High Protein Diet: Good or Bad?

I have been following a high protein lifestyle for years. I swear by it for competition prep. I also tend to recommend it to my clients because of the success that I and many of my friends have had following it. I feel good when I follow a whole food, high protein diet and I haven't ever had negative side effects. I know that many have concerns regarding eating a lot of protein, so I wanted to go over what I know and believe about this style of eating.

First, let me explain what high protein diet means. A high protein diet is any way of eating that is higher in protein than the recommended daily allowance set forth by the USDA. So, anything over 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight would qualify. For example: a 150lb healthy adult eating the RDA for protein would be eating 55 grams of protein per day. One can get that much protein from one cup of Greek yogurt, three ounces of lean meat and two tablespoons of peanut butter. That's not a whole lot of protein and therefore it's pretty easy to spill into a high protein diet pattern without even thinking about it. If that same person were to eat two eggs for breakfast, a snack of one container Greek yogurt, a turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch, another snack containing a handful of nuts and a steak for dinner, they would consume about 70 grams of protein, which would be considered high.

Now let's look at what studies have shown about the effects of a high protein diet on weight loss efforts and other positive effects of this nutrition plan.

According to a review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition "There is convincing evidence that a higher protein intake increases thermogenesis and satiety compared to diets of lower protein content. The weight of evidence also suggests that high protein meals lead to a reduced subsequent energy intake."

So, high protein meals make you feel full and satisfied. They also keep you from eating extra calories at future meals and they increase your metabolism. Win, win, win!

A 2004 Study in the Annals of Internal Medicine Concluded that "Compared with a low-fat diet, a low-carbohydrate diet program had better participant retention and greater weight loss. During active weight loss, serum triglyceride levels decreased more and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased more with the low-carbohydrate diet than with the low-fat diet."

This study found that a high protein diet had a positive effect on cholesterol levels. It increased the good cholesterol and decreased the bad. It was also easier for participants to stick to than a low fat diet. Win, win!

According to a 2006 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition "An HP diet, compared with an AP diet, fed at energy balance for 4 d increased 24-h satiety, thermogenesis, sleeping metabolic rate, protein balance, and fat oxidation. Satiety was related to protein intake".

This study confirms the outcomes of the previous two studies mentioned. High protein diets keep you feeling full longer than lower protein diets, promote fat loss and increase ones metabolsim. Win!

Lastly let's look at the research done on the negative side effects of this type of eating.

The following results were found in a review published in 2005 in the Journal Nutrition and Metabolsim: Although the efficacy of high protein diets for weight loss has been evaluated, there have been no reports of protein-induced diminutions in renal function despite subject populations that are generally at risk for kidney disease (e.g., dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension) [14,15,22,85-87]. A randomized comparison of the effects of high and low protein diets on renal function in obese individuals suggested that high protein diets did not present a health concern with regard to renal function their study population [65]. In this study, 65 overweight, but otherwise healthy, subjects adhered to a low or high protein diet for six months. In the high protein group, both kidney size and GFR were significantly increased from that measured at baseline. No changes in albumin excretion were noted for either group and the authors concluded that, despite acute changes in renal function and size, high protein intake did not have detrimental effects on renal function in healthy individuals. Similar findings were recently reported by Boden et al. [88] in a study of 10 subjects who consumed their typical diet for 7 days followed by strict adherence to a high protein diet for 14 days. No significant changes were noted in serum or urinary creatinine and albumin excretion, suggesting no ill-effects of a high protein diet on renal function.

You may be thinking that high protein diets cause kidney damage or problems, but the above review did NOT find that to be the case.

The following excerpt was taken from that same review published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism in 2005: "Athletes, particularly in sports requiring strength and power, consume high levels of dietary protein [89,90]. In fact, many athletes habitually consume protein in excess of 2.0 g/kg/day [91]. Supplementation with amino acids will further increase dietary protein levels in these individuals [92]. Yet there is no evidence that this population is at greater risk for kidney disease or losses in renal function [90]. Poortsmans and Dellalieux [93] found that protein intakes in the range of ~1.4–1.9 g/kg/day or 170–243% of the recommended dietary allowance did not impair renal function in a group of 37 athletes. We found no data in the scientific literature to link high protein intakes to increased risk for impaired kidney function in healthy, physically active men and women."

