Tag: exercise

Find your passions {express yourself & decompress}!

Find your passions {express yourself & decompress}!

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Life can be a mountain.  It is much more a mountain than a beach.  There are challenges to overcome, hoops to jump through, and hills to climb to meet your goals and achieve your dreams.  Passions, hobbies, and ways to fill your time in a meaningful way for yourself and others help combat the challenges and obstacles.  You may not even think about the hobbies or things that you do to relieve stress, whether it be spending time with your kids, going on a date with your spouse, exercising, reading, cleaning and organizing your house, or some other hobby that you love.  There are hundreds of hobbies you can use to enhance your life and those around you.  It will make you stronger, happier, and more relaxed to devote some of your own time to your health.  It may just seem like everyday life to most people, but having avenues to decompress are vital.  They keep you happy, healthy, thankful, and sane.

Not only are hobbies important to decompress at the end of the day or week, or at the end of a very traumatic or draining month, but they allow you to express yourself in a unique way.  I often scrapbook and exercise to destress and reduce any tension that I feel.  I love to scrapbook to get my creative juices flowing and to reconnect and visit all the fun adventures that I have been fortunate enough to be able to experience.  I have been scrapbooking for 10 years and it is one of the most calming and refreshing hobbies that relieves stress.  On the other hand, I love a good workout and sweat session to boost my energy and rejuvenate my body after an exhausting or frustrating day.  Both are great hobbies that help my mind and body in different ways.  My small hobbies have helped me maintain a balance in my life and a thankful spirit in my heart.

Finding your passions and sticking to them will make you feel more at ease with your life, giving it more depth and meaning.  You might also find that channeling your hobbies will give you energy, express your creative side, and remind you to be thankful for all that you have.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Quality over quantity…in life and in health!

Quality over quantity…in life and in health!

“Quality over quantity” fits my life mission and many of the goals I set for myself.  When I workout I like to keep it in the back of my mind.  I want quality over quantity.  What does that mean to me?  It means using the correct form for the exercises I perform and creating a workout that fits my lifestyle and body.  It is for my sanity, strength, and a stress reliever at the end of the day.  In other words, I would rather do fewer reps and sets during my workout than lots of reps and sets in the incorrect form.  That can cause pains, strains, and injuries.

The same can be echoed for the career paths I have gone down.  I have come to appreciate (and enjoy) having a job that is far more “quality over quantity”.  That may not even make sense, but let me explain.  I work in public education and I don’t get paid a lot, but the work I do and the students I touch are the reason I have come to like the work that I am doing (after having changed career paths several times prior).  The quality or meaning it brings to my life far outweighs the quantity or money I am making.

Lastly, I love to travel.  It is probably one of my favorite things to do and I wish I could do it more often.  I love the experiences it gives me, the memories I create, and learning about the world.  I like seeing other cultures, gaining new perspective, and more than anything the quality it adds to my life.

The meaning behind this post is to remember that in life it is far better for your health and happiness to appreciate life and people, not things.  Take pleasure in the small things…the things that create memories, experiences, and teach you something about yourself and others.  Make your life center around quality and experiences.  You will be happier if you do!  And, more than anything remember to appreciate your health and the aging process.  After all, good health and aging is something that some never have the privilege of experiencing.  As my grandma once said, “If you have good health you don’t realize how lucky you really are.”

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Giving is good for your health!

Giving is good for your health!

Emotional and mental health are important.  Very important.  Sometimes these two components of health take the back burner to social and physical health.  We might focus on our social media relationships, comments, and statuses.  Stuff that in the scheme of things won’t matter when we look back on life.  I am even guilty of this sometimes.

I actually have someone in my family that struggles with finding a balance between her emotional and mental health versus her social and physical health.  She struggles with finding happiness, being self-confident on the inside, and feeling a sense of contentment.  She chooses to focus on her social and physical health as a way of combating the struggles she faces with her emotional and mental health.  She walks daily and puts effort into how she presents herself to others, but in reality it doesn’t fix how she feels about herself.  She is missing a sense of self-purpose in life.  She struggles with identifying meaning by the roles in which she chooses to play in society.

