Tag Archives: diets

Celebrating Cheat Day!!!


On the Slow-Carb Diet it’s a RULE that we take off 1 day a week and eat whatever we want!  We spend 6 days eating slow-carb high density foods.  Then – on the 7th day – we spike our caloric and sugar intake with whatever food we want… pasta, breads, fruit, sweet treats…….. YUM!

PHYSICALLY:  This diet will shred body fat with it’s cycling method!

MENTALLY:  This diet will change the way you look at food.  You will begin to see the effect food has on our body… after all, it’s true:  WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!  You will become a student of yourself!

EMOTIONALLY:  It’s a lot easier to make wise food choices when you know you will get to eat “that” in the near future.  I encourage Slow-Carbers to write down the foods their body is screaming for during the week.  Make a CHEAT DAY LIST.  I do this! This is an intense diet and it’s good to rest emotionally.  This seems to give me a new dose of momentum moving into the new week of healthy eating.  After all, even God rested on the 7th day!

One more thing… 
The Slow-Carb Diet teaches us to PLAN AHEAD!  Be intentional with the foods you eat.  🙂

Now, let’s CELEBRATE 
DGW DAY!!!
-dieters gone wild-
Here are some of the DGW food pics from you Slow-Carbers:
 
Here we go – on our way to make the most out of DGW day.  
All I can think about is the 
Whole Foods black & white cake.  
Have you had it?  Ohhhhh, it’s the best.
My kids REALLY like cheat day!  
They are so sweet to participate with me 🙂

 theDELIMA 
They all look amazing, but there are no black & white cupcakes  🙁 

enterDANIELLE
She is my new best friend!  LOL  
She took the time and made sure I got the perfect cupcake!  🙂
H.A.P.P.Y!

I think I can speak for all of us: 
 Cheat day is the best!!!… but we always look forward to getting back to our “normal” eating pattern the next day.  We are ready to have our energy back and we are ready to feel good again at the end of the day!
Am I right?  

What’s your favorite CHEAT DAY food?
Read HERE about what Holly thinks of CHEAT DAY.





Slow-Carb: Failure-Proofing Behaviors

In THE 4-HOUR BODY, 
Tim Ferriss describes the 
Four Principles Of Failure-Proofing Behavior

1. Make it consciousbe aware of your behavior in real time.  Not after the fact.  How to do this:

PHOTOGRAPH YOUR FOOD
“…the photographs acted as an instantaneous intervention and forced people to consider their choices before the damage was done.”  Tim Ferriss

2.  Make it a game.  You must measure something along the way!  Keep records of your progress.

3.  Make it competitive! 
 “Embrace peer pressure.  It’s not just for kids”  Tim Ferriss
4.  Make it small and temporary.   
Ask yourself these questions:
  • “Do I really look like that in underwear?”  Put that before picture up to keep you focused!
  • “Do I really eat that?” Take pictures of your food and post them for others to see!
  • “Who can I get to do this with me?”  Find at least one person and invite them to a little friendly competition.  Use your total inches (TI) as a measuring tool. 

“Use competitive drive, guilt, and fear of humiliation to your advantage.”  Tim Ferriss

  • “What is the smallest meaningful change I can make?”   
EVERYDAY SET SMALL OBTAINABLE GOALS

“Taking off the pressure in 4HB means doing experiments that are short in duration and not overly inconvenient.  Don’t look at a diet change or a new exercise as something you need to commit to for six months, much less the rest of your life.  Look at it as a test drive of one to two weeks…..Take the pressure off and do something small…..Rig the game so you can win.”  Tim Ferriss

For a great boost in reaching your goals, consider joining me this summer on a HEALTH & FITNESS RETREAT!  Now booking for the June 2-6 trip.  Read HERE for details. 


Anti-Aging: 10 Prunes

PRUNES…Dried PLUMBS

One of the healthiest foods!

They are most commonly known as a natural laxative, but there are numerous other benefits from these fruits.

Prune Nutrition Facts

HealwithFood.org
Glycemic Index (GI) Rating: Although rich in simple sugars, prunes do not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, possibly because of their high fiber, fructose, and sorbitol content. Therefore, prunes have a low GI rating of 29. The Glycemic Load (GL) of prunes is 9.57 (low).
Calories: Prunes have about 240 calories per 100 grams (67 calories per 1 ounce).
Macronutrients: Prunes are rich in carbohydrates. They are also an excellent source of dietary fiber (6.1 grams per 100 grams). Prunes contain very little protein and hardly any fat.
Vitamins: Prunes are a good source of vitamin A and vitamin K.
Minerals and Trace Elements: Prunes are a good source of potassium, copper, boron and magnesium.
Phenolic Compounds: Prunes are rich in phenolic compounds (184 mg/100 g) such as neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids.

Anti-Aging: 7 BEANS

…BEANS…

FACT :: There are aproximatly 13,000 species of beans and legumes in the world!  Now that’s variety!

Diets rich in beans are being used to:

  • reduce risk of many cancers

  • improve diabetics’ blood glucose control

  • lower blood pressure

  • regulate  colon function

  • lower cholesterol levels

  • prevent and cure constipation

 Richly colored dried BEANS offer a lot of antioxidant protection!  Red kidney beans actually have more antioxidants than blueberries!

Beans are loaded with

FIBER and PROTEIN


Brown Rice and Black Bean Burritos Rachael Ray

Ingredients
  • 2 cups chicken stock or water
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
  • 2 14-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 large, whole wheat tortillas
  • 1 cup of smoked white cheddar
  • 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
  • 4 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 bunch (about a handful) of cilantro leaves removed from stems
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • A few dashes hot sauce
  • 1 jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

Preparation

Place a medium pot over medium-high heat with the stock or water and brown rice. Season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a bubble. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 25 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
While rice is cooking, place another pot over medium heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, onion, garlic, jalapeño, salt and ground black pepper. Cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cumin and cook about 1 minute then add tomatoes and beans, and heat through, about 2 minutes. Keep warm until the rice is ready.
Just before the rice and beans are ready, place a dry skillet over medium heat. Warm the tortillas in the pan until hot and lightly blistered. Transfer finished tortillas to a plate and cover them in a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm.
When everything is ready, lay down the tortillas and divide the cheese evenly between them. Divide the rice and beans between the tortillas as well as the lettuce, tomatoes, scallions and cilantro. Roll up each burrito.


The Ultimate Chili Allrecipes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 (15 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans
  • 3 (14.5 ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup red wine

 Directions

  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until evenly browned. Drain off grease, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. In a slow cooker, combine the cooked beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, celery, red bell pepper, and red wine vinegar. Season with chili powder, cumin, parsley, basil and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly.
  3. Cook on High for 6 hours, or on Low for 8 hours. Pour in the wine during the last 2 hours.


Confession Session

One thing I love about personal training is the food confessions that take place on weigh-in and measuring days!

I get to hear all about the splurges from the week!

My family takes a 90/10 approach to eating.  

90% of our eating is for the purpose of growth, health and recovery. 

 10% is to enjoy food because it’s YUMMY!

MY FAVORITE 10% FOODS

PIZZA       

Lucy’s MAC & CHEESE 🙂

BREADS   CHIPS

my  STARBUCKS “coffee” drink

CHOCOLATE

and ICING!



I’ll share a little secrete with you:  When I was in college, I often kept a tube of icing stashed in my purse, so whenever I needed an icing fix, I would just pull it out and enjoy!

I’ve since wised up and DO NOT recommend you do this!  LOL

CONFESSION TIME

Ok, it’s your turn.  

What’s your favorite cheat foods?