Thanksgiving Preparation

It almost seems like Thanksgiving and Christmas have been rolled into one 5 week celebration. I don't hate it. So, this post technically could be titled Thanksgiving AND Christmas preparation. Either way you look at it, the holidays are charging at us, and so are all of the parties, dessert trays, neighborhood gifts, Costco samples, and seasonal goodies that come with it.

As you know, I LOVE all holidays. It is just in my blood. I get SO excited to decorate, celebrate, bake, and enjoy the festivities of the season with the people I love. I assume many of you feel the same way. With the holidays come a lot of fun and fabulous traditions. Many families have certain foods they love to eat, parties that they always attend, and outings that occurs each year. With these traditions come a lot of traditional holiday goodies, and often we find ourselves using the holidays as an excuse to go buckwild at the dessert table. Many people even decide to throw in the towel, and start saying things like..."I'll just start over for New Years." Oh if I had a dollar for every time I have heard that one. Let's make that ten dollars, I might as well make the big bucks.

While New Years is a fabulous time to refresh goals, and get revamped for progress that is coming ahead, why not keep making progress through the holiday season instead of setting yourself back. Here are a few ideas that may help keep you moving forward. For Christmas this year, you should give yourself some healthy progress or some weight loss!

1. Set guidelines now. Make some goals for yourself as to how you are going to plow through the holidays with ease. Maybe your goal will be to allow yourself one dessert a week, or you may even want to decide that you are not going to partake of all of the neighborhood goodies that come your way... GASP!?!?!?!...I know. I said progress...remember?

2. Make exercise a priority. As times get busy with holiday fun, or schedules become extremely full. With these full schedules we start shuffling things around, and quite often exercise seems to fall of the to do list. Don't let it! It may be a good idea to try to get your workout in first thing in the morning to make certain that you don't get to the end of the day and find that you are out of time.

3. Choose to keep your family and friends active. Add some new traditions to your family fun like skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, neighborhood Christmas light walks, and hiking to cut down your own Christmas tree. There are more holiday traditions than the ones that just involve eating. Weird, I know.

4. Stay in check. Make a schedule that allows you to visibly cross off your exercise, weigh yourself, track your food, or whatever else helps to keep you honest.

5. WATCH YOUR SNEAKY HANDS. I can't emphasize this one enough. Dessert trays, bags of treats, food preparation, and any other events with food can allow for forgetful hands. What do I mean by this? I mean that it is really easy to grab little handfuls, bites, and tastes here and there without even thinking about it. Be aware of what you are eating! Little bites (especially of decadent sweets) quickly add up.

Alright Holiday Season...Here we go. Let's DO THIS!! One wintery step at a time.

Let's Talk Eating Habits

One of the most difficult things about working out is food. People would love to think that they can separate the two, but unfortunately it just isn't possible. I've said it once, I'll say it again...(as will the million other people who have said it)...YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. True, there are some people who can get away with eating whatever they want and working out occasionally, and sometimes never. BUT, understand that these people are the minority. My motto of the day?

I have worked with people in the past that think that they can eat whatever they want all day long, and by coming into the gym they will look like a million bucks. If only, right? The problem is, it can take a LOT of sweat and effort to burn a good 500-1000 calories, and it can take about 5 to ten minutes (and scarily sometimes even less time) to consume that same amount. Sabotage anyone?

This is the first thing that I try to drill into the heads of those that I work with. The food you eat will make up about 80 percent of the results you'll get, and your workouts are about 20 percent. So, with my clients, before we even start working out...I make sure they know if you want to see results from the ten million squats, hundreds of sprints, and hours of planks that you're doing...be sure that what you are eating smart. Eat clean. Watch your portions. CUT OUT SUGAR. AND for heavens sake stop eating so much sugar! Be consistent with your actions. Doing things for a week isn't going to do much for you...keep up your efforts for several weeks! If you need some more tips read 10 weight loss tips that work and 10 that just won't.

Bottom line: Make your efforts in the kitchen more than just lifting a fork up and down...kapeesh?

