How long will it take me to get skinny?!

We all want a quick fix answer, but here's the thing... there is no real quick fix when it comes to weight loss that actually stays off and I'm living proof. It has taken me literally years to work off the bulge but I'm a lot stronger person because of it. Sure, you can go on some crazy fad diet and probably drop some water weight quickly, but in order to keep it off, you have to change your life! Start a whole new routine!

If you figure out that typically I gym about 3 days a week on average, sometimes more, and I spend about an hour at the gym, plus I walk the dog several times a week, sometimes for 30 mins, sometimes for an hour or two, my average workout time is about 4 hours per week, almost every week... that means that in one year.. I will have spent about 208 hours "working out"...

Sure, that may sound like a lot... but consider this... there are 1248 hours in one year... 208 hours is NOTHING,... you do that sitting in front of the TV four days a week for an hour at a time, or shopping, or on the phone with family and friends. We all have busy lives... but.. if you take 30 mins a day... 7 days a week... that's 3.5 hours..

So, walk your dog, or take your kids on a walk, or walk with your friends or partner to meet friends for dinner or coffee or a light beer.

Play outside in the sunshine and take in some vitamin D while you're at it.

Do 30 mins of vigorous housework, vacuum, sweep, mop, dust, pull out the furniture... before you know it, 30 mins is gone.

Do something to help you get moving!

Go bowling, play putt-putt, go to the batting cages, play frisbee in the park, join a fitness class.

It's easier than it sounds... and before you know it, you'll be craving that feeling you get from being active. Whatever your fitness level is, there is something you can do.

What do YOU do to work out??

Frozen Meals - don't knock 'em til you try 'em...

Here's the deal, I LOVE to cook, but a lot of times it's easier for me to grab a quick frozen meal that has all the calories calculated for me and can give me a large variety of flavors. On a typical week day I will eat a frozen meal for lunch. Now, I know that they have a bad wrap, being full of sodium and preservatives. However, some frozen meals have no preservatives (Lean Cuisines) and have as much sodium as that can of soup you've been eating instead, or that fast food grilled chicken sandwich. All I'm saying here is, they haven't killed me yet and I can't tell you how many hundreds, possibly thousands of these things I've eaten in my life time. Also, as an added bonus, they're cheap! Often $2 a piece. That's only $10 for 5 lunches and unless you've been living in a cave like the Geico cavemen, that's a hell of a deal.

So, for you skeptics and people that have never tried a frozen meal, I've outlined some of my favorites. Oh and in case you can't tell, Lean Cuisines seem to be my frozen meal of choice - they also have a lot more options!

Enjoy:

Lean Cuisine - Tortilla Crusted Fish, Santa fe Rice and Beans, Spaghetti & Meatballs, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Margherita Pizza, Fajita- style Chicken Spring Rolls, Chicken Margherita, Sweet and Spicy Ginger Chicken, Asiago Cheese Tortelloni, Chicken in Peanut Sauce, Roasted Honey Chicken, Fiesta Grilled Chicken, Orange Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Parmesan Crusted Fish, Chicken with Lasagna Rollatini, Meatloaf with Whipped Potatoes, Cheese Ravioli, Classic Macaroni and Beef, Chicken Enchilada Suiza, Four Cheese Cannelloni

Smart Ones - Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach, Terriyaki Chicken and Vegetables, Orange Sesame Chicken, Ravioli Florentine, Three Cheese Ziti Marinara,Sweet and Sour Chicken, Macaroni & Cheese, Lasagna Bake with Meat Sauce

 

Healthy Choice - Asian Potstickers, Roasted Chicken Verde, Spicy Caribbean Chicken

Kashi - Mayan Harvest Bake, Red Curry Chicken, Southwest Style Chicken, Lemongrass Coconut Chicken, Pesto Pasta Primavera  *Kashi's are a little more expensive, but sometimes they have better flavor, plus their's are all natural.

The importance of eating breakfast...

