Been wondering what it is that I eat? Here it is!



Here's what logging your food &
counting calories + exercise does for ya!

In the last month, I've talked about measuring out your food as per serving size, and logging it. Another component to losing weight is counting the calories. With my workout program, I was given a worksheet to help me figure out how many calories I need for my size. So often we try to do a 'one-size-fits-all' regimen, and I don't think that's realistic for us to try. So often are people deprived, which sets them up to binge eat and this starts the crazy cycle all over again.


Last week, I was asked what I eat throughout the day, so I thought I would share what my food log looks like with you today. Note: I am 134 lbs. If you are heavier, you will need a little more calories, if you are smaller than I, you will need less. However, NEVER GO BELOW 1200 CALORIES. I've seen a 'cleanse formula' recently that gave you 1000-1200 cals. per day, but it is made to do for 2-3 days ONLY, not a long-term regimen of less than 1200 calories.

Below is my message that I sent to a friend:

My days are like this:
first thing: coffee (2): 20 cals. total (was 40, but started using 1/4 cup. almond milk for crmr.)
breakfast: mini- bagel w/ 1/4 cup cott. cheese:160 cals. (or 1 cup cheerios + 1/2 cup milk: 120 cals.)
after wkout: shakeology 150-190 cals. (Depending on whether I use almond milk or water.)
lunch: salad w/ chicken & very low-cal drsg. & apple or banana: 270 cal. (or a wrap w/ the lowcarb ww tort: 230 cals.)
snack: carrot sticks dipped in cott. cheese (w/ spices), or 5 prunes, apple wrapped in ham lunchmeat = 100 cals. or a fib. 1 bar (but trying to give those up- 140 cals)
dinner: 1-2 pc. ckn breast, 1/2 cup beans or rice, ton of veggies: 450 cals. (You can make this stir-fry ckn bowl, or fajitas, or in a salad, or just plated up.)

and if there's room in the cal. budget & I need a little something else, 1/2 cup of nonfat yogurt w/ 2/3 cup of blueberries =120 cals. Or a shakeology pop = 25 cals.
Grand total is: 1330 (without the yog.) - 1450 (with yog.)

I use a lot of the same foods and eat diff. ways. I try to avoid diet sodas, but usually drink tea w/ stevia in the early afternoon for a little caff. boost. But only 2 cups of coffee in the early a.m. (which I'm trying to cut back on) and then some early p.m. tea...water the rest of the day, with dinner, all day running errands.

I love cheese, but cannot lose weight w/ it in my diet. I love bread, but have to sub the mini-bagels or mini sandwich thins in for it.

I watch the sodium for the most part. The thing we're cutting back on is the BBQ sauce, we haven't been measuring this out and I'm sure I'm over my cals by at least 100 on bbq sauce alone. We sub bbq sauce w/ spicy salsa too! We use black beans a lot, instead of pinto, great on a salad...mix 'em w/ corn - YUM!

You have to eat to lose weight. You have to get rid of that borderline starving-mode of eating. It will keep your metabolism stagnant if you don't put in more. You cannot be afraid to eat. You just have to eat good, nutrient dense foods...add a ton of veggies. When I have a wrap, I have a ton of tomatoe & greens. And one thing I don't do is count my lean green veggie calories. Those are free to me, because the more I eat, the fuller I am and the less likely I am to reach for the cheese or fiber 1 bars....my biggest hurdles.

Another tip: Drink water like there's a water shortage coming! Try hard to stay away from a bunch of diet sodas and other fake sugary drinks. Do your own research, I've heard it keeps you from losing weight. Plus, most diet sodas have sodium, which leaves you looking puffy.

You've got to look at the long run. PERMANENT weight loss is a marathon...no shortcuts, just adapting to healthier foods and getting super creative with them. It took you how many years to gain weight? So many people want to lose all the weight in a few weeks/months, when it took years of bad habits to get to where they are. You have to stick to eating healthy for a long time and it's worth it. You WILL get an acquired taste for the veggies and less fat in your diet. Just give yourself a chance to break the bad habits of eating bad.

All you have to lose from this commitment is weight and health issues...what you have to gain is a healthy body, more energy, good sense of well-being, and a slimmer body. It's a WIN-WIN when you give up the BAD! You can do it! Hang in there...it's going to be worth it. Just commit at least 6 months to see what kind of results you get. And when you are feeling better and looking better, it will be easy to commit to doing it for a year...and then you'll want to eat this way for the rest of your life!

Tuesday's Tip on Dropping the Weight!

In my mind, the simpler something is the more likely you'll do it, right? I know a ton of people who want to lose weight, yet they don't know where to start.

First, you can start by NOT eating the bad foods. You know what they are: fried foods, sugary drinks, sugary/dessert foods, empty carbs (chips, a ton of bread out to dinner), and super fatty foods (pizza, buffets, burgers (double double cheesy heart-attacks to go), and the giant burritos filled with sour cream, cheese, rice, beans). These are just a few things to eliminate at the start. If you stop eating these kinds of food (stop eating fast foods so much), you'll start dropping weight immediately.

