My Daily Food Log

I was going to call this "What I Ate Wednesday", but today's my birthday (oot oot!), so you KNOW there will be some indulging happening.  [wink wink]

Sooo I thought it'd be better to share a more "normal" day of eating with you all.  That is, meals that are made with prepped foods and eaten at my usual times.  

I typically eat 4-5 times a day, depending on if I'm working or not.  I wake up at 4:30am on work days, and eat breakfast by 5:30.  So I usually have to have something to tide my over till my lunch break - or things are gonna get UGLY. 

Now, let me preface this by saying a few things: 

1. I do not always track my food intake.  I definitely do when I'm trying to actively build lean muscle ("bulking"), because I want to make sure that I'm keeping my macros high enough to promote those muscle (read BOOTY) gains.  Currently, I am at more of a "maintenance" intake level, but I'm slowly increasing it to get back to muscle-building mode.  I've also found tracking beneficial during stressful times, when I feel those binge tendencies or negative feelings towards food creeping back up.  Keeping a food log keeps me from grabbing food to deal with emotional issues, and it also ensures that I'm eating enough, which has been an issue for me, too.  
2. This is what works for me.  I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, or registered dietician.  I'm not telling you that you have to track your macros, or that you have to eat exactly what I eat.  Do what works for YOUR body, babes!  My goal with this post is to show you how I plan out my day and make my meals fit the current macros I have set for myself.  
3. I still listen to my body.  You'll notice I exceeded my "goal" for this particular day, and this happens maybe a few times a week.  Some days when I train a lot harder (read: leg + booty days), I am STARVING.  So I usually eat a few more carbs and/or have a little more nut butter or avocado.  I don't beat myself up over this, because I'm not mindlessly eating junk food - I'm giving my body the fuel it needs to be able to train properly and keep me strong and healthy.  

[Side note: You'll notice that I almost always measure my food in grams.  This is what I've found to be the most accurate method.  For instance, a serving of Publix rolled oats is 39g.  If I measure out "half a cup" and actually measure them, it might actually be more like 50g.  This may not seem like a lot, but those little differences can add up over the day, which add up over the week, which...oh, you get the point.  Haha.  If you're serious about tracking your food intake, buy yourself a cheap - but reliable - food scale that measures in grams.]

Ok, now that we've gotten THAT out of the way, let's get to the fun part...the FOOD!

• BREAKFAST: My usual bowl of "proats" with berries and PB + a "matcha-collagen latte"

• MID-MORNING SNACK: Plain rice cakes (I'm always in a hurry to scarf something down) + an iced almond milk latte (no sweetener) from the Starbucks downstairs at the hospital) + my Natural Calm magnesium powder (which I always put in my Healthy Human Life water bottle)

• LUNCH: A hodge podge of goods - baked sweet potato fries, low-sodium/all natural deli turkey, veggies, hummus, + some GF pretzels (because I always need a good CRUNCH factor)

• AFTERNOON SNACK: Rice cakes + PB Fit (I'm obsessed with this stuff!).  I didn't workout this day, but if I did, I would've added a simple protein shake (water + Pretty Fit protein) and adjusted my protein from some of the other meals (such as cut out the protein added to my morning oats or reduce the amount of shrimp I have at dinner).

• DINNER: sautéed shrimp + bell peppers, quinoa + rice (mixed), lots of lettuce (for my greens!), salsa, avocado (for healthy fats), + a glass of kombucha (I love drinking this at night to give me calm vibes AND keep my gut health on point)

That's it, you guys!  That doesn't look so complicated, right?  

It's all about PLANNING AHEAD.  (Cause, yes, in case you didn't read my last post, I'm a planner.) I like to roughly plan out what I'm having the night before and then adjust it during the day if I need to (like I mentioned with the afternoon snack).  If I need a few more carbs, add 25-50g of brown rice.  Need more protein?  Add in some extra chicken or another 1/2 scoop of protein into my oats.  Low on fats?  Well, you know what I'm gonna say about that...WHIP OUT THAT NUT BUTTER, BABY!  Just remember to measure things out so that you don't go overboard - which I am TOTALLY likely to do.  (Oops...haha!)

