Wedding Slim Down

I got married 2 months ago, and of course looking my best was important! But I wanted to stay on the same healthy pace I was on and not fluctuate too much either way in my weight. I also wanted to focus on getting in shape for our honeymoon; we went away for almost 3 weeks backpacking through South East Asia (Indonesia and Thailand) and had lots of adventures planned.

Hiked Mt. Batur in Bali, Indonesia

We had also just moved 2 months before the wedding, so eating healthy was super difficult (kitchen stuff not unpacked + a super teeny NYC kitchen to begin with)! But the best part of living in NYC is that we have access to any kind of food we want - especially healthy foods. Grocery shopping for me is half the battle.

Moving insanity

 These are some of my main tips that I followed every day for the 6 weeks before the wedding to tone up and slim down:


- Don't drink any calories 
I'm not gonna lie, I love drinking calories! But water is your best friend when you are trying to lose weight/slim down/not eat junk food. It keeps me full and hydrated.


- Walk more, take stairs when you can
Every movement counts. I added in a 20-30 minute walk every day during work. Get moving and burn extra calories, also leaving your office/desk during the day clears your mind - also helps me crave sugar less.

Leaving to backpack Southeast Asia!

- It's the little choices
Take it day by day. I talk to myself: "Steph do you need soda TODAY?" And usually I can say no, not today.

- Morning workout
When I work out in the morning - I see a significant improvement in my drinking/eating habits all day. My theory is that if I work hard in the AM, why would I ruin it with the shiz I eat the rest of the day? I also started to run twice a day to get in shape for our honeymoon - we had several hikes planned and I wanted to make sure I was in tip top shape. Running also helped to reduce wedding planning stress, it was nice to take out time for myself every day, even when my to do list was crazypants.

- Fruit snick snacks
Keeping grapes, strawberries or a banana on hand always helps me stay away from other unnatural sugars/candy. I can even trick myself into pretending grapes are candy by adding some honey and popping them into the freezer for a bit.

What are your tips/tricks? Comment below and I will share them on Facebook!

Connect with us on Facebook for extra articles, recipes and inspirational pics all summer!

- Stephanie

I Cheated and I Liked It

I love to cheat. I plan out the moment and I savor it. I take my time and very small bites. It's pretty creepy when I cheat - so if you ever see me in a corner with a tiny piece of cake - let me have my 5 minutes alone with gluten before we break up again.


We all have food cravings. I have become so much more aware of my food cravings for pizza and ice cream now that I can't easily indulge in them whenever I want to. I'm all about healthy eating - but I'm not gonna lie - most days I would kill for a New York bagel or a slice of pizza. I'm often surprised by how bad I WANT these foods. 

I Cheated and I Liked It

Snick Snack Substitutes

Snick Snacks are awesome.  I bring them everywhere with me- in my purse, at my office desk, on planes, trains, cars... I like to know I have food with me to eat in case something happens.  I grew up snacking on processed foods, so I had a lot to change when I get up those foods and refined sugars.  Don't feel overwhelmed!  With a little preparation, you can fight off any craving.

You should use snacks in between meals to eat the nutrients your body needs every day. Be intentional and conscious of your snacking- of what you put in your body and how it adds up. 

I would say the biggest issue with snacking is what you are CRAVING. Often our bodies will exhibit cravings for sweets when what they really need is more protein. Realizing what and why you are craving is half the battle - if you're even truly hungry at all... I will post more research about our cravings next week. In the meantime, drink a cup of water before you start snacking. You may be just dehydrated, not hungry between meals.

My daily eating habits include snacking at least twice a day. At first I tried to incorporate some "healthy" processed foods, but I was shocked and disgusted once I researched the processed food ingredients:

APPLESAUCE:

> Tastes so good, no time to prepare.. Applesauce was my go to snack at work. Then I realized that it was loaded with high fructose corn syrup and sugar. High fructose corn syrup is a highly processed substance is more harmful to humans than regular sugar, contributing to weight gain by affecting normal appetite functions. So now I choose to eat a real apple.

Note: Yogurt tends to have a lot of sugars in it as well, so make sure you read the label!

GLUTEN & DAIRY FREE PUDDING:

> Jackpot! I was SO EXCITED when I found this gluten and dairy free pudding. Finally, an easy snack made just for me! ...Then I checked out the ingredients. The research I did was very scary, and I'll never touch this pudding again.

So there are A LOT of ingredients listed. Rule #1 - if you can't pronounce the ingredients, you shouldn't eat them. Some of the unrecognizable ingredients are: 

Carrageenan - processed, helps to gel the pudding, linked to cancer in humans

Soy Lecithin- extracted chemically (those words should scare you enough)

Calcium Carbonate - is the least useable form of calcium found in nature

...So now I prefer to stick with fresh fruit (with some honey/cinnamon) or other homemade snacks. First - clean out your closet and make the commitment to feed yourself right.

