7 More Easy Tips to Lose Weight

A couple weeks back, I shared in my 135lb. weight loss. Today, I'm sharing seven more tips that have helped me lose 135lbs. Each one has been SO important in my journey. I didn't implement them all at once, I've slowly worked up to where I am now. There are still many more tips and tricks I use, the first list and this one are just the biggest ones that have made the most difference for me.

I can't stress enough how losing the weight has been about a total lifestyle change. That has been hard. Habits are not easy to break. How we look at food is also difficult to change.
I'm not aiming to be super skinny. Quite honestly, I don't have the build for it. I'm aiming to be what my doctor and I agreed is a healthy weight, that hopefully will also diminish, if not totally get rid of, a number of health issues. As I get closer to my goal weight (35lbs. to go now), losing becomes harder and harder. My body doesn't want to give up the fat. It wants to hang onto those extra inches I want so badly to be done with forever. I want to be healthy! In this battle, these tips become even more important to help me keep battling it out.

There is one tip that really needs to be called out specially: Exercise is huge. It's helped me to get into better shape and be healthier. Between the weight loss and exercise, I now actually enjoy moving. Getting all sweaty doesn't bother me. It's not sweat from being so fat I can't actually do what I want so am struggling, it's sweat from being able to move and enjoy what my body can do. I've found simple exercises that I can do at home, without a gym. We got a combination exercise bike and elliptical a few months back (compact and nothing fancy) that is my go-to along with walks when the weather is nice. I am for 30 minutes, 5  days a week, but usually average about 4.5 hours or so total. The days I'm hungry, exercising also buys me those extra calories to stay in my goal range.

Are you on a weight loss journey? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section!

7 More Easy Tips I've used to lose 135lbs.

1. Meal plan
I plan out what I'm going to eat for the day to make sure I stick with my calorie goals. If I end up eating extra because I'm hungry earlier in the day, I adjust as I go. On days I'm REALLY hungry, I try my best to get in extra exercise to offset the calorie damage. I never let myself go hungry, though. Going hungry leads to bad choices and binge eating.

2. Avoid fads, quick fixes and anything not sustainable long term
Except for a B12 and multivitamin, I don't take any supplements. I use no shakes, wraps or products of any kind. No paid trainers or exercise programs, either. If it costs money, I don't do it. First off, I can't afford it. Secondly, and most importantly, I want my weight loss to be healthy and sustainable. I'm in it for the long haul. If I end up reliant on something, once I don't use it anymore, the weight will come right back. Fads, gimmicks and quick fixes aren't healthy, either. Our bodies need balanced, nutritional foods without cutting out total food groups.

I've lost all my weight without any of these, which just goes to show it's all really not needed. It's totally possible to lose large amounts on your own, provided you don't have health issues complicating matters. I've got a bum thyroid, once I started taking meds to help it, losing weight wasn't quite as hard. My thyroid still has the possibility to throw a wrench into my weight when I eventually have to get it removed. Even after, should I need to lose weight again, I plan to do it the same way.

3. Stick with it
Weight loss is a roller coaster of ups and downs. Sometimes no matter what I do, the weight doesn't want to come off. I stick with it anyway, knowing that going back to how I was before won't accomplish anything. Neither will giving up and accepting the weight I'm at, which isn't my goal. There are days and even weeks where I slip up and don't eat as well or excise as much as I should. Vacations and holidays do me in. I plan for that and start right back up again. Even during those times, I try to keep myself in check and not fall totally back into my old habits. That's not who I am now, this is a lifestyle change. I am determined to stick with the changes I made, even when those stumbles try to get me down.

4. Drink plenty of water
I'll admit it, sometimes I don't drink as much water as I should. When this happens, the scale doesn't like me. It is so true that the more you drink, the less you retain. Being well hydrated helps so much with weight loss. Dehydration makes me hungrier, less likely to make good choices and leaves me bloated. A whole lot of yuck I don't want. Sometimes, I pitch in a lemon or lime slice. When I get sick of water, I drink tea without sugar or milk.

5. Eliminate empty calories as much as possible
Juice, soda, hard candy, junk food, condiments and the like add up to a ton of extra, empty calories. I eliminate them as much as I can. Every day, I do allow for a little treat in my calorie count and meal planning for the day. But I try to stick to nutritional, filling foods and 0-calorie drinks that won't tip the calorie count while still leaving me with a grumbling stomach.

