Lifestyle Eating

Bogus Diets
We've all heard the saying, or at least some version of it, "It's a lifestyle, not a diet." If any quotation were as dead on right, it's this. You can't expect to cut your calories almost in half, go carb free, go fat free, etc. for the rest of your life and call it a lifestyle. Eventually you will fall of the wagon, and you will gain your lost weight back faster than you took it off. This is why I hate all those celebrities talking about juicing for weight loss, eating only vegetables, cutting out all carbs, and doing ridiculous things that only temporarily solve the problem. It's called a balanced diet for a reason.

Carbs vs. Fat vs. Protein
I also don't buy into some of the 20/40/20 or whatever it is they say your ratio of fat/carbs/protein should be. I can only do what works for me. You can only do what works for you, but typically the more protein, the less sugar and the more green veggies you have in your diet, the more results you will see. For me, the more protein I eat, the better I feel and my energy levels thank me. It also stabilizes my blood sugar and keeps my metabolism on full calorie-burning blast. I usually consume anywhere from 150- 200 grams of protein a day. Also, my body responds better to vegetables as my carbs. I usually eat about four to six large portions of vegetables daily. My favorites are: any color of bell pepper, cucumbers, steamed broccoli and tomatoes. Eating protein with the vegetables and vice versa aids in digestion, scavenges free radicals, and helps absorption of nutrients. Eating vegetables, along with drinking plenty of water, also helps your body refrain from retaining water.

As for carbs, I mostly stick to quinoa and quick oats. I don't have time to bake sweet potatoes often, but if I did have the time, I would eat more. I don't eat bread, pasta, or white rice. If I do, it's on a cheat day. (We'll talk about this later.) I usually stick to two to three servings of these good carbs daily, depending on my exercise load. If it's a leg day, I will make sure to eat them at least twice before and once after the workout. On other days, I just pay attention to how I feel. Sometimes, I don't feel like eating them at all and just stick to veggies as carbs. I'm done eating carbs, with the exception of my veggies, after about 3-4pm.

Fat is an important part of our diet as well. Without it, our skin would be wrinkly, our joints would be creaky and we would be a hormonal mess. Good fats are olive oil, coconut oil, omega-3 fish oil, grape seed oil and flax seed oil, just to name a few. Fat provides a sense of satiety or fullness that fat free counterparts can't do for you. If you eat a piece of real cheese vs. fat free cheese, you will actually eat less of the real cheese because it will take less to satisfy you.

I can eat crappy and still work it off at the gym right?
Buzzer sound. If you eat crappy, you feel crappy. If you eat well, you feel well. It's not rocket science. Do you feel better exercising after eating pizza or do you feel better exercising after eating a piece of lean grilled chicken, some brown rice and a side of steamed broccoli? Which is more fuel for your body? Of course, the healthy meal is. You have to look at your workout and your body like you would a fancy car. Would you put the cheapest gas in a Ferrari? You would want your car to last longer, so wouldn't you put the premium stuff in it? This is exactly how you should treat your body. After all, a car can be replaced after a few years. Your body can't. With that being said, YOU CAN NEVER OUT WORK OUT A BAD DIET!!!!

Cheat Day
This is the good stuff, or at least that is what you might think. You mean I get to eat whatever I want??? Yesssss!!!! Try eating clean for at least two weeks before you attempt this. When you do "cheat," eat whatever your heart or stomach desires. This can only be one meal though, so choose wisely. Having a cheat meal once a week keeps your sanity, so you are able to eat clean the rest of the week. It's something to look forward to, but keep in mind you've eaten clean the whole week, so you may feel more sluggish than usual afterwards. You may even have digestion issues, so it's not as wonderful as you might think. However, we need it. It will actually kick your metabolism up a notch, because your body will want to burn it off as soon as possible. The next day, you might actually increase your weight in your workout or run an extra mile. This is great motivation for the rest of the week!!

Conclusion
This is not easy to do. It helps to keep a journal of your daily intake of food. I would be more than happy to review that journal if you have any questions. Sometimes it just takes a little tweaking and you're off and running on your goals. Just remember IT'S NOT A DIET!! Dieting sets you up to FAIL. To attain your fitness goals, you must be consistent and keep your eye on the prize. Once the goal is achieved, you won't ever want to revert back to your old ways. I hope this helps.

(Share and follow this blog and you will be entered into a drawing for a full size bottle of Cardio Cuts to help enhance your workout. The winner will be announced a week from today.)

HAPPY FITNESS!!!

And the winner is...

In regards to Free Product from Eddie's GNCs...

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and for "friending" Eddie's GNCs. Your support is what keeps me going. You all motivate ME!! So, here goes. I put your names on a post-it and placed them in my favorite cup.

And the name I pulled out was none other than...

Congratulations Corban. The rest of you lovelies can take advantage of this special offer throughout the month of January.

Again, thank you all for your input. You may also like my facebook page, Buff Blonde Mama. I hope to inform and entertain you more this year. Thanks for following. Be well in 2012.