Thank You, Subway, for my Healthy Breakfast Break!

A few weeks ago I was excited to learn that I'd won a gift card to Subway in the BlogtoLose Breakfast Blogger Break Giveaway.  This morning, rainy and grey in the Boston suburbs, I set off to try my first Eat Fresh Breakfast sandwich and I'm happy to report:  it was great!  Heck, it brightened my day! :)

I decided to get the Egg White Muffin Melt which is a whole wheat english muffin, american cheese (or your choice of another cheese), black forest ham, and egg whites (hence the name! lol).  My server at the Waltham Main Street Subway location was so friendly and helpful... which I find rare in customer service these days, sadly.  She pointed out the different options for breakfast, told me what many customers ordered in the morning, and even showed me Subway's frequent visitor Points program (this isn't offered in all Subway locations she explained).  I also was happily surprised that - because Subway now serves breakfast - they also have fat free and low fat milk and juice in their cases to purchase. 

My Egg White Muffin Melt was only 160 calories and contained only 4 grams of fat!  Being that I count fat grams and calories daily (thanks, Vtrim!) , this is an excellent advantage over the McD's Egg McMuffin as they have 300 calories and 12 grams of fat! I think I'm a morning sandwich convert, folks! :)

You guys know I am a Biggest Loser fan and they often feature trips for the contestants to Subway but I hadn't ventured into a Subway in years. Now  I've found out on the Subway Facebook page that they're also holding a Commit to Fit sweepstakes with giveaways of $26,000 total ($1K for each marathon mile that Jared runs) and additional gift cards. How cool is that?!  Check out the rules by following the link above! 

Thanks so much to Roni for the great giveaways and challenges on her BlogToLose site.  If you haven't checked out the blog, please do... it is always worth a visit and will encourage you in your weightloss and fitness journey!

Here's to our health! : )

Jan / Healthy Loser Gal

One year later! Making Strides : )

I was so happy to participate in yesterday's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in my hometown of Salem, NY... and really happy to show up this year some 60+ lbs. lighter than I was last year when walking! :)

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k

I just need to take a minute to slow down this day and breathe and realize how far I've come in a year - both in my weight and in my health!  I will be walking the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k Walk this weekend on Sunday.  I walked it for the first time last year and it is held in my hometown of Salem, NY.

Last year I was not sure I would be able to walk 3.2 miles for the walk.  I didn't think I was fit enough.  I worried about my asthma kicking in on the hills.  I was trying to be upbeat and confident but I was scared.  And this is what I looked like then:

But I did walk the walk and I ended up raising more money than anyone else there actually.  And I felt so darn great about myself and being able to accomplish a goal.  I was one of the last walkers in but I didn't care.  I'd done it.  I'd achieved something I'd put out there as a goal: walking a 5k.

So on Sunday when I walk with confidence up and down those country hills, I'm going to be smiling.  I'll smile because this year I have no doubt I'll make the 3.2 miles... heck, I walk that much often now.  And I'm going to be saying a prayer of thanks to God that I'm able to raise funds for those with cancer... and of thanks to all of you who support me ALL THE TIME and for those of you who donated last year and this year to my 5k participation.  I'll take lots of pictures and post them and I'll feel soooo much better seeing old friends this year than I did last year - still embarrassed by my weight. 

I feel like me again... and this is what "me" looks like (taken this afternoon)!  LIFE IS GOOD!

Have a great weekend!
Jan / HLG

"On Plan OCTOBER" Challenge! :)

"It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped."

Tony Robbins (Author, speaker, peak performance expert, coach)

Let's DO this!! I mean are we serious about our health and fitness and weightloss or aren't we?  All it takes is a real DECISION!  We have to DECIDE (and mean it!) that we are worth the effort it takes to get healthy and stay healthy!  We are worth it, you know... so believe it in your heart and get ready to put some effort into this month's challenge where the challenge is to log your food and your exercise for 24 of the 31 days of the month.  Ideally, you would log every single day and if you want to go for that challenge, please do! :) 

So what do you need to log and how do you keep track?  I learned through my classes with Vtrim that in order to lose weight and be successful long-term, I needed accountability to myself and to log my food and journal my exercise and moods. 

