Dashing Dish

For most people, (with an exception to the few ‘genetically blessed’) exercise must become a part of your everyday lifestyle if you desire to loose (or maintain) weight.  I think one of the biggest ‘mis-understandings’ when it comes to exercising for weight loss is that you must do ENDLESS amounts of cardio to burn off as many calories as possible! I know this to be true, because I too once thought cardio (for at least an hour a day) was the only way to trim down and stay slim! Well…I’ll just say it now…I WAS SO WRONG!!!

I know this post doesn’t have much to do with fitness or nutrition…But I have realized one thing about both of these topics.  Our society always seems to try to motivate people to ‘eating right’  and  ‘get fit’ in order to look better.  I admit, I do feel better about how I look when I eat right and exercise, but when it really comes down to it, those two things have nothing to do with being beautiful!

Regardless of your weight, height, age, or overall appearance, has anyone ever told you that you were WONDERFULLY made!? Well…You were! The Bible says in Psalm 139:14 that you were both “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!” Now I understand that the Bible is not exactly the ‘common’ or even ‘popular’ standard used to measure beauty…But I have found through my own personal experience that it is the ONLY way.  Why do I say this!? Because I have looked to people in the past- men, other women, even myself- to define and affirm my beauty, and it it didn’t matter what kind of validation I received, I was  always disappointed. In fact, when I looked to others (or the mirror) to tell me I was beautiful, it was then that I found myself reaping feelings of doubt, loss of self esteem, and seeds of insecurity.

I have to say, I really look forward to my ‘snacks’ every day! There is something about that mid-day ‘mini’ meal that really gives me an energy boost, and gets me ready for my afternoon workouts! (I generally workout with my sister around 5-5:30 pm during the week.)

I also look forward to snacks because they usually don’t require a lot of thought or preparation, and yet they always seem to be pretty satisfying! I generally eat my snack around 2-3pm (or whenever I’m hungry), and they are usually around 150-200 calories.  I also try to incorporate some form of protein and complex carbs/fiber to keep me full until dinner time. So…In honor of ‘Snack Time” I thought I’d share some of my favorite snack ideas! And I’d love to hear some of your favorites too!:)

I’m starting a new ‘addition’ to my site called the“Daily Dish”! The Daily Dish will consist of photos and recipes of foods that I ate that day.  I will be doing this about once a week to give people a general idea of what I eat on a typical day for meals, snacks, and dessert in order to provide inspiration for ‘real life’ healthy eating! I also hope to show that it can be easy, fun, and delicious to eat healthy on a daily basis! You will see that “eating healthy” doesn’t have to mean eating lettuce for every meal, or eating ‘like a bird or rabbit’ for that matter!

I read this post today on a fitness/health site (www.thatsfit.com) and I thought WOW…I wish more women knew/understood this truth about having six pack abs! Basically, in order to have a ‘six pack’ you need to shed the fat that covers them, (you could have a 12 pack and it be covered with fat and they would never show through!) In order for a woman’s abs to show (in relation to a man’s version of a six pack), she must get down to exceptionally low body fat, (which when too low is not healthy in a woman). Now I’m not necessarily saying having a ‘six pack’ as a woman is ‘right’ OR ‘wrong’ and i’m sure there are cases when women are perfectly healthy (body fat wise) and have RIPPED abs…But I do think there are way too many mis-conceptions about abs out there, especially when it comes to women having them! :) So I thought i’d pass this along…and I’d love to know other people’s thoughts on this!! :)

What to Eat…What Not to Eat…That is the Question!

I think one of the ‘easiest’ traps to fall into when desiring to loose weight is to start putting foods into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ categories.  I know there was a point in my life when I would not eat certain foods, (or even entire food groups) because I heard something about how they make you gain weight… (Example: I stopped eating popcorn because I heard it was bad…now I think really?!? It is a perfectly healthy source of whole grain, and a yummy healthy snack as long as it isn’t smothered in butter!)

I love birthday celebrations with my family.  Unfortunately though, (and i’m sure many people can relate) birthdays and holidays are really the only time my family and I sit down to eat a meal together these days.  Now, granted, we are all married and moved out (except for my younger sister Emily…Lucky man whoever that will be ;)) and we all work and have busy schedules…But I sure wish we would get together around the table more often, because when we do it is always a blast! :)