Clean Eating Recipes

 Pizza Fritatta                                        

By Nicholette Kohout
Serves: 2
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 organic hot Italian chicken sausage
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• Handful button mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup egg whites (or 8 egg whites)
• 1/8 tsp dry mustard
• Garlic powder, sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1-oz slice whole-wheat bread, crust removed and discarded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, optional
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Remove casings from sausages and crumble filling into a large oven-safe nonstick pan on medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally. After about 5 to 7 minutes, when sausage is golden brown in color and almost cooked through, add bell pepper and mushrooms. Continue to sauté until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Reduce heat as low as possible (or remove from stove if using a gas range). In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with mustard, garlic powder, salt and black pepper using a whisk or handheld mixer. (NOTE: Don’t overdo it and make a meringue; simply incorporate flavors with eggs and lighten them up a bit.)
4. Distribute bread evenly over sausage-mushroom mixture, if desired. Then pour egg white mixture evenly over top. Increase heat to medium-low or medium (return pan to heat, if removed). Sprinkle cheese over top. Once egg whites start to set and turn opaque, transfer pan to oven.
5. Bake until cheese browns and bubbles, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a plate to slice and serve.

Nutrients per serving (half of frittata): Calories: 232, Total Fat: 6 g, Sat. Fat: 2.5 g, Carbs: 13 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 28 g, Sodium: 556 g, Cholesterol: 43 g
CUSTOMIZE YOUR PIZZA FRITTATA:
Add all the veggies you want! This is a recipe that you can have tons of fun with for any meal. Also, feel free to drizzle tomato sauce over top, if desired.



Stuffed Zucchini  

Photo: Ryan Szulc

By Amanda Jaskiewicz
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 8 oz mushrooms, diced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp whole-wheat bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 2 zucchini, halved, seeds and pulp removed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare stuffing: In a large saute pan on medium-high, heat 1 tsp oil. Add garlic, onion and mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining 2 tsp oil, vinegar, bread crumbs and Parmesan. Mix thoroughly.
3. Spoon an equal amount of stuffing into each zucchini half. Bake on a foil-lined cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

Nutrients per 1/2 stuffed zucchini: Calories: 110, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 12 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 5 g, Sodium: 135 mg, Cholesterol: 2

  

Chocolate French Toast

Ingredients (for two servings):

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup chocolate soymilk
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 5 – 6 slices of whole wheat bread (or gluten-free bread, as I used)
• 1 very ripe banana
• Topping: Greek yogurt (or syrup)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Grease a small 8 by 8 glass casserole dish.
• Chop bread into 1/3 strips, as shown below.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs, chocolate milk, and vanilla extract.   Dump in bread and toss with hands, thoroughly coating all the bread.  Mash banana with a fork and gently mix in.  Let stand for a few minutes.
• Pour mixture into casserole dish, bake for 30 minutes, and remove.  Let cool for a minute or so, slice in half, and top with Greek yogurt.

                              

Moving and Moving On

So today is the last day in our apartment in Simpsonville! As I sit here surrounded by boxes and the mess that is my house, I can't help but be overwhelmed! Overwhelmed with so many different emotions. Overwhelmed with everything that has happened the last three years. Overwhelmed by how blessed we have been that the Lord has taken care of us every step of the way!

It seems like just yesterday that we were moving away from home, the only home either one of us had ever known. The place where both of our families were, where all of our friends were, where we met 11 years ago as just teenagers, where we had built our lives together! It is no secret that I was very apprehensive about moving away from home, I'm not a huge fan of change! It scares me, plain and simple. I like to be comfortable. I like to know exactly what is going to happen and when it is going to happen. I had never lived anywhere else, so this was a HUGE change for me! But as much as I was scared about this adventure we were about to embark on I never imagined it would be so life changing! 

Our pharmacy school years have turned out to be some of the best years of my life! Chris and I have grown so much as a couple in the last three years. We have really had to learn to completely rely on God and each other. We moved to this city where we knew no one, where it was just us! We have been blessed with some of the most amazing friends here, who have become like our second family! I was blessed with one of the BEST jobs in labor and delivery and worked with some of the best people! Chris has learned so much from his classes and is so smart sometimes I feel like he is speaking another language when he is talking to me about school HAHA!!

