I think in life sometimes we find the path we are meant to take, without ever having intentionally set foot upon it. I have been divorced for almost five years now and I have come to realize that many people have come to me for guidance in their relationships. I have accepted this role naturally and it gives me much joy to be able to help others through the challenges in their relationships.
Most recently, a situation occurred with an acquaintance that brought me immediately back to my own situation and the grieving and loss I endured after my husband and I separated. Because of this recent event, I have written this letter. I have never written anything like this before. It is the stages I "suffered" through before rising again as a new woman. (And still I rise....)
For all the women who are grieving the loss of a husband because he has abandoned you and your children for another woman.... I have you in my heart.
My Dear friend,
If you are reading this, it is because the unthinkable has happened. The man you woke up to each morning for days upon days, who cuddled you through countless movies, who made you crazy with his faults and who held your hand when you pushed and pushed until you gave birth to a child who came to melt both of your hearts.... that man has died. I say that to you figuratively, of course, because the truth is, that man has abandoned you and the flesh of your flesh, your darling babies, for another woman. I speak to you not only as a friend, but as a woman who grieved the loss of the man she loved. I needed a friend to counsel me, and I had many. I would offer you some words to comfort you, too.
You must remember first and foremost that you deserve to grieve the loss of this man, even though he still lives. This is the most difficult grieving because you see him and he physically looks like the man you adored. But he is not. The man you adored is dead. The man who adored you no longer exists. I want to be clear in this: The person who looks like that man no longer belongs to you nor you to him. You must not cling to him any longer. Allow yourself all the pain and heartache that you deserve. You may want to be angry, too, and yes, be angry, but don't deny yourself the pain. All the love you once felt must resolve itself and the way for this transformation is through your grieving.
There will come a day when you wake from sleep, and groggy, come slowly to the reality of this new life, and the pain will burn you again. You will wish for sleep. Endless sleep. This will happen often. You will want to die. You will feel that your death would be better than waking each day to the hollow emptiness that threatens to explode in your chest. I assure you it is not. The ache is you healing. The amount of love you felt for him will be equal to the ache.
There will be moments when you have an extraordinary insight, or your little girl does something remarkable, and your heart strings tug at you and you think of him first, of telling your love. And it'll be like a car slamming into a brick wall because you remember he is not your love and you can not tell him. Because you can't. Because he doesn't want to share your joys any more and he doesn't care to share your sorrows.
Expect that you will slip up at some point and call him babe or honey, or sweetheart. Maybe you will hang up the phone and say out of habit, "Love you," and then remember with a shock that you aren't allowed to say that anymore. How could you have forgotten? You will go shopping at holiday time and you will see something that will remind you of him and you may yearn for him. For his scent. For the freckle hidden where only you know, or the way his cheek dimples when he gives you a lopsided grin. You will feel the tears again and your chest will burn. It will take all your emotional stamina to smile when your daughter turns to you and says, "What's wrong , Mama?" But you will. Because you are beginning to grow strong.
Now, when you see him, you are going to be confused about how you should feel. You will have the love you felt like a current always swift and strong underneath the confusion, frustration, fear and anger. You will want him to hurt as much as you hurt. The real truth is you will want him to just see you again. The woman who loves him, who said, "I do." Who cooked him hundreds of meals and who sent his family birthday cards and Christmas gifts. There will be a deep need for him to look at you the way he once did. This feeling will pass. I implore you to allow yourself the grieving before you move on to the next stage, which is when the anger invades.
When the hurt subsides the bitterness and blame will set in. This stage is poison but essential to healing. You will be so angry you may be unrecognizable to yourself. Logic (and your friends) will tell you that you need to be cool, control your temper, that you are just "giving him what he wants." And it's true, but while you're hearing the words of logic, you can not seem to control yourself. It's normal. Before you were hurt and crying, now you want to be violent and punch somebody, preferably him or his girlfriend, right in the face. But you can't. You know you must be the "better" person. Why? Who cares why. It just is. Be the better person because it's the right thing to do. Not because you have some hope that he will "get what's coming to him."
