Healthy Living Tips

from: The Teachers.Net Chatboard
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The Question Posted to Dot2 by Danielle:

I read your post about how you eat and CONGRATULATIONS!! I am currently working on improving my very bad eating habits and have 41 pounds to go. Its been going well. I don't want to follow any "diet" because I've done that and put the weight back on. I want to revamp my eating habits to a healthier me. Is this what you did 17 years ago or did you start with a plan first?

Could you please give me some examples of "whole grains." Brand names would be great but just some of what you eat that is considered "whole."

Thanks for the help!

Dot2's response:

Things that contain whole grain will say "whole grain" somewhere on the label. Don't just look at the word wheat, because you can have a wheat product that is very processed. I eat whole grain bread I get at Costco. I buy whole grain cereals at a store here known for its healthy food. Eat things as close as possible to the state that they came out of the field. Eat raw things when possible.

As for how I did it, I changed one habit at a time and in the process I changed my lifestyle. I did not make a second change until the first was a true lasting habit. With a few of these I changed 2 at a time if they were small and not distressing changes. These are things I have changed over the years. I started with exercise and water. I will try to put them in the order I did them, but I am not sure I remember. If I fell off the wagon, I backed up and started again.

1. 30 minutes of exercise a day. I first started with biking and later went to walking, and now I jog.
2. I started drinking 80 oz. of water a day, spread out over the day. I had 10 oz. the moment I woke up. I had most of my water by 6 p.m.
3. I went from 2% milk, to 1% to skim. Now I use only unsweetened soy milk. My favorite brand is Pacific Soy. The whole family uses it now.
4. I quit drinking all juices, soft drinks, etc. NO caffeine. (I do let myself have a coke once or twice a month). In other words I drank no calories or chemicals. I only drink water. In winter I will sometimes have treat of a rare hot chocolate.
5. I increased the raw foods and decreased the processed.
6. I went from margarine (terribly unhealthy) back to real butter. I use whipped and only tiny, tiny amounts. I prefer fruit spreads on toast. Butter has more flavor and you will need far less anyway.
7. I use only olive oil.
8. I took up weight lifting 4 days a week about 7 years ago (I am 47) and found it turned up my metabolism and really toned me up. I can weigh 135 and be flabby or weigh 135 and be firm. I can weigh 135 and be a size 10 or weigh 135 and be a size 6-8. The numbers on the scale don't mean much. A toned 135 looks way better than a flabby 135. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat and your clothes will look much nicer. It also helps posture and that alone can make you look much thinner.
9. I always get 8-9 hours of sleep a night.
10. I eat a large breakfast every day. Heavy on the protein.
11. I snack at least every 2 hours on a tablespoon of nuts, a small piece of cheese or something that will hold me. Not sugar!!
12. I took up snow skiing because I find it harder to get good workouts in the winter.
13. I have worked very hard on my attitude. Books I would recommend are How to Want What You Have by Timothy Miller; How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie; The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge; You the Healer by Jose Silva and Robert Stone; When Your Body Gets the Blues by Annette M. Brown.
14. I eat at least 8 fresh fruits and veggies a day. Small portions on the sugary things like cherries or grapes.
15. I eat a bit of dark chocolate every day because it is good for my heart and good for my attitude :-)
16. I try very hard to keep the emotional, spiritual, and physical parts of my life balanced. I try to learn something new each day and I try to have some quiet time each day. Almost every evening this summer I have gone to sit on the bank of the river and watch the deer come out at sundown. It is good for the soul.
17. I have found that chaos in my environment brings me down. I keep my house really neat and it makes me feel good. I am not obsessive about it, but the rooms where I spend the most time are organized.
18. I take up one new hobby a year. I don't have to stick with it but I have stuck with 90% of them. My rule is that I have to try it for 3-4 times at least. I have taken up wood carving, weight lifting, running, tole painting, piano, computer classes, rubber stamping, snow skiing, and many other things. As you can see several of these serve dual purposes with keeping my life socially balanced or adding exercise. I love to take classes with groups of people and learn new things. I was with the same wood carving group for 10 years and we all remain friends. I have been in the same stamping club for almost 3 years now.

You may wonder what some of these things have to do with weight.

Well, I have learned that eating becomes a way to fuel my body, rather than entertainment when my life is full.

Good luck. You can do it!