6 Ways to Make Eating Well Easier!

I know it can be tough to eat well!  I used to think eating a healthy diet all the time was overwhelming and required a TON of extra work!

I don’t think that anymore!

It does require planning, preparing and commitment, but it doesn’t have to be hard!

I have learned SO MUCH over the years that has really helped to simplify the process.  I thought I’d share some of those things.  Here ya go….

1.  Freeze, freeze, freeze!
I freeze everything!!!  It helps me SO much!!  I always plan to make extra for dinner so we can freeze the leftovers for lunches or even dinner on crazy nights.  I love it!  Some of my favorite things to freeze are; grilled chicken, soups, healthy treats and protein pancakes.  I freeze a ton of other things too!

Some leftover soup getting ready to go in the freezer!

2.  Always have fresh, chopped veggies on hand.
I love to run to Costco (best produce ever!) or any other grocery store and load up on the fresh veggies!  Then, when I get home I like to chop up a bunch and have them “ready to go” in the fridge.  It makes it so easy to grab some for lunch or a healthy snack.  Also, if I find they start to “die” before I get around to eating them all, I just cook them up for dinner or throw them in a soup or omelet or something!  Yay!  Quick tip:  I love to cover the cut veggies in water to keep them fresh and crisp.

Carrots, celery and peppers! Yum!

3.  Use Spinach!
I love spinach so much!  It is one of the healthiest foods you can eat and it is so simple to add to everything!!  I love to buy the big ‘ol box of baby spinach (which also happens to be organic!) from Costco.  It’s only like $3.50ish too….awesome!!!  I love to add it to omelets, salads, protein shakes, stir frys and random dinners.  It usually lasts for a couple weeks in the fridge.

4.  Stock up and prepare your meat!
I shop the little grocery circular ads each week and when I see meat for sale, I stock up!!  My favs are boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pork loin, lean ground beef and lean ground turkey.  I’m also trying to like fish, so I keep my eyes open for deals on that too. 😉

When I buy chicken, I trim all the fat and goobers off and then cut the chicken into individual sized pieces.  Then I put it into quart sized freezer bags and label each bag with the month and year.  It’s a little bit of a pain, but it helps so much!!  When I buy ground beef or turkey, I separate them into 1 lb. portions (I eyeball it) and then freeze them into quart freezer bags.  I also label those bags with the month and year.

Here's a bunch of chicken that I prepared.

5.  Always have healthy snacks on hand.
There are so many easy, convenient, healthy snacks out there!  I always try to have a bunch on hand so I have no excuse not to eat something healthy!  I also try to bring healthy snacks with me when I’m out and about.  Some of my favs are kettle corn, hard boiled eggs, fruits, veggies, portable protein shakes, string cheese, yogurt, nuts and protein bars.

This is my favorite Kettle Corn, but I sometimes have a hard time finding it. My favorite is the brown bag (Cinnamon Sugar Sensation).  It has no salt and only 52 calories for 1.5 cups! Wowza! If you can’t find this kettle corn, just read the labels on other kettle corns and find the best!

Some of my favorite snacks!

6.  Simplify the process for your favorite foods!
K, what I mean by this is…..if there is a certain food you eat all the time, simplify it!!!  For example, I eat omelets and protein shakes regularly.  I love to chop up a whole bell pepper and 1/2 an onion and keep them in a little container in the fridge.  Then when I make my omelet in the morning, I have them all ready to go!  It simplifies the process so much.  In the morning I just saute up the peppers and onions (already chopped) and then add my eggs and other ingredients.  It takes me about 2 minutes total!

Chopped peppers and onions!

I also like to make little baggies of frozen fruit for protein shakes.  I slice up oranges, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, peaches, whatever and put them in individual baggies in the freezer!  This also really helps when I have fresh fruit that is about to die….I slice them up and freeze them!  Yay!

Strawberry slices, orange sections and banana slices!

Banana slices!

Well there ya go!!  I know I don’t eat well all the time, but when I employ some of these methods it makes it so much easier!!!

Cheesecake Factory is the Bomb!

On Saturday night I went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with my sister, Holly and one of my best friends in the world, Kristen.  We had so much fun!!

I must mention, that my friend Kristen is the mother of 6 kids!!!  And…2 of them are twins and 3 of them are triplets!  She is also wicked healthy and super duper fit and skinny!  She is a rock star and an inspiration to me!!!  Oh, and my sister is a mother of 5 kids, a marathon runner and is super duper ultra fit and skinny too!  I love to surround myself with inspiring people!  I’m so thankful to have a wonderful family and awesome friends!!!

Anyway, I must say that I love the Cheesecake Factory!  Everything I’ve ever ordered there has been incredible, to put it mildly.

So, you can imagine how happy I was to discover they had a new little “sub-menu” thingy called the SkinnyLicious Menu.  It was a HUGE menu too!  There were so many yummy things on there!!  I’m always so happy when restaurants make it easier to eat well!  Yay!!!

