A long, hard, strenuous, workout deserves a snack, but did you know that the food you choose is just as important as the actual workout itself?

For many people, exercise has become an excuse to eat whatever you want. Not just right after the workout, but throughout the entire day. This can be especially harmful since the metabolism is jump started after a workout, increasing one’s appetite throughout the day. With this mentality and an increased appetite, it can lead to over eating and reaching for the wrong type of food.

On the other hand, one might think that not eating at all after a workout will aid in weight loss, when in actuality, a small 200 calorie snack can prevent you from pigging out down the road with a 800 calorie snack. Having a post workout snack also helps in keeping your metabolism rev’ed up. One should grab a snack 30 minutes to 2 hours after a workout.

So, what should you eat when you get home from the gym?

To contrary believe, carbohydrates are essential to a post-workout snack and should make up about 60% of it. During a workout, the glycogen storage is depleted and should be replenished and refueled to make it through the day without overeating. A post-workout snack for moderate exercise should include 30-50 grams of carbohydrates.

Second, the snack should include some sort of protein which aids in rebuilding muscle.

Here are 7 great post workout snack that will leave you full and keep you going throughout the day:

* Egg Sandwich: 100 calorie English muffin with egg whites

* Fruit and Yogurt mixed with a small amount of granola

* 1 tbsp peanut butter and 1 banana on a rice cake

* Low fat fruit smoothie and protein powder

* High fiber crackers and low fat cheese

* Low sugar fruit juice and a hand full of Nuts

* Cottage cheese and fruit

Question: What is your favorite Post-Workout Snack?

I love making fruit smoothies after my workout!

Oh the exercise battle. . . doesn’t someone know that I am way to tired in the morning to start a fight? At night I am so motivated and excited to hit the gym in the morning and the second my alarm goes off the exercise excuses start flying.

“I’m way to tired. I better sleep in to make it through the day”

“The gym is too far away and I don’t have enough gas to get there”

“I will just go tomorrow”

“I just don’t have enough time”

I feel like I have a hat load of excuses and each morning I draw one out and use that one for the day.

For some of you it’s the excuse that you will start excising tomorrow, but tomorrow has come and gone and you are still stuck on that couch. But don’t think you are alone is the exercise excuse train… here is a list of American exercise excuses:

40% say that don’t have enough time

20% say they get enough exercise at work or home

15% say their health gets in the way of exercising

12% say it is boring

10% use their age as an excuse

9% don’t see the benefit of exercising

7% pull the tired card

It’s time that we stop losing this battle and start hitting the exercise excuses head on to overcome them and start living a healthy lifestyle. The only way to beat this battle is to reason out your excuses. Here are 6 way to beat your exercise excuses:

“I’ll just start working out tomorrow”

Oh please! We all know that means in a few months. If you say it, mean it. Set a time and day and make sure that your schedule is clear. Tell a friend and make them hold you accountable the next day. . . or even better, meet up your friend for a walk.

“I don’t have time”

… ok, but you have time to watch TV several hours a night and hangout with friends around the lunch table for an hour at work. Prioritizing is key here! Pretty sure TV shouldn’t be on your top 5 priorities of the day

If you want to get get healthy and active, you are going to have to make some changes and give up 30 minutes of your day. Turn off the TV at night and take a walk or pop in a workout video. Have an hour lunch break at work? Cut that break in half and use the last 30 minutes to go on a walk with your co-workers.

“But I don’t have a gym”

The gym isn’t the only place to workout. Go outside and enjoy nature and the beauty that it holds. Here are some fun exercise to do outside. Not to fast, think the weather won’t allow it or it’s too dark? Pop in a workout video and get to work! Here are some of my favorite workout videos less than $20.00

“I hate exercising”

Exercising doesn’t mean spending countless hours on a treadmill or bike. Find something that you enjoy doing that will increase your heart rate. Go for a walk, swim, dancing, join a recreational adult sports team.

“I’m too tired”

Being tired has been linked to a sedentary lifestyle. The best way to beat this cycle is to get up and go workout. I know I always dread putting myself out of bed but at the end of my workout I am full of energy and feel ten times better!

“I don’t get a break from the kids”

Kids exercise too you know. In fact, it’s not only a great way to let them have a good time but it’s a way to wear them out and get them ready to hit the pillow hard tonight. For those of you that have little ones, pull out the stroller and take a walk to a nearby Starbucks or grocery store.

When you find yourself jumping on the exercise excuse bus, just think through all these reasons as to why you should go workout. And remind yourself of all the major benefits of working out… weightloss, lower body fat, decreased risks of illnesses / diseases, reduce depression, and increase energy.

Eating out is a lot of fun, and at times can be unavoidable. While this can be fun, it can also be tough while on a diet. I always say that one should look up the nutritional content on the restaurant they are going to or deciding on what they will be eating ahead of time. But sometimes this is just not possible. Either plans change or the internet is down and you can’t see the nutrition facts.

