Vacation: Diet friend or foe? You decide!

Happy Tuesday! :) Today is my day off, so it is definitely a happy day for me! In about a week and a half, I'll be heading out on a week-long vacation with my family. There are about 10-12 of us that go every year, depending on who brings friends or boyfriends. I absolutely love this tradition. Sometimes they drive me a little crazy by the end of it, but I wouldn't have it any other way. ;) It's always a great time to be off work and just spend some quality time together. However, it can sure put a damper on your diet. I typically gain weight on vacation, and I think a lot of it is because I think, "It's vacation! I'm going to eat and drink whatever I want, and I'm DEFINITELY not going to exercise." I will say that I have gone into many vacations with the intention of eating healthier than normal or exercising a few times during the week, but, usually, my intentions get de-railed by my own mentality. So, without further ado, let's talk about some strategies to staying healthy on vacation! In case you feel like skipping ahead, I've divided my tips into a few categories: Driving, Flying, Destination, and Cruise. Enjoy!

Driving
Driving an entire day can cause you to burn hundreds of calories less in a day than you normally would burn. Sticking to a few easy rules can help curb weight gain if you're driving to your vacation destination!

1. Prepare ahead of time: Pack a cooler full of water and healthy snacks like veggies, fruit, and protein bars to curb hunger between meals.
2. Hydrate: All the re-circulating air during your drive time can really de-hydrate you, which can make you feel hungry. Try drinking 8 ounces of water before you decide if you really need that next snack!
3. Make the most of your rest stops: Take a 10 minute break to walk around and stretch. Exercising your body when you can will re-energize you and burn a few extra calories to boot!
4. Make healthy choices: This seems like a no-brainer, but choosing healthier options at fast-food joints and restaurants along the way will make you feel less sluggish and help you cut back on calories. Even if no "healthy" or "low-cal" options are on the menu (or if none of them look appetizing), just asking for a lower calorie, low fat, or reduced-sugar condiments can make a world of difference.
5. Take your time: When you do stop to eat, don't take it on the road with you! Sitting down and enjoying your meal will give your body time to realize when it's full, so you'll eat less.

Flying
Spending hours in an airport isn't the most fun, but you can make the most of your experience if you plan ahead!

1. Eat before you fly: Eat a healthy meal at home before you get to the airport, or pack one to bring with you! You can get through security with a variety of food, just not liquids like water bottles or sodas. This way, you'll be less likely to indulge in the unhealthy or fast food options that are readily available.
2. Choose wisely: If you can't eat before you go or pack your food, most airports do have some healthy options. Try to grab a salad with light dressing on the side, or find some pre-packaged fruits and veggies for a snack.
3. Hydrate: Like driving, flying can also de-hydrate you! Make sure to grab a water bottle before you board to hydrate your body and curb hunger.
4. Get moving: Instead of sitting in those uncomfortable chairs next to your gate, spend the time before you board walking around the airport. Carry your own luggage, take the stairs, and avoid those people movers!

Destination
Ok, so I realize that not EVERYONE travels like my family, but here are a few tips and strategies that I found around the web that could be helpful! My family cooks a lot, so, technically, it should be at least easier to stick to healthy eating...right???

1. Cook: If you're able, plan to prepare your own meals. My family typically goes out for lunch or dinner a few times a week, but we generally eat at least 2 meals at our rental house every day. We generally pack coolers full of food before we leave, but don't be afraid to scout out the local grocery store as soon as you arrive!
2. Offer to be in charge of a meal: If you do have the option to cook, maybe offer to be in charge of a meal or two during the trip. That way you can at least be in control for a couple meals! I will be honest, I didn't offer to do this for my vacation, but two other people are on Achieve as well, so I'm pretty confident that we'll have plenty of healthy choices during our trip! :)
3. Try the one-a day rule: Allow yourself one indulgence per day, whether it be a few pina coladas by the beach or that cheeseburger at dinner. Don't deny yourself a treat, just try to keep it to one a day! (one of the links)
4. Snack smart: Bring healthy grab-and-go snacks that you can take on sightseeing adventures or excursions to curb hunger between meals. Pre-portioned veggies, fruit, nuts, and protein bars are all good options!
5. Plan ahead: When you know you'll be going out to eat, try checking online for restaurant menus and/or nutrition information before you go so you don't make impulsive decisions when you get there.
6. Plan for exercise: Look up hiking trails near you, go for a walk/jog/run on the beach, bring or rent a bike, swim in the ocean or pool, hit up the hotel fitness center, or just bring your favorite exercise DVD with you on your trip! You can even get your family involved for some fun group fitness. My family loves to go for walks on the beach together!
7. Be active: Choose sightseeing adventures or excursions that force you to stay active! You probably won't even realize you're burning calories because you'll be having so much fun.
8. Cut back on the booze: Ok, I'm not a crazy person. This is vacation, after all. I'm not saying don't drink, period, but maybe don't go for those Margaritas or Bloody Marys all day! Have just one of those drinks, if that's your thing, then stick to light beer or vodka and seltzer the rest of the day...something a little lower calorie than you'd normally have. You don't want to drink away your calories when there is so much delicious food out there to be enjoyed!
9. Ask for a doggie bag: If you're going out to eat, you can ask the waiter to box up half of your meal when you place your order, so you're not tempted to over-eat. If you're like me, I struggle to leave food on my plate if it's sitting in front of me!

