Walka Blogga Day

There has been no walking in my world for the past couple days, other than the usual walking to work. I got stuck in the rain yesterday at Robson & Jervis because the air compressor on the bus broke. If it hadn’t been peeing rain I would have just walked to work from there. It would have been about a 15 block walk or something like that. But alas, the weather didn’t permit it. I would have been a soaking mess by the time I had gotten to work, and I probably would’ve caught a cold. No, thanks!

One thing that has been shifting a bit for me in the past couple days is my willingness to eliminate certain foods from my world that give me trouble. You know those kinds of foods where you have one and automatically you want to have another? Or those kinds of foods where you get really irritated or pouty if you can’t have at least one everyday? I call those my ‘trigger foods’. I have a great big list of them. I’ve known for a long time that if I want to move beyond just maintaining my weight, I have to let those foods go, at least for a little while. I can’t think in terms of forever or I just freak out and sabotage myself before I even get started; I try to keep reminding myself that it is just one day, one moment at a time.

So what I plan to do, maybe even this morning while I have a spare hour or so here at work this morning, is review that list of trigger foods and start thinking about what a day without those foods would be like. Not the rest of my life; but just for a day. Hopefully one day will turn into two, and two into three, and so on, until I start to see that downward shift!

Wish me luck!

Here’s some great basic strategies I found for boosting metabolism. Again they’re pretty common sense, but a good reminder on how to keep that scale number moving in a downward motion! I know for me sometimes I skip a meal here and there, especially on the weekends. I rarely have breakfast. So this is a nice reminder that not eating enough, just as much as overeating, can cause weight gain if we are already struggling with trying to keep our weight down. I also like how they suggest carrying groceries as a strength-building exercise! It’s the little things like that which we take for granted; so keep track of your trips to the grocery store! They count too! Yay!

Strategy #1: Begin with Breakfast
Your body has gone without food for at least 8 hours – and it’s starving. Skipping breakfast keeps your body in “starvation mode” and slows down your metabolism so you don’t burn any needed calories. A morning meal revs up your metabolism and keeps your body burning fat all day.

Strategy #2: Stop Starving
Skipping meals and eating too little actually lowers your metabolism. Cutting too many calories puts you in a fasting state, which causes your body to hold on to fat and calories to survive. This drastically decreases your metabolism and makes it much harder for you to lose weight.

Strategy #3: Small Meals for a Big Boost
Eating smaller, more frequent meals provides a steady source of energy to your body, which boosts your metabolism and increases your energy throughout the day. By eating five to six small meals instead of three large ones, your body burns calories as you go, rather than storing the extra as fat.

Strategy #4: Burn Calories with Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise raises your metabolism and helps your body burn fat. Any exercise that gets your heart pumping, from aerobics to walking to vacuuming, gives you calorie-burning benefits that last all day.

Strategy #5: Muscle Matters
Muscle burns more calories than fat. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism gets and the more calories you burn, even at rest! Try to strength train two to three times a week. This is as easy as lifting light weights or even carrying groceries!

Another cool tip from my e-mail! (I got a zillion of these, so watch out!) This probably isn’t something you guys don’t already know, but I thought I would just put it here anyway since drinks are something I am stuggling with in particular at the moment. Sometimes we need a little reminder when our common sense is failing us!

Did you know that one of the most common reasons for fatigue is mild dehydration? If you have a hard time keeping track of how many glasses of water you consume, fill a 1-liter bottle of water twice over the course of the day. Add a slice of lemon, lime, orange, or add a splash of 100% fruit juice for zest!

I got this cool tip in my e-mail today.

Invest in a kitchen scale, measuring cups and spoons. These tools will help ensure that you’re not overeating. Managing portions is critical when it comes to losing or maintaining weight. Learn how to estimate how much you should be eating by accurately measuring your food and before long, you’ll be able to “eyeball” the amount you need.

That sounds like a good idea. My mind always plays tricks on me when I’m dishing up my food — especially when the dish includes pasta! I may think I’m not eating too much, but if I were to look up how much I should be eating as opposed to how much I actually serve myself, I’m sure I’d see a big difference most of the time.

Hope that tip helps!