It's a Process: Three Keys

What does it take to lose weight?  How do you do it?  What's your secret?

I'd like to tell you it's easy, but in all seriousness, it's a process.

If I were to narrow down to just three things to make it work, this is what I would tell you.

The NUMBER ONE most important thing is

Drum roll, please.

Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition!

You really have to learn how to eat right and stick with it over time.  Don't think about going on another diet.  Diet is a four letter word.  Think "nutrition."  Food is fuel, it's what your body needs to function, for muscle growth, for healing and recovery, for energy.  Food.

In a nutshell, you want to cut back on calories, but not much.  You want to DRINK lots of WATER, increase lean proteins and vegetables.  You can pretty much have all the vegetables you want, plus one to two servings of fruit each day. 

The kinds of food you eat really matters.  Severely limit your sugar intake, especially refined sugars.   Limit your intake of saturated fats (cream, butter, bacon, beef), but don't cut fat out.  Avocado, nuts, nut butters, and healthy oils like olive or canola oil in small quantities are good for you.  

Reducing your carbohydrates will help, but remember fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates and you should consume those.  As far as other carbs go - appropriate portions of  whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, legumes or quinoa are good.  Just remember 1/2 cup of brown rice is 124 calories and 26 g of carbs, so if you are eating 1+ cups, the calories and carbs go up.  Only have bread once in a while and make sure to eat 100% whole grain bread.  As far as potatoes go, one or 1/2 of one isn't going to hurt you.  I often have 1/2 of a sweet potato.  My question is who eats a plain white potato?  I need butter and sour cream on mine, which means LOTS of fat. 

NUMBER TWO is 

MOVE your body!

Moving your body, including strength training, will boost your metabolism so you burn the calories you eat better.  Consistent exercise helps you deal with stress and helps to improve your mood.

The best way to start is to walk, then add in some body weight exercises into your routine, such as squats and push ups (or desk push ups).  Check out my post 10 Minutes for ideas on how to make the most of the time you have and ideas to get yourself moving.

Move Your Body by Sia

NUMBER THREE is critical to long term success.

Cognitive / Emotional Shift

Changing the way you think and feel about food is critical.  It takes time and honestly, I can't give you a road map how to do this.  

Here are some suggestions...

Read about nutrition and exercise from reliable sources.  I subscribe to several online newsletters and blogs that talk about nutrition.  I am always wanting new recipes because vegetables are great, but eating salad every day is... BORING.  

Keep a food / exercise journal.  I track ALL of my food in MyFitnessPal, good and "bad."  If I have honey in my tea, a glass of wine, a piece of cake, a chocolate cookie - it's all there.  Bad days show trends.  Did I sleep enough the night before?  Where was I emotionally that day?  Did I work out a LOT the day (days) before?  I log my workouts in the Notebook on my phone.  I do this so I can see progress from week to week.  My goal right now is strength training, so I follow a program every week and want to see an increase in the amount of weight I lift from week to week.  I also write notes like, "Remember to give yourself time for recovery" or  "The last set was super hard."  I insert emojis to show how I feel about that particular exercise or set.  Doing this helps me feel better about my workouts.  I can see progress and that makes me happy.

Talk to like-minded people about your journey.  What do I mean?  Join a fitness group, get a buddy who wants to lose weight with you.  Have a friend who is already fit and in shape?  Ask them for suggestions, work out with them, do meal prep with them.  Like-minded people will help you to think differently about dieting in general.  It's not a diet.  It's a life change.  It's nutrition and exercise combined.

Identify your triggers.  What makes you "go off the wagon" so to speak?  Are there certain times of the day?  Stresses?  Sleeplessness?  Spending time with a toxic person can derail you, do you find yourself raiding the refrigerator afterwards?  Again, it takes time to recognize your triggers.

Remember, don't let a bad day or a series of bad days derail you.

I had a super bad day Saturday, which lead to a sleepless night, leaving me completely deplete the next day.  I went to church, but I usually sit with my father and he wasn't there.  I stayed for a few minutes, but all I wanted to do was cry and sleep and I just couldn't keep it together, so I went home.  (That sounds so bad, but it's just what I needed at the time.)  I took a nap and then my niece and I did a great workout at a track near her house.  Talking with her and literally working it out helped restore me.  When I got home, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I think that is the one food that cures everything... because carbs and peanut butter.  Took another nap and felt restored.  

