Friday, December 30, 2011

Post 6 / Day 30 ~ Out With The Old

This is my last post THIS year.  Wow.  Another year bites the dust!  Funny seems like the older I get the faster they go by.  LOL!  

I have decided that 2011 is not the only thing that is over...  the days of my not thinking of myself and not treating my body like a temple are over too!

The new year will bring me the opportunity to build a healthy life, a healthy body and a healthy mind.  Now, I do have to give 2011 a little credit.  

2011 is the year I met me and discovered so many things about myself that were under my nose the entire time.  It is the year of change and the year of new life.  

Therefore... as they say out with the old and in with the new.   

The Plan~  Go through my home and rid of all unhealthy items, food etc.  
The Target~  My pantry.
Steps to take~  I will go through each cabinet in my kitchen and each shelf in my pantry before  our clocks strike midnight on the 31st.
The Start~  Begin 2012 like I have never began any other year in my life!  With new eyes, new heart, and new soul... and hopefully I will be able to say with a new body!  (wink, wink)
My Wish is for all bad habits not to be forgot, but to remind me of how far I have come.  And more importantly I wish the same for you.

Happy New Year!  May 2012 bring to you what 2011 had brought to me.


From my family to yours... Have a fantabulous 2012!



Stay healthy and Think Positive!

Blessings. 

Images courtesy of Bing images.

I am not a doctor or a dietitian, and am not promoting for you to follow "my lifestyle re-design."  This is for my own personal gain (or loss) and not affiliated with wii in any way.  wii is not paying me for this.  I do however advise you to consult your physician before exercise or dieting.  

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam. Please contact me for permission..Just ask.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Post 5 / Day 23 ~ Foods That Are Your Friends

Nothing like trying to meet your goals during the holidays!  Holidays or not, we still have to eat, drink and exercise.  However, the reality is that during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season it is very hard to do certain things.  But once incorporated in your lifestyle, it will become second nature to do the right thing for yourself.

I am sure that my life is no different than most during the holidays.  If you have a big family like I do, you are just a little bit more busy.  Planning, making lists, shopping, preparing for the arrival of more family members and the cleaning that comes with it.

So, with all that said, time has become a huge commodity in my life and unfortunately stopping to exercise or even eating at times comes very difficult to me.  But, this does not mean that I did not get most of my water intake in, I stayed positive and I ate to my liking without going overboard.  Not only that but I baked cookies and made sweets, and I only tried one of each. 

Each week I try to learn something new with you when it comes to being healthy, whether it is a new exercise, recipe or even a new way of doing things to make life easier on me.  This week I came across a book that once belonged to our dear Nana... Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight ~ The Negative Calorie Effect by Neal Barnard, M.D.

In this book I have discovered a little something I would like to share with you, call it a little Christmas present from me to you... following is a list of twenty foods you can eat in virtually unlimited portions.  There's a catch though, I know isn't there always?  The catch- Enjoy these foods with no butter, margarine or oily toppings (fats are fattening):
Corn, celery, Rice, peaspotatoes, Cauliflower, Lettuce (all varieties), pineapple, Broccoli, Cabbage, carrots, apples, Kidney Beans, Black Beans, oranges, grapefruit, Spinach, Bananas, lentils, Oatmeal 
By the way, there are way more foods than what I listed too!

I will leave you this week with this thought... remember to eat healthy and to eat often.  Have a craving for sweets? Eat an apple.  It will fill you up and satisfy that need for sugars, naturally.  Don't forget to drink your water, and stay active.


Stay healthy and Think Positive!


Blessings. 



Images courtesy of Bing images

I am not a doctor or a dietitian, and am not promoting for you to follow "my lifestyle re-design."  This is for my own personal gain (or loss) and not affiliated with wii in any way.  wii is not paying me for this.  I do however advise you to consult your physician before exercise or dieting.  

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam. Please contact me for permission..Just ask.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Post 4 / Day 16 ~ Choosing To Be Natural

There were six goals I was working towards this week..
  1. eat BREAKFAST everyday                                              
  2. have healthy SNACKS out or prepare a healthy snack in between meals
  3. do AT LEAST a half an hour of cardio THREE DAYS
  4. water, Water, WATER!
  5. stay ACTIVE
  6. keep POSITIVE

Is four out of six okay?  I am so happy to say that eating breakfast is one of the hardest things to do.  I am just not hungry when I get up.  However, as I have learned from many nutritionalists, personal trainers, professional body builders, fitness models, articles and doctors... BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY.  Well I am happy to say that I ate at least a piece of fruit each day!  Can I get a "whoop, whoop"!

The other three goals I met?  I stayed very active, very positive and drank water.  I did not drink as much as I should have, but I did drink some.  I am trying to at least have water with most meals, to get some water in.  As well as carrying a bottle of water where ever I go.

I know... I did not get cardio in!!  HOWEVER, and this is a big however, I have fit in my size 10 jeans this week!!  I do not know that I have lost any weight, but fitting in a smaller sized jeans is pretty good.   "Whoop, Whoop"! 

