Get Rid of the GUILT in "Guilty Pleasures"

Wouldn't it be nice to eat whatever, whenever without gaining weight? Ahhh, if only. The universal struggle, because whatever we eat good or bad has calories - obviously some more than others (except for veggies but lets be honest I will never eat plain celery for fun). Eating healthy is easier said than done and as much as we all would like it to be true, eating healthy doesn't always neutralizes our cravings.

Snacking is not a bad thing. Too much of it can be bad especially if you're eating things that are terrible for you. But as far as eating too many almonds, I'm sure you'll be fine.

We all have different types of cravings. Personally, I start off with craving sweets and then salty things... and then back to sweets. It can be a never ending cycle if I don't watch out. There are a few steps to take before snacking to make sure that you're hungry and not just bored/sad/lonely etc.

I like to stay away from the kitchen. For example, if you find yourself craving things while you're studying, try moving to another part of your house or go somewhere there isn't food like a library instead of a cafe. If you're still hungry, DRINK WATER. Typically if you're getting hungry it is because you're dehydrated. After that, try drinking some tea or even coffee. I find that these are the best beverages to cutting cravings because as long as you don't add sugar in the tea (unless its stevia/agave/a little honey) and only have your coffee plain (or with stevia/almond milk) they are scientifically proven to minimize cravings and even boost your metabolism.

If all of that fails then you probably are pretty hungry so the whole point of this is to recommend a few snacks that aren't completely boring and actually taste good. Remember that by only keeping healthy options in your house, you won't binge on unhealthy foods. Refer to my other post, "Challenge #1: Clean Out the Pantry!" for more information on what you need to be throwing out of the pantry!

1. Apple and Peanut Butter

I know I said this wouldn't be boring and I probably did start off with the lamest one, but I could eat this combination everyday for the rest of my life. Apple's are high in fiber which means they'll keep you fuller longer and cut your cravings by a good amount. Fiber intake should typically be around 20 grams a day (if you eat 20 grams a day of fiber give yourself a pat on the back because very few people do) and the peanut butter just adds calories so that you won't be hungry once you've finished. A decent serving would be a medium sized apple and 1 1/2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Make sure you're buying organic peanut butter without all of the added sugar.

2. Fruit Salads

Regardless of the amount of sugar in fruit, it's natural sugar which is a whole lot better than what's in that box of Fruit Loops. So I don't care what people say, eat a fruit salad if that's what's going to make you happy. And drizzle that honey on it because I know you want to.

3. So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Ice Cream

This stuff tastes amazing and has such a rich flavor. You could get the no sugar sugar added or the regular one. I love how it tastes natural! Ah it's the best stuff ever! I believe the serving size is 1/4 c so you shouldn't have more than that. If you have issues with portion control then don't you even think about taking that whole tub up to your room to watch Netflix because you'll eat it all.

4. Dark Chocolate

A piece here and there won't kill you. It is high in antioxidants and it's proven to cut cravings, if you don't eat the whole bar.

5. Popcorn

I absolutely love popcorn. I am still trying to buy a small popcorn maker to make my own instead of using the microwave (i know, shame on me). But it's very delicious and it's okay to eat in moderation. I wouldn't recommend any with butter. Plain or lightly salted is OK.

6. Hummus

I love hummus but for some reason I cannot eat it on a slice of bread - random fact. So I eat hummus with baby carrots, flax seed crackers, cucumbers, even pita chips occasionally, and there are lots of other options depending on what you like. Making your own hummus is crazy easy so you can always have some in the house.

Sorry it took so long to post, I have been extremely busy with school and finals are right around the corner so bear with me. Look forward to instructional pictures in the gym come January. I am finishing up my contract at Gold's Gym in January and moving to LA Fitness to train with my boyfriend. I will be posting a lot more workouts in the near future. Make sure you're following my instagram page - @lifemeetgym for the quickest updates. Also that's where you can get in touch with me! I love answering your messages on Facebook as well so keep them coming!!!

None of the pictures in the post were taken by me, they were found courtesy of Google Images and Tumblr.

What I Ate Today

Since I've been getting lots of questions from my wonderful readers about what I eat on a daily basis, I decided this would be both a fun and informative blog post.

I try my best to eat nutritious meals everyday but I am not perfect. I am not trying to lose any weight so I do not count calories I just make sure I get the daily recommendation for most vitamins/minerals. This is an approximation most of the time because I don't feel the need to obsess over these things. I started following a blog this summer, The Balanced Blonde, who once called herself "The Blonde Vegan". She has a post where she mentions her diagnosis of Orthorexia Nervosa, which is the obsession of healthy eating. As a very strict Vegan with lots of fans and supporters all over the world, when she announced that she was transitioning away from veganism, she definitely received more attention (mostly negative and hateful) than she wanted. Her post, "Why I'm Transitioning Away from Veganism" made me realize that the amount of stress I was putting on myself was not healthy at all. It's funny how that worked, I was obsessed with eating healthy but it was destroying my confidence, self esteem, and so many other things. It is hard to not spend an unnecessary amount of time in the peanut butter aisle trying to see which is the most natural option, but in order to have a healthy body you must have a healthy mind. To not blow this whole thing out of proportion let me just say that my goal now is to just find a balance. I try my best to put healthy foods into my body but I won't be the only person that doesn't eat when I go out with a group of friends.

Well that rant was a lot longer than I wanted it to be but here's what I ate today!

Breakfast 7:30 am

Grabbed a quick snack before I left the house and grabbed my water bottle of course!

Pre-workout Snack 10am

Enjoyed a pear after class. I wasn't very hungry so I didn't want to make myself eat so that I didn't feel weighed down during my workout. Listen to your body... Who else eats pears from the top?

Post-workout Lunch 1:30pm

SMOOTHIE BOWL
OMG I was so excited about this. I had a bunch of frozen fruit from last week so I made this beautiful  concoction. I blended almond milk, bananas, and strawberries. On top I sprinkled flax seeds, chia seeds, oatmeal, and added some kiwi slices. It was wonderful and definitely filled me up!

Dinner 5:30pm

Made a simple dinner with some sautéed veggies (onions, red pepper, asparagus), added some soy chicken strips, with brown rice couscous. It was delicious with just the right amount of crunch from the veggies.

Snack around 7:30pm

Sat down to watch a movie with my boyfriend to watch a movie and snacked on some pumpkin seeds.

Hope that gives you a good idea of how you should be eating. Remember, even though I am not trying to lose weight if you're transitioning from an unhealthy diet this is a great example for what you should be eating. If you haven't noticed I love eating fruit, some might say it's too much sugar but I do try to stay away from fruits after lunch... for the most part.