#TransformationTuesday Losing & Gaining & Working At It

It’s been a year since I started my lifestyle change. I’ve had a little setback the past two months, but am working on getting back on my change. Carbs being my downfall, so I have to scale back to not having any for a little while to get my equilibrium back.

Despite the setback, I am still working out and feeling better. I thought that today I would share a before and after. The first photo on the right is of me taken on one of the off-site sets for CNN ESPAÑOL right here in NYC in the Time Warner building. I was a guest on the morning show and talking about romances. The photo on the right is one I snapped at a recent conference. I’m 40 pounds lighter and happy with my cute little black dress (courtesy of OG Surf & Skate) and my new haircut, which I managed to make look almost like what it did after I left the hairdresser.

If you have your own transformation story, please take a moment to share it!
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#TipTuesday The Carb Dilemma

I’m a carboholic. I admit that and falling off the carb wagon is really really bad for me. Case in point, this week. It started off last weekend with a conference, built over the week in anticipation of Easter and crescendoed on Easter Sunday. Cakes. Bread. Chocolate. Pastries. As much as I kept to eating well for most meals and not only continued with my workouts, but intensified them, the addition of carbs set me back massively on my weight loss plans.

I’m sad about it, but taking steps to rectify the problem by watching my carbs and trying to limit myself to complex carbs in small quantities. What’s the difference between simple and complex? In a nutshell, complex carbs are those that are naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. While they break down into simple sugars eventually, they also contain fiber and other healthy ingredients.

Simple carbs are things like refined sugar, white bread, etc. which even if they have naturally occurring sugars, lack the beneficial fiber and nutrients that come with complex carbs. You can find a more detailed and scientific explanation about the different carbs in this article by Fitday.

So what foods are complex carbs? Here’s just a few:

    Oats
    Fruits
    Carrots
    Potatoes
    Sweet Potatoes
    Peas
    Barley
    Brown Rice
    Beans
    Lentils
    Corn

You can get more info on additional complex carbs and a carb calendar at MyFit.Ca.

I hope this was a helpful Tuesday Tip. You can click there to visit another good article on things to do to lose weight!
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#TuesdayTip National Bagel Day

Oooh, bagels. Those crusty, chewy, tasty treats! I’ve been watching my carbs because I do see a difference in my body when I eat them, but today I made an exception since it’s NATIONAL BAGEL DAY! Happiness.

So how can you have bagels more often if you are trying to be healthier. This Tuesday I have some tips for you.

    1. See if there is a whole grain/multi grain option.
    2. Scoop out the center stuff and just leave the crusty goodness. You can eliminate close to half the calories (around 400 for a regular bagel) and you get the sense of eating more by doing this instead of just eating half a bagel.
    3. Choose a non-animal fat spread, like mashed avocados or a natural nut butter. Hint on the “natural” nut butters: Read the label. If you’re getting a natural peanut butter it should have just one ingredient: Peanuts. You’d be surprised by what some of the “natural” nut butters actually contain.
    4. Add an egg or other low-fat meat protein, like a lean prosciutto or Canadian ham.
    5. Use a low fat/non fat cream cheese.

Ever wonder how bagels are made? Click here to check out this cool movie about Brooklyn Bagels or watch it below!

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#Fitness Friday Tips for Getting More Fit & Healthy

I’m always striving to be healthier and to find ways to get more fit. Since I try to keep up on news about such things, I’d thought I’d share them with you in a new Friday segment – Fitness Friday!

Check out these articles on various aspects of being more fit and healthy.

3 Steps to Avoid Junk Food Cravings: http://bit.ly/1IK9XYw
Calories count more than fat or carbs: http://reut.rs/1L8NPKW
Don’t Fear the Scale – Why you don’t have to fear weighing yourself every day: http://cnn.it/1IK8O36
Fighting Office Body – Move more to improve your health & Posture: http://yhoo.it/1IK7Eoe
High Protein Breakfasts May Help Prevent Fat Gain: http://bit.ly/1IK9BRs
How to Stay Motivated in your Fitness Regimen: http://bit.ly/1IKad9Z

Now I have to say one thing about the article on the types of calories not mattering as much as the calories themselves. I’ve been using my Fitbit and religiously tracking what I eat and how active I am. When I eat the same number of calories, but include “bad carbs” such as bread, crackers, cookies and pasta, I not only gain weight immediately, but I experience belly bloat and other things. I’m not saying you all will experience the same thing, but you need to listen to your body and what it’s telling you about the food you’re eating.

Speaking of Fitbit, if you want to become a pal and cheer me on while I cheer you on, you can friend me at https://www.fitbit.com/user/3GZT48.

If you want to join me and others in a DietBet – that’s where you put your money on how much weight you can lose – click here to check it out!
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Tuesday Tip – Happiness, Stress and Weight

scaleWe’ve been talking about a lot of things for the New Year – Resilience, Happiness and Stress just to name a few. For me one thing that’s inherently tied to all three of those is my weight and not in a good way.

I know that I eat when I’m unhappy or stressed out. I know when it began – when my mom got sick and died. Back then the only thing that seemed to provide any comfort was food and so a pattern was born.

Of course understanding that and doing something about it are two different things. So when things got a little crazy last year, my weight ballooned. Again.

This year I’m doing something about it as well as about Happiness and Stress. So far so good. Choosing to be upbeat has helped. Taking some of those stress-busting steps has helped, especially two of them – prepping the night before and getting up ten minutes earlier.

Now I’m dealing with the weight thing, something which you know we’ve dealt with in the past.

My daughter gifted me with a copy of EAT THIS, NOT THAT for Christmas and I’m busy reading through it. I’ll let you know any good tips from there.

Some tips I have seen in the bombardment of New Year Resolution articles that I’ve tried and are good:

1. For snacking try a handful of almonds (about 12). Low in fat and high in fiber, they help stave off hunger.

2. Make sure to have breakfast. I’ve been starting with a cup of Quaker Oat Meal and I’m finding that I’m less hungry at lunch and also at dinner.

3. Have an orange at lunch or as a dessert. Citrus is apparently another great hunger fighter.

4. Exercise each day. A 20 minute walk will make a difference in how you feel. Try to include strength training. Building muscle will help with your metabolism.

5. Eat more slowly. It takes your brain some time to catch up and send the signal that you’re full. If you eat too fast (which I always do), you may be overeating.

6. Go Green! Use Avocado slices on your sandwich instead of mayo or butter. It’s a great vegetable fat and tasty too. Not an avocado fan? Switch to mustard instead.

7. Brown bag your lunch. Not only will you be saving money in these tough economic times, you will be better able to control what you are eating.

8. Try to eat more veggies. If you can, start your meal by eating the veggies. They have less calories for their volume and can help you eat less of the fattening stuff. Not a veggie person? Try V8 or tomato juice.

9. Cut back on carbs. If you keep them in moderation, you’ll notice an immediate change in belly fat and will likely have less cravings. When eating carbs, make sure they are high in fiber, low in refined sugars and have no trans fats.

10. Finally, remind yourself that it’s more stressful to be heavy and have health issues than it is to change your eating habits.

Hope you found these 10 tips helpful! If you’ve got some of your own to share, please let us know by posting a comment.