1) Exercise — Number one! After a great workout I find that I am too tired to stress out!
2) Karaoke – I actually have all of the “Karaoke Revolution” games as well as Rock Band for the PS3. When I am having a rough day… singing it out helps me relieve some stress!
3) Drinking a warm cup of tea in a quiet room.
4) Taking some deep breaths and thinking about “happy” stuff.
5) Dancing — kind of like exercising but on the level where I dance without a purpose.

Do you stress eat? If so.. what ways have you found to *stop*? Where do you focus your stressed out energy?

I know this to be true for me personally. I have went on low-carb diets and have lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time. I didn’t completely eliminate carbs (close but no cigar), but I became very carb-picky. What does “carb-picky” mean exactly? Well, I would limit my carb-intake to only 4 servings a day and eat only carbs that were high in fiber, whole grain, whole wheat. I took the white carbs and completely eradicated them from my diet.

I can attest to the fact that I never felt deprived, hungry or low-energy. Not to mention, the rest of my diet was well-balanced with lean meats, eggs, fruit and veggies. It was clean eating on a whole different level.

Have you ever been on a low-carb diet? Did you succeed on it? Find it hard?

My weigh-in Monday results for this week:

-1 putting me at 308 pounds.

I am pretty excited about my consistent 1-pound-a-week weight loss over the last two weeks. It is the holiday-season and while I am putting in a lot of effort to watch my portions, eat cleaner and eliminate all fast foods… I do have the occasional cookie or holiday treat.

I have also been on a good food-schedule so when the night time comes around, I am usually able to avoid snacking on anything (though I admit that I think of food constantly). I envision myself snacking on various things all throughout the evening until bedtime.  I recognize that it will take a bit to break that habit.

Since there is so much going on right now with Christmas preparation and such… I feel that I will really kick up the heat when it comes to working out– after the holidays.  For now, I am doing 20 minutes on my stationary bike a couple of days a week.

How are you doing with your weight loss this holiday season?

My biggest hurdle at this point is nighttime eating.

Last night for instance, I fed the kids around their normal dinner time of 6:00pm. As they ate dinner, I ran around straightening things up, cleaning up my cooking mess and doing other things. At that point, I really didn’t feel hungry. It was more than that though. I wanted to use the time that they were preoccupied to do some straightening up around the house.

After bath time, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and bed time, I was finally hungry and finally felt as though I could sit down and eat. The problem? It was 9pm. Thankfully, it isn’t always like this. Most of the time I sit down and eat with the family. However, last night was just a different kind of night. Sometimes, my husband and I will wait to eat until after the kids go to bed. We do this so that we can have some time to ourselves. It’s nice having a meal that isn’t rushed and a conversation that isn’t interrupted. There are moments where dinnertime can be really hectic and just feels like something to get through instead of a relaxing meal with the family.

Anyway, many times I feel *snacky* at night (in addition to the once or twice a week nighttime meal). I know this is a hurdle for me. It’s almost like I have trained myself to want to snack after 8pm. I need to break that cycle.

After searching high and low for tips on how to stop this habit, this is what I have come up with:

1) Change night time dinners with my husband to weekend lunches (while the kids are down for naps).

2) Brush my teeth at 8pm sharp. Everything tastes bad after brushing your teeth.

3) Find something to do with my hands or my time.

4) Have a designated eating area where I can concentrate on what I am eating. For instance… eating in front of the television, computer or while reading isn’t a good idea because the eating can become mindless. So making a rule for myself that all eating has to be done at the table is a great start.

5) Choose differently. If I absolutely have to have a snack… make the snack a piece of fruit or carrot sticks. No popcorn. No ice cream. Or maybe try drinking a glass of water everytime I feel hungry.

If we condition ourselves to eat at night (which I believe I have done), then we will have to make different rules for ourselves and choose differently in order to break the cycle, right? It’s kind of like the Pavlov’s Dogs theory. If I eat in front of the television… then everytime I get in front of the television I become hungry. If I break the cycle…. then perhaps I wont be so tempted to eat at night.

Make sense?

What is one of your big hurdles at the moment?

I had a really great weight-loss week!  I lost a total of 3 pounds.  This puts me back down to 310.  Yay!  I am 10 pounds away from my first goal and couldn’t be more excited!  Seeing progress on the scale is really motivating me to keep going.