Giving may not seem like it has to do with emotional or mental health.  It may seem like a big stretch, but it actually isn’t a stretch at all.  Giving provides purpose to a person’s life.  It gives meaning.  It is a reminder to be appreciative for what we have.  It feels good to give to others.  It gives you that warm and happy feeling on the inside knowing you contributed to a good cause, helped someone that is struggling, baked cookies for your local police department, or helped a stranger on your way to work.   The feeling you have from doing those things contributes to your emotional and mental health.

You do not need tons of money to give.  Giving can come from the heart.  It can be coloring a picture for someone, writing a “Thank You” card, volunteering with a local organization, helping someone into their car, or a multitude of other ways to be kind and give back.  I work at an elementary school where I am given pictures and coloring pages almost every single day.  While students love to give me pictures and have a huge smile as they hand me their masterpiece I feel equally as blessed.  It warms my heart that they want to give me pictures that they work so hard on.  It is a reciprocation of mental and emotional health.  It makes them feel good and me as well.

In a world full of consumerism and materialism, I challenge you to remember to give (year round)!  Just because the holidays have passed and it is a new year doesn’t mean all your time has to focus on New Years weight loss resolutions or bikini bodies for spring break.  It is still important to smile at strangers, say hi to people you pass in the hallway, or compliment someone.  I challenge you to increase your purpose and role in the world.  I challenge you to remember what giving will do for your emotional and mental health.

I hope this blog, as short as it is, captures how much giving can do for you and the world.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

What will YOU do in 2016?

What will YOU do in 2016?

It is normal to set new goals and milestones at the beginning of the new year.  You may want to lose weight, eat more fruits and veggies, go to church, save more money, write more on your blog (ME!) 😉 and so on.  It can include anything you want to accomplish and do throughout the year. For me, one of my biggest goals is to publish a book I have been working on for almost two years. When it comes to health and well-being, there are many areas that you can focus on – social, emotional, environmental, spiritual, physical, and mental health.

Will you focus on your social health?  This comprises your friends, family, and interactions with others.  Will you sign up to be involved in new groups or events such as community development? Will you volunteer with local charity organizations?  Will you be planning a wedding or other special event?  Will you give selflessly to others through random acts of kindness?  All of these things make you active in ensuring you have a happy, healthy, and successful social component within your life.

Will you focus on your emotional health?  Do you handle stress and excitement appropriately?  Do you balance the spectrum of all emotions in a healthy way?  You may choose to work on emotional health by taking deep breaths when stressed, not “closeting” your feelings, listening to your heart and mind, and making decisions for yourself and how you feel rather than to please others.

Will you focus on your environmental health?  This means that you foster a positive work and personal environment.  Further, this includes preserving the water, air, and the land around you. Will you begin to recycle more this year?  That includes less waste such as paper products including paper plates, napkins, and printing unnecessary documents.  Will you reuse paper to prevent further waste in landfills?  Will you reduce water bottle usage by using reusable plastic bottles to decrease landfill wastes?  When you discuss land and air safety, this means you reduce harmful chemicals such as burning toxic wastes and disposing of chemicals in landfills.

Will you focus on your spiritual health?  This requires that you “talk the talk and also walk the walk.”  In other words, you have morals, values, and ethics that you follow to lead an honest life. Additionally, it means you encourage peace and harmonious relationships between yourself and others.  You may mediate, read about your belief system, pray, or attend a religious organization.

Will you focus on your physical health?  Will you exercise more this year?  Will you join a gym or participate in group exercise classes?  Are you training for a 5k, half marathon, or full marathon? This is probably one of my strengths when it comes to the six components of health.  I regularly exercise, take walks, and go outside to be active.  It helps me lower my stress level and makes me feel great.  This is particularly important to reduce health diseases such as heart problems, obesity, diabetes, and other health concerns that can be created from being overweight.

Will you focus on your mental (aka intellectual) health?  Will you improve your mood or attitude in 2016?  Will you work to cope better with your stress, anxiety, depression, or self-confidence and self-image?  Part of mental health is finding solutions to cope with your daily struggles.  It may mean reaching out for help, recognizing that those around you care, or changing the demands of your life to reduce the mental stress you are facing.

It is very important to find a balance of the six components of health and well-being.  Like me, you may find that you are strong in two to three of the six components.   If that is the case, that’s fantastic!  It means you can use 2016 as a way to focus on the ones that you are not as strong in. As for my book, it focuses on my mental/intellectual health, social health, and emotional health. Consider finding projects, activities, and events that will allow you to work on several components. For example, participating in group fitness classes will focus on your physical, social, and possibly spiritual and emotional well-being.  Spiritual well-being through mediation or yoga, and emotional well-being to reduce stress.  You can work to improve components that you struggle with to find a better balance to lead a healthier and happier 2016!