That last phrase is key! Nothing indicates that a high protein diet increases kidney problems in HEALTHY, PHYSICALLY ACTIVE men and women.

In conclusion, I fully agree with the advice given by the Mayo Clinic on following a high-protein diet. If you have renal disease, don't follow a high protein diet. However, if you are healthy and physically active, then it's a great way to kick off weight loss, build muscle or allow you to maintain your current weight. Just make sure that you are focusing on whole foods, lean meats and get in plenty of fruits, veggies and fiber.

Oatmeal Bake Squares

Here is another make ahead breakfast idea. Make those school day mornings run smoothly by having a heat-and-go breakfast that everyone will love. Give this baked oatmeal a try...and don't skip the cardamom, you will not regret it!

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats

2 grannysmith apples, grated

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups milk of choice (I use almond)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Additions: craisins, dried apricots (diced), coconut flakes, chia seeds, flax seeds, sliced almonds, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease an 8x8 pan with coconut oil.
3. In a bowl, grate the two apples down to the core. Then in the same bowl add the oats, vanilla, spices, and all the additions you choose.
4. Mix together and pour into the 8x8 pan. Level out evenly.
5. Pour in the milk last, once it's ready in the pan. Watch the level of liquid, add more if needed to bring the liquid just even to the top of the oats mixture.
6. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes.
7. Done is done! Enjoy hot and cold, day after day.

I orginally found this recipe on coconutsandcardamom.com, but that website no longer exists.

Cellulite

Do you have cellulite? Me too, and we aren't alone. 90% of women develop it at some point in their lifetime wether they are naturally very thin or heavier set. Some men have it too, but it's much less common in them.

I am sure that you are hoping that I am going to give you some magic formula to get rid of cellulite. That would be wonderful, wouldn't it? But, I am not. I am just here to reassure you that you are beautiful, cellulite and all. And that if you ever want to be comfortable in your own skin, you better accept it with the cellulite that it has.

Why? Because 90% of us have it and it's not because of a certain exercise that we do or don't do. And it's not because of a certian way we eat or a certain thing we don't eat. It's just the way we are designed, and since God designed us that way, it must not be such a terrible thing!

Women are more prone to have cellulite because of how our connective tissues are laid out underneath our skin. Men's connective tissues lie parallel to each other, forming a tight wall that the underlying fat cells can't creep through. Ours, however, lie more in a honeycomb pattern or perpendicular to each other, which leaves space for the fat to push its way through, creating that nice dimpled effect on our thighs and buttocks. That's just the way it is.

Picture taken from http://www.drlenkravitz.com/Articles/cellulite.html

There are a few things that can make it worse. According to MedlinePlus: "Collagen fibers that connect fat to the skin may stretch, break down, or pull tight. This allows fat cells to bulge out." Being overweight, having a high percentage of body fat, having a poor diet, yo-yo dieting, dehydration, hormone changes and lack of physical activity can all make cellulite worse when it is already present.

So if you are already taking steps to lead a healthy lifestyle including eating lots of fruits and vegetables, eating lean meats and not overeating, exercising on a regular basis, drinking lots of water and getting adequate sleep then you are already doing all that you can to combat cullulite. If you haven't adopted all of those healthy habits yet, then that is where you should start. Those are the ways to minimize the appearance of cellulite. The only other thing that may help is to use a self tanner. Darker skin tends to show cellulite less than pale skin does.

For me, the best weapon against cellulite is strength training. Strength training has helped me to keep my body fat percentage low and has kept cellulite at bay. If I allow my bodyfat percentage to creep up, so does the cellulite. If you want help with developing a strength training routine to ward off or reduce cellulite, I can do that! And, no, I am not talking about spot reduction, because that doesn't work either. I am talking about a well-rounded, total body, weight training routine.

Creams, massages and other such things that promise to get rid of cellulite are a waste of money and time. They may bring a temporary reduction, but it won't last and they may be harmful to your health in other ways. Liposuction may actually make it worse, so there is no need to dream of being able to afford that either.

Make healthy choices on a daily basis and love the skin God has given you. If you are living the healthiest life you can live and you still have dimply thighs, then embrace it and don't worry about it. Remember, we all (almost) have them!

Confidence and joy are the most beautiful things a woman can "wear". Those things far outshine any cellulite that you may have!

