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Tag: snacks

FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyleUncategorized

Snow Today – Gone Tomorrow

While the snow is falling and stacking up in inches, they are already calling for next week’s weather to be in the 50’s.

 


Daylight savings time is less than a week away. With a 50 degree forecast next week, make sure that when you are reaching for that extra snack or sabotaging yourself in any way that you will be seeing the spring weather next week.

50’s will feel like the 80’s and you know how we jump into seasons. You will be sure to see the shorts and t-shits on people around every corner. Who will be wearing them? Those who worked hard and did not let winter and snow storms determine their food choices.

Think about the choices you are making and the consequences they will cause. Every time you go off program it determines whether you will lose weight or maintain. If you really go off then you will gain.  Look at your Weight Loss Path for what it is. It’s a new way of life, and realize that everything you do and every decision you make is in your hands. If you stay on your path and not let everything around you get into your way you will succeed. Here are some helpful hints to you keep you on track today:

1) Think before you act and make sure that you are eating because you are hungry and not bored. If you ever took a speech class in college you would have learned that before you speak it’s always best to pause, think, then speak. Use this same rule when reaching in the cabinet. Pause, think and then act.

2) Go into your refrigerator and cut up lot of veggies and put them in bags. Or place them on a platter for you to grab when you feel the need to mindlessly munch. If you don’t have them ready you will be grabbing for unhealthier choices that you will later beat yourself up about.

3) Surf the internet for spring and summer clothes.  Summer shorts and bathing suits.  What do you want to see yourself in?

4) Go into your closet and try on the clothes that you want to be in this spring and summer. Do they fit? are they close? Keep them out and try them on every week. You will see that you are closer and closer to reaching your goals.

5)  Workout video – Yoga, workout, aerobic or weights and get your body moving. Indoor videos don’t have to give you the best workout of your life, they just have to give you enough to sweat a little and keep you away from the kitchen.  The combination of the two can make the differennce between losing and gaining.


Remember that how you feel and the control you have over yourself, what you eat and who you are, all go hand in hand. You can make the decision to grab and eat or simply say NO. I am not saying it’s easy. Yes it will be uncomfortable. I get it, you are stuck in the house and you want it. But it is shot term pleasure that will lead to long term unhappiness. No one feels good when they don’t have control over what they are doing. You know that if you choose the wrong foods and make the wrong decisions it will make you unhappy, and if you know that being healthy, thin and in control not only feels good but it also makes you happy, then it’s up to you to make it happen. It’s up to you to say NO and walk away, and it’s up to you to deal with the uncomfortableness of saying NO. It’s only food and you will not let it control who you are, how you feel and what your day will be. Stop making excuses and remember that if you do the right thing and make the right decisions your results will be the prize. Stay your path…make the right decisions…and don’t let anything get in your way…

KNOW YOUR HAPPINESS

IF YOU KNOW EATING HEALTHY, CLEAN AND BEING THIN AND IN CONTROL MAKES YOU HAPPY – THEN DO IT

MEMORIAL DAY GOALS

13 weeks until memorial day – gives you the opportunity to lose anywhere from 13- 26 lbs
                                                                                                               

1 lb a week = 13 pounds

2 lbs a week = 26 pounds

1-3 lbs a week = 30 + pounds



NO MORE EXCUSES – IF YOU HAVEN’T STARTED DO IT NOW

IF YOU STARTED – STAY STRONG AND STAY YOUR PATH


WHAT YOU DO TODAY AFFECTS YOUR TOMORROW!

IT’S UP TO YOU!

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

Is Someone Trying to Sabotage Your Resolution?

We’re more than half way through the first month of the New Year and you have probably already faced many obstacles while trying to stick to your Resolution. Going back to school and work after the winter break means eating on the go and that healthy eating usually takes a back seat to a busy schedule. And it can be tough to make time for exercise, especially in the cold weather when it can be hard to find the energy. Difficulties like these can be combatted from within through motivation and encouragement, but sometimes you will find that challenges can come from another person. Your friends and family may seem supportive, but sometimes they think that steering you away from your weight loss will make you happy and more relaxed. They see you eating light and they hear of how you struggle sometimes, so they think that giving you a way out and convincing you to skip that workout or to have that dessert will solve your problems. It can be hard to say no to the people you care about and spend the most time with, but you also have to watch out for people that are trying to sabotage your Resolution.

