What I'm Eating Wednesday

I thought I'd start a new series about what my meal choices are. I've mentioned before that I follow a method of eating called If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM). Basically, you have a set amount of fats, proteins, carbs, and to a lesser degree, fiber that you have to eat a day, and as long as you hit those numbers, you can have pretty much whatever you want. 

What drew me to the program were the pictures all over social media of people eating Pop Tarts and big bowls of cereal and such, and they were still fit. Sign me up!

That way of eating is actually perfectly okay with IIFYM, but it's not typically my choice. I am a big eater, and you just can't eat that type of food in high volume and still expect to be lean (which is my ultimate goal). 

What IIFYM does allow me to do is eat those things when I want/need to, and not completely derail my progress. I prefer having some sort of "cheat" food fairly regularly, and now cravings for such foods have almost completely disappeared. I just go ahead and plan for them in MyFitnessPal (add me as a friend!) and I'm all set! 

I try to eat almost completely whole, "clean" foods and just small portions of the fun stuff. I thought I'd start walking you through my daily foods, but these posts may get boring quickly. I tend towards food ruts anyway, but if I'm following a meal plan, eating the same things regularly just makes things so much easier. I know what to fix for myself, and I know when and how much to eat to stay full. I like the simplicity of that, but I will say that I'm currently in a love/hate relationship with chicken. I eat so much of if that I'm surprised I'm not clucking by now. 

Here's my usual breakfast:

This terrible picture is of 184g of egg white substitute (the equivalent of 4 egg whites). I'm currently using the Target store brand, but I'll use whichever store brand I happen to run into when I run out. I sprinkle it with black pepper, and Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil blend and Extra Spicy Blend. 

Ok, maybe more than a sprinkle. 

My "breakfast dessert" (I'm making that a thing) is this: 

1 packet of Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar instant oatmeal

1 serving of Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal

1/2serving of Nuts n' More Chocolate Peanut Butter 

1packet Stevia

33g of raspberries (although I prefer blueberries) 

Lunch has been the exact same thing for months, although I'm thinking of lowering my fats, so I may have to cut out the guacamole: 

4oz chicken 

100g zucchini 

100g onion

1 serving (sometimes 2) salsa

1 100calorie Wholly Guacamole packet 

Mid-day snack:

Quest bar (my favorite flavors are Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, S'mores, and Cookies & Cream. In that order.) 

Dinner varies. Truth be told, I'd eat the same thing for dinner as I do for lunch just to make things easier. I actually do do that when Steve isn't home. 

Ok. Sometimes even when he is. 

I've been feeling guilty that I haven't been cooking for my family much, so I'm trying to find meals that I can eat, too, or that I can easily modify to fit my needs. 

For instance, Monday I made hamburgers. I used Laura's Lean Ground Beef (96/4), and put mine on a sandwich thin instead of a regular bun. I also used lots of lettuce, tomato, onion, and sugar free bread & butter pickles to add some volume for very little calories. 

Last night I made Mix and Mama's Chicken & Ranch Enchilada Stack. I used low carb tortillas, fat free ranch, and cheese made with 2% (the fat free just doesn't melt nicely). 

Tonight I'm making her Grilled Chipotle Chicken over Savory Waffles. I will just have the chicken. And maybe a few bites of waffle. 

Tomorrow night's dinner is still TBD (although it will probably be turkey burgers) and Friday night is always pizza and popcorn night at our house. I typically eat one slice of pizza (we make ours homemade) and make a big ol' Jethro salad to go with it. This Friday, however, is opening night for Inside Out, so we'll go out to eat after the movie. 

At night, I'll generally have a snack. It's usually a cup of Greek yogurt, half a serving of protein granola, a packet of stevia, and 33g of fruit (generally strawberries). 

Since dinner varies, my macro count varies a little. But I'm fairly consistently hitting 160P, 140C, 36F,  and 35g of fiber. That brings me to roughly 1500 calories, which is a good total for me to be cutting weight without losing much muscle in the process. 

Hope this helps give some insight on what life on IIFYM is like. The tough part in the beginning for me was getting used to measuring out all of my portions, but now me and my food scale are total BFFs and I'm completely used to measuring everything now. It's habit. 

I'll keep these posts up until they get too boring to write or to read. 

Happy Hump Day!

Training Tuesday: DietBet recap

A month ago, I joined a DietBet hosted by MamaLaughlin. 

