The silly task that can help you lose weight

My mid week blogs started out as being my personal food diary. I once struggled with cravings and binge eating. That’s when I started writing (yes actual pen to paper) in my food diary to figure out what some of my triggers were. I would actually start laughing as a wrote in my diary because some of the things that run through my head when I’m in the “If I don’t get my hands on an Oreo ASAP I might murder someone” mindset were just hilarious. I couldn’t keep that to myself because I know we’ve all been there. So I started blogging my entries. Yes, this is the silly task you can do to lose weight but I’ll get into that later. Anyway, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t been writing those types of blog posts anymore and it’s not just because I’ve gotten lazy. I actually haven’t had anything to write!

Maybe it’s the low carb keto diet. Maybe I’ve just been keeping myself super busy. Or maybe the combination of the two. But the point is, I honestly haven’t been having any cravings. I haven’t been sneaking off to the kitchen for late night snacks. And I haven’t been overeating at meals either. I do my 3 meals a day and make sure I get in enough fat to fill me up until my next meal. I keep it super simple and I don’t worry about it so much. I’m not gonna lie, frozen yogurt with every topping and french fries soaked in cheese sounds incredible. But I wouldn’t say I’m CRAVING it. It would be nice to have but I can deal without it. That’s how I’ve been viewing carbs/sugar these days.

Oh and going to the fall festival on Saturday was a struggle. Funnel cake, corn dogs, ice cream, kettle corn, donuts, candy apples.. they bring back memories and I really did want a little treat. But I survived it!

Now going back to my whole point with the food diary. I don’t want you to think it was a failure. It’s actually a very effective way to overcome eating problems. I want to say nutritionists or maybe therapists recommend it but I could be making that up. I’m not writing in mine currently because I have nothing to write but when I did use it, it would be right when I feel like snacking, right before a cheat meal or after it, and after a binge. I would get down on paper the exact feelings I was experiencing in that moment. Then I would analyze my entries to try to find a theme. I realized that I got in snack mode when I was bored (mostly on the weekends) or when I was stressed. I’ve learned little tricks to help me with it though. When I’m lounging around the house on a Saturday, I make sure to drink a lot of water to keep me from eating ALL day. I also try to plan things with friends and get out of the house any chance I can.

Remember that everyone is different which is why YOU need to start your own food journal. Just grab a cheap notebook and jot down how you’re feeling whenever you get the urge to stuff your face. It seems silly but 100% serious! It doesn’t have to be a formal entry. Just get that emotion down. I honestly think this can really help you make healthier decisions in the future. Trust me, it works! Don’t worry you don’t have to go public with it like I have 🙂

What’s that? Some people call it a blank notebook but I call it success

What’s that? Some people call it a blank notebook but I call it success. This is my food journal and I’d like you to note that the pages for this week are blank. That means I’m doing good!

I’m still on the Keto (low carb high fat) diet and feel like I’ve gotten a better grasp on this stuff. Here are just some of my wins this week.

#1- I bought 4, yes FOUR jars of peanut butter this week. I’ve been eating it every morning over my cream cheese pancakes but never have more than one serving.

#2- I stopped adding Stevia to my pancakes and fat bombs. The cream cheese in the pancakes is sweet enough and same goes for the peanut butter in the fat bombs.

#3- I know I just recently had a huge cheat meal but I’m ready to challenge myself and go longer between cheats. I’m not having any cravings and feel like I don’t need to cheat. Sometimes a certain food sounds good at the time but then I totally forget about it 5 minutes later. I don’t count those as cravings.

#4- Soda tastes way different! I tried a sip of Coke Zero when we were out to dinner on Saturday and I couldn’t believe how syrupy it tasted. I guess I drink too much dang water!

#5- I’ve been UNDER my carb goal all week! I usually go over by at least a few and it’s mostly due to my veggies and peanut butter. But I’ve been planning everything to a T and feel really good about my food choices lately.

#6- I’m feeling fuller! I’ve been focusing on more fat in my diet and it definitely keeps me full longer. My stomach no longer yells at me at 10 AM. Woohoo!

