Is it time for Lunch yet???

I think you will agree with me when I say that lunch is the hardest meal to keep healthy. There are so many factors that we let prevent us from eating a good, clean lunch. Whether it is that pizza screaming our name from the employee break room or the last minute lunch meeting, we all have a tough time with this mid-day meal. This is when planning ahead is so important. I usually pack my lunch right after I eat dinner the night before. This way, all I have to do is grab my trusty cooler as I zoom out the door for work, meetings or family gatherings. You can even ask my family about my cooler and I! We go everywhere together, and I mean everywhere. In addition to the two snacks I pack in my cooler, lunch makes meal number 3. I try to keep lunch around 300 calories and a balance of lean protein, good carbs, veggies and healthy fats. Pictured here is 4oz of chicken breast, 2TB "Eat Clean" guacamole, 1cup broccoli and 1TB hummus. Some other great options are:

• 3oz of turkey, 1 slice ezekiel bread, spinach, tomato, onion and mustard with a side of sliced cucumber and 1TB hummus.
• 3oz tuna salad prepared with fat-free mayo and relish, 5 Ak-Mak crackers, celery sticks and 1Tb Naturally More peanut butter.
• 4oz chicken, 1TB hummus, spinach, cucumber, tomato all wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla (4g of fiber or more).

What did you eat for lunch today? What are you challenges with lunch? I want to know!

SNACKS!!!

SNACKS!!! The second, third and fourth most important meals of the day. One thing I've learned about weight loss and nutrition is to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. This keeps my metabolism going all day and prevents my body from going into "starvation mode". We've already discussed breakfast as the most important meal, but snacks are close second. Snack times for me are usually mid-morning (10am), mid-afternoon (3pm) and late evening (9pm).

Some of my favorites include: (I try to keep snacks between 200-250 calories)

• an apple with either 20 raw almonds or 1TB Naturally More Peanut Butter (pictured)
• 2TB of hummus with cucumber slices and carrots or with 5 Ak-Mak crackers (pictured)
• 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein (pictured), blended with 1 cup frozen berries of any kind and 1 cup skim milk
• Think Thin protein bars (mudslide and creamy peanut butter are my favorites)
• 2 rice cakes with 1TB natural peanut butter
• 4oz Low-fat cottage cheese with a piece of fruit

• 1/2 cup fat-free greek yogurt with 1 shredded wheat biscuit and 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 scoop whey protein with 6oz of water (if I'm in hardcore mode)

You might be thinking, "how am I going to eat all of this food when I am not at home all day long." My response is: YOU HAVE TO PLAN AHEAD!!! You can purchase a small cooler almost anywhere. Before I go to bed at night, I pack all of my snacks in the cooler for the next day. For me, this is usually only 2 snacks, because I am home for the late evening one. We will be going into a lot more detail about packing food next week. For now, I hope you will try some of my snack ideas. Please let me know if you have any good snacks of your own that I should try!

Breakfast

I have learned that breakfast is the MOST important meal of the day. I don't mean the kind you shove down your throat that you found in the employee break room as you feel your stomach grumbling at 10am. I am talking about nourishing your system first thing in the morning. As soon as I wake up, I drink 16oz of water, 1 cup of green tea and have 4-5 egg white, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, and a piece of fruit. After doing so, I feel like I have fueled my engine and am ready to take on the day. I've found that it is important to eat a balance of lean protein, complex carbs (good carbs) and fruit for breakfast to jump start my weight loss goals. There are many combinations you can make for breakfast, even if you are in a rush. Just ask me, I would love to share them with you. In other words, there are NO EXCUSES to skip breakfast! In this photo: 1/2 cup oatmeal (rolled oats, not instant) with cinnamon, 4 egg whites prepared with Pam cooking spray and pepper and one sliced orange. It takes me less than 10 minutes to make this breakfast. What did you have for breakfast today?

20 Something and over weight...

I technically began my weight loss journey 4 years ago after I saw this photo of myself. I was 23, had gone through a divorce and was about 30 pounds over weight. None of my clothes fit and I felt horrible physically, mentally and emotionally. I decided I needed to change. Eating frozen pizza and chocolate chip cookies for dinner was clearly making me fat. I did some research and decided to follow the Body For Life challenge. In doing so, I learned about how to eat and exercise. I learned to eat 5-6 small balanced meals a day and to properly lift weights. The more weight I lost the more I wanted to learn about living a fit lifestyle. Then I found the Eat Clean Diet! Thanks to my best friend, Amy. Tosca Reno, the author of the Eat Clean Diet, soon became my role model. I have been eating clean for over a year now and have seen amazing results. My journey has now lead me to a place where I not only want to continue to get in the best shape of my life, but to help others do the same. My parents, sister, boyfriend and some of my closest friends, whom you will meet along the way, have joined me in this journey. I hope you will stay tuned and share your thoughts, struggles and stories with me. Check back this evening! I will be posting photos of what I eat at each meal.

Welcome to the world of blogging

Hello out there... I am here! I have come to make my mark on not only the blogging world, but the fitness and wellness world too! This is the beginning of my journey as I continue to get in the best shape of my life while helping others around me do the same. I hope you will follow me and share you thoughts and experiences with me. Come back tomorrow to see what I eat all day long. Have a great day!

xoxo,

Gail