telltalemikey

*water, water, water. i rely on diet soda and calorie free drinks as much as the next dieter, but make sure you drink as much water as you can tolerate. there is just something about this magical liquid that does wonders. when i get plenty of water i always feel more awake, refreshed, energized, my skin is clearer, and the munchies are less fierce. often times your body mistakes hunger for thirst, so drink up:)

*the open-faced sandwich. why add the calories of another slice of bread?

*closing the kitchen(or any snack stash) after 8pm(or 3 hours before bed). this has helped me break through plateaus and keep the weight off. and i always feel better, no more food hangovers! your body slows down during sleep so that food is doing double damage if eaten right before bed.

*strength training before cardio. a lot of people prefer the other way around because it gets them warmed up and they don’t run out of energy after the strength training. all i’m asking is that you switch it up once in awhile. i seemed to get better results when doing it this way, but make sure you do warm up.

*squeeze exercise in. you know- park further away from the store, calf raises while brushing teeth, stretching when you don’t feel like getting a workout in, exercising during commercial breaks etc. the possibilities are endless and it all adds up.

*keep it new and fun. always look for new activities you can do. those cardio machines are fine, but can get boring. include sports and chores in your routine occasionally.

*don’t underestimate protein. it keeps you full, gives you energy, and build muscle. try including protein shakes, eggs, turkey sausage, and yogurt in your breakfast. snack on cheese, nuts once in awhile. and include lean meats in lunch and dinner.

*don’t deprive yourself. you’ll just make it that much harder. occasionally treat yourself to something you love. plan the treats so that it wont ruin your focus.

*involve your family or roommates. it’s going to be a hard when you’re the only one eating healthy. slowly introduce healthy alternatives. make note of the things they like and don’t. involve them in physical activities as well. everyone wins!

*do things for yourself other than weight loss. you’d be surprised what a good haircut can do for your weight loss. when you feel good about yourself it generally overlaps to other parts of your life.

* AND NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!

okay, so i’d like to take a few minutes to give some shout outs. now, i have about 70 buddies and i can’t mention you all. so this first part here goes out to all of you. there is so much support and motivation on this site it is truly amazing. there has been a few times when i have been down and out and i really owe it to ya’ll for getting me back up and staying on track. in return i try and help as much as i can. i don’t think you can ever really know how much you mean to me. it takes but a second to meet someone, a while longer to get to know them, and a lifetime to forget them.

*lara, you’re a great buddy. and stronger than you know

*angelia- your daily posts are always so encouraging.

*michelle- you’re a great buddy and very motivating

*nancy- wow! if i’ve said it once, i’ve said it a million times- you are an inspiration!

*sarah- your blogs are always full of such life. you remind me to keep living life to the fullest

*june- you are just a little miracle waiting to happen. i see so much potential in you

*little flower- i can always talk to you about anything, and you always give me good advice.

*anj- you can always make me laugh. i don’t care how upset i am.

*kama- you are a rock. when i’m thrashing about in the sea of life i know i can come to you and you’ll be there.

*chrisie- you are a great buddy, always helpful, always encouraging. you go the extra mile for people- without wanting anything in return. i value our friendship

*erika- well, damn. you’re my girl.

*kate-alway there to root me on and lend me great tips

*roxi- i think you were my first BS buddy:) you are funny, crazy(in a good way), and sooooooooo helpful. you really have a caring soul.

soooo…….. i know i left out tons of wonderful people, but i just can’t list em all, wish i could. just read this THANK YOU and know it’s for you;)

mmmmmmmmmm……. these sound good dontcha think?

Ingredients

Lavender Honey Glaze
1 1/2 tsp. lavender blossoms, dried
1/2 cup honey, warmed
1 Tbsp. fresh orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed

Fruit Salad
4 cups blue-black seedless grapes
3 cups blackberries
3 cups dark, sweet cherries (such as Bing), pitted
2 cups black-skin plums, sliced
12 each fresh lavender blossom sprigs, for garnish

Preparation
In a small bowl, whisk together lavender honey glaze ingredients until well combined.
In a large bowl, combine fruits for salad. Pour lavender honey glaze over fruits and toss gently to coat. Garnish with fresh lavender blossom sprigs.

