Summer is officially here as far as the calendar says. It's been warm, hot, humid and breezy lovely for a while already though. So, it is time to gather your thoughts and picture how you want to have a great season despite the pandemic and the restrictions it imposes.
Being a little sad about the things that are not happening this summer is normal. Maybe consider taking a moment to reflect on those traditions and all the joy they have brought you? If the fair, your family reunion, that vacation isn't going to come together as usual--it's time to let go so you can make room for what is going to happen.
Living in Minnesota, I appreciate summer more than I would otherwise. Summer is our reward for putting up with winter! But then we had that fast dive into quarantine and staying home.... it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride with emotions, plans, cancelled plans... Yet, this is still summer, and when it comes to an end, most people I know are sad. No one says that at the end of a long Minnesota winter--gee winter flew by, and I didn't get to wear my boots another 100 times....
So, what will make your summer memorable? What will make you feel like your precious life in summer 2020 is still happening? What will it take for you to feel that you are maximizing the fun? What can you still do safely that brings you joy? Biking is one of my favorite summer activities, and C19 or NOT, it works. That's a thumbs up for "normal." We decided to go on our family reunion to Ocean City, New Jersey. It won't be the same. My mom and several others won't be coming because of C19. My brother and his family won't be coming from Australia, because they aren't allowed to leave the country for six months. Disappointing, but this is life for now.
Our world and our expectations have changed, and we have adjusted for three months past, and we will continue to adjust. As always, focusing on what you can do will bring you more happiness and more control than focusing on what you cannot do. Just don't let summer slip away without making your mark. Have fun doing it. That's what summer is all about anyway.
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
All Fats Are Not the Same
We probably remember the fat free craze that hit the "diet world" more than twenty years ago. The idea was that fats in processed foods made you fat, so if you take the fat out, you won't get fat. The error in this was that when they took the fat out of products like cake, cookies, etc. they replaced it with sugar. And then people ate more because the cookies were "fat free." Furthermore, not all fats are the same. Some are healthy for your body and nutritionally sound for your intake. Others are treats.
Here is the skinny on fat. Ha! There are healthy fats which are called UNsaturated fat. These fats come from plants, seeds, nuts, olive, canola, sunflower, safflower and flaxseed oil and even some seafood. These are good for you, heart healthy, and a necessary part of a balanced "diet." On the other hand, SATurated fats are found in red meat (think marbling) and dairy, cookies, cakes, whipped cream on top of coffee sundaes, etc.
The leading cause of obesity and becoming overweight comes from the overconsumption of SATurated fat and sugar. (Hence the Snackwells problem.)
The moral of the story is to be mindful of which fats you are consuming--heart healthy UNsaturated fats which are good for you can be consumed regularly. The hitch is that they are still high in Smartpoints values because they are calorically dense (a tsp of oil is a point). On the other hand, the SATurated fats need to be considered wisely and planned for. Eating or drinking them is not about getting in more nutrition really...it's about pleasure, which is part of our consumption too.
This week, see if you can determine which fats you are eating more often--and which ones might be subbed out for a healthier option. Why? So that you can be healthy, stay within your points' target and hopefully lose and/or maintain your weight. It's ok! You are worth it.
Here is the skinny on fat. Ha! There are healthy fats which are called UNsaturated fat. These fats come from plants, seeds, nuts, olive, canola, sunflower, safflower and flaxseed oil and even some seafood. These are good for you, heart healthy, and a necessary part of a balanced "diet." On the other hand, SATurated fats are found in red meat (think marbling) and dairy, cookies, cakes, whipped cream on top of coffee sundaes, etc.
The leading cause of obesity and becoming overweight comes from the overconsumption of SATurated fat and sugar. (Hence the Snackwells problem.)
The moral of the story is to be mindful of which fats you are consuming--heart healthy UNsaturated fats which are good for you can be consumed regularly. The hitch is that they are still high in Smartpoints values because they are calorically dense (a tsp of oil is a point). On the other hand, the SATurated fats need to be considered wisely and planned for. Eating or drinking them is not about getting in more nutrition really...it's about pleasure, which is part of our consumption too.
This week, see if you can determine which fats you are eating more often--and which ones might be subbed out for a healthier option. Why? So that you can be healthy, stay within your points' target and hopefully lose and/or maintain your weight. It's ok! You are worth it.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Plan to Succeed and Repeat
We have too much to think about now with all that is going on in the world. It's taking up our precious brain space that we could otherwise use for good. With that in mind, it is all the more important when it comes to getting anything done--especially weight loss and weight maintenance--that you plan your meals and snacks.
