Lunch Time!!

 In one of my previous blogs I discussed the importance of breakfast. Now we need to talk about what to eat from breakfast to lunch. After that all important breakfast you are going to need a snack before lunch. I know this might go against everything that some of you believe but it is the truth that 6 small meals a day are the best option when your trying to stay healthy and lose weight. So the snack before lunch is nothing major. An apple is a perfect example of a great snack to have. If your not an apple fan and want something sweet than try celery sticks with some peanut butter in the middle. It might not sound good but trust me it is. Now for lunch the general idea is to have something light. So a salad or a sandwich is the ideal choice. You must hear these choices all the time, but take it from me. It's what i eat before a soccer game or a big work out in order to prepare my body for strain its about to go through. There are some things to know though. For instance, if your going to get a salad make sure that you are not getting fatty dressing. Ranch has 110 perserving and 100 of those calories are straight fat. So italian dressing is the perfect alternative. Its usually about 20 calories and 0 of those are from fat. If your not prepared to give up your beloved ranch you can always get fat free ranch. It never tastes as good but at least you still get that general ranch taste and at half the calories as normal ranch. Its the same thing for sandwiches. The mayo that most of us enjoy on our turkey and cheddar is 90 calories generally and 70 of that is fat.  So for everyone that doesn't want to sacrifice taste when it comes to their favorite sandwiches try honey mustard. It is my favorite and has only 10 calories per serving not to mention that it is FAT FREE. Still if my choice has you feeling like you would rather have homeless person sweat for dressing instead. Then there is always the light mayo with 45 calories and 20 from fat. Now I know that my examples wont be ideal for everyone. Some people hate salad and sandwichs. So for you trendy eaters certain sushi tends to be really healthy for you. The tuna (maguro) roll has 184 calories and only 2 grams of fat. Now thats pretty good. The most healthy roll is the Kappa Maki with its slender 136 calories and 0 grams of fat. Now generally the healthy choices that I have given above come in at around 385 calories with cheese and stuff on them. Then if you look at the quarter pounder from McDonalds with its 745 calories with 400 of those straight from fat. It's easy to see how people could pack on those extra lb's. So when its lunch time again make sure that your making the right choice for a more healthy and fitter you.











Feel free to leave me comments if you want more extended examples of great lunch choices and in the meantime I will keep researching good tasting alternatives for lunch. Also stay tuned for my next blog when we dive into what to eat for dinner. :)

                                                            

Don't be Intimidated

I know that most people that are new to the gym come in and are immediately overwhelmed by what they see. I am here to tell you that you don't need to be. I see it on a daily basis. The look on the faces of individuals around the gym. Its like they want to work hard and improve themselves but it's almost as if they feel intimidated. So they do one set when they feel like no one is looking and wait for a time when they feel comfortable again to continue the workout. Not knowing that they are just harming themselves by letting their heart rates drop and decreasing the amount of calories that they are burning. The people that you see doing bicep curls with 50 pounds in each hand have been avid gym goers for years. You don't need to compare yourselves with them. You are just getting into it. We must learn to walk before we can run. So don't be ashamed that you are working out with 20 pound dumbbells. We all started out at that point. I myself started out curling 25 pounds. Don't let how you feel about the weight your working out with or how you feel about your body image effect your work out. If you do your only hurting yourself in the end. Just take comfort in the fact that not everyone had the great body and good strength when they first started. It's a process that takes time, hard work, and dedication. Trust me, I know first hand what it takes to reach your goals.

First things First: Nutriton- Breakfest

Now I dont wan't this to come across like I am beating a dead horse here, but the truth is that Breakfast is key. I know when you hear me say that it takes you back to a time when you were running out the door for school and your mom grabbed you and made you eat your eggs. While you were thinking moms retarded I don't need to eat now. The truth is mom was right. Think of it this way, would you try to start your car and drive it to work if it was on an empty tank. No, you wouldn't. Your body is the same way. Wether you know it or not while you sleep your body is burning calories. I know that sometimes we wake up and were not hungry, or think that we can hold off until lunch. I have been guilty of it on more than one occasion, but we need something besides the GLORIOUS coffee to help kick start our bodies in the morning. I'm not saying that you need to wake up every morning and make egg whites with wheat toast, because it's unrealistic. What I am saying is that you should have some granola bars or some fruit. It's what I do. I'll usually have an apple or banana ready to go on the kitchen table. Something healthy that I can grab and eat  on the way to work. Your body needs fuel to perform throughout the day. Don't believe me? Then have a peek for yourself.


http://www.newsrecord.org/2.7225/skipping-breakfast-can-cause-irritability-fatigue-1.773531

What is Fitness?

What is Fitness? The dictionary defines it as the capability of the body of distributing inhaled oxygen to muscles tissue during increased physical effort. This is just a scientific way of saying that fitness is measured by how fast you recover after exercise. To me Fitness is so much more than that, it's a way of life. If you want to be Fit then you have to change the way you live. No more jack in the box 3 times a week. Or drinking a soda every time your thirsty. You have to be mindful of what you put into your body. Working out will only take you so far to your ideal body image. Nutrition is essential to achieving your goal. You could work out 5 times a week, but if after your work out you go home and eat a number 7 from McDonalds it'll be like you didn't work out at all.  In my blog im going to tell you the proper way to work out and what to eat. I'll also throw in the funny stuf that i experience in the day to day. Of course it will all be fitness related :).