Sorry I have be MIA

Sorry for the long pause between posts. I just started working last week and I am trying to get in a rhythm! Boy oh boy it is hard to eat right when you work full time and have a family! This is really going to be a balancing act. I will definitely be posting about how to brown bag it more effectively that is after I figure it out for myself. The first couple of days I did well (yogurt/turkey sandwich/ celery & carrots/ etc) but then time slipped away and I just thought oh I'll get something healthy in the cafeteria...well that can be difficult. I just got my new Rachael Ray magazine today and on the cover it says '1 month of make ahead meals'. We will have to see if any of these will work for lunch. PS Have I mentioned that I LOVE this magazine? It is so pretty and colorful with TONS of yummy looking recipes (I say looking because I have yet to cook one of them...lol). The ONLY thing I hate is there is NO nutrition information. I hate that!

Tips to Tame Your Snacking from JM

Are you a binge eater or do you have troubles snacking? Most of you know that I this is my number 1 problem. Sometimes when I start to binge I just give up and give in. But I am learning to master this problem. So the other day I came across this Jillians Michaels podcast and loved some of the tips she gave and thought I would share a few.

When you want something sweet try fruit and try a fruit that you have to peel or something that will take time.

Try putting you treat on a fancy plate. So you want a couple of cookies? Okay have one or even two but take the time to make it look fancy and don't sit in front of the computer/tv eating. Take the time to really enjoy it. Sometimes don't acknowledge that we are having a dessert or a treat. We just graze and then feel the guilt. If you need something sweet track your calories and dish it up like it is part of the plan.

Still going? Negogiate and compromise...that is right if you are to eat 500 calories worth of cookies determine how much work you are going to have to do to burn it off. Is it worth it to you? If so, eat your cookies and hit the treadmill until those 500 calories are gone. This may even make you decide it's not worth it. Even just thinking about this causes you to slow down and think.

Also don't eat standing up or in front of the tv/computer.

Try brushing your teeth. Toothpaste + sugar =yucky!

ENVIROMENTAL CONTROL-You cannot eat what is not there!

(You know my chocolate chip cookie recipe? I no longer keep all of the ingredients in my home!)

I hope you find these helpful. I sure did.

One more random tip. Do you have problems with portion control (like I do)? Think about this:

How big are your dinner plates? I am a visual person and I like my plates to look full. Therefore I started serving my meals up on my salad plates so that I 'trick' my brain into thinking that I am getting more food. Try that and let me know what you think.

Check out this portion control plates & bowls.

The bowls have rings to tell you cup sizes. The flowers on the plates represent your portions (largest=veggies, med=carbs, small=protien).

Another GREAT Spark People Article

I get several spark people emails a week and they are always jammed packed with great information. I LOVED this last email:Burn 100 calories in 10 minutes. Here is an excerpt

People often say that they don't have time to exercise, but I disagree.Everyone can spare 10 minutes a day to work out. One of my personal goals is to do something active every day, even if it's just for 10 minutes. So even on my busiest days, I won't make excuses. And I definitely won't convince myself that 10 minutes is too little to really matter. Ten minutes DOES matter—and it really does add up to big benefits for your body. If all you only did 10 minutes of exercise per day, that's 70 minutes and potentially 700+ calories that you could burn over the course of a week.

20 Ways Burn 100 Calories* in 10 Minutes

1. Cycling (12+ mph) or mountain biking
2. Racquetball
3. Running (at least 12 minutes per mile)
4. Swimming laps or treading water
5. Playing basketball
6. Spinning class or stationary biking
7. Rowing
8. Boxing
9. Martial arts
10. Digging (heavy yard work)
11. Jumping rope (continuously)
12. Jumping jacks
13. Rock climbing
14. Walking on the treadmill (at least 4 mph with a 5% incline)
15. Water jogging
16. Kettlebell training
17. SparkPeople's Jump Start Cardio workout
18. SparkPeople's Bootcamp Cardio workout
19. SparkPeople's Kickboxing workou
20. SparkPeople's Jump Rope workout

I love working out. But I didn't ALWAYS love it. I had to grow into it. I started by trying out new things and discovering what I hated, liked, and really loved. Once I found strength training and Jillian Michaels DVDs I really began to LOVE working out. I can make just as many excuses as you can about working out. I don't have the time, I'm too tired, blah blah blah. But the simple truth is that it's IMPORTANT! It may be hard but start slow, just like this article says 10 minutes a day. And they even provide you with FREE 10 min workouts. Now 10 minutes a day is not your quick fix. It's a STEPPING STONE. You have no excuses now get to work. And become the best you you can be!

PS If you still haven't checked out the Jillian Michaels podcasts on iTunes you are missing out! They are wonderful!

PPS Have you seen the new TV show Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition! It's incredible! This last week they focused on Food Addiction! It was heartbreaking! But very eye opening. I feel like people think food addiction isn't a real thing but it is. And it is KILLING our country! It is SO sad it breaks my heart!

