Making it easy!

It is my goal in this blog to teach a healthy everyday lifestyle.  All this information I bring to you is not to make you feel overwhelmed or suppressed in your eating, rather give you the freedom to take control of your life through your health today.  The best way to get into the water is to slowly get your feet wet and ease into it.  And that is what I recommend with any major overhaul of your life.  I want these changes to become habits and the best way to do that is to not feel overwhelmed so that you fall off the wagon.  I recommend that you make small goals for yourself.  When I first started off becoming in control of my health I weighed in at 190 after having my 3rd child and felt tired and sluggish.  I started first with watching what I ate through the wonderful program weight watchers.  About a month later I introduced exercise into my "habits".  I personally started off with mostly cardio, however after learning what I have this is not the best choice as I have discussed this in my previous posts with the different types of burn states we can get into.  To refresh your memory you can find it here.  And now I am here lifting weights, eating healthy and taking walks and bike rides in the evenings, with occasional all out splurge days.  I have now been steady for the last 3 years at 140 lbs and between 18-20% body fat.  I tell you all this because I want you to understand that this is a process and in order for it to stay off and be healthy, it is a slow one.  So here is where the goal setting comes into play.  The next major even on the calender is the 4th of July.  And I urge you to set your goal.  My recommendation would be at no more than 5-6 lbs.  So take your starting weight subtract off those pounds and get to work.  This is a manageable goal, not only does it make it realistic but it gives us an opportunity to celebrate.  Often when I reached my little goals I would go buy myself one pair of nice fitting jeans or shirt whatever the case may be, but it made me excited to see my clothing fit differently and made me work that much harder to reach that goal.  But don't stop there, set the next goal as well.  And DO NOT look at the finish line.  The facts are....if you are making small changes, than your body WILL react and become healthier!  And while lots of us want to fit into the "skinny" jeans we once did or wear a swimming suit and feel comfortable, I really think the real success is in the future.  Are you preventing diabetes, or high blood pressure?  Are you preventing aches and pains?  Becoming active and eating healthy are life changing goals and should be seen as the ultimate prize. 

Now off of my inspirational speech for the day :) and onto something very helpful and best of all FREE!!!  Every Day Health is a website that is free with a simple registration that has a calorie and activity tracker!  You enter the foods you eat and it finds the calories and subtracts them from your daily allotment.  It even does the math of how many calories you need daily to loose weight.  It has tons of food ready and available to enter in as well as the options to create your own foods!  You can enter your exercise for the day as well and it will add those calories to your daily limit.  Remember we want to eat those calories because we are already reducing our caloric intake as it is, the extra burn will take away nutrients from our muscles and we do not want that!  But how nifty is that, Jake has been using it for a while and I just decided to start.  I wish I would have started sooner, it is so convenient.  Yes I know some people don't like messing with the computer, but it gives you all the information that you need.  I even figure out what I am going to eat for the day and enter it in in the morning so I can see what else I get to eat :)  For instance if I know I'm going to have a protein bar for a snack in the afternoon and a protein shake in the morning I enter them in right away so I know that they are already accounted for.  Well that is my tidbit for the day, happy calorie counting!

Weigh your options

ACCURACY

This is what I have pondered for the last few days.  I am of course a mother of 3 and therefor, as any other mother knows, there is always left over food on my children's plates when they finish eating.  Here is where I will quickly insert that no I do not force my kids to eat every bite on their plate, I want them to eat till they are full and not learn to stuff themselves because their plate still has a few bites on it.  That also being said I do not supersize their food portions on their plate either.  I try to be realistic about it and make them have a few bites of everything without teaching them to overeat regardless of what their little tummies are telling them.  Wow, back off the bunny trail here....why I say this or bring this up is because most moms, especially smart ones, hate to see food go to waste and so quickly eat up those two small bites of hot dog and 3 bites of macaroni left on their child's plate.  Now if you are not a mother or father and am still following me here this goes for all of us out there, it's a major big news flash......if you'r full DON'T clear your plate.  There is only one time when you should do this and I will talk about that later, however for now this is where I have you.  Every extra bite that you eat is extra calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sugars that you do not necessarily need.  I know for moms it is the hardest thing to do, but you must not eat the leftover food on the plate.  If you insist on doing something with it rather than throwing it away stick it in a small container specifically for that child for the next time they say they're hungry.  My point in all of this is that in eating clean I recommend actually figuring out and keeping track of your daily caloric intake.  While there is much more to losing weight and building muscle then just the calories, this is where we will start.  Now if you keep track of your calories as I suggest here, that extra bite will add hidden calories that you do not keep track of.  While this seems minut in nature, it can add up and be a stumbling block for your success. 

