With Spring just around the corner and swim suit season close behind, I have been kicking it into high gear with my workouts and have become much more aware of my snacking habits. I've always been a healthy eater but I also like to indulge in my sweets and my saltys....alright didn't mean to link that to my blog title! I worked out while I was pregnant and I started working out post pregnancy when I was given the all clear at my 6-1/2 week checkup. I didn't push myself too hard and I really wasn't overly concerned with losing all my baby weight right away. By my post checkup I had lost everything, but 6 pounds. I gave myself a break and I felt no need to stress over something so unnecessary. It wasn't like I was just sitting on the couch all day holding my baby and eating bonbons!
WORKING IT OUT
I have been doing the Jillian Michaels' workouts since early last year and really enjoy them. My sister in AZ and I will even Skype in the morning just so we have workout buddy to keep each other motivated. I love her 3-2-1 blueprint for strength training, cardio and abs. I do however add on an extra minute to my abs, so my routine looks more like 3-2-2.
On top of Jillian Michaels, I also like to do walk/jog intervals. I haven't done any yet because of the snow, but I'm hoping within the next 2 weeks I can start that again. There are two different places I like to do my walking, one is a trail around the lakes that are down the street or I'll go to the local high school's track. I like the track because I'll run the straights and walk the curves and I don't have to worry about how far I go, whereas with Kensi, if I'm doing a trail and something happens, I can't just stop, I have to finish my loop.
I also love doing Yoga and I use the Slim, Calm Sexy Yoga book by Tara Stiles. There are different sequences based on what you're trying to achieve. I've done almost all of them and I swear they work. Especially the insomnia and jet lag ones.
DIET? What's a DIET?
Now, my diet, isn't a diet. I eat what I want to eat, I really just watch my portions. The more color I see on my plate, the more excited I am to eat it. I adore farmers markets and the produce section of the grocery store. To be honest, the best tip I can give you when shopping at the store is to shop the perimeter, not the aisles. The outside walls of almost every grocery store is where all the healthy items are...produce, whole grains (bakery), dairy cases, meat/seafood counters. The aisles have the junk...canned, boxed and packaged ready to eat items. Of course there are aisle items you do need, I need them too, but try to stay out of them.
Also drink water, water, water! If it helps find a fun container or glass to drink from. I have one I like to drink from when I'm at home and one I like to take with me when I leave the house.
I also like to flavor my water and I keep it in a pitcher in our fridge with lemon, lime, apples & cinnamon, cucumbers, ginger...the list can go on and on.
My biggest downfall is my snacks. Snacks are sooooo sneaky because you think you may be eating a little bit, but if it's a bad snack then it's usually empty calories so just end up eating more. My biggest weakness is chips. I'm a salty kind of girl and I love my salty chips. My healthy swap out when I'm really needing a chip & dip fix is chips and homemade salsa or pita chips and hummus.
I love munching on fresh berries. I know these can be expensive, but when they go on sale that's when you need to buy them up and toss them in your freezer. In the off seasons for berries I'm snacking on frozen ones and they're so delish!
My BIG NO's
Light......Sugar Free.....Fat Free.....Salted Butter.....Soda Pop
I try my best watch out for unnecessary ingredients and preservatives in my foods, I will usually make my own unless it's something like hummus that has exactly what it needs and skips all the junk. I will not at any cost eat anything with any sort of sugar substitute in it. This includes anything and everything that is labeled LIGHT or SUGAR FREE. Splenda is an absolute NO in my book. I have started using Truvia in my baking, but it is new to me and I only use it because it's from sugar. I don't even like the flavor of light and sugar free products, I get headaches from it within a half hour of eating/drinking any of it. Aside from the flavor, I just can't see how putting something in your body that is partially artificially made can be better than something natural.
When cooking and baking I only use UNsalted butter. This is one very easy way to cut some sodium out of your diet.
I don't always buy or use full fat products either. One of my go to's that I ALWAYS have in my fridge is 1/3 less fat Neufental Cream Cheese. I use this for anything that calls for cream cheese. I also use Half & Half in place of Heavy Cream quite a bit.
Pop....or Soda...whatever you call it. Okay I drink it on occasion, I do, but I don't keep it on hand at all. What I do keep on hand is Flavored Sparkling Water (that's not sweetened, because then it would have Splenda). My favorite brand is La Croix and you can find it at Target, HyVee (Midwest), Whole Foods and even Costco. Alright, here's a tip....Whole Foods will put their 12 packs on sale for $4.99, whereas Target (I haven't seen it on sale yet) sells their in packs of 8 for just under $4.00....but if you live in a city that has a Menards or a home improvement store that carries some food products (they may carry the flavored water) you can find it as low at under $4.00 for a 12 pack....shocking right?!?!? Now I'm not comparing that to Costco, because Costco only has like 2 flavors and everywhere else has all the other flavors. I don't think you can wrong with a flavor either...my favorite right now is Peach-Pear!
Hopefully this will help those of you who are looking for a little motivation to kick it into gear with me this spring!
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