Like many, I love food, for me it has to be good food; not processed and not junk food.
I usually have good self-control but sometimes I find myself going back for seconds because it merely tastes so good! That is a poor excuse for overeating especially when my stomach has been satisfied the first time around.
This poses the question, do I want seconds because it indeed does taste so good that one serving isn’t possibly enough or is there something missing in my life? If it’s the latter, what is missing? What is it that food is satisfying for me? Why does food make it somehow a little better?
Do you find yourself going in for more than you need? Do you feel uncomfortably full sometimes after you eat? Do you sometimes feel frustrated about where you are in your life, or about not being able to reach your goals as easily or quickly as you wish, do you feel like something is missing or off? The we you feel is often the reason we eat more than we should, or why we eat sugar, carbs, crunchy, chewy, gooey things, or soft, cold, or warming foods and drinks.
Assessing your feelings, writing them in a journal and getting in touch with your innermost feelings will help you to move forward. If you don’t quite know where to start, as a health coach, I work with individuals with exactly this type of behavior, help is always available and affordable. You are worth feeling good, looking good and being healthy.
Gaining control over what and how we eat is something we need to accomplish. When we accomplish that goal first, it makes our big goal easier to reach and new goals more exciting to set….and reach!
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Where Do You Find Comfort
Comfort comes in many forms and for each of us comfort means something very different from the next.
We all seek comfort. We look for it in our family members, our friends, sometimes strangers, nowadays we can reach out and find it through social media, we seek it from our pets, some look for it in cleaning, shopping, going to the gym, finding distraction in a movie; we also look to food for comfort and some look for it in a glass of wine, a bottle of beer or other alcohol. I’m sure there are hundreds more ways people look for and sometimes find comfort.
Along with looking for comforting situations comes the reason we seek it. Those reasons are endless and among them is stress, sadness, boredom, depression and loneliness.
Too often many comforts lead to less than healthy choices. We crave certain foods when we seek comfort. Particular textures and tastes have much to do with how we are feeling. Common cravings are sweets, carbs, junk foods and alcohol. Giving in to these cravings leads us into a downward spiral often leaving us feeling worse.
If you find yourself seeking comfort on a regular basis and turning to foods or activities that you know deep down isn’t doing your body or lifestyle any good, take a step back and make a decision to finally take care of YOU. Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is important for a healthy, happy and long life.
As a holistic health coach, I’ve helped people overcome their overwhelming desire to give in to self-sabotaging choices for seeking comfort. Is seeking unhealthy comforts getting you down? Let’s talk!
We all seek comfort. We look for it in our family members, our friends, sometimes strangers, nowadays we can reach out and find it through social media, we seek it from our pets, some look for it in cleaning, shopping, going to the gym, finding distraction in a movie; we also look to food for comfort and some look for it in a glass of wine, a bottle of beer or other alcohol. I’m sure there are hundreds more ways people look for and sometimes find comfort.
Along with looking for comforting situations comes the reason we seek it. Those reasons are endless and among them is stress, sadness, boredom, depression and loneliness.
Too often many comforts lead to less than healthy choices. We crave certain foods when we seek comfort. Particular textures and tastes have much to do with how we are feeling. Common cravings are sweets, carbs, junk foods and alcohol. Giving in to these cravings leads us into a downward spiral often leaving us feeling worse.
If you find yourself seeking comfort on a regular basis and turning to foods or activities that you know deep down isn’t doing your body or lifestyle any good, take a step back and make a decision to finally take care of YOU. Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is important for a healthy, happy and long life.
As a holistic health coach, I’ve helped people overcome their overwhelming desire to give in to self-sabotaging choices for seeking comfort. Is seeking unhealthy comforts getting you down? Let’s talk!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Mealtime Inspirations
I decided that while my son is staying with me for a while, he has to cook at least one dinner a week-more if he feels the desire. He didn’t object. One thing he learned though was that because I don’t use processed foods, he had to be a little more creative. I have more than 100 cookbooks [yes, I'm one of those, but I use them all], he used the internet instead though; I was ok with that-I do it too. Last night was his night and it turned out pretty good.
He made a sausage, potato, sauerkraut skillet with onions, garlic and carrots. It was fast and simple and filled our bellies perfectly. If you want to give it a try, all you need to do is slice and brown smoked sausage or your favorite kind of sausage, or use chicken or for meatless use beans in place of the meat. Add diced potatoes and stir fry until golden, add sliced carrots, onions and chopped garlic and 1 cup of broth-simmer until carrots are tender. Enjoy!
He made a sausage, potato, sauerkraut skillet with onions, garlic and carrots. It was fast and simple and filled our bellies perfectly. If you want to give it a try, all you need to do is slice and brown smoked sausage or your favorite kind of sausage, or use chicken or for meatless use beans in place of the meat. Add diced potatoes and stir fry until golden, add sliced carrots, onions and chopped garlic and 1 cup of broth-simmer until carrots are tender. Enjoy!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Hope and Inspiration
Hope in my opinion is when you make a heartfelt decision to make changes, personal changes in this case, and expect positive results no matter what the price. Hope is when you don’t give up. Hope is keeping your chin up and always having a foot forward despite the speed bumps and road blocks that you may encounter.
Inspiration-the energy you feel when you decide on something, read something, hear something or see something. Inspiration brings energy that catapults you toward something you’ve dreamed about doing.
My hope is to inspire you to reach out toward your deepest, innermost goals and dreams.
