Trigger Foods!

Is there something or many things that make you go totally off? Do you start to eat a certain food and lose all control over portion? Does that food item make you continue on to scrapping the diet for the day? Then than is a trigger food, or even more appropriately named a binge food. We have got to be honest in our evaluation of these items. If we say it is just a food I really, really enjoy, we are not being honorable in catching a culprit. If you have not yet controlled a food item to the point of only having a taste, a sample, or a reasonable sized portion, or if this food item has to be consumed on a daily basis, you have a trigger food that needs to be amputated from your diet until you can face it with reasonableness. There is no other way. Do not walk down the grocery store isle when you shop that carries this item. Go in a different direction if your trigger food is bought at a fast food drive thru. Do not allow that item in your home. Don't hide it away from an emergency supply. Don't let your friends who know you love this item, bring you a slice to cheer you up for the day. There are other ways to show friendship. Amputate it. There is no other way. You will lose the fascination and pull over this food in as little as a few weeks time, and you will find your diet attempts becoming successful. And when you are offered or tempted, say out loud, "I no longer care for this food item. I have lost my acquired taste for it. Soon it will become reality.

Have a blessed day!
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Don't Hate Your Veggies!

Really hate veggies? Relax. If you love fruits, eat plenty of them; they are just as healthy (especially colorful ones such as oranges, mangoes, and melons). There are some easy ways to get in your daily veggie servings of 3-5 helpings as recommended. The friendliest is to buy V-8 juice. There is no way you can object to this delicious, vitamin packed 4 ounce drink. Don't forget that vegetable soup counts as a vegetable. If prices climb up on you in off season, as they do me, stock up on frozen vegetables when on sale. They are fine thrown into a crock pot, or another simple way to cook them is in the microwave or a stir fry on stove top. The good news is the peeling and chopping is already done for you. Who objects to salads? Spend the extra few pennies to buy salad mixes that are ready to eat. I am amazed at the wonderful blends they have, and in actuality some are less inexpensive with the dressing included and extras than to prepare it yourself. Don't forget that many vegetables are considered calorie free foods. A portion may be under 20 calories (eggplant, cucumber and radishes, to name a few). If you are fortunate to have a sunny plot, do take advantage by growing your own vegetables. Nothing, I repeat, nothing tastes as good as fresh off the vine. What are you waiting for? Fill up on vegetables and you will be trimming down in no time.

Have a blessed day.

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Stop Mammoth Portions!

Ever say, "I'm Overweight. What Mistakes Could I Be Making Without Realizing It?" Ignoring "serving size" on the nutrition facts panels is a disaster waiting to happen. Many packages and instant food items are meant to be 2 or more servings. When you read the calorie content make sure you consider for what serving size. Often we are eating 2-3 serving sizes without realizing the calories in the whole product itself. We are all used to restaurant size plates and portions. This was never meant to replace standard size plates. We eat it all in a restaurant when we are out and we have literally eaten for two, not one. If you feel full to stuffed after a meal out, you can bet that you went over your calorie portion for the day in just one setting. We all know if we buy a value meal or super-size it we can save money. But we cannot save calories! Again, the meal is too large for one setting, or even in the case of a soda in a large or gulp size, you have just upped the calorie count. Learn to downsize your meals. Learn to think small to medium. You will be surprised at how your appetite will come around to being satisfied with smaller portions, as well as your food budget thanking you.

Have a blessed day!
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Purposeful Eating!

Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Before you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, move it around, savor it, engage it, smell it, delight in it, and keep your mind fixed on the quality, not the quantity of the food. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body. Nourishment is a requirement. How little of us dieters think of it as a requirement to live. We fell into bondage of food and now we are terrified to enjoy this simple and necessary pleasure. We knew excess and we are afraid to recall the times as a toddler where meals meant nourishment and new experiences. Don't eat to get a stuffed feeling or an emotional high. Eat to fulfill your God-given responsibility of fueling the body for each day's journey. Stop the mindless, emotional eating and learn what God meant a meal to be--intimacy with the Creator who has given you abundant variety to meet your physical daily needs of nourishment. Explore this possibility of viewing food as God's design for keeping you a lean, mean, pleasing machine.

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Cravings!

Cravings will typically disappear after 10 minutes if you turn your attention elsewhere. Drink a large glass of iced water. Do your prayer time. Drink a hot cup of broth. Take a brisk walk. Do a period of exercise. Read the Bible. Call a loved one. Do a household task. The possibilities are endless of the ways to divert your attention. You are master of your cravings. You need not submit to each one that you have, especially the foolish high calorie ones. Let your body know that you are master. You are in control. You will dictate how you feed and fuel it. It will become a habit of denying these fleshly desires and in the process as taking charge, you will be rewarded with the scale readings you desire. Take dominion!

Have a blessed day from http://www.gracetoday.com

/m103

Dear Karyn,

I have had a great deal to say about sweets through the years. We know the form we are accustomed to as refined sugar is not a good thing. Yet, I believe that is a great reason for weight gain, next to immoderate portion's at meals. Giving up sweets, if you know you consume too much in your daily diet, is just a beginning step on your weight loss journey, and it is a good start so that I commend you. And yes, allow yourself moderate treats because if you do not, you will become frustrated and just throw in the towel on the whole idea of dieting.

Refined sugar, we know it, is not all that good for us. It certainly is not a drug, but for some it is an "addiction" which does lead to binges. We eat it because the body has grown accustomed to the temporary energy boosts it gives, and then when our glucose level plummets, we are back at it again.

