Food is a big part of our lives. We need it, but we are also in control of it. Don't let food control you. Set the boundaries for your individual needs and stick to it. All too often we are to nice to say, "No!" This last season of The Biggest Loser I remember one contestant saying something along the lines of- I can't afford to be nice anymore. For example we often don't want to offend if eating at someone else's home. We are too courteous to ask for special preparations when going out to eat. Unfortunately we can't afford to always be nice. It's ok to take your life in control and say no sometimes.
Even the littlest change can make a difference. You don't need to eliminate everything bad in your diet. I suggest keeping a food dairy for at least a week. Track what you eat, when you eat it and how you felt afterwards. Then sit down and make adjustments and goals. Everyone is different. Set better goals for you and your lifestyle. Set goals to help you feel healthier.
Now that we have had a week on exercise options, and now food control we are on the right track for getting more fit and healthy. Next week is the fun week once all the hard work start to pay off and we get to go shopping!

For the giveaway this week we have a $10 Wal-Mart gift card. Hopefully to help get us on track for summer and vacations.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Closes 6/8/13 an 12:00 AM
Winner will be announced with in 48 hours of closing. Winner has 48 hours to respond or new winner will be announced.

"Are you hungry or are you bored?" I ask my kids this all the time. All too often as a parent when my kids are bored, fighting, need a time filler we use snacks. We also go to food out of habit. What's a movie with out popcorn or a holiday with out baked goods? There are ways to help fight cravings and snack better.
Start out by allowing yourself to have snacks. Schedule your self a snack after breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don't skip them. Otherwise like Christy mentioned here you will binge or run to junk. Eat lean protein, healthy fats, or produce. Easy lean proteins are things like turkey, Greek yogurt, hard boiled egg whites, soy or black beans. Some great healthy fats can be avocado, nuts or almond/peanut butter. If you are going to have a higher sugared or carb snack eat it sooner rather than later. That way you give your body more time to burn it off.

A new study shows raisins as a great snack. Compared to other snacks raisins help you feel more full so that you intake less calories. Raisins are cholesterol and fat free, and have very little natural sodium. Plus they are a great anti-oxidant. Raisins are easy to take anywhere.
Celery and apples with peanut butter are one my kids favorites. I eat mine with almond butter. My son loves to make "peanut butter ants." Which are raisins with peanut butter. It's a little messy but healthier than a fruit snack. Click on the picture below for 100 more snack idea's

What do I do if I still crave things between snacks and meals? Hopefully if you are eating 3 proper meals, and 3 filling snacks you shouldn't crave too much. If you do here are some things I use to help me with cravings.
First of all I use any kind of positive motivation or sayings. I put them on my fridge. I use to have this picture on my fridge, right now it's a Hawaii picture.

If I you are craving sugars try eating a huge spoonful of actual sugar. Chances are you won't be able to do it. Even if you do I wonder if it would be healthier than whatever the alternative was?

When I have a chocolate craving I get out 10 chocolate chips, usually dark chocolate. I eat only 1 every minute. That way for 10 minutes I get a nice chocolaty snack. Usually those 10 minutes and a tall glass of water help hold me over till the next meal.
Try drinking some water or chewing some gum. Try something to keep you busy and occupied. I am sure there is some laundry, or a good book somewhere to help get your mind off food.

We previously got some great advice from Christy on eating healthier. Now it's time to go shopping, and replace our kitchen with better food. Wait isn't eating healthier more expensive? I hear this all the time. Yes pre packaged foods are cheaper, but they are just that CHEAP! If you are what you eat, then why do we eat such crap? Sometimes it's convenience and other times it's cost. I want to show you that eating better isn't always more costly.

1- Buy Things In Season
Yesterday I encouraged everyone to buy more fruits and veggies. They are cheapest when purchased in season. Be aware of what is in season and where is it grown. A few months ago a 10lb bag of potato's were $.99. At that price my kids were eating potato everything. Baked potatoes, funeral potatoes, hash browns, potato soup and tons more. Here are some charts of when things are in season.

2- Price Match

There are lots of websites to help you price match. They do a lot of the leg work for you finding out where the best deals are. Then you go to a place that price matches like Wal-Mart and price match. Now I know sometimes these "cheaper" places don't have as good of quality produce, but the nutrients in the food don't change. Just make sure to plan on eating them quicker. I recommend using a website like pricematchwithrachel.com.
 3- Budgeting
When replacing unhealthy foods for healthier options, we are also replacing where money is being spent. For example instead of white rice buy brown rice. Instead of paying for chips, soda and candy buy dehydrated fruits, nuts and juice. Yes some healthier options do cost more money sometimes, the idea is to spend the money elsewhere not in addition to.

Sugar Grilled Asparagus:

I am so excited to introduce today's guest blogger. I met Christy when I started trying out different classes and work outs. Remember my favorite instructor from this post ? She helped me loose those last few and most stubborn pounds after baby #3.
As a personal trainer and fitness instructor, I get a ton of questions about healthy eating. It should be known right off the bat—I am NOT a nutritionist or a registered dietitian. What I am is a perpetual reader, experimenter, and studier of the most recent nutrition science. I’m also an avid runner, and I’ve done bikini bodybuilding—two very different sports with very different nutrition requirements, but I’ve learned how to fuel my body to feel good for a variety of demanding activities. I’ve also learned to not get so hung up on rules and numbers, which is an easy thing to do when you participate in physique contests! Instead, focus on eating REAL food, eating mindfully, and developing a healthy relationship with food.