Anyway, I chose to order the Tuscan Chicken.  Here’s the description from their website: Grilled Chicken Breast with Tomatoes, Artichokes, Capers, Fresh Basil and Balsamic Vinaigrette. Served Over Fresh Vegetables and Farro.  I can’t find the exact Nutritional Information, but on the menu it said it was less than 500ish calories.  I only ate about 1/3 of it though.  It was very yummy!!

My sister and I also shared a little Flatbread thing off the SkinnyLicious appetizer menu and it was so flippin’ good!!!  It was a Roasted Pear and Blue Cheese flatbread that had pecans, arugula and caramelized onions on it.  It was around 400 calories and I ate just over 1/3 of it too.  I loved it so much!  I need to find out how to make something similar at home.  I would eat it every day!  I am a sucker for fruit/nut/cheese combos!!

After we had already eaten most of it, I remembered to take a pic. Here's my sis with the remainder of her yummy flatbread.

All of the food was so yummy and I’m guessing I ate around 400 calories or so.  I left there stuffed too!  How awesome is that???!!!  I need to go there again…soon!

Well, I’m off to go to the gym!!! Eeeee!  I’m so excited, but a little nervous.  I haven’t been in about a week and a half (because I was sick).  I still feel a tad bit “out of it”, but I hope I survive!

Wish me luck!!!

My Little Aha Moment

I gotta tell you about an “Aha Moment” I had today….

K, well I’ve lost 5 pounds this month!  Wahoo!  And….2 1/2 of those pounds have been just this past week.  Crazy.

I know at times, I tend to overthink this whole “lose weight, healthy lifestyle” stuff.  I always try to make sure I eat enough protein, fruits and veggies, not too many carbs, etc.  I also always try to eat 5-6 small meals a day (about every 3-4 hours). 

That’s all fine and dandy, but I’ve learned that in order to actually lose weight, I need to step away from “checking all the boxes” and just focus on eating well, but eating less!

I hope I can explain this as well as I would like…..This past week I’ve eaten well, but I’ve significantly decreased my calories.  I’ve probably been eating 1200-1500 calories a day.  I’ve let myself eat a little more carbs than I usually do, but it’s been fine.  I’ve enjoyed the occasional bowl of cereal, slice of toast with peanut butter or my beloved kettle corn.  I think the extra carbs have actually made it easier for me to eat well because I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself all the time!

I’ve also tried to just eat until I’m satisfied, not full.  Even if I want to eat more food, I just step away and before too long I don’t even think about it.  This has worked so well for me!!!!  So, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing until I get to my goal weight and then I will go back to eating a little more calories and just maintaining.

I also must say that it helps so much to actually see some results!  It really motivates me to see the number on the scale decreasing and my clothes getting looser.  It makes me want to stay strong and stick with it!  I love it!  It gives me faith that I can actually lose the weight!  I’m so excited about it!  Yay!  Oh, and I haven’t exercised at all this past week (because I was sick.)  How cool is that!!???

I hope that all made sense!  It’s almost like a light bulb went on in my head and I finally realized what would work for me!!!

So, I’m done taking the “slow boat to China”  towards my weightloss goals!  I’m going to finally get there and get there soon!!!

Fun.

Here’s what I had for breakfast…

My favorite 4 egg white omelet with an awesome Alternative English Muffin (made by Western Bagel Company) on the side.  I sprayed a pan with a little olive oil and cooked my English Muffin in the pan.  It was so yummy and crispy!

These English Muffins are the bomb!  They are only 100 calories, no sugar and 5 grams of fiber!!  Love them!! 

For lunch I just had a bowl of cereal (Wheat Chex mixed with Special K) and a leftover Chicken Lettuce Wrap on the side.

I’m now on my way to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with some friends!  Fun!  I’m determined to eat well.  I’ll let you know!

Oh, and I got my hair done yesterday.  Thank goodness for hair that actually does something now!

Yay!  Love you all! xoxo

Random Healthy Food

I’m so sorry to report that I am still a very sick lady. 😦  I was doing a little better for a couple days and then I went downhill in a hurry.  I suspected I might have a sinus infection, so last night I dragged myself over to the Instacare and left with some antibiotics.  SoOoOoOoooo, I better get better soon!  I’m am not very good at being patient.

I gotta say I feel a little bit like a hypocrite writing on my “Healthy Happy Mel” blog.  Lately I’ve been more like “Deathly Ill, Mostly Miserable Mel”, but I am still trying to live a healthy lifestyle through it all.  Amazingly enough, there is some good that has come out of my little sick spell.

First off, I’ve decided that when I am well I WILL NOT take my health for granted.  I will remember that being able to exercise is a privilege and I will enjoy it even more!

I must also say that I’ve eaten pretty well this past week, but I have allowed myself a little more carbs than usual (I’ve needed the comfort food).  However, I just haven’t eaten a lot of food.  I’ve been mostly “out of it” and sometimes fixing food seems like too much work so I’ve just had a light breakfast, light lunch, light dinner and sometimes a small snack and that’s it.  I’ve lost 2 pounds this week!  Wa hoo!  2 pounds might not sound like much, but I’m trying to lose my last and final 10 pounds, so 2 is huge for me!  Yay!