Your plan is good to find acceptable substitutes. Keep on-hand fresh fruits. You are going to be amazed in a few short weeks how very sweet fruit and natural juices do taste when you don't have unnatural products clouding your taste buds. Reports vary that the typical American consumes from 40-150 pounds per year of sugar. Low end or high end of that study, should be enough to alarm us.
Pro 25:16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.

I have a really hard time with sweets. My trigger foods that get me on a binge are
chocolate, cookies and cake. sound familiar? I am praying a lot about my weight and I really
feel God leading me to give up sweets with maybe a treat once a week and if I go crazy
inbetween have unsweetened pudding or ice pops. I am kind of desperate to lose weight.
Anyone have any encouragement ?

Change Your Behavior!

Even a modest 10-20% body weight loss will show improvement in your health, but you have to start with your behavior and change that. To lose weight and keep it off, you need to make changes in your lifestyle. Begin by motivating yourself. Find the perfect reason for losing weight. You might think of many, but what is the most important? No one can make you lose weight and no one can lose it for you. It is all about you and motivation has to come from within. It takes energy and focus to lose weight. Commit to it, have a plan, set a start date, and make God your partner on this journey. Set your goals as small, reasonable ones and continue to move in that direction. Surround yourself with upbeat people that are progressing in their journey. Keep a daily record and focus on the positive, no matter how small that might appear in comparison to the weight you need to lose. And never, never give up. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Have a blessed day!

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Health Mantras!

Get motivated, put them on the fridge, and join in and post yours.


"Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

"Good friends are good for your health."

"And we have made of ourselves living cesspools, and driven doctors to invent names for our diseases."

"Health is not valued till sickness comes."

"Become addicted to constant and never ending self improvement."

"A sad soul can kill you quicker than a germ."

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."

"In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired."

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book."

"Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that's bad for you! "

Have a blessed day!

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Say No To Crash Diets!

Most people lose a combination of muscle and fat when losing weight. Crash diets produce loss of water and muscle weight. The more you starve to lose weight, the greater your body eats its muscles for energy. That's why diets that are too low in calorie are not good. Starving yourself to lose weight not only shuts down your metabolism, but it also attacks muscle instead of fat. It will be extremely impossible to lose weight as your body goes into starvation mode to hang onto each calorie. A moderate diet is always best. A good rule of thumb is to never go below 1200 calories per day. The only exception to that is if you are medically supervised. New weight loss tools have been added to http://www.gracetoday.com They include USDA calorie and nutrient count of common foods, USDA pyramid food groups tracker, and a handy daily food calorie tracker calculator. Luk 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.

Have a blessed day!

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Nutritionally Fit!

Now that your dieting it becomes a juggling act to keep up with the essential vitamins and minerals you need for health. A balanced diet is the first step toward maintaining good health and promoting weight loss that can be maintained. Following the food pyramid is a reliable way to ensure healthy eating. Food groups such as milk, meat, fruits, vegetables and grains, help supply more than 40 nutrients your body needs. You must educate yourself on how to increase nutrition and decrease consumption of less nutritious foods. Read nutrition labels on items at the store before you purchase a product. You will not be in for a surprise as you track your day, and you will not be out of money for a product that fails to deliver. Be sure to supplement your nutrient needs with exercise and proper rest.

Have a blessed day!

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Exercise to Stay Fit for Life!

Regular exercise can strengthen your heart, help reduce blood pressure and improve blood circulation. People who exercise regularly may have more energy, sleep better and experience lower stress levels. If you are dieting it can improve your sense of well being, and enhance the metabolic process. Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise. You will be pleasantly surprised to watch your stamina increase with consistency after a short while. Challenge yourself weekly to go a few minutes longer. It is fun to compete to compete with yourself. The tape measurer will reward you when the scale doesn't. The overall benefits are not seen overnight, but your body will know and reflect to you the amazing results that exercise brings.

Have a blessed day!

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Diet Mantras!

~~Get motivated, put them on the fridge, and join in and post yours

"The best portion of high-calorie foods is the smallest one. The best portion of vegetables is the largest one. Period."

"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."

"Do It Anyweigh."

"A moment on the lips, forever on the hips!"

"COMMIT TO BE FIT."

"If you don't watch your figure, no one else will either."

"The best form of exercise is to use your arms to push yourself away from the table."

Edited by author 04-24-2007 10:08 AM
Train Your Tummy!

1) Follow the Chinese saying: "Eat until you are eight-tenths full."

2) Eat S-L-O-W-LY. Make a conscious decision to slow down your pattern of eating. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to tell you that you are full.

3) Sip water. Make sure you take time to fill your stomach with a non-cal beverage during meal time.

4) Set your utensils down in between bites. Yes, make it a conscious habit rather than the shoveling technique.

5) Chew your food. In your mind count to 20 before you take your next bite.

6) Never eat in a rush while you are standing up, or while driving a vehicle. You will not realize the amount you are eating or be satisfied because your mind is otherwise distracted.

7) Eat your lower calorie foods first and save the higher calorie content foods and favorites for last.

I know that breaking these habits or establishing good ones are difficult, but try to envision a leisurely meal that you have really enjoyed in the past, and aim for that each and every meal until you have got it down to a pat. You will find your appetite being retrained to eat until satisfaction rather than fullness or discomfort.

Have a blessed day!

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