Tender Chicken Nuggets

Everybody loves chicken nuggets, right? Everyone in my family does! But trying to cut out processed foods and sugar definitely cuts out store-bought chicken nuggets. I found a home-made replacement that we love! I have made these many times for many people (including kids of all ages) and they have always been very well received. If you want to get your kids away from eating fast food chicken nuggets, try these! My incredibly picky five year old nephew said, “These are the best chicken nuggets I’ve ever had!” Now, isn’t that an amazing compliment coming from a five year old? These are a much healthier version of your fried nugget. Only 200 calories for a serving of 6 nuggets and only 3 grams of fat! The best part: they are super easy to make and are ready in only 25 minutes!

I am including the recipe below because I have been making these nuggets for so many years that they have, apparently, been removed from the allrecipes.com site. I couldn't find it to link to!

Tender Chicken Nuggets (allrecipes.com)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: 3

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

2 Tbs. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg White

1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut into 1-inch Cubes

Directions: In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg white. Dip chicken pieces in egg white, then place in bag and shake to coat. Place in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1 in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once.

Halloween Treats

Reading Be Mom Strong's post about Halloween candy yesterday inspired an impromptu question-and-answer session between me and my three-year-old. This is how it went:

Me: What is Halloween all about?

Lorelai on Halloween two years ago after eating an orange iced cupcake.

L: Treats

Me: What kind of treats?

L: Lollipops and sticky chocolate.

Me: That's what Halloween is about? It's about treats?

L: Yes.

Me: What do we do with the treats after we get them?

L: We bring them home.

Me: And do what with them?

L: Eat them.

Me: Are treats healthy food?

L: No

Me: How should we eat our treats?

L: One at a time.

Me: How many treats should we eat every day?

L: A couple.

Me: What kinds of healthy food should we eat every day?

L: Vegetables and fruits.

I learned a couple of things from this very honest conversation with my preschooler:

1. Holidays are about treats (candy, cookies, cakes) to our generation of kids. Which I think is sad. I put so much time into costumes and traditions, but all they take away is the getting of candy. We need to work on changing this. The focus of our celebrations shouldn't be the getting of "treats" but of quality time and tradition.
2. I'm doing a pretty good job of teaching my kid to identify healthy versus not healthy foods. Teach them young! Expose them to all kinds of produce. Their palates (and most likely their waistlines) will thank you later in life!
3. I'm not doing so well at teaching them how many treats are acceptable in a certain time frame. A couple of treats a day is a couple too many in my opinion. I think I would have been ok with her saying one a day, but a couple? (And yes, she does know what a couple means). I have, in the past, been of the mindset that a small sweet a day wards off binge eating, but I'm trying to cut back even more than that for myself and my kids. I don't want my kids to think that candy and sugar-laced baked goods are a staple. I want them to learn to like foods that are naturally sweet and think of them as "treats". Things like real fruit smoothies, fresh fruits themselves and even naturally sweet vegetables like red and orange bell peppers and sweet potatoes. I want them to appreciate special treats when they get them because they are a rare thing. But it's so hard in our culture to actually make them rare! All I can say is that I am trying.

So, what do we do with all of the candy that comes in over the holidays? Well, I start by throwing away the real junky stuff that doesn't even taste that good. I keep a few of the higher quality items in a basket on a high shelf in the pantry that isn't visible to my children very often. I use those things for bribes sometimes (hey, nobody is perfect!) or I make them earn it somehow. Every once in a while I will give them a treat just to give them a treat, but that happens less than on a weekly basis. They get plenty of random treats from friends and family members. I don't need to add to it.

As far as what I hand out on Halloween, I don't. That's right, my door is dark. There are plenty of other people out there handing out junk food. I don't want or need to add to the predicament our children are in.

But that's just me. Every one is different. I liked Emma's idea of getting rid of the candy in her own home after Halloween day and handing out healthier alternatives to candy. She has some great info on her page about ways to dispose of your Halloween candy (other than shoveling it into your face). So if you haven't checked out bemomstrong.com yet, you should!

Thanks for the post inspiration, Emma!