6. Brush your teeth
After dinner, I floss and brush my teeth then finish with mouth wash. After I go to all that trouble, plus with the minty taste in my mouth, I don't want to eat any more. Even when I'm tempted, the taste in my mouth reminds me I'm done eating for the day. At night when I'm tired, drained and done, I'm most likely to give in to cravings. Even when I'm not even actually hungry, just craving. Brushing has saved me from SO many slips ups. Plus, it helps me keep up good oral hygiene so yay!

7. Skip the fast food, limit eating out and make healthier choices when you do
We all know fast food isn't good for us. Even small servings hold a ton of calories. Those salads they sell aren't all they're cracked up to be, either. I skip fast food. At this point, it pretty much all grosses me out. When I think of fast food, my next thought is YUCK. When I do indulge a couple times a year, I get the smallest portion (and then remember why fast food grosses me out). We limit eating out, too. Not only does it save tons of calories, it saves us a ton of money as well. Restaurant food is packed with calories, fat and sodium. Every time I eat out, the next day I gain 2-6 pounds. My body is just that sensitive to salt. I bloat easily and like crazy. On the rare occasions I do eat out, I choose healthier options, stay mindful of calories and take at least half home. Planning for the splurge by balancing out the rest of the calories for the few days before and after also helps keep the scale from hating on me too much.

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Here are some of the tools I've used to help with my weight loss (affiliate links):

 

7 Easy Tips to Lose Weight

I'm now 133 lbs. down on my weight loss journey. It hasn't been easy, believe me! Every single pound has been a struggle to lose. I'm so excited that I'm FINALLY under 200 lbs. for the first time since I was a sophomore in high school. For me, weight loss has been about having a total mindset and lifestyle change. I've used a number of little tricks to help me stay on track and to build up to that total lifestyle change. None of them are hard. Actually, they're all easy.

I didn't make a lifestyle and mindset change all at once. That's pretty much impossible. Over the past 19 months as I've lost, I've made small changes. Once those stuck, I made more small changes, building on it until the change I needed to happen, did. I've had to be dedicated to weight loss and really WANTED to. I've tried before, lost a bit, then gained it all back. I've never gotten to where I am now because I wasn't dedicated to that lifestyle change and actually losing and keeping all the weight off. Now, I am. I work hard at it every day, fighting to make that number on the scale go down. Fighting to finally reach my goal weight -- 37 lbs. to go now!

I've always been an emotional eater so I've had to realize when I do that and stop it. I can't eat anything and everything or not worry about portions either. A quick diet, dropping food groups, taking supplements or any other fads wouldn't have been sustainable for me. If it's not sustainable, there's no way to keep up with it and keep the weight off. It has to be a lifestyle change or or so as the "diet" ends, the old habits come back. Along with all the weight. That's why I rely on all these tips to help me get to, and eventually stay, at the weight I want to be.

Stop by next week for 7 more tips!

1. Eliminate temptations
My weakness is junk food. Chips, chocolate, ice cream, cake -- all the high-calorie, high-fat stuff that is far from healthy. If it's in the house, I have no willpower. It'll disappear in no time at all. So, I keep it out of the house for the most part. What little I do have, I keep in a difficult-to-reach spot so I have to REALLY want it to get it. By the time I get to it, I've usually come to my senses and only have one piece. Ice cream I can't do that with easily, so I get single serving treats to limit how much I'm eating. Otherwise, I sneak spoonfuls of it, thinking one spoon doesn't matter. The problem is, all those spoonfuls add up.

2. Keep fresh fruits and veggies on hand
With the foods that tempt me out of the way, I'm still liable to eat foods that are higher in calorie or not as healthy if I don't have a quick snack to grab. Top on my list of quick, easy (and cheap) foods to have around are fresh fruits and veggies. I keep a jar of cut carrot sticks in the fridge so it's the first thing I see when I open the door. There's also always cut cucumber and apples ready for a fast snack. I restock and chop more every week. I pad my dinner plate with fruits and veggies, too, making them the largest portion on my plate. My favorite lately is baking up apple halves with a dash of cinnamon on them. So good!

