Health and Nutrition

Summer Smoothies

I have been talking about being sedentary and the health risks associated with it. I’ve been doing better in getting more active during the work day, but I still find at crunch time that I’m sitting longer than I should. My new office is still a few weeks out, so it will be some time before I know how much the standing desk helps. But I will report back.smoothie I have also found that just about any exercise works, including keeping weights around just to shake up my routine. And I have to say, I’ve shaved off a few pounds with this new plan, so an added benefit.

Vegetables

smoothieBut… Read More

Sedentary—Exercise

Last week I blogged about my job and my concerns about how sedentary it is. I’ve worked to change my work habits, and I have been successful.exercise

Start Exercising

First, I reduced the amount of time I sit. If I’m on the telephone, I stand up and move around so far as the phone cord allows. Second, instead of sitting and editing, I print the edits and ride the exercise bike or stand at the kitchen counter and do leg raises. An added benefit is, I’m getting more fiction writing done. Third, I’m investing in a standing desk, but that is still a few weeks out. While I’m pleased with the changes, I still have to remind myself to get up and move.

Exercise… Read More

Get Up and Move

Sedentary Equals Health Risk

Even though I’m a fairly active person, my job puts me at risk because it’s sedentary. And if I’m under deadline, I can sit for long, long periods of time, which is part and parcel with being a writer, but these facts are making me rethink those habits.sedentary

Research

The Mayo Clinic reports research has linked long periods of sitting to increased problems with:
  • Blood pressure
  • High blood sugar
  • Excess body fat around the waist
  • Abnormal cholesterol level
  • Obesity and metabolic syndrome
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Cancer
Adults spending less than two hours a day in front of the TV or other screen-based entertainment compared to those who spent more than four hours a day had nearly a 50 percent increased risk of death from any… Read More

Emotional Eating

emotionalLast week I talked about my issues with stress or emotional eating. Usually blogging about something helps me get back on track, but not this time. All week long I found myself eating when I wasn’t hungry and unable to stop. With everything going on, I’m eating for reasons other than hunger. Because I had several other readers comment that emotional eating is an issue for them as well, I went online and found a site that helped me, How to Recognize and Stop Emotional Eating. The opening paragraph resonated with me. “We don’t always eat simply to satisfy hunger. We also turn to food for comfort, stress relief, or as a reward. Unfortunately, emotional eating doesn’t fix emotional… Read More

Stress Eating

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I kicked off the new year with a huge life change which has generated plenty of stress good and bad. We sold the house we’d lived in for 20 years and moved out of state. We have been homeless for the last five weeks. Even though we found a home, we couldn’t move in for six weeks after we sold our house. stress Our empty house Now, five weeks after our move, I’ve started to settle in, but in 10 days we move again—the second time in less than two months.

Stress

I’m beginning to feel the stress again. No regular meals, no time to prepare meals, no time to exercise, and a… Read More

Eating Challenges

Eating Challenges

I wish I knew why some eating challenges were harder for me than others. I’m still struggling with eat when I’m hungry and savor my food. I have a feeling these will be a life long issues for me. Currently, I have to make a conscious effort to think before I eat and take the time to enjoy each bite.eating Before we moved everything was clicking away and flowing smoothly, but the move and still being in temporary housing has disrupted my eating habits. And getting them back in place is taking longer than I anticipated. I have made progress since I blogged last week. More often I am eating when I’m hungry. I do well until late afternoon and… Read More

Eating Challenges

Eating Challenges

I wish I knew why some eating challenges were harder for me than others. I’m still struggling with eat when I’m hungry and savor my food. I have a feeling these will be a life long issues for me. Currently, I have to make a conscious effort to think before I eat and take the time to enjoy each bite.eating Before we moved everything was clicking away and flowing smoothly, but the move and still being in temporary housing has disrupted my eating habits. And getting them back in place is taking longer than I anticipated. I have made progress since I blogged last week. More often I am eating when I’m hungry. I do well until late… Read More

Eating Out

eatingEating Out

I’ve spent the last month literally on the road between moving, a speaking engagement and a conference. I faced many eating challenges, but my greatest challenge was eating healthy when eating out.

Meals

Generally, when I’m traveling I eat out, but it’s only a couple of meals—usually dinner or lunch. Breakfast, I tend to bring food to eat and many times for lunch, too, but my last trip, I had no way to bring an ice chest.eating Not only is it expensive to eat all my meals out, but I find it difficult to eat healthy. There are only so many salads I can eat, and honestly, even those can… Read More

Satisfying Cravings

I’m sorry I didn’t get a blog out last week. My life has been turned upside down with the sudden sale of our house and the hunt for a place to live that is still ongoing. Needless to say, my blogging may be hit and miss for the next several months.cravings

Temptation

But enough with the excuses and on with the blog. Today’s topic is temptation and satisfying cravings. I don’t know about you, but temptation is a continual battle for me in my weight loss quest. Frequently I’m offered a dessert and many times I don’t want or desire it, but I feel deprived if I turn it down. Hours after I refuse it, I still think about that dessert,… Read More

Starting Again

startingWeight loss seems to be one of those things I was always starting again until I wasn’t. For most of my adult life I was always on a diet, just finished a diet or starting again.

Losing Stubborn Pounds

startingThis all changed when I read The Checklist Diet by Rebecca Clark two years ago. Suddenly I was dropping off pounds I hadn’t been able to budge for several years. I was afraid I’d hit that over 40 group who just couldn’t lose weight, but when I followed two simple, yet incredibly hard steps the weight fell off—eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m full. Read More