#just change sweet treat with instant noodle and she's literally me

[fullmoonrosie]

Me, after doing bare minimum

[vegetalass]

RDR2 Boys Cooking + Eating Habits

Arthur 

Somebody else on here wrote some headcanons about Arthur not being able to cook and just eating microwave food all the time and I just have to say…. That’s canon 

Lowkey though he’s trying his best to get better at cooking

Probably the only thing he knows how to make is pasta 

He adds a bunch of random frozen veggies to water as the noodles are cooking 

And then smothers the whole thing in butter and calls it a meal

Or he puts marinara sauce on it straight from the jar 

And yes, that means it’s cold

He’s also getting better at friend rice, too

But he’s really bad at actually making rice 

If he doesn’t add too much water… He burns the bottom 

Charles makes a mental note to buy him a rice cooker for his birthday 

Makes his own popsicles out of random fruit juices and eats them 24/7 

Thinks this qualifies him as a chef

Eats pickles and olives straight out of the jar with a fork 

And sauerkraut too probably 

Just goes over to john’s house on his pizza nights 

Puts ketchup on eggs

John 

Pizza dad 

Probably orders pizza, salad, and a 64oz soda twice a week 

Everything else is just Dino chicken nuggets, Eggos, hot dogs, quesadillas, and frozen peas and corn 

Food you feed to little kids, basically 

Mostly because he does have a little kid 

But also because it’s easy and takes minimal effort and he doesn’t mind eating it, too

Abigail would be mad but she has no room to talk

The most you’ll see him actually make is buttered pasta (like Arthur) or sometimes beans and rice 

Abigail bought them a rice cooker a while ago so that’s one thing he doesn’t have to worry about 

Probably always has some type of dessert laying around 

Doesn’t mean it’s good, but it’s there 

Abigail buys a bunch of those gross, low calorie ice creams and John ends up having to finishing them 

Family lunches consist of a bologna sandwich on wheat bread with American cheese and mayo, a piece of fruit, a bag of chips or crackers, a go-gurt, and some gummies 

And yes he makes them for himself and Abigail too 

They’re all eating good at the Marston household 

(Not really)

Charles 

Everything he cooks are things that can’t be made in single batches 

Lots of healthy soups, chilis, stew, etc…

Most of the time, he makes too much of whatever it is so he always has leftovers 

Everyone is jealous when he brings them for lunch

Probably finds all of his recipes in the newspaper or random magazines he reads while at the grocery store checkout line

Everyone is like, “Charles… Why are you reading Women’s Fitness?” 

And he’s like, “Check out this salad recipe, though”

Puts hot sauce on everything 

Salad, macaroni and cheese, hamburgers... You name it 

And he’s the king of snacking

All of his snacks are healthy, though

Raw veggies and fruit and quinoa chips from Whole Foods or something like that

Nobody likes this

He’s one of those people who brings hard boiled eggs everywhere as a “snack,” too

And yea, he puts hot sauce on those, also 

He really likes those weird protein bars that are hard to bite into and taste like chalk 

The flavors are either normal stuff like white chocolate macadamia or Protein Power Punch with whey, chia and seaweed 

There’s no in between 

He’s also a charcuterie board legend

Hosea is jealous of this talent

Micah

Spends all his money on take out 

He’s totally one of those weird people who’s entire trash can is just filled with take out boxes and cans of coke or beer

Constantly eating fast food 

You ask him what he bought at the supermarket and he’s like “Pub mix and bud light” 

SIR 

Everything that he does manage to cook only involve one step of preparation 

Unseasoned, fried meats and boiled veggies 

Sometimes scrambled eggs and bacon

If he’s feeling fancy, he will make plain sandwiches

This is very rare, though

Can and will complain about anyone’s cooking

Even if it’s good and he he likes it

There are certain people he can’t do this to, though, or they won’t let him eat

The only person’s cooking he doesn’t complain about is Dutch’s

Constantly snacking from an entire party sized bag of chips

And yes, he eats straight out of the bag and wipes his fingers on his jeans

His oven is dirty

Hosea 

A meal for him is probably a handful of almonds and an applesauce or yogurt cup 

He is constantly making a bunch of those Tik Tok recipes where you just put a bunch of random stuff into your crock pot and add ranch seasoning and cream cheese

