Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

4.03.2012

Surviving to Striving {Part 1: Setting up for Success}

I feel like I've reached a point in my fit-journey where I'm in basic stay-fit survival mode.  I'm not failing.  But I'm not moving forward either.  I eat fairly healthy, I go to the gym fairly regularly, but it has kind of taken a backseat to other things at the moment.  (Doesn't help that I was sick for a couple weeks too).  So I'm starting this little series to get my self back.
Survivng to Striving for success! 
Eventually I hope to be THRIVING! 
Survivng to Striving to Thriving. 
(Ok, I couldn't help the word combo, hehe)

Part 1: Setting myself up for Success in the food category.

I can be lazy when it comes to food.  I love cooking good meals, but I often only have time to do that a couple times a week.  For the most part I know that I'm grabbing the first thing I see in the fridge.  So when I had the time the other day I set myself up for success.

This is now the first thing in my fridge:


Boom.  Veggies.  And I've got a little container of hummus available too!

And for breakfast you ask?




Frozen Fruit ready to throw in the blender with some Kefir and/or Greek Yogurt.
Smoothies!  Done.

(Although... those frozen mangos were pretty darn tasty all by themselves, almost like eating sorbet...
they might get pulled out for a little sweet treat at night!)

Oh yeah... and of course my little sidekick wanted in on the fruit action too!


He waited so patiently for his frozen strawberry half!  :)

Got an extra half our this week?  Go pull out all the veggies in your fridge and wash and cut them how you like to eat them!  It will make it way easier to pull it out and eat immediately when you are wanting a snack!

<3 Sam

2.16.2012

The Dreaded "D" Word

Diet.  I know when I hear that word in relation to the food I’m eating I tend to get a little scared.  A diet, to me, means restrictions.  It means I’m going to be craving foods I can’t have.  And it means I’m not going to see long term results because they are generally short term plans.  Bleh.  With those connotations, who would ever want to diet?  Certainly not me. 

And yet, here I am about to start a… dare I say it… Diet.  BUT, not a diet in the terms I described above.  One to form new habits.  One that is long term.  One that means I will eventually be able to have the foods I crave.  One that means, in the end, I may not be craving those original foods.  One that promotes a healthy lifestyle change, not a quick fix.  One that, I am hoping, will work for me and my family.

While I’m still a little reluctant to call it a diet, I kind of have to since the word is in its title: The 17 Day Diet. I’ve read reviews, I’ve heard friends who are benefitting from it, I can see that its structure is different than most.  So, what the heck. I know my aim is to get healthy, mind and body, and losing weight is not my overall goal.  But this plan seems healthy, and if it does what it says, and helps me lose weight, then even better.

The book arrived at my house yesterday, and although I obviously have not had time to read it yet, I am feeling more reassured by just reading through the index.  There are phases that change fairly frequently and there are actually meal plans to help you through them.  There are special considerations for cultural differences and PMS-ing!  And my favorite, there are 7, count them… 7 chapters on how to ‘Make it Stick’.  For example how to deal with eating out, family gatherings, holidays, road trips, and work.  There just seems to be a lot of info to set it up for success rather than failure.  And long term too, even though yes… it does promise some rapid results as well.  SO.  I’m going to read this book in the next few days, and start probably sometime next week.  In hopes, that I can be a testament to the fact that this ‘diet’ will help me with my goal of being healthy.

In other Samantha news, I’m still completely in love with yoga.  So much so that it was making me frustrated in my plans to go to the gym.  You see, there are no cardio and yoga classes back to back, and I don’t have time to spend 3 hours at the gym when I go.  And I need my cardio as much as I need my yoga.  While yoga can be a good workout, it doesn’t make my body sweat the way that zumba does.  So to fix this problem, I hopped on Youtube.com and found this awesome yoga channel that has full length yoga classes for free!  Problem solved.  Plan is to start from the beginning of their classes (they have around 90 at this point) and do them at home when I want some yoga and then I can use my gym time for cardio and strength equipment.  I’m thinking I’ll usually do some yoga right after hubby leaves for work to wake up my mind and body before I sit down at the computer for the day.  Then the gym can be my mid-day break or my evening activity.  Time to change it up so I can do even better than what I’ve been doing. 

I saw a quote that said ‘If you change nothing, nothing will change.’  I have no idea who said it, but it is becoming truer to me every day.  The more days I don’t change how I eat, the more days I’m still unhappy with my body.  The more days I choose to not workout, the more days I feel lazy.  The more days I am unhealthy in mind, body and/or spirit, the more days I will be unhealthy.  Time for a change.  And if it doesn’t work, I’ll change again, because as I’ve said this year… It’s my year.  I’m still happy and motivated and optimistic, and it’s time to implement more of the change I want to see happen.

Change is good.  J

Sam

2.03.2012

Broiled Grapefruit Goodness

Short and SWEET and Soon I'll post something other than food.  :)

Try this.  No, I'm serious.  Try it now!  So freakin delicious: That warm dessert-y satisfaction without all the guilt!

Go To Recipe. IMMEDIATELY!

1.27.2012

Chickpea, Chic me?!

This week I’ve been on a quest to find a snack that fulfills my munching needs as I sit on the computer all afternoon without being terribly unhealthy.  AND… I think I found it! 




They are delicious!  They are chalk full of fiber!  They are small so I can eat them one at a time making them last longer!  They are not messy so I’m not worried about my keyboard getting too many crumbs or the mouse getting greasy.  They are super easy to make (mix in a bowl, spread on a pan, bake).  They are inexpensive (one can of chickpeas plus spices on hand).  And they are easy changeable, so they won’t get boring!  *I am imagining spice combinations as I type*

The only change to the recipe I would make is to up the temp to 450 and bake a little longer so they are a little crispier!  I did this on the suggestions of the reviews and am happy with the mix of crispier and slightly softer chickpeas in my bowl!  Watch them so they don’t burn though!

Along with the chickpea revelation, I’ve been doing really well on eating this week.  Breakfast has been made every morning for me and hubby.  Fruit has been eaten with breakfast and lunch.  Dinners have been fairly healthy, and more importantly, correctly proportioned.  And water… water, water, and more water has been consumed on a daily basis!

I also have managed to make it to the gym 4 of the last 5 days with a mix of cardio toning, zumba, kickboxing, and yoga!  I have yet to step on a scale, but I am definitely feeling better.  Between food, workouts and full nights of sleep I am feeling much more energized and organized.  Yay!!

January is coming to a close (already?!) and I am still psyched to be Tri-Fit this year!  Bring it 2012!  ;)

Sam