DIET DO'S

Can you believe another week has flown by already? I can't. I just don't know what it is going on. I wake up, get out of bed and before I know it the day is over and it's time to hit the sack again. Every time I turn around it's a new day. Where do the days go to?

I wanted to say congrats to all you ladies out there. Every one seems to be doing great on A BETTER ME. There has been a total of 14 1/2 lbs lost this week.

Today, I thought I would talk about some of the diet do's. When I use the word "diet" I am not just talking about a weight loss diet (even though most of us are on one of those right now) I'm actually talking about your daily eating habits.

Yes, you already know everything I'm going to say but, sometimes a little reminder is needed for those of us who seem to have a hard week now and then and are not getting the weight loss we had hoped for that week.

Also, it's for those of us who need a reminder on what to do in order to be as healthy as possible.
The first diet do is, to eat a wide variety of food. Don't exclude any of the food groups. Your body needs the nutrients from each one of those food groups and when you exclude even one your body will be lacking in something it needs.

There are many fad diets out there that will exclude some of the food groups and yes, you will lose weight on them, but, chances are, you will just end up gaining all your weight back once you add that excluded food group back to your diet.

I am a vegetarian and don't eat any meat. However, that does not mean I have excluded a food group. Since the food group for meat also includes beans, nuts and legumes I can eat those items and still be getting the protein and other nutrients my body needs from the meat group.

Same for those of you who don't like to drink milk. Dairy also has yogurt, cheese and ice cream. So you can have those items rather then drinking a glass of milk. Or you can get your calcium by getting orange juice with it added and drink that.

Just make sure you have the recommended amounts from all the different food groups and you will you be OK.

Also, when we exclude any of the food groups we most likely won't stay with that eating program for long anyway as we start to feel deprived and then we crave food from the group we are excluding.

Another Diet Do is to measure your portions. We all think we know what a cup of cereal looks like but studies have shown most of us estimate way to much for a cup.

So, we think we are being good and eating right yet the pounds pack on us. It's most likely because we are eating way to much food.

For the next week, try to measure everything you eat. Get those measuring cups and spoons out and also your kitchen scale. You may just be surprised at how much or how little you are really eating.

Even if you are good judge it's always a good idea to "test" yourself now and then to make sure you are still on the right track.


A big Diet Do is to eat at every meal and even have snacks in between.

When we skip a meal we often think we are doing good by saving on the calories. Well, that couldn't be further from the truth.

When you skip a mea,l you end up slowing down your metabolism as your body thinks you are starving it. So it slows everything down and then when you do eat again, you don't burn off the calories as efficiently as you should.

Skipping meals also makes you more hungry so you have a tendency to over eat at the next meal.

Having a healthy snack in between your meals helps to keep your blood sugar in check so you don't get those peaks and dips which cause you to lose your energy and throw your body chemistry out of whack.

It doesn't have to be a big snack. In fact, it shouldn't be. Have a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts or a slice of cheese. Not a big candy bar or bag of chips.


This next Diet Do is one that many of us find hard to do. It is to keep realistic goals for yourself.

How many times have you heard or even said yourself "this weight is coming off to slow". Or "I wish I could lose 30 pounds in a month?"

If your plan right now is to lose weight please don't be in a rush. If you are, you will either end up eating unhealthy or you will give up.

So, plan on losing a pound a week. I know that sounds like such a low amount but that is a healthy amount and isn't that what we are all after, getting healthy?

Learn to enjoy your new way of eating. After all you are on a life style change and not just a temporary fix.


Of course we all know the Diet Do that most of us dread...exercise.

Now I know I'm the biggest offender when it comes to this Diet Do. I HATE to exercise! So no matter what excuse you come up with on why you don't exercise I can relate to you.

I know people who tell me that they "used" to hate exercise and now they love it. Well, I'm not saying they are not telling the truth. I'm just saying that will never be me!

Plus when you are over weight it is just hard to exercise. I love to see fit people when they strap on a big amount of weight and then try to run, ride a bike or even walk. The extra weight makes it much harder to do and when it's that much work most of those exercise lovers really don't enjoy it anymore.

The truth of the matter is we still need to do it. The good news is we don't have to ever love it. We just have to do, get it over with and move on.

So get your body moving any way you want, just move more. One good way to see how you are doing is to use a pedometer to keep track of how many steps you take a day or in my case, how many steps I didn't take.

OK, enough on exercise. Just talking about it makes me stress out so just DO it.