A Surprisingly Good Fast Food Find

My darling roommate is a 6th grade teacher. She happened to have a plethora of tickets from a reading program her school did, and she decided to share the wealth with my family. I kinda laughed when my sister told me to meet the clan at Chick-fil-A, because I was pretty certain that there was not a THING on the menu that I would want to eat.

Well, I was wrong, and I'm not going to lie...I'm a little bit impressed. We used our kids meal coupons to feed the fam, and we were not disappointed. Who knew that Chick-fil-A offers grilled chicken nuggets, and that you can swap out your fries out for fruit? I most certainly did not. It was actually really good!  

 The calorie count is awesome! For the 4 piece grilled chicken nuggets pack it is 80 calories, 1 gram of fat, 17 grams of protein! AND they are made from 100 percent all-breast meat NOT pre-formed meat. It is cut really thin, and without all the fat. I was impressed. This meal was gluten free AND paleo approved...WHAAAAA?
Ummm...like I said...awesome. Also, the fruit cup only has 60 calories in it. Who knew I'd ever be endorsing fast food on the blog? I, of course, think that cooking at home is going to be the best option, but this is pretty dang good if you are on the run!

The winner of the July Jams Giveaway is Amber Handy! Email me at megolina21 at gmail.com and I will get you hooked up with your tunes!!

#30: 30 high knees in place

This one is easy, but great to amp up the heart rate. Just run in place, getting your knees as high as you possibly can! Do thirty on each leg for a total of sixty!

Weekend Workout

Happy Saturday! I just love the weekends. I don't even mind that it is all rainy and cold! My friend last night told me I must be praying harder than he is because for some reason this area hasn't been touched by snow. It is odd how it doesn't feel like winter, but you know I am not complaining.

A few things from the weekend...
- Netflix on my phone is the best thing that ever happened to my cardio. Time FLIES when you are captivated by good TV.
- I went to CPK last night and had a DELICIOUS salad. The grilled veggie salad with chicken is VERY tasty. I ordered the half and had the dressing on the side. CPK is one of those places that can be a little on the scary side when it comes to nutrition facts, but they now offer their nutrition facts online. I think I get a little too excited when restaurants do this. It makes me feel prepared when I know the best items to order! If you know where you are going out to eat for a meal, check out the nutrition facts beforehand. It's worth doing so! You'll be able to make a smart choice that won't throw off your diet completely. You can see the nutrition facts for CPK HERE.
-I am still LOVING my Lose It app. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should. I have been really diligent at keeping track of everything this week, and I was reminded again what an amazing difference it makes when I journal.
- My Saturday workouts make me oh so happy. Today I got in some cardio and some lifting which felt like a great end to a good week of workouts.

CARDIO :
60 mins of intervals on the elliptical. I actually planned on running today, but EVERY single treadmill was taken. Ugh.

WEIGHTS:
35 mins full body

Set #1
3 sets of 15 assisted pull ups
alt with
3 sets of 20 alternating reverse lunges

Set #2
3 sets of 12 squats on the leg press @ 250 lbs
alt with
3 sets of front raises with a 25 lb plate

Set #3
3 sets of 15 push ups with the TRX
alt with
3 sets of 15 triceps presses with the TRX

Saturdays really are the greatest, aren't they? I hope you have fabulous weekend plans. Do you ever check the nutrition facts of the restaurants that you are going to eat at? Do you have any favorite healthy choices at the restaurants you love? I usually go with the salad options with some chicken for added protein.

Preparation. Preparation. Preparation.

Monday's can be a great recharge day. 
A lot of the time for me this means...
getting in a good workout after my rest day Sunday
going to the store to restock on good protein and produce
setting some goals for myself for the week
and getting the motivation to where it needs to be.

Yesterday was a great example of one of those Mondays. After my morning clients I got in a great 60 minute interval session on the elliptical followed by some foam rolling. I was feeling a little sore in one of my hips from the Filthy Fifty Workout this past Saturday, and sitting in the car all day Sunday driving home didn't do much to help that. After the gym I headed straight to the store. I knew that if I didn't I would be eating oatmeal for the rest of the week. I mean I love oatmeal and all...but...let's be real here. I want this week to be an AWESOME eating week, and that takes preparation.

