Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

The Great Carb Controversy Part 2

Carb controversy | lookingjoligood.blog

 ~Ditch The Diet~

Always keep in mind, everyone’s body is different! We do not all have the same dietary requirements. Just because a diet low in carbs works for one person doesn’t mean that it is right for someone else.

Life isn’t a sprint it is a marathon. Personally, I choose long-term health over short-term results.

Life isn't a sprint it is a marathon | lookingjoligood.blog

Not all carbs are created equal! While carbohydrates are an important part of your diet, that doesn’t mean that you can eat a bunch of processed foods like pasta, candy, cupcakes, chips, soda, and chocolate chip cookies.

There are two different types of carbs: simple and complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbs have a higher fiber content that makes the body work harder to digest them. They provide energy over a longer period of time.

These whole plant foods are great sources of complex carbohydrates:
• Green vegetables
• Whole grains and foods made from them, such as oatmeal, and whole-grain breads
• Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and pumpkin
• Beans, lentils, and peas

Carb controversy | lookingjoligood.blog

Simple carbs are usually processed packaged foods that are higher in sugar and lower in fiber. These carbs tend to cause a spike in insulin production.

Some food sources of simple carbohydrates:
• Table sugar
• Brown sugar
• Corn syrup
• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Jams, jellies
• Fruit drinks and juices
• Soda
• Candy

The body and brain function best with an optimal level of glucose, and the best source is from complex carbohydrate foods.

How can you eat carbs and not gain weight?

It is ok to eat simple carbs every once in a while, but a diet full of simple carbohydrates like cookies, pasta, white rice, and white bread is what leads to weight gain and feeling yuck.

Make some simple changes from simple carbs to complex carbs. Eat brown rice instead of white rice. Have an orange or an apple instead of drinking a glass of processed juice. Eat a whole grain English muffin instead of a white English muffin. Instead of having chips try eating air popped popcorn. Make your pizza with a multigrain dough. Have plenty of your favorite veggies cut up and bagged for easy access and snacking. If you have a sugar craving eat a piece of fruit

carbohydrates | lookingjoligood.blog
Making simple changes from simple to complex carbs will help take the confusion out of eating carbs. Then when the weight is off and you are in maintenance you don’t even have to think about it anymore because you are already used to eating a healthy balanced diet.

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I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.

No Gym No Problem

No Gym? No Problem! #21

This is a quick 10-minute ab workout by Fitness Blender! This workout can be used by itself or you can add it on to another workout. Even though each exercise is only done once, you’ll get a get a good burn.

Remember to keep good form and warm up before and stretch after you exercise!

Are you enjoying these “No Gym? No Problem!” posts?  If so, you can check out the rest by clicking HERE!

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

The Great Carb Controversy Part 1

 ~Ditch The Diet~

The GreatCarb ControversyPart 1 | lookingjoligood.blog

Let’s REALLY talk about carbs, yup I am going THERE

No other nutrient has caused so much confusion or controversy.

Keep in mind that what you do to lose the weight is what you will have to do to maintain it.

Let me say that again:

What you DO to LOSE the weight is what you will have to do to MAINTAIN it!

What you DO to LOSE the weight is what you will have to do to MAINTAIN it! | lookingjoligood.blog

This is why it is important to choose a healthy BALANCED diet that will help you to have LONG-TERM consistency in your health and nutrition.

While it seems as if completely cutting out carbs might be a quick way to lose weight fast, is it the best for your body?

We need a balanced diet to have optimal body functioning. Any diet that requires you to cut out an entire food group will not keep your body working at its best long term.

I am going to be completely honest, I don’t like extremely low-carb diets! I’m an active person, I love to do high-intensity exercises. I require a larger number of grams of carbs per day than someone that isn’t very active.

With a low/no carb diet, yes, the body will adapt. It will learn to break down other nutrients and use them as fuel for the brain. But this is what the body does in survival mode, it is not optimal. This is how the body reacts during times of starvation. This is the body’s last resort!