I recognized my triggers.  Sleeplessness and stress and being super emotional.

I talked to my niece about what was going on.  She is a like-minded person.  She loves to workout and eats super healthy all the time.  She helped me to process. 

I worked out.  Working out helps to manage your stress.  I don't know the science of it, but somehow it literally takes the weight off your brain and lets you put perspective on your situation.

I ate.  I didn't overdo it.  I ate what I felt my body needed and limited the quantity.

You really can lose weight if you want.  Remember, it's a process.  There are no quick fixes.  It's a journey, not a sprint.

My new mantra:  Be the Champion of Today!

You've got this!

Questions for you:  (Answer in the comment section below.)
What did you do this weekend?  

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How to Beat the Munchies

Out in the real world, a lot of people ask me questions about how to lose weight and various other ideas.  One I seem to be fielding the most lately is, "How do you deal with snacking?"

So, let me ask you...

Do you find that you eat well all day, only to come home and want to eat everything in sight?

Do you go searching for anything you can have to satisfy that need to munch?

Is night time or after work the hardest time for you?  

Or is it resisting the goodies everyone brings into the office to "share"?

I'll be honest, I love to eat and the more I think I've got snacking figured out, the harder it is to control.

There are a few tips or strategies you can follow to help with the munchies, but they require a little forethought.  Failure to anticipate your needs will lead you to self-sabotage, so the trick is to know what will satisfy your cravings, while simultaneously satisfying your needs.

The first trick is to plan healthy snacks.  Think about it, if you eat breakfast at 6, lunch at about noon and dinner at 6, or so, that's a long time between meals.  So, to keep yourself satisfied, you really should have mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.  Nothing crazy, but a couple healthy snacks on hand. Planning basically means you have the food accessible.  Most of my snacks don't require any prep, just making sure the fridge / shelves are stocked.

Here are some suggestions:

Almonds (1 oz. = 160 calories, 6 g carbs, 14 g fat, 6 g protein)

A protein bar (depending on the brand = 200 calories, 16-23 g carbs, 6-7 g fat, 20-21 g protein

An apple with peanut butter (270 calories, 29 carb, 16 g fat, 8 g protein)

Greek yogurt with 1/2 serving granola (I use Bear Naked granola)  (195 calories, 22 g carbs, 4 g fat, 18 g protein)

A protein shake with a frozen banana (235 calories, 30 g carb, 2 g fat, 28 g protein)  I use left over cold coffee for my liquid and it makes a great pre / post-workout snack! (Not pictured)  Leave it in the blender a little longer than normal and viola!

Note one common thread: these just about ALL have a decent amount of protein AND healthy fats.

Things to avoid:

• Trigger foods (for me, that's raisins, chocolate, cookies). What do you eat that makes you want more and more?  You may want to keep these kinds of things OUT of the house completely.
• High carb foods with little to no protein or fat - while an orange or baked potato chips may taste good, they may not sustain you.  Try some fruit with cottage cheese or nut butter instead. (That's why I'll have an apple with peanut butter.)

If you are truly hungry, make sure you are eating enough for breakfast and lunch.  Skipping meals, or not eating enough, lends to hunger.  If you find that nothing satisfies you, binging is a potential hazard, which is an entirely different problem in and of itself.

When you feel hungry, but you know you shouldn't be hungry, ask yourself if you really are thirsty.  Chances are a glass of water will take care of your need to munch.  I just had a handful of almonds and two glasses of water and I feel much better.

I keep water in the fridge all the time, with sliced lemon.  It taste much better than straight from the tap and is a lot less expensive than drinking bottled water all the time.

When all else fails, try gum.  Yep, sugarless gum might just satisfy your need to chew and your need for something sweet.  One slice of Extra gum is only five calories.

If it's ice cream you love, try Skinny Cows.  I recommend you keep them out of reach, so one is enough. I keep these in the freezer in the basement and save them for my night time snack.  It satisfies my need for ice cream without a ton of bed time calories.

