OKAY guys, this may sound like a ranting of mine...but here we go.
America (and quite possibly the entire world) has a warped view of the word "diet".
I like to use the word "diet" as a noun; "The kinds of food that a person, animal or community habitually eats."
instead of the verb-version of a diet. (basically, limiting yourself)
When I started really dieting and exercising, I changed my lifestyle.
I started with cutting out my bread and carbs (as I have already briefly talked about in my last entry) and substituted with TONS of "roughage" such as salad. Instead of cereal in the morning, I had smoothies (frozen strawberries, almond or coconut milk, spinach and a fresh banana), scrambled eggs or fruity oatmeal (oatmeal, blueberries, apples, walnuts, bananas and cinnamon. NO SUGAR!) I ate organic as much as I could afford.
For lunch I might have a fresh-cut salad with lemon juice or balsamic vinaigrette. (no ranch guys, low fat.) topped with a tad of cheese (do not over-power your salad with cheese..it's not as good for you as the FDA makes you think.) and if the day was special I'd put three or less ounces of lean chicken on top.
For dinner we did salads again. Or a home-made veggie soup (not from a can, toooooo muuuuch sodium!!) I really really tried to keep in super clean. I tried my best to stay away from packaged food and anything that had to be processed.
If I needed a snack, there was always plenty of carrots, celery, bell pepper, salad, apples, bananas or nuts sitting around. And guess what! I ate as much as I wanted to!
I also allowed myself one meal or snack in the week to just eat junk. You have to allow yourself that or you won't stick to your lifestyle-change. (not a diet as we know it, people!) I might have a burger and fries, or some pizza. but remember to not go crazy! you're trying to change EVERYTHING you know about food. When you start changing your diet like this, you do not want to go back to your old ways. And also remember that, if you truly stick to it, your taste buds and what your stomach deems as normal has changed. You can't consume four slices of pizza like you once did. You'll make yourself sick! Don't take three steps forward and four steps back on your cheat-day. Balance. Don't go overboard. I cannot stress this enough...
At the time that I started this I was swimming on a USS swim team and we practiced for two hours a day. I lost a lot of weight at that time, but I wasn't as slim as I wanted to be. I'll tell you my secret in a later entry. :)
I'm going to close this entry with a few recipes for desserts that are okay for you to have during the week, not on your cheat-days.
First recipe that I LOVED when I was at swim meets were basically dates, dried cranberries, raisins (basically any dried fruit can be incorporated. you pick your favorites!) Apple, shredded, and finely chopped almonds. (my Mom made these, they were great) and Chocolate. (dark chocolate is the best!!!)
One part dried fruit (dates, raisins, cranberries, things like that. you want this to be a stickier fruit when dried.)
One part apple
One part almonds.
Throw it all in a food-processor (we have a Ninja Blender that works great to make those smoothies and this recipe!!!) and blend thoroughly.
Take it out of the processor and into a bowl and let it cool in the fridge. (this is a VERY sticky mixture and making it cold makes it easier to work with)
Roll the chilled mix into little balls about half an inch to an inch in diameter, set aside.
melt chocolate
dip the balls you rolled into the chocolate and throw back into the fridge.
This candy is so good! And when you eat a few of these 1) you don't feel deprived of sweets and 2) they are SERIOUS energy-givers! Like I said, my Mom would make these for my all-day swim meets. They're great.
Second recipe is super easy. I call these my healthy "brownie-cookies"
a Banana, mashed (with a fork)
1 cup of oatmeal
1 cup of dried cranberries or raisins
1 cup of chopped nuts
1/2 cup of semisweet morsels.
1/2 cup of honey. (you can experiment with this part.)
mix it all up and put it in a brownie pan.
put it in the oven (350) for about 10 minutes I guess...I just watch it until it starts getting slightly browned. You want it to be heated but not cooked through and through. I like it a little mushy in the middle. mmmm, it's so good. If you want a little more moisture, add some water to the mixture before cooking.
Again, you can eat as much of this as you want. look at the ingredients! There's NOTHING super bad for you in there (except for the chocolate...gotta watch how much you put in there.) It's warm and yummy. You can even have one of these for breakfast!
I want to re-state... I'm not a doctor. This is my own personal experience on what works for me. Every one is different and what works for me may not work for you in the same way. Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions! I'm not here to argue over what diet is best or what workout is better than another...This is what works for me, and I wanted to share it with people because America especially battles with weight and health!
