Ohio Runner

1. Automate your eating by planning your meals ahead of time. That way you’re less likely to make an unhealthy last-minute food choice.
2. Oats are your friends! Eating a cup of oatmeal in the morning will prevent you from gorging in the afternoon.
3. Foods with healthy fats such as olives, salmon and walnuts help you feel satisfied.
4. Skipping meals can cause your body to go into a fat-storing starvation mode, making it harder to burn calories.
5. Got nuts with nuts. Eating a handful of nuts will help you stay full. Try soaking them in water for a different texture.
6. Use meditation to help you cope with chronic stress, which can lead you to crave feel-good carbs.
7. You may be used to fried foods but there are other, sometimes healthier, ways to cook including: roasting, steaming, poaching, baking, braising and broiling.
8. Do your grocery shopping with a list and a time limit; that way, you’re less likely to stray into the processed foods section.
9. Don’t confuse thirst with hunger. Drink a glass of water when you feel hungry to see if that’s what you’re really craving.
10. When out at a restaurant, ask the server to hold the bread, snack mix or chips and salsa that might come before the meal. If you’re hungry, you’ll be tempted.
11. Tired of eating your salad on a plate? Fill a whole wheat pita with salad and a splash of lemon for a twist.
12. You might do better to replace an occasional dinner with a nice roll in the hay. Healthy sex may help control the amount of food you eat and it’s great exercise.
13. Create emergency packs filled with healthy foods such as nuts, fruits or sliced vegetables to help you avoid unhealthy temptations.
14. Add red pepper flakes to your pantry. When eaten early in the day, red pepper lowers the amount of food you’ll eat later.
15. Odds are you’re eating too fast. Try holding a conversation while having a meal so you’re not gulping down more than you need to feel full.
16. Take a brisk walk before lunch or dinner. Not only will you get in some exercise, you’re less likely to choose something unhealthy after a little movement.
17. Looking for the benefits of salmon but you don’t feel comfortable cooking fish? Try canned salmon as a simple and affordable alternative.
18. Are your dishes too big? A healthy dinner should fit on a 9-inch plate. You may find that kid-sized plates are more appropriately sized to feed an adult!
19. Never eat any snack food out of the box, carton or bag it came in. You’re less likely to overeat if you separate snacks into appropriate fist-sized servings.
20. Boost your metabolism with some green tea or chili peppers.
21. Get your Zzzzzs. Sleep deprivation alters levels of hormones in the body that regulate hunger, causing an increase in appetite.
22. Muscle burns at least four times as many calories as fat does, so try twenty minutes of strength straining two to three times a week.
23. Decaf coffee is a great low-calorie fluid when you’re having cravings (and a great source of antioxidants).
24. Eating liquid-based foods such as natural smoothies and low-sodium soup can help you cut back on calories yet feel full.
25. A pedometer can help keep track of your steps. If you’re not getting 10,000 steps a day, you’re not moving enough.
26. Natural applesauce is an excellent dip for fruits such as bananas and melons.
27. Take every opportunity to move around, even in small ways. Studies show fidgety people tend to be skinnier.
28. Identify the emotional triggers that lead you to seek unhealthy comfort food. Picture your goal weight the next time a trigger strikes to help you resist temptation.
29. Use a vegetable bean dip such as hummus instead of ranch dressing or a fatty cream-based dip.
30. People who regularly weigh themselves and keep track of their progress in a journal are more likely to lose weight.
31. Use a dash of cinnamon to give fruits such as bananas and melons a richer dessert feel without the sugar.
32. Give your protein extra low-calorie flavor by adding a salsa or chutney instead of a gooey cream sauce.
33. Distracted dining will get you in trouble. Avoid eating in front of a television or in a movie theater, as you’re bound to consume more calories.
34. Pass on pop. You’ll be amazed by how much weight you drop by simply switching to water.
35. Beware of “fat-free” or “zero trans fats” foods as you could be trading fats for huge amounts of sugar or sodium.
36. Try drinking skim milk at breakfast instead of juice. Overweight people who drank skim milk for breakfast ate fewer calories
37. Sugarless chewing gum can suppress your appetite in a pinch.
38. Snack attack! Puree peaches, berries or pears for a sweet spread to go on pita chips.
39. If you’re having trouble getting started, make a small move such as starting an eating log or buying walking shoes. You’re three times more likely to follow through if you start with small gestures such as these.
40. Always have vegetables on hand. Sauté a big bag of frozen mixed vegetables in olive oil and garlic. Add some red pepper or turmeric for additional flavor and separate into portion-sized containers for the fridge.
41. Edamame (soy beans) are a great low-cost snack. Look for them in the frozen foods section.
42. Soups can be both filling and comforting. Try making a garden or bean soup with low-salt broth and store in portion-sized cups for later.
43. Save time and money during the week by buying lean protein such as chicken breasts in bulk and cooking a week’s worth on Sunday night.
44. Save the kitchen and the dining room table for cooking and eating. Try not to use it as a place to do work or other activities, or you may be tempted to eat more.
45. If food was your only source of pleasure, make sure to reconnect with other things you enjoy — music, sports, volunteer work or movies, for example.
46. Try to have a little lean protein with each meal, as protein tends to be more satisfying than carbs or fats.
47. Think ahead to how you’ll eat and exercise on the weekends. It’s easy to get too relaxed on Saturdays and Sundays, but healthy living is a 7-day-a-week endeavor.
48. Dump the junk food. If you want to avoid temptation, make sure you clean out the fridge and the pantry
49. When you eat calorie-friendly fruits and vegetables that are in season, they tend to taste better and you’re more likely to enjoy them.
50. People who eat breakfast have a better shot at losing and maintaining weight loss.
51. Replace your scale with a tape measure. Aim for 32 1/2 inches or less for women and 35 inches or less for men.
