Soda

**Before I start, I just want to say that I know I risk sounding preachy and holier-than-thou with many of these posts that say "do this" or "don't do that." I do not feel this way at all. I am the first to admit that I have a wretched sweet tooth, and also used to drink a couple of cokes a day. However, I hope that I can increase awareness about these things. I know that if I, the Queen of Sweets, can quit this stuff (for the most part) and lose the weight, then anyone can. But people need the knowledge and the right tools. Luckily, I already had a lot of this knowledge because my mom was fairly healthy growing up. But not everyone had this example, and therefore don't know where to start. That's where outsiders like me come in. It is my goal to help inspire and motivate people to transform into a happy, healthy, fit version of themselves- and ENJOY it! Working out and eating healthy should be fun, not a chore. Life is too short to make yourself miserable. If you do it right and have the right attitude, it can be a blast. It is for me! And I hope that is contagious. I have a passion for this topic, and I love helping people. Nothing would make me prouder than to help motivate and possibly even change the life of at least one person. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...**


You may think I am crazy but, in my opinion, soda and its marketers rank right up there with cigarettes and alcohol. There is absolutely nothing good about soda. It may taste good to you, but if you were to stop drinking it for a while and then have one again, you will be surprised at how syrupy it will taste to your rehabbed taste buds. You won't be able to drink the whole can, I guarantee it. This is how I am. We do not buy soda, but sometimes we will order a root beer (our fav.) when we go out to eat. But it is so sweet that I always have to have a water right next to it in order to wash it down. Nothing quenches thirst like a nice glass of ice cold water.

In fact, do you think it could even be argued that soda could fall under "hot drinks" with coffee and tea in the Word of Wisdom (in the LDS Church)? I guess if you're following the spirit of the WoW, it does (basically anything that can be habit-forming to YOU is discouraged). That may seem extreme, but I am sure that there are plenty of studies that show a direct link between soda consumption and obesity.

You may be wondering what the heck is the Word of Wisdom?? Well, it's basically a set of guidelines that God set forth for us (translated by Joseph Smith in 1833) in relation to health, and healthful eating. Many of you know us for avoiding coffee, tea, alcohol, and smoking. This is where all of that comes from, but there is much more to it. It also addresses what you can and should eat, including eating meat in moderation. Keep in mind that this was given to us long before the effects of smoking were known. Back then people did not understand why they were told not to smoke, for instance, because everyone smoked! Now we know. And the WoW is not just for the Mormons- God gave this to all of his people, which is everyone on this earth! Everyone is encouraged to follow it. If you are interested in learning about everything that it entails, here it is: D&C 89.

Ok, so this next part is for all those ladies who drink diet soda: IT IS NOT ANY BETTER FOR YOU. In fact, it could even be worse because, instead of using real sugar, they are using fake sugar. At least real sugar is derived from nature! Fake sugar has been shown to do a number on insulin in the body, and it actually makes you feel MORE hungry. Not something you want if you're trying to lose weight.

So if you want something that doesn't have any calories, then drink water. God gave us water for a reason. And don't mess with a good thing by flavoring it with powdery junk. Fine, try a little lemon. But why not try to just get used to it. And you will if you drink it long enough. I love water! My son loves water. We don't do much juice around here because kids don't really need it, and it fills them up. And my son needs as many "real" calories as he can get, since he's so darn skinny!

For those who are interested: I found an article online that has some great quotes on this topic from various LDS Church leaders. Apparently this is more of an anti-Mormon website, but I don't see how this particular article is bad (unless they think we're all crazy for not drinking soda). :) Here's the link: Are Mormons Allowed to Drink Caffeinated Sodas?

The Cookie Diet

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know how I feel about diets. In my last post on this topic, I don't think I addressed this particular diet called the Cookie Diet. I feel it is important because it is probably one of the more popular diets right now. Today, this diet was featured on Good Morning America, but I feel like the reporter left a lot of things out. It was a very sparse piece and did not properly show the other side of the story.

Here is how the diet "works," according to the website http://www.cookiediet.com/:

You, "Eat six special cookies to control hunger during the day and a reasonable dinner in the evening. Consume 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day (ask your family doctor to recommend the right amount for you) and lose an average of ten pounds per month."

These cookies are not typical cookies- they are more like meal replacements. That is not my issue. In fact, I often make healthful snack "cookies" for my son, who is very picky about food. It helps get the nutrients down. Here are the problems with this FAD diet, along with other fad diets:

1) It is selling a product you don't need. This company's main goal is to make money. They do not only sell the cookies, but also shakes, pills, teas and books. You don't need any of this crap to lose weight. Everything you will ever need to be healthy comes right from the earth (granted, that's if you aren't a diabetic or something). And I'm no hippie.

2) It does not teach you how to eat a balanced diet (GMA hardly, if at all, touched on this point in their story). This is the most important tool when trying to keep weight off long-term. So when you stop buying those cookies, you will go right back to your old habits and put that weight right back on again. 80% of weight loss is diet- not being ON a diet.

3) Dr. Siegal, the creator of this diet, says that he designed it for fast weight loss, because so many people give up if they don't see results fast. Well here's what I say to that: TOO FRICKIN' BAD! If you can let yourself get fat and then want to get rid of it, you better have the patience to lose the weight you put on. I am a testament to that- it has taken me well over a year to lose my baby weight, and I am now in the best shape of my life- back pain and all. If you don't have the patience, then forget it. You may lose weight quickly at first but, trust me, YOU WILL PUT THE WEIGHT BACK ON (like with all fad diets). Unless you plan on starving yourself the rest of your life. And dumping your hard-earned money into those stupid cookies forever. Slow and steady wins the race.

