How to Side-Step the Easter Calories, Low-Cost Travel & My New Workout

This breathtaking wreath is from the 5-star Etsy shop called TwoInpsireYou.

Hello Thrivers,

First, have you read the Aunt Bea booklet? You’ll find her to your right in the box under my circle bio. She should land in your email, but sometimes she prefers spam. If you lost her, just say: Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll shoot her right over!

I hope these pearls find you immersed in beautiful spring weather.

Pearl One

May I talk you down from the Easter candy?

Only if it makes good sense?

Got it.

One of the ways those of us addicted to chocolate cake con ourselves into overeating is by claiming the holiday presents a “once a year” experience.

Thing is, we have access to Easter candy year-round. Here’s what I mean.

This is new in our lifetime, but the candy giants mold grocery store candy into adorable shapes at every holiday. For example, Reese’s Pieces (Easter Eggs Mini Carton), Twizzlers (small red bunnies), Butterfingers (Nesteggs), Starburst (jelly beans), Tootsie Roll (eggs), and so forth. Nothing new.

Same flavor all year long but now Easter-shaped (soon to be Halloween-, December-, and Valentine-shaped too).

So, don’t let you deceive you!! Throughout the holiday weekend continue to ask yourself: do I want to be a size 10 or do I want to inhale calories all weekend? Keep this question handy; it will always have your back.

A tip for this beautiful holiday. There’s more to Easter than eating. There are stunning floral displays (both nature and woman-created) to behold; there’s squealing children to squeal with (not to mention too-cool-for-school teens who stash their attitudes for the day to hunt Easter eggs; some maybe filled with cash); and there are church services to attend. However you celebrate the holiday, stuffing ourselves has nothing to do with honoring this special weekend.

One more tip for the next three days: ask yourself how you want to feel come Monday morning. Do you want Monday-you to bound out of bed having eaten well and worked out? Or. . . do you want Monday-you slightly peeved?

It’s our choice. Join me in doing the former. ♥

Pearl Two

I hear you. This pearl has nothing to do with weight loss. And yet, it sooo does, here’s why.

I’m the last to say that being happy is the magical elixir that sees the weight falling off. Forever, I’ve had ecstatic experiences in life, but have never lost weight because of it.hat said, it’s somewhat easier to lose if we’re, in fact, feeling pretty good about life.

Here’s one way that more than fills my happy cup: TrustedHouseSitters.com.

Want to travel but the hotel prices are – cough-cough-choke – way outside your survival zone (hmmm, healthcare for the year or a night at the Hyatt?), then take a look at this beautiful deal.

(Note: I’ve written about these guys before, but I’ll always put the word out before summer especially.)

Here’s how it works.

1 – To begin, this is not a “swap houses deal.” You don’t swap anything.

2 – Go to the TrustedHouseSitters.com site and click “find a house sit.” When it asks “where do you want to go?” just type in the city, state or country you want to visit. The site is headquartered in England, but has housesitting opportunities – mainly pet sitting opportunities – all over the world.

Take Paris, France. Let’s say that a Paris apartment-dweller needs someone to care for her kitty for a month when she goes to Italy, so you send her your House Sitter profile detailing how wonderful you are, and our Paris apartment dweller and you connect through email, the phone, maybe a Zoom call and so forth.

She needs to assure herself you’re wonderful, and you have to make sure that when she says “cats” she doesn’t mean 17.

The Paris apartment dweller gets free babysitting for her kitties, and you get to stay for free in the dweller’s apartment for as long as she’s gone.

Isn’t that brilliant?! As I type there are five active opportunities in Hawaii. Several in Honolulu. One on Hilo and so forth. There are several more housesitting opportunities in Hawaii without hard dates because the various home owners want to get to know you before they commit to travel.

3 – I pet sat for a family in Virginia going through TrustedHouseSitters and it was one of the best experiences of my life. So, so, fun. I stayed in a gorgeous five bedroom/four bath home for free and I had two darling dogs and two kitties to keep me company. I loved it.

So, if you want to travel without demolishing your bank account, you might give Trusted House Sitters a go! ♥

Pearl Three

In April we’re talking: “Let’s live differently!” And of course nothing good or great can happen until we first learn to think differently.

Have you heard about skinny-fat people? Welp, I’m pretty sure that’s me. I definitely have the losing weight and maintenance part down.

But I’m not exactly fit, I’m thin. To look at me, you’d think oh, she’s healthy. But inside you’d find that I’m a like a marshmallow that’s been roasted over the fire for s’mores. All mushy and dripping goo.

So here’s my latest fitness attempt: I’m trying HIIT. If I understand the HIIT program correctly – and that’s up for debate – I’m supposed to work out three days a week on my indoor bike. The idea is that I should ride about a minute to warm-up and then ride moderately (level five) for 20 to 30 minutes only interrupted by “riding up a hill” when I push the levels up to a nine for 20 seconds.

I’m supposed to “ride uphill” three different times.

Here’s why my attention was grabbed. By the time my twins were three-years-old I had the best arm muscles of my life. I’m not kidding, Thrivers, they were something.

And it’s not like I lifted the babies as you would a dumbbell. I never pumped the babies up and down and up and down for thirty reps.

Do you see my point? I’d pick one baby up and put him in his highchair, bath, crib, or whatever. All day long.

So the idea of moderate, moderate, HARD!! moderate, moderate, HARD!! speaks to me. Read more about HIIT here.

And if you’re sold on the HIIT program, I hope you’ll share in the comment section below. I believe so strongly in supporting each other as we trek losing after 50. ♥

Pearl Four

Our food slot! Over the last few years I’ve learned to talk to myself rather than listen to the perpetually frightened cave woman inside me.

Which brings me to “fuel-food.” It took time – everything of value does – but I slowly embedded into my thinking that 95 percent of the time the food I eat needs to be real food and not s’mores, Easter candy, or ice cream. (Or even wacko amounts of real food like lasagna, pizza, or enchiladas.)

You and I both know the difference between “fun-food” and “fuel-food” Ask yourself this question two or three time a day: am I pursuing fuel for my body or fun for my mouth? ♥

Pearl Five

To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” 17th century French author François de Rochefoucald ♥

The challenge for the holiday weekend: stick to your Smart Eating Path and get in a solid thirty minute walk, bike ride, run or whatever most calls to you.

Here’s my fitness plan:

• Today, 4-15 – I’m riding my indoor bike using the HIIT plan. Total: Twenty minutes.

• Saturday, 4-16 – I’m riding outside on my recumbent trike. Total: Likely about an hour.

• Sunday, 4-15 – I’m taking a long walk. (Thirty to forty minutes.)

Like most of us, I get bored easily so doing different work outs each day really makes a difference. Also, if you’re wondering, I lift arm weights and do stomach work each day on my bedroom floor.

Have a wonderful weekend, Thrivers!!

Make it a sweaty one!!

♥, Wendy

P.S. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!

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I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ♥