So my big thing right now is Mayo. I’ve been putting it on everything that I possibly can. I know I can have full fat Mayo on this diet but how much Mayo is too much Mayo? Comment below with your insights 🙂

ALSO! If you’re curious as to what this whole Keto diet thing is all about and you want some delicious bacon & cheese in your life, I’m hosting a FREE 5 day Keto focus group next month through a Facebook group. I’ll be sharing a meal plan with my favorite recipes, shopping list, important info about the diet, and daily tips. Comment “I’m in” in the comments below and I’ll add you to the group!

“My hubby was shocked at how much I ate. #NoShame”

Here we go again…

8/15/15

I haven’t eaten all day in preparation for my cheat meal tonight. You know how hard that is for me?? This better be worth it…stay tuned!

8/16/15

I had 2 huge plate fulls of Chinese food, a bowl of (2 different flavors) ice cream, a plate of cakes and brownies, and of course my fortune cookie (which was so not true, telling me this and that about my love for gardening!). Anyway, my hubby was shocked at how much I ate. #NoShame

8/18/15

Bought BOGO peanut butter 2 days ago. Other than baking peanut butter cookies, I haven’t touched them. Not even a finger lick! That is a HUGE win for me! Absolutely no cravings since my Chinese extravaganza either!

8/19/15

So maybe I had a little peanut butter… But I’m doing good! Maybe if I eat enough, I won’t want it for as long as I live. One could only hope 🙂

So I kinda have this thing, you know since I’m from the Philadelphia area, about cheese steaks. I know, I know, it’s all about the bread!! That’s what makes a Philly cheese steak so special. BUT since I was being good.. I turned my favorite sandwich into a bowl. Or at least my hubby did. He makes them the best 🙂

Meat (<– see what I did there?) the CHEESE STEAK BOWL! Complete with roast beef, garlic, mushrooms, onions, mozzarella and provolone cheese.

COMMENT below with your favorite sandwich and I’ll work on coming up with a creative bowl version you can enjoy without all those carbs 🙂

” I remember the chocolate cake scene in Matilda made me CRAVE chocolate cake. Is that weird?”

8/9/15

It’s been a few days… I guess I’ve been doing pretty good. Don’t have any sweet cravings to report at the moment. I think keeping myself busy is key. But I’ve been more sensitive when it comes to scent or memories. Someone was eating grapes at lunch the other day and for some reason they smelt like Fruity Pebbles and I couldn’t get them outta my mind all day. Then I’d think of being a kid and eating all that sugary cereal and pop tarts. I miss being able to eat that stuff. But I know I’m much happier now than I ever was back then. Being healthy is way more important than being skinny. Oh and another thing that brought me back to being a kid.. I randomly heard a song from Matilda. I loved that movie. I probably watched it every single day. I remember the chocolate cake scene always made me want cake and thinking about it now, I’m craving some chocolate cake! Is that weird? Yeah, it’s definitely weird considering that’s probably the most disgusting part of the movie. In case you’re wondering, Matilda is not on Netflix (already checked) and I don’t have a whole chocolate cake to eat myself. It’s a sad day 😦

8/12/15

3 DAY COUNTDOWN!! Until my cheat meal, of course 🙂 I cannot wait to get some noodle-y and rice-y dishes at the Chinese Buffet. Maybe even some ice cream. Is it weird that this is like the only thing I’m truly looking forward to this weekend?

The meal CONDIMENT of the week is…

This INCREDIBLE Blue Cheese mustard I got from the Italian Market. Also got a bunch of cheese, pepperoni, and sausage that was absolutely fantastic. It’s a little pricey to buy things from a place like that but so worth it to treat yourself to fancy foods now and then. This mustard definitely elevated hotdog night. Should of gotten out the good china for this 🙂

The plan: ” I think I’ll go to the Chinese buffet when I’m super hungry and just pig out.”

7/31/15

Last night I was seriously tempted to stop at the store on the way home from the movies for a jar of peanut butter. In the shower this morning (don’t ask me why) I had a craving for a warm, salty soft pretzel with a bucket of cheese. Guess I could have the cheese but I’m SOL on the pretzel 😦

8/1/15

I’ve done it again. Bought more peanut butter. 2 jars!

8/4/15

4 Day weekends are so hard! I feel like I’ve been eating so much these days. Just started Max:30 and go back to work tomorrow so I’ll get back on track. Excited to get my act together and see some serious results!

