What'chu eatin'?

Mmmm…food:)  I must admit I LOVE food that I love:) As I mentioned in my last post, one way to prevent going overboard this holiday season is to do a little research on the "bad but oh so good" foods you might indulge in over the next few weeks.  Though I think this is great to do in general when you are starting up your healthy eating regime or just need a little kick back on track.  I am feeling like a need a little kick back on track so I have decided to post some of my researched splurge foods as a teeny tiny reminder of what they REALLY consist of.  Maybe some of my danger foods are yours too but I encourage you to google the heck out of whatever it is that is holding you back from making progress on your journey towards health.
Here are some of mine (Oh boy!):

1.  Turtles (these guys seem to be everywhere at Christmas time!)

• calories: 160 (per 2 pieces) and 81! of those calories are fat 
• 15 g of sugar

2.  Nutella (disguises itself as part of a healthy diet…uh nope you are wrong!)

• calories: 2 TBSP = 200! 
• 20% Saturated fat
• 21 g of sugar
• "Nutella has more calories, sugar, and fat (and more “bad” modified palm oil) than an equivalent amount of chocolate cake icing"  WHATTT??? Darn I guess it was too good to be true.  
• Only 13% of the product in the jar is made up of hazelnuts.
• This guy has done some research and boy has it changed my mind about eating Nutella.  You can find him at http://www.obesitypanacea.com/2009/04/nutella-delicious-yes-nutritious.html

3.  Blended Coffee (more specifically a mochachillo ~ caramel cappachillo is a little less calorie rich ~ not like it matters :)

• calories: 390 aka. a small meal!
• 24 g of sugar (ok mind blown)

4.  Margarita (now this will blow your mind!)

• 740 + calories!
• Yes vodka is not high in fat but it is super high in calories and then when you add the mixes it just keeps on growing.  A splash of juice is supposedly better than on the rocks or with club soda/soda water.  Check out this site for more information on your favourite alcoholic bevies ~ http://changeforgood.com/belly-up-to-the-bar-and-to-the-calories-the-10-most-fattening-drinks/#.Uqt5T6Vm1Zs

Ok now that our minds have been blown let's put a few things in perspective shall we?  Here are some great facts to keep in mind:

• One pound of fat is 3500 calories
• You need over 1600 calories a day to survive (that is a baseline) ~ "The number of calories you should eat each day depends on several factors, including your age, size, height, sex, lifestyle, and overall general health " (Medical News Today).  The average man and woman should consume between 2000-2500 calories a day.  

There are a few different ways to figure out your ideal calorie intake for a healthy you.  

• I use a Body Mass Index calculator to get an idea of where I am right now.  Here is an easy one from Livestrong ~ http://www.livestrong.com/tools/body-mass-calculator/  Once you do this then you sort of know where you are and where a healthy you should be.
• You can use a BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) Calorie Calculator to figure out your ideal calorie requirements.  Here are a couple options I have found easy to use: 
•  http://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/
• http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/Calorie_Calculator.asp
• If you have an iPhone you can also get an app called "Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by My Fitness Pal".  

I am going to be completely honest here ~ I am not a calorie counter nor do I think it is something that should be obsessed over.  The fact of the matter is I think we should all take steps to becoming as educated as possible as to what we are putting in our bodies and the impact it can have.  When I read the bit on the Nutella I literally went to my cupboard and pulled it out and threw it into the garbage.  You should go thru your cupboards and fridge and discard (give to a friend if you don't want to throw things away).  You need to create a positive environment that supports your journey of becoming healthier.  Know what your calorie consumption should be to lose weight a healthy way, know the facts about the food you are consuming and make wise choices.  I like using the 80/20 rule that helped me out over the last few months.  I think it is something to live by for sure.  Aim for eating healthy 80% of the time and 20% of the time you can have an indulgence here or there.  When I was participating in the 60 Day Challenge almost a year ago I went those 60 days not cheating, not indulging, not binging, etc. Sometimes at the start it was hard to resist but what ended up happening is I stopped having cravings for things I loved before.  My chemistry changed and I craved healthy foods that would give me FUEL to work out hard.  "Treat" is such a funny word because the real treats you give your body are truly nutritious meals.  Think about how you feel after you eat something good for you compared to when you allow your will power to fade and eat something super crappy…am I not right?  Do I still have those moments?  Hell YES I do.  It sucks but I think it will be something I need to pay attention to for the rest of my life.  I have started a lot of great habits over this last year and I have fallen off the wagon a couple of times too.  My plan is to really focus on what I have accomplished (successfully completing the 60 day challenge, participating in a 21KM Spartan Beast race, being able to do the highest box jump, lifting/pushing/pulling/throwing super heavy weights) and when I am feeling a little blue that I let my guard down, indulged a little too much, gained a little weight back, missed that work out ~ whatever it is that is causing me to feel rightfully unsatisfied, jump back on the horse!  I have all the tools and I really just have to take that step in the right direction.  

Today is December 13, 2013 and as of today I am starting my very own 60 Day Challenge ~ exactly like the one I did last year around this time.  My goal is to drop some more body fat and lose 15 more pounds.  My plan of attack is to continue my classes at EXCEL FITNESS (aiming for 4-6 classes a week) and follow my daily eating rules.  These include:

• No caffeine and/or alcohol
• No bread
• As much fruits and veggies as possible
• 6 smaller meals throughout the day
• Only lean meat like fish and chicken (and small portion when I do)
• No butter, salt and/or sauces
• No baked goods 
• Limit pasta (small portion only)
• No dairy - milk, cheese (substitute almond milk, 0% fat yogurt allowed)
• No food after dinner (eat dinner sometime between 5-6pm)
• Drink A CRAP LOAD of water!  All day!
• No juice
• No sweets (occasional small piece of dark organic chocolate allowed once a week)
• Drink a cup of water with lemon right away in the morning
• Eat breakfast everyday!  Eggs, cereal, fruit, veggies in an omelet
• 1 small piece of birthday cake on December 21(my 31st birthday)

I am excited to jump back on my serious wagon.  I will keep you posted on my progress:)