Juliet Deane » eating clean

What’s for Breakfast?

Juliet — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:37:11 +0000

Day two is officially in! Have you been logging your food? If not, I bet if you opened a blank document on your computer screen you could remember everything you ate today (unless you really want to forget-in which case, you need to write it down as a reality check.) You don’t actually think that just because no one saw or it’s not on paper, that it doesn’t count, do you? Just do it already and get the ball rolling on positive changes.

For those of you already over the first mission-starting a food journal, we’re moving on. What did you have for breakfast today? I had 1% low fat cottage cheese, apple and organic peanut butter. I have to take my breakfast on the go by 5:30 every morning so that works for me. BUT I have other options ready to go for mornings I’m not in a rush and an option for when I’m in oops-I-hit-snooze-4-times mode, so that I never risk skipping the most important meal of the day. Just look how happy it makes this fella!

Eating a well balanced healthy breakfast is essential to firing up your metabolism, balancing your blood sugar and assisting you in much better decision making at your next meal or snack. You simply cannot afford to slack off on meal one not only for the above reasons but also for the mental aspect. If you feel like you screwed things up first thing, and tell yourself “you’re off” or you’re a failure at your new program, well then, you’ll most likely live out that self-defeating mantra. So shape up and get ready for…whatever the morning throws your way.

What do some simple, well rounded Meal #1s look like?

1 omega egg with 5 whites and veggies, 1/2 cup oats & 3 fish oil
1 cup 1% cottage cheese w/ large apple & Tbs Organic Nut Butter (try slicing the apple into the cottage cheese and adding cinnamon)
(better than a skipped meal)-Protein shake in water, almonds and any piece of fruit I can grab

When it comes down to it there is no such thing as a good excuse. Keep your shopping list tailoring to the reality that rough days happen, oversleeping happens and you need to have the basic supplies to keep up with life.

Please feel free to post your fave breakfast solutions! You may just help someone find a new fave or find one yourself!
*scroll over the word “comments” below for a link to post*

Are You Sabotaging Your Fat Loss Program?

Juliet — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:58:44 +0000

While maintaining your body weight can be relatively painless, losing the last ten pounds or first 20 takes discipline and a positive attitude towards your new and improved lifestyle. But is it possible to go overboard? Just when you thought you had no will power at all…you could have gotten yourself into a groove for a major diet flop.

One of the most common mistakes we see on a regular basis is dieters eager for quick results want to crash diet and drop their calories to a sudden, all time low.

Unfortunately there is no such thing as overnight fat loss but there IS a such thing as wreaking havoc on your metabolism and fat loss efforts by not eating enough.

If you’re not consuming at least 1,200 calories per day (and even more if you’re active) your body thinks its starving and flips an emergency switch to start storing all your calories as fat, instead of burning them during the day. It’s a basic survival mechanism.

Research has shown that people who don’t eat consistent, regular meals tend to consume extra calories later to make up for the deficit. For example, skipping lunch and your mid afternoon snack will most likely lead to a large dinner of foods you might not have otherwise chosen if you weren’t so hungry. That pesky sweet tooth and munchie cravings will kick in too!

The biggest problem now, is that with this eating pattern, your metabolism will slow with an extra low calorie intake during the day. Not only that, but now your body is going to crave more heavy foods and then store that lump sum of calories right away as fat.

Ok, so skipping meals and snacks is more than bad, it’s totally counter productive to your goals. What now? Work on eating 4 smaller meals to 6 mini meals of whole foods like lean proteins, your favorite fruits and vegetables and small amounts of healthy fats at each meal.

Not sure how much your eating? Check out www.FitDay.com it’s a totally free online nutrition logging program that can help you stay on track with you dieting goals!

Fat Loss NOT For Sale

Juliet — Fri, 30 May 2008 00:36:48 +0000

Let’s take a minute to look a little closer at the booming BILLION DOLLAR weight loss industry. Consider the infinite low cal snacks, low carb meal replacements, “fat blasting” smoothies and all natural granola goodies. Could all these processed delicatessens equal a shopping cart full of fat loss? It would be nice to believe that your success can be bought in fancy boxes and shiny wrappers. I bet you can see where I’m going with this. The truth is, the LESS products you have in your cart the BETTER. Whole, clean foods are the key to a naturally fit body. I’m talking about fresh vegetables, produce, lean meats and whole grains. Real fat loss cannot be bought through a product line of frozen meals, boxed cereals, or any other pre-made “diet” foods you might find down the isles.

In short, fat loss is the sum of all you fitness efforts. Meaning: your food selection, meal timing, daily activity and your attitude. The combination of these things can never be bought or sold. Yes that means your new green tea chewing gum should not be your weight loss staple. So when you’re strolling down those lanes, it would serve you best to remember that all those brightly colored boxes and cans are part of a billion dollar industry to trick you into believing you can actually buy your heath from a company. And though quality protein powders and top notch supplements have there place, the majority of your health food intake should come from natural sources.

How can you put this into practice asap? When you’re at your next barbeque…steer towards the shrimp cocktail, chicken kabobs, grilled veggies and fruit platters while limiting time spent next to the pretzels, baked chips, low fat cheese dips and mayo based foods.

Take care of your body cause you only get one!