160 calories:  28 g. carbs, 3.5 g fat, 4 g protein

Thought I'd start sharing my favorite workout tunes with you.  Share yours in the comment section.  Here is my absolute new favorite workout song:

Chained to the Rhythm by Katy Perry, feat. Skip Marley

Questions for you: (answer in the comment section below)

How do you beat the munchies?  Do you prefer sweet treats of salty treats?  What's your one major trigger food?

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Breakfast 101

Throughout  my entire life I heard, "Breakfast is the most important meal."  When I was on one diet or another, I often skipped breakfast to save calories or points.  When I was fat, I hardly ever ate breakfast, except maybe donuts here or there and on weekends when I made pancakes for the kids.

So, why breakfast?  What's so important about it?  What about bacon?  What about eggs?  And is cereal any good?

I am three years into this fitness journey.  I eat breakfast every day.  I'll explain why later in the post.  During the week, what I eat is pretty standard.  I'll go through phases when I eat the same one or two things every day.  But this is pretty much it:

Breakfast Option 1

2 eggs (either soft boiled or over easy)  Use cooking spray to save on the fat from oiling your pan.

1 slice Arnold Double Protein bread, toasted

Coffee with half & half

Breakfast Option 2

Egg Fritata

Coffee with half & half

Breakfast Option 3

Protein Smoothie made with peanut butter

Coffee with half & half

Breakfast Option 4

1/2 Cup Oatmeal

1 serving fruit (mashed banana, fresh sliced berries, or a peeled, chopped apple)

1 Scoop Protein

Coffee with half & half

Yep, that's it.  Every once in a while, if I'm not feeling well or am super tired, I'll eat a bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal with almond milk and call it a day.  (Don't forget the coffee!)

On the weekends, if I am motivated, I might make protein pancakes.  My cousin Jamie introduced me to Kodiak Cakes, with which I am just experimenting.  I'll let you know what I think of them later on.

So, why breakfast?

There is definitely science to the importance of breakfast.  You may or may not have heard the specifics, here they are in a nutshell:  

•   A healthy breakfast helps to improve concentration and performance throughout the day, 
•   Provides you with energy, which prevents fatigue.
•   Promotes overall healthier eating.

If I miss breakfast, I am off for the rest of the day.  Recently I went home sick because I suddenly felt sick and thought I was going to pass out.  What I didn't realize is that my blood sugar crashed.  I was busy and skipped breakfast, had a protein shake mid-morning, which was low in carbohydrates.  (I need carbs!)  After I had it, I became ill.  This doesn't happen every time I skip a meal, but having been obese for so long, I am still prone to pre-diabetic symptoms (hypoglycemia) I had pretty regularly three years ago (like blood sugar dips and spikes).  Lesson for me?  Keep peanut butter crackers in my desk.

I know most people who don't eat breakfast say they don't have the time to fix  or eat breakfast, or they don't want the calories.

A healthy breakfast is worth the calories.  You don't have to have an outrageous breakfast every day.  Two eggs and a slice of whole grain toast is about 260 calories.  In the overall picture of your day, that's a small percent.  As far as the time it takes to make breakfast?  Either make it the night before or have everything ready to make while you are getting ready in the morning.  

When I have a protein shake, I put everything into the cup the night before and throw it on the blender when I am ready to eat it.  It takes seconds.  When fresh berries are out of season, I will throw frozen ones in at the last minute so the shake is frosty.   I make my fritatas the night before.  Even if I have oatmeal, I will put the dry oatmeal into the bowl before I go to bed.  In the morning, I add water, microwave the oatmeal, add fruit and protein powder after cooking the oatmeal.  Done.  I have tried overnight oatmeal, but I don't like it.

Healthy Breakfast Options

What about bacon?  What about eggs?  And is cereal any good?

If you grew up in the 80s, you were told to stay away from eggs.  Eggs are high in cholesterol.  Don't eat eggs.  Well, scientists have revealed that the cholesterol in eggs is not bad for you.  So go ahead and eat your eggs.  My fritatas (a fancy way of saying omelet) are made of egg whites and one egg.  I like the yolk and I need my eggs to be somewhat yellow / orange.

