For the Love of Lists

Engineering life one step at a time

Get Healthy Without Diets: The Food Swap Plan

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I refuse to go on another diet.  I spend weeks eating miserably while convincing myself that the trade will pay off, only to rebound once the slightest distraction comes my way.  And all that effort in restricting calories or scorning food groups has never truly paid off.  It’s not a sustainable way to eat, let alone live.  That’s why nutritionists and health experts speak of “lifestyle changes”: changes that focus on the big picture goals of getting healthier and feeling happier based on smart, permanent choices.  With that, I feel that I’ve finally found a way to eat what I enjoy and manage my cravings.  I’m calling it my “Food Swap Plan”.

This is stating the obvious, but I am not a nutritionist or physician.  Before starting a new routine it is always advised to speak to your doctor in order to choose the best and safest approach.  I can only say that, so far, this approach has been working for me and others.  Of course, there are several great resources you can find online that will teach you more about nutrition.  I suggest you take a look at them in order to better understand your health.  I will share some of my favorite sources with you in a future post.

So here’s the idea: swap your normal diet for progressively healthier variations on your favorite dishes.  While “healthy” foods can sometimes seem bland or unappetizing, if they are based around your cravings and preferred foods they become much more palatable.  And by making gradual changes that integrate with your existing lifestyle you can enact sustainable routines.  Swapping out versions of meals and cooking methods lets you still eat what you like without barring your efforts to get healthy.

Example: this week I was craving chicken tenders and fries (one of my favorites).  That would be a 760 calorie meal from McDonald’s (3 tenders, medium fries) or a 1,110 calorie meal from Applebee’s (chicken tenders basket).  Instead, however, I made baked chicken nuggets with polenta fries.  I had a full plate for only 450 calories, not to mention all the sodium and fat savings.  And the best part was that I didn’t feel deprived; my craving was abated and I felt awesome knowing I could enjoy my meal without guilt.

Here’s how to get started:

1) Start a food journal – even if it’s only for a week or two, logging your meals helps you to be fully conscious of what you’re eating now. Make sure to include amounts and detail what your situation and emotions were at the time, particularly for snacks.  My Fitness Pal is a great app for keeping track of your intake.

2) Identify your typical cravings and favorite foods – make a list by meal so that you know what types of new recipes/strategies you’ll need to find.

3) Identify your dietary needs – work with your doctor to determine your nutritional requirements (calories, proteins, fats, vitamins, etc). This will help you establish your goals.

4) Research your food swaps – Think of your favorite foods and find healthier versions of those meals (e.g. baked for fried, herbs for salt, diet or water for soda). If making a big change isn’t appealing just yet, focus on incremental ones (small order of fries instead of medium, one less slice of pizza).  Any progress is additive, so take on a challenge within your reach.

5) Create meal “menus” – list a few of your favorite healthy options for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Doing this helps me focus my energy on varying dinner, while maintaining easy routines for my other meals.  For example, for breakfast I rotate between an English muffin with light cream cheese, oatmeal, or scrambled eggs.  I don’t have to think much about my morning intake because I just pick one of those off the menu.

6) Find new recipes! – Look for healthy recipes you’re actually willing to try and have time to prepare.  There’s no excuse – the web is full of sites with easy instructions for all types of foods.  Start by looking for variations on your favorites and do your homework to ensure that they’re actually better options.  Store them where you can quickly find them (check out my post on organizing your Pinterest recipes).  If you’re excited to try a recipe, you won’t mind missing out on a bit of the bad stuff.

Taking this approach has helped me lose nearly 10lbs in the past six weeks.  My husband has lost even more because he combines it with plenty of exercise.  And like I said, we don’t feel deprived in any way; if we have a craving, we find a meal to satisfy it.  Here’s why it’s working for us:

  • No food restrictions = no overcompensating. We don’t avoid any food group specifically, so we’re not tempted to overindulge when given the opportunity.

