Dedicated December

It is December 1st!  Yes, can you believe it... Where did the year go?  Well, before it's over, dedicate the next 31 days to your health.  It's time for Dedicated December 2014!  Here is my December way of living... Side note, following this way of living, helps to balance out the holiday parties and dinners too!

Dedicated December
What? 3 meals & 2 snacks + exercise everyday
     
Meal Ideas:
*prep for the week ahead by grocery shopping and packing meals to go for the week ahead
*Check out the recipe tab for more healthy meal time ideas

Breakfast (Eat within 45 min of waking up)

• Coffee, skim milk, 100% juice (not from concentrate), or water as beverage
• 2 slices of Toast w/ peanut butter & banana
• Oatmeal w/ fresh fruit added
• 1 cup of cereal with skim milk
• Egg whites on wheat tortilla w/ salsa
• Egg whites & turkey bacon
• Greek Yogurt & granola
• Low fat Nutrigrain waffle w/ peanut butter & small yogurt
• 12oz Fruit smoothie with protein added

Lunch (2-3 hours after snack 1)

• Water, unsweetened iced tea
• 2 cups of salad greens & veggies w/ low cal dressing
• Turkey sandwich on wheat bread w/ Dijon mustard & slice of cheese
• Broth based soup, 1 cup
• 1 cup of black beans & brown rice
• 1/2 of large Wheat pita filled with veggies & hummus
• Whole wheat pita & hummus, veggie sticks w/ low cal ranch dip
• Burger no bun, & a side salad
• 16oz Green Smoothie
• Baked potato (red potato) w/ salsa & shredded cheese
• Baked sweet potato w/ Earth Balance butter, & tbsp cinnamon sugar
• *Add a piece of fruit or a cup of fresh fruit as a side to your lunch

Dinner (No later than 7 pm)

• Water, unsweetened iced tea
• 4-5 oz of chicken breast, fish, lean beef/pork & 2 cups of veggies
• *Substitute a side salad for 1 cup of veggies
• *Substitute small sweet potato (1/2 of big) for 1 cup of veggies
• Grilled chicken w/ 1/2 cup of black beans & brown rice
• 4-5 shrimp/scallops with sautéed veggies
• 1.5 cup of wheat pasta w/ marinara sauce
• 4-5 oz of chicken breast, fish, lean beef/pork w/ 1 cup of veggies & 1/2 brown rice
• 1 cup of wheat pasta w/ olive oil & sautéed veggies
• Grilled protein taco, w/ lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa
• 2 cups of salad with grilled protein & low cal dressing
• 1 cup of broth based soup & 1 cup of salad

• Turkey burger w/ sweet potato fries

• 1 sushi roll no cream cheese w/ miso soup
• Slice of pizza & side salad

Snacks (Snack 1: 2 hours after breakfast; Snack 2: 2-3 hours after lunch/more than 1.5 hr before dinner)

• Kind nut bar
• 1/2 cup Sliced cucumbers & 2 tbsp hummus
• 1/2 cup Baby carrots & 1 tbsp low cal dressing
• Cup of fresh fruit
• Piece of fresh fruit
• Greek Yogurt
• Unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup of nut & dried fruit mix
• Hard boiled egg
• 1/2 cup of edemame
• 1/2 of PB&J with low sugar jelly
• 15 small pretzels
• 15 tortilla chips & salsa
• Small Fruit smoothie
• 1 rice cake w/ peanut butter
• Low fat cheese stick

• Fat-free pudding snack
• 2 small chocolate chip cookies
• 1/2 cup of ice cream, edie's slow churn

Beverages

• Water, H2O, agua, wudder
• Zero calorie vitamin water
• 8 oz of 100% juice, not from concentrate
• 8 oz of skim milk
• Coffee (however you like it, no more than 12oz)
• Herbal tea or unsweetened Iced tea
• Limit Alcohol, stay away from mixers and juices, stick to wine & vodka-soda w/ splash of juice

Workout
At least 30 minutes of cardio every day, add strength/weight training, core training, and/or yoga to your workout

Tips

• Drink 4-8oz of water when you first wake up
• Shoot to drink half your weight in water (ounces, i.e. 130 lbs= 65oz of water)
• Take a multivitamin

• Organic is preferred, minimal ingredients a must
• Avoid processed & packaged foods
• Add lemon, limes, cucumbers, oranges to water to switch it up
• Use a red potato for baked potato
• When eating 2 cups of veggies, make 2 different kinds
• Load salads with veggies
• Shoot for vinaigrettes or oil & vinegar for toppings on salads
• If you eat an earlier dinner, move snack 2 to a dessert
• Use olive oil instead of butter or margarine
• Grill, bake, broil... No fry

• Stay away from White, get down with Brown (carbs that is)
• Avoid take out & fast food
• Make extra of lean proteins & beans/rice and use it for lunch & leftovers the next day
• If craving chocolate or sweets, grab a Hershey kiss or a small lollipop (dum dums)
• Be sure to finish eating 30-45 min before exercising
• Eat protein within 1 hr of finishing your workout, refuel & hydrate!
• Get sleep!

Most importantly, Stay positive!
You can do it!!!
It's time to Dedicate December to our health!