Oh no! I just deleted the picture that was going to go here. So take a minute and close your eyes and picture a nice group of pasta, rice and bread. Got it? OK then read on.

Do eat more fiber. You can do that by switching to whole wheat breads and pastas. If you don't like the whole wheat and you would never give up your white breads and pasta then try adding some fiber to your meals as you cook. When it's mixed in with most foods you don't even know it's there and things taste just as good.

Do eat lots of different colors. The more colors you can get on your plate throughout the day the better you will be. Each color of food has different vitamins and nutrients in them.

Plus it makes your meal prettier.

Do eat more fruits every day. If you do, the natural sugar will help take away your cravings for refined sugar. You know, the white sugar we find in candy, cookies and cakes.

Do try to cut out refined sugar. It's empty calories, meaning you don't get any good nutrients or vitamins from it. Plus, the sneaky thing about sugar is, the more you eat it the more you crave it.

Once you stop eating it, you will find in time you won't crave it any more.

Be sure your diet includes some fat every day. FAT! What in the world? Haven't be been told for years that fat is bad for our bodies?

Well, yes and no. There are bad fats that we need to cut out of our diets. Those are the ones that clog up your arteries.

But, the good fats, like olive oil, actually are needed for our bodies to be as healthy as possible. It's also good for your skin and hair.

You don't need a lot. Just a little bit is all you need. But don't go without it.

The last Diet Do for this week is to drink water. We have already talked about all the great things water does for your body so I won't go into all that again.

I just wanted to remind you to drink that water.

Keep up all your good work everyone. Also, don't forget that each meal is another chance to get back on the right track if you fall off. Don't wait until the next week, next day or give up completely just because you had a binge here or there.

Just get back to eating healthy on your next meal. Whatever you do, if you do have something you shouldn't have, don't skip the next meal or wait until the next day to eat. Just eat healthy at your next meal at it's normal time.

Until next week, take care of yourself, know you deserve to be as healthy as you can be and be proud of yourself as you look in the mirror and say "I see A BETTER ME!"

THEY SAY THE ECONOMY AND LOVE IS MAKING US FAT

So how is everyone doing on this lovely Wednesday? This is our weekly post of A BETTER ME where we talk about all things having to do with losing weight, exercise, proper eating and all topics of staying healthy and becoming a better YOU.

We have all felt the pinch of this tight economy lately. People are being laid off of jobs, business after business is closing, house values dropping and even the cost of eating healthy has gone sky high.

They say this bad economy has even had a tole on our bodies. Why you ask?

Well, because the fact of the matter is, it's cheaper, easier and more comforting to eat junk food.

When money is tight we tend to get depressed and that of course is a big reason why many of us turn to food. For comfort. For a fast feel good fix.

Also, with the cost of the groceries getting so high it's become more and more hard to afford fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy. So we tend to by prepackaged items that are loaded with sugar, fats and calories. Or do a quick drive through the nearest fast food resturant.

While fresh food may be more costly don't forget that there are still good buys on frozen fruits and vegetables. These are tasty and just as healthy as fresh.

If you are going to stretch your meal dollars by eating more pasta go with the whole wheat pasta. It's better for you and fills you up for the same cost.

Use your meats in stews, soups and sauces that are full of vegetables. You don't really need to eat that much meat to get your days worth of protein. In fact, you don't need to eat meat at all to get your daily protein.

You can eat beans, lentils and nuts which are all much less costly then meat.

Just be more aware of what you buy, stay away from the fast food joints and plan. Plan your menus ahead of time. Use the weekly store adds to find the best buys for the week and plan your meals around the adds and what is on sale.

Stock up on frozen and canned fruits and veggies.

Even plan your own vegetables and fruit in your garden this year to help cut cost the costs and stay lean and healthy.

Oh being in love...it's the best thing in life right. Wrong! It can make you fat!

Well, love itself won't make you pack on the pounds but when you are in love or in a happy relationship you tend to feel more comfortable with your loved one and well, how do I say this? Let yourself go.

We also tend to eat more when we are in love. We are happy and want to celebrate and the easiest way is with food. Going out to eat, cooking that special dessert, eating that sweet gift of candy.

Well, don't fall for it ladies! Watch what you eat if you are in love or not. When you cook for your special other, do so with love. Think about their health and your own. Cook healthy so you will both be around for a long time.

Go for long walks, hand in hand. Take care of yourself.

So you can see, even in this bad economy and even if you are in love or single you can still be OK. Just plan, watch what you eat, get your exercise and don't forget to tell yourself every day "I'm going to be A BETTER ME".