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Holidays…family, friends, and FOOD!

Holidays…family, friends, and FOOD!

This is the weight-gaining, cookie-eating, mouth-stuffing time of the year!  It’s the time of the year when people eat cookies, cupcakes, chips, dips, and other sugary and salty foods.  It’s the time of the year when diets seem to be filled with more junk food than fruits and veggies.  It’s the time of the year when there are parties, potlucks, and events.   And, it’s the time of the year when health educators and counselors know what to expect come January when New Year’s resolutions come around!

I am getting ready to cook my “gluten free” Thanksgiving this weekend so that I can actually enjoy it!  Otherwise the day of Thanksgiving I get stuck with meat and potatoes without all the other lovely sides that fill the Thanksgiving table (but are often filled with gluten)!

As a way to cut back on fat and to reduce the calories in my gluten free dishes I will be making roasted brussels sprouts and corn with a couple of slices of bacon rather than a corn casserole or corn pudding which are filled with heavy cream, cream soups, and other fattening additives.  This is a great way to reduce fat and calories while still having great flavor.  The bacon will provide flavor along with chili powder, but since the two bacon slices will be divided among 6 people the amount consumed is very little.

My homemade mashed potatoes will feature part cauliflower.  That may sound awful to some, but I promise you won’t taste the cauliflower and it will save a ton of calories!  I will also use potatoes, but I will combine them with cauliflower to reduce the calories and add some veggies.  I will use reduced sodium, reduced fat cream cheese or greek yogurt to add creaminess to the potatoes.

I will not have bread since I will be making cornbread stuffing.  I made cornbread with reduced fat milk and will make the stuffing using reduced sodium chicken broth.   To save calories, it is great to consider how many “bready” sides or carbohydrate sides you will serve with your Thanksgiving dinner.  Consider having stuffing or bread, pie or cake, with more sides filled with veggies or fruits (i.e. brussel sprouts, corn, green beans, cranberries, mixed fruit, sweet potatoes – healthier than regular potatoes).

If your family does a green bean casserole each year consider roasted green beans, grilled green beans (these are delicious!), or pan seared green beans to cut back on the creamy soups, butter, and fried onions that are all high in calories.

Remember to fill your plates with more veggies than “bready” items and when you go back for seconds fill up on the veggie sides rather than more stuffing, bread, pie, and other high calorie dishes.  Oh, and take a quick walk before or after dinner so your food doesn’t sit in your stomach all day or all night.  You will thank yourself later when your food has a chance to digest rather than sit and make you feel miserable all night! 🙂

Happy eating, enjoy spending time with your friends and family, and have fun making new memories that you will remember forever!

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

There’s an {exercise} app for that!

There’s an {exercise} app for that!

Each weekend my boyfriend and I go on some type of walk, jog, hike, or outdoor workout to get some steps in.  At first, it started as taking the dog for a walk, but it quickly turned into a weekend routine.  Now we go nearly every weekend.  Our weekend walk or jog has evolved over time.  We both have phone apps that track our steps which caused us to begin to pay attention to how many steps and how much distance we were covering for fun.  It has now turned into a friendly competition whereby my boyfriend and I ask each other several times along the walk how many steps the other has done.  Why you ask?  We now compete against each other to see who has more steps.  I usually win! 🙂  That’s mostly because I take smaller steps.  Not intentionally though, I have shorter legs!   He usually covers more distance then me, but who’s counting?  We both are to see who can claim “winning” the exercise race.  Of course, there is nothing to win other than saying you win distance or you win most number of steps.

So why am I telling you this story?  Because using a pedometer or some type of fitness app that makes you accountable for what you are accomplishing each day is a great way to ensure you are moving your body and getting exercise.  This is a great alternative to Fitbits and other fitness tools or devices that people often use for a short period because phones are always with us.  Lastly, I would encourage you to put together a work team or social team that can help motivate you.  I am positive my boyfriend and I would not get as much exercise during the weekend if it weren’t for the competition we have created with each other.  It goes as far as when I get up or he gets up to do something we take our phones not to use them, but because we want to make sure the phone is registering every last step that might put us ahead of  the other!  While we exercise regularly during the week, it is important to also get some exercise throughout the weekend!