With a little guidance you can begin your journey to your own personal hopes and inspirations
Inspiration-the energy you feel when you decide on something, read something, hear something or see something. Inspiration brings energy that catapults you toward something you’ve dreamed about doing.
My hope is to inspire you to reach out toward your deepest, innermost goals and dreams.
With a little guidance you can begin your journey to your own personal hopes and inspirations
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Crawling Under the Table
Well, I didn’t necessarily crawl under the table but I feel like sometimes that’s where I am. For the most part, for the past week plus I’ve done pretty well food-wise, I haven’t snacked at night or much during the day either; but I don’t feel like I’ve made a lot of progress. Progress though isn’t only a physical aspect, progress comes in many forms and one form of progress I have made is no nighttime snacking. It may not feel like much of a feat today but as time passes and days and weeks go by it makes a difference-so that in itself is progress.
I’ve eaten breakfast every morning and it has felt good. I’ve eaten a healthy lunch for this entire week of homemade chicken soup, loaded with a variety of vegetables- that helped me eat less at dinner time and I didn’t feel the need to snack while watching TV unwinding for the night.
Weight loss isn’t easy but it doesn’t have to be difficult either; all you need is true commitment-you’ve got to truly want it. When you get honest with yourself and decide that you’re ready to make changes, weight loss will follow. Don’t look for a weight loss plan that will melt pounds away immediately because they’re not usually a healthy plan. Learning how and what to eat for you personally is what will lead you to long lasting changes and goal success.
Want to know what will work for you or how to get started? Ask me! Dawn@InitiateWellness.com
Here’s to our good health!
I’ve eaten breakfast every morning and it has felt good. I’ve eaten a healthy lunch for this entire week of homemade chicken soup, loaded with a variety of vegetables- that helped me eat less at dinner time and I didn’t feel the need to snack while watching TV unwinding for the night.
Weight loss isn’t easy but it doesn’t have to be difficult either; all you need is true commitment-you’ve got to truly want it. When you get honest with yourself and decide that you’re ready to make changes, weight loss will follow. Don’t look for a weight loss plan that will melt pounds away immediately because they’re not usually a healthy plan. Learning how and what to eat for you personally is what will lead you to long lasting changes and goal success.
Want to know what will work for you or how to get started? Ask me! Dawn@InitiateWellness.com
Here’s to our good health!
Monday, November 11, 2013
Daily Grind
I posted an article about the daily grind in my business blog, it’s more about how to get out of the feeling of being in the daily grind. Today though, due to a few reasons that I’m aware of, I feel in that exact fog.
Things on my mind right now are in this order:
1- Life is often too short
2- It’s up to me to do everything I can to keep my body healthy
3- It’s up to me to follow my dream, my passion, and my wishes because no one will hand them to me-never mind a silver platter!
4- Help as many people as you can with whatever your strengths are
5- Love Deeply
I want to be here for a long time, a very long time. While I’m here I want to live, love and laugh. I want to be helpful in every way I can and I want to inspire as many people as I come in contact with.
What are your aspirations? What do you hold close as your deep passion?
Things on my mind right now are in this order:
1- Life is often too short
2- It’s up to me to do everything I can to keep my body healthy
3- It’s up to me to follow my dream, my passion, and my wishes because no one will hand them to me-never mind a silver platter!
4- Help as many people as you can with whatever your strengths are
5- Love Deeply
I want to be here for a long time, a very long time. While I’m here I want to live, love and laugh. I want to be helpful in every way I can and I want to inspire as many people as I come in contact with.
What are your aspirations? What do you hold close as your deep passion?
Saturday, November 9, 2013
What Does Food Mean to You?
Food means something different for each of us. For me it means satisfaction, indulgence, self-complimentary ( I think I’m a pretty good cook), savory as in savoring the positive moments in life because I had many negative moments throughout my life, gorging on second helpings because of past limitations, my excuse for eating more than I need is often ‘because it tastes good’ the real reason? I’m not quite sure yet but I plan to work it out, and I”m sure if I keep thinking about it I will come up with more examples of what food means to me. The answers I gave so far are almost certainly a result of my past; food becomes comfort, memorable, self-sabotage, it’s social, it’s personal, it’s public, it pleases, it displeases, it even simply fuels our body but it’s rare that we think exactly that when we are eating.
We relate food to who we are, who we were and who we want to be. We use food as a tool to bury feelings, to celebrate feelings and to blame our shortcomings on. We often rate ourselves by our commitment to what we eat, how we eat, why we eat and we let food define us.
Once we can understand and accept the reasons we treat food the way we do, once we really get to the bottom of our relationship with food we can develop a new relationship with food; we can let food be our friend instead of our enemy. Food feeds our cells, it fuels our body giving us energy, balancing our moods, our blood levels, sleep, making our health the best it can be given that we eat the right foods and the proper amounts on a regular basis. As Hippocrates said many years ago, “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”.
The next time you feel particularly connected to a certain food in a sort of disconnected way, stop yourself, go deep inside and try to relate how the particular food makes you feel when you eat it. There’s no right nor wrong about it, it just is and that’s okay. Slowly you will be able to better control the way you relate to and treat food.
We relate food to who we are, who we were and who we want to be. We use food as a tool to bury feelings, to celebrate feelings and to blame our shortcomings on. We often rate ourselves by our commitment to what we eat, how we eat, why we eat and we let food define us.
Once we can understand and accept the reasons we treat food the way we do, once we really get to the bottom of our relationship with food we can develop a new relationship with food; we can let food be our friend instead of our enemy. Food feeds our cells, it fuels our body giving us energy, balancing our moods, our blood levels, sleep, making our health the best it can be given that we eat the right foods and the proper amounts on a regular basis. As Hippocrates said many years ago, “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”.