3. Measure and weigh all food
If I don't know how much I'm eating, I can't figure out the proper serving size or keep track accurately of everything I eat. I've got a food scale, measuring cups and measuring spoons that I use to measure anything I can't count out. Measuring/weighing all my food has helped me realize how big a portion size really is. Before, I'd fill a whole plate with food. Now, I've got a small portion (that's actually a REAL portion) of foods on my plate at meals and for snacks. My stomach has shrunk, too. Those portions usually fill me up. Usually if I eyeball and don't measure because I'm starving (and too lazy) I end up stuffed before I can overeat. Plus, I've done the measuring for so long that my eyeballing is pretty accurate. I still weigh and measure, though! I don't want to fall back into the habit of over eating or under estimating what I'm eating. That leads to extra weight.

4. Track calories
The partner of measuring and weighing all my food is tracking all the calories. Everything, even a tiny taste, gets tracked. I'm a big fan of the My Fitness Pal app, since I can easily input everything into my phone as soon as I eat it and see how much I have left for the day. Without tracking calories, I'd really have no idea how much I'm eating. I wouldn't have been able to change my mindset of how much I should eat every day. As many studies have said, people tend to underestimate what they eat. Underestimation leads to over eating. Tracking all my food allows me to stay on top of my food intake so that doesn't happen without my knowing.

5. Rather than eliminating foods, aim for moderation and portion control
There was a time where I'd eat a slice of cake almost every day. After work, I'd stop at the grocery store I passed, pick up a single slice and have eaten it within a half hour of getting home (sometimes even before leaving the store parking lot). I still eat cake. There seriously isn't one food that I've totally eliminated from my diet. Like I said, it's a lifestyle change and has to be sustainable. Instead, I eat in moderation and put my tips of measuring food and tracking calories to good use. Never eating grains/meat/junk/treats/whatever wouldn't be sustainable for the rest of my life. I still eat that cake I love, just not every day (or even once a month). Seriously, how could I pass up my amazing lemon cake when I make it?! When I have PMS, you bet I eat chocolate! Instead of the whole bag, though, it's a couple pieces that I've budgeted into my daily calorie goal.

6. Aim for balance

This goes along with moderation and not eliminating foods. I go for balance -- mostly healthy, with a bit of wiggle room for treats. I'll eat a tiny bit of something not-so-healthy almost daily, then I make sure everything else I'm putting in my mouth is wholesome. Without that little cheat, I start having cravings and end up binging, stuffing myself with candy, ice cream, anything I can get my hands on -- the opposite of balance, moderation and portion control. It might be half an ice cream sandwich, two pieces of chocolate or a couple gummy bears, but it's enough to keep me on track. This may not work for everyone, some people binge of they do have that little splurge. Do what works for you. It'll take trial and error, but you'll figure it out.

7. Go light and vegetarian for at least 7 meals a week
For at least 7 lunches and dinners a week, I reach for fruits and veggies. Sometimes, I'll add quinoa, beans or couscous for added protein. I keep it light and healthy, avoiding starches, carbs and meats. Even though I eat a huge plateful, I end up staying within my calories because the veggies and fruits I chose are low calorie and super filling. Another plus -- it's cheaper, so I'm saving money. I don't added sauces, butter or anything to the fruits/veggies. The most I do is sprinkle on some salt-free seasoning. I grab bags of mixed veggies at the store for quick lunches. At dinner, I like to get fresh veggies, chop them up then roast them in the oven. Usually, I make something else for the kids and A to eat as they're not as big of fans of these meals. If I make something high-calorie for them, I'll often turn to my veggie dinners. A and I do have salads once a week for dinner. For those, I add a serving of cheese, a fat-free dressing and sometimes throw on some tasty chick peas.

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Here are some of the tools I've used to help with my weight loss (affiliate links):

 

The Truth About Weight Loss

When you read people's extreme weight loss stories, what they don't usually share is the dark side of it all. When I started losing weight 16 months ago, I had 170 pounds to lose. Now, I've lost 120 pounds of that large number. Only 50 to go.

Except it's not "only" 50. Fifty pounds is a lot of extra weight to be carrying around. It places me squarely in the obese category. Every pound of the 120 I have lost has been a struggle, a constant battle between my body and myself. It's a battle that's being going on for decades -- I've dealt with being over weight as a child, through high school, in college and beyond.