You, like me, want to eat three meals a day--plus snacks. Most of the days that is the way it works. Because of this desire and requirement to fuel the body with the right stuff, we have to think in advance when we are fresh, rested and satisfied (NOT HANGRY) about what we want to eat for the week. That is planning 101. What dinners would you like to enjoy this week? That is the building block of the plan for what ingredients to source. If you need to search recipes on WW app or Skinnytaste or whatever favorite site you have--go ahead. Others all around the world are in the same boat. What's for dinner? What should I buy and make? What will satisfy for low points? Take their lead--let them tell you what to buy, how to portion the recipe and how many points. Brain space saved.
Of course, you have to carry out your plan when the time comes. Setting a routine for this makes the most sense, because planning all the time can get tedious for those of us mere mortals who aren't all that great at this. However, the rewards are huge. Planning means we are expecting to be successful. It means we have what we need to eat when we are hungry. It means we don't have to get even more stressed out about what's for dinner because we didn't make a plan long ago. It can also be thrifty. We don't have to make last minute take out decisions or frozen pizza choices because we are to stressed to figure it out.
At the very least, what about planning a robust meal for one night that could easily morph into a second dinner? And, what about always making double proteins when you fire up the grill? Not one steak but a steak and two chicken breasts OR a pork tenderloin and a swordfish steak?
Life is work. Don't we all know it. However, we can be our best friend or worst enemy when it comes to a little forethought, a little planning, food prepping and storing. You are worth every ounce of effort, and the rewards will be less stress, potentially more weight loss, staying within your daily target and feeling satisfied, healthy and accomplished. That's worth working for.
You, like me, want to eat three meals a day--plus snacks. Most of the days that is the way it works. Because of this desire and requirement to fuel the body with the right stuff, we have to think in advance when we are fresh, rested and satisfied (NOT HANGRY) about what we want to eat for the week. That is planning 101. What dinners would you like to enjoy this week? That is the building block of the plan for what ingredients to source. If you need to search recipes on WW app or Skinnytaste or whatever favorite site you have--go ahead. Others all around the world are in the same boat. What's for dinner? What should I buy and make? What will satisfy for low points? Take their lead--let them tell you what to buy, how to portion the recipe and how many points. Brain space saved.
Of course, you have to carry out your plan when the time comes. Setting a routine for this makes the most sense, because planning all the time can get tedious for those of us mere mortals who aren't all that great at this. However, the rewards are huge. Planning means we are expecting to be successful. It means we have what we need to eat when we are hungry. It means we don't have to get even more stressed out about what's for dinner because we didn't make a plan long ago. It can also be thrifty. We don't have to make last minute take out decisions or frozen pizza choices because we are to stressed to figure it out.
At the very least, what about planning a robust meal for one night that could easily morph into a second dinner? And, what about always making double proteins when you fire up the grill? Not one steak but a steak and two chicken breasts OR a pork tenderloin and a swordfish steak?
Life is work. Don't we all know it. However, we can be our best friend or worst enemy when it comes to a little forethought, a little planning, food prepping and storing. You are worth every ounce of effort, and the rewards will be less stress, potentially more weight loss, staying within your daily target and feeling satisfied, healthy and accomplished. That's worth working for.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Your Mind May Be Playing Tricks on You
You can't believe everything you think. Yes, I said that right. Some of our thoughts are simply ideas floating around in our heads--thousands each day with most of them on repeat from yesterday. When more stress is going on, the mind weighs in heavily by rehearsing, rethinking and leaping from one idea to another regardless of whether or not these thoughts are based in fact. This is exhausting. This can cause us to feel badly. This can cause us to do badly. It's a basic process of:
1) think
2) feel
3) do.
Because we have the power to hit the invisible "pause" button when it comes to thoughts (and then feelings and actions), we have the ultimate control. We can choose not to accept our thoughts. We can choose to think differently. We can choose to acknowledge our unhelpful thoughts even though we don't appreciate them. We can redirect our attention to something else entirely and get off this stupid subject. At the very least, we have power when it comes to thoughts, feelings and actions.
With so much of the world in turmoil, now is a more important time than ever before to pay attention to what we are thinking so that we can feel and do differently. It is that simple.
1) think
2) feel
3) do.
Because we have the power to hit the invisible "pause" button when it comes to thoughts (and then feelings and actions), we have the ultimate control. We can choose not to accept our thoughts. We can choose to think differently. We can choose to acknowledge our unhelpful thoughts even though we don't appreciate them. We can redirect our attention to something else entirely and get off this stupid subject. At the very least, we have power when it comes to thoughts, feelings and actions.
With so much of the world in turmoil, now is a more important time than ever before to pay attention to what we are thinking so that we can feel and do differently. It is that simple.
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