Weekend Prep

If you backtrack some of your habits, you may be surprised by the number of years you've had them. My weekend prep habit started in College. I noticed the laundry room was empty at certain times on Saturday so that became my laundry day. I used to clean my room on Saturday during my breaks from my cafeteria job. 

When I went to graduate school, that habit continued. Weekends were for cleaning, cooking and laundry. There was little time during the week to prep. Everything needed to be ready so I could hit the ground running. I even started working out early. My roommate and I would hit the gym at 6 am. The mutual encouragement was good. 

When I got married, we kept the weekends as prep days. I took a break during my early motherhood years. I was staying at home, which gave me more flexibility to fix meals and laundry during the week. Sundays were the big days for us. We needed to prep outfits, hair, food and diaper bags. 

Being prepared for my week has allowed me to feel peaceful and prepared. Alert and ready to tackle any challenges I may face. 

This prep thing looks so simple but really it is powerful. You can get things done when don't prep but the freedom to know things are ready so I can fulfill God's call for my life is amazing.

The areas that help me the most during weekend prep are:

• Laundry - I start by choosing a laundry day and committing to finish what I started. I wash, dry, and actually put my work outfits together for the week. The less I have to think when I'm getting ready, the better. The outfit has to be complete from head to toe.

• Food - I've been asked over and over why I prep food. The questions help me define why I go through this process each week. At this point in our family's life, we eat for fuel. We are all active people. Food fuels the life God has graciously given us. 
I look at my schedule first. There are days we are not eating dinner at home. I plan for the days we will eat at home. Then I write a menu. A few years ago, I decided to stick with foods my family will eat. I used to try to cook all types of things I didn't even want to cook. I still try new things, but the old reliable ingredients are so much easier to prep and serve. 

I write down a list of ingredients I need. I try to take inventory of things we need so I don't buy things we already have. I go to the grocery store and buy the foods. Then, I commit to a prep day. Usually, by Sunday, everything needs to be prepared. 

Lately, I commit to prep foods for at least 3 days. The first part of the week is the busiest one for us. Life truly is easier if dinner is ready when we get home. I also freeze a few of our meals, if I can. This way, all we have to do is bake dinner for 45 minutes or less. 

I also batch cook most weekends. I discovered that if rice and black beans are in the menu, I can freeze a portion for busy nights. I've thanked myself plenty times when we were hungry, I didn't have anything ready but there were plenty healthy meals in the freezer. 

Last weekend, I prepped the following:

• Grilled chicken - marinate recipe

• Chicken taco soup - recipe

• Green salads with protein - 2 and a half cups of greens, 4 oz of lean protein.

• Protein overnight oats -  recipe 

• Protein bean muffin (makes 6 regular muffins)

Bake at 350 for 22 minutes and enjoy! You can also freeze these. 

• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• 1 egg 
• 1t baking soda 
• 1/2 t salt 
• cinnamon and nutmeg to taste 

I usually prep more food but we have a school break so there will be more prepping as the week goes by. For now, we're pretty set. 

Do you prep for your week? How does it help you?

Read More

Picnic

For the past two years i've been attending our church's picnic and blogging about it.

This year my concern is not food, although I read my own advice in order to be ready. For example, it doesn't hurt to remember to take something I can eat and browse the table before I make my final selections. 

Funny how last year I said I should kiss some babies or something, because this year I get to take my own. My focus this year is in his well-being. 

Interesting how priorities change. If I had not spent time learning about weight management when I did, it'd be difficult to fit that in my schedule now that I have my son with me. It’s time to practice what I learned. 

The whole thing forces me not to be a slave of a structure so much (such as writing everything I eat for the rest of my life) but to include making healthy choices in the life I'm living.

What do I mean with all that? Here’s a practical example: 

I did food inventory yesterday. I wrote down everything I have in the kitchen so I can better plan menus for my family. I divided foods in the categories of the food pyramid: grains, protein, fruits, vegetables, oils, dairy. This way, when I’m planning a menu or even what snacks and lunches to eat, I make sure all or most of these food groups are included. I think this will really work for me. 

I’ve been getting back to walking for a little while and it feels great. My ideal time for exercising is in the a.m. but for a couple of months I just have to fit it wherever I can, it just needs to get done often, so that’s exactly what we are doing. Even if I can just stroll for 20 minutes is great to clear my head and give me a new perspective in many things. I am exercising for more than weight loss. I realized that last year but it is still working for me that way. Awesome. 