 

Co-workers may mean well when they come by with that box of donuts or plate of cookies they baked last night, but you have to rise above being tempted in the workplace. The last thing you need is to start rewarding yourself with food when you complete a task or feel stressed at your job. Getting personal at work can be uncomfortable, but there are nice ways to turn down unhealthy food and unnecessary snacks. Just let people know that you don’t have room or just ate, or if you feel the need to take what they are offering, only take a bite or two. So next time your coworkers are passing around birthday cake slices at an office party, have a plan and get through the day without the extra eating.

 

If you don’t find temptation at work, you will most certainly find it at home with your kids and family. You may plan to eat healthy when you come home but your kids probably have something else in mind. They want what they want, and they want dessert too, and you won’t hear the end of it until they get it. Maybe they want to go out for dinner to their favorite place where you know you don’t have many options. It can be hard to juggle your own eating habits with your family’s. You feel like eating healthy doesn’t seem like a priority when you’re eating with other people. This can be especially hard when you’re at a relative’s table when food is personal. If you do feel the pressure to eat, use the tasting method. Just take one spoonful. And remember that when it comes to family meals, it’s about more than food. Don’t focus on what you’re not eating, focus on the time you spend together.

 

Your family and coworkers may understand your choices, but your friends may be your biggest obstacle. They want you to indulge and enjoy things with them. They want to go out for drinks or meet up at a cafe for coffee. When you find yourself in a social situation where eating or drinking certain foods is part of the get-together, you have to do the best you can. Don’t just give up because you think the situation is out of your control. Look for healthy alternatives or go for something that you know is a good choice. Meeting up isn’t an occasion to fall off the wagon. You can also plan accordingly when you have the time. If you know you’re meeting up with a friend for coffee, keep it simple (no sugary syrups or whole milk) and make it one of your snacks.

 

Navigating social situations is part of daily life so it will also be part of your weight loss. It can be tiring to combat your own temptations, and then to add someone else telling you that you should treat yourself to whatever food you want isn’t helpful. They may think that one meal or snack isn’t a big deal, but you work too hard to spoil your resolution. Make it something you are proud of and include the people around.  If they really want the best for you they will understand.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyleUncategorized

HALLOWEEN CANDY – DON’T BUY IT!

We’re barely a week into the month of October and already every store is filled with Halloween themed costumes, decorations and candy. While it may only hurt your wallet to give in to the first two, buying Halloween candy so early in the month will cost you more than just money. Even the bite-sized versions are packed with sugars and calories, and offer your body no nutritional value. Just think – If it wasn’t Halloween would you even consider buying this candy?

 

Avoid the “but it’s a holiday” excuse. If you start making excuses to buy it, you’re going to give in to your excuses to eat it. Just because it’s the special Halloween version that only comes out once a year, that doesn’t mean you should get it. Two weeks ago we discussed having tablespoon sized portions of your favorite holiday dishes and desserts on Rosh Hashanah because they only come around once a year. But this is not your family’s special recipe on a meaningful holiday. The Halloween candy is candy in a costume. It’s a great marketing tool that is meant to bring nostalgia. It represents your youth, and the comforts of your youth. A time when it was YOU who was once running around in the Halloween costume. The combination of the approaching Fall weather and the packaged Halloween candy can bring you back to a time when life was easy, fun and stress free. That’s a wonderful feeling, and I agree with the fun of the holiday, but not in the 2nd week of October. Halloween is one day, October 31st. Candy should be purchased the day before and celebrated the day of. Don’t make it longer than it really is.