I dieted down well before Jamaica, even though I was still 2lbs above my goal weight when we left. When we were there, and then for a week or two after, I left my diet go. My workouts were at 60% effort during that time, too. It's pretty incredible how quickly the weight comes back with just a little bit of diet slacking and not giving it your all at the gym. I've been trying to get the extra pounds off since, and it's been stinkin' hard, lemme tell ya. 

My family has our annual beach trip coming up, and I am EXTRA motivated to get these pounds off. Just because my mind is motivated doesn't mean my body is cooperating, though. When I heard about this DietBet, though, I thought it would give me the extra push I needed to get that scale a-movin'! 

DietBet is exactly what it sounds like. You wager a certain amount of money that you will lose a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of time. In this particular case, I wagered $35 that I would lose 4% of my body weight in a month. That came to a 5lb loss. If I achieved that goal, I at least win my money back. Depending on how many people in my game meet their goal, my winnings could increase. 

When I started this game, I truly thought it wouldn't be a big deal. 5lbs? Not too awful. More than a pound a week, which is means I'd have to put forth more effort than the usual 1lb/week loss that most diets expect, and I was all up for that. 

I stuck to my diet almost perfectly (I can count my cheats in a few bites, not meals), and I increased my cardio at the gym every day so I was sure to burn more calories than I had been. Going into the last weekend, I was pretty nervous. Weekends tend to derail me because that's when all of our social activities tend to happen. Take this past weekend for instance. Hung out at the pool all day Friday, was pretty lazy after a morning gym class on Saturday, and then an amusement park on Sunday. Didn't plan this DietBet finale weekend very well. 

I weigh in every day (I know, I know), and when I weighed myself Saturday morning, I was almost a pound below goal! Let me just tell you, I was struttin' around my house that day, proud as a peacock. Sometime late in the day, it hit me that I been in the SWELTERING heat all day Friday, and I had likely had the "sauna effect" happen. I realized then that it was likely all water weight, which I could very quickly put right back on eating out for every meal on Sunday. I weighed myself Sunday morning, I was back to .2lbs above goal. Soooo frustrated!!

I tried my best to eat as healthy as possible while we were out on Sunday, and hoped for the best yesterday morning. Stepped on the scale, and...nothing. No change. Still .2lbs over goal. On any normal day, I would be happy that I had just hadn't GAINED anything, but this wasn't a normal day. This was DietBet final weigh-in day! 

Even though yesterday was the end of the game, final weigh-ins didn't have to be submitted until today. I decided to bust my butt at the gym, tighten down my diet, drink lots of water, and I was sure I could drop that last .2lbs. 

I got dressed, and started my normal morning routine. As I finished up breakfast, I felt the urge to go. 

#tmi

So I went. Then I weighed. And BOOM! Made it! 

<insert Tiger Woods fist pump here>

I took my final pictures and officially submitted them to DietBet. They have been verified and approved, and now I just have to wait for everyone else to finished submitting their results to see how the winnings pay out. 

All in all, I thought this was a fantastic way to motivate yourself to stick to your fitness goals. I was already motivated, but there was no WAY I was going to get so close and not win this thing. I'm very competitive, and having this goal to shoot for just added that extra push to do it quickly. 

If I have any complaints, it's that there were so many people in the game and it didn't have much sense of community. I would've liked to have made some friends and learned things they were doing to reach their goal. I still enjoyed the experience, though, and I'm already thinking about doing another one! 

After my vacation, of course. 

#eatallthethings

Tuesday Training Tip: Supplements

Welcome to a new series I want to start that will be focused on all things fitness! Fitness is a major part of my life these days, and I'd love to have a place to discuss all our tips and tricks, successes and victories with all my bloggy friends! 

I'm calling this Tuesday Training Tips (because I love me some alliteration!), but I'm open to new names if any of y'all creative types can come up with something else. Maybe just Training Tuesday? 

Today I want to talk about supplements (ooh, what about Tuesday Training Talk?). I posted a picture of the supplements I use in a recent Friday Favorites, so I thought I'd go into more detail about how and why I use them. 

1. Cellucor CLK

CLK is a blend of CLA, raspberry ketones, and other factors that are proven to be a combination that aids in fat loss. That's my main focus in training right now, because I'm pretty happy with my muscle mass (although I still need help in some areas), but it's covered up with more fluff that I would like. I want a leaner look, so I need to cut down the fat I'm carrying so all the hard work I'm putting in shows! This is a non-stimulant weigh loss tool, so if other fat loss products have bothered you in some way, this might be a good one to try. 

