Category: Flab to FAB

Flab to Fab | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com Healthy Eating…It Is Not Easy!
Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

Healthy Eating…It Is Not Easy!

LauraJoli LookingJoliGood3 Comments

Continue along with me on my journey from Flab to Fab.

I am going to be honest… I have had a really hard time with eating right this week. Obviously making the transition from stay at home mom to working mom has been (and will be) a work in progress.  I have been getting up early to exercise and always make my lunch the night before to bring into work.  Since I have been using my crock pot to have dinner ready as soon as I get home from work, it has also been a lot easier to prevent myself from unnecessary after work snacking.  If I plan out and control my meals, I have usually been successful.  I know that I cannot be successful 100% of the time.  I do want to be successful 100% of the time, but let’s be honest, it isn’t realistic.  I have been letting myself have one or two “treats/cheats” a week, and for the most part I have been really good at sticking to my healthy eating plan.

So what is my problem this week?!
Flab to Fab | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comHalloween candy is my kryptonite.  Who am I kidding, candy in general is my weakness.  I love kitkats and twix, and reeses pieces and pb cups, oh and don’t forget about skittles…
While I haven’t purchased any Halloween candy myself, we have gone to a few different Halloween activities where my kids have gotten candy.  They have been kind enough to share it with me.

As you may remember, I am a “food addict”.  As with all addictions, it all starts with the first piece…if I can just resist that first piece…why can’t I just resist that first piece?!   It really is all about that first piece!  Once I have eaten one, it just tastes so good, and it leads to another and then another. See what I mean, addict.  Then comes the feelings of regret and guilt…does that happen to you too? I seriously hate it!

So, what am I going to do about this?
Well, for now, I am going to forgive myself for messing up this week, and I am making a conscious decision to make the right food choices in the upcoming week.

Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

Flab to FAB~Motivation

LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

Sometimes a little motivation is needed to continue on.  Some days are harder than others.  Mark this down, pin it or print it out if you need to and read it whenever you feel like you need a little kick in the pants…

What you have decided to start is very hard. Change is never easy. Choosing a healthy lifestyle is just as much mental as it is physical. You have to make a choice every day to keep going.  You won’t see results for a few weeks, but you’ll start to feel stronger. It takes 6 weeks to see real results and 12 weeks before most people will notice the change on the outside that you have been feeling on the inside.  You didn’t gain the weight in a week and you won’t lose it all in a week either. It takes time and commitment!  Don’t let being sore stop you, use the soreness as motivation to keep pushing yourself! Make every jumping jack and every burpee count, don’t waste your time only giving half an effort. You’ll have good days and you’ll have bad days, but making the choice to keep going is what makes the difference!Change is not easy. Motivation to continue. | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Flab to FAB

Flab To FAB ~ Continued Progress!

LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

I keep track of my weight loss on my fitbit fitness tracker.  Today I received my weight loss goal badge!  I am pretty excited about the progress that I have made.  I have set a new goal and am excited about trying to reach it.  It has been a lot of consistent work and I am excited to continue on this journey.  I do have a feeling that the next goal may be a bit harder to reach, those last 5 pounds always seem to be the hardest to get rid of. 🙂Flab to FAB Progress | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Seven Day Clean Eating Slow-Cooker Recipe eBook Brought to you by your coaches and friends at Strengthen You \ lookingjoligood.wordpress.com Meal Planning…A Love/Hate Relationship
Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

Meal Planning…A Love/Hate Relationship

LauraJoli LookingJoliGood5 Comments

Continue to journey with me from Flab to FAB

Do you meal plan?  Do you love it?  Hate it?  

Now that I have gone back to work, meal planning is going to be more important than ever!  I used to be able to go grocery shopping whenever I felt like it and take my time.  Then all afternoon I’d be planning and making dinner.  Not so much anymore.

When I come home from working all day the absolute last thing I feel like doing is taking the time to make a big healthy meal. (Can I get an Amen!)  I am starving from running around taking care of patients all day and I want to eat right then!  I have to admit, I had a bit of a rough time with sticking to my diet this week.  I did awesome during breakfast and lunch, but when I got home and was trying to get the dinner situation figured out, I was so hungry that I snacked before dinner.  If you recall, I am a bit of a food addict, and snacking doesn’t go well for me!  While I didn’t gain any weight, I haven’t lost any this week either. (que the sad music :-()

Seven Day Clean Eating Slow-Cooker Recipe eBook Brought to you by your coaches and friends at Strengthen You \ lookingjoligood.wordpress.comThis coming week, starting today, I am planning to put my crock pot to great use!  I will be following the “Seven Day Clean Eating Slow-Cooker Recipe eBook Brought to you by your coaches and friends at Strengthen You”  I have my shopping list all ready and plan to head to the store soon.  I will let you know how the meals turn out and if this crock pot meal plan helps me to be more successful this week!  (If the food is good, I may share some of the recipes.)

Here is what is on the menu for the week…

Seven Day Clean Eating Slow-Cooker Recipe eBook Brought to you by your coaches and friends at Strengthen You \ lookingjoligood.wordpress.comAlso, if you have a killer crockpot meal that you know is not only healthy but delicious, please share it!!!

