My weight loss gamer changer

For some reason people are saying that Willie and I were on The Biggest Loser. I’ve been stopped four times in two days of people asking me about the show. Sorry folks, we weren’t on that show. The social aspect of the show would have had us voted out in the very beginning.

But the lovely lady at Sam’s Club did ask me what the biggest game changer in losing all the weight. I didn’t even flinch when she asked because I know portion control was the biggest learning experience of it.

Please pay attention to portion sizes. Read the labels and just get educated on the information. There’s lots of information on those labels but right now I’m just talking about portion control.

A standard size for an animal protein is 4oz. That’s not as big as what you think, BUT it’s not so little that you feel hungry. The standard serving of fruit seems to be 83-100 grams. Most leafy greens have a huge portion size for limited amount of calories.

That muffin you’ve been eyeing might only be 200 calories but you have to look at the portion size. This is especially true when it comes to your liquid calories. I’ve read many times many people gain weight while trying to lose weight due to their liquid calories. That’s why I mostly just stick to water. It’s the calorie free drink and you can have as much as you want.

I still weigh out most of my food so I know the proper portion so a good scale is a handy thing to have.

Do you have a food scale? Do you worry about portion size?

Five Things You Should Do Everyday

Five Things You Should Do Everyday

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about things you should do everyday. I’m sure I’m going to come up with another of these lists, but for now: 1. Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier and go for a walk.  Give your metabolism a jump start by getting a little active in the morning.  It doesn’t have to be a full on power walk but just something to get you going.  It will make all the difference. 2. Eat a good breakfast.  They say it’s the most important meal of the day for a reason.  Don’t skip it.  Skipping…

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Budget friendly grocery shopping tips

Budget friendly grocery shopping tips

We visit the grocery store on the REGULAR!  We used to go twice a week because our produce would get bad but I think we’ve finally gotten that under control.  I know I like to stick to a budget because I’m cheap thrifty.  I thought I would share some of my budget conscious tips with you. But I have to warn you, I’m a grocery store wanderer.  I will put things in my cart that I don’t necessarily need right now but might need later.  Willie makes fun of me.  True story: when I was in Denver, Willie was responsible…

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Dos and don’ts of strength training

Dos and don’ts of strength training

I’m not expert but I had to figure a couple of things out on my own. (Always remember to consult your physician before starting a new diet and/or workout routine.) I wanted to share with you some of my personal rules for strength training. Incorporating strength training into your fitness routine will only make you stronger and better. Whatever goal you’re trying to reach, these workouts will help you get there. But first, it’s time for a little personal time. This morning was the first day back into a new/old routine. I try to change my workouts up just a…

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The lifestyle change is DIFFERENT for EVERYONE

The lifestyle change is DIFFERENT for EVERYONE

It’s different for everyone and it’s going to change over time.  Keep that in mind.  I’ve said it many many times.  The journey I took is different from the one Willie took and will be different from the one many people take. A lifestyle change is about developing new habits.  In our case, our lifestyle change was about developing HEALTHIER habits than what we did before.  McDonald’s drive thru and movie marathons for the weekend soon became weekend running and enjoying a good healthy meal. Losing 100+ pounds takes time and commitment.  That has to come from within yourself. No…

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Five steps to become more proactive

Five steps to become more proactive

Proactive, that’s the word of the week.  Last night I posted about the perks of being proactive and I’m sure a lot of you missed that post.  Here’s your chance to go back and read it before you continue with this post. Are you a proactive or reactive person? Do you let situations control your life? I like to think I’m a proactive person NOW but I spent many years being reactive.  That wasn’t a good place to be.  I didn’t realize this until later in life but that is when I decided to make a change.  A few years…

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Take the time to meal prep

Take the time to meal prep

I stopped meal prepping when I was traveling a lot last fall because I wasn’t home.  I stopped a lot of things and it made life a lot harder.  It suddenly became easier to pick up something on the way home.  Since Willie got into his cooking though, things have changed.  I’m not just meal prepping by myself.  I have a partner in the kitchen now.  Willie and I discussed some changes we wanted in our lives and getting back to meal prepping was big deal.  We also started making our own lunches instead of eating a Healthy Choice meal…

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I advise you not to run in the …

I advise you not to run in the heat

On Saturday morning, Willie and I missed our runs for some stupid reasons.  It really didn’t matter though because it was still stinkin’ hot and humid at 6 AM.  Instead of waking up early on Sunday, we thought we could hammer it out Saturday afternoon.  It was slightly windy, right after a rain storm and another one was setting it.  I caution you not to run in the heat. If you do, you’ll get drenched in sweat and you’ll look like this: But if you live in place where you can’t avoid it, like us, here are some tips for…

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Do you drink your calories?

Do you drink your calories?

I don’t drink my calories and when I do…it’s painful.  I would just rather eat my calories than waste them on a drink.  Most people aren’t that way.  When we decided to lose the weight, we did it cold turkey.  There was no more soda, juice, fru-fru coffee drinks or alcohol.  That was something I had to let go. It’s amazing how little a cup of juice is and how quickly you can tear through a couple of sodas before an appeterizer arrives at the table.  Just knowing that was enough to turn me off the concept. I would allow…

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Random tips on Tuesday: forming habits, baking and …

Random tips on Tuesday: forming habits, baking and meal prepping

Hello from taper land!  I will admit I’m getting a little antsy because I’ve cut back on my workouts this week so I could stay fresh for the marathon on Sunday.  So instead of working out twice a day I’m only working out once a day which leaves some time in my life.  I’ve been trying to find ways to fill the time so I don’t crazy. Yesterday I made some protein bread. It turned out ok, nothing special. I usually substitute applesauce for oil but I didn’t have an applesauce. I used pumpkin puree because it’s the basically the…

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Break out of the holiday rut

Break out of the holiday rut

There’s still one big event left in the holiday season but you can break out of the holiday rut now.  Christmas cookies have been consumed and that holiday meal is behind us.  It’s time to get active and burn off those holiday calories.  How exactly can you break out of the holiday rut? Here are some of my suggestions: 1. Just suck it up and work out.  The good thing about being a fitness instructor is I have no choice but to jump right back into the swing of things so I had no problem with it.  I promise if…

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