Days 10, 11, 12

Woah... 2 days just flew by just like that! We had a lot going on here in the Lorek household so I had to put the blog on hold for a few days. So to update you on  the goings on of Jillian... walking, yeah - just walking, is kicking my butt. I mean I think to myself why is walking so exhausting - I thought I walked all day... but I guess 20 straight minutes of walking "briskly" is different. It's ridiculous, I feel ridiculous. Anyways, I'm trying not to wallow in humility and just power through it. I'm having some problems with my knee lately (before the walking started) so that is definitely making my walks tougher. I'm also getting shin splits and those hurt like the dickens... so basically I'm just a walking blubber mass of complaints, aches and pains. But one day.... ONE DAY... I'll be the striking slender legged picture of grace and it will feel awesome to run... one day.

I'm getting bored with my snacks... so I've been reasearching some snacks that are weight loss friendly and I figured maybe you are bored with your snacks too.... so I thought I'd share.

- Trail mix! (don't forget those pumpkin seeds!) ... make sure that it's full of dried fruit and nuts. Dried banana chips and sesame sticks contain hydrogenated oils that can trans-contaminate other items in your mix, so stay away from those!

- Slow release snack foods, meaning foods that won't cause a big rise in blood sugar (meaning you won't be hungry again soon after)... avacados, meat, poultry, eggs, salad vegetables, fish and cheese.

- About an ounce of nuts is a great snack. Hazelnuts & Almonds are lowest in saturated fat. Macadamia & Hazelnuts are highest in monounsaturated fat (this is a good thing!). Pistachios & Macadamia are highest in fiber (about 3 grams per oz). Walnuts have the most omega-3 fatty acids (also a good thing!).

-  Oats and oat bran. Make a batch of oatmeal flavored with low-fat milk, a little vanilla extract and cinnamon in the microwave, or freeze a batch of blueberry oat bran muffins so you can grab one when you need a quick afternoon pickup.

- Make it portable... some of these fruits can be combined with yogurt, cereal & milk or cream cheese to make a more balanced snack. Try cherries, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, cantaloupe.

- Snacks should be 150-200 calories. Try half a whole wheat bagel with a reduced fat slice of cheddar instead of a whole bagel.

- Eat slowly, it takes your brain 20 minutes to register you are full, give your brain some time to register that message!

What are some of your favorite snacks???????