Vacation Options

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Here is a great meeting summary to help you get back on plan after this weekend. This meeting summary is from my meeting on June 28, 2011.

Don't let a week-long vacation turn into a six-month-long vacation from weight-loss.

Watch out! There's a threat that can wreak havoc on your weight-loss plans. It's called Vacation Amnesia, and strikes when you take a break from work and forget about your weight-loss plans. The symptoms — abandonment of efforts, loss of motivation — can be contracted during any part of life, not just during vacation. They can creep into periods of stress, happiness, or even boredom. But they don't have to be fatal. Follow the 4-step "Avoid Vacation Amnesia" plan, and you'll come away from the scare still feeling good about the progress you're making toward your weight goals.

STEP 1: Choose Your Option
When you know that a difficult weight-loss situation (like a vacation) is approaching, choose whether you want to come out of it having lost weight, maintained the weight you've already lost, or having relaxed a little bit and maybe even gained. Knowing ahead of time what you want the outcome of your efforts to be will help you set up a plan of attack.

Option 1- go on vacation prepared to stay on plan completely earning and expecting a loss when you return

Option 2- for the most part stay on plan, but indulge in things that you normally wouldn’t by following the 80/20 rule; expect to somewhat maintain- ok with a slight gain or loss

Option 3- seriously its vacation my one chance to have a great time all year- completely go off plan eat whatever I want and COMPLETELY EXPECT A GAIN WHEN I GET BACK

*******the following option is not a good option*****

Select Option # 3 but get upset with what the scale says when I get back

STEP 2: Determine Strategies
Consider what aspects of your upcoming vacation might make it difficult for you to stick with the Winning Outcome you set during Step 1? How will you manage offers of food and snacks? How will you eat out in restaurants? Will you be able to get online where you're going? How will you exercise?

STEP 3: Gather the Necessary Tools
Before you go away, you may find it easier to make a list of the things you'll need to pack; things that will make it easier for you to stay on track. Besides your undies pack what you will need in order to help you stay on plan while you are away.

For example, what things will you need for your work-out? Do you have favorite healthy snacks that might be difficult to find where you're going? Are you prepared to track your PointsPlus™ values even while you're away from home, by logging in to Weight Watchers mobile, using our app, or a paper tracker? Did you remember to pack your calculator and your companion guides?

STEP 4: Make a Post-Vacation Commitment
Vacation Amnesia can often linger for days or weeks after the actual vacation. Some people can feel like they fell so far off track while they were away, they might as well just keep eating a lot and start up again later. Decide before you go that no matter what happens, you'll pick up your efforts again the day you get back. Remember regardless of what happens on the scale the week you get back, it’s just midsummer. This is the point where you decide do I want to get this weight off or not? Think of all the damage you can do between now and the time school starts back if you give up on what you have worked so hard to accomplish!

Remember to honor your Pledge of Thin-dependence. Cross whatever body part needs the most work and recite this pledge aloud recommitting yourself to your weight loss efforts:

I pledge allegiance

to myself

in quest of my weight goal

and to the healthiness

for which it stands.

One body—

Under control—

Indisputably—

with confidence and new clothes for fall.

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful 

4th of July weekend.

Recipe Review: Banana Oat Cookies

A while back I was really craving some banana bread! I rarely make banana bread for myself, because it has such a high pointsplus+ value. Too me spending that many pointsplus+ on banana bread is not worth it. However, I still had some very ripe bananas that I needed to use before they went bad.

I set out on a mission to find a great recipe that used ripe bananas. It did not take long before I found this recipe for Banana Oat Cookies at Simply Daily Recipes. I knew I just had to try making these cookies.

I got to work right away making them. After they were finished I tried one. Let me just say that these cookies are incredible! They were so good that it was hard for me to keep my hands off of them!

If you are looking for a snack that tastes like banana bread, but does not kill you on pointsplus+ values then this is the cookie for you!

Here are the ingredients

First mix together the margarine and sugar.

Then, mix add the egg and bananas.

In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. I added the oats first.

Then the flour.

Next, the salt,

baking soda,

cinnamon,

raisins, and coconut.

Stir all of the dry ingredients together.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Stir until you have cookie dough!

I use a scoop to help me with my portions. This makes all of the cookies the same size!

Place dough on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

When the cookies have finished baking, remove the from the oven.

Place the hot cookies on a rack to cool.

I managed to avoid eating any dough while I baked the cookies!

As a reward, I ate one cookie to see how they turned out. Let me know tell you that the one I tried was great!

Enjoy!!

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Banana Oat Cookies
Source: Simply Daily Recipes

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Instructions
Get the oven hot to 350ºF. Spray oil on cookie sheet.

Beat sugar and butter until fluffy in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in egg and bananas.

In a separate bowl, add all the remaining ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in thirds, run mixer on low speed. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (use a 1 inch scooper) about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden brown and almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from sheet to wire rack. Cool completely before storing.

These cookies are very good the next day. They become moist after being stored in an airtight container, so it's important to cool them completely before storing.

