News and Reviews
- Today is the first day of the “Lean Protein Challenge!” Challenge hosted by Julie over on the If You Have an Egg Facebook Group. Hop in any time, it’s not a competition with anyone but yourself!
- NSV, I finally ran into adorable girls scouts today (who had even recruited their tiny, even more adorable sister) and I walked away with NO COOKIES!!
- It’s mine and John’s 35th wedding anniversary AND St Patrick’s Day AND Sunday! It will be the year 2030 before those three things align again…well it will be our 36th anniversary but still 🙂
Last week was Chat #355 “How To Build Healthy Habits That Stick!”
Last week I gave you 60 seconds to grab a writing utensil and a piece of scrap paper.
Once you were all back we took a little quiz and I wanted you to shout out your results at the end no matter what they are (this is not a test, you are not being graded or competing with anyone)
Pro Tips for Staying Inspired:
Healthy Habits Quiz
Give yourself one point for each of these you can answer YES to:
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night
- Keep comfortable shoes at your desk or in your car
- Eat a variety of foods
- Weigh yourself at least once per week but not more than once per day
- Report in to an accountability partner whether it’s at a meeting or to a friend/family member
- Track on a consistent basis (not necessarily complete, just consistent)
- Stand or move at least once every hour that you are awake?
- Are you setting a STAR goal on a regular basis?
- Do you know what your next meal will be before you finish one?
- Is your willpower strong? (for those of you not watching live this one is a trick question!)
Your homework was #NoMoreWillpower. I double, no triple checked my sources on “how to maintain a healthy weight” and absolutely zero of them mention willpower. None. Zip. All you have to do for your homework this week is add ONE of the habits from our Healthy Habits Quiz for this week and let us know how you did
- Kim’s word is focus, because she wants to focus on her eating to get back to her goal. She only has 9lbs to go!
- Sylvia’s word is activity! She is determined to get the 30 pounds off that she has “found” again since 2021]
- Mary Ann’s Fitbit told on her and reported she’s only been averaging 3-4 hours of sleep a night…yikes! Let’s pick a habit for Mary Ann to try for this week…maybe set a STAR goal of something like:
S(pecific) – get 6 hours of sleep one night this weekT(ruly doable) – pick a night you don’t have any other plans or distractionsA(ctionable) – you are going to do this!R(elevant) – you are only getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night so this is very relevant to YOUR journey!
Bravo, you did it!
This Week’s Topic: “How a Bedtime Routine Can Help You Reach Your Goals!”
And to stay on the topic of not getting enough sleep….
When I set the homework for last week more of you reported needing a “non-willpower” solution for not enough sleep. Like alot of you. Like a concerning amount.
Let’s dig deep on sleep:
FACT! (from Healthline.com)
Long-term sleep deprivation can take a more severe toll on your physical health, leading to:
- reduced immunity, which can make it harder for your body to fight off infections
- high cortisol, which can contribute to high blood pressure and other health concerns
- increased appetite and cravings for sugar and carbs
- changes in weight
- signs of aging, including wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of skin elasticity
- chronic inflammation
“The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more.” — Wilson Mizener
We don’t all need the same hours of sleep in order to have a functional and healthy day. But if you had the same reaction I did to the cruel “spring forward” we just experienced, even losing a precious hour can mean fatigue, headache, irritability, hunger, and more. Finding your right amount of sleep can be tricky, but using your fitness device (or even a simple notebook) track the number of hours you are actually asleep and then compare it to how you feel, behave, think and react the following day. It won’t take too many nights to figure out an approximate amount of time you need for actual sleep
Locate your “off switch”
Have you ever tried to get a toddler to sleep when they are sooooo tired you can’t imagine how they are still keeping their eyes open? If they are like our youngest granddaughter Beau, you are in for a screaming match, cage fight like you’ve never seen. Why do they fight sleep so much when they are soooo tired??
But then think about the last time you were soooo sleepy and then stayed up watching the rest of a Netflix series, or reading just one more chapter of that great book, or checking the kitchen one more time to make sure you didn’t miss any leftovers that needed cleaned up (aka put in your belly).
