Eat. Gym. Sleep. Repeat.

maryaniloo:kimmcheee:

ATTENTION ALL GIRLS: We all know that the lower stomach is one of the very hardest places to burn fat and tone.

These are some terrific exercises to do in the morning and at night to burn those hard to tone areas!

Do this every morning when you wake up, and every night before you sleep. I guarantee you’ll see results in a week flat!

(via he-satisfies-deactivated2012030)

fitbeliever:

• 1. Frozen Grapes (I used to eat these in college all the time- they are amazing)
• 2. String Cheese
• 3. Banana
• 4. Frozen Banana (peel it first, stick in the freezer overnight- it’s like a yummy popsicle)
• 5. Low-fat Yogurt
• 6. Sugar-free or fat-free pudding
• 7. Apple dipped in Peanut Butter (or spread peanut butter on top of apple slice and top with pecans … so good!)
• 8. 100-calorie bag of popcorn
• 9. Applesauce
• 10. Raw veggies with hummus (my new favorite!)
• 11. Almonds
• 12. Apple
• 13. Skinny S’more (two graham crackers with one roasted marshmallow and one small square dark chocolate)
• 14. Smoked Beef Jerky (about 1 oz- look for low-sodium!)
• 15. Chocolate Milk
• 16. Hard Boiled Egg
• 17. Sunflower Seeds
• 18. Cottage Cheese
• 19. Sliced Cantelope
• 20. Raisins
• 21. Pita Bread and Hummus
• 22. Rice Cakes
• 23. Sugar-free Jello
• 24. Dried Fruits
• 25. Frozen Yoplait Whips Yogurt (these seriously taste like ice cream when they are frozen!)
• 26. Air-Popped Popcorn
• 27. Pistachios
• 28. Clementines (we call them Cuties or Clemmies)
• 29. Fruit Smoothie (or Kristen’s Green Smoothie- it’s actually delicious!)
• 30. Handful of olives
• 31. Pickles
• 32. Handful of blueberries with 2 tablespoons fat-free Cool-Whip
• 33. Ants on a Log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
• 34.1 cup mixed berry salad (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries) tossed with one tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice.
• 35. Peanut Butter and Bananas on whole wheat bread
• 36. Trail Mix (make your own! Throw in dried fruit, sunflower seeds, nuts, low-sugar cereals, and even the occasional piece of candy for something sweet.)
• 37. Orange Slices
• 38. Cherry Tomatoes
• 39. Graham Crackers
• 40. Small Green Salad with light dressing
• 41. Mango smoothie (frozen mango, mango Greek Yogurt, and a small amount of orange juice)
• 42. Kabobs (thread low-fat meat, low-fat cheese, pineapple and cherry tomatoes onto a stick- my kids love anything on a stick!)
• 43. Half of a  Cinnamon-Raisin topped with peanut butter and banana slices
• 44. Grilled Pineapple (throw them on the grill or a skillet on med. heat for two minutes or until golden)
• 45. Baked Apples (one tennis ball-sized apple, cored, filled with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked until tender)
• 46. Animal Crackers
• 47. Strawberries dipped in fat-free Cool Whip
• 48. Low-fat tortilla topped with egg salad, shredded carrots and cucumber slices
• 49. Parfait (build your own with Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, fruit, and granola) 
• 50. Bowl of bran flakes with 1/2 cup skim milk and berries
• 51. Guacamole with veggies
• 52. Triscuit’s Thin Crisps dipped in cottage cheese or hummus
• 53. Cashews
• 54. Pretzels
• 55. Sun Chips (portion control! Read the serving amount on the side!)
• 56. Cheesy Breaded Tomatoes: Two roasted plum tomatoes sliced and topped with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
• 57. Sugar Snap Peas
• 58. Steamed Veggies (steam non-starchy vegetables in a microwave safe bag and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese or 1/4 cup pasta sauce)
• 59. Apricots
• 60. Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges
• 61. Any 100 calorie pack
• 62. Snack/Granola bar (around 150 calories or less, like Kellogg’s All-Bran, Kashi TLC Trail Mix, or Fiber one Bar)
• 63. Baked chips (about 7-10) with salsa
• 64. Soy Chips
• 65. Protein Bar
• 66. Sweet Potato Fries (one light-bulb sized sweet potato sliced, tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and baked at 400° for 10 minutes)
• 67. Wrap (I like a slice of turkey, swiss cheese, baby spinach leaves, and cranberry relish wrapped up in a tortilla)
• 68. Pumpkin Seeds (2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, sprayed with oil (just a spritz!) and baked at for 400° for 15 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on top)
• 69. Bean Salad
• 70. Broccoli Florets
• 71. Peaches and Cottage Cheese
• 72. Chopped Red Peppers (dipped in fat free ranch)
• 73. V8 Vegetable Juice
• 74. Tuna with Triscuit crackers
• 75. Cooked and Cubed Chicken Breast
• 76. Homemade Popsicles (puree watermelon, strawberries, mango, banana, etc and freeze in popsicle molds)
• 77. Dates with almond butter or rolled in coconut
• 78. Quesadilla (whole wheat (or corn) tortillas w/cheese (or not) melted in microwave - adding on tomatoes, beans, corn, olives, avocado or guacamole or whatever sounds good)
• 79. Watermelon
• 80. Cubed Apples and Cubed Cheese (this was my husband’s favorite after-school snack when he was little)
• 81. Craisins (I love to eat these with almonds- it’s a good combo)
• 82. Goldfish Crackers
• 83. Edamame
• 84. Cheesy Roasted Asparagus (four spears (spritzed with olive-oil spray) and topped with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, baked for 10 minutes at 400°)
• 85. Turkey Roll-Ups (Four slices smoked turkey rolled up and dipped in 2 teaspoons honey mustard)
• 86. Strawberry Salad (1 cup raw spinach with ½ cup sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon balsamic)
• 87. Oatmeal
• 88. Banana Smoothie (½ cup sliced banana, ¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, and a handful of ice blended until smooth)
• 89. Lime Sherbet (1/2 cup serving) with sliced kiwi
• 90. Apple Chips (dehydrated apples- they are so good!)
• 91. Black Beans (mix 1/4 cup black beans with 1 tablespoon salsa and 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt for an added twist!)
• 92. Lettuce wrap (try two slices honey-baked ham with 2 teaspoons honey mustard rolled in a lettuce leaf)
• 93. Pecans (try five pecans roasted with 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
• 94. Chocolate Covered Strawberries (dip 5 strawberries in 2 squares of dark chocolate- that is still good for you, right?!)
• 95. Honeyed Yogurt (½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon honey)
• 96. Blackberries (so good mixed with plain yogurt)
• 97. Frozen Mangos
• 98. Tropical Juice Smoothie (¼ cup pineapple juice, orange juice, and apple juice, blended with ice)
• 99. Healthier Banana Bread
• 100. Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip with fresh fruit 

