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I was having trouble deciding which subject to write about tonight. Would it be food, workout programs, specific exercises? It was decided for me while I was in the grocery store.
I rant a lot about this to my kids and pretty much anyone else that will listen..lol.
I can totally understand why we here in America are overweight, obese, and totally unhealthy.
I was in the frozen foods department at the grocery store, reaching in for frozen blueberries, which I use in my protein shakes. As some of you may know, they are not cheap. But right on the shelf under them were the little individual turtle cakes, and chocolate molten cakes. You know the ones I am talking about.and..they were only $1.50 each. So you think to yourself..ohhh..ONLY $1.50 versus the $4.39 I am paying for these healthy berries.
Now, the regular everyday person would have probably went for the cake because it was cheaper, and from the picture on the box it did look yummy. But of course, I chose the blueberries. Which WAS the healthiest choice.
But this brought to mind the same thing it always brings to my mind when I go to the groceries. I always look to see what other people have in their carts. I just can't help myself now. When I see a cart full of soft drinks, chips, Little Debbie's, bacon, regular sausage, those fast chicken things, TV dinners, and all of those other things that are fast and full of fat, it really does make me feel bad for the people eating these things. They have probably never been educated on the benefits of eating fresh, healthy foods,how to prepare them, and how good these foods can make you feel. I know I wasn't up until a few years ago. I can remember buying all these things. If you see me in the store, I'm not saying you won't see an occasional bag of chips for my youngest son in my cart, but 90% of the food in my cart will be healthy food.
Another thing I have noticed is how cheap crappy food is. The manufacturers make getting and staying unhealthy easy and cheap. The same with the fast food restaurants.
Some of the things I buy now MAY be a little more expensive at first glance, but if you know what you are doing when it comes to eating healthy and fresh foods, it does not have to cost much more than that junk food.
Some of the main things I buy at the store are the things I eat on a daily basis. These are my mainstays that I always have in the house. They are..
1)Tilapia( a type of fish)..I get this at Wal-mart. I buy the bag that has 4 oz portions, which is the amount of one serving. They are in the frozen section.
2) Chicken Breasts..fresh or the frozen bag..sometimes I will buy the breasts tenderloins if they are on sale.
3) Beef Tenderloin...I get a whole one at Boone's and slice it into VERY thin pieces. (This cut of meat is pricey..but once you slice it up it is a lot of meat, and you don't use that much per serving.) If you want to buy this cut, and are not sure not to trim it, etc..I will show you..it is worth the price and time.
4) White Albacore Tuna
5) Quinoa. (pronounced Keen'wah)...it is a high protein grain, it kind of reminds me of brown rice but you can add different things to it and it picks up the flavors.
6) Natural Peanut Butter..it has only peanuts..no sugars or any other added oils.
7) Sweet Potatoes..I had always hated these, but once I discovered how to make fries in the oven out of them, I now love them.
8)Spinach..I eat this EVERY day, in a lot of different ways.
9) Egg Whites...I buy either regular eggs and just use the whites, or I buy the Wal-mart or Kroger brand of just the whites.
10) Ezekiel 4:9 Bread..it is a sprouted 100% Whole Wheat Bread. I get it at Kroger in the organic frozen section. A loaf is usually around 4 dollars, but it lasts me 2 weeks.
11)Greek Yogurt..I will admit if you are used to regular yogurt, this will taste a little different at first. It took me some getting used to..it is thicker than regular yogurt but has much more protein than regular.
12) Body Fortress Whey Protein Powder..I use this every day for a shake in the mornings and if I am in a hurry I may grab one another time during the day. I mix one scoop with skim milk and peanut butter and banana, or blueberries or other fruit..it's great.
13) Bear Naked Granola..a great brand. I use it in my yogurt.
14) Nuts, such as Walnuts and Raw Almonds. You need to use these in moderation, not grab handfuls at a time. I usually roast a bunch at once, then use then in salads,etc. or grab a few for a snack.