*insert all of those memes about mom pulling out the crock pot*

If you complain, he says “Well, you’re always welcome to cook, too”

Wears an apron when he cooks

Constantly eating plain toast with butter

And bananas 

And cheese sticks

Thinks that this makes him “healthy” 

Definitely likes to snack on those cocktail fruit cups and canned mandarin oranges

His entire freezer is just full of ice cream 

It’s all weird flavors like Cherry Garcia, chocolate banana, and pistachio though

Everyone hates him for this

Raisins are his late night treat 

Has a secret stash of candy no one can find 

That’s okay though because it’s mostly Werthers Originals

And Chiclets gum

He picks out all the orange ones, though

Dutch

Tries to re-plate takeout so he can call it his own

Everybody sees through this but they stopped commenting on it like four Thanksgivings ago 

Buys a bunch of those meals from Costco that all you need to do is heat up in the oven

He does like fast food but only from the less popular places

Carl’s Jr., Wendy’s, BK, Arby’s, etc. 

A&W, too, because he’s old and weird

He can totally cook, he just never does 

It’s just normal stuff like spaghetti and meatballs or chicken and rice, though

Tuna fish casserole

He over-seasons everything, though

Mostly because he’s trying to prove that he’s a good cook 

Eats dessert twice, every night 

Once right after dinner, and then later when he’s feeling like a treat 

Will eat in bed

Uses a little bib and tray and everything 

Likes pumpkin and sunflower seeds

Would eat hot wings with gloves on 

He’s the one who taught Arthur to put ketchup on eggs 

Kieran 

The second I realized that Kieran would probably be white trash, my life changed 

Hamburger Helper meals for LIFE

That one cheeseburger pasta? Kieran probably eats that three times a week 

He 100% makes the ketchup-butter sketti from Honey Boo Boo 

“It’s been a while since I done had roadkill in my belly”

His favorite dessert is ambrosia salad or that weird yogurt/Cool Whip covered jello that was popular in the 2000s

Probably has a TV dinner every once in a while, too

Instant mashed potatoes and minute rice type of guy 

Also gives me big microwave cheddar broccoli vibes 

I’ve said this before, but his house is probably stocked with all kinds of on-brand goodies 

Probably always has some kind of chip and cookie around 

Eats dinner in front of the TV

Dips french fries in mayonnaise

All of this said though, he isn’t a picky eater and will eat whatever is put on his plate 

That’s why he’s great to take to restaurants, because he never complains

Honestly it’s just so sweet to think of him making big crockpot meals to share with ppl even if his cooking is a lil.... strange 

Javier

Thinks that the hot dog combo from Costco is a suitable dinner 

Also gets hot food from the grocery store for dinner a lot

Literally will just heat up a can of something and eat it plain 

Beans, chili, soup… 

Doesn’t doctor it up or change it at all 

He’s happy to share but no one wants any

Chips and dip, 24/7

And it’s just Tostitos Hint of Lime chips and hummus

Probably puts hummus on everything, too 

Corn chips, tortilla chips, tortillas, vegetables, sandwiches, etc. 

Will put anything in a tortilla and call it a sandwich 

Eats leftovers cold 

The rest of the gang thinks this is a sin

Makes stir fry with whatever is laying around the house

It’s a little gross because he will try to add leftover beans

Refuses to eat fast food

The only exception he’ll make is for french fries and ice cream

Walks around and eats at the same time

Isn’t above asking the other boys to share with him 

Despite the fact that this only happens if what they’re eating is good

Which is almost never

Sean

Sean can’t cook. That’s the end of it

The most he can make is that weird microwave Mac and cheese where the pasta is boiled in the mug?? 

