No one said it was going to be easy

by candi1001 @ 9:55 am

Okay, I’m back, after a couple of weeks of emotional eating and a bad knee that made me cut back on my exercise. (No, you didn’t get me mixed up with Cupcake, we both have problems with our knees.) I gained back the modest number of pounds I lost, so I’m starting from the beginning again.

What did I do right yesterday?

Veggie sandwiches for dinner

Made whole wheat muffins with LOTS of blueberries for today’s breakfast

Walked; also bought a brace for my knee to make it less painful

My daughter invented the veggie sandwich recipe, and it’s really simple and good.

Use ciabatta rolls, or those soft bagel squares, or whatever bread you prefer. Slice in half and spread the insides with Ken’s lite Sweet Vidalia Onion salad dressing. Put tomato slices on one half and top them with a thin slice of pepper jack cheese. Put slices of green pepper and purple onion on the other half. Toast this in the toaster oven. When the cheese is melted, take it out and put on a lot of spring mix (lettuce) and close it up and you’re done! This combination is awesome, but you could use any dressing you like and any vegetables.

Where in the world is Candi?

Candi is at the beach!!!

I hope she is having a wonderful vacation, eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies and seafood, and taking long walks on the beach with the family!

Candi’s Day One

Did pretty well…ignored yearnings for chocolate cake that is sitting on counter…ate vegetable quiche and salad for dinner…a handful of peanuts instead of Chex mix…LOTS of fruit…

But I haven’t exercised yet today – too “busy”!       And I gave in and ate microwave popcorn and had a diet soda, both of which I should start limiting.  But Cupcake is right!  You don’t START OUT being perfect…you have to work at it!  It’s a gradual process.

Eating for flavor, enjoyment and wellness

I was reading GI News (Glycemic Index, not G.I. Joe) and someone sent in a question:

‘I only have a week to get into tip-top shape before a big, glamorous event. What can I do to reduce bloating and fluid retention and look and feel great?’

And the answer, from Professor Jenni Brand-Miller, was interesting:

• Do two 30-minute walks every day for a week (a total of 60 minutes a day), including one first thing in the morning to set your body clock.
• Up your fruit and veggie (bar potatoes) intake. Eat nine serves of veggies and fruit everyday (at least six serves of veggies), and the more colourful the better.
• Eat for flavour, enjoyment and wellness, not weight loss.
• Cut back on salt and salty foods.
• Buy some magic underwear

What does that mean, “to set your body clock”? Does exercising in the morning make a difference? And NINE servings! Something to strive for.

But I have frequently asked myself that question when I have an event coming up and I want to feel and look my best for it. I think this is good advice!

The Wrong Foods?

Cupcake is a few days ahead of me in starting our healthy adventure. This weekend I had a wedding to go to, and a lot of company (and food) in the house, so I resolved to start my new food and exercise plan on Monday. I’ve been doing a lot of research on the glycemic index and glycemic load, and paying attention to these concepts seems to be a good way to improve health and achieve LASTING weight loss. Objectives include:

• Eat fewer white foods – less white bread, pasta, potatoes
• Limit sugar intake
• Eat more whole grains, beans and nuts
• Keep portion sizes conservative

Lately I’ve been gaining weight without increasing how much food I eat, and I’m wondering if it’s because I’m eating the WRONG foods instead of TOO MUCH food!

I’m also going to go back to strength training. I’ve mostly been walking for exercise, and I think my body is used to it and finds it easy now, so it’s time to add something different.

Okay Cupcake, I’m ready to join you!

It All Starts Tomorrow

The clock is ticking…tick tock…tick tock…