 

It’s going to be difficult enough because without even buying the candy you will still come across plenty of it. Look around, Halloween candy is everywhere – in a bowl on every desk at the office, every counter at the bank, the nail and hair salon. It’s sitting next to every cash register and everywhere in between. You already work so hard to eat right and exercise, don’t sabotage yourself. The little slip ups add up very quickly. EVERYTHING COUNTS AND EVERYTHING MATTERS. Don’t let all your weight loss efforts go to waste over a candy bar that is dressed up in a Halloween Costume. Because when the costume is off, it’s really just a candy bar you can buy anytime of the year.

 

There are many healthy treats that you can buy and/or make with your family. Check the blog on Monday for some healthier Halloween treat ideas.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

Healthy Snacks For The Whole Family

In the midst of everyone’s busy schedules packed with work, school, after school activities, social events and errands, planning a healthy snack time can fall through the cracks. This can be true for not only you but for your kids as well. Unhealthy snacking can quickly erase a day of clean eating and exercise, not to mention fill your kids with sugar.

 

When you know it’s going to be a hectic day, throw some almonds or carrots sticks in a baggie for your passengers to munch on in the back seat and stick some in the cup holder for yourself. Snack boxes of raisins or apple slices with to-go peanut butter packets are great for school or work. Easy grab and go bars like Special K Protein bars or Fiber One provide a little bit of sweetness as well as protein and fiber.  For sports, dance or any active extracurriculars, try orange slices or peanut butter and banana sandwiches on whole wheat bread to give them a boost, and always hydrate with water.

 

On days when there’s a little more time to prepare something at home, something as simple as celery with peanut butter and raisins or veggies with hummus can satisfy everyone. Sliced fruit or a bowl of grapes is a great snack to share, maybe with a string cheese on the side. If they’re looking for something salty, try whole wheat pretzels or light popcorn snacks like Skinny Pop.

 

When they inevitably ask for candy or cookies, try something else sweet but smart like sugar free chocolate pudding. Trail mix is also a great alternative, as long as you make sure they aren’t just picking and choosing the sweet stuff! A cup of Cheerios can taste like candy with flavors like chocolate, apple cinnamon and dulce de leche, but they also pack whole grains, vitamins and minerals.

 

Snacking healthy will not only help you with your immediate fitness and weight loss goals, but it will also provide the foundation for a healthy lifestyle for you and your family.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

Are Your Kids Making YOU Fat?

Back into the swing of things and we already feel the Snack Closet calling our name. We buy snacks for lunch, snacks for after school and snacks for sports.  Stealing one or two handfuls for yourself and then another for “just in case”. Before you know it, you ate half the bag of Goldfish. If only they didn’t eat those darn Goldfish! If only they ate vegetables and fruits. Not the candy, cakes and cookies…not to mention the ice cream!

 

Do these thoughts sound familiar? Are you constantly blaming your children for making you eat?  As parents, we know how very difficult it is to not buy that cake they love. You know, the one they beg for all the time, and when you buy it they only have one little tiny slice. The cake that you could inhale by just smelling it.  How are you expected to get through each day with all these delicious sweets and treats in the house? You have to take one piece or maybe two. A handful for me and one for you. What choice do you have? Do you have a choice?

 

Let’s think about this more clearly….Who bought the snacks? Are they really all the snacks your children like or are they some that you like as well? Or did you buy them because you like them and hope the kids will take a piece to make you feel a little better about buying and eating it?

 

When we really think about it thoroughly, it’s not the kids who are making us fat, it’s more likely that we are making our kids fat. We buy foods that we know are loaded with calories and sugar, but it’s okay because they are kids, right? When we’re really honest with ourselves, we realize this is not the case and it’s time to make the right choice.

 

Start by keeping the unhealthy snacks out of your home. If an indulgent treat is just a couple steps away, it’s more likely for you to give into it. Not to mention that giving in to your kids’ cravings is creating bad eating habits they may carry with them their whole life.

 

Next, lead by example. Show them that eating healthy is something to be proud of, not a way to punish yourself for bad behavior. When you start making healthy choices it will affect the people around you, especially your kids.

 

Check back later this week for healthy snacks you and your whole family can enjoy!

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018