Mrs. G's Journey to Better Health

Tonight for dinner I had: * 4 ounces of pan browned chicken with garlic and herb seasoning, *1/2cup black beans, *1/2cup Spanish rice, and *1cup mixed frozen veggies.

All Calories Created Equal? A good thing to mention is that not all calories are created equal. I have seen countless talk shows with guest who practically starve themselves to death because all they do is count calories to the extreme. But, it's not just the calories you need to worry about, it is the quality of the calories as well. A simple example I can relate to is a small banana, just under 6" vs. 1 piece butterscotch hard candy. The first is about 72 calories, the latter is about 70 calories. While the candy is 2 less calories, you get more nutritional calories out of the banana. So, no, not all calories are created equal. Foods That Help the Calorie Cause The subsections which follow, were helpful in both understanding the common buzz words and using them in everyday life to lose weight: Complex Carbs, Friendly Fats, Protein, and Fiber. The Top 10 Foods That Fill You Up: The Cream of The Crop Reading the list and their advantages was enlightening. I must say I had nev...

Even if you had to work today, hope it was an easier commute.

Over the weekend we went to Disneyland. I did not take the tram ride from the parking lot to the main entrance. Instead I decided to walk. The distance from the elevator at the Mickey & Friends Parking Lot to the Check-Point where the trams drop you off is 0.60miles. I brought with me some fresh fruit and some bottles of water, in effort to curve temptation to eat too much junk food. When it was finally time for dinner, I decided I would eat at the Red Rocket Pizza Port in Tomorrow Land. I wanted to enjoy my dinner but not go crazy with the calorie count. The menu board did not have calorie counts, no where obvious where nutritional values posted either. I asked the door greeter where I could find the information. He said to ask anyone behind the counter. Including him, I asked 4 employees in there. Each would point me to the next person until the kitchen was gave me a response. "We are still collection information, so we don't have the information." That left me pu...

I am not done reading the second chapter yet, but this is what I have read so far. CHAPTER 2: The Power of Paying Attention Tracking Calories and Losing Weight, One Meal at a Time The title itself gives you a manageable chunk to deal with your weight loss. "One Meal at a Time." More specifically, one food item at a time. Starbucks is so convenient on the way to _______. You fill in the blank, with so many locations and many of them having drive-thru, it is too convenient to grab a cup of your favorite cup of joe and tack on a pastry. My first step was to stop getting the pastry to go with my coffee. I have been weaning myself off of Starbucks to save calories and save a some money as well. I am down to 1 cup of Starbucks coffee every other week. That is down from 4-5 cups a week, which is about 1600 calories saved every two weeks. There Are No Tricks Here The crux of the matter is tracking calories and Lose It! has it as the core of their philosophy. I have been using the Lo...

At the moment what I find most challenging about my weight loss are two things. 1. Time Management 2. Healthier Choices Time Mangement Managing my time is challenging. For me it is not a problem making exercising a priority. The problem I encounter is the after math. I work out, but I feel I can not work out as hard and as long as I would like to. There have been days when I do push myself and then end up feeling sore. This is common and normal. My problem is when I attend Mommy & Me class. Having to sit down and get up and run and bend and squat and .... I feel it and it limits my mobility and participation in the class. This is just one example of the limitations I feel my exercising has. Another type of limitation I feel I have with time management is when I can actually exercise. I prefer to exercise in the morning. The rest of the day I am left with a sense of accomplishment and am more hesitant to eat unhealthy choices because it would undo my morning workout. As a result, I ...

Image source: http://loseit.com/ The Lose It! book seems to very reasonable and realistic in its approach to weight loss. No fancy gimmicks, no real dieting, no food deprivation, no major restrictions. LoseIt! is all about breaking it down and making it simple to understand. When you understand, you can make as many minor changes as you like. The more of these simple minor changes you make, the faster you will lose the weight. They do warn you to make only small changes to increase your will keep and maintain these changes and thus increase your rate of success in both the short and long term. The following is my input on the book, section by section. The section in the book is written in bold. FOREWORD The idea of a “Happiness Project,” as it relates to resolutions is a refreshing approach. In order to achieve a resolution, you have to define it and devise a realistic map to get there. That may sound typical, but there is one thing that also needs to happen. There needs t...

It's the sixth day of 2011. I think I am finally done with a lingering cold. The new season of The Biggest Loser started this week. I taped it and watched it the following morning. It seems this season will be full of twists and turns as two new trainers are introduced. Jillian will not be part of the next season of The Biggest Loser. There is no word yet if she will be returning or not. Every week I will be taping the show and watching it the following morning. So, if any wants to chit-chat about the show feel free to contact me. I will also be listening weekly to Mike and Jackie's podcast about The Biggest Loser. If you are interested in that podcast, it is listed on the right hand side of my blog page. I have been on a journey to lose weight for some time now. I keep letting other things get in the way and postpone my weight loss. I finally got out of the stone age and got a new cell phone, and iPhone 3Gs. It has opened up a world of possibilities for me. One of which is t...

It's a new year and even though the journey is still the same one, loose weight, I feel like it's a new start as well. Today was the season premiere of The Biggest Loser and I had to tape it. I will be watching in the morning and tuning into Mike & Jackie's podcast to discuss/share the experience. I walked on the treadmill yesterday for one mile at a pace of 2.5mph. Today I walked the same mile at 2.6mph. Tomorrow, yes, I'm hoping to walk the mile at 2.7mph. Wondering if "Losing It" book is worth a read. As always, you can find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mrsgsjourney