Are you Serious????

Today I made a quick trip to walmart to pick up some stuff, and I always end up getting a cold drink out of the end displays...well I LOVE Sunkist, so I grabbed a regular one as Walmart very rarely has the Diet Sunkist in the little bottles up front, as that's what I was craving at the moment. Anyways I was looking at the bottle after I had drank some and OMG....what a shocking moment that was!

Calories in 1 cup (8oz) 130
Calories in 1 Bottle 320

Holy cow! Can you say that is about a meal? Good grief! That was definitely a learning experience! Check those labels! What I have done in my 'diet coke' addiction.....is buy the 2 liter bottles and then fill 20oz bottles to take to work with me, it ends up being cheaper than can's that way. I usually buy the Walmart brand "Sam's Cola Zero Calorie" unless Diet Coke is on sale (79 cents is a good buy for me), then I get the Coke Zero. Anyways this has got me thinking about 'serving' sizes as well, as I know oftentimes we are in a rush, routine or whatever you want to call it and end up eating/drinking more than we should.

Here is an informative article I found all about Portion sizes:

Portion control and knowing what a portion or serving size looks like is so essential for not only losing weight, but also maintaining your weight. Did you know that there are some basic ways that you can remember what a portion size looks like, or be able to assess how many portions you are about to eat? Too often we eat without measuring, therefore we might think we are eating sensibly, but in actuality we are taking in double or even triple the serving size. Below is a fun and easy guide to refer to for identifying one serving!

Use these comparisons to keep your portions in check. (Nestle.com)

• A baseball or size of your fist- would be one serving of vegetables or fruit
• Tennis ball- measures to about ½ cup of food (for example, ½ cup ice cream)
• Golf ball or large egg- is about a ¼ cup of dried fruit or nuts
• Six dice or one domino- would equal one serving of cheese
• Deck of cards or the palm of your hand- equivalent to a serving of meat, fish or poultry
• Tip of your thumb- about one-teaspoon of peanut butter
• Computer mouse- one serving of a baked potato
• CD (compact disc)- equals the serving size of a waffle of pancake
• Check book- equals a 3 oz. serving of fish
• A rounded handful- about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta

Other friendly tips:
1. Look at your plate of food. Roughly half of your plate should be full of vegetables, one-quarter should be your protein, and the last one-quarter should be your starch.

2. Read food labels. Every one of them displays the serving size. It’s usually not one entire package.

Here is another one that shows serving sizes using your hands as a guide:
http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/handy-portion-control/ccd688dc78803110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/weight.loss

I am going to print both these charts up, laminate them and put them on my fridge and in my lunch bag so I can have them at work!

Slimming Green Smoothie Recipe

Here is the recipe for the "Slimming Green Smoothie Recipe" it is pretty good, if you aren't used to 'veggie' drinks it's a little different at first, but I really enjoy it.
**Added: this recipe came from the "All You" Magazine from Walmart, it's the June issue that's pink with Lemonade on the cover**

Green Honey Ginger Drink
1 Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stems)
1/4 cup pineapple (fresh, frozen, or canned; no sugar added)
2 tsp honey
1 inch fresh ginger peeled and grated
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
***Am Loving Rob's little cute blender we got him, it's a small basically just one-two serving size blender perfect for smoothies and drinks. I LOVE it! Makes it easy, and I HATE the noise of regular blenders, I plug my ears LOL!

Ooh...I did not know this:
Slimming perks: Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that dissolves lymphatic toxins to smooth away fatty pockets in the belly and thighs. Plus, bromelain neutralizes bradykinins, polypeptides that promote fat storage in the lower body.

I look forward to it every morning. Was wondering if anyone knows if it would hurt to keep it up after the 7 days? It doesn't really say anything in the magazine article. Oooh, I've read this article about a dozen times and have MISSED a crucial step:
1- Start each day with a special drink (Green Honey Ginger Drink) and END each day with a cup of peppermint tea (I missed this step! MMMM gonna go make me a cup, love my herbal teas).
2- Then basically stick to 1200 calories it has a lot of 'healthful' fats in it so it is more filling than typical diet plans (nuts, avocados, olive oil)
3- Get 30 Minutes of Moderate Exercise in.

It also suggests when you have cravings to have peppermint tea. It's weird but this REALLY has helped me. I add a little splenda and calorie free!

STOP the Cravings! ARGH!

So I know I haven't blogged for the past few days, I've been a little stressed, a little in the slumps (depression), and have been in a Jelly Belly daze so to speak. I am stressed as my hubby is going to graveyard shift (they are doing away with swing shift), and I really do not like/feel comfortable being home alone at night without the 'comfort' of a big dog. Those who know us know that my hubby is NOT a huge fan of big dogs....so I'm working on him :) My face is breaking out in acne so bad right now and it's the horrible kind that leave marks, UGH! I have been coming home, sitting in front of the TV and digging in to the Jelly Bellies, amazingly enough I haven't gained a hundred pounds this week, just a few since my weigh in (which I'm diligently trying to lose)....which makes me even more depressed. But on a good note, I am an Aunt again, my older brother Danny & his wife Kristy had their 6th kid yesterday, a girl, not sure on the name yet. They don't find out what it is until she has them. They have 2 boys and 4 girls now much to the eldest boys dismay, he really wanted another brother :). Anyways on to the subject of my blog post today. I am fighting so bad with the cravings right now, it's been heck on wheels on me. I am taking this from the Lean for Life Book on how to STOP those insane cravings we all have.

STOP: Visualize a stop sign and hear the word "Stop." Immediately Stop what you are doing
TAKE: Take a deep cleansing breath. This creates a "window of opportunity" during which you can become aware of the temptation you're facing and can start over.
OBSERVE: your situation, yourself, and your options. What's going on? How are you feeling? Are you hungry, angry, lonely, tired? What are you wanting? What are you needing? What really matters to you? What choices do you have? What actions will help you move toward what's really important to you?
PLAN: of action. Choose a plan of Action based on one or more of the options available to you, and put that plan into operation. Shift the focus away from food by doing something: taking a walk, calling a friend, sitting quietly for five minutes and letting your attention rest on breathing, going window shopping, listening to music, working on a project, or reviewing your Motivator Cards to remind yourself why becoming Lean for Life is important to you.

If you find yourself thinking "I'm tired of not eating what I want --I'm going to have a treat" make an active choice to focus on the benefits of maintaining your Plan of Action. Let yourself hear whatever voices inside of you are suggesting that you abandon or sabotage your Lean for Life program, and pause long enough to acknowledge and respond to those voices. Encourage yourself as you would a close friend.

OLD WAY: Food thought or craving --> Give In --> Eat --> Feel Guilty --> Give up
NEW WAY: Food though or craving --> STOP! --> Take a Deep Breath --> Observe --> Plan of Action

The more often you do this the more easily and effectively you'll be able to do it. That's because after you do something successfully again and again, it starts becoming spontaneous and natural. It becomes part of you, It becomes a habit.

I hope you don't mind me sharing the tips that I am learning from my book, they help me, and writing them/typing them out, help me stay on track even more.