So you've heard your whole life breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but maybe you never learned why that is the case. Breakfast literally means to break the fast from over night. When you do this is kick starts your metabolism and your body begins burning calories. When you don't eat breakfast you are essentially prolonging the fast from overnight which may cause you to over eat later in the day.

Don't just take my word for it. Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. is a Nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic and this is what she had to say on the topic:

Here are some of the ways regularly eating a healthy breakfast may help you lose excess weight and maintain your weight loss:

• Eating breakfast reduces your hunger later in the day, making it easier to avoid overeating. When you skip breakfast, you may feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix, such as candy from the vending machine. In addition, prolonged fasting — which occurs when you skip breakfast — can increase your body's insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity.

• Eating breakfast gets you on track to make healthy choices all day. People who eat breakfast regularly tend to eat a healthier diet — one that is more nutritious and lower in fat. When you skip breakfast, you're more likely to skip fruits and vegetables the rest of the day too.

• Eating breakfast gives you energy, increasing your physical activity during the day. A healthy breakfast refuels your body and replenishes the glycogen stores that supply blood sugar (glucose). Skipping breakfast is associated with decreased physical activity.

Unfortunately, more Americans are skipping breakfast. If you're one of them — whether you're trying to save time or cut calories — you may want to reconsider, especially if you're trying to control your weight.

Here are some of my favorite breakfast foods, in under 200 calories!

Yogurt - many people like yogurt, I do not, but I do recognize the benefits yogurt has to offer. There are many many brands and generic brands you can purchase for dirt cheap, in tons of flavors, plus it offers those pro-biotics which are all the craze right now! Calories range from as little as 60 per serving to as much as 230!

Oatmeal - one of my personal favorites! If you're in a hurry you can buy the instant oatmeal - but I would stick to the low sugar or sugar free kinds, otherwise you'll be consuming a lot of sugar! If you like to make up your own combinations a 1/2 cup of regular rolled or quick oats only contains about 150 calories. You can toss in dried fruits, nuts, frozen or fresh blueberries, raspberries, swirl in a tablespoon of jam or jelly, a tablespoon of peanut butter or nutella, whatever your heart desires!

Eggs - maybe you're a traditionalist and you want eggs... go ahead! Try not to consume more than 2 per day due to their cholesterol content, or buy the egg beaters which have zero cholesterol and half the calories.

Bacon - I eat bacon, quite frequently. Center cut bacon is a better cut of meat and is only 50 or 60 calories for two slices. Try it!

Grits - Another instant fix. You can buy quick grits in single serve pouches or in a canister. Either way, a serving will run you about 100 calories. It's okay, go ahead and toss in 1/2 tablespoon of light butter and bring it up to 125 calories for the meal.

Bagels - I love bagels, but they are packed with hidden calories. My suggestion - buy either mini bagels or Thomas' Bagel thins. Some mini bagels are 140 calories for 2 bagels. The bagel thins will run you 110. Go ahead and add 1/2 tablespoon of butter, or jam, or light cream cheese.

1.8 more pounds down... 98 pounds lost!

I am now 2 pounds away from 100 pound weight loss. At 132 pounds I feel incredible! However, I still have some toning and strength training to do in order to firm up some areas. It didn't take me a year to balloon out and it won't take me a year to tone up, gain strength and firm up that skin.

The thing you have to realize is that (and I'm sure I've touched on this before) this is not a quick fix diet. This is a lifestyle change. You have to make choices every day that effect your nutrition. Whether to eat the donut or muffin for breakfast or a bowl of oatmeal. Whether you make a quick run to McDonald's for lunch or to Subway. Whether you make grilled chicken for dinner or fried chicken.

It won't be easy. But you will settle into a routine that you will feel good about. A routine that you won't have to keep such a close eye on. This will become a way of life you can feel good about... trust me. Don't give up on yourself, you deserve to be healthy, happy and feel comfortable in your body.

Mexican Pizza... 100 calorie packs... and YOU!

Mexican Pizzas...
In case you haven't read any of my posts before... I love to make little pizzas with soft taco sized tortillas. They give you the taste you want, without being overloaded on calories.


