Tag Archive for: diet

5 Ways to Lose 5 Lbs Quickly – Even if it Seems Impossible

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Over the past year, I have noticed a thickening around my stomach. I am tall and lean and am lucky that my weight is fairly constant, so this thickening concerned me. At first, I attributed it to menopause and thought that I would have to live with it forever, but I wasn’t too happy about that prospect so I did some research.

What did I learn? My weight gain wasn ‘ t from menopause. And I could fix it. So I did.

#1 – I cut out sugar.

I know, I know. Easier said than done. But seriously, if you can even reduce the sugar in your diet, the weight will fall off.

I have very little sugar in my diet. Eating it makes me feel sick, so I tend to avoid it. I do have to admit, however, to an addiction to coconut water and KIND bars. I travel a lot, and they are very convenient, so I consume them regularly. On average, one large bottle of coconut water and 1 KIND bar (at least) a day.

The first step to my weight loss was cutting those things from my diet. I cut nothing else. I still eat Tostitos and french fries and Pad Thai. I just don ‘ t do coconut water and KIND bars.

In 2 weeks, just not eating sugar, a lot of that thick stuff around my waist evaporated.

Just by not eating sugar.

#2 – I increased the fiber.

A recent study showed people who added more fibre to their diet without changing anything else lost almost as much weight as people on a heart-healthy, low-fat eating plan.

Without changing anything else.

Women should aim for about 25 grams of fiber a day, men 38 grams. Most Americans get half as much as that.

Why does fibre help with weight loss? Because it makes you feel fuller and you eat less. Eating a baked potato, with the skin, will keep you feeling full longer than a bag of potato chips because of the increased fiber.

So how can you increase the fiber in your diet? Easy. Some food high in fiber: legumes, peas, raspberries, avocados, pears, broccoli, and oatmeal. Personally, I added 1 cup of peas to my lunchtime meal and it made a huge difference for my mid-afternoon hunger pangs.

#3 – I got my heart rate up.

I know. When you read this one, you will just want to throw in the towel right away. Images of gym memberships and Pilates classes are enough to send you to the fridge for a pint of ice cream.

Don ‘ t be daunted. Really, it ‘ s not that hard to get your heart rate up.

Studies show that the average person needs 30 minutes of sustained exercise 5 times a week to increase the body ‘ s weight-burning capacity.

30 minutes. That ‘ s nothing.

How about a stroll with your hubby after dinner, dancing around the living room with your kids, or walking the dog in the morning before you head out to work? Maybe even a jog with girlfriends if you feel like it. Or an evening bike ride.

Really, all the things that you used to do as a kid. Just do them now as an adult. For 30 minutes, 5 days a week.

No gym memberships are required.

#4 – I slept.

Did you know that not sleeping well can have a huge effect on your weight?

When we are tired in the morning, we are more likely to turn to sugar-laden lattes and pastries to wake ourselves up. And when we are groggy in the afternoon, we tend to reach for comfort food to get us through the rest of the day. Conversely, if you wake up refreshed after a good night ‘ s sleep, you tend to greet the day in a positive way. Perhaps a healthy breakfast and then a walk for the dog and off you go for your day.

Lack of sleep also affects your metabolism. Your body ‘ s ability to properly use insulin is affected, sometimes by as much as 30%. When this happens, your body stores fat in all of the wrong places. Not the goal.

The goal is to sleep. 7-9 hours a night. I know you have a lot of TV to watch. But try it. See what happens if you get enough sleep. You might like it.

#5 – I reduced my stress.

Did you know that stress is a killer for weight loss, even if you are eating right and exercising regularly? Why?

For two reasons. The first is that the stress hormone Cortisol has been shown to increase the appetite, particularly for foods that are high in saturated fats and sugar. The other is that stress, like sleep, interferes with insulin regulation and more of the food we eat gets turned into fat.

So look where you can reduce stress in your life. This past year my life has been very stressful. I was in a relationship that wasn ‘ t serving me, and I was really suffering. Right around the time I decided to lose weight, I extracted myself from the relationship. My stress evaporated (mostly).

And with it, those 5 Lbs ‘ ¦.

