No cheating Allowed!!!

For two years now I have been on a journey! It's called my health and fitness journey.  It has been a learning experience, an adventure, and a great accomplishment.  When Timo and I decided we were going to start going to the gym and eating better we did not change our entire lifestyle overnight.  In my opinion if you make to many drastic changes at once your more likely to give up.  It takes time, patience, and learning what works best for your individual body.  At first we thought eating healthy all week and working out meant on the weekends we could indulge, eat or drink anything we wanted.  After research and the lack of results this was considered binging.  If you eat healthy all week and then eat crappy all weekend your just undoing all the hard work you did.  Your body is going to hold on to all that unhealthy fat and sugar. Okay, so we decided on Sundays (football day) we would be a little more lax on the foods we ate.  Before I knew it I was eating everything I possibly could in that one day and by Monday I felt like I was starting all over again.  So now I was at a plateau I didn't want to totally give up the things I loved but still couldn't get myself where I wanted to be.  First, I cut out alcohol (other than a drink or two at dinner), most sugars other than with coffee or a good treat from time to time, salt, and bad fats.  I learned how to redesign recipes to make them healthier and made my own snacks.  Meals were planned ahead and I started tracking what I ate.  Tracking your food helps tremendously because you know what you are eating and how much of it you are eating.  Results started showing more and more, my fitness abilities were increasing, and I was feeling great.  Next, I had an issue with my cheats because it seemed like once I had one I convinced myself it was alright to have another and another and another.  Before I knew it I was cheating with an entire meal or not eating so good for an entire day.  One cheat is okay meaning a snack or a drink but it is not okay to just keep thinking you can have another and another all in one days time to the point your so full you make yourself sick.  Diet takes discipline plain and simple.  My diet is completely transformed and I am still learning.  Yeah I get funny looks from co-workers because I skip the bagels and doughnuts for breakfast.  Speaking of bagels did you know one bagel is the equivalent to one loaf of bread? Yikes!! Sometimes my family and friends don't understand the way I eat but its okay I have learned to deal with it.  Remember one bad cheat leads to another and another and you are back at square one.  If you don't have a drink with dinner who cares just revel in the fact that tomorrow your going to kick ass in the gym.  Now I am not going to say I don't enjoy some of my favorite ice cream from time to time or an ice cold beer with dinner every once in awhile.  Learn what you can do and what you can handle.

Obesity!

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in our country.  In fact the United States has the highest obesity rate in the world.  Being obese means you have a BMI (body mass index, fat to height ratio) of 30 or greater.  It is estimated that 35.7% of adults are obese and 17% of children are obese.  Recently there was a study done in Albuquerque and 8th grade students are pushing 100lbs.  So why the increase in obesity?  We are what we eat.  Due to an increase in fast food restaurants and easy to make processed foods and a lack of time management adults and children are gaining a significant amount of weight.  My instructor in my health promotion class always said if you get your food through a window it isn't real.  Kids are going to eat whatever their parents feed them and whatever they watch their parents eating.  I hear the excuse all the time "well I just don't have time to cook for my family or it's easier to stop at a drive thru"  which in my opinion are all pathetic excuses.  Any child suffering from obesity is 100% the parents fault.  More than half the time the parents won't admit that its their fault and don't seek help until the problem is out of control.  Obesity leads to Type II diabetes, heart disease, fatty organs, and bullying.  It is hard enough to send children to school these days but imagine how kids that are obese are teased. With the growing epidemic I have made it my mission to focus on obesity and children suffering from the disease.  This summer I will work with a diabetic educator and nutritionist that specializes in children with diabetes and obesity. 

Update!

Hello! Yes its been awhile but school, work, and now a wedding have kept my plate full.  Eventhough I am a busy bee I am still doing some very interesting research.  I am working on a research paper for school about the good and bad effects of a high protein diet and I can't wait to share the finished product.  I have set a new goal for the spring yes I am going to start running thanks to a great trainer!! I think she is more excited about it than me at this point.  New recipes are in the works and I will also share those.  Recently I read an article titled "The Skinny Gene"  in this article they discussed the growing rate of obesity in America.  I knew it was bad but I was shocked to see the stats.  The problem with obesity is continuing to grow and it is starting with our children.  It really is sad to see.  Obesity is a BMI of 30 or more factors to consider are height, weight, and fitness level.  This study shows that in 1985 14% of the entire population of the United States was obese.  In 2006 33.3 % of adult men, 35.5% of adult women, and 16.3% of adolescents between ages 2 and 19 were obese.  That is a huge increase!  Which means more and more people are suffering from disease.  This is something to think about how can we change our increasing obesity rate and what can we do in our own family to prevent it!

