Pushing It Over The Plateau

It's annoying when you work, work, work and suddenly your body decides to hang out at a certain weight for a while. You know you're not skipping work outs and you're eating right but you just can't seem to edge the scale down. What to do?

A news report I saw recently held up data from a study about sleep deprivation. The study showed that adults who regularly received 5 hours or less sleep a night were more likely to suffer from obesity. And for kids the study found that if they had less than 10 hours a night they were more prone to being overweight as well. Apparently being chronically tired also makes you feel hungrier, leading to overeating.

The same report also emphasized the need for adequate fiber and water each day. Eating oatmeal, whole grains, beans, fruits and veggies will supply the fiber that lowers cholesterol and helps to control eating by making us feel full and satisfied. Of course, you all know about the need for water...anyone who exercises outdoors in Texas is way into hydration!

If you're holding steady on the scale instead of continuing to drop, try tweaking your sleep habits a bit. Only get 6 hours on average per night? Bump it up to 7.5 or 8 if you can. A well rested body will respond much better to your exercise regime.

And evaluate your eating habits. Are you sneaking in junky food that tastes good but doesn't help you meet your goals? Swap that morning bagel for some fresh fruit. Austin's Farmer's Market has some delicious peaches, figs and other fruits right now. They also have organically grown salmonella free avocados, jalapeños and serrano peppers. Jazz up your eating with summer fruits and vegetables and see if you can push past your plateau.

"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."

~William Faulkner~

Enjoy Summer Treats Without Derailing Your Diet

Driving home from work in a car so hot I think I'm in the ninth circle of hell is one thing. Driving past exactly 5 snow cone stands is another. Really, people?? I can only resist so much temptation. So what summertime treats can I enjoy without derailing my diet plan?

"A half cup of ice cream is like a glass of milk and three pads of butter," says Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Okay, that leaves out ice cream. But frozen yummy goodness is what I long for during the hot Texas summer (that means April to October). So I grab the grapes. And freeze them. I adore frozen green grapes. Red seedless grapes are good too, but something about tart green grapes changes when you freeze them, bringing out the natural sugars. Try 'em. They're excellent.

You can also slice bananas into little chips and freeze them, too. Not only are you getting helpful potassium but the banana flavor pops out crazy good when frozen. If you really want to get creative, freeze a few tablespoons of chocolate chips. Have a handful of banana chips with five or six chips. C'mon...five or six little chips won't hurt. And the tiny taste is enough to satisfy without wrecking your healthy eating for the day.

Watermelon! Do I really need to say any more? And cantaloupe, peaches and strawberries. Not a fresh fruit person? Sugar free Jello has saved me from more than one attack of the munchies. Want a savory snack instead of a sweet one? Go for a celery stalk with a teaspoon or two of all natural peanut butter. Have a few almonds, cashews and peanuts. Throw in some raisins if you like.

I'd much rather get my kicks trolling the Austin Farmer's Market for fresh summer finds that are good for me and taste great than test my running ability trying to chase down the ice cream truck. You know the one, it plays "Turkey in the Straw" off key over and over and over while driving sloooooowly through your neighborhood. Hey, now there's an idea for a new twist on my work out: pace runner for the ice cream truck.

"Every diet needs a little wiggle room."

~Jello~

Reaching Milestones

Sometimes we all get too caught up in the process of attaining goals to realize how far we've come. Sometimes we are looking so hard for the finish line that we miss that we've gotten over the biggest of the hills.
I am sitting at my house, filing my paperwork for my album. I went and opened a business account today and the banker looked at me and said "Aren't you excited?" and I had been running around so much that I didn't know for a moment and then it all came flooding over me. Oh my goodness I am SOOOO excited!!! And now that I am putting the papers into the envelopes I realize where I've gotten.
If you didn't know, I'm a singer/songwriter. That's my passion, music. That's what moves me.

When I was heavier, it got in the way of my dreams. I let it get in the way. I put years of training on hold because I was too afraid to get in front of an audience. I started hiding. I stopped writing songs, I stopped going out. I just stopped.
Losing the weight has opened up my life again. I'm back onstage. I'm writing. I'm going out--granted not so much in the ridiculous heat but-- more than I was.
About a month from now I will be releasing my first EP and I am so very excited to realize this plan and celebrate this return to music!

If you are reading this at the start of your journey, I hope that you see what you have gotten away from and fight like mad to get back to it. If you are already well on your way, don't stop fighting until you're where you want to be. You can do it!