I am pretty sure that I can attribute the loss in pant size to being really, really busy lately.  

This weeks goals are making sure I eat the following...
My Daily Food Plan.
Click here for yours.

  1. Daily:  eat fruits, whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, carrots and green tea.
  2. Three times/week:  Oily fish, yogurt, avocado, broccoli, sweet potato and alcohol.
  3. Once/week:  red meat, past and dessert.  Alcohol should fall in this area, however this is My LifeStyle Re-Design custom made for me.  Being that I want to lead a healthy life doing what I love to do, wine is something I love to have with my dinner.  
  4. Zero/week:  fast food, soda (club soda ok), processed meals (ie frozen meals), canned soup (I never eat canned soup- home made all the way!) and "Diet" anything!  Not even artificial sweet-ners.*
The only foods that may be tricky for me, would be just eating more of anything.  Especially, when we should be eating 5 to 6 small meals a day.  Just like most of you, I am busy and find it hard to stop to eat.  But I HAVE TO!!  Especially when the result would be a higher metabolism.

Number four for me is not a big deal.  I have always lived by 'my' golden rule of not eating "diet" anything.  I have always felt that it you need to loose weight, then you have no business drinking soda!  

The way I feel about "artificial" anything is ... look at third world countries where they eat everything from the earth and made from scratch.  No processed canned foods etc.   Now, think about this... you do not hear of people dying from cancer or how about heart attack rates?  What about their life expectancy?  They tend to live longer lives.  :)   

Long ago I decided to stay away from processed foods and eat as natural as I can.  
Choose to reinforce your mind positively! Choose an empowering attitude! Choose to overcome unwanted obstacles! Choose to approach change with optimism! Choose to make each day better. Choose to be a magnet of motivation for others. Choose to be thankful for the gracious, glorious gift of CHOICE! Do it every day and DO IT BIG!!!    ~  Jimmy Hagewood

Stay healthy and Think Positive!

Blessings. 



Images courtesy of www.choosemyplate.gov

I am not a doctor or a dietitian, and am not promoting for you to follow "my lifestyle re-design."  This is for my own personal gain (or loss) and not affiliated with wii in any way.  wii is not paying me for this.  I do however advise you to consult your physician before exercise or dieting.  

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam. Please contact me for permission..Just ask.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Post 3 / Day 9 ~ Breakfast & Snacks Are A Must

For more than a week I have been struggling to get on the right track.  I do good for a day or two, and then before I know it ... I have gotten off track.  But not worry, I find my way back on the right track right away.

The objective here is to eat healthy, stay active, keep a positive outlook and above all make healthy choices.

All week I have implemented parking away from the store's entrance, and taking advantage of the good this does not only for me but for Calley (my five year old daughter) too.  (big smile.)  I ate breakfast two out of seven days, started carrying water everywhere I went, and barely took the time out to sit down for lunch.

Although I stayed VERY active all week long, I did not even get five minutes of cardio in!  So disappointed in myself.  The only thing that is keeping me from getting really down on myself is the fact that I did stay active each day, and that does count for something.  

SO... the goal this week?  To get in at least three days of AT LEAST a half an hour of cardio in.  I will continue to increase my intake of water to the suggested gallon per day, and EAT BREAKFAST!!  I am also going to start sharing recipes, and set up a recipe page here as well.  

When dieting, more common than not, people will cut out breakfast, along with other meals, without realizing that by doing this they are undermining their weight loss efforts.  Furthermore, what they really should be doing is eating every two and a half to three hours.  Basically what you are doing is incorporating healthy snacks in between each of your meals, and increasing your metabolism.

courtesy of recipe.com
Okay.  The plan this week is...
  1. eat BREAKFAST everyday                                              
  2. have healthy SNACKS out or prepare a healthy snack in between meals
  3. do AT LEAST a half an hour of cardio THREE DAYS
  4. water, Water, WATER!
  5. stay ACTIVE
  6. keep POSITIVE



Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day.  ~Author Unknown



Stay healthy and Think Positive!

Blessings. 



I am not a doctor or a dietitian, and am not promoting for you to follow "my lifestyle re-design."  This is for my own personal gain (or loss) and not affiliated with wii in any way.  wii is not paying me for this.  I do however advise you to consult your physician before exercise or dieting.  

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam. Please contact me for permission..Just ask.


Friday, December 2, 2011

Post 2 / Day 2 ~ Tweaking What I Drink

Today was a great day for good choices.  From my lunch, to walking the extra "mile" at the shopping center.  

Some of the little tricks I use to get my "healthy lifestyle" going, are;
Courtesy of Bing images
  • Parking far from the entrance at the shopping center, away from other cars.  This does two things for me. a- I get my walking in, and b- my car is protected from door and cart dings.
  • When visiting office buildings, if I visit anyone on the third floor down, I will not use the elevator... stairs. 
  • If it's not in the house, then I won't be tempted.  If you can't eat it, don't bring it home.

