family came to town, things at work got really busy and my wallet is really empty -  and I’ve used all that as an excuse to not worry too much about eating right or exercising and I started comfort eating many foods I haven’t had in a long time…just this once…

Well folks, that ‘just this once’ turns into again and again and again and a GAIN!

And the stuff I wanted to eat – just this once several times– sure didn’t taste as good as I’d remembered it…it was greasy and left a filmy layer on my teeth and not to mention all the other ‘benefits’ such as:

Hungover feeling

Unable to get to sleep and unable to sleep soundly (twitchy feet)

Feeling tired and cranky and emotional

Cravings and hunger returned

Aches and pains

Headaches and exhaustion

Aching tummy with disgusting ‘musical’ accompaniment

COMFORT EATING WAS NOT VERY COMFORTING!

So WHY WHY WHY would I let myself fall back into this when I know better?  Why is it so hard to get back on track when I already know the answer?

Other P10 followers have mentioned this as well, so I sat and thought about what or why we sometimes do this to ourselves – here’s some of my thoughts.

One time I read that many homeless people are actually people with mental health problems who stopped taking their meds because they ‘felt better’ and then were not able to take care of themselves.  And of course, one would say ‘well of course you felt better, it was the meds!  Why’d you stop?’

I think on P10 we start to feel so much better physically and emotionally that we forget just how BAD we felt before and so we think we can put our big toe across that line and eat like that ‘just this once’ and then we are surprised by how bad it feels.  If you get a hold of yourself you can go right back onto P10 and keep going.  Or if you’re like me, you can think ‘well I already blew it I might as well cross the line a little more while I’m at it’ and then one day you realize that you’re veeeeeeeeeery far from shore.

For those of you who have experienced childbirth, it’s the same principle.  Scientists tell us that we forget how painful it was and that’s why we are able to have other children, because we block out the pain and remember the joy.  I think that applies to P10 as well.  We’re so jazzed to feel great and lose weight we lose sight of just how miserable we were before and then we start putting a toe over the line – just this once – and then again and again, etc.

Well, let’s be frank – you’re not cheating on P10 at all.  You’re cheating yourself.  I love hearing from the new P10 peeps about how they’re losing weight and feeling great and how awesome is this?  We get in the habit of eating right and feeling good and tend to forget how far we’ve come and how hard we had to work to get this far…

I remember being able to turn my nose up at the bread plate or smiling and sweating every day after my 5am workout and I wonder where that person went.  Sure, we all have stress and issues and problems, there’s no getting around that.  What happened to that person that decided that I was worth the extra effort, the discipline, the praise and the sweat?  My ‘old self’ took advantage of me being down and out and crept her way back in. 

Time to throw her out.  Time to take back my health and P10 lifestyle.  Time to start feeling GREAT physically, mentally and emotionally.

That’s the beauty of P10.  No need to sign back up, recount your points or wait until Monday to start over.  JUST DO IT RIGHT NOW.  The next meal, and the next and the next.  And if your brain thinks it needs that grilled pastrami sandwich and onion rings or chocolate shake tell it to wait – it’s not like that stuff is going to disappear in the next five minutes.  It’ll still be there days, weeks, months and years from now. 

One meal, one day, one step at a time.  Take the time to get back on track and take care of yourself.  We use stress as an excuse to eat badly and get lazy but FOR PETE’S SAKE when you’re taking care of yourself the stress doesn’t eat you alive. 

I apologize if this rant doesn’t have to do with you.  I figure we’re all human and we all have our issues and maybe you can get a germ or two of wisdom/experience from all this.  Maybe you’re new and you’re like ‘oh that won’t happen to me, I’m doing awesome.’  And you are and I hope you continue to do so…

BECAUSE WE ALL DESERVE TO FEEL BETTER

Thanks for listening.  I’d like to hear your constructive comments about how you worked through your own situation where you turned around and realized you were headed into deep water.

Servings and Portion Control

I see questions about ‘how to count’ servings/portions/calories on The Perfect 10 Diet.  Some people use a formula of fat/protein/carbs, some use calorie counters.

For those of you who haven’t downloaded it yet – I will be referring to, excerpting from and quoting The Perfect 10 Bonus Chapter.  Click HERE to download this document if you need a copy of it.  

