Ideas to HELP me on my continued weight-loss journey

Now that the holidays are over, I’m craving a healthier lifestyle.  I’ve learned a few secrets since losing weight last year (you can read about that here) and I’m hoping I can continue making healthy choices in 2014.  I’m pressing forward with my mindset that the choices I make today affect all of my tomorrows.  I try to eat small healthy meals through-out the day, but one of the secrets I learned is to be prepared with healthy foods before the cravings hit.

Here are the saving foods/drinks that get me past the hard times.

1. A grapefruit and stevia.  I have a pink grapefruit tree in my backyard and purchase stevia from Trader Joe’s.  It comes in an easy to use shaker, so I can just sprinkle it on whatever I want.
   
2. Hot chocolate.  Late at night, when everyone else is snacking, I go for this. 

Sugar-free hot chocolate

Celestial Seasonings makes a great tea called Roastaroma.  I steam my tea and then mix in a shake of stevia, a tablespoon of cocoa and a pinch of cinnamon.  Sip it steamy hot and slowly and I feel like I’m on vacation at the Swiss Alps.  Seriously, I feel like I’m sitting in some ski lodge watching the snow fall.

3. Zipfizz.  I know there are many different sugar-free drinks out there.  
   
   I’m not a soda person, so that’s out.  I discovered Zipfizz at Costco and am really happy with it.  I try to only drink it when I need a boost.  Dieting, I find drinks are really important.  They can save me from a downfall. 
4. Mint Cali tea. 
   
   I love to sip my Sunrider Cali tea steamy hot, but when it’s done, I take the tea bag and throw it in with a half-gallon of water.  The mint of the tea bag is so strong, it carries over perfectly.  I mix in the juice of a lemon (I also have a lemon tree that sings with love) and shake in some stevia.  Served over ice, it is the most refreshing drink EVER. 
5. Extra Gum Mint Chocolate Chip. 
   
   I reach for this gum several times a day.  The flavor lasts and lasts.  When dieting, smells can make or break you.  The longer I eat healthy, the less cravings I have, but I remember when I started losing weight the cravings would come which the fierceness of a hungry lion. I felt over come, but remained determined.  I learned to pick up what it was I wanted to eat, like a cookie or a piece of pizza and smell it.  Really smell it and the smell created a distraction.  It was just enough satisfaction and with some self-control, I could put the food down and walk away.
6. Celery.  I eat a lot of celery.  At first, it doesn't taste very good.  I do keep fat-free ranch dressing on hand, so that helps.  When I first started on my weight-loss journey, I remember walking around the house saying "Look at me.  I'm so lucky I get to eat celery."  Yeah, there was a bit of sarcasm in that tone and I would chomp down on it like a cow chewing cud, but celery is an interesting food because if you pay attention to your body, you realize celery can really fill you up.  I eat three celery pieces and can go hours before I’m hungry again.
7. Sugar-free jell-o.  It’s always good to have some jell-o stashed in the refrigerator.  I like cherry or strawberry.  The flavor is very strong and satisfying.  I eat it slowly, so I feel like I’ve had a decent treat.
8. Broiled zuchinni with garlic.  Make sure they are well-done, crispy and they are that much more satisfying.  Sprinkle your favorite garlic seasoning over it and it's delicious.

One of the biggest things I learned is dieting has a true start and stop date.  I don't have to eat like this forever.  I really only eat this strict when I'm in fat-burning mode.  When I'm in maintaining mode, I don't have to be strict.  Still, I do fall back on these foods when I feel I'm starting to slip. In addition, because I had so much weight to lose (and still have more to lose), I found it more manageable to do it in 20 pound increments.  I lost the first 20 pounds and took some time to figure out what I was going to do from there (plus the will power was slacking).  I learned to eat more in moderation and experimented with how much I should/could eat to maintain where I was at.  After a few months, I started up again.  I lost another 20 pounds and took another break for a few months.  This required me to really love myself and be patient.  I had to enjoy and appreciate where I was at.  I had to see the good in my body, even though it was far from where I wanted to be.
  

Out of all the blog posts I wrote last year, I find it interesting my spiritual journey to weight-loss was the most popular with over 1,000 hits.  I wasn't sure if I even wanted to share it, but decided if it would help someone, I would.  It wasn't easy sweating through an emotional battle with weight-loss (and I continue to fight the battle).  I was angry with myself and felt it was unfair I was over weight.  I was a good person.  I exercised and ate lots of salads.  I worked hard and hoped to just get by.  I had five children and that’s why my body looked the way it did.  I had every excuse in the book.  In the past, these emotions and ideas sabotaged me from my weight-loss goals, but spiritually, I held on.  Every minute was a choice.  I knew nothing was impossible with God.  Still, the body has a way of taking over the mind, so having these food and drink choices available left me feeling a bit more in control.

(click here to read more)

Dressember was a great experience for me.  Buying beautiful dresses and wearing them every day was a gift to myself.  I still can't believe I fit into smaller sizes than before.  Wearing these dresses was a reminder to myself that the sacrifices made for weight-loss are worth it.  I know my body isn't perfect, but the purpose behind dressember was important. It's been amazing to maintain my weight-loss after almost a year, but it's time to push myself again.  Back on the band wagon.  I can't wait to see what else I learn through my next spiritual journey with weight-loss.

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