I plan on having a great time in the picnic instead of eating like it’s my last meal. Thank God for lessons learned.

Read More

Reporting

I feel like I owe you a report from the holiday weekend. It would just be nice, wouldn’t it? I did exercise as planned. Thank God I was able to get out there, walk and reach my goal. The goal for the week is to burn 2,926.8 calories but today, with one day left to reach it, I have burned 3,074.5 calories. Zeke and I walked a lot yesterday, it was just lovely.
I followed my eating plan. It wasn’t perfect. I helped myself to extra helpings of corn bread and homemade bread. I stayed away from the cake we baked and the ice cream we had for our family. Thank God I’m not an ice cream person, which was a big help.
I was not obsessed about cleaning. After the house was clean, I used short cuts to keep it nice and clean. I also know the house will get dirty again but God is good, I’ll clean it right back!
The Bible says that we need to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. It was a stretch but thank God it was possible to do that with the help of the Holy Spirit. Again, I wasn’t perfect but it feels good to be aware of what God wants us to do.
I learned a lot about myself. I rested. I enjoyed having down time with Zeke. I enjoyed walking around the lake and reading my magazines.
My holiday wasn’t perfect but it was perfect for me. Through Christ we did all we needed to do and we enjoyed it.
“The moist cake”
I learned that if you mix the right cake mix with the right icing your cake turns really moist. That’s what we’ve been doing when we have guests over.
If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know I am avoiding eating desserts by substituting it with fruit, sugar free yogurt or something else that doesn’t have pure sugar.
Everyone really enjoyed the cake. What I did was to fix a bowl with yogurt, pecans and banana with a splash of flax seed for my dessert. Nobody else wanted it (duh!) so I had a little portion of it while everyone else had cake and ice cream. There was no guilt, no condemnation. I felt like I was able to participate with everyone. The same goes for the meat. We had turkey burgers and chicken with Zeke’s special sauce. Zeke grilled my Amy’s burger and I ate that with everyone. It was completely normal for me. It’s my lifestyle and most of the time no one questions it.
If you feel like God is leading you to make a change for your health but you are afraid of failing because no one around you is doing the same, think about me and be encouraged. You can make it because you have God’s blessing. Just because you’re not eating the same thing as someone else, it doesn’t mean you are not part of the fellowship. Seek approval and direction from God alone and everything else shall be added unto you.

Read More

Holiday weekend

This weekend has lots of potential for success. With guests coming over there's always the question of what to do in order to stay in check with my well being. This is what I'm thinking right now:

I have a plan to exercise. I will follow that plan. Even if all I can do is to go out for a walk. I'm gonna stick with it and I'm gonna rest on my rest day. I have an eating plan. I will follow that plan. I will eat the correct amount of fruits and vegetables. I will drink plenty water and I will carry a banana around with me for a healthy, sweet snack in times of need.

I plan on cooking things I too can eat. I might not eat meat with everyone but I can benefit from sides that are comprised of vegetables and fruits.

I will not be obsessed about cleaning. If you read my peace treaty, you remember that 'I can't keep my house spotless at all times but I can create shortcuts for myself.' My house is clean but I'm determined not to obsess over too much cleanness. I have been set free to enjoy family and not to obsess over what they're gonna think if they see the dust on my ceiling fans. I'm sure that dust is not gonna be on my mind when I live my last day on earth. People are more important than obsessive cleaning.

I will be a good listener. I've know for years I need to listen more. God speaks when you listen. People sure appreciate you when you just listen. I don't have to be quick to offer the smartest comeback – I was really good at that. I can remember to be like Jesus. He truly cared. He listened. He offered love no matter what. I believe that listening means loving because love is not selfish, rude or unbecomingly. That's what I need to have in my mind.

I don't know what challenges you face as you go into your holiday weekend. The issue is greater than food intake. Your environment needs to be set up for success too. Thanks to God for allowing me to be more than conqueror in all things. Thank God for mercy and grace. Where would I be without His grace? If I fail after trying to do all these things I just mentioned, guess what? I am forgiven. I have another chance. Thank God for Jesus Christ!

Read More

Nutritionally Speaking

Summer is almost here. It might as well start in the next two weeks. I had my first cookout – I’ll give you details on that later. My company is filling up with summer workers and interns. Once I see them, I know summer is here and it’s going nowhere.

