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Fit Fajita Breakfast
If you have followed me for any length of time, you probably know how much I love Mexican food – and breakfast is no exception. Since I love fajitas, I decided to trade flour tortillas for egg whites and it was a hit!
Grilled Filling:
Steak fajita meat
Fajita Seasoning
1/2 Onion
1 Green Pepper
1 Cup Corn
Lime Juice (2-3 limes)
Salt
Trade the Tortilla for Eggs!
Egg Whites
Low Fat Shredded Cheese
Cold Topping #1:
Fresh Diced Tomatoes
Diced Onion
Diced Small Sweet Peppers
Diced Pickled Jalapeno Peppers
Fresh Minced Garlic
Tablespoon of Apple Cidar Vinegar
Lime Juice (one lime)
Salt
Cold Topping #2
1 Avocado
Low Fat Sour Cream
Sour Cream
Pour egg whites in frying pan, prepared with Pam. Add Fajita mix with a small sprinkle of low-fat Cheddar Cheese and fold. Top with Cold Topping and serve with a few sliced Avocado and a dollop of sour cream.
Have a favorite breakfast recipe? Share it with us below!
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The Healthy Salty Snack You Can Afford to Eat
If you’re like me, and crave salty snacks, then you are always happy to discover something healthy to feed your craving. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of salty healthy snacks available beside popcorn, so imagine my sheer joy the first time I tried edamame (boiled or steamed soy beans in the pod).
My first edamame experience was at a local asian restaurant, Bangkok. After they came out, I remember thinking “what do I do with that? Do I eat the whole thing or am I supposed to pop the beans out?” Yes, Steve and I were edamame tards. After gnawing on the whole thing for a bit, shell and all, it didn’t take long to discover the stiff stems were not very chewable. We quickly figured it out and they became a part of our regular diet.
They are easy to cook too. I buy the bag of frozen edamame and steam them (which can be done traditionally or in a microwave oven for 5 minutes). Then I sprinkle soy sauce, and/or salt, on them and begin snacking!! Today I cooked them and then threw them in my cooler for the beach. They were an awesome cold snack too.
The greatest part of this salty wonder is they are truly healthy. Most people are just happy to find snacks that are just “not unhealthy”, but edamame is as healthy as it is tasty. Half a bag of edamame is only 150 calories – and a very equal balance of calories I might add! 12.5gms of protein, 6gms of fat, 11gms of carbohydrates and 5gms of fiber. Look at the graph to the left. You can see that edamame gets 31-36% of the calories from each substrate.
Another thing I like about edamame in the shell, is it takes work to get the bean out. Not that it is a big job, because it’s not a bother at all. However, it slows down how fast we typically eat snacks. I enjoy the taste more and the entire snack takes longer to eat than many other similar snacks. Any snack that can slow us down from inhaling it is a good snack!
So, instead of reaching for a bag of chips, next time you are craving something salty to snack on, go steam up some beans!
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FAT & UNHAPPY: How Strong is Food’s Grip?
Does food have a grip on you, or do you have a grip on food?
I can’t tell you how many people tell me they are so sick of themselves. Sick of not controlling their food intake and weight. Food clearly has a grip on their life and they are eating themselves unhappy. Today we’re going to dive deep into the seriousness of letting food control your life. Get ready, because this isn’t going to be pretty!
Gluttony: to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth.
You don’t have to be FAT to struggle with food
When I think of gluttony, I think of seriously overweight people like ”Fat Bastard” in the Austin Powers movie. However, you don’t have to be morbidly obese to struggle with gluttony. Just ask Steve and I. We’ve seriously gulped down hideous amounts of food at times, and not once did we ever push away from the table feeling good about it. And we make a boatload of excuses to match the boatload of food we consume.
“We deserve it”. “We’ve been training so hard”. “At least it was all healthy”. But no matter what our lame excuses are, too much is too much – and it’s not healthy.