I try to eat somewhere between 1200-1400 calories daily and not more than 25 percent of that in fat grams.  And I try to lose somewhere between 1-2 lbs weekly so my exercise has to equal (for me) about 15 miles walked and about 3-5 hours in the gym.  This has worked for me because I keep track of it every single day - every single bite - every single sip.  At first all this logging and counting seemed excessive and it took a bit of time to look up calories and fat grams and how many calories I was burning and then write it all down, but then - as the pounds started shedding and my body started getting stronger - it became routine and easier and I was invested in the process.  I realized that only I was in charge of getting myself fit and trim.  I was "on plan" and "accountable".

So here is the challenge, my friends.  Figure out what you eat now in calories and try to cut back 500 calories a day if you're trying to lose weight because 500 calories daily x 7 days in a week = 3500 calories which equals one pound gone from your body weekly.  One thing though:  don't go below 1200 calories a day - it just isn't healthy.  And if you're into working out... try to lose 500 calories a day for 5-7 days and you're going to lose another 1/2 lb to pound a week.  I do this by walking 3-5 miles and working out at the Boston area YMCA in Waltham, Massachusetts. : )

Now about logging...  Make a plan for yourself to follow during October and then:

• Write down your beginning weight. Take your measurements.
• Log everything you eat.  Look at nutritional labels and be careful with portion sizes. Eat your calories rather than drink them.  Drink at least 64 ounces of water daily... substitute water for soda and drink water all day long.
• Write down your exercise and approximate calories burned. Push yourself a little further than you have in the past - you can do it and will feel great accomplishing new goals!
• Make notes about how you're feeling.  Are you stressed out from work?  Are you feeling great because you're working out and feel strong?  Do you have family visiting you and coaxing you to eat high-fat or high-cal foods?  Write it all down because you may be able to look back and see patterns to your emotional eating or to your lack of exercise. 

Logging is very eye-opening and sometimes unlocks keys to why folks haven't been able to lose weight or break an exercise plateau.  It sure worked that way for me!

So the October challenge is this in simple terms:

Write down an exercise and food plan for yourself for this month.  For example you could write down: "I'll walk or exercise for 24 days and will not eat over 9800 calories this week (that is 7x 1400 cals) and I'll LOG everything I do for food and exercise." That is your plan.  Now stay ON it!

Look for #OctOnPlan on Twitter and encourage friends as we stay On Plan during the month!  With Halloween candy everywhere, I know I'll need all the encouragement and support I can get... and I'll be giving it right back to you all! :)

One last thing that will help with this month's challenge:  if you don't know of a good place online to journal, I can suggest two sites that I really like which are fitday.com and calorieking.com.  I know alot of friends use livestrong.com/tools, too.

Here we go into October friends... who's "in" to be ON PLAN with me? : )

Jan / HealthyLoserGal


NOTE:  Everything I am writing here is my own weightloss and fitness plan, I am not a doctor or a nutritionist or a diet specialist.  This is what has worked for ME... I cannot recommend it to you or you should not follow my plan for yourself without checking in with a doctor or having someone with an honest to God real degree consult with you! :)  In other words, please don't hold me accountable if this doesn't work for you! ; )

A MILESTONE on the journey...

"A picture says a thousand words" goes the old adage... in this case, a picture shows ....

100 pounds

LOST!

Don't Stress! Think Positively : )

A quick little lesson on changing your thinking from "The Secret"...

"All stress begins with one negative thought. One thought that went unchecked, and then more thoughts came and more, until stress manifested. The effect is stress, but the cause was negative thinking, and it all began with one little negative thought. No matter what you might have manifested, you can change it … with one small positive thought and then another."

Expect good things. 

Think positive thoughts about yourself.
Be happy.

We CAN do this! :)

Let's Join Together for a SEPTEMBER SUCCESS Challenge!

September is one of my favorite times of the year... to me, it seems like a New Year.  Our summer breaks have come to an end, school restarts, even our normal fitness routines may need to change up due to cooler weather and lessened hours of daylight.  I love the crisp days when the weather cools, I look forward to long walks and changing foliage in New England and I now I begin September with a reevaluation of my weightloss and fitness goals. 

Last month I needed a little help from my friends here and on Twitter to nudge me through my August workouts... and boy! what a great support system you all are!  AWESOME August was just that - so incredibly awesome with a goal of 24 of 31 days to exercise, walk or move more than was the 'norm' for each of us.  It was an easy goal to accomplish for many and then there are those of us who the 24 days seems just the right target - a little personal challenge.

