Tuesday, March 24, 2009

She lives!!!

Hey all-

I should be entering data and/or finishing the dishes that are soaking in the sink but I decided to blog since it's been awhile. I've written down some notes from before my trip to Michigan so I'll be sure to included those at a later date. I'm going to try and keep this entry more condensed and simple. My stress level is high due to daily traveling for work, pessimism about my thesis (it's at a standstill), and poor sleeping. I'm so tired all the time! I usually perk up for work since I need to interact with people but I feel like a zombie the rest of the day. Enough of that.

I took some time to look through my Biggest Loser calendar because I hadn't looked at it since March 11th. I thought I'd include some of the cool tidbits on some of the days since I learned a little. Here is the list of suggestions or hints:

--post a picture of yourself at your worst in the kitchen....preferably on the refrigerator or a frequented cupboard. I've thought about this since I've seen other people do this in their homes. The picture is usually embarrassing because many involve swim suits but I can see how it would be motivating too.

--chose fresh fruit over most fruit juices. Fruit juice usually contains no fiber and does little to nothing to help you control your appetite. It's a concentrate form of fruit sugar and can send your blood sugar soaring....which leads to it plummeting and causes food cravings soon after. Most "fruit juices" are actually a juice concentrate so additional sugar is added anyway. It's actually difficult to find cheap, real fruit juice that isn't a concentrate.

--they actually say to avoid most packaged ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. A good rule of thumb for cereal is to choose brands that have less than 5 grams of sugar per serving and at least 5 grams of fiber.

--Substitute fruit for candy if you have a sweet tooth. Natural sugars in fruit raise your serotonin level and the fiber helps slow sugar absorption. This prevents severe fluctuation in your blood sugar and keeps your cravings in check. Candy does the same thing as most fruit juices and your blood sugar goes on a roller coaster.

--According to the National Weight Control Registry...if you can maintain your new weight for two years, you are more likely to keep it off for two more years. Those that kept their new weight for five years have an even greater chance of keeping it off for more of their lifetime. The registry includes thousands of people that have lost an average of 73 pounds and kept it off for more than five years.

I'll have more information posted at some point. My flights made me think more about my weight so I have things to rant about LOL. Happy eating!

2 comments:

LeAnn said...

Well I have about a bazillion pictures that I could post that would make me cringe with embarrassment. But I am a very visual person so looking at something everyday would probably keep me motivated. However, I am one of the least photogenic people ever so taking my picture has been a risk for me. Anyway, I am usually not a juice drinker because I am aware of the sugar. However, I had a hankering for orange juice so I bought some plus I was hoping to boost my Vitamin C. So even though your tip is heeded, I do not think I am a fruit juice concern. However, I do have a sweet tooth that is hard to ignore, especially as of late. I have been snacking on gummy or fruit snacks and ice cream. I really need to get my sweet tooth under control, especially because I believe it leads to my bad acne. Other than that I think my eating has gone down in portion sizes which is good. Sorry to hear you are still having trouble with your sleep schedule. We'll have to keep each other in check over the weekend with eating, especially on Sunday. Just out of curiosity (and I think I've asked this before) what is your take on Triscuits? Healthy or not so much??

project.100.gone said...

If you're going to eat a snack cracker triscuits are a fiarly safe choice. They have like 3 or 4 grams of fiber per serving. If you get the reduced fat crackers it's a bonus. Have those with some cheese and fruit and you have a well balanced satisfying snack (the protein in the cheese and the fiber keep you satisfied longer and the fruit gives you an instant sugar boost).

Also, if you look at your juices carefully, anything that says 100% fruit juice is 100% fruit no added sugars. It's actually agianst the law to say it's 100% FJ if they add extra crap (one of the few things that I retained from nutrition class). If you like to drink something sweet it's better for you than pop or artifically flavored items (plus there are added nurtients). However, you're right Jenny, they don't do much for the appetite and most people neglect to consider the caloric content of juice (which is generally higher than people think).