Healthy Doesn’t Mean Size 2
April 28, 2009
I am genuinely dismayed when I read time and again how people (mostly women) are starving themselves on some fad diet so they can “get skinny.” The sad truth is that skinny doesn’t equate to health. In fact many skinny people are very unhealthy and overweight people may be healthier than their skinny friends. Read more
Breaking the Dreaded Diet Plateau
April 26, 2009
If you’ve been following my blog for any time now, you know that my husband and I have made a commitment to live a healthy lifestyle. Along with that has come a sizable weight loss; as of the first of April, I had lost 30 pounds.
While I love the fact that my body size is shrinking, my ultimate goal is to be healthy not skinny. For me, being healthy means that my blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, lipids, etc. are all in the healthy range. To get there, I have been focusing on a healthy eating plan and regular exercise. A great side benefit of this healthy lifestyle is a shrinking waistline. Read more
Walk Your Way to a Good Workout
April 22, 2009
If you’re like me, you prefer to exercise outside where you can enjoy the fresh air, sights, sounds, and smells of spring. Walking can be a great aerobic exercise if you do it right. Otherwise, your walk may be a nice stroll around the block but not much of a workout. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your walk.
Get your heart rate up
If you don’t raise your heart rate, you are not getting to an aerobic state. You can tell if you are getting an aerobic workout by either a) monitoring your hear rate or b) making sure that you walk fast enough to break a sweat.
- To monitor your heart rate, take your pulse on your neck or wrist for 6 seconds and multiply the results by 10. Compare your results with your target heart rate.
- If you measure based on your body signals, be sure you break a sweat and your breathing is heavier than normal. You should still be able to carry on a conversation; slow your pace down if you have difficulty breathing or talking.
If you are having trouble keeping your heart rate up you might try one of the following:
- Swing your arms to get your blood pumping harder
- Use hand or ankle weights — start out with light weights until you find the right size
- Try interval training — walk awhile and then jog for a bit; alternate between the two to keep your heart rate in your target range
Visualize your muscles working
One great techniques I use is to visualize my muscles lengthening and contracting as I walk. I can see in my mind my leg muscles, stomach muscles, and butt muscles - as I visualize, I can also feel them working. If I can’t feel my muscles at work, I’m probably not working hard enough. I can always tell I got a good workout when my inner thighs and stomach muscles are tired at the end of my walk.
Don’t get distracted
One of the thinkgs I like about walking is that it’s “me” time. I can think about things going on in my life and regroup/recharge. The problem with “me” time is that I sometimes get lost in thought and forget to focus on the exercise. When I realize I’ve slowed down and my stride has shortened, I know I’ve been lost in thought again. Don’t let this happen to you — make an effort to stay focused. Keep your pace up and make sure you are taking long strides so you work both inner and outer thighs as well as butt muscles.
The other distraction for me is my dog. I try to combine walking Sam with my exercise but often times it doesn’t work well. He wants to stop and pee on every mail box post and he goes nuts when he sees other dogs. Every time I have to stop for him, it disrupts my pace and lowers my heart rate. My advice is to leave the dog at home during your exercise time - take him for a walk when you can give him your full attention.
*NEW* Meal Planner
April 18, 2009
I’m very excited to announce the new Healthy Lessons Weekly Meal Planner. The Meal Planner takes the effort out of dinner planning by providing suggestions for healthy, nutritious meals that are easy to make and tasty too. All recipes in the meal planner have been taste tested in my kitchen and have my family’s stamp of approval.
Your Meal Planner includes 1) a weekly plan including nutritional information, 2) a weekly shopping list, and 3) a recipe for each menu item.
The Week 1 Menu Planner is FREE!
If you would like to order a printed version of the plan or would like to send one as a gift, submit your request to cheryl@healthylessons.com |
 |
Coming Soon!
Additional weekly meal plans are in the works – be sure to check back for the latest. New plans will include:
- Additional weekly plans
- Lunch and breakfast plans
- Dessert items added to weekly plans
Menu plans do not provide medical advice. Plans are for information purposes only. The dietary and/or nutritional information in Healthy Lessons menu plans are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your dietary needs. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in these plans.
Be a Good Role Model
April 17, 2009
When my son was young, I had a bad habit of yelling at other drivers who did stupid things. My common rant went something like, “You stupid idiot, why don’t you use your turn signal,” or “You stupid idiot, move over to the slow lane.” No matter the issue, I always started with “You stupid idiot.” One day, when Justin was about 8 years old, I was watching as he and a friend played in the living room. It wasn’t long before Justin got upset with his friend and yelled at him, “You stupid idiot.” The words hit me like a slap in the face. I was his role model and I had inadvertently taught him that the way to express frustration with someone was to call them names. Read more
Aerobic Exercise or Strength Training?
April 15, 2009
I’ve heard many views over the years on whether aerobic training or strength training is better, especially for people trying to lose weight. My brother, who was a personal trainer for several years told me, if you can only do one, go for the strength training. Other people tell me, aerobic is the way to go. After much research, I’ve discovered that you need both because they contribute to your overall health in very different ways. Read more
Why is this news?
April 13, 2009
I just read an article on WebMD about the benefits of a diet high in fruits, nuts, and vegetables and low in fatty, processed foods (Not All Diets Pass the Heart-Healthy Test) and wondered “Why is this news?” Don’t we all know this stuff by now?
Don’t get me wrong, the article was great, but I am amazed that we Americans still don’t get it. Our diet is chock full of fast food, sugar, fat. Why is that? The answer, in one word is convenience. We’ve grown accustomed to a life of hectic schedules and instant gratification. It takes too much effort to plan and cook healthy meals. Read more
Adobo Pork Chops
April 12, 2009
Adobo pork chops are a big favorite at my house. They are spicy and have a wonderful flavor. I usually make the marinade the night before or first thing in the morning and let them soak up the flavor overnight or for at least 8 hours. The chops are very low in carbs so I usually serve them with beans or potatoes. Read more
Oriental Cole Slaw
April 3, 2009
This salad goes great with Tex Mex Sloppy Joes. Be sure and use sesame oil as the recipe calls for — it’s the secret ingredient. Read more
The Skinny on Diet Soda
April 1, 2009
I had a conversation at work yesterday that opened my eyes to another lifestyle change I’ve made without even realizing it. I hardly ever drink diet soft drinks any more. There was a time when I used to drink 5-7 diet cola drinks a day. I didn’t care if it was Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke, as long as I got my fix. Read more
Roasted Parmesan Zucchini
April 1, 2009
Best zucchini I’ve ever had — the garlic and Parmesan flavors are awesome. Read more
