Cheat Day...and the Rest of the Week!

Today is my "cheat day" where I allow myself one treat. I started this recently because Hey! You gotta enjoy a treat once in a while, but I tend to go over board when I have them often. For the rest of the week I stick to a diet low in refined sugar and enjoy the natural sweetness of healthy foods...Yes, even in vegetables!

To continue with a healthy diet I want my treat to be somewhat "healthy." I put together these Oatmeal Raisin cookies today by substituting regular ingredients with healthier choices and decreasing the amount of more unhealthy ingredients, like butter. Next time I make them I'm going to try different types of flours/grains (like oat, spelt or even quinoa) and different sweeteners. But today they turned out great with the perfect amount of sweetness. One reason why I do this is that my body doesn't tolerate junk/super sweet food very well anymore because of my recent change to an even healthier eating style! This is a wonderful thing.

Here's what I came up with today...

2/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sucanat
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon (I love cinnamon!)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cup rolled oats.
Raisins

Have any of you heard of sucanat? A friend of mine introduced it to me recently. It's basically unrefined sugar and even has a good vitamin and mineral content! And the volume content of actual sugar is lower vs. refined sugar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucanat.

Here is the eating schedule I have decided to follow.
This is what works for me. Other people might do better allowing themselves a small treat every day or more leeway in another area. If you can have the willpower to not go overboard, by all means do. But following an eating schedule that will encourages the healthiest eating possible, with the most nutrient-dense foods possible will ensure the healthiest YOU possible!! I don't believe in dieting, I believe in healthy eating.

Monday- Friday

• Clean eating
• Fruits & Vegetables (Lots of salads for me!)
• Lean meats (chicken, fish) and beans, unsalted non-roasted nuts
• Only whole grains but not many servings
• No dairy (I'm finding that my body's not a fan of it!)
• Healthy oils from natural PB, all-natural salad dressing, olive oil, etc...
• Low in saturated fats, refined sugar and salt.
• I avoid white foods: potatoes, refined grains, and excessive amounts of salt.

Saturday/Sunday

• One cheat day with a treat and one serving of red meat with dinner.
• Clean eating

One tool for healthy eating from Beachbody that I love is "Michi's Ladder"--> CHECK IT OUT! I LOVE having a simple list telling me what foods are best for clean eating and what foods might be a better choice over a similar food item. I've also heard great things about MyFitnessPal.com and how it's wonderful for keeping track of what you're eating, and being able to easily look up a certain food and see calorie/nutrition content, etc.

What has helped me change my diet?


The #1 thing that has help my diet is Shakeology!! I used to be a HUGE sugar-aholic. Now I don't crave it nearly as much. Hardly at all actually. Shakeology is great for curbing cravings for junk and sweets and I am living proof. The #2 thing has been getting junk food (specifically those sweets for me) out of the house!! You are much more likely to eat something when you have easy access to it. And #3 is chewing gum! If I am craving food (especially at night) when I know I've already had plenty to eat, I chew my favorite flavor of gum, Doublemint and it helps tremendously!

One thing is for sure when it comes to nutrition- it's a continual learning process! It's important to continue to learn about nutrition and fine tune your diet the way you need to.

An Update & Staying Committed to Fitness During the Holidays

Hey Everyone!!

I've completely gotten out of the habit of blogging about my workouts for the last two weeks...and the more time that passes, the more daunting the task becomes (anyone else ever felt that way about blogging?) I also got a little side-tracked with my contest...and life... :) But, I'm back and I'm here to update you all on my P90X journey. Although I haven't been writing much about it, I've continued doing my P90X workouts every day possible (I've only missed a few days, including the last couple days since I got a cold) and continue to rock it! I just get more and more excited about this journey as time goes on. I absolutely love working with Beachbody, helping others get fit, as well as myself. I am always thrilled to hear how Shakeology and Beachbody work out programs are helping others.

