Couples that lift together, don't always eat together.

Today I went grocery shopping. Let me give you a little play by play on how our cart looks.

Kelley's side

1. Endless Veggies
2. Chicken
3. Frozen fish
4. Fruit
5. Nuts
6. Dark Chocolate
7. Eggs
8. Daves Killer Grain Bread
9. Earth Balance Butter

Jared's side

1. 2 Red Baron Pepperoni Pizzas
2. 2 Boxes of Hot Pockets
3. Oreos
4. Peanut Butter Crackers
5. White Bread
6. Chicken
7. Saffron Rice
8. Frozen Lunches
9. Mayo

I wish this was a cruel joke, but it's not. My fiancé is the guy that can eat anything he wants and still stay chiseled. It's incredibly frustrating, but I love the guy... so I'll cut him some slack. Aside from temptations in this house, this makes for challenging dinners. I am a big advocate of family dinners, and am not about to share a Red Baron pizza with him. I have learned to improvise. Here's my secret: find a protein and veggie and swap out your carb.

Good proteins:

Grass fed beef (I don't eat red meat.. another challenge!)

Fish

Shrimp

Chicken

Turkey

Once I know what protein we will work with, I simply swap out the carb for something lean. I will make saffron rice (with butter) for him, and a zero carb noodle or an egg for myself. Being in a partnership is awesome, because he will give up his butter for some coconut oil. It's all about compromising.

Here are those noodles I recommend:

Happy shopping!! 150 days left #forbetterorwelch

Skip the Jif

Nut butters are undoubtedly a great snack choice, but not all nut butters are created equal. I always go almond butter. Why? Simply put, almonds are healthier than peanuts. Of course the tastes are a little different, but I had no problem transitioning and quickly learned to love it. The problem with almond butter is it can get a little expensive, so I share my secret. A cheap, good quality product produced with here in my state of California. 

You can get this product for around $8, which is still more expensive than your average peanut butter, but the nutritional facts tell it all. 

Per serving:

180 calories

1 gram of saturated fat

1 gram of sugar

7 grams of protein

Ingredients : blanched roasted almonds, palm fruit oil

AKA only the good stuff

Let's compare this to a cheaper, arguably (by some, not me) tastier nut butter such as Jif Peanut Butter

Per serving: 

190 calories

3 grams of saturated fat

3 grams of sugar

Ingredients: roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil

AKA basically dessert

I leave you with facts to help convert my fellow readers to the healthy side. Happy Monday!

Treat Yourself

A little update.. I didn't listen to my doctor, and lifted when I should have let me head heal... and now I have more stitches, and a longer recovery period. I am not a happy camper, but I do have some "Kelley proof" (doctor's new favorite saying) stitches so I can continue walking. Another week out of the gym is hard for me,  but it's a good time to focus on diet. Even when I am relying solely on diet for results, I need a treat. So this post is all about treating yourself the right way.

I have mentioned it in earlier posts, but "organic" doesn't always mean good for you. These peanut butter cups below are at Starbucks cash registers everywhere, and it drives me crazy. If you are going to eat candy, this is not the way to do it. So what is? Dark chocolate. The higher the cocoa percentage the better it is for you. If you need the savory along with the sweet, pair your dark chocolate with a few almonds or a teaspoon of almond butter. I like to stick tiny nibs into raspberries. The best part? You are doing good to your body. Dark chocolate promotes weight loss and has heart benefits. It's also lower in calories and more importantly, sugar.

If you prefer a frozen treat my advice is to stay far away from the Pinkberry and frozen yogurt establishments that are popping up left and right as the new health craze. They are packed with sugar, impossible to control portions with the self serve option, and include an arrangement of unhealthy toppings. Don't fret- there are options. Coconut bliss makes incredible icecreams and sorbets, and my personal favorite right now:

Low calorie, dairy free, and low sugar.

Remember - dieting is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. You need to remember to treat yourself sometimes, and the reward pays off. 

April 5th 2015 and April 5th 2016 - thank you diet!

When you can't work out...

Doctor - "No lifting or gym for one week."
Me- "Noo!!"
Doctor looks down at chart - "Ok, light cardio it is..."

Don't worry guys, I am okay.. just got a mole removed off my forehead.

 Breaking down insecurities one by one before my big day. Although I am thrilled it's finally gone, I am left with a few stitches and a doctor's order of no working out. I may go crazy... but it's okay, because when you can't work out you can always find a way to get moving. Start walking!! 

Walking is such a simple, overlooked exercise. Most people work a 9-5 with a 30 minute break. Why not use that break to get out of the office and get moving? Daylight savings leaves us with no excuse to take that sunset walk, or if you are a morning person like me you can catch some great sunrises.

I am certainly not thrilled to be banned from the gym, but I am making it work.

Some tricks to burning the most calories:
1. Keep your head up.
2. Keep your spine straight.
3. Pump your arms a little bit (this is where my fiance makes fun of me with my "old lady walk")
4. GO OUTDOORS! This is key. The elements of the outdoors, especially if you are in California, are far more strenuous than a flat treadmill.
5. Track it: I use the app "Map my Run" so I know exactly how long and how far I am going, creating new goals to hit.