If you can remember only a few words of wisdom from this letter, then remember this: “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Your anger will not hurt him. It only hurts you and the people you love.
When you have finished blaming him, you will blame yourself. You will spend hours recounting what you could've done differently. But it doesn't matter. You can't change what it was, only what it is.
Anger and guilt require a vast amount of energy and eventually you will tire of holding onto it. When this happens, it will be time for acceptance. During this stage, you will have the blessed opportunity to fully know yourself again.
You will go an entire day without love/hating him. You will go an entire day without thinking of him at all. It will feel amazing. Activities and hobbies you once had will again creep their way into your life. You'll try something you never knew you would dare, skydiving or hiking alone in Arches National Park in Utah. You'll begin to be able to look him and her in the face without having to fully fake courtesies. You will begin to look forward to your "me" time and actually feel blessed that your children are spending time with "them".
You will say for the first time how good it is that you have time for yourself when there are loving people caring for your kids. The independence and strength you feel doing it all on your own, although new perhaps, will be addicting. You will begin to listen to the song in your heart and you won't step away from what it says to you, fearing your future. And when you feel confident enough to date again, as this new woman, you will accept the men for who they are and not for who you want them to be. And you won't accept anything less than you deserve. You will be able to walk away from men and situations that don't serve the song in your heart, your life's path. You will accept that most relationships are finite and that you can't hold onto everyone. And you won't have bitterness about that or anger, or a sense of sadness.
And then the day will come, and it will, when you will feel like you could be friends with him again. You will acknowledge that you miss that friendship, that you could never love him again nor are you attracted to him, but that you could be friends again for the children, and for you. It will start slow, perhaps as less arguing, a thank you where before it would've gone unsaid. You'll test these new, unchartered waters, unsure where your ship belongs.
And then, one day, he will tell you something funny your child did, and you'll genuinely smile at that. And not too much later, you'll tell him how your daughter did something crazy like shaved her eyebrows off (yes, this actually happened to me) and the two of you will laugh hard, like the old days.
And you will realize you have forgiven him. And most importantly, you will forgive yourself. You will wake up and see the most beautiful, independent, strong woman in the mirror, and at first, she will seem foreign. But eventually, you and she will settle into each other. This new woman will be you. You will have risen from the ashes, like a phoenix, born again.
Be Blessed,
April
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Confession
This week I am writing to you about my slump. I am not proud of it, but it happens. I want you to know what I do when I take two steps back. I hope it helps you learn that a lifestyle change is not always easy and we all endure the unpleasant moment or two (or a week in this case) of making poor choices. It's ok. How do you get out of that hole you're digging yourself into? Read on to see how I deal with this dilemma.
I am in a slump.
My confession:
It's been a week since I ate clean all day. It's been four days since I had a work out.
Yesterday I made mac salad for my dad and Ella and, against my better judgment and breaking my own rules, I snuck at least a cup of it when no one was looking. Ella wanted chocolate so I bought a box of Ghirardelli double chocolate brownies and it only took one day before they disappeared. I've spent more time on the couch in the last week than I have all summer. I usually weigh myself everyday and I have avoided the scales the last two days. I've noticed that I haven't slept well in at least a week either.
"What is wrong with me," I ask myself.
It happens to us all, I know. I hate feeling this way. No motivation. A lack of desire to put any effort into my health. Again I ask myself to find the trigger(s) of my behaviors so that I can deal with my apathy.
1. Summer is almost over. It's end is so close we can touch it. Depressing.
2. The school year is beginning. As an English teacher, we carry a heavy burden when it comes to educating our children to read and write effectively in respect to the state's expectations. I am overwhelmed.
3. My own classes started last week. One of the professors is disorganized and confusing. It took me an hour just to decipher his expectations for the week. Again, overwhelmed.
4. I am involved in some research to help write some grants for our community. Exciting new venture for me, but with exciting comes scary.
5. Ella starts gymnastics, Madeline starts dance. We have soccer, I have meetings and assignments and the pressure of school. Our home calendar is so burdened with times and dates I'm sure I need a secretary to remind me of my appointments.