Sure, we can cut carbs temporarily if we need to lose weight quickly. But for most of us, keeping carbs too low for too long can have disastrous consequences.

Restricting your carb intake too drastically can lead to:
• decreased thyroid output
• increased cortisol output
• decreased testosterone
• impaired mood and cognitive function
• muscle catabolism
• suppressed immune function.

In other words: Your metabolism might slow, your stress hormones go up and your muscle-building hormones go down.

A truly balanced diet is one that will give your body all the nutrition it needs to function properly. Balanced nutrition comes from a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

While it is great to see results on the scale, what is going on inside the body is more important. | lookingjoligood.blog

While it is great to see results on the scale, what is going on inside the body is more important.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.

No Gym No Problem

No Gym? No Problem! #20

A great at home walking workout by Lucy Wyndham-Read. “Home Workout. Walk at home with this fun 15 minute Inch loss walking workout. This is easy to follow and will help with weight loss and also tones you all over. So grab your trainers and let’s go on a walk in your front room.”

Do you have 15 minutes to improve your heath and wellness? Yes, You Do! No Excuses, Just do it! Remember to keep good proper form, warm up before, and stretch after you exercise!

Are you enjoying these “No Gym? No Problem!” posts?  If so, you can check out the rest by clicking HERE!

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.

 

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

High Five for Fiber!

Fiber refers to certain types of carbohydrates that our body cannot digest. These carbohydrates pass through the intestinal tract intact and help to move waste out of the body.

Fiber | lookingjoligood.blog

Diets that are low in fiber have been shown to cause problems such as constipation and hemorrhoids and to increase the risk for certain types of cancers such as colon cancer.

Diets high in fiber; however, have been shown to decrease risks for heart disease, obesity, and they help lower cholesterol. Foods high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products. (See the 4 Fs of Bowel Health post for a more detailed list of high fiber foods.)

Delicious Foods to Help You Lose Weight! | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Fiber helps to keep everything moving down and out.

The majority of American women do not get enough daily fiber. Most people should aim for 25–35 grams of fiber a day.

An added bonus to fiber is that it keeps you feeling fuller longer, as well as slowing down the absorption of sugars and the release of those sugars into your bloodstream.

If you are not used to eating a fiber rich diet you need to take it slow! Don’t just start eating all the high fiber foods that you can find. Start with a little bit at a time and increase your intake by one fiber rich food every two -three days depending on how your gut is responding.

You cannot just increase your fiber without increasing your fluid intake. You will end up with a lot of gas and possibly even more stopped up!

Keep in mind that losing weight and being healthy are so much more than just choosing a “diet plan” and following it.

Are you interested in learning more about ditching dieting for good?  You can read more about it by clicking HERE.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.

No Gym No Problem

No Gym? No Problem! #19

Here is your Monday morning motivation: I say it all the time, consistency and progress are more important than perfection!

Do you have 20 minutes to improve your heath and wellness? Yes, You Do! No Excuses, Just do it! Remember to keep proper form, warm up before, and stretch after you exercise!

Are you enjoying these “No Gym? No Problem!” posts?  If so, you can check out the rest by clicking HERE!

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.

 

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

What I Eat In A Day Weekend Edition

~Ditch The Diet~

What I eat in a Day | loookingjoligood.blog

As you may remember, I follow a model of eating called 80/20 which means 80% of what I eat is clean/healthy foods and 20% is “splurge” foods.  I also eat intuitively.  Meaning if I am hungry I eat until I am satisfied, and if I am not hungry, I don’t eat.  Sounds simple right? Some days are easier than others especially if there are warm chocolate chip cookies in my house.

As you will see, I am a bit more strict with getting in all my veggies during the week, and not as much on the weekend.

breakfast375Breakfast 375 calories

I love Honey Nut Cheerios! Starting the day off with something sweet often helps me to stay on track for the rest of the day.

