Happy Halloween :)

Today I was re-reading the October issue of Shape magazine looking for inspiration and found a very helpful article regarding Halloween candy. If candy is your weakness here are some 150 calorie snacks that will allow you to enjoy a few pieces of candy without the guilt!

150 Calorie Snacks for Chocolate Lovers

• 3 Mini York Peppermint Patties - 150 calories, 3g fat
• 3 Mini Twix - 150 calories, 8g fat
• 6 Mini Musketeers - 146 calories, 4g fat
• 2 Fun size packs of milk chocolate M&M's - 147 calories, 7g fat
• 7 Hershey's Kisses - 156 calories, 9g fat

150 Calorie Snacks for Candy Lovers

• 6 Dum-Dums Pops - 150 calories, 0g fat
• 5 Snack size Twizzlers Strawberry Treats - 150 calories, 1g fat
• 3 Treat size boxes of Nerds - 150 calories, 0g fat
• 6 rolls of Smarties - 150 calories, 0g fat

I hope that this little cheat sheet will help with all the candy that you may be around tomorrow! Have a safe and Happy Halloween

Help with Weight Loss

 I have found it very frustrating and difficult to try and lose weight especially when you are surrounded by people who are not making an effort to make healthy lifestyle choices. However over the summer I joined a weight loss challenge, this was such a good decision. Not only did I get to hear people talk about what works for them and what doesn't but I also had the accountability of coming each to get weighed and measured and learn about the importance of protein, water, exercise and many other topics. It really was a great way to spend an hour each week focusing on you! If you would like more information on this please feel free to post a comment or email me at healthysummer2011@gmail.com

Keeping Active

Happy Friday :)

Hope everyone had a great week! I have been have some trouble keeping myself motivated to go to the gym so I decided to sign up for a 5K. The 5K is not until November so I have a few weeks to follow a training program and prepare myself both physically and mentally. I think that this is a great way to keep you going to the gym because I have already pre-registered and also there is a goal at the end of five weeks - to finish the 5K. This is a stepping stone in my ultimate goal of losing weight and becoming healthy. Once I have completed the 5K then I will have a new goal to improve my time for the next event. I would like to participate in 1 5K a month and eventually move up to doing 10K's.
Tomorrow begins my training for the event my task tomorrow is to run 1.5 miles - It sounds like a lot to me right now since I haven't been running that often but I think with a good nights sleep, good breakfast and a few new songs on my I-Pod I will be ready. If anyone is looking to join a 5k this one will be held on November 12 at Tyler State Park in Newtown PA. It is called Race for Resources money that is raised for this event will go to Autism Cares Foundation. Here is the link if you would like more information http://raceforresources.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=475282 or you can google race for resources 2011.

Have a good night!

Day 1

Happy Memorial Day! Hope everyone enjoyed the nice warm day with some activity they enjoyed.

Today was really the first day that I was very mindful of each calorie that I put into my body and I feel really good about the decisions I made today. For breakfast I enjoyed a very satisfying Formula 1 Herbalife Shake I added 2 scoops of the dutch chocolate shake mix, 1 cup of frozen strawberries, 2 Tbsp of the Personalized Protein Powder, 8 oz of water, a few ice cubes and blended it all together. This was great because I didn't have to take too much time out of my morning but still was able to start my day off with a healthy breakfast.

For my morning snack I had 1 cup of baby carrots, 1/4 cup of red pepper hummus and a glass of water. I must tell you that I have been an avid soda and ice tea drinker however for the sake of my health and teeth I am really trying to cut out all soda and reduce the amount of tea that I am drinking. Since I am so use to drinking items that have a certain flavor I really find it very boring to drink plain water however Herbalife has a great product called Herbal Aloe Concentrate which supports digestive health and comes in Mango flavor.  All you have to do is add a few capfuls to your water and not only are you helping your digestive system but also making water taste better and I know that will definitely help me consume more water.

For lunch I had another Shake however I was out and about so I wasn't able to use a blender however I keep a packet of the Instant Healthy Meal in my purse so all I need to add was 8 oz of water a few ice cubes (personal preference) shake and enjoy!

For my afternoon snack I had 1/2 a cup of low fat cottage cheese and 1 cup of pineapple and another glass of water. I feel that this a good snack because it is easy to stop in any wawa and grab a cottage cheese or yogurt and pre cut fruit if you didn't plan ahead. I never really thought that the afternoon snack was that important but I find if I don't have one as soon as I come home I am eating everything in site or I overeat at dinner.

For dinner I had 4oz of steak, 1 cup of grilled asparagus, 1 cup of sweet potato and a salad with 2 cups of lettuce. I am a person who always enjoyed the creamy salad dressings but I have found I also enjoy the salad dressings that come as a spray that way I am not overdressing the salad or consuming extra calories. Instead of having desert or a  snack I did have a glass of red wine with dinner. One thing that I do think helps is that if you go out and others are having desert I will skip the wine at dinner and have a glass while the others are having desert that way I don't feel tempted to pick up the fork when someone offers a bite.

I did not make it to the gym today so I really need to make an effort to make it there tomorrow morning. However overall I feel really good and ready to have a healthy happy day tomorrow. I love that I don't feel like I have over indulged :)  I read a really helpful quote today in Shape magazine "Don't trade what you want most for what you want at this moment." I feel that this is a great quote because it can apply to so many different areas of life. I know that this will definitely be written on a sticky and placed on my bathroom mirror. Have a great night!

Hello :)

Every January like so many others I vow that this year will be the year I lose weight, get healthy, and fit by summer! I create a workout schedule, buy healthy food and even hang up a bathing suite for inspiration. However, after a few weeks or days of early morning workouts and eating salad after salad the motivation I had on January 1 is fading fast. In a moment of weakness I sleep through my AM workout and before I know it I have overslept and there is no time to make a healthy breakfast before work so I pull through the drive through at McDonald's. Instead of making a good decision at lunch or starting over the next day I let this be a snow ball effect and before I know it I have been making poor food decisions and have not been to the gym in a month :( At this point I realize the summer is only getting closer and usually I give up on being beach ready by Memorial Day and decided that I will start my weight loss journey again in the fall.

2011 started out like many other years with great motivation however there have been many bumps in the road and as I write this Memorial Day is tomorrow and I have not yet met my weight loss goal. In the past I would have felt defeated and given up however not this year!  I have found an incredible line of nutrition products that can fit into any ones lifestyle no matter how hectic. I know that if you are still reading this ( I hope you are!) your probably thinking this is just another fad diet and that is why I have started this blog so that I can share my experience with you.

I believe that by documenting my journey it will not only hold me accountable but it will also give me an opportunity to share with you my success and struggles and give anyone else reading a chance to share theres as well. I feel that weight loss is such a huge issue for so many people no matter if they have 5 pounds or 50 pounds to lose because in order to lose weight you need to make a lifestyle change and in my opinion that is hard to do. Each day I will update you with what I have eaten, what type of exercise I have done and how I'm feeling that day .At the end of this journey I hope to be 30 pounds lighter, healthy, and  I hope that I can help someone either make the decision to lead a healthier lifestyle or just help someone keep going with there journey.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope that you will visit again soon either for an update or some motivation! Until tomorrow have a good night and enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day weekend :)

Katie