Meal Plans and Portions

Meal Plans

Here's how the discussion of "what's for dinner" goes at my house:
5ish
Me: "Brandon, what do you want for dinner?"
B: "I don't care."
Me: *inward sigh- why am I always coming up with ideas AND cooking them?*

6:30PM
B: "I'm hungry. What's for dinner?"
Me: "Tell me what you want."
B: "I don't care."
Me: *LOUD SIGH*
B: "Do you wanna just go somewhere now? It's already 6:30."

Without a plan in mind, most of us will opt for option B: eating out. There is a plethora of great restaurants around our house but there are several drawbacks to that decision:

1. Dining out on the town hurts your bank account. Brandon and I have dined out so often that we are tired of all the places around us (and trust me, there's A LOT). Typically a dinner costs us (with tip) around $50 a pop. So let's just say you eat at restaurants 4 times a week and there's $200/ week or $1000/month and that's JUST dinner. Brandon typically buys breakfast and lunch when he's working too so that racks up as well. 
2. When it comes to eating clean... not all restaurants meet that standard. Have you ever looked up the nutritional value for popular restaurants around you? You will be amazed that even the "light" meals are packed with calories, fat, sugar and salt. I noticed this when I started tracking what I was eating through Lose It (app on iPhone or log online at www.loseit.com). Here's a homework assignment for you: Take a moment, navigate to your favorite restaurant's website and locate the nutritional facts (some do NOT have this so that makes ya think!). 
3. If you don't prepare it, there's no guarantee it's cooked the "cleanest". Cooking at home is the best way to ensure that your food is prepared with no additives you don't want. I'm sure you all have encountered that ONE time that a food service worker put mayo on your sub although you said not to... UGH, I hate that! 

Solution? 

Meal plan. I like to meal plan for an entire week and grocery shop from there. When you're trying to eat clean, you're shopping the perimeter of the grocery store- fresh fruit, veggies, etc. Due to the shorter shelf life of fresh food, you don't want to over buy and waste so a week's worth is a good time frame.

I am a bargain shopper so I do NOT like wasting money and that includes throwing food away. I stick to my meal plans and proper portions so I do not overeat. Keep reading for more information on proper portions. Also, if you buy something with a nutritional label, check the ingredients. I avoid anything with ingredients that are un-natural (pretty much anything you can't pronounce) as well as a lot of salt, fat or sugar. Salt is in pretty much everything on a shelf so be wary of how MUCH salt is in those products. 

Note: If meal planning for several meals a day sounds like too much, start with just dinner. Try it out! Plan one week of meals for just dinner and see how it goes! Here's a dinner/shopping planner for you that I adapted from something I found on pinterest! 

Portion Distortion

In order to maximize your metabolism as well as reap the benefits of a stabilized system (no drops in blood sugar and more), you should aim to eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. We're aiming for about 300 calories each meal. You want to eat a lean protein about the size of your palm- that means girls, probably about 4-6 ounces and guys, a bit larger. In addition, you're looking for two cupped hands of veggies and one cupped hand of complex carbs (grains or starches). 

You gotta start some where. Why not start now? Go plan your week's worth of dinners. :D

Think. Work. Achieve. The choice is yours. 

Endorphins, HGH and the Scale

Girl, Look at That Body...

I work out!

I try to workout 6 times a week. Yes, six and sometimes seven... Know that six times in one week may be out of reach right now for some of you but you can get there. Some of you may even say, UGH, I don't WANT to workout 6 times in one week OR I don't have TIME to workout that much, etc. Here's what I do now: If it's important to you, you'll find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse. For ME, it's important and not just because I want to look good. I want to FEEL good. Regular exercise releases endorphins (a chemical in your body that makes you feel happier). **Check out the WebMD article on endorphins and depression! 

This morning, I sat down for some coffee (a splurge at $3 a cup) with a friend of mine. Amongst other things, we talked about health and fitness and the fact that as we age, it's harder to see the fat melt off. 

