Flab to FAB

So Sweet! ~ Flab to FAB

November 12, 2016November 11, 2016 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

The struggle is real!

I am going to be out right honest, I am really having a hard time keeping my diet balanced. All I want to do is eat sweet treats ALL DAY!

Keeping a healthy diet around this time of year is alway hard for me! I love all things sweet. It starts out with Halloween candy, then my daughter’s birthday, all the delicious pies and desserts of Thanksgiving, and then on to the baked goods and treats of the Christmas season and ending with my birthday cake in January. With all these wonderfully sweet things available I really have a hard time keeping my diet in check.

It is crazy how quickly a mainly healthy balanced diet can easily get derailed by sugar cravings.

Even though it may not be an actual “addiction,” sometimes it really feels like one. Cravings, shakes, headaches, feelings of loss of control, anger and impatience, and also lack of self control and over eating more than I should. I get so upset with myself because I know better!

I have been giving in to my cravings way too often lately! I feel like junk, my skin looks like junk! I have been breaking out on places on my face that have never been an issue for me. I know it all has to do with my poor dietary choices.

All food is not created equal. Unfortunately the two hundred calories from a Little Debbie Snack Cake are not equal to the 200 calories in steamed veggies. I really wish that this was not true! I really wish that my body would use the calories from desserts the same way it uses the veggies.

The problem is my brain and body really do need some sugar to be able to function. The brain also sees sugar as a reward. Although, by eating a lot of sugar and constantly rewarding the brain can make it tougher to break the bad sugar habits I have let creep in.

The thing is, I know I don’t need as much sugar as my brain (and tongue) thinks I do. I know I don’t have to go cold turkey and give up all things that are sweet. In fact, I have been trying to retrain my taste buds to enjoy things that aren’t as sweet.

Instead of satisfying my sugar cravings with Kitkats (my favorite), M&M’s, and Reese’s Pieces, which in turn cause me to crave more sugar, I am going to be eating natural sugars high in fiber: apples, bananas, berries and oranges.

Increasing proteins like lean chicken, greek yogurt, eggs, nuts, and beans will help to kill sugar cravings. Also increasing my water intake has helped me with sugar cravings in the past.

By making small, simple changes to my diet it will be easier to overcome the cravings. Over time, I know that I will again lose my cravings for that sweet sugary taste. I just wish that it was instant instead of gradual.

I have always believed in preparation and success being partners. I have been trying to have healthy options readily available for myself. Prep work is so time consuming, but it is also very important.

I know all the right things to do, now I just need to do them!

Thank you for continuing to journey with me from flab to FAB ! If you would like to read more posts about this journey click HERE!

I would love for you to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three. I would also love to follow you on Instagram and Twitter as well, so let me know your user name in the comment section below!

Where Is the Body Revolution Review?!

May 28, 2016June 3, 2023 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood1 Comment

**Please see below for an update.

Ok, so you might remember that for a while I was doing a weekly Jillian Michaels Body Revolution Review. I reviewed up through week 6 and Cardio 2, then the reviews suddenly stopped… I completed workouts for weeks 7 and 8, although I didn’t review them, and I started Cardio 3 and weeks 9-10. One night after doing workout 9 or 10, I rolled over and woke up from a dead sleep, my muscles were so sore and in pain that the simple movement woke me up. It was then that thought to myself, “Why am I doing this to myself?!”

My love for Jillian has not waned, but at this point in my life things are just so busy that I cannot be losing sleep or hobbling around due to muscles that are so stiff and sore from my workouts. I hate to give up on something that I have started, but I cannot complete the body revolution at this point.

I am going to be honest, the moves in Cardio 3 are insane! I did not enjoy the workout at all. I found myself dreading it. I love to exercise, I look forward to it everyday, and don’t want it to become a chore due to the type of workouts I am doing. I love to challenge myself with my workouts, but I cannot risk injury while doing it.

So for now, my “Body Revolution” is on hold…

I’d love for you to follow me on Instagram Lookingjoligood and on FacebookLookin Joli Good

**Update:

Initially, I found Jillian Michaels’ approach to exercise and dieting highly motivational. Her intense workouts and strict dietary guidelines pushed me to achieve remarkable physical results, which fueled my motivation and determination. I embraced her no-nonsense attitude and believed that pushing my body to its limits was the only way to achieve success. However, as time went on, I began to realize that this approach was taking a toll on my mental health. The relentless pursuit of physical perfection and the constant pressure I placed on myself led to feelings of anxiety, guilt, and a distorted body image. It was then that I decided to change my perspective and adopt a more balanced and loving approach to my body. By prioritizing self-compassion, listening to my body’s needs, and embracing acceptance, I discovered a newfound sense of mental well-being. This shift in thinking allowed me to find joy in movement, cultivate a positive relationship with my body, and ultimately, achieve a healthier and more sustainable approach to overall well-being.

Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

Does muscle weigh more than fat?