Have no fear my weight loss buddies. There are other ways to beat all those unnecessary fats and calories loaded on those plates.

Did you know that are thousands of calories behind one word?

Yep, the name or description of a plate can say a lot about the nutrition facts and health level. By discovering and learning menu key words or phrases, you can save yourself from sabotaging your diet as well as the stress of finding something healthy and yet still enjoyable.

*

Here are key words that should be red flagged and avoid.

* Battered

* Breaded

* Buttered

* Cheesy

* Country-Style

* Creamy

* Crispy

* Crunchy

* Crusted

* Fried

* Glazed

* Gooey

* Honey-dipped

* Melted

* Smothered

Oh man, I’m drooling now just thinking about all the foods that contain these words. But ingraining these small words in your head can save you from that next morning hangout of “why did I eat that.”

Instead, look for these keywords on your menu that add flavor and texture without extra calories.

* Roasted

* Baked

* Broiled

* Broth

* Fresh

* Multi-Grain

* Poached

* Rubbed

* Seared

* Grilled

* Scented

* Sauteed

* Spiced

* Seasoned

* Steamed

Figuring out the language of hidden calories is the first step to surviving a meal at sit-down chain restaurants. Stick with this list of healthy words and you will be set in finding a healthy restaurant meal.

Question: What is your favorite restaurant and what healthy plate do you like?

I would have to say mine is Chillies and I love eating their Chicken Fajita Pita… YUM!

My brother and I went to the Souplantation for lunch yesterday. Souplantation is a soup and salad bar.

Thinking we would get a low calorie lunch, loaded with veggies and fiber, we were so excited. . . Little did we know that we had fallen into a dietary disaster.

Soup and Salad bars are great alternatives to any restaurant, but if you don’t watch it, your meal could become worse than just ordering hamburger, fries, and a shake at McDonalds.

Now, you are probably thinking, how can you go wrong with a salad? These little suckers are so deceiving! Just because there are veggies on your plate, doesn’t mean it’s healthy when they are swimming in a pool of ranch dressing and loaded with cheese and croutons.

And salad bars usually don’t just come with a salad. At Souplantation you get the bakery, soups, and dessert all added into your meal. Who can resist those cute little muffins screaming, “Pick Me, Pick Me?”

Seconds anyone? Because salad bars are coined healthy, people usually enjoy going back for seconds. I always use the excuse that I need to get my money’s worth. But really, one large full plate is more than enough. Going back for round two can sabotage your diet and lead you into further temptation when you walk by those muffins screaming your name… don’t torture yourself like that!

Healthy and all, these types of places deceive people into think that they are eating healthy, so they go on a free for all. . . eating everything in sight. It’s dangerous people! They really should have a warning sign up or something. I had to rolled out of the restaurant by the time I was done.

Here are some tips that will help you stay within your daily calorie budget when eating at a Salad Bar.

* Go in with a plan! Know what you want to eat and what you want to avoid

* Skip out on the pre-tossed salads! These salads can have hundreds of calories and fat

* Get the dressing on the side and dip your fork into it instead of drowning your poor little veggies

* Skip out on croutons and bacon bits. These bad boys are loaded with fat and unnecessary calories

* Watch out for pasta salads. They usually are not as healthy as you think

* Choose a vegetable soup if soups are available

* Get only one side to your salad

* I would say skip the bakery all together, but who am I kidding… limit yourself to one and skip the butter and honey.

* Opt out of the ice cream and head towards the fruit and jello.

Question: What is your favorite Soup and Salad Bar Restaurant and what do you enjoy to eat there?

I love Souplantation / Sweet Tomato… they are the same company.

The blueberry and bran muffins are my favorite. The best part are the tops!

Chip-O-Top-Lay, Chipoodle… oh right, Chipotle!

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a great fresh fast-food mexican chain that allows you to build your own taco, burrito, salad, or burrito bowl. From the looks of the of it, one would think it would be healthy, but hidden underneath that burrito lays over 1,200 calories! Yep, you heard me right. . . maybe it has to do with the fact that their burritos are bigger than my face. You definitely can’t say that you don’t get your money’s worth here! ! !

Calories add up fast and you don’t even realize it when you add a little guacamole here, a scoop of sour cream there, a hand full of cheese, and oh wait… don’t forget the lime chips… they are by far God’s gift to mankind! Oh man, I’m hungry!

So how do you eat healthy at Chipotle?

For one, don’t eat the entire Chipotle meal. Portions these days have gotten ridiculous… especially at Chipotle! Check out this older post on Visualizing Portion Control and then go compare your burrito… you might understand me then.