Unfortunately as we age, our metabolism slows down due to the decrease in the production of HGH (Human Growth Hormone). HGH is responsible for increasing metabolism and it occurs when we are in deep sleep SO... rest up and soak up what HGH you do produce however don't be too upset; HGH can also be produced during weight training 

providing further evidence that this is an important aspect to your fitness regimen. In addition, eating 6 small meals a day will encourage your metabolism to be more consistent throughout the day therefore burning fuel more efficiently. The science behind eating more often is simple. When we eat inconsistently (I.E. skip breakfast, small lunch, big dinner, etc.) our blood sugar fluctuates which also throws off our insulin production from the pancreas. Here comes the mood swings, the dizziness, blurred vision, etc. <--- Man, oh man, did I have all those! In conjunction with those symptoms, our BMR (basal metabolic rate) slows down since our bodies aren't sure when we'll be eating again. The great thing about BMR is that it's not stationary. We can influence our BMR by eating smaller meals more often and by exercise. I'm sure you've all heard that muscle weighs more than fat... Well, that's true BUT muscle burns roughly 25% more calories than fat and recently, I've learned that what my scale says is not necessarily what matters most. Sure, gravity loves me. I don't care. What I DO care about is that my clothes are fitting better than ever and I feel great. 

The ball is in your court. If it's important to you, you'll find a way. If not, I guess you'll find an excuse. 

Think. Work. Achieve. The choice is yours.  

Muffin Top?

Muffin top? I don't even LIKE Muffins! 

You know where you stand on gravity when your clothes start fitting a little snug... but if you're like me, you refuse to acknowledge this fact and blame it on the dryer, water weight/bloating, etc. My turning point in my weight gain came one day when my husband (after hearing me complain about my fat once again and the fact that all my clothes were tight) said to me, "Why don't you just buy bigger pants?" That's what he said.... this is how I took it...

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT!!!!!!!!!!!! **Now, I must say as a disclaimer: He's a man and didn't think anything of it though I am pretty sure he will think twice the next time he wants to comment on my clothes. 

As much as it hurt to admit it, I knew it was time to do something because I was NOT buying new pants. For one, I pay a lot of money for my jeans due to my giraffe legs and two, if I did buy bigger jeans... what's gonna happen when THOSE get too tight?! I was ending that cycle REAL quick. 

Research

I started doing my homework on weight loss and working out. I had tried P90X in the past and though I loved the results I was getting, I would ultimately get sick in the middle of the 90 days and lose my stamina resulting in starting over every time. (Side note here: I was NOT following the diet which I now believe would have helped maintain my progress.) I knew I needed a shorter term goal so I could feel a sense of accomplishment from finishing. 

A friend had once told me that Jillian Michaels had some great workouts on DVD and that they were about 30 minutes long. So, I purchased "30 Day Shred" by Jillian. What I love about her workouts is they are 30 minutes long, 30 day goal, and tri-leveled. You start at level 1 and progress to level 2 and finally to level 3. She shows you how to modify exercises if you can't complete them and continues to push you to try the advanced movements if you can. It's also set up in a 3-2-1 cycle.  You complete 3 minutes of strength, followed by 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs before moving to the next cycle (There are 3 cycles in every workout.). She also includes a warm-up and a cool-down which is very important in every workout. I was able to complete the program in 30 days and repeated it another 30 days doing the "more advanced" movements in most cases. I had a sense of accomplishment and was encouraged to keep working out to get even better results. 

Now, it is also important to note here that weight loss does not come without a diet of some sort in synergy with exercise. Let me repeat: YOU CANNOT WORK OFF A BAD DIET. <-- It took me a long time to come to this conclusion myself but the sooner you can come to peace with it, the sooner you can reach your weight loss goals. What I did initially is I downloaded a free app for my phone called LoseIt (also available via web: http://www.loseit.com) so I could track my calories. The app made it easy to know what I was eating and helped me realize some of the foods I was eating were high in calories. I began making better food choices (as far as calories go) and seeing the numbers of the scale come down. After awhile, I stopped tracking what I was eating on the app but continued to make better food choices because I was more educated now about what I was putting in my body. I encourage anyone to track their food for 30 days and I promise you will learn what foods you should avoid too. 

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I read a book by Tosca Reno called "The Eat-Clean Diet" in June. This book helped me understand that eating clean isn't a diet.... it's a life style change. Our brains are wired in such a way that if we can't understand the rationale behind something, we don't place as much importance on that particular issue. After I read this book, I understand the principles of eating clean and have placed more importance in making sure I choose foods that are good for my body. I recommend reading this or another book about eating clean foods so you too can help your brain place higher importance on your quality of life because when you eat cleaner foods, it's not just weight you'll lose and here's an example: My mom is now over 60 and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a couple of years ago. She refused to live with the diagnosis and started researching online. She discovered that many people had reduced or eliminated their symptoms by cutting our artificial sweeteners and products from their diet so she got rid of the Sweet N Lo and as much as possible from all other foods and she has been symptom free since. <-- WOW. If that isn't evidence enough! Read the book, it's enlightening! 

