Hello!
So, I have a big favor to ask of you guys. This morning, when I tried to start my Feel Great Weight (FGW) post for next week, I realized I needed some new ideas. I’ve blogged for Health.com for 2.5 years now, which means I’ve written more than 150 posts related to my “feel great” weight. I want to keep things fresh and interesting, so I’m hoping you guys might want to help me out with a little brainstorming session.
What topics would you like to see me cover in my FGW posts? Do you have any questions for me related to losing and/or maintaining my weight?
I’m honestly open to just about any subject as long as it’s somewhat related to weight loss/maintenance. Please feel free to leave a comment on this post with your ideas and/or questions. I’d appreciate it so much. Thanks in advance for your help!
Breakfast
This morning’s breakfast was inspired by a recipe for “custard” oatmeal from Susan of The Great Balancing Act. Custard oatmeal? Sounds interesting, right? Well, it’s basically oatmeal with a whole egg and almond milk mixed in, so it turns out incredibly thick and creamy. I was sort of worried that it would taste eggy, but I couldn’t taste it at all.
In the mix:
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup granola
- 1 egg
- 1.25 cups water
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- Cinnamon
- 2 scoops of almond butter
Pug 5K
Excited news! The Second Annual PRoNE 5K is scheduled for June 2, 2012! I’m almost positive Murphy is going to do it again. I mean, last year’s race was so fun, there’s no way he could miss it!
P.S. Did you win my Super Awesome Health & Fitness Giveaway from Target? Two out of the three winners haven’t contacted me yet!
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I would like to see more 9-5 food ideas. Maybe some healthy lunches to pack?Also would love another post like you did about the gym and how to navigate it. i.e. which machines are your favorites and what you suggest. With so many new gym goers this would be very helpful!
BTW I did your pyramind walking workout the other day and I LOVED it!!!
@Hillary of GRAS Pizza: Nice! I love that workout. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
@Hillary of GRAS Pizza: I second the 9-5 food ideas.
@Laura Jane @ Recovering Chocoholic:
i would like to third.
Oh man, I definitely want to try that oatmeal. I’m all about thick and creamy!!
And ahahahaha – that picture of Murphy cracks me up. That had to have been one of my favorite posts ever. Can’t wait to see if he PRs this year
i don’t really know how applicable this is but i would love to hear about losing or maintaining weight being in a relationship. it seems that you and mal are both committed to fitness and healthy eating but personally i find it hard sometimes to get my boyfriend on board with my healthy eating/adopting a healthy lifestyle. it would be great to get some tips.
ps- i am loving your book!
I definitely second this!
@abby r: I definitely second this!
@abby r: I also second this topic. My husband isn’t too into healthy eating and can eat whatever he wants and never gain an ounce.
@Laura Jane @ Recovering Chocoholic: I would like to see this too. I find it very hard to keep my healthy eating around a significant other who doesn’t like to eat healthy and always is saying that I worry about what I eat too much. I also find it very difficult to eat healthy during the initial stages of a relationship because you are going out so much.
looks like you tried out the custard oats! so good, right?! i love them.
as for your FGW posts… what about ways to cut down on sugar intake/sugar cravings? i’m not sure if you’ve done a post on this topic before, but just a thought!
@Ashley @ My Food ‘N’ Fitness Diaries: i second this!
I haven’t read all FGW posts, so perhaps you’ve already covered this, but what about a post(s) explaining how to talk to friends & family (or not explaining to friends and family) either about your goals for weight loss, your motivation, your needed support (or not needed support?). What did you do when friends weren’t responsive? Do you ever talk about your lifestyle diet with Mal? How does he feel? When you aren’t feeling good, is there something specific you do to recharge? Hope that helps!
I love eggs and oats together-so filling and delicious!
FGW posts–maybe some fun healthy lunch ideas? Or snacking smartly? Hope that helps!
