Where have all the good dogs gone?

Here we are in the dog days of summer. 

What has become of the Dog Food Wars?  It's time to reframe and reshape our goals. 

The Dog Food Wars started out because we thought who wants to be hauling around bags of dog food if they can set them down?  It's just a lot of extra work!  What we didn't think about was the message this war shouted out.  It said, Dog food is bad- down with dog food!  However, that's not the message. 

The message is about health.  Eat healthfully.  Exercise.  Do right by your body.  Maybe that means you don't lose tons of weight, but you have the guns and the lungs to get around and enjoy yourself.  It means that you are doing your part to help your body be its best and to not let your body limit you.

It's about feeling good.  Eating healthfully and exercising regularly help keep us grounded and are key components to feeling well, physically and mentally.  You deserve that!

It's about knowing your body.  Know what it can take and what it can't take.  Know when to let yourself have some treats and when to tell it no! Listen to what your body tells you and treat it right.  Love how you look RIGHT NOW.  Wherever you're headed, wherever you end up, love it!  Try out different styles and find out what flatters you and what is fun.  Size and body shape are irrelevant; you can look good and be attractive no matter what kind of body you have.

It's about looking good BECAUSE you feel good about yourself.  When you are healthy and feel good, you look good!  Knowing your body, treating it well, and feeling good all boost your mental well-being and your confidence.  Everyone knows that confidence boosts your attractiveness and appeal by about a thousand and most importantly, it makes YOU feel really secure and content.

So, what do you think about the new and improved Dog Food Wars?  What are your suggestions?  Should the prizes still be linked with goal weights?  Should they be linked to duration of exercise, either instead of goal weights, or in addition to reaching a goal weight?  Let's hear your thoughts!  This is our time to shine!

eating: a key to dogfood success or failure

Dogfood sticking to the ribs is a burden!  You've noticed that your eating can hinder your progress or it can help you feel good and energized.  I just want to write some pointers (as much for myself as for you!), to encourage you to keep your eating habits inline with success instead of failure.

1.  Listen to your bod!  Sugar releases dopamine in your brain, and like any drug, as you eat more of it, your brain needs more of it to get that good feeling.  But you've noticed that when you cut down on eating the junk, you don't crave it as much and a small amount satisfies any cravings you get.  Regarding serving sizes and desserts, don't just eat what you're used to eating or what you think you should eat because often that is too much.  Take a minute to listen to your bod and just give it what it's really asking for.

2.  Eat well!  We're all on a strapped budget, but that doesn't mean we can't eat healthy and fresh foods.  They say healthy eating only takes $1.34 extra per day.  As you listen to your bod and eat more appropriate portion sizes, your total food intake may decrease (although this doesn't account for more hunger induced by exercising).  Choices around organic vs non-organic affect food prices; it's something you have to decide for yourself on how much that matters to you.  For me, there are things that I try to buy more conscientiously (like eggs and meat, which is ok because I don't eat a lot of them), but other things may have the conscientious level sacrificed to the budget level.  Here are some eating well guidelines that won't break your budget:

• Whole grains are more filling than processed grains or pasta, and they are very affordable.  Dry beans are also very affordable and easy to prepare (you just have to remember to soak them overnight)!  Try different things like brown rice, barley and quinoa and see what you enjoy!
• Fresh fruits and veggies make great and filling snacks.  You can also teach your bod to get its sugar fix from fruits instead of processed foods.  Make at least half of your dinner veggies- your body will love you!   Veggies may be a little more expensive than processed foods, but they are vital to eating well.  Variety is great, so just get whatever is on sale or get your go-to faves.  Bright colors and a variety of colors is a good rule of thumb to follow to help get a good balance of nutrients. 
• Nuts (other than peanuts) also make a good snack and you don't have to eat a lot of them to give you some quick satisfaction.  (If I chow them fast or without thinking, I can eat a ton.  However, if I eat more slowly and stop after a small handful or two, my tummy has time to catch up and it usually says, "ok, I'm happy now.")  Nuts are expensive, but they may be a worthy thing to consider.  You can also chop them up and add them to salad or other dishes to help give them more substance. 
• Oils are not the devil, but try to use extra virgin olive oil usually and vegetable oil for the other times.
• Salt is something your body needs, but not nearly in the amounts we are used to.  The nice thing about cooking for yourself with fresh foods is that you can control what goes in it.  If you are a salt lover, gradually decrease the amount of salt you put into your food and your taste buds will adjust.  Herbs are a great way to bring flavor out in food and by learning to use them, salt can be a complement instead of the main attraction to your food.
• Protein is important but you only need a little.  Beans or tofu can do the trick, or fish is a great option.  White meats are a better choice than red meats.