More Odds & Ends!

Okay so remember this post? I order Jillian's Michaels' Unlimited & the Master Your Metabolism Cookbook.

First Unlimited:

Sadly I haven't found a ton of time to really get into Unlimited but what I have read I LOVE! This book is not a book about weight loss. The information it has in it can be applied to weight loss but really it is a book that helps you figure out who you want to be and or how to be a better happier version of yourself. This book is straight forward and I find myself saying 'well yeah that makes sense' a lot! I love love it and can't wait to really dig in!

Second Master Your Metabolism Cookbook

So the first part is kind of a summary of Master Your Metabolism and I found that SUPER interesting. In fact I plan on purchasing THAT book. The recipes....eh. I really don't see myself cooking most of the stuff. Sad huh! Yeah I will be returning that book and ordering Master Your Metabolism. Once I start into that prepare yourself for some tips from it.

The Murray Fun Day 5k!

So me and my cute friend finished the 5k is 30 mins and some odd seconds! I was SUPER impressed! We literally ran (jogged really) the first 2 miles without a single walk break. Towards the finish line I almost thought about walking to the end until I heard Jillian Michaels in my head 'finish it strong! Nothing I hate more than when you peter out in the end!' and I picked it up! It was fun I and will be signing up for more running adventures. A BIG thanks to my friend Amy for motivating me! She is a SUPER athlete and was kind enough to push me along. I'm sure she could have completed A LOT faster if it weren't for me!

Dear Running Friends: I think I am going to purchase a treadmill. Any advice?

Random tip: What colors are you eating? Many of us do not get enough vitamins and nutrients from the the food we eat but an easy way to fix that is to eat the colors of the rainbow (no, I'm not talking about skittles!). When walking through the produce section try picking up all of the colors of the rainbow. Make it a game with your kids and have them help you pick the colors out!

Love ya all thanks for the love and support!

'Training' for my first 5k

I know I know those of you who are runners are laughing at me. A 5k isn't that rough right? I bet you run a 5k every morning. Well I have only run twice this summer. Yep TWICE! But Saturday my friend I decided to run 3 miles in preparation for the Murray Summer Fun Run (5k) Monday morning. And guess what!! We walked/ran 3 10 min. miles! Again my runner friends are laughing BUT I have NEVER run a mile that fast in my LIFE! Thanks Amy for pushing me to do this! I am SUPER excited!

Tried it & Liked it and 5k update

As I have mentioned before I am a Breakfast girl! I love a plate of pancakes with warm buttery syrup. That doesn't really fit into my healthy lifestyle. But this morning that is just what I had. Only I made it with this...

Heart Smart Bisquick (made with egg whites) and topped it with this...

So during my last shopping trip I found this little gem. Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Syrups! (I really like Maple Grove Farms, they make a lot of low cal salad dressings. LOVE EM) Now I am not going to lie to you and tell you it tastes JUST LIKE regular syrup. But I will tell you that if you are a breakfast lover like me and you want to find a great syrup substitute this TOTALLY fits the bill. Let's compare the nutrition facts for just a second...

REGULAR VS Maple Grove Farms Butter Syrup

Serving Size 1/4 cup

Calories 30

Total Fat 0

Sodium 100mg

Carbs 11g

Sugars 0

Sorbitol 10 g

Protein 0 g

As for my fist 5k I signed up for the Murray Fun Run on July 4th. I told myself I would NEVER run this because I would see too many people but my friend talked me into. I don't have much time to train but it will be fun even if I just end up walking. :) We'll see what happens.

My Apologies!

Are you sick of reading this blog? I AM! Goodness sakes! This blog started out as a way to share information with readers. But lately it has been me whining about not losing weight! My sincerest apologies! Over the last month and a half I realized I have been going through the motions of working out and counting calories. And I haven't been actively learning about diet, nutrition, workouts, etc. etc. Well I am back! With more information!

First of all to get me started again I ordered these two items this week and am SUPER EXCITED to recieve them!

**I know that everyone is not motivated by JM but I really am my apologies if you are sick of hearing from/about her**

This cookbook is supposed to teach you about nutrition and health while also providing easy everyday meals. It sounds more realistic that most alot of the other cookbooks I was researching.

While deciding whether or not to purchase this book I came across JM's radio show/podcast (I will be listening to these podcast on a regular basis!) If you want to find out more about this book go HERE and check out podcast #6 All About Unlimited. I'm even more excited about this book after listening to the podcast!

Here is tidbit I learned from that podcast. Do you know the difference between High Fructose Corn Syrup & Corn Syrup? I didn't. But apparently Corn Syrup is ok in moderation. It is metabolized by the entire body. Where as HF Corn Syrup is a more processed substance & it is ONLY metabolized by the liver. Yikes!

Again my sincerest apologies for becoming so self involved and boring. Hopefully I will be able to share more valuable information! Thanks for sticking with me!

PS: Who or what motivates you?