Food

I just got paid!!  Whoo hoo!!  That means I can go shopping for my healthy food diet...stuff.  Here's my food list for the next two weeks (until I get paid again.  Such a vicious cycle).

• Chicken breasts
• Black beans
• Cottage Cheese
• Ground turkey
• Wheat tortillas
• Wheat bread
• Grapefruit
• Apples
• Carrots
• Mushrooms
• Blueberries
• Bananas
• Rice (brown & wild long grain)
• Cauliflower
• Cucumber
• Bell Pepper
• Protein powder
• Almond Milk

Phew!  There we go.  Now, I don't know if you're like me, but I usually buy all these foods for the hope of eating well and then I don't really know what to do with any of them.  This time I have a plan:

Snack Foods

Apple and Banana Chips

Apple Chips

• I intend to try this tonight.  Since I am trying to stay away from simple sugar, I'm thinking of using cinnamon instead of the powdered sugar

Banana Chips

• I like the different varieties of this one.  I'm going to try the baking, microwave, and spice flavored

I am hoping to use these as snacks throughout the day.  I've bought many dried fruit stuff at Walmart and other stores just to find out that they aren't as healthy as I thought they might be...  If I'm going to do this right, I'm going to create my own so I know what's in it.

Almonds

     I love snacking on almonds and they're good for you!!  Here is a link of great reasons from Dr. Oz why everyone should eat almonds everyday.

Veggies

   There are some veggies that I could snack on forever and they have a lot of good to give our bodies.  Here's a list and links to show the benefits of each veggie:  celery, cucumber, carrots (don't go too crazy on the carrots.  A friend of mine ate a whole bunch for a month and she started having a very orange tone).

I'm sure there's more that can be made from this list, but I've got a good start now.

Breakfast

Oatmeal

   Some people like it...some people hate it.  Either way, it's good to have oatmeal in the morning.  You can do a lot of great things with oatmeal:  put in fruit, honey, nuts, eat it plain, or whatever you want!  

I'm going to try it this way--pecans, honey, and cinnamon.  

I think that'll be a good, healthy combination.  I used to just smother my oatmeal with brown sugar, but the honey should be a good substitute...as long as I don't go crazy with it.

Almond Milk

   I love milk.  I could drink it by the gallon for a whole day, although I've heard that Almond Milk is better for you...even though it is a little more expensive.

Lunch & Dinner

   I work at a school, so getting a full healthy lunch doesn't always happen.  Besides, the kids can eat twice as much as I can and still lose weight.  *sigh* Those days are long gone for me.  Here is my plan:

Prepare meals on Sunday and refrigerate or freeze them so I can just pull them out and get them ready to go!

• Rice, beans, and a small chicken breast
• Rice, beans, and chicken into a wheat tortilla (cheese would be wonderful, but trying to stay away from that...)
• Mashed cauliflower on the side with my little rice deal.  Maybe add some peppers. 
• Always have cottage cheese and berries or some kind of fruit.

There's a lot that can be done with the above combination.  I'll have to try it out and see how it works.  Granted, I may get sick and tired with rice and beans, but I'll play with the alternatives and let you know how it goes.

Well, that's about it!  I'm going to start tomorrow.  I'll put pictures and measurements up tomorrow as well.

Pre Work-Out Thoughts

I don't like the way I look.  I feel fat, bloated, and have a general dislike for my overall body.  This is a feeling I've had for years.

Like many girls, I've gone through losing weight the wrong way: crazy diets, quick cleanses, personal purging, and not eating for days.  Of course, these ways are unhealthy and ended up doing more damage than good.  From what I've researched and spoken to with friends who are health nuts there is a better way of doing things...having an eating healthy lifestyle and consistant workout program.  That sounds pretty logical to me!

Let's focus on exercise since this is the main title of my blog.  I've gone to gyms, I try to play sports regularly (which I love), and even did home workouts (I was a Sweat to the Oldies kind of girl when I was young...).  The kind of body I want requires consistency and effort on my part.  My biggest goals are losing weight (duh), getting toned, have higher endurance, and just to feel overall healthier.  I've heard a great many good things with the workout Insanity and it sounds like it is something that I may actually be able to do consistently.  Many of my friends have said that the workout are so challenging that you could do the program many times without getting bored or having your body get completely used to it depending on how much effort you put into it.  Right now I'm waiting for my Insanity package to come through the mail.  Once it gets here then I will begin the rigourous exercises and challenge.

Another reason why I want to try Insanity is because I've heard (again through friends and others who have posted responses about the program) that it helps with those who play sports.  When I was younger I was one of the top players of my high school tennis team.  Today I still play, but I now get easily winded and can't keep going as much as I would like to.  I am now a teacher and desperately desire to coach my own high school team.  I won't be able to do that with all the flab I have weighing my body down now...  So it's time to do something about it.  The last reason (again focusing on tennis) is because last year I participated in the Utah Summer Games and didn't do so well (a 50-60 year old couple had more strength and endurance than I had with my 28 year old body.  That is not cool at all!). I want to go back next year, apply for the singles competition, and kick butt!!  My own pride has been horribly damaged and my competitive spirit wants to go back and redeem myself.

Okay, now going onto nutrition.  I love food.  Food loves my hips.  We have a very loving relationship that needs to be altered.  My biggest problem is sweets.  I LOVE sugar: ice cream, candy, soda, etc.  That kind of sugar is not a good thing.  I'm also a very lazy person.  By working all day with teenagers, trying to continually think of ways to improve my teaching abilities and student learning, and getting ready to start my Masters; I am exhausted when going home.  I actually enjoy cooking...when I have the time to do it.  Again, my favorite things to cook are sweets.  I need to start finding healthier ways to have a meal without it being something from a fast food restaurant, a quick meal from the freezer aisle, or skipping the meal altogether because I'm too tired to make anything.  Come to think of it, I'm sure some of the reasons why I'm tired is because of my unhealthy eating habits...hmmmm....

A colleague of mine has created a system: 25/50 Foods Lifestyle.  Here is a copy to the page and a link to her video:

http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/28202299/25-50%20Foods%20Lifestyle%20Info%20Sheet.pdf

You Tube Video

Her plan sounds logical to me.  I love how it says to eat at least 6 small meals a day and helps to outline what kind of food would be beneficial at certain times.  The best part is, Kristy is a very helpful individual who constantly provides assistance whenever asked.  You should check out her blog for some great and logical ideas.

Okay,  I think I've got enough for you to understand what I'm trying to do.  I'll get measurements and pictures of my body (please don't run away in fear when you see it) on my next post.  I plan on giving a daily update of how I'm doing with the eating and exercises.  I get paid on Saturday so I'll start my eating plan then.  Still just waiting for the CDs to come in for the workouts.

Wish me luck!!