Scary Soda Facts

I have written about this before but as if one article is enough. Sodas are a scary thing these days. I do limit my soda consumption (no regular soda at all and diet soda on special occasions) but even one glass is too much.

Check out this very informative yet scary article from the Daily Mail on why soda is terrible for you.

What A 150-Pound Weight-Loss Looks Like

As you know I am on a constant struggle to stay active and healthy on a budget, which gets extremely hard. I like to keep my weight loss total at 100 just because I flaunt that line between pounds simply because the summer here in Charleston is hot and that allows less time during my lunch breaks to walk three miles, I burn, like wood on a fire, in the sun and my schedule has gotten extremely hectic.

I have told bits and pieces of my story multiple times on my blog but today I want to highlight someone else. I read this story via Fit Sugar and it is very inspirational! He highlights the importance of maintaining a successful lifestyle change and gives hope to all who struggle with their weight. Just from reading this article he has given me added hope even though my plateaus are too often now and I haven't seen huge drops in my weight in several months. I always like to live by this: "If you don't want to keep starting over, never stop. If you fall off routine just keep going because standing up after a complete fall is harder than standing up after a minor slip."

Please check out Tony Forte's fabulous story by clicking here.

Friday Favorite: Dress Like A Cow; Eat More Chicken

This week's edition of Friday Favorite takes a look back at three year's worth of FREE Chick-fil-A.

I usually don't like to eat fast food, not only because it is bad for you but it can be quite expensive and did I say it is bad for you? Yeah, so this is a love-hate post about Chick-fil-A's awesome yet terrible-for-you food as well.

Since 2012 I have participated in Cow Appreciation Day and it is pretty simple.
1. Dress like a cow
2. Get free food
3. Go over your caloric intake for the day
4. Be happy

On the weekends I tend to not count calories because I am so strict during the week, but recently I have been counting calories on Fridays. I knew this morning that I would be dressing like a cow and eating a delicious dinner so I prepared appropriately for my meal.

If you've not checked the calories of your favorite fast food meal this might be a shocker for you, but usually they're not that great! I walked 3.64 miles this afternoon, burned 680 calories and still didn't burn enough to compensate for my Chick-fil-A dinner.

*Spicy Chicken Sandwich - 490 calories
*Medium Waffle Fry- 323 calories

I will leave this post by saying I love Chick-fil-A's meals and I really appreciate the fact that they give you a free meal for simply dressing like a cow. I also leave you with this: have cheat days where you don't count calories or watch what you eat; it is healthy, but just be mindful if you're eating meals like this on a daily basis! 

Friday Favorite: Peanut Butter Pie Battle

I decided I would go a different route this Friday Favorite edition. I have noticed two Peanut Butter Pies floating around the internet. I really, really, really, really want to try one of them. I knew which one I wanted to try out simply because it comes from my favorite food bloggers (Minimalist Baker).

Not only have I had it on my radar for several weeks, but I knew it would be healthier than the alternative pie I have seen recently. This pie looks oh, so delicious as well, but when I eat desserts I do prefer for them to be on the healthier side (or as healthy as possible).

I wanted to let this Friday Favorite post be about these two pies and which one you would choose.

1. When you look at the picture you might not notice at first which pie would be healthier.
2. You might not realize how many calories, sugar, fat, etc., is in the unhealthier alternative either. That's why I took it upon myself to actually examine the ingredients and calculate the calories based on an 8-slice pie. Please see photo below for ingredient and calorie count of the pie not from Minimalist Baker.

For calorie-counting purposes I separated the crust, filling and ganache respectively as breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast = Crust
Lunch = Filling
Dinner = Ganache

--> If you would like to try the left pie please click here
--> If you would like to try the right pie please click here

Disclaimer: This post is in no way related to Minimalist Baker or Best Yummy Recipes. This was simply a way for me to help make you aware of what you're putting in your mouth. Although you probably know pie is bad for you, you might not have known just how bad the pie actually is. Why not make a healthier alternative?

Don't Cut The Carbs

Have you ever tried to cut carbs out of your diet and failed miserably? Maybe you failed because:
A) Your body was so used to carbs that it went into shock?
B) Could it have been that you just like the taste of bread and butter, pasta and garlic sticks?
C) Did you have headaches after axing the starches?

Maybe you remember this line: "You don't deserve them, you eat carbs for Christ's sake!"

Let's start here. Are you gluten intolerant? If yes then you might consider giving up carbs but if not then don't cut the carbs quite yet. Did you know carbs aren't created equal?

There are three types of carbs: simple starchy, complex starchy and complex fibrous.

What I would like for you to take away from this post is that you should stray from processed, sugary carbs (breads, white rice, white bread, white flour and opt for brown rice, whole wheat flour, green-leafy vegetables along with 100 percent whole wheat breads.

