What Does it Mean to be Fit?

To me, being fit means living a healthy lifestyle.  Am I doing that now?  Well, to a certain degree.

According to Livestrong.com, there are six things that need to happen in order for us to maintain a healthy lifestyle:

• Eat healthy
• Move your body
• Say goodbye to bad habits
• Reduce your stress level
• Get a good night's sleep
• Control your weight

Taking all of that into consideration, I think I've got at least 4 out of 6 under my belt.

I personally need to work on moving my body more so that I can better control my weight. What do you need to work on?

Sunday's Motivational Article - Thinking Your Way to Healthy Weight Loss

From Dr. Oz and Every Day Health

Tips for maintaining the right attitude for weight loss

Sunday Ponderings

In the past two and a half years I have become obsessed with numbers - BMI, waist to hip ratios, calories in vs calories out, daily steps .... you name it. I've downloaded apps, read articles each day, synced my fitbit to at least half a dozen sites, and yet with fitness, health and happiness as my ultimate daily goals, this means I have to be productive and succinct with my "on computer time." I start each day with some kind of workout. Quite honestly, I love the workout videos on SP, as well as my Jillian Michaels dvds (or what I can find of her on Youtube). If it's not a video, then it's the elliptical or strictly weight training. Then I get on the computer for 30-45 minutes for emails and logging.

I've found that keeping all of my links on one webpage (I use Thoughtboxes for my links, and UStart.org for my blogs) allows me to quickly get thru my reading and logging routine.

How do you stay organized and maximize your "on computer time"?

Finally, my mini goals for July - after weighing and measuring on Friday - are to keep within a 2-3 lb range of Friday's weigh in, eat more fruits and veggies and less carbs (this may be tricky on our trip if we are not indeed mindful, so I will enlist Ron's help), and get back to 10,000 steps per day at least 6 days a week. My ultimate goal for 2014 is to walk 1500 miles and I fell off the wagon a bit in June so I will have to push the steps/miles to catch up and meet this goal.

Low Carb Flavored Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar-free strawberry Jell-O® mix 1 cup granulated no-calorie sugar substitute (such as Splenda®)

6 egg whites at room temperature 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2.	Cut about 1/4 inch off a corner of a heavy gallon-size resealable plastic bag, and push a large-size cake decorating tip (such as a star tip) into the opening. The fit should be tight.
3.	In a small bowl, stir the gelatin mix with the sugar substitute. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until stiff peaks form. As you beat the egg whites, gradually add the gelatin mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Spoon the fluffy mixture into the prepared plastic bag, and gently squeeze and twist the bag to force the meringue mixture to the decorating tip. (Do not seal bag, so that air can escape.)
4.	Squeeze the bag to place golf-ball size dollops of meringue mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. For a decorative effect, twist and lift as you place the cookie on the sheet, to make a pretty shape.
5.	Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are set and dry, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Do not open oven door while baking. At end of baking time, turn off oven, open oven door, and allow the cookies to slowly cool in the oven before removing from baking sheets. Store in airtight container.

Saturday, June 27

Esther - I keep reminding myself that I'm quickly approaching 50.  Time is flying by and before I know it, I'll be there.  I have a bad habit of getting busy taking care of others that I forget to take care of myself. 

June 27 Happy Friday!

With the weekend ahead, and July around the corner, what mini goals will you set for yourself?

Tanya: Friday means a weigh in, so heading into a new month, I will also take measurements before setting my goals.

Esther: Friday to me means I evaluate what I've done this week and make plans for the upcoming week. Did I meet my goals?  What goals will I set for next week? 

What are you going to do to start your day?

Day 1 - June 26

Tanya: Jillian Michaels Shred it With Weights Level 1. Breakfast will be oatmeal (1/4 cup steel cut oats, 1 Tbsp pearl barley, half an apple, raisins, walnuts, a dash of cinnamon, water - all made the nite before and then nuked in the a.m.).
We also did a 3.5 mile hike along the coast. Lunch was Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurt with Cascadian cereal, almonds, raisins, and blackberries. Dinner was portebello pizzas with a side pasta salad. Hoping for a good weigh in tomorrow!

Welcome to Team Motivate Me

Three’s. Things happen in threes and here we are a team of three - three strong women who come from different places, yet have so much in common and yet need a bit of support. Let’s share our ideas, workout plans, recipes, weight loss strategies,etc.  Motivate. Inspire. Lead. Fail. Pick up. And move on.

Quick introductions:

Tanya - I am going to be 50 in September and am a 6th grade science teacher, living with my retired husband/best friend. I LOVE to cook, and am one year into my weight loss maintenance. We don't have any kids or animals at this time. Not that we will have kids later. huh? Today I started reading The Grapes of Wrath - I love to read and each summer I read a classic. I wanted to read a Stephen King book, but my husband - Ron - picked this book for us instead. Yes, spooky, we do everything together. I am looking forward to retiring at 55 so we can travel more. It took me losing weight to know what I was missing in our life together. Now I can actually help him in the yard and I actually enjoy it. My number one motivator on SP was Tracy. When I first started this program I read her blogs from her first day and was amazed at what she was able to accomplish.

Esther - I just turned 48 in March and I'm a 3rd grade teacher.  My husband is now official retired and he is ALSO my best friend!  I absolutely LOVE to cook, which is most likely the reason I have gotten myself into the trouble I am in now.  Between my husband and myself, we have 6 children - my two girls, his two boys and daughter, and our son.  We also have five dogs, two cats and a few fish.  I have been reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter and am pretty darn close to finishing it - Finally!  I would love to retire by the time I'm 55, but I don't think I'll have enough in my retirement to keep us afloat.  It looks like it will be closer to 57 or 58.  I fell into a slump, but now I'm working on getting myself out of it.  I've never been thin (not a single day in my life!) and don't expect to ever be, but I do look forward to living a much healthier and happier life!