I have a problem once I have reached my FGW, i’m so used to being on a ‘diet’ that I feel as though I sabotage myself by eating poorly for a while so that I can get back to what I know, ‘dieting’ or at least trying to loose those last few pounds. I need advice as to how to stop my brain from saying congrats! now lets EAT
@Simone: happens the same to me!!!! I definitely need some help to stop dieting and going to maintaining. When do you exactly make that move? Is it a specific day? I always seem to have “that special dinner out” or “that birthday cake I ate yesterday” to stop me to going on to mantaining.
You may have already covered this, but how about discussing your FGW with regard to weight training and if/how muscle mass affects your FGW. I thought maybe that would be a good thing to discuss now that you seem to be doing more weight training at Crossfit and whatnot. I know I tend to see a slight shift up in my weight when I do more weight training and sometimes that can make me feel a little down even though I know it’s because I’m building muscle and not because I’m gaining fat.
I did a 5k with my golden retriever last year. It was a little crazy but I think we both had fun!
FGW- I’d love if you talked about portion sizes, tips on eyeballing them (I hate measuring!)
I signed up for the 5K! I wanted to last year, but dragged my feet… this year I’m already ahead of the game
See you there, ha!
FGW – I’m a recently unemployed art director and I love to run and work out. Work always got in the way, so I was hoping the bright side of being home would be that the extra pounds I had would just fall off. Not the case. I have been working out and running more and definitely eating much better. I’d love to hear what you have to say about having an at home job vs an office job when it comes to diet and exercise and keeping your weight where you want it.
PS- I just found out that CrossFit is coming to my area and after reading about it from you am soooooo pumped!
Hey there!
You may have already discussed this on your FGW posts, but what about something along the lines of maintaing health and weight in a relationship? I know it seems as though your husband is on board with the healthy eating, but my husband is far from that and I struggle wtih making meals that he and I will both enjoy that fit my goals too!
and PS – love your blog. read daily, just never comment:)
I am not sure if you have covered this topic before however, could you address how long it takes to actually see results from changes in diet and exercise? Four weeks ago, I started paying much closer attention to the foods I was eating and really increased my level of exercise. My exercise increase went from practically no exercise (do steps count?) to exercise dvd’s three to five times per week plus walking 2 miles, 3x’s per week. I have yet to lose an ounce! I have been documenting my meals and exercise but I haven’t seen a change. I have an atheltic build and I am not overweight. My goal is to be more toned and lose 10lbs..
@Sylvia: I just want to say you are not alone! Often when people initially make changes (myself included) the body will hang on to water weight, and muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are creating muscle you might not see a loss on the scale right away. Pay attention to your endurance and abilities, how your clothes fit, etc and keep it up! You’ll start to see a difference!
@Corrie @ Blurb Column:
Thank you for the encouraging words. I do feel stronger and more energized. Have a great day!
Hmmm….I have to admit I don’t always follow your Feel Great Weight posts, so I’m not sure what you’ve done before, but some things I’m interested in or struggle with are:
When rushed at work, taking time to slow down and actually enjoy my lunch; When stressed at work I tend to get take out which is inevitably unhealthy; SWEETS! I can never eat just one; Over-doing it when traveling, especially in the airport (my fiance and I joke that beer tastes best in the airport
); Overdoing beer and wine intake while out or with friends; carbs in the winter time; and finally, I’ve enjoyed your at home WOD posts.
@Kara M.: I agree with that! Love the at home WOD Posts!! keep them coming!
Working out at home, facing frustrations (like not fitting into items of clothing!), incorporating pets and loved ones into your workout routines, validity of BMI, how to stick to healthy eating in an office environment, while entertaining, while being entertained, etc, I agree with the 9-5 idea above as well, ways of staying on track (besides blogging), counting calories yay or nay, I could go on and on.
I would love to hear more about trying to stay healthy while eating out the friends and family. I love to go out, but I feel like most places have such high caloric food. So, anyways to help maintain while having a social life
It may have been used already, but what about a good workout routine to do at home? I personally can’t afford a gym membership, so I’m always on the lookout for a good starter program that I can do at home.
Also, would love to see easy portable lunches/breakfasts. I pack both meals to bring to work, and I could definitely use some new ideas!