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Flab to FAB Tools | Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15 | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com Flab to FAB Tools
Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

Flab to FAB Tools

LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

Every great craftsman has tools to assist him in his trade.  Carpenters have hammers, saws and planes; doctors and nurses have stethoscopes and sphygmomanometer (that is the fancy name for blood pressure machine); hair dressers have blow dryers, flat irons, and curling irons; and makeup artists have brushes, beauty blenders, and eyeshadow palettes.

I have some tools that have been assisting me in my Flab to FAB journey. 

Flab to FAB Tools | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comI love numbers!  I love lists.  I love setting goals and keeping track of things!  If I have a plan I can get almost anything done!  Knowing this about me, for Christmas a few years ago, my husband got me a fitbit one fitness tracker.  I LOVE it and have been obsessed with the thing ever since!

Yes, I do totally realize that it is not completely accurate, but it totally has a positive placebo effect on me!  The numbers on my fitbit definitely help motivate me to stay active and increase my activity. I also use it as my silent alarm clock in the morning.  It wakes me up early to workout without unnecessarily disturbing the other people in my house.

(If you are interested in reading more about fitness trackers, here are some articles that compare some of the top brands.  http://fitness-trackers.specout.com/  or this one http://time.com/516/26-fitness-trackers-ranked-from-worst-to-first/)

Besides just wearing the fitbit device, I also use their website and phone app. There are so many features to aid in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  I use the app to track my sleep, water consumption, and daily food intake. Speaking of food intake that leads me to my next tool…Flab to FAB Tools | salter scale | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Like I said, I love to keep track of things.  One of the most important parts of my flab to fab journey is my diet.  I really don’t know what I would do without my Salter Aquatronic Digital Kitchen Scale!  I weigh everything I eat!  (I prefer to use the grams measurement because I feel as if it is more precise.) Using my fitbit food tracker I can log my food intake and be sure not to overeat.  I have been guilty of overestimating my exercise and underestimating my caloric intake. When I weigh out my food it takes all the guesswork out of it.

While eating right is so important, exercising is as well.  My goal is to get in 10,000 steps a day. My Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15 shoes help me accomplish that daily goal.  These shoes are absolutely the most comfortable athletic shoes I have ever had!  I love that they come in so Flab to FAB Tools | Brooks Adrenaline GTS 15 | lookingjoligood.wordpress.commany colors and options.  I don’t have to sacrifice style for comfort and function.

When preforming any type of extended physical activity you need to have the proper type of footwear!  Your feet and legs will thank you over and over again.  If you don’t have the proper type of footwear for the type of physical activities that you are doing, you may end up with an injury.  I have learned the hard way (more than once) that one injury can delay or even hinder any progress.  While I prefer these Brooks shoes, there are all kinds of different athletic shoes to choose from. One brand doesn’t necessarily meet everyone’s needs, and just because they are the most expensive or have the latest innovation doesn’t make them the best choice.  It takes a little while to figure out just which brand and type is right for you, but it is totally worth the time investment!

If you are interested in buying your own fit bit this link is for you: http://www.amazon.com/Fitbit-Wireless-Activity-Tracker-Burgundy/dp/B0095PZHYU

Here is where you can buy your own salter scale: http://www.amazon.com/Salter-Aquatronic-Digital-Kitchen-Scale/dp/B001DQOEDO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442603516&sr=8-1&keywords=salter+scale+model+2006

You know these are some sweet kicks!  If you want to buy your own pair click the link: http://m.zappos.com/brooks-adrenaline-gts-15-hawaiian-ocean-hollyhock-lime-punch

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healthy-food flab to FAB journey | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com Hi, My Name is Laura and I Am A Food Addict…
Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

Hi, My Name is Laura and I Am A Food Addict…

LauraJoli LookingJoliGood7 Comments

Some posts are easier to share than others…

Journey with me From Flab to FAB!

So, from the title you can already tell what this post is going to be about…  While I am not completely serious when I say that I am a food addict, I definitely have a love/hate relationship Eat to Live or Live to Eat |lookingjoligood.wordpress.comwith food.  I  love to eat, yet I hate the guilt that comes along with it.  It is a crazy cycle!

Some people are just naturally fit and thin, while others have to work really hard at it.  Some people are naturally built thicker and curvier.  Some people just naturally don’t like to eat a lot (what is their problem?! :-))  Other people love to eat!  Some people can eat whatever they want while others look at food and gain weight.

Growing up, I was always able to eat whatever I wanted and never gain weight.  Then I got married, and pregnant and then I hit my thirties.  While I am by no means unhealthy or overweight, I definitely have those few pesky pounds that I want to lose.

Just as much as I love to eat, I have always loved to exercise, but… unfortunately abs are made in the kitchen just as much as they are in the gym

healthy-food flab to FAB journey | lookingjoligood.wordpress.comI have tried to “diet” in the past and what ends up happening is that I get stressed out about everything that I eat and obsessed with all the things that I can’t eat.  Usually I end up super cranky and quit without seeing any results.

So, all this being said, I have recently started a healthy eating journey.  It is not always fun, and it doesn’t usually taste as good as ice cream, but it hasn’t been as hard as I thought.  I have been retraining my brain to think about food differently.  It is an everyday decision and it takes a lot of planning.  It doesn’t mean that I don’t still plan on posting awesome dessert recipes (or even eating awesome desserts), it just means that I have changed my way of thinking about dessert.

I plan to share some of my journey with all of you, and if you are interested, you can even join in and take the journey along with me!  Let me know what you think and if you have ever had similar struggles with food.

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