Inspiration and Motivation

I’ve been feeling really inspired and motivated lately. I know I keep saying this, but this blog has done wonders! I spent the better part of last night (after dinner was cooked and cleaned up, we had already run our daily mile and we had completed our power 90 sculpt workout, of course) searching the World Wide Web for new food ideas. I searched for vegetarian recipes, I stumbled upon great new blogs, I read articles about “power foods” and I stumbled across EatingWell and signed up for their FREE trial offer! I started creating a word document for all the delicious recipes I was finding fully expecting it to only be a few pages and wound up with 53 pages. CRAZY! This was all brought on by a friend who ventured out and found a yummy recipe she found and used last night-yup, Sarah, you were my inspiration. Granted, all the rest of you were my inspiration to keep searching, she just got the fire going!

I think I’ve mentioned it in a previous blog but I really want to attempt to add MORE fresh produce and way few processed foods into my diet and I even want to take it a step further and try to eat “vegetarian” style 3-4 days a week. Last night on my web journey I found so many delicious, easy to prepare meal ideas that will help me with that step. If you are anything like me I am always searching for new recipes because I hate falling into the rut of eating the same meals week in and week out. Have you tried anything interesting lately? Do you have a favorite dish that (even if you eat it a lot) you want to share?

In the next few weeks you will be seeing loads of new recipes because I’m going to begin working those yummy recipes I found last night into our menu. If you are in need of inspiration-for meal ideas, snack ideas, or just nutritional information-you should check out www.eatingwell.com. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent on that site last night just absorbing it all.

Another site I stumbled upon last night included an article discussing foods that will help you reach your goals and attain a flatter tummy. One of my biggest “problem” areas tends to be the belly-I do ab workouts but a little extra help couldn’t hurt! The site suggested the following 10 foods to help with the midsection flab:

1. Almonds because they contain filling protein and fiber, not to mention vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. It suggests adding 1 oz of almonds to your daily routine-about 23 nuts and 160 calories!

2. Eggs-recommended that you add one egg a day. The article mentioned that a study found that people that eat eggs for breakfast tend to be less hungry throughout the day-interesting thought!

3. Soy. The article mentions that soybeans are a great source of antioxidants, fiber, and protein. Plus, they're incredibly versatile. Ways to incorporate soy into your diet could be: snacking on dry-roasted soybeans, toss shelled edamame into soups, or even slip a spoonful of silken tofu into your morning smoothie.

4. Apples. They recommend you eat an apple or two a day.

5. Berries. Berries are a great source of fiber and packed with antioxidants. They recommend adding at least ½ cup of berries to your daily routine.

6. Leafy greens because even though their cancer-preventing carotenoids won’t help shrink your waisteline, their low calorie count definitely will. They are also a great source of calcium which is great for fueling workouts! Ways to incorporate more into your life include: keeping a bag of prewashed baby spinach in your fridge to toss a handful into soups, salads, pasta dishes, stir-fries, and sandwiches. When you get sick of spinach, reach for a bunch of arugula, broccoli rabe, or broccolini, a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. They suggest adding 3 servings per day.

7. Yogurt. The article recommends adding 1-3 cups daily of low-fat or fat free yogurt to your diet. They also recommend that you choose unsweetened yogurt that contains live active cultures. Add a handful of fresh chopped fruit for flavor and extra fiber.

8. Veggie soup. They suggested adding 2 cups of veggie soup a day. What better way to get in your veggies, right? The article also suggested that it helped people stay fuller and avoid snack foods.

9. Salmon. The article read: Seafood, especially fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. These uber-healthy fats may help promote fat burning by making your metabolism more efficient, according to Kleiner. An Australian study showed that overweight people who ate fish daily improved their glucose-insulin response. Translated, this means that seafood may help slow digestion and prevent cravings. If that doesn't hook you, consider this: Seafood is an excellent source of abs-friendly protein. They suggested you try to add: Two four-ounce servings per week. Wild salmon, though pricey, contains more omega-3 fatty acids than farm-raised. (If it doesn't say wild, it's farm-raised.) If seafood's not your thing, you can get your omega-3's from flaxseed (grind and sprinkle on your cereal) or walnuts.