April 1, 2016August 7, 2016 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

We’ve all probably heard someone say that muscle weighs more than fat. But does muscle really weight more than fat? The quick answer is NO…A pound is still a pound no matter what it is made up of. That being said the difference between muscle and fat is not the weight, but the amount of space that it takes up.

Muscle is denser and compact so it takes up less space. Fat is more spread out and takes up more space. This is why a lean body builder can weigh the same as a chubby couch potato.

The space taken up by muscle vs fat | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com — Five pounds of fat compared to five pounds of muscle

Instead of focusing on just the number on the scale, focus on how you feel and how your clothes are fitting. While it is nice to see the numbers on the scale go down, it is a better idea to focus on fat loss and how you feel, not just the number on the scale.

Keep in mind that no matter what the number is on the scale, when you feel good you can’t help but look good too!

I’d love for you to follow me on Instagram Lookingjoligood and on Facebook Lookin Joli Good

Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

Equal Doesn’t Always Mean Equal ~ Flab to Fab

February 25, 2016February 14, 2016 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood3 Comments

Despite having met my goal weight, I still have good days and bad days. Some days I want to eat an entire bag of skittles all by myself…the big bag, while other days I will stick to my healthy food plan no problem. The important thing is that I don’t let the mess up days keep me from being successful the next time.

Skittles Taste the rainbow! | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com — I love them all, but the green ones are probably my favorite closely followed by the red ones.

I saw this video a while back and I love how it shows the comparison between the different foods. It perfectly shows how equal doesn’t mean equal!

Thank you for continuing to journey with me from flab to fab! If you would like to read more posts about this journey click HERE!

I’d love for you to follow me on Instagram Lookingjoligood and on FacebookLookin Joli Good!

No Gym No Problem

No Gym? No Problem!

January 11, 2016January 8, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodVideo2 Comments

I don’t have a gym membership and have never worked out at the gym.

Personally I have lost all of my weight by walking outside or working out in my own home. That being said, I am going to be staring a new weekly series on Mondays called “No gym? No Problem!”

This first installment is going to be a simple 10 minute workout from one of my favorite fitness experts. Don’t worry, it isn’t Jillian 😉

If you have a little bit of space, some sturdy athletic shoes, a computer and 10 minutes, you can do this workout by Jessica Smith!

I’d like to introduce you to Jessica Smith.

Jessica Smith TV | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com — Peanut

I have spent so much time “working out” with Jessica Smith that I seriously feel like I am introducing you to one of my friends. Not only is she a pleasant knowledgeable fitness expert that has so many awesome free workouts on YouTube, she is also funny and beautiful. Plus, she has a super sweet little French Bulldog named Peanut that joins in the videos and is pretty funny!

Check out her website too. She has a lot of great health and fitness information: jessicasmithtv.com and check out all of her other great workouts at her YouTube channel by clicking HERE.

She even has a whole playlist of 10 minute or less workouts. You can check them out by clicking HERE

Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

The Trap Of Celebrating With Food

December 8, 2015December 8, 2015 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

Over the last few months I have been on a journey from Flab to FAB. If you have been following along, thank you so much for your support. These last few pounds have been the toughest to shed! I have 1.5 lbs to go, and it has been a struggle!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have never had an issue with daily exercise. I love to get up early and get in a workout before the rest of my family is even awake. My down fall has always been diet, even more specifically the sweet stuff! The holidays are a tough time to be trying to lose those last few pound. Some weeks I have been happy to just have not gained any weight.

I LOVE to eat! I have had many conversations with fellow food lovers about where’s the best place to get homemade ice cream or freshly baked bread, or which restaurant has the best tasting menu. I also love to cook myself. I like to try new recipes, watch cooking shows and read cookbooks and food magazines.

Dulce De Leche Ice Cream from Haagen-Dazs | lookingjoligood.com — My favorite kind of ice cream

While the occasional food splurge is fine, and actually part of a successful weight loss routine, it is important to keep it an occasional splurge. While these occasions don’t have to be huge major special events – My daughter got a 100% on her first math test- Yay! Lets get ice cream! My son scored a goal in soccer, Yay! Let’s get ice cream! I did awesome at my job interview!Yay! Let’s get ice cream! I got the job! Yay! Let’s get ice cream! I had a great first day of work! Yay! Let’s get ice cream! I need to be careful that I only make exceptions for true special occasions.

Often what ends up happening is that these “special occasions” can become a daily even. They can easily turn into… I folded all the laundry! Yay! Lets get ice cream! I found my missing earring! Yay! Lets get ice cream! I am having a great hair day! Yay! Lets get ice cream! Today is Wednesday! Yay! Lets get ice cream! My Boston Terrier, Tessie, is super cute! Yay! Lets get ice cream! See where I am going with this…(also, can you tell I like ice cream? :-))

My cute dog Tessie | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com — Look at that cute face!

While I have been on my Flab to FAB journey, I have had to start thinking about food and diet in a different way. While good healthy food feels rewarding, food is fuel, not a reward. Celebrating is fun, and celebrating with food is fun too, but it is not the only way to celebrate.