It really is amazing to look back and see how God works! If we hadn't embarked on this journey, I would have never been introduced to beachbody and the amazing opportunity it has afforded me so far!! I also would have continued to live a life of self-hate. I would have continued on the same hamster wheel I had been on, hating my body and the way it looked, exercising and "eating right" for about two weeks then quitting, then back through the same ordeal. I have finally found my answer, I am finally becoming happy with myself. I have more energy, I enjoy life to the fullest, I am happy, I feel accomplished, I am positive, but most of all I know that this is the life I have chosen. I have made the choices to feel better about myself, I have taken the steps to live a healthier life, nobody has done it for me! Yes I have had people guide me and help me along the way, but I am the one who made the choice to be the me I am today! You are the only one who can choose your life! You have to make the decision if you want to continue on the hamster wheel you've been on or if you want to jump off and make a difference!

So today I'm thankful. I'm thankful for the last three years and everything that has transpired, because those events have led me to where I am today and the person I am today! I'm thankful for the Lords goodness and mercy and grace for taking care of us every step of the way! I'm thankful to our family for always being so supportive. I'm thankful for our friends, old and new, who have made life so much better just by being there and sharing the good times and bad times with us! And lastly I'm thankful for our next adventure and the next because I know they will be amazing!

Why Diets Don't Work!!!

Every year there's a new one: the Acai Berry Diet, the Hollywood diet and the South Beach Diet are some of hundreds that are out there today.
 
People are always looking to lose weight as quickly as they can with as little work possible and there are people out there who know they can cash in on this.  Americans spend $40 billion a year on dieting books, pills, drinks, anything they think that will help them lose weight easily. What people don't realize is that fad diets don't work! Sure, they work on a short term basis, but longterm, you'll end up at the weight you started at. 

So what exactly is fad dieting? Fad diets are quick fix diet and/or workout programs that promise results that are too good to be true, because they are. Usually fad diets include a strict diet plan that have caloric intakes that are unhealthy. Jackie Warner's Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days for example, has her readers eating under 1,000 calories each day. No wonder people lose weight, THEY'RE STARVING THEMSELVES! Never should anyone ever eat under 1,200 calories. 1,200 is the bare minimum to healthily maintain your body. And if you workout, you need more than 1,200 calories. 

Another problem with fad dieting is that you usually cut out one of the main food groups. Popular diets cut out carbs. This may come as a shock but, carbs are good for you! Your body needs carbs in order to function properly. The body requires glucose from carbs to help it maintain properly. Carbs also contain fiber, which is important in an everyday, healthy diet. As for the "low-carb" diets, "Clinical studies have shown that for long-term weight loss, low carbohydrate diets fare no better than traditional diets where 50-60% of calories come from carbs" (Ellis).  

Plain and simple: fad diets also don't work! By cutting out necessary nutrients that your body requires, you can end up gaining weight: "If you don't get enough nutrients — which is a major risk when you're going for a quick fix — your brain, and then your body, will, well, insist that you eat" (Sperl). Not only that, but fast weight-loss is not sustainable--"According to a 2006 study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, most people who participate in weight-loss programs 'regain about one-third of the weight lost during the next year and are typically back to baseline in three to five years'" (Reisner). Because you are eating such little amounts during these diets, when you return to a higher caloric (aka healthy) intake, you're going to gain weight. Eating less then 1,000 calories a day will result in weight loss, but once you go back to eating 1,200-2,000 calories a day, you gain it right back. Also, a lot of fad diets don't result in fat-loss, they result in water-weight loss. The only thing you're really losing is excess water weight. 

Another problem with fad diets is that it can be a gateway into eating disorders. The "professionals" who sell these books and diets tell their readers that it's okay to eat that little. Uneducated readers can think that eating that little is okay for them and even healthy for them. People with eating disorders never eat over 1,000 calories or have a net-worth (total number of calories that have been eaten minus the number that were burned during a workout) over 1,000 calories. To have "professionals" tell readers that it is okay and encourage eating under 1,000 calories is not okay and is very unhealthy physically and mentally. 