Bacon, on the other hand is a processed meat.  The fat and nitrates are something you should steer away from.  However, a treat once in a while is not a bad thing.  I have turkey bacon on hand, but I hardly ever eat it.  Nitrates are nitrates whether it's pork or turkey.

Cereal is awesome.  I love cereal.  You want to choose cereals that are low in sugar and high in fiber.  My absolutely favorite cereal is Kashi Go Lean Crunch.  I don't tend to eat kids' cereal, although I do love Honey Nut Cheerios.  Just make sure to read the labels.  A bowl of Kashi is higher in calories than a bowl of Cocoa Puffs, but the former is higher in protein and fiber, making it a much better option.

Kashi Go Lean Crunch with 1/2 cup almond milk will satisfy me until my mid-morning yogurt.  It might be higher in calories than Cocoa Puffs, but the protein and fiber are well worth it.

One of the reasons I don't eat cereal every day is I am conscious of my macros and I really need to eat protein at every meal.  Cereal is lower in protein than what I normally eat for breakfast.  This is why I usually add protein powder to my oatmeal.  

Here are a couple good reads about breakfast:

3 Ways Your Breakfast Is Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

So You Want to Start Eating Breakfast

Read more from my series on wellness

Radio Silence

The Empty Fridge Syndrome

Put a Little Love in Your Step

On Friendship

Questions for you...
What did you eat for breakfast today?  
Do you have a favorite breakfast recipe you will share with me?  Email it to me today.
Post your comments below.

Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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What No One Ever Told You About Losing Weight: Part 3

Last summer I wrote a two part series on the things you should know about the untold truths regarding weight loss.

What No One Ever Told You About Losing Weight:  Part One is here.  Part Two is here.

Since that time, I've learned a few more things...and I want to share them here.

The GOOD and the BAD:  Part Three.

GOOD:  What used to be important no longer is.

I used to participate in 101 different activities.

Participating in every activity I could was a coping mechanism for me to deal with my anxiety.  If I was busy, I didn't have time to be anxious.  The activity train was seriously unhealthy.  In March, I shared my story with some ladies at my church's annual Women's Conference.  These are my Size 18 jeans I wore before I lost the weight.

I was a wokaholic.

When I was home, I had no energy and was a complete couch potato.

Now that my focus has changed from doing everything I could put my hands into and from working 10 - 12 hours / day, I use the extra time to take care of myself.  I workout nearly every day.  We eat healthy meals.  And I hardly ever watch TV.  (Although lately I have been catching up on some Netflix.)

I can honestly say I don't miss my old way of life and I feel free from all of the obligations.

BAD:  Constipation

Despite all the water I drink and the vegetables I eat, constipation is a nasty accompaniment to the weight loss.  Not everyone has this problem, but it plagues me.

I've added a fourth macro to my nutrition.  Fiber.  The recommended daily amount of fiber for women is 25 grams.  I eat about 40 grams on average.  I even started taking Metamucil, and that did not help.  So now I take Miralax and it helps sometimes.  But more often than not, I feel bloated and if my weight is up on the scale, chances are it's due to that.  I wish there was a magic wand I could wave to get rid of that feeling.

GOOD:  Cooking becomes enjoyable.

I used to hate to cook.  Maybe not hate, but I really did not enjoy it.

Now, I enjoy looking at and trying new recipes.  It is fun to try new ways to make your own recipes healthier or tastier.  

Speaking of tasty.  Have you checked out any of the Tasty videos?  They have super easy recipes, with few ingredients and they show you how to make it on video.  This is one of my favorites:

Mongolian Beef Crock Pot

Meal planning has become an essential part of my life.  I like to try new things, keeping in mind what's easy to cook, and what my family would like.  I use my crock pot as often as possible.  It has almost made its home upstairs in my kitchen, instead of on the shelf in the basement. 

BAD:  You lose some of your friends. 

Yeah. True story. 

I have friends that I used to spend a lot of time with who did not join me on my road to fitness.  Keep in mind, this has been a two year journey, so while I was working out and trying to be careful about my nutrition, they were living the same way they always had, only I wasn't doing it with them.  When everyone realized this isn't a gimmick for me, that I really mean what I say and my lifestyle really has changed, I think I intimidated some of them.  In fact, I know it. 

