Let Yourself Indulge

June 2, 2017April 26, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

~Ditch the Diet~

Let’s review the ways we have already discussed on how to ditch dieting for good…

1) Make small manageable changes one at a time.
2) Set realistic goals and write them down.
3) Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.
4) Find healthy foods you love.
5) Get a routine and be consistent with it.

Here is the next way to add to the list:

6) Let Yourself Indulge (within reason):

Denying yourself can lead to unwanted binges. Instead, be strict with your diet leading up to the time before the indulgence. Truly enjoy the food that you are eating, and then, later on, DO NOT make yourself feel guilty about it afterward.

If you know you are going to a birthday party or a friends BBQ let yourself indulge within reason. Maybe you are going to a fancy restaurant or out for a celebratory dinner. There is no reason to binge on all the food that is there, but there is also no reason to force yourself to resist eating either.

indulge | lookingjoligood.blog

I have found that occasionally enjoying a sweet treat or special meal is an absolutely necessary part of a feasible healthy lifestyle. We are not talking about a strict diet, the whole point of ditching the diet is learning how to live a healthy lifestyle and enjoying your life!

If you have enjoyed this “Ditch the Diet” posts you can read more about it by clicking HERE.

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

What I Eat In A Day Weekend Edition

May 7, 2017June 2, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

~Ditch The Diet~

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.

Breakfast 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

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.

Lunch 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)

Snack 90 calories

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

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.

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

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

What I Eat In A Day

April 28, 2017May 1, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood3 Comments

~Dith The Diet~

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 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 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- 60 cal

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

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

Evening 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.

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

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

The Power of Protein

April 13, 2017April 12, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

~Ditch the Diet~

As I mentioned in a previous post macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories (or energy). There are three macronutrients: Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat.

Today I want to specifically talk about the macronutrient protein.

One of the first things that I learned about in nursing school was that amino acids are the building blocks of life. Proteins are made up of amino acids.

Some amino acids are nonessential which means that our body can make them. Others are essential which means that we need to get them from our diet.

What do we need protein for?
Cell Growth
Tissue repair
Immune function
Making essential hormones and enzymes
Preserving lean muscle mass

Where can you find protein?
Protein is found in meats, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, nuts, legumes, and in smaller quantities starchy foods and vegetables.

When we eat these types of foods, our body breaks down the protein that they contain into amino acids to be used to rebuild our bodies and create new cells.

The protein that comes from animal sources contains all of the essential amino acids that we need. Plant sources of protein, on the other hand, do not contain all of the essential amino acids.

While everyone’s body is different the USDA recommends that 10% – 35% of daily calories should come from protein. You can easily meet this need by consuming a balanced diet.

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

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

💩 The 4 Fs of Bowel Health 💩

March 31, 2017February 5, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGoodLeave a comment

~Ditch the Diet~

Yes, you are correct, we are about to talk about 💩!

If you have ever talked to me at length about healthy eating, you already know that “bowl health” is very important to me!

While yes, it might be a really gross thing to talk about, it is so important! You can tell so much about what is going on inside your body by your bowl patterns.

First, let’s discuss what is considered to be a normal bowel routine.

While everyone’s bowel patterns are different, it is considered normal to have a bowel movement at most one to three times a day, or at the least three times a week.

You should never let yourself go more than 3 days without a bowel movement. Let me repeat that. You should never let yourself go more than 3 days without a bowel movement.

So now that you know what is normal, let’s talk about how you can get a better bowel pattern?

1) Fluids

First of all, make sure you are drinking plenty of Fluids!

Science time…Fluids are absorbed in the large intestine (also know as the colon). The more fluids readily available to your colon, the less it needs to work to absorb them.

Do you see where I am going here…the harder the colon has to work to draw out the necessary fluids your body needs, the harder you’ll have to work to get the waste it produces out. (Gross, I know, but so true.)

2) Fiber

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.

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

beans beans beans | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

3) Flatulence!

Yes, I did just go there!

If you are not used to eating a fiber rich diet you need to take it slow! Don’t just start downing all the high fiber foods that you can find. Start with a little bit at a time and increase your intake by one of the things listed below 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!

I like to move it | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

4) Fitness

Let’s face it, exercise helps your body look better, feel better and function better. Lack of physical activity can contribute to constipation. Living a sedentary life can slow the digestive system. If you’ struggle with constipation exercising regularly can help get things going in more ways than one.

Add these for Fs into your life and you will have a healthy bowel in no time! 💩

(Seriously though, how funny is the 💩 emoji? Lol!)

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

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Perfection and Consistency

March 24, 2017February 5, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

~Ditch the Diet~

A healthy lifestyle is not is not about perfection it is about consistency.

When something is done with consistency is when the results are seen. Consistently eating healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, decreasing the stress in your life, these things bring positive results.

You are the only one who can choose what you will be doing consistently.

Keep in mind that consistency always brings results… we get to choose what we will be doing and whether those results will be negative or positive.

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

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Find Healthy Foods You Love and Enjoy Them!

March 17, 2017February 3, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

~Ditch the Diet~

One of the most important parts of being successful at giving up dieting and living a healthy lifestyle is finding healthy foods you enjoy.

Since changing my eating habits two years ago I have found so many foods that I once thought I hated, but now I actually love.

Eggplant, Cucumbers, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Roasted Cauliflower, Baked Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms. These are all things that I would never have eaten two years ago, yet they are now part of my everyday diet.

You know what, I still hate cooked peppers, I don’t think that will ever change. There are so many other healthy options that I do enjoy. When it comes to peppers, I just don’t eat them.

Set yourself up for success. Find healthy foods you love and enjoy them!

