It sounds so simple but yet it's very hard to do if you don't have the right tools. Sure someone telling you to eat right and exercise. Sounds easy but when you get on the scale and you see a slight change or don't see anything at all, it gets frustrating.
Eating right is something that takes practice and time. If it wasn't for this website I don't know how else I would have learned. That's why I want to pass along this information. Life gets so hectic and you reach for the easy way and it puts pounds on your body.
We all know the big do's and don't's. Fast food is a big NO. Processed food is a big NO. Now what are you left with, vegetables and meat. Sounds simple but I found it was a little difficult until I learned from my mistakes.
Choosing your meat is very simple. Lean cuts of meat are the best. You can find them at any store or butcher. Chicken is your best choice and add in your weekly menu sirloin steak and pork. Stay away from ground meats unless you can get the 95% lean ones or mix ground turkey or pork with ground meat. It lowers the fat calories.
Now just portion the meat to about 3 oz or make a fist and that is the size the piece of meat should be. After you do this many times it gets easier. You can cook this anyway you would like except frying. I'll give you an example.
A great way of making chicken tenders without all the fat, which is my families favorite. Take frozen then thawed or fresh chicken and cut into stripes. You want to bread them. So use egg white and a little water in one bowl and use dried parsley, pepper and oat bran in the next bowl. Take your chicken, coat in the egg and then the oat bran mix. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven. They taste fantastic. They are my easy way to get my children to eat healthy.
Now vegetables should be very easy if you have a produce store by you. Try and always buy fresh vegetables. Canned are ok but watch the calories and salt. Take for example: green beans, only 20 calories but 380 mg in sodium. I've learned to look at the big picture of all the nutrition facts versus just the fat and calories. That is one mistake I was making.
Life does take over and you don't have time to start from scratch. I have a few tips I've been doing. Go to your produce store on a day you have about 2 hours. Buy many different vegetables in large quantities. Make sure it's things you can cook and freeze. Like onions, green/wax beans, carrots, you get the picture.
Keep in mind this is just one pot. Cut and boil the green/wax beans then place in a bowl full of ice and cold water. This keeps the green color and stops then from cooking anymore. When fully cooled, dry and place in a freezer bag. It takes a good hour or two to get everything cut up, cooked and bagged.
During the week for dinner take out veggies from freezer, pop in the microwave and add slivers of almonds. Now your fresh vegetables will be done in the same time it took to cook your meat without going to the store.
Another tip is just cut green/yellow/orange/red peppers or onions and place in a freezer bag. They are not good for a salad but they are great to add to your meal. I've used them in sauces or to top off a great piece of sirloin.
When in a pinch and you have no fresh vegetables, you can use canned. But rinse the vegetables before cooking and you can reduce some of the sodium.
Exercise. I'm still finding time to do this but get in a routine and it gets easier. Here are a few tips. I was under the assumption that you need to have a full hour to workout or exercise. If you are able to take 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there, before you know it you worked out an hour.
There are exercises you can do while you are working. Take heavy books in each hand and lift at your side in your chair. Suck in your tummy and then push it out. Use your 15 minute break to walk around the building or neighborhood. Park further away when working/shopping, keep in mind daylight savings time. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Now some of these depend on where you work. So keep this in mind when picking each 15 minute workout.
