Italy, Bliss, and Top 5 weight loss tips

The Ponte Vecchio at sunset taken from Michelangelo Park in Florence

Have you ever been so excited and anxious about something that you almost didn’t want it to come because you knew it would be over soon?  I hope that’s not a pessimistic view.  I feel this way about vacations.  Sometimes when I’m reading a good book too.  I almost don’t want to finish it because it will be over.  In thinking about our trip to Europe I want to soak in every minute and everything around me.  I love to learn about and explore new places.  I will keep a VERY detailed journal of every place we go and what we do, so as not to FORGET!!  This picture of Florence Italy is one of the places we’re going.  Breathtaking.  I’ve always wanted to go to Italy!!

Next on my list is BLISS!!!  Yesterday I took my kids to LAGOON!!  Yes, it is an amusement park.

My sister and I were talking about our memories of Lagoon.  We went at least once every summer.  It was fun to remember the many times we ran around the park, going from ride to ride.  We watched the shows, rode the paddle boats, ran through the fun house over and over, walked around pioneer village, and ate “juice bars” from Pace’s Dairy Ann.  We had the best childhood!

Last night, when the lights were on, the familiar busy sounds and smells brought me back to my youth.  I watched my 11 year old daughter and her cousin excitedly talking about their favorite rides, dancing and doing cartwheels down the sidewalks, and screaming on the rides, “This is the best day of my life!”  I love that joyous, youthful, and innocent bliss of CHILDHOOD!  I’m glad she is happy and I hope as she grows up she will remember how to play and surround herself with other people that make her happy.  Lagoon, a priceless memory.

Last but not least, is my HEALTH SIDE of this post!  For some reason I like the number 5 and the number 20!  So, today I’ll talk about my 5 number one weight loss tips I’ve learned in my HUGE long life (:

1. Eat Breakfast….AND make sure it’s QUALITY breakfast.  Cut out the sugar.  Donuts, bagels, and sugar cereal are not breakfast.  Ideas are scrambled eggs.  My favorite is one egg and 2 egg whites on Ezekial bread (It’s in the freezer section on the healthy nut isle).  I like strawberries, blueberries, melon, or a banana.  Protein shakes with spinich is another excellent option.
2. Eat every 3 hours.  This one is SO IMPORTANT!!!!!  How do you feel if you barely eat breakfast and then skip lunch?  Right around 3 0’clock you get sleepy and need energy.  You’re so starving you want to eat everything in site.  I have this problem on Sundays!  If you eat every 3 hours your blood sugar will stay stable and you won’t feel that urge for instant sugar.  Your food choices will be smarter and you’ll eat less.
3. Drink a TON of water!!!!!  How do you expect your body to flush out all the crap?  CUT out the soda pop as well, DIET and REGULAR!!  It is so bad for you.  If you get sick of water, buy the little Crystal light packets and add them to a bottle of water.  Add ice too, it tastes better.  Drink water before every meal.  It fills you up and makes you eat less.
4. Cut out PROCESSED FOODS and REFINED FLOURS AND SUGARS!!!  If everyone did this, there would be NO weight problem in America.  When I came home from Spain one of the first things I noticed at the airport was how BIG everyone was!!  In Spain, they have bread with every meal.  They cook with oils and eat lots of different kinds of meats.  The fruit and vegetable section of the grocery stores were HUGE.  They prepared every meal and rarely ate out.  Remember that!!
5. SLEEP.  If you don’t get enough sleep, you get run down, you get sick, and you don’t care what you eat.  Cravings for high sugar foods come to the brain because they make you feel good!!  Get your sleep!!  That’s a hard one for me, but if I’m tired in the day I will take a POWER nap.  I close my eyes for 15-20 minutes and doze!  It’s the best!!

I have MANY other weight loss tips.  These are just a few!!  I am an observer of persons.  When it comes to health and fitness, I ask questions of other healthy people.  It’s weird, but MANY people I ask don’t really give me details and they’re vague about their answers.  It’s like they don’t want to give their secrets away (:  I want to be the OPPOSITE!!  I’ll tell EVERYONE what I do.  I don’t have any fancy credentials to wave around, but 38 years into my life, I feel HEALTHY and STRONG.  I’ve found a way that works for me and keeps me FIT!!!

THIS MAKES ME LAUGH (Pardon the language)