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