Top Tips for Tuesday October 28, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Health & Wellness, Humor.trackback
Tuesday’s Top Tips for weight control:
1. Eat things you love at every meal, in moderation, rounding them out with filling, high fiber, nutritious fruits and veggies.
2. Write down what you eat. I lost 10 pounds in 12 weeks this Spring by jotting down what I was going to eat BEFORE eating it. I didn’t tally up fat grams or calories, I just recorded basic quantities and food types. It kept me focused on my desire to lose weight.
3. Drink lots of water instead of drinking calories or diet sodas.
4. Move more ~ walk, bike, swim, or dance in the living room. But try to do 20-30 minutes of something every day.
* * *
Speaking of veggies, whenever I have LOTS of greens. I saute them with oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper to wilt them down and reduce the volume. Then I freeze in 2 cup portions for soups, stews, and sides. Delicious stirred into mashed potatoes, rice, or other grains.
I do the same thing when I have lots of peppers and onions.
* * *
Bonus Tip (for Road Trips): Bring a bucket of cat litter for “emergencies.”
Perfect when traveling in a blizzard with no bathrooms in sight. Easier than aiming at an empty coffee cup (or trying to stop the flow when the cup threatens to overflow).
For more tips on “going with the flow” ~> When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go (My Years Of Sweat).
And, now, you’ll have to excuse me. I am laughing too hard to “contain myself.”
Aah . . . that’s better!
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Spirit Lights The Way 
The man seems very proud. I suppose it’s because he has a LOT of which to be proud !
Way back when, being overweight was a sign of opulence, wealth, and ease ~> ample girth was like *bling*
It still is for Africans in this country…big is beautiful.
Really? I did not know that, Kathy. I think of Africans as lean, not porcine.
Great tips, Nancy! Diet Soda is the worst. I stopped drinking it over five years ago when I realized it was actually stimulating my appetite. As for regular soda, it’s been thirty or more years since I’ve even sipped one…too sweet.
A kitty liter bucket is a great idea! I remember as a kid traveling with my parents, we got stuck in a two hour backup on the PA turnpike. My sister tried to pee into a coke bottle…her aim was way off.
Soda and diet soda are two of the biggest culprits in our obesity epidemic. Plus the more you drink, the more cat litter you need. 😛
I cannot imagine trying to pee into a coke bottle. In the middle of a traffic jam. While fellow occupants are screaming, “NO! You’re missing the bottle. You’re missing the bottle.”
Ha ha! True!
Well, she first tried to go in a sandwich baggie that my mother gave her…but it had a hole in it. 🙂
Oh, no! That’s too funny, Jill. She must have been scarred for life!
Good ideas for healthful weight loss. If one drives through this country, it becomes apparent there are a lot of flat, treeless states where rest area are lacking. A bucket of kitty litter would do the trick! Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks, VG. A bucket of litter makes a great Port-A-Potty for camping too. A bit too heavy if you’re back-packing. 😛
I stay away from any soda…unless I have a headache! Now, that we are empty nesters I’m finding my eating and shopping habits have changed. We end up with left overs, but my sweet tooth has calmed down. In fact, my snug jeans are now loose. As far as weight goes, I have no idea. The only time I weigh is at my dr. check ups. I go by how my clothes fit as to whether I’m gaining or losing. (It’s too easy for me to become obsessed if I use scales daily.)
Yay! It’s great when our snug jeans are loose! And it’s good not to be obsessed by the number on the scale since it can fluctuate based on salt intake, building muscle mass, eating lots of fiber, etc.
I do keep one eye on the scale though ~ if it starts inching up, I want to reverse the trend sooner rather than later.
#4 is my favorite. I love to hike!
Hiking, biking, walking, swimming, dancing, tennis ~ exercise is the fountain of youth.
There is nothing worse than being in the small plane with hubby and having to go. Really having to go. A container of kitty litter is a genius solution!
It can be a real life saver when traveling by plane or car. And it’s got a lid, it absorbs odors, it’s scoopable . . .
Ha! I still love the kitty litter idea! Brilliant!
The purr-fect bonus tip for Tuesday.
