When you give suggestions to friends, family, or even co-workers, usually the ones closest to you may listen to what you suggest, but may not really “hear” what you are saying. That means it goes in one ear and out the other or the information bounces off of them right back to you without being absorbed. Have you ever experienced this? You may think, let them hear it from someone else and they will get it.
My sister is one of those folks who was not ready to hear what I had been suggesting, with love, for years. The situation was that her weight was not in a healthy range and she had high blood pressure. Since health and fitness are my areas of expertise, I would always provide tips on exercise and nutrition. I even created a sample menu plan to give her ideas on the types of food she should eat, in addition to how often she should eat. For all of those years, she did not get it. I understood that she was not ready to make a change in her life; I accepted it and left her alone. I know that when it comes to change, the individual has to make a decision for them to commit to change and until then, it will not happen.
Today, I get a phone call and guess what? She got it, with the help of another source. She came across a book that informed her of the same information I was telling her. Now she was ready to hear and absorb it. She reduced her soda intake and is eating 5 small meals consisting of more fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and chicken. She used to stop by Wawa and pick up a bag of Doritos or some other chip and a soda. Now, she can go to Wawa and walk by that section without a need to fulfill a salt and sugar craving. The reason is because she is now providing her body the nutrients it needs with healthier options and her cravings are diminishing. She has exercised on and off for years, and that component will be more consistent. As a result, she feels better and is dropping weight.
For so many people like my sister, the idea of planning was not in the forefront of her mind. Her occupation made her transient and as a result, she was always eating on the go. In addition, she rarely ate breakfast. Now, she realizes that she has to eat breakfast daily, plan her meals for the day and even for the week. She cooks in advance and freezes her meals. She states it is work, but for her health it is worth it. I know it seems hard at first, but with anything when you commit to it, it becomes easier. I am proud of you big sis. All of the seeds I planted and patience I maintained has paid off.
If you can influence someone in your life to better his or her health, it is so worth it!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Food Plan and Prep
When you are on a path to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, food planning and preparation is so important. Just like with anything in life, if you fail to plan, you may plan to fail. With food, if you have no idea what you will eat in a day, it could be left up to chance and chance can lead to poor choices.
To keep your body on an even metabolic keel throughout your day, you should eat 4-5 small meals. Start by always having breakfast and avoid letting your body go into starvation mode. It is imperative to have meals and snacks prepared, and if not, at least mentally prepared to stay on track.
A useful tip is to plan meals around foods (when prepared in large amounts) that can be used in one recipe one night, used for lunch the next day or in a completely different meal the next night (or two). For example, if you prepare chicken breast, you can make one or two pounds and have a portion for dinner day one with cooked vegetables and a baked sweet potato and lunch on day two chopped on top of a salad. You can freeze the remaining cooked chicken breast and take it out on day five and make a soup with rice and vegetables. It is really a time saver.
When it comes to your snacks, try to schedule eating something small such as a piece of fruit with yogurt or a handful of raw almonds or walnuts as a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. When lunch and dinner time arrives, you should not be as hungry and you will eat a smaller portion. If you need to remember your snack time due to a busy schedule, another tip is to put a reminder on your phone, calendar or what ever you use to keep your day straight. It is that important.
You can train your body with food, just as you would with exercise. It needs to be fed on a regular basis because you are burning calories on a regular basis. Remember, the key to weight loss is burning more calories than you take in. When you take in quality, nutrient dense foods that you plan for during your day, you will be successful in your weight loss or weight maintenance plan.
To keep your body on an even metabolic keel throughout your day, you should eat 4-5 small meals. Start by always having breakfast and avoid letting your body go into starvation mode. It is imperative to have meals and snacks prepared, and if not, at least mentally prepared to stay on track.
A useful tip is to plan meals around foods (when prepared in large amounts) that can be used in one recipe one night, used for lunch the next day or in a completely different meal the next night (or two). For example, if you prepare chicken breast, you can make one or two pounds and have a portion for dinner day one with cooked vegetables and a baked sweet potato and lunch on day two chopped on top of a salad. You can freeze the remaining cooked chicken breast and take it out on day five and make a soup with rice and vegetables. It is really a time saver.
When it comes to your snacks, try to schedule eating something small such as a piece of fruit with yogurt or a handful of raw almonds or walnuts as a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. When lunch and dinner time arrives, you should not be as hungry and you will eat a smaller portion. If you need to remember your snack time due to a busy schedule, another tip is to put a reminder on your phone, calendar or what ever you use to keep your day straight. It is that important.
You can train your body with food, just as you would with exercise. It needs to be fed on a regular basis because you are burning calories on a regular basis. Remember, the key to weight loss is burning more calories than you take in. When you take in quality, nutrient dense foods that you plan for during your day, you will be successful in your weight loss or weight maintenance plan.
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