I have actually been told, "I'm jealous of you," and "I can't work out with you. Do you look at yourself?  I would be embarrassed to work out with you."

It is a bit hard to accept. But at the same time, I have changed. They haven't. And I can't expect them to do so.  Some of them want to lose weight, but they don't want my help.  They won't read my blog and they tell me, "I can't do things your way, so I'm going to do it this way."  It's as if they want to prove something to me.

I don't judge them. It might sound like I do. But it does hurt to lose a friend, or at least to be distanced from a close friend because they feel disconnected due to my now healthy lifestyle. 

GOOD:  You can stop the roller coaster.

When you develop a healthy lifestyle, food no longer rules your life.  I can eat food that I didn't eat while trying to lose weight.  A couple pieces of pizza don't derail me.

I recently found myself binge snacking at night, craving ice cream and anything sweet I could get my hands on...  I realized this was a BAD habit to get back into, so I stepped back and said, "You are smart.  You can do this.  How can you plan to fit your evening ice cream into your day AND not feel guilty or go way over on your calories?"

Can it be done?  Better question, can it be done without feeling guilty?

The answer is:  YES!

I cut back a little on my calories during the day, left some room in my macros so the carbohydrates and fat in the ice cream didn't wreck havoc on my nutrition.  I intentionally added more water to my day and re-introduced interval training into my workouts.  Guess what!

I lost about 5 lbs. WHILE eating ice cream every night.

Once you become smart about nutrition, you CAN stop the roller coaster.

Question for you:  (Answer in the comments below.)

Are you trying to lose weight or have you lost a significant amount of weight?  What surprises have you experienced as a result?

Now:  Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

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February Funk

So it's Week Six of 2016.  How are you doing with your New Year's Resolutions and / or goals?  By this week, either you are well on your way towards accomplishing them OR you're just about ready to give up, if you have not already.

Here's a little litmus test to see if what you are doing is helping you achieve your goals...

1)  Do you remember your goals?  (What did you want to accomplish this year?  Why did you want to accomplish them?)

2)  What steps have you taken to accomplish them?

3)  Have you made a sincere effort?

4)  Are you satisfied with your results?

If you are trying and you are not satisfied with the results you are seeing, then you need to reevaluate.  Either your expectations are unrealistic or your strategy needs a new approach.

Unrealistic Expectations

If you want to lose 80 lbs. this year and you are not satisfied because you've only lost 10 lbs. so far, your expectations are too high.  This isn't a TV show you're living.  If you don't want to gain all the weight back, then 10 lbs. is a fantastic way to start.  You should be happy with those results.

A New Approach

Look at what you're doing to accomplish your goals.  Are you trying?  Is your effort truly genuine?  Maybe you need to come at this a different way.  Most of my friends who started this year trying to lose weight are doing things their own way.  They say things to me like, "Tracey, I just can't count calories like you do"  or  "I can't do meal prep like you do.  I just can't" and "I don't like to work out like you do.  I can't go to the gym every day."

So first think about your nutrition...

Food / Meal prep is a successful strategy for me.  What is far more important than food prep is meal planning.  It's not necessary to fix all my meals on Sundays for the following week.  But I do need to know on Sunday what the game plan is for dinner for the week and I do need to make sure I have enough items on hand for breakfast, lunch and snacks.   Planning is the most critical aspect of my nutrition.

Every night I make my breakfast and lunch for the next day and plan my snacks.  That's meal prep for me!

So, if you can't deal with food prep, just think through your meals for the week.  What will you have for dinner Sunday - Thursday?  Friday and Saturday are easy because you can have left overs or deal with those meals when you go grocery shopping.  This week, it's Taco Salad on Sunday, Italian on Monday and Wednesday, Tuesday will be chicken breasts with lentils and vegetables, Thursday will be a Rotisserie chicken from Costco with roasted sweet potatoes and vegetables.  BAM.  Done.  It's that easy.

Counting calories works for me.  I have seen the results.  But most people have a misguided notion of what I mean by counting calories.  I don't use a pen and paper to count my calories.  It takes minimal effort for me.  I scan the bar codes of the food I eat into MyFitnessPal and I add foods that have no bar code (meat and produce).  Because most of the food I eat is the same, I can just tell the app that I ate the same thing yesterday or click on the most recent food items.  It's very easy and takes the maximum of one minute for each meal.