Nutrition (per 1/2-Cup Serving): 127 Calories; Protein 1.2 g; Carbohydrate 32 g; Fat 0.6g; 4% Calories from Fat; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2 mg; Fiber 3.3g.

also:

*grilled summer fruit with berry sauce-

http://recipes.prevention.com/Recipe/GrilledSummerFruitwithBerrySauce.aspx?cm_mmc=Spotlight-_-6252008-_-Nutrition%20and%20Recipes-_-Grilled%20Summer%20Fruit%20with%20Berry%20Sauce%20

*tropical fruit smoothie-

http://recipes.prevention.com/Recipe/TropicalFruitSmoothie.aspx?cm_mmc=Spotlight-_-6252008-_-Nutrition%20and%20Recipes-_-Tropical%20Fruit%20Smoothie

*summer fruit turnovers (nom, nom, nom)-

http://recipes.prevention.com/Recipe/SummerFruitTurnovers.aspx?cm_mmc=Spotlight-_-6252008-_-Nutrition%20and%20Recipes-_-Summer%20Fruit%20Turnovers

*summer fruit on ice-

http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/summer-on-ice/d8b26a8415ef9110VgnVCM20000012281eac____/nutrition.recipes/recipes?cm_mmc=Spotlight-_-6252008-_-Nutrition%20and%20Recipes-_-Summer%20on%20Ice

hope the links work because they look yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! have a super fun weekend:))

well, whether you feel you are or not. hopefully some of these tips will help out:))

*take advantage of all the fun calorie-burners that come around this time of year. summer sports, hiking trails, swimming, dancing the night away!

* consider the fit-flop. sandals are a must have and if you need anew pair anyways why not consider one that might help tone your legs and fight cellulite.

*enjoy all the great fruits out. fresh fruits, fruit spritzers, popcycles. tis the season!

*5 hot summer diet trends: 1.the latin diet. i know wtf. but apparently adding spice to your diet can do some serious good. 2. the lunch box diet. fill a large lunch box with 60% veggies, 30%protien and 10% fat. between meals graze through your stash to keep metabolism boosted. 3. a new slew of snacks.(vitamin stix, bountiful dressings, with chopped veggies/fruits in them to really add zing to your salad for 35 cal., all new energy bars) 4. logging and blogging (well, we got that one covered!)5. miracle fruit. a red berry that binds with your taste-buds. for an hour or so after the pulp crosses your tounge everything will taste super-sweet. even tabassco and brussel sprouts. wowsie!

*survive summer grilling-branch out from burgers. try your burger open faced, try turkey or veggie burgers. hold mayo and cheese and opt for ketchup,mustard, and relish. try chicken on skewers or shrimp. watch the liquid calories. you gotta stay hydrated but ditch the lemonades and beers. opt for seltzers, iced tea, or an italian ice. veggies are good but watch the dips. corn on the cobb is great with a squirt of lemon(hold the butter). grilled zuchinni is also my favorite.also, skip the pie- grilling fruits such as pinnapple can satisfy any sweet tooth. mmm…they carmalize in their own juices:)

*don’t forget your skin. make sure you wear spf and protective layers. for a summer glow exfoliate and add a little bit of bronzing powder to your lotion.

HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

okay, so some of my buddies know i have done away with snacks. except sometimes on weekends or special occasions. as a binge eating and emotional eater i’m interested in seeing if this will make a difference. but i know that most people are consuming 1-3 snacks a day, so we better make them healthy ones!

another thing to add. quick- snacks such as soda, candies, white breads cause spikes and crashes in your blood sugar.leaving you feeling cranky and still hungry. it’s best to maintain an even, steady keel. suggestions include:

whole wheat bagels

melba toast

popcorn

low-fat granola/dry cereal

wheat pretzels

FRUITS/VEGGIES. be a little more careful with dried fruits or juices. usually high in calories.

yogurt

cheese

hard-boiled egg

nuts/ nut butter

soup

gotta have that snack you’ve been craving?

sweets- dark chocolate covered strawberries, fruit smoothie, lf/ff choc. milk or hot choc., popcycles/frozen yogurt, 100 cal. packs.

salty- pretzels, nuts, oven-baked tortilla strips or potato wedges, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, 100 cal. packs.

how to outwit a food craving- tackle the emotions behind your feeding frenzies. stress, depression, anger, boredom, can all trigger a craving. writing down how you feel may help. try doing some light exercise. even stretching can help. breathe in deeply until you begin to feel in control. think of alternative foods. have a plan. if you’re always craving choc. keep your eyes open for alternatives (ff pudding, trail mix etc.). keep tabs on the nutrients your getting. make sure you are getting enough fiber, protien, iron, and vitamins.

barrier: i don’t have time to exercise-

*squeeze in a few 10 min walks through-out the day.

*get up earlier. start out with just 30 min. earlier a couple days a week. once you get used to it add more days/time.

*squeeze it in. park at the back of the parking lot, take the stairs, make commercial breaks ‘crunch time’. possibilities are endless.

