Hello Everyone!
I hope you are having a great week. I just wanted to take some time to address some questions I have been getting. I hope you all find these to be helpful! If you have any questions please feel free to message me here or leave them on my facebook page and I will be more then happy to answer them!!
I have been getting some questions on my facebook page about Eating Clean and some tips on some easy things for your diet to help you stay on track. I thought I would take a few minutes to answer some of those questions on here.
Q: How often should I eat?
A: You should eat every two or three hours. This helps speed up your metabolism, helps to avoid binge eating and helps burn fat. Eating six times a day will make you much less hungry, will give you more energy, and will greatly increase fat loss
Q:What kind of foods should I eat?
A: You should be eating clean, fresh foods, organic. Nothing processed or coming from a box. When shopping for foods shop the outside isle the the grocery store first. You should have fruits, veggies, complex carbs and protein and healthy fats at most all of your meals.
I substitute 2 of my meals a day with a healthy Protein Shake from Isagenix. It is the purest form of undenatured whey protein available. It is the highest quality whey protein concentrate and milk protein form the worlds largest dairy group. They use only free grazing pasture fed cows, free from harmful effects of hormones or antibiotics.
Q: How often are you cooking?
A: I cook most of my meals on Sunday and put them in containers to store for easy access for the coming week. It is easier to stay on track for me when I don't have to guess on what I am going to eat. Some weeks when I am unable to do that, I will cook a large meal for dinner a few nights and store the leftovers, for the following days. Then when I have extra time during the day I will cook some Protein bars, and other meals and put them in my fridge for the week. I love using the crock pot on days I don't have a meal cooked. It is fast and easy and I don't have to do much in the kitchen to have a clean healthy meal.
Q: Where do you get idea's for meals you cook?
A: I take meals from the "Eat Clean Cookbook by: Tosca Reno", also from "Oxygen Magazine"
I also find other fun and easy recipes online or even on facebook. I have also created some of my own clean meals just putting a few things together. Once you get started eating clean you will find that there are so many clean and satisfying tasteful meals out there. Eating clean doesn't have to taste bad or be boring!
Q: How often do you have a Cheat Meal and What is a Cheat meal to you?
A: A cheat meal is different for everyone, but for me it is only one thing. It is not called a cheat meal to me, it is called an "Off Track Meal" It is not a whole day of splurging or binging on whatever you want. I personally don't want all my progress and hard work in the gym to go down the tubes because of one day of eating. I also find that it makes me very sick to my stomach when I have done that in the past. Listen to your body and learn from it!!
I feel like a "Off Track" meal must be earned. As long as I have kept my diet tight for the week and have stayed on track with my workouts I may allow myself a meal I wouldn't normally have, but I still try to keep it as clean as possible. Like a pasta dish, with some chicken and whole wheat pasta, or a drink or two out with friends, or a nice desert after dinner with a glass of wine. I will NOT however, have all three in the same night. (Unless maybe it is my birthday) ☻ Which would only be once a year! If I stay on track and I have earned it, I try to reward myself once every couple of weeks providing, I am not training for a photo shoot or a show. In those cases I will not have one until after my goal has been reached.
Q: Can you give me an example of what you eat in a day?
A: My meals vary daily and depending on weather or not I am in preparation for a shoot or show.
But here is an example of a day in my diet this week.
1/4 cup dry = (1/2 cup cooked) Steel cut oats with Stivia, blueberries and flax oil
1 cup coffee with stivia and splash almond milk
#2: Isagenix Protein Shake with Banana
#3: Tuna or Chicken Salad over baby spinach, with mixed nuts and seeds, small amount feta cheese, baby tomatoes, raisins, and home made dressing.
(Dressing 2 tbs extra virgin Olive oil, Italian seasonings, table spoon brown mustard, dash of black pepper, shake and pour over salad)
#4: Protein Shake
#5: 4 oz grilled chicken, with veggies ( green beans or asparagus)
#6: 4 oz grilled or steamed fish, with green veggies or small salad with cucumber & home made dressing ( no cheese, no fruit)
I hope you found this helpful. Please don't hesitate to ask questions or leave me some feedback! I love hearing from all of you!
A little about me..................................
I have been training pretty regular, I still train right now about 4 to 5 days a week. I plan to increase my training to 6 days in the following months. Now that my son is back in school I have a bit more time to focus on me. I am glad I took the summer to really focus more on my kids and what they were interested in.
I am looking for a house to rent. I am over the apartment complex where I live. We have had more then enough of our share of problems here and it would be nice to have a yard for my kids to play in again. So keep your fingers crossed for me that I find something soon.
I start teaching Piano lessons at our Church in the next month. I went to college for Music Education, however I didn't graduate. I am very excited for this opportunity to share a skill I have had since age 4 and to also bring some extra income into the home. I will keep you posted on how I do as classes start. It has been a while since I played so I have been spending some time practicing and remembering the things I learned growing up.
I am not looking at doing a show until the end of the year if I do one at all this year. I am just really taking things day by day and staying focused on listening to my body and on being a good mom. Doing a show is not as important to me as it used to be. Not if it means I have to do things the unhealthy way or I have to be SO focused on the show that my family falls into the background. Life is about balance and I am finding my balance in it all. I will be happy to do a show this year and I will be just as happy if I don't. Find your balance in it all and don't be so focused on any one thing that other things in your life start to fall apart. You can balance a healthy lifestyle, clean eating, exercise and a family and still be happy ♥ I am living proof!
I hope you all have a great week and God Bless!!
Staying BeautifuLee Fit From the INSIDE Out!!
FitFuLee Yours,
Dede
xoxoxo
