Eat This Not That

This last week I did something new. At least it was new for me. I got up at my mom's group and talked in front of nearly 60 women about nutrition! I have learned tons of information that has helped get me to where I am today: healthier, happier and skinnier. Because of all of that I can't help but want to share it with everyone. I was offered the opportunity to do so for our last meeting, if my topic was among those chosen to be shared. Low and behold my feature entitled, "Eat This, Not That" was picked! So with the help of my wonderful husband we set about compiling a list of commonly eaten foods and healthier alternatives. I showed how making simple, small changes to your daily diet can add up to big changes on the scale. So I thought that I would share those changes with you. I hope that you find this list helpful and can see how easy it can be start on the road to a healthier you.

Eat This Not That

Healthier Options for Common Foods

And Their Exchanges

4 oz. 93% lean ground beef = 170 cal.

4 oz. lean ground turkey = 120 cal saving of 50 calories

Spaghetti pasta 1 cup = 221 cal

*Whole Wheat spaghetti pasta = 174 cal savings of 47 calories

Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing 2 Tbls.=140 cal.

Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing 2 Tbls. = 174 cal. savings of 60 calories

Milk whole 146 cal

1% 102 cal savings of 44 calories switching to Lowfat

Non fat 83 cal savings of 19 calories switching to non fat

Almond 90 cal dietary preference

Soy 90 cal dietary preference

Baked chicken breast w/ skin = 193 cal.

Baked chicken breast w/o skin =140 cal. savings of 53 calories

Oatmeal Instant Apples and Cinnamon= 128 cal.

*Homemade with apples and cinnamon=92 cal. savings of 36 calories

Starbucks Coffee – Tall Grande Venti

White Hot Chocolate 310 420 520 (saving of 210 calories from Venti to Tall)

Hot Chocolate 230 290 380 ( savings of 150 calories from Venti to Tall)

Egg Nog Latte 370 460 610 (savings of 240 calories from Venti to Tall)

Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha 200 260

Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha 340 440

Making changes like these could save you 309 calories in one day! Times that by 7 and you have 2,163 calories saved in 1 week.(not including calories from coffee).

Food for Thought - My August Challenge to my Group

My TnT Fitness community has shared some great goals so far, but everyone participating in the August challenge needs to make sure you are specific if you are going to be accountable for your eating. I get a ton of people saying they can't lose weight, but when I ask them to tell me how many calories they burn in a day, what they are eating and the portion size, they either have no clue or they don't respond at all, probably because they are in denial. Putting things out here will hold you accountable, and you will see success...if you are honest about it. It's a simple matter of mathematics folks: for every pound you want to lose, you need to burn 3500 MORE calories that you consume. Knowing what you take in and what you are burning in a day is vital to understanding how much weight you can expect to lose. There are two reasons for this. The first is that you can set realistic goals for yourself. Whether your goal is to lose 5 lbs or 20lbs in a month, if you are burning 2500 calories a day but are eating 2200, you will only be able to lose just under 3lbs in a month. If that is your goal, then great. But if your goal is more toward the 20 lb range, you are going to be greatly disappointed and could be negatively affected so that you want to throw in the towel. The second reason is that people often don't realize just how much they are eating, or the quality of the food they are consuming. By recording it, you may start reading the food labels that you have neglected for years, thus beginning your education on healthy eating.

Look, I eat plenty of food every day. I would wager that I eat more than 90% of what everyone in this group eats. The difference is that I eat a large quantity of food in intervals about every 3 hours. That's 5-6 meals a day (anywhere from 300-600) calories per meal, and I don't deprive myself of food that I love to eat. What I try to do, however, is make sure the ingredients are healthy choices. If I'm having a burger, maybe I choose to have a turkey burger instead of beef, or have an extra lean beef patty (that I make myself) with a wheat bun and heavy on the veggies to make it filling (light mayo). Hopefully you will pay attention to what I document as my daily diet will help you understand what I am talking about over the next 31 days. I can't wait to see what everyone else contributes to the challenge, and hear about the success they have after finally holding themselves accountable for their actions.