What are the ways to keep track of your food?

Not seeing a change with your Mom’s body? ⁣Have you been tracking your food?

 Often Mom’s, especially #csectionmoms come to me and say, “I’ve been working out 4 days a week and eating healthy for years, and I still can’t get rid of my belly”.

The first thing I ask them, “ Do you know how many calories you’re eating?” The majority always have the resounding, “NO” answer.

If they say yes, then I ask to show me their food planner which then they don’t have. If you don’t track your food then you don’t know how much you’re eating. If you are into losing weight, then tracking your food is not an option.

When I started, I was eating 1600. Now, I’m trying to maintain, and with time I’ve gotten used to just measuring. Unfortunately, I don’t often track.

The disadvantage of not tracking your food, is that one can only estimate. 

I eat the SAME every single day but if you don’t then you have no way of knowing IF you’re eating healthy.

Therefore, if you think you’re eating healthy but you don’t measure, weigh abs track. Then I suggest you start to learn how you eat. ⁣ I want you #moms to think about your health and fitness routine and consider these other questions:⁣

•  Could you increase the intensity of your workouts?

My #eatyourwaytofit program is designed to challenge you, even when you become stronger. If you need an extra challenge, think about whether you could add extra reps to your workout.⁣

•   Do you get enough sleep?

Sleep is so important for muscle recovery and overall well-being. I go to bed when kids go to bed and I’m up by 4:30 – 5 to workout with you.

•   Are you eating a balanced and nutritious diet?

You need to give your body enough fuel to keep up with your training and see real change. If you’re lacking in energy you may need to think about the food that you eat and consider adding more nutrition, like protein & healthy carbs like sweet potato, fruit and my favorite broccoli & spinach.

•   Could you add a quick workout to your week?  

EAT YOUR WAY TO FIT NUTRITION & WORKOUT PROGRAM includes short workouts that you can do in just 5 minutes.

•   Are you giving your body time to recover by tracking your food?

It’s so important to make sure that we give our muscles and immune system time to rest. On my off days, I only do cardio or add tiny weights if I didn’t get enough in during the week. ⁣ 

Last but not least. DON’T lie to yourself. We should all hold ourselves accountable. You do this by tracking your food.

Results of being accountable through tracking your food

All I ever wanted was to be 115 pounds since I was 19 years old.

When I see these pictures, I realize how much I have changed over the years. My relationship with the scale has changed. I’m not mad at it anymore. 

I’m not changing batteries every 2 weeks thinking it’s wrong and this used to happen. Funny, right? Now, I appreciate the scale just letting me know to keep doing what I’m doing.

I’ve created a new relationship with my camera! I bet you thought I was going to say the mirror. No! The camera! I’m still working on the mirror.

The mind does not catch up with the mirror as fast as the camera. I have to take pictures to SEE what You see. I have to see to remind myself that I have changed. My program is working. I am healthy, I am fit and sometimes I even write it down. It’s a constant mental development.

I developed an overweight mindset at 14 years old. Changing that mind is not an overnight project. That is the painful reality.

That’s what we work on with EAT YOUR WAY TO FIT NUTRITION and WORKOUT PROGRAM. It’s about food, workouts, commitment, education, and mindset.

When you see these pictures. What comes to your mind? Leave a comment below if you want to LEARN more about yourself.

 Right way to Tracking your food 

When you scan your food. Here are the numbers I talk about.

You should have entered the percentage (%) of how much protein, carbs, and fat you should eat per day from the calories you calculated. I eat:

1. 1600 per day which is 140g (35% according to Government Guidelines) protein.
2. 140g of carbs (35% this includes vegetables & Fruit) and
3. 53g of fat (30%). 
4. Fat comes from chicken, fish, meat, and oil plus other foods. When you track your food, you either SCAN the food label or type in the food you are eating.

Here’s an example of me scanning Red Vines ( which are not on my food list).

A. That’s a sign I shouldn’t eat it but we are human and break the rules. In my past, I easily ate the entire package and never scanned it.

Today, I scanned it to track my food and now I see the numbers at the top.

For three twists, it’s 100 calories, 25g of carbs, and 0.7 protein.

When I see these numbers, I’m shocked at how much carbs are in 3 twists. When it’s 0 in chicken and quickly realize that it’s way too many in my opinion. 

Since I still have the rest of the day to eat. I decided to edit the serving size and only had 2 which is 67 calories, 16.7g of carbs, etc.

To scroll down the rest of the label, it also shows me sodium and sugar. These numbers stay in my head and the next time I will have a better mindset to make a choice. Are they worth it?

When you go through your day. These are the numbers you want to stick with. Your numbers tell you how you eat and why you may get stuck at any time.

These numbers are like giving your doctor blood when they check the numbers of your health. Cholesterol has numbers, kidney function has numbers, etc. Doctors go by numbers and in this group, I teach you Your Food numbers.

Decide that from today, sodium no more than 2,300g, sugar 48g.

Dining out does not have to be 2,000 calories. Salmon, lettuce, edamame with avocado. Small bowl. They have small or large. I go for small. My husband gets large. Just because our partners get large, doesn’t mean we should match. They’re naturally bigger than us and get more calories plus they burn it way faster.

I know that eating so healthy is boring. However, if everyone ate healthy, food companies that make high sodium frozen food, such as McDonald’s, Dominos, Pizza Hut, and more would be out of business.

Food companies KNOW how to feed Americans to make millions of dollars. Just like drug dealers know when you try it, you will like it and come back for more.

Candy, chips, Mrs fields, etc. KNOW that Sugar, Fat, and Salt feeds our Soul to come back for more. This is why tracking your food is crucial in your journey to losing weight.

Before 1970 these fast-food restaurants did not exist and the US had fewer cases of Heart Disease and Cancer. Painfully, that’s just the truth.

By the way, if you’re going to have a cheat meal. Protein FAT is better than Carbs Fat. Wings are a better choice than Pizza. Cauliflower Pizza is great and you won’t know the difference.

Pasta? Make it Zucchini or Sweet Potato and add cheese if you want.

Ice Cream – Use a blender, protein powder, fruit, some chocolate, add a ton of ice. Done.

What else do you like that’s “bad”? I have a file for Cheat Days to modify if anyone wants to.

Alcohol? – Sugar-free flavorings of any kind are better than Orange Juice or any Juice.

Wine? Just drink the damn glass

One of my new faves, Caesar Salad the creamier the dressing the better, no croutons or RANCH, or Cilantro Ranch.

I’ve always had a dream goal to be 122 lbs as I shared with you. I did not lift weights consistently. I didn’t eat Whole Foods. I did too much cardio ( which burns mud is by the way).

When we age, we lose muscle tissue. If you’re not lifting, you’re losing muscle tissue. If you’re doing too much cardio, you’re losing muscle tissue.

At 122 lbs with no muscle mass, is something called Skinny Fat. I was thin but fat. I know, a weird concept. Google it.

Tracking your food has gotten me here today where I’m happier, confident, and no longer have that dream goal of 120. Funny, I saw myself once at 114 ( I juiced all week and didn’t eat for a Halloween party). I was still unhappy with the way I looked. 

 

Are you tracking? Are you watching?