At the store I purchased:
- Cracked pepper turkey for wraps
- Produce (Romaine lettuce, acorn squash, bananas, apples, baby carrots, a cantaloupe, and some frozen strawberries for my protein shakes)
- part skim mozzarella string cheese
- eggs
- greek yogurt
- turkey chili for some Easy Cheesy Chili
- Kashi Golean Crunch Cereal
- Special K Protein Plus Cereal
- Ingredients for Chicken Tortilla Soup (This is seriously the EASIEST recipe ever and it is really good!)

*These are a lot of my standard items. I am usually needing to eat quickly, and these are all great ways to get in some good food quick! 

When it comes to eating it is ALL about the preparation. I don't care who you are...it is the truth. If you disagree with me you are craaaasssyyyyy. So, to help promote my good eating this week I whipped up my Chicken Tortilla Soup today and portioned it out so I could have it to heat up in a minutes notice during the week. I highly recommend preparing you food beforehand. It makes life so much easier, and will help you make good decisions with your food chocies.

 Tonight for dinner I had some of the soup with some quick and delicious acorn squash. If you were wondering if there was a difference between photos from my blackberry and photos from my Rebel just take a gander at these two shots. I forgot to take a pic of my dinner, so both are old pics. Just squint your eyes at the soup and pretend it's not completely blurry.

 My dinner was really healthy, and ready within minutes. There is nothing like a warm bowl of soup to make you feel better when winter starts to get a little too chilly!


What are some of your standard healthy grocery items? Do you have meals that you will make ahead and put in the fridge to help you stay better prepared to eat healthy during the week?


November 29th: Today I am grateful for productive Mondays that help start my week off right. Here is to an equally productive Tuesday!

One year ago today...The Veggie Challenge

Spaghetti Squash Pasta Swap

Pasta is a topic that comes up frequently when people want to talk nutrition. Most people are terrified of it because they know it is higher in carbohydrates, which it is. The processed white flour makes for an increase in carbs, but that isn't usually the huge issue with pasta. With MANY pasta dishes comes a lot of cheese, cream, butter, and all sorts of high calorie and high fat items that can get scary when you're trying to lose weight. There is also an issue with the fact that most individual pasta dishes served at restaurants could probably feed a small family.

Cheesecake Factory's Bistro Shrimp Pasta? 2,819 calories, 77 grams of SATURATED fat, (you're supposed to keep that around 10 grams per day) 184 grams of carbohydrates. GROSS. That has bad news written all over it. I don't even want to think about the fact that this dish is also served with a basket of bread and butter...and let's be honest...probably followed with piece of cheesecake. We could be looking at upwards of 3,000 calories IN ONE SITTING.

You get it.
Now, I hope you understand that pasta doesn't have to be one hundred percent terrifying. Would I suggest you order something else at a restaurant. Yes, I would. BUT, there are some healthier whole grain pasta options that even have some added protein, if you are looking to eat pasta at home. Barilla has come out with some great options that taste good too. Don't be afraid of the whole wheat! I would just say don't make it the only thing you eat. Moderation people.

I do have an alternative option for you if you are really serious about your eating. For one cup of regular spaghetti noodles it is about 220 calories and 45 grams of carbohydrates. Spaghetti squash is an AWESOME pasta alternative, and it is just easy to make. For one cup of spaghetti squash it is about 41 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates.

All you do is...
Step 1: Cut your spaghetti squash in half.

Step 2: Turn it upside down on a microwave safe plate and cook it for 5 mins. Rotate it 180 degrees and cook it for another 5 minutes. When it has cooked for the full 10 minutes leave it right were it is in the microwave with the door shut, and let it steam for another 5 minutes.

Step 3: Pull the squash away from the skin with a fork. It will resemble noodles.

Step 4: Top it with whatever pasta sauce you like. (I vote something tomato based...just saying)

I topped mine with some light marinara sauce and some edamame for a little added protein. This entire dish is about 180 calories with about 10 grams of protein. It would be GREAT to add some chicken in there to up the protein count, but I was going for quick and easy with the edamame.

November 13th: Today I am grateful for my mom and dad. I got to spend some time with them over the weekend, and I just love them...They are the most incredible people in the world, and I don't know where I would be without them. Well, not here clearly. ;)

A year ago today...how to be a weekend warrior...avoiding the pitfalls that an unhealthy weekend can bring.

