Fitness Friday: Week 10 & Tips for Staying On The Wagon
Every week, along with my progress update, I’m sharing guest posts from friends who are making changes in their lives to live more healthily. This week’s guest poster is my friend, Ellen. She and I have known each other for many years and I’m excited for her to give you some tips for staying on the wagon (and a bonus recipe!)
Ellen’s words…
I’m honored that Sherry asked me to contribute over here at Paper, Scissors, Keyboard. Sherry and I have known each other for years, and have had a crazy adventure or two, which now includes our journey for weight loss.
Though you wouldn’t believe it if you saw me in person,  my doctor told me to lose 50 pounds – before I had children. I wear all my weight in my thighs and hips. He wanted me to go on the South Beach Diet. I tried, but that “lifestyle change†just didn’t work for me.
Over the years I have tried Weight Watchers and LA Weight Loss – both wonderful programs in their own right. However I’m on a tight budget now that I am a SAHM, so I’ve picked up some sound advice that I’ve learned from each program (and others) and have incorporated them into my own weight loss initiative through the LoseIt app for the iPhone.
So here are some weight loss tips that I’ve collected over the years that I’d like to share with Sherry and you:
- For me it all comes down to <<cover your ears>> counting calories. Seriously, if I can keep my calorie in-take below 1,600 daily and watch my portion size – I’ve won the battle for the day. Measuring everything for the first few weeks is essential until I have a feel for correct portion sizes for different food categories.
- A lot of recipes call for sautéing onions and garlic in oil or butter. But do you realize that water sautés just as well and is calorie free? Try it. I don’t think you’ll miss any flavor at all.
- Have a sweet tooth? Snack on dates. Majool dates are my favorite and can be easily found in your grocery store. They are plump and “milky†and I recommend starting with this variety first. However make sure they aren’t dried out before purchasing.
- Water, water, water – and then drink some more water. If there is one thing that is the greatest contributor to loosing weight, it’s water. It flushes our system. Water really is the fountain of youth.
- Don’t skimp on your kitchen tools. Last week I bought a Vitamix, a purchase I should have made 15 years ago. I never knew making smoothies, humus and soups could be so effortless. By buying a refurbished mixer from the Vitamix website I saved $100 and also received a five year warranty.
Last of all; if you fall off the wagon, just jump back on. That’s the beauty about it being a wagon: it goes really slow so you can catch up.  I’m just thankful that it’s not a race car that speeds on ahead and leaves me behind.
Veggie Hot Pocket
- ½ Yellow Sweet Onion, sliced
- 1 Fennel Bulb, sliced
- 2 cups Spinach
- 1 Tomato, medium sized, diced
- 1 Avocado, diced
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
Sauté onion and fennel bulb in 2 Tlbs of water. Add water if needed. Add spinach and sauté until wilted. Add tomato and avocado until warmed. Season with salt and pepper. Cut pita pocket in half, toast or lightly heat. Fill each half of the pita pocket with veggies.
Ellen blogs over at The Hip Vegetarian and The Bloom Diaries. Since the new year she’s lost 10 lbs by watching her calories, however she falls off the wagon every week. She’s a little bruised up. However her new Vitamix has given her the energy to take a running leap towards the wagon again.
Sherry’s update…
This week, I worked slowly toward a firmer seat on the wagon. I’m still on…but it’s still easy to fall off.
Successes…
- I did much better with staying hydrated this week. I drank all of my H2Orange several times during the week and almost all on the other days.
- I worked to keep my portion sizes right and to only eat when I was hungry.
- Weight…I lost 2 pounds! I’m so excited! So, I’m down 16 pounds in these 10 weeks and 26 pounds since my highest of 301).
- Inches…I lost 2 more inches! That’s a total of 26.5 inches in the last 10 weeks. Woot!
Challenges…
- Avoiding sugar continues to be a challenge for me. And it is pretty directly related to not drinking the full gallon of my H2Orange. When I drink that, I stay pretty strong…when I don’t? I want to eat my weight in peach cobbler.
So, how did you all do this week?
Past Posts on my fitness Journey…
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