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Back in the day I used to post a lot about healthy food and exercise. Somewhere along the way of moving back to Ohio, I just stopped writing about food and exercise.
That’s not to say that I wasn’t eating healthy and working out, I just quit writing about it.
But I think it’s important to not only hold myself accountable, but to share any good and healthy food-finds with the rest of you.
Part of my plan to lose that 5 or so pounds I told you about, is to combine healthy food with a healthy amount of working out.
**Side note: No, I do not weigh myself. I can tell about how much weight I’ve put on, and since lost, by how good I feel and how my clothes feel. I know this method isn’t for everyone, but weighing myself everyday is certainly not for me. I learned the hard way.**
What I’ve been eating:
Lots of dairy-free smoothies. I choose dairy-free because I personally prefer my fruit smoothies to be all-fruit, no dairy.
Veggies and 4-6oz of meat for dinner, with a side of white rice. I didn’t think this would be enough food for me considering how hungry I was before dinner. But, surprisingly, I would finish and feel satisfied. Not full; just right.
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Tuna and crackers. Starkist Lunch-to-Go kits are my go-to work lunch! 260 calories and it’s really filling. Instead of using the light mayo included with the kit, I much prefer an egg-free, healthier, vegan alternative: Vegenaise. For years I have been an advocate for Vegenaise. For those of you who love the taste of real mayo in things like potato salad, egg salad, etc, but hate all of the calories and cholesterol that come with it, Vegenaise has all of the taste without all of the bad stuff! It’s sold in some grocery stores, but readily available in specialty stores, like Whole Foods. Trader Joe’s has their own version of Vegenaise {also delicious!}.
Applesauce. For whatever reason, applesauce has been curbing my mid-afternoon cravings for something sweet. Rather than eat the leftover candy hearts I have from Valentines Day {no joke. I have about a pound of them in my desk drawer at work}, I eat a 90-calorie cup of applesauce.
How I’ve been working out:
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| Yoga Bliss Akron! Can you spot me?? 🙂 |
Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga. I love taking yoga classes at a studio. For those of you who have been reading for a while, you’ll know my favorite type of yoga is a practice called Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga. It’s practiced in a hot room {generally 86 to 90-something degrees}, for anywhere between 60 to 90 minutes a practice.
In addition to getting a super-intense, incredibly sweaty workout, I leave feeling detoxed of all of the toxins in my body as well as in my mind! It’s a fabulous feeling! I’ve been going to power yoga about once or twice a week.
Lots of cardio at the gym. This is a no-brainer. The only way I’m going to shed the pounds I put on is to get my butt to the gym and burn some calories! I’ve been making my best effort to get to the gym at least 5 times a week and do at least 1 hour of cardio.
Other ways I’ve been staying healthy:
Recognizing when my body needs a break. If there’s a night where I get zero sleep, I skip the gym in the morning. I know that putting the extra stress and strain on my body {and mind} I’ll pay for it in the long run. So there have been days {like this morning} where I’ll make an executive decision to sleep rather than push my body over the edge.
Not running. By listening to my body and knowing that the aches and pains I was experiencing from running were not normal, I did myself a huge favor. It bums me out, but maybe I’m just not born to run!
Keeping myself healthy is a constant journey and definitely not just a destination. There is no stopping point. I don’t expect it to be easy; but things usually aren’t! So I plan on using this as an outlet to talk about it: about goals, the struggles, staying healthy, eating good food, and enjoying it all!
I’d love to open up more conversations on health issues. Is there anything in particular that you have been interested in discussing?
I'm with you at practicing yoga at a studio. I, in fact, get cranky when the room isn't hot enough! Feels so good to sweat it all out!
Good for you girl. If you keep up what you're doing, you will absolutley lose that 5lbs – or more. You seem to have the exact reciepe for success so I can't wait to hear how it turns out for you!
I've always wanted to try that hot room with my Yoga. I'm not very flexible, so I never continue long enough to actually start reaping it's benefits…well, that and I have a bad taste in my mouth from when I practiced at the Natatorium and the overly full class had some overly ambitious folks who fell over and kicked me in the face.
Anyway, as far as health conversations…I'm very anti-fake sweeteners. I refuse to drink diet anything and will opt for water over diet. I feel like so many people are doing themselves injustice to their diet by drinking/eating artificial sweeteners. I'm horribly allergic to splenda, and a lot of people bake with it. I would rather have a small piece of delicious cake made with real sugar, than justify a giant slice because it has “less calories”.
I'm like you – I can't weigh myself every day because it led to an unhealthy focus. Now that I'm pregnant, I weigh myself more than I have in years and it can make me a bit nervous! I think it's important to listen to your body and to know what will work and what won't based on aches, pains, and how much you enjoy an exercise. I know that I'll never stick to something unless I get some enjoyment out of it, too 🙂
i havnt been able to find vegainaize in the akron area, so im hoping that the new earth fare will carry it!!!
This is a great post. Love all the useful info. I lead a fairly healthy and very active life. But my problem is, I just can't seem to lose the last 5-10 pounds that I want to. I am just stuck at one weight. I don't know if I need to change things up to trigger the weight loss, or what. I'm up for any suggestions! 🙂