Thanks for reading!!!
America (and quite possibly the entire world) has a warped view of the word "diet".
I like to use the word "diet" as a noun; "The kinds of food that a person, animal or community habitually eats."
instead of the verb-version of a diet. (basically, limiting yourself)
When I started really dieting and exercising, I changed my lifestyle.
I started with cutting out my bread and carbs (as I have already briefly talked about in my last entry) and substituted with TONS of "roughage" such as salad. Instead of cereal in the morning, I had smoothies (frozen strawberries, almond or coconut milk, spinach and a fresh banana), scrambled eggs or fruity oatmeal (oatmeal, blueberries, apples, walnuts, bananas and cinnamon. NO SUGAR!) I ate organic as much as I could afford.
For lunch I might have a fresh-cut salad with lemon juice or balsamic vinaigrette. (no ranch guys, low fat.) topped with a tad of cheese (do not over-power your salad with cheese..it's not as good for you as the FDA makes you think.) and if the day was special I'd put three or less ounces of lean chicken on top.
For dinner we did salads again. Or a home-made veggie soup (not from a can, toooooo muuuuch sodium!!) I really really tried to keep in super clean. I tried my best to stay away from packaged food and anything that had to be processed.
If I needed a snack, there was always plenty of carrots, celery, bell pepper, salad, apples, bananas or nuts sitting around. And guess what! I ate as much as I wanted to!
I also allowed myself one meal or snack in the week to just eat junk. You have to allow yourself that or you won't stick to your lifestyle-change. (not a diet as we know it, people!) I might have a burger and fries, or some pizza. but remember to not go crazy! you're trying to change EVERYTHING you know about food. When you start changing your diet like this, you do not want to go back to your old ways. And also remember that, if you truly stick to it, your taste buds and what your stomach deems as normal has changed. You can't consume four slices of pizza like you once did. You'll make yourself sick! Don't take three steps forward and four steps back on your cheat-day. Balance. Don't go overboard. I cannot stress this enough...
At the time that I started this I was swimming on a USS swim team and we practiced for two hours a day. I lost a lot of weight at that time, but I wasn't as slim as I wanted to be. I'll tell you my secret in a later entry. :)
I'm going to close this entry with a few recipes for desserts that are okay for you to have during the week, not on your cheat-days.
First recipe that I LOVED when I was at swim meets were basically dates, dried cranberries, raisins (basically any dried fruit can be incorporated. you pick your favorites!) Apple, shredded, and finely chopped almonds. (my Mom made these, they were great) and Chocolate. (dark chocolate is the best!!!)
One part dried fruit (dates, raisins, cranberries, things like that. you want this to be a stickier fruit when dried.)
One part apple
One part almonds.
Throw it all in a food-processor (we have a Ninja Blender that works great to make those smoothies and this recipe!!!) and blend thoroughly.
Take it out of the processor and into a bowl and let it cool in the fridge. (this is a VERY sticky mixture and making it cold makes it easier to work with)
Roll the chilled mix into little balls about half an inch to an inch in diameter, set aside.
melt chocolate
dip the balls you rolled into the chocolate and throw back into the fridge.
This candy is so good! And when you eat a few of these 1) you don't feel deprived of sweets and 2) they are SERIOUS energy-givers! Like I said, my Mom would make these for my all-day swim meets. They're great.
Second recipe is super easy. I call these my healthy "brownie-cookies"
a Banana, mashed (with a fork)
1 cup of oatmeal
1 cup of dried cranberries or raisins
1 cup of chopped nuts
1/2 cup of semisweet morsels.
1/2 cup of honey. (you can experiment with this part.)
mix it all up and put it in a brownie pan.
put it in the oven (350) for about 10 minutes I guess...I just watch it until it starts getting slightly browned. You want it to be heated but not cooked through and through. I like it a little mushy in the middle. mmmm, it's so good. If you want a little more moisture, add some water to the mixture before cooking.
Again, you can eat as much of this as you want. look at the ingredients! There's NOTHING super bad for you in there (except for the chocolate...gotta watch how much you put in there.) It's warm and yummy. You can even have one of these for breakfast!
I want to re-state... I'm not a doctor. This is my own personal experience on what works for me. Every one is different and what works for me may not work for you in the same way. Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions! I'm not here to argue over what diet is best or what workout is better than another...This is what works for me, and I wanted to share it with people because America especially battles with weight and health!
Thanks for reading!!!
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