I know that the numbers on the scale don’t always reflect the hardwork put into a week of working on target so I am super happy that this week the scale has prevailed in showing the work I put in.  This is a very proud moment for me, especially since Thanksgiving was included in this week.  I limited myself to small taste-tests here and there (I was the Thanksgiving cook this year) and when it came down to the eating part…. I tried a little of everything and limited myself to one serving.  And you know what?  It wasn’t painful.  If anything, I think I felt better than most of the other people there as I wasn’t one of the people saying “Oh my gawd, I am going to burst from being full!”  :p

I have been writing down my food / caloric intake and I have been paying attention to my hunger patterns and how they are linked with my moods.

The next step is to start incorporating exercise into my routine.  I really want to start by taking walks.  Whatever I can do at home is a good thing.  I need to get away from the “I need a gym membership” mentality and start using the tools I have readily (and cheaply I might add) available to me.

The biggest thing I have learned this past week?  Make a decision and find a way.

For myself, I try to get in extra Vitamin C by eating vegetables and fruits that already contain it.

Did you know that Vitamin C can actually help reverse the visible aging process? Your skin benefits too!

This summer has been a success for me in the foods category. I ripped off my hesitation cloak and embraced finding new foods that were both filling and nutritious! I can say that with the help of the grill I had quite a few tasty treats this summer!

My 10 fantastic food finds for the summer:

1. Sweet potatoes

I was never much of a lasting fan of sweet potatoes. I would eat them at Thanksgiving in an obligatory way and then not touch them again until Thanksgiving the following year. However, after this summer… I have a whole new perspective on sweet potatoes! Best way to make them? Par boil them and cut them into fat fries. Sprinkle lightly with olive oil and sea salt and then grill them! They are fantabulous for sure!

2. Spinach

The only way my dad could get me to eat spinach back in the day was to tell me that it was Popeye’s favorite treat. It was only then that I would grudgingly eat spinach. HOWEVER, this summer– I started buying freshly washed, already cut baby spinach. I would add it to salads, sandwiches and eat it just because! Now, I cannot imagine my fridge without it!

3. Jalapenos

I used to like jalapenos and then I didn’t for the longest time. And now? I grew jalapenos in my garden this summer and found mad love for them all over again! Garden grown jalapenos pack heat and bring delicious flavor! It’s a great added veggie to any dish that requires a little kick! Last seen: In my husband’s chili, which we ate on Saturday night!

4. Red Onions

I have always considered myself a sweet vidalia girl. Sweet vidalias are sweet and oniony and well… just plain good. However, after this summer — they have stiff competition! Meet red onion. Red onion is sweet and mild in flavor. It has considerably less carbs than its yellow counterpart. It adds color and flavor to any dish

5. Carrots

Like Kelloggs Cornflakes I had to taste them again for the first time. Dip them in hummus or eat them plain — carrots are simply delish!

6. Albacore Tuna Fish

At one point, I loved tuna fish and then I didn’t. I craved it all throughout my second pregnancy (maybe because I couldn’t have it?) and then after I gave birth… the craving died down. I gave it a second whirl and found that it went very well in a spinach salad or on whole wheat bread! Now… I am a fan again!

7. Blueberries

Put these little blue balls of heaven into a bowl with skim milk and light sugar on top and you have a breakfast for champions!

8. Tomatoes

Until my garden, I had been avoiding tomatoes like the plague. But… garden grown tomatoes have been proven to be a big hit at dinner time! Everyone loves them including me!

9. Avocado

I have always loved avocado and would eat it if someone prepared it for me, but really didn’t develop a taste for them until this summer. Now, grocery shopping isn’t complete without adding a bag of avocados in the cart! Eat them in homemade guacamole or slice them up and put them on a sandwich. They are fantabulous either way!

10. Miniature Red Potatoes

Sprinkle them with a little olive oil, seasoning and then wrap them in tinfoil and throw them on the grill. The potatoes might be small — but the flavor is big enough to leave you feeling satisfied.

In addition to the wonderful food finds… I also found a wonderful fashion/workout find in the name of mbt shoes!! have you seen them? They help tone your leg muscles and give you better posture! I feel straighter after I walk in them!

Those are my fantastic summer food finds. What were yours?

As an emotional eater, I can identify with many of these “eating” feelings. As someone who is always trying to understand herself and the *whys* in life, this spoke to me and emitted some healing. Knowledge is power, right?

Maybe this will help you as it did me.

BY Dr. Doreen Virtue – “Emotional Eating”

Listed below are the 16 feelings that Emotional Eaters most often confuse with physical hunger.

