#fmls90v3

Sunday -  Complete a brief summary of where you are on your journey and what your next steps are.

It’s been real and it’s been fun and... well, it’s been real fun.

My weight dropped about six pounds in the past 90 days. Good of course, but especially good considering the Fall months are a bit of a “stall-out” for me. This year I think the Challenge gave me a little extra impetus to take it all a little more seriously and to not cheat so many times.

In exercise I have kept on track in mycardio, mostly in cycling. I slacked off on weight training in the Summer months and even for a lot of this leg of the hourney, but got back into it in the last few weeks.

Friday - What are you most proud of from your journey this season?

I know this is kind of simple, but what I am most proud of is that I lost a significant amount of weight in this leg of my journey.

Thursday -  Did you have any surprises during this journey? Tell us one thing you learned that you did not expect.

Wednesday -  What is one tip you would have for someone about to start this challenge?

If someone came up to me right now and told me he/she wanted to take part in @fatmaninalittlesuit 90 day challenge this year, I would feel morally obligated to tell that person, “YOU SURE WAITED LONG ENOUGH TO START!!”

Tuesday -  What is one thing you learned from others doing the challenge? Perhaps reblog someone else's’ post and tell us what you like about it.

The biggest single thing I learned was from a number of participants rather than just one. And that is the fact that just about everything I have gone through and am going through is something that most other participants have had to deal with.

Monday - What have you learned about yourself over the past 13 weeks? Are there any new habits you hope to keep or now know you need to build?

Saturday - Offer some tips for people who are new to eating healthy. What can you suggest to help them be a success?

One of the really major suggestions I would give is one I learned from Wight Watchers years ago: There is a LOT of delicious, filling food out there that does NOT come from a fast food or chain restaurant and is NOT advertised continuously on TV, These are foods that are nutritious and not particularly fattening, but also taste great and will satisfying.

Tying in with that, I would encourage anyone who is trying to get fit amd/or ;ose weight to recognize the crap coming from advertisement as just what it is: CRAP. Unlearn what Madison Avenue has been feeding you: the “good life: is NOT this brand of cola or that brand of beer or this candy of that potato chip,

Another thing I would stress is that moderation is important. There are a lot of foods out there that may not be bad, as long as they’re eaten in reasonable portions. 

And that ties in with one more suggestion for people starting out: Do not set any foods as “off limits”. Eating right does not mean swearing off a night at a pizza restaurant with friends, as long as it’s done in noderation and the meals are all in sinsible amounts.

Friday - Share any food substitution tips you have. How do you meet your cravings without overdoing it?

There are two substitutions I would like to give, and a general area of substitution that I would recommend as well.

My healthier alternative to chips and crackers is a small serving of roasted and lightly salted almonds with a meal or as a snack. Almonds are high in fiber, high in antioxidants, good sources of vitamins and minerals, and aren;t bad in protein either.

To satisfy my cravings for sweets and/or chocolate, I opt for a dark chocolate with at least 85% cacao. I especially recommend Ghirardelli; Midnight reverie 86% cacao bar, with a close second being Green & Blacks Organic 85% cacao bar. (A word of warning: there is a very real difference between cacao and cocoa. Coca is more refined and not as full of the good benefits that cacao offers. Check labels carefully.) Both brands are divided into segments that are easily broken into small squares for a sweet addition to a meal or a snack.

Imm going to admit something here: For me at least, 86% is just about the intensity at which the sweetening just offsets the natural bitterness of cacao. The above mentioned bars This gives these bars the added benefit of being self-limiting: Because there is just a bit more bitterness than in your everyday candy bar, I for one am not tempted to binge on these confections as I might be with a sweeter cacao, even these same brands cacao bars that are 60%-72& cacao. Don’t get me wrong; this is high quality dark chocolate and even the 60& bars are high in antioxidants. But as I alluded to in my post for yesterday, if a food is going to trigger a binge, it may be better to opt for a brand and a product that I’m not tempted to binge on.