Now, I'm about to share the biggest secret to weight-loss and being healthy, *gasp* FOR FREE. Healthy eating + exercise = healthy body AND weight-loss! It truly is as simple as that folks! Cutting out processed foods, fast foods and sodas that contain man-made chemicals and trans-fats that are unhealthy for you will help you lose weight. Adding in a few days of cardio and strength-training, and you will see the results you've always wanted. Want to know the best part about this plan? IT LASTS. By slowly changing your diet to one filled with fruits, veggies and everything else good for you, you will lose about 1-2 pounds a week. Sure, compared to these diets where you can lose three times that in half the time, it may sound discouraging. But healthy weight-loss obtained through a healthy "diet" (and I don't mean diet as in fad diet. I mean as what you eat on a daily basis) has been proven to "lead to sustainable weight loss" (Ladzinski and Kaipainen). The best part of a healthy diet means no restriction. In the healthy diet community, one of their favorite words  is "moderation." You can have whatever you want, as long as it is in moderation. You're allowed to have a piece of cake every other week, or have some pizza one Friday night. As long as you eat it sparingly, you can still eat it.


 
Fad diets are nothing but a scheme created by people who look to take advantage of this "fad wave" and teaching uneducated people unhealthy methods for weight-loss. Sustainable weight-loss is just one of the many benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Live healthy and you're all set. 

How bad do you want it??

Nobody can want it for you, you have to want it for yourself!

Is there something in your life that you would really like to achieve? You have to want it for yourself. No one can do it for you. You can have the best personal trainer, gym, nutritionist, but it basically comes down to one thing...YOU!

You have to have the desire to change and better yourself. Figure out what drives you, what motivates you. Use that fuel as motivation to work hard and accomplish your goals. Everyone has a best body and can achieve it. However, not everyone has the will power to do it. Don't be part of the ladder.

First, start by writing it down. If you write down your goals you are 50% more likely to accomplish them. Next, create a game plan. Write down in small steps how you are going to accomplish this goal. Make sure you cut yourself some slack. Any new goal is going to take time. There will be ups and downs just like a roller coaster, but keep your eye on the prize. Once you reach one of your small goals, celebrate! Allow yourself to feel good about the small steps that you have accomplished. Never reward yourself with food. Go out and purchase a new exercise DVD that you have been wanting or a new outfit to exercise in. Whatever makes you feel good about yourself without sabatoging your end result. Its very important to surround yourself with positive people. There is nothing worse than trying to change your lifestyle and having people around you bashing what you are doing. Be polite, but keep your distance between the negative people. Find other people out there who support what you are doing and spend time with them.

 

Research your goal and how to get there. Spend time on the internet with groups that have common interests. If you have people going through the same things that you are, it makes it easier to handle. SHARE on the support groups as well. Don't sit there with questions that you want answers too, someone out there can help! Don't be afraid! No one is going to think it's a stupid question.

Lastly, share your victories with others. There is nothing like getting kuddos from your friends for reaching a goal! We are all pulling for you and can't wait to see what you have accomplished! You can do anything if you want it bad enough, so make the decision to commit, write it down and get busy!

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?

If you need help achieving your health and fitness goals message me by clicking on this link and together we can put a plan in place to meet your needs and take you to the top!

JUST STOP!!!

Stop It!

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  Nothing could be closer to the truth.  But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you likeeveryone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.
11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.

Blessed

Looking back over the last year, I can't help but be brought to tears with the way my life has changed! I began my journey with beachbody last April. I bought Insanity because my best friend had done it and had great results. I never imagined what that one purchase would lead to. I never knew that a fitness program could make such an impact on my life! I started insanity and wasn't fully committed. I skipped way too many workouts, ate way too much crap, and didn't have the right mindset. I quit 6 weeks in. I have always been a quitter. When things get hard, I quit. I never knew what it felt like to give something my all and complete it.

