From late November through January holidays abound. That means the opportunity for lots of rich food, drink, parties – and less time than ever to exercise. Overindulging in foods that are high in fat, sodium or sugar and drinking too much are paths to becoming overweight, out of shape and feeling badly about ourselves. We got to where we are one bite at a time and we can move to another place in the exact some way. You already know what to do – eat healthier and move more! Let’s talk about how to do that easily and effectively with the PFMT Plan.
PLAN: A few minutes of planning each week will make
your efforts effective. Plan your menu
for the week, plan your grocery list (and stick to it) and plan when and how
you will exercise. Planning your food,
planning your exercise, planning your thinking – all combine to make you
successful.
FOOD: Eat whole foods and lots of veggies and
fruits. Have containers of raw veggies
ready for those times when you get the munchies.
Keep them at home, work, your car or wherever you are tempted to
snack. Make simple and fast dishes and
consider cooking on your days off and freezing healthy soups, stews and
casseroles for days when time is limited.
Freeze meals in individual servings.
Think beans, greens, and veggies of all colors, fruits and whole
grains.
When
cooking, sauté in water or in a no sodium veggie broth rather than oil. Eat on a dessert/salad plate rather than on a
large plate. Does it really make a
difference? Yes! Drink water and lots of it! Instead of choosing the high calorie and high
fat coffee drink every morning and/or afternoon, drink water and add fresh
lemon or lime juice if desired.
You say you don't cook? How about a low fat vegan
smoothie for breakfast, a big salad for lunch or dinner that includes lots of
greens (you can buy them already washed and torn), beans (from a can, rinse
them first), lots of colorful veggies (you can buy them already cut up) and a
fat free vegan salad dressing? Make a wrap
or sandwich with low-fat hummus and lots of veggies.
Keep
a food diary. If you have time to eat
it, you have time to write it down! The simple act of recording what goes into
your mouth will cause you to become more aware and gives you that split second
to ask “Do I really want this? Is this a
good choice for me?”
Begin
to notice when you feel hungry and are most likely to binge eat or grab an
unhealthy snack. Is it when the stress
builds at work? Is it when a certain
family member calls or writes? Become
aware of these triggers and give yourself the gift of taking a deep, slow
breath or two and drinking a glass of water.
Then get up and move even if it’s just a walk down the hall to the
bathroom. Being aware will often make
the hunger go away as you realize you’re not really hungry for food, but
perhaps peace of mind, calmness, serenity.
MOVE: Make time to move! Walk at lunch. Too cold this time of year? Find a mall or building where you can walk
the lobby or stairs. Park at
the far end of the parking lot. Instead
of meeting a friend for coffee or a meal, meet for movement. Sign up for classes, ask friends, family
members or neighbors if they’d like to join you in walking, biking or whatever
you like to do that keeps you moving.
Check out http://www.meetup.com/ for groups that do activities you enjoy.
Standing
and
waiting for the bus, train or in another type of line? Do
leg lifts and stretches. Sitting at work or watching TV? Move legs,
arms or get on the floor if possible
and exercise. Actively look for places in your life where you can add movement.
THINK: Be an impassioned observer in your life. Make a list of what you do well in
maintaining your health. Add
everything! Ask friends to help you with
items for your list. We often don’t see
what we are doing well but our friends do.
Enjoy this list and congratulate yourself!
Make
a second list of things that sabotage you in your effort to be healthy and in
shape. No “beating yourself up” allowed
here. This is simply observing what
works and what doesn’t. For some, it
helps to have this list as a reminder.
For others, it’s more effective to make a decision to let go of these
things, and then either tear up the list, burn it, bury it – anything that
symbolically says to you “This is out of my life!”
Make
a third list of who you choose to be!
Unveil the healthy in shape and appropriate weight that is hiding inside
of you. This list will likely include
items from your first list and more.
Again, ask friends to help if you feel stuck when you make this
list.
Are
any of these ideas new and revolutionary?
Of course not! But they are time proven methods that work for
dropping excess pounds and becoming healthier and stronger, inside and out.
Some
cookbooks and websites for support:
Chef
Del’s Better Than Vegan – 101 Favorite Low-Fat, Plant-Based Recipes That Helped
Me Lose Over 200 Pounds – by Del Sroufe
21-Day
Weight Loss Kickstart: Boost Metabolism, Lower Cholesterol, and Dramatically
Improve Your Health by
Neal Barnard, MD
The
Starch Solution: Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the
Weight for Good!
by John McDougall, MD and Mary McDougall
The
30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Cleaner, Getting Leaner,
and Living Compassionately by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
The
Great Vegan Bean Book
by Kathy Hester - Includes gluten free and no added oils options for most
recipes, and recipes for all meals of the day
Forks
Over Knives
cookbook - by Del Sroufe, and the “Forks Over Knives” DVD
http://fatfreevegan.com/ - loads of fat free recipes
http://www.meetup.com/ - social groups for activities (and anything
else you can imagine)
http://livevegan.org/make-the-switch - ideas for substitutes for flesh, dairy and
eggs
To a new and
inspired YOU. Happy 2014.
Justina
Walls
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Justina currently lives in Lakewood, Colorado with her vegan husband and their kitty children. Both she and her husband love vegan cookbooks and are addicted to delicious vegan cooking, which I can personally attest too given the many amazing meals I have enjoyed at their home. Justina practices as a Human Software Engineer working with individuals to resolve emotional trauma and also devotes her time to educating people about the many benefits of plant-based diets.
Justina is a fantastic resource of information about maintaining a vegan lifestyle for health. She has guided many on their journeys to better health and well-being.
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more! Thanks for posting.
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