We humans like to rationalize pretty much everything. We’re the first people to judge someone else’s “sin” and then make excuses for our own. Of course, most of us don’t think of ourselves as gluttons, but if you are gulping down too much food, then you are indeed a glutton. Sorry, but it’s true.
If you can’t control it…
S
ure, it would be super easy to look at someone addicted to crack and think “wow, I can’t believe someone would do that to themselves”, yet you maybe addicted to food. Just because food is legal, doesn’t mean we should abuse our bodies with it.
This is not a fun topic, but I think it’s important to address. Coming from a strong Christian home, I was taught to take care of my body – and treat it like a temple. However, I’ve treated my body like a saloon, garbage dump, and smoke stack in the past. I would have NEVER brought some of the things I put in my body into a church. Ironically, when I was the least disciplined with what went into my mouth, I was also the least disciplined in other areas of my life.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to target alcohol, cigarettes and drugs as the evil things you should get rid of – but what makes us think we can continue overeating and not practicing self-control with the rest of our life?
It’s not about Vanity
Interestingly enough, most of us know better. We know we should be working out and eating healthier, but we don’t do it. Did you know that just knowing what to do and not doing it is wrong? I’m not just suggesting it is not good for you, I’m saying it’s flat wrong.
“It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” James 4:17
You don’t have to believe in God to benefit from scripture – and I believe most of us want to do the “right” thing. I think the problem lies in that we don’t think of eating poorly as right or wrong, but just a matter of vanity or choice. I mean, there are no food police giving out tickets for poor eating. We have the “right” to eat however we want – right? We may have that right, but that doesn’t make it right.
Maybe, if you’re struggling with self-control around food, you should treat the problem less like a vanity thing, and more as a right and wrong thing. You probably know what’s best for you, now you just need to start doing it.
Food Addiction:
1.) Decreases self esteem
2.) Increases jealousy
3.) Causes us to hide (especially from cameras)
4.) Makes us tired and lazy
5.) Makes us look and feel unattractive, which can be harmful in relationships
6.) Makes us physically ill
7.) Can be expensive (dining out/cocktails)
8.) Makes us unhappy
9.) Causes depression and added stress
10.) Makes us insecure and lack confidence in our work
If those are just a FEW things unhealthy eating habits can do to our lives, then why would even hesitate to get help and get healthy? It’s time to get healthy and happy again!
NOTE: If you think for one minute I’m judging you, or anyone struggling with eating – think again. We ALL struggle. I struggle. If you put a basket of nachos in front of me, I’ll out-eat any of you if I don’t practice self-control – and even my best self-control will still be overeating I guarantee!! The only difference is, I may go run it off. This is something I will continue to improve and manage for the rest of my life. When it comes to my body, I don’t want to look bad as much as I don’t want to disappoint God by mistreating this body he gave me. I want to be a good steward of my physical body as well as my life. When I’m done with this life, I want Him to say “Well done”. I will never be perfect, and I will always fail, but I will never stop trying – and I think that’s all He asks for. 
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CALORIE ALERT: Burger Dos & Don’ts
So you’re on a diet and you are craving a burger. It would be so easy to say “I deserve it” or “I’ll burn it off”, but the fact of the matter is giving in and splurging on that burger can set you back in a big way. For every 100 calories you cheat, is how many miles you’ll need to walk or jog to erase it so you better think long and hard before you let your tummy talk you into hitting the drive through!
CALORIE ALERT: 6 SAMPLE CHEESEBURGER MEALS
I researched calories for a basic full size cheeseburger and medium fry (no kiddie or super-sized meals) from the most popular fast food joints and this is what I found.
#1 DAIRY QUEEN: 850 CALORIES (No Drink)
1/4lb GrillBurger with Cheese: 540 calories
Medium Fries: 310 calories
Burger with 1 piece of bread, no cheese & no mayo: 340 calories.
#2 MCDONALD’S: 890 CALORIES (No Drink)
Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 510 calories (they don’t list topping calories
Medium Fries: 380 calories
Get their 6 piece nuggets for 280 calories or the Grilled Chicken BLT Ranch loaded for only 380 calories.
