Sugar, Sugar~

Good Morning~Hope you are having a good week so far. I'm amazed at how quickly time is flying. For almost 2 weeks (already) I've been using the FitnessPal app and I absolutely love it. I used one last year and the food database was terrible so logging was a pain in the rear. I was very resistant to start this time but I'm sure glad I did~they even have specific recipes that I've gotten from my Clean Eating Magazine already in there....how awesome is that?

One of the main reasons I wanted to begin logging my food is to try and see exactly what my macros are so I can get a clear picture of what I need to tweak.  I mentioned macros before ~they are the ratio of fat/carbs/protein and for me SUGAR! This is the calculator I use http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm. There is a link at the bottom of my blog also as this is one of my go to sites for info.

These days the calories aren't quite as important since my weight goal has been achieved. I'm more concerned about fat loss & gaining more muscle (which may even lead me to consume more calories).  This is where the macros come into play and most importantly for me~the SUGAR! I can't begin to tell ya what an eye opener the journaling has been. If you ask me I will flat tell you that I avoid sugar and don't consume very much~well, boy was I WRONG!! I cannot believe how much sugar I am still consuming and I'm trying to avoid it like the plague~YIKES! Imagine people who don't even pay attention to their sugar consumption....they are probably eating cups per day! It's scary, scary, scary! I can't even begin to imagine how much sugar my husband consumes as he puts sugar on Raisin Bran and it almost gives me a heart attack, sigh. That's one for another day....:-(

If you haven't already~find the ABS expert on Facebook and friend him~he has all sorts of tips and he said something the other day that really struck a cord with me~if you want to see your abs you need to get your sugar consumption down to 18 grams per day!!!!! Ha~I'm not even close. Even the veggies that I juice have some sugar in there~I mean, red cabbage, which is one of my favorites to juice has quite a bit of sugar in it~who knew!

I know a lot of us (including my hubby) who watched the Dateline or 20/20 special about Sugar being poison a few weeks back and I tell ya~I do believe it! One of the leading causes of the onset  of Type 2 Diabetes in adulthood is sugar and white carbohydrate consumption since our bodies convert that to sugar also~and it's in everything!! Always read your labels, try to stay below 5 grams of sugar, and try to get sugar from natural sources~fruits and veggies. Even staying below the 5 grams on packaged items (we do have to consume some unfortunately), the 2 grams here~1 gram there adds up over the course of the day! Now, the guideline for 18 grams or less is to see abs but for most of us on a normal basis~it's virtually impossible to stay below that amount~even if you just eat two pieces of fruit per day, early in the day, we are going to be over that! So that's just something I threw out there and not a realistic number to follow~interesting stuff though!

My point is this~sugar, in any form other than natural, is bad, bad, bad. It's highly addictive~when you go without sweets for some time, the craving for them goes away, and as soon as you eat something sweet, what happens~you start wanting it again!! Happens to me too! Read your labels~ if ends in "ose" or syrup~it's sugar!!! If you don't have your settings on your FitnessPal calculating your sugar consumption~set it up to see what you are consuming! It's a big part of the process especially in loosing belly fat and a real eye opener!! Don't give up the fruit though~just don't eat it like candy either!! I'll definitely have to watch it since berry season is upon us and I love my berries!!! Have a great weekend!!

Food for thought:
Drinking sugar is the easiest form of sabotage!! Be careful especially with the fruit juices. Eat your fruit~don't drink it! Believe it or not, it took an entire bag of apples, juiced, to make 2 cups~now that is scary! Would you eat an entire bag of apples?

Accountability with Food Journaling

Hope you had a wonderful Easter. It's so hard to believe we are already almost half way through April....yikes. Seems like this year is flying by and has been busier than usual, hence not enough time for blogging. I'm still here so stay with me...:-)

As we round the corner of Spring, bikini season is on our heels and I'm not quite where I need to be~how about you? Those weekends, holidays, and the upcoming cookouts are definitely recipes for disaster if we don't tread lightly. I know I completely blew it for Easter so now is the time to buckle down and tighten up the  "cheat" eating~there's still time. We do deserve to enjoy our holiday meals and our weekend cheat meal but those are supposed to be just one meal, not an entire weekend. We all know the saying~give and inch, take a mile....LOL. As I've said before~it is a slippery slope.  I am just as guilty  especially if my mother ~in~ law's chocolate creme pie is around....:-) The best way to really be held accountable and honest about everything we eat is to do a food journal. I logged my food last year and quickly realized I wasn't eating enough food. This is an excellent way to see a complete blueprint especially for those of us concerned about macronutrients (the ratio of carbs, protein, & fat). Sometimes it isn't just the calories but the carb to protein ratio could be slightly out of balance, or it could be the sneaky sugar in unsuspecting foods. Manipulating the breakdown can make a huge difference in the long run of results.

