Healthy Bits

A serving of beef/chicken/fish is 2-3 oz! If you eat a quarter pound burger, you are eating more than a serving! See portion guide below using link.

If you are going to eat fast food, opt for a kids meal! Although not very healthy, its healthier than a regular size meal. If you are not going to count calories, at least be honest with yourself about your serving sizes. And if you are going to have seconds, make it veggies.

from spark people....
The Portion Distortion Guide
A List of Serving Sizes
-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor & Health Educator
Selecting the right foods also means choosing portions that are proper serving sizes. The terms "portion" and "serving" are often used interchangeably, but they don't mean the same thing. A "portion" is the amount of food you choose to eat for meals or snacks (like a plateful of pasta or a handful of raisins). In comparison a "serving" is the amount of food that experts recommend you eat (like 1 cup of milk or 1 ounce of bread). Servings are listed on a food's nutrition facts label too. When choosing your portion, try to make it as close as possible to these recommended serving sizes.

See portion sizes on spark spark people's site...

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=177

I am not affiliated with sparkpeople, just love the site!

Keep a Food Diary!

It is sooo important to keep a food diary. I tell my friends who struggle with weight this, all the time. You really don't know the calories you are consuming in a day if you aren't keeping track. Its so easy to forget what you ate.

I write down my foods throughout the day, and if I am not home, I remembers as soon as I get home to write it down. I do not carry a purse so I have no means of keeping a diary with me, but if you carry a purse, it would be a good idea.

You have to be honest, you are only cheating yourself...put exactly what you ate and exactly how much. Know what a portion is, and don't' go over the portion...I don't care if you are at "all you can eat"...you are not ripping off the restaurant by eating more than your share, you are only cheating yourself. So you ate a few dollars more of their food, you wanted to get your money's worth...but what you really got was an extra pound of weight that you now have to lose.

I know that spark people has a great place to keep your food diary, and I log it on there somewhat, but find it easier to write down what I ate and then go to www.calorieking.com and get the calories. I hear from some friends, I don't have time for that..There is always time to keep a food diary. Don't make excuses..how important is your weight loss to you? If you say that you don't have time.....then you really don't want to lose the weight!

It's all about the calories you take in and the calories you burn....3500 calories is a pound..that seems like a lot...but a few days of overeating adds on a pound and in no time, you have done that for a year! You HAVE to keep track!

You have no one to blame but yourself! Stop complaining and do something about it.

The Amazing Avocado

I love avocados!

How to Enjoy the Amazing Avocado

from South Beach Diet
The creamy flesh of an avocado gives this food — which is botanically a fruit — an indulgent quality. However, ounce for ounce, avocados are actually one of the healthiest foods around. Not only are they rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, they also contain large amounts of potassium, vitamin E, fiber, folic acid, and vitamin B6. Best of all, you can enjoy avocados on all Phases of the South Beach Diet.
Buying: There are 24 varieties of avocados. The two most commonly found in supermarkets are the Hass (pebbly black skin) and Fuerte (green skin) varieties. When selecting any variety of avocado, choose a heavy, unblemished fruit. Remember that most avocados sold in supermarkets aren't ripe — so plan ahead if you're making guacamole, since avocados take a few days to ripen. (See fast-ripening tips below.)
Storing: You can ripen hard avocados at room temperature for three to six days. However, you can accelerate this process by storing the avocados in a paper bag. Putting an apple or banana into the bag will be even quicker, because both fruits emit methane, a gas that speeds ripening. To test whether your avocados are ripe, give them a gentle squeeze; ripe fruit will yield to pressure without denting. Overripe avocados will dent.
You can store ripe fruit in the refrigerator for up to three days. If your avocado is already cut, rub the surface with lemon juice to keep it green. Mexicans know that keeping the pit in the avocado prevents discoloration. Brown discoloration won't affect the nutritional value or flavor of the avocado.
Preparing: Slice ripe avocados and eat them plain, as a salad topping, or layered on sandwiches and wraps (Phase 2). Mash overripe avocados in dips like guacamole.
To pit an avocado, slice it lengthwise from end to end and twist to separate the two halves. Using a heavy knife blade, tap the tip into the pit and twist gently to remove. To remove the flesh, you can either peel the fruit or use a paring knife to slice up small pieces inside the skin and scoop them out with a spoon. Mushy flesh should always be scooped. To prevent the scooped-out flesh from darkening after contact with air, rub with lemon juice or add lemon juice to your guacamole.

Lesson Planning

I like to let my kids chose their books they want to read for "reading", but I know there are some classics that they would not read on their own, so I pick a few each year for them to read. I can usually find a study guide for most books that are classics. Here is my first choice for this coming year. This study guide has soo much information and essay ideas, etc...I am looking forward to this book.


http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/pdf/number_the_stars.pdf

This year, I am going to order them from the library so that I am not stuck with so many books at the end of the year this year. If its a book we don't have, I will borrow the library's book, save some money and save on clutter at the end of the year.

