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Weight Loss Exercise

Thankgiving Eating Tips



I received these Thanksgiving eating tips from one of the fellows at Better Body Better Life and though I would pass them on. We all need to think about these every day now just on big holidays but the problems is that on holiday meals like on Thanksgiving we end up eating the wrong foods and too much of them.

Thankgiving Eating Tips

Portion size is key.  You can enjoy turkey (white meat is healthier), stuffing and all the foods that come with Thanksgiving, but know how to ration them on your plate. Ideally, you should have three fist size servings on your plate, one for protein (turkey), one for carbohydrates (stuffing) and one of veggies (sweet potato or green beans).

Thankgiving Eating Tips

Thankgiving Eating Tips

Eat breakfast.  Skipping a meal to “save” your calories so you can eat more at dinner is a bad idea.  Not only will you be starving your body of calories needed for energy, you’ll actually eat more erratically at the big meal to soothe your hunger.

Save leftovers for the next day. Remember that it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to let your brain know that’ you’ve had enough, so if you’re thinking about eating more, wait at least 20 minutes and then re-evaluate the situation.

Make time for exercise.  Although you might find yourself extra busy this time of year, you’re also probably more stressed.  Exercise shouldn’t be neglected this time of year.  Even 20 minutes a day of walking or some physical activity is good for you both physically and mentally.

Switch out the products.  If you’re involved in preparing the food, use products lower in calories, fat and sugar.  Use healthier substitutes for ingredients like oil and butter; use evaporated skim milk instead of heavy cream and plain fat-free yogurt instead of sour cream.

Drink plenty of water.  It will keep you feeling full and boost your metabolism.

Stay out of the kitchen and dining room.  Make the center of your Thanksgiving holiday the living room or outside in the fresh air, and only enter the kitchen to cook and the dining room when it’s time to eat.

Have you ever seen these thankgiving eating tips before? Probably. But have you followed them at all? I bet never! I am terrible if left to my own devices so before I open that door to go into my sisters house for Thanksgiving or a friends house for Christmas dinner I have to think about these tips so that I will apply them an not get caught messing up.

How about you?

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General Weight Loss Tips

Q & A

I get several emails a week about this and that and thought I’d answer some questions I get most often here.

How tall are you?

I’m right smack in the middle of average at 5’4.

What diet plan do you follow?

Right now I’m dabbling in a world without refined flours and sugars. Cutting back on dairy. Cutting back on grains. And cutting back on processed foods. I eat vegetables, meat/poultry/fish, fruit, nuts, some dairy and brown rice.

What kind of exercise do you participate in?

I do strength training once a week and for the past two weeks I’ve been doing Zumba three times a week and Jillian DVD’s the other days.

Have you met your goal weight?

Nope. Not yet.

What do you do for a living? What does an average day look like? How did you get started freelancing? What are your biggest career struggles?

I am a freelance designer and writer. I also make a small line of handmade jewelry and I blog. On a typical day I wake up around 6am, eat breakfast and check all my internet stuff (email, facebook, blog, twitter etc.), around 7am I start writing. Around 9am I take an hour break (food, stretching, fresh air, email). At 10am I’m back to writing until noon when I eat lunch. If I have design work to do I will go and do that after lunch (sometimes before lunch). After that I come home, eat dinner, do more work, exercise and then relax.

Most days look like this depending on what I have going on or if I have any deadlines.

I got started by making the decision to do it. Working for myself has been a goal of mine since college. Having an office job never felt like a long term solution for me. I like working with people rather than for them. Bosses tend to feel like they have ownership and control over you, and that’s a feeling I never got used to. If I want a raise, I work harder. In the office world, it’s up to the guy signing your check. It’s also nice not to have to check in, ask for days off, take time to go to an appointment or just have a “me” day. That will never ever get old.

Struggles with balance. Getting over fears. Setting limits with other people. Owning my time. And finding respect for what I do. A lot of people in my life have no idea what I do. Sometimes being at home is perceived as “doing nothing” or being unemployed, but I work harder than most people in office jobs. I pay for my own health insurance. Every dollar I make is important to me- I don’t take my work for granted. It’s also hard for people to see what I do as important or valuable because my title wasn’t handed to me through a job description. It’s important for me to share what I do with other people and let other people know that this lifestyle is possible for anyone if you’re willing to work hard and find focus. Also having a business name and website is beneficial for legitimacy.

What is your goal weight?

Honestly, I will skip down the street at 180. And wouldn’t sneeze at 190. And will praise the skies at 200, but for my height I should be under 140. That’s a long ways away though.

Do you have children? Do you want children?

No and yes. I’m in a place where I’m (we’re) not actively trying, but would be okay if it happened. Maybe when I’m 30 I’ll warm up to the idea. I have a lot of fears when it comes to having a child: loss of privacy, pain, vulnerability, unsolicited advice, expectations…I could go on  I’d also like to be in a better place physically (and mentally).

Who designed your blog?

I did with the help of my husband. I just created a header and the custom graphics. I’m using a wordpress template for the rest.

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