Do Cheat Meals and Rewards Help You Acheive Your Goals?

A lot of diets on the market include cheat meals or cheat days.  The main problem that I have with “cheat” meals is the negative connotation that the word has.  Can you think of a time when cheating was a good thing?  “He cheated on his wife”, “She cheated on her math test”, “and He cheated on his college entrance exam”.  When you put negative words in your daily life you are not building a strong, healthy relationship with food.

No one should have to “earn” their food nor should they feel like a failure when they splurge and have an additional serving or desert.  Food is fuel for the body, without food your body would lack the nutrients that it needs in order to grow new cells and repair old ones.  Food should never be a reward.  If you spouse receives a promotion or your niece receives a full college scholarship, then yes it is awesome to get together over dinner.  However, the reward is spending time with your family and sharing in their happiness and excitement, it should not be over the food itself.  Remember, food is fuel and the higher the quality of food that you feed your body the better that you will feel!  A  great reward for sticking to a diet and fitness routine would be spending time with a great friend, buying a special necklace that will remind you of how hard you worked and the great results that you achieved, or maybe new workout clothes that accent your hard work and efforts!  Now those are real rewards.

Instead of having a “cheat” meal I have a “high fuel” meal.  On days that I have an extra long work-out (run 12 miles) or completed an intense work-out, then my body will need additional fuel and these would be the days that I would eat my high fuel meals.  After a hard workout your body is at its peak for fat burning and would be better equip to handle these additional calories.  It is also important to realize what foods your body likes and dislikes.  I recommend that you do a food journal for 30days.  You do not have to count calories, just log what you ate, approximate portion size and time that you ate eat item.  Then during the day make notes in the food journal as to how you are feeling: tired, stomach hurts, depressed, heart burn etc.  After the month is over, read over your food journal and see if anything jumps out at you, like: heart burn every time I eat onion rings, bloated and depressed after I eat a pint of ice cream.  Then you need to remove those offending foods and see how better you feel.  Personally, my body does not like food fried in a batter, it causes my stomach to bloat, I get heart burn, and feel like I am going to get sick.  Therefore, when I see those types of food I “choose” not to eat them because they make me feel so bad that the cost of feeling bad is not worth the 15 minutes of good tasting food.

You are in control!  Do not deprive yourself!  You do not have to earn your food!  Your food is your medicine and good food will allow your body to function more effectively!

A great book on nutrition is “Eat to Live” by Joel Fuhrman. 

Awesome Book! Let's create a revolution!

The Real Food Revolution by Tim Ryan

This is a great book that contains fascinating information about our current food system.  The majority of individuals in American live on a high amount of processed foods:  Potato chips, quick cook oats, boxed cereal, frozen meals, hamburger helper, crackers etc.  The list continues on and on.  The main problem with these processed foods is all of the added ingredients that big name food companies use to keep the price low and to keep us coming back for more and more.   If you are truly interested in improving your health and feeling better then you must read this book and start eating healthier.  The main focus of this book is knowing how your food was grown or raised and the importance of purchasing food as close to the originator as possible.  If you by your produce from a local famer’s market then the food is fresher and is ripened on the vine or tree and was not subjected to various chemicals to prolong their life or encourage the fruits / vegetables to ripen faster.  It is more than buying organic products it is about improving our world and us in the process.

Tim Ryan hits on some great topics such as cattle feed lots and chicken farms.  If you were to visit either facility, you would probably turn into a vegan.  The animals are not kept in healthy environments and they are not treated humanely.  However, there is hope; Tim Ryan gives the reader many great websites and books for more information and how small farmers and ranchers are trying to improve the quality of our food.  I try to eat only organic, but it is hard to find everything you want and I also try to buy meat that is grass feed and eggs from chickens that are able to roam.  However, if you do not know the farm or ranch that the food is coming from it is difficult to truly know the quality of the items that you are purchasing.  Great read and it is inspirational and leaves you wanting to get more involved.