#3 WENDY’S: 1,000 CALORIES (No Drink)
Wendy’s Single with Cheese: 580 calories, 33gms of fat, 220 calories just from the bread
Medium Fries: 420 calories
Wendy’s Single without mayo & 1 piece of bread: 420 calories
JACK IN THE BOX: 1,020 CALORIES (No Drink)
Big Cheeseburger: 570 calories
Medium Fries: 450 calories
Get a Chicken Fajita Pita for 320 calories instead.
#4 SONIC: 1,130 CALORIES (No Drink)
Cheese Burger with Mayo: 800 calories
Medium Fries: 330 calories
Get the Grilled Chicken sandwich instead for 430 calories
#5 BURGER KING: 1,170 CALORIES (No Drink)
Whopper with Cheese: 760 calories, 40gms of fat, 240 calories from the bread, 140 calories in mayo
Medium Fries: 410 calories
Whopper with no mayo & one piece of bread: 500 calories
#6 FIVE GUYS: $1,460 CALORIES (No Drink)
Cheese Burger: 840 calories (not including toppings!)
Regular Fries: 620 calories
Heavy Hitting Toppings: Mayo (100 cal), Cheese (70 cal), Bacon (80 cal), BBQ Sauce (60 cal)
Add Jalapeno peppers for TONS of flavor and only 3 calories!
Dine Out Instead of Drive Thru? Don’t think so fast!
Maybe after reading this, you just convinced yourself to go to a nice restaurant to have a better burger. Think again! A burger at Ruby Tuesday’s averaged over 1,000 calories JUST for the burger alone – not including sides! Even the Turkey burger was 801 calories, not including french fries! OK, so you decide to get the “Ruby Minis” – wrong!! Once again, the deceivingly named food maybe mini in size, but it’s maxi in calories, raking in 915 calories not including sides!
Have a Burger YOUR Way!
Who says you have to go to Five Guys to get a good tasting burger? And who says you have to blow 1,000 calories to satisfy your craving? No One!
I’m here to tell you, you can make a delicious healthy low-calorie burger and fries that tastes just like the real thing! The trick is not just fresh ingredients, but layering your burger just the way they put it together in the restaurants.
How Does Your Burger Stack Up?
There’s a reason why those fast food burgers are good – and it’s not just the grease it’s dripping in. It’s a strict policy set for every employee to follow to make sure every single burger is exactly like the company intended it to be. So what’s the “Right Way?”. Well, since Steve worked for Burger King during high school and college, he quickly rang off the order they were to stack their burgers. You have a cold side, and a hot side.
Cold Side: Bread, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato.
Hot Side: Bread, Meat, Cheese, Pickles, Onion, Ketchup, Mustard. Then you smack it all together and serve it up while the hot is still hot and the cold is still cold.
Of course all restaurants may do it a little differently, but there is no reason you can’t make your own healthy burger at home and it taste just as good (or even better) than any restaurant pumping out high calorie burgers all day. I proved that last week when I was craving a burger myself! Instead of cheating on my diet, I decided to get my burger fix at home and stick to my diet. Here is what I threw together to satisfy my craving.
Turkey Burger: (approximately 200 calories)
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup egg beaters
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onions
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used whole grain sandwich thins)
TOPPINGS – From Top to Bottom:
- Sandwich thins (100 calories)
1 tablespoon Low Fat Hellman’s Mayo (only 15 calories)- 2 Lettuce leafs
- 2 Sliced Tomato
- 1 tablespoon Ketchup (15 calories)
- 1/2 teaspoon Mustard
- Onion
- Jalapeno Peppers
- Pickles
- Goat Cheese (38 calories, 1/2 oz.) or 1 slice low-fat cheese
- Meat
- Bread
Serve with 2 cups baked French Fries sprayed with Pam and sprinkled with Season Salt for 153 calories (vs 400 calorie fast food fries!).
TIP: Who says you have to have bread? Or pickles? Or other popular toppings. Put your hot burger on a plate, top with your favorite cheese and sauces next to your favorite fresh sides and eat like a regular meal or salad. Other fun hot toppings: grilled pineapple, sauteed mushroom, green pepper or onions.