The next time you feel particularly connected to a certain food in a sort of disconnected way, stop yourself, go deep inside and try to relate how the particular food makes you feel when you eat it. There’s no right nor wrong about it, it just is and that’s okay. Slowly you will be able to better control the way you relate to and treat food.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Self control is easier when your mind and body is busy...
I was deep into my work today and didn’t think about food until my stomach growled ‘feed me’. Hunger felt good. We too often eat for several reasons from it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner time-even though we ate a big snack 10 minutes ago or because we’re meeting friends and that always involves food; a restaurant or at someone’s home, because we’re bored, watching TV, and many more so-called reasons.
I skipped breakfast, bad practice, because I was running a little close for work so decided I’d eat after my first client. Immediately after the client I began more work putting food off again until the growling began. I made a sandwich of ham and loaded it with spinach. That was my lunch which held me surprisingly until dinner. Remember, my mind was pre-occupied with work all day and it was a welcomed relief.
3:30 PM came around and I knew I needed to make a dinner plan. I rummaged through the refrigerator, reached for organic stewing beef I had, browned it in a large Dutch oven, added a dark locally brewed beer and some Italian herbs and simmered it for a few hours. It smelled delicious and warming. About 1/2 hour before serving I added potato chunks, carrots, celery, onion, 6 cloves of garlic, and simmered until the potatoes and carrots were tender; I tossed in a half bag of peas, warmed them and we enjoyed a warming, healthy hearty meal. The beef was fall apart tender and the entire meal was fast and simple to put together; I could continue working while it simmered gently.
Another day comes to a close with food choices under control and satisfaction with myself. I look forward to tomorrow, I look forward to inspiring you to follow your dreams, your goals and intentions and find great success and self-satisfaction too!
I skipped breakfast, bad practice, because I was running a little close for work so decided I’d eat after my first client. Immediately after the client I began more work putting food off again until the growling began. I made a sandwich of ham and loaded it with spinach. That was my lunch which held me surprisingly until dinner. Remember, my mind was pre-occupied with work all day and it was a welcomed relief.
3:30 PM came around and I knew I needed to make a dinner plan. I rummaged through the refrigerator, reached for organic stewing beef I had, browned it in a large Dutch oven, added a dark locally brewed beer and some Italian herbs and simmered it for a few hours. It smelled delicious and warming. About 1/2 hour before serving I added potato chunks, carrots, celery, onion, 6 cloves of garlic, and simmered until the potatoes and carrots were tender; I tossed in a half bag of peas, warmed them and we enjoyed a warming, healthy hearty meal. The beef was fall apart tender and the entire meal was fast and simple to put together; I could continue working while it simmered gently.
Another day comes to a close with food choices under control and satisfaction with myself. I look forward to tomorrow, I look forward to inspiring you to follow your dreams, your goals and intentions and find great success and self-satisfaction too!
Monday, November 4, 2013
A New Week _ My New Attitude
After a busy weekend away I’m back and ready to go; as a bonus, I gained an hour if only for a day!
I took time to catch up on chores and writing for my business today but I didn’t let my intentions get lost in the shuffle. I had a healthy breakfast of 2 eggs and pumpernickel toast; I could have done without the toast but I didn’t. I ate a small lunch-a sandwich, that means 2 more slices of bread and I drank a good amount of water all day. You’re waiting for my dinner confessions right? Ah well, nothing bad there, I stuffed boneless chicken breasts with chopped parsley, chopped dried apricots and crumbled Brie, baked them with potatoes and steamed Brussels sprouts. I had one small portion of all except the sprouts.
I’m planning on having a simple chicken veggie soup for lunch and with dinner for the rest of the week. I’m also planning on doing a detox as promised to you and myself; join me or ask how you can do a simple detox, I can guide you.
Smile, share some love!
I took time to catch up on chores and writing for my business today but I didn’t let my intentions get lost in the shuffle. I had a healthy breakfast of 2 eggs and pumpernickel toast; I could have done without the toast but I didn’t. I ate a small lunch-a sandwich, that means 2 more slices of bread and I drank a good amount of water all day. You’re waiting for my dinner confessions right? Ah well, nothing bad there, I stuffed boneless chicken breasts with chopped parsley, chopped dried apricots and crumbled Brie, baked them with potatoes and steamed Brussels sprouts. I had one small portion of all except the sprouts.
I’m planning on having a simple chicken veggie soup for lunch and with dinner for the rest of the week. I’m also planning on doing a detox as promised to you and myself; join me or ask how you can do a simple detox, I can guide you.
Smile, share some love!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Stuck in a Mind-Body Discnnection
In the recent few weeks I’ve sort of disconnected my mind and body from each other-yogis understand what this means; in general it means that your mind isn’t relating with your body as it would when you’re fully balanced. When your mind and body are in sync, it’s a pretty great feeling.
Today is Friday. This weekend I will be busy helping family so meals and self-care will not be in the forefront [meals and food in general not consuming my thoughts might be a good thing]. Sometimes distractions are useful as I mentioned in my last post! While busy, I’ll do my best at making healthy choices and portion control and I will absolutely focus on drinking lots of water as my one healthy constant.
Starting on Monday I’m going to buckle down and refocus my work, my mind-body connection and change my food habits for the better. I’ll make an outline for daily do’s and don’ts, food lists, exercise, yoga and meditation. Meditation is a powerful tool and easy to learn-the key is to keep doing it.
