by lisagraham | March 31, 2010 | In Mindset | Comments Off
My son brought a cookie home – not just any old cookie. It was a peanut butter cookie with a Hershey’s kiss in the center. It winked at me from its cozy spot on the counter and whispered, “You should taste me. You know how much you love me.”
Several times I was tempted to reach for it. I reasoned, “If I share it with my boys, it won’t be that bad.”
by lisagraham | January 27, 2010 | In Food | Comments Off
Did you hear about the new “bottomless” lunch menu at a popular chain restaurant? Certain selections on the lunch menu are all you can eat. You can get refills as many times as you want.
Try a bowl of their chili – for 460 calories, 30 grams of fat, and 1870 milligrams of sodium. Let’s get a refill!
Then there’s another restaurant chain where you can get unlimited soup and salad. What’s wrong with soup and salad? It’s low cal, right? WRONG! One serving of salad with dressing has 350 calories, 26 grams of fat, and 1930 milligrams of sodium. One bowl of Minestrone soup has 100 calories and 1 gram of fat (not bad), but 1020 milligrams of sodium.
by lisagraham | January 12, 2010 | In Food | Comments Off
We often get in trouble with our food when we eat mindlessly. We grab a little handful or this or that, nibbling without thinking. Over the day these “little” calories really add up.
To keep ourselves on the straight and narrow, it’s good to set times for when we will eat. Then we eat only at these set times and eat nothing in between. Not only does this keep us from snacking mindlessly all day, but it keeps us disciplined in our eating behavior.
For example:
7:00 Breakfast– egg and oatmeal, coffee
10:00 Snack – yogurt, apple
12:30 Lunch – grilled chicken, salad, whole grain breadstick
3:00 Snack – PB, rice cake, banana
6:00 Dinner – salmon, baked asparagus
8:30 Snack – protein bar, milk
by lisagraham | December 1, 2009 | In Food | Comments Off
You’ve heard me say it before, but I have to say it again: If you want to lose weight, you have to journal your food. Most people grossly underestimate the calories they consume each day. They’re often unaware of what is in their food and how much they really do eat.
A food journal keeps you aware and keeps you honest. For one thing, you have to look at nutrition labels so you know what’s in your food. This can be pretty eye opening. Then you have to be accountable for every bite you take. No more mindless eating, grabbing a cookie here, a handful of pretzels there, or the kids’ leftover Goldfish.
by lisagraham | October 21, 2009 | In Mindset | Comments Off
Today was rough. I was tired, the kids were tired, and we had tons of stuff to do and a crazy schedule to follow. The kids were at each other fussing and fighting. Honestly, I was too tired to deal with their behavior consistently. It was not a good day.
I found that I wanted to eat. I wanted to calm my nerves. I wanted to escape!
by lisagraham | September 1, 2009 | In Food | Comments Off
“I have no idea what I’m going to eat for dinner tonight,” I heard one lady say to her friend as they walked out of the gym.
She’s headed for trouble, I thought to myself.
When you’re already hungry that is NOT the time to figure out what to eat. Your blood sugar is low, your brain is signaling your body to eat, and your stomach is growling.
If you haven’t already figured out what you’re going to eat before you’re hungry, what do you think you’ll do when you walk in your kitchen door? Calmly prepare a salad and open a can of tuna? Very unlikely. You’ll probably open the cupboards, the fridge, and the freezer and start munching on anything that looks good!
by lisagraham | August 28, 2009 | In Mindset | Comments Off
How you think, you will feel. How you feel, you will do.
I’ve often noticed clients in negative thought patterns. They may say things like, “I’m so fat. I’m so out of shape. I hate this bulge. My hips are so big. I don’t know how you put up with me.”
Other times I’ll notice how they try not to look at themselves in the mirror. Or how they pull down their shirt constantly to cover their hips. Or how they always move out of other people’s way, apologizing, when they were using the space first.
by lisagraham | May 21, 2009 | In Mindset | Comments Off
I spent a wonderful day at the beach with my family. A clear sky, full sun, and wind off the ocean made it just right.
We rode bikes on the boardwalk and browsed a couple of stores. Then we hit the beach. My boys interacted with the sand like it was a wrestling pit. (I had to clean sand out of their ears.) I tried to build a sandcastle, but a toddler next to us thought the sand pile was for him to jump on.
My hubby and I took turns napping and keeping an eye on the boys. It was such a relaxing afternoon. There’s something magical about the sound of the ocean and the warm sun on your skin. It’s soothing to the soul.
by lisagraham | March 31, 2009 | In Food | Comments Off
If you’re like me, when you get overly hungry all you want to do is put something in your mouth as fast as you can. Then you can hardly stop eating because it takes awhile for your brain to catch up with your belly to know there’s actually food in there.
When you wait too long to eat, your blood sugar drops and the brain sends hunger signals to your body. These hunger signals get stronger until you’re ravenous. When you do start eating, the digestion of food and release of sugar into the blood stream takes a little time. So it makes overeating very likely.
by lisagraham | March 9, 2009 | In Mindset | Comments Off
Despite keeping my weight off for five years, I still struggle with some of the old mentality. For instance, if I eat off plan (like I did today – shouldn’t have opened the peanut butter jar), I feel like the day is lost.