ShopWell

This is a pretty cool free app!  I am sad to say that it is only available for iPhones at the moment, but it is very cool.  If you don't have an iPhone, borrow a friend's and play with the app.  You can also go to the website, but you aren't able to scan the items.

This app is your "Personal Nutrition Expert."  You put your diet needs in the app such as weight management or lowering cholesterol etc. and it tells you which foods are a good match for you.  You can scan food items and it will give that food a score so you know if it matches your goals.  It lists quick facts on each item such as letting you know if it is a good source of protein and calcium, low saturated fat, good source of Iron, added sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, refined grains, and preservatives.  It also suggests alternatives that are better for you.  I have spent the last 30 minutes scanning things in my pantry.  It is so informative!

"ShopWell draws on trusted resources and guidelines set by the FDA, USDA, the Institute of Medicine, and the latest peer reviewed research."

Scheduling Workouts

I am a planner.  I like to know exactly what is going to happen before the time comes.  I HAD to find out if I was having a boy or a girl before I gave birth to my kiddos.  I needed to plan their rooms, clothes, toys etc.

When I am going on a trip, I write lists.  I list what needs to be packed and I list the things we will be doing with addresses and phone numbers.  Needless to say, I am not a huge fan of spontaneity.   Spontaneity leads me to make poor choices about food and keeps me on the sofa instead of working out.

On Sundays, I have been making my breakfasts and lunches for the week so I don't even have to think about what I feel like having each day.  Lately, I have been doing the same with my workouts.  I plan on what workouts I am going to do each day.  I make sure I have a variety of things to do, so that I am not bored.

All of this helps me stay on track.  I don't stray from my plan.  I don't take the easy workout and I continue to challenge myself and complete harder and harder workouts.

What do you do to help you stay on track?

Couch to 5K

Do you want to start running, but aren't sure where to start?

I know a lot of people that have used this conditioning plan and have been very successful.  Honestly, when I first started working out again, I dismissed this program because it seemed too complicated since, with every workout, you had to run so fast for so many minutes and then walk for so many minutes.  That isn't so easy when you are running outdoors.

With this application (available on Android and iPhone) it tells you when to run and when to start walking.  You don't need to time anything.  You can even listen to your own playlists and the application will voiceover or beep when it is time to run or walk.  It takes the guesswork out of trying to time the walk/runs.

This program is only 3 days a week for 35 minutes a day for 8 weeks.  It is no secret that running burns a serious amount of calories and this gets you on your way to becoming a running machine!  I wish I had this application when I first started.  I feel like I started running the hard way and this app would have been so helpful.

Calories in-Calories out

How do you know how many calories you should be eating each day?  If you Google BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) Calculator and put your info in, it will spit out how many calories you can consume per day.  That is how many calories you burn if you didn't move all day long.  Now, if you worked out and burned 500 calories, you can add that amount to what you got from the BMR calculator.  If you eat more calories than your BMR+your workout, you will gain weight.  If you consume fewer calories, you will lose weight.

If there is one thing I have learned from watching The Biggest Loser, it is that a pound equals 3500 calories.  So, if in one week, your total calorie intake is 3500 calories lower than your weekly caloric allowance, you will lose a pound.  If you eat 3500 calories more than your weekly caloric allowance, you will gain a pound.  Make sense?

It is all a game.  You can pretty much eat whatever you want.  If you want to eat that Cold Stone Milkshake in a Love It size for 1427 calories, you are going to need to find a Cold Stone Creamery about 4.5 miles from your house and run there and back at about 6 mph.  :)

Oh Mango....

I LOVE mango... perhaps a little too much.  I can't help myself around this time of year when they are in season.  I've been known to eat one every day.  However, did you know that:

Mango peel and sap contain urushiol, the chemical in poison ivy and poison sumac that can cause urushiol-induced contact dermatitis in susceptible people. Cross-reactions between mango contact allergens and urushiol have been observed.  Those with a history of poison ivy or poison oak contact dermatitis may be most at risk for such an allergic reaction. Urushiol is also present in mango leaves and stems. Wikipedia

So, imagine my surprise when I broke out in tiny blisters all over my left hand.  I had no idea that I would have that kind of reaction.  I have not taken a picture of it and posted it and for that you are welcome.  It is totally gross.  There were blisters all over my wedding ring finger and my pinky finger.  Ewww.

This has not stopped or even slowed my mango consumption, but I felt like I should make you aware of the possible problem because I had absolutely no clue.

The Hungry Girl

Hungry-Girl.com is a great reference for Tips and Tricks to save calories.  You can sign up for her daily newsletters here.  They are very informative and helpful.  She has some great, yummy suggestions.  You can also follow her on Twitter @HungryGirl.  Check her out!