FGW- how to encourage family members to adopt healthier lifestyles… or at least support yours when you are in town! I routinely struggle when visiting my less-than-healthy parents and how they don’t encourage my choices / allow me to make time for them when visiting
I have several recipes for oats with an egg on my blog, but had no idea they are called custard oats!
How about something on losing weight as you get older. I just turned 29 and have noticed that it takes a little more effort to lose those extra pounds that creep on and I have to pay more attention to what I’m eating than it did in my early 20s. Have you noticed the same thing?
How about something on losing weight as you get older. I just turned 29 and have noticed that it takes a little more effort to lose those extra pounds that creep on and I have to pay more attention to what I’m eating than it did in my early 20s. Have you noticed the same thing?
I know you’ve talked about this before, but I would love an article on how to achieve your FGW in college! I managed to avoid the freshman 15, but this year I’ve found myself going to the gym less and eating unhealthy food more. I’m ready to get healthy this winter and I would love if you wrote an article with ideas for college students!
How about your favorite kitchen or workout tools that keep your weight in check?
I think a post about suggestions for “in-between” fashions would be so helpful. I haven’t reached my goal weight yet but I would love some great tips for not looking like a schmuck in baggy clothes while getting there (without spending big bucks)! I remember about a year ago you had a clothing swap with your friends, which was a great idea! Do you have any more tips?
@Laurin: I strongly second this idea. I have the same problem. I hate to spend tons of money on a new wardrobe that won’t fit for too long but I want to look nice.
I would like you to write about mindless eating. I am home all day like you and i find it hard to eat just three meals a day because the kitchen is always available. I snack constantly! It drives me crazy lol
I rarely ever comment on blogs but I have been reading Carrots N Cake for quite a few months now and I just want you to know I love reading it everyday!
I definately agree with a few of the above commenters on making a FGW post about staying at your feel good weight when being in a relationship! I lost almost 50lbs 2 years ago but after moving in with my boyfriend last year I seemed to have gained almost 20lb back
It’s really hard to get him on board with my eating habits since he is one of those guys that can eat anything and not gain a pound..and he is such a good cook..just not a healthy one.
A post with vegetarian meals ideas would be helpful. Thanks!
Not sure if you already covered this – But I’m sure you have had days where you felt linge you were “binge” eating. Maybe it’s at an event, a party, or just a day where you felt like you could 9and were) eating evertyhing in sight. How do you get back on the wagon the next day…
primal vs paleo???
Healthy lunch and snack ideas!
I was just blogging yesterday about finding my “Feel Great Weight!”
http://www.saltsunandsanity.blogspot.com/2012/01/feel-great-weight.html
My problem is, I’ve had a goal weight in my head for a while now that I’ve wanted to acheive, and now that I’m only 10 lbs away, I have no clue if that’s where I want to be! Maybe something about re-evaluating weight loss goals once you’re almost there, and how to tell what your feel great weight really is?
@Lindsay @ Salt, Sun & Sanity: I love that idea!! I feel like there is so much pressure to get down to specific numbers, and I love that you base it on a feeling. I guess I’m also curious if it’s where you thought it would be, or if you just came naturally to the realization that you were happy with how you felt.
@Ari @ Ari’s Menu: You know what? I have absolutely no idea what I expected my body to be like at this weight. I guess there’s really no way of knowing until you’re there… I know I still have more to lose, but I have no idea how much until I see it on my body! I guess it’s like trying to buy clothes online versus actually trying them on in the store
I’d be interested in information/thoughts on weight loss and maintenance as we get older. I started reading your blog when I was in my mid-twenties, now I’m 30. I’m sort of anxious about everything I hear and read about how hard it is to lose and maintain as you get older. Is that a myth? If not, what can we do to combat it?
Hi..! I am a french girl, i 23 and i absolutly want you to say that i love your blog !!!. I am a passionate of fitness too! I leave near paris … Continu to write new post and sorry for my english ‘-)
Since you’re big into crossfit, maybe you can do an article on quality over quantity when it comes to exercise?
