Holiday Eating Tips

Thanksgiving is just a few short days away and Christmas is right around the corner. You also can't forget about all those office and holiday parties that you will be invited to over the next 6 weeks. Everyone talks about the holiday weight gain from November to January. The average American gains 7-10 pounds over the holiday season. So how do you keep up healthy eating with all the celebrations? Here is a list I've composed that will hopefully help you get through the next six weeks without the 7-10 pound weight gain.



1-For Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, bring dish to share that you know is a healthy option. Help yourself to a larger serving of your dish and eat it first before eating anything else on your plate. This will help reduce your calorie intake and you know that you are getting a healthy option. Bring something like a fruit salad, fresh steamed veggies, raw veggie tray (just don't go dipping into the dips!!), quinoa dish, etc.



2-Avoid foods smothered and covered in sauces, butters, cheeses or creams. These are all loaded with bad fats and excess calories.



3- Eat all your veggies first (try to make sure they aren't covered in butter) then eat your turkey before moving onto the other servings on your plate.



4-Don't eat until you feel so full that you are going to pass out into a food induced coma. You'll regret it hours later when you feel bloated, lethargic and tired. You'll regret it the next day too!



5-Still remember your portion sizes before you load up your plate. Your meat should be about the size of your fist, fruit/veggie portion the size of two hands cupped together and a starchy complex carb the size of one cupped hand.



6-It is a time for celebration, thanksgiving for our blessings and family, so I am not going to tell you to not eat dessert at all. But if you choose to eat a dessert, eat a small portion and don't cover it in cool whip, whipped cream or ice cream. That small portion will taste just as good than if you were to eat a large portion, without the guilt later.



7- Don't forget to still exercise! Most people travel for festivities, but you can still get in a strength or cardio sessions before Thanksgiving lunch/dinner. Or you can go for a walk with your family after your meal. Just get moving.



You'll have lots of choices on Thanksgiving day, Christmas day or whatever party you attend. It's a matter of making the SMARTER choices. It's just food, is it really worth what you are working hard towards?? Food can work for you or against you, so make smart choices with your food. Don't be one of the Americans that gain 7-10 pounds over the holidays. Is the bad food really worth it?



Happy Thanksgiving!

Food Journal from 11-17 to 11-21

I definitely thought twice before I ate something, because I knew I'd have to post it. So I did my best to make good choices that would work with my body and not against it.

Wednesday 11/17-
7:30am- Whole wheat english muffin topped with almond butter, sliced bananas and grounded flax seeds. 16oz water
9:30am- Organic plain yogurt, 1 banana, 16oz of water
11:30am-Leftover sloppy joe, 1 green apple and 16oz of water
1:15pm-8oz of skim milk with 1 scoop of Level 1 protein mixed with 2 tablespoons of grounded flax seeds. 16oz of water
3:00pm-1 cup of homemade trail mix, 1 cup of grapes. 16 oz of water
4:30pm- 12 oz of water with Phormula 1 protein powder. 16 oz of water
5:30pm-3oz of chicken breast, 1 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of steamed carrots. 16 oz of water
9:00pm-1 cup of trail mix. 16 oz of water.
I have to eat a lot more on Wednesdays because I teach 2 fitness classes (that I actually workout in) and have 2 protein shakes that I have to throw in the mix on these days. Otherwise, I normally wouldn't have meal/snack 8 times a day.

Thursday 11/18-
7:30am- Cream of wheat cereal , one cup of sliced strawberries, 8 oz of milk mixed with 1 scoop of Level 1 protein. 8 oz of water
10am-Natural nut protein bar and a pear. 8 oz water
12:30pm- Chicken salad (1 cup of kale, 1 cup of romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup shredded carrots, 3 oz of chicken breast mixed with 1 tablespoon of a light ranch dressing). 1 cup of grapes. 8 oz water
3pm-1/2 cup of Organic plain yogurt, 1 green apple, 1/4 cup of natural granola. 8 oz water
6pm-Roasted turkey breast, roasted beets, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed carrots. 8 oz water
9pm-1 chocolate covered banana (these were amazing! I made them a few night before and saved them for this night. They were made with a dark chocolate and sprinkled with chopped peanuts. Yummy!!)

Friday 11/19-
8am-Fruit smoothie (1 cup strawberry, 1 orange, 1 kiwi, 1/2 cup of organic plain yogurt, 1/2 cup of skim milk). 1/2 cup of oatmeal. 8oz water
10:30am- 1/2 cup of raw carrots, 1/2 cup of celery sticks, 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter. 8 oz water
2pm- Leftover roasted turkey breast. 1 green apple, 1/2 cup of trail mix, 1 cup of grapes. 8 oz water
5:30pm-Hearty veggie soup (I'll post this on the recipe page. It was fantastic!!) 16oz water
9pm- Homemade air popped white popcorn (no butter or salt). This tasted so good! Much different than the microwave popped popcorn. 16oz water