Coupled with eating clean and exercise, make sure you drink lots of water, LOTS. If you aren't drinking at least 8 glasses a day, you probably aren't drinking enough water. Think about it like Tosca: if you put food waste into your garbage disposal, you have to have water to flush it out otherwise, it gets nice and nasty in the disposal. The same is true for your body. What you eat has to be flushed out. If you aren't drinking enough water, chances are you are dehydrated. Here are some signs that I have experienced: fatigue, headache, constipation, back pain, weight gain, cellulite, blurred vision... OMG, just by making sure you drink enough water, you can reduce or eliminate those symptoms! Grab a glass and drink it now! 

If you can, check out my friend, Alicia's blog on eating clean as well. She's got some great material that's research-based as well (That's important, y'all!). Most recently, read about coconut oil and it's benefits in your diet. 

Think. Work. Achieve. The choice is yours. 

Workout Must-haves

My Top 5 Workout Must-Haves...

1. I discovered this nifty little device through BodyRock TV and I use this Gymboss interval timer ALL the time! It's inexpensive ($20) and can be used as an interval timer, stopwatch or countdown timer. It comes in several colors (mine is fushia). 

2. My Nalgene water bottle splashguard...Sold from Amazon (I got mine at Sports Authority, I think) for around $6. It's amazing because it doesn't get water sloshed all over my front when I drink from it. Bonus... comes in LOTS of colors. Mine is the one pictured with the smily face. :D What? I like to smile. 

Buddy in the corpse pose

3. My yoga mat... ah, so cushy. I like using this as an extra pad for my knees for push-ups (when I need to do PU's off my knees) or even my hands sometimes for burpees and of course for actual yoga. I bought mine from Academy but if you're a savvy internet shopper, Amazon sells them too. Mine is 1/2" thick I believe and even my dog loves it. I find it difficult to keep him off it as a matter of fact. He loves it when I lay on it cause he thinks it's fun I am on the ground with him... I am sure I share this experience for other pet owners. :D 

4. My FUSHIA Nikes... I haven't had them for long and I've already put them through the ringer. They are Nike Flex TR's and I bought mine online through Kohls (no longer there) BUT they also sell them locally (or online) at Academy (also in turquoise at the store). They are inexpensive and so far have been great for interval training- no rolled ankles here, people! The next ones I want are the Nike TR Fit 2... 

5. I cannot work out without my hair bands keeping the wispy hair off my face. I got mine at Target but I imagine you can pretty much pick these up anywhere. They have the non-slip stuff in them too so my fine hair is kept in place for the most part... sometimes not.  They are about $3-4 for a set of them. WORTH IT. I can't stand working out with my hair down. 

Think. Work. Achieve. The choice is yours. 

BodyRock'in in the house ta'nite!

So if you have not discovered BodyRockTV yet through social media... Go check it out! For all the endorsing I do for them, you would think I get paid but alas... I don't. Still on that good ol' teacher salary but hey, at least I get summer's off! BOOM! That just happened.

Ok, so BodyRock... It's completely online and completely FREE to use! OMG, FREE. You log onto their site, download their free iPhone app, friend them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and/or follow them on Instagram... so many facets to utilize! Their workouts typically consist of 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds rest and last approximately 12-15 minutes. That's right, folks... TWELVE to FIFTEEN minutes and WAIT till you see Lisa-Marie and their other BR hosts. Don't be intimated cause it's easy to look at her and say, "Oh my God, I could never look like that!".

I mean, really? I'm jealous. 

Here's the deal: you can't look like that without #1 working out and #2 changing your way of eating. BR works because of the high intensity cardio (even if it's a short amount of time) combined with strength training. BUT if you want to truly embrace a healthy lifestyle and trim more fat than a high school boy's swim team... You HAVE to reevaluate what you put into your body.

I read a book recently written by Tosca Reno called the Eat Clean Diet which has helped me understand more of the philosophy of BodyRock as well as what our human eating habits really should be to maximize our metabolism and general health. In her book, Tosca talks about eating 5-6 small meals a day and discusses proper portion sizes when you eat 6 times a day. She lays everything out in a way that s easy to understand and even provides a sample meal plan and grocery list of staples to have in the house. Here are some of the benefits I have noticed with eating more than 3 times a day:

Endorphins, get some.

