The Skinny Rules

Good morning!

I woke up early today and was at the gym by 7am because Danny is taking my brother to the back doctor this morning, so I had to be home by about 8am.

Today’s Workout

• Elliptical – 30 minutes
• Treadmill – 20 minutes 1.56 miles, walked and jogged

After the gym, I came home and made breakfast. I had a bagel thin with two egg whites and an ultra thin slice of cheese. I had a clementine on the side.

I am going to try really hard to get back to eating better today.

Speaking of healthy eating, I just finished The Skinny Rules by Bob Harper.

The book really wasn’t too long because half of the book is recipes. I think it had some good points and advice, but it’s pretty much all common sense. Drink more water, don’t drink soda. Cut out sugar, white flour, and potatoes, eat lots of fruits and veggies. Don’t eat food that is processed, eat a protein with every meal. Eat lots of fish, some chicken, and a little red meat.

Here are Bob’s 20 “Skinny Rules”:

1. Drink a large glass of water before every meal.
2. Don’t drink your calories.
3. Eat protein at every meal – or stay hungry and grouchy.
4. Slash your intake of refined flours and grains.
5. Eat 30 to 50 grams of fiber a day.
6. Eat apples and berries every single day.
7. No carbs after lunch.
8. Learn to read food labels so you know what you’re eating.
9. Stop guessing about portion size and get it right.
10. No more added sweeteners, including artificial ones.
11. Get rid of those white potatoes.
12. Make one day a week meatless.
13. Get rid of fast foods and fried foods.
14. Eat a real breakfast.
15. Make your own food and eat at least 10 meals a week at home.
16. Banish high-salt foods
17. Eat your vegetables.
18. Go to bed hungry.
19. Sleep right.
20. Plan one splurge meal a week.

I do think that this book is good if you are new to trying to lose weight. It gives good advice about weight loss without any crazy fad diets.

I truly believe that weight loss and being healthy is 90% what you eat. Yes, exercise keeps you healthy and burns calories, but if you’re eating like crap, it’s not going to matter. You need to learn to properly fuel your body. And I will be the first to admit, that I don’t always eat healthy – I have a giant sweet tooth, but I try to find a healthy balance between eating healthy with treats in moderation.

Some of the rules I really stick by are drinking water. Water keeps your hydrated and flushes toxins out of your body, and sometimes people mistake hunger for thirst. Eating protein at every meal. Protein helps you feel fuller longer and helps rebuild muscles after a workout. Not eating carbs after lunchtime. When I lost weight, it was because I cut out carbs after about 3 pm. I don’t agree with a low-carb diet, your body needs carbs, but if you limit them at night, you will lose a lot more weight. Eat a lean protein and a veggie for dinner. Easy, low in carbs, and still tasty.

In the new year, Danny and I have plans to eat healthier and lose weight. I only want to lose the pounds that I have gained lately (just a few) and focus on eating healthier again. Danny would like to learn how to eat healthy. He’s one of those people who can pretty much eat anything and not gain weight. But lately, his metabolism is catching up with him, and it doesn’t help that he sits behind a desk 8 hours a day.

So, I have a few things that we plan on doing in the new year that I’ll share later.

Back to The Skinny Rules book…Bob recommends that men eat 1500 calories a day and women eat 1200 calories a day because they have a harder time losing weight than men. I like to stick to about 1500 calories a day because I work out for an hour+ a day.

One thing I noticed in the book is that Bob mentions that any sweetener is pretty much a no-no. He says to cut out artificial sweeteners including Splenda, Equal, and stevia. Not to eat any high fructose corn syrup, and if honey, agave, or any sweetener appears in the first five ingredients on a food label, you should avoid it. Yet, a bunch of recipes at the end of the book include agave as an ingredient. So, I was a little confused by that.

Bottom line, if you want to eat healthy and lose weight, eat real food, not junk. Drink water, not soda. And eat normal portion sizes.

Questions of the day:

• Have you read The Skinny Rules by Bob Harper?
• How do you eat healthy?
• What’s your biggest indulgence?
• Any workout today?

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