He never does it tho and just sticks with the normal, frozen Mac and Cheese you can microwave instead

Uses his microwaving ability to make mug cakes

And microwave scrambled eggs

Burns his popcorn every single time

He’s probably set of the smoke detector or fire alarm multiple times

He’s Irish though so of course he’s addicted to potatoes and cabbage

And since he’s from the UK, he likes stuff like beans on toast and marmite

He’s a little nasty too so catch him eating bologna sandwiches on wonder bread

Not even the Marstons are that bad

When he does get takeout, he overspends trying to use a delivery app 

He’s like, “And do I need the extra side of special sauce for $5…? Yes.” 

Cooks like this 

[chaoticneutralwriter]

07; Nice

In which you recall getting dating advice from a genius.

idol!jimin x staff!reader (ft. bff!yoongi)

genre: mostly comedy and fluff oh shit some angst this time??

word count: 2.7k

A/N: I want to be friends with Yoongi :(

“So do you like Jimin?”

 It was a chain reaction: you inhale too sharply in the middle of your sip of soju, the liquid goes down far less smoothly when it’s in the wrong tube, which immediately only causes you to start choking in the most retched way possible because of the burn. You’re doubling over, coughing like someone who’s smoked a pack of cigarette every day of their life since they were born and it must’ve been so bad that the little old lady who was serving you was halfway scurrying over to your table, no doubt ready to call the paramedics. She only stops herself when the man in front you smiles at her reassuringly and waves her off (the bastard).

 When the violent coughing subsides, you’re still breathless, chest heaving and the burn of the alcohol sitting uncomfortably on your throat now. Yoongi slides the cup of water closer to you and then goes back to munching on the side dishes, unperturbed by the fact that you nearly just died in front of him because of him. You glare at Yoongi through teary eyes, but take the drink gratefully, the cool liquid soothing the ache.

 You set the cup down and wipe the tears gathered in the corner of your eyes. You’re taking your sweet time gathering yourself because this jerk deserves to wait for your answer. Eventually though, with a sniffle, a clearing of your throat and in the most calmest voice you can muster, you say, “…. What?”

 “I said do you like Jimin?” Yoongi almost sighs it out, like he’s talking to a two year old and stares at you evenly, expectantly.

 Immediately you’re on the defensive. “What makes you think that?”

 Now he actually does sigh as he leans back in his seat, pouring himself another shot of soju. He’s already feeling the imminent headache and it’s not going to be from the copious amount of alcohol he’ll be consuming in the next thirty minutes. Here’s the first shot…. 

 “Oh I don’t know; half of the time you can’t look him in the eyes when you talk to him and when you do actually talk to him, your conversations are like two sentences long before you run away with a bullshit excuse.”

 “Hey I—“

 “And then the other half, you’re avoiding him as if he’s a disease.”

 “I don’t—“

 “You literally stand on the other side of the room every time he’s around and glance at him from the corner of your eyes like he’s the fucking sun.” 

 You close your mouth, the sentence dying on your tongue as you let his words sink in. He’s right…. You know he’s right because you know you’re in deep when you can’t even look at them straight like they are the goddamn sun. But like hell you’ll give in easily. Not to Min Yoongi who will 100% never let you live it down.

“…. Well one; I still have trouble making eye contact with anyone so it’s not just Jimin.”

 “You seem to be doing okay with me.” 

 “Yeah well… You’re—“ You stop yourself as you see his eyes widen a fraction and his face takes on an expression as if he’s daring you to complete the sentence. You blanch at him and daringly throw in a scoff. “Oh c’mon, I swerved you so hard that one time I visited the music video shooting.” 

 He opens his mouth as if to argue with you, but then as if he recalled the memory, he closes it again and nods to himself in agreement and satisfaction. Your face burns hotter than from just the alcohol in you; Yoongi’s smug ass smile was forever burned into your mind from that day forward. You down a shot to numb the pain. What has your life come to….

 “Okay so you do that to the other members as well but, you do it only when we’re dressed up. You do that to Jimin all the time.”

 “Ew were you like watching me all this time?”

 “You make this face that Jungkook makes as if he’s having an identity crisis whenever Jimin so much as flick his hair.” Yoongi deadpans. “It’s hard to miss."