Now how many calories should you eat?  Well that's a very good question and one that is different for everyone and continually changing for each of us.  Here is the guidline for those of us looking to cut fat from our body.

Current weight x 15=to maintain your current weight. 

So in order to loose we subtract 500 from this number and that is our daily caloric intake to lose weight.  If you are done cutting fat by chance and want to add lean muscle than add 500 calories of lean protein and other healthy choices a day.

Now here is my next recomendation and one that I refered to earlier in the post about when it is crucial to eat all that is on your plate.  When we are keeping track of our calories you will find the best success in weighing your food.  It may seem tedious at first, but gradually it will become part of your day and even interesting.  Sometimes I will guesstimate how much an ounce of almonds is and then put it on the scale and realize I shorted myself quite a bit and could have eaten more.  Sometimes the opposite happens and I realize I added way to much and could have added upwards of 100 calories that would not have been tracked.  Now try not to gaff at those measily 100 calories because weight management is a simple equation. 

1 lb of fat = 3000 calories 

That means that your daily intake needs to only be 500 calories less then what you need to maintain your current body weight in order to lose a lb a week.  And that was the equation I gave you earlier to find out what that amount is exactly for you.

Now I have a simple scale similar to this one Jake bought for us at Wal-mart.

I believe the total cost of it was about $15 and it has been very useful!  They have different models as well that range in prices from cheaper to more expensive.  I suggest as you go on your journey you get your hands on one of these nifty kitchen gadgets and use it to the fullest.  You will find with time that you can eat a lot of fish for very little calories but get barely any almonds for the same amount of calories.  So it is useful to you to find out how much you can eat.  Eating clean with lean meats and vegatables actually leaves you very full and uses very little calories.  So as you figure out what you are going to eat today also figure out with accuracy how much you really get to eat and weigh your options!

~Recipe of the day today is a chocolate muffin for all the chocolate lovers out there!

Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffin
Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 c oats
• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain low fat yogurt)
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or 1-1/2 Tbsp. vinegar)
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup sugar substitute (like Splenda granular) OR 1/4 cup + 2 tbs stevia
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or use white chocolate or peanut butter chips!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with foil cupcake liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.
Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in 1/2 of the chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.
Place muffins tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven (but don’t shut oven off), and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. *Note, you could skip this step by putting all of the chips in the batter, and baking the muffins for 12-15 min straight, but this method gives the muffins the traditional ‘VitaTop Muffin’ look with the chocolate chips on top!Cool muffins before removing from pan. ENJOY!!!
Servings: 12 Big Muffins or 24 Smaller Muffins
Calories: 116 Calories Per Muffin or 58 Calories Per Muffin

Mind over Matter

Now I do not understand the Spanish written under this picture, but I do understand the picture.  What I see when I see this dog is her will to live, to move, and to accomplish life to the fullest regardless of her circumstances.  Not only has she overcome horrible odds, but she is inspiration and joy to those whose life she touches. 

Our journey in health, while NOTHING compared to this dog is also about our willpower.

Sticking to a healthy diet and working out regularly can feel restricting at times.  It can almost make me at times literally bummed out.  When I make my kids cookies, I really want nothing more than to eat them all, by myself!!!   But it is my willpower that keeps me from devouring every cookie as it comes out of the oven.  I have to continually tell myself, and yes I often say it out loud several times, I want to be healthy more than I want this cookie, I want to be healthy more than I want this cookie!  And you know what......sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  But I rejoice in the times it does and I don't get down on myself when it doesn't.  We have to remember that the more we use our willpower, the easier it becomes to say no.  Why?  Actually it's a science, the less carbs and sugar we have in our body, the less we crave it.  So it actually works, the more you use that willpower the stronger it gets!  Woohoo, you only have to get over that 72 hour hurdle!

