Month: March 2016

I have mentioned before and I am sure I will mention again the idea that you need to eat small meals several times a day and most importantly you need to plan your meals and meal times. I can tell a story to illustrate this.

On Thursday I went into work and before I got a chance to sit down I got called out to another building for a meeting.

My regular morning starts with a bagel and jam and then another snack halfway between then and lunch but not today.

I got to the first meeting (a little foreshadowing here) and had a cup of coffee, the meeting went long and I got dragged into another long meeting. By the time my first two meetings were done it was 11:30 and my wife called me to invite me to lunch at the Olive Garden.

I accepted, had an apple and then went to the Olive Garden were I stuffed myself.

After eating too much for lunch I dragged myself through the afternoon and then finally ate a couple pieces of pizza for dinner at 8:00 and went to bed at 10:30.

How to Plan Your Eating Better

Thursday had to be my worst eating day in months. I had two crappy quality meals and nothing much else. Not a proud day for me that is for sure.

So how do you get around these kinds of eating days? Well there are a few ways:

• The night before plan what and when you will eat the next day
• Have three meals planned and good healthy snacks that are easy to make
• When you start your day make sure that you have a good look at your calendar so that you know if anything will get in the way
• Do not bring any extra treats, if you have them you will eat them first (I would)

One of the things that I really do is to usually follow these rules and after next to no time you do not have to worry about eating these bloating giant meals and your energy will be more balanced and higher on a regular basis .

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The first step you need to do is figure out what your activity level is and then figure out what your body can handle.

Unfortunately sometimes we see ourselves from years past and believe we can go do a cross fit routine or kettle bells program with no problems. This is unrealistic and dangerous.

Which level of activity best describes you – sedentary, moderate or high activity?

Evaluate And Increase Your Activity

Sedentary is someone who gets little to no exercise at all. The only time you move your body is to do errands or for your daily living activities.

To increase from sedentary to low intensity try one of these activities today:

• Casual walking
• Stretching
• Tai Chi
• Stability ball exercises
• TRX – total body resistance exercises

Most of these could easily be incorporated into your daily life as a busy mom. Instead of sitting in a chair buy a stability ball and find exercise routines you like.

Do 20 minutes throughout the day broken up into 4 or 5 minute increments.

Moms, who are moderately active – exercise about two and a half hours a week usually to the point they are sweating a little.

Mowing lawns is considered moderate intensity, as well as biking on a flat surface.

Here is a list of some more moderate intensity workouts:

• Yoga
• Walking uphill or walking briskly
• Boxing
• Aqua aerobics
• Dancing – Ballroom, Line or Square

When you are a high intensity exerciser – you break into a sweat within minutes of working out.

If you are also unable to hold a conversation because you are breathing too hard.

Types of high intensity activities include the following:

• Jogging
• Swimming laps
• Hiking
• Karate, Judo, Tae Kwon Do
• Jumping Rope

You should know which one of these levels describe you and which one you want to make a goal to reach. Now you need to decide how you want to increase your activity.

Not everyone needs or wants to run a marathon to become active and healthier.

The key to a successful exercise plan is to find something that you enjoy and that you can fit into your life easily.

If you’ve been sedentary for a while you might want to choose walking. Walking is something most people are able to do very easily. Plus you can take the kids. Start out slow and make it a habit. Before long you’ll be able to walk a mile, then two.

Walking isn’t the only way to start exercising. Pick an activity you can ease into. That way you won’t become sore.
Plus you’ll be able to easily do the activity and you won’t get discouraged. Avoid discouragement at all costs when you first start your routine. This could lead to quitting before it becomes a habit.

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Writing in a food journal helps busy moms live a healthier life. One of the best methods to help you keep your healthy living goals is to write down what you eat, how much and how you feel after you’ve eaten. This will help establish patterns in your eating habits.

Are you eating because you are stressed or because you are actually hungry? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you determine a few things. You’ll discover the triggers that you have and that will help you work through them.

You’ll also be able to see when the last time you ate was and what food you had. If you had a salad for lunch and have been invited to dinner at a local restaurant – you’ll know how many calories you can have.

Food journals do not just keep count of your calories. They help in so many ways. They help you keep track of how much water you’ve had, so that you can keep your body hydrated. You’ll record how much produce you’ve eaten and other necessary information.

Here Are 3 Different Food Journals

 Diet Fitness Journal: Your Personal Guide to Optimum Health (Diary, Exercise) (Little Black Journals)

You’ll like this food journal if you don’t want everyone knowing that it is a food journal. This book is made of a fake leather cover and doesn’t indicate it is for recording your food. It provides space to record food eaten, water intake, exercise you’ve done and vitamins you take.

They even provide a place to put a before and after picture. This comes in handy for motivation.

DIETMINDER Personal Food Fitness Journal (A Food and Exercise Diary)

The Dietminder Personal Food Journal has a place in the beginning to write all of your goals. This helps tremendously to remind yourself of your goals daily.

They have a place to record vital information like calories, protein, fat, water intake – as well as exercise. You’ll get 90 days of pages. The journal is small enough to carry in your purse.

BookFactory® Food Journal / Food Diary / Diet Journal Notebook

The BookFactory Food Journal is a pocket size book that is very convenient to carry around. You’ll get 60 days to record your information in.

They have space to record 5 meals (or 3 meals and 2 snacks), plus you check off your water intake throughout the day. At the bottom you can write about your daily exercise.

Using a food journal is a great way to know what you are eating. Most people overeat and they aren’t even aware of it. Recording what food you consume will help you eat the correct amount.

Writing in a journal also helps you keep up on the recommended amount of water that your body needs, as well as fruits and vegetables. When you start writing in a food journal it helps you focus on your fitness goals and keeps you committed in the long run.

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