The change I made in my life today was putting a limit on my drinking soda pop, as well as my wine and spirits.  Soda is the easy thing to curb for me being that I did not really start drinking it until I was 18, and I make a point of not buying it.  Although, with Dean this is not an issue and he likes his coke.


Okay, I will not even say the "D" word (diet), because I am not technically on one.  I am reprogramming the way I do some things.  And with enough tweaks, I do feel positive that some weight will come off [and stay off.]



At this point, I have not decided how I will be blogging here.  Meaning every day, every other, every so often... I am trying to not blog ever day, only because I am already committed to blog Taking My life Back~ Making it My Own on a daily basis.  However, I will do whatever it takes to make it work... successfully.

So, hopefully without too much strain I will have this all figured out soon.  Although, I must say that as time goes on all good blogs get tweaked every so often.  ;)

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  ~World Health Organization, 1948



Stay healthy and Think Positive!

Blessings. 


I am not a doctor or a dietitian, and am not promoting for you to follow "my lifestyle re-design."  This is for my own personal gain (or loss) and not affiliated with wii in any way.  wii is not paying me for this.  I do however advise you to consult your physician before exercise or dieting.  

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam. Please contact me for permission..Just ask.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Post 1 / Day 1 ~ Taking The First Step

Once My LifeStyle Re-Design gets underway and implemented... today will mark the first day of the rest of my long, healthy, and happy life.

I want to be healthy, of body, mind and soul.  I am at a point in my life (just shy of my 49th birthday) where I have come to the conclusion that I am no longer in my thirties, let alone twenties, and I hate to say it... almost finished with my forties.  There I said it!  Happy?!  (whinny tone)  wink, wink.

And like most ladies my age, I have been on diets most of my life.  The latest one was My wii Fit Plus 21-Day Challenge and I survived each day to blog about it.  This is where I challenged myself to look fifteen pounds in 21 days, with the motivation being looking great at my 30th high school reunion.  

I blogged about the challenges, exercises using my wii Fit Plus, menus and threw in a few tips along the way.  The results, I lost 8.3 pounds.  Where I failed, was being on vacation the last seven days of my challenge.  In my defense, this was a spur of the moment idea which could have worked if I would have started a week earlier.

After I finished my challenge, some time went by... I continued to think on how I could improve my weight, my health, a new sort of challenge, knowing that there needed to be a lifestyle change.   As I continued to think about it, I geared myself toward thinking about what I wanted to accomplish.
  1. Live a healthy life
  2. I want to be able to cook and eat delicious gourmet foods
  3. I want to be able to have a glass of wine or a cocktail every so often
  4. Not exercise everyday 
Bearing all this in mind, these are the things I must do...
  1. Tweak my diet a tad... not much really because then ...
  2. I need to exercise or at least cardio or yoga three to four times per wee (this is realistic) and I will do so implementing my wii fit plus, walking
  3. Limit my drinking to maybe twice a week (not that I drink every single day, however one should limit themselves with alcohol- after all alcohol isn't the healthiest thing to consume, and one is consuming empty calories
Besides my experience with my challenge, and dozens of diets through the years, I have educated myself in nutrition and worked out for many years.  I also worked for a world know gym in Venice, California, along side world famous body builders, personal trainers and fitness models [for quite some time.]

I am going to take all the knowledge I gained and take the first step... FOLLOW MY OWN ADVICE.... You must change little things in your life.

Rule No. 1.  One can not just go on a diet for a period of time, loose weight and then go back to your life and expect to keep the weight off!  First of all, it is not just a matter of eating less calories, one MUST exercise... and more importantly IT IS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE!!  

You must change your style of life... after all, your lifestyle was what got the weight on to begin with!  Stopping for fast food, sodas, candies, pizza.... Oh my goodness!! It is all around us.

So I decided... what can I live with and what can I live with out.  For example do I eat fast food or do I have pasta and salad for dinner?  Do I have a soda pop or a glass of wine later?  These examples may not fly for everyone, but you get the picture.  Plus knowing that I love to eat and drink well, I have to make adjustments.  Making these conscious choices will bring healthy results in your life.

It's all about the life I want.  What I choose to give up in order to have what I want.  Exercise.  More importantly, I do not want to be a burden to my family later in life.  

With all that said... my commitment is to blog about the choices I decide to make in order to do the things I love, so I may live a long, healthy and happy life that I want and deserve.  I will make choices and changes that I can keep in my life... re-designing my lifestyle. 

Always try to find the positive in a negative situation.



Stay healthy and Think Positive!

Blessings. 


I am not a doctor or a dietitian, and am not promoting for you to follow "my lifestyle re-design."  I do however advise you to consult your physician before exercise or dieting.  This is for my own personal gain (or loss) and not affiliated with wii in any way.  wii is not paying me for this.

All contents herein are protected under Copyright laws and can not be used, altered or copied. All accounts herein are written by Cali-Gal/Carla B Karam. Please contact me for permission..Just ask.