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I had a very interesting breakfast today.  I was just going to have a bowl of oatmeal, but when I looked in my cupboard, I saw this gem:

Rokit Fuel!  I got this in a swag bag at one of my races and I’ve just hung onto it.  It’s meant to be used during a run to help to refuel (kind of like Gu gel).  You’re supposed to add a little water and then slurp it up.  But, the thought of eating/drinking/slurping this up during a run makes me want to hurl.  However, the ingredients are so amazingly awesome that I knew I needed to use it somehow.  So, this morning I decided to use it as my “oatmeal” and it was awesome.

First off, check out the ingredients in this baby:

Everything in there is real and awesome.  There is some pure cane brown sugar in there, which I wasn’t happy about (I would rather sweeten it myself), but overall it’s not bad.

So, I threw this in a bowl, added half of a chopped up apple and some water and nuked it for 2 minutes.

 

I served it alongside 3 egg whites topped with a little low sugar ketchup.

It was yummy and very filling.  Oh, and on the front of this Rokit Fuel pack it says, “Not for Wussies.  *Wussie (noun) A person whose pursuit of excellence is eclipsed by a total lack of discipline and drive.”  Love that!  I had to laugh.

I had an awesome lunch today too (had the same thing yesterday too!).

I made a couple lettuce boats; Romaine lettuce filled with deli turkey meat, tomato, avocado, olives and a little mustard!  Yum!  I served it alongside some Raspberry Chobani yogurt!  Delish!

I gotta say I’m not a giant yogurt fan.  I like it okay, but I don’t love it.  I know that Greek Yogurt is killer in the protein department though.  I’ve tried a few brands and liked them okay.  I kept hearing about how good Chobani was, so I decided to give it a try!  Holy YUM!  I think I found a new favorite food!  It was so thick and creamy and almost tasted like a treat! Chobani is a wonderful company too and they only put real ingredients in their yogurts!  Love!

Well, I’m off to get my hair done.  Yay!  I hope it turns out cute….I’m in desperate need of cute hair!

Hope you are all happy!

Yummy Roasted Red Potatoes

I’ve decided that being sick is very depressing…..blah.  This little (or not so little) cold of mine has been a doozy.  In fact yesterday I was feeling panicked because I couldn’t remember what it felt like to be healthy and full of energy!

I have not been able to exercise at all for 5 days and it is killing me!!  Auuughh!  I missed my Boot Camp class at the gym last night and I was so sad.  I contemplated just going anyway and tricking my brain into thinking I was well, but then I pictured myself keeling over and dying on the floor and decided I better stay home. 😦

On a brighter note, I think I’m finally turning a corner!  I’ve been more productive today and I’m hoping to go to the gym tomorrow (fingers crossed!)

One thing I’ve definitely learned from my little sick time is to not take my health for granted!  Man!  It’s made me want to eat better, sleep more and kill it in the gym and on my runs!  I DO NOT WANT TO BE SICK AGAIN ANY TIME SOON!

K, now that I’ve got that little vent session out, I feel better.

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A couple weeks ago I realized we had SO MUCH yummy, healthy food in our freezer that we needed to use!  I always make a ton of food for dinner so we can freeze the extras for lunches or dinners on crazy nights.  I love it.  It really helps to simplify things and keeps us eating healthy.  Sooooo, the past couple of nights our dinners have been “clean out the freezer” meals.  It’s been nice.

For lunch I’ve had different kinds of soups and for dinner tonight I pulled out some leftover Pot Roast and Parmesan Chicken.  I made some green beans and some very easy and yummy Roasted Red Potatoes to go on the side.  I thought I would share the recipe.  Kev is a big potato fan and he loves these!  All my kids love them too.  I love them because they are easy, yummy and filling.

Also, I know potatoes are starchy and higher in carbohydrates and calories than most vegetables, but I’ve heard red potatoes are a little healthier (lower glycemic index).  I try not to make potatoes too often because of the calorie/carb count, but I think they are fine to have occasionally.  Anyway, with all that being said, here’s the recipe….

Roasted Red Potatoes
(this makes a full 9×13 pan)

3-4 pounds Red Potatoes; scrubbed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 large Onion; chopped
3/4 tsp minced garlic (about 1 1/2 cloves)
1/4 C. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Seasoned Salt

Chop potatoes and onions

Mix Olive Oil, Seasoning Salt and Garlic in a large Ziploc bag

Add potatoes and onion to Ziploc bag.
Seal bag and shake well to combine ingredients.

Pour into a 9×13 pan and cover tightly with foil.
Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes
I then like to broil it for 5 or so minutes more until it gets a little browned on top.

 

Ta Da!

Here’s my random plate from dinner tonight

I hope you all enjoy!

xoxo!