8/5/15

Alright so I think it’s about time for another cheat meal. I feel the cravings picking back up so it’s time to just get it out of my system. I was considering going to Yogurt Mountain for frozen yogurt piled high with candy. But I also want Chinese. I think I’ll go to the Chinese buffet when I’m super hungry and just pig out. Maybe not eat a whole lot that day so I don’t feel like such a fat ass. Yeah, I think that’s my new plan.

Ever have a craving for fries or tater tots?? Don’t lie, I know you have. Well, the meal of the week is…

MORE CAULIFLOWER!!!!

…..

IN TOT FORM!

Get the recipe HERE

Our review- We probably could have baked them longer to get them crispier and they still had a cauliflower taste. The texture was spot on though. Maybe we just need to add some different seasoning or some more salt to give them that tot taste. Overall, we REALLY liked them and will totally be making them again!

“What I’m thankful for today: Hubby finished off the peanut butter last night :)”

7/8/15
I now have 2 jars of peanut butter sitting in my kitchen. Why are they always BOGO?? I guess I just can’t resist a great deal 🙂 Anyway, hubby just had to have peanut butter fat bombs this week. Promise to myself: ONLY eat the fat bombs. DO NOT eat directly from the jar! Still debating whether or not I’ll pick up some Oreos tonight for my cheat. I have been thinking about them constantly. Stay tuned…

7/9/15
Well I got my Oreos, 8 of em, double stuffed, dipped in milk, with a Reese’s brownie on the side. And I don’t even feel guilty about it. I was craving Oreos for so long that it totally hit the spot and got me back on track with the Keto diet today. I am so goooood for awhile. THANK GOD!

7/14/15
I eat because others do. I’ve figured it out. When I see someone else enjoying a particular food, I think “Well if they can do it, so can I”. Except when I eat that certain food I overdo it and can’t stop. It all starts socially with me though. At least I have that part figured out.

7/16/15
What I’m thankful for today: Hubby finished off the peanut butter last night 🙂 So happy to have that DRUG outta my house!

***NEW RECIPE OF THE WEEK***

Cauliflower “rice”

So I’ve been learning that cauliflower can replace just about ANY carb. It’s like the magical veggie and it’s pretty incredible. The hubby and I agree that the texture is spot on and if you add soy sauce you really can’t tell the difference. Tastes great plain too but it does have a cauliflower taste. Oh and like everything I cook up in the kitchen, it’s super easy. Throw some chopped cauliflower in a food processor to get the correct texture. Fry up in a pan with butter and seasoning of your choice. I did salt & pepper. Then top with soy sauce if you really want that rice taste 🙂

Question

What do you think of my food diary & the “meal of the week” posts?? Comment below “yay” or “nay” to let me know what you think!

7 Things every newbie needs to know about My Fitness Pal

We’re gonna get all high tech up in here and talk about the popular My Fitness Pal app. If you haven’t heard of it, you’ve probably made an account at some point and totally forgot about it. Seems to be the way things go these days! I’m telling you, you need to open up your account again and give this tool a second chance because it’s seriously helpful and best of all, FREE! So, if you really don’t know anything about My Fitness Pal, It’s basically a food tracker. You can enter in just about anything and it logs all the nutritional info for you. Say you try a recipe out of a new cookbook. Unless the cookbook states the calories per serving, trying to figure it out on your own can be a nightmare. But chances are you’ll be able to look up that exact meal in the app. You can pull up various meals off restaurant menus and if you’re using your phone to access the app, you can even scan bar codes. But that’s not all, My Fitness Pal offers so much more to help you stay on track that I’ll explain in this blog. The only downside is it can be easy to fall out of the habit of tracking every single thing you eat daily but the app’s loaded with extras to motivate you throughout your journey. It will take some time to get the hang of things but in the mean time, here are some basics every newbie needs to know about My Fitness Pal.

1. Set up your profile

Downloading the app and creating a log in is your first step. DO NOT skip over putting together your profile. This is just basic info about yourself, your goals, your WHY, and a photo of yourself. You may be tempted to skip this step but I encourage you to get it done right away. My Fitness Pal is more than just a food tracker. It’s a community of people with similar goals. If you set up your profile others can learn more about you and connect with you. This community will keep you accountable so you log in daily. It’s important and doesn’t take long so just do it!