 

  • We focus on eating what we like. I am a notorious picky-eater, so searching out new recipes for my favorite foods instead of force-feeding myself salad greens keeps me happy.

 

  • We maintain a “free day”. On Saturdays (and sometimes Sundays) we loosen up and don’t hold ourselves to our routine.  If I find an indulgent recipe that I really want to try, we save it for the weekend (like my homemade brownie sundaes).

 

  • We maintain variety. While we keep mini menus for our other meals, we really try to vary dinner with new recipes day-to-day while keeping a protein + vegetable framework.  It gives us something to look forward to at the end of the day.

 

  • It takes advantage of creativity. This keeps us interested, as we’re always finding new ways to make our favorite foods.

 

  • It’s sustainable. We’re content in what we’re eating, so we’re comfortable in this as a long-term effort.  That’s what makes it attainable as a lifestyle change.

 

  • It’s not a “diet”. We don’t consider this a “diet” at all (you know the kind I’m talking about), and we don’t expect the fast results that such programs claim to offer.  Thus there is no pressure to achieve a quick turnaround and we can appreciate healthy, gradual changes.

Here are a few more tips:

  • Add an exercise routine to your program in order to achieve the best results.
  • Combine your approach with meal-planning strategies to get ahead of cravings.
  • Purge your house of junk food before trying to start these changes (trust me, “out of sight” really does help with the “out of mind” bit).
  • If one swap doesn’t work, try another (some people like cauliflower pizza, and others just don’t).
  • Collect your recipes in one place for easy access.
  • Rotate 3-5 option for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
  • Find “mindless” methods for improving your eating habits, such as portion guidelines and plate sizing.
  • Make changes at your own speed. Some people are successful with big changes, while others need to take smaller steps to reach their goals.  Don’t lose heart – it all adds up.

I will add posts to the subject of this “food swap plan” as I continue to explore it, including sources for nutritional facts, easy food swaps, and my favorite recipes.  Sign up for the email list for more information and ideas.  If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below!

Why 12 Resolutions are Better than 1

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Did you set a New Year’s Resolution this year?  An estimated 45% of Americans do, according to a University of Scranton study.  Yet only 8% are likely to achieve their goal by December 31st.  How is your progress towards your resolution this year?  Are you still trucking, or did you choose to celebrate “National Drop Your New Year’s Resolution Day” on January 17th?  Have you achieved your resolutions in the past?  If you’re among the majority struggling to meet your NYR, fear not!  I have a new strategy for you, and you can start it right now.

I’ve spent some time discerning the reasons that I’ve failed to meet my own goals in the past, and I’d bet you’ve experienced some of the same:

  • I set a REALLY vague goal (ex. save money)
  • I set goals because I thought they were the “right” ones to set (ex. lose weight)
  • I didn’t know where to start or how to accomplish it
  • I procrastinated because I had a whole year to work at it
  • I caved to immediate gratification (ex. “I’ll just work off the pizza later…”)
  • I got discouraged because I saw no progress

As to the first three issues, take a look at the top five most popular resolutions (do any look familiar?):

  1. Lose weight
  2. Get organized
  3. Spend less/save more
  4. Enjoy life to the fullest
  5. Stay fit and healthy

None of these can be considered “SMART” goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.  These qualities add the necessary definition to your goal.  Without it, you’ll never know if you’re truly successful or how to go about it.  For example, instead of “lose weight” state “Run for 30 minutes 3x/week to improve my health and lose 20lbs by Dec 31st”.  On top of that, if your only reason for setting the goal is because you think you should set it, you’ll have no motivation when you reach an obstacle.  You need to know WHY you want to reach your goal; purpose is what will keep pushing you forward.  Don’t set someone else’s goal – set one that will improve your life and make you happier.

