Resolution 22: Liquidate my Curves

Liquidate my Curves

Today, while home for the Memorial Day, I had the television on in the background as I was sorting through my closet, deciding what to toss and what to keep. Although I had never watched it before, I left the t.v. on when The Dr. Oz Show started. Apt it was: today's broadcast was about curvy girls embracing and refining their curves. 


I didn't always appreciate my curves, but over the last few years I have grown to appreciate them. (Unless I am buying jeans, that is.) Specifically, I appreciate the distribution of my curves, as many recent studies show that having too much weight around ones middle can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Luckily, I carry my weight primarily in my hips, thighs, and butt. A healthy shape by these standards--although it does not always feel that way when I am swimsuit shopping.

Dr. Oz made a few shape-specific suggestions, both liquid in nature, that I thought I could easily weave into my life to make it healthier (and a bit more curve defining). One recommendation was to drink 4 servings of black tea at day in order to keep belly fat at bay: "If not kept under control, the stress hormone cortisol can lead to excess glucose production, which your body then converts into fat. Studies have shown that, in addition to enhancing positive moods, black tea reduces cortisol levels." Seeing as I love iced black tea, particularly the mango black tea that I stash away in high quantities every time I or my parents in-law return from a visit to Hawaii, this should not be too difficult a challenge. It will simply mean increasing my two servings a day, on average, to four each day. 

The other suggestion made by Dr. Oz that I found interesting was regarding slimming down in areas below the waist, where I store most of my fat. For this Dr. Oz recommends drinking low-fat milk: "low-fat dairy helps mobilize fat to the areas you want--your hips, thighs and butt...try adding an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk to every meal. You might have a cup in your morning cereal, a glass to accompany your lunch, and some delicious, dark chocolate milk after dinner for dessert." For me, this task will prove a bit more difficult, as I rarely consume this much milk in a day. Nonetheless, I think it feasible to drink 8 ounces at breakfast, have a yogurt with lunch (I assume that counts), and another glass with dinner. 


With these two, easy, liquid dietary changes I should be on a curvy road to a healthy lifestyle in no time!

Resolution 21: Avoid Stress-Triggered Eating

Avoid Stress-Triggered Eating

As many of you know, I am in the throws of a stressful time: only 12 school days are remaining, yet I have about 15 days worth of curriculum that I would ideally like to cover still; we have a tentative teaching contract, which for me (a negotiator) means a lot of informational sessions after work each day; the end of the school year is booked solid with banquets, meetings, and celebrations; I am house-sitting for family members; I have to renew my teaching license this year and I only have about a month to finish this process; and I have my PGP (Professional Growth Process) final evaluation due at the end of the week. Not to mention, on top of all this I have students and parents who want up-to-date grade information regarding my classes, as well as co-workers who would like to talk about the new Minnesota English Language Arts standards that are being implemented next fall. What this equates to is simple: STRESS. 


When I get stressed, I eat. (I don't know that I eat more per-say than I do otherwise, but I do know that I eat less healthily.) According to a Mayo Clinic online article, "[stress] can also lead to an unhealthy cycle--your emotions trigger you to overeat, you beat yourself up for getting off your weight-loss track, you feel badly, and you overeat again." Yep. Those people at the Mayo Clinic know what they are talking about. When rushing from meeting to meeting, it is all to easy to swing by McDonald's on my way from one to the other. When working late at school to catch up on scoring essays, the vending machine is far too close by. When getting home late from a stress-filled day, a beer all too quickly becomes a few beers and a snack on the side. Therefore, this time of year I need to be particularly focused on making good choices. 


