Double Portion Inspiration

Two years ago I was at my heaviest weight. If I would've put my pinky toe on the scale, it would register 200 pounds. My blood pressure was on the rise and I just didn't feel healthy. Now, with that being said, I was still a beautiful black woman. I just had a few more curves and edges. When I visited with my doctor for my yearly physical and to discuss next steps regarding my blood pressure, she suggested that I decrease my sodium intake. I quickly realized that it was poison to my body. So many foods that I loved were high in sodium. I remember looking at the sodium content for a grilled chicken salad that I frequently enjoyed at a local restaurant and it exceeded 1100 mg of sodium! That's almost a daily supply of sodium in one salad. At my doctor's suggestion, I decided to make small changes. Over time, those small changes led to 21 pounds of weight lost in a 2 year period. Here's what worked for me: Decreased my sodium intake Decreased my food portion...

Lunch: Fresh Guac, Tuna Salad & Veggies Last week I shared about my 11 pound weight loss. I shared four small changes that made a tremendous difference in my health. If you missed it, no worries.  Here you go! Since that post, I've received a few requests to share a little more about my diet during the past few months. Let me just say, I don't believe in diets. They come and go and never seem to work for me. Instead I make healthier choices one meal at a time. About 80% of my meals came from the following list (see below). I'm not a nutritionist and I urge you to consult with your physician before making any changes in your diet and exercise. Eating off this list made it easy to maintain. I also fully believe in cheating on any plan. Instead of a cheat day, have a cheat item. No matter what you decide, keep it simple! Meat; Chicken Turkey Salmon Shrimp Eggs Pork Pepperoni Side Dish: Roasted Veggies Veggies : Squash Carrots Arugula Romai...

BEFORE I've always embraced my body's curves and edges. A little extra love handle never really freaked me out. I'm comfortable in my own skin and I don't feel the need to be the skinniest chick in the crowd. I exercise, eat fairly healthy and take care of my body. Last year during a routine physical, I was made aware of my blood pressure being on the high side. It wasn't crazy high, but it was elevated. My physician asked me to eat less sodium, continue to exercise and return in three months for a follow up to see if it would make an impact on my numbers. In a matter of minutes, I quickly realized why high blood pressure is called the "silent killer". AFTER I didn't feel sick or anything. I needed to lose weight to help combat this concern. It was time to take action. Over the next few months, I implemented a few things that made a tremendous difference. Before I share, realize there's no silver bullet with weight loss. You'...

Getting ready for 4 mile hike with park ranger Roslyn and I love so many things!  Our morning prayer time with each other, exercising and eating are just some of our favorite things.  We're always looking for great ways to challenge our bodies and great healthy foods to prepare for our families. Snacking is a part of our 5-6 small meals daily routine.  We thought Fitness Friday would be a great time to share some of our favorite snacks.  We don't always make the best choices but we strive hard. Our 7 favorite snacks : Fruit We don't go to the store without buying some type of fruit.  Apples & grapes are some of our favorite picks.  They are especially great this time of year.  Shake it up a little by serving apple slices with peanut butter.  It's a yummy snack that even my kids enjoy. Granola bars It's such a great snack before or after a workout.  Cascadian Farms is usually our bar of choice.  ...

May 2012 May 2011 "Are you losing weight?"  "You are starting to look to thin?"   "How did you do it?"   The secret is out:   I must finally admit, I HAVE spent the last year transforming my body.  Now, I am ready to share with our readers some of the methods I've used to achieve my goal.   The disclaimer:  I do NOT claim to be any type of nutritionist or doctor.  I am only sharing small changes that have helped me.  Everyone's body is different. 1.   Shock your body I love to exercise.  I grew up in the age of leg warmers, Richard Simmons and exercise videos.  I spent years taking step aerobics.  Running (specifically training for my half marathon last November) has been a way for me to shock my body into a new way of exercising.  Your body will plateau if you exercise the same way and with the same intensity year after year. 2.   Eat foods that decay I commit to eat a raw...

1 cup of cheerios shown in photo (equivalent of 6 cookies) During a recent drive home from school, my daughter asked me, "Mom, did you know that a bowl (1/2 cup) of Honey Nut Cheerios has as much sugar as three Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies?"  I had no idea there was that much sugar in a bowl of cheerios.  Since I don't wake up every morning and cook breakfast, out of convenience, cereal normally wins out on most mornings as the food of choice. I choose not to eat cereal because I only like the cereals that are full of sugar.  That is why I thought for sure cheerios were a good alternative to some of the other cereals.  As soon as it registered what my daughter shared, I researched a little deeper to find out if this was really true.  She brought home the issue of "Time for Kids" magazine where she read the information about sugar and common breakfast cereals.  They highlighted the Top 5 cereals with the m...