Saturday 11/20-
9am- Veggie omelet (made with onions, tomatoes, and green bell peppers), 2 slices of whole wheat toast. 8 oz water
11am- 1 cup of trail mix, 1 green apple 8 oz water
1:30pm- leftover Hearty veggie soup 8 oz water
(oops! Got busy and forgot to eat my snack)
7pm- (Here was a challenge, we ate out for a friend's birthday party!!!) Spinach salad with oranges and walnuts. About 4 oz chicken breast, 1 cup of steamed green beans, 1 cup of mashed red potatoes, 24 oz of water, and 2 glasses of white wine. Then I had a small slice of raspberry cheesecake. We were celebrating. :)

Sunday 11/21-
8:30am- 1 cup Oatmeal with cinnamon, 1.5 tablespoon of grounded flax seeds, 1 tablespoon of wheat germ. 8 oz of water
(couldn't eat a snack because we were in church)
1:15pm- Whole wheat pasta with a tomato sauce. 1 cup of honeydew. 8 oz water
3:30pm-1 cup of trail mix with 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
6pm- Whole wheat pasta with a tomato sauce, 1/2 cup of steamed peas, 1 cup of steamed broccoli. 16 oz water
8pm-1 slice of whole wheat bread topped with 1/2 tablespoon of a natural peanut butter, 1/2 tablespoon of nutella. 8oz of all natural orange juice. 8 oz water

And there is my week!! I'm excited to see how much more organized I feel when I have my game plan. I don't feel like I'm fussing around my kitchen trying to decide what I want to eat. I look at my meal plan, and go and grab it. I feel more organized just by doing that. I hope everyone else's clean eating is going well!!!

First Two Days...

I started totally fresh Monday morning. Sunday afternoon, we went grocery shopping and stuck strictly to the "Family Meal Plan" from the book 'Eat Clean Diet Recharged' by Tosca Reno (which I think EVERYONE needs to own a copy of this book!! It's amazing and so full of information on food, health, excerise and so much more!!). In this book, she has a grocery list for this meal plan, so we knew exactly what to buy for everything that we would be eating this week.
On Sunday night, we prepared all of our food for Monday (in the exception of dinner). We knew that Craig was leaving for work at 7am, I leave at 11:15 and neither of us return until 5:15pm. So this meant we'd have to pack lunch, pm snacks, protein shakes (since I leave to teach fitness classes) and all the water we needed for a day. This made Monday run so smoothly! Everything was in containers and all we had to do was grab it and go. I had no temptation to eat out because I had a healthy meal prepared and waiting in my lunch bag. It felt good to have a game plan and execute it. So here is what I have been eating the past 2 days:

Monday:
Breakfast 7:30am- Veggie Frittata (on my recipe page), 16oz of water, and a cup of black tea with a little agave nectar. (We were also supposed to eat a piece of toast, and forgot, but we were so full from the frittata)
Am Snack 9:30am- 1/2 cup baby carrots, 1/2 cup celery sticks, 2 hard boiled egg whites, and 16oz of water
Lunch 11:30am-Chicken wrap (whole wheat tortilla, 4oz of all natural canned chicken breast, 3 baby carrots shredded, 1 handful of fresh sprouts with 1 teaspoon of lite ranch dressing), 1 green apple and 16 oz of water.
Pm Snack 1:30pm-Chocolate Protein Shake mixed with 1/4 cup of grounded oatmeal and 1 tablespoon of grounded flaxseeds and 8oz of skim milk. 1 banana and 16oz of water.
3:30pm- I had an additional Protein shake (Phormula-1) after my second fitness class. I knew that I wouldn't be eating dinner until about 6pm, and didn't want to go nearly 5 hours between meals. I also needed the additional protein from working out. 16oz of water.
6pm-Asian Noodle Bowls (posted on my recipe page) (Which were so FAB!!! You HAVE to try these!!!!). 16 oz of water.
9pm- 1 green apple with 1 tablespoon of dark chocolate almond butter. Yum!!! Plus 16oz of water and 1 cup of green tea with a little agave nectar.

Tuesday:
Breakfast- Whole grain pancakes (3) topped with an all natural, unsweetened applesauce (1cup), 2 scrambled egg whites, 16 oz of water, and 1 cup of black tea with a little agave nectar.
Am Snack-Lentil dip with 1 cup cherry tomatoes and 1 cup of sliced cucumber (Craig really liked this lentil dip, but I did not. I'll try it again, but wasn't crazy about it). 16 oz of water.
Lunch- Leftover Asian bowls (we still had a ton of food left over from Monday's dinner!!), 1 orange, and 16 oz of water.
Pm Snack- 1/2 cup of 2% cottage cheese and 1/4 of a cantaloupe. 8oz of water.
Dinner-Sloppy Joes (Yes, this was on the menu!!!) on whole wheat buns, 1 cup of steamed carrots, 1 cup of steamed corn and 8oz of water. For the sloppy joe mix, we used 1 pound of lean ground turkey and 1 can of manwich (it's mostly natural mixed, so I didn't feel that guilty about us using it. For the next time, I want to find a homemade sloppy joe mix)
Pm Snack- 1/4 cup of an organic, all natural plain yogurt, 1 cup of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries), about 2 tablespoons of a Kashi granola, and a couple dashes of vanilla extract (I think plain yogurt is too tart with the berries. So I put a few dashes of the pure vanilla extract to sweeten it a little and add a little extra flavor without all the added sugar and calories).