Coconut Flour Pumpkin Bread Recipe →

I was looking for something to make to use up some pumpkin that I had cooked and these were just the thing! They are low in processed foods and sugar, and high in nutrients. I and both of my girls ate one just as soon as they were cool enough to handle. These are also another great grab-n-go breakfast because of how high in protein they are (5 eggs per recipe!). Between the quality protein and healthy fat that they contain, they should help keep you feeling full until your next meal.

I'm Sick...Should I still work out?

I'm sick. Should I still exercise?

I get that question a lot and have wondered that same thing myself on several occasions.

I read an article in Muscle and Fitness Hers magazine a couple of years ago that broke down the answer to that question in a way that made the decision very easy. It basically said that if you have a head cold (congestion, sneezing, runny nose, headache) it's ok to go ahead and exercise. Exercise may even help, at least temporarily, to clear out some of the congestion. However, as flu season approaches and if you start feeling sick with a fever, a chest cold, deep cough, and/or body aches, you should give your body the rest that it needs and take some time off from exercise. Exercising with those symptoms is likely to make them worse rather than better.

The answer really boils down to, "listen to your body". Do you need rest in order to recover? Will exercising with your current symptoms make you feel worse or better? How long has it been since you have given your body a few days of rest and recovery from exercise?

My example from this past week: I worked out (lifted weights) on Monday and Tuesday and by Tuesday afternoon had stiffness in my neck, a headache and a fever. I woke up Wednesday morning hardly able to move my neck at all. Obviously, I wasn't going to be doing any workouts on Wednesday. Thursday I was taking pain medicine and still had a headache and a slight fever. I felt bad taking two days off from exercise, however, it felt necessary to continue to rest. Friday I felt much better, but I still didn't want to stress my neck in case I was suffering from an injury, so I decided to just go for a nice walk pushing my girls in their stroller. Saturday I was scheduled to teach a cycle class and so I did. During and after the class I felt a bit of stiffness in my neck, so I decided to take Sunday off as well to give my body the extra time it needed to heal. Sunday I felt good and yesterday I woke up feeling fine, so I decided to try a light chest and shoulder workout. That went well without much of an issue. So, I think that as long as I continue to listen to my body, I can resume my normal routine. Slowing down and taking that many days off from exercise was hard, but if I hadn't, I think I would still be in pain and perhaps even sicker than I ended up being. I'm still not sure what the cause of my symptoms was (a virus or an injury), but regardless, I'm glad that I didn't push it.

So, what is your body telling you today? Are your muscles tight and sore? Have you exercised for 10 days straight? Do you have a nagging pain in your knee? Do you have a cough that you haven't been able to kick over the past two weeks? Maybe you should start listening to your body....it's telling you to stop and rest. Taking a day or two (or even five if that's how much is needed) isn't going to set you back as much as you think it might.

On the other hand, do you have a slight headache and runny nose? Well, it's probably OK to still get that run in and then reasses how you're feeling tomorrow.

Oven Roasted Autumn Medley →

I come to you with another easy, satisfying dinner meal. Pair with a simple side salad or steamed vegetable for a complete meal. My husband and I prefer this made with spicy sausage, but my girls won't eat it that way, so I generally use a sweet Italian or apple sausage. If you have had trouble viewing these recipes, click on the post title (recipe name). It is a link to the recipe on another website.

Unmotivated

Today I had no motivation to work out. I had motivation to do other things. I went to work this morning at 5am, came home and prepared breakfast for my family and then did some cleaning with the help of my girls.

Mommy's vacuum

Lorelai's vacuum

Aria's vacuum

Then it was lunchtime and I definitely had the motivation to cook since I was craving pancakes and decided to make a carrot cake-esc pancake. Yum! However I still didn't have the motivation to burn off some of those calories that I just consumed. I put the girls down for a nap after lunch and went and made a phone call. Nap time is generally my go-to time for exercise. I had to leave a message for the person that I called and was promised a return call. So, I thought, I can't exercise because if they call me back I won't be able to answer the phone. Let me just sit here and wait for them to call me back... and then my better judgement kicked in and I started thinking how much better I would feel if I would just go work out. After about 15 more minutes of debating with myself, I got up from the couch. I told myself that I could at least walk on the treadmill. 30 minutes later this is how I felt:

Are you feeling unmotivated toward exercise today? Get off the couch and move. The motivation will come! Oh and by the way, an enormous amount of sweat and calorie burn comes from walking at a 3.2mph pace and 10% incline for 30 minutes. Easy on the joints, killer workout for the legs and heart!