Works Cited:
The "Skinny Gene"-Obesity and its Causes

Opening Day!

Football is an American pasttime and one of my favorite times of the year.  Looking back to last year and all the junk food and beer we had things have definitely changed.  I have always loved cooking and baking but what I made was not always the healthiest.  Often times Hooters was the best place to go to watch football.  There is nothing like having wings and beer when watching the game.  Today I woke up of course excited knowing that I would get to watch football all day.  I spent the day considering what to make.  Of course I wanted to do something healthy that I didn't have to feel to guilty about later.  I have a few snack ideas to share with you!

Homemade Chicken Tenders

Here is what to do:
Pre-heat EVOO about 1/4 of the pan  medium to high heat in a large frying pan

3-4 large chicken breasts (cut into strips fat trimmed)
1 cup oats (ground into a flour like consistency)s
1/2 cup of wheat flour
3 egg whites, 2 whole eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste
Paprika

In a shallow dish coat the chicken strips in the egg.  In another shallow dish combine the flour and oats with salt and pepper then coat the chicken strips.  Place chicken in preheated oil and cook until golden brown then turn over.  Place on paper towel to drain the excess grease and sprinkle with Paprika.
Serve with light bbq sauce, teriaki, or mango sauce.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2 Packages fat free cream cheese
8 oz fat free sour cream
6 oz frozen chopped spinach
1 can artichoke hearts chopped and drained
1 tsp. garlic powder
Parmesean Cheese to garnish

In medium pot melt the cream cheese with the sour cream on low heat stirring constantly to keep from burning.  In small saute pan combine spinach and artichokes and saute.  Once cheese is melted put garlic and add spinach/artichoke mixture.  Stir until combined and sprinkle with parmesean cheese.

This dip goes great with vegetables such as carrots, celery, or cucumber.  If you must tortilla chips

Last but not least you have to enjoy a beer

Large Chilled beer mug
Your favorite LIGHT beer
The juice of one lime
Sprinkle with sea salt
Pour over ice!

The Green Chile

Its that time of year that all of us are familiar with.  Green chile like many is my favorite time of year.  The smell of the roasting green chile is almost intoxicating.  I  love to drive by the store just to smell the chile roasters.  As a child growing up I remember coming home from school and my favorite snack would be a fresh homemade tortilla with fresh green chile.  In fact today I have set aside to do my green chile roasting which means my house will be filled with that yummy smell.  I know there is nothing like fresh green chile warm off the roaster but packaging and freezing green chile can last up to two years.  Many of us myself included didn't realize the health benefits that this chile pod has.  Green chile is filled with nutrients and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins A, B, C, niacin, folate, and amino acid.  The vitamin C content of chile has so much vitamin C it has almost a whopping six times the amount of an orange.  Wow that means it is a huge immune booster.  The hotter the chile the more benefits such as speeding up the metabolism, helping with sore throats, and working as a sleep aid.  Green chile is low in fat and calories and high in fiber which aids in proper digestion.  Today I will be making my homemade chile sauce.  A healthy kick eat it combined with pinto beans and low fat cheese on a whole grain flat bread!

The Green Chile Farm
Photo Courtesy of: R. Rivera-Anaya

My Journal August 10, 2011

Happy Hump Day Bloggers! Here is day three of my example journal

Breakfast:
Oatmeal
Scrambled Egg Whites
Green Tea

Snack:
1/4 cup almonds
Cherry Tomatoes
Celery Sticks
3 tablespoons of hummus

Lunch:
1/2 Sweet Potato
Grilled Chicken Breast
Steamed Green Beans

Snack:
Apple
Protein Shake 1 scoop of whey protein powder and water

Dinner:
Grilled Chicken salad with Romaine corn, black beans, and balsamic citrus vinegarette

Wednesdays are always my favorite days to workout! I do pilates fushion classes with my favorite trainer!  She really kicks your butt.  Remember to keep track of your portion sizes. Water, Water, Water!

My Journal August 9, 2011

Hear is day # 2 of my food journal!

Breakfast:
Oatmeal
4 Hardboiled egg whites
Green Tea

Snack:
1/2 Apple
Water packed canned tuna

Lunch:
Grilled salmon
Spinach
1/2 Sweet potato

Snack:
1/2 Apple
Protein shake 1 scoop of whey protein mixed in water

Dinner:
Sauteed Chicken Breast with Vegetable stir fry mix

Today was purely a cardio day! I did a 45 minute spin classes biking 16 miles and burning 550 calories.  Don't forget 1 gallon of water a day!