Day 6: Counting Calories or Eating "Right?"

Hey Everybody!

Happy Saturday!  Boy am I tired!

So today I decided to enter in all of my food intake on a calorie counter.  I used a calorie counter before and found it very helpful!  However, are they necessary?

I think not.

BUT

I think accountability is what keeps you on track until the habit becomes habitual.

Some people I know are lifer's with calorie counters and it has helped them so much! It's beneficial because they are able to monitor what they eat at all times.  They can track things such as vitamins and minerals which are commonly thrown to the side during healthy eating in training.  I have used the infamous app; My Fitness Pal to help me with this and it's been successful.  I've seen others do Weight Watchers, or LiveStrong or even just keep a food journal.   All of those strategies are great to start keeping track of what you eat and what goes into your body!

I also know people who are on the other side that HATE calorie counting.  They have called it "slave driven," "unrealistic," "not true lifestyle changing."  Their argument is that since eating healthy is in their "habitual behaviors" they do not need to count calories.  They listen to their bodies and just eat when it is time and stop when it is time.

Where do I fall on this?

In both!

I don't strictly count calories; only when I feel like I need to.  [You'll see what I exactly do in just a second.] My end goal would just be able to be, well, free from everything!  It would be nice for me to be able to turn off when I'm full and to turn on when I'm hungry, but that's not me.  My fiancé is great at this.  He could have one tiny bite sitting in front of him and he will not eat it if he is full.  I on the other hand, calculated a certain amount of calories for the meal so will lick up the plate;)  We still get along;)  He would never survive doing a calorie counter while I find the benefits of it.  He's lost over 60 pounds and I've lost over 40; we inspire each other!

To each to their own I say!

Just a food for thought;

In order to be successful at anything you have to have accountability!  Who are you going to answer to for making the choices that you are making? What is going to keep you honest and accountable for your actions?

Cheating will result in poor habits and you will pay dearly for it with your health.

A few things that have kept me honest:
-Tracking my calorie intake with Weight Watcher Points System
-Paying for a membership
-Budgeting how much money I spend on food
-Having a trainer ask me every week what I've been eating
-Blogging about my food on this site.
-Calorie Counters like MyFitnessPal
-Friends who have lost weight who I look to for inspiration
-Friends who do not make good health choices [reminds me of what could happen if I don't make good choices]
-My family and their own health issues [especially my dad's side of the family who is all obese!]

And most recently...

-My own graphic organizer, which keeps me watching not for calories, but for habits and reasons I eat food.  I pay attention to what times I eat and what goes in my mouth during those times.  I've been able to track when is my hardest part of the day and when I am the most successful.  I also track when I am emotionally eating and eating for hunger.   I write my goal at the top of the page each day as a reminder of what I am working for! [Ah goals, remember to have them!]

Here is a picture of my graphic organizer! It's up here for anybody that wants to steal it, use it, abuse it or love it!  If you want the actual document [I don't know how to set up downloads on here yet], just send me a comment and I will get you hooked up!  I'll send it you via word document so you can alter the headings if you'd like!

What works for you?  Feel free to share! I'd love to hear how you keep yourself healthy!

As for meals, here is what I ate today!

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs c/Banana

While this was good, it was way too many calories for me.  I screwed up by putting too much cheese into the mix.  I should have used a smaller portion, which would have made this less salty too!  Next time I'm also going to add tomatoes to the mix.  This little meal was almost 600 calories! [This includes the orange juice that I had.]  I felt bad about this one, then again this is my heaviest meal of the day and I knew I was going to be active at work and after work so it will be okay:)

Lunch: Leftover Pizza c/Yogurt

It was originally two pieces of pizza.  I seriously love the pizza! Perfectly yummy!

Dinner: Grape Chicken w/Lentil Salad

This. Was. Amazing!

Super pain to make, but it was worth it!  I got to use my brand new rice cooker to make the lentils, which was awesome!  I wish I could share with you the recipe, but it is not my creation.  I would feel that I am cheating the author for sharing the recipe on a page that can be seen by everyone.  If you are interested in how to get the recipe send me a message or write in the comments and I will hook you up! I can assure you that this recipe takes time and a lot of dishes, but it is worth it!  My favorite part were the grapes because their flavor changed and it rocked my world!

Snack:
1.  Slice of turkey
2.  Pre-Workout Snack: carrots and a banana

Super good, but I didn't eat all of my carrots, whoops!