My breakfast...again

My morning routine is drink a cup of coffee and a huge glass of water, workout, drink more water and then have breakfast. I think I have had this breakfast all week....except I replaced the strawberries with mangos for a few days ( I LOVE MANGOS). I think I may be satisfied with this breakfast forever. I can't get enough of the cinnamon cream spread. All of this for less than 200 calories. It is a great way to start my day.

A day in the life...

So today is another milestone day. As of this morning, I have lost 70 lbs. Woo Hoo! Is it wrong that my first thought is to celebrate with a cupcake?

Anywho, I have had many of my friends ask me what I eat in a given day and I am going to try to break it down for you here. I actually eat all day long. It fools me into thinking that I am eating a LOT. My calorie limit per day via myfitness pal is 1380. So here we go:

Today's food intake (yes, I have already decided)

8:00 coffee, splenda and unsweetened almond milk

8:30 workout

9:00 1 piece of ezekiel toast with cinnamon laughing cow cheese and strawberries

10:30, 15 almonds

12:30 Veggie salad with balsamic only and one whole hard boiled egg and one hard boiled egg white

3:00 Fage greek yogurt with blueberries and raspberries

6:30 quinoa salad found here with chicken and no feta

9:00 yoplait smoothie

Hope that helps!

**quinoa salad photo courtesy of Womansfitness.com as I have not yet made this today :)

Diet or Lifestyle?

Yesterday was Easter and it was also my diet "cheat day" and boy, did I ever. I hosted brunch at my house and made baked french toast casserole, spinach and gruyere breakfast strata, cinnamon rolls (see photo----> ) and sour cream coffee cake from scratch, ham-egg-and cheese croissants, bacon, and home fries. For dessert, I made a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream (to celebrate my dad's birthday) and Easter themed cut out sugar cookies with icing. I did not count the calories in myfitnesspal. I am not even sure if I would have been able to.

When reflecting on the day with my husband, I told him that I felt like an alcoholic who took a drink after not having had one for months. After eating all of those rich, delicious treats, I keep looking for more and it took a lot of will power to not continue eating the junk. I was smart at least to send the left overs with my guests, so the temptations weren't so bad.

I am glad that today is like any other day again and I can get back on track. The structure seems to work better for me. I know where I stand with my diet at all times. After all of these changes though, this isn't really a diet, is it? It isn't like I am going to stop what I am doing and go back to where I was a year ago. I think I just need to remember that. One day is not going to send me back to a year ago. It is ok to take a day off and eat things or everything that is not good for you. Just go to bed, wake up and start over again...the right way.

So, I refuse to feel guilty about my actions. It was VERY yummy and today is a new day. I'm back to recording numbers in myfitnesspal and working out a little extra, pretending like it will undo all I did yesterday. LOL!

My Motivation

These jeans were my rock bottom. The fat on my sides used to lop over the sides. They were tight around my thighs. They were the only jeans I had that fit and I refused to buy a larger size. That is when I decided it was time for a change. I couldn't live that size anymore. Not only was it unhealthy, but it made me unhappy with myself. So I started working out 3 times a week and making changes in my diet. It started out slowly, but when I started feeling differences in my clothing, it only motivated me more.

Believe me when I say, if I can do it, ANYONE can. I was a mindless eater. I gave absolutely no thought to the things that I would eat in a day. Now, I know that if I want to have ice cream later, I need to make a few adjustments in my diet during the day. There isn't anything I deprive myself of.

Even on days that I had absolutely no motivation to work out, I would convince myself that it was only 30 minutes. I could do it. After I did it, I was glad I got off my butt.

Last night, my husband was reading the blog and said that he couldn't believe that I had lost almost 70 pounds. It is hard to tell when you see your spouse every day and it comes off gradually. I sent him this picture this morning and asked, "Do you believe it now?"

I will never wear those jeans again.

Goal Weight

When I started my weight loss, I made a realistic goal to shoot for. Then I reached that goal and made a new one. Then I reached THAT goal and made a new one. I think I am on my 4th weight loss goal at this point. I am very, very close to my next goal weight, but wonder if I should just continue doing what I am doing and see how far I go. I mean, I AM eating (probably the healthiest I have ever been) and I AM working out (hardly obsessive about it). How do you know when you have reached the goal your body decides is best for you? Just wait until you stop losing weight? I guess I haven't thought this through as much as I thought. With my next goal weight looming near, I find that I really don't have the answers yet... hmmmm. How do you know when to stop trying to lose weight and just work on maintaining?

Easter eggs!!

Look at what my family did last night! What do YOU do with your hard boiled Easter eggs?? All I can think of is egg salad, tuna salad, potato salad....and those aren't the most low calorie thing to make.

*side note....I had 1 egg and 1 egg white in my lunch today and found it very cruel peeling the shells off of eggs with faces.