6. I spent last week at school helping with the WEB program and doing curriculum work. I ate pizza and ate lunch. When I got home, I took the kids out for dinner. I also went out with the ladies from work for a few cocktails as well as a night out with my girlfriends from school. More cocktails. Not good for a clean running system.
Once I got to 6 I started feeling nauseous about my choices for the week.I think I have my answer though, to why I am avoiding being healthy:
I have shut down because:
1. It is going to require a major amount of multi-tasking to keep up my health and my life's responsibilities...
and:
2. This past week I decided almost to have a last "hurrah" and do whatever I wanted because I'm going to have to buckle down this coming week and the next ten months if I want to stay healthy and in shape.
What I know:
I can do it and so can you! I've done it before. It's a new day. Be prepared. Make a plan and stick with it.
How do I do this? you may be wondering. Here is how:
(Before you do this next part, you should ask yourself, Why am I sabotaging my health? (like I did above). Find out your triggers. If you have difficulty, ask a friend to help you with this.)
1. Set goals. I like to work out 3-4 days a week for at least an hour. When will I be able to do that? Looking at my calendar, I see I have time Monday, Tuesday, Friday after school if I make it a mommy-kids workout, and Saturday if I go after Ella's gymnastics. So I schedule those times in.
2. Get rid of tempting food in the house. If there were brownies left (which there are not!) I would bring these to school and leave them in the faculty room for everyone to enjoy. Throw away any food that is packaged that I may have bought that I don't need. (I.e. the Sour cream an onion chips that keep calling my name). You may feel bad/guilty about throwing away "good" food. Once you do it a couple times and realize how you are wasting money, you'll stop buying or rarely buy it. These chips my sister bought and brought to my house and left here! Damn you, Amanda :)
3. Prep the healthy food in the house for the week so it's easier to make good choices. For me, this means boiling 6-8 eggs, making a huge pot of brown rice and refrigerating it for the week, cutting up all the cucumbers, celery, and red peppers so they are ready to eat. This may mean a trip to the grocery store for some healthier options. Make a grocery list and stick with it (I have a previous post with a list if you need a jump start). Remember the advice I gave in my first blog about foods to avoid :)
4. Count calories for a few days depending on the damage from the scales. My goal weight is between 135 and 140 pounds. When I go over 140, I go back to a 1,200 cal a day diet. Use myfitnesspal app if I need help. Use measuring cups/spoons when eating.
4. FORGIVE myself for my week of unabashed overindulging. It happens. Move on! Get on the scales, check out the damage, and do what I do best. Forgiveness is difficult and it's an evolving lesson I am always learning. Loving who you are means knowing forgiveness.
5. Find some inspiration. For me, I look for a favorite saying or a favorite quote. You may talk with a friend or listen to a certain song.
I end with the inspiring quote that reminds me of why I do what I do:
I am in a slump.
My confession:
It's been a week since I ate clean all day. It's been four days since I had a work out.
Yesterday I made mac salad for my dad and Ella and, against my better judgment and breaking my own rules, I snuck at least a cup of it when no one was looking. Ella wanted chocolate so I bought a box of Ghirardelli double chocolate brownies and it only took one day before they disappeared. I've spent more time on the couch in the last week than I have all summer. I usually weigh myself everyday and I have avoided the scales the last two days. I've noticed that I haven't slept well in at least a week either.
"What is wrong with me," I ask myself.
It happens to us all, I know. I hate feeling this way. No motivation. A lack of desire to put any effort into my health. Again I ask myself to find the trigger(s) of my behaviors so that I can deal with my apathy.
1. Summer is almost over. It's end is so close we can touch it. Depressing.
2. The school year is beginning. As an English teacher, we carry a heavy burden when it comes to educating our children to read and write effectively in respect to the state's expectations. I am overwhelmed.
3. My own classes started last week. One of the professors is disorganized and confusing. It took me an hour just to decipher his expectations for the week. Again, overwhelmed.