So here we ago again, friends!  Are you ready to be a SEPTEMBER SUCCESS story?  : ) Here is how it works:

Really challenge yourself to move more, challenge your routine and commit to whatever number of days out of the month you feel comfortable with.  I'm aiming for 24 days of the 30 days of September.  How many minutes do you need to commit to?  As many as is a challenge to you personally.  I can walk easily for 60 minutes outdoors, so I try to walk 75-90 minutes during a challenge.  What about if you are doing aerobics or DVDs or something else?  Well, what would be a challenge to you... do you see Zumba as a challenge instead of Kick Boxing?  Then commit to yourself to try Zumba more than once during September... allow yourself to dream of big accomplishments and then BELIEVE in your own abilities and be a SEPTEMBER SUCCESS!

We can do this friends... we can set goals and achieve them together.  Let me know if you're "in" and I'll add you to the list I'm keeping on Twitter.  You don't need to check in on Twitter or here daily unless you want to, but do try to post what day of the challenge you're on and how you're doing.  And remember to encourage and applaud our sister and brothers in the challenge for their efforts! : )

There aren't any failures in this September challenge, so don't get discouraged.  If you're attempting to move more and challenge yourself, no matter the number of days that rack up, you're ALREADY a success!

Dream.  Believe.  Achieve!

:)

HLG/Jan

What an AWESOME AUGUST!!

Today marks the final day of August and the end of the Healthy Loser Gal AwesomeAugust challenge!  I walked and/or worked out, went swimming, hiking, or something for 25 of the 31 days! The photo above is of me and my incredibly great trainer at the Waltham YMCA, Parker.  Please note he and I are wearing Healthy Loser Gal t-shirts! LOL He is such a good sport to wear the TRAINER one I made for him for this photo!  : )

 I feel great about getting in my August activities and am so thankful to all of you guys who joined in the fun and inspired me to keep going when the weather was sticky and hot and I felt more like laying low than going out and MOVING! :)  I lost another 9 lbs in August, I'm proud to report!

I have had an incredible month as it included starting a relationship with a wonderful, handsome, healthy, fit man named Jeff whom I've dubbed "Healthy Loser Guy".  He's an early morning exercise guy who has inspired me to roll out of my comfy bed and pull on my walking clothes and meet him at the local track!  The iPhoto is of us a week or so ago right after an early Sunday morning pre-church walk!  Life is, indeed, good!


Next up... a new challenge for September... "Septemeber Success" or #SeptSUCCESS if you're following along on Twitter.  More in a second blog post tonight! : )

Dream. Believe.  Achieve. 

~Jan / HLG

Awesome August? I guess maybe! : )

Here we are, friends, at the mid-way point of our Awesome August challenge and from what I read almost all of us have taken the time to move more,.push ourselves, celebrate change and to love who we are today.  Honestly, these past two weeks have been amazing to witness as so many people change their routines for the better!

Friends on Twitter have lost as much as 10 pounds in the past two weeks of the challenge.  Others have walked around their block for the first time in years.  Folks who haven't moved in months and months have participated in some sort of activity every day of the 16 days thus far.  Moms and daughters, friends, husbands and wives, and single gals like myself have challenged themselves to kick up their routines a notch and have seen some amazing results.  I've gotten emails and direct messages and tweets thanking me for beginning the challenge and I am so thankful for every single one of them! Thank you.  The truth is, though, that on August 1st, I was the one who was looking for help.  I needed accountability and 75+ people stepped up and stepped into this challenge with me.  Have I been motivated and held accountable by all of you, my friends!?  Heck, yeah!  :)

Personally, I am a smidgen away from hitting the 100 pounds lost mark.  I cannot believe it sometimes as I don't really feel like I've struggled which is what so many people ask me about.  "When you felt like it was a real struggle, what did you do?"  The answer to that question is the struggle for me! lol  I never really got bogged down... I never felt helpless... I never once thought of giving up.  I believed in myself.  I was ready for real change and knew I'd need to change my life forever not just for the amount of time it would take.  And, now that I'm nearing the 100 pound mark, I look at my body and realize there is still much to do for me to feel and be 'healthy'.  At this point in my journey, I believe I'll end somewhere in the 150s or 140s.  But, when I do hit 100 pounds gone in the next week... you can bet I'm going to celebrate the accomplishment.  It will be - for me - a truly AWESOME August!