I’ll check in during the weekend when I can and in the mean time, consider what changes you want to make in your life and let’s create change together!
Today is Friday. This weekend I will be busy helping family so meals and self-care will not be in the forefront [meals and food in general not consuming my thoughts might be a good thing]. Sometimes distractions are useful as I mentioned in my last post! While busy, I’ll do my best at making healthy choices and portion control and I will absolutely focus on drinking lots of water as my one healthy constant.
Starting on Monday I’m going to buckle down and refocus my work, my mind-body connection and change my food habits for the better. I’ll make an outline for daily do’s and don’ts, food lists, exercise, yoga and meditation. Meditation is a powerful tool and easy to learn-the key is to keep doing it.
I’ll check in during the weekend when I can and in the mean time, consider what changes you want to make in your life and let’s create change together!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Time to Clean It Up
Cleaning is an indoor outdoor and inside outside body chore. Well, maybe when it comes to your body, chore isn’t the right word, clean inside and out is necessary for good health.
I was busy outside cleaning leaves and getting my vegetable garden ready for winter today so eating wasn’t on my mind much; not until I was finished with yard work and preparing dinner. Suddenly I needed food and I wasn’t at all in the mood to cook. Take out crossed my mind more than once but that thought didn’t win. While I repeatedly said aloud that I don’t want to cook, I cooked anyway.
I had a small bottle of General Tso’s sauce from Trader Joe’s, organic chicken breast, onion, red & green bell peppers, broccoli and my own home grown garlic. I made a stir fry. I simmered rice while I chopped and sliced and served the stir fry alongside it.
While I wasn’t in the mood to cook, I did it anyway and in the end I was glad I did. I knew it would be healthier for me and I saved money. If you don’t have time to cut up veggies, try purchasing them already cut for you; while some of the nutrients can be lost when veggies and fruits are cut too far in advance, it’s still a better choice than takeout. You can find stir-fry veggies in the produce section. You can also buy your favorite veggies and spend a little time one day early in the week cutting and bagging different vegetables that you will use during the week-this will make meal time a breeze.
While I did pretty good food wise this week, I feel the need, the want to clean up my diet a little more. I have this guilty habit of snacking on things that I don’t need-things like cheese, chips/dip, bread…while I don’t have a lot of these things at one time, I don’t actually need it. It’s time to reboot my system. It’s time to plan a time for my bi-annual 3-day cleanse.
Here’s my version of a fast,easy stir fry which totally beats take-out, especially mid-week!
I was busy outside cleaning leaves and getting my vegetable garden ready for winter today so eating wasn’t on my mind much; not until I was finished with yard work and preparing dinner. Suddenly I needed food and I wasn’t at all in the mood to cook. Take out crossed my mind more than once but that thought didn’t win. While I repeatedly said aloud that I don’t want to cook, I cooked anyway.
I had a small bottle of General Tso’s sauce from Trader Joe’s, organic chicken breast, onion, red & green bell peppers, broccoli and my own home grown garlic. I made a stir fry. I simmered rice while I chopped and sliced and served the stir fry alongside it.
While I wasn’t in the mood to cook, I did it anyway and in the end I was glad I did. I knew it would be healthier for me and I saved money. If you don’t have time to cut up veggies, try purchasing them already cut for you; while some of the nutrients can be lost when veggies and fruits are cut too far in advance, it’s still a better choice than takeout. You can find stir-fry veggies in the produce section. You can also buy your favorite veggies and spend a little time one day early in the week cutting and bagging different vegetables that you will use during the week-this will make meal time a breeze.
While I did pretty good food wise this week, I feel the need, the want to clean up my diet a little more. I have this guilty habit of snacking on things that I don’t need-things like cheese, chips/dip, bread…while I don’t have a lot of these things at one time, I don’t actually need it. It’s time to reboot my system. It’s time to plan a time for my bi-annual 3-day cleanse.
Here’s my version of a fast,easy stir fry which totally beats take-out, especially mid-week!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Hearty, Healthy, Satisfying
When you eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, do you feel satisfied? Do you savor the moment and the flavor and do you give yourself time to slow down and enjoy your meal? I try to but I don’t always succeed.
Most of my dinner time meals are relaxed and wholesome. My breakfasts and/or lunches aren’t always slow and enjoyed. Sometimes I even make an odd choice for breakfast, I often do it backwards; remember I mentoned I love sandwiches? Too often a breakfast choice for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s usually a healthy sandwich filled with spinach or a lot of green leafy lettuce and leftover meat or sometimes completely vegetarian-it depends on leftovers. For lunch I’ll often make a hummus or avocado dip and eat that and carrots, celery, broccoli or cauliflower. Sandwiches and dips…my favorite foods.
Last night I had the desire to make split pea soup since there was a mild chill in the air and nothing smells better than a homemade soup simmering slowly. I didn’t follow a recipe, I rarely ever do-I’m not sure then why I’m addicted to cookbooks! The soup came out so delicious and it was simple to make so I thought I’d shaer the recipe with you.
Dawn’s Split Pea Soup
2 cups split peas, rinsed & drained
2-3 qts. water
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/3 lb. bacon diced small ( I used bacon raised locally, Hollis Hills Farm)
Simmer low 1 hour, add
1 onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2-3 stalks celery sliced thin
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
more water if needed-it should be thick but smooth
Simmer for 40 minutes longer. Add freshly ground black pepper & enjoy!