Have questions?  Feel free to email me or leave a comment below.  I love hearing from you guys! Also, if you'd like more help learning about macros (or having yours calculated to help meet your own fitness goals), I offer that as a service, too (under "Train With Me")!  

Blessings,

Sugar Detox Summary

I've done it, you guys.  

I've finished another round of the 7-day Sugar Detox.  [pats self on back]  This definitely wasn't my easiest challenge ever (as you'll see in my day-by-day summary), but it was effective!  I can honestly say I feel I have 100% "detoxed" from sugar - and I couldn't be happier.  

So I'm sure you're all wondering how my week really went.  Let me lay it out for you day by day - the good, the bad, and the just downright miserable parts.  Because, hey - I've always been honest with you guys, so why stop now?  Amiright?!

• Day 1 (Monday): Cravings were minimal, but I was definitely sluggish.  This could be due to the fact that it was Monday though - and my SUPER slow digestive tract.  I was definitely bloated and my stomach just felt heavy.

• Day 2 (Tuesday): I worked that day and was NOT feelin' it that day.  I was moody, exhausted, my workout stunk to high heavens, and wanted to munch on EVERYTHING - salty or sweet.  I didn't care.  I would've thought I was going to start my cycle if I didn't know better (TMI, I know - haha).  I got through the day by grubbing on some plain rice cakes with PB powder (Crazy Richards' Pure PB, not PB Fit since it has a little added sugar) + cinnamon.  And as far as the moodiness goes...I just tried to stay away from people as much as possible.  HA!

• Day 3 (Wednesday): This day was a bit better as far as moodiness and binge tendancies go, but I was definitely still sluggish.  Unfortunately, I tried to compensate with more coffee, which definitely didn't help my digestive tract situation.  Ugh.  I'm not even kidding - all of the extra sugar/fat had really done a number on me.  I tried all sorts of natural remedies, but nothing seemed to be helping.  Oh well, on to day 4!

• Day 4 (Thursday): My cravings had completely resolved, my blemishes on my face were gone, and my mood was on the mend.  However, the OTHER issue was still hanging around.  Meh.  The bloating hadn't gone away yet and I felt like I had a brick in my belly (not fun).  I tried more remedies (extra magnesium, extra probiotics, some senna at night time)...nada.  **This is one of the reasons why you've got to listen to your body - it's telling you loud and clear when it doesn't like something!  Some people can eat 100+ grams of sugar a day and not have any effects, but then others (like myself) can only eat small amount without having allllll these issues.  So just because you see someone eating something on the regular on social media doesn't mean YOUR body will like it.  YOU DO YOU and find out what your body DOES like.  Ok, rant over.  On to the next day!

• Day 5 (Friday): I worked again and it was a DOOZY.  I had a headache most of the day, and was completely drained by the end of the day and didn't have an ounce of energy left to even attempt a workout.  But I listened to my body, ate lots of good, nutrient-dense foods (didn't even crave sugar again - woohoo!), and RESTED once I got home.  My stomach problems weren't any better - AGAIN.

• Day 6 (Saturday):  My energy levels/mood were better throughout the day, and I was even able to get in a good leg/glute workout. WHOOP!  The binge tendencies were still gone, buuuuut still having tummy problems.  

• Day 7 (Sunday): Eureka!  The last day of the challenge!  I was a little sluggish in the beginning of the day, but I knew that was due to the digestive issues and not withdrawing from sugar.  But PRAISE BABY JESUS - the issue FINALLY "resolved"!  I felt like a brand new person.  [cue happy dance and simultaneous jazz hands]

I know, that was quite a lot of potty talk (HAHA!).  But I wanted to be totally honest with you guys, and that's the issue I dealt with the most!  And trust me, your colon is seriously what keeps the rest of your body running well.  If you don't have a clean colon, then it affects everything - your mood, mental clarity, energy levels, nervous system, and skin.  So again, listen to your body, friends!  If you can tell you've overdone it or that your body just doesn't like something (even in small amounts), then DO SOMETHING about it!  