Eating REAL. Most consumers are finally beginning to understand what REAL means—if it’s in a package, odds are high it’s not 100% real. If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, it’s definitely not REAL, unless you’re just a terrible reader. Real food is fresh, delicious, and makes you feel connected to the Earth. Nothing is more gratifying than making a salad purely out of food items I grew in my own backyard. Ethically, I do try to purchase "happy" meat and poultry and fish; economically, this isn’t always feasible but I definitely avoid processed meats, as they tend to be high in sodium and nitrates and have been linked to cancer and listeria (Healthcastle.com).

Eating mindfully. When it comes to eating, all too often we are similar to dogs. We will put anything into our mouths, anytime, no matter what it is. We need to stop and think. Is this actually benefitting my body? Am I already satisfied? Is this an emotional craving or do I truly need this nutrient? Do I need to SLEEP or EAT? For my clients, I always ask: what are your sleep habits? If I can fix their sleep patterns (or lack thereof), I can help them drop 5-10 lbs easily. Late night eating is often a result of people ignoring their bodies, which are telling them to CONSERVE calories and go to sleep. Instead, they interpret is as, "CONSUME calories. You need energy." I’d guess this is the number one detriment to clients reaching their weight loss goals! The number two detriment is the misguided belief that you should always be full. You should NEVER feel full, even after a meal. Aim for 70% full, and eat when you’re 70% "starving". Typically, this translates to eating every few hours, small but satisfying meals.

Develop a healthy relationship with food. Food is not the enemy. It is not your friend. It is not your reward or your punishment. Food is fuel. Because it fuels us—gives us energy, heals our bodies, feeds our cells—we should put the best foods into our bodies. Food is also part of our cultures. Often, we celebrate with food, but the focus should still be on the people and moments we are celebrating, and not just about the food. When I first got into physique competing, I did find myself obsessing over food and viewing food negatively. Inevitably, my strict dieting and deprivations led to full-on bingeing episodes. These in turn led to guilt and negative self-image (how could I have no willpower?), and the cycle repeated itself. I had to re-establish healthy thought patterns. I had to let go of the "fruit after noon is a sin" and "bread is for fat people" mindsets. I now focus on the 90-10 rule: how do you eat 90% of the time? 90% of the time, I eat clean, no refined sugar, tons of lean protein, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and small portions. But 10% of the time, I enjoy splurges! I eat a chocolate chip cookie; I chomp down a gourmet burger; or I imbibe a sugary alcoholic beverage. And I don’t beat myself up. I move on easily to my 90% healthy eating lifestyle.
Now, the above tips are all fine and dandy. But I know my clients want some specific steps that work when trying to lose fat pounds. Here are the basic guidelines I give my clients to get them started on their healthy eating journey:

In a nutshell . . . Be SMART.
S- Simplify meals. No need for tons of ingredients & complex recipes. Think easy, fresh, real.

M- Make it mindful. Decide if you’re hungry. You may actually be thirsty, bored, depressed, stressed, etc. Eat slowly. Eat to satisfaction. Never ever feel FULL. Don’t ever let your blood sugar levels drop too low, either. The second you feel full is the second you’ve put on another pound. The second your blood sugar levels drop is the second you’re going to binge & make poor food choices.

A-Active all day. Seek ways to move more, especially after meals. A calorie is not just a calorie. Your metabolic rate plays a huge part, & activity is the easiest way to increase it. Also thermogenic: spicy peppers, green tea/coffee, & muscles ;)

R- Replace rather than Remove. Avoid thinking that you’re giving up foods; instead focus on replacing foods. Replace one bad habit at a time—try not to get overwhelmed with every change at once. Unless you do better cold-turkey approach!

T- Time. Time, time. Time your meals & stick to them. Make time for your workouts. Make time for YOU. Spend less time hiding out in your pantry & more time playing with your family ;)

Smart & simple meal formula :

Meal 1: 1 serving starchy carb, 1 serving fruit, 1 serving protein
(breakfast)
Meal 2: 1 serving fruit/veggie carb, 1 serving dairy protein, teensy serving of healthy fat
(post-workout or mid-morning snack)
Meal 3: large serving leafy greens/fibrous carb, 1 serving protein, 1 serving fruit/veggie carb, teensy serving healthy fat
(lunch)
Meal 4: 1 serving fruit or veggie carb, ½ serving protein, ½ serving healthy fat
(afternoon snack)
Meal 5: large serving veggie carb, small serving starchy carb or large leafy carb, 1 serving protein, teensy healthy fat
(dinner)
Meal 6: ½-1 serving protein, 1 serving fruit or veggie carb, teensy healthy fat
(post-workout or pre-bedtime snack)

Christy Stevenson is a Fitflicks personal trainer, IDEA Fitness Journal writer, a high school English teacher, and mom of three. She teaches fitness classes and supervises the land aerobics program at American Fork Fitness Center. Learn more at www.fitflicks.com/trainer-profile/15 .