I love Winnie the Pooh and I have to admit we have the same approach to exercise. Sing it with me now…”I improve my appetite, when I exercise” – lol! Pooh Bear and I also share a bit of the same body shape as I definitely have some extra fluff around my middle. While I have no intention of turning this into a health blog (have you seen my Pinterest boards? I’m not what you would call a “health nut” - lol!), I thought some of you might enjoy and/or appreciate reading about some of my experiences in my recent battle of the bulge. For the record, I’ve been at war for the majority of the past 20 years. Boy, that’s depressing!
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the weight loss process if you have quite a bit to lose (like I do). If you set a smaller goal, it can help you stay motivated. This summer, I’ve really been trying to focus on losing 10 pounds.The truth is that 10 pounds makes a big difference! Losing just 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk for a stroke, ward off dementia, lower your risk for uterine and breast cancer, and lower your cholesterol up to 10%.
Guess what? By the end of August, I lost that first 10 pounds! Way to go me! Now I need to get motivated for the next 10 pounds. What’s been working for me? Here are a few things:
Drink More Water 
I found a good article on Web MD explaining why we need to drink more water. There are 6 reasons listed:
1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.
2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy.
3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don't maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. "When muscle cells don't have adequate fluids, they don't work as well and performance can suffer,"
4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss.
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate.
6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation.
All good reasons to drink more water! Be sure to read the full article here. I have really found that I only lose weight when I’m drinking enough water.
Plan Ahead
We take turns letting each member of our family pick what we are going to do on Monday nights. The person in charge gets to decide what we have for dinner and what fun thing we will do together as a family. Once when my 18 year old son was in charge and he really wanted to go to Smash Burger. I knew it would be a bit of a challenge for me, but I looked up Smash Burger options on the My fitness Pal app and found that a grilled chicken sandwich and Veggie Frites would be very reasonable choices for me. Because I planned ahead, I was able to leave plenty of calories available for dinner with my family and I didn't feel deprived. In fact, it tasted wonderful and I even had enough calories remaining for a frozen yogurt after! While I wouldn't recommend Smash Burger as the easiest place to go when you are dieting, it certainly can be done. And the veggies were delicious!
Eat Yummy Things (you might need to adjust your definition of yummy)
I've had some delicious veggie sandwiches. My daughter found a veggie sandwich in New York that she replicated and it's delicious. We put thinly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocado on it with shredded carrots. I think the thin slicing makes the sandwich easier and yummier to eat. The best thing about it is the sauce which does have some calories, but I think that's ok since the rest of the sandwich is loaded with veggies. The sauce is a mixture of dijon mustard, mayo, and a bit of honey. I don't really have measurements for it because it's pretty much about taste. It's very tasty on multi-grain or rye bread.
Grow a Garden
This has been one of the best weight-loss tips ever! When you have fresh veggies right outside your back door, you are more likely to eat them and they are incredibly delicious!
Remember it Takes Time!
I guess you just have to keep on keeping at it. As Pooh bear would say, “Oh Bother.”
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