Need to Shed Some Valentine's Pounds?

Holidays are so much fun but can be problematic for the waistline! First there's Christmas to recover from. Then there are Valentine's Day chocolates. I received a box of Pireuline cookies (they're like long wafers filled with vanilla creme) from a friend. Unfortunately, my friend didn't know how much I liked those and how I could basically polish off a whole bag in one day. There are 2 (big) bags that come in a box. I prayed for self control after the fact, and I should've prayed before!

If you're trying to shed a few pounds, here are a few tips that have worked for me:

1. Before having a snack when you're hungry, drink a glass of water.

2. Cut up a few veggies (celery, red pepper, baby carrots, etc) so when you get a snack attack, those are very convenient to reach for.

3. Brush your teeth at 7:00 pm when you're home and don't eat after that.

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"Behold I will do a new thing..." Isaiah 43:18

Brush Your Way to Weight Loss!

Yesterday my 4 year old and I had a treat after dinner - leftover ice cream cake from a birthday. After eating it, he said, "I'm going to brush my teeth!" because I've conditioned him to think that brushing always comes after eating something sweet. Before you think I'm a super healthy mom, know this: I came to this conclusion after my then 3 year old had cavities at his first dental visit!

So I decided to brush my teeth too...that was at about 6:30 p.m. Many times I have a snack after the kids go to bed and I'm working on my computer. But since I had brushed my teeth early, I skipped the snack.

Guess what? A simple thing like brushing your teeth and flossing after dinner will keep you from hitting the pantry late at night. How's that for a diet tip: brush your teeth! Easy enough!

"I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to
others, I myself should become disqualified." I Corinthians 9:27

Chocolate Anyone?

Okay, I admit it. I love chocolate. Yes, I am the "losing weight after baby" website lady and I do encourage moms to make healthy choices. But I DO love chocolate ever-so-much!

Now by loving chocolate, I don't mean I eat a big bowl of chocolate chip ice cream everyday. I try to keep my treats in moderation (like a 100 calorie chunk of dark chocolate).

I'm in maintenance mode right now, which means I want to eat enough calories to maintain my current weight. When the scale begins to creep up, I know it's time to kiss the chocolates goodbye for a few days.

If you've just had a baby, you're probably in "weight loss" mode. When I wanted to lose weight after my last pregnancy, I saved treats like chocolate to enjoy every 2 weeks or so.

Does it sound too radical to pass up chocolate for 2 weeks? Then do what my friend did. Only eat chocolate (or other favorite treats) every other day. That will cut your chocolate consumption in half if you're nibbling on something sweet everyday. The beauty of every other day is when you feel like you really want a treat, you just tell yourself, "Oh, I can eat that tomorrow," and that seems really doable.

Once you are comfortable with treats every other day, you can move to treats twice a week. And then graduate to once a week. Just remember the beauty of delayed gratification. It may be hard to say no to chocolate, but you'll be thrilled when you can put on your old jeans again. When you see the scale moving in the right direction, you'll know it was worth it to skip a treat or two.

The fruit of the Spirit is...self-control. - Galatians 5:22-23

-Arlene