Needless to say I gained the freshman 15 and then some. I ate greasy burgers and fries, loaded up on carbs with pastas and breads, and of course I always had to have some sort of sweet at the end of the day. Almost two years ago I realized how unhealthy I was becoming. I needed a drastic change in my life and in my body. To make a long story short, I went on a diet called HCG (some do not agree with this diet, but you do the research) and lost 30 pounds. I was so determined and motivated and was so proud of the results. However, I lost not only fat, but muscle. Now I knew if I wanted to keep this weight off and continue to maintain what I weigh, then I had to eat very healthy and have a regular work out. This is where running became a very big part of my life.
I use to absolutely hate running. I remember in school dreading getting out and running a mile. Now 5 years later, I am out running anywhere from 3-6 miles a day and have continued to lose more weight and gain muscle. I have found a new love and a new way to keep me healthy and in shape. I also became big into healthy foods. Organic anything is my absolute favorite, but living in Texarkana only offers so much. So I try and pick the healthiest things out of the grocery story to buy. Now before I go into detail with some things, let me make this clear. I had to come to the realization that I am not defined by my looks, my body, my weight, how healthy I eat, or how far I run. I am happy with what God has given me. I just realized that at my age (22), I should be a lot healthier than what I was and God has allowed me to become just that. All praise, glory, and honor of what I have accomplished in becoming physically healthy and spiritually healthy goes to Christ.
A few of my friends have come to me for little advice here and there on diets, foods, workouts, and what not. So I figured, why not blog about it? I could show them pictures, give them motivations, and hear others stories as well! So here we are. My plan is to eventually maybe transform this blog into something of a health discussion not only physically but spiritually as well. (Still praying about this though.) But for now, I will post things here and there showing what I eat on a daily basis and little work outs I do. I would love to hear ANY comments about what you all think or any ideas you might have as far as foods and work outs go! Oh, and please keep in mind I am NO professional. This is only based on my knowledge of things and how I have become a healthier person.
My main goal through out the week is to be very motivated on eating healthy and keeping a daily work out routine. The reason for this is because I like to treat myself every now and then on the weekends! (Remember, cheating is not bad. Just do so in moderation! That is the key!) Here are some things I have eaten this past week:
Snacks: Dried fruits and nuts. I love to snack. I get hungry all day every day, no matter what. So why not snack on something good for you? Be careful with this though. Some dried fruits are high in sugar and some nuts you should only eat about one handful. However, this beats grabbing a bag of Doritos or a handful of M&Ms to snack on! Remember, the little things count!
Sweet Tooth: I absolutely love fruit. When I start craving something sweet, this is what I usually try and eat. I make either a fruit bowl or get Activia Light Yogurt and put in some blueberries. It helps settle my sweet tooth for the day! I do sprinkle Truvia (natural sweetener) on top of my bowl of fruit to give it a little bit more of a sweet taste. It works great!
Meals: This is just an example of something I eat in the morning and something I eat for lunch. In the morning I sometimes get some Kashi cereal, Organic Fat Free milk, and a banana. I get a small bowl and make me the best cereal ever. I also sprinkle a little of Truvia in my bowl to make it a little bit sweeter tasting. It works magic! For lunch, I might get a slice of Pumpkernickel bread (a lot like Whole Wheat) and spread some Hummus on it with some Spinach leaves. I love this because it helps give me a daily balance of the nutrition my body needs.
Other Things: I didn't know much about Clif bars until my boyfriend pointed them out to me. It is more of a protein bar but comes in many different flavors! All natural and organic and very tasty to have after a workout! I also posted this picture to the right of some very fattening, thick icing, sugar cookies. Let me just say, those are a huge weakness of mine. But it's things like this that I treat myself to on the weekends. I am by no means perfect and cheat, but I believe it's completely fine to give in every now and then! Just remember, moderation is key!
I will post more things maybe once a week, but wanted to give this first one a try! To expand your knowledge on being Healthy, go get some books or read some magazines such as Women's Health Magazine. Anyone can do this! There is a ton of information out there, you just have to get motivated and stay determined! God is good and can help you through anything in life, even eating healthy!
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I'm excited to see all the pictures!
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