IF YOU ARE NEW to P10 and don’t want to haul around the entire Bonus Chapter, try this – copy and paste the basic info needed into a Word document, print and take with you in your purse or keep in your food journal for a quick reference.  I also loaded the Bonus Chapter onto my iPhone so I could open it and view it if necessary.  The Portion Control info starts on page 28.

I’ll share what I do.  Cyndi H. compared it to the (really) old Weight Watchers exchange program, which was a good way to put it.  And I think it’s a very quick and easy way to keep track without losing your mind.

Daily Servings

The Perfect 10 Diet formula suggests that you break down your caloric intake as follows:

40 percent from carbs, 20 percent from proteins, and 40 percent from fats.  It’s much easier to see it like this:

If you are small framed:

·       6 to 7 servings of vegetables and fruits**

·       1 to 1½ servings of protein

·       2 to 2½ servings of fat per day

·       up to 1 serving of dairy is allowed (milk, yogurt, or cheese)

·       add whole grains as suggested in Stages 2 and 3

If you are medium framed:

·       6 to 8 servings of vegetables and fruits**

·       2½ to 3 servings of protein

·       3 servings of fat per day

·       up to 1 serving of dairy is allowed (milk, yogurt, or cheese)

·       add whole grains as suggested in Stages 2 and 3

If you are large framed:

·       7 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruits**

·       4 servings of protein

·       3 1/2 servings of fat per day

·       up to 1 serving of dairy is allowed (milk, yogurt, or cheese)

·       add whole grains as suggested in Stages 2 and 3

Don’t forget to count fat used in cooking if it is also eaten!

**The ‘Fruit’ Question

What is the maximum number of fruits that I can eat in one day while on the Perfect 10 Diet?

A healthy and balanced diet must contain 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruits a day.  You can have as many fruits as you want on the Perfect 10 Diet if you are very active.  (Exercise is encouraged if you are not too overweight.) But here is the caveat: fructose, present in fruits, is only metabolized by the liver and not other body cells. The liver uses up to 15 grams of fructose per day, which is roughly 2 fruits a day. Excess fructose (what is not used by the liver) will be converted into fat. This means that if you are active, you can have more fruits (3 or 4 per day) if you wish. If you are not active, 2 servings of fruit per day should be the max. Note that some fruits actually count as 2 servings, as explained in the book. Low-fat diets do not take this into account and promote drinking lots of fruit juices, which the Perfect 10 Diet knows will negatively affect insulin levels and cause us to gain weight.

Keeping Track

I keep a food journal.  At the bottom of each page I note down the following info:

B         L          D

6V

3P

3F

1D

1Fr

The top row is breakfast, lunch and dinner and the side column are the servings of veggies, protein, fat, dairy and fruit I am aiming for each day (I am cutting back on fruits and not eating whole grains right now, change it to suit your needs).  At each meal I just add up the servings of each item and list it under the B/L/D column.  It helps keep me on track each day.  See if that works for you!

Quick and Easy Household Measurements to Use as Portion-Control Guides

·       3 ounces of meat is about the size and thickness of a deck of playing cards, the palm of your hand (without your fingers) or an iPod.

·       A medium-sized piece of fruit is the size of a tennis ball.

·       A serving of cheese is about the size of 6 stacked dice.

·       ½ cup of cooked veggies is the size of a tennis ball.

·       1 cup of raw veggies is the size of your fist

·       1 ounce of nuts should fit into the palm of your hand.

·       1 teaspoon of butter is about the size of the tip of your thumb

So this is just a brief overview to get you started or to let you know if you’re on the right track.  It’s easy to know what NOT to eat but I found it very helpful to know what size a serving of the ‘right foods’ are.

Please share your comments, questions or ideas.  All we have is each other and let’s face it, I couldn’t do this without all of you!

I Deserve It!

The other day was a tough one at work, I was fried by lunchtime.  What I really needed to do was get out of the office and relax, spend some quiet time just breathing deeply and having a great lunch.  So, for a minute or two I sat there and thought about where I was going to go and what sounded good to eat…when lo and behold, who should stick their head into my cubicle but my former ‘beforeP10’ self…someone I hadn’t talked to in a while.

