"God won't starve an honest soul, but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked."  Proverbs 10:3 (the Message)

DAY 4 OF BEACH BODY BOOT CAMP AT MC!!!  I fully intended to blog every day of this 10-day challenge, but getting up at 5 again to work out has made me glad to climb into my soft comfy bed by 10pm!!  But starting today I want to offer you 10 tips for healthier eating.  I think we all forget that sometimes it is the small, simple changes we can make in our lives to make us better in big ways!! 

COUNTDOWN TO 10 SIMPLE TIPS FOR HEALTHIER EATING:

1.)  Don't skip meals!!   Let me repeat this tip:  DON'T SKIP MEALS!  I used the verse above because I want you to know why eating is so important for weight loss.   When we skip meals, especially breakfast, your body goes into "hibernation" mode:  it will store whatever you do eat because it thinks you are starving your body.  This is a built in mechanism God designed for our body.  However, if you are struggling with being overweight or wanting to tone up your body, you must not get caught up in that mentality that you need to skip a meal to lose those extra 10 lbs.  You are making it harder on yourself!!  Not only does the body store those precious calories you do finally eat, but it actually has the reverse effect on your metabolism we are trying to achieve.  SKIPPING MEALS SLOWS DOWN YOUR METABOLISM!! 

I don't know about you, but I do not want my metabolism slowing down! Especially at age 42!!! LOL!
So here is a guide of when you should eat throughout the day:

Breakfast:  eat within 1 hour of waking
Snack:  2-3 hours after breakfast
Lunch:  2-3 hours after snack
Snack:  2-3 hours after lunch
Dinner:  Eat at least 3 hours before going to bed
(*Resource on this plan is Chalene Johnson's TurboFire "Fuel the Fire" Nutrition guide.  It is the most simple but thorough nutrition guide you can find, in my opinion.  See below on more info on how to get this guide.)

So basically, you eat every 2-3 hours during the day!!!  I can already see some of you shaking your head at the computer as you read this, thinking, "There is no way I can follow this!"    If you work outside home or travel a lot in your job, this takes some planning ahead.  But is it worth it??  YOU BET!!  If you go to Disney World for vacation, you research hotels, parks, and activities so you get the most out of your trip.  You probably wouldn't just fly to Florida, and take your chances on finding a hotel you really like and not spending a little time preparing for the trip.  We need to have the same mentality about our eating...I want to enjoy this body while I have it (Unfortunately, we don't get to trade it in when it doesn't look like we want it to!! haha).  Planning ahead is the key to keeping your body fueled for the day, keeping your metabolism revved up, and avoiding those binge eating episodes (like eating entire basket of chips and salsa while you wait on your order!).  Been there, done that!!!

My favorite snack to have in purse for going to games or dr appt is:  10 pretzels, 10 almonds or walnuts, and 1/4 cup dried cranberries in zip-lock bag.  Even if you work outside home, this is very easy and you can munch on this while you work!  Also, remember to grab an apple or orange for after lunch along with half peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread.

The biggest problem I see when women tell me they can't lose weight or at a plateau, is they are not eating enough!!  Sounds strange I know, but you need to be eating at least 1200 calories a day (depending on your physical activity, it may need to be more).    But don't eat all 1200 at dinner!!!!  Spread this out throughout the day...200-300 per meal/snack.   Honestly, I usually eat 5 small meals (which are more like snacks packed with protein) a day.  Remember, 80% of the time, you should be eating clean and healthy.   I will talk about the 80/20 rule later in the Top 10 list.   (another awesome tip from Chalene!)

Gotta run take Harbor to gymnastics...my little monkey is climbing over me as I type this!! LOL!!
Have a blessed day!
"Lord, I thank you for allowing me to get out of bed this morning to workout, and for all the women and men who so willingly followed my "crazy sport gym workout"!! Bless them today in all they do. Thank you for this body, which is Your temple...and YOU DON'T MAKE JUNK! In Jesus' name, Amen Link to my website for more information on Turbofire: www.beachbodycoach.com/coachkeitha