Getting Back on Your Feet!

I hope every one had a wonderful Christmas!!

As I'm sitting here thinking "how in the world am I going to get motivated again", I can't help but feel we're all in the same boat! Christmas and New Years is the hardest time of year to stay motivated and maintain your weight in my opinion. With all the treats being brought to your house by friends, all the desserts being offered at parties, and all the sweets being made in your own kitchen it leaves it almost impossible to resist. And good for you for not resisting! That's such a huge part of the Holiday that makes it so wonderful.

So what do you after the Holiday is over and your left feeling large and lazy? We start again...

The first step to starting fresh and getting motivated is to forgive yourself! Forgive yourself right now for eating everything and anything you wanted. Forgive yourself for giving in when the homemade fudge was right at your finger tips. Forgive yourself for eating an extra plate of cookies, and forgive yourself for getting 3 servings of pie instead of just one. You need to realize it's 100% normal and perfectly human to enjoy such good foods in life!

Step 2 is realizing your body will forgive you too! The second you change your eating, or just stop eating all the sugar you've been inhaling for the past month, your body will immediately start working with you, and not against you. Your body wants to feel healthy just as bad as you do. So remember your body isn't out to get you when those numbers are getting higher on the scale...it's working with you. The second you decide to change your eating and exercise more, your body is right along with you and wants the change just as bad......and it will change, if you make changes too.

Step 3, start small. Rid the thought right now of, "I'm going to lose X amount of weight starting January 1st!". Never leave it to January 1st to start. Start right now. I don't mean go to the gym right now, I mean your next meal decide you're going to eat a little healthier. Not the rest of the day, just your next meal. Once you get this pattern down, you'll start to notice your thinking WILL be for every meal and before you know it, you're going an entire day without treats, or your portions are getting smaller. When it comes to exercising, start small by taking a morning walk half an hour after you wake up. Or an evening walk right after dinner. Just 20 minutes is all you need. Or start small by stretching your body for 15 minutes before you go to bed, and after you wake up. These small and simple steps are key to helping you get back on your feet. 20 minutes a day is all you need. It doesn't have to be 20 minutes of strenuous, bullet sweat, aching workouts. It can be a simple walk around the neighborhood, or deep breathing for 15 minutes while stretching.

And last but certainly not least, step 4 is always remember...YOU'RE NOT ALONE! No matter how fat, or unmotivated you feel you are, you're not the only one who feels this fat and lazy. We all need to start over in different parts of the year, or life for that matter. So don't think for a second you're the only one without will power. It's human. We are human. We can't do everything. Or maybe we can do everything. We can eat sugar, and still be motivated. We can enjoy the Holidays without beating ourselves up, and we can give ourselves a break and get back on our feet!

So from one "feeling fat and lazy" to another, let's all get our bodies feeling healthy and energetic again, and starting this New Year with a different mind set! And just like the picture, this is me saying, "WE CAN DO IT!"

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Your Friend,
Melissa Elder

Did You Know??

Did you know that drinking 2 glasses of water before a meal can actually help you lose weight? In a study of 48 middle aged men and woman, researchers assigned half to a low-fat, low calorie diet. The other group stuck to the same diet but also drank two 8 ounce glasses of water before each meal. Those who took the water before meals lost more weight than their peers.

Something to help out with this holiday season:).

Mexican Lasagna

To be honest, I can count on one hand how many times I've had lasagna since I've been diagnosed, and usually when I do eat it my sugars hate me. So it's never my first desire to want to make lasagna...until I was sent this recipe!

This recipe had me drooling, and even though there is a list of ingredients

(I'm always intidimated with long lists) it was surprisingly fast to make.

And always and most important-my blood sugars were satisfied after

and I got quite the dose of my daily veggies with this recipe:). Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

2 tsp olive oil
11⁄2 cups chopped onion
1 lb zucchini, diced (about 3 cups)
21⁄2 tsp ground cumin
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with chiles
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed
1 can (11 oz) corn niblets, drained
1 can (10 oz) mild enchilada sauce
1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro
5 (8-in.) whole-wheat flour tortillas
11⁄4 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar
Garnish: reduced-fat sour cream

Recipe Preparation
1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Coat a 3-qt round baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cumin, and sauté 5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn and enchilada sauce; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

3. Put 1 tortilla in baking dish. Top with 11⁄2 cups zucchini mixture; sprinkle with 1⁄4 cup cheese. Repeat layers 4 times.

4. Cover with foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly around edges and cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream, if desired.

(Thanks Liz, this was a hit at our humble abode.)