While it’s easy to find resources on SMART goals and purpose, we’re still faced with a bigger issue: a year is too long.  A year is full of distractions and procrastination.  We need to change our perspective on resolutions: instead of setting one large goal, break it up into 12 smaller ones.  If we alter our perspective to include 12 “milestones” (one per month), then the deadline is always within our sights instead of being 365 days away.  The best part?  You get a new start each and every month.

Here’s how to do it (and stick to it):

  1. Decide your SMART goal and why you want to achieve it

Think: Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.  Ex. “I want to save $5,000 for a down payment on a car by December 31st”

  1. Choose your strategy

How you are going to do it: before you jump into your goal, do some research and create an action plan containing all of your resources/tools and steps you can take to make progress.  Ex. weight loss: nutrition plan, gym/home workouts, health/fitness blogs.

  1. Break up your goal into 12 action steps

Set yourself an achievable goal for each month that will bring your closer to your overall goal.  Your goals can be as small or large as you want, so long as they are achievable and will add up to your total objective.  Choices: Divide your overall goal by 12 or determine 12 actions you can take to reach it.  Ex. Health: lose 8lb/month by swapping fast food for home-cooked meals and lifting weights 3x/week.  Ex. Career: Jan – Research openings at 5 companies, Feb – Write 5 cover letters, Mar – Attend 2 networking events, etc.

  1. Decide how you’ll track your progress

It’s crucial to map your progress, even on the “bad” months.  When and how you measure it is up to you.  Just set reminders and don’t forget to write it down.  Ex. start of the month, end of the month, weekly; via journal, app, chart.

  1. Assign rewards for progress at each milestone (optional)

If you think it’ll help motivate you, setup a reward for each month you reach your milestone goal.  However, be sure not to choose a reward that detracts from your progress (i.e. no chocolate cake for losing your 8lbs).  Even better, assign rewards that motivate you towards your goal.  Ex. new workout gear, a new book, a massage.

  1. Decide how you’ll get back on track if you slip

Have a plan to deal with cravings, procrastination, or distractions.  This way, when the going gets tough you’ll be better prepared to handle it and get back on course.  Ex. If I don’t have time to get to the gym, I’ll do a workout video at home or go for a walk around the neighborhood.  If I splurge on a donut at work, I’ll add an extra workout over the weekend.

  1. Assess your support system

While vague resolutions are at the top of reasons why we fail, having a good support system is the #1 reason people can succeed.  Sharing your trials and successes with others not only holds you accountable, but it reminds you that others are rooting for you to succeed too.  Ex. family, friends, social media, blogs.

  1. Get started!

 Here are a few last important tips for you:

  • This is an iterative process – each month, evaluate your progress and decide what worked and what didn’t. Change it or improve it for the next month.
  • Don’t be discouraged – if you don’t meet your goal one month, don’t try to overcompensate and don’t lose hope. For example, my friend bases her next goal on the progress from the month before (if she only loses 6lbs in one month, her goal is 8lb less than that the next month).  It’s better to keep making some progress than to give up after pushing yourself too hard.
  • Don’t set too many goals at once – we have limited will power and are easily distracted. Set one main goal and divide it up into your milestones.
  • Set your own milestones – if a month-long milestone is still too much, try bi-weekly.
  • Don’t let yourself get bored – change up your strategy to keep you on your toes (ex. new workouts).
  • Don’t give up! – you get a new start every month, and every day.

Remember: we never would have reached the Moon if no one had put action steps and milestones to Kennedy’s words.

It’s not too late to restart or set your resolution for the year.  If you’ve got one to share, please post below and tell me about any strategies that have worked for you.  I’d love to hear them!

Learn Something New in Only 5 Minutes

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Most of us want to learn new skills, but feel we have “no time” to add anything to our busy schedules.  Between work, family, friends, homes, and all our other activities it’s intimidating to try to set aside time to study a new subject or try a new hobby.  But could you spare just five minutes?  What about time spent in transit?  Lunch and coffee breaks?  Prepping/waiting for dinner? Before you get out of bed?  When you’re settling down for the night (you know you’re on your phone anyway)?