We have two weeks to go in the challenge.  I've a favor to ask all of you on Twitter.  I'm hoping you will support each other's accomplishments by searching #AwesomeAugust daily and when you see friends posting their results of the challenge, retweet and give them a little applause.  And they'll do the same for you.  This is a great way to make new fitness friends, too, and everyone in this challenge deserves a pat of the back because your intention was to get going a little more this month than previously.  So what if you have already missed more than 7 days... challenge yourself to move every day for the next two weeks and stick to your resolution and I'm sure you'll be proud of yourself on August 31st.  I know I will be proud of you! : )

Let's rock the rest of this month, friends... and continue to have an AWESOME AUGUST!!

PS: The photo of me walking at the top of this post was taken yesterday at about 7am while walking with my new (...wait for it...) boyfriend! Woohoo!! I said August was going to be awesome, I just had no idea HOW awesome!! :)

Let's have an Awesome August!

Well, friends, my first week of being on my own since Vtrim Online has ended and I must pat myself on the back - I rocked it! : )  I logged every bite I took, I got in a ton of exercise and walking and even tried to recreate a training session that I do with Parker on my own at the Waltham YMCA!  I must have done okay, too, 'cause the next morning I could barely walk down the stairs at the office without whimpering a bit from wall squats with the ball! It is the keeping the front of my foot elevated and balancing on my heels that really makes my thighs burn during squats.  Yeowch!!  It is all good, though, because I truly am getting fit!  I even trained this morning with Parker at 8am! Woohooo!

As I write this blog post it is a few minutes into the very last day of July! How did the summer come and go so quickly?  I am determined to make every little second of August count for me - both for summer fun and fitness!  When thinking about this earlier tonight I logged onto Twitter and posed the question "If I were to challenge you to an #AwesomeAugust for #fitness, would you join me? Maybe something like committing to exercise 24 of 31 days?"  Well, within an hour or so, I had well over two dozen resounding "I'm IN!" replies!  I was so shocked and happy!  How totally cool are our Twitter friends and I am SURE some of you reading the blog will join in, too.

So here is the idea... let's really commit to ourselves to make August count with our own personal fitness pledge. Of the 31 days of August, commit to yourself and to the #AwesomeAugust group that you will walk or exercise 24 of those days.  It is really incredibly hot in some parts of the country so the rest days will be recovery days to use! : )  We can make the last month of the summer our best month of the summer and enter September proud of ourselves for the commitment we made and KEPT to ourselves!!  You can post here on the blog or on Twitter when you've exercised or group the days together and post what you did for the week.  If you're posting on Twitter, please use the #AwesomeAugust hashtag so we can find one another and support each other during the month!!  It'll be fun! :)

If "you're in!" on the Awesome August Challenge and want to use the badge above and below or over on the right (thanks, Kristen!), simply right click on it and save it to your photo directory to add to your webpage or blog!

Happy last day of July, friends, and let's have an Awesome August!!

Jan / HealthyLoserGal

If you just believe...

The song, "Believe" by Suzie McNeil is, by far, my favorite song on my iPod to workout or walk to right now!  It is all about believing in yourself and the incredible life that is out there - waiting for you to enjoy - if you'll only take the chance and go for your dreams and let yourself LIVE! 

It has taken me a long time and a good deal of work to remember what it is like to believe in myself, to count on myself again, to believe that anything is possible... but now I do believe in myself and my abilities to change my life and I am really enjoying the road I'm traveling!  And guess what?  I believe in YOU, too... do you?

BELIEVE

One minute's fading

One minute's past

But I've got this moment

To make it all last

I'm standing before you

Taking my chance on

Everything

I never thought that I could be

'cause you can do almost anything

If you just believe

You can move mountains with dreams

The higher you climb

The better it gets

'cause you will see things

You'll never forget

If you just believe

It's like I'm falling through my own fears

They used to haunt me, but now they're not here

There's no looking back, my future is clear

No giving up

And I'm holding on when it gets rough

'cause you can get through most anything

If you just believe

You can move mountains with dreams

The higher you climb

The better it gets

'cause you will see things

You'll never forget

If you just believe

No one says it's easy

And no one says you have to be perfect

But as long as you try

You're always gonna find

It was worth it

If you just believe

You can move mountains with dreams

The higher you climb

The better it gets

'cause you will see things

You'll never forget

If you just believe

You can move mountains with dreams

If you just believe

You can move mountains with dreams

Thank you to Hollie Self (Biggest Loser #4) for first mentioning this song in her May guest post on the blog!