Kellogg’s – Honey Nut Cheerios, 3/4 cup /28 g 110 cal
1% Milk, 0.5 cup 55 cal
Trader Joes – Ancient Grain & Super Seed, 1 TBS 60 cal
Greek Gods – Greek Yogurt – Vanilla Honey 113.5 g/1 cup 145 cal
Regular Coffee Black 10 oz <5cal

 

 

two-things-i-want-right-now-1-to-lose-weight-3967851

Can you eat pizza and lose weight? Yes you can!  You just have to be aware of the type of pizza that you are eating.  I made my pizza at home with a multigrain crust and reduced fat cheese and baked chicken.What I eat in a Day | loookingjoligood.blog

 

What I eat in a Day | loookingjoligood.blogLunch 456 calories

 

2 pieces of Multi Grain Pizza with cheese and shredded chicken 250 cal ( 1 serving 125 cal)
1/2 California Avocado 120 cal
1 1/2 cups Baby roman leafy greens 6 cal
1/2 cup Halo Top – Ice Cream 80 cal (serving size 1/2 cup 80 cal)

What I eat in a Day | loookingjoligood.blog

Snack 90 calories

12 Caramel Mini Rice Cakes, 90 cal (serving size 8 mini cakes 60 cal)

What I eat in a Day | loookingjoligood.blog

Dinner 685 calories

Hamberger Roll, 1 roll 140 cal
2 pieces Bacon 80 cal
Ketchup/Mustard 15 cal
Ground hamburger 86/14  4 oz 240 cal
1 slice Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese 80 cal
Trader Joe’s – Veggie and Flax Seed Tortilla Chips, 7 chips 130 cal (serving size 7 chips 130 cal)

YES, that is a hamburger bun! Yup, a burger with a bun is not going to derail your diet! Just like eating pizza won’t kill you, you can enjoy a burger with a bun and still stay on track and lose weight too.

Here is a rough breakdown of my macros
1,605 calories
Protein 72g -288 cal from protein
Fat 74g -667 cal from fat
Carbs 158g-632 cal from carbs
Fiber 24 g
Water 90 fl oz
The biggest difference in my weekday and weekend eating habits can usually be seen in my macros.  I tend to let myself eat more fat and less fiber.
I hope these examples of what I eat in a day can help you to make some healthy choices!  I will post these “What I Eat In A Day” posts every once in a while.
Are you enjoying these Ditch the Diet posts? You can read more by clicking HERE.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Carb Confusion

~Ditch the Diet~

Today we are going to be talking about the most controversial of macronutrients – carbohydrates.

As we have been discussing recently, there are three macronutrients: Carbohydrate, Fat, Protein.  Macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories (or energy) for our bodies.

macronutrients | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

No other nutrient causes so much confusion or controversy as carbs.

Carbohydrates are the macronutrient that our bodies need in the LARGEST amounts. Believe it or not, you can be successful eating hundreds of grams of carbs a day, as well as eating fewer grams per day.

According to the Dietary Reference Intakes published by the USDA, 45% – 65% of calories should come from carbohydrate. (Carbohydrate provides 4 calories per gram.)

Why do we need this amount of carbohydrate?

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel and easily used by the body for energy. They can be stored in the muscles and liver to be used later for energy. All of the tissues and cells in our body can use glucose for energy.

Carbohydrates are needed for the central nervous system, the kidneys, the brain, the muscles (including the heart) to function properly.

Carbohydrates are important in intestinal health and waste elimination.

carbohydrates | lookingjoligood.blogWhich foods are carbohydrates?

They are mainly found in starchy foods like grain and potatoes, as well as fruits, milk, and yogurt. Other foods like vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and cottage cheese contain carbohydrates, but in lesser amounts.

I will be talking in more details about fiber and “good” carbs vs “bad” carbs in another  Ditch the Diet post.

Keep in mind that losing weight and being healthy are so much more than just choosing a “diet plan” and following it.