Maybe put a spin on it about how you get all of your nutrients while maintaining your feel great weight, maybe whether you take vitamins and/or use protein powder? It would also be interesting to read about whether/how processed or prepared foods fit in with managing your diet for a feel great weight.
Hey Tina! I think it would be fascinating if you could post something about whether or not time of day plays any role in your eating habits and goal to reach/maintain your feel great weight. I know a lot of times people stick by ‘ no eating after 7 pm’ or another rule like that. Does that matter in your mind?
I’m not sure if you’ve covered this before, but I’d like to see a post about how to deal with slow progress when you’re working hard and have a lot of weight to lose.
Hi! I’m new to your blog, and your FGW posts. So this may be something that you have touched upon before that I just haven’t archived back far enough yet. I have noticed you work out sometimes twice a day. I work in an office setting from 8:30 to 5. So twice per day is not feasible. I used to do crossfit 3-5 times per week, and really miss it, but it just got too expensive, so I’ve incorporated what I can from what I learned and now crossfit websites to give myself daily WOD’s and I really appreciate you posting your WODs. I workout now at a regular “globo-gym” and it’s hard to sometimes get in cycles or intervals in that atmosphere. I’ve been piecing together workouts where I’m not jumping on the treadmill, getting off to do pull up, etc to annoy other members that just want to do cardio on the treadmill. If you have any suggestions on crossfit workouts in a regular “globo gym” I would love to hear your suggestions. Thanks
How adorrrable! I wish my dogs would run with me haha. She gets lazy after a block though.
Murphy is the bomb dot com! I love that picture of him giving Mal a high-five. It’s looks like he totally knew what he was doing. Hooray for genius dogs. I also love the sound of custard-y oatmeal. Definitely need to give that one a try. I think I would like to see more healthy snack ideas as part of your feel great weight. Stuff like, healthy granola bars or things that can be made ahead of time and thrown into the freezer for when a snack-attack hits.
You know what would be awesome? Something on how to keep healthy while recuperating from injuries! I hate how hard it is to keep up with exercise with injuries/ set-backs, and would love advice on how to incorporate healthy diet/ exercise with a shoulder injury (I just dislocated mine….again….)
I need to try these custard oats! They sound so good
Thick and creamy oatmeal sounds awesome for the cooler months! I’ve wanted to try a savory oatmeal sometime- thinking it would be like risotto…
P.S. Good luck to Murphy for the future race- maybe he’ll surprise you and be even speedier than last year ;P
I would love to hear how you keep up your feel great weight when your feeling under the weather. Now that it is “sick season”..its hard to get to the gym when we feel sick and eat right when the only thing we feel like we can stomach is soups and crackers! HELP! How do you do it?!
I’ve noticed you are eating more towards a paleo diet now… Maybe a post on that and why crossfitters use that kind of diet?
What about something on various dieting habits/techniques through the years? It’s interesting to see how our culture’s views on body image and foods have changed over the past decades or even longer (women have always been body image conscious no matter what century/decade they were born in!).
Forgive me if you’ve already touched upon this topic in previous posts, but what about a post on how best to deal with the diet/fitness saboteurs in your life? Maintaining a healthy lifestyle takes a lot of time, effort and attention. I had an ex-boyfriend who used to make me feel guilty about all the time I used to spend outside running, and I constantly felt like I had to justify why I was doing that instead of spending time with him. That relationship was obviously fraught with other issues, but surely I am not the only one who has dealt with a diet/fitness saboteur.
Is it better to use the scale, the tape measure, or a smaller size to keep track of your progress?
You might have already posted about this but I’d like to hear more about spacing meal/snack times. Do you try to eat meals at a certain time of day and stick to that? When you’re really hungry late afternoon do you go for a snack or make an early dinner?
I second how to manage the diet saboteurs. So many times when I have lost weight to make myself feel better and still wasn’t at my feel good weight, my family and friends/collegues only remember the overweight me and tell me I’m “scary skinny” when in fact I still have a good fat percentage on me – we are talking ridiculous comments that have no basis. It gets into your head so much that I start to ruin my own diet and fitness plan because even those that unconditionally love me do not want me to succeed if that makes sense.
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