Calorie Burn Calculator

Since I use the Myfitnesspal App on my smartphone it also calculates the number of calories I burned during my workouts and adds them to my total so I can eat more during the day. Sometimes it is hard to determine how many calories I have burned, so I found this Calorie Burn Calculator and it has A LOT of different activities listed. All you do is put your weight in and how many minutes you performed any of the activities listed, and it gives you the amount of calories you burned during that activity. Pretty Sweet!

My Cheese Obsession...

I LOVE CHEESE! It's true. I love it more than one person should love cheese. I have tried breaking up with cheese entirely, but I just can't stay away. This week I have been snacking on The Laughing Cow products. I will spread the cheese on bread or celery for a low calorie snack. or add the cheese to sandwiches. The spreadable cheese wedges are between 35-45 calories a piece and the Mini Light Babybel is 50 calories. Soooo Gooood!

What's for lunch?

I took a trip to Trader Joe's today and came home with a lot of yummy goodies! Today, I am having an open faced turkey sandwich, spread with Laughing Cow Veggie cream cheese and some mango. So delicious! Ezekiel bread has 4 grams of protein a slice and is low glycemic, so it keeps you fuller longer. I have a feeling, I will be having this for lunch tomorrow as well.

Total Calories: 292

Almond Milk

This little gem is a great calorie cheat. It is only 40 calories for a whole cup (less than half the calories of skim milk) and you can replace it where you use skim milk. It is pretty tasty in your coffee and in your cereal in the morning. I'm not going to say that I was so excited about the calories that I saved that I dunked a shortbread girl scout cookie in my coffee at breakfast. :)

Am I a health nut?

HECK NO!!!! Am I trying to be healthier? ABSOLUTELY! My goal at the start of this was to be fit by 40. Quite honestly, I am not sure I was really fit at 20 or 30, so I figured it was a good idea to start since it isn't going to get any easier to get healthy after I turn 40. I have never been as active as I am today. I feel great. My knees don't bother me as much since I have lost weight and I am so much stronger...remember my "big guns" I mentioned in my medicine ball post? :)

I have learned so much about food and fitness. I am not saying I was ignorant before, I am just saying that I ignored the facts. Serving sizes are printed on packages for a reason. You should never think that it is OK to sit in front of the television, watching....ummmm, let's say, The Biggest Loser, with a pint of ice cream (hides face in shame). I am just more aware of the things that I eat.

Yes, I count calories. It keeps me accountable. I also workout 6 days a week. Quite honestly, a lot of the time, I work out so I can eat more. I love to cook and to deny myself cheese is the worst thing in the world to me. On the weekends I also have been known to drink the occasional martini or red wine. All of it is counted. If I am going out to eat, I look at the menu online to pick what I am going to eat before I arrive at the restaurant.

I also like to try some new things that I can replace higher calorie foods with so that the calorie count is lower. For instance, replacing milk in my cereal with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, or putting Tofu Shirataki noodles in my stir fry instead of brown rice. It is like a game for me sometimes.

Every week, My husband and I have a cheat meal. This is a meal that we eat whatever the heck we want. I can't completely stop eating the things I love. Last weekend, I had wings and onion rings. Heavenly. Did I work out that day to try to make the calorie hit a little easier? I sure did. Then I had a relaxing evening in with my husband and had a martini.

See? I am far from a health nut. As they say, "All things in moderation." Who knew that actually worked? Not me apparently. Ahh, I am so wise now in my old age.

My Favorite Snacks!

At about 3:00 in the afternoon, I am dying for a snack! I try to eat something every 4 hours or so and 3:00 is just about that point in between lunch and dinner. Some of my favorites are:

Multi-grain Peanut Butter Cheerios (My NEW favorite)

Almonds

Pop Secret 100 calorie packs

Edamame

yogurt

Pop Chips (BBQ flavor)

Frozen grapes

low fat string cheese

If I have the extra calories for the day, I eat anything at all covered in Nutella. :)

What do you LOVE to snack on?

My Best Friend: Myfitnesspal

For the last 3 months, I have been using the Myfitnesspal App on my iPhone (also available for Android phones). It is my electronic food journal. In the app, you add in all of your information like your current weight, how much you want to lose, how often you plan on working out and it gives you a target caloric intake. If you try it out, don't panic because it factors in that you will 'earn' calories back by working out.

I love that I can scan the barcodes on foods and it adds it with all of the calories and nutritional info automatically. It is so fast and easy. If, for some reason, it doesn't find the food, you can always search for it or enter it in manually. You can also use it online here. It is a calorie counter and has a huge database of foods. It even has a place where you can add your workouts (which adds more calories for you to consume in the day).

Yes, there are days that I workout so that I can consume more calories. I am not going to lie, I can't be on a completely strict diet. My husband has been on this weight loss journey with me since the new year and we have one diet cheat day a week. Most of the time, we still work out that day so that we don't blow it too huge, but nonetheless, it is a day we look forward to. The cheat day is great because you really feel like you earned it and that one day does not really throw your weight loss off.