4.  Use shortcuts!  Veggies go bad faster when washed and cut up, but it's really handy to wash your veggies and chop them up when you get them, then you can whip up a salad in no time or grab a fresh snack easily. 

3. Enoy it!  Learn what healthy foods you like and don't like.  Experiment with new things.  Find some recipes that are easy and you can fall back on when you are feeling lazy.  Make things ahead that you can freeze (soups freeze very well!) and then you have something to fall back on when you are really lazy.

You know I love eating, and when I am in the habit of eating well is when I enjoy my meals and the way my body feels the most.  Don't berate yourself if you fall off the bandwagon, just let yourself get back on.  My body goes crazy like a ravaging wolf that only wants to all the sugars and fats of the world when it's nearing my lady time.  During times like that, resist the urge to decimate every junk food you lay eyes on, but it's ok if you can allow yourself a small indulgence without unleashing the beast.

This new year has left me dragged in the dirt behind the healthy eating bandwagon, but I'm ready to pull myself up and jump back on.  Who's with me??  Let's stomp this dogfood!



*****

Easy Dinner Salad

Lay a bed of your favorite greens
Sprinkle on things like: chopped nuts, tofu, green onions, tomatos, yellow/red/orange peppers, beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, chopped or shredded carrots
Dress with extra virgin olive oil and some quality balsamic vinegar
sprinkle on a wee pinch of salt if desired, and pepper or smoked paprika


Chicken soup (great for freezing!)
Use low sodium bouillion base without MSG.  This is hard to find sometimes, so you can skip it and just be sure to salt your soup until it gets the right flavor.
Chop up some onion and sautee it and chopped celery.
Add water til your pot is 2/3 full.
Boil then turn it down to a simmer.
Add chopped carrots and a handful or two of wild rice and chicken pieces
Simmer ~45 minutes until wild rice is cooked (it splits when it's cooked) or until carrots are cooked.  Add salt to taste while simmering.
You can also sprinkle in some pepper and/or your favorite fresh herbs like thyme.   Parsley, dill or rosemary could be tasty options too, just be careful as they can have strong flavors.

Dog Food Debriefing-Becky

1. dog food past-
2. 1) So how did you do it? Perseverance is the major thing. You just can’t loose focus and keep pushing until it happens. My main focus was what I ate. I tried to eat more healthy by eliminating processed foods (being at my moms house helped a lot). I ate a lot of vegetable soups. I limited my intake, tried to eat only one serving size of things. The holidays did come and I didn’t tell myself I couldn’t eat the sweets but when that time came I did eat it but it wasn’t as satisfying as I remembered and some candy or eating too much candy made me feel sick. So that helped me not eat to much junk.
3. 
   
4. 2) What things were most helpful? Having a support system was helpful. My mom and Chris were always conscious of what I was eating and would constantly make comments about my dog food.
5. 
   
6. 3) What things set you back/deterred you from losing the dog food? There would be weeks where I would maintain the same weight for several weeks and I felt like I was going nowhere, so that was kind of annoying and frustrating. Sometimes I would have urges to eat the entire kitchen which didn’t help either.
7. 
   