Old self:  “So, having a bad day?  You know what would be awesome!  How about a grilled pastrami and cheddar sandwich and onion rings with ranch and maybe a chocolate shake…that would be sooooo good and you deserve it!”

P10 self:  “That does sound really good!  But I don’t eat like that anymore.  Eating like that makes me feel like crap – sick, bloated, nauseous, and self-loathing.  No thanks!”

Old self:  “Oh but we could just go where no one would even know, and just for once, indulge and really let yourself enjoy it!  You deserve it!”

P10 self:  “Wait…what?  I deserve to be upset, nauseous and gassy?  Whose side are you on anyway?”

Old self:  “No, I just mean..the food, the pastrami, the cheese, the fried onion rings…it’s just so…goooood…and you’ve been working hard and stressing a bit so you really really deserve it!”

P10 self:  “You know, I USED to think that way…but now I realize that I DESERVE BETTER!!  Look at me!  Healthier, happier, more relaxed and looking and feeling great – THAT’S what I deserve!  That’s what feels good – and that’s what’s awesome!  I think you’d better leave now ‘cause I'ma slap you upside the head in a minute!”

Old self:  “Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!  So sorry!  That used to be your cure-all for a crappy day and I thought you’d like to indulge yourself a little…I know when I’m not wanted!”

She left and I was glad to see her go…she didn’t get it.  Yes, I deserve to relax and unwind and get my second wind and feel better going back to work, but a greasy sandwich, onion rings and chocolate shake are not the answer.  I went out and had a lovely meal of butter sautéed fish and some creamed spinach and sent the bread basket back. 

That’s what I deserved.  I deserved to feel good, and look great and take good care of myself.  And so do you.  So if your former ‘before P10’ self rears its ugly head and tries to talk to into something that’s not part of your new P10 lifestyle, tell it to take a hike (well, you know they won’t, they’ll probably eat ice cream in front of the TV) – so you take that hike, and feel great about yourself and hang in there.

Take care of yourself! 

Why? 

Say it with me:

 YOU DESERVE IT!

Fasting

Now y’all know about and some of you have tried the whey protein fasts that The Perfect 10 Diet book talks about.  The book also mentions fasting as in real 'not-eating-anything' fasting.  I’d heard many people talking about how they tried it and how they went about it so I thought I’d give it a shot.

I found this great resource that it would behoove you to read before you get started:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-weight-loss/#axzz1r23Idtvc

Breaking it up like this between the days makes it seem easier because you’re still eating each day-just not the whole day-make sense?  I never felt like I was starving or deprived.  Always make sure and drink plenty of water!

Day 1 –

Breakfast – eggs with spinach and cream cheese, 1/2 avocado and coffee w/half & half

Lunch – salad with grilled chicken and grapes

No dinner

Exercised – 2 mile walk @ 2.8 mph

Slept like a rock, felt great

Day 2 –

Breakfast –coffee w/half & half (just to take meds)

Exercised – 2 mile walk @ 3.0 mph

No lunch

Drank water and had a couple cups of hot green tea (‘cause I was cold)

I didn’t feel starved or crazed, I had energy

Dinner – spinach salad with shrimp

I lost 2.6 pounds during this 24 hour fast.

You know your body better than I do so if you’re going to do this, proceed with caution and LISTEN to your body.  We are all grown people making our own decisions so if the fasting is not a good fit for you don’t force it.  Remember, I’m not a doctor, I’m just a bossy big sister giving you advice whether you like it or not.  If you have medical issues, ask your doctor before you do this.

Anyway, that’s what worked for me and I wanted to remind you that you are not finished – you’re only just beginning. Take care everyone!

Little Things Mean a Lot

Well folks, I’ve been doing a LOT of thinking over the past couple of weeks.  I got an email from Stacy C. asking me ‘…how strict are you?  How often do you exercise and watch what you’re eating?’  Well let me tell you I whipped my head around and got all ready to write back a terrific response on how strict I was and how I was working the P10. 

But then, I hesitated…because…was I?  Was I really working The Perfect 10 Diet Plan or had I (gulp) fallen by the wayside – sidetracked by other information, circumstances, stress and vacation? 

So I started a list of all the ‘rules’ to follow on P10 as a guideline for Stacy and then realized, I wasn’t being strict AT ALL.  What happened?  Where did I go wrong?  How did I get SO far off course? 

