FOOD AND DIET TIPS

So yes fitness and getting plenty of activity is a key part of losing weight and achieving your goals.

As someone who loves food, it was really hard for me to try any diets, I didn't want to do Keto, weight watchers, or any other fad diets, because all that ever circled in my mind, was that diets don't work....for everyone.

The thing I realized about diets is that most people end up gaining the weight back when they get off the diet so why would I even want to try it?

I took a look at my life and realized that my diet consisted of a lot of going out to eat, so one thing was for sure. Maybe I should learn to cook.

The perfect opportunity arrived when a friend of mine introduced me to Hello Fresh meal boxes. This was perfect, this meal kit was exactly what I needed. The recipes were fun, and the meals were delicious, and I think what made it even more satisfying is knowing that I had worked so hard to make this amazing meal. I was so proud of my meals now that I started to post them on Instagram.

When Hello Fresh got too expensive, I tried the cheaper version called, Every Plate, the menu options were a little more limited but I still enjoyed it. After having tried several meals to the point where I was getting repeats now, I realized that at this point, I could just replicate the meals, which is what I started doing, and by doing this I also started realizing that, woah....I can actually cook now.

I started to experiment with the recipes, substituting things that I had or didn't have since I wasn't getting the meal box delivered anymore. I realized I could just go out and buy some chicken breast and add spices to it and to veggies, and then bada bing bada boom, an amazing meal would happen!

One of the best things I really learned from these meal boxes was how to bake veggies. Baking Carrots and sweet potatoes is now something I truly enjoy eating even as a snack.

So here's the basics of what my meal plates usually look like.

1. protein , a lean meat, like chicken breast, or turkey, or lean beef.

2. a healthy vegetable like brocoli or carrots or a salad. If you hate veggies, try adding some herbs or low sodium seasoning.

3. a small bit of carbs like a little bit of potatoes or a small bit of bread, or a legume like beans.

KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER:

1.) Sugar - women should consider eating less than 24 grams of sugar a day. 36 for men.

2.) Water - drink lots of water, this is what helps flush your body. Buy a giant jug of water and try to drink it daily and for every meal. No sodas or sugary drinks.

3.) Dairy - I love dairy so I did not cut it, but I did switch to drinking UNSWEETENED almond milk. Yogurts are a really good source of probiotics and those are good for your stomach, so I recommend those.

4.) Calories - for weight loss , 1200-1500 calories a day. Use a calorie tracker to keep tabs on yourself if you need to.

5.) Sugar substitutes - Just because you are cuting out sugar doesn't mean you can't ever have sweet things. If you do want to have some tea or coffee but you just can't take it black or plain. Add a sugar substitute to your drink. Stevia or splenda are very sweet sugar alcohols, so just a little bit of these will amount to a very sweet taste. A lot of sweetened sugar free protein bars or protein shakes usually contain these sugar alcohols.

6.) Protein Supplements - shakes like slim fast or Premier protein can make a good quick meal alternative if it gets late or you don't have time for a meal for dinner. also keep in mind that after a workout or a run, your body is primed and itching to receive some protein so this is a great time to take a protein shake.

7.) DO NOT EAT BEFORE BED - try to not eat at least 2-3 hours before bed time. I try to not eat after 8pm so that for one, heartburn doesn't plague me at night, and 2 your body just wants to rest at night, giving it a big heavy meal at night is not doing it any favors.