Last Christmas everyone in my office was trying to get their hands on a Wii for their kids. One co-worker, over the course of four weekends, stood in lines similar to Black Friday, to get her hands on four Wiis for herself and her friends. Wow! I hope that when I have kids I will not think it is fun to get up at four in the morning on a WEEKEND to get them a toy. Please let my…

[Read more →]

The Super Bowl is tomorrow! We are going to a party at my friend’s house. Each couple is supposed to bring some snacks. On the menu so far are:

• Mini pizzas
• Cheese poppers
• Spaghetti
• Spinach dip and chips
• BBQ pork
• Chips
• Mini tacos
• Ice Cream
• Soda
• Beer

What is wrong with this picture? Where are the healthy foods? When I told my friends that I am going to bring a veggie tray, they insist that I bring buffalo wings instead. ‘No one is going to eat…

[Read more →]

The Super Bowl party turned out really good. I was worried that no one would eat my fruit and veggie trays yesterday, but we finished up the entire fruit tray and most of the veggies tray. I was the only one who brought in anything healthy to the party so I am glad that I did.

How do you eat less overall throughout the day? By snacking strategically. It sounds like a lot of effort, but health is worth…

[Read more →]

I am going to Orlando for my belated honeymoon next week. I am a little anxious. No matter how good you are doing at home, once you get away from a controlled environment (my home), I am afraid that I will fall back on my old habits of getting “my money’s worth when eating out” or eating most of the meal since I have no way of reheating my meal if I get a doggie bag.

This week…

[Read more →]

I hope that all the pre-planning that I am doing this week will minimize the impact of my vacation on my waistline. I had never return from a trip lighter, but hopefully this time I will at least be able to maintain the status quo.

These are going to be my rules for dining out next week:

Pick foods that are grilled, baked, steamed or broiled.
Good thing I do that now when I eat out so it should…

[Read more →]

I am off to my belated honeymoon. I probably will not be posting regularly again until after 2/18/08. Until then, here are some interesting eating quizzes links.

I love it when magazines show a food item from a restaurant and tell you which one is the better choice. I pay attention this because the next time I am out and about, I want to make sure that I make the best choice possible.

Here is a quiz from Women’s Health magazine…

[Read more →]

I had a great vacation even with the tornado warning at Kennedy’s Space Center. If I had follow my advice to have a snack pack with me at all times, then I would not have been starving when we were finally release from the theater at 4pm. I was the next person in line to pay for my food when they ushered all of us into the theater so I did not have lunch until after 4pm that…

[Read more →]

Most people are creatures of habit. When we go to the grocery store, we usually buy the same foods each week. There is comfort in the familiar. That is why trying to eat healthy is so scary sometimes because we do not know how to make small changes without overhauling our entire eating habits.

It takes a month for a conscious effort to become a habit. You need to pay attention in order to eat healthier instead of reaching for…

[Read more →]

Spending time in a garden is believed to have many emotional healing effects. It can reduce your stress and lower your blood pressure. Of course, I do not get to enjoy these benefits until I take my allergy medication the night before, but it is well worth it to be around a small piece of nature in your own backyard.

Exercise benefit
Gardening is considered a good form of exercise. It combines all three components of physical activity that is…

[Read more →]

The person that has the most influence on a family’s diet is the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper is the one that does most of the grocery shopping and the meal preparation. If you want success in your weight loss goal, you should pay more attention to what the gatekeeper is bringing into the house. If you are the gatekeeper, then you should be more mindful of what you bring into your home.

How many times have you…

[Read more →]

When I am busy, I loose weight. My weight starts to creep up when I have plenty of free time unless I am consciously monitoring it. My sister, on the other hand, gains weight when she is busy. She forgets to eat and grabs whatever is available at the vending machine. And when she comes home, she crashes in front of the computer screen and mindlessly eats until it is time for bed.

How does your personality affect your goal…

[Read more →]

Interesting article about the benefits of green tea. The article mentioned the “Asian paradox” of Asian smokers with lower levels of heart disease. From my visit to China a few years ago, I hardly saw any fat people in that country. Actually the tour guide made a joke about using the larger doorway in a historical palace because we cannot fit in through the servants’ doorway that the Chinese tourists from mainland China use. Processed food is limited in most…

[Read more →]

According to a study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), casual dressing leads to a two pounds weight loss a year. On average the participants of the study walked 8% more on days when they wore casual attire to work. Comfort clothing inspires more physical activity throughout the day.

Two pounds do not sound impressive if you are trying to loose 20 pounds or more, but every little bit counts. The average person gains 1-2 pounds each year…

[Read more →]