By Carie Moore
I’m starting week 2 of my challenge. I’m nailing the workouts and sore as all heck. It has been awhile since a workout has pushed me. I struggle through them and feel the pain after. That’s a good thing, trust me. When you work out your body needs to up the ante after time. Increasing weights or workout types is a good start.
A good app for me is My Fitness Pal. You can set your activity and goals and see where you’re at each day. You can also track your water intake which is important as well. I shoot for between 96-128 oz. of fluid, which is usually black coffee, tea, or the drink stick packets mixed in water.
Nutrition-wise, I didn’t do too bad. I had a caramel roll, maple doughnut and two monster cookies this week. Meals are consisting of tuna melts, egg sandwiches, Greek yogurt, sweet potatoes, lots of broccoli, string cheese, apples, chicken, fresh pico, and baked chips/crackers. I’m not too strict but I’m trying to keep a better eye on things. I might try to crack down this next week on making sure my carbs are better. I need them for these workouts!
I saw some things for the keto kick I see on Pinterest. Frankly, it makes me nervous. A friend said she can have 20 grams of carbs a day. I was like, “Yes, I would die.” First, from having no energy and secondly, we need carbs to live.
For my calories and energy level I am shooting to get 109 grams of carbs and protein a day. That means apples, bananas, wheat bread or rice, and sweet potatoes. Fats and carbs both contain “good and bad.” By the numbers alone, all my numbers seem high to the traditional numbers you should follow. It took me a while to learn that 45 grams of good fat is not the same as 45 grams of bad fat and my body will process them differently.
Good carbs and fat help you lose weight and feed your metabolism. Cheese, almonds, avocado, and peanut butter are not the same as candy bars and hot dogs.
Sometimes, part of making a change means changing what you make (to eat). It was time to go through my pantry and throw out all the old and unhealthy stuff we didn't need anymore.
The recipe this week packs a good portion of good carbs, fats, and proteins. I made a few substitutions based on personal taste. My kids thought it was pretty good on chips with some shredded cheese on top as well:
Burrito Bowl with Brown Rice
(I made a bulk mix for a few days’ worth)
Ingredients
3/4 c cooked brown rice
4 oz cooked chicken (I used canned chicken)
1/2 c can black beans (I used pinto or chili beans)
1/4 c canned corn
1/4 medium avocado 1/4 c
Pico (tomato/onion/cilantro)
1/2 lime squeezed
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Put on salad greens, eat plain, put on chips or tortillas. Lots of options. You can also use a seasoning packet (ranch/spicy ranch/dill) and add to plain Greek yogurt as a sour cream replacement.