4. I am involved in some research to help write some grants for our community. Exciting new venture for me, but with exciting comes scary.
5. Ella starts gymnastics, Madeline starts dance. We have soccer, I have meetings and assignments and the pressure of school. Our home calendar is so burdened with times and dates I'm sure I need a secretary to remind me of my appointments.
6. I spent last week at school helping with the WEB program and doing curriculum work. I ate pizza and ate lunch. When I got home, I took the kids out for dinner. I also went out with the ladies from work for a few cocktails as well as a night out with my girlfriends from school. More cocktails. Not good for a clean running system.
Once I got to 6 I started feeling nauseous about my choices for the week.I think I have my answer though, to why I am avoiding being healthy:
I have shut down because:
1. It is going to require a major amount of multi-tasking to keep up my health and my life's responsibilities...
and:
2. This past week I decided almost to have a last "hurrah" and do whatever I wanted because I'm going to have to buckle down this coming week and the next ten months if I want to stay healthy and in shape.
What I know:
I can do it and so can you! I've done it before. It's a new day. Be prepared. Make a plan and stick with it.
How do I do this? you may be wondering. Here is how:
(Before you do this next part, you should ask yourself, Why am I sabotaging my health? (like I did above). Find out your triggers. If you have difficulty, ask a friend to help you with this.)
1. Set goals. I like to work out 3-4 days a week for at least an hour. When will I be able to do that? Looking at my calendar, I see I have time Monday, Tuesday, Friday after school if I make it a mommy-kids workout, and Saturday if I go after Ella's gymnastics. So I schedule those times in.
2. Get rid of tempting food in the house. If there were brownies left (which there are not!) I would bring these to school and leave them in the faculty room for everyone to enjoy. Throw away any food that is packaged that I may have bought that I don't need. (I.e. the Sour cream an onion chips that keep calling my name). You may feel bad/guilty about throwing away "good" food. Once you do it a couple times and realize how you are wasting money, you'll stop buying or rarely buy it. These chips my sister bought and brought to my house and left here! Damn you, Amanda :)
3. Prep the healthy food in the house for the week so it's easier to make good choices. For me, this means boiling 6-8 eggs, making a huge pot of brown rice and refrigerating it for the week, cutting up all the cucumbers, celery, and red peppers so they are ready to eat. This may mean a trip to the grocery store for some healthier options. Make a grocery list and stick with it (I have a previous post with a list if you need a jump start). Remember the advice I gave in my first blog about foods to avoid :)
4. Count calories for a few days depending on the damage from the scales. My goal weight is between 135 and 140 pounds. When I go over 140, I go back to a 1,200 cal a day diet. Use myfitnesspal app if I need help. Use measuring cups/spoons when eating.
4. FORGIVE myself for my week of unabashed overindulging. It happens. Move on! Get on the scales, check out the damage, and do what I do best. Forgiveness is difficult and it's an evolving lesson I am always learning. Loving who you are means knowing forgiveness.
5. Find some inspiration. For me, I look for a favorite saying or a favorite quote. You may talk with a friend or listen to a certain song.
I end with the inspiring quote that reminds me of why I do what I do:
"I don't know if I continue, even today, always liking myself. But what I learned to do many years ago was to forgive myself. It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself because if you live, you will make mistakes. But once you do and you see the mistake, then you forgive yourself and say, 'well, if I'd known better I'd have done better,' that's all. So you say to people who you think you may have injured, 'I'm sorry,' and then you say to yourself, 'I'm sorry.' If we all hold on to the mistake, we can't see our own glory in the mirror because we have the mistake between our faces and the mirror; we can't see what we're capable of being. You can ask forgiveness of others, but in the end the real forgiveness is in one's own self. But you can overcome that. The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself. If we don't have that we never grow, we never learn, and sure as hell we should never teach."
~Maya Angelo
Namaste and best wishes!
Friday, August 16, 2013
My Body is My Temple, BMI, & Importance of Eating Breakfast
So it occurred to me recently, why should you listen to me or a word I have to say?