2. Fish Oil

Omega-3's are everywhere these days, for a good reason. These are the healthy fats everyone needs to improve mental function and heart health. Fish oils come highly recommend by pretty much every healthcare practitioner, so you can trust that this is a supplement that will boost your overall health and well-being. I'm not loyal to one brand, but I do look at the cholesterol amounts when deciding which one to purchase. If you have a cholesterol issue, you might want to ask your doctor if there's a brand s/he recommends specifically for you and your situation. 

3. Multivitamin

I try very hard to eat a well-balanced, micronutrient dense diet, but I take a daily vitamin just to fill in any gaps that might be there. Just in case. If you know you don't eat a healthy diet, then a multivitamin is a must for you. I'm really liking Core Daily-1 for Women Multivitamin these days. It's made specifically to meet the nutritional needs of women, and contains a small amount of probiotics as well. 

4. Biotin

I do a lot of damage to my hair (coloring, heat styling, etc) so I take biotin to keep my hair as healthy as possible. I also take it to try to get my nails healthier and stronger, but I can't really say that it works. My nails still peel and break off once they grow past the fingertip. I can't grow long nails on my own at all! If you don't have hair or nail problems, you can totally skip this one. If you can tell me something else that will make my nails grow, I'll stop taking this, too! 

5. Probiotic

A healthy belly is essential to staying lean. All that healthy bacteria in a probiotic keeps food and waste from building up in your system, making you feel and look less bloated. It also helps the body absorb all those nutrients it needs. I think this is again one of those supplements that everyone needs to take for general health, regardless of your fitness journey.

6. Protein Powder

I'm trying to put on muscle, and in order to do that effectively, your body needs protein. I'm not an Atkins girl by any means, but I eat A LOT of protein. A diet high in protein is almost always going to result in fat loss, as long as your protein sources aren't bacon and cheese! Ha! I eat a lot of lean meats to get my protein goal in, but I generally have to supplement with protein powders and/or bars. My favorite powders are by Cellucor (S'mores and Cinnamon Swirl) and Syntrax (Nectar Chocolate Truffle). Yes, I'm aware those aren't the flavors in the pictures, because I'm still trying out flavors. That Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow isn't half bad. It's in my top 5. 

7. Protein bars

Hands down, Quest bars are the bomb dot com. I don't eat any other protein bars anymore. I keep one in my purse and one in my gym bag in case the munchies ever hit when I'm on the go. Their calorie range is between 170-210, so these are generally something I use to tide me over until my next meal, or sometimes they're a light lunch on their own. My favorite flavors are Cookies & Cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, but you really can't go wrong with any of them. I have a box of Peanut Butter & Jelly right now, and I like them okay, but they're best when you put them in the microwave for a few seconds (I do 14 seconds but ymmv). I have ordered a box of their new S'mores flavor but haven't gotten them in yet. 

If you'd rather have bars that are cheaper or more easily accessible, I recommend Pure Protein bars. I used to buy these at Target before I discovered Quest. I also used to get the Simple Truth Double Chocolate ones from Kroger that are really good. 

The most important thing to look for in a protein bar is that there is more protein than anything else in them. A lot of protein bars you find have a decent amount of protein, but they have a ton of carbs in them to make them taste good. Defeats the purpose. There are bars out there that taste good without overloading on carbs, so look for those. 

8. Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein synthesis. I use a powder form and mix it with water to sip during my workouts. You can take amino acids (also known as BCAAs) anytime, but I like it during my workouts to prevent muscle breakdown and help with recovery. When I'm lifting, I'm breaking those little muscle fibers up, and my body has these aminos available to immediately start rebuilding. Now, any fitness guru will tell you that it's fine to take aminos before, during, or after your workout; it makes no difference. I'm sure that's true, and I am FAR from being a fitness guru, but my rationalization is that drinking aminos during my workout makes it easier for my body to recover, and then drinking a protein shake immediately following a weight session gives my muscles everything they need to get bigger and stronger. That's just my personal theory, with no real science to back it up, so take it for what you will. It works for me. 

Favorite: BSN Amino-X in Grape. Tastes just like Kool-Aid!