Are you REALLY READY to CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

Twenty four weeks ago, I sure was!  : )  I've been tweeting about how this is my final week on Vtrim Online and - I can hardly believe this, but because this is my last week of and the great success it has been for me and everyone in my group, the people at Vtrim are all excited about everyone who has shown interest in the program that is following me on the blog or on Twitter.  They have a new online class about to start... it actually begins next Thursday, 7/29... and if you reach out to Beth at Vtrim at Beth.CaseyGold@uvm.edu she will give you $100 OFF the regular price for the classes.  Just like that!  Just because I've lost the weight and they're sure YOU CAN, TOO!!! 

So instead of the 24 week Vtrim Online course for $695 - you can tell them you read the Healthy Loser Gal blog and/or follow me on Facebook or Twitter and they'll give you the full 24 weeks of Vtrim Online Weightloss program for $595!!  That is like $25 a week and - believe me - we've probably all spent $25 weekly on junk food that got us to where we NEED Vtrim's help!!  I know I sound like an infomercial here... lol... but hey - $100 saved is $100!!

Isn't that an amazing offer from them?  I am so psyched for you guys!!  I hope you'll take them up on the offer (I haven't seen it discounted before so this is pretty big!)!  Click on the Vtrim link above to go to the site to find out about this 24 week class' facilitator and check Vtrim out more if you haven't already!

And if you have any questions at all about the Vtrim Online program, you can email me or email Beth Casey at the email address above!!  I'm not getting paid by them, I'm not under any obligation to them... it is just that VTRIM WORKED FOR ME AND I'M SOOOO EXCITED TO SEE IT WORK FOR YOU, TOO! :)

Besides the pictures above, one last persuasive piece of evidence on why I think this is great:

Twenty four weeks ago I weighed 229 lbs. 
Today, at my annual physical at the doctor's office, I weighed 193 lbs.  My blood pressure was 103/72 and I'm in the best physical shape - directly due to Vtrim Online's counseling - that I have been in for 20 years!!

If you're really ready to make a commitment to change your eating habits and exercise, there is no time like the present 'cause it is $100 in your pocket for new work out clothes! We can be "Vtrimmers" together! :)

xo
Jan / HealthyLoserGal

Guest Blog: Vtrim answers re: Maintenance Mode & Getting into the Health Biz

Many thanks to Beth & Heather from Vtrim Online for having guest blogged these past three times on the Healthy Loser Gal blog!!  They've provided us with some great information on losing weight the right way & keeping it off... curing the cravings, moving onto maintenance and so much more!  I am FOREVER indebted to Vtrim and will be a Vtrimmer for life now that I have found a sensible, healthy & proven way to lose the weight I've needed to lose - and more so - to keep it off.  Vtrim Online classes have proven a life saver, literally, for me.  I'm exercising and loving it - I'm eating right and proud of myself.  I think many people look at the up front cost of Vtrim Online and think it is prohibitive, but let me give you my take on that.  I was on Weight Watchers for FOUR YEARS and paid a monthly membership fee of $50+.  I also was constantly encouraged to buy their products, their magazines, their upgrades...  Just for the membership fee alone I was paying $600+ yearly and I wasn't losing the weight I needed to nor was I keeping it off.   In five months on Vtrim Online I have lost nearly 40 lbs. and have had the camaraderie of the other ladies and men in my weekly online classes.   So... the money is a BARGAIN when you look at it realistically.  Plus, and this is a big one to me, Vtrim Online is run by the University of Vermont.  The Vtrim program is backed by 20 years of proven research.  AND THEY'RE NON-PROFIT!! :)  With all this said, a big thank you to the dietitians for their final Guest Blog and answering all our questions! : )

Hi HLG Blog Readers!


It’s Beth and Heather, Registered Dietitians from Vtrim Online, and we’re here with answers to your insightful questions from HLG’s birthday blog post.

We were excited to see so many great questions that indicated you do not take your health for granted. At Vtrim, we also value credible, scientific information – no gimmicks!

Carrie asked the important question about maintenance: “I've met my weight-loss goal, and now want to focus on maintenance. I know I need to up my daily calorie intake, but I'm so afraid of putting back on the pounds that I'm still sticking with my old calorie goal. Any suggestions???”

Carrie, great question about maintenance. Losing weight is the beginning of the journey of keeping it off for life. At Vtrim we teach participants that maintaining a weight loss is all about mindset—what you do to lose weight is what you do to keep it off. This is about a healthier lifestyle, not a quick diet fix. You WILL have to exercise and you WILL have to think about your food choices and limit portion sizes. You WILL have to pay attention to the scale in order to keep your weight in a healthy range. And you WILL have to do this for the rest of your life.