 

After quitting insanity the first time, I dabbled in other workouts and continued to eat crap. It wasn't until my Coach Liz Horne contacted me in October about challenge groups that things really started turning around for me. When Liz messaged me that night I saw a spark in her like I had never seen before! She was passionate about this thing she was talking about and I wanted to be a part of it. I really believed this was the thing that would FINALLY help me succeed!! When Liz added me into my first challenge group it all started slowly clicking. I realized that I couldn't continue to eat terrible and expect results. I started drinking shakeology and it completely transformed the way I looked at food. You see, food used to be my comfort. I ran to food when things made me mad, sad, when someone hurt my feelings, when I had a bad day at work, when I had an argument with someone. I let food be that support system instead of having another outlet. Challenge groups and my workouts became that outlet! The girls in the challenge groups became my motivators, my encouragers, and my supporters!

 

Liz approached me halfway through the first challenge about becoming a beachbody coach. Me? A beachbody coach? But I never stuck with anything, I'm a quitter, why did she think I would be good at this? Liz saw something in me that I had not yet seen in myself and for that I am forever grateful! Liz saw that little flicker in me that would eventually turn into a spark and now that spark has turned into a FLAME!! I told her I would think about it. I continued through three more challenge groups before I finally worked up the nerve to take the leap of faith.

 

Once I decided to become a beachbody coach it was like a whole new person emerged. I have found something that pushes me past the limitations I had put on myself. I've learned that new life starts just outside of your comfort zone. I have found something I'm truly passionate about! I can't  describe in words the way the last year has changed my life forever. I just know that if I could meet the girl I was a year ago, I wouldn't recognize her. She was negative; I am positive. She was a quitter; I am a go-getter. She was unhealthy and unhappy; I am healthy and happy! She was miserable in her skin; I am finally becoming happy with myself. She held herself back from amazing opportunities; I jump at new opportunities! I could go on and on with the ways I have changed in the last year, but I can't find all the words. If you're ready to change your life forever, now is the time! Don't waste another day unhappy and miserable with the way your life has turned out. You choose the life you live! Make the choice to take your life back and make it YOURS! My best days are not behind me, they're in from of me, and I can't wait to see what is in store!!

Why I Became a Beachbody Coach

To be completely honest, I had no idea about beachbody coaching until my friend Liz became one! I never even knew about challenge groups until Liz messaged me late one night in October and told me all about it. As I was reading, I was like wow this is exactly what I need. She asked me to be in her first challenge group in November, just in time for the holidays! I knew this would be the ultimate test for me to know if this was  what would finally work for me. Would this be the first holiday I would be able to make it through without gaining weight? I was so tired of starting things and never finishing them. I was tired of being a quitter!! I was tired of being unhappy with myself! So, Liz added me into two different Facebook groups and I was so excited to get started!! I started looking around in the groups and reading all of these posts and looking at pictures of all the lives that beachbody had helped change! I began thinking, could I be the next beachbody success story? Halfway through the November Challenge group, Liz mentioned that she thought I would make a great beachbody coach. She explained to me that coaching doesn't make me a fitness expert, nor does it make me a nutritionist. You are simply a product of the product who is passionate about helping others reach their health and fitness goals. You are there to be their supporter, encourager, and motivator! I was apprehensive at first because I hadn't met my goal! Liz explained that by becoming a coach it would help me push even harder towards my goals and people don't relate to perfection. They relate to real people who have the same struggles as they do. I definitely meet that criteria.  I told her I was interested, but just wasn't sure I was ready to take that leap of faith! I continued Liz's challenge groups through February. Over the 3 months of challenge groups, I had awakened this new part of myself that I never knew existed. I began feeling more confident in myself! I noticed that people were watching me to see if I would stick with this or if I was going to once again allow myself to fail. I REFUSED to fail again! The girls in my challenge groups were so incredible and helped keep me on track. When I was ready to give up, they were there to pick me up, help dust me off, and remind me why I started in the first place! February 14, 2013 was the day that I finally decided I was ready! I was ready to become a beachbody coach! I was ready to start helping everyone around me become healthy and happy like me! Coaching for me is the opportunity to help make a difference in this world. I always knew I was meant to help people. I knew I loved it and I always thought that a career in healthcare was my way of "helping", but the more involved I get in beachbody the more excited I get and the more I think maybe this is what I was meant to do from the beginning! I'm excited about the possibilities that I have been afforded so far, and I cannot wait to see what my future with beachbody holds! If you are ready to take the challenge and get the support and encouragement you need to reach your goals please contact me! jessicaringley@yahoo.com or via Facebook www.facebook.com/jessica.ringley

