GREEN TEA

It's hard not to be going about achieving a healthier lifestyle without hearing/reading about the benefits of drinking green tea.

After discovering all these reasons, I decided to add a cup of green tea to my daily menu, as an afternoon "snack". Not sure how many benefits I've reaped but I know that it hasn't aided in any weight loss this year.

 

LOL...I disagree with the last item on that list!

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

I recently read something in an ebook and then went online to search for it's validity.

There seems to be truth in the fact that green tea aids in weight loss with emphasis on the dreaded belly fat. The only disagreement comes with the amount of tea to drink daily. I've seen recommended doses from 1 to 6 cups.

Would anyone like to join me in a green tea drinking challenge?

There are 3 criteria for this challenge:

1. In Japanese culture, they drink green tea 3 times per day with their meals. I will do the same.
2. According to experts, it takes 12 weeks for any significant body change to be noticeable.
3. In order to recognize a change, notes must be taken.

If you are joining me in this challenge, please keep note of the following:

1. How many cups of green tea per day you are going to drink.
2. The date you started (so you know when your 12 weeks are up).
3. Your waist measurement and your weight when you started (for comparison with end of challenge stats).

These are the teas I have chosen to drink. Plain green tea is just too nasty for my liking lol.

Please note: Green tea alone will not lose the weight for you. You still have to eat right and exercise. The purpose of this challenge is to experience for ourselves if the green tea will give us an added boost or not :)

NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: Losing It

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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.

YIN-YANG

This week I am using the yin-yang principle as a metaphor for two opposing "diet" methods that I have read about.

Yin-yang:

The outer circle represents "everything", while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies, called "yin" (black) and "yang" (white), which cause everything to happen. They are not completely black or white, just as things in life are not completely black or white, and they cannot exist without each other.

The two methods are:
1. The 80/20 rule as it pertains to starvation mode.
2. The fast diet aka the 5:2 diet.

The first method has you eating a low calorie diet for 5 days a week and then indulging in normal food intake for the other 2 days. The reasoning behind this method is that with a low calorie diet your body can go into starvation mode. Which means it starts to store fat because it thinks there may not be another meal coming to sustain it. By increasing food intake for 2 days, you trick the body into thinking things are fine, no need to store fat.

The second method has you eating normally for 5 days of the week and then fasting for the remaining 2 days. "Fasting" consists of a low calorie day...600 for men and 500 for women. Apparently this method helps you to lose weight (1 lb per week), boost your brain and transform your health (by lowering cholesterol & blood sugar levels).

BTW...the 2 days of either method do not have to be together, you can space them out during the week.

Please remember, I am no expert, so get your doctor's approval before attempting any diet, after all, the whole point is to boost your health,  not damage it.

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

There are so many "diets" out there these days that it's hard to keep track of what truly does work and which ones aren't worth trying out.

1. Do you think either one of these methods will work?
2. Have you decided to try one out? If so, which one?
Personally, I have tried out the 80/20 method this year. Eating lower calories during the week and then eating more on the weekends. Sad to say, this hasn't helped me to lose any weight at all :(

So I will be taking this challenge along with you, I'll be trying out the fast diet. LOL...wish me luck!

NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: Green Tea

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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.

EMBRACE YOUR SHAPE

This week's blog is part 2 of the discussion on body image.

 

As you will recall, in part 1, I had discovered that there were many ways to describe our body shape...and many ways to dress those shapes.

 

We all can't have the perfect figure but we can display our figure perfectly :)

 

I'm hoping that you took up my challenge...that you figured out what shape you were...and then went online to find some tips on what to wear to showcase your body.

 

Kudos to anyone who discovered that they have been it right all along!

 

 

Before I continue, I just want to explain that my mission with this whole topic was to stress that no matter what shape or size of body type you are....

 

No matter if you can't lose weight, lost weight, lost weight but gained it back, lost weight but want to lose more ... you should be confident in how you look.