There’s a little voice that is often the reason so many people quit or gain weight back. That little voice is a bitch that makes weight loss incredibly hard, harder than most people -- and me-- are usually willing to admit. Who wants to talk about how horrible they feel at times, how often they questioned themselves when they read all these stories about people who flew through weight loss like it’s nothing? I don't. Like everyone, I want people to think things are easy for me. So, along with everyone else, I never admit that little voice is there. I never admit how hard, even soul-crushing, weight loss is at times.

Well, I'm admitting it now.

The scale likes to screw with me, too. Follow my eating plan perfectly, exercise all I want, sometimes the scale still goes up for no sane reason I can possibly fathom. Or, it stays put, mocking me. Maybe I just miss one of my goals. That's when the fear, doubt and insecurity creeps in. The little voice in the back of my head starts up a fierce whisper, “Will the weight I've lost come back? Will I EVER be able to lose it all or am I stuck being fat forever? Why am I working so hard with no results? Why is it so dang easy for some people, yet here I am, struggling to lose even one lousy pound a week?”

Having someone comment that I've lost so much feels good. But the little voice is there to remind me, "There is still so much to go. Can I even do it? I’m nowhere near my goal." When I see others losing weight easily or quickly after weight loss surgery, the nasty little voice takes over. "Why are people saying she has worked so hard? She had weight loss surgery, she cheated. That's not working hard. It's taking the easy way, not actually earning or working for it. She looks good because she CHEATED. If I had surgery, the weight would be falling off me, too, with little to no effort. She's not even exercising while I'm over here sweating my ass off, just to watch the scale stay the same or go up." I know everyone has a different journey, a personal story they don't share all the details of, but that little voice doesn't give a damn. It's too busy giving the finger, screaming, "CHEATER!"

Walk into a store mid-weight loss and it's not quite as joyful in that area, either. Who has the money to constantly buy new clothes while losing weight? Not me. When it comes down to the mortgage and clothes for the kids or a new pair of jeans for mom, mom is going to be tightening her belt and wearing a longer shirt just in case the pants slip and show off her undies. Fit into a new size? The little voice is there, "Smaller size finally? That's nice, but it's still plus-size when you're an XL or 18." I tell the voice to shut up, weight loss is weight loss, smaller is still smaller, I should be proud. The voice doesn't care, it snorts and tells me, "Something that big is nothing to be proud of. People are still going to call you fat." Think something looks good? Yup, the voice is there. “You’re fat. There’s still a chance someone is going to laugh their butts off when they see you in that.”

Being large, I got into a habit of watching out for things that may not hold my weight or that I couldn't cram into -- chairs, airplane seats, amusement park rides, bikes, restaurant booths. I also avoid things that could leave me red-faced with embarrassment because I can't do them while others can -- long walks, gym equipment, yoga, hikes, running around a field. Losing weight to the point that these things should no longer be a worry still leaves the little voice chattering when I try any of them, "Have I finally lost enough or is that chair going to snap? Can I really fit in that space or am I under-estimating how big I still am? Am I finally up for that hike or am I going to be dripping with sweat, gasping for air while everyone is miles ahead?" The voice doesn't let me forget where I've been and it leaves me always questioning where I am.

I tell myself that I'm doing well. I'm getting there. People tell me how good I look. The little voice? You guessed it. It’s still there. “How can I look good? I’m fat. If someone gained weight and were this weight, people wouldn’t be telling them they look good. I may look BETTER, but not good. Doing well? I’m nowhere near my goal, I’m fat, the scale doesn’t want to budge, I’m failing. Even if I make it to the weight I should be, who knows if it’ll stay off.”

I’m determined to prove that voice wrong.


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Quick, Healthy & Cheap Snack Ideas

Snacking is an every-day thing in our house. If M2 had her way, she'd probably eat nothing else but the snacks all day. With my weight loss mission, snacking comes in handy for me to keep my metabolism up and stop myself from getting so hungry I binge. Baby B isn't one to turn down a snack, either, especially when he sees someone else nibbling on something yummy. To keep us all eating healthy, without spending so much the grocery budget is blown or having to spend hours making it, these are the snacks I make sure to stuff the fridge and pantry with.

As an added bonus, some of these you can make yourself beforehand when doing meal prep, or when you want an activity to do with the kids. That ups the health  factor and cuts down on cost even more. All the foods on the list are ones that are staples in our house. With plenty of delicious snacks to choose from on this list, there are sure to be a few that you'll want to incorporate into your own household.