Most of my dinner time meals are relaxed and wholesome. My breakfasts and/or lunches aren’t always slow and enjoyed. Sometimes I even make an odd choice for breakfast, I often do it backwards; remember I mentoned I love sandwiches? Too often a breakfast choice for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s usually a healthy sandwich filled with spinach or a lot of green leafy lettuce and leftover meat or sometimes completely vegetarian-it depends on leftovers. For lunch I’ll often make a hummus or avocado dip and eat that and carrots, celery, broccoli or cauliflower. Sandwiches and dips…my favorite foods.
Last night I had the desire to make split pea soup since there was a mild chill in the air and nothing smells better than a homemade soup simmering slowly. I didn’t follow a recipe, I rarely ever do-I’m not sure then why I’m addicted to cookbooks! The soup came out so delicious and it was simple to make so I thought I’d shaer the recipe with you.
Dawn’s Split Pea Soup
2 cups split peas, rinsed & drained
2-3 qts. water
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/3 lb. bacon diced small ( I used bacon raised locally, Hollis Hills Farm)
Simmer low 1 hour, add
1 onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2-3 stalks celery sliced thin
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
more water if needed-it should be thick but smooth
Simmer for 40 minutes longer. Add freshly ground black pepper & enjoy!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Mindfulness
Since yesterday I've made much better food choices due to the fact that I promised you that I'd post daily. It's interesting that when we are being held accountable, we can stick closer with our intentions.
Last night for dinner I had only one serving and I made sure the portion was reasonable.
So far today I have done pretty well. I began with one egg scrambled with a full serving of sauteed spinach and about 1/3 of an avocado-it was plenty to get my day started.
For lunch I had a simple sandwich of turkey, I added another full serving of baby spinach instead of lettuce but I also added a slice of Swiss cheese. We're all a work in progress though so I don't feel too badly.
My next step for the day is to drink water...I haven't had much at all today....ok, not any yet - I've been drinking warm coffee so far but I promise when I'm done here I will fill my jug with water and drink ;) (coffee, another vice I need to eliminate or at least reduce)
What are your vices and what kinds of things sabotage your intentions?
Last night for dinner I had only one serving and I made sure the portion was reasonable.
So far today I have done pretty well. I began with one egg scrambled with a full serving of sauteed spinach and about 1/3 of an avocado-it was plenty to get my day started.
For lunch I had a simple sandwich of turkey, I added another full serving of baby spinach instead of lettuce but I also added a slice of Swiss cheese. We're all a work in progress though so I don't feel too badly.
My next step for the day is to drink water...I haven't had much at all today....ok, not any yet - I've been drinking warm coffee so far but I promise when I'm done here I will fill my jug with water and drink ;) (coffee, another vice I need to eliminate or at least reduce)
What are your vices and what kinds of things sabotage your intentions?
Monday, October 21, 2013
Tracking My Course
Yesterday Dale, my significant other, and I had dinner on the Vermont Dinner Train from Rutland, VT to Saratoga Springs, NY, and back. The dining car we had dinner in was from the 1950′s era and in pristine condition. The car held only 6 tables for 4 people each and played music to fit its time period.
The meal consisted of four courses which began with a fresh seafood gumbo witha red broth, the next course was a salad with dark leafy greens, blue cheese, clementine segments, cucumbers, tomato, red onion, and a zesty dressing. For the main course we had a choice of baked salmon, chicken cordon bleu, braised short ribs or fettuccini with a red sauce; I chose the salmon, Dale chose the chicken cordon bleu, and for the sides on each choice was broccolini & carrots and rice pilaf. The dessert course brought a choice of riccotta cheesecake, creme brule cheesecake or pumpkin pie-I chose the creme brule cheesecake and Dale the riccotta cheesecake. Soft drinks and water was offered or you could BYOB so we brought Pinot Grigio wine to accompany our nice dinner and compliment our outing.
The experience was quite nice. We relaxed, talked with our tablemates and watched the New England countryside as the sun set behind the rolling hills and trees. The very cool thing I quickly noticed was the fact that unlike in a typical local restaurant Dale and I both seemed extremely relaxed even if it was a slight challenge to get a sip of water or wine into our mouths and not on our clothes due to the rickety-rack swaying from the railroad tracks!
It was simple to track our course last night because someone else was in charge of preparing portion perfect meals and serving, all we had to do is sit back, eat and enjoy the leisurely art of eating.
Bon Appetite!
The meal consisted of four courses which began with a fresh seafood gumbo witha red broth, the next course was a salad with dark leafy greens, blue cheese, clementine segments, cucumbers, tomato, red onion, and a zesty dressing. For the main course we had a choice of baked salmon, chicken cordon bleu, braised short ribs or fettuccini with a red sauce; I chose the salmon, Dale chose the chicken cordon bleu, and for the sides on each choice was broccolini & carrots and rice pilaf. The dessert course brought a choice of riccotta cheesecake, creme brule cheesecake or pumpkin pie-I chose the creme brule cheesecake and Dale the riccotta cheesecake. Soft drinks and water was offered or you could BYOB so we brought Pinot Grigio wine to accompany our nice dinner and compliment our outing.
The experience was quite nice. We relaxed, talked with our tablemates and watched the New England countryside as the sun set behind the rolling hills and trees. The very cool thing I quickly noticed was the fact that unlike in a typical local restaurant Dale and I both seemed extremely relaxed even if it was a slight challenge to get a sip of water or wine into our mouths and not on our clothes due to the rickety-rack swaying from the railroad tracks!
