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Ideas for Weight Loss

Apr4

I have wonderful news… my youngest son is getting married! His fiancée is wonderful and we are looking forward to having her in our family. She will have all the joys of spelling and saying our last name like I have!

Recently I began trying on dresses for the “Big Day”. I don’t know how these pounds grabbed onto me, and if I had to choose a date for the wedding, I would say a year from now so I could get skinnier. Well, I have about a month to lose some winter poundage. Miracles can happen, right? I looked on the internet with my quest to lose weight and found 7 key points to help:

  1. Did it grow? Fruit, vegetables, and nuts fit that category. However, I would have to say that maltodextrose  does not. What is that anyway?? A colorless to yellowish syrupy mixture of dextrose, maltose, and dextrins containing about 20% water, used in confectionery, alcoholic fermentation, tanning, and treating tobacco. Ewww!! 😦
  2. 1 ingredient– No, I don’t have to eat just one thing, but rather  food should be as unprocessed as possible.
  3. Did it have a mother? Was it alive previously? Fish, beef, chicken all had mothers. However,  I do wonder about pigs… 🙂
  4. One pound= 3500 calories How long will it take to exercise off a donut? Motivation factor!
  5. Stay hydrated– Often we think we are hungry, but it is actually thirst. Also, water curbs appetites. Calories are being burned walking to the bathroom too!
  6. Eat every 4 hours– By eating smaller amounts our blood sugar remains steady, resulting in eating less.
  7. Move! If I don’t have a partner to hold me accountable I am far less likely to exercise. A friend keeps me moving and motivated on days when I’d rather sit and eat some carbolicious snack.

Here is to hoping to see progress soon. I haven’t lost any weight since I started yesterday (lol), but I am thinking thin thoughts… I’ll close with a recipe from Fitness Magazine that I am going to try. Care to join me?

Peach Milkshake (1 serving)

1 cup almond milk

1 cup peaches

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 banana

1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional–may help burn calories)

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

*I like to add chia seeds or flax in addition to the above ingredients. Chia is rich in omega fatty acids and minerals. Flax is rich in protein and fiber.

 

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Your Body Battles Series

Dec14

Maybe it’s because I have been battling a cold, or maybe it’s because I teach classes of students who are coming to school sick that I found this series of books by Vicki Cobb called Your Body Battles. Ms. Cobb is one of my favorite children’s science authors because she writes clearly and finds an interesting way of doing so that engages her readers. This series has cartoon characters as well as pictures of germs at a microscopic level. If you are looking for trade books that will help you teach health, safety,  and hygiene, look for these titles.

Your Body Battles a Cold

Your Body Battles a Cavity

Your Body Battles a Broken Bone

Your Body Battles a Stomach Ache

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For an extension of activities to do with these books you could:

See how well you hands are washed or how clean surfaces of door handles and counters really are at your house. Grow some bacteria in a culture. To purchase a kit CLICK HERE. I bet that after your child(ren) has done this you won’t have to say, “Wash your hands” very often!

How about x-ray art? You can teach science AND look at the art of x-rays by a gentleman named Nick Veasey. There are x-rays of  a traveler, a granny with her pull-along cart, and a guy with a mohawk to name a few. However, one picture is objectionable, so please preview before showing your child.  CLICK HERE

No child should go through their life without experiencing the red plaque disclosing tablets! If you have never experienced this yourself, you have to try it! To purchase the tablets CLICK HERE You really see where the  plaque builds up along your teeth and gums. A word of caution: do not do this activity just before family pictures are going to be taken. 🙂

 

 

Officer Buckle and Gloria: A book on Safety

Oct12

FullSizeRender 2There are some books that you just keep you returning to them and Officer Buckle and Gloria is one of those children’s books that makes me recommend it repeatedly because it just that good. 🙂

Safety is one area that homeschool families who see me for portfolio reviews ask me for ideas. This book is a great springboard for discussions on safety in that it not only has some rules, but it teaches about the concept of pride and valuing others (including animals).

After you read the book you can:

  • Write a list of  safety rules for your house.
  • Go on a scavenger hunt of things that are unsafe around the house.
  • Discuss household and bicycle safety practices.
  • Read the safety rules that are in the book and discuss the ones that pertain to your family.

The Skinny Gut Diet

Jul21

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I recently read this book, called The Skinny Gut Diet for Blogging for Books. Can you tell what I am trying to do this summer? 🙂

This book gives you a good overall view of why we gain weight. Primarily, it is the bacteria in our stomachs and Dr. Brenda Watson helps you to change your diet, and thus, get rid of your spare tire. There are recipes and tips to help you with your diet and stay on the right course.

Personal Fitness

Jun22

Screen Shot 2015-06-21 at 6.41.48 AMPersonal fitness is hard to fit in when you are homeschooling and taking care of your family. But, in order for you to continue to love and help them, you need to take care of you too.  Since I can’t afford a personal trainer or coach, I decided to look for some free phone apps that can help me. I want to be able to hang out with me kids and keep up with them.

Some things to remember before you get started:

  • Schedule a time to exercise.  The day flies by, doesn’t it? If you plan a time, then you will do it. What is the best time to do it? That is up to you! 🙂
  • Start out small. You are more likely to get fit and sticking with a plan if you start out by being successful. Do something for 15 minutes (walk, jog, bike ride, swim, etc.)
  • Have a partner. I walked a half marathon a couple of years ago, but without my friend doing it with me, I would have quit. She pushed me when I didn’t want to do it, and vice versa for her.
  • Don’t quit! I know things happen and you can’t always exercise, but don’t let that stop you. Start with exercising two days a week and then increase the number of days gradually.
  • Find a motivator. I need something to keep me going, otherwise I will stop. Here are two apps that have helped me when I wanted to just stay home and eat a bag of chips.

Do you want to lose weight? I have found an app called My Fitness Pal. You can record all of your calories, water intake, and exercise in this one nifty app. Not sure how many calories your favorite recipe has in it? No problem! You can enter the recipe and it will calculate that for you. It even has graphs to indicate the percentage you have eaten in various categories, for example: protein; carbohydrates, and fats. Another feature it has is that it will sync with a FitBit, Garmin, other apps as well.

Speaking of other apps, My My Fitness is an app that I use daily. Here is the description of this app. Of course, this is talking about the purchased version, which is only a few dollars, but the free version has been fine with me (for now).  “MapMyFitness uses built in GPS technology to provide runners, cyclists and walkers the ability to map, record and track their workouts. In addition, users have access to a searchable database of local routes, online training tools, event listings and more. Users can also Import workouts from over 400 compatible devices, including Jawbone, Garmin, Polar and Fitbit. Get credit for all the calories you burn by linking your MyFitnessPal account with MapMyFitness. Once connected, you’ll be able to view your workout stats, calorie burn and nutrition data within the same dashboard.”