...and the return phone call never came.

Losing Weight: It's Not Impossible!

Weight loss. It sometimes feels like an unacheivable goal.

Take heart! It is achievable! There are a few things that you need to keep in mind if you are on a weight loss journey:

1. You are going to feel hungry. Any person, diet or supplement that promises weight loss without ever going hungry, lies. Your body wants to maintain homeostasis. If you weigh 152 pounds, it wants you to give it enough calories every day to maintain those 152 pounds. If you give it less calories, your body will tell you that you need to eat more and you will feel hungry if you don't give it more. Going to bed hungry is a normal thing for anyone who is successful at losing weight.
2. If you are losing weight incredibly quickly, you will, most likely, gain it all back. Fad diets and diets that are extremely restrictive don't work well in the long run. They usually can't be maintained for long periods of time and when you go back to your normal way of eating you gain back every pound (or more) that you lost. Slow and steady is the way to go for weight loss. You can also be sure to maintain your muscle and only lose fat by taking it slow and aiming for just one or two pounds lost per week.
3. It has to be a lifestyle change in order for it to stick. Dieting doesn't work, as I stated above, because it is short term. Most people diet until they hit their goal weight and then stop dieting and start gaining weight back. If you make small, permanent changes in the way you eat, when you lose the weight, it will stay gone. A good place to start is concentrating on eating more vegetables. Vegetables are filling, provide lots of micronutrients that your body needs to keep you healthy and are usually very low in calories.
4. Gaining muscle helps you lose fat. Hit the weight room and you will see an increase in your metabolism and a faster fat burn. Concentrate on maintaining or increasing muscle while you are losing fat and don't just pound the pavement or spend hours on the elliptical. Doing only cardio while decreasing calories pretty much guarantees that you will lose muscle along with fat and decrease your metabolism.
5. Planning and tracking your food intake is key. I know it's not fun, but it really does make a huge difference in wether or not you are successful at losing weight. It is so easy to misjudge serving sizes and accidently eat three talblespoons of peanut butter rather than the intended two (which is a 100 calorie difference!). Studies show that those who track their caloric intake are more successful at losing weight.

So here is what you need to do every day to be successful at losing weight: Wake up and make a plan of what you will eat for the day (even better if you do it the night before!), then head to the gym for a weight lifting session to get your metabolism revving. Next you will track what you have for breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner making sure that you are eating things that you like and that you can imagine continuing to eat for the rest of your life. Lastly, you will go to bed a little on the hungry side. The next morning when you wake up and get on the scale you may see a quarter of a pound drop, and that's great because a quarter of a pound a day is almost two pounds a week! Stick with it and those pounds will add up, you will hit your weightloss goal and be able to keep it off.

Black Bean, Corn and Turkey Chili →

It's Autumn! Yay for cooler weather, crock pots, soups, stews and chili! These are some of my favorite foods because they are simple to make, rich in flavor and are easily made healthy! Today I bring you a turkey chilli recipe that I have been making for a few years now. It is a stove top recipe that is also easily made in the crockpot. This last time that I made it I used ground chicken instead of turkey and I doubled everything except the meat. I used one can of black beans and one of kidney beans and I omitted the sugar. I also made my own taco seasoning. It was my favorite version thus far. You won't be sorry if you give it a try!

PB&J Morning Muffins →

Here is another Grab and Go Breakfast (or snack) muffin for you! This one is packed with protein and healthy fats too! I have been making these muffins for several years and can not find the original post that I got them from. So, to whomever created this recipe: THANK YOU! I love it!

The Results are in!

1st place Figure Novice (I was the only competitor) and 2nd out of three in figure open.

It was a small show and I didn't have much competition, but I walk away with my head held high because I felt great on stage and I look at the pictures and see the best version of me that I have ever seen. Thank you all for following my journey.

Now on to building more muscle, fine tuning my eating habits and continuing to teach my two precious baby girls that strong and healthy is beautiful!

The Night Before a Figure Competition

In 24 hours I will be done with my 5th figure competition.

Yahoo! I am so excited to be almost DONE with the prep process! I am ready to be back to my normal (still healthy) eating and (still challenging) workout habits. It's been a long eleven weeks! Soon I will know how well it all payed off. Regardless, it's been a fun ride.