Snick Snack Substitutes:

- Very Berry Granola Bars

- Nuts
-Homemade Sugar-free applesauce

- Leftovers (small portion size)

- Oatmeal

- Popcorn (no butter)

- Cereal or Granola (w/ Lowfat or Non-Dairy Milk) - Probably the only processed food I would recommend snacking on, because it's so easy and convenient. Just make sure the first ingredient is a WHOLE grain and doesn't have too much sugar. (Post coming on how to choose your cereal soon!)
- Mashed Potatoes (homemade & with non-dairy milk)

- Dried Apples

- Dried Honey Bananas

- Fresh Fruit:

      > Drizzle honey / cinnamon over if you need something sweet

      The Earth provides us with a plethora of juicy snick snack choices: Strawberries, Grapes,
      Banana, Orange, Peach, Apple, Pear, Raspberries, Watermelon, Blueberries, etc!

-Vegetables:

      > Dip in natural peanut butter or homemade hummus for extra taste. Don't eat a
      processed veggie dip - try Lacey's Raw Ranch Dressing if you're craving a dip or ranch
      dressing.

                                       Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Cherry Tomatoes, Peas, etc!

*Check out our recipes page for more ideas!

Note: This post will continuously be a work in progress. There are always new recipes, ideas and fresh produce that we can create snacks with! Please add any comments and suggestions, and we will share them with our readers.

Are You Hungry? Probably Not.

You woke up, ate your morning bowl of Cocoa Puffs or package of pop-tarts and your cup of coffee. 10:30 am rolls around and you feel a grumbling in your stomach.  Head pains set in a bit and you feel lethargic.  You open your desk drawer, pull out your mid-morning snack of chips, chow down, and suddenly, you think you'll make it until lunch.  Lunch sets in and you eat your chinese take-out or chips with a soda.  Next thing you know, it's 3 o'clock and you're feeling hungry again. You have some cookies, go home, and prepare dinner just a couple hours later.  Snacking means you're just hungry, right?  Well, some research answers that question with a big, fat "NO".  Here's what Dr. Joel Fuhrman, an advocate for nutrient-dense eating has to say:

The typical Western diet is characterized by high calorie processed foods: oils, sweeteners and animal products; a diet that is low in phytochemicals and other micronutrients. There is evidence that such a diet... results in inflammation, oxidative stress and accumulation of toxic metabolites.

When digestion is complete, the body begins to mobilize and eliminate waste products, causing uncomfortable symptoms. If we allow waste metabolites to build up by eating unhealthy foods, we will feel discomfort when the body attempts to mobilize and remove these wastes. ...these sensations [headache, fatigue, stomach grumbles] are actually symptoms of detoxification and withdrawal from an unhealthy diet, lacking in crucial micronutrients. I call this "Toxic Hunger". Natural plant foods, rich in micronutrients, do not produce withdrawal symptoms -- because inflammatory compounds and excess free radicals do not accumulate.  "Redefining Hunger..."

Essentially, it's not hunger making your stomach grumble, it's the toxins from your meals exiting your body.  This is what he calls "Toxic Hunger".  Scientists now know that that the toxic American food diet has the same negative effects on the brain similar to those of addictive drugs. The body is releasing the toxins in the same way your body would feel after taking Ecstasy or Cocaine.  It may feel wonderful in the moment, but your body will react negatively afterward, inducing withdrawal symptoms.  Most people simply assume "hunger" is setting in when you are actually experiencing a sense of withdrawal.


What Dr. Fuhrman has found is that "The body needs time between meals to finish digesting, because when digestion has ended, the body can more effectively detoxify and promote cellular repair.  To maximize health, it is not favorable to be constantly eating and digesting food." (Eat to Live, Dr. Joel Fuhrman)


As your diet improves, so will your signs of hunger.  I, too, dealt with lethargy, stomach pains, mild headaches, and grumpiness if I didn't get my between-meal-snack, but when I switched to a diet rich with nutrient dense foods (fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, etc), my perception of hunger drastically changed, and the same is true with thousands of other people who have changed to a healthier diet.  My irritability and fatigue between meals no longer exists!  "True hunger is felt in the throat and mouth rather than the head and stomach." (Fuhrman) 


This is not to say you can't ever, ever snack. Yes, I occasionally snick-snack, depending on the day and how much energy I'm using, but what important is to keep track of the calories you're consuming when you do decide to snack.  People often blindly snack out of habit, boredom, or "Toxic Hunger". Allow your body that time between meals to process & digest the food and then detoxify your body to promote cellular repair if you truly aren't hungry.  Listen to your body, but be sure that you're filling your body with high-nutrient, non-processed foods for each meal. Only then will you be able to experience true hunger.  Once you start to feel hunger in your throat and mouth and NOT your head and stomach, grab that healthy snack and chow down!




If you do need a snack (which we all need from time to time, but be sure it's not because you're bored or because it's habit), check out our recent post "Cleaning Out Your Closet" on how to snack properly.


-Lacey