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10 Diet Tips to Tame the Tongue
We all stumble. We all mean well, and still mess up. We try, and we fail – time after time after time. However, stumbling requires something: it requires action. Meaning, you can’t stumble if you are sitting down. Another words, as long as you are trying, you will stumble at some point. The key to success is to keep getting back up and moving forward again.
One of the biggest ways we stumble starts with our mouth. As our pastor reminded us yesterday that our tongue gets us in a heck of a lot of trouble. Then it got me thinking. My tongue doesn’t just get me in trouble with what comes OUT of my mouth, it gets me in trouble with what goes IN my mouth too.
I looked up the word tongue on my Olive Tree Bible app and I got 115 hits on the word tongue alone – most of which are very convincing words of just how powerful our tongue is – both for good and bad.
James wrote “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.”(James 3:2). Basically he’s saying it’s impossible to control and that we’d have to be perfect to tame it – and last I checked, the only time we’ll be perfect is when we are dead in Heaven. With that said, even knowing how hard it is (actually impossible), we are still encouraged to TRY to tame our tongue.
I believe when things are SO difficult, that we often are tempted to just give up – and give in. Listen, dieting is difficult and eating healthy can be challenging. We are not perfect and we are not always strong, BUT that doesn’t mean we quit trying.
Taming the tongue is something we should work on every day, every hour, every minute and every second of the day. If we can’t always say what we want, what makes us think we should be able to eat what we want. The answer is control, control, control!
10 Tips to Tame the Tongue
1. Use small salad plates instead of dinner plates to control portions.
2. Avoid dining out to prevent eating hidden calories cooked by a chef who cares more about how you think food tastes than your waistline.
3. Cook whole foods instead of casseroles and multi-ingredient dishes.
4. Eat 5-6 small snacks and meals a day instead of a couple large meals.
5. Eat prior to going to parties to avoid being hungry while surrounded by unhealthy foods.
6. Hang out with other Tongue Tamers. It’s easier to eat healthy around like-minded friends.
7. Split dinners when dining out to cut calories and cost.
8. Carry a protein bar with you for emergencies to avoid temptations.
9. Bring your lunch to work.
10. Just say “No”.
Watch recent messages from Calvary Chapel Vero Beach for more encouragement.
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4 Questions to Keep Your Diet on Track
I’m in the fitness industry and it doesn’t take much to feel like Miss Piggy stuffed in tights.
The reality is, it doesn’t matter how you look to others, it matters how you feel. And often times we make decisions that make us feel even horrible – physically and mentally. Like Santa Claus, we “know when we’ve been bad or good” so why can’t we be good for goodness sake?! WE are the one who suffer when we make poor choices!! Our body suffers and our mind suffers as well.
We eat crappy for 30 minutes and we feel bad for 2 days afterwards. Even if we don’t physically put on a ton of weight, eating crappy can mess with your head. Is it really THAT worth it? Honestly? Is tasting something for a few minutes worth hours, and sometimes days, of misery?
We have to stop acting in the moment and look at reality. No matter how awesome it feels to walk out of our favorite store with bags of goods, we know whether we can afford it or not. Most of the time that knowledge will keep us from impulse buying. But why can’t we use those same principles with our body?
We may not bounce checks when we eat out, but there are other repercussions to overeating that will destroy our body like overspending will destroy your bank balance.
What can you do to remind yourself of these repercussions?
Ask yourself these questions. Post them on your refridgerator or pantry door. Make a bracelet, put a ribbon around your purse – do ANYthing to remind you to constantly think past the food.
1. How will this make me feel tomorrow?
2. I can either burn fat from previously stored calories or I can store more fat I’ll have to burn later.
3. How many miles will I have to walk or run to erase this? (it normally takes about 100 calories/per mile)
4. Am I willing to do the work to erase these calories?
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CARBS: Eat Them or Avoid Them?