3. 1oz of chips and a chicken wing. [Don't ask, it was in the fridge! I needed protein!]

That's all for now!

<3
Em

Day 4/5: How Much is Enough?

Hey All!

This entry will be much shorter;)

Yesterday at school a co-worker of mine mentioned that she no longer eats apples because they are full of "carbs."

I was pretty shocked, because well, I had an apple in my lunch.  I eat tons of apples.  Despite their lower vitamin and mineral count they have their benefits.  [But discussing the nutritional value of apples is not the point.]  Sassy me made a mumbling comment about how it was amazing that while my co-worker does not eat apples, I was the one who has gotten pinned "with an eating disorder" despite the fact I have chowed down lots of apples this month!

My principal, being the wise man he is, over heard me and said gently "we all need different levels of calorie intake" and then continued to devour his lunch.  I sighed...he's right!

I run, so I need a TON of calories to enhance my running!  I typically get 1600 a day--a number that is debated to not be enough for me sometimes.  I know a few of my fitness pals have an intake lower than 1,000 and I know people who have an intake over 2,000 calories and still lose weight!  It's all what you do for your lifestyle that will justify how many calories you intake.

How do you find out?  You should use a calorie calculator that you can find here.  Keep in mind this is how you would maintain the weight that you have!  If you want to lose weight, then you will have to follow a different formula [one that I will post in a future post].

Anyways, let's get to what I ate on March 6th and March 7th.

March 6th:
Breakfast: Enchilada!

Yes, I realize that this isn't necessary "breakfast" food, but remember what I said about unhealthy sweets?  Eat them in the AM!  Well, Kyle's mom on occasion brings me food and I take advantage of it!  Thursdays are my "lazy days," and it shows!  Don't worry, it's full of beans and light on the chicken and cheese--about 300 calories an enchilada!

Lunch: [Another] Enchilada with yogurt, strawberries and raisons.

I don't typically eat the same thing twice in a row...but...it was the first leftover I grabbed in the fridge.  Everything else was nice and yummy:)

Dinner: Orange glazed pork with apple salad

Not my favorite type of pork; but I'm glad I tried it.  I loved the apple salad!  Here is my apple salad recipe:

Apple Salad:
2 cups of spinach/spring mix
1/2 of an apple, chopped into fine pieces
1/4 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of chopped cherry tomatoes
apple vinegar
tarragon vinegar

Cut up all veggies/fruit.  Heat up a fry pan and sauté the walnuts for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.  Add to spinach.  Pour in your desired amount of apple vinegar and tarragon vinegar and mix together.  Serve.

Snacks:
1 Fiber Bar (9AM) c/1 muffin
1 cup of carrots (1:25PM)
1 mini muffin and two crackers (yes, that's a snack for me!) (3:30PM)

March 7th:
Breakfast:

Lunch:
Leftover apple salad and sweet potato c/ a side of yogurt and raisons:)

Dinner:
Clean pizza!

In a future date, I will give you my recipe for making this awesome pizza!

Snack:

-Wheaties (8:00-10:00AM; I was grazing!)

-Carrots (1:25PM)

-Strawberries (3:00PM)

-Popcorn, shrimp and some m&m's (whoops!) (9:00PM)

That's all I got for now!  Have a great night!

<3

Em

Day 3: How DOES She Do It?

Hey Everybody!

I know I didn't post this yesterday...I wasn't ready to post it!  So now I post!  Tee-he!

I hear quite often from people “how do you find the time to cook and workout?”  It’s such a silly question because the answer is simple.  It’s all about priorities.  What do you want out of your life?  Here are just a few that I have used/I have heard throughout the years. 

A] I work/go to school. 

B] I’m too busy with {fill in the blank}

C] I’m active enough as it is.  I don’t need to be anymore active than I am now.

D] I’m healthy as it is.

E] I’m happy all ready, I don’t need to work out.

F] I am too tired to workout…it’s hard work and I just don’t need it.

G] I’m thinking of joining and gym and then I’ll get healthy…I just don’t have the money to do it right now.

Or the worst excuse…

H] I can’t.

All of these excuses are what they are…excuses.

I am guilty of making these excuses myself.   I used every reason that I posted up there as a way to hinder my own personal fitness and health goals.  I can’t tell you how many times I have fought my position until the bitter end.  When I moved down here, I knew I had to change, but didn’t put much effort into it.  However, when I went to the Janesville Athletic Club and got a health/budget assessment, the numbers pointed out what I was fearing; I needed help.   It got me thinking…but the real even that put me over the edge was my mom’s emergency heart stint that made me say…”oh…I could DIE from HEART DISEASE!”  Then I was ready.  I changed my dietary habits, I got serious about running, I got a personal trainer who pushed me further than I ever thought possible, I started taking control of my life and the results are AMAZING.  