Many of us are looking for ways to lose 5 lbs quickly. Millions of dollars are spent on gym memberships and fad diets every year.

But losing weight doesn ‘ t have to be daunting or expensive. Try these few tweaks. See what happens. Lose those 5 lbs.

For me the 5 lbs lost has made a world of difference. Eating those peas and taking my 30-minute walk every day are things that I look forward to because doing them actually FEELS healthy. I didn’t feel so lumpy in those summer dresses that I pulled from the back of the closet. And I had my bikini on by the pool today. I am SO glad I did that research and made an effort to change.

Perhaps feeling just a little bit lighter will change YOUR life in more ways than one. Or 5 ‘ ¦.

Looking for more ways to lose some weight? Contact me, and I can help.

5 Little Ways for Moms to Feel Happier

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Every day moms take care of everyone else. That is just what we do. We make sure the kids are loved, fed, bathed and supported. Likewise, our partners. We do our best to carry our share, or more, at work and always try to be a shoulder to cry on for our friends.

What we aren ‘ t good at is taking care of ourselves. We set goals to go to the gym, or sleep more or eat better but in the end life gets in the way, and we just let it go.

We don’t have to do this!

Little Ways For Moms To Feel Happier:

Here are 5 Little Ways for Moms to Feel Happier.

#1 – Every day, do one thing that makes you happy:

It doesn ‘ t need to be a big thing but do something. Make a playlist for your car and listen to music that makes you sing out loud. Serve breakfast for dinner (because no one ever complains when dinner involves pancakes). Bring your book in the car and read a chapter while waiting to pick up the kids at school. Whatever small thing it is that makes your heart sing.

For me, when my kids were little, every Sunday was pizza night, and then my People magazine and I would retire to the bathtub for an hour. I went to bed Sunday night happy, and Monday mornings were much easier.

#2 – Replace the Oreos:

I am willing to bet that Oreos were not a staple of your diet before you had kids. Am I wrong? But now they are because they are in the cupboard. You get tired, or stressed or bored, and there, right in front of you, is a little disk of self-indulgence. So you eat one or 20, feel better for 30 seconds, and then feel not so good.

Keep something you love in the cupboard that will fill that need when you get tired, stressed, or bored, and go for that instead. Chocolate-covered almonds, honey-roasted peanuts, or individually wrapped chocolates (so you can ‘ t take a handful). And, if you have something that combines sugar and protein (like sweetened nuts), you won ‘ t be affected by the sugar so quickly and won ‘ t get that Oreo cookie crash.

#3 – Play with your kids:

When our kids are born, we all have grand plans to get down on the floor with them and play. And we do, at least until their sibling is born, and then we as often as not let them have at it.

Playing with your kids makes you happier, and happiness leads to healthiness. First of all, play makes you smile, and the physical act of smiling makes you happy. Also, by sheer definition, play is more fun than work. So put on a tiara and frolic with your kids, at least briefly. Try it!

One of my clients plays a game of cards with her kids and her husband every night after dinner. It only takes 20 minutes and they laugh and kid and enjoy each others company. And then off they go to homework etc. She reports that the 20 minutes makes the transitions easier and sets up a much smoother bedtime routine, every mother ‘ s dream.

#4 – Get just a little more sleep:

I know you are saying, ‘ Yeah. Right. ‘ But I am serious. Try to fit just a little more sleep into your day. Actually I am suggesting you build it into your schedule. Right there, between going to the dry cleaners and finishing your project for the meeting. Make a plan to take a 15-minute nap right after lunch, before you head out to do errands. Or sleep 15 minutes later 3 times a week, wherever you can fit in just a little more sleep.

If you sleep in 15 minutes 3 days a week, that ‘ s 45 minutes more sleep. Add two naps in there, and you have more than an hour. Every bit of sleep makes a difference.

#5 – Do one thing that will get your heart rate up:

Can ‘ t make time for the gym? No problem. Even a little cardio is better than none. Why? Because getting your heart rate up produces more endorphins, and endorphins produce a euphoric feeling.

Ideas? Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Dance around the kitchen while cooking a meal. Walk the dog. Ride a bike. Kick a soccer ball. Jump on the trampoline. Getting your heart rate up regularly is a very healthy thing to do.