7 Tips for Portion Control

7 Tips for Portion Control

By Joe Wilkes

In the world of nutrition news, there was a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that took a look at cookbook recipes over the last several decades (with emphasis on recipes in The Joy of Cooking). This study found that calorie counts per serving have gone up dramatically as authors have increased portion sizes to conform to new cultural norms. Where the 1936 edition of the kitchen classic averaged 268 calories per serving, the most recent edition in 2006 averaged 384 calories. The study theorized that lower costs of food and larger plate sizes are part of the reason for the increase, but nutritionist Marion Nestle says that mainly it's just a reflection of people becoming accustomed to eating more and more overall. What can we do to monitor and control portion sizes? Here are some ideas . . .

1. Downsize your plate. One issue the study pointed out is that the average plate size has grown over the years, and the amount of food served on those plates has kept pace with that increase. Instead of breaking out the big dinner plate, try eating your dinner off a salad or dessert plate. The smaller plate will make the amount of food look larger by proportion, a visual cue that will trick your brain into thinking you're eating more. Plus you can trade in your big dinner fork for a more petite salad fork, which will also help to slow down any shoveling behavior you might be tempted to engage in at the dinner table.
2. Divide and conquer. When you're cooking more than one serving of something, immediately store the prospective leftovers in single-serving containers. By putting out the entire dish, you run the risk of not having any leftovers at the end of the meal. Depending on what the meal is, I divide my food onto two plates—one for that meal and one for lunch the next day. And as a side benefit, this can help you tighten your wallet while you tighten your waistline.
3. Count it down. If you eat your reasonably sized portion of food in the dining room/living room/den/bedroom/bathroom, etc., and leave the leftovers in the kitchen, it will make this next step a lot easier. Here's the scenario: You've finished your first portion, and yet you still want more. This is far from atypical, especially if the big plate of leftovers is sitting in front of you, tempting you, calling to you—maybe just a half a spoonful or maybe just a pick at the serving platter with your fork (just the good parts, of course). That couldn't possibly have more calories, right? Wrong. The calories from the food you sneak in after you finish eating are as potent as the calories from the food you're served. The good news is that if you can hold off, you won't be hungry for long. 
   
   After you have a decent-sized portion of food, it takes your brain about 20 minutes to get the message from your stomach that you're full. So try this: Before you reach for seconds, glance at your wristwatch or the clock on the wall. Spend the next 20 minutes chatting with your dining companions, or if you're eating alone, check out the newspaper, read a magazine article, or play along with a round of Jeopardy on TV. Then, after 20 minutes, see if you're still starving for another bowl full of whatever. Chances are that your cravings will have disappeared. If they haven't, maybe you do still need a little more food to achieve satiety. Review what you ate before, and if the calorie count seems low, treat yourself to a little extra. Or, if the calorie count seems about right or high for a regular meal and you're still hungry, fill up on some low-cal veggies or have a big glass of water. Sometimes it's easy to confuse thirst with hunger.
4. Embrace your inner child. And we don't mean have candy for dinner . . . When you're on the road or out at a restaurant, don't be ashamed to look at the kids' menu. As the adult menu has been supersized to gluttonous proportions, the children's menu often has the most nutritious options. Check out Debbie Siebers' portion-control tips below, and you'll see that oftentimes the amount of food in a kids' meal is just the right amount for an adult watching his or her figure. Not to mention, if you play your cards right, there could be a free toy in it for you. Out of the mouths of babes . . .
5. Sharing is good. And while we're getting lessons from the small set, how about sharing? If you're a foodie like me, the hardest part about eating out is passing up all the goodies you want to try on the menu. Instead of ordering too much for yourself, strategize with your fellow diners about how you can maximize the variety of the food instead of the quantity. Most restaurants will be more than happy to provide you with extra small plates so you can split dishes. And make sure you actually split them! Don't dine out with your friend who survives on a nibble here or there and split two dishes; you'll end up eating 80 percent of the food on the table while he or she makes do with a couple of forkfuls. In case you ever wondered how Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi keeps her model physique while judging up to 12 meals a week, the secret is that she doesn't eat everything. Also, when you're figuring out how to eat family-style, make sure that at least one of the dishes is a healthy salad, a non-cream-based soup, or a vegetable dish. That way you and your family can get full without getting fat.
6. Learn your weights and measurements. As anyone who's a regular reader of this newsletter knows, we're always going on and on about reading labels. And like the calorie, carb, protein, and fat numbers, the serving size is important. This is where the corporate food interests get you a lot of the time, by adjusting the serving size downward to make the nutritional numbers look a little better. As anyone who's recently spent a Saturday night alone with the TV can tell you, the estimate of four servings in a pint of Ben & Jerry's® or Häagen-Dazs® is wildly optimistic. Whereas the label would indicate a 300-calorie serving, keep in mind that the entire container has 1,200 calories. And since most of the containers taper downward, eating what appears to be half of the container can actually amount to two-thirds. 
   