It was simple to track our course last night because someone else was in charge of preparing portion perfect meals and serving, all we had to do is sit back, eat and enjoy the leisurely art of eating.
Bon Appetite!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
When and Why Food is on My Mind
We’ve all heard it so many times through the news, magazines, radio, the internet, pretty much anywhere weight, cravings, overeating and food in general is talked about; what I’m referring to is the common knowledge that we tend to eat when we’re bored.
Why do we eat when we know we’re not hungry? And more, why can’t we stop ourselves when we know that we’re foraging through the cabinets and refrigerator just because we have nothing better to do? In my opinion and personal experience, it has a lot to do with lack of motivation. So, why aren’t we motivated? Because we don’t have to be? Well, why not? What will it take to find motivation? This entire line of thought is quickly snowballing into many questions, aka excuses, and a mission to find the answers.
Let me address boredom first. When I feel bored, I want to nibble on something, anything; food is always on my mind. When I decide to care enough about not eating when I’m not hungry, I do know for a fact that I can always find something around the house or work that needs to be done and through talking with friends, family and clients, this is the case with them as well. The key is doing it. Either find the motivation or the discipline to get your mind and body in motion. Yes, definitely easier said than done…most times. But you will soon realize that when you set your mind to do that dreaded chore, you feel so good about your tiny (or major) achievement. You end up not feeling so bad about rewarding yourself with a snack and in my experience, that snack ends up being a healthier choice than you might have made if you ate out of boredom.
How can you get motivated? It’s not easy, I know it’s not, but it is important. Motivation is complex. It stumps me. Motivation can be gained in many different ways. Sometimes we’re motivated by getting a reward afterwards, sometimes we’re motivated by talking to, listening to or working beside someone who inspires us, other times we find motivation within ourselves-often because we just don’t like the way things are anymore. We are motivated by the desire for change.
Motivation comes from inspiration, inspiration comes from ourselves, others, and life itself. It’s necessary to keep our hearts and minds open to inspiration and motivation.
When you want change in your life you have to inspire change. I believe Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, I agree, I need to and you need to stop complaining about things not being as we wish they were and start working toward making things as we wish they were.
Let’s Be As We Can Be!
Why do we eat when we know we’re not hungry? And more, why can’t we stop ourselves when we know that we’re foraging through the cabinets and refrigerator just because we have nothing better to do? In my opinion and personal experience, it has a lot to do with lack of motivation. So, why aren’t we motivated? Because we don’t have to be? Well, why not? What will it take to find motivation? This entire line of thought is quickly snowballing into many questions, aka excuses, and a mission to find the answers.
Let me address boredom first. When I feel bored, I want to nibble on something, anything; food is always on my mind. When I decide to care enough about not eating when I’m not hungry, I do know for a fact that I can always find something around the house or work that needs to be done and through talking with friends, family and clients, this is the case with them as well. The key is doing it. Either find the motivation or the discipline to get your mind and body in motion. Yes, definitely easier said than done…most times. But you will soon realize that when you set your mind to do that dreaded chore, you feel so good about your tiny (or major) achievement. You end up not feeling so bad about rewarding yourself with a snack and in my experience, that snack ends up being a healthier choice than you might have made if you ate out of boredom.
How can you get motivated? It’s not easy, I know it’s not, but it is important. Motivation is complex. It stumps me. Motivation can be gained in many different ways. Sometimes we’re motivated by getting a reward afterwards, sometimes we’re motivated by talking to, listening to or working beside someone who inspires us, other times we find motivation within ourselves-often because we just don’t like the way things are anymore. We are motivated by the desire for change.
Motivation comes from inspiration, inspiration comes from ourselves, others, and life itself. It’s necessary to keep our hearts and minds open to inspiration and motivation.
When you want change in your life you have to inspire change. I believe Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, I agree, I need to and you need to stop complaining about things not being as we wish they were and start working toward making things as we wish they were.
Let’s Be As We Can Be!
Monday, October 14, 2013
Today is a brand new day!
I didn’t post much about the foods I ate yesterday but not to worry, I’m not hiding anything! I ate a healthy breakfast of 1 scrambled egg, a slice of turkey and baby spinach between two slices of rye with seeds (seeds are healthy for you – you know!). Remember I mentioned that I think I should create a sandwich diet? This is why! and yesterday, my oldest son defended the good ole sandwich by making a statement something like, ‘ what’s wrong with that? I love sandwiches’- I think we were talking about making sandwiches with uncommon sandwich ingredients though I cannot recall what they were.
I skipped lunch :/ I know, bad choice against the advise I give. I think I had a few rice crackers and garlic dip leftover from our Oktoberfest party last weekend; I don’t believe that I have mentioned yet that I love dips too (sorry Dale, no pun intended, you’re definitely not a dip
)! I usually try to make healthy dips such as ones with a bean base and fresh herbs and veggies mixed in so that I can keep with the healthy eating and feel like I’m indulging. On a happy note, I learned this weekend that my cousin also has a weakness for dips (sorry Bryon, no pun intended, you’re absolutely not a dip either ) teeheehee! And boy did she make a pretty fabulous pumpkin dip for ginger snaps!
Onto today. So far, so good but then again it’s only 11:30am. I made a delicious 2 egg omelet stuffed with about 1 cup of baby spinach, 1 thin slice of ham and a slice of Swiss. I served it atop even more baby spinach(after I took the picture) so it would wilt a little. Adding so much spinach means that I’ve gotten at least 2 servings of vegetables in today! The eggs I use come from a mile down the street, thank you farmer Clem! Any more local and they would be from my own back yard, which both of my brothers do; I doubt I will – though one never knows!