I love the summer. I want this summer to be my best one yet. Last summer I was so busy I could hardly breathe. This summer I can not only breathe but I can choose what in the world I can do on my down time. Isn’t that great? We are working hard, traveling and doing more fun stuff. I’ll keep you updated.

The Cookout last Sunday was awesome. I didn’t take any pictures this time. We had plenty food. There were no meatless hamburgers or hot dogs so I moved on to the salads. We had four lines going on, so I browsed both tables and got in the lines between them. I filled up my plate with salads. I looked for salads with legumes (I needed protein!). I avoided salads full of mayo. I avoided the stuff that you eat all the time (baked beans, slaw, some potato salads, etc). I went for salads full of legumes that were not drowning in cheesy or thick sauces. I did have a croissant (haven’t had those in ages!). I did drink water. As I predicted, the dessert competition was fabulous. I kept my back to it. With God’s help I did not eat any dessert. It was hard but with God’s help I was able to do it. How? I made a decision last week I wasn’t going to eat it because nutritionally, I didn’t need it. I kept my back to the darn table with all the desserts. I talked to friends, enjoyed the fellowship and when it was time to leave, 99 percent of the desserts were gone. When I got home, I still wanted to eat something sweet, so I drank some orange juice I squeezed the day before. The sweetness of the oranges helped to quench that craving.

I am learning that stopping eating sweets is not enough when you still have cravings. I waited 1 hour and my craving did not leave. What should I have done? Ignore it? When I made the decision to be a vegetarian, I substituted meat for other sources of protein. When I made the decision to stop eating desserts, what in the world will take place of sweets?

Sister girl has some research to do. I also thought that I need to walk around with dry fruits, a piece of fruit and I need to work on making fruit based desserts (like fruit with nuts and yogurt for example) and taking them with me when I’m invited for dinners.

Yeah, it’s inconvenient. It’s annoying at times but when I made the decision to have a healthier life, I left being in the crowd and I joined the few who are looking for a healthier life because most things they eat make sense nutritionally.

Read More

Desafio Pessoal

Uma segunda-feira feliz para ti! O meu fds foi bom. Ontem teve um picnic enorme la na igreja. Teve hamburguer, cachorro quente e todo mundo trouxe algo. Eu levei milho. Como nao tinha hamburgers vegetarianos, eu so comi saladas – o que foi otimo. Bebi agua e ignorei as sobremesas. Teve uma competicao pra melhor sobremesa. Eu sai de perto daquela mesa. Tive que decidir semana passada que eu nao ia comer sobremesa e gracas a Deus consegui resistir a tentacao.
Eu estava lendo o meu diario esse fds. No dia 31 de Janeiro de 2007 eu fiz uma lista de coisas que eu gostaria de fazer esse ano. Uma foi ser vegetariana. Outra foi parar de comer sobremesas. Quando comparei as duas coisas eu vi o seguinte: Ser vegetariana tem sido uma mudanca de vida. Eu substitui a carne por outras fontes de proteina. Quando saio, eu procuro comer proteina antes, so pra ter certeza de que vai estar incluido na nutricao que eu preciso. Na maioria das vezes (como ontem) eu nao preciso anunciar que sou vegetariana. A maioria das pessoas nao ligam porque estao ocupadas com o proprio prato delas.
Pra mim, tem sido dificil parar de comer doces. Ontem, depois de ler meu diario, descobri que eu nao substituo doces com nada. Carnes foram substituidas com feijao, mas os doces foram substituidos com o que?
Ontem eu nao comi na igreja, mas a vontade nao passou quando cheguei em casa. O que eu fiz foi tomar suco de laranja que fiz. Aquela docura da laranja saciou a minha vontade de comer algo doce.
Pensei no seguinte: pra substituir doces, eu acho que frutas seriam otimas. Eu vou ter que carregar passas ou frutas secas comigo pra cima e pra baixo, ou eu vou ter que carregar bananas ou outra fruta doce comigo. Um desafio maior pra mim, seria pesquisar receitas de frutas (saladas de frutas e nozes, etc) e faze-las quando alguem me convidar pra jantar.
Nao sei se isso faz sentido pra voce, mas faz pra mim. Parar com algo e dificil. Substituir e mais facil e faz mais sentido pra mim.