52. Make sure you check food labels and avoid anything with more than 4 grams of sugar, especially high-fructose corn syrup, per serving.
53. Eat a fiber-filled apple before a meal to help you feel full faster.
54. Opt for peanut butter or almond butter spreads instead of cream cheese or butter.
55. Remember these five essential smoothie ingredients: frozen berries, a banana, skim milk, a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of psyllium seed husks.
56. Researchers found that dieters who ate eggs in the morning were less hungry than those who ate carb-heavy meals.
57. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon may dial up your body’s ability to burn fat, especially if you add some exercise.
58. A Mediterranean diet not only comes with heart benefits, studies show it leads to more weight loss than low-fat diets.
59. Replace your regular pasta noodles with whole wheat pasta for a more filling meal.
60. When eating out, ask your server to point out the healthiest options on the menu.
61. You don’t have to make a three-digit number your weight loss goal. Aim for a certain dress size or waist measurement.
62. Go lean with bean protein. Beans are an affordable and healthy alternative to meats and are wonderfully filling.
63. Energize plain-tasting proteins such as eggs or chicken with metabolism-boosting chili pepper sauce.
64. Try a plain Greek yogurt with frozen berries for a pre-workout boost.
65. Turn dinner into a healthy lunch the next day by wrapping your lean leftovers in a whole wheat wrap. Add a little Dijon mustard or curry powder for added flavor.
66. Eat a rainbow of colors. Have at least one brightly colored fruit or vegetable in each meal, and, if appropriate, eat the skins — that’s where you’ll find a powerhouse of antioxidants.
67. Make an office snack box of your own so you’re not tempted by your colleague’s candy bowl. Fill it with small individually packaged portions of soy chips, almonds and dried fruit.
68. Make an office snack box of your own so you’re not tempted by your colleague’s candy bowl. Fill it with small individually packaged portions of soy chips, almonds and dried fruit.
69. If you’re ‘cooking’ food in the microwave, chances are you’re eating unhealthy packaged foods. If you must microwave, consider soy chicken patties, veggie burgers or steamer vegetables and brown rice.
70. Make your wardrobe match your goals. As you lose weight donate the clothes that no longer fit you as an incentive to stay on track.
71. Pick up a 5- or 10-pound weight at the gym and visualize that weight coming off. Holding the weight in your hands helps bring home just how heavy even 5 pounds of extra fat can be.
72. If you find yourself at a weight loss plateau, up the duration of your exercise routine by five minutes.
73. Pounding out your meat will help healthier portions go a longer way visually, and it’s good stress relief.
74. Silken tofu makes a wonderful replacement for cream in some recipes.
75. Save 85 calories just by swapping mustard for mayonnaise in a sandwich.
76. Do your best to ensure you’re not eating after 7 o’clock at night. You’re more likely to make unhealthy choices and less likely to sleep as well after a late meal.
77. Try a pasta-less spaghetti by mixing shredded zucchini, veggie meatballs and raw tomato sauce seasoned with a dash of zesty oregano.
78. Fresh herbs can really zing up a healthy meal. Try growing some in the kitchen using a strawberry pot. Preserve the flavor by adding fresh herbs at the end of the cooking process
79. Fast food is salty food. If you cut back on the salt, in a few weeks you’ll be able to better taste the natural salts in food and may not crave the junk as much as you used to.
80. The rub on ground turkey is that it’s dry. Add some olive oil and finely blended onions to a turkey burger or turkey meatball to enhance its juiciness.
81. If you’re trying to lose weight with your significant other, pack each other’s lunches. The lunchbox surprises will keep the both of you motivated.
82. If you’re eating out, make salad the appetizer. Most starters are fried and come with unhealthy dips or sauces.
83. Savory ‘umami’ ingredients such as mushrooms, low-sodium soy, asparagus and olives can help you feel full and add an earthy, home-y quality to your healthy-dishes.
84. Make it a point to use the steps whenever possible. Use the bathroom on a different floor at work, take the stairs at the bus station, the airport or the mall.
85. Try baking apple slices as a healthy alternative to potato chips.
86. Eating water-rich foods such as melons, tomatoes and celery can help fill you up without adding too many calories to your day.
87. Avocados can be your secret weight loss partners. They’re high in fiber and healthy fats, giving you a meaty-tasting meat alternative.
88. A handful of unsalted pumpkin seeds make for a healthy mid-day snack. They’re rich in magnesium, which helps lower blood pressure.
89. Keeping good posture will not only strengthen your core, but will also add a small extra-calorie burn, because you’re working slightly harder to maintain the position.
90. Cravings can sneak up on you when you’re tired. Try taking a nap if you feel yourself wanting some junk food.
91. Share your weight loss goals with your friends and family. Make it a positive life change and ask for their encouragement.
92. Take a photo of yourself each week so you can see your physical transformation.
93. Store-bought salad dressings can be packed with calories. Make your own vinaigrette and store it in a small spray bottle to coat your greens without over-dressing them.
94. Yoga may be relaxing but you can also get a good workout. An hour of yoga can burn up to 350 calories.
95. Get familiar with quinoa — a wonderful grain that’s easy to cook and goes great with sautéed vegetables or mushrooms.
96. Ditch the mayo, cheese and top bun if you want to scrape off 250 calories from a restaurant sandwich.
97. Resistance bands are a comfortable and affordable at-home exercise option for strength straining.
98. Use the freezer to add some extra oomph to summer foods. Freeze grapes for some bite-sized delights. Or get a popsicle mold and freeze some Greek yogurt with berries.
99. Wrap up any extra food you’ve cooked before you sit down to a meal so you’re not tempted to get seconds.
100. Take a 30-second break in the middle of your meal. Evaluate just how hungry you still are before getting back to your food.

