20 Fittest Foods

After reading several articles online I found the top 20 fittest foods. Here they are:

20) Turkey Breast
72 calories per 3-oz serving
Eat 3 servings per week
Buy it skinless and you get seven grams of muscle-building protein per ounce.

19) Olive Oil
119 calories per tbsp
Eat 2 tbsp per day
Olive oil is rich in good monounsaturated fat, making it an ideal food for heart health.

18) Quinoa
318 calories per half cup
Eat 2-3 servings per week

17) Black Beans
227 calories per cup
Eat 2 servings per week
Tiny as they are, beans can help you feel energized and fuller longer than almost anything else you can eat. The reason is twofold: They're incredibly high in fiber, which swells in your stomach and promotes a feeling of fullness. And, they're stuffed with a highly complex form of carbohydrate that can take your body a long while to convert into energy. Like meat, they're also packed with protein. 

16) Green Tea
2 calories per cup
Drink 1-3 cups per day
From cancer prevention to weight loss to potentially slowing the development of Alzheimer's, green tea has been shown to help fight almost every major medical ill.

15) Eggs
74 calories per large egg
Eat 3-7 eggs per week
Eggs contain a heavy-hitting 4 grams of pure muscle-building amino acids inside every shell, in addition to boasting some of the highest naturally available doses around of a vitamin called choline, which is thought to help enhance memory. 

14) Milk
118 calories per cup
Get 3 servings of dairy per day

13) Water
0 calories
Drink Eight 8-oz glasses per day
You know you need to be drinking more water, and for good reason. Water flushes toxins from your system, regulates body temp, acts as an insulator for joints, prevents kidney stones, and supplies the body with a raft of crucial minerals.

Although water helps in every way, it may be at its most powerful when it comes to weight loss. Drinking a glass or two of water a half hour or so before mealtime, for example, can help take the edge off your hunger.

Getting in all that water each day seem like a drag? Try making a half gallon of sugar-free lemonade you can sip throughout the day, or buy a pack of calorie-free flavorings to add to your water bottle at work.

12) Sweet Potatoes
100 calories per med. potato
Eat 1 per week
A four-ounce sweet potato holds more than 100% of our daily supply of beta carotene, a hefty dose of iron, and a plentiful shot of vitamins C and E. 

11) Soy300 calories per cupEat 2 servings per weekSoy nuts and the soy protein used in some protein shakes and bars not only taste great but are very guy-friendly.

10) Beef
163 calories per 3-oz serving
Eat 3-4 servings per week
It's not only high in muscle-building amino acids, it's also a powerhouse of iron and zinc, which aid circulatory health. 

9) Whole-Wheat Bread
140 calories per 2 slices
Eat 6 slices per week
White flour doesn't just rob you of fiber and protein, it also digests incredibly quickly in the body, giving you a rapid spike of energy-but one that comes crashing down just as fast. Over time, those spikes in insulin production wear on the body, damaging cells and promoting excess storage of fat. So why would you ever eat white bread?

8) Almonds82 calories per 1/2-oz servingEat 3 servings per weekHigh in protein, fiber, and vitamin E, almonds are great for your heart, digestive system, and skin. 

7) Yogurt
154 calories per cup
Get 3 servings of dairy per day
Yogurt has all the benefits of milk, plus active cultures that boost the number of germ-fighting bacteria along your intestinal walls.

6) Spinach
7 calories per cup
Eat 2-3 servings per week
What do button-down dietitians have in common with brawl-happy cartoon sailors? They all love their spinach! And for good reason. One serving of these leafy greens is loaded with fiber, calcium, and virtually your entire day's recommended dosage of beta carotene, a nutrient vital for immune-system health, good vision, but not-as far as we know-huge wrist flexors.

5) Broccoli
31 calories per cup
Eat 2-3 half-cup servings per week
It's rich with a healthy supply of iron, calcium, fiber, and vitamin C, meaning it's good for the circulatory system, bones, and fighting colds. 