1. Hand fruit

Peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, bananas, grapes, plums -- anything you can grab, wash and eat on the go without any fuss qualifies as a hand fruit. They're great to keep around for when you want something sweet. While oranges aren't a hand fruit, I like to keep a bunch of them in the house as well. Bananas are probably the cheapest fruit you can find, which is why we've always got a pile in our fruit bowl.

2. Peppers, celery, cucumbers and carrots

Chop them up and keep them handy for when you're craving something yummy. I keep a container of carrot sticks drenched in water to keep them fresh in the fridge. A few cucumbers are always floating around the fridge to peel and slice.

Make-it-yourself bonus: You can grow your own garden and buy veggies that aren't pre-cut to save even more.

3. Peanut butter and bread

A serving of natural peanut butter without fillers along with whole grain bread makes for a healthy, protein-packed snack to keep you full.

Make-it-yourself bonus: Honey wheat or buttermilk wheat bread goes great with peanut butter. Both are easy to make, too.

4. Protein bars

Pick up a big box of store-brand protein bars rather than going for the small boxes or singles of the fancy brands to save money. All protein bars aren't created equal, so check to see how much protein, sugar, calories and fat each really has. You don't want your snack to end up a meal!

5. Granola bars

This is another treat you can buy a big, store-brand box of to keep cost down. Like with the protein bars, check the nutritional label to be sure it's not just empty calories you're noshing on.

Make-it-yourself bonus: To know exactly what goes into your bars, throw together some of your own in the kitchen.

6. Cheese sticks or slices

At any given time, we have about three different kinds of cheeses in the fridge drawer. American cheese slices, Swiss, Munster, mozzarella sticks -- you name it, the kids love it (so do I). When they're hungry, we often reach for low-fat cheese as a healthy, filling protein boost to last until the next meal.

7. Humus

Humus comes in so many flavors! My favorites are traditional and ranch. Grab your favorite along with some pita chips, tortilla chips, crackers or pretzels to scoop up a yummy serving.

Make-it-yourself bonus:  If you're adventurous, you can make your own humus easily and even whip up pita and tortilla chips.

8. Air-popped popcorn

Pop up some kernels (you can get a big bag or container for a few dollars) for a fun snack. Leave off the salt and butter to keep it healthy.

9. Greek or regular yogurt

Like the protein and granola bars, check the labels on yogurt for calorie, fat, protein and sugar content. You want something that's balanced so you have a satisfying snack. M2 loves the yogurt tubes and I often reach for a cup of Greek yogurt for myself. I get big packages rather than singles so it does't cost as much. Sales and the local discount grocery store also help me keep from breaking the bank on yogurt.

Make-it-yourself bonus: If you're up for the challenge, try making your own yogurt.

10. Nuts

Pistachios, peanuts, almonds, cashews -- oh, my! So many choices that you can get in large containers so that otherwise pricey nuts aren't so shocking to your wallet. A small handful at a time is all you need for an afternoon (or evening) pick-me-up.

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My Word of the Year

I've seen this everywhere lately: People picking a word of the year. It's kind of like setting goals, though this would be the overarching goal and theme for the entire year. What is it that sums up all the goals, where you want to be at the end of the year and what the year is going to be all about?

We were talking about this in my wonderful stay-at-home moms' group recently. It got me to thinking what my word of the year should be. It didn't take me long. With all I'm working toward, the answer was clear. Transformation.

I want to transform myself and my life in many ways this year. As you read, you'll probably notice something that I did while writing it -- everything fits together and really does form a bigger picture. That lets me know I really did choose the right word!

Transforming my body
It's no secret that I'm working on losing weight this year. My goal is to lose at least 52 pounds this year. I'm simply not comfortable with my weight and am determined to change it for the better. I've been setting two-week goals for myself to help me get that weight off.

Transforming my health
This goes hand in hand with transforming my body. Losing the weight helps with my health. Eating healthier foods, drinking more water, incorporating more movement and exercise into my life, and focusing on my health all goes along with that. I'm dividing body and health transformation into two because it's just that important and that big of a change. You can also lose weight, yet still be unhealthy, or even just gain it all back because it wasn't a total life style change. Neither of those are something I want! I'm going for the whole package.