A woman running in the middle of a field.

I have a client whose family got a dog. My client was worried because she knew it would do more work for her, which it did. Of course it needed to be walked, but taking it for walks changed her life. Not only did getting out of the house and getting her heartbeat up make her feel good, she also made more friends when she was out with the dog, and we know what more friends can do for your health!

So there you go: 5 Little Ways for Moms to Feel Happier. Give them a try for week. See what a difference it makes. Let me know when it does!

Have I missed anything? Do you have something you do that makes you feel healthier daily?

Are you having trouble implementing healthy habits into your life? Do you feel guilty when you try to set aside time to make yourself feel healthier? Let’s talk.

Raising Resilient Kids: 5 Ways to Help Your Kids Thrive

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When our kids are born, they are little pieces of perfection. We look at them and promise that they are going to have the perfect life, that we will be the perfect parent, that the life challenges we face, they won ‘ t have to.

Wouldn ‘ t it be lovely if it turned out that way?

We all have our challenges. Kids especially. It ‘ s always been hard to be a kid with school, acne, braces, lost best friends, and that dreaded gym class. They don ‘ t want us, but they need us.

5 Waysto Help Your Kids Thrive

#1 – Take the time to sit with them. Just be in their presence. So many of us spend our time running around, multi tasking. Our child is at the table, doing homework, and we are making phone calls, chopping vegetables, paying bills. Take a few minutes and sit next to your child. Share the silence. Kris did that one night. Her daughter was reading a book, and she joined her on the couch with her own book.

After a few minutes her daughter put down her book and told her mom about something that had happened at school that day. Kris shared that the interaction meant a lot to both of them and that she got just a little insight into her daughter ‘ s life.

#2 – Listen to them. We like to think that we listen to our kids when they talk to us, but many of us do other things when they do so. Have you ever heard yourself say ‘ uh huh ‘ when your child pauses for reaction and realizes that you have no idea what they just said. When your child talks to you, stop what you are doing and pay attention. Even if it ‘ s a frivolous story, you might get some nugget of information for future use.

#3 – Don ‘ t be a helicopter parent. Children are going to make mistakes. They NEED to make mistakes. They NEED to learn how to do things on their own. If you are always hovering, picking up the pieces when they fall, they will never learn how to do it independently. J

ulie always tied her daughter ‘ s shoes for her. Always. And then, on her daughter ‘ s first day of school, Julie wasn ‘ t there to tie them for her. Her daughter was crushed and didn ‘ t want to go back to school the next day. Julie taught her daughter how to tie her own shoes that very night, and she happily went off to school the next day.

#4 – Be Positive. Yes, we have all had challenging life experiences, experiences that we don ‘ t want our children to have. But no matter how hard we try, we can ‘ t stop them from happening. When you see your child facing something that you faced and failed at, DON ‘ T let your feelings of failure enter the conversation. Think about what you might have done differently and share it with them. Be positive.

#5 – Take care of their health. It is essential that all of us take care of ourselves, that we get enough sleep and exercise and eat a healthy diet. Many kids don ‘ t get enough of the first two and too much of the last one (often not so healthy). When your kids become teenagers, it is very difficult to influence their lifestyle choices, so working hard in their early years is important to instill good habits.

Make sure they have a comfy bed and that they play outside after school. Limit their screen time. Have healthy food available but don ‘ t make Oreos taboo. Kim ‘ s kids had a steady diet of frozen pizza and French fries they consumed in front of the TV. Her kids were always bears at bed-time, which made the morning routine especially difficult. At my suggestion, she tweaked their diets, and they ate dinner together at the dinner table, and suddenly, bedtime was a dream, and the mornings were better too.

So there you go, 5 ways to help your kids thrive. None of these tips are reinventing the wheel, but they are often overlooked amid the chaos of everyday living. But you can do it. You are doing it already. Pay attention and tweak things here and there; you will see a huge difference.

Do you have any stories about ways you have helped your children thrive? Questions about challenges that regularly arise? I would love to hear from you, and we can find more ways to help your kids ‘ ¦

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