How have you been? I hope your week has been a good one and that your weekend has started off awesome. Mine starts tonight and I have some fun planned! I'm surprised we aren't all sick here in New England. The weather has gone from hell to normal to Winter for a day and back to normal. Really weird stuff! Thursday we all went outside and said "woahh, where did this come from?" I felt like November!
I am not writing as much right now. Must be that "Lazy Summer" feeling in the mornings. Sorry!! haha! I could write other times of the day but lets be honest, I work full time Tues-Sat and I'm a single mother with two energetic boys. I get home and it's that "Buh buh buh" scene from the movie Overboard. lol! So I tend to write in the morning when I'm having my coffee. I'm always thinking about things and reading and educating myself on nutrition, exercise, etc. And the morning before work seems to be my write and think, think and write time. And I try things myself as a sort of guinea pig to see how they are. Speaking of coffee, what is it about that first glorious sip in the morning? Nothing can beat the first sip! :)
I just saw on the news that Jamba Juice has a free smoothie for kids aged 8 and under today from 11-4. Sweet! So partake in that for sure. Though smoothies for the old fogies would be nice too! hehe! This is a great way to help instill healthy habits into our young'uns though.
One sort of trend, fad, whatever you call it..that I am curious about and feel like could be helpful in regards to weight loss is the idea of intermittent fasting. Apparently this way of eating can help burn fat and build muscle. There is a lot of information out there and you can Google it and read up as well as various testimonials. I am not a fan of fad, get it quick diets at all but this one just makes sense to me. There is a book called the 8-Hour Diet. The basic idea is that you eat during an 8 hour period and then once that window closes, it's closed. And then you fast at least 16 hours. The theory is you can eat what you want but of course they recommend certain foods based on their nutrients. There are others that don't seem to focus on 8 hours but more the fasting period after. Some say start at 12 hours, then work up.
During the fasting period you can drink water and zero calories beverages like tea, etc. And some even say you can have fat-free broth. Obviously results will vary from person to person based on each individuals health and body type. And it can be worked into your life however you see fit whether it's daily or 2-3 times a week. You can choose to do a longer fast. Say a 24-hour fast every other day. Which would be stop eating by 6pm and then not eating until 6pm the following day. The shorter fast is that 8 hour window of eat...lets say you start at 6am and stop by 2pm. Then fast until 6am the next morning. That's 16 hours. Again it's not every single day unless you want it to be. You can have results (albeit not as fast) on doing it 2-3 days.
The concept is that our bodies need a sort of recovery period from eating to digest properly as well as other needs. The fact is humans, especially Americans just eat way too much food. Our portions are out of control and we eat a lot. Many diet programs promote eating several meals all day but intermittent fasting can be even more beneficial. Obviously there are pros and cons to everything and you need to use good judgement upon starting anything. If you're very active and exercise a lot, you need to be sure you're fueling yourself properly. But I see how this way of eating can be beneficial. And if we're all honest, we know that going to bed without a lot in our stomach just feels better. Less acid reflux and other problems. There is that old saying that we should be eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Of course that can't be done every single day but trying to make it a normal part of your life is a good idea.
And to me one of the best benefits of this is less snacking. If you follow the rules and stop eating the minute your window closes, then that will eliminate a lot of hidden calories many of us tend to incorporate. We all snack. Little bites here and there. That can add up quick and may very well be why we are struggling to lose weight. Even if you're not participating in intermittent fasting, by giving yourself that window, whether it be 5pm or another time and you know you are done eating by that time will help.
It's something to think about for sure. I don't see it so much as a fad but more as something that makes sense that has been around for centuries that the human body can benefit from on occasion. Even doing a juice fast or cleanse is great for the body. It can eliminate cravings, clear out additives and bloat. What is bad about that? :)
Soo, that's 'bout all she wrote today. I have to say I was diagnosed with glasses the other day! :p I now have reading glasses!! I used to just have them for night driving, etc. Now I have them to read. Man! I can read without the glasses but using them does help my eyes feel less tired at the end of the day. I was constantly rubbing them and they burn. Now it seems to be better. Especially with the astigmatism which makes things look weird. Double vision a bit. Ah well! I'm not a whippersnapper anymore. lol! I am wearing them right now as I write this. I remember having 20/16 vision once upon a time. Sigh!
What do you think?? They are way cool ProDesign glasses which are a Danish company. Funky and fun! Who wants basic when just using them for reading? :)
Okie doke! Have a great day! I am working 7 hours and then it's my weekend baby!! Woohoooo!
My friend and I were going back and forth with "oldies" the other night. So I will leave you with this gem! Wow, betcha feel old now if you didn't already! Gosh, this was out in 1990!!! I was a Sophmore in high school. *thud*. (That was me fainting!!)
Posting this one too.....cause.....why can't music be this cool anymore?? hehe!
No comments:
Post a Comment