Dinner of Champions
Hey hey hey 😀 How are ya? Things are bueno over here- back from Orlando and ready to get back to the grind 🙂
Vieserton is a little tired from her weekend of fun:
Last night, I wasn’t really hungry for dinner since I had happily stuffed my face with hot bar a few hours prior.
So, I had a raw cacao cayenne truffle from the freezer:
and a slice of millet with almond butter and jelly:
Dinner of champions 😉
The pilot and I went to AT&T to order his iPhone- this whole time I thought I’d be able to walk into a store and get one for him, but apparently the only way to get one is to order it- and hit up Targizzle before coming back to the house.
This morning, I had pancakes on the brain.
Perfect protein pancakes with 1/2 banana and apricot jam
The plan for the day:
-Weights
-Train clients
-Groceries
-Lunch + blog
-Make dinner (falafel! or what I prefer to call it: fal-awesome)
-Back to work for cardio + more appts
See ya this afternoon!
xoxo,
Gina
Something to talk about: Your tips for someone who has a longer road ahead of them to health. Last week, I got an email from a bloggie asking for advice, as they have more than 50 lbs to lose in order to be at a healthy weight. These tips could also be used for bloggies who need to gain weight in order to be at a healthy place, or those who want to keep doing what they’re doing.
Here are some of my faves:
–Be consistent. Everything adds up over time, you just have to stick with it.
–Seek support. Surround yourself with people who support your new healthy lifestyle and find a buddy that has similar goals.
–Mini milestones. There’s no need to go crazy and make a lot of changes at once- that’s a quick recipe for discouragement and burnout. Add on one feasible goal each week (“this week I’m going to walk everyday,” “this week I’m going to plan my meals and eat at home,” “this week I’m going to opt for whole grains instead of refined,” “this week I’m going to make sure I don’t skip any meals,” etc, etc)
–Don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go quite as planned. Just get back on track as soon as you can and in the grand scheme of things, a few missed gym sessions or ice cream and cookie nights don’t mean no thang.
-Make an inspiration board with the goals you’d like to accomplish and put it in a visible place as a constant source of motivation
–Reward yourself for accomplishing mini goals with something fun, like a pedicure, massage, new workout shirt, etc.
Any more advice you’d like to throw in there?? 😀
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I die over those truffles everytime I see them. I am so intrigued with raw desserts right now. I obviously would probably never eat raw since I don’t love veggies, but I just think making raw desserts is so cool – it is a challenge to me since most are made with ingredients I would never put together.
I lost 55 pounds over the course of 8 months. I ate extremely clean and did 30 minutes to an hour of cardio everyday with weights about twice a week. I had a treat meal every single week (chipotle mostly). I think knowing you have one treat a week is a way to prevent binging and have something to look forward to.
that is AWESOME
i’m also a huge fan of treat meals- they keep you sane and don’t undo all of your hard work
Wow Courtney, that’s amazing!! Good for you 😀
Wow! Very impressive! I am the one who asked Gina about the weight loss.. I would love more info on the clean foods you ate. I have the Eat Clean Diet book and some Clean eating magazines. Is that what you are referring to? Thanks so much and congrats!
i love tosca reno’s eat clean cookbook, but a lot of the recipes use weird/uncommon ingredients, spices, sauces, brands, etc. just fyi. but it’s GREAT!!
Love yourself for who you are and don’t let other people’s perceptions/thoughts alter the way you feel.
Keep a journal of your food and workouts.I use to be very hard on myself if I did not do well for the day so now I keep a page in mine for how I am feeling so I can “vent” and let go. This has helped my outlook. Also stay positive which can be so hard. I read a tip in Glamour once to replace your negative thoughts with good ones which sounded corny but I tried it and it works.
i’d eat that dinner of champions anyday! especially with that truffle, looks so yummy!
Great long term health tips.
I’d have to add that emotional/mental issues should also be addressed when dealing with weight issues.
Many times the source of overeating/undereating are never addressed and that leaves the door wide open for old/bad habits to resurface and undo any progress that’s made in terms of weight management.
Many times people use food or lack of food as coping mechanisms. If that is not resolved, most weight issues won’t be either.