Now here is the great news, it's OK to cheat every once and a while!!!  YAY!  Actually, it's even beneficial to your metabolism if you've been really sticking to your diet for 5-6 days that you do have a "cheat" meal or snack.  Your body becomes so used to the lower calorie lower carb diet that your metabolism will actually slow down.  By cheating a bit on day 7 your metabolism goes "oh no sugar and carbs I have to work really hard, ah shock!!"  And it's ok for someone who is really struggling with staying on their diet to give themselves a cheat meal every 4 days and work up to every 7 in order to stick to the "diet" and eat healthy for 3 days knowing they get to cheat on the 4th!

This is key, sometimes we all forget this especially when we step on a scale!  This will lead me to my next recommendation.......STAY OFF THE SCALE!!!!  The best way to track your progress is through a cheap sewing tape measure or just simply how your clothes fit.  If you read my last post you would see that 5 lbs of muscle and fat look significantly different, however they both weigh 5 lbs.  So it goes to say that if you are gaining muscle and losing fat you may not necessarily see the scale go down, but will notice the inches come off.  So taping is a great way to track yourself and keep yourself in line for success. 

It's tricky sometimes, but really ....



So are you ready to change?

~Recipe of the Day~  This is yummy, a healthy alternative to a lemon bar!

Lemon Protein Bars

Calories: 86
Fat: 1 gram
Carbs: 10 grams
Protein: 9 grams

Click To Enlarge.
Lemon Protein Bars.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 qt mix Crystal Light (preferably without aspartame)
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal
• 8 oz baby food applesauce
• 4 oz water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Mix oat flour, vanilla whey protein, salt, baking soda and crystal light, in large bowl.
   
3. Mix egg whites, Splenda, applesauce and water in a bowl.
   
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
   
5. Spray 8x8 glass pyrex dish with non-stick butter spray.
   
6. Pour ingredients into dish.
   
7. Bake 23 minutes.
   Makes 16 squares, 2 squares per serving

Burnin' the Fat

Well I have amazing news for everyone out there who hasn't started a serious workout routine but really wants to cut the unwanted excess fat.....high intensity cardio for a long, consecutive period of time anywhere more than 15 minutes is going to put you into a state called catabolic instead of the anabolic burn you want.  Here is the difference:

Catabolic(what we don't want)- is the metabolic breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones to be used for energy....ie the breaking down of muscle tissue

Anabolic is the state we want to stay in and is the repairing and building stage of the muscle tissue.

So here's the deal, that high intensity cardio makes your body run through the "at hand" energy and say "hey I need some energy".   Your muscles store 2/3 of your bodies glucose.  So as you can guess your body says, well I have all this supply here I can use, and I'm going to burn that instead of fat because I know I'll have enough stored energy to burn through during this hard workout.  So now you have just become conterproductive.  Muscle burns more fat and keeps your metabolism higher, so we DON'T want to burn our muscles, we want to build them up.  As you can see in the picture above 5 lbs of fat looks much differently than 5 lbs of muscle.  You could never see the scale move but become a whole new you by building lean muscle and getting rid of that excess fat, and this catabolic burn will eat away at that muscle tissue we want!

When you exercise at a rate where you can still converse....yes you do have to be doing more than a poky walk, its more like a rate that is quick but at which you can still carry on a conversation with your girlfriend.....your body doesn't see the need to jump to that reserve in your muscles and just continues to slowly eat away at the available energy in your fat stores which are simple molecules and don't need to be broken down.

Now that does not eliminate all types of High intensity training, a very popular type of training is called H.I.I.T. (High Intensity Interval Training), where you go through a short burst or sprint and then slow down and bring your heart rate back down.  This is GREAT as your body while in the sprint is such a short time that it never sees the need to switch to the catabolic burning of glucose in the muscles because your confusing it by bringing your heart rate back down.  This gives you an optimal burn of those unwanted lbs because those short bursts really burn through your readily available pudge and the short walks keep it doing just that!!

So there the brisk Mall Walkers and easy bike riders got it right after all.  That's why they are such healthy people, they keep their body in the anabolic burn!  Great news right, no need to die on the treadmill or bike tomorrow. 

