SparkPeople - The SparkDiet

-
I've moved over to SparkPeople for tracking food/exercise and trying out teams and challenges.  I'm ♥ing it so far.... I like My Fitness Pal - I've used it for a long time but I've noticed my attitude has been stale lately... bored... unmotivated... blah!  So I thought I would shake things up and try a different site, different teams, different challenges... 

 They have great motivation cards... see to the left.

 So to start they have a stage based SparkDiet... the first stage is "Fast Breaks" - Helps you focus on smaller goals - which are stepping stones for PROGRESS! 

The first step in FAST BREAKS is "knowing what you eat" - I feel like this is for the beginner - one who never tracked their food before. I've been doing this for a while (on another site *gasp*) but what an eye opener! There are pros and cons to tracking your food though. When your tracking and eating healthy.... big smiley face. When you mess up, have a bad day, and you STILL track your food - you feel bad about .... yourself. Which is not what this is about... you have to be able to take the good and bad and not take it personal. That may sound strange but you are human so you're going to have less healthy choices some days. It's OK.

 The key to making healthy food choices is PLANNING - plan your meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snacks.  It takes a little time in the beginning but once you make it a habit you'll wondered why you never did it before.  





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Link Between Weight and Sleep

-
Image
After a night of not enough sleep - I read a Fitness Magazine  article about " The Link Between Weight and Sleep ".  Of course one night isn't going to make that much of a difference but I do know that after being up late or out late.... I'm certainly prone to hoover anything in sight the next day. Trying to narrow down what could be disrupting your sleep… do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. For me (last night) was a combo of thunderstorms and sore/tired muscles. But typically I do have trouble staying asleep…I wake up at what seems like the smallest thing.   Fitness Magazine says: T he Link Between Weight and Sleep….one word: hormones. When you’re sleep-deprived your fat tissue decreases its production of leptin, a hormone thought to suppress appetite. Leptin production peaks at night when you’re asleep. If you’re not getting enough shuteye, leptin production falls off. Sleep more, weigh less! Well kind of…. It certainly helps but gettin...
Read more

How to Survive the Holidays...One Bite at a Time!

-
Image
How to Survive the Holidays...One Bite at a Time! October through December can be a minefield of challenges for those who struggle with the  eat-repent-repeat cycle . Food is everywhere, from your television to your child’s  trick-or-treat  stash. The constant exposure may eventually lead to cravings, overeating, holiday buffet-hangovers, guilt, and vows to do better tomorrow—or on January 2nd.  The best strategy is to eat what you love  fearlessly . While that may sound counter-intuitive, studies have shown that labeling the foods you love as forbidden can actually increase their power over you. When you think of the foods you love as "bad," you may feel guilty for even wanting them, and deprived because you’re not supposed to eat them. As a result, you may yourself visiting the break room in search of holiday treats.  Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat Banish the special occasion mentality.  You'll be less temp...
Read more

Tips to start the New Year

-
Image
Here's are some tips for a New You and a New Year... Take Baby Steps When it comes to New Year's resolutions, people often set multiple big goals to achieve simultaneously. It's great to be motivated, but diving into a lot of change all at once is a recipe for burnout. Instead,  start with one habit , and once you've got a handle on it, move slowly onto the next. Says  MUSICGIRL0604 : ''Start with something--anything. For example, I felt I needed more water. After a day or two of eight cups a day, I felt more energy for exercise. After a day or two of at least 10 minutes of exercise a day, I felt a desire to try to eat healthier and cleaner. Pick one thing that will be easy for you to stick with and see where it goes from there!'' Always Have a Plan (And Back-Ups) When you fail to plan, you're at the mercy of whatever life throws your way--whether it be unhealthy snacks in the office vending machine, or a traffic jam that ...
Read more