Be as honest as you can with yourself when reading this list, because self-awareness is a key ingredient to recovering from emotional eating and the Yo-Yo Diet Syndrome. These listings merely describe the fattening feelings and explain why they lead to overeating.

1. Anger.
Anger is cited in more cases of emotional eating than any other emotion. Anger, especially when it’s repressed, feels very uncomfortable, and this discomfort is often confused with hunger. But what feels like hunger is actually a desire to use food to cover up or mask the painful emotion — anger. Women, in particular, have difficulty admitting that they are angry, due to societal pressures ranging from parental admonitions (“Young ladies shouldn’t get angry!”) to corporate gameplaying rules (“You’ll get ahead in this company if you just smile and agree with management instead of arguing about their policies”). With all this pressure, people sometimes wish they never felt angry – a futile wish, of course, since everyone gets angry at times. People run into trouble with their anger when they ignore their angry feelings or pretend they don’t exist, hoping the emotions will subside if they’re ignored long enough. Emotion Eaters turn to food in order to stuff their anger.

2. Fatigue.
If anger is the number one psychological reason why people overeat, fatigue is definitely number two. That’s why I call it “fat-igue.” Some late-night overeaters use food in a vain attempt to energize themselves when they’re tired. Shift workers, those who stay up late at night, and “workaholics” are especially prone to overeating when fatigued. Other people use food to calm the nervous tension associated with fatigue. Perhaps you’ve had a nerve-wracking day at the office, combined with over consumption of caffeine or chocolate. At night, you try to sleep but find you’re too wired. That’s when cravings for carbohydrate snacks occur, because these foods trigger calming brain chemicals that help you sleep. When we’re tired, our resolve to eat lighter and healthier foods often goes out the window. Feeling fatigued, we say, “To heck with calorie counting!” and down a quart of ice cream or a massive plate of spaghetti. It’s important to recognize fatigue in yourself when it occurs.

Learn to recognize how it feels when you’re emotionally drained or intellectually overstimulated. Once you can label these feelings as fatigue, you won’t be as likely to confuse them with hunger. Second, remember that when you’re tired, rest will make you feel better. Overeating will not. Food may give you a temporary surge in blood sugar that is reminiscent of feeling rested, but the key word is that the respite is temporary. What’s more, an eating binge can lead to sluggish, tired feelings the next day as your body tries to break down the high levels of sugar, fat, and carbohydrates from the binge foods. Rest, regular exercise, and the mind/body methods described in later chapters (The Yo-Yo Diet Syndrome) are the best ways to combat feelings of fatigue. Food only makes things worse!

3. Depression.
When life looks gray and gloomy, most Emotion Eaters start to think of ways to feel better, and their solution to depression usually involves food. People who eat when they’re depressed often turn to dairy products such as ice cream (particularly chocolate) and cheese. As precisely as a well-trained pharmacist, but intuitively, the overeater picks food that alleviates depression. After all, the chemical makeup of dairy products has a neurological effect similar to antidepressant medications. Depression occurs for a number of reasons. It can be traced to: Holding in anger A loss, such as losing a job, getting a divorce, selling a house, becoming ill, or losing loved ones (including pets). Physical exhaustion or poor nutrition. This type of depression readily responds to rest and a healthful diet. “Kicking yourself” and focusing on real or imagined negative characteristics in yourself. Try to keep your attention focused on your positive qualities, and remember that everyone makes mistakes. Forgive yourself! Feeling like a helpless victim and seeing the future as hopeless. You’re not a victim, and the future will be as pleasant or as painful as you set out to make it! You really do create your own life.

4. Loneliness.
Those who eat out of loneliness usually must push themselves to meet new people, even when the prospect seems frightening. Some of the easiest ways to get out and become active with others involve engaging in some sort of organized group activity, such as joining a volleyball team or a mastermind group, enrolling in any sort of class, or becoming a member of a charitable organization.

5. Insecurity / Inadequacy.
When I started working in the counseling field, I felt inadequate a great deal of the time. I worked in a large inpatient alcoholism hospital, and we were terribly understaffed. There was always a crisis of some sort with a patient or staff member, and there wasn’t much that any of us counselors could do to keep the atmosphere positive. There was a pervasive air of gloom and despair hanging over us. And always, at the end of the day, I was left with the feeling that I just hadn’t done enough to help the alcoholics and drug addicts in our facility. I’d feel empty and at a loss, and I’d want to eat as a result. Long-term experience as a counselor and my spiritual background eventually helped me to change my perspective. As you may know, feeling “not good enough” is an empty sensation. The insecurity and inadequacy that come with self-doubt can feel like a big, black empty hole right in the middle of your gut. It feels uneasy. It doesn’t feel good.