 

 

About losing weight...this has been my goal from the start:

 

 

I hope that the majority of people nowadays are also striving for a healthy body. LOL...much easier to attain anyway than a skinny one :)

 

For those that didn't get a chance to do any internet searching but are still interested in seeing what some tips are...

 

I found a site that had info for all body types in one spot.

 

 

It is in pdf format, so I've posted two links...to the site and to the pdf file itself...if the link to the pdf file doesn't work for you, hopefully you can access it from the site :)

 

PDF File:

Website:

 

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

 

1. Have you changed any aspect of your wardrobe since becoming aware of your body type?

 

2. Do you have any body quirks that govern what you wear...no matter what size you are?

 

I've got 4 body quirks...they irritate me but que sera, sera.

 

1. My shoulders must be built on a slope...I have never been able to keep bra straps up or to carry a purse from my shoulder.

 

2. I am small-chested which makes it hard to buy clothes especially these days with the low cut necklines to show off cleavage. LOL...I put on some of these tops and the openings are down to my belly with nothing to fill them in! Thank goodness tank tops and camisoles are also in style for me to wear underneath them.

 

3. Darn my short arms and legs...I'm always cutting off several inches of material to hem my pants...and rolling up the cuffs of my shirts and jackets.

 

4. I have very high arches on my feet so I have a hard time fitting my feet into some of the more popular styles of shoes especially those with high heels because the shoe ends up being too tight across the top of my foot if I can even get into the shoe past my toes.

 

 

I wish for everyone to like what they see in their mirror...and to love their body enough to take good care of it :)

 

Coming later in August will be a blog post about dressing appropriately according to age and weight... a humourous look at it followed by a roundtable of opinions from you all about what you feel is acceptable and what is not.

NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: Yin-Yang

 

 

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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.

MONTHLY CHECK-IN

It's that time again...

How successful have you been towards achieving your goals this month?

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

Step on the scale or take out your tape measure...and share your results :)

I still haven't lost any weight. I wish I had documented my body parts with photos for reference. My arms and legs have changed so much...every month I notice more definition...fat has been replaced with muscle. LOL...and that's not even what I was going for...I was aiming for a loss in belly fat!

I'm not complaining though because I've reached a celebration point. LOL...no longer do I have to tug at the legs of my shorts because they ride up from my thighs rubbing together...woohoo!!

NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: Embrace Your Shape (part 2 of discussion on body image )

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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.

GOOD TO KNOW

This past week I've been having fun with visiting family members so I didn't have a chance to work on a regular blog post. LOL...of course the results of my lack of workouts & over-eating this week won't be as much fun at our monthly check-in!

I'd like to take this opportunity to share a facebook page with you all that I have found very enlightening. It's a true "good to know" collection of images to browse through.

                  Please click here:  Beautiful Gifts

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

I'd like you to visit "beautiful gifts" and then share here your favourite tip or bit of info that you discovered while there.

Al & I figured out that a major key to our weight loss was cutting back on bread consumption. We had cut back on eating bread at home but Al continued to eat sandwiches in his lunch at work. This summer we switched to no bread lunches, usually making lettuce wraps (using a big lettuce leaf as the bread to hold together his sandwich fillings). The pounds have been dropping off him like crazy! He is now wearing a man's small tshirt and his jeans are falling down...way to go Al!!

NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: Monthly check-in :)

 

 

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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.

SAD

Seasonal changes affect both diet and exercise...

SPRING:

1. flush out winter’s waste products from your body with something like the fat flush water
2. kick start you diet before the hot summer arrives because then all you will want to do is relax

SUMMER:

1. your metabolism is naturally boosted
2. your body is most resistant to putting on fat
3. summer heat can decrease your appetite
4. you will sweat a lot, so make sure you rehydrate often
5. drink water, not sugary high calorie drinks
6. summer heat can also make you feel lethargic so it makes being active much harder

Although summer is the most optimal time of the year to diet and exercise for weight loss, if you aren’t careful, the exact opposite will happen. Don’t give in to too much temptation during the hot summer months...cutesy cocktails with umbrellas, ice cream concoctions, bbq food served in buns or smothered in sauces should be occasional treats and not daily menu items.