Goal achievement, especially when it comes to health and fitness, can be a mystery. Most of us have no trouble with Step 1 (Setting the Goal). Setting a goal is the easy part, it’s those other steps that can be a puzzle. But you CAN turn achieving your goals into a science with the right strategies. Here are a few of our favorites:

DO create a plan. DON’T wait for “someday” to roll around.
Setting the goal is just the first step. Know where you’re going, what resources you’ll need, who can help and – most importantly – what Plan B is when life throws a monkey wrench into Plan A.

DO start small. DON’T focus on too many things at once.
Try focusing on one goal at a time. Use a small goal that you know you can do each day for the next two weeks, like getting up without the snooze or drinking eight  cups of water. Build that first habit to boost your confidence and pick up speed.

DO write it down. DON’T forget to give yourself a deadline.
Deadlines turn wishes into goals. The act of writing down your goal is powerful enough to keep you committed and focused. Better yet, find a visual that represents your goal or how your life will be different. Seeing it makes it seem more possible.

DO be specific. DON’T deal in absolutes.
Avoid the words ‘some’ and ‘more’, as in “I will get SOME exercise” or “I will eat MORE veggies.” It leaves too much wiggle-out room. Deal in measurable things that you have control over. And never say ‘never’ or ‘always.’ All or nothing is a common attitude that leads people back to bad habits.

DO leave room for failure. DON’T expect perfection.
Persistence is key. Accept the fact that you might not make it on the first try. In a recent study, only 40% of people who successfully followed New Year’s resolutions did it on the first try; 17% of resolution achievers took six or more tries before they got it right – but they did get it right.

DO track your progress. DON’T fool yourself into failure.
Memory can be pretty selective. It conveniently forgets that extra brownie while remembering activity that never happened. The only way to know for sure is to track goals regularly with a checklist or journal.

DO reward your success. DON’T beat yourself up over failure.
This is the step that trips up most people. Negative thoughts are usually in our heads, telling us every day what we’re doing wrong. This is not the approach to take to succeed with your goals. Why not focus on what you’re doing right instead? If you take a step back, learn from it and take two steps forward.

