Eat this, not that -- Healthy alternatives for unhealthy cravings

We all crave foods that we know are bad for us. For most of these foods and snacks, there are healthy and delicious alternatives. Here are some of my favorites--

If you’re craving: Potato chips

Try: Quaker rice cakes

                     


These lightly salted rice cakes contain 35 calories each, making it possible to eat two and still be under half the amount of calories found in a standard bag of potato chips. They’re gluten free and don’t contain any of the added preservatives that most chips do. You’ll get your salt fix without the harmful ingredients and extra calories that are found in potato chips.

If you're craving: Hot fudge sundae

Try: Frozen chocolate banana

                 

Frozen chocolate bananas are great because they satisfy both your craving for chocolate and for ice cream. The chocolate is enough without going overboard and the frozen banana tastes just like banana ice cream. You can make it replicate a sundae even more so my adding toppings like sprinkles or nuts.

If you're craving: A glass of soda

Try: A cup of green tea

       

         

Soda is one of the worst things you can put into your body if you’re trying to be healthy, due to the empty calories and high sugar content. Instead, go for all-natural green tea. If you substitute 1-2 cups of green tea for one can of soda, you'll save 50,000 calories over the span of a year. And if you don’t like hot tea, add some ice and you have yourself some iced tea to kick that soda craving.

If you're craving: Spinach dip

Try: Trader Joe's spinach & kale greek yogurt dip

 

This stuff is incredibly delicious. At 30 calories per serving, this dip contains half the calories and fat found in traditional spinach dip. Even though this is branded as “reduced guilt”, it packs a flavor punch with the greek yogurt and great texture with the addition of kale. This has quickly become one of my favorite dips!

If you're craving: A bagel

Try: Bagel thins

                                                         

If you know me, you know I’m an absolute bagel fanatic—so I was relieved to find these bagel thins. At 110 calories for each thin, that is around 1/3 less calories than your average bagel. Pair it with low fat cream cheese and you have the perfect answer to your bagel craving for less than 200 calories.

Happy snacking! :)

xoxo Erica

Easy tips for losing weight

We all know that losing weight can be a long, grueling process but it’s about finding the right plan that works best for you. For me, these factors were key to my weight loss:

Keep track of what you eat.

For so long, I’ve always heard people saying not to count calories. So, I never did…until the day I met with a personal trainer who told me exactly how many calories I should be consuming every day in order to reach my goal weight. I downloaded MyFitnessPal to start keeping track of what I ate and it was the best decision I've ever made. MyFitnessPal is an app that allows you to enter all of your meals for the day. It calculates the calories to each food, in addition to fat content, protein, carbohydrates, etc. You never really know what you’re eating until you actually see it broken down in front of you! This app was the only way I could possibly keep track of it all and if I hadn't, I would've been eating way more than I was should have been.

Work out at least 3 days a week.

I've always found it unrealistic to say I’m going to work out 4-5 times a week—because in theory, it’s never going to happen with my schedule. You want to set a realistic goal for yourself, which for me was 3 days, but may be more for some people. I've found that I’m able to maintain my weight by working out 3 days a week, while still having the time to do the other things I want to do. For those that have an insanely busy schedule, working out 3 days a week is still possible. It doesn't have to mean going to the gym—if you’re short on time, you can improvise by running around the block or doing wall sits, push-ups, or other exercises at home.

Don’t deprive yourself.

If you constantly deprive yourself, you’ll feel nothing but dissatisfaction.  I always tell myself that if I ate healthy for the entire day, I can splurge on that ice cream sandwich for dessert. If you’re eating completely clean 3/4 of the time, that remaining 1/4 where you have a bag of chips or a cookie won’t hurt! Losing weight is 70% diet and 30% exercise, but I've never been an advocate of starving yourself or depriving yourself of what you really want.  However, cheats like this should be in moderation. I’m not saying to go after that ice cream every single day of the week, but 1-2 times a week won’t hurt.

Cut out soda and sugary juices.

Yes, I am an advocate for eating a cookie once in a while but put down that glass of coke! Soda and juice are filled with empty calories and added sugars. It should never be something that’s part of your daily diet—rather a treat every now and then when you’re out at a party or event. Instead, replace these drinks with water. You should aim to drink 6-8 cups of water a day. Or, if you’re in the mood for something else besides water—try unsweetened tea. It’s close enough to juice, but without all of the unnecessary sugar and fat content.

Don’t skip breakfast.

It’s no myth when people say breakfast is the most important meal of the day—there really is some truth to that! Breakfast is the meal that breaks the fast your body goes into every night when you go to sleep so it is crucial to eat within the first hour or two after you wake up. If you’re looking to lose weight, skipping breakfast may actually lead to eating more calories later on in the day due to being hungry. Eating breakfast also helps to lower your metabolism and amp up your concentration level and energy for the day.

Involve the people around you.

When you’re trying to lose weight, it always helps to have the people around you on board with your plan. It’s always easier when you have a support system and people that know the goal you're trying to meet. You can have a girls night in and pick a healthy recipe to suggest to make for dinner or invite someone to go along to the gym with you. It’s always easier (and more fun) when you have people around you that are involved and supportive in your plan.

Like I said, losing weight is different for everyone and the process depends on the person. A healthy diet and exercise are key and it's up to you to find what suits you best. My advice is to never be too strict or hard on yourself—it can sometimes take a while, but the end result will always be worth it. Good luck!

xoxo Erica