Aim for at least 30 minutes a day, and your heart and body will thank you.

See ya later, Dairy

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. I spent my Easter playing in the park with my puppy, Henry. Check us out.

Before I let my adorable pup steal the show, I'll get down to business. About one month ago I made a huge decision. Maybe bigger than saying yes to my fiance's proposal, bigger than saying yes to the dress, bigger than choosing the wedding song... I decided to cut out all dairy.

I LOVE cheese. My best gals know I will ditch all plans for a good brie platter. So, this was pretty big for me. But, six months from my wedding day I knew this was the perfect time to make some diet cuts. For me, dairy was my downfall. After a good pizza binge, I'd wake up feeling bloated, greasy, and acne ridden. Have I cut out dairy completely? No, I would say 90%. I still eat the occasional feta in my salad and greek yogurt. Giving up pizza in it's entirety would be criminal, but I have cut all cheese, creamers, and ice cream.

What major swaps did I make?

• Coffee Creamer to Hemp Milk- any soy product will do
• Spreadable cheese to Earth Balance Butter (beware- this is addicting)
• Skim Milk to Almond Milk -- I prefer almond or coconut to soy
• Amy's cheeseless pizza- I was weary too, but it's delicious!

What benefits have I seen?

• Acne free skin! Yes I have the occasional break out, but can say after one month of a dairy free diet the results are truly remarkable
• Room for more nutrients - instead of grabbing a string cheese for a snack, I go for a piece of fruit or nuts
• Bye bye bloat- cutting out milk products has done wonders for belly bloat. I am not lactose intolerant and still see the difference.
• Shredding body fat - excess fat that once seemed impossible to lose, is now starting to look slimmer and slimmer.

Am I suggesting that all of my readers give up dairy? No, but I am absolutely suggesting you limit your intake and recognize some of the benefits.

Travel: a diet's nightmare

Before I dive into the horrors of airport food, I want to share with you a photo from an incredible weekend. A weekend where I put fitness aside a bit, tasted my wedding cake, tasted my wedding foods, and shared a million laughs over good champagne and eats with my family and friends. We are so very blessed.

Now, I will back track... to 24 hours before this photo was taken to my fiance and I stuck at the DC airport for 6+ hours. I was desperate for some healthy grub. Here's the thing... their idea of healthy is about as frustrating as a flight delay. Yes of course there are a few salad and juice bars, but what if you're gate isn't near there? What if you barely have time to make your flight? I kid you not, I saw people running with bagel sandwiches in their mouths. Everywhere I looked there was someone mindlessly eating a bag of chips, or shoving down a quick burger before their next flight. So I walked into the travel store for some snacks...




We have all seen these, been in these, spent $4 too much on items in these. Although it's tempting to go for the Kettle Salt and Vinegar chips, I beg you to put them down. Sitting on a plane + mindless snacking on junk = a diet nightmare. Instead, walk over to the nuts aisle. Stay away from those trail mixes with M&Ms and go for the almonds, the walnuts, the pistachios. Infact, pistachios are the perfect airport snack. The cracking of the nuts stops you from overeating, and they are a low calorie nut. Put down the airport packaged sandwiches and go for a Quest bar (yes, they sell them at airports now!) or a greek yogurt.

Here's my best advice: If the first word is "brown rice sugar" or "soy protein isolate" stay away.

Unfortunately for me, I was stuck in the aiport for hours, so I needed a real meal. My poor fiance walked all over that airport with me until we could find a spot with ANY healthy choices. It was breakfast time, and we needed fuel. Almost every restaurant or quick stand we saw had bagel sandwiches, loaded with meats and cheeses. The "healthy" options were double portions, loaded with buttered toast and "wheat" bread. So what did I do? I ordered the "healthy" option, and actually made it healthy. I ordered a two egg sandwich with feta cheese on rye toast. I then substituted the hash browns for fresh fruit. Trust me, people are accommodating now. There is nothing wrong with speaking up and substituting items when you are eating at an airport restaurant. I then took dissected the sandwich. I put the two eggs on ONE piece of toast. Readers- carbs are not the enemy, we need them for fuel. Everything in moderation.

In conclusion, are there healthy options in airports? Hardly, but you can make it work! My best advice... pack your own snacks.

6 month mark - time for a new goal

I am six months away from being a Mrs! And it's time to tackle my biggest workout weakness. I have mentioned it before, and am willing to shamelessly share with my readers.. I can not do a pull up. This is extremely frustrating for me. I work back and arms harder than anything, but can't seem to get myself up on the bar. If anyone knows me, it's my fiance.. so when I say I will do a pull up by September, I will do a pull up by September. You are my witnesses!

Day one: The struggle is real.

What are the benefits of a pull up?

• A compound exercise that works backs, shoulders, and arms
• Convenience - you can do a pull up anywhere! No gym or equipment needed.
• Increased functional strength
• Better posture
• A toned back - perfect for that strapless wedding dress