Snack Ideas from Metabolic Effect

A few months ago, I wrote a blog about the Metabolic Effect diet/exercise plan.  Today, the Metabolic Effect Facebook page shared a list of healthy snacks in case you are looking for some variety.  I thought the list was super helpful; I am bored with my usual string cheese, apples, grilled chicken, and cucumbers!!  Here is the list they posted:


~Sliced avocado and tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.

~Sliced tomato with fresh basil with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.

~Kale chips

~Grill/bake some chicken tenders and use salsa as a dipping sauce.

~Make a big pot of chicken/veggie soup on the weekend so you have to use during the week for a snack or even a dinner with a big salad or a wedge of a frittata.

~Tomato and cucumber salad -add red onion if you like (season to your liking and experiment with different flavors of vinegar).

~Use ham and/or turkey roll ups as a protein add on for some of snacks listed here. (When you get home from the store immediately roll them up and have them ready to go in the fridge.)

~Berries with coconut cream. (Take a can of full fat coconut cream and put in the fridge. It will then separate and on the top you will have cream. Or just use the coconut milk to drizzle a little on the berries.)

~Shrimp cocktail

~Use leftover rotisserie chicken to cut up in small pieces. Since it can get some what dry after a day use salsa and/or a touch of guacamole to give it some moistness and more flavor. Use romaine lettuce heart leaves to use a “holder” for your chicken.

~Make a frittata over the weekend and use whatever veggies you like. Cut it up into wedges to have for a snack where you could add a piece of fruit or pair with that soup and salad for a meal.

~Love guacamole but don’t want to use chips? Use cut veggies to dip into the guac. Or use hard boiled whites to house a dollop of guacamole.

~Short on time? Grab some grape tomatoes, some of your ham/turkey roll ups and a few nuts.

~This time of the year you see pumpkin everywhere. Want your own fix without completely blowing it? Take some pumpkin puree and mix with pumpkin pie spices or just plain cinnamon works well. Drizzle a little coconut milk on top and add some slivered almonds or chopped walnuts. Enjoy as a treat. If you want to add some stevia - you can do whatever works for you.

~Just changing the spices, herbs, and vinegars that you use can go a long way to making the same old, same old something completely new.

Getting (re)Started

I finally broke out of my no-working-out funk yesterday (Saturday) by going to a Pump class.  I had taken 10 days off - unintentionally at first, then the more days that went by, the less I wanted to make myself get moving.  The plus side was that I really did get more sleep: I was in bed early and slept in until the last possible minute.  The other plus, it turns out, is that it made some of my perpetual aches and pains subside a bit.  

Yesterday, I forced myself to go to Pump class, though I was doubting I'd even have the stamina to make it through the squat track!  Of course, once I was there, it felt great; I was so thankful I'd made myself get up and go to the gym.  Today, I went running for the first time in about a month; I was able to make it much farther than usual before my knee pain flared up (lately, it's been about half a mile at most).

Honestly, what really motivated me to get back into my routine was when I'd read on Facebook that former Featured Member Christine  had fallen during HIIT class and shattered her wrist.  She is such an inspiration to me; she works so hard, she has come so far, she is everyone's biggest supporter, she is modest about her many accomplishments, and, most importantly, she remains super positive all the time.  Her recovery will be long and slow and will involve surgery, yet I am certain she will keep that positive attitude through all of this.  Thinking about her made me realize I am not dealing with anything like a shattered wrist holding me back; I have no reason to be sitting here engaging in negative self talk, creating problems that don't exist!  Time to get my butt in gear and work out!!  And Christine, we're all thinking about you and will miss seeing you at SWAT!!

Time Flies...

Woah.  I thought I'd posted a week and a half or two weeks ago, but it turns out it's been almost 4 weeks since I've posted anything in the blog!

Blame a busy home/work/social life, blame back-to-school, blame fatigue, blame whatever...I've been neglectful of this blog!  I think deep down, though, in the subconscious level, I've been avoiding it.  I had been in a great routine, eating to fuel my body, working out hard, living a healthy lifestyle overall...and now, I'm just not.  I saw some pictures my sister posted of me today, and I don't look good.  I can definitely tell I've gained weight (and NOT muscle weight).

So, how to get back on track?  The easy answer is to just do it.  Keep the change (the healthy change), as the blog name implies.  But it's not that easy, at least in the moment-to-moment sense.  I feel like I've set a ton of different goals for myself, both privately and publicly (i.e., here).  I'm not sure what it is that I am lacking (willpower? A specific vision?) that keeps me from just changing the way I eat and live.  Maybe another public challenge for myself?  Maybe just one step at a time?  

I think the first step is to get back to blogging...