For those who don't know, I have been in the preparation phase for a bodybuilding/figure competition for the past eleven weeks. What does that mean, you ask?

It means planning all of my meals and workouts in advance. It means cutting calories and manipulating macronutrients to see a drop in body fat on a weekly basis. It means hard weighlifting workouts six days a week and hard cardio workouts almost as often. It means being depleted and tired a lot. It means gains in self confidence, strength and pride. It means high heels and overdone make-up and tiny bathing suits. It means I have been working towards my goals and achieving them. It means that no matter what happens tomorrow, I can be proud that I am the best me that I can be and that I have ever been.

Check back tomorrow evening to find out the judging results!

More Food, Fewer Supplements

Because I am a figure competitor most people assume that I take many supplements. I get questions about supplements all the time or people list off what they are taking expecting me to know exactly what they are talking about.

Today I will let you in on a little secret: I usually have no clue what they are talking about, and I generally do not like taking supplements.

I believe that my nutrition should come from my food, not from the lab. However, this is my personal opinion and I do not condemn or condone the use of supplements for others. I believe that they can be useful in certain situations.

For example, right now and for the past ten weeks I have been taking two supplements. The first is a simple whey protein powder that I mix with water and drink once per day. The second is a multivitamin. The reason for their use is that in this stage of my training I am following a high protein diet and have a hard time getting in enough protein without the shake. As for the multivitamin, I want to make sure that all of my micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) bases are covered due to a lack of variety in my current diet.

I do believe that on a regular basis when I am eating a varied diet of high quality, whole foods, I get the nutrients that I need from my food and therefore do not need to use supplements. If for some reason you are not eating a high quality, whole foods diet, then it may be necessary to use supplements.

Please know that is possible to gain muscle without using creatine and pre-workout supplements and it is possible to get good post-workout, recovery nutrition with whole foods rather than a powder or a bar. I feel that a lot of supplements are just a racket. They are purely money makers and don't do anyone any good (other than those making the money off of them, of course!).

If you are a healthy adult without any special dietary concerns, be selective about what supplements you choose to use and choose a whole foods diet as the base of your nutrition plan. Remember that supplements are just that, meant to supplement a good diet.

Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins →

Here is another quick grab-n-go breakfast or snack food. I have made these twice now and my kids (and I) devoured them! The second time I made them I reduced the sugar to 1/4th cup and used three steamed and puréed carrots and one steamed and puréed apple in place of the applesauce. They tasted like carrot cake muffins! Yum! With my changes they only have one teaspoon (four grams) of added sugar per muffin as long as you don't use sweetened dried fruit. Low on added sugar, high on whole grains plus some veggies thrown in...what else could you ask for in a muffin?

Sugar: How much is too much?

Since I talked about cutting back on sugar, you may be wondering how much sugar is ok to have and how much is too much to consume. Today I want to shed some light on what sugar in moderation really means and looks like.

In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake.

The above statement was taken directly from the World Health Organization's Guidline: Sugars Intake for adults and children.

That means that if you are eating 2,000 calories a day, less than 200 calories should come from added sugars. That translates to less than 50 grams and less than 12.5 teaspoon of the sweet stuff. If you are only eating 1,500 calories a day that knocks your numbers down to 150 calories, 37.5 grams and 9.4 teaspoons.

The American Heart Association takes an even harsher stance against sugar and recommends that adult women have no more than 24 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar a day and adult men no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons).

As a comparison, the average American consumes 22 teaspoons (88 grams) of added sugar every day. We have our work cut out for us to reduce that by about 75%!

The information about how much the average american currently consumes comes from an amazing graphic that I found. It pinpoints exactly what is going on with current sugar consumption in the U.S. I love that it ends with "sugar is as addictive as cocaine." We need to kick the habit and reclaim our health!