1. My blood sugar isn't dropping so I am more alert, less cranky and less dizzy! (I could have sworn I was hypoglycemic before and TRUST me when I say I used to get CRANKY when I was hungry!!!) 
2. I am making better food choices than I was before because I understand more about what I am putting in my system. When I skip junk food, I don't feel deprived... I feel empowered! 
3. When I do eat something that's not necessarily "clean", I don't enjoy it as much as I remember. For instance, I had some pizza last night and I ate MAYBE four bites before I was like, "Ew, it's so greasy."
4. This is more to do with the working out aspect: I may hate the workout on some days BUT the feeling of accomplishment I have when I am dripping sweat and red in the face when I have finished is awesome. It's true what they say, "You're only one workout away from a good mood." PS. Exercise releases endorphins which is the best antidepressant! Get some! 
5. Um, I get to eat MORE! For a foodie like me, it's like heaven! 

I used to think, no matter what I eat, as long as I workout I will be fine. This statement couldn't be more false. Turns out, what we eat even when we're younger and our metabolism is higher can build the foundation of unhealthy things such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc. If it's not found in nature, chances are there's stuff in what you're eating that is not good for you. I choose to be fit and firm. I don't want to be cranky and "squishy". 

Think. Work. Achieve. The choice is yours. 

Margaritas and Sunshine

My friends are my family and I wanted to dedicate a post entirely to them and how much they mean to me. I am very blessed to have been graced by their friendship and I value each and every one of my friends even if I am not the best at picking up the phone and calling. I can say however that if there is ever anything they need, I will be there or make every attempt to do what I can.

BONNER

This is one of my oldest and dearest friends, Bonner, yes... Bonner. It was her mom's maiden name and when she got married, the Bonner's name is no longer. I think it's pretty awesome but I am sure she gets tired of explaining it to people when she meets them though she would never say so. Bonner is the kindest person I know. She does not have a mean bone in her body and I'm not afraid to lay the smack down on anyone who messes with her! ;) Bonner and I met at Texas A&M through the Equestrian team. We ended up being roommates before I graduated and now she boards my horse, Whitney (the black one on the right). Bonner is a beach/lake bum and tans so easily so I always look like a ghost next to her even on my best "tan" day. Recently (June, 2012), we flew to Mexico and went zip lining (in the rain) amongst being beach bums. Bonner isn't afraid to get dirty or (You'll see...) of taking on new challenges. For instance, I asked Bonner to come with me to our first ever Crossfit class last week.  (Check it out if you haven't heard of it!) We both had a crazy workout and I know I am definitely going again soon. I love my Bonner!!

Mariela and Jen

Jen (far right) became an AP at the middle school I was working at and we hit it off nearly immediately. We were part of the "Sunshine Committee" and had a great time scouting places for our X-mas party. We've been friends ever since. Jen is a phenomenal leader and I could always count on her to give me honest advice. On a personal level, Jen loves to travel, photography and her dogs though they don't like me... hmph. Jen is a lot of fun to be around and her face turns redder than mine when she's embarrassed. ;) Like Bonner, Jen isn't afraid to get dirty... (You'll see...) <3 you, Jen! 

Mariela (far left) and I met through a staff volleyball tournament at our school. We both LOVE volleyball and HATE to lose. We had such a good time playing v-ball, we attempted to join a league and it just never happened (wait list and all that). Coincidently, she was also friends with Jen so we all started hanging out. Last summer (2011), M and I started "Tuesday's Pool Days" during the summer. Each Tuesday, we drive over to my mom's house in Katy with her kids and my pup and swim all day long. She tans super easy like Bonner so again, I look like Casper. Her husband says that we're just alike. We both act like kids if you bring a bouncy house into the picture as evidenced by her daughter's b-day party recently. Mariela LOVES hugs... OK, so maybe not. She got her nickname "Halo" because she wants people to respect her personal bubble though secretly, I think she likes it when Jen and I try to ambush her with LOVE! <3 you, bunches, Halo!

Getting Muddy, Buddy!

Bonner, Mariela, Jen and I signed up for the Warrior Dash in 2010 near Austin, TX. It's a 5K (3.2 miles) race with 11 obstacles including fire, creeks and MUD! We had an absolute blast! See, my girls aren't afraid of getting' dirty!!! We're all signing up for another race in Galveston, TX called Gritty Goddess, another muddy 5K but all females. I guess I should start running/training again... (In my defense, I haven't neglected working out... just running!) 

