Day 5: Drink More Water

IMPORTANT:  Before you read this post, get up, pour yourself a glass of water, drink it, and then come back to your computer.  No, I’m not kidding.  Go, pour, drink.  I’ll be here when you get back.

Photo courtesy of buywaterfiltersandionizers.com

Did you finish your water?  Good.  You just did something really good for yourself.

 Do you drink enough water every day?  Very few of us do.  Most sources say we’re supposed to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.  It can be tiring listening to people preach the importance of staying hydrated, but there are several benefits to drinking plenty of H₂O.  Maybe one of these will resonate with you:

• Water flushes toxins from your body
• Water makes your skin look healthy and glowing
• Proper hydration keeps you cooler in the warm summer months
• Drinking adequate water can assist with weight-loss
• Sometimes the body confuses thirst with hunger.  Drinking water before succumbing to a food craving can help you figure out if you’re really craving that bag of Skittles

 

Still not convinced?  Try making water more appealing by trying one of these tricks:

• Squeeze a lemon, lime or orange wedge into your water
• Add a couple of tablespoons of your favorite fruit juice to your water
• Try Propel or Crystal Light (both come in handy, single-serving packages that you can add to your water).  Personally I like Propel because it’s clear.  Crystal Light powder usually leaves me with stained fingertips, a stained countertop, and a Kool-Aid mustache.  But I’m a big kid like that…
• Invest in a nice water bottle that you really like.  Sounds kind of weird, but the time in my life that I was consistently drinking my 8 glasses of water a day I was drinking it out of my awesome pink Nalgene bottle
• Does drinking water make you chilly in the winter?  Try unsweetened green tea during the day or unsweetened chamomile tea in the evening
• Turn water drinking into a challenge.  Fill up a 2 liter bottle with water in the morning and keep it in the fridge.  Challenge yourself to drink the whole thing before you go to bed

 

Discussion: (use the comments area below)

• Do you drink enough water?
• What strategies do you use to make sure you hit your daily quota of H2O?

Day 4: Have a Workout Plan B

It’s winter, it’s freezing cold, it’s snowing, you just got home from work and the last thing you want to do is go to the gym.  I know, I feel that way too.  But guess what:  Just because you don’t want to go to the gym, it doesn’t mean you have to forego your workout.  Having a Workout Plan B means you’ll still be able to get some exercise even when going to the gym is not in your plans for the day.  Even a few minutes of at-home exercise can greatly improve your health.

Here are some ideas to get you going:

• Try doing some simple exercise moves during the commercial breaks of your favorite TV show.  Pushups, situps, and jumping jacks are great ways to start.
• Use your Wii for something good.  Wii Fit is a fun way to try some new workout moves (and if you’re part of my family it can be a hilarious competition where everyone ends up shrieking and howling with laughter)
• Find an exercise video you like.  I know what you’re thinking: This doesn’t have to be old-school.  Gone are the days of Jane Fonda in a neon-colored leotard working out to bad 80s music.  Chances are you can find a pretty cool workout using the On Demand function from your cable provider.  Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser) has some great videos, and if you’re so inclined, you can even do workouts led by Playboy Playmates Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson and Bridgette Marquardt.  Who doesn’t want to work out with a hot blonde?!
• Run or walk some stairs.  I bet you have some in your house, apartment building or office.

Need some additional ideas?  Here are some resources:

http://www.homebasedworkouts.com/

http://www.women-workout-routines.com/flat-stomach-exercises.html

http://exercise.about.com/library/bltravelworkout.htm

 Discussion:

• What are some home exercises you’ve done? 

Gotta go!  I have a workout date with Kendra!  😉

Day 3: Don’t Drink Your Calories (or at least don’t drink as many calories)

Good morning!  How have the last two days been?  Do you have your specific, measureable health goal(s)?  Have you familiarized yourself with appropriate portion sizes?  Good.  Today we’re going to talk about beverages.

Drinking sugary beverages is a quick way to derail your healthy eating plan.  Let me illustrate this point by showing some calorie counts of common beverages:

Medium Latte – 200 Cal

Medium Turtle Mocha – 640 Cal

Medium Sweet Tea (Mc Donalds) – 180 Cal

12 oz Can of Coke – 140 Cal

20 oz Bottle of Coke – 240 Cal

Wine (6 oz. glass) – 144 Cal

Beer (Heineken) – 150 Cal

Margarita – 300 Cal

Now, I really enjoy many of the items on this list.  I’m willing to bet that you like one or two of them as well.  So it’s unrealistic for me to tell you to completely STOP drinking your calories.  But I think we can all modify a little bit.

