How To Stick with Your Diet on Christmas

Posted on December 19, 2018December 22, 2018 by Evelyn Parham

christmas diet Christmas is next week, and I thought I’d give you a few tips on how to stick with your diet on Christmas.

Some of you probably know that I am currently on a diet plan, “The Colorado Diet.” And I mentioned it a few months ago, but I never gave you an update.

The reason I never gave an update, is because I stopped following it. However, on November 26^th, I restarted. I am not ashamed to tell you that I restarted. An update is coming after I finish the plan.

My Diet Is Not Important

Now, back to how to stick with your diet on Christmas. Christmas, like Thanksgiving, is a time when family and friends get together with food as the main attraction for these celebrations.

When I visited my mother for Thanksgiving, I enjoyed her food, and for some reason, it was the best tasting food; it was delicious. Maybe, I was missing my mom’s cooking, but I enjoyed it.

So how will you stick to your diet on Christmas? Have you seriously been contemplating that question? I bet you’ve even worked up some stress about it too.

I know you have because I used to be stressed when I was following restrictive diets. I believe family hated to see me coming because they knew I would say, “I can’t eat that, I don’t eat that, I can only eat the vegetables.”

I’m sure you get where I’m coming from, but seriously my diet was a big conversation when it shouldn’t have been. Nevertheless, I lived through it and learned from it.

Here’s how you stick to your diet on Christmas:

You Don’t!

Yes, I said you don’t stick to your diet on Christmas. I know you’re thinking, “What is she talking about, don’t stick to my diet? I’m not getting fat and gaining more weight.”

Sorry to break it to you, but one day of eating food that is comforting and delicious won’t hurt you.

Are you eating these comforting Christmas foods every day? I don’t believe you are.

Do you know that allowing yourself to eat those comforting foods can lower your stress? Well, I’m not sure if this is a scientific fact, but I know that when we embrace food for what it is and not see it as the enemy, and allow ourselves to enjoy the food; good things happen.

Relax Yourself

Have you ever gone on vacation, and ate whatever you wanted and when you returned from vacation, you lost weight instead of gained weight? It happens and you’re probably wondering how is it possible to lose weight?

Well, you’re on vacation, relaxing, allowing yourself to embrace food, and away from the stresses of life. Relaxation helps us lower stress and lowering stress helps with weight loss.

And so, my advice is to enjoy the day and don’t worry about your diet.

Focus on family, friends and meaningful relationships.

Remember the reason for the season, when you do that; you won’t worry about your diet at all.

Until next time,

Merry Christmas!

Colorado Diet, Phase I – Update (August 1-14)

Posted on August 22, 2018August 22, 2018 by Evelyn Parham

Phase I - Spaghetti I started the Colorado Diet on August 1^st. Phase I of the Colorado Diet is for two weeks, and I have completed the first two weeks. Today you will learn:

what the Colorado Diet is
about Phase I
the list of foods for Phase I
and how my first two-weeks went.

What is the Colorado Diet?

The Colorado Diet is a diet that helps fix your metabolism while helping with weight loss. It is not a diet of restriction; although Phase I has limitations, it only lasts for 2-weeks. However, in each phase, you can add more yummy foods.

It is a diet that helps you get out of the fat storing mode and into the fat burning mode.

The Colorado Diet is not talked about as much, but it is a diet that works. There are 20 plus years of data and research to back up the recommendations for weight loss, which makes it great.

During the first two weeks, you have to prepare yourself to incorporate movement into your daily routine. However, if you are someone who is already active, like me, then keep moving. Eventually, you will work your way up to being active for 70-minutes, six days a week.

About Phase I of the Colorado Diet

Phase I of the Colorado Diet is “designed to help you lose weight while beginning to shift your body out of fat-storing mode and into fat-burning mode. We like to say it reignites your fat burners while producing a rapid weight loss.”

Source: State of Slim: Fix Your Metabolism and Drop 20 Pounds in 8 Weeks on the Colorado Diet

The Phase I Goals:

Lose weight by eating foods that won’t be stored as fat
Begin to fix your metabolism by establishing physical activity as an almost-daily habit
Practice developing the Colorado Mind-Set and tweaking your physical and social environments.

Rules for Phase I

Eat six times a day
Have breakfast within an hour of waking up.
Don’t count calories, measure portions.
Have the right carb and protein mix at every meal.
Eat a healthy fat twice a day.