 You huff because you really don’t know what to say to all these receipts Yoongi is dishing out. Here you are, out trying to have a good time with lamb skewers yet you’re feeling so attacked right now.

 “If I had known you were gonna come for me when you invited me out to eat, I wouldn’t have said yes.” 

 “The kids ditched cuz Hobi was too tired to come and you said yes cuz I said I was gonna pay.” 

 “Right. But still...” You trail off as you pour yourself another shot. You had half a sober mind to question yourself whether the alcohol would help you at this moment (unfortunately you tend to become a chatty Cathy once the alcohol hits) but then there’s the other half of you that's saying, fuck I’m way too sober to be dealing with this shit. 

 Subsequently, you down the shot in one go. “Why are you even asking me this? Like, where did it even come from?”

 Yoongi just gives you a pointed look, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world as he drags the bottle to his side and refills his own shot glass. “Honestly I think everyone is getting pretty sick of how obvious you both are.” He knocks it back in one go and scrunches his nose as if it didn’t go down as smoothly as it should’ve. “It’s like watching a never-ending music video to an OST with no plot; just wistful staring.”

 You glare, taking a little offence to that. Nobody wants to be a cliche K-Drama because not only are they stupidly unrealistic, they’re also cringey as hell. But more importantly— 

 “You talk as if Jimin actually likes me back.” You say before biting off a piece of meat.

 “Because he does?”

 “Have you seen me?”

 Yoongi actually had the nerve to wheeze out a laugh. It probably doesn’t help that you’re stuffing your face as if you haven’t eaten in years, dressed down looking like you’re back in your senior years of college, living off of instant noodles and no sleep (but hey if the media sees the two of you, at least they’ll definitely write it off as BTS’s Suga being so generous as to share a meal with the homeless). All in all, they’re good lamb skewers okay? And you’re getting your money’s worth because with how Yoongi’s exposing you, he definitely needs to owe you

He sobers quickly as he makes to grab for another skewer. “C’mon Y/N, you can give yourself more credit than that.”

 “And I’m being serious when I said, ‘Have you seen me?’ The only description I fit for his ideal type is being small and having long hair.”

 “Ideal types are just ideal types. They don’t mean anything once you’ve actually set eyes on the real thing.”

 Your eyes narrow slightly at Yoongi, feeling really skeptical and suspicious. “I might just be tipsy but you’re starting to really sound like you’re actually encouraging me to pursue this….” You gesture with yours hands in a vague motion, “Endeavour.” A beat passes before you widen your eyes and you gasp, tone accusatory, “Unless you’re drunk.”

 Yoongi snorts in response as he downs another shot. “Unlike you, I actually have a tolerance. But,” Your glare is brushed off easily again as he makes to grab for pickled radishes. “As his hyung, I think it’s nice that he finally found someone he likes.” He shoots you a glance and sees you looking really unconvinced which causes his eyebrows to shoot up to his hairline. “Unless…. you’re not happy that he likes you back?”

 You snap at attention and start to fret, almost yelling as you wave your hands frantically. “NO! No, no no! When did I say that?! I didn’t say that!”

“Okay okay! Stop yelling! So that means you like him too.”

 “W-Well…” Your face automatically heats up at the thought.

 “So you don't like him then?"

 “I-I mean—! I just—“

 “Just what Y/N?”

 The subtle sharpness in Yoongi’s tone takes you off guard and immediately shuts you up. The change was so sudden that it outright nearly drains all the alcohol out of your system, sobering you up on the spot (that’s how serious it was). You clearly see that he’s no longer treating this conversation as if it’s something to laugh and tease you with, he wants a straight and honest answer and it wasn’t for his sake. You run a hand through your hair, feeling the intensity of his gaze that makes you self-consciously lower your gaze to your plate of food.

 “I just….” You pause and then sigh, utterly defeated as your hands wander to fiddle with the discarded skewers in front of you. “Well for one, the idea of him liking me is…. crazy.” You chuckle a bit but find that Yoongi is opting to let you finish your thoughts before he offers his two cents. “And….I feel like even if something could happen and as much as I want it to, I feel like it shouldn’t.”