Another reason phone apps are great is because you can use them anywhere and anytime so there’s no excuse for no workout!  You can do a quick workout in a hotel room if you are traveling for work or traveling for fun.  You can grab your phone and download an app that has fitness and nutrition inspiration, has workouts that target specific areas of your body, or you can find an app that has group exercise routines that you can follow.

Now it’s time to go to your app store on your phone to find an app that will help you achieve your fitness, nutrition, and health goals! 🙂

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

Believe in yourself and you shall achieve!

Believe in yourself and you shall achieve!

It’s been a long time since I have had the chance to write, to inspire, to motivate, to share fitness advice, and engage with readers.  I am excited to have the opportunity (and time) to make this a priority again.  After all, helping others is a passion, a goal, and a dream.

I haven’t been conscientious about fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness my whole life.  In fact, I actually didn’t care about it at all in high school and weighed about fifteen to twenty pounds more than I do now.  I didn’t care about working out, taking rest breaks to clear my mind, or eating fruits and veggies.  Once I graduated from high school and started college, I realized I needed a way to clear my mind and relieve stress.  I also wanted to develop healthy habits that I would carry with me through life.  That’s when I changed my life and started working out as my personal way of clearing my mind, de-stressing, and making my workout “me” time.  I changed my life.  I changed my future. I developed a workout schedule, nutrition habits, and maintained a routine that would fit my lifestyle.

During this time, I tried several different types of exercise and different workout schedules to figure out what I liked, what I didn’t like, and what I thought worked best for me.  First, I started working out at my house.  I would go on jogs outside each day or jump rope.  It was an effective (and cheap) workout and made me feel better once I was done.  Eventually I bought a treadmill and usually ran five to ten miles each day.  I liked this because I could fit it in when it was convenient and I didn’t have to think about the weather.  I stuck with that for a long time, probably a few years. I got bored with the treadmill and wanted a change in pace.  I decided I would start going to a gym rather than working out at home.  I started using the bike, elliptical, row machine, and occasionally the treadmill along with the weight machines.  I got much more variety which was great.

Then, one day I started experiencing pain in my shins and ankles.  I went to an athletic trainer and physical therapist to see what I had done that was causing me to feel pain.  They said the machine use was causing rubbing on my joints so I started nine weeks of physical therapy to help loosen up my body, joints, and muscles.  It started to help, but the physical therapists suggested lessening my machine use as that can often be hard on your joints.  It was back to the thinking board.  I decided to invest in fitness DVDs and workouts (which are very expensive I might add)!  This allowed me to workout from home, let me do my workout whenever it fit into my schedule, made me be accountable, and forced me to use my own body weight during the workouts.  I found that when I did workout at a gym it was easy to change my fitness days or routine.  I could easily skip the stop at the gym causing me to rotate a workout day or two during the week.  The fitness DVDs helped to fix that problem!  I always had the DVDs at my fingertips and could do my workout at my convenience – no excuses!

So, you might be thinking she just rambled on and on about working out from home, working out from a gym, having sore joints, etc.  The point being that sometimes fitness changes over time. Sometimes you are completely dedicated (like I am now) or completely not interested like I was in high school, BUT it is never too late to start making changes to lead a healthier lifestyle.  Small changes, large changes, or just adding more changes that will help you sustain your lifestyle.  You might start working out at your house, as I did, then change to a gym, and then end up back at your house, in a fitness club, or creating your own walking group, etc.

Regardless of what you choose is best for you, there are always resources and people that can help you achieve your fitness goals.  You can find resources all over the web, there are cookbooks and exercise books everywhere, but one of the most important things you can do for yourself to further your health journey is believe in yourself.  In life, whatever your goals are personally or professionally, you have to take your goals and believe in them, own them, have a strong passion for them, and make them part of you.  That’s part of succeeding in fitness, health, nutrition, and wellness (and in life).  Own up to what you put in your mouth, challenge yourself to a workout, and remember to focus on your goals.  If you can do that, you can do about anything and that includes changing your health habits for the better.

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

You’ll only regret the workouts you don’t do!

You’ll only regret the workouts you don’t do!