Food List for Phase I (Weeks 1-2)

The Leanest Proteins

Note: Vegetarians are allowed to add edamame (1/2 cup shelled) and tofu (low-fat, 6-8 ounces) to lean protein list of foods in Phase I

Beef: 4-6 ounces
Chicken and Turkey Breast: 4-6 ounces
Fish (tuna, cod, halibut, snapper, mahi-mahi, haddock and tilapia, an exception is salmon (one serving of fat)): 4-6 ounces
Egg Whites: 1 cup (5-6 whites)
Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt: 8 ounces
Fat-Free Cottage Cheese: 8 ounces
Protein Powder: 1 scoop

Reignite Carbohydrates

Oatmeal: 1 cup dry old-fashioned oats; ¼ cup dry steel cut oats (uncooked)
Fat-Free Milk or Almond Milk: 1 cup
Pumpkin: 1 cup mashed

Vegetables: No limit

Only the Healthy Fats

Almonds and Walnuts: (15-18 almonds or 8-9 walnut halves (Count them!)

Olive Oil and Canola Oil: 1 tablespoon

Source: State of Slim: Fix Your Metabolism and Drop 20 Pounds in 8 Weeks on the Colorado Diet

How I Did on Phase I

Phase I of the Colorado Diet went well, but I started getting bored with the food choices. Here are some pictures of the foods I ate during the first two-weeks.

Colorado Diet Food

Weight Loss: I lost a total of 4.7 pounds, which I round up to be 5 pounds. I am currently in Phase II, and my weight continues to decrease.

Better Sleep: When I get 7.5-8 hours of sleep a night, my weight went down, but when I got below that amount of sleep, my weight remained the same or slightly increased. A good night’s rest is essential for weight loss.

Flatter Belley: The size of my belly is decreasing, and my clothes are fitting less snug. I recorded my measurements on August 1st and, I will take my final measurements after completing the Colorado Diet program.

Overall, I feel great, and I am motivated to stick with the program for the full 16 weeks.

Anything worth having is worth putting in the work.

Until next time,

Take care of You and OWN IT!

If you would like to join my mailing list to receive updates, please feel free to do so by clicking here. – Thank you!

Why I am Starting the Colorado Diet

Posted on August 7, 2018August 28, 2018 by Evelyn Parham

colorado-diet-fresh-salad On August 1, 2018, I decided to revisit the Colorado Diet. I learned about the diet from Tamara Grand of Fit Knit Chick.

Tamara recommended the Colorado Diet when I was working with her.

While working with Tamara, I tried the Colorado Diet, but I did not stick with it.

I Almost Gave Up

One day, I voiced my frustration about my weight to my husband.

I stopped doing the things I know I need to do to lose weight. I ate whatever I wanted to eat and did very little exercising.

When I looked in the mirror, I did not like what I saw. I had a plum face and a protruding belly.

I got stuck in a rut and stayed there until I was ready to make a change.

Inspiration and Motivation

I got my inspiration and motivation renewed after reading Keisha’s book, Worth the Weight.

I got tired of being frustrated and feeling bad about myself. In comes the Colorado Diet.

So, What is the Colorado Diet?

“Slim – it’s the state everyone wishes their body was in. And it turns out there’s actually a state of slim: Colorado, the place that boasts the lowest obesity rate in America.”

The Colorado Diet, explained, in the book, State of Slim: Fix Your Metabolism and Drop 20 Pounds in 8 Weeks on the Colorado Diet, written by James O. Hill, Ph.D., and Holly R. Wyatt, M.D.

I started following the Colorado Diet on August 1^st, and things are going well.

The diet is broken down into “three phases to help you reignite, rebuild, and reinforce your body’s fat-burning engines, so you develop a Mile-High Metabolism – one that’s keenly responsive to shifts in activity and diet.”

I am seven days in, and I have lost a few pounds, my belly pouch is shrinking, and I also feel better about myself.

I will update you after completing each phase and give you more information about the Colorado Diet in the following weeks.

Staying Active

I am, but I am taking it easy. HIIT (high-intensity interval training 4-times a week, 20-30 minutes) is the cardio I do, and on the other days, I may or may not do strength training.

So far, I am doing well with staying active.

Final Words

I am starting my weight loss journey over again, and I am not ashamed.

I will never pretend to be what I am not. If I have challenges, I will tell you.

I checked out and almost gave up because there were people, places and things that I did not want to let go.

Sidenote: I turned to food to cope, which made me lazy.

However, when I finally gave up everything that did not serve me, that is when I was to work on myself and to change.

You cannot change until you are ready for it!

Until next time,

Evelyn Parham