Cruise
I should be a pro at this section, but, I will be honest. I went on a cruise in February, and I'm sure I gained at least 5 lbs in those short 5 days. However, after experiencing that, I know more things that can help me next time!

1. Make use of your fitness resources: Most cruise ships have a fitness center and a running track around the top deck. Some even offer group fitness classes at various times throughout the day!
2. Don't abuse the buffet: If you're eating at the buffet for any meal, only fill your plate once! Fill up on veggies first (about half of your plate), then go for some protein. Believe it or not, they do offer some healthy options, even on vacation!
3. Use the one-a-day rule: Again, try to stick to one indulgence per day. Maybe stick to healthy options at breakfast and lunch, and indulge at dinner.
4. Share dessert: On the cruise ship that we were on, you could essentially have as much food as you wanted, and every dinner included at least 1 appetizer, 1 entrée, and 1 dessert. However, you CAN skip an appetizer or dessert if you'd like. Another option would be to share those two extras with someone, especially dessert. You can still indulge, just in moderation.
5. Sip wisely: As I said before, it's fine to have a cocktail or two, but some can be loaded in calories. If you plan to drink during your trip, try to find lower-calorie options for most of your day.
6. Get involved: Instead of laying around the pool all day, get involved in a corn hole competition, play shuffleboard, dance the night away, or go for a walk around the decks. There are so many activities that cruise ships provide besides just sitting around and relaxing. You don't want to miss out, I promise you!
7. Take the stairs: If you're able, take the stairs to different locations!
8. Plan an active excursion: Most cruise ships stop at one or more destinations. If you plan on going on an excursion at one of your stops, try something a little more active, like snorkeling or an ATV tour.

Most of all, don't deprive yourself. It is vacation, after all. You know what they say...everything in moderation, right? If you gain a little weight, it's ok! Honestly, I still expect to gain a LITTLE weight. I just want to at least minimize that gain. We all over-indulge, even with the best intentions. The most important thing is that you get back on track as soon as you get home!

Recipe of the week:
Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole
I modified it for Achieve by using Fiber Gourmet Spaghetti, 96% lean beef, fat free cream cheese, fat free cottage cheese, and homemade bread crumbs. The only other change I would make is that I'd change the creamy to tomato ratio. I'd use a little more tomato sauce and a little less cream cheese mixture.

Have a healthy week, everyone! :)

Back to Normal

Alright, everybody! I'm a day late with my post. I know you were all on the edges of your seats waiting for me. ;) I've been juuuuust a little busy lately! Last week I veered a little bit from normal to get up-close and personal. This week, let's just get back to normal, why don't we?! I've put my worries from last week on my back burner for now. I'm giving those to God and dealing with things as they come. God is great, all the time.

Monday at the meeting, I gained 0.8 lbs. Bummer. My short-term goal is to lose 15 pounds before my family vacation on June 3rd. I only have 5.2 lbs to go until then, so it's definitely still possible! I won't be too disappointed in myself if I don't reach that goal. I'm sure I'll get close, and, mostly, I just can't wait for a week off! The last time I gained, I was really upset, and I kind of got down on myself. This week, I wasn't even worried about it. I had such a wonderful weekend eating, drinking, and relaxing with friends and family, so a small gain was totally worth it to me. Sometimes, you just have to take the hit for your own sanity. In my opinion, at least! Ha! I was also pretty proud of myself, because while I did indulge and eat larger portions, I did a fairly good job at choosing my foods. On Sunday, we celebrated 2 birthdays in my family. If you know anything about my family, you know that we NEVER have a shortage of food or dessert, and on Sunday, there were THREE desserts. Four, if you count ice cream as a dessert in itself. One of those happened to be one of my absolute favorites - coconut cream pie. Do you want to know what I had for my dessert? Somehow, I stuck to fruit and a small scoop of no sugar added vanilla ice cream. It was hard, but I felt so good about myself afterward. I think one of the biggest reasons I've been able to stick with this "diet" is the fact that it gives you a lot of wiggle room. I haven't felt deprived of too much of anything, because I get two junk days to indulge, and there are even plenty of healthy options that I've found to help satisfy my cravings in-between junk days.