But if you aren't ready for that yet, review my posts on nutrition.  Learning about the foods you eat and how they affect you will help you with your program.  (The links are at the bottom of this page.)

If you do nothing else, make sure to significantly increase your protein and try to cut down as much as you can on simple carbohydrates, especially things like pasta, white breads and sweets.  Eat lots of vegetables.  You can substitute zucchini or spaghetti squash for pasta.  Choose whole grain bread instead of white.

Have a sweet tooth?  Eat fruit instead of cookies and cake.  Buy some Skinny Cow ice creams to get you through the ice cream cravings.

If you are hungry between meals, have healthy snack options available such as fresh fruit, almonds, Greek yogurt, carrot and celery sticks.

Practice portion control.

Drink LOTS of water.

There are not shortcuts or quick fixes.  Sudden and rapid weight loss at the beginning of a diet is typical.  But if you have more than 25 lbs. to lose, it is easy to be discouraged after the first 10 lbs. come off.  Don't give up.  Just step back and reevaluate.

Next, re-examine your workout routine...

It was just about this time two years ago when I realized what I was doing was not working and I needed to change things up.  I would go into the gym a couple times a week and use the cardio machines for 30 minutes.  I hated that.  I did.  The pain in my knee kept me from doing anything else for fear of further injury.  This is when I got a personal trainer.  Having a trainer is an expensive commitment, and I understand that not everyone is able to do that.

I look kind of mad when I'm at the gym.  But seriously, this is my happy.  I'm in the zone.  I love to workout!

I will tell you, this.  I did NOT lose weight by using the cardio machines for 30 minutes every day.  I do NOT go to the gym for an hour every day to run on the treadmill, kill myself on the Stair Master or be bored on the elliptical.  In fact, I hate those machines and stay away from them at just about all costs.  That's right.  I hate the elliptical machine and I'm not afraid to say it.

Dare to do things differently.  

Take some aerobics classes.  Try yoga.  Do interval training.  LIFT WEIGHTS. 

I FINALLY can bench 100 lbs.  I can only do about 1 - 2 reps, but I can do it!!!  That's progress!!!  Dmitriy won't let me do them alone anymore though, so I have to have a spotter when I do them.  He doesn't want me to kill myself getting caught under the bar.  Okay, safety first!!!

Many women have the misconception that they won't lose weight if they lift weights and that if they do, they will look like a man.  There's also the belief by most overweight people that they need to lose weight FIRST before they lift weights or they will have muscles under their fat.  I'm not even sure what that means.  This kind of thinking is completely irrational.  If you're like I was two years ago and don't know how to do anything besides cardio, ask one of the fitness professionals at your local health club for a free assessment.  Usually they will give you some tips on how to get started.  Visit my favorite website, BodyBuilding.com and check out their beginner workouts.  This one has a a lengthy list of exercises, which would probably cover two days of working out:  Best Beginner Weight-Training Guide.  They have multiple beginner workout suggestions with instructional videos and tips on how to do each exercise correctly and mistakes to avoid.

I've been working on core strengthening lately.  Core strengthening helps to improve my endurance and my performance on other lifts.

If you are in a funk, it's time to dig your heels in and refuse to give up.  This is the test to see if your resolution for 2016 is going to fail like every other resolution or if it will become a lifestyle change.  What will it be?

Read my post, "Getting Started" for some real inspiration on sticking with it!

Here are links to my posts on nutrition.  They are worth a second (or first) view if you need some suggestions on how to lose weight and keep it off.

Carbs:  The first post about carbohydrates.  What are they and why do we need them?

Carbs 2:  The second post about carbohydrates.   What are good carbs?  What's better? And what's best eaten sparingly?  And WHY are they such a struggle?

Nutrition Hot Topic:  Is it bad?:  Thinking about food choices.  What's good?  What's not?

Fabulous Fiber:  A brief discussion about the benefits of a high fiber diet.

Successful Secrets:  Two simple strategies I practice every day which helped me to lose weight and to now keep it off.

Successful Secrets: Part Two:  How planning my week's meals helps me to stay on track.  Menu and recipe ideas.