Today’s Task:

• Make a list of beverages you consume on a regular basis (at least once a week)
• Write down the number of calories in each beverage (the labels may try to trick you with serving sizes.  For example, a serving of Coke is 8 oz., so make sure you do the math)
• Choose a couple of items that you can cut back on or substitute
• Figure out how many calories you’ll save each week by substituting or cutting back.  Feel good about it (3,500 calories = 1 lb.  You can make a huge dent in your weight by controlling how many calories you drink).

 

Here are a couple of helpful hints for you:

• Health food/nutrition stores carry flavored, liquid Stevia drops for your coffee.  They are delicious and calorie free.
• Hate the taste of diet soda?  I do.  I think it’s gross.  In my opinion, those advertisements about how great Diet Dr. Pepper tastes are total B.S.  However, I’ve found that Coke Zero isn’t bad at all.  I highly recommend it.
• Going to happy hour?  Mind your mixers.  Juices, soda and even tonic water are full of calories.  Opt for “skinny” margaritas, light beer, or diet soda as a mixer.

 

Discussion Suggestions (use the Comments section below):

• What beverages do you drink that you should probably give up?
• What swaps or substitutions work well for you?

Day 2: Get to Know Portion Sizes

Ignorance is bliss.  And bliss can make your jeans size increase exponentially.

Today’s task is to get familiar with appropriate portion sizes.  Why?  This will add a level of awareness to your eating.  Challenge yourself to eat just one serving at a time.

Step 1:

Start by listing 10 foods you eat most frequently (think about items you buy every time you go to the grocery store).  Your list might look something like this:

• Peanut butter
• Chicken breast
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Granola
• Asparagus
• Diet Coke
• Olive Oil
• Frozen pizza
• Ranch dressing

Step 2:

Next, check out the labels or nutrition information for each item.  Note the serving size of each (you might want to note the calories as well).

• Peanut butter, 2 T., 190 Cal
• Chicken breast, 4 oz. cooked, 120 Cal
• Cheese, 1 oz., varies (about 100)
• Yogurt, 8 oz., 110 Cal
• Granola, ¼ c, 140 Cal
• Asparagus, 1 c, 27 Cal
• Diet Coke, 8 oz., 0 Cal
• Olive oil, 1 T., 119 Cal
• Frozen pizza, ¼ pizza, 300 Cal (Jack’s Supreme)
• Ranch dressing, 2 T., 148 Cal

Step 3:

Learn how to “eyeball” these portion sizes.  Hint: they’re most likely WAY smaller than you expect.

Here’s a helpful guide courtesy of Nestle.com:

Discussion: (use the comments section below)

• Which serving size on your list was the most surprising? (for me it was the meat.  4 oz. of cooked meat is TINY.  I realized I almost always eat 2 servings of meat at a time.  To combat this, I buy chicken or ground turkey in bulk, trim them into 4 oz. portions, and store them individually in freezer bags)
• Which food on your list would you like to give up? (pizza and salad dressing for me)
• Which food on your list should you eat more of? (fruits and vegetables for me)

Other Helpful Resources:

http://web.mit.edu/athletics/sportsmedicine/wcrservings.html

http://caloriecount.about.com/

Day 1: Document Your Health Goal(s)

Welcome to Day 1 of the 28 Days to a Healthier Life Challenge.  Today’s task is to set the framework for what you will accomplish in the next 28 days.

The number one message I have consistently heard from the most successful people I know is: “Set goals for yourself.  Have a plan.”  Essentially, you need to have a road map to your own success.

Chances are you’re reading this post because you want to make a healthy, positive change in your life.  Maybe you want your clothes to fit better.  You might want to lose some weight.  Or it could be that you want to be able to run farther during your workouts.

Regardless of your current health/fitness level, setting a specific, measurable goal for yourself is critical if you want to succeed (ex. “I want to look better in my work clothes” is not specific or measurable.  Change it to “I will fit into my J. Crew suit pants by Feb 28th” and you’re in business).  And please: make it realistic.  You’ll want to stretch yourself a bit, but if your goal is completely unattainable you’re likely to give up halfway through the challenge.

Once you have your specific, measurable health/fitness goal, make sure to document it.  Here are some ideas for you:

• Write your goal on a notecard and keep it in your wallet
• Write your goal on a Post-It and stick it on your mirror, your computer monitor, your fridge, your dashboard or somewhere else where you’ll see it multiple times each day
• Find an image in a magazine that represents success.  Some people take this a step further and create a “vision board”: a collection of images, quotes, prose etc. representing their desired outcome
• Tell someone your goal and ask them to hold you accountable (an “accountabilibuddy”)

My personal goal is to drop 10 pounds in 28 days through diet modifications, regular exercise, and other healthy lifestyle changes over the course of this challenge.  My documentation strategy is to publish my goal and my results on this blog.

Want to share?  Use the comments section below to write about:

• Your specific health/fitness goal
• Your documentation strategy
• Tips for creating specific, measurable goals