Here are some of my other successes from last week:
 -Avoiding candy at work
-Not eating a dessert that my boyfriend cooked in the apartment (even though I was subjected to the delicious smell ALL NIGHT)
-Being mostly healthy when we got free Moe's for lunch at work, even though it was technically a junk day
-Mostly minimizing cheat days by making good food choices
-Not eating homemade cookies that someone brought to work
-Getting better at figuring out how to easily modify most recipes with low-fat/fat-free/sugar-free options
-Meal planning/prepping is becoming easier and more of a habit

Do you notice that most of my "successes" are avoiding temptations at work?! My coworkers/workplace are/is definitely my diet demon(s)!!!!

So, even though I had a lot of successes, that doesn't by ANY MEANS mean that I haven't struggled. Do you even KNOW how hard it is to avoid homemade coconut cream pie when it's right in front of you all evening? I felt like it was speaking to me. EAT ME! Besides just struggling to use my will power, I've definitely struggled with working out. I think I need to just get into a good routine, but for some reason (*cough*laziness*cough*), I just haven't gotten there yet. I think part if it is just getting a little too comfortable and making excuses for myself. It seems like about every 3 weeks I need to re-focus and kick my butt into gear again! The past week was just crazy busy, so I didn't even work out once. There I go making excuses again. It will NOT happen this week. I have a solid workout plan this time, and I'm hoping I can stick to it. Today and tomorrow, I plan to jog outside, and Friday I plan to do a pound workout. 

Recipe of the week (recipe link below):

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole over Fiber Gourmet Pasta - I can't take any credit whatsoever for this (except maybe the name!). I got the idea from my amazing aunt, who is also doing Achieve and has lost around 25 lbs! 

Tonight, I'm going to modify a spaghetti cream cheese casserole recipe! Hopefully I can update you with good results next week. :)

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta: Get the Recipe!

Random thought of the day:
This week, I discovered MEMORY FOAM shoes. It's like walking on clouds. I'm thinking I need to invest in many more pairs!

I feel like I'm starting to get a little repetitive, so if there's anything that you'd like me to discuss in a blog, please feel free to comment. I could use ideas and inspiration sometimes! Don't get me wrong, I love sharing my successes/failures/recipes with you all, but I don't want to bore you TOO MUCH. ;)

Have a healthy week, everyone!

TEN

I am officially 10 pounds down as of this week! Actually, it was 10.6 if you want to get specific. ;) Woo hoo! I feel like I'm really getting the hang of this Achieve thing. Shopping is getting easier, cooking is getting easier, and I'm having way less cravings. I feel more confident in myself, because, even though I'm not where I want to be, I'm making progress! On my menu tonight was a taco salad that I made with 99% fat free ground turkey, taco seasoning, peppers, onions, fat free shredded cheese, fat free sour cream, green leaf lettuce, and salsa. It. Was. Delicious. I love having a meeting every week, because everyone shares their recipes and ideas for meals! Someone mentioned taco salad earlier this week, and today in the cafeteria at work it was taco Tuesday, so I saved my appetite for my healthier version! Yum.

Earlier this week was Mother's Day! I had to work in the evening that day, but I got to spend the morning at church with my mom and a few of the other most important women in my life. My mom has been one of my most important cheerleaders on this journey! Really, she's the whole reason I even started Achieve. She has lost TWENTY-FOUR pounds so far. If she loses too much more, she might get blown away! ;) Ok, maybe not. But really, I am so proud of her! Happy belated Mother's Day to all of the wonderful mothers out there!

In our class yesterday, we talked about cookout foods, since Memorial Day is quickly approaching. Turns out, it shouldn't be too hard to eat at least mostly healthy! There are lots of options. Low-fat hot dogs, fat-free turkey franks, lean ground beef, low-calorie buns, salad with light dressing, fruit, veggies, reduced-sugar/sugar-free/low-fat/fat-free condiments...I could go on! I don't know that I necessarily have a favorite cookout food, but I do love grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and fresh fruits. The biggest challenge for me will be controlling my portions!