This recipe idea came from my secret cookie book. I added the raisins and coconuts, and skipped the suggested vanilla frosting. There are ways I could have made this recipe healthier; next time I'll use them.

I'll definitely make these again the next time I'm craving banana bread but don't have enough ripe bananas on hand.

Serves: 36; PointsPlus: 3
Serves: 48; PointsPlus: 2

Wordless Wednesday: My Daily Breakfast

1 cup oatmeal - 4 PointsPlus
Splenda - 0 PointsPlus
16 oz water - 0 PointsPlus

The Hunger Scale

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Here is the meeting summary from 06.21.2011.

Are you neglecting your tummy? Does your stomach tell you when it is hungry and when it is satisfied?

In short…yes it does, the bigger question is do we listen?

Majority of the time when we eat, it is not because we are physically hungry. We tend to eat due to emotional hunger. We are bored, lonely, tired, happy, sad, depressed, stressed…..are you starting to get the picture?

So what would it take to really start to understand and respond to our hunger levels? Below you will find a hunger scale to kind of help you rate and determine at which level you are before eating.

The Hunger Level Scale
Level 1 — Famished; your stomach is completely empty; you’re weak and light-headed.
Level 2 — Starving; you’re uncomfortable and irritable and unable to concentrate.
Level 3 — Uncomfortably hungry; stomach is rumbling.
Level 4 — You’re slightly uncomfortable and just beginning to feel the signs of hunger and can’t wait to eat.
Level 5 — Neutral and comfortable. You’re more or less satisfied.
Level 6 — Completely satisfied.
Level 7 — Satisfied and feeling full.
Level 8 — Uncomfortably full. You feel bloated and are starting to feel uneasy.
Level 9 — Very uncomfortable and full. Feel like loosening your clothes.
Level 10 — Completely stuffed and miserable. Feel nauseous and need to take some kind of stomach relief; can’t function and you want to lie down.

Keeping this scale in mind before and during eating will help you to control your food intake and ultimately, result in weight loss. Our body is designed to help us know when and when not to eat, however on a regular basis we override the system. To be successful in your weight loss journey, becoming in tune with your body and knowing your hunger levels is extremely beneficial. This next week really try to listen to what your stomach is telling you.

Core Strength for Summer

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Here is the latest Get Fit email from Dr. Jacobs.

The Facts about Core Strength
By: Cooper Fitness Center

Now that summer is here, it’s time to get that midsection in shape. But how do you know you are practicing the right exercises and targeting the correct muscles? Learn more from a Cooper Fitness Center expert about the anatomy and exercises for your core.

Just about every health professional has fielded this question at some point, “What can I do to get rid of the fat around my stomach?” Cooper Fitness Center Senior Professional Fitness Trainer April Swales, says the answer is as frustrating to give as it is to receive.

There is no way to strategically “spot reduce.” But you can greatly improve your chances of overall inch loss by implementing a few simple changes in your exercise programs. Most people are familiar with the term “core muscles” and we know they’re important. Do you know why they’re important, and do you know how to train them? To understand how to effectively work the core, you must first know how it’s built and what it does. April gives us the run-down of our “core” needs.

First, it’s important to realize that “core” and “abs” are not one in the same. The abdominal wall—and its many parts—is only one piece of the core puzzle. Simply put, the core is made up of what we call the inner unit—our deep skeletal muscles that generally work involuntarily in a stabilizing role (for example, internal obliques, transversus abdominus and quadratus lumborum)—and the external spinal flexors (that is rectus abdominus, also known as the “six-pack” muscles and external obliques). Each muscle has a specific job, but they all perform synergistically to achieve the same goal: efficient stabilization of the spine as we move without pain.

All movement originates from the center and radiates out to our extremities. Since we live in a three-dimensional world, our bodies find ways to compensate for our lack of core strength usually by overusing other parts of our bodies such as the shoulders, low back and knees. This hasn’t gotten us very far. In fact, most of us are closer to injury and farther away from our health and fitness goals.

Often we make the mistake of not building the proper foundation. We place aesthetics over function when considering our goals. Having a chiseled stomach where tone is visible is more about having low body fat than it is about being strong. While there is certainly no shame in working towards reducing lower body fat, we need to remember that our system is only as strong as its weakest link. We need to stop thinking of the body as separate parts and begin working it as a whole. Before performing an exercise, imagine how it relates to how you move in real life. If the exercise doesn’t integrate the core with the movement of your limbs, it can’t be considered functional.

Fortunately, it’s very easy to incorporate core work into your existing exercise program. It requires no special skills and no special equipment. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your core workout.

1. Stand up. You want to make sure you are doing the majority, if not all, of your exercises standing up. The less you have to help you stabilize, the harder your abs and back have to work by themselves.

2. Stand tall. Always think about staying long in the spine and maintaining your natural “S” curve.

3. Try a balance challenge. If you choose to sit for a particular movement, try using a stability ball versus a chair or bench. You’ll reinforce the natural opposite shoulder/opposite hip relationship that keeps us balanced as well as force the weaker side to do its job.

4. Work it into your routine. Brace the lower abdomen while sitting in traffic or stand on one leg while washing dishes (be sure and do it on both sides!).

