Browsing tag

weight watchers

Farmers Market 2014

Good Eating , Personal • Aug 14, 2014

03.31.14(2)

Let me be the first to admit that I could really care less about going to local farmers markets. I LOVE the idea of the farmers market (locally grown, etc) but sometimes the prices are just way to crazy. I understand its just the type of market but why would i want to spend all of my money on an expensive bag of spinach when i could go down the street to my local grocery store and get the same things for about 1/3rd of the cost? … other than wanting to help a local community?!

I know, I know, I sound a bit bitter about it, lol. I’ve learned going to the farmers market, we have quite a few in our area, is more about the experience. My partner Brian has been a longtime fan of the market. He goes every Saturday when he’s not working and even visits a smaller version that comes closer to our house on Thursdays. They always have a large selection of quality (quality meaning expensive) products and a lot of vendors know him by name. That helps the entire experience a bit more personal. Nobody at SAMS CLUB knows my name!

The experience is great. It’s always busy, the sites to take in are amazing, and it just makes you feel good. Does that sound to cheesy? A bit? No worries. I’m still a fan (when i actually go of course). And of course, that means when my wallet will allow me to go!

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Benefits Of Drinking Lemon Water

Good Eating , Health , Weight Watchers • Jun 2, 2014

06.02.14

In my last ditch effort to attempt to eliminate pop i’ve been trying to stick with fruit infused waters. I LOVE carbonated water so i don’t really have a problem ditching pop for that. It’s pricey to buy and I have a machine that carbonates water instantly. Attempting to get in more water, more fruit, etc i found these great tips!

1. It’s a great source of vitamin C.

No, not the pop singer. Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for giving our body the immune boost it needs to stay in check. When vitamin C levels are low, little to no repair happens in the body. These citrus delights are also high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium helps reduce free radicals, increases red blood cell production and controls blood pressure. What does all this mean in real-talk? More energy, clearer skin, anti-aging properties, less sickness, less stress, and more focus! Um, yes please.

2. It balances pH levels.

Our pH level speaks to the balance between the alkaline and acidic properties in the body. When our body enters a more acidic state, it breeds sickness and disease. This is news to many people, because so often disease feels like an isolated event that can’t be controlled. While there are many factors to disease, controlling what you can is a great way to give your body the attention it deserves. Add more alkaline foods, and your whole body starts to wake up, repair, fight, and become a power-house of healing and rejuvenating. Lemon is one of the most alkaline foods around!

3. It aids weight loss.

Did you know that if your body is out of balance it is incredibly difficult to lose weight? Having a happy, healthy body and mind is one of the fastest ways to weight loss. A more alkaline diet makes for a happier person, and according to Eating Well Magazine, people with more alkaline diets tend to lose weight faster. Also, lemons contain pectin fiber, which helps set your body back to normal hunger levels. On board yet? If not, don’t worry there are two more genius benefits coming your way.

4. It improves digestion.

The way your gut processes food has everything to do with — yep, you guessed it — your happiness! A clogged or misfiring digestive tract usually indicates a bigger problem in the body. Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials, and encourages the production of bile in your body. This synergistic effect helps to soothe and normalize the the body’s digestive process.

5. It helps you kick the coffee habit.

I swoon over coffee. The aroma, the color, the flavor. It just gets me. In more ways than I could possibly list here. But it also gets my nervous system, digestion, and energy, and not in an endearing way. I finally kicked the habit 100% about four months ago (no more casual dating for me). Adding lemon into my diet was essential. Don’t get me wrong, kicking coffee is NOT easy, especially if you’re a regular. Having something to replace it with is essential to making the transition less shocking on the body.

The last one is completely unnecessary so i removed it, haha! Any other healthy suggestions for getting in that water minimum?

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Weight Watchers – A Journey

Health , Personal , Weight Watchers • Mar 22, 2013

252267_10151180755280958_1378249406_nWeight loss has been a struggle for me my entire life. I remember deciding that I wanted to do my first diet on summer break between my Sophomore and Junior year of high school. I remember for the first time in my life thinking that I was FAT. The diet was nothing special. I don’t remember the amount of I lost but I remember the feeling after that first journey.

7 years ago, at age 19, I was again faced with the same issues I dealt with in high school. Alone, working retail in a mall, going to school full time, I let myself get to a record high of 325 POUNDS. No, i’m not kidding. 325 pounds was, and still thankfully is, my max weight. Wearing an XL DRESS SHIRT with buttons about to burst I knew that it was again time to make a huge change and I had to do it fast.

One of the ladies that I worked with had this great idea to try WEIGHT WATCHERS. She said that we could buy the books to do the program offline and read about how to do the program online as well. As crazy as it sounds that is exactly what we did.

I feel that the program is pretty straight forward. You are allotted a specific amount of ‘points’ per day based on you sex, age, activity level, and current weight. The goal is to eat within those specific points each day and the end result is that you lose weight. Well.. it works!

I’ve tried NutriSystem, The South Beach Diet, Slim Fast, The Master Cleanse, and many other random diets (just google diets and the crap that appears will blow your mind). This was the first diet where I could eat whatever I wanted and not have to feel any guilt. If I wanted to go out and get a quadruple cheeseburger I could. I learned that there were consequences to what I was eating though. If I ate that burger than there was nothing else that I was going to be able to eat that day.

7 Years ago I went from 325 pounds down to 225 pounds. It all took less than a year to do it as well. I have spent the last few years (and attempted a few of those crazy fad diets as well) fluctuating between 200 and 225. I was a big fan of NutriSystem but the cost was way to expensive. I used Slim Fast to get down to around 180. I still struggled back and forth with different diets.

When February began I had another co-worker who had the bright idea to do Weight Watchers and wanted someone to do it with. I stepped up at around 175 pounds and decided it was time, once and for all, to finish my weight loss journey and get exactly where I need to be.

Now, almost 2 months into the program, I am down another 15 pounds and am around 160. The sad part about this journey, and also the most shocking to me, is that my co-worker has fallen off of the band wagon and i’m still going strong! We head to VEGAS next week so i’m hoping that I can stay on the diet with no issues.

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