Nutrition 101, I talk about meal prep and provided you with several recipes and meal suggestions to get you started.  Check it out!

Flexible Dieting Basics:  A basic explanation of flexible dieting...how tracking calories and macronutrients has been the most successful way for me to lose weight and keep it off.

Tracking Calories with MFP:  Some features of MyFitnessPal (MFP) explained.  This post has some tricks of the trade.

Foods to Try:  These are foods I try to always keep on hand and a couple recipes too.

Cravings:  Some tips on how to stave off and handle cravings when they hit.  

Wonder Woman:  I explain how I got the nickname "Wonder Woman" by tracking all my calories and macronutrients.  I give a brief explanation of macros here.

A Calorie is Not a Calorie:  This post talks about the different effect foods have on you.

Questions for you:
(Answer in the comment section below.)

Did you watch the Superbowl?  Did your team win?
What's one thing you are going to do differently this week to accomplish your goals?

Now:  Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

Follow me on Instagram:  @tracoleman99

Carbs 2

For the month of January, I dedicated several posts to nutrition.  This is part two in my series about carbs. In the first post, I talked about what carbohydrates are and why we need them.  In this post, we will look at:

WHY are carbohydrates such a struggle?  

What are good carbs? 

What's better? 

What's best when consumed sparingly?  

I will also share with you my story about what happened when I had too few carbs.

I asked Instagram what they think when they see or hear the word "carb" or "carbohydrate"...

Here's a little refresher from last week's post.  Carbohydrates are the sugars, starches and fibers found in food.  When you consume carbohydrates, your body converts them to glucose, which it uses for energy.  Your pancreas releases insulin to help absorb glucose and lower glucose levels.  You body uses insulin for other metabolic functions.

So, if we need carbohydrates to be healthy and for energy, why are the low carb diets so popular?  Why do we think carbs are bad?  Why do we crave them?

Yummy!!!

Carbohydrates are not bad.  They get a a bad rap because our diets are often full of simple carbs, including a lot of refined sugars.  Our bodies immediately convert these to glucose, which is converted to energy.  Too many simple carbs cause your body to release too much insulin, disrupt your blood sugar levels, cause weight gain, as well as a litany of other problems. It's not the carbs themselves. It's too many and too many of the wrong kind.

Let's talk about simple carbohydrates for a little bit.  Simple carbs are those types of food and beverages made of simple sugars (such as sucrose, fructose, and maltose), which your body digests quickly.  These types of foods include donuts, muffins, cake, ice cream, candy, soda, beer, and white breads.  My cousin Jamie calls them, "calorie bombs."  You eat them, they are tons of calories, and 1/2 hour or less after you eat them, you are hungry for more.  For me, eating this type of food early in the day makes me hungry all day long.  I can't seem to get enough, and it's sweet, sugary foods I crave most.  Thus the term, "Calorie Bomb."  When you are trying to lose weight, you want to avoid this kind of food as much as possible.  You don't want to eat calorie dense foods that will leave you hungry and craving more all day.  It's okay to have them once in a while, sparingly.  For example, if you have a party to attend on the weekend or you are itching for some Fig Newtons, just be sure to include them in your nutrition, whether you are tracking points or macros.  Be aware of how you respond to this kind of food.  Does it make you even hungrier after?  Can you stop with one serving?  Do you feel satisfied or wanting more?  Depending on how you respond, and at what time of day, makes a difference as to how often you want to "splurge" on that kind of treat. 

I don't know about you, but I LOVE carbs.  I struggle with the kind that aren't so good and I always want more.  I love waffles.  I would kill for a Belgian Waffle, smothered in butter and syrup.  But I know that kind of food is best left as a special treat...maybe breakfast out or a baby shower.

To be truthful, most carbohydrates are wonderfully delicious and nutritious!  The "best carbs" are what would be considered "complex carbohydrates," or anything high in fiber, such as most vegetables, legumes, oatmeal, and whole grains.  Complex carbs take longer to digest and do not tend to spike your blood sugar levels.  If you are tracking calories and macros, you want these kinds of foods to make up the majority of your carbohydrates.

Except for the turkey burger and cheese buried under those mushrooms, this plate is a carb feast.  Probably not what you would think of when you think, "carbs," but vegetables are carbohydrates!