Now my word of advise is doing this in the evening, this maximises the benefit!  30 minutes of this cardio in the evening before bed will burn away the extra carbs from the day.  Doing this prior to bed will send you off to bed with an empty stomach.  Now if your building lean muscle you can eat a slow digesting protein before bed, like some of the snacks I've mentioned in my previous posts, but if your looking to burn that fat this is great.  You have burned off the extra carbs and this means your body will go directly to your fat stores for energy throughout the night while your sleeping!  Yay burn baby burn all while I get my 7-8!

So I hope this was good news for you, I know it was great news for me and my knees when I found out this tidbit of information.

Happy Cardio!

~Recipe of the Day~

Jamie Eason's Pumpkin Protein bars
(My afternoon snack is 4 of these yummy bars, and you get 24 from one 9x13!!!)

Nutrition Facts:

Nutrition (without walnuts): 1 square = 47 calories, .7 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3.7 g protein

Nutrition (with walnuts): 1 square = 63 calories, 2.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 4 g protein

Ingredients:

• ½ C Xylitol Brown Sugar Blend (Ideal) (I do 1/4 cup xylitol and 1/4 cup brown sugar to make the blend)
• 1 - 4 oz. jar baby food applesauce
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground clove
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 - 15 oz. can of raw pumpkin
• 2 C oat flour
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein
• ½ cup almond milk
• ½ C chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.
3. Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well.
4. Add the final 3 ingredients (4, if adding walnuts), and mix until incorporated. Spread batter into the Pyrex dish and bake for 30 min.
5. Makes 24 squares.

I Can't Squeeze a Dime Out of This Protein!

A girlfriend of mine asked me the other day what some healthy protein options would be for those on a budget.  And this question, I of course, brought directly to Jake, my beau.  I had my basic options but I wanted to address this question to him as well.  I am of course a mom of 3 and understand that budgets are important and even more than that sometimes tight....eeeek.  So how do we eat "clean" on a tight budget???  I think this may be the question of the decade.  As we see America's waste line growing we do not see our healthy food options getting cheaper :(  It is a sad reality. 

So we need to fight the bulge and the empty caloric intake of the cheap food and seek out a healthy, cheap lifestyle.  After all feeding 3 kids, two of which are boys, through their teen years is going to pinch the pennies for sure! 

And so I bring you my ideas:
*First buy one tub of vanilla protein powder for baking and keeping healthy protein snack options on hand.  I understand that the initial upfront cost is great, but the return and the time it takes to use those 70 servings is great.  Here is what I use and you can go down and get it right at your local GNC.

*Turkey bacon....great protein and cheap.  To make it crispy to dump over salads and seep away the grease place it inbetween 2 paper towls and microwave it for 2 minutes per 2 slices.

*Chicken, your local produce store generally will have some great sale prices on the fresh and frozen bird watch it and stock up on it when its there. 

*Gardens-Now I know that most of us don't live out in the country these days, but most of us have a 4ft by 4ft area in our small "lawn".  I urge you to check out square foot gardening, its a great way to plant a small garden in any area and get the most out of it! 

*Buy in season-If strawberries are in season and cheap buy them and freeze them, bananas are always cheap and what some people don't realize even cheaper at their local Kwik Trip(however banans are a quick carb and should be eaten prior to or directly after a workout).  I guess the point here is if it's not in season, try to buy minimal amounts.

*TUNA-yes the good old meat in a can, it is high in mercury so we don't want to eat it frequently, but is definitely great on the budget. 

*And hey its summer time, who doesn't love to fish!!!  Go catch your own dinner :)  Barely any carbs and fat and a great meal and omega 3's and something we should aim to eat at least 3 times a week!

*Top Round....the leanest cut of meat on the beef, so actually pretty cheap.  I like to buy "slices" of it as if a steak and cut and cook it in a pan with just some salt pepper and garlic powder on it and cook it to medium so it's pink in the middle.  This helps to keep it tender and juicy due to the lack of fat for flavoring in this cut.  I only flip it once to keep the juice in the meat as well.