Transforming my inner self
I am the type of person who worries and stresses to much. I strive for perfection in everything. Even simple things, like which milk to get at the store. I want to be sure it's the right choice, the best thing I can do. As you can imagine, this leads to more inner turmoil than is good for a person. I'm working on letting go of all this. Inner peace is going to be found this year. Expect to see more about this, from what I go through to how I plan to change it, at some point. I haven't quite gotten all my thoughts together yet, when I do I'll share.

Transforming my blog
You may have already noticed a few changes around here. New banner, new tabs, some changes to the layout and follow buttons, small things like that. There are so many things I've been meaning to do that I haven't gotten around to. Slowly, I'm ticking them off the list one by one.

I've also got big plans for what I want to write, how often I post and improving content to give you what you want to read. I want to bring a balance of types of posts to the blog to give you the whole stay-at-home-mom life overview.

Behind-the-scenes things to bring in more much-needed income are also in the works. I'm even thinking about writing a book. The blog is my job and how I make my income so that's always a part of the bigger picture.

Transforming my life balance
Going hand-in-hand with transforming the blog is finding life balance. I often feel that I'm putting too much time into the blog when I should be doing more with the kids or keeping up with the house. Or, that I'm spending too much time with the kids but not enough with A or on my own. It's all about balance and I need to transform my life to find that balance between all the roles I play. (More on balance is coming up soon.)

Transforming my daily life
To transform my life balance, I need to transform my daily life as well to get everything aligned. I want to get on a cleaning schedule, have more activities with the kids, stick to meal planning, not be as attached to social media and electronics, clearing out household items I don't need and organizing so the days run smoother, and other things along those lines.

Transforming my finances
So much has changed in our lives financially over the past year. Using my usual budget, I want to get all the finances in even better order. New ways to save, not spending as much on material goods, focusing on what matters in life and the experiences vs the "stuff."


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Establishing Healthy Habits Update and New Goals Jan. 28 - Feb. 11

I've been pushing myself to keep on track with my health goals this year by giving myself healthy habit goals and a challenge each two weeks. Here's how I did the past two weeks and my challenge and goals for the next two. You can read more about why I'm doing this and what I set for myself last time and why here.

Two Week Update on Healthy Habits Goals

The Challenge: No Soda
I'm proud to say I did great with this one! I still keep craving diet Coke, that stuff is so addictive. This is going to become part of my goals for the upcoming weeks.

Drink more water
This one I still need to work on. I was doing great until I got sick, got extremely dehydrated and fell back into my old ways. Slowly, I'm getting back on track. This habit needs more work.

Reach for fruit and veggies instead of unhealthy choices
I'm doing pretty good with this one, but still need improvement.

Watch portions
Proper portions for weight loss is big. Even if it's healthy, if you're eating too much of it, you're not  going to lose weight. The past few months I've been piling way too much on my plate rather than practicing portion control. That's about to change! The majority of my plate is going to be veggies and lean meats with carbs and starches taking a side role. All the foods in moderation, of course. If I'm still hungry, I'll be reaching for those fruits and veggies I have prepped to go.

Exercise a minimum of 60 minutes a week
A big failure on this one. While I got in more movement since I've been doing more cleaning, I didn't get in my 60 minute a week goal. I got 30 minutes one week and that's it. Between battling the tiredness from anemia and then spending one of the weeks sick with stomach flu, exercise didn't happen. I think I need to adjust this given my current health limitations.

The Next Two Weeks of Healthy Habits and a Challenge

In addition to keeping up with the habits I've been establishing, I'm adding a few more. Some are ones I wasn't successful with before as they still need to be a focus.

The Challenge

Exercise

The last time, exercise was my big downfall. I've decided I need to adjust this to work better with the fatigue and tiredness that comes with having severe anemia. With that in mind, my challenge is going to be to exercise 10 minutes 5 days a week. I figure if I can do that, I can build on it. Weight lifting and pilates are my usual go-to exercises, along with kick boxing and some time with the Wii playing Just Dance.

Healthy Habits

Limit soda

I don't want to fall back into my soda habits so I'm keeping this on the list. Rather than no soda (which I know I can't keep up long term) I'm going to limit myself to one 16 oz soda a week.