I’m dedicating this week to diet and weight loss. Whether you are dieting for the first time or you are just wanting to tweak your diet, I will be giving you tips to help make dieting easier and more rewarding.
Carbs Are Evil
The media has plastered a message across the globe that carbs are bad. So much so, some people are terrified of them. Ironically, those same people are eating the heck out of carbs and just don’t know it because they aren’t one of the obvious “bad” carbs. Sure, french fries are carbs but so are fruit and veggies. The problem is, many people are eating too many unhealthy carbs and not enjoying the benefit of the heathy ones.
Food = Fuel
Before you can even think of changing your food habits, you have to change your mind. From this day forward, start thinking of food as fuel. Although food does taste good, it’s purpose is to fuel you. How your body runs is determined by the food you eat. If you eat like crap, you’ll feel like crap – and you might not even realize it because you’ve never eaten healthy enough, consistently enough, to tell the difference. Start asking yourself “what does my body need?” instead of “what does my tongue want to taste?”. When you give your body what it needs, you will find you’ll feel better and feel more satisfied.
What are Carbs Good For?
Carbohydrates are one of the best sources of fuel – that’s why athletes carb up before their big day. You don’t see them loading up on chicken and steak before the race, you see them eating a big bowl of pasta and bread. Carbs fuel you to work, play and train well. However, how much energy do you need to sleep? What kind of carb-loading do you need to snore? None! Yet, this is when many people eat the biggest, high-carb meals.
Carbs: It’s All About WHEN You Eat Them
This graph will give you a visual of how you can fuel your body through out the day. First, there’s protein (in red). Protein is so important, but it’s not a great fuel source – however, it’s essential for muscle repair, which is primarily done while we sleep. Fat (yellow), is a good lasting energy source, should stay consistent throughout the day. It also helps slow digestion, helping us stay fuller longer, as well as absorb more nutrients. Lastly, carbohydrates are your best source for fuel. Since you don’t need a lot of fuel to sleep, I recommend decreasing carbs at night. (This doesn’t mean you don’t have ANY protein or carbs during at those time, you just don’t need as much)
The Good News
If you thought you were going to have to give up pasta and potatoes – think again! You can eat all your favorite yummies during the morning and daytime (as long as they are within your caloric budget for the day) and just cut them back at night. So instead of eating that salad at lunch, eat your higher carb meals, like sandwiches, wraps, pasta, etc) during the day, saving salads and greens for the evening. You’ll have more energy during the day and you’ll be less likely to store fat from unused carbohydrates at bedtime.
Tips for Meal Planning
Low Calorie Vegetables (great for dinner sides)
TIP: Dark Green Veggies are always a safe bet!
Spinach
Collards
Kale
Broccoli
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Mustard or Turnip Greens
Lettuce
Cabbage
Zucchini
Green Beans
Sprouts
Okra
Squash
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Egg Plant
Sea Vegetables (Nori, etc)
High Carb Foods (best for breakfast, lunch & snacks)
TIP: If it’s light in color doesn’t mean it’s light in calories.
Potato
Sweet Potato
Whole Grain Pasta
Whole Grain Bread
Rice (white & brown)
Beans/Chick Peas/Black Eyed Peas
Corn
Whole Grain Cereal
Oatmeal
Cream of Wheat
Cakes/Cookies/Pastries
Yogurt
Milk
Fruit
Juice
Remember, dieting is all about calories in vs. calories out. If you have never counted calories before (and even if you’re stubborn and don’t want to count calories) be sure to read yesterday’s 7 DAY DIET: How to Make Your Own Meal Plan blog. This blog will help you learn how to get started.
NOTE: Another great time to have protein is RIGHT AFTER a workout. There are a lot more tips to share, and as with everything, exceptions to the rule – so please realize I’m trying to keep things simple. More tips to come!
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Feel Thin in Just 3 Days – Seriously!
If you’re like me, you’ve stuffed your face since Thanksgiving! Ok, I didn’t really do that bad, but I sure as heck ate like a PIG the last few days! Besides my ‘Restaurant Tour’ on my recent trip to the Big Apple, my food choices had not been that bad – it was my PORTIONS that were out of control.