Well, first of all, please, please double check everything I recommend, because questioning is a good quality to have. Never believe anything blindly....
I am not an expert and am only writing about the changes I have made, based on my own reading and research. They have worked for me. You will find in the course of your research that there are conflicting opinions on almost EVERYTHING out there. At a certain point, I had to stop just doing the research and just start taking action with what seemed to be the best choice. I have tried to stay up to date and when new information comes out either assimilate it into my diet or change my diet to fit new data.
Two and a half years ago I was a size 14/16. I weighed 178 pounds. I could not run two laps without having to stop, out of breath.
My BMI (Body Mass Index- ratio of fat to muscle) was 29.8 % (see chart below--- I was almost considered class 1 obese).
Now I weigh in at 137 (and weight is NOT the be all-- end all!). I am a size 4. My BMI is 23.6. I can run for 45 minutes without stopping and could probably run longer, but who the hell wants to besides pro athletes and people being chased by vicious animals. (Kidding....)
My blood pressure is 107/72. (Healthy is considered 120/80 or below).
I guess what I'm trying to say is physically, I have changed. Mentally, I have also changed along with my physical self. It is inevitable that your mental/emotional health will progress as you make positive changes in your diet and exercise routine. So the advice I give you has worked for me...take that with a grain of salt :)
Getting back to today's discussion:
There is no doubt in my mind that the "American" culture has created a "fat" and "unhealthy" nation of people...
We are an instant gratification society. We eat to the point that we feel like we could burst, we drink to get drunk, and the foods and beverages we are eating to excess is killing us from the inside out.
We are a culture of pleasures and we eat and drink for pleasure. Proof of this comes from all the choices we have... How many cereals does a human being really need to choose from?
We need to change how we think about food and how we think about our bodies.
Today, I'd like to explain how I feel about food and my body.
My body is a temple. It is NOT who I am. That is inside me: my spirit, my personality is part of that. But my body is my vehicle. And like a vehicle, it needs maintenance and it needs to be driven properly.
Well, first of all, please, please double check everything I recommend, because questioning is a good quality to have. Never believe anything blindly....
I am not an expert and am only writing about the changes I have made, based on my own reading and research. They have worked for me. You will find in the course of your research that there are conflicting opinions on almost EVERYTHING out there. At a certain point, I had to stop just doing the research and just start taking action with what seemed to be the best choice. I have tried to stay up to date and when new information comes out either assimilate it into my diet or change my diet to fit new data.
Two and a half years ago I was a size 14/16. I weighed 178 pounds. I could not run two laps without having to stop, out of breath.
My BMI (Body Mass Index- ratio of fat to muscle) was 29.8 % (see chart below--- I was almost considered class 1 obese).
| Category | BMI range – kg/m2 | BMI Prime |
|---|---|---|
| Very severely underweight | less than 15 | less than 0.60 |
| Severely underweight | from 15.0 to 16.0 | from 0.60 to 0.64 |
| Underweight | from 16.0 to 18.5 | from 0.64 to 0.74 |
| Normal (healthy weight) | from 18.5 to 25 | from 0.74 to 1.0 |
| Overweight | from 25 to 30 | from 1.0 to 1.2 |
| Obese Class I (Moderately obese) | from 30 to 35 | from 1.2 to 1.4 |
| Obese Class II (Severely obese) | from 35 to 40 | from 1.4 to 1.5 |
| Obese Class III (Very severely obese) | over 40 | over 1.5 |
Now I weigh in at 137 (and weight is NOT the be all-- end all!). I am a size 4. My BMI is 23.6. I can run for 45 minutes without stopping and could probably run longer, but who the hell wants to besides pro athletes and people being chased by vicious animals. (Kidding....)
My blood pressure is 107/72. (Healthy is considered 120/80 or below).
I guess what I'm trying to say is physically, I have changed. Mentally, I have also changed along with my physical self. It is inevitable that your mental/emotional health will progress as you make positive changes in your diet and exercise routine. So the advice I give you has worked for me...take that with a grain of salt :)
Getting back to today's discussion:
There is no doubt in my mind that the "American" culture has created a "fat" and "unhealthy" nation of people...