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

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Shop the Perimeter

March 10, 2017March 6, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

~Ditch the Diet~

Don’t know where to start when shopping for healthier food options at the grocery store?

Shop the perimeter.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to begin and end at the farmers’ market (although that is a good place to shop :-)).

Grocery stores have plenty to offer. You just need to know what to look for. Convenience and healthy can be in the same place.

Most whole, natural foods are on the outside aisles of grocery stores. Think about where you shop for food. The perimeter is where the produce, dairy, and meat sections usually are.

As you go deeper into the center of the store, you encounter more processed and packaged food.

Start shopping for foods that don’t have labels. The fresher the food you eat the better you will feel.

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Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Tomorrow Is a New Day

February 17, 2017January 31, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood4 Comments

~Ditch the Diet~

Every Sunday is the start of a new week and a new opportunity to make a new healthy habit! While you don’t have to wait until the beginning of a new week, month or year to start a new habit, it is always good to have a place to start….

tomorrow is a new day | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Don’t try to rebuild your eating habits all at once. Make small manageable changes one at a time, master that change before moving on to the next one.

Unhealthy habits weren’t formed overnight. They also cannot expect to be changed all at once either.

Keep in mind that you do NOT have to give up everything you love in order to be healthy. Balance is what we are striving for.

Maybe you drink a lot of soda or sugary drinks. Start with decreasing your soda consumption by one glass each day and replacing it with a glass of water. By the end of a week or two, you will have broken yourself of an unhealthy habit replacing it with a healthy one.

Maybe you don’t drink soda, but every day you drink a several cups of coffees with extra cream and extra sugar. You do not have to give up coffee, just start decreasing the amount of cream and/or sugar you use a little at a time each day. By the end of a week or two, you will have retrained yourself to enjoy your coffee in a healthier way.

black coffee | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Ok, so maybe you don’t drink soda or coffee…but you also don’t eat breakfast.

Breakfast is an important way to start the day! Try to eat within one hour of waking. Start light to get yourself used to the new habit of eating in the morning. Studies show that starting the day by eating breakfast helps decrease overeating later on in the day.

Breakfast of Champions | lookingjoligood.wordpress.com

Avoid buying trigger foods that you know cause you to lose control and overeat. I love chocolate chip cookies! I cannot resist a homemade chocolate chip cookie no matter how strong my resolve, add in some M&M’s and it is all over for me! Therefore, I do not bake cookies. I also love ice cream, especially dulce de leche from Haagen Dazs! I know what my triggers are and don’t set myself up to fail.

Getting started is as simple as beginning to apply healthy habits to your life one at a time. One day at a time, one choice at a time, and one tip at a time.

Making changes easier to apply will make you more likely to keep these healthy habits as part of your lifestyle.

One year from today, you may just find that you have lost excess weight, kept it off and didn’t have to go on a terrible diet to do so.

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

Ditch The Diet for Healthy Habits

Set Realistic Goals and Write Them Down

February 10, 2017January 31, 2017 LauraJoli LookingJoliGood2 Comments

~Ditch The Diet~

If you are going to make the change from unhealthy habits to healthier ones, one of the first things that needs to happen is goal setting!

Set realistic goals and write them down. Just like I said in a previous post, Rome wasn’t built in a day! Unhealthy habits weren’t formed overnight and cannot be expected to change all at once either.

While it is a great idea to have a larger end goal in mind, having smaller more attainable goals will make the changes more permanent.

Remember, we are not talking about a diet with an end date, we are talking about making a healthy lifestyle change.

Write down your goals to have as a reference for later on! You will be able to keep yourself more accountable if you have written proof of what you want to accomplish.

Here are some examples of attainable smaller goals as well as long-term goals.

Smaller: “This week, I will exchange one glass of soda (or insert sugary drink of your choice) with one glass of water every day. Slowly increasing my daily water consumption.”
Long term: “In 6 months I will have lower cholesterol.”
Smaller: “I will go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual every night this week.”
Longer: “I will be more rested and have increased energy during the day to get things accomplished.”
Smaller: “I will be active for 15-20 minutes 3 days a week.”
Long term: “I will have more energy during the day and sleep better at night.”

Set realistic goals and write them down. Get ready to start implementing your goals.

Hey, I’d love it if you would come follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Looking Joli Good

Kindness is beautiful!

Tag: healthy diet

Let Yourself Indulge

~Ditch the Diet~

What I Eat In A Day Weekend Edition

Here is a rough breakdown of my macros

What I Eat In A Day

Breakfast 375 cal

Lunch 400 cal

Snack- 60 cal

Dinner- 430 cal

Evening Snack 35 cal

Here is a rough breakdown of my macros

The Power of Protein

~Ditch the Diet~

💩 The 4 Fs of Bowel Health 💩

~Ditch the Diet~

1) Fluids

2) Fiber

3) Flatulence!

4) Fitness

Perfection and Consistency

~Ditch the Diet~

Find Healthy Foods You Love and Enjoy Them!

~Ditch the Diet~

Shop the Perimeter

~Ditch the Diet~

Tomorrow Is a New Day

~Ditch the Diet~

Set Realistic Goals and Write Them Down

~Ditch The Diet~

~Ditch the Diet~

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Here is a rough breakdown of my macros

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Breakfast 375 cal

Lunch 400 cal

Snack- 60 cal

Dinner- 430 cal

Evening Snack 35 cal

Here is a rough breakdown of my macros

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~Ditch the Diet~

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~Ditch the Diet~

1) Fluids

2) Fiber

3) Flatulence!

4) Fitness

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~Ditch the Diet~

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~Ditch the Diet~

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~Ditch the Diet~

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~Ditch the Diet~

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~Ditch The Diet~

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