Our smartphones are an invaluable tool to use in tracking food. It's convenient and hey~who leaves home without it!! I've tried a few different apps over the years for logging food and it seems that www.myfitnesspal.com is the best out there. Thanks to all of my friends who are using it and have recommended it to me. This one even allows you to calculate the calorie content of your personal recipes which is huge.  It definitely takes a little extra work every day to log your food but it is worth it. Sometimes just knowing you have to put it on paper enough to keep us on track. None of us are perfect and as we know~the weekends can totally kill all the hard work we put in during the week if we aren't careful.

For those of you already using the fitness pal app~look me up.....I'm Jessboisvert . Let's keep one another accountable~I love seeing all the hard work you guys are putting in. So incredibly inspiring. Keep it up ladies~

Love

Jess

SMOOTHIE SEASON~MY FAVORITE!!

It's that time of year, folks. Whether we are ready or not~it's not too late so don't put off starting just because it's right around the corner. For those of us who have been "started"...it's time to kick it up a notch into HIGH GEAR!! One of my absolute favorite snacks this time of year is smoothies!! There are a gazillion recipes out there for them but I prefer to come up with my own concoctions. There are a few simple rules to follow when making your smoothies in order to make sure you have all the proper nutrients but not too much! The basics are:
* liquid- 1 cup (8 oz) is all you need. It's one serving.
Unsweetened Almond milk, Flax milk, Soy milk, Coconut milk, Fat Free Milk, Coconut water, or even just plain water.
*Carb~ there are a lot of variables here depending on when you are drinking the smoothie but I simply prefer uncooked, raw Oats. 1/4~1/3 cup. If it's after a hard workout or run I'll add a banana.
*healthy fat~almond butter or other natural nut butter 1 tsp., coconut oil 1 tsp., 1/2 avocado
*Whey~I never, ever, ever make a smoothie without Whey protein!!

other additives: flax seeds (ground), kefir (unsweetened, organic, low fat), berries & other fruits (frozen are perfect, Greens (spinach is my favorite)


I'll be sharing some of my favorite recipes with you~play around and be creative!!!

YUMMY~

Jess

Chicken Taco Salad

This salad is fantastic!! Enjoy!Who needs Taco Bell...:-)...:-)

 Two Chicken Meat Muffins***
6~7 Romain Hearts cut into bite size pieces
1/2 c. black beans
1/4 fresh avocado chunks
1/4 c. goat cheese
Tiger hot sauce to taste OR salsa


***
~1 lb. ground chicken (organic/free range if possible)
~2 eggwhites
~1/4 c. whole grain breadcrumbs (Ian's)
~1 tsp. each of ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, & smoked paprika.
~1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
~few douses of Tiger hot sauce

Sprinkle tops of muffins with more smoked paprika if desired prior to baking!

Bake 350 for 45 mins. in muffin tins~makes 6!!

Be creative when using the mexican flavored muffins~makes wonderful wraps, salads, pasta salads, etc. Have fun with it!

Broccoli & Eggs~

Eggs with a side of Broccoli or
Broccoli frittata . There are quite a few ways to enjoy this super breakfast. Try it~you won't regret it!! 

Spinach Pasta

Who doesn't love pasta? I certainly do especially with an Italian hubby~So, I cook two different types of pasta so I can enjoy it also. I always cook extra and measure it out in bowls for lunch the next few days. Add leftover sauce or enjoy with tuna or salmon drizzled with lemon juice and a 1/2 tsp. EVOO.....Yummy!

REMEMBER: 1 serving of pasta = 1/2 cup......measure it out until you know what that looks like!!

An Appointment with YOU~

As we move more into fitness, first things first~MAKING TIME for yourself. Everybody says the same thing..."I dont' have time to work out". No one has time~you have to make time. I literally have drawn up a workout calendar that specifies exactly what to do each day. Once that cycle is complete I make a new one and change it up a bit.  It's on my fridge right in front of my face. If I don't put it on the calendar and schedule it like an appointment then it doesn't happen. Also, figure out what time of day is best for you and stick with it. The only part of the day when I have time is very early in the morning. If I don't go then~I won't go. I prefer the hours before the regular day begins, that way I don't feel guilty about taking time away from my other obligations. The hours between 5 am ~ 8 am are MINE!!

Now for those of you with kids~I hear it all the time..."I have kids, I don't have time to workout". Ladies, everyone I know has kids and I can't even imagine how tough it is .  I've got to tell ya~I'm amazed at what some of you are able to accomplish. Most work full time, run businesses, have multiple children, some have multiples, and you still  make time for taking care of yourselves. I'm in awe of your ability to manage it all~sometimes I struggle without having the lil people in my life, so kudos to you. You are MY inspiration and help keep my tail on track....:-)

So, make sure to write it down. Try and stick with somewhat of a schedule to make it easier. Once you have a routine down you'll be more likely to stick with the plan. Remember~failure to plan is planning to fail.

Hugs~

Jess

Food for thought: 

Consistency is key to success. It takes 2-3 weeks to create a habit! Summer is just around the corner so make your habits count...:-)