 The tense, serious air around him dies down a bit as he furrows his eyebrows, casting you a very confused look. “Shouldn’t? Why?”

 Now it was your turn to throw him a look as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Um, I’m not sure if you realize that you’re kinda famous? Like high-profile celebrity…? International Hallyu K-Pop idol… ?”

 He shrugs as if that means nothing to him and it causes you to exasperatedly exhale. His nonchalant air seems to have made something snap in you because before you knew it, your feelings were escaping through your mouth.

 “Yoongi, seriously… You and I both know that dating and k-pop idol don’t go together okay? In a perfect world where everyone doesn’t give a damn if idols date and it doesn’t completely ruin their lively hood, then yes, I would’ve taken up on your offer.” You pause, feeling your heart hammering against your chest with overwhelming emotions. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, or maybe you were starting to feel cornered by Yoongi but either way, if he wants an answer from you, he’ll sure as hell get one. 

 “But it’s not and it sucks because you’re human too. You don’t know how many times I really wish I can just march up to him and kiss him senseless, tell him what a wonderful, beautiful person he is inside and out without caring what the world thinks, what the company thinks, what the fans thinks….” You lose a bit of steam because suddenly you’re so tired and at the end of your albeit hopeless romantic rant, reality is waiting for you and it instantly makes you grow more somber.

 “But I can’t be that selfish…. Not when there’s so many eyes on you guys. There’s just…. too much at risk.” You trail off, only to inhale and exhale deeply and in a soft voice, you spill out the truth that you’ve kept buried deep inside.

 “I don’t want to put him through a love that will only hurt him."

 The man across from you doesn’t say anything, quietly taking in your words and leaves you to mull over your own thoughts.

Well, shit just got deep…. You didn’t think neither Yoongi or you had meant to take things in that direction, but now here you both are, having a 3AM heart-to-heart about Jimin, over lamb skewers and soju. You get it though; Yoongi’s prodding at you because he cares about his members. He wants to know the extent of your feelings for Jimin, if only to protect him from the worst. Honestly, you would’t even be surprised if Yoongi were to tell you that you’re absolutely right and that it would be best if—

 “I think you’re afraid of love.”

 You double take. “…. What?”

 Yoongi nods as if affirming what he just said. “You’re afraid of love.”

 “Yah Min Yoongi did you not hear a word I said?!” Your voice raises and your body follows off your seat without restraint but you’re too far gone by the sheer audacity of his conclusive statement to really care. Before you can cuss him out, he springs from his seat just to push you back down to yours. 

 “I heard what you said, but think about it; you’re always running away from your feelings, physically and metaphorically.” Yoongi pauses as if something else came up in his mind, “Actually, now that I think about it, you run away from anything that you’re remotely uncertain about.”

 You’re so dazed that you almost completely miss what Yoongi is saying. Even so, you’re at a loss for words. He doesn’t seem fazed by your speechlessness however; in fact, he takes the time to pour himself another shot, drinking it in one go and lets out a loud exhale of satisfaction from the back of his throat. He’s about to pour himself another one but you grab the bottle from him almost angrily and slam it down on the table a little too forcefully.

 “Min Yoongi I’m about one second away from stabbing you with a lamb skewer because I for one do not run from my uncertainties.“

 “Oh please, you and I had to practically be trapped in the same space to develop the meaningful relationship we have right now.”

 And you’re deeply starting to regret it.

 “What does that even have to do with what I just said! I can’t—“

 “What about Jimin? Ever thought about what he wants?”

 “That’s— “ You huff, really hating the fact that Yoongi was so calm and collected throughout this entire conversation and here you are getting so heated and tense. Probably because there’s a little voice in the back of your mind telling you that he’s right. Because as much as you think pursuing anything more would lead nowhere, that doesn’t give you any right to assume Jimin would think the same (though you really think he would 100%). No matter how you look at it, you would be forcing your thoughts and opinions onto Jimin even if you didn’t mean to. You would have to hear it from his own mouth to really confirm anything.

 Yoongi seems to have read your thoughts because he wordlessly fills your glass with the remaining amount of soju left.