My childhood friend listed this book as one of her 10 ten books, so I had to look it up, as The Giver was a great book by the same author. This book looks great and we can study the war also to make it more interesting for them. (World War II that is).

Thank you Teddi for the idea! I just ordered it at the library so I can read it this summer and them I will be prepared to drill them on thier reading assignnment.

Beat Restaurants at their own game!

Another great article from http://www.sparkpeople.com/ (free fitness and weight management site, never asks for money)

Beating Restaurants at Their Own Game!

Dining Out Tips
-- By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietitian

Does your favorite restaurant serve piles of tempting foods on platters rather than plates? Are the biggie-sized meals at fast food restaurants trapping you into overeating? How do you deal with a bountiful breadbasket? Eating out is fun and relaxing, but you can make it healthier. Use these tried and true suggestions the next time you lock up the kitchen and step out for a meal:
Never go out while hungry. You’ll find yourself nibbling on everything that comes your way.
Foods that are grilled, baked, steamed or broiled provide healthy, flavorful alternatives. Ask how an entrée is prepared to ensure that your selection is not swimming in butter or other fattening sauce.
For pasta selections, choose a marinara sauce instead of a white cream sauce.
Order a healthy appetizer, salad, or small-sized entrée for your meal.
Select white chicken or turkey meat rather than dark meat, and have the skin removed.
Avoid the "all you can eat" and buffet-style restaurants.
Split a meal with a friend.
Get a doggie bag before the meal and put in a portion of the food when it is first served.
Avoid foods that have been prepared in heavy cream.
Eat slowly! Put your fork down between bites. It takes the stomach about 20 minutes to realize that it is full.
Order your salad or potato with the dressing, butter, sour cream, gravy and other extras on the side.
Trim all visible fat from meat.
Select fresh fruit, sorbet or frozen yogurt for dessert.
Watch the alcohol… it is loaded with calories and can lower your defenses against food, causing you to eat more.
Beware of the breadbasket. It comes early and can be refilled several times. Ask that it be brought with the meal and limit yourself to one serving.
Water is your best beverage choice. Order diet pop, tea, and coffee with artificial sweetener. Go light on the sugar and cream.
Don’t be afraid to special order menu items. The key is to plan what to order in advance and stick to it. Decide on your priorities before going to the restaurant and avoid looking at the entire menu. Find what you had decided on and close the issue. Then, simply do the best you can with some smart choices. If you came for the burritos, then avoid the beans and rice. If you are there for the cheesecake, order a light meal or salad, with dressing on the side. With a few simple strategies, dining out does not have to totally destroy your dieting efforts.

Reward yourself...you CAN have it all!

Reward yourself...you CAN have it all!

If you are working out and watching your portion sizes, its okay to have that dessert you want..just agree to share it with a loved one. If you are alone, cut it up and put half away for later. Better yet, cut it in thirds.

The same goes for your meal when eating out (or even at home). Think about it, those servings they give you could feed a family! I got a vegetarian pasta dish with portabella mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes and divided it up. I got three and a half meals out of it! If you eat smaller portions, wait 20 min, it WILL hit your stomach and you will be satisfied. Eat slower, savor it, enjoy it.

I read a book once called the Martini Diet. It's not about drinking martini's. It explains that a martini glass is a serving size (a standard one, not those giant one's restaurants are now using). The size of your stomach should not be large enough to fit a full plate of food in it.

Get smaller plates at home. Those large plates make your serving look like 1/7th of a 7 course meal.

Be honest with yourself...promise yourself you are only having a serving. Wait 20 min before dessert and only eat a few bites. I like to suck on a piece of dark chocolate to satisfy my sweet craving after a meal. Once I have done that, I don't need anything else.

If you watch a thin person eat, they really DO eat anything they want, but really pay attention to how much of it they eat. I CAN'T eat more than a serving, my stomach is full fast. That's what eating 4-6 small meals is all about, shrinking your stomach back to normal size so you are full faster.

Take responsibility and gain control of how much you are really eating.

Morning Muse

I got this from sparkpeople and wanted to share, its great!!!

Remembering the good times, learning from the bad

Memory can be used for good or for evil. If you use your past as a source of learning, it's worth remembering. If, however, all you do is mull over your mistakes and punish yourself for your failures, it's a waste of time. Rehashing failure can paralyze you in mortal fear of making another mistake, which, of course, just makes the feeling worse and practically guarantees future letdowns. The key to making meaningful changes is to pay more attention to the future than to the past. Have you ever noticed that the best athletes also have the shortest and most selective memories? Instead of dwelling on a missed shot or a flawed dive, they concentrate on making corrections and getting the next one right. It's as if the failed attempt never happened. It's forgotten and they don't fear trying again. If you mess up, even in an epic, life-altering way, work hard to leave it behind and concentrate on the possibilities yet to come. Tomorrow is much brighter when it's not smeared with a fixation on yesterday.