Let me give you an example of what a day's meal plan might look like for a woman aiming to hit the recommendations set forth by the American heart association; no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day:

**Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, 1 slice whole wheat toast, 1 tsp butter, 1 medium orange, 1 cup of coffee with 1 Tbs. half and half and 1 tsp sugar

**Snack: Kind bar, 1 medium apple

**Lunch: Grilled Chicken Salad with 2 Tbs. low fat raspberry vinaigrette dressing and 1/2 ounce walnuts.

**Snack: afternoon pick me up coffee with 1 Tbs. half and half and 1 tsp sugar. , snack bag of pretzels, Plain Oikos Greek Yogurt Cup and 1/2 cup fresh strawberries

**Dinner: Chicken and vegetable Teryaki stir-fry over brown rice.

**Total Calories: 1,438 Fat: 53 grams, Carbohydrates: 158 grams, Protein: 97 grams, Sugar: 56 grams, ADDED Sugar: 26 grams

So as you can see, this menu is very low in processed foods. That is the only way to keep the added sugar content where it should be. There is no room for sweets, sodas or really any extras at all. I tried to include flavored yogurt, but that added 11 grams of sugar! If you follow the guidelines set out by the World Health Organization, you can trade out the plain yogurt and fresh strawberries for strawberry flavored yogurt and still be within their reccomendations.

Of course it is fine to have more sugar ocassionally, but this is what your menu should look like the majority of the time as far as sugar content goes.

Grab-n-Go Egg Muffins →

I love grab-n-go breakfast foods. However, I despise sweets disguised as quick and easy on-the-go breakfasts that are highly marketed and highly coveted by our young children (and many adults). So, I am going to give you a few healthy, make-ahead, grab-n-go breakfast ideas over the next few weeks. I hope that they help you stay healthy and sane in the back to school madness that is sure to ensue! Today's recipe is so simple! I made these just last night with a few pieces of bacon that I had left over, some green bell pepper and onion. Both of my girls ate them right up this morning. It always puts a smile on my face when I can start their day with some veggies in their breakfast! I use silicone bakeware, so I don't even need to use oil to coat my pans. The only thing that I don't like about the recipe in this linked post is that she uses something that says "egg product". I used whole eggs. One large egg per muffin to be exact. If you want to go with eggs in a carton, that's fine, but be sure to get the kind labeled 100% eggs or 100% egg whites.

Choose an Athletic Goal

If you have taken the time to read my bio you know that my plan was to compete in a figure competition by the end of the year. That is coming to fruition. When I wrote my bio I was working on putting on some muscle, which I accomplished. I put on a total of five or six pounds of muscle.

I am now just over three weeks out from the competition I have chosen, which means that I am about seven weeks into "competition prep". It has been an exhausting but rewarding seven weeks. I have seen my body fat drop by almost 2% and am hoping to see another 1% drop by show day. I'm more excited about this show than any other I have done because I am definitely in the best shape of my life. I have gotten a little better with every show I have competed in.

That brings me to the point of this post. If you have a weight loss or toning and tightening or muscle building goal, you should also choose an athletic goal. Doing so will help you achieve your other goals.

That is what has happened for me. When I was nineteen years old I decided that I wanted to compete in a figure show. I really had no idea what I was getting into, but I hired a trainer and went to it. I fell in love with competing and it has driven many of the lifestyle changes that I have made. If I hadn't decided to compete, I don't think I would be where I am today in terms of my health, nutrition and body composition. When I started training for that first competition, my body fat percentage was 24%. Now on any average day when I am not preparing for a competition, my body fat percentage is 16%.

And it's not just me! I have seen many clients struggle with weight loss until they decided to focus on an athletic goal. I have seen bodies change dramatically after they have decided to train for and run a marathon, try their hand at a triathlon, and compete in weight lifting competitions.

When your goal is purely about the numbers on the scale it can be very demoralizing. When your goal is personal athletic achievement it can be immediately rewarding and that reward tends to spur further hard work and then eventually a change in the numbers on the scale. Think about the fittest, healthiest people that you know. Are they athletes? Most likely they are. Athletes have a drive, work ethic, will, determination and a plan that most people don't have. Change your focus, change your mentality, change your goal, change your body!

Ground Beef Stir Fry →

Here is a quick and easy dinner recipe. I almost always have some ground beef in the freezer and don't always know what to do with it besides hamburgers or meatloaf. I found this recipe and fell in love with it the first time I made it. I make it at least once a month now. The changes I make are to omit the salt (there is enough salt from the soy sauce), use low sodium soy sauce, omit the crushed red pepper (so my kids will eat it, but I put it on the table for my husband and I to top it with) and I often have chicken broth rather than beef stock on hand, so I usually substitute that. I serve it over brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli or green beans. Gotta get those greens in!