🙂
its def time for those pancakes to be made again! have you watched turbo fire yet?!?! I am debating getting it!! I cant wait to hear what you think!
i didn’t get it yet! i’m going to check the tracking to see where it is…
I’ve lost about 120 pounds (half my body weight!) over the last four years by trying to follow a few rules.
First: Get an hour of exercise a day. It can be as simple as walking 2-3 miles with a friend or your puppy. Just because a workout isn’t high intensity doesn’t mean you won’t see results! This was especially important for me when I was too heavy to jog/run.
Second: Cutting way, way down on the red meat. It made me feel heavy and sluggish, and substituting chicken or turkey (or tofu!) cuts down some serious calories.
Third: Make sure you’re eating enough. I’ve had some rough experiences with yoyo dieting, and loosing weight fast is never worth messing with your metabolism.
And I definitely agree with setting mini goals and treating yourself when you reach them! Especially if the mini goals involve new shoes 🙂
Great tips!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing! Wow that is awesome about your weight loss!
I need to make those truffles…and those pancakes too. Every time I see you post a pic of them I drool! I think the best advice is to be consistant like you said and to not be easily defeated.
love love love that you call it fal-awesome!! hahaha. and yes, i did the same thing with the iphone – i was shocked that you couldn’t get it in stores. i dont understand why they don’t send out more shipments to the stores…? anywho, it’s being delivered today!! cant wait =)
that is so exciting!
i know it was so weird that they’re not sending shipments to the stores. the pilot is very stoked about his new iphone 🙂
Another tip for those with a long road ahead . . . if you have a moment of weakness and “fall off the wagon”, don’t throw in the towel, get right back on with your very next meal/exercise session.
Your pupper sleeps so nicely in the car. Mine hates to ride – he cowers between the seats if he can fit and shakes. Even trips out for some ice cream haven’t helped – he just hates to ride. I don’t take him anywhere unless I have to.
I think the best advice for anyone is that EVERY day is a new day. So you messed up one day. That doesn’t need to derail you forever. Start over. Every day you do well, that’s real progress. And second, deal with issues as they arise – don’t push them off. It will make it harder to recover.
Consistency and not being too hard on yourself are so important!
It’s also helpful to make sure you are getting enough sleep and water 🙂
These are awesome tips and are exactly what I used to lose the weight I have so far. I’d also add patience to the mix. Losing weight the right way happens a LOT slower than gaining weight. Don’t expect it to come off all at once but don’t get discouraged either. The slower the better because it’ll be more permanent and use measurements other than the scale to assess your success. Our bodies lose weight any which way they please so a good hard week of exercising and good eating still may not show on the scale. A nice pair of pants in a size smaller than what you already wear or a goal such as running 5k or touching your toes are other goals that will help you to visualize your successes!
I think those tips are great. I certainly like the being consistent one because that is truly what will take you to your goals. And a big way to be consistent is to not adopt an all or nothing mentality. Consistency is easiest when you have balance and are still doing things you love but that fit within your goals.
I always love your tips. I make goals for myself each week and refine them every week
Thanks for the awesome advice about staying healthy! 🙂 This is so random and weird, but I had a dream that I went to the gym and your husband was teaching us a military-style bootcamp class LOLLL!!! I think I’ve been reading your blog a little too much haha 🙂
LOL. that’s awesome
Don’t completely confuse health with weight loss. Even if you’re not losing lbs. as quickly as you like, if you’re exercising more and eating better, you’re doing yourself a favor that is going to pay off in the long run b/c you’re improving your heart health!
I’d also say- drink lots of water, avoid soda (even diet soda), try to walk as much as possible, and find an exercise buddy.
awesome words of wisdom
Oh man is the diet soda a hard one for me!!!!! Trying to make myself drink more water.
I’ve been dealing with two knee injuries for six years, so I know what it’s like to look at the road ahead of you and be so overwhelmed by how far you have to go. The best way to do it is just focus on the short term. Sure, have those long-term goals (for me it’s to walk 5 miles without pain) but also just try to get from week to week. Soon you’ll look back and see that it’s been a year and you’ve come so far.