8. Pre-workout

These are workout fuel. By no means necessary, but they give me that extra oomph to get up and get moving. I use Cellucor C4, which contains beta-alanine. Beta-alanine will give you that tingly (sometimes itchy) feeling that some people can't stand, but for me, that just means it's kicking in and I need to get kickin'! I'm telling you, sometimes C4 is the only thing that gets my butt to the gym. Sometimes it's what gets me through a workout. Again, this one certainly isn't necessary, but I think it's something that you will need at one point or another because, let's face it, motivation comes and goes and pre-workout gives me that boost when I need it. Which is every day. #nojudging

FYI: my favorite flavors are Strawberry Margarita and Pineapple.

Disclaimer about pre-workouts: the POINT of them is that they make you jittery.  You're supposed to want to crawl out of your skin.  Getting a workout in will get it out of your system.  C4 does exactly what I want it to by giving me that jittery feeling, then going away. I took a pre-workout called Jack3d one time that kept me awake for days and absolutely made me want to peel my skin off. Fair warning. Just read reviews and check ingredients before you jump in the deep end. 

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Hope this helps you in some way! If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. I linked to shops where I purchase my supplements, but they are not affiliate links. These are just what I use and enjoy! I certainly haven't tried everything out there, but I've tried a good amount of different things and these are the products I keep coming back to. I'm happy to stand by them!

*I buy a lot of supplements from Amazon, Groupon, and eBay, in addition to these links. I just check around and see where the best deal is on buying day. Cellucor.com typically has some affiliate discounts if you google it. 

Show and Tell Tuesdays with Momfessionals

Momfessionals is hosting a new series called Show and Tell Tuesdays, where we share about different goings-on in our lives. You can read about it HERE. I'm going to try hard to stick to this series to mix up my usual day-in-the-life posts.

Today is the first day of the series, and the topic is our New Years Resolutions and/or Goals.

(That may be hard to read- you can right click and save it if you need to)

I don't have resolutions this year, because I've learned that saying I'll get more organized ONE. MORE. TIME. is pretty futile. If I haven't done it in the past 36 years it's not likely to get done this year, either. 

#hereshopingthough

I did set a couple of goals for myself, though. The first one is that I want to be able to do a pull up. I've never in my life been able to do one, and I REALLY want to be able to say I can. And mean it. I am stronger now than I've ever been, so I feel like this is my best opportunity. Also, I have learned through my fitness journey that I have the most success when I have some sort of finish line, preferably with a deadline to complete it. I'm pretty competitive, so even if I'm just competing with myself, I'll do everything I can to win. #confessional

 I don't entirely know how long this might take to complete, but I'm giving myself two months. I'll do some research and figure out if that's realistic. 

I plan to start this by using the pull up/dip machine at our gym. I can do a pull up if I put about 30lbs on the sled, so I'll try to whittle that down slowly. I'm also going to try to get Steve to help me when he can by holding my feet. We have one of those Perfect Pull Up bars somewhere at our house, so I can get some practice whenever I want. Mostly, anyway. 

My next goal is actually a set of goals to serve one big purpose. Steve and I have lived in our house for almost 8 years, and have done very little in the way of improvements. When we first moved in, we were having babies and raising them, and the house just wasn't a priority. Now our girls are bigger and more self sufficient, so I'm ready to start tackling a few of the projects we've been putting off. 

The easiest one for me to personally deal with is painting. I don't mind to do it,  so it's time to get crackin'! I'm pretty sure I've picked out a color (Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore), and I'm going to start with the kitchen. I plan to pick one room a month, and spend that entire month giving that one room a spruce up. 

January- kitchen

February- bedroom (obviously) 

March- living room

April- hallway

May- dining room 

Then I may take some time off until July/August. Ella Kate wants us to re-do her room and I told her that we could do it as her birthday gift. More than anything, she just wants her room painted blue, but I found this picture in the newest Pottery Barn Kids catalog and she and I are both ready to recreate it! 

The only problem is that she won't be getting new furniture, and hers is black. I'll have to lighten the room with a lot of white accents, which is fine by me! I may also choose a lighter shade of blue; I'm not sure yet. This shade is Naval by Benjamin Moore, so I may look at the shade swatches and see what other options there are in this blue family. I'm also considering hiring a painter if we go with this exact color, because any mistakes could be disastrous. 

I'd love to hear about your resolutions and goals this year! Feel free to leave them in the comments or link up with Andrea, too!