The same Mayo Clinic article has ten suggestions for how to avoid making poor choices when dealing with stress (after each you will see my commentary): 

• Tame your stress. If stress contributes to your emotional eating, try a stress management technique, such as yoga, meditation or relaxation.
• Sometimes a short nap, or even a few minutes of sitting quietly in a room with no distractions, can help me get my frustrations under wraps. I simply need to be disciplined enough to take the time to be still. It sounds easy, but it's not. 
• Have a hunger reality check. Is your hunger physical or emotional? If you ate just a few hours ago and don't have a rumbling stomach, you're probably not really hungry. Give the craving a little time to pass.
• I find this hard, primarily because I often don't have time to think about if I am hungry or not--with my busy schedule I have to eat when I have a window of opportunity or I may not have another opportunity for a few hours. I know that is the not the right reason to eat, but it is the crux I need to overcome.
• Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you're feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. Over time, you may see patterns emerge that reveal the connection between mood and food.
• I need to be better with this: I did it religiously when I began this blog, but the busier I get the less apt I am to be consistent in recording my calorie intake. 
• Get support. You're more likely to give in to emotional eating if you lack a good support network. Lean on family and friends or consider joining a support group.
• I am lucky to have my husband, friends, family, and all my blog readers to help me stay motivated and focused on my goals. For me, this one is not an issue. 
• Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you're not truly hungry, distract yourself. Take a walk, watch a movie, play with your cat, listen to music, read, surf the Internet or call a friend.
• Boredom is not an issue for me at this time of year. 
• Take away temptation. Don't keep supplies of comfort foods in your home if they're hard for you to resist. And if you feel angry or blue, postpone your trip to the grocery store until you're sure that you have your emotions in check.
• This one is also not an issue for me. Scott and I have rid our house of almost all tempting foods. In addition, since Scott does the grocery shopping almost exclusively, he has to deal with his hunger pangs, not mine. 
• Don't deprive yourself. When you're trying to achieve a weight-loss goal, you may limit your calories too much, eat the same foods frequently and banish the treats you enjoy. This may just serve to increase your food cravings, especially in response to emotions. Let yourself enjoy an occasional treat and get plenty of variety to help curb cravings.
• The food I crave most is dark chocolate. Rather than ridding my life of this decadent joy, I have replaced it with small, snack-able portions. I keep Ghirardelli dark chocolate baking chips in my freezer at home, which allows me to have only a few chips when I have the urge to consume delicious dark chocolate, rather than a whole chocolate bar. We also keep Hershey's lite chocolate syrup in our fridge: mixed with skim milk this is a chocolate-craving-curbing solution that beneficially also fills me up a bit. 
• Snack healthy. If you feel the urge to eat between meals, choose a low-fat, low-calorie snack, such as fresh fruit, vegetables with fat-free dip, or unbuttered popcorn. Or try low-fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite foods to see if they satisfy your craving.
• I try this, I really do. Unfortunately, this is where I struggle most. I may bring an apple to work for after the final bell rings and I still have hours of meetings before me, but I commonly set that aside when I see that a coworker has brought brownies to share... This is one I will surely have to focus on this week.
• Get enough sleep. If you're constantly tired, you might snack to try to give yourself an energy boost. Take a nap or go to bed earlier instead.
• Most of the time, sleep is not an issue. Although, when I find myself running solidly from 7:00 AM until 9:00 PM I crave some wind-down time when I get home. On these nights I may not get as much sleep as I crave. That said, most nights this is not an issue. 
• Seek therapy. If you've tried self-help options but you still can't get control of your emotional eating, consider therapy with a professional mental health provider. Therapy can help you understand the motivations behind your emotional eating and help you learn new coping skills. Therapy can also help you discover whether you may have an eating disorder, which is sometimes connected to emotional eating.
• I don't think I am here yet.

Here's to hoping I have a stress-less week! However, since that is not likely, I will just aim at having a stress-manageable week that allows me to make good food choices. 

Resolution 20: Quick, Healthy Breakfast

Quick, Healthy Breakfast

This past week, my resolution was to eat a healthy breakfast that was quick and filling. Inspired by a post I had read on Self magazine's website, I had Scott pick up some groceries for me Sunday morning. Thanks to him I was able to have yogurt, blueberries, and a quarter cup of Grape Nuts sprinkled in for crunch each morning for breakfast. Each morning, getting up about ten minutes earlier than usual, I would make myself the sweet, creamy, and crunchy concoction right before heading to work. 

