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My Healthy Snacks

Heather Morneau
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My Healthy Snacks

 

There are some things in life that are inevitable.  

  • We age
  • We sleep
  • We complain
  • We want to be loved
  • We snack

We can’t do anything about aging.  We might want to fool others into how much we have aged, but that is just the wrapping paper.  We sometimes are sleep deprived, sometimes sleep until noon, but eventually, we sleep.  We try not to complain, but…., well we just do.  We all want to be loved on one level or another.  For some it is by children, some its lovers, for others, it is four-legged and slobbers, but love is part of life.  Finally, snacking.  

I have touched on snacking before and as long it is done right, just do it.

Mom used to say “it will ruin your dinner”  Well it might, but as long as you are still eating in a healthy way, and watching WHAT you are eating, the ‘when' is not as important.  There is a real trend toward fasting right now, and to be brutally honest there are as many people supporting the latest thing as there are opposing it.  So, let’s just not touch that and if your body is telling you to eat something, let’s see if we can find some healthy choices that won't give you a guilty conscience.

These are not going to appeal to everyone, but there hopefully are a couple for you to consider the next time you just can’t wait until the dinner bell rings.

  1.   Eggs- Hard Boiled
  • These are easy to make, easy to take and are really, no muss-no fuss.  They had been thought of as too high in cholesterol and then the truth came out, nope, they are good for you.  6 g protein, 5 g fat, no carbs.

Eggs

      2.   Greek Yogurt

  • This has become a favorite snack for me in the last few years.  The trick is to avoid the flavored and heavily sweetened kinds.  You can buy it in the large container for cost efficiency, or individual sizes for convenience.  One cup of full-fat Greek yogurt generally contains 18 g of protein, but this may require a little label reading to make sure you are getting the best one for you.

Greek Yogurt

      3.     Apple with Peanut Butter

  • This combo works because you get the fill factor of the fiber in the apple and the protein in the peanut butter.  Again easily transportable, and you can go for lots of options.  Crunchy or smooth peanut butter and so many varieties of apples.

Peanut Butter

      4.   Mixed Nuts

  • I love having a tub of these in the pantry.  The only thing to be careful of is the quantity.  It is really easy to take a larger portion size than you should have.  Use either a scale or a measuring cup to be able to memorize the right portion amount.

Mixed Nuts

      5.   Oatmeal

  • This will seem strange to anyone who knows me because I actually don’t like oatmeal.  But I actually eat it a few days a week, because it is good for me.  Ugh!  It is really hard to argue with the nutritional values;  By weight, raw oats are 66% carbohydrates, 17% protein, 7% fat and 11% fiber.  I don’t cook mine the way most people do, I get hot water for a cup of tea, and when it has sat for a few minutes, that works for me.  No mushy porridge, sorry Mom.

Oatmeal

There are all sorts of snacks that can and will work for most.  But, for me, it needs to be simple, tasty, portable, and most importantly satisfying.  These will work for late night snacks as well as any time of the day.

A few more options but without the protein component, but definitely the satisfaction factor are raw veggies, frozen berries, bananas, and my fave popcorn.

One more thing to consider before snacking, are you really hungry?  You may be bored or even thirsty.  Listen to your body before you chow down, but if you do choose to snack, snack healthy.

 

There's no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap. – Kevin James

 

Goals Check Up – How’s Your Year So Far?

Heather Morneau
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Goals Check Up – How’s Your Year So Far?

Hey, you.  We are three weeks into the new year already. How’s it going?  I want to check in with you.  Did you make some new goals?  We know that the word “resolutions” has become a bad word.  Although it has become a bad word, most of us do update our goals and our projects for the upcoming year.

Now that that word is out of the way, back to the question at hand, how are you doing?  It has been three weeks since we welcomed in a new year, have you just continued on from the previous year?  Have you changed anything?  

If you made promises to yourself, how are you doing with that?  