In fact, research shows that two of the biggest predictors of long-term weight maintenance are 1) maintaining a regular exercise program, and 2) weighing yourself regularly—at least once a week. The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) is a great resource of information about successful weight “losers.” And the data from the NWCR show that people who maintain their weight losses typically weigh themselves at least once a week but often once per day. They also exercise about an hour per day or about the equivalent of walking 28 miles per week (2800 calories burned through exercise).

As for calorie intake, for some people the difference between weight loss and weight maintenance is only a few hundred calories per day. But nevertheless, you can likely increase your calorie intake and maintain your weight loss. The best way to avoid overshooting your calorie needs is to continue to journal your calorie intake and gradually adjust your daily goal upwards.

Start by increasing your by 150-200 calories per day. Try that new goal for two weeks (ex. 1400 to 1550 calories) and see whether your weight remains the same. Then try moving your goal up again another 150-200 calories (ex. 1550-1700 calories). There is no perfect way to find your personal energy balance; it takes careful trial and error. Depending on age, size, and activity level, most women tend to maintain their weight between 1500-2000 calories per day. If you want more tips on what is working for successful maintainers, we recommend the NWCR’s website at www.nwcr.ws/.

Becdanto asked “I have lost 113 lbs and kept it off for three years... I have fallen in love with fitness and nutrition. What would I need to study or major in to pursue a job in this field and to teach others...”Becdanto, it’s great to hear that your personal health journey has sparked your interest in helping others achieve the same benefits you have realized with a healthier lifestyle. There are several options to becoming educated and trained in the field of weight management. Most of our facilitators at Vtrim are registered dietitians, clinical psychologists, exercise physiologists/personal trainers, or licensed counselors. A bachelor’s degree in nutrition, exercise physiology, or counseling is a great foundation for this field of work. Best of luck to you!

~*~*~*~

Thanks to my two friends on Twitter @CaSuPe15 and @BeautifulBecky for the great questions for the Vtrim Online dietitians! You two both inspire me to get to my healthy weight and then step into maintenance forever mode! :)

And now for the winner of the book giveaway: The EatingWell Diet: Introducing the VTrim Weight-Loss Program: by Dr. Jean Harvey-Berino is...

DEBRA

 (Anonymous)

who wrote me an email to say she left the comment and was having difficulties registering on Yahoo/Blogspot!!

Congrats, Debra! The great folks at Vtrim Online will be sending you off the book in the next week or so!!

Guest Blog: Vtrim answers "How Do I Fight 'the Hungries'?" and more!

I am so happy to have my friends at Vtrim back with another great guest blog post on handling those times when the 'hungries' seem overwhelming and also - how to handle the monotenany of a vegetarian diet & protein needs... they provide valuable info and great knowledge, so please welcome them back! :)

Hi HLG Blog Readers!

It’s Beth and Heather, Registered Dietitians from Vtrim Online, and we’re here with answers to your insightful questions from HLG’s birthday blog post. Thanks HLG!

We were excited to see so many great questions that indicated you do not take your health for granted. At Vtrim, we also value credible, scientific information – no gimmicks! So with that in mind, we narrowed your questions down and merged a few into one response to get more of your questions answered.


Kyra asked, “What do you do when "I want to eat everything in the fridge" strikes. I've been running for my workouts, and sometimes I just get the HUNGRIES!

Many people experience the “hungries” and have days when they feel like a bottomless pit. It happens to everyone! And while it can happen for different reasons (hormone cycles, activity levels, emotional responses, or poor timing of meals) it doesn’t mean you have to throw all caution to the wind. We recommend that whenever you eat, pay attention to your hunger scale to help guide your eating intervals throughout the day (On a scale of 1-10, 1 being starving, 10 being “totally overdid it”). You should avoid the extremes at each end of the hunger scale and aim to eat when your hunger level is between 3-4 (beginning to feel a little hungry or feeling uncomfortable and ready to eat). You should stop eating between 5-6 (comfortable and could only eat a little more or satisfied and feeling comfortable and full). As you keep track of your food choices and timing of meals each day, consider how your hunger level impacts the quality and quantity of what you eat.

By paying attention to your hunger cues, you will determine which eating patterns work best for you to establish your personal healthier routines that avoid large peaks and valleys in your energy and hunger levels.

Additionally, keep in mind that it is natural to need to refuel your body every 3-4 hours to keep your hunger cues at bay. Lean/lowfat protein is the #1 way to fuel up AND manage your appetite. When you do eat, be sure to include healthy, high protein foods.