Truth be told, however, I did not enjoy this breakfast choice. Sure, it tasted delicious and I loved the way the Grape Nuts crunchified a texture I would otherwise have found relatively repulsive. Nonetheless, this breakfast choice I had made didn't fill me up. By third hour each day I was grumpy, craving anything edible, and my stomach was audibly dissatisfied. Since my lunch is 6th hour (2.5 hours after the pangs of hunger had already kicked in), I deemed this breakfast choice no longer an option. 


No worries. You win some, you lose some. I chalk this one up as a loss. I had never expected to win them all. 

Resolution 19: Kick the Cold

Kick the Cold

Yes, I know this entry should have been posted two weeks ago. The reason it wasn't posted at that time is simple: I was sick. I was really sick. Sore throat, runny nose, frequent sneezing, pressing exhaustion...I felt just plain yucky. Yet, with the school year and negotiation sessions drawing to a close there was no taking time away from work. Therefore, instead, I made all non-work time as stress-free and laid-back as possible. I devoted all extra time to simply getting better. I slept a lot. I drank juice all the time and consumed soup for most meals. Essentially, my full time job was no longer teaching--it was getting better. 

Resolution 18: Eating Light at Night

Eating Light at Night

Unlike most of my blog entries, this one is going to lack research to support my goal. That's right, I am going rogue on this one. This week, I lean on nothing more than instinct. 


Most days I eat lighter during the day, thereby ingesting the bulk of my calories after I return home from work (between 5:00 and 6:00 on most days). On a typical day, I take in around 300 calories for breakfast, maybe a 100 calorie snack, and then about 400-550 at lunch. Then, as the stress of the workday fades away, my discipline fades with it. Part of this is because Scott and I often enjoy dinner out with friends or family, and I commonly lose dietary focus when having a good time. Another reason I take in extra calories at night is simply because it is in the evening that I find myself fighting certain cravings; primarily, I crave sweets--chocolate mainly. The third and final reason: at night I simply have more time to eat. Add these three together and it not surprising that I consume the largest increment of my calories in the evening. 


Even though I commonly am able to stay under my calories allotment each day, I don't think it is healthy for me to be consuming almost half of them in my final meal of the day--especially since some evenings I may not eat dinner until about three hours prior to tucking myself into my bed. Sometimes, when I finally submerge myself in sleep, I am still significantly full from dinner or a nighttime snack. My gut tells me that is simply not the best way to go about calorie consumption. So, this week I start to change this trend. 


Today was day one of this goal, and I am really proud of how it went. I started with my typical breakfast of 300 calories; I had an apple as a mid-morning snack; I ate my 600 calorie lunch of whole wheat pasta, chicken, and veggies (made for me by my loving husband); and then for dinner, even though out with my parents and surrounded by tempting  Mexican goodness, I consumed no more than 600-700 calories by sharing an entree with Scott. It was by no means a perfect day, but it is indeed a step in the right direction. Now, I keep the momentum going into the rest of the week.

An update on last weeks resolution:

I did a lot of research and made a handful of phone calls, and here is what I have decided. 

1. I am going to try out Breathe Yoga Studio. I like the idea of this place for a variety of reasons: (A) it is close to home and therefore convenient, (B) it has a variety of classes so I can work my way up from a beginner level, (C) it has a "punch card" option which means I won't need to worry about missing classes on set dates--perfect for my crazy schedule, (D) I think I will enjoy yoga, and (E) the price is right, especially with the discount provided for teachers. 
2. Scott and I purchased a summer membership at The Links of Bryon. There are few reasons why this was a perfect option for us: (A) by sharing a membership with my husband I have an exercise partner; (B) I really enjoy golf; (C) the executive style course is perfect for me, who is learning, and my husband, who is still recouping from his shoulder surgery; (D) we are able to golf for "free" at a variety of area courses with our membership; and (E) the price was perfect, especially with the 15% by enrolling in April. 

Now that the plan is laid out all I have to do is follow it.