   It's definitely too much of a hassle to weigh and measure everything you put in your body every day. Even the most anal-retentive people among us don't have the time to be hauling out the scale and measuring cups for every meal. But it's worth it to at least familiarize yourself with a few standard weights and measures. Try learning what an ounce, a gram, a tablespoon, etc., look like. That way you can at least eyeball how much you're eating. I've yet to meet the person who can make a typical bag of potato chips last for twelve servings.
7. Give yourself a hand. For an easy guide to portion sizes, follow this guide from Slim in 6® creator Debbie Siebers.

Handy Portion-Control Guide

By Debbie Siebers, creator of Slim in 6®

To achieve weight loss—and maintain that healthy weight once you've achieved it—it's crucial to really understand what a portion is. Here's what may prove to be an indispensible tip: use your hand as a guideline for portion sizes. (If your hands happen to be extra-large or extra-small for your size, adjust accordingly.)

Palm = Proteins: Make protein portions the size of your palm. Protein is found in animal products, like fish, meats, and cottage cheese. Some veggie protein sources include legumes (beans, etc.), tofu, tempeh, and wheat glutens.

Thumb = Fats: Fats are important, but they're also very dense, so match fat portions to the size of your thumb. Good fat sources are avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.

Fist = Fruits, Grains, etc.: Your bread, fruit, cereal, rice, and grain portions should be about equal to the size of your closed fist. Remember that it's always preferable to consume whole grains.

Hand = Veggies: Open your hand and spread your fingers as wide as you can. That's a good vegetable portion. Raw vegetables are loaded with fiber and nutrients, and they contain very few calories.

8 " Diet Foods That Can Make You Fat

8 "Diet" Foods That Can Make You Fat

By Justine Holberg

A veggie wrap for lunch. A night out for sushi. And you're working out . . . but you're still not losing weight. What gives?

Some "diet" foods may be your worst enemy. That's because they're tricking you into eating too many calories. So what are some of the worst offenders?

1. Sushi: Fish wrapped in rice and seaweed. Not a diet food? Yep, that's right. It's not always as "light" as it seems. Some sushi has calorie levels so high it might just shock you. 
   
   Diet Shocker: One eight-piece serving of Philadelphia sushi roll is the caloric equivalent of 1 medium bagel with plain cream cheese—close to 500 calories. It's the cream cheese that gets you. And what about spicy tuna and other mayo-based rolls? They can contain as many as 450 calories and 11 grams of artery-clogging fat per serving. Eat too many of the "wrong" rolls and you're in Big Mac® calorie territory.
2. Wraps: You order the whole wheat veggie wrap thinking it'll put you on the skinny track. But is it actually the fat track? For some reason, wraps have been viewed as a healthy upgrade from a sandwich, but this isn't always the case. 
   