I know this is obvious and repetitive information, but there is a pattern to all of it. You must be reading it multiple times because it is solid information. I won't lie; I struggle with getting fresh fruits and veggies and whole wheat flour simply because I am on a tight budget, but when I have the opportunity I will snag unprocessed foods any day.

I challenge you to shed the processed foods and stick to an all-natural, unprocessed diet and see how different your body feels. If you're used to sugary drinks and carb-loaded meals you might feel anxious, fatigued and experience headaches, but that is your body ridding itself of the toxins and getting used to a more natural way of life. You'll eventually feel golden and actually start to see the weight slip off you.

Tips from Dr. Oz

Things have been quite busy in my corner of the world so I have been very lackluster when it comes to posting. I have seen some great tips and tricks and I wanted to post one for my readers to enjoy!

I took this from Pop Sugar Fitness. Click here for the tips from Dr. Oz!

Friday Favorite: How I Lost 7 Pounds Fast

This week's Friday Favorite is the Military Diet. I posted about the diet yesterday and if you'd like to read the post click here.

I lost seven pounds in three days on this diet and I highly recommend it, especially if you're looking to lost water weight/weight fast. The third day is the hardest, but it was worth it. I am in a plateau state and this has helped me kick the plateau to the curb. Two days later and I still have all seven pounds off and hopefully will retain the seven pound loss over the weekend until I do a second week of this diet!

Military Diet: Lose Weight Fast

So you're looking to lose weight fast? Maybe to fit into a wedding gown, bridesmaids dress, swimsuit or even all of the above? I have you covered.

I read about this diet called the Military Diet several years ago and I saw it again over the weekend. I despise the word diet simply because all of my success has come from eating right and exercising on a regular basis. Diets aren't usually permanent nor are they healthy, but I did some research on this diet and decided I would try it.

1. It consisted of food that I would eat on a daily basis as is.
2. It had me eating roughly 1,000 calories a day and I only eat 1,586 a day so I figured I would go for it.
3. I have plateaued so hard you wouldn't believe and I found this as a good way to detox my body of the bad foods I put in it over the weekend. Who knows, since I will be doing this on a weekly basis until I feel the need to stop some of the pounds that I shed could stay off instead of being gained right back as in most diets.

My results were great and I will be doing this diet each week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays schedule permitting; otherwise, I will be doing it some three days of each week until I feel it isn't working or I simply don't want to do it anymore.

My results: 
Day 1: Lost 4 pounds 
Day 2: Lost 2 pounds 
Day 3: Lost 1 pound

Have a look at the diet here. You can view the Military Diet packet I put together in case you decide to try it for yourself. The packet is really worth a look.

The Military Diet packet contains:
1. A detailed chart of what to eat each day
2. A detailed shopping list of all your supplies
3. A photo guide of my progress
4. Additional comments and suggestions from me.
5. A notes section where you can write your own suggestions, substitutes, etc.

To download or view the packet click here.

Tips For Your First 5K

So you're about to run/walk your first 5K and you're super nervous and have no idea what to expect?

Well, you're not alone! Color Me Rad has got you covered. Simply click here to check out their advice. They've got some tips that will have you confident in your choice to participate in that 5K!

In addition to some tips for your first 5K, I participated in my FOURTH free 5K last weekend. I logged my fastest time to date and couldn't have been happier with the result.

Whatever you do, don't give up!

Post by Green and Lean 5k.

$25 Subway Giveaway

This weekend I reached 8,000 page views and that means it is time for another giveaway! This giveaway will be a $25 Subway Gift Card and I would love for you to win it! Entry is very easy so look below for ways to enter and better your chances each day!

Rules and regulations: Giveaway is open to legal, US residents. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to claim the prize. This giveaway is not related to Subway in any way. 

Good luck and enjoy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fast Food Under 500 Calories

We all tend to eat fast food, whether you eat fast food because it is quick, you like the taste or you're simply hungry and that's your only option there are some better choices you can make in the drive-thru.

Here is a list I have compiled based on Dr. Oz's list which you can find here. Remember that just because you have to eat fast food you don't have to resort to double or even triple the amount of calories you'd typically eat otherwise.

Some Yogurts Have More Sugar Than Twinkies

Did you know that some yogurts have more sugar than a Twinkie? Yeah, they do, and The Huffington Post put out a list that will surprise you.

I have been cutting back my sugar consumption so I already knew yogurt is loaded with sugar and it is always a good idea to stray from any yogurt with aspartame or added sugars. I like to eat Greek yogurt when I do eat it, but that has been rarely these days.