4) It doesn't LOOK like a lot of food (never mind that it truly isn't a lot). It may contain a lot of calories and probably will even help you feel full for a little while. But it doesn't look like a lot of food, and that visual effect can make you feel deprived (which will eventually cause you to go back to your normal eating habits). Compare that cookie with a healthful salad filled with colorful veggies, a serving of lean protein, and a small bowl of juicy mixed berries. It just doesn't compare.

5) Like all fad diets, the Cookie Diet severely restricts calories. If you want to know what these kinds of diets do to your metabolism, just look it up or read my previous blog post on this topic: Unhealthy Weight Loss. I don't need to get into the details again. It is absolutely insane to ask a 6' tall man to eat a measly 1000-1200 calories per day. Not to mention in the form of tiny cookies, which probably will make him feel like he's eating even less than that.

6) All the celebrities are doing it. If everyone in Hollywood is running towards it, that is a big hint to run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. It's your own fault if you get sucked in. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons to stay away from this diet, but hopefully that's enough to convince you. Honestly, you can eat so much more food and feel way more full if you just eat right. Plain and simple. The weight will melt off and you will feel so much better physically and otherwise. If you don't quite know where to start, I recommend reading a book that explains everything in very simple terms. It also has some excellent recipes in the back (trust me, I've tried a few!). It's called The Eat-Clean Diet. It changed my life and I think it can change yours. No, I am not a paid spokesperson. HA!

Reality Check

I don't know what I was thinking. There is no way I am going to be able to run a 5-K. My body hates me. I went for a short jog last week, and the next day my rib (the one that's messed up) felt like it was super-glued to the one above it. Also, my knee was all out of whack (probably because my back is, too). I know I have the endurance to run, because I felt just fine. It's just too high-impact. I have more issues and aches and pains than a senior citizen. It's pathetic.

I might still walk the 5-K, but I don't know. It is up to my SIL, who was going to run the race with me. It just doesn't sound as fun when you can't join in the race.

Nonetheless, I am still going to post training schedules soon. I have always wanted to train for and run a race, and I will live vicariously through any of my readers who decide to follow the schedule. ;)

5-K, Here I Come!

I am going to run my first 5-K in December. I know, I am crazy. My husband is worried about my back and me not making it, but I am just going to double up on my pills and hit the road. I don't think it should be too bad. I have always wanted to run a race, and I decided that I won't let my back dictate to me anymore. I'm tired of it.

Anyway, I am going to run it with my sister-in-law, who just ran her first marathon with a 9 minute mile average. She's an awesome runner! So she should keep me going.

I guess that means I need to start training. 3.1 miles is not really that much, but I need to prepare a little differently than most people. I need to be mindful of my back and my ankles. Last time (if you remember from my posts) I began to run again, my ankle didn't last more than a mile. It basically fell asleep or something, and it was like carrying a dead weight. So I think a lot of icing will be involved. Wish me luck!

Since I am doing this, I am going to post some training tips for beginners. Trust me, if I can do this, anyone can.

You CAN Eat Healthy and Save Money

Yesterday I was able to drive all the way out to Sprouts. It's a farmer's market (I'm not sure if it's national)- all the way across town from me. I had a doctor's appointment out there, so I figured I should take advantage of the trip. I have been looking for a place where I can buy all the random grains you never hear about or see in the regular stores. My doctor said Sprouts should have everything I wanted, and it did! It was love at first visit.

They have bins in the center of the store- everything from grains to candy. So you grab a bag, label your tag, and scoop out as much or as little as you want. I was in grain heaven. I also picked up some flax/sunflower seed granola that had little sugar added (a rarity) and it was so delicious! They had every kind of dried fruit and bean you could think of as well.

Some of the grains I have never tried before, so it was wonderful that I could only take a little (and not have to buy a huge pre-packaged amount) to see if I like it. Plus, things like ground flaxseed were much cheaper in the bins, as opposed to the way I was buying them before, which was from a "boutique" health food company with jacked-up prices. I am so happy I finally went there, and I plan on shopping there every time I have to make the trip out to that doctor.

On Saturday I also had a new food experience. It was my first time getting produce from a food co-op. It runs in Arizona, Utah and Idaho. It's called Bountiful Baskets, and you can get really good deals if you get your produce through them. I believe they purchase through the same warehouses as restaurants and grocery stores. You just order a "basket" (half veggies, half fruit- whatever's in season) and on the designated pick-up day you bring a laundry basket or other carrier to carry it all home in. But expect to do your share. It is all-volunteer and wouldn't work without volunteers, so everyone should pitch in at some point.

I got home and went through our huge basket of food (potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, artichokes, grapes, apples, pears, plums, cantaloupe...), as well as the Asian pack that we added (bok choy, green onions, ginger root, mushrooms, etc). There were only a few of some items, and a ton of others, like the pears and potatoes. So I cooked up over half of the potatoes (per directions on Still Tasty) and froze them in portions for future meals. I did this with other items as well. It cost us $15 for the main basket, $7.50 for the Asian pack (which is an add-on), and $3.00 for the first-timer's fee. I think what we got was worth over $50, so, hooray for that!

These are just a couple ways for you to save money AND eat healthy during tough times. Don't let anyone tell you that it is too expensive to eat healthy. If you buy whole, natural foods, you are probably saving money over the alternative pre-packaged, processed food diet. You don't need to buy fancy, expensive "health" foods to eat well- just stick to items that are as close to nature as possible and you're on the right track.