Ok, so in continuing with my full disclosure, here are some before/after pics for you guys.  Now don't get me wrong.  I'm NOT saying there's anything wrong with my body in the first pictures, so please don't think I'm saying that!  I just wanted to show the difference (even if it's subtle to some of you) in my bloating/belly distention compared to now.  

Well, how did YOU do?!  Who finished with me and who is still trucking along?!  I want to hear about your own challenges, so please share!  (You can always email me if you don't wish to share your stories in the comments.)  I hope that at least some of you joined in and feel the same relief I do.  Sugar cravings, BE GONE! 

Have a great week, babes!

Blessings!

Smile with Confidence

““A smile is the light into the window of your soul.””

— Anonymous

Here's something you may not know about me: I've always been self-conscious about my smile.

When I was younger, my teeth were overcrowded.  I didn't take care of them like I should have, so my enamel was weak, my teeth were super sensitive, and I had way more cavities than I'd care to admit [cringe].  

When my husband proposed to me (waaaay back in 2009), he gifted me with something most people would think was an odd gift: braces.  Yep, my man paid for me to get braces - haha.  He did it knowing that it was something I was self-conscious about, and he wanted me to feel confident on our wedding day.  (I just love him.)

So, I wore braces for a whole 3 months.  That's right, it only took 3 months to correct most of my issues.  I went every. two. weeks. and had those puppies tightened.  If you're thinking "ouch", you'd be correct.

Once I got those off, I decided to whiten them using whitening gel provided by my dentist.  I got dramatic results, but good lawd, did those treatments make my teeth even more s e n s i t i v e.  

I didn't whiten my teeth any more because of this sensitivity.  Even after having stains from drinking coffee for years, white teeth just wasn't worth the sensitivity I felt for months afterwards.  

And theeeeen I found Smile Brilliant.

I had been stalking this company for a while on Instagram and liked the reviews I had read.  What convinced me to try them?  They include a DESENSITIZING GEL for you to use after the whitening gel to minimize sensitivity.  Whaaaat?!  Sign me up!

THE PROCESS:

I received my product and immediately went ahead and "made my trays".  This may sound weird to do at home, but all it entails is pouring the blue gel into the molds, biting down on them, and leaving them in for about a minute or so until they harden.  It couldn't be easier - and there are instructions for those of us who have trouble following the rules...haha.  

Once I made my mold, I shipped it back to the company.  I received my custom whitening trays a couple of weeks later, and (of course) they fit perfectly.

I started the whitening process by leaving the gel on for 30 minutes - just so my teeth could get use to it.  I increased the time every few days until I could leave it on for an hour at a time.  I did this for a total of 2 weeks.  

THE RESULTS:

I believe in 100% transparency with you guys, so I'm gonna keep it real here.  

I didn't see the same "dramatic" results I saw when I whitened before.  BUT that could be because 1) the gel wasn't as strong (which is not a bad thing, because it can damage the enamel of your teeth if it's too strong), and 2) many of my front teeth have partial composite fillings, meaning the stains will never totally come off, no matter how much I whiten them. 

What I DID see was an overall brighter smile that I could feel good about.  I don't notice the coffee stains like I did before, and I feel like it made them "pop" a little.  Let's be honest, a little "pop" is enough for me.  I ain't looking for no Chiclet-white teeth. ;) AND I don't have the sensitivity I had before, which is faaaabulous!  

I still use the gel from time to time (think once every other month) when I want a little boost, and it really does help to brighten my teeth up again - even after just an hour of wearing the trays.  

The whole point of this is that - thanks to Smile Brilliant - I can feel confident in my smile again.  Confidence is key, you guys!  It doesn't matter if you have the whitest, straightest teeth in the world.  It matters that you feel your BEST - and that your confidence shows.  

So say "cheese", y'all! 

[If you'd like to know more about Smile Brilliant, here are some links for you.  And be sure to use the code "JAYME" for a little discount!]

Benefits of Custom Trays

Smile Brilliant Testimonials

Sensitive Teeth

Things to Know Being Buying

Where to Buy