Though it’s not lunch time yet, I plan to have some of my leftover homemade chicken soup. It has a lot of veggies, not much sodium and it’s fresh!
My dinner plan is meatloaf. I usually add a lot of chopped (very tiny) vegetables like carrots, onion, celery, shredded cabbage, butternut squash, and any other veggie that I think would hold up inside a meatloaf well; I also add 2 eggs and ground flax seeds instead of breadcrumbs and sometimes crushed walnuts and apples & cranberries. We look forward to leftovers….yup, meatloaf sandwiches!
It’s never too late in the day to set an intention, even if you only have 2 more hours left in your day you could intend on no more snacking or one more glass of water even if it means a middle of the night bathroom run. My intentions for today – #1 drink water! 2, 3, and 4? 2-no bread today, 3-no sweets (no hard feat for me), 4-portion control
Follow your heart to reach your dream <3
I skipped lunch :/ I know, bad choice against the advise I give. I think I had a few rice crackers and garlic dip leftover from our Oktoberfest party last weekend; I don’t believe that I have mentioned yet that I love dips too (sorry Dale, no pun intended, you’re definitely not a dip
)! I usually try to make healthy dips such as ones with a bean base and fresh herbs and veggies mixed in so that I can keep with the healthy eating and feel like I’m indulging. On a happy note, I learned this weekend that my cousin also has a weakness for dips (sorry Bryon, no pun intended, you’re absolutely not a dip either ) teeheehee! And boy did she make a pretty fabulous pumpkin dip for ginger snaps!Onto today. So far, so good but then again it’s only 11:30am. I made a delicious 2 egg omelet stuffed with about 1 cup of baby spinach, 1 thin slice of ham and a slice of Swiss. I served it atop even more baby spinach(after I took the picture) so it would wilt a little. Adding so much spinach means that I’ve gotten at least 2 servings of vegetables in today! The eggs I use come from a mile down the street, thank you farmer Clem! Any more local and they would be from my own back yard, which both of my brothers do; I doubt I will – though one never knows!
Though it’s not lunch time yet, I plan to have some of my leftover homemade chicken soup. It has a lot of veggies, not much sodium and it’s fresh!
My dinner plan is meatloaf. I usually add a lot of chopped (very tiny) vegetables like carrots, onion, celery, shredded cabbage, butternut squash, and any other veggie that I think would hold up inside a meatloaf well; I also add 2 eggs and ground flax seeds instead of breadcrumbs and sometimes crushed walnuts and apples & cranberries. We look forward to leftovers….yup, meatloaf sandwiches!
It’s never too late in the day to set an intention, even if you only have 2 more hours left in your day you could intend on no more snacking or one more glass of water even if it means a middle of the night bathroom run. My intentions for today – #1 drink water! 2, 3, and 4? 2-no bread today, 3-no sweets (no hard feat for me), 4-portion control
Follow your heart to reach your dream <3
Friday, October 11, 2013
It's a Scheme, in my opinion
Lately I have been bombarded by several different individuals urging me to climb aboard their weight loss or health maintenance supplement companies. Each one of them claims that this is the best thing they have ever done for themselves and they will never stop doing it. For each of them I say great, if selling a meal replacement or supplements helped you stay on track with your intentions an are leading you to your goals, keep doing it! But I also say, it’s not for everyone.
I’ve tried two pyramid scheme supplement companies over the years. Both touted the same exact things that these more recent company ambassadors are claiming and while vitamins nd minerals are indeed healthy for us I personally don’t believe it’s the only way to reach success in your goals nor your career. Some of us just aren’t pushy enough; some of us would prefer to teach that you are in control of your intentions, you have the power to set your mind to something and succeed. There is no little pill, no magic drink that is going to make you do what you either want to or don’t want to do.
My sharing this blog, my daily journal/journey, is a way of supplementing my intentions and doing what I love doing most, helping you find the courage, the desire and the excitement to finally begin your journey to weight loss success, better health and happiness. Through sharing my daily walk with you I find the energy, mindfulness and power within myself to succeed.
I believe that if you take yourself seriously, make yourself and your health #1, set and stick with your intentions – you will find the success you’re dreaming about.
I’ve tried two pyramid scheme supplement companies over the years. Both touted the same exact things that these more recent company ambassadors are claiming and while vitamins nd minerals are indeed healthy for us I personally don’t believe it’s the only way to reach success in your goals nor your career. Some of us just aren’t pushy enough; some of us would prefer to teach that you are in control of your intentions, you have the power to set your mind to something and succeed. There is no little pill, no magic drink that is going to make you do what you either want to or don’t want to do.
My sharing this blog, my daily journal/journey, is a way of supplementing my intentions and doing what I love doing most, helping you find the courage, the desire and the excitement to finally begin your journey to weight loss success, better health and happiness. Through sharing my daily walk with you I find the energy, mindfulness and power within myself to succeed.
I believe that if you take yourself seriously, make yourself and your health #1, set and stick with your intentions – you will find the success you’re dreaming about.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Controlled Eating & Cravings
Today I tried to stick diligently to my intentions of more water, less bread and more vegetables today. I usually do very well with lots of vegetables and today was no different, For the most part my meals were portion perfect but my love for carbs won. I didn’t eat a lot of bread but I did have a few crackers and a small handful of potato sticks, something I typically don’t even have in the house.