Have you ever tried Spaghetti Squash? Do you eat a lot of pasta in your diet? If so, do you eat whole grain pasta?

Looks can be decieving...All In a Day's Work

I always joke with the people that know me well that those who don't know me very well think that I do nothing all day. My schedule is so opposite of everyone else's that people tend to not see what I am actually doing all day, which I think leads people to make up their own ideas. I would. ;)

Instance #1: I work as early as 5:45 AM some days, and I usually work until 10 or 11 AM. This means that I am gone and back from half of my work day before some of the people I live around even wake up. A lot of them will see me get home or see my car at home once I am there and just assume I'm chilling at home all day.

Instance #2: I LOVE Elevate, the gym that I work at, and sometimes if I have a break between clients I will workout there. However, as I have expressed before, most the time I go to the Gold by my house on my way home. I know it's weird. I work at a gym, and I pay for a gym pass, BUT it is somewhat therapeutic to me to go somewhere other than work. You get that, right? Well the same crowd of people tend to always be there at the same time as me...around 10-11, and I'm pretty sure they think I just rolled out of bed and finally made it to the gym.

Instance #3: I go back to work in the afternoon usually around 4, and so in the middle of the day my car will be home. I am also a freelance writer on the side, and so when I am at home in the day I do my writing. Those who live around me will often come stop by because they see my car and I'll be in the kitchen working on my computer...I'm fairly certain they think I'm just facebooking.

Instance #4: People see me in gym clothes always...which unless they actually know what I do they often equates to...oh there is the girl who never gets dressed. So lazy that girl.

So, what many individuals see is....
Megan rolling out of bed at 10 or 11 to get to the gym and then she sits home and Facebooks in her sweats. Ummm, I wish? ;) (Not really, but maybe the rolling out of bed at 10?)

When in reality...it's more like
Roll out of bed at 5.
Train until 10 or 11.
Write, write, write until 4.
Back to work...

I guess sometimes what we see can be deceiving, no? 

(This is Colston...he doesn't like to be deceived!)

Sometimes the foods we think are, "healthy" at restaurants can be just as deceiving...

Eating out and making healthy choices can be tricky...

Some prime examples?

Applebees Oriental Chicken Salad
1310 calories
93 grams of fat


Blimpie Veggie Supreme (12”)
1,106 calories
56 grams of fat (33 grams saturated fat)
2,831 mg. Sodium

Quiznos Chicken Caesar Flatbread Salad
1,020 calories
69 grams fat
2,120 mg sodium 

Macaroni Grill​’s Seared Sea Scallops Salad
1,320 calories
91 g fat (25 g saturated)
2,860 mg sodium

Cheesecake Factory French Toast with Bacon2,494 calories
71 g saturated fat
3,542 mg sodium
182 g carbohydrates

Cheesecake Factory Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club
1,752 calories
28 g saturated fat
2,309 mg sodium
85 g carbs 
Cheesecake Factory Grilled Kid's Meal Pasta with Alfredo Sauce1,803 calories
86 g saturated fat
876 mg sodium
70 g carbohydrates

Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad
1,390 calories
89 grams fat
2,710 mg sodium

Cafe Rio Pork Salad
1,260 Calories

CPK Full Waldorf Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
1,570 calories
25 grams of saturated fat
2,082 milligrams of sodium.
  
T.G.I. Fridays Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad
1,360 calories

T.G.I. Friday’s NY Strip & Shrimp
1,660 calories

Quizno’s Tuna Melt (large)
2,090 calories
175 grams of fat (31 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fats)
2,190 mg. sodium

IHOP Colorado Omelette 1,890 calories
47 g saturated fat
4,200 mg sodium
130 g carbohydrates

P.F. Changs Crispy Honey Shrimp
2,110 calories
70 g fat (10 g saturated)
1,815 mg sodium
290 g carbs

 Kinda Scary? YES. 

Just some food for thought...

 If only every restaurant posted their nutrition facts on the menu like Panera does...

Click HERE for some help with your salad choices. 