10. Quinoa. Pronounced KEEN-wah, this whole grain contains 5 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein per half cup. Cook it as you would any other grain (although some brands require rinsing). Quinoa's nutty flavor and crunchy-yet-chewy texture are like a cross between whole-wheat couscous and short-grain brown rice. Try for: At least one half-cup serving (a third of your whole-grain requirements) per day. Try substituting AltiPlano Gold brand instant quinoa hot cereal (160 to 210 calories per packet), in Chai Almond and Spiced Apple Raisin, for oatmeal. Look for it in health-food stores. In SEVERAL of the recipes I found last night they made mention of this grain!

I know some of you reading this may be thinking: that’s a lot to try to add to my diet all at one time. Some of the rest of you may be thinking: I’m never eating that food. To the first group, try maybe adding just one per day or even per week. That’s what I’m going to attempt. In the last week I’ve been eating several berries and that was an easy add so this next week I’m going to attempt to add almonds, and possibly eggs. Baby steps. To the second group, I totally understand. I haven’t always been the most adventurous eater. Working with kids helped a bit but trying to overcome the thoughts I had for those foods as a kid and giving it a second chance as an adult has also been great. I’ve been able to add so many more vegetables to my diet because of it, it’s been great! Now, I’m absolutely no expert, I’m simply taking this article and sharing it. Take it as you will.

Before we get to the food break down I want to take a paragraph and celebrate! Last night Michael and I were discussing this morning’s weigh in and he was asking things like, “are you excited” and “don’t you think it’ll be a great weigh-in.” To be absolutely honest I wasn’t excited and I didn’t have any sort of expectations for this morning. Granted, neither of those feelings were related to my food choices from last week and solely based on my body and Mother Nature (and her sick twisted sense of humor!). So, last night as I was calculating my dinner points in the section of the tracker where it says “thoughts for the day” I wrote down: Don’t be discouraged by the number on the scale in the morning. Keep pushing forward. I’m happy to report that I was down .5 lbs. I rejoiced. I took it a step further and got out the measuring tape (I did body measurements 4 weeks ago before I started this journey) and I’m even happier to report that I am down at least 1 inch in all areas, in some areas as much as 2, I measured-except the arms which are the same but I believe I’m seeing a difference there too. Talk about non-scale victory! I immediately texted my husband-my number one source of comfort seeking and reassurance, and my number one supporter! He called me back like 10 seconds later with an excited “baby that’s awesome” and it just made my day! ONE DAY AT A TIME! Do any of you have celebrations you want to share (scale or non-scale)? Well, until next time: good eats!

Monday Food Break down:

Breakfast and lunch sort of comingled yesterday as I was out of bed at 9:30 (the joy of not starting work until Thursday) and then immediately started doing house stuff (I know Suzi, I skipped breakfast, don’t shoot me). I had a ham sandwich which consisted of 2 slices of Nature’s Own WhiteWheat bread (3 points), 6 slices of ham (3 points), and 1 T of light mayo (1 point) and 2 servings of tortilla chips (7 points) for a total of 14 points.

Snack included strawberries (0 points) and 3 T chocolate chips (6 points).

Dinner (following our run and prior to our sculpt workout) consisted of a 5 oz ribeye (7 points) that the hubby salt and peppered and rub with EVOO and then cooked in the cast iron skillet, ½ sweet potato (2 points) with 1 T brown sugar (1 point) and 1 T butter (1 point) and cinnamon, and fresh green beans made with mushrooms and onions for 0 points.

Following our workout, as a snack, I had a banana. I should have turned into a monkey a long time ago!

For the day that was 31 points (2 over) and 2 “workouts”!