The top three ways to avoid summer weight gain are:
1.drink plenty of water
2.keep active...early in the morning or later in the evening when weather is cooler...or go to an air conditioned gym
3.enjoy summer's fresh fruits and vegetables in lighter meals such as salads, wraps and smoothies

FALL:

1. you begin to develop a heartier appetite
2. your body wants to store fat for the cold weather ahead
3. fall is prime for exercising (outdoors or at the gym) before you get snowed in

WINTER:

1. in winter your metabolism slows
2. winter is the perfect time to catch up on tv shows that you missed during the busy summer which takes time away from exercising
3. the weather is cold and all we want to do is curl up on the couch with some comfort food
4. Wearing layers, a necessary evil during winter, doesn’t help with your fitness goals, it allows you to hide your body under clothes that tend to hide your figure

And of course all seasons have holidays that make it hard to stick to your guns where healthy eating is concerned. Enjoy those holidays...and make up for it in boosted workout sessions for a few days afterwards :)

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

How do the seasons affect your diet and exercise?

Oddly enough, I find winter much easier to stick to my routine. With diet, there is only the holiday season to get through with it's many temptations. With exercise, I don't spend time outdoors like I do in summer, so that time is gladly filled with workouts.

In summer, there are just too many temptations dietwise...bbqs (especially hamburgers & hotdogs), ice cream, drinks (especially sangria) out on the patio, fresh baking at yard sales and farmers markets, caramel macchiato iced coffee!! And workouts...I much prefer lounging outside in the breezy fragrant air reading a book :)

Spring and fall are much the same as winter for me...watching what I eat and getting in an hour of exercise almost every day is no problem at all.

NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: Good To Know

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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.

SOME BODY TO LOVE

The title of this week's blog is my feeble attempt at a play on words with lyrics from a song. In other words, love your body, no matter what size or shape it is. LOL...and as I discovered via google, there are many of them...silly me, I thought there were only 3...skinny, overweight and just right :)

Before I get to the various shapes, I'd like to revisit last week's discussion on size.

I came across this graphic which really helped to set my mind at ease. According to this, I was not alone in being in denial about how much weight I had gained over the years.

Now on to the various body shapes. There are so many to choose from in the above graphic...I can't really pick myself out in that crowd!

I think these 4 are the most commonly used ones...and I can definitely see myself...I'm a former pear who is currently a rectangle working towards an hourglass!

Oh great, now they throw in petite also, I'm a real combo of everything except well endowed, lol!

Check out the pic below...I think this is a fun graphic...showing how different bodies look in the same dress.

The whole point of this week's blog is to get to know what body we are in...so we can learn to look our best in it :)

By eating healthily and exercising daily, we are able to feel good on the inside of our body. After all that, don't we deserve to look good on the outside too?

I'm not a fashionista (although I play one in my mind) so I won't be telling you what style of clothes goes with which body type. You'll have to do your own online search to find out...just like I'm going to do!

See what a difference a change in outfit can do for you? Looks like she's lost weight doesn't it? What a boost to the morale...gets you in the mood for more exercise and diet :)

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:

This week I am challenging you to look over these different body types and decide which one best describes you. Then go online and do a bit of exploring to find out what clothing types flatter you the most.

At a later date, we will continue on with part 2 of this topic, when we will share our discoveries with each other. LOL..I've got some body "quirks" that have been plaguing me for years...no matter what shape or size I am...so I'll be talking about those...and whether or not I've found solutions to the problems.

If you are enjoying this topic, you might also be interested in another upcoming blog about age/size/occasion appropriate clothing choices.

NEXT WEEK'S BLOG: SAD

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DISCLAIMER: Whenever I use the word DIET in my blog posts I am in no way suggesting that I have invented/discovered some miracle system to lose weight. Whenever I use the word DIET, I am simply substituting a single word to replace the longer phrase EATING HEALTHIER THAN IN THE PAST.