Are any of these nutrition facts surprising to you?

Sugar...bum bum bum bum bum bum...ohh honey honey...

As I was getting my cardio on today I was watching The Rachel Ray show, and they were talking about sugar consumption. I love this topic because I think if individuals who were trying to lose weight realized that sugar was the reason they weren't dropping pounds they would make some dietary changes. I have people ask me about this all time...about quality of food vs. calories. My answer is always, better to eat good quality food instead of empty sugar calories even if you are restricting your calories.

I have done a bunch of posts on sugar in the past because of this very topic...Instead of rewriting the same things over again I thought I'd just link them up for you!
For the girl who loves pastries you know who you are
For some help on getting through the candy filled times read How to survive the sugar aftermath
Many people are surprised as to what non-candy foods are packed with sugar, for some info on how many grams of sugar are in different foods read this post on The Sugar Low Down if you want some help on quitting your sugar habit read about how to Kick Sugar to the Curb

Like I always say, I am a firm believer in moderation in all things. I think there is room for sweets every now and again, but if you are really looking to lose weight cutting excess sugar out of your diet is one of the best things you can do.


Do you have any more questions about sugar? I would love to answer them for you! Are you a sugar-a-holic? Do you have any good secrets to curbing your sugar cravings?

Eat With Me.

Seriously though, wouldn't it be fun if we could all just eat super healthy meals together all the time? I'd be down. I have had some questions regarding what I eat on a regular basis and why I eat it, so I thought I'd do a few posts of my meals every now and again and give you some explanation. Hopefully it will give you some new ideas!

Today's Breakfast: Chocolate PB Oatmeal

I like to eat oatmeal for breakfast because it fills me up and keeps me full through out the morning. I especially love it in the winter because it makes me warm. In my post on oatmeal a few days ago many of you mentioned that you like oatmeal but the oatmeal packets don't keep you full. I would recommend to you to try using the old fashioned oats that you buy in the big canisters instead. The quick oats (you can find them in the canisters as well and they are the type that come in the packages) are still good for you. However, the slow cook/old fashioned oats are lower on the glycemic index, meaning they won't spike your blood sugar, and they contain more fiber. Instant oats have been processed more than the old fashioned oats have and may have lost some of the nutrients in the process. I use the old fashioned rolled oats for everything. 

My oatmeal procedure: 

Mix 1/2 cup old fashioned oats & 1 cup water in bowl

microwave for 3 minutes, stir, microwave 1 more minute

Add 2-3 TBS ff/sf chocolate pudding mix, 2 tsp of cinnamon (or just a lot), and stir it together

add a few dollops of PB to the top of that

For this combo: 275 calories, 11 grams of protein, 11 grams of fat, 2 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of fiber. 

Sometimes I will add a drizzle of honey or some chopped up banana. 

Today's Lunch: Tuna Wrap & Salad

  

For the wrap I use a La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortilla, a big handful of spinach and an individual packet of tuna packed in water mixed with some fat free miracle whip. I try to get as much protein in at lunch as possible. 

This whole wrap is about 200 calories and 26 grams of protein.

To this combo I add my favorite little side salad.

 I use THIS quick steam method to steam about 10 baby carrots and a cup of broccoli. I put those over a big bed of spinach and then i cover them in mango salsa. You may think it's gross. I think it's DIVINE. salsa is an awesome way to add flavor to your salads without adding calories. I use a little bit of fat free ranch on the side, because I love ranch.

 For this entire lunch, both the wrap and the salad, it is 338 calories, 30 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber. Yep almost all my necessary fiber for the day in one meal. AWESOME. I like to eat this lunch for a few reasons. 1) I try to get a lot of protein. 2) Between the veggies and the protein it's VERY filling, for a very low amount of calories. Vegetables are awesome like that. 3) It's really tasty. It is still weird to me that I can stomach tuna after hating it my whole life. I like to eat foods that are voluminous. A lot of food for a low amount of calories.

Snack: 1 egg plus one egg white

 I knew that I wasn't going to be getting in a ton of protein for dinner, so I wanted my snack to be straight protein. It's quick, easy, and tasty. I fry up one egg and one egg white in a non-stick pan with some Pam. I sprinkle it with a little fajita seasoning, and that is it. 

