Welcome my fellow Eat. Live. Be. peeps. Can you believe it’s WEEK 7 already?! My how time has flown. Now before I forget, I was supposed to do my status update last week and it slipped my mind. As you may know, Sarah and I are in a friendly competition to see who is going to lose 40 lbs first. She thinks she has a chance. Let me say it in black and white, just as Nick used to when he was four: No way, Jose. As of last week’s update, I was at a 6 pound weight loss since we started ELB. Hard to stop a moving train, ya know? Booyah!
This week, our topic was sharing celebrity fitness tips, recipes and the like, and I haven’t made the rounds yet, but I’m sure we all interpreted this one from every angle of the spectrum. Dr. Oz may not be the first person you think of when it comes to “celebrity” and “fitness,” but he is definitely at the forefront of getting people interested in their health again. I am a big fan of his method in explaining how things work and what we need to do to take better, more complete, care of ourselves. He breaks it down in easy-to-digest laymen terms that basically leaves us no excuse but to listen and pay attention. Growing up, my Dad always said, “It’s simple. Eat less, move more.” I will, of course, never tell him, but he was definitely on to something. Kind of the same way Dr. Oz explains it. We all know what we should be doing. Actually doing it is another story entirely.
Dr. Oz’s 10 Commandments for Weight Loss Success is another prime example of breaking things down in the easiest manner possible.
1. Thou Shalt Not Wear Pants that Stretch
Your clothing is an early-warning system for weight gain. When it’s getting hard to snap your jeans, you know it’s time to be vigilant. Wearing stretchy clothes allows you to live in ignorance of how your body is growing, making it easier to pack on pounds without knowing it.
2. Thou Shalt Not Keep Fat Clothes in Your Closet
When you keep the clothes you wore at an unhealthy weight, it gives you a back-up plan if the pounds don’t come off. Instead, force yourself to stay on track by 86ing your “fat pants.”
3. Thou Shalt Not Eat Meat That Walks on Four Legs More Than Once a Week
Meat that comes from an animal with 4 legs is higher in saturated fat (the unhealthy kind) than that which comes from 2-legged animals such as chickens, or animals with no legs, like fish. Plus: women who eat large amounts of red meat more than once a week have a 50% higher chance of dying from heart disease and have higher cancer rates.
4. Thou Shalt Not Graze
Plan your meal before you open the refrigerator, get what you need, and close the door. Opening it throughout the day leads to impulsive choices and overeating.
5. Thou Shalt Not Eat After 7:30pm
When you eat late at night you are more likely to be eating in front of the TV (when you won’t pay attention to how much you’re putting in your mouth) and you’re more likely to pick high-calorie snacks.
6. Thou Shalt Not Pile Food More than 1 Inch High or Within 2 Inches of the Plate Edge
Larger portions equal more calories. ‘Nuff said.
7. Thou Shalt Not Chew Food Less than 20 Times Per Bite
Chewing allows your body to realize that you are eating food, prompting it to create a sensation of fullness at the appropriate time. When you don’t chew enough, you get ahead of that process, eating well past when you are actually satisfied.
8. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Plate
Spend your day nibbling bites on someone else’s sandwich or afternoon snack, and you will add on 1,000 calories easy.
9. Thou Shalt Not Carry Small Bills
Nothing loves a small bill better than a vending machine. When you have them at the ready, you are one step closer to an impulsive, calorie-loaded afternoon slip up.
10. Thou Shalt Not Eat While Standing Up
Eating sitting down enables you to be aware of what you’re eating and eat it slowly so that your body can tell you your full before it’s too late.
I love #10. I am constantly telling Nick, “Animals eat standing up. We do not.” That drives me batty, I swear.
Now see how the rest of my Eat. Live. Be. cohorts took off with this week’s theme by checking out their sites below:
- Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
- Joanne from Eats Well with Others
- Maris Callahan – In Good Taste
- Chris Arpante – Melecotte
- Faith – Blog Appetit
- Kristen – Dine and Dish
- Jenna – Stop, Drop and Blog
- Casey – The Starnes Family
- Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
- Tri-Fit Mom
- Claire – Cooking is Medicine
- Allison – Sweet Flours
- Jen – NJ Epicurean
- Leslie – The Hungry Housewife
- Rivki Locker – Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
- Claudia – Journey of an Italian Cook
- Jennifer Schulz – Lick-a-Plate
- Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
- Denise and Lenny – Chez Us
Project 365
February 15, 2011, Photo #45
Made a platter of deviled eggs for the party last night and remembered them as I was loading all the leftovers into the fridge. After the party. I hate when that happens. I usually have a checklist on the fridge to make sure I don’t forget to put something out but was a little short on time. Good thing deviled eggs are relatively “clean eating!”
A big rainbow-filled Happy Birthday to my sister – xoxo!
Recipe tomorrow!!
Last year I had three months in a row where all I could wear to work was scrubs. Though they don’t stretch, they are definitely loose! I would purposefully wear my most fitted jeans at times throughout those months to keep myself in check.
Dr. Oz is DEFINITELY one of the people who I think of as a fitness celeb! I read an article about him last year and the man is insane. Probably one of the healthiest people out there. Great tips!
And CONGRATS on the 6 pounds! You are such an inspiration!
LOL, last time I had a cookout I made deviled eggs. I actually made the eggs twice – the first batch would not peel. Then I forgot about them until after dessert was served! But you wouldn’t believe how many people jumped up to eat them when I brought them out.
I can’t disagree with any of Dr. Oz’s advice, although they might not be my top ten commandments.
I have a pair of jeans that I wore 40+ pounds ago that I can still wear. They are stretch jeans of course. I still can’t figure that out – they are like the magic traveling pants. They actually kind of depress me – my jeans should be falling off after losing all that weight, not still fitting.
Seems like deviled eggs and the cranberry sauce always get forgotten.
Those are good tips…I can see where you would lose weight if you followed them.
No way, Jose?!? Oh, woman…you know how to put bees in my bonnet!