I think that these feelings are among the toughest to contend with because most of us don’t even want to admit we’re experiencing them. I know that, at times, I used to believe that I was the only person in the world who felt inadequate. And I used to be afraid that merely admitting these feelings — even to myself — might make it true that I was inadequate. So I hid the feelings from myself and others and tried to fill the empty hole with food. Inadequacy is a very normal feeling! Everyone, including Ph.D.’s, M.D.’s, rich folks, and other successful and famous people, wrestles with self-doubt and feels like a failure at times. Problems arise when Emotion Eaters try to ignore or cover up the sense of inadequacy with food, instead of taking steps (such as returning to college, asking for a raise, praying, etc.) to minimize the basis for the feeling.

6. Guilt.
Eating, of course, doesn’t resolve a guilt-producing situation. Besides taking steps to solve the problem, the realization that you are not completely responsible for others and that you truly can’t control anyone else’s actions or feelings can also free you of unnecessary guilt. This doesn’t mean that you have to be thoughtless, just that you can let go of the erroneous notion that you’re responsible for the happiness of those around you. No one person is that powerful! Give others credit for the direction they choose to take in their lives.

7. Jealousy.
Many “jealousy eaters” I’ve treated tend to compare themselves unfavorably to others in a process I call “comparing your insides with other people’s outsides.” This happens whenever you look at other people who appear to be so together, happy, and confident, and compare this with how you feel on the inside. You may become jealous if you assume someone else’s life is much better than your own because on the outside he or she appears happier than you do. Remember that outside appearances can be deceiving, and that to other people, you, too, probably appear to have it all together.

8. Happiness.
“Happy” overeaters seem to turn to food for two reasons. The first is that when things are going well, they feel very, very good and they want to binge on good feelings. Because the “happy overeater” enjoys food, she wants to eat as much as possible in order to fill up on these positive emotions. She sees happiness as a limited resource that will run out quickly and needs to be gobbled up before it disappears. It helps if she frequently affirms the unlimited abundance of happiness, since joy is our true and natural state of being: “Happiness gushes forth from the center of my being, bringing waves of joy throughout my mind, body, and soul, and bringing happiness to everyone who sees, talks with, or thinks of me.”

Second, people with low self-esteem often feel that they don’t deserve happiness or success. So, as soon as aspects of their lives — such as weight loss — start to turn out right, they unconsciously start to sabotage their own success. Happiness, if you’ve never had much of it, can seem scary because of its novelty. Even though it seems illogical to wish unhappiness on yourself, some people are uncomfortable with anything but morose, depressing days. They almost need a problem or crisis in their life to give them a sense of purpose. If you’re a “happy” overeater, it’s important to remember that it really is okay to be happy and experience success! Affirm often: “My happiness is God’s will for me. Happiness is my birthright, and my joy heals many lives.” In addition, the joy won’t disappear or be yanked out of your hands, so relax and let go of any “lack mentality” that tells you that happiness is a finite resource. And most importantly, don’t overeat because of your happiness.

9. Anxiety / Nervousness.
Anxiety and nervousness lead to a particular type of overeating — the “picking” variety. This style of eating disguises the amount of food one is eating because only a tiny amount is being consumed, bit by bit. But since the eating is continual, large amounts of food are eaten before the Yo-Yo Syndrome dieter even realizes what has happened. As if in a blackout or trance, the overeater seeks pacification from anxiety through food. Those who overeat due to anxiety and nervousness use food to relax, so they need to find alternative methods to unwind.

10. Disappointment / Hurt.
Similarly, people often overeat in the face of disappointment. Perhaps a friend lets you down or betrays you. Maybe you didn’t get that raise or promotion at work. Or perhaps you feel let down every time you don’t win the state lottery. Regardless of its source, disappointment can make you feel alone and hopeless about the future. It can make you lose interest in yourself, and make you not care what you weigh or what your body looks like. When you don’t care, it’s hard to stay away from food.