We are an instant gratification society. We eat to the point that we feel like we could burst, we drink to get drunk, and the foods and beverages we are eating to excess is killing us from the inside out.
We are a culture of pleasures and we eat and drink for pleasure. Proof of this comes from all the choices we have... How many cereals does a human being really need to choose from?
We need to change how we think about food and how we think about our bodies.
Today, I'd like to explain how I feel about food and my body.
My body is a temple. It is NOT who I am. That is inside me: my spirit, my personality is part of that. But my body is my vehicle. And like a vehicle, it needs maintenance and it needs to be driven properly.
Food is the fuel for this body and the cleaner the fuel, the better it's going to run. This does not mean you have to eat like a rabbit, nor does it mean you can't have a glass of wine or a beer. But moderation is key.
Today's food focus is breakfast....
1. You should eat breakfast! I can not eat when I first wake up (it would make me want to vomit), so I eat breakfast around 9:30 am, when I get a break at school.
2. Breakfast bars are NOT good for you. Most cereals also pretty much suck at life. Sorry to be the herald of that news. Look at the ingredients on the label. The order of the ingredients is in order of the quantity. Almost all cereals I looked at when I first changed my eating habits listed High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) as one of the first four ingredients. BAD. Anything with HFCS should be avoided. One cereal I found that did not have HFCS is All~Bran Bran Buds. Not the most delicious alone, but you can add nuts, honey, blueberries, pecans etc....
3. I eat oatmeal (almost) every day during the school year. I also eat a banana/some other fruit about an hour later almost every day (bananas have more sugars but they are very good for you and they keep me fuller longer).
A few people messaged me about oatmeal, wondering if one type (i.e. steel cut) is better than another. I did some research and what I found out was that the only type you should avoid is the individually packaged type with the added fruits and sweeteners (i.e. oatmeal with brown sugar and cinnamon). Steel cut oats versus quick oats versus regular oats -- the difference is only in the cut of the oatmeal. As long as the label says, "100% whole grain oats" then you're fine. I buy mine at Aldi where they are cheapest. I add honey to my oatmeal. I also add either walnuts or pecans. Sometimes I put some almond or soy milk in. I measure my oatmeal too. I literally just leave the half cup measuring cup in the container. I microwave the water, then throw in the oats, then microwave it again just to be sure the oats are cooked through. If they are too thick, just add a little more water and stir.
Oatmeal is a way better alternative in terms of health. Take a look at oatmeal versus Raisin Bran:
Oatmeal Raisin Bran
Serving Size 1/2 cup 1 cup
Calories 150 cals 200 cals
*Total Carbs 19 carbs 37 carbs
Sugars less than 1 21 grams
Protein 5 grams 4 grams
Fibers (all) 8 grams 6 grams
*after fiber is subtracted
While oatmeal's serving size is only 1/2 cup vs the raisin bran's 1 cup, the oatmeal is DRY and when you add water, it expands.
I sometimes am in a rush and do eat packaged food for breakfast. In that case I have eaten the 100 calorie thin crisp Kellog's breakfast bars. Just remember that doing something packaged should be in moderation and the exception, not the rule.
I do like having eggs sometimes for breakfast if I'm home. A medium egg has about 70 calories. I eat two eggs with two slices of the Sara Lee bread (35 calories per slice). I use real butter over margarine. It has more calories but it actually "healthier" for you.
The last piece of advice I would give you is about coffee. All the research I have done shows that coffee is actually good for you. Not loaded with sweeteners and cream, but the blacker you can drink it, the better.
I personally am a bit of a coffee tramp. I still like my light and sweet, with some cream and sugar. Maybe that can be my next battle.
Please feel free to share, ask questions, or comment. I appreciate your ideas and feedback.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
"Homemade" Pita Chips: Recipe, Calorie Count and Tips
So, shockingly, I had 250+ views in two days on my Healthy Eating Post. Obviously there are many of you who are interested in getting fit.
