Fit Minded...Or Fat Minded?

Ironically, it came to me on my cruise this week that I am either fit minded or fat minded. 

The main thing that has to change in order to have any lasting success living a healthy lifestyle is the mind. 

First, you have to have a determination to consciously approach everything from a fit mindset. EVERYTHING. The decision to change your mindset is something you have to walk out every day.  Every hour. Every meal. Everything.

It is not easy, and it is not quick. That is why when people hear the safe and successful weight loss is 1-3 pounds a week, most think that's not enough and go for some quick fix. Liquid diets. Pills. Off brand things I won't mention. 

That's why accountability is so important to being fit minded. A fit minded person reads labels, and is accountable for what they are eating. My initial success was hinged tremendously on posting EVERYTHING on www.livestrong.com. Even if it was a bite, or a handful of M&M's, I knew I would have to put it in my tracker on MyPlate. 

My carb addiction was the first very obvious issue - and for me, the dangerous one, as a newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic. Initially, to my horror, I saw that 60-80% of my caloric intake came from carbs.  

My fat-mindedness was not happy. My fat mind loved comfort foods, and I realized that I was using food as a drug more than I wanted to admit. 

My fit mind became stronger every day that I was accountable to MyPlate, and every day the carb percentage went down. I average 60-80 grams of carbs a day now, when my prescribed daily carb intake was 180 grams a day. It's a little by little, bit by bit, conscious fit mind that makes changes. I would like to be at 40 carbs a day, when I'm not training for races. One day at a time. 

My fat mind also was a slug. I went to work, ate, and slept. There was no exercise. My fat mind had a million excuses - I work 12 hour shifts, I have a long commute, I'm tired, I'm not an athlete, I hated P.E. Ad infinitum. 

My fit mind had to make a plan, and stick to it. Initially it was walking everyday. It doesn't seem like much, but when you are a couch tater, it's a lot. 

Eventually I was run/walking the Jeff Galloway plan, and I was doing 5k's. Then 10k's. Now I've done 7 half marathons. 

I spent a week on a cruise ship with the constant reminder of why it's hard to be fit. Buffets were laid out in glorious splendor. Lounge chairs were everywhere. It's vacation, right? Said the fat minded girl. 

But this daily deciding to be fit minded girl went to the gym three times for a total of 11 miles. Walked 60k steps. Climbed flights and flights of stairs instead of using the elevators.  Ate the healthier selections, and did have dessert - but ate half. 

Being fit minded means you understand that we only get one body, and we need to take good care of it. If you feel like crap, I guarantee that making changes in your diet and exercise will help you feel better. 

Where are you - fat minded and making excuses? Or fit minded, and making resolutions? 

I never want this to be me - 400+lbs. struggling to breathe and walk

She didn't wake up that way. 

But every day she wakes up fat minded, it will just progressively continue to kill her. One bite at a time. 

Make the decision to be fit minded. Start today. As they say, the rest of your life starts NOW! 

e b e r

You Are What You Drink

One of the easiest ways to improve your health is by taking stock of what you are drinking. 

Are you drinking soda? Full sugar soda, or pop for you Yankees, is full of empty calories, and lots of sugar. It also has loads of non-nutritive chemicals. So drop the pop! 

As a former cola-a-holic, this is not an easy task. I was not a coffee drinker - I got my caffiene from soda. I also swore I'd never drink diet soda - but with a diabetes diagnosis, I had to make a change. So I found a diet soda I could tolerate, and started there. 

Fully knowing diet soda is nothing nutritional, I made the shift over to diet lemonade, and eventually water. Now, I drink 80-100 oz of water a day. Room temp, mostly between meals. Occasionally I will have a hankering for some bubbly soda, and I will have a can of diet. 

Juice is gone for me, unless I am hypoglycemic. The benefit of fruit is in the eating of the fruit - you get all the nutritional value, the fiber, etc. Juice has been concentrated, pasteurized, and often sweetened. 

The other factor is do you want I drink your calories? A cup of grape juice has 150 calories and 40 carbs! Orange juice is 99 calories and 20 carbs per cup. Apple juice is 113 calories and 28 carbs per cup. Here's a half cup serving:

I know I would rather eat something yummy and healthy. 28 carbs is a LOT. If you are trying to lose weight, cutting carbs is a great place to start - and the empty carbs in juice and soda is a prime example of an easy step you can take to a healthier you. 

Mindful drinking! Start reading those beverage labels!

e b e r

Spiralized!

About a month ago I bought a spiralizer. 

I got it for less than $20. As a diabetic my side dish choices do not include pasta (unless it's Dreamfield's!), potatoes, or rice. This handy gadget turns veggies into pasta noodle shape!

Ridiculously easy to use. I used it on a zucchini, made a pesto sauce, and sautéed some shrimp. 15 minutes of prep and cooking yielded a fresh, delish meal! Viola! 

Even better as leftovers. Oh the culinary places the spiralizer and I will go together! 

Try something fresh and new! 

e b e r

Alternatives for White Food

If you have ever endeavored to change to a healthier lifestyle, one of the first things it seems everyone will tell you to get rid off is white food. 

White sugar. White floor. White rice. White potatoes. 

If you, like me, were raised on all that, this is not an easy - or instant - task. I am still having my battles with refined sugar, my former drug of choice. 

As a diabetic, the call to get rid of white food becomes more urgent, as basically all white food is carbohydrate laden. Ugh!

The first change I made is I stopped eating rice. I loooove white rice, and it was a slow and painful release. A serving size is a mere 1/3 a cup.  I can eat 2 cups in a few minutes - and I would if I could. I can't. So white rice went adios. 

Wild rice is okay - I'm not wild about it, but I will eat it. It doesn't do a lot for me so it's in the rotation infrequently. 

Pasta I love - and hallelujah for "Dreamfields" brand pasta! A serving - a real, adult sized serving - is only 5 net carbs! When any other regular pasta is 45 net carbs.  Wheat pasta is an option, but it is gritty and gross, in my opinion. Dreamfields tastes great and has a normal texture.

My most recent discovery is this wonder, and it cost me less than $12. A spiralizer - it takes raw veggies and turns them into long pasta like coils. Amazing! Now a zucchini can be my "pasta", and there are no carbs to mess with! The options are exciting and I have just begun. It is a fresh and quick alternative, and a way to eat more veggies. Win! I made spiralizer zucchini with pesto sauce and fresh shrimp tonight. The whole dish took under 15 minutes, and is bright and delicious! 

So enjoy the picture of my first spiralizer dish, and check out the gadget for yourself!

e b e r

Kitchen Basics® Spiral Vegetable Slicer - Stainless Steel Vegetable Spiralizer with Quality Sharp Japanese Blades - 2 Julienne Sizes / Design vegetable stir-fries or pasta dishes / Decorate serving dishes 
by F&W 
Link: http://amzn.com/B00H4F9LXG