8. 4) What was the hardest part for you? The hardest part was to realize that its not an automatic thing and that it would take time. It is also hard to exercise regularly.

1. 5) What was your greatest motivation? Winning the prize and beating you!!!
2. 
   
3. 6) How do you feel now (what’s different compared to before you lost the dog food)? I don’t feel any different, I still feel fat, well some days I do feel thinner. I have had a couple people this past week tell me how good I look so obviously they can see a difference, so that’s nice to hear.
4. 
   
5. 7) What is the best thing about having lost this dog food? I get to work towards my second one and loose more weight and be healthier.

dog food future-

8) Are you going to try anything different to lose this dog food? I am going to try to exercise more regularly. I am taking a class at school that we have to make and implement a health plan for someone else so I am also going to apply the principles that I learn to myself as well. I will also let you know so you can do it to.

9) What challenges do you anticipate for losing the next dog food? Since I am now at college and I don’t have the healthy resources of my mom’s cupboards I think it will have to be a more conscious effort on my part to eat healthy and plan menus and avoid the fast cheap food.

10. 
    
11. 10) List your three main motivations for losing the next dog food:

kick your trash

Feel skinner/Look better

Be healthier

11. 11) Is there anything else you’d like to share?

If you need a good core strength workout let me know. I might have told you about it earlier I don’t know. It was designed by one of the biggest loosers people and they say do this and you will loos two dress sizes in three weeks. I don’t do it regularly enough (only once a week) but it makes me sore in places I never knew existed. :) I love you and good luck!!!

Dog Food Debriefing-Eebs

1. I’ve been trying to exercise everyday (though there are definitely days I missed)--usually for 45 min to an hour.  My exercise has been a combo of running, yoga, stationary biking and strength training (situps, pushups, etc).  As for food, I’ve been trying to make sure I feel real hunger (like hunger pangs) in between anytime I eat.  When I do eat I have tried to go heavy on veggies and low on sugar and processed foods.  I’ve also been trying to eat smaller portion sizes.  Basically I’ve been eating a lot of salad and fish.  Though I have also allowed myself to eat anything I want just more moderately.
2. I think that knowing I can eat anything is helpful to keep me from feeling deprived.  It’s been helpful to make my lunches the day before.  I also find it helpful for me to enjoy where I am at now, instead of feeling bad that I still weigh so much.
3. Sometimes I get into the mindset that I’ve messed up already so I should stop trying.  Near the beginning of the challenge I think I had some set backs and stopped trying for a little while.  I think over thinking it and being impatient about how long it takes also has set me back because then I want to give up and eat junk food.  Also it’s been tricky finding exercise in bad weather.
4. Accepting the slow and steady nature of weight loss
5. Seeing that Becky was sticking with it
6. I haven’t lost enough to notice a big difference, but overall I feel less bloated and pudgy.  I am starting to fit into some pants that I didn’t fit into before.  Also, due to the exercise I am feeling more in shape--less winded going up the stairs and more capable of keeping up with leslie on runs.
7. Feeling like there’s hope for losing the rest of them.
8. I want to find more diversity in my exercise routine (I’m getting bored of the stationary bike).  Interested in adding more strength training.
9. Exercising indoors (bad weather).  Living with my party bff (Leslie) who loves junk food.
10. Fitting into more clothes!  Getting this dog food prize, which is AWESOME!  Getting the confidence that comes with getting in shape!
11. Nope!

Congratultions on completing your first dog food-Erin!

CONGRATULATIONS to the first dog food winner-Becky!!

Eat at a good time!

Today I was trying to think of something good to share to inspire you to loose even more weight. So my tip this week is to not eat anything within the two hour block before going to bed. I have been trying to do this and will continue to work on this. I have heard that this is healthy so it gives you time to digest your food. Good luck!! You are doing such a great job at loosing that dog food bag!!