DO find a support system. DON’T try to do it alone.
A goal buddy can make all the difference this time. People that can help are all around you – on the SparkPeople support message boards, at work, even in your own family. Just add one person to your support group, and you double your motivation, double your energy, double your commitment – and double your FUN.

DO make a commitment. DON’T ever forget that you can do it.

Total Cholesterol
<200 Excellent
200-239 Borderline High
>240 High

I was borderline high when I was checked back in Oct 2009

LDL Cholesterol (the bad kind)
<100 Excellent
100-129 Pretty good
130-159 Borderline high
160-189 High
>190 Very high

I don’t remember what it was

HDL Cholesterol (the good kind)
<40 Low
>60 High

Again I don’t remember, I am going to the doctor tomorrow and am going to ask for this information. Also next week I am having another blood test to see if maybe it’s gone down.

FOOD GROUP SERVINGS FOR VARIOUS CALORIE LEVELS

About 1200
Bread group servings: 5
Vegetable group servings: 3
Fruit group servings: 2
Milk group servings: 2
Meat group: 5 ounces
Fats, oils and sweets: USE VERY SPARINGLY

About 1500
Bread group servings: 6
Vegetable group servings: 3
Fruit group servings: 3
Milk group servings: 2
Meat group: 6 ounces
Fats, oils and sweets: USE VERY SPARINGLY

About 1800
Bread group servings: 8
Vegetable group servings: 5
Fruit group servings: 4
Milk group servings: 2
Meat group: 7 ounces
Fats, oils and sweets: USE VERY SPARINGLY

well according to Dieting for Dummies

1. Eat a minimum of 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit a day
2. Eat at least 3 servings of whole grains a day
3. Eat at least 4 servings of beans, lentils, or peas each week
4. Eat 3 meals and 2 or 3 small snacks a day
5. Eat breakfast
6. Limit soft drinks
7. Drink water
8. Limit caffeine to 2 servings or less a day
9. Limit salty foods
10. Limit the amount of saturated fat you eat

9 ways to cut calories

1. Pay attention to the nutrition facts panel on food labels.
2. Limit alcohol
3. Switch to smaller plates
4. Kid-size; don’t super size
5. Serve in the kitchen; eat in the dining room
6. Eat slowly–it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register the fact that your stomach is full
7. Eat off plates (your own that is )
8. Fill up on plant food
9. Switch to lower0fat dairy products

That like to read those (fill in the blank) for dummies. Last night I got Dieting for dummies and I found this chart really interesting and helpful

Ways to Change Your Diet Attitude

Short-Term Diets

Long-Term Life Goals

• Focus on the “do”
• Concentrate on making healthier choices
• Focus on enjoying feeling  better, healthier, and more energized
• Establish flexible, short-term, attainable goals
• Deliver success gradually
• Leave room for indulgences
• Encourage variety
• Emphasize healthy eating and exercise
• Are gradual

Is a pretty important day for me this year. At noon I will be having two ultrasounds done, one on my left leg and the other my thyroid. Both should be really interesting as I am hoping the status of my blood clot has improved, that I won’t need surgery and that I can start doing leg strengthing exercises (and more importantly, P90X). The thyroid one is just funny, because really I didn’t know I had any problems until my blood clot. They were doing any ultrasound of my upper body just to make sure I didn’t have another clot (I was soo sick in the hospital with the leg clot, there was an infection in it) and noticed some cysts on my thyroid.

Here’s hoping that everything is fine…

I can’t believe how much it costs to eat healthy. I went to the grocery last night and picked up a lot of fruits and veggies, salmon, and healthy snacks. It was almost double of what a normal bill is. I only went to Giant Eagle and am sure if I had time to go to Aldi’s and Marcs I would have saved some money.

Today for breakfast I had yogurt and granola (1/2 cup) and raspberry black tea

Lunch I had a chicken salad sandwich, a handful of garden salsa sunchips, a salad and a tangerine, banana and some grapes for dessert…

I need to start thinking positive thoughts about myself and stop dwelling on the negatives…

POSITIVES
1. I am able to run up to 5 miles
2. I have a beautiful healthy little baby girl
3. I have a wonderful husband
4. I have the greatest friends
5. I have a roof over my head
6. I have money to go with friends to eat…and even have dessert (even if I am regretting it now)
7. I have a personal relationship with God that no one can take from me
8. I have a wonderful family….

That’s quite a few things and I know there’s tons more I really really want to start losing some weight and I don’t understand why instead I have been actually gaining weight. I finally got to start running a little over a month ago and I have really been watching what I eat…I really don’t understand….