4) Tomatoes
83 calories per cup
Eat 4 servings per week
This powerful antioxidant, which comes from the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color, may actually help fight off a number of diseases and ailments-most important for men, prostate cancer. 

3) Oatmeal
148 calories per half cup
Eat 3-4 servings per week
When it comes to eating breakfast in the morning, there's nothing better than a bowl of oatmeal to spike your energy levels and provide you with an hours-long supply of fuel. Oatmeal is also filled with stress-fighting and immunity-boosting zinc.

2) Blueberries
41 calories per half cup
Eat 1-2 cups per week
Of all the fruit you can eat, blueberries may be the absolute best. Whether you're getting them raw, tossed into cereal, mixed in fruit salad or a smoothie, blueberries pack more fiber, vitamins, and minerals per ounce than any other fruit in the produce aisle. 

1) Salmon
121 calories per 3-oz serving
Eat 3-4 servings per week
Salmon made out list for a number of reasons, but the biggest has got to be because its so densely stuffed with omega-3's. These fatty acids are thought to slow memory loss as you age and boost heart health by regulating heart rhythms and keeping arteries and veins supple and free of blockages.A three-ounce cooked serving contains 20 grams-making it ideal for building muscle and trimming fat. Besides helping stimulate your metabolism three to four times more than carbs or fat, protein is the absolute best food for helping fill you up, so you take in fewer calories and burn more. And that's what being a fit food is all about.

Sick

Okay stop reading now if you don't want to read another "I am depressed blog post'. Here it is.. I am so depressed today; okay for the past week to be honest. I worked so hard to lose weight and had lost a nice amount of weight but as of this morning I have gained almost all of it back. I am so depressed and every pound back on I sink further down into a deep depression. I have now made myself physically sick. I don't know if it's because it's so hot out and we have had company and not getting much sleep but I gained 4 pounds this week and can't get out of a mental slump. Why can't I get back on the bandwagon and start losing weight? I did it before and can do it so what the hell is wrong with me?

I don't want to hear advice or really hear anything from anyone. I know what I need to do and how to do it. I know how I feel when I do - I just am not ready to do it. So for now I am fat, ugly, and depressed..

Open the Tool Box

It's been 6 months since I set out to lose weight and change my life. For the past 6 years I have allowed excuses to get in my way. I thought that the excuses that I don't have time nor money to do anything about my weight were accurate and really the reason I was not able to lose weight. Boy was I wrong... Jan 1st I started working out every night before bed. I watched what I ate and started losing weight. I didn't lose a ton each week but I lost. By March 21st I was down 14 pounds and feeling amazing! I did it by finding 40 mins to workout each night and watching my portions. I didn't change our diet, just changed how much I was eating. Our family took a 2 week vacation and during that time I fell off the bandwagon and haven't been able to get back on. I have paid dearly... It is now July 11th 3 months later and I have gained back 9 of the pounds I had lost. I am so ashamed. I have eaten my success and laid around whining about it. I don't know if it was the drive to look good on vacation that pushed me but I need a push. I thought setting goals along the way would help keep me motivated but it doesn't seem to be enough. Depression is setting in again and the spark is gone. I wanted so badly to be at 154 by Sept. 15th but right now just getting the 9 I gained off would be nice. Dropping 25 wont happen.

I have all the tools and I know how to use them but it's one thing to open the tool box it's another to actual use the tools.

Inch by Inch

Inch by inch I plan to drop weight, sizes, and inches. Starts with the first inch..

Chest = 39
Waist = 39.5
Butt/hips = 45
Thigh = 27
Calf = 15.75
Upper Arm = 13.5
Neck = 13.5

Arbonne

I recently became an Arbonne consultant. Going to try this out over the summer and see how it goes. Check out the site and let me know if interested in hosting a party or purchasing products. I could use your support.

www.arbonne.com

Thanks

Not about anyone else but ME!