I found myself rubbing my belly like it was my new pet Pot Bellied Pig. My once flat tummy (and when I mean once, I mean just 7 days ago), turned into a budda belly quick. It’s not like I gained 10lbs of stored fat over the week, but I was constantly carrying around a full stomach and packed bowels. I know, it’s a gross topic, but someone’s gotta talk about it.
Seriously, you can’t expect to eat these huge portions and not feel huge yourself. Where do you think that copious amount of food goes? Yes, it goes right to your gut – literally. It spends roughly 30 minutes to 2 hours in your actual stomach, but that’s not what makes us feel fat. Look at where the stomach is. When is the last time you grabbed just below your boob and thought, “boy I feel full!”? No, we grab our low stomach, where all our intestines are (which are probably already full from our last huge meal. And we unbutton our pants to make more room for the intestines to do their job. Isn’t that an attractive thought!?
So the million dollar question, “How can I feel thinner in just 3 days”? Easy! It takes up to 80 hours to rid yourself of the last huge meal you ate – that’s just a little over 3 days until you are truly through with that meal. This would also explain why I woke up feeling thinner today. Today is the three days after I ate my last big meal (on Christmas Eve).
The key to feeling thin in just 3 days, is to immediately begin eating smaller portions so that you literally have less food in your gut. The first few meals may be the most difficult to adjust to, as your body has become used to the larger portions. Although your stomach is the size of your fist, it can be stretched out when you eat larger portions. However, it’s not the size of your stomach that really is an issue, it’s the type of meals you eat.
Each meal sets you up for the next. Another words, if you just ate a large unhealthy meal, your body will get your digestive system prepared for another large unhealthy meal. Once you stop that particular eating pattern, your body will begin to expect (and be content with) smaller, healthier portions.
However, if you are a yo-yo dieter who eats small meals one minute and huge meals the next, expect your body to be just as confused as your scale. You will likely find small portions unsatisfying unless you maintain consistent eating patterns. As soon as you begin to maintain smaller portions, you will begin to feel thinner in just 3 days!
PFIT TIP: Today I am addressing portion control – but what about all those extra calories you ate over the Holidays? Don’t forget to start burning some calories so you can burn off the stored fat from excess calories. Your new eating habits coupled with a consistent exercise program can get you faster (and much happier) results.
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Diet: What you DON’T know CAN hurt you
Wouldn’t it be nice if every food item came with a label on it? If only we knew how many calories were each home-cooked meal, baked good and menu item, many of us would make much better decisions. The hardest part about dieting is trying to guess how many calories are in these types of foods. We tend to underestimate calories when we leave it up to our own guess work. We want to believe certain foods are OK to eat. Then after we talk our self in to believing we’ve made the right choice we expect to lose weight as if our guess was always accurate.
I did something the other day that enlightened me on this very subject. I picked up a low-calorie snack on a recent road trip. I noticed the snack was a little over 200 calories. I wasn’t too thrilled about this since I try to keep my snacks to 150 calories or less but I thought I should bring it in case I got hungry. I found myself picking up the snack while I was driving along, re-reading the package over and over – contemplating whether it was worth it or not. I ultimately decided it wasn’t worth it and would prefer to eat something better later. Read the rest of this entry
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Tips to Fueling for Fitness
Choosing the right fuel for a workout depends on the workout you’re fueling up for. It’s like fueling up a car. The fuel used for drag racing is totally different than fuel used for Nascar. Dragsters just need to get to the finish line as fast as possible, which is only about a thousand feet away. Nascar fuel needs to help you go fast, steady and strong so you can go the distance. In many ways the same principles apply to fitness.
Fueling up for fitness and weight loss can be very different. For instance, if you need to make it through an intense workout, like weight training or our BCx boot camp, you’ll need something that can power you through your entire workout. Lifting a weight or powering a jump requires blood sugar readily available. Read the rest of this entry
