South Beach Diet

It's that time again! Diet time.

I don't really feel like going into why I need to go on a diet again, but I just need to. My snacking is out of control and my cravings for carbs is just absurd right now.

So I went to the doctor this week and asked if the South Beach Diet (SBD) would be a good diet to start. She immediately said it was perfect and a sustainable lifestyle for long term eating habits. This Monday, I officially start. I did a test run yesterday and since it was not well planned, it sort of fell through at the end of the night. To avoid that this week, I'm meal prepping and planning. Here is what I have so far for my week 1 menu:

(Click to Expand)

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I'll report back on how the first week goes.

Meal Prepping

I have always known that the secret to healthy living is found within the daily habits that you form. Knowing this and actually applying this has been a huge struggle all my life.

Have you ever heard of that saying, "Fail to plan. Plan to fail?" The saying is absolutely true whenever weight loss is the goal at hand. I know this, yet I ignore this.

I have been telling one of my work buddies since January that I want to meal plan yet it's taken me this long to actually do it. Yesterday, I spent less than an hour cooking 8 meals for the week.

LESS THAN AN HOUR!!!

I still can't believe that it took me so little time to prep my meals. All along I had been saying that I didn't have the time yet yesterday I was totally proven wrong.

In the hour that I was in the kitchen, I cooked:

CHICKEN

FISH

VEGGIES

QUINOA AND SWEET POTATOES

Had I known in January that it would take me so little time to do this, I wouldn't have procrastinated for a month and a half. You can bet that I will be prepping my meals every week from now on.

Friday Night Fajitas

Earlier this week I had a huge craving for chicken fajitas. Normally, I buy pre-made fajita sauce at the grocery store. However, since I'm using my Bodybugg again, buying pre-made sauce is not an option because of the sodium. Instead, I mixed some spices and made my own mix that was low in sodium AND did had no added sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 pkt. stevia

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients and add to sauteed 2lbs. chicken, 3 sliced peppers and half an onion. Add water if the mixture becomes to thick.

Cook until Chicken is thoroughly cooked and peppers are tender.

Makes 6 servings.

At it again...

I've realized that exercise is in my DNA. I always come back to what I know best. This time around it is no different. I've been really consistent the last two weeks. I worked out 6 days in a row last week. It was an amazing week and this week I am aiming to do the same.

Picture post...

New Year. New Goals.

I'm starting 2014 off right!

I've set a goal for the month of January to run 100 Miles.

I'll check in tonight after my run.

Project 2014

I have lost my writing mojo.

I find myself not having a whole lot to say. Whenever I sit in front of my laptop I find myself coming up blank. The reason behind my writer's block is because I haven't really been working out like I should be (if at all). How can you write in a fitness blog if you aren't working on being fit yourself? Well, it's nearly impossible! I truly believe that I gain clarity of mind when I exercise my body.

Another reason that I've sort of ignored my blog is because I've been preoccupied with a few career related goals. Instead of running on my treadmill at night I have been studying for an exam that I REALLY wanted to pass. I did pass and as a result, I think things will only get better from here on out.

Thus, the storm has passed and I am now ready to rebuild and regain my mojo. It just so coincides with the new year, which is rapidly approaching. It seems as good a time as any to set new goals and milestones for myself.

My first goal is to stop using Splenda. This will be REALLY HARD for me to accomplish. For the past 7+ years I've been adding Splenda to EVERYTHING! Everything from my morning coffee to fresh strawberries! Luckily, I've already started trying to ditch the Splenda. I bought a box of Stevia packets and for the past three weeks I've been using it in my coffee. What I've found is that I don't get as many migraines. I still get them, but just not as many. I'm not sure if it's the Splenda-free coffee or if it's just a matter of coincidence. Either way, I'm sticking to Stevia.

My next goal is to stop using Coffeemate creamer. It is made completely out of chemicals. Before, I didn't really care about the chemicals in my creamer, but as I'm getting more informed I've found that it's just better to get as close to natural as possible. Thus, I'm going to start using low-fat milk instead of creamer.

Yet another goal is to stop drinking Diet Coke. This is going to be SOOOOOOO HARD for me. There is nothing like a cold Diet Coke with dinner. It is just so refreshing! Yet again, this is another "food" in my diet that is made out of chemicals. In the past, I have tried to leave the Diet Coke behind but it has proven to be a very hard vice to get rid of. I plan to just set my mind to the idea that Diet Coke is OFF LIMITS for me. I always accomplish what ever I set my mind to, so it'll happen.

So what the hell am I going to drink in 2014???

Plain ole H²O. It'll be boring to the taste buds, but best for my body. My ultimate goal is to only drink water, black coffee, milk and almond milk by mid-2014. 

Let's see if I can do it!

(What do you know!?!? I wrote a post almost effortlessly just now. Maybe I'm not as mentally blocked after all!)