My Bff's and I at an Astros game (Jen, me, Mariela, and Bonner) 

KELLY 

I met Kelly at Supercamp, a Quantum Learning Network affiliated camp that focuses on life skills and academic skills.  I cannot begin to even tell you how valuable my time with QLN has been to me and how much I learned and grew as a person, an educator and a friend... All I can say is that if you are fortunate enough to be able to be a part of the program, DO! I promise you it is WORTH IT. Though I forged many friendships and still keep in touch with many of them through social media, emails, etc, my friend Kelly and I have kept up with visits and phone calls more often even though we're 1000's of miles apart. Kelly is an amazing woman and I am so happy our paths crossed. She is outgoing, honest, funny, and confident among many other positive adjectives. Kelly is a former gymnast and a trapeze artist. <-- How cool is that?! She was recently diagnosed with cancer and is approaching her battle with it head on. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure I cried more than she did. If money wasn't an issue, I'd see her much more often! I am proud of her and honored to be considered her friend. I love you, Kelly! 

Kelly and I in one of our "photo shoots"

These woman are all amazing in each of their own ways. I am so lucky to have them all in my life and always look forward to seeing each and every one of them. 

Think. Work. Achieve. The choice is yours. 

5-4-3-2-1 Workout

No better time than now... Here is my workout I am doing today:

 

Navigate to: http://www.fitsugar.com/Easy-15-Minute-Workout-21588220 for the original posting.

Fifteen minutes of strength and cardio is good enough to burn fat while toning. You go at YOUR OWN PACE. We all have to start somewhere and if you're working out at home- who CARES what you look like!?  

Think. Work. Achieve. The choice is yours. 

Wearing a smile?

ABOUT ME

My name is Jamie. I am 32 years old, married going on five years and no kids... just my dog, Buddy, a five year old German Shorthaired Pointer. He loves water and chases anything that moves.

I have two sisters- I'm the middle kid, say what you want about that- older: Terri and younger: Mary. The picture below is Terri, Mary, Mom and I in NYC Central Park June, 2012. We took us a little girls' trip! (Another blog coming about NYC trip- SO MUCH FUN!)

My dad is retired US Coast Guard and now works for an oil company in Houston. My mom is now retired from office work for a plastic surgeon. My parents just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in Hawaii (see below). AinaKai Photography (same photographer who did Mary's wedding pictures in Hawaii) took my parent's pictures. They are beautiful!!!

I'm an Aggie- graduated with a degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M in 2002. While I was at A&M, I rode on the NCAA Equestrian team in English Equitation (flat and fences). I worked in corporate America for two years and then earned my Alternative Certification for teaching. I taught middle school science for several years before leaving the classroom as a curriculum specialist. This past year, I earned my Masters in Educational Leadership from Lamar University and I just got a new job as a district science coach for middle school.

I met my husband, Brandon, through a friend of a friend of a friend. Literally. We hit it off as friends, hung out a bunch and somewhere in between, started dating. We got married in Lake Tahoe, CA/NV in 2008.

Here is a picture of my bridesmaids, Terri and Mary (sisters) in Lake Tahoe for my wedding.
I loved my photographer and would highly recommend him should you decide to get married in Tahoe as well. Check him out, Matt Theilen.

 Here is another great shot of Brandon from our wedding day in Tahoe. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day.

Brandon worked in real estate and mortgages for a long time and wasn't satisfied with the desk job aspect so he is now a fireman for the City of Houston and works for a volunteer fire department as  duty crew (paid during the day) as a side job. He's much happier.

As for my personal interests, I enjoy cooking and baking (follow me on pinterest: jgricketts) as well as movies and television amongst so many other things. I love being active especially working out and I would like to use this blog as a platform to organize my thoughts, my research and my goals to get in the best shape of my life. 

WEARING A SMILE

I believe that one of my best attributes is finding the positive hence the blog name: Wearing a smile. I make it a point to greet people with a smile. I think of it as I can smile at someone and they in turn smile at someone else, it's my version of paying it forward. In my blog, I aim to help achieve my own fitness goals by publicizing and receiving support from my followers. Motivation is like bathing... do it daily! :D

Think. Work. Achieve.The choice is yours.