Read More

Church Cookout Tips

It’s cookout season again! The church cookout can be a happy event but it also has the possibility of damaging my healthy eating habits. I have questioned the foods offered at church cookouts before but that’s a story for my book LOL. There will be millions of calories in the form of cakes (store bought & homemade), pies, meats, casseroles, potato chips, breads, pasta, brownies and things that no one knows what it is but they eat it anyway. After all, if it’s in some part of the sanctuary is calorie free, right? I wish!
Here are some things I need to do this year based on years of experience in church eating functions. Oh, remind me to share how these events are different in Brasil. You’d be surprised with our style of eating in church.

Cintia, you need to:
1. Stop staring at the cakes please. Skip the cake baking competition and chat with a new person you really haven’t had a chance to meet. Kiss babies or something, just stay away from the dessert table!!! Why? I usually convince myself to try a little bit of the 50 different desserts before I leave. Away from the eyes, away from my mouth. LOL! Dessert is great but you don’t need to eat 50 different ones.
2. Definitely take something you can eat. Last year you took a watermelon. This year you are taking black beans. Maybe you should take white rice so people (and yourself) can eat these two together like happy Brazilians do. You need protein daily woman! Beans will save your day and give you a feeling of satisfaction. Long live all vegetarians!!!
3. Load up on salad. Okay, a cup or two will be enough. Remember that some sisters get really creative with their salads. Someone always brings a great Mediterranean salad you absolutely love. Watch that salad dressing! Oil and vinegar are your current choices.
4. Drink water. You’ll be out there for a while. Considering taking my own bottle. Dress appropriately for lots of walking around.
5. Manage to do some walking. A ‘victory lap’ or two around the church will keep you moving and you won’t be bored just sitting somewhere – that’s a just in case tip here.
6. Remember the cookout doesn’t have to be about the food. It’s really about the people. Getting to know people better should be your focus. Strengthening friendships and finding new ones is more exciting than anything else.
7. Remember: if you mess up, dust yourself off & try again! There’s mercy and forgiveness for you, even when all things don’t go as planned. That should put a smile on your happy face!

Read More

Who is a vegetarian any way?

So, the summer is coming. Summer here means barbeque season, eating out more than we did in the winter. It means tons of potlucks, parties, you name it. This summer the challenge for me is different because I have never been to a vegetarian barbeque. People do not include meatless meals on their barbeques because it just doesn't make sense to them. Who is a vegetarian any way? I am! Last night I took broccolis salad to a church get together. I went to another meeting where there was bread, pork bbq, slaw and beans. I ate the slaw and beans. I have the choice to stick with the meatless sides on cookouts or I can start carrying my Amy's California burger so someone can grill it for me. The advice I got on my weight management class has been priceless. I now know I don't have to be under the circumstances. I can take something I know I can eat and enjoy everyone's presence and fellowship while at parties. Parties are about people getting together and not food getting together. For most of my life I celebrated cakes, sausages and juice. Now I celebrate being with people. That's a change of perspective.

Read More

DICAS SAUDÁVEIS PARA AS FESTAS DE FIM DE ANO

Oi, gostei desse artigo porque estou me preparando pras festas. Espero que gostem também!

- Simply Cintia

DICAS SAUDÁVEIS PARA AS FESTAS DE FIM DE ANO

Elisabete Fernandes Almeida

Antes de dizer que você está muito ocupado para praticar exercícios e se alimentar bem durante os as festas de fim de ano, pare e pense no que é mais importante: a sua saúde. Que, afinal, é tão importante quanto achar um bom presente para os familiares. Coloque esse “Calendário da saúde” na sua geladeira – há pequenos conselhos para disciplinar seus hábitos até a noite de Reveillon.

Seguindo essas sugestões, você estará em melhor forma, menos estressado e muito mais preparado para um ano novo saudável.

18 de dezembro – Hoje mesmo, crie uma rotina de exercícios de força, que além de fortalecer os seus músculos irá acelerar o seu metabolismo e o ajudará a queimar mais calorias mesmo em repouso. Não são necessários equipamentos; você pode começar com abdominais e outros exercícios para aumentar a sua resistência. Tente praticar três sessões semanais. Não perca tempo decidindo se irá caminhar, pedalar ou fazer musculação. Planeje uma rotina na qual você estabelece antecipadamente o que irá fazer cada dia. Pratique diferentes tipos de exercícios, de forma a trabalhar vários grupos musculares e tornar a prática mais interessante.