Instead of browsing social media or playing Angry Birds, try some of these free apps (also web-based).  Five minutes a day is all you need to start picking up some new knowledge.

  • TED – TED Talks offers free videos on a huge array of interesting topics. Use the app to find specific subjects or simply select a video length (5-60min) and let it surprise you. There’s even an “audio-only” function if you’d like to listen to the talk in the car.
  • Memrise – While some suggest Duolingo, I prefer Memrise to pick up a new language (Duolingo doesn’t offer Russian). Five minutes lets you test your vocabulary.
  • Lumosity – Fun games (yes, games!) that help you exercise your brain, testing your memory, speed, and attention. While there is a paid subscription available, you can get a lot out of their free offerings.
  • Business Insider – I love this app for its combination of news, business/tech info, and career advice. The latter offers tips and strategies that apply to almost all professions.
  • GRE Vocabulary Flashcards – While you may not be taking the Graduate Record Exam any time soon, this app offers flashcards for a large set of words and lets you mark whether or not you’ve learned them.
  • Tenuto – If you’re interested in learning to sight read or enhancing your musical abilities, get some practice with this noteworthy app (pun intended).
  • The Bible App – Whether you’re religious or you’re just curious to learn what it’s about, this app offers plans that suggest different readings each day from both the Old and New Testaments.

If you’re looking for more ideas, try the following:

  • Flashcard app – There are a bunch available where you can make your own flashcards or download a question pack.
  • News aggregators – Get quick headlines all in one place to stay informed about the world.
  • Books – I’ve heard they’re great (:-P). In all seriousness, they’re your best bet before bed and you can set a timer to keep to your five minute rule.

Are there any apps you’d like to add to this list?  Share below!

How to Scrapbook Without Scrapbooking

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I don’t know about you, but I am bombarded by beautiful scrapbook pages every time I walk into a Michaels.  My friends post tons of creative ideas for different layouts and intricate hand-crafted details.  I’ve even found packaged kits promising “easy” assembly of my very own book.  But here’s the truth: I have no time to scrapbook.  As much as I’d love to recreate the designs I find on Pinterest, it’s just not in the cards right now.  And I know I’m not alone.  So I started thinking about what people can do to preserve their favorite memories with the time they do have.  Here are some ideas to “scrapbook” without scrapbooking:

  • Memory Jar
    • What it is: Write down your favorite memories on slips of paper and store in a container.  Once a year (New Year’s, birthday, anniversary, etc.) open the container and read them with your loved ones.  You can even make a family or couple’s memory jar.
    • Setup: Find a jar, box, or other container where you can store your additions (mason jars work well).  Decorate it if you choose, and locate it in a prominent place along with pens and pre-cut slips of paper.
    • Advantage: Memories can be large or small, and you don’t need to remember photos or lengthy details.  Plus, reflecting on happy moments has been shown to make people feel happier overall.
  • Listography
    • What it is: The Listography series is a collection of books written by Lisa Nola.  In them, prompts direct readers to create a written scrapbook of lists such as “List people you’ve lived with” and “List your favorite restaurants”.  The same concept can be employed in any notebook full of your own lists.
    • Setup: Purchase a book or brainstorm some prompts for your own “scrapbook of lists”.  Use bold titles and add whenever you see fit.
    • Advantage: Memories are sorted into categories and you are offered guided prompts to facilitate quick entries.
  • Photo Collection
    • What it is: Create physical or virtual photo albums for your favorite events or years.  Add details through captions or handwritten notes on the back of photographs.
    • Setup: Purchase an album to populate with prints or setup a whole book through Shutterfly.  Alternatively, you can generate a purely online album via Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, or another favorite photo site.
    • Advantage: Camera are now always handy via phones, and online albums are free and easy to share with family and friends.
  • Keepsake/Shadow Box
    • What it is: Showcase your memories by displaying items and photos in a frame or store them safely in a dedicated box
    • Setup: Find a decorative box or create one of your own.  Or, for a shadow box, find a frame and decide on a general layout.  Fill both with mementos and loose photos, including any remnants that you have saved.
    • Advantage: Great for small, loose items that you’re holding onto.  Can also be themed by event or by trip (ex. keepsake box for your family vacation to the Grand Canyon).
  • Smash Book
    • What it is: The “Un-Scrapbook” – a loosely structured album of assorted scrapbook-type memorabilia.  Unlike the decorated pages of a traditional scrapbook, smash books focus more on the inclusion of the content itself over the layouts.
    • Setup: Check out K & Company for a full description and ideas for setup.  Packages are available through their site, Amazon, Michaels, and others, or just start your own notebook from scratch using similar materials.
    • Advantage: Get the benefits of scrapbooking without the pressure of making everything look perfect.
  • Q&A
    • What it is: Similar to the Listography idea, but uses questions as prompts instead of categories.  This is a great idea for including your elder family members in your scrapbook and helping them preserve their memories.
    • Setup: Setup a notebook with a question per page.  If you’re including answers from multiple family members, provide multiple pages or store responses in individual envelopes secured to the page (like in a smash book).  Send out prompts to your extended family, or visit and record their responses in a video.
    • Advantage: Preserve memories from all of your family members and compare their experiences.
  • Collage
    • What it is: Create a one-of-a-kind piece of art with photos, articles, quotes, and decorations.  It can be physical or virtual.
    • Setup: Choose a theme and collect items for your medium.  Fasten photographs and memorabilia to a base and frame, or use software to put together a quick virtual collage or slideshow.
    • Advantage: This is great for themes such as childhood (my mother-in-law created one containing my husband’s favorite subjects growing up) or couples photos (I made a desktop collage for our first dating anniversary).
  • Blog
    • What it is: Create a free online journal to document your trips, milestones, or even daily life.
    • Setup: Use a blogging site such as WordPress to create a free website you can share with your family and friends.  Post entries and photos, logging interesting thoughts and details of your adventures.
    • Advantage: Great for travel diaries, this method is easily shared via link and can be a great way to document milestones such as an engagement or life with a new baby.

These are just a few ideas to get you started.  Choose a method that works with your available time and meets your needs, whether you’re looking to simply remind yourself of the good times or you’d like to document all of your family’s endeavors.  Do you have any other ideas?  Please share below!

How to Earn Money While Shopping

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I don’t think there’s anyone on this earth who wouldn’t mind a few extra dollars in their pocket.  And while you can search for promo codes, print out coupons, and seek out sales, there are actually quite a few ways you can earn cash back and rewards for items you’re buying anyway.  Some of these may be nothing new, but collectively they offer you a nice handful of “free money” for barely any extra effort:

  • Ebates

Ebates is a great site that my mom recently introduced me to, and it’s my new favorite way to shop online.  You simply log onto the site, then click the link to your favorite store and continue shopping as you normally would.  You can earn 1-5% cash bank on average (sometimes more), and it is credited to your account almost instantly.  They also offer their own deals at different stores and alert you to sales.  Plus you get a $10 gift card to a choice of stores just for signing up.  At the end of each quarter Ebates mails you a check.  I used it to shop on Amazon over Christmas and got a nice bonus check by mid-January.  Be sure to use it for Groupon deals, because you’ll earn 6%!