I received The Real Food Revolution by Tim Ryan for free from Hay House Publishing for review purposes.  I was not financially compensated for this post. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

To purchase this book you can click on any of the links below.

http://www.hayhouse.com/real-food-revolution-ebook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-real-food-revolution-tim-ryan-congressman/1118635229?ean=9781401946388

http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-Revolution-Groceries-American/dp/1401946380/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427071696&sr=1-1&keywords=the+real+food+revolution

Do You Want Energy that Last All-Day? Check this out!

The All-Day Energy Diet by Yuri Elkaim

            This is a great book that is well researched.  If you are looking for a “Quick-Fix” then you need to keep looking.  However if you are interested in improving your health and vitality, then this is the book for you.  Yuri Elkaim explains the importance of eating whole foods that have been minimally processed, for example instead of eating pre-packaged oatmeal you should cook your own oatmeal and then add your own seasonings.  If you cook your own food then you know exactly what is in it and you will know that it is free from high fructose corn syrup, added preservatives and fillers.
            The All-Day Energy Diet is about improving your health for the rest of your life.  Yuri Elkaim explains the medical reasons of how caffeine and energy drinks are actually taking away our energy and vitality instead of replenishing it.  This book gives factual scientific information on how your body processes food and nutrients and explains the benefits of balance and a healthy lifestyle.  For example the best way to feel vibrant and full of energy is to get 7 – 8 hours of sleep every night and eat a diet that is comes from fresh foods, there are no short-cuts.  Yuri Elkaim also explains how you can start will small changes such as reducing the about of coffee you drink by substituting green tea, or reducing the number of soda waters you consume everyday and replace it with fruit infused water.  You should view this book as a road map to the BEST YOU EVER, it is not just a diet to follow for a few weeks and then go back to your usual way of eating and living.  Through small consistent changes you will look and feel like you are 10 years younger.
            I have eliminated most of the processed foods in my life:  Chips, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, packaged cereal and I feel amazing.  I still have sweets from time to time, however I make them fresh from scratch so that I know they contain wholesome ingredients, the food taste better and I feel amazing!
I received The All-Day Energy Diet by Yuri Elkaim for free from Hay House Publishing for review purposes.  I was not financially compensated for this post. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

Here is to living a long and healthy life!  

To purchase this book click on one of the links below:

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-all-day-energy-diet-yuri-elkaim/1118635231?ean=9781401945688

http://www.amazon.com/The-All-Day-Energy-Diet-Double/product-reviews/1401945686/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent/190-3533797-2817830?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending


 

PlantsPlus - Eating for Life

The PlantPlus Diet Solution: Personalized Nutrition for Life – Joan Borysenko

 

If you are confused about all of the mixed information regarding healthy eating and weight loss, then this is the book for you!  The author – Joan Borysenko – is a Scientist (Cell Biologist) and also a Health Psychologist.  Joan Borysenko does an excellent of explaining how fats, protein, and carbohydrates are digested differently by different people, and why.  Joan has a vast knowledge of nutrition and she writes in a way that is easy to understand and she provides links to documents, videos, and web sites that provide further information on the concepts that she is explaining.

The PlantsPlus diet backbone is vegetables, & fruits, and the plus is grains, carbohydrates, dairy, and meat.  Joan firmly believes that there is not any one single diet that works for everyone.  Some individuals are gluten sensitive, while others are lactose intolerant, and list just continues.  Joan suggest that everyone needs to be their “lab rat” and discover which plus foods are best for them and really  focus on how they feel when eating various foods.  For example:   After I eat a large plate of pasta, it taste great, however, a few hours later I start feeling bloated, tired and my stomach gets upset.  The first time that this happened I thought that I just got a touch of a stomach bug.  Then a few weeks later I ate a similar meal and I felt the same way.  After reading PlantsPlus I now understand that I am gluten sensitive and I need to limit these types of foods.