I haven't blogged much lately and I need to. I have just been upset with myself for gaining weight and falling off the bandwagon. Really though - who do I have to impress? When I started blogging I did it for me but some how during my journey I lost sight of goals and reasons why I started the journey in the first place. I started off wanting to lose weight for myself. Not because of some contest, or because I hated what people saw when they looked at me - but because I wanted to feel better inside and out. I want to lose weight for myself. I went into my fat secret account today and changed my diet plan around some and plan on jumping back on the bandwagon. Again I am not going to try some fad diet or workout route. I am going to watch what I eat, drink my water, and walk. It works for ME and that is all that is important.

Painful Truth

Tonight while studing I over heard the girls talking downstairs. Jasmine to MiKayla "I wouldn't eat that if I were you. It will make you fat like mommy. Do you want to get fat like her?" Ouch.. I really have a problem and need to do something about my weight. I never wanted to be the fat mother on the sidelines.

Yo-Yo

Up and Down the scale goes where it stops no one knows. Since going on vacation I haven't gotten back into working out nor watching my diet. The scale has gone up 2, down 2, up 1, down 2, up 2. This morning I did my weekly weigh in and what do I see 170.2 so up again. Why not?! I am so frustrated and I know it's my fault. I know what to do to lose weight. I know what I am doing wrong. I just can't get back on the bandwagon.

I have three events coming up that I will want to look my best for. The first one is May 12th. (3 1/2 weeks away) We will be having family pictures done. We haven't had family pictures done since 2006. When we did them last time I was sitting at about 190 pounds I think. I am only 20 under that and not happy that I am not closer or at 30 plus. The next event will be my college graduation which is June 8th.(7 1/2 weeks) I ordered my cap and gown staying that I was at my current weight but I would still like to drop another 10/15 pounds by then. The event after that is summer which is basically the same date and I would like to be at about the same weight lose as my graduation hopes. I know I can't drop 10 pounds in 3 weeks for photo's but I couple drop 10 by graduation if I can get my head on straight.

Ashamed

It's Thursday and I have finally decided to confess. I am embarrassed and ashamed of myself and this weeks weigh in. Tuesday I stepped up on the scale and saw yet another bad week weigh in. I weighed in at 171.8. This is not what I wanted to see. Does it surprise me? No! I ate horrible. I didn't workout at all. Plus I have my monthly visitor. This is no excuse though. I didn't need to finish off the bag of chips. I didn't need to eat Easter candy. I didn't need 3 slices of pizza. I can find an hour to workout. I gained weight because I wasn't smart about the things I ate and the lack of exercise. I would love to say that today is a new day but for whatever reason I can't break out of this mental funk and am already struggling. I need a kick to help me jump start my new goal. Come on Melody - 8 weeks until graduation and you want to look great!

New Small Goal

Four and a half years ago I felt that I had a goal unfulfilled and that I needed support while I attempt to complete my goal. My goal has always been to go to college. I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else that a poor girl from a small town that not only came from a troubled past but also has dyslexia could hold that piece of paper in her hand with her head held high saying I did it, and I did it on my own. I applied to college, was accepted and off I went. Now I am just a few short weeks away from graduation. Not a doctor like I had hoped 15 years ago. But, I can say that I earned my degree and I did it on my own. Something I hope my friends, family and children are proud of.

With graduation 8 weeks away I thought, why not work on dropping a few extra pounds before hand. I am going to shoot to see the 150's on the scale by that day. This is a bigger goal then I should shoot for. I need to drop 10/11 pounds in 8 weeks. That means I need to pick up with workout pace and watch my calories closer. We will see. I will keep you posted.

Running Shoes

Today for no particular reason I decided to buy my first pair of running shoes. Being that I live in a small town I really only have one store to shop in. I asked the clerk (who looked younger then me and not sure if he even runs) which were the best and he suggested these..

I bought them. They were a bit pricey but I like how they feel. Not sure if I am in love with the hot pink and black but feel good. They are Asics Gel-Blur33 shoes. Reviews look good online. Not sure how much running I will do verse fast walking but we will see. I plan on getting a walk in tomorrow. Actually I plan on attempting to kill it on an outdoor 5K trail and see how I do.
Results coming soon...