Instead of using food as a reward, I have been trying to reward myself in other ways. Some ways include: getting a pedicure, buying new smaller clothes :-), getting some new makeup, or splurging on a new purse. Sometimes the celebration is just giving myself a little bit of a break to sit down and read an extra chapter in a good book. While I do still like to celebrate with food, I am slowly retraining myself to have a healthier relationship with food.

I hope that you found this helpful, and thank you for following along with me on my journey from Flab to FAB!

Click HERE if you would like to read my previous Flab To FAB posts.

Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness · Quote

Always Be What You’ve Always Been

November 4, 2015November 5, 2015 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodImage1 Comment

This little saying goes both ways, good and bad. If you always brush and floss your teeth, you will have good dental hygiene and a healthy mouth, that is good. If you always stay up too late every night you will wake up tired and dragging the next morning, that is bad.

If you want something in your life to change, you have to try something different.

Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

“How To Talk To Your Daughter About Her Body”

November 2, 2015November 3, 2015 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

The other day, my friend posted this on Facebook. Despite the fact that it is not original to her, I still thought that it was too good not to share.

If you have been around Looking Joli Good for any amount of time, you already know that I have my own body issues 🙂 While right now, my daughter is only 5 and absolutely confident in herself, before I know it she will be a “tween”(… and then a teenager!!!) I would LOVE it if she could grow up without any of her own body image issues. I hope that I can be the one to help her accomplish that!!!

While it doesn’t seem to still be an active website, this post originally appeared on hopeave.wordpress.com.

“How to talk to your daughter about her body, step one: don’t talk to your daughter about her body, except to teach her how it works.
Don’t say anything if she’s lost weight. Don’t say anything if she’s gained weight.
If you think your daughter’s body looks amazing, don’t say that. Here are some things you can say instead:
“You look so healthy!” is a great one.
Or how about, “you’re looking so strong.”
“I can see how happy you are – you’re glowing.”
Better yet, compliment her on something that has nothing to do with her body.
Don’t comment on other women’s bodies either. Nope. Not a single comment, not a nice one or a mean one.
Teach her about kindness towards others, but also kindness towards yourself.
Don’t you dare talk about how much you hate your body in front of your daughter, or talk about your new diet. In fact, don’t go on a diet in front of your daughter. Buy healthy food. Cook healthy meals. But don’t say “I’m not eating carbs right now.” Your daughter should never think that carbs are evil, because shame over what you eat only leads to shame about yourself.
Encourage your daughter to run because it makes her feel less stressed. Encourage your daughter to climb mountains because there is nowhere better to explore your spirituality than the peak of the universe. Encourage your daughter to surf, or rock climb, or mountain bike because it scares her & that’s a good thing sometimes.
Help your daughter love soccer or rowing or hockey because sports make her a better leader & a more confident woman. Explain that no matter how old you get, you’ll never stop needing good teamwork. Never make her play a sport she isn’t absolutely in love with.
Prove to your daughter that women don’t need men to move their furniture.
Teach your daughter how to cook kale.
Teach your daughter how to bake chocolate cake made with six sticks of butter.
Pass on your own mom’s recipe for Christmas morning coffee cake. Pass on your love of being outside.
Maybe you & your daughter both have thick thighs or wide ribcages. It’s easy to hate these non-size zero body parts. Don’t. Tell your daughter that with her legs she can run a marathon if she wants to, & her ribcage is nothing but a carrying case for strong lungs. She can scream & she can sing & she can lift up the world, if she wants.
Remind your daughter that the best thing she can do with her body is to use it to mobilize her beautiful soul.”

(text in bold print added by me for effect)

Flab to FAB · Health/ Fitness

Healthy Eating…It Is Not Easy!

October 31, 2015October 31, 2015 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?!
Halloween 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

Flab To FAB ~ Continued Progress!

October 16, 2015October 16, 2015 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. 🙂

Looking Joli Good

Kindness is beautiful!

Tag: flab to fab

So Sweet! ~ Flab to FAB

The struggle is real!

It is crazy how quickly a mainly healthy balanced diet can easily get derailed by sugar cravings.

I know all the right things to do, now I just need to do them!

Where Is the Body Revolution Review?!

**Update:

Does muscle weigh more than fat?

Equal Doesn’t Always Mean Equal ~ Flab to Fab

No Gym? No Problem!

I don’t have a gym membership and have never worked out at the gym.

I’d like to introduce you to Jessica Smith.

The Trap Of Celebrating With Food

Always Be What You’ve Always Been

“How To Talk To Your Daughter About Her Body”

Healthy Eating…It Is Not Easy!

Flab To FAB ~ Continued Progress!

The struggle is real!

It is crazy how quickly a mainly healthy balanced diet can easily get derailed by sugar cravings.

I know all the right things to do, now I just need to do them!

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I don’t have a gym membership and have never worked out at the gym.

I’d like to introduce you to Jessica Smith.

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