*Eggs Eggs and more Eggs......almost made ya gag didn't it? :p  Yes eggs are the cheapest source of protein we can find and we can use them everywhere.  Hard boil them and dice up the white and put it on your salad, or in your tuna.  The ideas for these are endless.

And so there are a few of my ideas for healthy cheaper eating.  I guess when it ultimately comes down to it, "clean" eating is not necessarily the cheapest way to eat.  But in the long run when you consider medical bills and other issues that come from eating the other junk, the cost upfront far outweighs the potential cost for not doing it.  So it's a lifestyle choice and sometmes makes us look for the dime in the middle of our eggs, sadly we probably won't find it......but hopefully with these options we might find a few pennies every other egg :)

~ The recipe for the day is a yummy favorite of myself and my kids.....Jamie's Monster Meatloaf Recipe!  YUMM :)  And you cannot beat the nutrition facts.  When you cut this into 24 pieces in a 9x13 you look and think they are tiny, but 2 pieces is about 6 oz and all you need for your protein for dinner!  And the best part is, it tastes delicious!

Nutrition Facts:
Makes 24 servings
Single serving = 83 calories, .7 g fat, 3 g carbs, 15 g protein

Ingredients:

• 1 12-oz package chopped onions and peppers, thawed (or 1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or paste)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp tomato paste (no salt added)
• 3 lbs extra-lean ground turkey (or chicken breast)
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup reduced sugar ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prep a 9-by-13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray. In a large sauté pan, cook the onions and peppers with salt, pepper and thyme until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Next, add garlic, soy sauce, chicken broth and tomato paste, mixing until heated through. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, egg whites, oats and sautéed mixture (cooled). Mix by hand until all incorporated and press flat into the 9-by-13 prepared Pyrex dish.
Spread ketchup in an even layer on top of the prepared turkey and place in the oven to bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Makes 24 servings

Egg whites again.......

So how many days must I eat egg whites in a row, there are only so many ways to doll them up and make them somewhat tasty?  Well the answer to that question is a sad reality.  A LOT!  It happens to be a breakfast food thats packed with high protein and minimal fats and carbs.  So every morning I cook up myself 5 eggwhites and have myself a small starch, generally a serving of cream of wheat, or quick oats or even 3 lightly salted rice cakes.  The point is not that it is the most tasty breakfast in the whole world and I am just dying to eat it......no not at all.....the point is it is the best fuel for my body to cut the fat from my body, that simple.  I have learned a lot from my beau in my life and one very important food thing is just that, it doesn't matter if it tastes good, what matters is if it is the best and most nutricious fuel for your body!

Yikes right!?!  Does that mean I have to drink V-8 juice, please no not the vegitable juice.  Well lucky for me I can get all my nutrients through fresh or steamed veggies and can stear clear of the nasty stuff.  My point is not that your life is going to stink because you are going to have to eat awful stuff, most of the food you can tailor to your liking and do great, my point is that eating clean to get the body you want takes dedication..............and if you haven't gotten to the point where you'll eat egg whites daily to get that body, then I'm afraid you just may not want it bad enough.

I say this as I chuckle because just a few weeks ago I just worked out very well and ate "nutricious" but would never sacrifice flavor.  I LOVE food, so I was not willing to give up taste for my body.  But then it hit me, I really want that body!  Not for anyone else, but for me!  And I am willing to give in now and sacrifice to get it.  I have cheats and everynow and again I dig into that chocolate chunk chocolate ice cream, but because I have been eating so good it doesn't effect me at all, and that is AWESOME!! 

And so if your like me you may not be to the point where egg whites is your ideal every day breakfast, but to finally look the way you really want to is an absolute glorious feeling I cannot wait to feel..............and so it is with that note I grudgingly yet happily take a bite of my oh so boring egg whites.

~Jazz up your egg whites this morning with Salsa!!  I know this isn't a recipe per say, but some people don't realize the tasty snack mixed in their egg whites just adds vegatables and no fats or carbs, so go ahead and mix in a bunch of your hottest tastiest salsa and enjoy!  And take a look at this link from bodybuilding.com on some other great ways to cook up your eggs.

Diet???