20 de dezembro – Caso a agitação do período o esteja deixando estressado, procure técnicas de relaxamento da mente e do corpo (massagem, por exemplo). Aprenda a fazer alongamentos que possam ser realizados a qualquer momento, praticando-os todos os dias. Deixe de lado as dietas com grandes limitações e que fazem você se sentir cronicamente restrito. Em vez disso, procure ter uma dieta composta por cerca de 80 por cento de alimentos saudáveis e 20 por cento de outros produtos, como doces e salgadinhos. É difícil suportar essa mudança inicial; com moderação, permita-se desfrutar de seus alimentos preferidos.

22 de dezembro – As compras de última hora podem ser motivo perda de energia. Dê preferência a oferecer presentes saudáveis aos amigos e familiares. Se o seu tempo for escasso e você não puder praticar exercício ininterruptamente, acumule 30 minutos de atividade física durante todo o dia. Exercite-se no que você puder e sempre que puder. Procure oportunidades para pequenos incrementos, pois isso só tem a contribuir.

23 de dezembro – Caso você vá viajar a negócios ou para visitar familiares, não deixe que a viagem atrapalhe os seus planos. Procure um hotel com equipamentos de ginástica, ou tente achar uma academia próxima. Leve suas roupas de ginástica, um par de tênis, e uma lista de exercícios que você possa praticar em qualquer lugar.

25 a 30 de dezembro – Os eventos sociais estão em todo lugar. Infelizmente, as festas costumam atrapalhar os programas de emagrecimento porque as pessoas não conseguem resistir às comidas e bebidas. Planeje-se. Se você tomar uma sopa antes de ir a uma festa, pode reduzir seu apetite por alimentos menos saudáveis. Além disso, tomando copos de água entre os copos de bebidas alcóolicas podem reduzir o consumo final de bebidas excessivamente calóricas. Procure conversar com pessoas interessantes e distrair-se. Alguém lhe deu um presente relacionado a atividades físicas? Não o desperdice, coloque aquela nova fita no seu vídeo e movimente-se. Leia aquele livro sobre alimentos saudáveis. Monte naquela bicicleta e comece a pedalar. Não gostaria de desapontar quem lhe deu o presente – ou você mesmo - não é?

31 de dezembro – Outra festa? Aproveite a noite de Reveillon, mas reserve algum tempo para refletir sobre o seu esforço durante o último ano para alcançar e manter-se em forma. Como você se saiu? Seja honesto com você mesmo. Se fez progressos, esforce-se para continuar nesse ritmo. Caso não tenha atingido os seus objetivos, reforce os seus planos e comece um ano novo. Nunca é tarde para entrar em forma!

Read More

2 Rules for a Successful Cookout

My week is kinda divided in two because my nutrition class is on Wednesdays, so we count our servings and PA (aka exercise) from Wednesday to Tuesday. Because most of the world start their diets (ugly word) on Monday, I feel today I should give you an update on my week :)

The week has been blessed. I've been able to exercise daily, I've been drinking more green tea than coffee (I took a coffee break this week. I've been into the Starbucks brew with a little skin milk on it. UmmUmm good!). I decided this week (meaning from Wednesday til next Tuesday) will be my no slips week. The challenge begins tonight! I have a birthday cookout. I'm using all the things I've learned in the past month and the grace of God to get me through. My plan?

1. Focus on the FELLOWSHIP, not the food;
2. Be discrete. People do not have to know I have changed the way I eat.

I'm going because I want to fellowship with the birthday girl, her family and guests, not to eat.

I need to get a certain amount of fruits and veggies and birthday girl is known for ALWAYS having fruits in her get togethers. She's a great example of someone who knows how to be healthy and still enjoy what I can 'fun food.'

I have shared my goals with the most wonderful husband in the world and he's supporting me (not crucifying my every mistake) through it. We're creating a good support system for one another. I consider myself blessed because my the most wonderful husband in the world doesn't really have a 'sweet tooth.' At least not like I did. He's not into pies (can you possibly believe it?) so I never attempted to bake one until recently. Still, he had a bite or two and that was it. I still want to have that skill tough (big smile). He likes certain cakes and it's been 2 or 3 weeks since I baked one.

One of the rules we have is that when I bake something is: the something immediately goes to my job (they'll eat it all) or we sell it at church (the money goes to Missions). If something stays at home, something goes to my belly and we don't want that.

When you know yourself you can make up your own rules. Maybe you have to drink water before you go so you won't be hungry or maybe a snack 1:30 min before the cookout will help you make better choices.

The important is to do what works for YOU.

May God bless you in your pursuit to the best YOU!

Read More