For a lot of people, this may seem a bit early for a check in, but it really isn't.  If you have made a choice to do something different this year, the first month is closing in fast.  So, how you doing?

Most of us want more out of life than we have.  If we were to talk to our 10-year-old selves, what would that kid think about where you are right now?  Would you be impressed with yourself? Or would you be amazed at where you are in your life?  I can guarantee that where we are now is not where we thought we would be.  Even from last year, things have happened that were so unexpected.  Ok, and?????

What do you do now?

It is never too late to start something either again or for the first time.  I can say with the utmost certainty that the idea of me blogging is the last place I expected to be.  Yet, here I am, sitting to write most days of the week.  And, I actually like it.  That is the weird thing, I really do like it.

I like the research. I like the process. I like the idea that what I have to say, somebody somewhere likes to read it.  Cool.  But, I didn’t say it was easy.  Somedays it is a real struggle.  Distractions, other things I would sometimes rather do, rabbit trails I get lead down while researching, and then the inevitable self-doubt that anybody even likes what I write about.

Back to the point, are you actually taking steps to achieve your goals?  Well, let’s assume you are.  Hooray!  Because even if you hadn’t started, by reading this you are now heading in the right direction.  So, let’s take a look at what it takes to move forward and if you need to tweak your goals, or re-schedule or adjust, or pat yourself on the back because you are killing it.  Cool!  

So what does your goal list look like?  

It should look like this:

  • What is your ‘why?'
  • Are your goals written down?
  • Have you gotten really specific?
  • Do you know what your goal looks like?
  • Do you look at your goals each day, maybe multiple times a day?
  • Have you put a date for achieving your goal?
  • Do you have smaller goals as well as the end goal?
  • Do you have celebrations planned for each goal achieved?
  • Do you have an accountability partner?
  • Do you have a timeline?

 

So if your goals for this year are already shaping up for you, you are one of the rare ones and I am really proud of you.  Whether you have either planned for something this year or not, it is never too late to start, or start again.

Are you getting the theme?  Let’s get to it and get it done!

We are here for you.  Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. Reach out to us.  Let us know how you are doing and how we can best support you.  We really want you to succeed at whatever it is you want for yourself.  When you succeed, it becomes contagious so let’s get to work and succeed. A world of success would be a great place to be and it all starts with just one little success.

 

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.- Colin Powell

 

Rules for Healthy Eating

Heather Morneau
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Rules for Healthy Eating

So, you are at the gym.  Things are going great.  But now you have decided to eat healthy, uh oh!  Are you confused about that?  Most people are and that is a big reason why people just don’t bother to eat healthy.  It seems too hard.  Too many fad diets messing up some basic truths.

If you are serious about getting healthy, you MUST eat better.  

But, don’t make things more complicated than they need to be.  

  • First, do your best to eat whole, real food.  If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat as much of it or at all.  
  • Second, spend most of your shopping dollars on the outer perimeter of the store.  The produce, dairy, meat, seafood.  Want shopping hints?  
  • Third, don’t overload your plate.  If you are still hungry after you have finished a meal, wait 20 min before digging in again.  It actually takes that long for your stomach to tell your brain that you are full.  If you really are still starving have a glass of water, and a healthy snack.
  • Fourth, eating healthy really needs to be an enjoyable thing.  If you tell yourself that this way of eating is punishment, believe it or not, your body will believe you.  It will either store food because it will feel the stress and anxiety, or you won’t be able to tell what your body is really telling you.  You may actually like some of these foods, but you aren’t listening to your body.
  • Fifth, find food you like.  Believe it or not, not all healthy food taste like grass.  Here is a little list, find something you like and start there.  Then try another one.  Start trying new foods.  There are so many to choose from.

Healthy Foods

  • Eggs
  • Spinach
  • Mixed Nuts
  • Oranges
  • Flax Seeds
  • Beans
  • Blueberries
  • Yogurt
  • Oats
  • Broccoli
  • Prunes
  • Celery
  • Sardines
  • Onions
  • Peas
  • Black Pepper
  • Bell Peppers
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Cabbage
  • Cooked Tomatoes

The list of healthy foods could go on almost forever.  But these ones are super healthy and should be in your diet in some form or another.  