So that's what I've been eating these 2 days. Tomorrow will get a little bit trickier as I will be gone from 11:15am until about 8:30pm. So I'll have to make my dinner in the morning and pack it for the day. I found these great bags at Schnucks the other day. The look like the cloth reusable bags, but they zip and are insulated!! They work perfect for packing 4-6 bottles (on Monday I packed 4 water bottles and 2 protein shakes) and my lunch and snacks. I'm sure my dinner will fit easily in it tomorrow also. To top off the greatness of them, they were only $2!!! Lunch bags are so much pricier than that and don't hold that much. :)

The biggest thing I'm realizing right now is that I have to eat every 2-3 hours. I start to feel that starving feeling if I go longer than 3 hours, which means I would over indulge.
I've also realized that if I have a game plan and tell myself that I am going to stick with it, and I have no desire to go digging through my pantry to see what I am find to eat or stop for food. I know that my next meal is always 2-3 hours away, and I look forward to what I have planned. Or if I packed my food for the day, I have no need to stop for food.

So make a game plan (a menu or packing your food before you leave your house) and put it in your mind to stick to it!! You can do it!!

My Dirty Secret........

I have a confession. It's bad. Really bad.





See, I'm a personal trainer. People come to me for nutritional advice and needing change in their lives. For the most part, I have the answers they need. I know nutrition facts. I know how they should be eating. I know the science behind weight loss. I know all about carbs, fats, protein, and counting calories. I give them all the information they need. I make my clients keep food journals and don't like it when I see poor food choices. I want them to be healthy and I want to help them.

Here is my problem: I can't follow my own advice. I eat a SAD (Standard American Diet), and am disgusted with myself that I KNOW better, yet still do it. It's addictive, and I've fallen into the trap.

In the Summer of 2009, my family completely changed their diets. We ate super healthy and I would not dare buy something boxed, pre-frozen or pre-packaged for my family. We still occasionally had fast food, but it was maybe once to twice a week. I pre-planned all our foods and always cooked dinner at night. At this time, I wasn't working and my life was dedicated to being a mommy and wife. I had the time to put thought into our meals and always cook for my family.

Fast forward to late Spring of 2010. Life changed. I was presented with the opportunity to start my own personal training business, and I jumped on it. This is something I've wanted for so long, and it came at a time that I was least expecting it. I couldn't turn this opportunity down and it was so heavy on my heart to do. I went from being home all day and having time to make fresh, healthy meals for my family to working 3-6 hours a day with clients PLUS the extra time it takes to plan out my clients workouts and meal plan for them.

It was a slow fade in my healthy eating. I was grabbing fast food more often as I traveled to see clients, hiding the fast food bags and cups, hoping no one saw them in my car. I gave in and starting buying boxed, pre-made dinners and frozen dinners for my family for convenience. The more I ate bad, the more I craved it! I am falling into the whirlwind trap of eating poor, dirty foods.

I truly believe that God did not design our bodies to eat processed foods. When we eat processed foods, we tend to experience symptoms such as irritability, depression, stomach sickness, sleepiness, lethargic, etc. We don't function the way we would if we were eating natural, nutrient-rich foods. These natural, nutrient-rich foods are foods that are grown in the Earth. Foods that God made and designed for us to eat.

So what's the point of all this? I NEED to change my life. I can't continue this "Do as I say, not as I do" approach with my clients. I want to have more energy. I want to fill my body with nutrient-rich foods, and not this heavily processed crap that we call food. I want to record my journey so that YOU can keep me accountable, and I want to inspire others to follow me and I will keep you accountable.

So here is my challenge, starting now (I was going to start Jan. 1st, however, I am so sick of feeling this way now, and I'm not going to wait to make a life change) I will be following a clean eating, natural foods diet. No more fast food (AT ALL!! Not going to allow a slow fade to set in again). No more convenient, boxed dinners or snacks. No more soda (and for anyone that knows me, knows that this is going to be the hardest thing for me!! I love soda!). I will be blogging about meal planning, sharing recipes, posting my workout log and food journal (oh, that's a scary thought! Let everyone see what I'm eating!!), discussing fitness and healthy lifestyles. I always encourage you to share your story, your workout logs, and your food journals with me. I want to keep you accountable too!!

This is not about a diet that we'll do for a few months. This is about a lifestyle change. This also is not about losing weight. I'm sure that will come naturally as healthy choices are made, but I want to encourage being HEALTHY. So join me!! Let's be a team and do this together!