OMGifatty said “I am getting the vegetarian blues! I am bored with my food choices, and don't really want to load up on the tofu and processed fake meats... I guess my question is, as a vegetarian, what should I be shooting for in terms of protein intake per day, if I am aiming for 12-1600 calories a day, 20-30 fat grams? Is there anything I should be looking out for, as I begin to fiddle with my diet?”

And Risse asked “I get bored of eating the same foods - what are some creative/different ways to get protein?

Chances are that when you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, your eating choices could use a little shaking up. Sure there are some great healthy sources of protein out there, but eating the same things day in and day out can get boring. Having some variety is helpful. It’s interesting that research shows that the greater variety of healthy foods you eat in your diet, the more likely you will maintain your healthy habits. But on the flip side, the greater variety of foods in your diet that are high in sugar and fat (those simple carbs and the sweet and savory calorie traps) the less likely you will be to maintain a healthy weight. So variety in your diet with the RIGHT types of foods is important. For those who are looking to get more protein, lean meats/poultry, eggs, and low-fat or non-fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, string cheese or other lower fat cheeses) are quick ways to get it in. But if you’re vegetarian, your choices are more limited.

Whether vegetarian or not, one of the best sources of protein in your diet is the dried bean/legume family (think pinto, black, chili, garbanzo, white, lowfat refried, etc). Not only are they packed with protein, they’re loaded with fiber, too. So they are great appetite managers. Just a ½ cup serving can go a long way. Nuts are also a great source of protein. They are high in fat (heart healthy fats) though so their calories add up, making portion control key. Nut butters are another way to creatively get more protein in. And higher protein cereals like kashi or higher protein grains like quinoa can add some variety to your protein intake.

So how much protein do you need? Typical recommendations are that 15-25% of your total calorie intake should come from protein. That’s 45-75 g protein for a 1200 calorie diet and 60-100 g protein for a 1600 calorie diet. The basic recommendation based on body size is .8 g/kg body weight (kg=pounds divided by 2.2). So for a 200-pound individual, that’s just under 75 g protein/day.

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Woooohooooooo!!!!!

Guest Blog: Vtrim Helps Us With Plateau Busting!

So you haven't seen me post my weightloss on Twitter for the past two plus weeks, have you?  Nope!  Do you know why?  Because I've hit the dreaded PLATEAU!  Arggghhhhhh! 

I'm working out, walking, eating right, logging everything, drinking my water, counting my fat grams, working out, walking, etc. etc. etc. and guess what?!  The darn scale won't budge!  I think I've focused so much on ONE-derland that my body refuses to give it to me! 

But now serendipity has stepped in and, like a message in a bottle out of nowhere, the second installment of the answers to our questions for the Vtrim folks is about... of course.... PLATEAU BUSTING! :)   

It’s Beth and Heather, Registered Dietitians from Vtrim Online, and we’re here again with answers to your insightful questions from HLG’s birthday blog post.

We were excited to see so many great questions that indicated you do not take your health for granted. At Vtrim, we also value credible, scientific information – no gimmicks! So with that in mind, we narrowed your questions down and merged a few into one response to get more of your questions answered.

We’ve had several questions centering around the dreaded plateau…


Mostly Meg asked, “I've lost 18 pounds and would like to lose 10 more, but I've hit a plateau. Does Vtrim have any advice for getting over the plateau and reaching the next goal?!?”

Benita also asked about plateaus, “My question is, how do you break out of a plateau, especially when you're struggling with being peri-menopausal? I've been on a weight loss journey for a little over 2 years now & lost about 60 pounds, most of it in the first year. This last year, I've been maintaining, but I'm only about half way to my goal weight & just can't seem to lose anymore.“


And another reader asked, “I've plateaued and can't seem to get past it, any ideas?”

First of all, pat yourself on the back for what you HAVE accomplished thus far. The most detrimental effect of a plateau is how it impacts your motivation to maintain a healthier lifestyle which is benefiting you tremendously independent of continued weight loss. It is so important to continue to celebrate the positive changes you’ve made and are maintaining. That is not easy! Whether the scale is moving or not, you’re still healthier than you were before losing weight.

It’s also important to know that weight plateaus are completely normal and an expected part of weight loss. Everyone experiences them. Even research shows that it is normal to see a plateau in weight loss, especially after about 4-6 months of engaging in an active weight loss plan. While researchers haven’t been able to explain exactly WHY plateaus happen, it’s thought that the body needs time to adjust to the changes that have been occurring in your body.