Fruit is what I wold consider the "next best" carbs.  While fruits are considered simple carbs, due to the natural sugars they contain, they are full of vitamins and can often satisfy your need for something sweet.  I like to say, "berries are best" because they are plentiful in Vitamin C and rich in fiber.  If you are craving ice cream, try some low fat vanilla yogurt with some berries (fresh or frozen) or a frozen banana in the blender with 1/2 c. almond milk and 2 tbsp. chocolate syrup.  You'll be surprised at how well these kinds of substitutions satisfy you.  All fruit is good, but different fruits affect people in different ways.  So, listen to your body and see how you feel after you eat a banana versus how you feel after a cup of strawberries or a grapefruit.

Here's my story...

A 41 mile ride shouldn't have beat me down as much as it did.  I thought I was eating enough, but I was not.  Proper nutrition and plenty of carbs literally fueled my training.  I needed carbohydrates.

Last summer, when I really started riding my bike a lot, I experienced a nutritional crisis, which I wrote about it in Staying the Course.  While doing research for this blog entry, I realized that what happened to me was a direct result of not eating enough, and specifically, not having enough carbohydrates.  I had ALL of the side effects, specifically the "brain fog" and fatigue, that typically accompany a low-carb diet.  Your body converts carbohydrates to glucose, which it uses as energy. I was eating carbohydrates, even tried carb-cycling (increasing carbohydrates on riding days).  Furthermore, I was eating 500 more calories per day than I usually ate.  But it was not enough and physically I started to shut down.  I can clearly remember how I felt.  It was a valuable learning lesson for me.  I know now that during riding season, I have to eat a LOT more, and that it's okay.

I started eating a PB&J sandwich on white bread before a ride.  I learned that half a sandwich was best because I got stomach cramps with a whole one.  But it was the perfect combination of simple carbs my body needed to get me through a ride.

If you are trying to lose weight, don't skip the carbs.  Yes, make sure you are eating enough protein.  You need protein to build muscle.  Eating enough protein will help manage your appetite and keep your blood sugar levels in check.  But skipping carbohydrates or eating too few is not only unhealthy, but it is also a poor way to sustain your weight loss.  What will you do when you reach your "goal weight" and start eating spaghetti and potatoes?  Learning proper portions and looking at how to manage your macros are the best way to both lose the weight and keep it off.  This is a journey, not a sprint.  Be smart.  Cut out the sugary and fried foods, replace them with better options and make your new way of eating your lifestyle, not your diet.

Here are links to other posts where I discuss nutrition.  They are worth a second (or first) view if you are serious about flexible dieting as an option.

Carbs:  The first post about carbohydrates.  Make sure you read this!!!

Nutrition Hot Topic:  Is it bad?:  Thinking about food choices.  What's good?  What's not?

Fabulous Fiber:  A brief discussion about the benefits of a high fiber diet.

Successful Secrets:  Two simple strategies I practice every day which helped me to lose weight and to now keep it off.

Successful Secrets: Part Two:  How planning my week's meals helps me to stay on track.  Menu and recipe ideas.

Nutrition 101, I talk about meal prep and provided you with several recipes and meal suggestions to get you started.  Check it out!

Flexible Dieting Basics:  A basic explanation of flexible dieting...how tracking calories and macronutrients has been the most successful way for me to lose weight and keep it off.

Tracking Calories with MFP:  Some features of MyFitnessPal (MFP) explained.  This post has some tricks of the trade.

Foods to Try:  These are foods I try to always keep on hand and a couple recipes too.

Cravings:  Some tips on how to stave off and handle cravings when they hit.  

Wonder Woman:  I explain how I got the nickname "Wonder Woman" by tracking all my calories and macronutrients.  I give a brief explanation of macros here.

A Calorie is Not a Calorie:  This post talks about the different effect foods have on you.

Questions for you: 

(Answer in the comment section below.)

What did you do this weekend?  What's your biggest food weakness?

Now:  Subscribe to new posts!  When a new post is added, you will receive an email notice so you can check it out.  I promise:  no SPAM and I won't share your email address with anyone.  Look at the top right side of the page to subscribe.  

Follow me on Instagram:  @tracoleman99