And on that note, don’t forget to look back. Really look back to see how much you’ve improved. It’s a total mental boost.
I would give ANYTHING to try those raw cacao cayenne truffles. They look fabulous! 🙂
Those are great tips! I would include have fun! It’s so much easier to stick to a fitness routine that you enjoy and look forward to. I would also say to get creative in the kitchen and find ways to make your favorite meals in a healthier way. Think of the weight loss as an adventure in how much you can branch out instead of a long, tedious task seems like it would help!
Great tips! My advice is to do what you love and eat what tastes good – if you hate your exercise and what you’re munching on, it’ll never be a permanent lifestyle change and you’ll be unhappy. By finding exercise activities you enjoy you will be so much happier in the long run!
Great tips! Mini milestones are a big part of it….it’s so much easier when you have several mini goals to work on. Makes the big task that much more manageable.
I think it’s also a good idea not to define yourself as a weight or some other number. Regardless of where you are (losing, maintaining, gaining), never lose sight of your true self.
For example, I’m not just a girl who tries to eat well and work out, but also a friend, a scientist, etc. 🙂 It definitely puts things in perspective.
That macaroon sounds absolutely amazing!
Awww @ little tuckered out Viesa ? Adorable.
Find one thing you love about your self every day and keep reinforcing it. Start a list to continuously remind yourself how incredible your body and health is!
I am on the other side of a 55lb weight loss, took me just about a year, and that’s my first piece of advice: accept that it will be slow. If you lose the weight quickly it will come back on just as quickly.
Second, and this is related: you have to turn it into a new lifestyle. Don’t go on a diet, clean up your cupboards, toss out all processed and packaged food and replace it with whole, real foods. Buy cookbooks/find recipes on the internet if you don’t know what to do with all this new food. You will create new habits and it will be maintainable because it isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle.
Third: exercise. I can’t say it enough. Exercising not only burns calories, which is important, it releases endorphins, which make you happy and keep you from emotional eating (at least it does for me).
Finally: be kind to yourself. If you have ice-cream one day, or eat an extra slice of pizza occasionally it is ok. This is a lifestyle change and it takes time, you are allowed to mess up. Don’t beat yourself up about it, just move forwards. Similarly don’t take it as an excuse to throw the day away and eat whatever you want, as it’s a sure way to gain weight.
Best of luck!
AWESOME! thank you and congratulations <3 keep up the amazing work
This goes along with the Mini Milestones, but I would add this: Find multiple ways of defining success.
While your end goal may be related to weight, remember that the number isn’t the only or ultimate success. Success can also be defined in terms of workouts per week, number of meals cooked at home instead of eaten out, overall level of energy, etc.
Positive encouragement never hurts! When people are told “you can’t do it,” they will really believe that they can’t.
I am the one who asked Gina about this last week. Thank you so much for posting your advice and for asking for others advice as well.
Some great tips here that I will take to heart.
Thank you and ((HUGS)).
<3
Before even seeing it, I’m gonna go ahead and say ‘I want your falafel!!!’ 🙂 Falafel is pretty much my favorite meal ever!
Those are great words of wisdom, I definitely needed to read those today! One of the things I do that’s helped me be successful, is eat clean and super healthy all week long but then Friday night I’ll have a glass or two of wine to relax and unwind or sometimes a treat meal on the weekend.
One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given was to ditch the scale. That way I’ve been forced to become more in tune with how my body is feeling. I found I started to recognize when I felt stronger, when my pants got a little looser, etc. when I wasn’t so obsessed with the number on the scale.
i don’t’ think people understand how HUGE consistency can be! and even if it’s just making a consistent, concerted effort to do SOMETHING active every day…love that point!
I’m trying to get started on a healthier path, I don’t have a lot to lose but I know I can make some healthier decisions. Since I am just starting out I don’t know necessarily what things truly are the healthiest decisions.
For example, I’m trying to get into doing power smoothies, I would normally use the Carnation Breakfast Instant Breakfast packets as the protein in my smoothie, much more of a main stream item but is it really a health choice?