Let's say you've done this part. Let's say that you have eliminate the obvious bad food from your life. But the scale is no longer moving. What do you do next?


MEASURE OUT YOUR FOOD! This is so easy. It's easier than you think. Get a 1/2 cup, and 1/4 cup measuring cups, as well as 1 tablespoon & 1 teaspoon.  These are the ones you will use most often. Most beans, rice, cottage cheese, yogurts can be scooped out w/ the 1/2 cup since that is the typical serving size. (Nonfat plain yogurt is 1 cup for 120 calories.) You've got to scoop the food out anyways w/ something, right? Just read the 'Nutrition Facts' and scoop out your food to what the label says is a 'serving size' with your measuring cup.

MEASURE OUT YOUR CONDIMENTS! Yes, mayonnaise, bbq sauces, salad dressings - look at your labels, you'd be suprise at how much of that stuff you are actually using. When you start measuring it out, you will immediately begin to use less right from the start. Most condiments have a 2 tbsp. serving size. When was the last time you measured out Peanut Butter? 2 tbsp. of PB = 190 calories. Wow, huh? And you know you ain't only been eatin' 2 tbsp. :)

READ THE LABELS. Read the labels of food you eat at home. Look at the Nutrition Facts and start measuring out the food to the 'serving size'. And for now, just make a mental note of the calories you're eating. Also pay attention to the fast food menus. They are now posting the calories to meals. Pay attention that they will read something like: 450-990. The 450 is the sandwich only, the 990 is the meal. 990 calories in one meal? Wow, stop eating that, and you'll change your life!

Last week I talked about a food log - a log of what you're eating. I didn't want to overwhelm you with too much at once. Hopefully you started writing down what you ate. Did you do it? Did you become aware of what you were eating? That's what a simple food log does. Writing down what you eat helps you see what you are putting in your mouth. I want YOU to know what you are eating. This alone will make you conscientious and you'll probably start making better choices!

Now this week, I want you to start eating a 'serving size' of your foods! This is where 5th grade math is important! You will be doing fractions, adding them, cutting them in half. But I want you to get over it & just start eating the 'serving size' of food! Can you do it? If you have the goal to "Lose Weight", then this is a great way to start controlling the amount of food you eat!

Write your current weight down on a calendar and then start measuring your food right away. If you begin to eat a regular 'serving size' of your foods and condiments, (minus the fatty fast food type meals) - you WILL lose weight!

Tuesday's Tip: USE A FOOD LOG

Just this week alone, I've been in touch w/ a handful of women who were awesomely humble enough to share what they eat with me. And then I have questions, of 'how much', and 'how often' to add to my inquire of 'what do you eat?' and 'when?'

All of these things matter. Remember I mentioned last week in weight loss, exercise is 20% & EATING is 80%. But what are you eating? Don't know log it! Look at Weight Watchers, they are successful because they have their clients keep a food log. My husband who had a personal trainer, kept a food log of everything he put in his mouth. We measured it all out...we still do. In fact, last night, there I was measuring out his 1/2 cup of steamed brown rice for dinner.

The point of food logs is it makes you mindful of what you are eating. Do you keep a checkbook? It keeps you mindful of what you're spending, right? You see where you went over, and where you did great.

A food log is the same. Think of calories as cash. What do you want to spend your calories on? Knowing that the less you spend, the better shape you will be in. This is true for us financially as well right. If you are on a mission to lose weight a food log is a must - keeping track of what you eat is a must! My friend just passed on a free one at http://www.caloriecount.com/. You can enter the food you ate, see the 'grade' it gets, and tack it onto your food log. You want to watch your calorie intake, especially if you're on a mission to lose weight!

When I start talking with people who want to lose weight, I first ask them what they've been eating. You can easily spot the sabotaging foods right off the bat by just rattling off your list. Does this sound like your food log: skip breakfast, doughnut when I get to work, coffee, cheeseburger and fry for lunch w/ a DIET soda (love the irony in that), and then late dinner of chili cheese fries, coney, w/ milkshake. What? I know someone very close to me who ate like this and it's more common than not. (Check out his story at http://www.thislittlepiggywenttothegym.com/ to read his amazing story of losing 200+ lbs.)

So if you're one of those people, "I know I need to lose weight, but I don't know where to start"...here is your starting point. Here is your assignment. Start a food log today! Write down everything you eat from now until Friday. And then on Friday when you're full aware of what needs to go. Spend the weekend cleaning out your fridge & cupboards & buy some lean, healthy foods! It will change your life.

Need some ideas on what lean, healthy foods to stock your cupboards with, let me know. Email me at jennifermorin@beachbodycoach.com!