11. Emptiness/Hollowness.
I believe that we all have a drive or ambition to do certain things with our lives, and that we owe it to ourselves to try to fulfill those desires. We may not always succeed, but it’s very important to at least try. Until we take steps toward our dreams and goals, an upsetting sense of uneasiness lives inside of us. The goal could be anything from getting a high school diploma to graduating from medical school, writing that novel or volunteering at that convalescent hospital. Whatever your personal dream, go seize it! Break the big goal into smaller, more accessible goals, and then take one small step today to bring yourself closer to the life you want to lead. You’ll be glad you did.

12. Grief.
To discern whether unfinished grief could be at the heart of your Yo-Yo Diet Syndrome, ask yourself if thoughts about your losses bring about any of the following feelings: A heavy or pressured feeling in your chest Tears in your eyes The desire to think about something else right away Anger, resentment, or depression If any of these feelings relate to you, you probably have some unfinished grief work to complete. Though not a pleasant task, spending some time focusing your thoughts on the pain of your loss (with a therapist, through prayerful meditation, or by journal writing) could be the key to releasing you from your desire to overeat.

13. Procrastination.
Eating is, if nothing else, a very good timewaster. It makes a wonderful excuse for putting off performing an unpleasant task. Do you ever use food as an excuse to avoid doing some dreaded task? Do you use food to avoid making that phone call or writing that letter? To avoid doing a boring and mundane chore? To avoid completing a complicated or difficult task? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’ve probably already recognized the futility of eating in order to procrastinate. No matter how much food you eat, the task will still remain on your “to do” list. By eating before you tackle the chore, you only make things worse. It makes you feel out of control, fat, sloppy, and angry at yourself for eating. And you still have to face the dreaded situation. Doesn’t it make more sense, instead, to get the task over with (maybe even figuring out a way to enjoy it, too), delegate the task to someone else, or decide that you don’t really need to do the chore after all?

14. Fear.
Fear often triggers nervous behavior, especially continual snacking. Fear is the root of guilt, insecurity, and other fattening feelings. Although fear can feel like a giant foe, it actually has more bark than bite.

15. Boredom.
Like people who eat out of procrastination, “boredom bingers” can fill up days, hours, months, and years a bite at a time. They’re often anxious about having unstructured time and are constantly searching for something to do. They feel guilty if they’re not engaged in some activity, and eating fits their definition of “activity.” If this description reminds you of yourself, it’s important to come to terms with your underlying issues. Why isn’t it okay to just do nothing once in a while? Do you always have to be productive to feel good about yourself? Are you trying to please someone or get their approval by staying busy? What other activity would you rather be engaged in besides eating? Why aren’t you doing that other activity now? What steps can you take right now that will fill your life with meaning, purpose, and fun?

16. Embarrassment.
Overeating due to embarrassment or self-consciousness occurs because of unrealistic expectations that you should never be noticed or be the topic of conversation. There is a tendency to take any remark as criticism, as well as a belief that other people’s negative opinions about your behavior is true. Then, if you do make a mistake – a social blunder or a business error, for instance – you feel as if the world’s going to fall apart.

Good habit alert!

According to scientists anti-oxidant filled green tea offers us the following health benefits:

1) Helps lower blood pressure
2) Helps lower blood sugar (very important if you have a problem controlling your sugare — aka pre-diabetics)
3) Helps fight cancer
4) Helps our immune system fight off diseases and infections due to being chock-full of flavenoids and polyphenols. (say that three times fast! )

High-grade green teas can even help lower cholesterol!

So swap out your morning cup of coffee for a steaming cup of green tea once in awhile and reap the benefits!

Thank you for reading my good-health share of the day!

So, about a month ago I decided to undertake growing a garden.  I found my plot, moved rocks and already established plants and tilled everything under.  I bought seeds and plants that are harder to grow from seed (or take longer for that matter).  I am currently loving and caring for my garden.  I am currently doing it as organic as possible.

And I must say…

I can’t wait to eat the fresh veggies!  I have been growing tired of the bland store-veggies.

As much hard work as I am putting into my yard, I am also excited to do it.  It is gratifying to see my work at the end of the day.  I never knew I had such a green thumb or that gardening would be natural to me!  Believe me.. .if you met me… you wouldn’t think that I was the “gardening type”.

In a couple of weeks, I am going to help my parents put in some pond filters. They have a decorative pond in their yard and they need my help with it.

My parents are also into gardening. My dad actually has a garden that is about 3 times the size of mine. Last year we benefited greatly from some of the veggies my dad sent our way!

So… do you have a garden?