To print this list out, CLICK HERE.

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(Source: workitoutt, via bethebetterversionofyou-x)

(Source: meriwethergrizzly, via runningtobefree)

beccasfitlife:

Baked Sweet Potato Chips/Fries!

• Sweet potato(es)
• Sea salt
• Cinnamon + Stevia/Truvia
• Olive oil

This recipe is super simple and easy! 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. First take your sweet potato, wash it and peel it (doesn’t have to be perfect).
3. Now cut it into thin slices. You could also cut it into slivers for fries :)
4. Take a large baking sheet and line with parchment paper. This makes clean up much easier. Place the potato slices on the baking sheet.
5. Spray or lightly drizzle olive oil over the slices.
6. Now it’s time for seasoning! I like to do half with sea salt and half with my cinnamon sugar. I only coat one side as well, just to keep the natural flavor of the sweet potato.
7. Place in your oven and bake for 15 minutes, flip the slices as best you can, then bake another 10-15 minutes or until done. It doesn’t really matter how long you bake them, it’s more of a preference. I like mine still a bit mushy, so I bake them for less time. :)

Enjoy!

(Source: beccaliving, via bethebetterversionofyou-x)

(via bethebetterversionofyou-x)

(via bethebetterversionofyou-x)

ryleeandelle:

Vegan Peanut Butter, Oatmeal & Banana Jam Drops!

Found this recipe online and completely failed at making it the first time so I’ve tweaked it a little…

- 2 Ripe Banana’s

- 1/2 Cup Crunchy Peanut Butter

- 2 Tbsp Almond Milk

- 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup

- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

- 2 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats

- 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon Sugar

- Jar of Organic Strawberry Jam

Mash banana’s with a fork until smooth then add almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla & cinnamon. Mix together then add the peanut butter and mix it in as much as possible.

Add the rolled oats and make sure they are all coated with the mixture.

On a lined baking tray (don’t grease it) roll up the mixture into equal balls using your hands and place them all on the tray.

The mixture does not expand so whatever shape you have them on the tray is what they come out of the oven looking like. Use your finger to make a dipped hole on top of each for the jam to sit.

Cook until golden at 180 degrees fan forced and once cooled down you can put dollops of jam on top!

The original recipe I used can be found by clicking on the photo.

Enjoy :)

truth-detox:

The Perfect Vegan Food Pyramid

Although there’s no uniform vegan food pyramid, it’s very simple to convert the USDA food pyramid into a structure that works for vegans.

 

If you replace the meats section with beans and legumes and replace the dairy section with fortified dairy substitutes, you come out with a perfect vegan food guide pyramid.

Don’t worry- you don’t have to count every single thing you eat every single day to ensure you’re getting enough of each category. If you eat a well balanced, healthy vegan diet full of a variety of fruits and vegetables, you will definitely get plenty of the vitamins and minerals you need.

For decades, the USDA has been promoting some version of the food guide pyramid, and have often faced criticism about where they get their nutritional information. Children are provided with food guides at school and their parents are reminded of them at the pediatrician’s office, so it’s critical that the information is true and unbiased, but that hasn’t always been the case.