Today I made a "Mexican pizza"...

2 ounces of Laura's Lean Beef
1 Azteca brand soft taco flour tortilla
1/4 cup of reduced fat shredded mild cheddar cheese
6 jalapeno slices
2 tablespoons of chopped onion
garlic powder
cumin
black pepper
salt

Cook your ground beef with seasonings and onions. Spray the bottom of a pizza pan and place one tortilla on top. Top tortilla with beef, jalapeños and cheese. Place under broiler for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

only 250 calories!!


Super easy. Super quick. Super tasty.... and better for you than Taco Bell.


Now of course you can add peppers or more cheese or more jalapeños or whatever you want and just adjust your calories.

Make your OWN 100 calorie packs...


Sure, we all love convenience, but we also all love a good deal and a great price. The problem with things that are "snack size" or "100 calorie packs" is that they jack up the prices because they are using more materials to manufacture those individual portions. So, make your own. It only adds a few minutes to your grocery trip days.

I like to buy the snack size zippy bags or the smaller plastic containers like Gladware. All you need is a little math or a scale. Most chips, pretzels and snacks are portioned out by serving size which tends to be 1 ounce. However, most 1 oz snacks that we love are more than 100 calories an ounce... so... use that elementary math!

Example: Bite Sized Tortilla Chips (24 chips - 1 oz. serving - 150 calories)
150/24 = 6.25 calories per chip
16 chips = 100 calories... so throw about 16 chips in a baggy! Your done! 


You can do this with anything you like to snack on... veggies, chips, pretzels, cookies, fruits, nuts, etc. Oh and also, don't be fooled by those "Perfect Portions" individually wrapped chicken breasts. Convenient? Yes. Expensive? YES! Just buy the skinless, boneless chicken breasts and cut them to the ounces you want, place them in freezer bags, write on the outside the quantity, ounces and date with a Sharpie. It's perfect!

Last thing and most important... what tips would YOU like to know? 
Do YOU have any questions or stories you'd like to share? Maybe you have your own tips!

Please comment below!

At my home away from home... the gym!

Okay, so this isn't exactly the gym, but it IS the locker room!

now that spring is here... how about some salads?!

Most of us tend to eat heavier in the winter. We crave warm comfort food, bowls of soup, pot roasts, chili, mashed potatoes... (now my mouth is watering...) but my point is in the warmer months, we tend to eat lighter. One of my favorite things to eat in the summer... salads!

Salads do not have to be boring. They can be whatever you want to make them! Here are 3 of my favorites...

Tuna Salad for Two

2 cans of Albacore tuna in water
2 tbsp of Miracle Whip or Light Mayo
2 tbsp dill or sweet relish
2 boiled eggs (chopped)
1/2 cup diced onion (white or yellow)
2 Romaine hearts (chopped)

Total: 275 calories per person

This is so so simple, drain the cans of tuna, mix in the mayo, relish, eggs and onion and refridgerate for 20 minutes or so. (This is a personal preference ... I don't like room temperature tuna salad). Chop up the Romaine lettuce and disperse equally on a plate. Halve the tuna salad and top the lettuce. Viola! Packed with protein!

Roasted Vegetable Salad

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 zuchinni (medium)
1/2 package of white button mushrooms
3 oz. baby carrots
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of onion
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
olive oil spray (spray pan)
2 cups spring mix or romaine lettuce

Rough chop the vegetables into 1" or 1.5" pieces except the mushrooms and baby carrots. Toss in olive oil. Place all vegetables except mushrooms into roasting pan in the oven on 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Add mushrooms during the last 5-7 minutes. Roast veggies until slightly charred. Top spring mix with vegetables.

250 calories total (This makes a large salad!!)

Goat Cheese, Cranberry & Candied Pecans Salad

1/4 cup goat cheese
1//4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup Target Archer Farms Honey Cinnamon Almonds (slightly crushed)
2 tbsp. Ken's Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinagrette
2 cups baby spinach

360 calories

Toss all this yumminess together! Sweet, salty, tangy, delicious!