Jess's Healthy Top 10 List

Every once in awhile on the blog we will be doing "Top 10 Lists". Why? Because I love Top 10 Lists, especially if they are relevant to my life and teach me something positive.

Two weeks ago Lindsay and I started an online personal training program through a website called Hitchfit (www.hitchfit.com) and they ROCK! I weigh in on Friday's, so it's not been a complete 2 weeks yet, but after week 1 I was down 3.6lbs! I'm not going to lie, these first couple weeks have been crazy hard. And luckily Linds and I are doing it together because the moral support of her has been fantastic. So in the last 2 weeks I've already realized the necessities needed to begin a healthy lifestyle change and to make it as painless as possible. So...

Jess's Top 10 Items You Need for Your Healthy Lifestyle:

10. Water, water, water, and more water!!!! The first thing you must do is kick the sugary drinks and soda out of your life and drink more water. The easiest way to do this it to go buy one of those plastic to-go cups. I prefer the 20oz size. Keep drinking and keep filling it up! The best way to get yourself in the habit is to set goals throughout the day (example: 40oz by lunch, 40oz more by dinner, and 40oz more by bedtime.) I have a green cup I use everyday all day long. Get yourself one! (Disclaimer: You will be waking up a ton during the night to pee in the beginning, but once your body gets used to it, it will get better.)

9. This goes right along with the water. Crystal Light is my new best friend! If you are someone who gets tired of just drinking plain water all day you need to invest in some Crystal Light! I especially love the "drink mix" flavors. Mojito and Appletini are DELICIOUS and make me feel like I'm having an extra special treat during the day! 

8. Just because you're on a diet doesn't mean you have to eat bland and boring food! You can for sure spice things up. Especially with some really great Buffalo Sauce. I use it not only on the typical chicken, but also on shrimp and on my newest creation Buffalo Ranch Turkey Burgers! (Recipe post for those coming soon.) The buffalo sauce adds the perfect kick to a plain dinner! 

7. The program we're doing is pretty tight on the carbs. So I don't have a ton of options and definitely doesn't allow pasta, french bread, crackers, and all the yummy but horrible for you carbs made with white flour. So that means I've been eating a lot of brown rice lately which means that Light Soy Sauce has been my saving grace. Brown rice, chicken, veggies, and light soy sauce is a delicious and filling meal! 

6. I've never been a big fan of whole grain bread. I always feel like I'm eating hay. But thanks to my mom I discovered OatNut Bread and it's amazing. Lots of fiber and whole grains. Not that expensive. Doesn't taste like something you would feed a barnyard animal. We've found it at Sams and Target. It's great toasted with my egg whites in the morning or for lunch with my turkey burgers. 

5. The plan we're on requires a protein shake on days we strength train, but I've found myself substituting some meals with this protein because I think it's really good. I know sometimes you can really taste the protein in shakes and it's quite frankly, disgusting. But with this protein mix I don't taste it. The flavor I have right now is Chocolate Milkshake, but Cake Batter is on it's way to me. Syntha-6 is the brand and it's delicious. I ordered it off Amazon where it was cheaper and free shipping (Yay for Amazon Prime!). 

4. Sea Salt is my new love. Buy some. Use it instead of table salt. It seasons better and adds just a bit more flavor in my opinion. And also comes in tons of different flavors (smoke, hawaiian, etc) if you're a bit more of a foodie or feeling adventurous one night! 

3. We all know that at some point your sweet tooth is going to attack, especially if you're changing your eating habits. So instead of having a weak moment and eating a bowl full or ice cream or 12 oreos, it's so much better to be prepared with something sweet but not bad for you. So there is ALWAYS Sugar Free Jell-O in my fridge. I know it doesn't exactly compare to Oreos, but it helps with the sweet tooth and while eating it I have time to realize that having 12 Oreos realllllly isn't worth it in the long run. Peach is my favorite flavor, but they have all kinds. 

2. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big veggie eater. I wish I was. I envy people who can gobble down a whole bowl of broccoli in the time that takes me to choke down a couple spoonfuls. Enter, Super Greens! They are these big, greenish, yucky smelling pills. But coming from the girl that hates taking pills, they aren't that bad. And they definitely give me lots of energy. I still eat normal veggies throughout the day, but instead of 2 cups at every meal I have 1 cup and use the Super Greens to supplement. I also ordered these off Amazon. 

 1. The absolute BEST and most HELPFUL item that I've gotten for this healthy lifestyle journey has been my Fitbit (www.fitbit.com). It's basically this little clip on device that I wear everyday all day. It tracks my calories burned and steps taken. It sinks up to your smartphone or your computer. You can input your calories for the day. I got mine at Target for $50 and it was probably some of the best money I've ever spent. It keeps me on track and moving all day long. I set small goals for myself that have truly helped me to walk around more at work, which is key when you have a desk job. If you do nothing else on this list I would recommend you get a fitbit! If anything you can keep track of your steps and even just doing that will help you start living a healthier lifestyle!

I hope you enjoyed the first of many Top 10 Lists! Is there anything you would add to this list? What are the key things you use when living a healthy life???

Signed: Losing Weight and Feeling Great!