Cut back on carbs and sugar

Anyone who knows me knows I've got a major weakness for carbs and sugary treats. Neither of which helps with my goals of being healthier and losing weight. As much as I love bread, pasta, cookies, chocolate, hot chocolate and ice cream, I've got to break the habit. Rather than having a carb with every dinner, I'm going to load up on veggies and skip carbs more often. Less toast, more protein shakes. Healthy eating is about balance though, so I'm not looking to cut the carbs totally, just get everything in moderation. The same goes with sweet treats, though those I'm going to be cutting back on even more. I want to get to the point where I don't rely on having a piece of chocolate or a cookie daily, rather every other day, or even longer. Realistically, I know that'll take time so this two weeks is about cutting back and moderation.

Drink more water

Water, water and more water! Five glasses a day, here I come!

More fruits and veggies

With cutting back on carbs, I want to eat more fruits and veggies. These are the healthy treats I should crave. Fresh fruit is something I keep in the house for M2 and B. Now, I need to eat more myself. While we have veggies with every dinner, my portions need to be larger in that food group.

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Establishing Healthy Habits Update and New Goals Jan. 28 - Feb. 11

I've been pushing myself to keep on track with my health goals this year by giving myself healthy habit goals and a challenge each two weeks. Here's how I did the past two weeks and my challenge and goals for the next two. You can read more about why I'm doing this and what I set for myself last time and why here.

Two Week Update on Healthy Habits Goals

The Challenge: No Soda
I'm proud to say I did great with this one! I still keep craving diet Coke, that stuff is so addictive. This is going to become part of my goals for the upcoming weeks.

Drink more water
This one I still need to work on. I was doing great until I got sick, got extremely dehydrated and fell back into my old ways. Slowly, I'm getting back on track. This habit needs more work.

Reach for fruit and veggies instead of unhealthy choices
I'm doing pretty good with this one, but still need improvement.

Watch portions
Proper portions for weight loss is big. Even if it's healthy, if you're eating too much of it, you're not  going to lose weight. The past few months I've been piling way too much on my plate rather than practicing portion control. That's about to change! The majority of my plate is going to be veggies and lean meats with carbs and starches taking a side role. All the foods in moderation, of course. If I'm still hungry, I'll be reaching for those fruits and veggies I have prepped to go.

Exercise a minimum of 60 minutes a week
A big failure on this one. While I got in more movement since I've been doing more cleaning, I didn't get in my 60 minute a week goal. I got 30 minutes one week and that's it. Between battling the tiredness from anemia and then spending one of the weeks sick with stomach flu, exercise didn't happen. I think I need to adjust this given my current health limitations.

The Next Two Weeks of Healthy Habits and a Challenge

In addition to keeping up with the habits I've been establishing, I'm adding a few more. Some are ones I wasn't successful with before as they still need to be a focus.

The Challenge

Exercise

The last time, exercise was my big downfall. I've decided I need to adjust this to work better with the fatigue and tiredness that comes with having severe anemia. With that in mind, my challenge is going to be to exercise 10 minutes 5 days a week. I figure if I can do that, I can build on it. Weight lifting and pilates are my usual go-to exercises, along with kick boxing and some time with the Wii playing Just Dance.

Healthy Habits

Limit soda

I don't want to fall back into my soda habits so I'm keeping this on the list. Rather than no soda (which I know I can't keep up long term) I'm going to limit myself to one 16 oz soda a week.

Cut back on carbs and sugar

Anyone who knows me knows I've got a major weakness for carbs and sugary treats. Neither of which helps with my goals of being healthier and losing weight. As much as I love bread, pasta, cookies, chocolate, hot chocolate and ice cream, I've got to break the habit. Rather than having a carb with every dinner, I'm going to load up on veggies and skip carbs more often. Less toast, more protein shakes. Healthy eating is about balance though, so I'm not looking to cut the carbs totally, just get everything in moderation. The same goes with sweet treats, though those I'm going to be cutting back on even more. I want to get to the point where I don't rely on having a piece of chocolate or a cookie daily, rather every other day, or even longer. Realistically, I know that'll take time so this two weeks is about cutting back and moderation.

Drink more water

Water, water and more water! Five glasses a day, here I come!

More fruits and veggies

With cutting back on carbs, I want to eat more fruits and veggies. These are the healthy treats I should crave. Fresh fruit is something I keep in the house for M2 and B. Now, I need to eat more myself. While we have veggies with every dinner, my portions need to be larger in that food group.

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