   Diet Shocker: The tortilla holding your wrap together can easily contain the same number of calories as four slices of bread, not to mention more carbs and twice as much fat. Many kinds of wraps you get at a deli have at least 300 calories. And that's just the tortilla, not the contents. You also have to factor in the fillings—and keep in mind that a wrap has more surface space to spread these calorie-boosting culprits:
   • Dressing
   • Cheese
   • Mayo
   All told, one healthy-seeming wrap can easily trick you into eating hundreds more calories than you planned.
3. Granola: When you're having granola, you might think, "It's healthy. The fiber and all those little pieces of dried fruit are so good for me." Truth is, although it's got good stuff in it, it also packs in the calories. 
   
   Diet Shocker: A half-cup serving is what's often listed on the nutrition label of prepared granola. But who eats just half a cup? For most brands, there are more than 400 calories in a one-cup serving of granola. And when's the last time you actually measured? If you keep filling your cereal bowl with this stuff, it's no wonder you're not losing!
4. Bran Muffins: The kinds sold at many bakeries today aren't the little 3-inch muffins Grandma used to bake. They're much, much bigger. And just because they're made with "healthy" bran doesn't mean they're a diet food, either. 
   
   Diet Shocker: The average bakery muffin can contain as many as 630 calories. You might be slightly better off with a bran muffin than, say, a banana or blueberry one because of bran's extra fiber, but most of them are still packed with sugar and butter. Eat one bran muffin from Dunkin' Donuts® and you'll be consuming 480 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 46 grams of sugar. OMG.
5. Dried Fruit: The more fruit you eat the better, right? Not when it comes to the dried stuff. 
   
   Diet Shocker: You could boost your calorie count as much as four times (!) by choosing to eat the dried version of a fruit rather than its fresh counterpart. Check out these calorie comparisons based on a 100-gram (about 1 cup) serving:
   

   Fruit (about 1 cup)	Fresh	Dried
   Grapes	70 calories	(Raisins) 300 calories
   Apricots	50 calories	240 calories
   Bananas	90 calories	(Banana chips) 350 calories
   Plums	45 calories	(Prunes) 230 calories

   
   
6. Pumpkin-Flavored Baked Goods: Pumpkin is nutritious, but these baked goods can be a dieting disaster. Like bran, pumpkin has lots of stuff that's good for you. So if you see pumpkin on a baked-goods label, it's easy to think you're eating something that's lower in calories. Not the case, though: Pumpkin doesn't mean diet food. 
   
   Diet Shocker: Dunkin' Donuts strikes again. Their pumpkin muffin has 630 calories and 28 grams of fat. OMG again! Want to switch bakeries? It won't help much. A pumpkin muffin from Panera Bread® has 530 calories and 20 grams of fat, and the pumpkin scone at Starbucks® has 470 calories and lots of fat too—22 grams' worth. You might as well be eating pie with whipped cream!
7. Olive Oil: It's a good fat and helps you burn fat. However, you don't need a lot of it to get the benefits. Two tablespoons a day can do the trick. And overdoing it can backfire. 
   
   Diet Shocker: Olive oil served with bread at a restaurant is heart-healthy, but high in calories. You can easily sop up a quarter of a cup. That's 478 calories, not including the bread. Or the rest of the meal you've ordered.
8. "Healthy" Salads: That's what some restaurants want you to believe in their "lite" section of the menu. It must be diet-friendly, right? Not always. 
   
   Diet Shocker: Listed under "Healthy Options" on the T.G.I. Friday's® menu, their pecan-crusted chicken salad, which contains mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, and celery, has 1,360 calories. Meanwhile, their cheeseburger and fries combo weighs in at 1,290 calories. Say it ain't so.

So what's a dieter to do in a world filled with "diet" traps?

Ask about nutrition and read food labels. After a while, you'll be a pro at it and enjoy the weight loss that comes with it. You won't even have to give up the foods you like. That's because you'll know how to work them into your food plan the right way.

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!"