Whatever program you choose to follow, it must include a healthy food plan with a balance of good whole food.  Nothing extreme.

If you want a personalized food plan.  Contact us and we can do that for you. [email protected]

 

Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments. – Bethenny Frankel

 

Simple Weight Loss Steps

Heather Morneau
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Simple Weight Loss Steps

You have chosen this year to be YOUR year.  

You are finally going to break through that barrier, I mean waistline,  that has been getting bigger and bigger.  You are finally going to lose the extra weight and go back to that body you remembered that you had as a youth.  You have joined the gym. You bought yourself a great pair of runners.  You now have gym gear taking up space in your dresser.  You are watching all sorts of videos telling you how to get lean and bulk up those muscles.  You are taking selfies after each gym session.

  • This must mean you feel great, right?  
  • You are feeling like you are on the right path, right?  
  • You are already noticing a difference in how your clothes fit, right?  
  • Your muscles hurt so they must be growing, right?  
  • You have finally gotten it right, this is it, bikini body here you come, right?

Do you really feel all that?  Are you so happy with these last two weeks that nothing could ever shake you from your goal?  Well, if you are, I am so absolutely happy for you.  But for the rest of us, we are looking at that mirror and saying “Are you kidding me?  Nothing yet?  How long is this going to take?  When will I notice a difference?  When do I get to shop for new clothes?  How come nobody has noticed how much I have changed?”

This is, unfortunately, most of us. We actually are that second person.  We really feel like we are working hard, but are seeing nothing in return. No, there is nothing wrong with you.  You are so normal, it is kind of scary.  

When it comes right down to it, how long did it take you to slide up into that larger than life size?  5 years?  10 years?  One baby?  Two babies?  2 jobs?  Years and years of college?  Think about it.  If you have to look back at some photos, you will begin to see it.  We didn’t put the weight on overnight and so it won’t come off in a couple of weeks.  

Generally, we didn’t notice the weight gain for many years.  We all have a different story and a different set of circumstances that we can look back on and find the beginning of putting on weight.  Some of us have always carried a little extra, so it just became more of the same.

Keep in mind, even if you have tried to lose the weight before, even lots of times before, it is still worth the pursuit.  Although yo-yo weight loss is not good for you, most of us don’t actually fall into that category because we haven’t lost huge amounts and put it back on plus some extra again and again.

So, now that wallowing has been put out there in front of us, what next.  Well, that is in your control.  I’ve talked about what it will take to lose weight.  I have even put a guide together to get you started.  In the end, it all comes down to a few, a very few, things to keep in the front of your mind.

These Simple Weight Loss Steps will get you headed in the right direction.

     1.  Keep your Goal where you can see it.

  • Surround yourself with reminders of why you are doing this.  What it will look like when you achieve your goal.  

      2. Encouragements

  • Whether it is friends, family, or post it notes you need to keep the negative thoughts away and replace them with positivity.  

     3. Keep your timeline realistic.

  • If your plan is 1-2 lbs a week, your goal is achievable and realistic.  With activities that build muscles, your shape gets leaner and after all, it really is the size that you are after rather than weight.

     4.  Pay attention to your food.

  • Whether you track calories, macros, prepackaged food, be absolutely aware of everything you eat.  Not being aware, is where the extra calories hide.

     5.  Drink your water.

  • Drinking your water does so many things for your body.  Plus, it helps keep you full.

You are not alone in your journey.  Most people are trying to improve themselves in some way or another at any given time.  So you are in good company.

We will be there for you every step of the way.  So when you need a shoulder to cry on or a question, we will be here.  Connect with us and we will do everything we can to help.

 

After a lifetime of losing and gaining weight, I get it. No matter how you slice it, weight loss comes down to the simple formula of calories in, calories out. – Valerie Bertinelli

 

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