For those of you who are like me and “accidently” end up eating the whole meal without realizing it, cut your meal in half and bag it up before you even begin to eat. This way you aren’t mindlessly eating till it’s gone… and having to roll yourself out of the store

For a burrito or taco, skip out on the guacamole, sour cream, and cheese. . . this saves you nearly 400 calories. If you want to save an extra 300 calories, opt out on the burrito and go for the burrito bowl.

Just because you are skipping out on the tortilla, doesn’t mean you should add on extra rice and beans. Fill up your bowl with veggies and ask for a little bit of rice and beans.

And for those of you that want to be extremely good, go all the way for a salad. These are my favorite because the sauteed bell peppers and onions is a perfect addition to a tasty meal. Add in tomatoes and corn and you are set!

Toss the 260 calorie, 25g of fat salad dressing and opt for salsa.

While Chipotle might have 1,200 burritos, there are ways around it. So make sure you have a plan before heading into the store.

This handy dandy Chipotle Calculator is great to building your own meal. Make sure to use this the next time you head out to Chipotle.

Question: What is your favorite combo meal at Chipotle?

Adios Amigos!

A Success indeed! No more chewy spinach smoothies

… I have successfully made my very first green monster smoothie

Thanks to all you that commented and gave me such wonderful advice on making these smoothies.

I went out that night and bought some fresh spinach!

Top Advice: Fresh Spinach! Me being the cheap person that I am thought I would save money on buying frozen spinach. Well, if you like to chew your smoothies, then go for it. For me, I’m all about the puree!

And really, fresh spinach isn’t expensive, so I pretty much wasted my time on the frozen spinach.

I thought this morning I would attempt the Virgin Green Monster Smoothie Recipe from the Green Monster Movement.

- 1 frozen banana

- 1 cup Almond Milk

- 2 cups spinach

- 6 ice cubes

- A dash of Stevia

The recipe doesn’t call for sweetener, but I have a huge sweet tooth so I added this in at the end.

OMG! This stuff is amazing. Seriously people, if you haven’t tried it, you need to. I promise you that you won’t taste the spinach… unless you are like me in round one and aim for a chewy smoothie with frozen spinach. There are just some things you can’t go cheap on

What are you waiting for… go make one all ready!

Question: What type of Green Monster Smoothie did you make this morning?

In honor of my previous post on smoothies, I thought I would take it upon myself to try the newest craze I’ve been reading about. Green Monsters. These smoothies are made with a key ingredient, kale or spinach.

I know, I know! Gross, right? Well evidently all it is all said and done, you can’t even taste the spinach. You simply combine spinach or kale with your favorite fruits and voila… you have a Green Monster.

Angela over at the Oh She Glows first started this craze. Evidently these smoothies are suppose to give you huge benefits. Increases Energy levels. Decrease consumption of oils and fats in your diet. You start craving more veggies and less sweets… now that is what i need. I have a huge sweet tooth! You can read more about these healthy drinks HERE.

So, I woke up this morning excited to try it out. After my 5 mile run I thought a Green Monster Smoothie would be a perfect way to refuel and start off my day

. . . hmmm

Lets just say, my first attempt this morning didn’t go as planned

I pulled out all my ingredients…

1/4 cup strawberries

1/4 cup blueberries

2 cups spinach

1 cup Almond Milk

I don’t know what happened with the spinach, but it is way too chunky! Maybe it was due to the fact that I used frozen spinach or the blender was messed up? I don’t know. It just wouldn’t blend and now I sit here chewing on my drink.

Any suggestions?

For those of you who have not tried a Green Monster Smoothie, head on over to Angela’s site. She has tons of great recipes to try. Hopefully yours won’t be so chunky like mine

And for the Pro Green Monster Smoothie Makers out there, leave your favorite recipe in the comments section for all of us newbies to try out.

Holla mi amigos!

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Mexican Food has gotten a bad reputation in the weight loss realm for all the greasy, gooey, cheese smothering foods. Have no fear though my weight watchers… this recipe will live you in a food coma and still losing weight.Today I thought I would share with you a great low calorie Mexican Food Recipe. Check it out:

Healthy La Tortilla Pie

Ingredients

* 1 cup corn kernels

* Sliced Green Onions

* 1 teaspoon ground cumin

* 1 1/2 cup salsa

* 1 can (15-19oz) low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

* 4 large La Tortilla Low Carb Tortillas- 80 calories

* 1- 1 1/2 cup fat free shredded cheese

* 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions

* Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray large cookie sheet

* Over medium heat, add corn, green onions, and cumin. Cook for about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in salsa and beans.

* Place 1 tortilla on cookie sheet. Top with 1/2 cup bean mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat, starting with tortilla, to make 2 more layers. Top with remaining tortilla and cheese.

* Bake the pie for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro

Hope you Enjoy!