5. Close your eyes. Even closing your eyes when performing a movement makes it more challenging. The idea is to create instability in a controlled manner in order to force your trunk to be more reactive and aware. This leads to better balance, better posture and better strength.

References:
1. Pattern Overload Part 1 & Part 2 by Paul Chek. Personal Training on the Net. Online. September 2000.
2. Training the Abdominals by Lou Barrie. Personal Training on the Net. Online. March 2001.
3. The Inner Unit by Paul Chek. Personal Training on the Net. Online. March 2006.

Things I Like Right Now

{Bananas}

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Ever since Weight Watchers launch their new pointsplus program I have been so excited about bananas! On the old plan it was hard to convince myself that it was worth it to have a banana, so I chose fruits that had a lower points value. However, now on the new plan, bananas are zero pointsplus! It does not cost me any of my daily pointsplus to eat a banana. What could be better than that?

{Blogging}

I enjoy blogging so much! I never expected that I would be a blogger, but I really enjoy sharing my heart and what is going on in my life with others!

{Weight Watchers Food Scale}

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I finally brokedown and bought myself a Weight Watchers electronic food scale. I had bought a food scale at Target a while back, thinking I was making a good choice. I was so WRONG. I get really frustrated with that scale, because it doesn’t always turn on. How can I use it if it doesn’t turn on? The Weight Watchers scale is very user friendly and it can calculate the pointsplus values of food for you! I should have bought this back in November…why did I wait so long?

{Skype}

I really like having Skype. It’s not just about getting to talk with people, but seeing them and feeling like I am in the same room as them. Most of Jon’s family does not live in the United States of America and it is so nice to have a way to interact with them. I was able to meet my nephews for the first time on Skype. I could even talk with my dearest friend Michelle who lives in Japan!

{Weekends}

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Who doesn’t like weekends? Honestly!? I also look forward to weekends, because we do not have to be anywhere. It’s nice to be able to get things on my To-Do List accomplished and enjoy time with my hubby too! I hope you have a great weekend too!

Because I am Loved

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This morning my heart is tired and weary. I am not going to get into all the whys at the moment, because I am still trying to process them. However, I will ask that you would pray for me. I feel like I am in the fight of my life and Satan is relentless. He is attacking my heart, my mind, my marriage, my self-esteem, and more.

But God is so good! Even in the midst of being overwhelmed emotionally, God still comes to me to offer some encouragement and remind me to cast all of my fears and worries on to Him. When I get to the point where I want to give up, God reminds me why I should keep fighting

There is so much in this Proverbs 31 devotional that speaks to my heart. It convicts me, because I crave love and approval from others, I mean who doesn’t? But instead of turning to God, I try to be loved. I feel like I am always trying and never getting anywhere.

God has gently spoken to me this morning as He reminds me to humble myself so that He may lift me up at the proper time.

I am not good at this, but I hope and pray that God will work in my heart to continue to humble me and make me more like Jesus.

"The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” - Zephaniah 3:17

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Because I am Loved
June 23, 2011
Lysa TerKeurst

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5: 6-7 (NIV)

My friend, Kathrine Lee, once challenged me with this question: Are you doing this because you are loved or so that you’ll be loved?

Her question is a great one.

Doing something “so that we’ll be loved” is a trap many of us can get caught in. When I do something because I’m trying to get someone else to notice me, appreciate me, say something to build me up, or respect me more, my motives get skewed.

I become very “me” focused. I put unrealistic expectations on myself and the other person. And I can get stinkin’ angry when I don’t feel more noticed, appreciated, or respected.

I can get all twisted up and take my frustration out on myself and that person in an unfair way. I typically sabotage my own efforts and bend to discouragement and defeat.
But, doing something because I am loved is incredibly freeing.

I don’t view the relationship from the vantage point of what I stand to gain. Instead, I look at what I have the opportunity to give. I am “God focused” and love directed. I keep my expectations in check. And I am able to lavish the grace I know I so desperately need. I live free from regret with clarity of heart, mind, and soul.

So, how do I know if I’m doing things because I’m loved or so that I will be loved? See how easy or hard it is to apply this Scripture:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5: 6-10 NIV)

Because I am loved, I can humble myself.
When I’m trying to be loved, I must build myself up to look better.

Because I am loved, I can cast all my anxiety on Him.
When I’m trying to be loved, I cast all my anxiety on my performance.

Because I am loved, I can resist Satan and stand firm in my faith.
When I’m trying to be loved, I listen to Satan and stand uncertain trying to rely on my feelings.

Because I am loved, I know God will use this to make me stronger – and I want that.
When I’m trying to be loved, I don’t want to be made stronger – I want life to be easier.

Indeed, I want to pursue life, relationships, and the goals I set from a healthy and free vantage point — because I am loved.

Dear Lord, I don’t want my motives to get skewed today. Help me to not be so ‘me’ focused. I want to live each day knowing that I am loved. Living because I am loved is freeing. I long to stop trying so hard. I know You love me, Lord and that You are making me stronger. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.