Are you interested in learning more about ditching dieting for good?  You can read more about it by clicking HERE.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.  I would also love to follow you on Instagram and Twitter as well, so let me know your username in the comment section below!

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

What I Eat In A Day

~Dith The Diet~

What I eat in a day ditch the diet | lookingjoligood.blog

I follow a model of eating called 80/20 which means 80% of what I eat is clean/healthy foods and 20% is “splurge” foods.  We can get more into the details of 80/20 in a future post.

I also follow intuitive eating.  This basically means if I am hungry I eat until I am satisfied and if I am not hungry, I don’t eat.  Sounds simple right? Some days are easier than others especially if there’s leftover Easter candy laying around…

Here is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast | lookingjoligood.blog

Breakfast 375 cal

Chobani Strawberry Greek Yogurt -120 cal (serving size one container 120 cal)

1/4 cup Trader Joes Pecan Praline Granola 105 cal (serving size 1/2 cup 210 cal)

1/2 Banana 45 cal (serving size 1/2 large banana 45 cal)

3 large strawberries- 45 cal (serving size one cup 55 cal)

1 Tbs Super Seed Ancient Grain Blend 60 cal ( serving size 2 Tbs 120 cal)

Usually, around mid-morning, I would also have a post-workout snack that consists of about 250 or so calories.  I didn’t workout yesterday, so I wasn’t hungry and didn’t need the mid-morning snack.

If I were to have a snack it would most likely be either a medium sized apple and 1.5 Tbs of peanut butter or two pieces of low-fat mozzarella string cheese.

Lunch | lookingjoligood.blog

Lunch 400 cal

Solid White Tuna 2 oz 60 cal (serving size 2 oz 60 cal)

Old Fashion Hearth Whole Wheat English Muffin 130 cal ( serving size one muffin 130 cal)

1/4 Avocado 60 cal (serving size 1/2 avocado 120 cal)

2 oz Sabra Hummus 150 cal ( serving size 2 oz/ 1/4 cup 150 cal)

Baby Romain Lettuce Celery Carrots <5cal
Cucumber

Snack | lookingjoligood.blog

Snack- 60 cal

Halo Top Lemon Cake Ice Cream 60 cal (serving size 1/2 cup 60 cal)

Dinner | lookingjoligood.blog

Dinner- 430 cal

Ground turkey (3 oz 130 cal) black beans (2 oz. 60 cal) chili – 250 cal total

1 Tbs Chobani fat free plain greek yogurt- 25 cal (serving size 1 cup- 120 cal)

2 Tbs Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese -25 cal (serving 1/4 cup- 85 cal)

7 chips Trader Joes Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips- serving size 7 chips 130 cal

veggie snack | lookingjoligood.blogEvening Snack 35 cal

Carrots- 15 cal

Celery –

Cucumbers- <5

Sugar Snap Peas- 15 cal

Here is a rough breakdown of my macros
1300 calories
Protein 75 g -300 cal from protein
Fat 40g -360 cal from fat
Carbs 140g-560 cal from carbs
Fiber 45 g
Water 98 fl oz

I hope these examples of what I eat in a day can help you to make some healthy choices!  I will post these “What I Eat In A Day” posts every once in a while.

Are you enjoying these Ditch the Diet posts? You can read more by clicking HERE.

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all four.

No Gym No Problem

No Gym? No Problem! #17

Ok, so I realize that I usually post short easy workouts for these “No Gym? No Problem!” workouts.  This week’s workout is a much longer workout, but totally worth trying out!  I love to do cardio boxing workouts!

Do you have 60 minutes to improve your heath and wellness? I hope you will give this one a try! Remember to keep correct form, warm up before, and stretch after you exercise!

Are you enjoying these “No Gym? No Problem!” posts?  If so, you can check out the rest by clicking HERE!

lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

I would love for you to follow me on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook. You can find me as Looking Joli Good on all three.