  • Grocery Rebate Apps

I’ve just started using these, and they do require a bit of time, but I’ve gotten $12 back so far just from scanning grocery receipts and answering a few polls.  Ibotta and SavingStar are the two I have installed on my phone.  Both work essentially the same way: scan the rewards before you shop to see which redemptions are available, shop as you normally would, then scan the items and take a photo of your receipt.  You can redeem your rewards through PayPal or through gift cards.  The difference is that Ibotta asks you to answer quick polls or watch short videos in order to earn rewards, and SavingStar offers freebies and a weekly deal on a fresh food item (such as apples).  In my opinion though, Ibotta offers rewards on better items, such as any brand of bread, cereal, eggs, and milk on occasion.  And you can form teams to add bonuses – the larger your team, the more you can earn (if you’re interested in joining my team, enter the referral code “iewolqd”).  Use both apps to bulk up savings.

  • Price Match Savings

I’m not sure if other stores offer this, but Walmart recently debuted their Savings Catcher app and I’ve already collected over $30 back on a gift card.  We get our groceries from their store in town primarily, so taking an extra minute to scan the receipt bar code is worth it.  Even if you don’t shop there all the time, the savings are figured out automatically and you can redeem them at any point.  Sometimes you don’t get any cash back, but sometimes you may also get $10-$15 from a single trip.   All you have to do is scan, so you can set your savings in motion by the time you drive home.

  • Credit Card Rewards

So I’ll preface this one with a caution: credit card rewards systems are great, as long as you’re responsible with them.  That being said, there are several great options for rewards systems out there: flat rate cash back, 5% rewards, gas rewards, mileage rewards, and more.  Research recommendations for the best cards, and choose the one that will benefit you the most.  I love to use my points for airline tickets, because nothing beats saving up to take large chunks off that ticket price.  I also know people who redeem the points for gift cards to their favorite stores and restaurants.  If you’re routinely paying off your purchases at the end of the month, credit card rewards can give you a healthy boost.

  • Airline Mile Programs & Partners

Speaking of airline miles, most major airlines offer mileage programs that reward you with for customer loyalty.  Fly often enough and you can join their elite programs, earning you free bags, VIP boarding lines, and free upgrades (it’s not as hard as you think: flying United 5-6 times in a year can be enough to make you a “Silver Member”).  Many airlines also have industry and corporate partners, where you can earn extra miles by flying partner airlines for other locations or purchasing certain products (ex. FTD has a deal with United Plus members).  Do some research on the different airlines to see which programs offer the most bang for your buck.

  • Rewards Cards

Most stores offer some form of a loyalty card, either in the form of a store credit card or a rewards card.  I’m a fan of the latter.  Kohl’s, CVS, Petco, Regal Cinemas, and others offer you cash back and freebies based on how often you shop with them (ex. 5% cash back, free popcorn).  The best part is that most of them can simply look up your account via phone number, so you don’t have to worry if you leave your card at home.  You can also stores cards on your phone with an assortment of “wallet” apps.  Kohl’s is my favorite of these, as they sometimes reward you with $10 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 you spend.  And if you use CVS for prescriptions, don’t forget that you can apply them to your ExtraCare rewards.

  • Amazon Smile

Okay, so this one won’t earn you extra cash, but it will donate that money to a charity of your choice.  It functions the same way as Amazon’s standard site, but Amazon Smile automatically donates a portion of your purchase (0.5%) without you paying anything extra.  While they do offer several spotlight charities such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Doctors Without Borders, you can also write in a charity of your own that you’d like to support.  I think this is a great idea, and I highly recommend signing up; Amazon will even ask you if you’d like to switch sites once you sign on.

These programs have really helped my husband and me to save a bit of money on our purchases.  Just last month we used Ebates with Groupon to get a San Diego ticket package worth $211 for only $90, including an instant $6 cash back (plus 90 credit card points).

Here are some tips I’ve found useful:

  • Combine these programs/apps with coupons and sales for even better results.
  • Focus on using these ideas for what you’re already planning to buy; don’t get distracted into shopping for items only because they offer a deal.
  • Remember: all those nickels and dimes add up!

I hope this has given you some ideas for new ways to add some padding to your household budget.  Have you tried any other ways to save on shopping?  Please share below!