We all have days when we feel unmotivated, don’t want to workout, feel lazy, want to take a nap, or just want to do other things, but on those days it is important to still do some type of workout, whether it be a short one or long one, cardio or yoga, or a quick run.  Sometimes thinking about my favorite person who inspires me such as an athlete is enough to motivate me!  If you are having one of those days, think twice before you skip your workout and remember all the positives of a great workout, including the reasons below!

     100 Reasons to Exercise Now (Courtesy of Pinterest)

  1. Because it makes you feel confident
  2. Because it helps you get stronger
  3. Because exercise helps combat depression
  4. Because you’ll feel proud of yourself
  5. Because you have goals you want to reach
  6. Because you’ll feel bad if you don’t
  7. Because you want to move forward, not backward
  8. Because it burns more calories than not working out
  9. Because it improves your heart health
  10. Because you want a great butt
  11. Because it prevents diabetes
  12. Because you want to be a good example to your kids
  13. Because you want to feel good in your clothes
  14. Because it reduces your risk of cancer
  15. Because your body was made to move
  16. Because you want to be an athlete
  17. Because you want to look better
  18. Because it lifts your mood
  19. Because you want to stand taller
  20. Because it reduces back pain
  21. Because it feels good
  22. Because it makes you feel accomplished
  23. Because you spend most of your day on your butt
  24. Because swimsuit season is always coming
  25. Because strong is the new skinny
  26. Because dieting only works so much
  27. Because it strengthens your bones, too
  28. Because it helps you lose weight
  29. Because it allows you to eat more food
  30. Because it’s the best way to spend “me” time
  31. Because it helps you de-stress
  32. Because it’s cheaper than therapy
  33. Because you want a strong core
  34. Because you want to take care for yourself
  35. Because you take pride in your body
  36. Because it strengthens your legs
  37. Because it helps your clothes fit better
  38. Because you want to push yourself
  39. Because you are capable of more than you ever imagined
  40. Because moving your body feels good
  41. Because it keeps your mind sharp
  42. Because it helps you beat belly bloat
  43. Because it helps you sleep better at night
  44. Because it gives you energy
  45. Because you want to stay healthy as you age
  46. Because you want to look younger
  47. Because you want toned arms
  48. Because it improves your balance
  49. Because it burns off last night’s dessert
  50. Because it boosts your immune system
  51. Because sweat is sexy
  52. Because you want to live longer
  53. Because you want to get better at your game
  54. Because you want to catch someone’s eye
  55. Because exercisers earn more money
  56. Because you’re more likely to eat better when you exercise
  57. Because you want to shave time off your running pace
  58. Because you want to breathe easier
  59. Because you want to see the scale drop
  60. Because exercise improves your sex life
  61. Because you are worth it
  62. Because being fit makes everything in life better
  63. Because you promised yourself that you would
  64. Because you deserve a better life
  65. Because it’ll help you drink more water
  66. Because you want to do real push-ups
  67. Because it reduces your health care costs
  68. Because you’ll miss fewer days of work
  69. Because you want to create a new future for yourself
  70. Because it’ll help you like what you see in the mirror
  71. Because it makes clothing shopping more fun
  72. Because you want to look and feel incredible
  73. Because exercising can be fun
  74. Because it’ll give your skin a glow
  75. Because it’s a good way to spend time with your friends
  76. Because it’ll help you prevent the middle-age spread
  77. Because it reduces your blood pressure
  78. Because you don’t want to let yourself go
  79. Because you don’t want to squeeze into an airplane or rollercoaster seat
  80. Because it strengthens your spirit
  81. Because it’s a cheap way to entertain yourself
  82. Because you’ll be able to reward yourself
  83. Because you need a reason to wear those new workout clothes
  84. Because you’re tired of being tired
  85. Because not working out is not going to get you very far
  86. Because it’s a great way to spend time outside
  87. Because you made a commitment to yourself
  88. Because you’re tired of starting over
  89. Because there will always be another wedding, vacation or reunion
  90. Because you’re not a quitter
  91. Because it improves your cholesterol
  92. Because it boosts your metabolism
  93. Because it prevents age-related muscle loss
  94. Because if you can do this, you can do anything
  95. Because a fit body is a healthy body
  96. Because it beats sitting on the couch
  97. Because  everyone has at least 10 minutes to spare
  98. Because you want to be stronger than your excuses
  99. Because not working out isn’t working out for you
  100. Because the only workout you ever regret is the one you skip

Now, GO WORKOUT!  You will feel much better once you do!