 “Jimin’s more mature than most people give him credit for. So I’m just saying, before you make any sort of conclusion on your own,” Yoongi says as he slides the glass over and you eye it listlessly. “It wouldn’t hurt to get his input.”

 Slowly, you take a hold of the shot glass but still make no move to drink it. Your eyes drift up to Yoongi’s face to meet his gaze. His expression is soft and you feel your initial annoyance dissipate. He means well, you know that. He only wants to look out for Jimin and in a sense, you as well. It makes you look away in shame; now you feel like a total asshole.

"Hey,” Yoongi calls out softly and you glance back to him again. He raises his glass, though empty, and tips it towards your direction slightly. “Sorry if it seems like I was coming for you but you two should really stop dancing around each other. I trust you’ll both make a good choice, and with whatever you decide to go with, I’ll support you both.”

 His words touched you, to say the least, and you let out a defeated sigh from it. Lifting your glass up, you gently clink it against his, letting a small smile take over your lips. “Thanks Yoongi.”

 He returns your smile and watches as you down the last shot of the night. Even though he did say he would support you and Jimin in whatever decision you’ll make, a part of him really hopes that whatever it is that you have going on, it would bloom into something…. nice.

Yoongi frowns.

I must be drunk, he thinks.

Because that was really lame.

A/N: It’s mochi day🌸🐤🌸 (and I’m a horrible writer because I did not write a Jimin related birthday drabble)

[cstesttaken]

Spiralizing for weight loss

If you don’t know my story already, you can read it here. Here’s the gist: I lost over 30 pounds, and I did it on an #inspiralized diet.

That’s right, I spiralized my way to the body I wanted!

In today’s blog post, I’m going to dive more into the diet aspect of my journey, less the exercise and fitness part of it. I’m going to share more about what I ate, how I used spiralizing to stay on track, and I’m also launching our new spiralized meal plans!

First off, let me preface with the 3 principles that guided me throughout this journey and still do to this day:

Make it a lifestyle, not a diet.

While I did have a weight loss goal date in mind (I originally wanted to lose weight for the photoshoot for my first cookbook, Inspiralized), I didn’t view that “goal date” as an “end date.” I viewed that as the jumpstart to a healthy lifestyle. Once I reached my “goal weight,” my focus shifted, I set new goals, and I just kept continuing my healthy lifestyle I had built while achieving that initial weight loss goal.

Since it’s a lifestyle, life happens. I follow a strict 80/20 rule, where I eat real, whole foods 80% of the time and let myself indulge 20% of the time. And I indulge, my friends – I’ve been known to crush a package of Pepperidge Farms Montauk cookies.

Take a week – 5.6 days is 80% of your week, so have a healthy Sunday through Friday and then Friday evening through Saturday evening, you can treat yourself, if you’re feeling the need for a treat! Wake up on Sunday and commit to getting back on track. If you know you have plans on a Wednesday and want to indulge, let yourself enjoy Wednesday, but then keep Friday low-key (skip the wine with dinner and say no to dessert.)

Recovery is key.

I can’t stress this one enough. If you are having a bad morning, afternoon, or you find yourself munching out in front of the TV at night, be mindful. Stop yourself – never, ever say, “Well, I’ve already messed up this day, so whatever I’m going to start fresh tomorrow.” When you come to and realize what you’re eating, stop yourself, ask yourself do you really want to feel bloated and unhappy in the morning. Most likely, you’ll say no.

I always recommend drinking tons of water for the rest of the day – even if that’s right before bed. This helps flush out your system and help your body start to detox. Even if you save yourself 1 slice of pizza, that’s a savings of around 300 calories! That’s a LOT. Over a week, that’s 2,100 calories, which is almost 2.5 pounds a month of extra weight gain! See where I’m going with this? You’re NEVER “too far gone”.

The next day, try to make it your healthiest day. Don’t starve yourself – just drink a lot of water and eat very clean. That following day, you’ll wake up, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body recovers. Your body is designed to naturally detox – so let it!

Diet over exercise, every time

Once I stopped looking at exercise as a means to weight loss, I started losing weight.