*rethink your rituals. your saturday movie/dinner night could become your saturday bike ride or frisbee game.

barrier: exercise is boring-

*choose activities. and ones you enjoy. anything that gets you moving counts!

*switch up your routine. stay open to trying new things, and stay on your toes by doing ore than one activity per session.

*join forces with friends, family, nieghbors,and co-workers.

*look into classes, sports leagues, etc.

barrier:my family/friends don’t support me-

*take the kids. join a parent/child class. take a trip to the park for tag. or splash around in the pool.

*purpose new adventures. instead of going to the gym, suggest an hour of hiking or indoor wall climbing.

*if needed have a heart to heart with your loved ones. let them know you want to be there with them for many years. if they don’t share your fitness ambitions, ask them to at least respect yours.

barrier: i’m afraid i’ll hurt myself-

*take it slow. start with walking and add as you get stronger.

*take a fitness class for beginners

*consider a personal trainer

barrier: i can’t afford equipment or a gym membership-

*you can do your strength training at home using resistance bands or light weights. not that expensive. you can use your own body weight for many exercises(squats, push-ups etc.). you can also use milk jugs filled with sand or water.

*try an exercise video. (i love taebo). you can even check out your rental store or library

barrier: i’ve tried in the past, and failed-

don’t ever, ever give up!

*start small, pace yourself. don’t add too intense workout until your body is ready.

*set realistic goals

*remember why you’re exercising. and reward yourself when you reach goals.

barrier:i’m too lazy-

*work with your physical nature. plan your activities in the time of day you feel the most energetic

*schedule exercise as if it were an appointment. make a commitment.

okay, so today i jumped on the scale and i was happy to see i am still at 118. i had a little/big slip up this week. so that is great! i have worked myself down to this weight in the past 2 years. and i am now exactly the size i was when i was 16. now, my driver’s license really is correct:)) that made me think. i was so dumb back then! i actually thought i was hideously fat. i wouldn’t be caught dead in shorts/skirts in public. i did NOT wear tank tops. if i HAD to go swimming i would wear boy shorts and a t-shirt. in P.E. (when i wasn’t skipping) i wore track pants instead of the uniformed shorts (i probably got marked down for that). now, i wear tanks all the time! i have no problem wearing shorts (although, i am picky about choosing flattering ones). i actually think i look alright in my bathingsuit (given, it’s a one-piece). it makes me sad to think of all the things i missed out on because my self-esteem was so low. dances, sports, all the cute clothes!

so… i was googling for a farmer’s market in my area. i love the idea of getting local produce. healthier and less expensive. i was surprised and delighted to see they have one in my town. i’m hoping to check it out this weekend. while i was poking around something else came to mind. i would be pretty cool to sell stuff, like crafts. i’m a pretty crafty person it would give me something to do (take my mind off food). and maybe meet some new people. so does anyone have any experience in this? (personal or friends). wondering how to get started and what are popular items etc. thanks :))

you guys are so wonderful. you would never let me give up on myself. in the past my little stints with being depressed would last weeks. but when you’re getting beautiful boosters, loving comments, and virtual hugs you can’t get down for too long. this morning i woke u and thought, “oh another day of feeling like crap. another day of sitting on my a**, another day of gorging myself with sweets and snacks.” i got on here and checked my messages, thank you all. you have given me the strength to say ” today CAN be a good day.”

some of my buds know i have been kickin around the ideas of the No “S” Diet. (here’s the link for more info:  http://www.nosdiet.com/ ) . well, i have decided to give it a whirl.  maybe it will help motivate me to shake off these last pounds. and set up a good base for maintaining. it deals with some of my trigger issues. so wish me luck (i know you will). and accept my thanks- you’ve done more for me than you could ever know

well, i’m just sittin here being kinda depressed. and i feel stupid because one of the last blogs i wrote was all super positive and now i’m in the dumps again. it makes me not even want to come on here. and then i feel like a hypocrite for giving other people advice while i’m at home eating cookies….yes i was..and worse. i don’t know why it’s always like this for me. up, down, up, down…….let me off-i’m gunna be sick! it’s not all weight-loss related, there’s other stuff going on. and it doesn’t help that i have zero friends at home. wow, i can’t believe i just announced that to the world. but really- what 23yr old girl has NO friends!?! me, i guess:) as for the weight loss/diet/exercise/etc. i feel tired of it. i’v been doing this (consistantly) for 2years now. i know it’s a lifestyle change but sometimes i just get so sick of worrying about fitting in cardio and strength training. or keeping my calories down. i want a day, a week, something, off from it. of course, then i’m afraid i’ll gain it all back. okay so i guess tihs blog just turned into a rambling vent with no purpose……………..