Remember that an average woman is only supposed to have 24 grams of sugar and men are supposed to have no more than 36 grams. If you'd like to view the article I posted on how to beat the sugar cravings click here.

To view The Huffington Post article click here

Avoid Beach Bloat

For those who are lucky enough to be on the beach or near water on Memorial Day Weekend, such as myself, can definitely benefit from avoiding the bloat!

It might seem common sense to avoid things like a large glass of milk or a big donut before sliding your toes in the sand, but did you know you should also avoid, one of my favorite foods, kale?

Well, if you'd like to see some more foods you should avoid before the beach check out Fit Sugar's article.

How To Avoid Melanoma

I can't tell you how to prevent melanoma all together, but I sure can give you a tip on how to avoid it! 

1. WEAR SPF 30+.

It is as simple as that.

If you're wanting some more tips feel free to check out my info book by clicking here.

How To Whiten Your Teeth

So you're wanting to whiten your teeth but you don't have the money for expensive dentist visits and you don't feel like your enamel being stripped from your teeth either. I have a quick fix that is absolutely worth it! The simple solution is activated charcoal. You can buy activated charcoal at select pharmacies. I couldn't find it at Walgreens, CVS or Rite Aid but I did find it at a mom and pop pharmacy for right at $12 for $125 tablets.

Now, you may be asking how CHARCOAL is safe and effective so here is the answer to that as well! Activated charcoal is NOT the same as charcoal you grill with. This is a VERY important fact to know. Activated charcoal is porous and attracts the stains (tannins) on your teeth. Charcoal you grill with is not porous and contains impurities.

Because activated charcoal draws tannins and toxins from your body it is also known to absorb any type of medication you may be taking. So, please be aware of this before you apply the charcoal for teeth whitening purposes. If you're unsure just do a little more poking and prodding to find an answer.
Quick fact: activated charcoal can be taken to cure gas, overdoses and poisonings, etc. 

How to whiten your teeth:

1. Dissolve 1-2 tablets in a small (dipping sauce size) container. 

2. Brush your teeth as normal.

3. Use another toothbrush to brush the mixture onto your teeth.

4. Do this until you feel like you're satisfied. 

5. Rinse your mouth.

6. I like to brush again just to ensure there isn't charcoal left over.

7. Repeat 2-3 times a week. The following photo was taken after five applications. 

Why Wear Sunscreen

With the summer months rearing their head, please remember to soak in sunblock before you soak up the sun. I was reminded of this the other day as I was traveling home and the sun was shining brightly in my eyes. I was stuck in traffic and I am very pale so I tend to get red just on my commute home, but as I sat in traffic I watched the joggers on the sidewalk and took note of something surprising.

I saw a lady jogging while pushing her child in a jogging stroller. They were headed into the sun. The stroller did have a canopy, but the kid's legs were not covered and I noticed that his legs were beet red. I just thought to myself I really hoped she had put sunblock on that child.

As adults, we don't think about applying sunblock that often before we venture outside, but we should because melanoma statistics are shocking. I am working on a future post that will allow you to download a PDF file of some statistics and tips for staying safe in the sun, but for now please remember to protect your skin and your children's skin!

Coming Soon!

Look for this downloadable PDF coming soon!

Breakfast Smoothie

Are you looking for a great breakfast berry smoothie? Look no further! I enjoy these in the mornings when I am looking to log some delicious fruits and greens!

Enjoy!

What Does The Color Of Your Pee Mean?

Have you ever felt like you're dehydrated and not known for sure? Have you ever paid attention to your urine color?

I will be the first one to admit I have an obsession with water. I have always loved water. I always asked to go to the water fountain in elementary school (mainly to get out of class). I hoarded used water bottles in my car throughout high school because I would drink so much water I would have bottle-after-bottle until I cleared them out of my car. When I was in college I drank water a lot simply because it was free and healthy. Now that I am in an office 9-5 Monday thru Friday I drink 10-15 glasses a day. That might be over board, but I know that if I don't drink that much I will be dehydrated and I CANNOT stand to be dehydrated.

If you have a headache, drink some water.
If you feel sleepy, drink some water.
If you feel hungry, drink some water.
If water doesn't help cure some of those ailments then let me know! So, here is a chart I found on www.themetapicture.com

Change Your Life

I was reading an article from Greatist.com and found 89 Simple Swaps that could change your life! I thought I would share this wonderful article so that all my friends could reap the benefits also.

Thanks Greatist!

To view the article please click here!

What Do Cravings Mean

Learn to kick the cravings you have most by these simple substitutions!

We all tend to crave things once in a while, but did you know the cravings are actually our body's way of telling us we are missing something? Well it is and here are some common cravings that can be kicked by substituting certain foods into our diet in place of the craved items.