In result of taking control of my life, these things happened: 

I feel great!

I have so much energy! 

I look amazing!

My calcium score is 0 [that means I have a VERY healthy heart!] 

I am inspirational! 

You have to be ready to let go and stop making excuses. 

Then you have to FIGHT to find the time!  At least I had to.  Boy was it hard at first, but I wanted to be healthy.  I wanted to make good choices.  I wanted to reap all the benefits of working out!

So…if you are ready to throw away the excuses, but still need some sort of game plan on how to achieve what you want read on!  I wrote 5 tips on how to manage time to eat/workout the way you want to!

#1 Schedule an Appointment

Give yourself permission to make time to do something for you.  Put your work-out in your calendar and set an alarm.  I usually set 2; one that goes off 24 hours before and one that goes off the morning of my appointment.  This way I am reminded of what I am going to do fitness-wise.

2#Create a Game Plan for the Week

Decide what you are going to eat for the week.  Post it somewhere so you don’t forget.  I typically plan meals for the week ahead on Thursdays/Friday’s.  Then I go grocery shopping on Sunday’s/Monday’s for the food for the week.  That way it is all there for me to cook.  I then write my foods on my meal board located in my kitchen.  I'm reminded of what I am going to eat which gets me excited for foods AND reminds me of my foods! This is an older model of what I have:) 

3# AND…CUT!

That’s right…when you come home from the grocery store, cut up all of your produce!  Brown your meat and then freeze it right away so you can preserve it. 

 #4 Buy a Cookbook!

Seriously, buy one!  Go through the pages and get excited for what you are going to do.  When you are excited about doing something, no matter what time at night it is, you will make it!  This is one of my new favorites!  Go buy it! 

#5 Leftovers for Lunch

Make enough for a few days.  Use the leftovers for your lunch meal the next day.  I always try to get 3-4 servings per meal.  I separate them all out into containers so they are ready to go! 

#6 Share It!

One of my good fitness buddies, Kayla always shares her food [she calls it #foodporn] on Facebook.  I LOVE seeing her food posted because it is very inspirational and motivating for me.  I love getting new ideas on how I can incorporate clean foods into my meals.  I like doing the same thing [although I don't call my posts food porn;not that brave].  I hope my posts inspire others to make good choices! 

#7 Cook Night!

It all started with my friend Leah and I...making good recipes.  Then Kristina joined in on the team.  Then I moved away and Brittany started making good food with Leah and Kristina.  Now we all make good foods.  Sometimes we do "air dates" and make the same foods and discuss the cooking process.  On occasion I cook food for my friends from BonTon; which always goes over well!  Making it social encourages friends to also make good eating choices!  And spreading the word about good health is always awesome to do!

Me and my BonTon Ladies!

Leah and I cooking Rogan Josh!

Kristina and Leah make some Greek Food! Yum! 

Speaking of...here are my meals for March 5th: 

Breakfast: Poached Eggs on Whole Grain Toast with Spinach and Dressing with a OJ on the side:) 

This is one of my favorite breakfasts' to make! It's very simple!  The "sauce" is nothing but a tablespoon of plain yogurt mixed with garlic powder, onion powder and chives:) 

Lunch: A Hand Tossed Salad with Leftover Med Salad and Greek Yogurt 

My co-worker Diane made a great hand tossed salad...I was so in love:)  I've got nothing else. 

Snack: Apples w/Walnuts and Peanut Butter

Fats are good for you.  And did I mention I have been having a bad romance with apples and peanut butter?

Dinner: More Med Salad c/Applesauce! 

Because I was doing AfterCare until 5:15 and then and to be at work at 5:15...my awesome fiancé,  Kyle brought me some more Med Salad to eat with my Applesauce.  

Other foods I ate:

-small handful of nuts [10:00]

-Fiber One Bar [10:00]

-1 hard-boiled egg [9:30PM]

Yum!  I will post Day 4 food tomorrow in the AM!  Thanks for looking!

<3

Em

Day 2: The 'Fat Tuesday' Ordeal...and the Whole-Grain Experience!

Hey All!  Happy 'Fat' Tuesday!