2. Set your goals

When you’re setting up your account, you’ll have to answer a few questions about where you’re at now, your fitness levels, and how much weight you’d like to lose. It will then set up you ideal daily macros (calories, fat, protein, and carbs). You can go back in and edit your macros by going into your “Goals”. I suggest just keeping them the way they are at first unless you’re on a special diet and need to adjust them. You can also choose which nutrients you’d like to receive info on in the “Settings” section.

3. Log EVERYTHING

If you’re consuming it, it needs to be logged. Even if you take one bite of leftover pizza! Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds and I’ve actually found that it prevents me from munching on food throughout the day due to the fact that I’m way too lazy to log one bite of pizza. Logging is simple. You can search for a particular food, pull it up in your recent food list (you can change it to either “all meals” or a particular one) or you can use your bar code scanner. Just make sure you’re choosing the closest option that pops up and the correct number of servings you ate.

4. Plan ahead

You won’t always have time to log your meals in the moment. Life’s hectic and you’re only human. I plan everything a day ahead of time. So tonight I’ll log everything I plan to eat tomorrow. I get the basics logged and then adjust as the day goes on. This also gives you an idea of where you’re at as far as your macros go to help you choose the appropriate snacks when you do decide to munch. Another shortcut you can take it to eat the same thing every day for breakfast, lunch, and your snacks. That way you can copy the exact meal you had the day before without having to re-log it all.

5. Add your exercise

Unfortunately, Beachbody programs don’t show up when you search for them in the exercise part of the app (unless I’m missing something?) so I actually don’t log my workouts at all. But you can enter in various cardio and weight training options. I recommend you do this if you can because it gives you a good idea of exactly how many calories you’re burning in a day.

6. Community

One thing that you’ll most likely fail to really get involved in is the My Fitness Pal community and in my opinion, it’s the most important part of the tool. Living a fit lifestyle is HARD. Eating what you should, meeting your daily macros, exercising, and staying on track is super difficult. There are days you’ll feel like a failure. You’ll want to just give up. That’s where the community part comes in. You can check out endless discussions or start your own. These can be anything from motivation, random fun topics, questions, and just getting to know people. You can also join groups with weekly challenges, healthy recipes, specific fitness programs, or struggles you may be going through (such as the “Emotional Eating” group). You can become friends with other users and even read their blog posts right on the app.

7. Bonus tools

I haven’t explored all of these yet but it want to mention them anyway. While checking out the app more to write this blog, I came across the “Recipe” tab where you can import your recipes and have them all saved. Pretty cool. You can also run a ton of different reports to see how you’ve been doing over a period of time. My Fitness Pal even has their own blog called Hello Healthy with even more resources to read up on.

Trust me when I say the My Fitness Pal app is legit. As long as you’re honestly tracking every single thing you eat, you WILL reach your goals. It’s a little overwhelming at first but take your time and get the hang of logging your food. Then you can explore the rest of the site when you’re ready. If you break your streak, no worries! Just get back on track the next day. If you have any questions on using this tool, please leave a comment below or over on my Facebook page and I’d be more than happy to answer it the best I can 🙂

“I’m almost embarrassed to tell people about my new diet” & more from my food diary

Been on the Keto diet for 2 weeks now and this is how I’m feeling about it so far. Comment below with any questions about the diet and I’d be more than happy to answer them the best I can!

6/21/15
Trying to eat all the peanut butter in the house so it’s not tempting me. I think I have a new love though and her name’s almond butter (the natural stuff). I’m just trying to get rid of it all! I just can’t have this stuff in my house anymore. Other than the peanut butter binges, I’m doing great on the keto diet! I lost a few pounds and haven’t had any cravings other than the nut butter. Once I gobble this stuff up, I’ll be good to go once again…hopefully…

6/22/15
Why don’t my macros allow me to eat anything else today??? Grr…

6/24/15
Bacon & cheese, bacon & cheese. This is my life now. I’m almost embarrassed to tell people about my new diet. They probably think I’m insane for wrapping everything in bacon and consuming “bombs” of fat. Oh well, I’m loving it.

Dinner WIN of the week goes to…

Cauliflower “mac” n cheese!!!

This stuff was seriously good, like just as good as the real stuff 🙂

Recipe here:Shan Made

(I added the bacon myself)

Anyone else on a low carb high fat diet? Recipe suggestions are always welcome! OR if you aren’t sure about a recipe, post it below and I’ll try it out and do a review on it!