Smoothies are always a great choice during the summer when it’s hot outside and you want something healthy to cool off on. While most smoothies are loaded with rich antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals, beware, most fruit smoothies are loaded with sugar and calories. For instance, Jamba Juice’s Peanut Butter Moo’d is a dazzling 800 calories and 122g of sugar! While the Orange Dream Machine loaded with vitamin C is a whopping 70g of sugar.

The safest route for a healthy smoothie is to bust out that blender and make it yourself. Avoid ingredients like ice cream, whole milk, sugar and cream. There are the culprits in sabotaging your healthy smoothie. Pick ingredients like fat free milk, light yogurt, almond milk, fat free milk, and sugar-free fruit juice.

Unlike most healthy smoothies that are extremely watery and flavorless, adding in frozen fruit to your smoothies will create that creamy and thick texture. No fruit in your recipe? Freezing the liquids in your recipe will work as well, such as coffee, juice, and milk. Just pour them into an ice cube tray and you have several smoothies.

Add a little kick to your drink without the calories by adding in vanilla, almond, coconut, or lemon extracts.

Need a great guilt-free smoothie recipe?

This Orange Dream Machine is still loaded with vitamin C but no where near 70g of sugar and only 85 calories!

Orange Dream Machine

- 3 oz. Diet Orange Juice Concentrate

- 2-3 packets of Splenda

- 1/2 cup light soy milk (regular or vanilla)

- 1/2 cup water

- 4 ice cubes

- 1 tsp. vanilla

Citrus Berry Fruit Smoothie

- 1/2 frozen banana

- 1/4 cup peaches

- 1/4 cup blueberries

- 1/4 cup strawberries

- 1/4 cup Diet Orange Juice Concentrate

- A little bit of lime juice

Share with us some of your favorite healthy smoothie recipes?

Some people think Quaker Rice Cakes taste like cardboard, but I love them! These crunchy cakes range anywhere from 35-60 calories with flavors including plain, chocolate, peanut butter chocolate chip, caramel, cinnamon apple, popcorn and cheddar.

The mini snack cakes have even better flavors ranging from mint chocolate chip, cinnamon streusel, peanut butter, white chocolate drizzle, and sour cream and onion… just to name a few and have only 60 calories for approximately 8 rice cakes. Swoop those sour cream and onion lays for these rice cakes and you save 100’s of calories and fat!

What most people don’t know is that you can do so many different things with Quaker Rice Cakes. You can make anything from mini meals to delicious low calorie desserts. Create some excitement with your Quaker Rice Cakes with these simple, low calories, low fat recipes:

Guiltless Pizza

(80 calories, 2 weight watcher point)

*1 Quaker Salt Free Rice Cake

* Fat Free Pizza Sauce

* Chopped Veggies

* Fat Free Shredded Cheese

BBQ Chicken Salad

(100 calories, 2 weight watcher points)

* 1 Quaker Salt Free Rice Cake

* Cooked Shredded Chicken

* Barbecue Sauce

* Chopped Onions

* Fat Free Sharp Cheddar Cheese

* Chopped Cilantro

Mini Nacho Dippers

(200 calories, 3 weight watcher points)

* 9 Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks, Nacho Cheese

* Old El Paso Fat Free Refried Beans

* Fat Free Sour Cream

* Salsa (Mild, Medium or Hot)

* Optional: slices of jalapenos and/or black olives

Mexican Pizza

(100 calories, 2 weight watcher points)

* 1 Quaker Salt Free Rice Cake

* Fat Free Refried Beans

* Salsa

* Diced Tomatoes

* Chopped Green Chilies, Green Peppers, and Onions

* Chopped green peppers

* Fat Free Shredded Cheese

Tuna Delight

(100 calories, 3 weight watcher points)

* 1 Quaker Salt Free Rice Cake

* Tuna in Brine or Water

* Chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, green apples, green chili

* Fat Free Mayo

Banana Nut Caramel Chocolate Crunch

(110 calories, 2 weight watcher points )

* 1 Quaker Caramel Rice Cakes

* Fat Free Chocolate Syrup

* Chopped Peanuts

* Fat Free Caramel Sauce

* Slices of Banana

* Fat Free Whipped Topping

Berries and Granola

(80 calories, 1 point weight watchers)

* 1 Quaker Cinnamon Toast Cakes

* Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt

* Blueberries and Raspberries

*100% Natural Low Fat Granola with Raisins

Key Lime Pie

* 1 Quaker Cinnamon Toast Cakes

* Soft Low Fat Cream Cheese

* Splenda

* Vanilla Extract

* Lemon Juice

Peanut Butter N’ Marshmallow Crunch Cake

(168 calories, 4 weight weight points)

* 1 Quaker Caramel Rice Cakes

* Marshmallow Creme (room temp.)

* Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter (room temp.)

* Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

They also are great crumbled up in yogurt or in ice cream

for a low calorie / low fat version of granola!

So how do you like to eat your rice cakes?