15) Frozen Whole Green Beans or other frozen veggies.( Not the kind in sauces..plain)
16) Asparagus
17) Cole Slaw Mix..I throw it in the skillet to soften it and add spices to it..garlic, etc.
18) OLIVE OIL..this is the ONLY oil I use to saute my food. I also use it with lemon juice on my salads and veggies.
19) Cooking spray.
20) Parmesan cheese and Feta Cheese..don't eat the Feta in chunks..I use it to season in small amounts.
21) Fresh Fruit..Apples, all the Citrus Fruits, Bananas...I use frozen blueberries, peaches, and mixed fruits in my shakes.
22) Skim Milk
I also add other things such as Salmon, shrimp or veggies that are on sale that week.
These are the main things I eat on a day to day basis. I use tons of spices, garlic, onions, peppers, lemons, limes, and course ground black pepper when I cook my food.
If you eat plain chicken breasts or fish day after day, it would bore you to death, it taste like crap, it would get old quick, and you would give it up.
The same for my veggies..I add nuts, spices, garlic..lots of different things to them.
I squeeze lemon juice on just about all my food right before I eat it. It brings out the flavor in everything.
It would also be overwhelming to try to cook your own meal every night and cook your family their own food, if you are the only one eating this way. I usually cook my food on Sundays and make enough for the week. I will make a couple of different meats and a couple of veggies... divide them and put them in containers in the fridge. Then I can just grab them, get what I want for dinner and nuke it. If my food gets low, I will cook another batch on Wednesday.
I usually make a shake as soon as I get up, then a couple of hours later have breakfast. A couple of hours later I will eat again. As I told you guys before, I eat about every 2 to 3 hours. I am always eating, and I love it.
It may seem a little overwhelming at first to try to take all this foodie stuff in, but it gets easy and will come natural to you after just a few weeks.
Even if you just change out a few things that you eat now with healthy alternatives, you will see a difference in the way you look and feel.
Try it and I promise you.. you will be glad you did, and if you see me in the grocery store..yes, I AM looking in your cart...lol
Sandy

The first day of December starts me thinking about the upcoming holidays and all of the yummy foods that go along with them. As some of you know, I usually make candies, cakes, pies, cheesecakes and anything else you could want for the holidays and sell them. I have very loyal customers that buy from me every year.
There is a lot of tasting that goes along with making all this stuff. I have been asking myself how I am going to stick to my clean eating, and still make sure I taste everything to ensure it is perfect? (My excuse to taste everything)
This is where clean eating meets real life. You are going to experience this every day girls.
It is unrealistic to think that we are going to go through the holidays without eating ANY candy or desserts,etc. So how do we handle this?
I have found that if you totally deprive yourself, eventually you will crash and burn. You know what I mean. You totally give up every food that you love, then when you can't take it any more you give in and end up eating a half a box of cookies, or a quart of ice cream. Afterward, you think..I blew it, so what the hell, I might as well eat what I want for the rest of the day, then tomorrow I will get back on track. We have all been there..myself included.
Well I have good news..you don't have to give up everything that you love..you just need to go about eating the things you love in a different way.
For example, I LOVE cheesecake. It is like I can't say no to it if it is in the house. But I have learned that if I feel like I am going to die without that cheesecake...I have it! Now I'm not talking about a piece the size of a slice of pizza..lol..more like a sliver. If you savor each bite it seems like that little piece of cheesecake lasts forever. The same goes for whatever that one thing is that YOU love. ( I'm not saying eat a tiny bit of EVERYTHING that you love here girls.)
When you are eating clean, this is not something you want to do every day. But if it comes down to you getting to the point where you are going to quit striving towards your goal if you don't have that something RIGHT NOW...then have your LITTLE something...it may do more good than harm in the end.
Even if you do totally screw up and eat that half box of cookies, or quart of ice cream after you have had a bad day, or your guy totally pisses you off, don't let that keep you down.
It does not have to mean you blew it, or that you failed, or that you have no willpower, if cave in every now and then. We are all human ladies. I have done it, and you are going to do it.