This comes to 87 calories and 9 grams of protein. If I have more calories to spare I'll add in two more egg whites.

 Today's Dinner: Salad at Pizza Factory

 This pic is kind of a struggle, but you get it. My salad consisted of: spinach, romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, LOTS of beets, a few spiral noodles, edama me, mandarin oranges, pineapple, cottage cheese, sunflower seeds, and some pretzels and goldfish for garnish. I get 1/2 fat free ranch mixed with 1/2 regular ranch on the side and just dip a lil' bit on my fork. The cottage cheese does most the work for the dressing. 

I also split 1/2 a dry breadtwist with Benita. 

Man I could eat this salad. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I LOVE it! It always tastes so fresh and good to me. I try and amp up the veggies and the lean protein here.

I estimate this meal with the bread stick included to be about 450 calories, 20 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fiber.

We also stopped at Maverick tonight for some fat free frozen yogurt. My cone was about 165 calories, bringing my day to just over 1,300 calories. Because of my goals right now I am aiming to eat 1,300 to 1,400 calories per day. When I am eating intuitively I tend to eat about 1,500 calories.

What I would consider pro's about my day:

TONS of fresh veggies.

No "in between" random snacking (handfuls here and there) I am a snacker, so this is big for me.

I made good choices when eating out. 

5 small meals throughout the day.

What I feel like I could improve on:

A little more protein. I ended up with 77 grams and I like to hit 90-100. My dinner was where I was lacking.

I really try to avoid processed white flour at all costs. Pizza Factory bread sticks are my vice, which is why Benita and I always just split one. That way I feel like I get a little indulgence without going over board. 

While frozen yogurt isn't a horrible choice, my last snack could have had some more nutrition to it. 

All in all I'm happy with the day's eating. 

Do you eat small meals throughout the day or are you a 3 square meals type of person? I like to eat several small meals. Probably because I love to eat! What are your favorite salad bar toppings/components? Mine are edama me and beets! I LOVE beets...I love everything on my salad pictured above. it's SO good.

How Many Calories Should I be Eating?

Food. It's so good. If you don't think so you are crazy. It is a huge part of our lifestyle. So many of our social events revolve around food; parties, meetings, celebrations, etc. It's absolutely impossible to get away from it. So, stop trying to. Instead learn to get along with it. Developing a positive relationship with food is essential to a happy, healthy life.

I have had several people ask me how many calories they should be consuming, so I figured I'd offer some help.
Because you see; I love food...

 My mouth is watering as we speak.

Seee....told you. I love it.

Caloric consumption has always been a huge topic of concern for my clients. How much should I be eating? I hate counting calories, but I still want to lose weight. I work out a ton, but I don't see any changes. These are some previous posts on calorie consumption that I've written for your literary enjoyment.

Click HERE to read about finding your basal metabolic rate and how to create a caloric deficit.
Click HERE to read about finding the right calorie balance dealing with losing weight and getting the correct amount of calories for your expenditure needs. 

Hopefully that helps some! If you still have questions let me know.

My disclaimer...calorie counting is not for everyone. It is all a matter of your goals. For those who are looking to lose weight I think that it's very important. Many people don't realize their bad eating habits and food journaling is the best way to determine these habits. If you are working out like a fiend and you aren't showing it on the scale, the chances are you are sabotaging your work efforts with your diet. This doesn't mean you have to become calorie obsessed, just food aware. Finding that healthy balance IS possible. For healthy eating purposes achieving intuitive eating as a habit is optimal. Being able to pay attention to your hunger levels and not just eat whatever you see is not easy to do, and getting to that point is like reaching the top of a very big mountain. The basic truth of the matter; MOST people underestimate the amount of food they are eating. Just because it is "good food" doesn't mean you can eat and eat all day long. This is where the journaling comes in again. It's about learning what works for you and for your body.

Do you count calories? I would like to say that I don't...but I am at the point that I know basic calories of most foods. Even when I'm not writing it down I'm mentally keeping track. Are you an intuitive eater? If you are that is a great! Keep it up :) Have you always been this way, or is this a learned habit?