• Portion Sizes and Our Kids

    Posted on October 24th, 2009

    Have you taken a close look at restaurant portion sizes? Recently, I took my kids out to lunch and ordered their favorite dish - macaroni and cheese. When the server asked them what size they wanted my kids said, “Large.” When I saw the large bowl, I almost fell over. It’s no surprise that childhood obesity is an epidemic. I ordered the large bowl, but had them split the portion between my two kids. I added some fruit, vegetables and water to make the meal complete. I saved about 500+ calories off my kid’s lunch but I couldn’t help but wonder why EVERYTHING is now super-sized, even macaroni and cheese?

    I used that experience as a life lesson for my kids. I told them that just because food is served in large portions doesn’t mean they have to accept it that way. They can take control, ask for smaller portions, refuse soda and intentionally add healthier sides like fruit, vegetables and water. I was encouraged by the dialogue that continued throughout the meal. My kids discussed ways to eat healthier especially on busy days. I listened with pride as my kids vowed to eat healthy, exercise regularly and not get tricked into eating unhealthy. Teachable moments like this make my parentng journey worth every (lunch) minute.

    Posted by valerie

  • Top 5 Ways to Injure Yourself

    Posted on October 13th, 2009

    There are a lot of people out there that want to get in shape fast! I know plenty of folks trying to get in “shape” before a class reunion, a wedding or a special trip. They tell me things like, “I got this great program in the mail, it’s Extreme (you fill in the blank).” [...]

    Continue reading "Top 5 Ways to Injure Yourself"

    Posted by valerie

  • Unrealistic Expectations

    Posted on October 10th, 2009

    I read an interesting article the other day on how women set their weight loss goals. The article stated that most women set their goals based on their favorite celebrity. At first glance, this may not be such a bad idea; who wouldn’t want to look like Halle Berry? But on the other hand, it’s [...]

    Continue reading "Unrealistic Expectations"

    Posted by valerie

  • What’s Your Foundation?

    Posted on October 5th, 2009

    Okay, you’ve started an exercise routine and you’re all psyched about it. In fact, looking at the pictures in the magazine, you’re sure that if you just follow the program, you’ll see results in no time. You begin the workout and wait to get your rock hard body. Several weeks pass by and you aren’t [...]

    Continue reading "What’s Your Foundation?"

    Posted by valerie