I truly believe that if you focus on eating whole foods and limit processed foods as PlantsPlus advocates then you will achieve your weight loss goals and you will feel amazing.

I received PlantsPlus by Joan Borysenko  for free from Hay House Publishing for review purposes.  I was not financially compensated for this post. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

To purchase this book you can click on any of the links below.

http://www.amazon.com/The-PlantPlus-Diet-Solution-Personalized/dp/1401941486/

http://www.hayhouse.com/plant-plus-diet-solution-hardcover?utm_id=3313

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-plant-plus-diet-solution-joan-borysenko/1117339880?ean=9781401941482

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/the-plantplus-diet-solution-personalized/9781401941482-item.html

Eat your Greens!

Hello!

I love the principles of the Eat to Live book by Dr. Fuhrman.  The plan calls for raw vegetables (unlimited), 1 serving of cook starch, 2 oz avocado,  1  oz nuts / seeds, 1serving of beans / lentils, lots of green leafy vegetables.   I follow this plan fairly close.  I do still eat meat, and fish, however, not as much as I use to, and when I do eat meat I buy organic, grain feed. By feel great, and I do not have to do any type of calorie counting, so or points, or fat tracking, for me this is HUGE!  I love the freedom of just selecting whole, healthy and minimally processed foods.  I have been able to maintain my 15 lb weight-loss, and my heartburn is still a thing of the past.

Thank you for your time and continue to eat whole and minimally processed foods!

Eat to Live

Hello Everyone!

I just want to give an update.  I have lost a total of 15 lbs and I feel great!  I completed one round on the HCG diet and after 4 weeks I lost a total of 10 lbs.  While there is a lot of controversy over only eating 500 calories, diet consist of only eating whole foods, nothing processed:  Fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and lean protein.  All of these foods offer your body great nutrients, and lots of energy.  Prior to starting the HCG diet I would have massive food cravings for starches, sweets, and chips; I was hitting the vendor machine every afternoon and on occasion, I went twice a day.  However, after I completed the 4 weeks of the HCG diet and 4 weeks of the maintenance phase I was finally able to kick all of those cravings.  I thought that the cravings was just part of life and that I needed to strengthen my will power.   Well, come to find out, all that I needed to do was to rid myself of all of those toxins in my system.  The biggest part of eating healthy is being prepared and have healthy food on had at all times, and plan ahead.  After completing the maintenance phase of the HCG diet, I moved on to creating a permanent healthy eating life style by following the book "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

Hello!

I am so excited!  This is my first blog, Whoa!  I am an avid reader of fitness and nutritional books, and magazines.  I have struggled with my weight my entire life and have followed many fad diets in hopes of finding the Secret to health and weight-loss.  Prior to the age of 40, if I gained a couple of pounds, I would simply cut out sweets and limit quantities of food.  I would lose the weight quickly and everything was good.  However, that all changed around the age of 40....  I would cut out sweets, follow fad diets, exercise hard, and the end results would be 1 - 2 pounds, after weeks of diligently following the program.  I would then give up and return to my "old, comfortable, eating habits" eat what I wanted, when I wanted it and how much I wanted.  Finally one day, I was tired of my clothes not fitting and being self conscious everything I sat down, hoping that no could see my rolls of fat.  I took a big step and went to visit a doctor and he suggested injectable HCG diet.  The doctor explained that if I followed the 500 calorie diet, and HCG protocol, that I would lose the weight, however, if I went back to my old eating habits that I would regain my weight.  I understood, and was ready to make permanent changes to my diet, and I felt that the HCG protocol would allow me to flush out toxins and finally allow me to rid myself of unhealthy food cravings.  Well, it took me about 8 weeks, but finally the cravings subsided, and I experienced the added benefits of no more heartburn, and no more bloating!  Hallelujah! If you are ready to make life style changes, then the HCG protocol might be a great start for you too!