So there are many diets out their, but in reality a diet is just what we consume daily.  The key in health and nutrition is, as I said in my previous post, eating "clean".  Our caloric intake should not be looked at as a restriction, but what we feed our body to keep our metabolism running and burning the unwanted weight or fueling the muscle growth we are looking for.  It really is quite basic...lean protein, lots of vegitables a few healthy fats and minimal starches.  Also it is key to eat throughout the day to keep our metabolism running and our mind off of the munchies.  I tell you what if it's 2 oclock and I had lunch at 11 or 12, I am looking for an afternoon cookie!! 

This is a lot of information and a very little all at the same time.  I suppose what I am getting at is your diet isn't what you do during occasions to loose weight....it's a lifestyle choice.  This is where my wonderful man is going to be helping us greatly, him and wonderful fitness/model Jamie Eason.   She is an amazing woman in the fitness model industry and someone who I find some amazing recipes from and a great inspiration as she is also a Godly woman and I think that's amazing. 

So Diet???  Diet as America sees it....NO....clean eating is what it is and we will get more into it as my blog evolves....Gotta keep you commin back for more :p 

So here is another packed with a punch of protein no carb snack for your before bedtime sweet tooth :)

Now I modify this recipe as follows to cut out the carbs from the milk and add a little sweet

1 pint unsweetened almond milk
1 cup protein (whey) powder
1 pack of gelatin
1 small pack of stevia
Heat up milk, gelatin and stevia on stove when hot but not scalded remove from whisk in the protein powder till dissolved.  Pour in bowls and cool in fridge :)  Enjoy.  This is stinking delicious!!  Tastes like a real cheat.

On a funny mom of 3 and health moment all in one, yesterday my children came home from school looking for their after school snack.  Much to their dismay, I had surgery on Monday and there were no "snacks".  I say there were none because normally I would have something sweet baked for my kids or tasty yogurts or something to that nature made for them to snack on.  Well I had none of this anywhere to be found.  I, as were they obviously dismayed by this and quickly panicked.  Well who would have thought that all my clean eating would come in handy and maybe rub off on my children.....probably actually just out of starvation for the day, but one can dream......they grabbed whole carrots peeled them and each ate 2!!  Yay for clean eating and a healthy snack, they didn't even have any unhealthy full of fat ranch dipping sauce.  Probably a fluke but sure made me happy.

My Plus 3

My plus three :)  Here are my precious plus three in my life.  This will be my blog to help others who may be seeking fitness ideas or support for themselves as well as a way to keep myself accountable.  I am in the middle of a year long divorce process and my ex lives in another country so I am here in America just me and my 3.  Oh but very important as well, I just recently met a wonderful man who happens to be very important to me and loves me and the kids dearly.  It just so happens that he is extremely into fitness and even going back to school to get his B.S. in Health and Fitness Specialist.  He is my own personal trainer, as he is impeccable with diet and nutrition and has some of the most amazing workouts for me.  Really I hate to say it as I am an avid foodie, but most of that great physique you want is in eating clean.  Of course you need to find time to get in the gym to lift weights or take an evening brisk walk to burn the extra carbs off before you go to bed, but sadly (for me a sweets lover) clean eating is key.  Here is the good part, I have found some amazing recipes that really hit that sweet tooth while giving me the protein and keeping the carbs and fats low in my diet and I cannot wait to share them with you! 

My First rule of thumb...
~NO carbs 3 hours before bed
That does not mean you should not eat before bed, a high protein no carb snack is in your future for that evening craving.  But if we get rid of the carb intake before bed, and feed it protein our bodies will be able to maintain and sustain our metabolism through the night!!  Yay!  So here is your first evening before bed very minimal carb snack.  Now I am going to tell you, it's sadly not ice cream but it does hit the sweet tooth and fill you up.

~Egg White Protein Cake~
5 egg whites
1 scoop protein powder
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 packet stivia

First whisk in a glass or microwaveable bowl the 5 egg whites and protein powder.  Put in microwave for 1 minute.  When it is done mix well and add almond butter and stivia.  Put in microwave for 2 minutes.  Enjoy.


**Please understand I am not a dietician or nutritionist, nor am I a personal trainer.  I am just a mom of 3 sharing my fitness ideas with you all.  Please contact your doctor with any questions or concerns.