So...since I have a lot of make-up, this blog entry will not go into a whole lot of detail for each day I've worked out, but at least I'll be back on track with documenting my progress. :)

So, in one of the last posts I wrote, I talked about some of my goals for taking this endeavor to the next level of commitment...specifically with getting my workouts done in the morning, increasing the intensity level in my workouts, and eating even healthier. I feel that I am not yet meeting these goals 100% but I am doing a lot better. I've gotten up to workout in the morning as much as possible. This might not be a real practical goal for me at the moment...but as some certain circumstances in my personal life change soon it should be more of a practical goal. Basically, sometimes the need for more sleep in the morning, to be able to function happily throughout the rest of the day is more important. Although I'd LOVE to be able to get my workouts done earlier in the day, sometimes my schedule has to be adjusted...as does anyone's.

However, if you can help it, I definitely recommend getting workouts done as early in the day possible. Having those extra endorphins to kick-start your day, not having to think about getting your workout in for the rest of the day, and having that time later in the day to get other things accomplished is a great thing. However, it is so incredibly important to get daily exercise, so it has to happen sometime...even if it's later in day or evening.

As for increasing the level of intensity in my workouts, I feel I am doing very well in that area. For instance, on Tuesday I did Plyometrics and I was so excited about how strong I felt and how hard I was able to push. It's days like this that really keep me motivated with my P90X journey. When I work so dang hard everyday to improve my fitness, it's so exciting to see progress. While doing Plyo I was squatting lower and performing the moves at a faster pace. I'm finally able to touch the ground during certain squatting moves where there is room for modification (such as touching your knee or leg instead of reaching all the way to the ground.)

I haven't written much on this blog about nutrition and healthy eating...And this fact really nags at me because this topic is 85% of the struggle that people face when working to live a healthier life or lose weight. I'm waiting for an opportunity where I can really focus on it (it will happen), to help myself and others understand even better JUST HOW MUCH we need to focus on healthy eating. I wouldn't say that I have neglected it completely, as I have written about Shakeology, (which is an incredible tool for getting your diet and health on track.) But I hope to soon focus more on nutrition in general on this blog. I can guarantee you that if you are only focusing on one aspect of healthy living, such as exercise, you might not see the best results. Healthy living has to be the whole package deal...getting good sleep, drinking water, healthy eating, exercise (both cardio and resistance), etc.. When we can commit to the whole package that's when the REAL results come. And that is the standard to hold up against any type of fitness/health program...Do they focus on the whole package? I know that Beachbody does, and that's why I stand by them.

(Doesn't this look amazing? I'm going to make it this week...Click here for the recipe)

But I am happy to report that my eating habits have been WONDERFUL the last several weeks. And this makes me so happy. There is still room for improvement, but I seriously haven't eaten this well in long time...or maybe even in my whole life:

For the most part, I've kept junk food out of my house entirely. I believe this to be the most important change I've made so far, as it helps both me and my family eat healthier. And not only have I done well to steer clear of stocking my cupboards with junk and sweets, I've also been more selective of the other foods that I eat: Eating more natural, whole, raw, unprocessed foods, and even some certified organic foods. I drink only water and I shoot for at least 75 oz. per day. And also with cutting out extra sugar by avoiding even certain "healthier" foods. I have done very little eating out (and only Subway when I have.) And of course, I drink Shakeology daily which has a low glycemic index level, encourages more fruit in my diet as I like to include food like strawberries & bananas in my shakes (plus Shakeology already contains antioxidant-rich fruits), helps to satisfy my cravings for sweets, and keeps me full. The more I research Shakeology and healthy eating in general, the more excited I am to share it with others.

As the Christmas/Holiday season approaches, I feel an even greater excitement and appreciation for the commitment I've made to healthier living. The holidays are notorious for encouraging inactivity and weight gain (the average is about 6 lbs, read this great article for tips on keeping the pounds off while celebrating the holidays.) But I've decided that the holiday festivities are not going to get the best of me this year, or any of the coming years...my health and body count on me for the other 11 months of the year. I am making exceptions for certain days like Christmas to enjoy a few holiday treats, but other than that my eating is/will be clean. I encourage all of you to think about how you spend your time during your holiday breaks and what you eat...Do you really need that extra piece of fudge or that cookie? Or are you eating it just because it's sitting there? It is possible to celebrate these wonderful holidays while keeping on track with your health and fitness goals. And it's even possible to START working on such goals during the holidays.

I wish you all Happy Holidays and a Healthier New Year!!