The main thing is , when that happens, don't revert back to your old ways of thinking, or eating. Just think to yourself.."OK, I screwed up and I just ate a lot of stuff that I shouldn't have, but I'm not going to let that stop me from trying again." And again. And again.
It is hard AT FIRST, to try to eat clean, or lose weight, or to make a total lifestyle change when it comes to eating. I would be lying if I said it was easy. But the more you do it, the easier it gets. The more you eat clean, good food, the more you will come to love it, and it will become a part of your everyday routine until you don't even have to think about it. It will just become natural to you to pick up a piece of fruit instead of eating a piece of cake, or that ice cream.
I know..because it became a natural thing for me...and if I can do it, I KNOW you can too!
Remember, I am here for you, for motivation, encouragement, and questions. If you have a question, send me an email. If you just want to vent to me...do it..if it helps you...I'm here.
Until next time,
Sandy

Hello Everyone and welcome to my blog! I am here to motivate you and help you reach all your fitness goals.
Let me start off by telling you a little about myself.
I am 48 years old, and in the best physical shape of my life. I have 4 children, and 3 grandchildren.
I am now studying to become a personal trainer, with an emphasis on the nutrition side. I have learned through personal experience that to achieve the body you want, it is as much about what you put in your mouth as it is working out.(More so really!)
There are two different areas you want to concentrate on when you decide to do something about changing your body.
1.Exercise..(Cardio and Weight Training).. (YES..ladies..we are going to pick up the weights...lol)
I cannot stress enough that women need to stop being scared of weights. Weights are what are going to sculpt your body. You see the biggest changes once you start pumping that iron! Plus, it makes you feel powerful. When I am lifting, I feel like I can do anything! And we can! I have women tell me all the time that they don't want to weight train because they don't want to have muscles like a man. There is no way you are going to get as big as a man unless you start taking steroids..we don't have enough testosterone in our bodies to do that. I have muscle, but I am far from looking like a man, and I don't want to!..lol..Lean muscle on a woman looks sexy and healthy! So pick up the weights girls! If you have never tried it, I will be here to guide you on this new adventure!
2.Your daily food ..( We NEVER call it a diet..it is a lifestyle change..sounds much better, huh?)
I'm sure ALL of us at one time or another have been on a "diet'..(I hate that word). I DON'T diet. I eat clean. Here is what I mean by clean eating. I don't eat sugar.I don't eat white carbs. I don't eat chips, doughnuts,butter, I don't eat JUNK that makes me feel like crap!
But...I eat, and I eat A LOT, and what I eat taste great. What do I eat? I eat fish,chicken, beef tenderloin, lean ground beef, ground chicken, turkey, nuts, olive oil, natural peanut butter,almond butter, brown rice,quinoa,(I will explain this later) sweet potatoes,whole wheat and grain breads,skim milk,oatmeal,eggs, spinach.. and TONS of other stuff.
Now don't get me wrong,I have my cheat meals. No one could go 24/7-365 days a year without a break. I would go crazy...lol..But I try to make good choices on a daily basis.
I don't expect you to start off eating like I do. It is an adjustment.But you can change the way you view food. I like to view my body as a machine and the food my fuel for it. When I put crap in it..my body is going to run like crap, and I am going to feel like crap!
Put the best things in your body and you will feel your best, and your body will be at it's best.
I will be here to help you through the process of becoming the best you can be..at any age!
I will be having recipes, helpful tips on staying motivated, and encouragement for you ladies!
If I did it..you can too!
I also want to add that I had many excuses for not working out and eating healthy...but that is all they were..excuses! I realized that I had to quit making excuses and start doing something about my body, and my outlook on life. So if you say.."I don't have the time to workout", "It takes too much time to fix healthy food",..etc...I'm going to say BULLSHIT!..I know...I have been there...I said those same things..so I am going to be hardcore..I am going to push you... Find the thing that will get you motivated..the ex-boyfriend...ex-husband...skinny fit girl at work that acts like a bitch..whatever gets you motivated...USE IT! Push yourself!
I'm here for you!
You can be all that you want!
Until next time..
Sandy