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Patty Craig: A Slice of Time

The warmer weather makes me want to be outside more. Saturday, I weeded around the flowers in my yard and enjoyed the sunshine. I’ve noticed that my daughters and others have begun to walk for exercise – I haven’t gotten into that routine yet. But, these activities have caused me to focus on my need to get rid of my winter weight and to curb my snacking tendencies. My weight concern is very definitely health-related.

For me, making the choice to eat in a healthy manner is a daily conscious choice. My natural tendency is to eat what’s easiest. I have to (1) remind myself of my goal, (2) make the ‘good’ food choices rather than the easy ones, and (3) consistently convince myself (positive self-talk) that the benefits are worth the effort. Based on my experiences, I believe that developing good habits is critical in making healthy food choices: for example, make it a habit to have fresh fruit and vegetables available.

Several years ago, Weight Watchers conducted research about people who had experienced successful weight loss, regardless of the weight-loss program they had followed. These people shared the following qualities:
1.    “They had a sense of urgency. Losing the weight really mattered to them, and it was a top 5 priority.
2.    They had a sense of belief that if they simply stuck with whatever program they were following, they would ultimately succeed” (David Kirchhoff, Weight Loss Boss, 2012, p. 109).
So, for one to see positive change, healthy eating must be a high priority, and the plan/program must be followed.

Recently, MSN posted tips for feeling fuller, an important consideration (http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/weightloss/crush-hunger/ss-AA2fW16?ocid=...). Some of the information included the following:
•    To eat less overall, start the meal with an apple – the actual solid fruit.
•    Since our brains need time to register fullness, we should slow our eating.
•    Cutting out artificial sweeteners may help with food cravings.
•    Unsaturated fat (nuts and vegetable oils) provides a better feeling of fullness than saturated fat (mostly animal fat such as meat and dairy).
•    Three foods that won’t do as much damage as some snack foods are: raw vegetables, egg-white omelets, and up to three cups of plain air-popped popcorn.

This is a great time of year for healthy eating to become a higher priority. During our warm-weather seasons, our outdoor activities tend to increase. But, since “you can’t out-exercise a bad diet,” healthy eating is critical. The combination of healthy eating and regular exercise results in a healthier lifestyle. As warm weather comes to our region, I’ll make healthier food choices then evaluate my progress in the fall.

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