Sure, if you want to see weight loss very quickly (which isn’t as maintainable long term), eat super clean and exercise for an hour a day, every day. Of course you’ll lose weight – and you’ll feel strong and amazing. However, that’s not maintainable for most of us – life happens, time gets away from us. All of a sudden, it’s 5pm on a Wednesday, you planned to workout, but your best friend just got a promotion and she wants to go out for drinks to celebrate. What now?

Well, first of all, let me tell you this: no flat tummy is going to make you happy like quality time spent with your best friend. So, spend time with your friend – live life! If you’re happy, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is easier, TRUST ME, I’VE BEEN THERE. I’ve been that terrible friend who cancels dinner because she doesn’t want to overeat.

How do you combat a missed workout? EAT HEALTHY. You can’t outrun a bad diet (you’ve heard that before, right?) However, you can make up for a missed workout with a healthy meal. Abs are made in the gym, but what’s the point of all that gym time, if you’re not revealing them in the kitchen?

What I’m trying to say is this: if you’re a busy person and can’t find the time to workout (I’ll let that excuse slide), don’t stress out. Don’t give up. Just eat healthy – simple as that. I used to guilt myself into going to the gym, because if I didn’t, I thought I wouldn’t see the weight loss progress I wanted. If I missed a workout, I’d eat poorly saying to myself, “I didn’t workout, so whatever!”

One day, during my weight loss journey, I couldn’t make a workout. So, I decided to eat a bit cleaner than usual – I skipped the 3pm snack, and I didn’t have dessert. I woke up the next day and saw that the scale was 0.5 pounds lighter. Ever since that day, I stopped beating myself up over missing workouts. I look at workouts as a means to get fit, feel good, tone, and have time for myself. I aim to workout 5 to 6 days a week, but if it’s 3 or 4, that’s okay – and I still maintain my healthy weight, because my diet steps up to the plate on those days.

It’s all mental.

Like running, I find health eating to be a complete mental challenge. If someone gave you the following two options, what would you choose?

Eat clean: feel incredible, be confident, have energy, be happy.

Eat unhealthy: feel lethargic, lack confidence, be unhappy.

I think we’d all pick option 1, right? You control the actual motion of putting food in your mouth. You’re not a baby, no one’s force feeding you! Remember that – you actually decide the foods you put in your mouth. It’s honestly as simple as that. Choose to put healthy foods in your mouth and treat your body like a temple!

Now, I realize this is all easier said than done, because when we’re presented with a piping hot slice of pizza at 1am or chocolate frosted cake for someone’s birthday in the office, it seems impossible to resist. Remember this: while it may be mentally impossible to resist, you have your next line of defense, because it’s not physically impossible to resist. You control what you eat – so just say no thank you. Make all of these healthy choices throughout your day/week, and it’ll lead to weight loss.

This also helps me: if in the moment, you really NEED that treat, just take it, take a bite and then set your plate down. You’ll still enjoy the social element of being part of the office birthday cake or the drunken pizza, but you won’t overdo it. You can always have a bite and what you’ll realize is that a bite is all you ever really need, so take it and enjoy what really matters: hanging out with your coworker, bonding with your friends, whatever.

My final point is this: never, ever, in a million years, feel GUILTY for refusing an unhealthy food. Let your friends tease you all they want (although you should probably consider getting new friends if they are that insensitive!), but you’re the one who’s going to wake up the next day looking good, feeling good, and being well-fueled and nourished to conquer your day.

How I started – The First Steps

I’m always asked, “How did you start? What were the first steps you took?”

Literally, I just committed to making healthy choices at every turn. That’s called a lifestyle change, not a diet program. I didn’t create this elaborate plan. I just took every moment literally as a choice. A choice for instant gratification or a choice towards a healthier me.

Remember what I said about 80/20? I committed to that. I don’t eat anything processed 80% of the time – I eat real, whole foods.