I personally believe that diet is 70% of getting in shape and exercise is the rest. Having said that, here is a simple recipe that can be used as a snack, lunch, or developed into a full dinner (I replace the Tostitos chips with these). I'd like to give some thanks to Rick Turner for inspiring me (via Betty Turner) for this simple recipe.
10-15 minutes prep and cook time. Kid friendly. Let the kids help with this recipe!
Homemade Pita Chips :
Two Joseph's Pita pockets (I buy these at Wal-Mart in front of the deli section)
Clove of Garlic or you can use minced garlic
Sea Salt to taste
Pepper to Taste
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 350.
Wa-la. You are done. Throw away the aluminum foil and you don't even have much clean up!
Here is my lunch today (see photo below):
(Olive oil is GOOD fat. But remember, eat it in moderation! It can help lower cholesterol and reduce other risks. For more info: http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/26/health/five-things-olive-oil )
Total:
440 calories. These are ALL healthy calories.
Today's Tip:
MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE.
Keep measuring spoons and cups within an easy grasp in the kitchen and measure everything. In our culture we OVEREAT because we do not pay attention to proper portion sizes. After a while. you will understand what an appropriate portion looks like.
Also, if you're trying to lose weight:
How many calories do you need?
Find out how many calories you need to lose weight. I used the myfitnesspal app. It was so helpful. I learned a ton about foods by using it. I needed 1,200 calories a day during my "cutting back" stage. That was a goal and some days I met it and some days I was slightly over. Know how many calories you are eating everyday, even if it's just an estimate.
**Please remember I am not a dietician nor a nutritionist. Seek advice from your doctor before starting any fitness/diet routine.
I personally believe that diet is 70% of getting in shape and exercise is the rest. Having said that, here is a simple recipe that can be used as a snack, lunch, or developed into a full dinner (I replace the Tostitos chips with these). I'd like to give some thanks to Rick Turner for inspiring me (via Betty Turner) for this simple recipe.
10-15 minutes prep and cook time. Kid friendly. Let the kids help with this recipe!
Homemade Pita Chips :
Two Joseph's Pita pockets (I buy these at Wal-Mart in front of the deli section)
Clove of Garlic or you can use minced garlic
Sea Salt to taste
Pepper to Taste
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 350.
- Use two of the pitas. I slice them into 8s with a pizza slicer. Place them on an aluminum lined baking sheet (easy clean up!).
- Put the olive oil, crush your garlic clove, sea salt (Avoid table salt) pepper and any other spice you'd like in a dish. If it's easier, you can use seasoning salt. Mix with your pastry brush.
- Brush the pita chips with the olive oil mixture. Place in oven for 8-10 minutes until they start to brown. Take them out and let them sit to cool. When they cool, they will crispen.
Wa-la. You are done. Throw away the aluminum foil and you don't even have much clean up!
Here is my lunch today (see photo below):
- 2 pitas made into homemade chips: 120 calories
- Two tbsp. Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: 60 calories
- 1 cup colored bell peppers: 50 calories
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese: 90 calories
- The 1 tablespoon of olive oil: 120 calories
(Olive oil is GOOD fat. But remember, eat it in moderation! It can help lower cholesterol and reduce other risks. For more info: http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/26/health/five-things-olive-oil )
Total:
440 calories. These are ALL healthy calories.
Today's Tip:
MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE.
Keep measuring spoons and cups within an easy grasp in the kitchen and measure everything. In our culture we OVEREAT because we do not pay attention to proper portion sizes. After a while. you will understand what an appropriate portion looks like.
Also, if you're trying to lose weight:
How many calories do you need?
Find out how many calories you need to lose weight. I used the myfitnesspal app. It was so helpful. I learned a ton about foods by using it. I needed 1,200 calories a day during my "cutting back" stage. That was a goal and some days I met it and some days I was slightly over. Know how many calories you are eating everyday, even if it's just an estimate.
**Please remember I am not a dietician nor a nutritionist. Seek advice from your doctor before starting any fitness/diet routine.
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