This week, I have a personal request. I've been debating upon whether or not to share this, but, ultimately, I decided I could use all the prayers I can get! I got my hair done yesterday, and my wonderful hair stylist found a fairly sizable bald patch in the back of my head. It's on the underside of my hair, so you wouldn't notice it unless you moved my hair aside just the right way. It seems to be growing back, but it makes me nervous. It might just be extremely dry scalp that caused it, or it could be something called "alopecia areata" (don't google it...mine isn't as bad as the google images! :P), which is just where you lose hair in patches now and then...it will probably suck, but in the scheme of things, it's no big deal. It's treatable. Alopecia (hair loss) can also be a symptom of other things, like thyroid disorders. I shouldn't be worried, and I know this is so small compared to what so many other strong women have dealt with, but I'm freaking out just a tiny bit! I can't get into my family physician until next weekend, so any prayers between now and then would be very much appreciated. God is great, ALL the time! :)

Success!

As of yesterday, I've officially completed my first month of Achieve. Yesterday was my first day of Lifestyle classes, in which we talk about different topics each week, rather than just learning the basics of the Achieve lifestyle. The good news is...I LOST FOUR POUNDS LAST WEEK! The bad news is...I think at least one of those pounds is a false loss, because now, my meetings are earlier (5:45pm instead of 7:30pm), and I don't eat dinner beforehand. I'll take it, though! ;) That means I lost 8.4 pounds in 4 weeks! It was a little surprising, because on Saturday, I had a total hog trough day. In other words, I ate a TON. I went to 100 Men Who Cook, which is a charity where, well, 100 men cook. They all bring a special dish, and you can try as many as you'd like. I probably barely even tried 20, but they were all delicious.

Since I've completed my first month, I want to go back and review! This past week, I didn't quite meet all the goals that I set in my last blog. I did have 6 healthy days, and I did start trying to drink apple cider vinegar! My favorite recipe from my 6 healthy days was a lasagna that I modified from a couple different recipes to make it work for Achieve. I did not work out 3 times. I had a great run/jog/walk one day (2.9 miles in 34 minutes), and I did a Pound workout another day. I got lazy over the weekend and I didn't get to number three. I've decided to keep my goal of working out 3 times weekly until I can do it for 3 weeks in a row. Then, I want to move up to four!

Can you believe this is HEALTHY lasagna?!

Now, here's a little review of a few things from all of the past 4 weeks.

My Successes:
-Gaining energy
-Losing 8.4 lbs in 4 weeks
-Making food prep a habit
-Drinking around 20 glasses of water per day

My Failures: 
-Gaining weight on week 3
-Typically indulging a little too much on junk days
-Not working out enough

Favorite Recipes and/or Products:
-Pasta with fiber gourmet pastas and carba-nada pastas
-Turkey Chili Dog Casserole
-Beef Burritos (made with lean beef and low carb tortillas)
-Wraps with chicken breast strips, veggies, fat-free cheese, and Olive Garden Light Dressing
-Healthy Chicken Mozzarella with home made bread crumbs
-Modified Lasagna (Get the RECIPE!)

One of the best things that I've learned about myself through this process is that I actually DO have self-control. I've been spending all this time making excuses and saying that I'm giving in because I just don't have enough self-control. NOT TRUE. Not once in the whole month have I given into temptations at work or otherwise on a healthy day. Not even ONE leftover Reese cup from Easter...and those are my absolute favorite. ;) Another thing I've learned is that I kinda sorta actually LIKE salads. I don't usually crave salads, but I've learned that they're really satisfying. This is new. In the past, I've always felt unsatisfied after eating a salad. Maybe it was a mental thing, but I never used to feel full. Now that I've been eating so many vegetables on a regular basis, my tastes have begun to change!

Seriously, if I can lose over 8 lbs in 4 weeks, I think anyone can. Anyone out there that's struggling, just know that you're not alone. I gained weight in week 3 of my first month, and I'm sure I'll gain weight again a few times in the coming weeks and months. I am even giving in and having 2 junk days (instead of my usual 1) this week, because, well, I have a life. :P The best thing I've learned is that it IS possible to have fun, have a life, indulge in your cravings, AND STILL lose weight.

Here's to a healthy week!