What is that you say...why it's the day when people eat as much as possible before Ash Wednesday.  While some take this as an opportunity to snack up and stuff their faces with every possible food they could ever indulge in, some take it as a way to 'step down' and prepare to fast on Ash Wednesday.  [Day 1 of Christ walking in the desert.] Others make it the day they stuff their faces with the very thing they are going to give up for Lent...only to re-stuff their face with the exact same thing on that following Sunday because "it's not part of Lent." [But that issue is a whole different ball of wax that I dare not open on this post!]

And some just say it is Tuesday, March 4th, 2014.

I could care LESS about 'Fat Tuesday' because I indulge myself everyday on something...that's how I have managed to stay the size that I am.  Living a healthy life is a marathon not a sprint!  Just like in a marathon you have moments of choice; moving towards your overall goal or moving backwards.  A small treat on a daily basis will not hinder your results.  You are not cutting it out completely, you are putting it in proportion.  The key word in that statement is small!

Here are some ways I practice the "small" treat.

1] Cut up the treat into smaller pieces.

I like to eat sweets often so I take a cookie, brownie, etc and cut it up into smaller pieces.  This way I can eat it, but not get all of the bad calories.  Mostly what I am craving is the taste and this helps me stay satisfied.

2] Eat it in the 10x100 Cal rule.

This one is fun.  If it is 100 caloires I will chew it 10 times before swallowing.   If it is 200 calories, I will chew it 20 times...and so forth.  This makes me take longer to enjoy it.  Likewise, if it is a 100 calorie snack, I will try to bite it that many times too.

3] Clean It Up!

It sounds exactly what you are supposed to do...clean up your treats!  If you make banana bread, use applesauce and whole wheat flour instead of the white stuff.  Incorporate nutrient rich substitutes that give you the same great taste, but cuts the calories in half and boasts the nutritional value!

4] Timing is Everything!

I tend to eat my sweet treat earlier in the day, this way I have more time to burn it off!

5] Be Picky

Don't just pick any old treat to treat on...instead be picky.  You only can have ONE small treat per day, what shall it be?  It needs to be special and totally worth every bite.  If you eat a small slice of cheesecake you cannot have the handful of jellybeans later!   Which one would you rather have?

6] Make a Game Plan

If you know that a particular day or weekend is going to be hard to resist all the sweets or unhealthy vices in your life, make a plan!  Perhaps use a cheat day over that time period.  Maybe you will guzzle down some water.  Skip the dinner part of a party.  Or like me, cover up the food so you are not jealously looking at it.  Maybe you will indulge twice today and have a total clean day the next.

7] Acceptance

Accept at times you will be tempted [and indulge] in foods.  Accept at times you will fall off the wagon; make a game plan and work towards making a better decision in the future.

8] Discover What You Really Like

You will come to find that your body will start rejecting certain foods.  The more you eat clean, the less your body will tolerate processed foods.  You will start to realize how salty processed foods are or the difference between white and whole grain.    Eventually you will stop wanting all of the foods under the sun.    Instead of focusing on what you can't have; focus on what you get to have.  Eventually the

9] Say NO Once!

If you cannot resist eating these foods; get them out of your house!  Say no to them once at the grocery store and it will be that much easier!

10] Rethink How You Spend Your Time

If you are around sweets all of the time and it is hard...figure out what keeps yourself in that position. Is it a friend that always wants to go out to eat?  Is it a co-worker that brings in lots of treats?  Once you figure that out, discover alternative ways to spend your time.  Your cravings will diminish because you will be focused on something else.

So I hope that helps!  I realize that 'Fat Tuesday' people eat to celebrate, but I try not to.  Today I had a great morning and only had 2 Oreo Balls.  Later in the day I got a little greedy and ate 2 more balls, some Robin Eggs and part of a muffin.  I'm very angry about that because I really wanted to post that I did not overindulge on sweets today...but I feel like I created another food baby.  Sigh.  Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, so I cannot eat very much, hence I will work on flushing myself out.  No sweets tomorrow because of it.  Time for me to detox!

As for the rest of my day, this is what I ate!

Breakfast:  Yet ANOTHER Banana Sandwich...with a Sweet Potato!  While the sandwich always fills me up...the sweet potato added that extra fiber that kept me feeling fuller longer!

Lunch: Kale Salad with the Plain Old Chicken Leftovers and a Banana.  This Kale Salad is to DYE for!  It's a mixture of kale, beans, cranberries, carrots and beans tossed in some sort of dressing!  YUM!  I added some chicken to it...yummy and half!

