FOOD, FOOD, AND MORE FOOD

I have a SECRET....

I eat. I eat ALOT. I have people that can witness to that:).
However, this was not always the case. I used to have the mindset of the less I ate, the less I would gain. I was so incredibly wrong, and that thinking came back to bite me in the butt, especially after having kids.
I can thankfully say I've never been 'overweight'. But that doesn't mean I've always been HEALTHY. After having my 3rd child, I started noticing I wasn't losing the baby weight as quickly as I wanted to and was losing my 'tone' look, but I was still killing myself at the gym! What the heck!!!
I used to 'eat' coffee or a 'skinny' frapp for breakfast (that was it), have a little of whatever for lunch, another coffee, and then a pretty big dinner. SOOOO healthy, right??

I had to do some SERIOUS revamping in my diet and working out. I'll get to the workouts in the next few days, but right now I'm going to touch on diet.

People always ask "How many calories do you take in?" "What is your diet?". I will tell you what I tell them: What works for me doesn't necessarily mean it'll work for YOU!!!! I'm still learning and tweaking things in my diet. What I will share with you though are some key notes that will point you in the right direction.

#1. EAT. I eat every 2-3 hours. My body has gotten used to it now. If I don't, my tummy gets cranky.

#2. Eat BREAKFAST. You know the old saying "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day"? I'm here to tell you that it's true. Try some oatmeal and a PROTEIN source

#3. Cut out the sugar. There's no way of going around it. It's not good for you, period.

#4. Stick to whole, clean foods. Fish, chicken, lean meats, legumes, veggies, fruit, good for you carbs....This will minimize bloat also!

#5. PROTEIN, PROTEIN, PROTEIN. Everyone's ratios are different. I don't expect people who aren't dieting for a speciifc purpose to be taking in as much protein as fitness competitors, but don't skimp on it!!

#6. Prep your food for the week, or even for the next 4 or 5 days. That way it's at your finger tips, and you'll be less likely to grab something that may be easy but not necessarily a good choice.

#7. Replenish with protein after a workout. ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHAKES IS A POST WORKOUT PROTEIN SHAKE WITH NO SUGAR ADDED ALMOND MILK (VANILLA), A GOOD PURE PROTEIN POWDER, 1 TBSP PB (OPTIONAL), 1 EGG WHITE (OPTIONAL), AND 1 SCOOP GLUTAMINE (OPTIONAL).

#8. Don't be afraid to play around to see what works for you. Maybe even meet with a nutritionist and get some sort of plan written out, OR do some of your own research online

#9. HAVE A CHEAT MEAL EVERY NOW AND THEN. God does not expect perfection from us (THANKFULLY), so don't put that kind of pressure on yourself. At the end of the week allow yourself a cheat meal or two on the weekend, or a cheat day when you're not counting calories. Enjoy a piece of pizza with your kiddos:).

#10. Whatever you feed off of for motivation, use it. For example, pictures, verses, quotes, etc...stick them up in your mirror, on the fridge, etc.

And last but definitely not least: Ready??.....It's a biggie.....WATER!!! No soda, no juice, just water:). If you want, throw a half packet of crystal light in, but take in as much water as you can:).

Any questions, comments, ideas, etc, please feel free to post on the blog!!

Have fun trying new things!:) Here are a few sites to help get you started if you're needing new ideas:

www.thegraciouspantry.com

www.skinnymom.com

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/get-lean-eat-clean-with-jamie-eason-main-page.htm
(I have made her protein lemon squares on more than one occasion...our family is a fan!)