I love the line “…or trying to stop the flow when the cup threatens to overflow.” I’ve been there when we had to stop on the highway for three hours when the road was closed due to an accident ahead. It’s always handy to prepare for these emergencies 😉
We had it on hand because Tigger was with us in the middle of the blizzard ~> Aah . . . that’s better!
I was still mesmerised by your photo of peppers and onions and imagining them stirred into mashed potatoes when I hit the kitty litter…….. I just about snorted into my morning cup of coffee! Some cool dude will read this post and market the idea, ending up in a house in the Bahamas retired at the age of 35, with the world sporting his trendy port-a-pottie in the boot [trunk] of every car……..
I admit to being highly alarmed at the amount of folks who still consume soda and diet soda. The evidence is there not only for obesity but for a raft of health issues that can be alleviated simply by not consuming the stuff.
I often saute cabbage and onions together and stir into mashed potatoes for Colcannon. So yummy!
You may be right. For someone who is more entrepreneurial than me, marketing the idea might result in lots of $$$’s in the bank. In contrast, I feel adequately compensated when readers end up snorting into their morning cup of coffee . . . or running for the loo.
I feel the same about soda ~> it has NO positives and so many negatives. And yet so many people keep chugging it in Big Gulps.
Is that what Colcannon is – I never knew! I make a delicious mashed potatoes with milk kefir, spring onions, raw capsicums and a dash of cayenne for a bit of zing…….. very morish!
That sounds moorish and delish!
I’ve seen recipes for Colcannon with sauteed greens instead of cabbage. Also good. But I like it best with the cabbage and onions.
I am in denial about the first part of your post because I am a few pounds over weight right now and know it needs to be addressed, but I’m not ready to embrace reality!!
So I’ll divert and let you know that I love the bonus tip Nancy! Don got stuck in a 2 hour delay last weekend on I-95 and had to use his shoe stopping the flow twice to allow for emptying … If it had been me, I don’t know what I would have done!!
Val x
Haha! Poor Don. Using my shoes (flip flops) as a pot for pee would not work well.
I think when we are just a “few pounds” overweight, it’s OK to just accept the “what is.” 😛
Moderation – track – water – move!
It does work. Good advice Nancy.
I couldn’t deny it any longer 😉
Perhaps focus on the “middle ground” ~> somewhere between “denial” and “diet” we can swap a few less-than-stellar choices for a few better choices and move from where we are to where we want to be.
Cat litter! That’s genius, and I never would have thought! I love to live an active life and I’m as much on the go as I can be…and it really isn’t enough! I sit at a work desk, sit and read, sit and blog…I’m always thinking about how to get in a few more steps or add in activity. Did you know that just thinking about it doesn’t change much? LOL!
LOL! I do know that! I’ve been known to read diet and exercise books without losing any weight whatsoever! Same thing when I watch exercise video . . . the scale doesn’t budge!
I wonder if I’ll start a trend for Road Trips:
Snacks? check
GPS? check
Bucket of litter? check
Great tips on being mindful of how we eat, drink, and move!
Thanks, Laura. I figure that this time of year is a good time to be a bit mindful about moving more and/or eating less.
That way we can INDULGE at Holiday Gatherings without guilt.
Agreed! 🙂
Great tips Nancy 😀 what works for me (and yes I know this takes some discipline) is I only eat when I’m hungry which sometimes means I don’t eat when everyone else is eating lunch etc. I actually wait until my stomach growls (not such a good idea when you have a meeting to attend to but hey it’s working). Also lots of water and green tea (unsweetened)
I’m with you on only eating when hungry. I don’t always make my stomach “beg” (by growling for its supper), but I postpone eating if I’m full from a previous meal.
And water is great to check if it’s hunger or thirst.
Great tips! It’s shocking how many extra calories are in sodas. It’s helped me to read nutritional labels on items that are packaged. Once I see the sugars/carbs/fats, I often change my mind.
For some reason, the kitty litter struck me as humorous. Good idea, though!
My preference is for an actual loo . . . but desperate times call for desperate measures.
As for soda, it is the first thing people should eliminate from their diet, whether or not they want to lose weight.
Another bonus from cutting down on junk food and empty calories: Lower grocery bills!
Yes! Eating “real food” is less expensive than trying to fill up on junk.