It was in the afternoon when I committed (that’s when I found out my cookbook photoshoot date.) After work, I cooked one of my spiralized recipes for dinner and when my husband asked me if I wanted some ice cream for dessert, I said no. It was so hard to sit there on the couch while he ate that delicious, creamy gelato, but I did it. I made one decision that night and kept making healthy decisions. I didn’t workout in the beginning, because I didn’t want to be extra hungry from the workouts, so I focused on my diet. I lost almost 5 pounds (mostly water weight) in that first 7-10 days, which proved my point: it’s all diet, and all I have to do is make the right decision most times.

My tips for those moments at night when you get a hankering for a sweet snack: have something healthy (a piece of dark chocolate, a banana with some almond butter, etc.) My favorite way to combat these cravings is to make a peppermint tea with steamed almond milk – the almond milk is a bit sweet when steamed, and the peppermint tea cleanses the pallet, giving you a fresh sensation. Try it!

Meal Planning and Spiralizing

After that first week, I made a fitness plan for myself, and I started meal planning.

In my meal plans, I ate something spiralized for 100% of my dinners and about 75% of my lunches. For breakfast, it was usually a smoothie, granola, avocado toast, oatmeal, or something quick like banana and almond butter.

Spiralizing is great for weight loss for a few reasons, but most importantly, you don’t feel like you’re eating diet food while eating #inspiralized. Sometimes when I look at some of these diet plan meals, it’s like steamed chicken and broccoli every night. The key to being successful with a healthy lifestyle is making sure you’re not falling victim to boredom.

Some of my favorite spiralized recipes to eat were:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with almond butter, mashed raspberries, and banana slices Snack: Handful of raw mixed nuts and dried raisins (or chopped pitted dates) Lunch: Pesto zucchini noodles with white beans and avocado Snack: Kombucha or a green juice and rice cake with hummus or celery Dinner: Turkey meatballs with sweet potato noodles and tomato-basil sauce Dessert: Chocolate protein smoothie (banana, vegan chocolate protein powder, almond milk, blueberries, ice)

On days when I was on a recovery day and eating extra clean, I’d skip the dessert and the mid-afternoon snack.

Here’s an example of a typical fitness plan, now that I’m trying to tone and define, rather than lose weight:

Sunday: 45-minute spin class + 10 minutes of abs Monday: 30 minute spin class + 15-30 minutes of lower body lifting and HIIT-style exercise Tuesday: 4 mile run + 20 minutes of upper body lifting Wednesday: 45-minute spin class + 10 minutes of abs Thursday: 20 minute spin class + 30 minutes of lower body lifting and HIIT-style exercise Friday: 45-minute spin class + 10 minutes of abs Saturday: Rest day or a light workout

And that’s my story! Eating Inspiralized you’re always guaranteed to eat a lot of vegetables and you’ll never sacrifice flavor. You’ll eat real, whole ingredients, but feel like you’re at a restaurant eating a flavorful meal.

If I had to estimate my daily caloric intake in the beginning, it ranged from 1,200 calories a day to 1,600 calories a day, depending on how active I was. In three months, I lost about 25 to 30 pounds and now, I have maintained a 30-35 pound weight loss since.

If nothing else, just remember this…

… everyone has to start somewhere. This was me, on the left, on day one! The girl on the right is someone I never thought I could become, but I took every day by day and eventually, I achieved the body and lifestyle I dreamed of. You can too!

Buy the Inspiralizer

Inspiralized Meal plans

I challenge you to eat Inspiralized for a week and see how you feel! To launch the year, I’ve created weekly meal plans (Vegan and Gluten-Free) that will take the guesswork out of lunch and dinner for the week. I encourage you to follow along with me – these are the types of weekly meal plans I made for myself when I was trying to lose weight – they’re full of vegetables, lean proteins, and you’ll feel like you’re eating something completely different every day.

Join me and thousands of others over on the Inspiralized Facebook Community and motivate one another to keep on track of the meal plan – share images of your food, ask questions, troubleshoot recipes, and get excited about eating #inspiralized! Meaghan and I moderate this community, so you’ll see us check in everyday!

Click the below images to learn more about the meal plans and purchase:

Source

http://inspiralized.com/spiralizing-for-weight-loss/