~jj

Health notes to myself!

Health notes to myself!

Today’s inspiration is something that I love to do so I do it often on post-it notes, calendars, and “to-do” lists.  It seems kind of simple and probably somewhat silly to some, but it works for me and maybe it will work for you, too!  I often write myself small health notes, reminders, and encouraging words to increase my motivation level, remind myself why it is important to exercise and eat healthy, and small things I can do to further improve my health.

Many of us have calendars at home and work, cellphones, notebooks for work and school, or other planners and organizers that we frequently use.  I often have “to-do” lists (which the blog always seems to be on 😉 ) as well as grocery lists, calendars, etc where I write down health notes to myself.  For example, I might write “Decrease sodium intake by eating less salty foods such as chips and cheese” or “Reduce eating sugary cereals in the morning and eat a brown grain cereal with fruits and raisins” to remind me of better and healthier choices I can make to improve my overall health.  Further, I might write “Exercising and eating right help reduce heart disease” so that I recall why it is I exercise and strive to eat healthy each day.  Lastly, on days when I feel tired, overwhelmed, or lack motivation to exercise, I might write myself a note that says “Keep going and relieve your stress with a great workout” so I know what I can do to rejuvenate and refresh myself at the end of the day.

These simple reminders can be posted at your desk, on your calendar, or like me on my “to-do” lists or grocery lists so that they are a reminder to make healthy choices.  My suggestion (because it works well for me) is to place notes on things or in areas that you frequently look at, open, or see throughout the day so that it is a constant reminder to you.  You can get creative and have fun with it by writing exercises to do such as “Run up and down the office stairs 3 times” or any other exercise that might help you achieve your health and fitness goals.  The point of this is to have fun with your health, make your choices stick with you by recalling what you write down, and using notes to reiterate the importance of making healthy choices.  After all, constant reiteration, reminders, and continual practice help ensure that you maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle over time.

Happy writing (health notes) to yourself!  It may seem silly or too easy, but give it a shot because it might just help!

~jj

Food cheat? Only in moderation!

Food cheat? Only in moderation!

Sorry for the short hiatus!  I have no excuse…I wasn’t on vacation, I really wasn’t any busier than normal, and I actually have a lot of health inspiration so there is no reason for why I haven’t posted lately. 🙁  I hear people say all the time this is my cheat day, so I can eat whatever I want today, but for today only.  Other times I hear people say it’s the weekend so I can eat what I want because I workout five days a week.  I also frequently hear people say they have cheat meals where they can eat whatever they want.  I think one important thing to remember is that while allowing yourself to enjoy all food groups and pleasures in life is great, it is still equally as important to exercise the idea of moderation AND considering the calories you are putting in your mouth.  With that being said, rather than having a cheat weekend, cheat day, or cheat meal, consider having a partial cheat meal whereby you eat a dessert after dinner or you eat fish for dinner, but still have fries as a side or you have scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spinach and a few slices of bacon as a side.

It is important to recognize that moderation needs to be considered when it comes to health, wellness, nutrition, and exercising.  My advice to people who want to enjoy some of the food luxuries in life, but still stay on a well-balanced diet is to consider eating cheat snacks or partial cheat meals.  I recently had a salad for dinner with no meat and then decided after dinner I still wanted something else and preferably something sweet.  I had a small cupcake after my salad and really found that it made more sense to have a salad and a small cupcake rather than a large unhealthy dinner followed by a large dessert.  My salad was filled with lots of veggies and greens that were great for me and then the cupcake was just a hint of cheating that satisfied my sweet tooth.  The best bet?  Choose not to have a large piece of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cornbread followed by a large piece of chocolate cake or have an all you can eat buffet followed by dessert.  This is an overabundance of calories that ruin an entire day (or even week) for a person because of the large amount of calories that are being consumed in just one meal.  Instead choose to pair the healthy with a small indulgence or treat that can accent the meal or be a small token of what you are craving rather than eating a large unhealthy meal and dessert.

That’s a wrap!  Go enjoy a great salad and a cupcake or your dessert of choice (just don’t go overboard with a large dessert such as a carrot cake, or a brownie sundae with chocolate and caramel sauce and whipped cream.  Enjoy your small cheats in moderation because I promise that you will feel better when you’re done, enjoy less calories, and won’t feel sick from over consumption!

~jj

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