Eating healthy can be a hard thing to do. We have so many good foods that tempt us on any given day. The donuts in the break room for breakfast. Stopping for fast food on lunch break because you didn’t have time to pack. Quick Starbucks stop for one of their fancy drinks during a busy day. Lastly, picking up a pizza at the end of a busy day. We have all done one or all of these, and there is nothing wrong with it in moderation.
I may never have stepped foot in a Starbucks, but I used to get fast food once a week when I was heavier. When my kids were in preschool from 8-11:30 a.m., I would pick them up and swing through the drive-thru for lunch, telling myself it was a treat for them. I won’t even tell you what I ordered because it’s ridiculous. My eating habits were horrendous.
I loved donuts, pizza, fast food, and anything, of course, that tasted good. But it wasn’t the food that was the problem. It was how much of it I was eating each sitting.
Donuts are not your enemy. Pizza won’t ruin you. It’s the portions you eat and your daily TDEE. What is TDEE? TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure that breaks down into four groups on any given day. Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns just to stay alive. (If you just laid in bed all day.) There’s the Thermic Effect of Food, which is the number of calories it takes for your body to break down each meal. NEAT, which is the Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Your everyday activities like doing laundry, going to the store, walking the dog, and simply going to work. Then there is exercise that is also a part of your TDEE but counts as the smallest part of your day. So, if you go to the gym for one hour and then sit on the couch the rest of the day, you aren’t doing yourself any favors. Yes, going to the gym or working out at home is so beneficial for our bodies, heart health, and our minds! But would you believe me if I told you your NEAT counts as the biggest part of your day to burn calories? It’s true. High step count is where a healthier lifestyle begins. Most Americans only get 3-4,000 steps a day. We should be getting, at the minimum, 7,500.
Ten thousand steps is the sweet spot, but you can’t tell someone who has been moving 4,000 steps a day to walk 10,000 steps. That’s not how this works. It’s adding steps and small changes over time. You gradually, over time, slowly add steps to your daily routine by parking further away, taking the steps instead of the elevator, or going for a ten-minute walk.
It wasn’t until I was 33 that this all started to make sense to me. I was so overweight and felt horrible. I put on a good front but knew something had to be done. Things were getting ridiculous. Four slices of pizza in one sitting. Two cups of ice cream five nights a week. Going through two pounds of cheese in one week for our family? It was bad.
When I started, I knew I just had to make small changes over a period of time. I tried every diet under the sun. Nothing worked that made it sustainable for me. Yeah, I’d lose 30 lbs. in two or three months. But I felt deprived and always hungry because diets are a joke. They aren’t realistic. I’d gain all my weight back and MORE months later.
Believe it or not, our bodies need carbs for energy. Our bodies need dietary fats for energy and to support cell function. Protein is my favorite macro of all! It helps to build and repair our muscles and bones and, of course, energy. Plus, it is the longest macro for our bodies to break down, hence why protein keeps us full the longest. Cutting out a macro isn’t the answer. It’s learning how to get a healthy balance of it throughout your day.
I wish I could sit here and go into full details to help you understand. It has taken me years of studying and learning. It was me taking the time to invest in my own self-knowledge over the past five years of a healthier lifestyle. I still eat pizza, I still eat donuts, and I get fast food maybe once every 3-4 months?? (if that!) But I eat it all in moderation. I am a 70/30 kinda girl. I make sure I have a high step count, eat tons of protein, workout at least two days a week, and listen to hours of fitness podcasts to continue to teach me more. I went to school to be a fitness and nutrition coach two years ago and have had successful clients who are now living a healthier lifestyle, losing lots of weight while still eating the things they love! It’s incredible to watch their journeys!
I bounce between 62-68 pounds. I have lost and maintained that for over five years. It’s been an incredible journey, and I am still on and will always be on. I don’t have spots available for full coaching programs right now, but I will be taking on a few accountability clients next month.
Skinny Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients:
• 1 pound penne pasta, protein pasta, or whole wheat
• 1 jar marinara sauce 24-ounce jar (lower sugar, optional)
• 15 ounces diced tomatoes
• 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
• 1cup skim mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs, whole wheat
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1teaspoon Italian Seasoning optional, ground oregano
Directions:
Cook pasta according to the package directions, and drain. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, combine the cooked pasta, marinara, tomatoes, and chicken. Stir well. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasoning.
After 40 minutes:
Remove the casserole and stir in the mozzarella cheese.
Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top.
Leave uncovered, return to the oven, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the top is crispy.