My diet has always been a huge issue for me! In short, I LOVE FOOD!!!!  And I love GOOD food!! I suffered from emotional eating for YEARS before I discovered beachbody. It had gotten so bad that I would HIDE food in my house so that my husband wouldn't see what I was eating and I would eat it when he wasn't home. I was embarrassed and couldn't imagine that he could love me the way I was!! My husband is my very best friend I tell him everything... EVERYTHING but I couldn't tell him about this.... what would he think... would he think I was a bad wife for turning to food for comfort instead of confiding in him? I had gotten to the lowest point of my life last April. I was so unhappy with myself that it had started effecting every aspect of my life. I didn't want to live this way. I wanted to be happy. I didn't know what to do to bring myself back from this dark place! My best friend Amy started Insanity around this time and was keeping me updated and I was so amazed at the results she had. I started thinking maybe I should give it a try, I can do anything for 60 days right?! So I ordered it! I did ok for the first couple of weeks--it was definitely the hardest thing I had ever done! I tried to keep my diet on track but I cheated way more than I should have! I quit insanity in my 5th week. I never even finished my first round! I saw some results and I still quit. Fast forward to October 2012, my friend Liz Facebook messaged me about a beachbody challenge group all done through facebook and she thought I would be interested since I had done insanity before! She explained to me that it was a group to help keep you encouraged and motivated to finish and something deep down told me.. Jessica this is what you need! So I decided to start off the challenge group with Brazilian Butt Lift, something not as crazy and intense as insanity! And Liz also introduced me to shakeology! I had never even heard anyone talk about it! The only thing I knew was after my insanity workouts they would show a short commercial about it but I always cut the dvd off and never really watched it! I cannot even begin to describe to you what shakeology has done for me! Shakeology has helped me completely overcome my emotional eating habits! It has helped me with my chocolate cravings! It has given me more energy! I used to be tired ALL the time and now I feel like I have the energy to live a fulfilling life! I have also noticed that instead of craving fattening unhealthy foods I crave healthy foods!! I have even seen a difference in my hair and skin. There is literally no way I can describe the difference shakeology has made in my nutrition and my life!! I look forward to it every day! When I started my first challenge group in October it was just in time for the holidays. The holidays are always hard for everyone with all the eating that takes place. I never knew it was possible to loose weight over the holidays and I DID!! I never knew how to eat until I was part of these challenge groups I have learned so much by being in them! I've learned that to keep my metabolism going I have to eat 5-6 small meals a day. I have learned that I have to plan my meals because if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! You need to plan out what you are going to eat for the week and STICK TO IT!!! I've learned that when you feed your body what it needs it rewards you! Our bodies can't survive off of the fast food and junk that I was constantly eating. I will forever be an advocate for beachbody because I have done 180 degrees in one year's time! That is why I decided to become a coach because I want everyone else to discover this new life I have discovered.  You only have one life and one body why not live it to the fullest?! Why continue to be depressed and overweight and unhappy with yourself? I finally hit rock bottom and I refused to live another day unhappy with myself! Are you ready to be happy with yourself again? I would love to help you in your journey to health! Nobody ever said it would be easy, but it will be SO WORTH IT!!! To learn more about nutrition and how to start eating clean click here http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/planning-healthy-meals/

About ME!

I'm starting this blog to help track my personal fitness journey.
I began my journey with Beachbody in April of 2012 with Insanity. A friend of mine had completed the program and had such amazing results, I couldn't help but get on board! I ordered insanity and was super excited to get started! Needless to say, I have had many, many bumps in the road. I would start then quit, then start back and then quit again. In October, my friend Liz contacted me about Beachbody Challenge Groups. This was exactly what I needed! It was the accountability and support I needed to finally stick with this thing and finally get the results I had been wanting! So now I'm on my way to my best body yet!
I recently decided to become a beachbody coach! This does not make me a fitness expert, nor does it make me a nutrionist. I'm just your average 26 year old. I'm married to an amazing man who supports me in every aspect of my life especially my fitness journey! My number one love in life is helping people. Whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally.
The decision to finally make that leap of faith and make better healthier choices to improve your life is hard. It takes a lot of determination and HARD WORK but I am here to help you push through the hard times and stay committed to being a better, healthier, happier you!! Contact me to be your free Beachbody coach and let's help each other on this journey! I'm committed to this and I hope one day you can be too!