With that in mind, let’s talk about what you CAN do to get the scale moving again. One of the best things you can do is to shake up your exercise routine and take it up a notch. How is your exercise routine going—have you been doing the same thing for awhile? Are you bored with your routine and slacking off a bit? To help bust through a plateau, start pumping some weight.

Strength training is a boost to your metabolism and can help counter the natural slowing that occurs with metabolism and weight loss (as you lose weight, there’s less of you to move around all day, thus lowering how many calories you need on a daily basis). And guess what one of the biggest predictors of weight gain during those peri-menopausal years? --a decrease in physical activity. So exercise becomes doubly important in that stage of life.

As for your food goals, sometimes cutting yourself a little slack for a week or two can actually give your body a chance to reboot its weight loss efforts. If you’ve diligently counted out every carrot stick and ounce of chicken, giving yourself permission to relax your calorie goal for a few days (we said “relax” the goal, not shoot it to pieces) can make your body feel a little more willing to start giving up some extra pounds again. Allowing yourself an extra 300 calories or so per day can typically create a little more breathing room without running the risk of weight gain.

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Thank you to Beth and Heather for helping us out of the plateau crazies! :) I can add only one thing to what they've said and that is that I know that if I keep eating right (the way I'm learning to weekly with Vtrim Online!), keep exercising and if I stay POSITIVE, this plateau will be busted and the scale will move in the right direction!  And, believe me, I'll let you know when that happens in a very big one-derland way!! *grin*

Fifteen months into the journey...

So here I am again.  Now fifteen months into my weightloss & "get healthy" journey! I am proud of how far I've come but not ready, by any means, to say 'this is good enough'.  It  isn't.  I'm getting out of the "overweight" BMI stats and will be able to take whatever my trainer, Parker, throws my way within the next three to four months.  By Columbus Day of this year, I will be at my healthy weight and I will be able to RUN! :)

Today is Father's Day in the U.S. and I cannot help but think of my Dad, whom I loved so very much and was so close to, and how proud he would be of me now.  He died over 25 years ago now and - of course - I miss him, but somehow I think I may not have been on this journey at all were he still around.  He had a way of cutting to the quick of the matter if he thought I was steering off course.  Somewhere along the line I would have heard something like "those pants are kind of tight, don't you think, Jan?  You might want to lay off those Pepsi-Colas!" and he would lift his eye brow and give me that 'all knowing nod' as if to say "You hear what I'm saying to you, right?"  *grin*  And because his approval meant so much to me, I probably would have 'laid off the soda'!   So, I can't help but think today that he may be smiling down from above, knowing I've worked damn hard at this and would be proud of me.

Many of you who I yack with on Twitter or have followed the blog here for awhile know that I have a dream board.  It is a way of keeping your dreams and goals front & center in your mind throughout everyday.  I have made my dream board my laptop's wallpaper as well as the background on my Twitter home page.  One of the pictures I included on the dream board (although you can't see it on Twitter) is a photo of a fit woman on a beach, her shoulders/head on a stability ball, her hips raised, her feet planted square on the sand as she is doing chest presses.  I saw that and included that photo because I thought "when I can do that, I will be FIT!". 

 *beam* 

Please take a look at these two photos.  One is the photo on my dream board.  The other photo is of me and Parker yesterday at the YMCA in Waltham... doing the same exact thing.  I teared up at training this week and told Parker how much his pushing me has meant to me - how much he has helped me and how thankful I am to him that I have gotten to where I can look in a mirror and actually recognize myself again.  He started to say "you've done all the work" and I stopped him mid-sentence to ask him to please accept my thanks.  He grinned & did which made me feel truly happy.  I believe that good things and good people enter our lives when we believe in our dreams.  Beth Casey Gold and the folks at Vtrim are a great example of that.  Anthony at the YMCA changing his mind from who he was originally going to assign to me as a trainer, and pairing me up with Parker, is another example.

Dream. Believe. Achieve. 

I'm no longer the person who couldn't walk a flight of stairs without getting winded.  I'm no longer terrified if my inhaler isn't within sight!  I'm no longer the person ordering a large pizza and - when the delivery guy arrives - pretending someone else is in the house with me to eat it!! I'm no longer the person looking at a photo of a fit woman on a beach doing something that was out of reach.

The reality is if we believe in ourselves, nothing is truly out of our reach. 

With hard work, patience and persistence... we CAN do this!  And guess what?  I *am*! :)