Little things…at first

Using the pre-made salad dressing at the restaurant

Salads with a wholesale ton of yummy things on them

Not keeping track of portions and using portion control

Forgetting that red meat is not a daily food item

Snacking at night before bedtime

Staying up late and not getting good sleep

Eating undesirable foods ‘just this once’ – but actually several times

Not bothering to check labels

Exercising?  Somehow I had convinced myself that extra sleep was better for me than working out each morning…

The list goes on and on and on but ever so slowly and surely I was taking one step forward and three steps back (or would that be one pound lost and three pounds gained?).  But although my weight didn’t fluctuate too much, I could feel the effect that all these little things were making on my health, state of mind and my P10 attitude.

So Stacy, thank you VERY much for a much needed kick in the pants, and I do mean that with all sincerity.  Many times we say “I’m going back to Stage 1 and starting over” but sometimes that lasts all of a day or two.  If this is just me and you guys are all good and working the P10 like gangbusters then I’m proud and you’re doing awesome – but if something I’m saying is making you blush or cover your face and nod then keep reading and thanks for sticking around.

So no more Pity Party – let’s pull up our big girl panties (or boxers for you guys) and get back on track – WHO’S WITH ME?!?!

HOW STRICT ARE YOU? 

Okay, let’s break it down (Hammer Time?)  This is a basic primer, for all the details about why you should do this go back and look at The Perfect 10 Diet Plan book.

Portions - first of all, if you don’t have it – here is the Bonus Chapter from Dr. Aziz’ book and it gives you portion amounts to follow on P10:  Bonus Chapter link

40% carbs; 40% fat; 20% protein:

or about 6 servings vegetables; 3 servings fat and 3 servings of protein daily
(try to not have more than 1 serving of fruit and 1 serving of dairy a day)
no booze

Full fats, lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables, nothing processed – read your labels!!

eat a large breakfast, a medium lunch and a light dinner
try to go to bed slightly hungry

Cut waaaaay back on the caffeine, srsly

Rest and Meditation - At least 7-8 hours of sleep – find out what helps you get to sleep and stay there (as long as it’s legal and non habit forming for Pete’s sake).  How many of you sleep with the fan on just to hear the noise?  Yeah, me too. 

Go find a way to relax that works for you and make sure to keep doing that.  If you’re seriously tweaked then go see a counselor and unload.

Exercise – what wets your sweats?  Keep doing that.  Try to do that at least 3-4 times a week.   If you’re bored try something else.  Google information on routines and ideas or join a gym and ask for help.  Swap exercise videos with your friends.  If you think you’re too heavy to exercise then just start walking.  Walk in place while you’re watching TV if that’s all you can do right now.  Ask a friend to exercise with you to keep you accountable and then hide from that friend for a week until she leaves you alone (wait, don’t do that but you know we’ve all been there).

Track it – write it down, keep a journal or do it electronically, it makes all the difference in seeing what works and what doesn’t. 

Set a Goal – we’re all gradually losing weight and making progress – but it might help to have a goal like “170 by month end” or “5 more pounds before my birthday” to help keep you focused.    Go try on some of your fat clothes and see how far you’ve gotten.  Go to the grocery store and pick up bags of potatoes that equal the weight you’ve lost and congratulate yourself!

Support – maybe some of you are lucky enough to have a friend working the P10 with you.  I know Cindy is trying to convert her entire school district one person at a time but some of us are doing this alone.  And people give you funny looks and ask questions and ‘wish they could too but they just couldn’t do that’ and all that jazz.  Well, come on over to the Facebook page and ask your questions or share your great news or ask for help with your problems. 

So now I’m going back to my journal and re-reading the beginning. 

I’m going to track my portions of appropriate food.

I’m going to bed on time tonight

AND I’m going to get up and exercise – and you can ask me about it too!

Thanks for listening to me.  Thanks for learning with me.  I hope that everyone is finding something they can use from this blog.

Give me a hand when I've lost the way

Give me your shoulder to cry on

Whether the day is bright or gray

Give me your heart to rely on

Send me the warmth of a secret smile

To show me you haven't forgot

For now and forever, that's always and ever

Honey, little things mean a lot