Just like those little ones, think about the things that absolutely have to be on your list right before bedtime. Now which of those things that by doing them triggers your “oh, it’s time to shut off!” switch? Things like:
- Brushing teeth
- Reading a short inspirational
- Putting on pj’s
- Taking a shower
- Applying lotion
- Stretching or meditating
- And so on
This Week’s Homework: #MyOffSwitch
Your homework for this week is #MyOffSwitch. Another super easy, why don’t I just do it already homework week! Plus I spent my anniversary with you so come on, do this for me. Post a list of 3-5 things that you need/want to do at the end of your day to signal “it’s time to turn off now!” and post them for us. Now DO YOUR HOMEWORK because I promise there is someone who needs the idea you have already rattling around in your head. Whatever it is let us know, I promise your decision to participate this week will help you AND someone else! Then type it, snap it, share it however you like, and then tag me for your next cool badge!
Don’t forget to do your homework #MyOffSwitch and tag me when you share on social media!
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on Instagram
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on our Facebook Page
- Tag @Kelly Green Milligan in our Facebook Group
- Tag @ifyouhaveanegg on WW Connect
Extra Credit: Grocery Haul!
I was inspired by Melisa at our in person WW meeting who brought in some yummy delicious things to try. So I went to Kroger and collected a few things that I’ve never tried before, and we will review them during this grocery haul!
The first thing I will not actually be trying, but they seemed really interesting! I’ve never seen Wild Twist apples before, but they are supposed to be a twist between Honeycrisp and Crisp Pink. These seem to be a Kroger brand apple, but I’m curious to see how they are!
The thing that Melisa brought was the Fresh Gourmet Bacon-less Bits. They are pinto beans that are slow cooked into a bacon-like texture that is vegan and soy free! I believe 1-2 tbsp is only 1 point! They do taste and smell like bacon, and they are so crunchy!
A couple of other Fresh Gourmet items were the crispy Garlic Pepper Onions, Crispy Beets, and Crispy Dillies.
The onions were 1 point for 1.5 tbsp and they were SO GOOD! The flavor is absolutely amazing, and I couldn’t keep my hand out of the bag!
The Crispy Beets were an interesting flavor, which is not as strong as the onions. I will warn you, if you don’t like beets, you will get a beet flavor at the end.
Now the Crispy Dillies were originally meant for Casey’s mother in law who is OBSESSED with dill pickles! They are pickle favored fried cucumbers, and they are DELICIOUS! I get the feeling these are going to be popular with everyone!
Now Quaker has new to me rice chips and rice thins. I’ve eaten rice cakes all of my life, but these were new! Hopefully Alyssa likes these!
The first is Air Popped Sour Cream & Onion Rice Chips. The entire bag is 12 points, and they sound like a great substitute for potato chips. And they are pretty good! I think they keep that sour cream and onion flavor, and they have a nice puffy crunch to them.
The next two I grabbed are Quaker Rice Thins, and I got the Salted Caramel and Cocoa Crisps flavors. They both smell amazing, and they both have a really nice, subtle flavor. I do prefer the Salted Caramel over the Cocoa Crisp flavor though.
Another chip substitute, I got Harvest Snap Sour Cream & Onion crunchy loops. They are BAKED red lentil snacks, not fried like the others. The smell is not fantastic… its just meh. And the taste… is actually better than I was expecting! They are sort of sour cream and onion, with a cheesy taste at the end.
Now… y’all are gonna pass out when I tell you about this next thing. They are Wilde Protein Chips in the flavor Chicken & Waffles. And they are made with chicken breast, chicken broth and egg whites??? These are the craziest chips I’ve ever seen. And they were $7.99. I’m telling you, I went crazy. The smell is chicken… and waffles… maybe? But the taste was… not good. Don’t waste your money on these. They are so grainy, and the flavor is not stellar. Not worth the money AT ALL for those.
Which of these grocery haul snacks would you try? Let us know in the comments below!
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