Carbohydrate cravings are very similar to sugar cravings and addiction. I do have a carb addiction unfortunately. My cravings are rarely ever sweet, they’re actually almost never sweets but are always simple carbs; bread and pasta are first in line-I Love them!
Am I upset with myself for not doing as well as I planned today? Not at all. I’m more aware though of my weaknesses and can work to address them.
In the event that my example of dinner might help you find dinner ideas I’ll share with you. I roasted a chicken, I simmered peas, baked garnet yams and made a huge Ceasar salad. My personal chicken portion was only about the size of my palm, one small yam, about 1 cup of peas and a large bowl of salad. Simple to prepare since the oven does all the work.
Tonight’s not over, but I have a good handle on things (even while watching game 1 in the world series with my Red Sox sweatshirt on) snack later? Maybe but not necessary at this point.
Carbohydrate cravings are very similar to sugar cravings and addiction. I do have a carb addiction unfortunately. My cravings are rarely ever sweet, they’re actually almost never sweets but are always simple carbs; bread and pasta are first in line-I Love them!
Am I upset with myself for not doing as well as I planned today? Not at all. I’m more aware though of my weaknesses and can work to address them.
In the event that my example of dinner might help you find dinner ideas I’ll share with you. I roasted a chicken, I simmered peas, baked garnet yams and made a huge Ceasar salad. My personal chicken portion was only about the size of my palm, one small yam, about 1 cup of peas and a large bowl of salad. Simple to prepare since the oven does all the work.
Tonight’s not over, but I have a good handle on things (even while watching game 1 in the world series with my Red Sox sweatshirt on) snack later? Maybe but not necessary at this point.
Monday, October 7, 2013
The Sandwich Diet
I’m thinking about going on a sandwich diet. I’m not sure there is such thing…yet, but I bet I can create one. I bet if there was though, I would be able to stick with it easily; I even think many other people would too!
The positive part and rules of making the perfect sandwich: you would have to load it with lots of interesting vegetables and bean mixtures along with whatever other ingredient you choose and no heavy, chemical laden spreads allowed. The negative side, too much bread! Too much wheat and refined carbs that we all need to get away from.
A sandwich diet. A cool thought. I might need to investigate this idea a little deeper because in reality, sandwiches are so cool!
The positive part and rules of making the perfect sandwich: you would have to load it with lots of interesting vegetables and bean mixtures along with whatever other ingredient you choose and no heavy, chemical laden spreads allowed. The negative side, too much bread! Too much wheat and refined carbs that we all need to get away from.
A sandwich diet. A cool thought. I might need to investigate this idea a little deeper because in reality, sandwiches are so cool!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Today, I Begin
If you read ‘my story’ you have a pretty good idea of where I’m at in my life. Today is day one of my personal journey for weight loss and emotional growth. My goal is to lose at least 16 pounds. To some, 16 pounds doesn’t sounds like much of a journey but it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to lose 5 pounds or 500 pounds, it’s your personal journey and it matters to you.
Upon weighing myself this morning, my current weight is 156 and I’m 5’4″ tall. I’m 50 years old, a young fifty thank you I’m most comfortable with my weight being 135-140, at this point I’ll settle for 140, so my goal for now is 140 or 16 pounds. What’s my time limit? I don’t have one but if I had to choose I would say 4-6 months, either by my next birthday Feb 21st or just as Spring 2014 sets in.
My first steps are:
1- setting an intention – (check)
2- setting a goal – (check)
3- sharing it with you (check)
4- diet? no! Eat healthy? YES!
5- is there cheating? No such word on my journey…getting back on track daily is my rule and sharing honestly with you is my promise
6- I’m ready! Are you?
My intentions for today is to drink at least 50 ounces of water and to eat no less than 5 servings of vegetables and 1 fruit.
* Let me share with you that the foods I eat are whole foods, no boxed/processed/prepared foods. I don’t typically use frozen foods except perhaps frozen vegetables that have no seasonings or sauces, and I try to stick with organic as often as possible. I’m a label reader, it’s an important habit to adopt, I steer clear of MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners and some natural sweeteners such as Stevia. Overall, my diet is healthy, my breakfast choices, portion sizes and lack of physical activity are often my ‘bad habits’. Being a health coach, I know what I should be doing, this is my inspiration to do it while helping you do it too!
Upon weighing myself this morning, my current weight is 156 and I’m 5’4″ tall. I’m 50 years old, a young fifty thank you
I’m most comfortable with my weight being 135-140, at this point I’ll settle for 140, so my goal for now is 140 or 16 pounds. What’s my time limit? I don’t have one but if I had to choose I would say 4-6 months, either by my next birthday Feb 21st or just as Spring 2014 sets in.My first steps are:
1- setting an intention – (check)
2- setting a goal – (check)
3- sharing it with you (check)
4- diet? no! Eat healthy? YES!
5- is there cheating? No such word on my journey…getting back on track daily is my rule and sharing honestly with you is my promise
6- I’m ready! Are you?
My intentions for today is to drink at least 50 ounces of water and to eat no less than 5 servings of vegetables and 1 fruit.
* Let me share with you that the foods I eat are whole foods, no boxed/processed/prepared foods. I don’t typically use frozen foods except perhaps frozen vegetables that have no seasonings or sauces, and I try to stick with organic as often as possible. I’m a label reader, it’s an important habit to adopt, I steer clear of MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners and some natural sweeteners such as Stevia. Overall, my diet is healthy, my breakfast choices, portion sizes and lack of physical activity are often my ‘bad habits’. Being a health coach, I know what I should be doing, this is my inspiration to do it while helping you do it too!
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