Snacks for the Day:
1. hard boiled egg, 1/2 of a cookie and a protein bar @ 9:25
2. 1/4 cup of applesauce  @ 2:00
3. 16 animal crackers and a hard boiled egg @ 4:00

Dinner: Chicken Enchilada with Apple  

I hope my blog entry got you inspired to try to limit your sweet intake!  It has helped me realize it is time to rejuvenate my control for sweets intake again!  It's all about making strides and moving forward!  I know you can do it!

<3
Em

Day 1: Chicken and Salads!

Hey Fellow Bloggers!

Happy Monday!

I hope it was a great one for you!  It was a great day for me!  We had a blast at school today!  I'm also excited because I got some new swag!  I went to JC Penny's yesterday and picked up some new runner's tights.  I am excited because they are not just plain black!  It is hard to see in the photo, but they are mainly gray with a combo of another color!  Plus they were half the price of my Extrek runner's tights!

In addition, I got my new running shoes came in the mail!  WOOT!  They are Brittany's favorite color, purple!  They are the exact same shoe I last purchased, but at HALF of the cost!  I saw them being advertised on ACTIVE.com and I knew I had to splurge on them.  You know what the old saying goes right...if the shoe fits...?

So, anyways...

As I stated in the last post, I am going to post what I eat on my blog for the month of March!  Well, due to the extensive working hours at Boston Store and my road trip to GB, I haven't been able to post yet.  So TODAY is my first day!

Here it is!  My three meals for the day:)

Breakfast: Peanut butter and banana sandwich!

This is one of my "to-go-to" recipes.  I LOVE the peanut butter and banana combo.  I got the idea from The Gracious Pantry [which is one of my favorite clean eating blogs/websites ever!]  She used clean wraps and pizza dough to make her creation.  I used Sara Lee's 35 calorie sliced whole grain bread for mine.  It's cheaper and less calories.    This recipe is easy to create which is why it is a staple in my kitchen!

Lunch: Leftovers from Panera Bread and a Sweet Potato

So I forgot to take a picture of my food from today...so I used a photo from Sunday.  However, the point is still the same; I ate a fourth of that sandwich and a tiny sample of the baguette.  I also had a sweet potato (steamed) as well as grapes and strawberries.

I don't make a habit of eating out anymore...I hate spending money on eating something I typically only eat ONE time...plus all of the processed crap and calories that goes into your body...it's just not worth it.  However, once in a while it is good to go get some good ready made food!

Dinner: Mediterranean Couscous and Plain Ol' Chicken

You guessed it...I eat chicken A LOT!  Chicken is affordable and reliable to eat.   My favorite type of chicken is the "Weight Watcher" 5oz Chicken Breasts.  Yes it is slightly higher in sodium [and it is prepackaged, which is a clean-eating no-no] however, it helps me stay in portion!  Also, it's better than a lot of the frozen chicken options out there [besides organic, which I simply cannot afford] so it will have to do.

The couscous was simple to make...I went to Logli's and got a sample of it while picking up some banana's for myself;)  It's couscous tossed with EVOO, balsamic vinegar, carrots, peas and some lemon juice.  Very clean and locally made=yummy!

The chicken was my creation!  It's called Plain 'Ol Chicken because it really is meant to counteract the flavorful side dish.  I added the spinach for some extra iron and nutrients!

Here is my recipe for "Plain 'Ol Chicken"
3 Weight Watcher Chicken Breasts, thawed.
1 tbl basil
1 tbl ginger (or cut fresh ginger root)
1/2 tbl of nutmeg
1 t/l of oregano
dash of pepper
lemon juice
dash of salt [if that's your style...not mine!]
1 tbl EVOO

Mix spices together with lemon juice and rub onto chicken.  Heat up skillet with EVOO.  Place breasts in skillet.  Set timer for 5 minutes.  Rotate every 30-60 seconds to prevent chicken from burning.  Continue until timer is done [or juices are running clear].  Set aside to cool and serve!  Enjoy!

I'm pretty happy with my food intake for the day...except for my snacking. [My cross to bear I had some animal crackers, pretzels and a few robin eggs.  [See, I'm not perfect either!]  I'm working on trying to find better snacks so I am not tempted to eat food that I don't enjoy!  This week was extra hard because of the lack of groceries in my cabinet.

I hope you enjoyed my nutritional insights for the day!  More to come!

<3
Em