In 2011, the USDA abandoned the food pyramid for a less confusing USDA food plate guide. I like the concept of this food plate much better, and it reminds me of the vegan food plate I created years ago as a guide for how to create well-balanced vegan meals. However, of course I still disagree with them showing a glass of milk as a necessary component of a healthy meal.

Agree to disagree. For now.

Breaking Down the Vegan Food Pyramid The basis for a nutritious vegan diet is whole grains. Throw out those ideas about carbs being the devil!! It’s just not true. We need complex carbohydrates for energy, and we need good solid whole grains in our diets. We enjoy oats in the morning, whole wheat bread, sprouted grain bread with all kinds of grains, quinoa, millet, bulgur, barley, and fresh popped corn. That satisfies the grain section of the vegan food pyramid. Above that on the food pyramid, you want to make sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. The more variety, the better. Check out this list of fruits and vegetables and try to eat at least one fruit/vegetable from every color of the rainbow every day. R apples, beets— I LOVE beets, strawberries
O oranges, yams, pumpkins, carrots, papaya, cantaloupe
Y bananas, butternut squash, mango
G green leafy vegetables, broccoli, asparagus (the easiest color to eat)
B grapes, blue potatoes, blueberries
I purple carrots or potatoes, grapes, raspberries
V plums, blackberries There are some great grocery stores out there that will carry all of these all the time, and others that do in season. You could also consider joining a CSA to get local, seasonal fruits and vegetables weekly. Next we move to the next level—legumes. Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart… And for your entire body. Eat lots of them, and again, try as much variety as you can. In my household, we love lentils, cannellini beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, and split peas, and use them all the time. Fortified dairy substitutes I grew up in a household where milk was an absolute necessity and my mom would rush to the store if we were out. I drank glasses and glasses of milk a day. I tell you this because I want you to know that I am fully aware of what milk tastes like and yet, I love milk substitutes like almond milk, soymilk, rice milk, hemp milk, and even hazelnut milk. You can use milk substitutes in the exact same place you used cow’s milk; they’re great in cereals, coffee, baking recipes, and as added ingredients in other vegan recipes. You will want to eat 2-4 servings of them to satisfy the vegan food pyramid’s suggestions. If you’re trying nondairy milk for the first time, you have to keep in mind that it is not milk, and it’s not meant to be. It’s not bright white like cow’s milk. That may seem trivial, but it can throw you off to see a slightly brown product be called milk, and that can make you think you don’t like the taste. The taste will be different, but if you think of it as an entirely different product than cow’s milk, you will accept that difference much quicker, and then before long, you won’t think the smell/taste of “regular” cow’s milk tastes normal anymore. FREE Vegan Ezine! Subscribe to
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Your email address is completely secure. I will only use it to send our newsletter. At the top of the vegan food pyramid are the oils and added fats I cook with olive oil and coconut oil. I am half Italian and I can cook anything with some garlic and olive oil, but I’ve also learned that coconut oil can be cooked at higher temperatures than olive oil without breaking down the beneficial ingredients. It has a very mild coconut flavor that can usually be masked with other flavors if you don’t love coconut. If you’re trying to lose weight, you could consider some fatty fruits and vegetables to be part of this category. For example, avocadoes and olives have more fat than other produce, and while it’s “good fat,” it can be helpful to cut back on them while you’re actively losing weight. You could also consider nuts and seeds to be part of the top portion of the vegan food pyramid. There are numerous health benefits of nuts and seeds, but it’s still good to eat them in moderation. About 1/4 cup of nuts once a day will give you amazing energy and stamina. If you stick to whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds, and add in pre-packaged processed foods only very occasionally, you are going to be following the vegan food pyramid without even trying. Even if you’re exhausted by the time you get home from work, you can whip up a 10-15 minute meal that satisfies all the requirements of the vegan food pyramid. What I do on the nights I can’t think is this: Boil my favorite whole grain (quinoa, barley, brown rice, amaranth) Open a can of beans (or take frozen ones from the freezer) and put them in a saucepot with a chopped onion Chop up dark leafy greens (kale, chard, bok choy, spinach, beet greens) Sautee garlic in olive oil and toss in the greens, cooking for just a few minutes, until softened. Dish up the plate so half the plate is vegetables, a quarter is whole grain, and a quarter is beans Cover with my favorite sauce, or just some liquid Amino’s and nutritional yeast For dessert, slice up fruits and squeeze lemon over the top (apples, pineapple, oranges, pears, bananas, etc) or cover it with a quick cashew cream sauce …and I’m eating 10 minutes later and satisfying the vegan food pyramid! Eventually, when you have a great idea for what is on the vegan food pyramid, you don’t have to look at it often because you already know what you need to eat Turning the Vegan Food Pyramid into Meals

Vegan Nutritionista’s Vegan Food Pyramid

(via bethebetterversionofyou-x)