Great advice! I just want to second what Dana commented on about writing down what you eat and when you work out. I think this helps tremendously in keeping track of what you are actually doing and also gives you a place to journal about how well you are feeling, what you could change, or what you think went well and should stay in your routine!
Gah, every time I read your blog I feel like I see you eating pancakes! haha. It REALLY makes me want some!! Anyhoo, I really agree with utilizing mini-milestones when tackling a long term health goal. I feel like that is beneficial when tackling any issue or task that takes some work to achieve. It gives you more motivation and keeps you going when you recognize little successes along the way.
hahah i’ve been eating a LOT of pancakes lately. i’m on a kick 🙂
Ginaaaa I need you this week. I totally need to get more motivated for workouts and eating cleaner! Therefore, Imma be stalking yo blog like CRAY this week. Miss you, friend! xoxo
i was JUST looking at your lovely blog 🙂
let me know if you need anything! i think you need to come to chi-town in august so we can hang out and shop, mmm k?
xoxo
Those are all great tips! I just made an inspiration board last week and I love being able to see my goals on it everyday!
the truffle looks great! where do you get all the ingredients; it looks like there must be a million good ones in there!
Buying new gym clothes always keeps me motivated, or trying a new gym class.
I found your blog over the weekend and I just want to say I’m super inspired. So much so that I renewed my gym membership, woke up and worked out and tried greek yogurt all in 24 hrs. I definitely plan on coming back for more inspiration!
look at you! that’s awesome 🙂
thank you and welcome to the little blog <3
Has anyone heard anything about their Sun Warrior order? I just checked my account and it says “Processing.” Thoughts on how long it will take?
hey girl,
i posted an update yesterday morning– all of the sun warrior purchases have shipped, opensky just hasn’t sent out the tracking #s yet. so it should be there any day now! i can’t wait 🙂
Aw! And here I thought you were going to give us the truffle recipe. Will you or is this one of those to remain under wraps? It looks so yummy.
I have *always* kept a food log, even when I was not eating completely properly. I have ratcheted this process way up recently by keeping a food log on SparkPeople.com. All the food entered is broken down nutritionally so I am seeing, for the first time, really, *exactly* what I am eating. This goes beyond calories. It’s like being one’s own nutritionist. I can monitor what I am doing, which now includes keeping protein to about 30% of my consumption, keeping carbohydrates under 100 grams per day and making sure I meet my daily requirements for a variety of nutrients. I feel what I did before in terms of keeping track of what I ate was really kidding myself. This is the real scientific deal. Of course, one can be more relaxed but this is what I am needing right now, until it all becomes second nature.
After a long slump, I have also started exercising again, trying new things (like Vinyasa yoga) to see what works (or does not) for me.
Your blog has been a super inspiration to me and over the course of the past year or so I have implemented many of your food suggestions and lifestyle tips. I have green smoothies every day now, have become a fan of goat cheese (in limited quantities), happily ate my homemade breakfast cookies, and am experimenting with the dehydrator I found on Craigslist!
As time goes on I try to finesse things, try a new exercise, or be more active in general. This week, for example, I did Pilates or Yoga *every* day. The thing about habits, whether for exercise or eating better, is that you have to replace the undesirable habit with a better one and do this with regularity until IT is your habit. This is what happened with my exercising this week. Every day I had a planned class. Now I feel that exercise is second nature, something I *do* automatically, like brushing my teeth.
In the past few months I have made subtle changes to my habits and enjoy small discoveries to make this journey easier.
Small steps lead everywhere!
(Sorry for the ginormous post).
The advice I always give people is to start small. If someone isn’t exercising, trying to cram an hour a day into their schedule can be daunting. I recommend they start with 15 minutes or so a day and work up from there. 15 minutes may not seem like much, but it’s better than nothing and it’ll feel more doable than an hour. It gets them into the habit of moving and gives them something to build on!
Those are all such great tips – I’m struggling with getting motivated to exercise lately, and I think part of the problem is that my definitions of what ‘counts’ are too rigid. Doesn’t matter if I don’t get up and go running, I can bounce on the trampoline instead 😉 (Got to love being home from university)