If You're a Hungry Girl Like Me...

If you're a Hungry Girl like me...the below webpage information from hungrygirl.com will be quite informative. I don't know about you, but I feel like every day of my life is a battle when it comes to eating. Between having my 4th baby and hitting my mid 30's, I just can't partake of the edibles the way I used to. I have had to make changes...BIG changes.

I'll be honest...I think about food ALL day long. From the moment I arise, to the minute I go to bed. It's a bittersweet love in my love.

But, another passion in my life is NUTRITION & WELLNESS. I am always on the look out for tools that can help me reach the highest potential of the healthy woman that I know God has called for me to be. Did you know that he refers to our body as a "Temple" in the Bible? A Temple! That's kind of a big deal. We are to tend to our Temple with the utmost care.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. I Corinthians 6:19

Ever wonder how many calories are in what you eat? How many calories you burn in a day? If you're close to your ideal weight? These Qs and more are easily answered thanks to Hungry Girl's latest web finds. Check 'em out...

Click for calorie-count.com Ever ponder just how many calories it takes to be you? Your curiosity is about to end. Type in your sex, age, weight and height -- then tell this handy-dandy tool how active you are and voila! It spits out exactly how many calories you burn on an average day. There's also a feature that lets you know how many calories you need to take in to reach your goal weight. Good stuff!

KING OF ALL CALORIES
Click for calorieking.comIf you obsess over counting calories, you need to bookmark this page ASAP. Calorie King has a database of over 30,000 foods. You'll find everything from grocery store brands to fast food and national chain restaurants -- even hard-to-find info on Omaha steaks can be found here. If you're in need of nutritional data on a specific food or product, there's an excellent chance The King has got it! It's great if you're counting points or just wanna know how many calories, carbs or fat grams you're taking in.

WARNING: Have you ever checked your fat and calorie count from Sonic or Taco Bueno? YIKERS!! You will NOT believe how grotesque it is (a regular size Sonic Java Chiller alone - 538 calories!!) Seriously...go check it out. A couple of Bueno taco's and a bean burrito, and you've had your days worth of fat and calories! (Too bad I didn't know about this a few years ago when I was eating bean burrito's as my prego " healthy snack"! I thought all beans were nutritious. Little did I know that TB's are made with Lard! ICK!!)

(and this is WITHOUT cheese!)
Side note: you simply MUST check out the sodium content in Bueno's food...unbelievable!

Finding out the nutrition content in some of my favorite foods has been a painstaking experience. However, I feel compelled to continue to do so. Eating in ignorance is not bliss...at least not in the long run.

And don't forget about LIQUID FOOD...I have this theory that for some reason women (me included) tend to warp their minds into thinking "liquid food" (i.e. lattes, shakes, smoothies, etc.) is a calorie-free treat. Be sure and check the calorie content before you indulge! Otherwise, we will sip our way into an extra layer on our muffin tops!

LOVER of LATTES: I love me some latte! This past Saturday, I tried a new drinkie at the 'Bucks...it's called the "MISTO" - it's half brewed coffee, half steamed milk. It is remarkably similar in taste to a latte with about half the calories + half the cost! I was ecstatic!! Funny how they don't advertise this drink...healthier AND cheaper...and yet no one seems to know about it. Hmmmm.

$ Katie's Maximize Your Dollar Tip of the Day $: When I get my once a week Starbucks treat, I always buy a Venti (largest size). I then drink half (which turns it into a tall size), and save the other half for the next morning. I simply re-heat it in the microwave. Presto! Two for the price of one. :)

WORK OFF THAT BROWNIE...Click for healthstatus.com
Once you know exactly how many calories you're about to consume, head on over to this page to figure out how long it'll take to burn 'em off! Just type in your weight (no need to lie, the more you weigh the more you burn) then find out how many calories you'll burn doing various activities.

TIPPING THE SCALES Click to check your BMI
Wondering if you're at a healthy weight? If your weight is close to the ideal "peoples choice" weight? How your weight stacks up against others that are your age and height? This site can answer all of these "weighty" questions and more.

I think most of our eating lives come down to PORTION SIZE, PORTION SIZE, PORTION SIZE! One of the best tricks I have implemented to control my hungry girl appetite is to use smaller plates and bowls...and to immediately have my dinner out split and packed in a doggy bag. It makes for a great stay at home Mom's lunch the next day!

(Please note: some of the information you read above comes from the hungrygirl.com website. It is an AWESOME tool for us hungry women! You can sign up for their weekly e-mails and get all sorts of cool tips and tricks...including reviews of new foods. If any of the above links don't work, will you pretty please e-mail and let me know?)

Okay Girls...let's pray for one another & spur each other on to continue to find ways to Glorify God with our lives...I know He has given us everything we need to do so. As Joyce Meyers (my favorite t.v. pastor) said, "It would be cruel for God to ask us to be filled with the Fruit of the Spirit if He wasn't going to empower us to do so." I agree. So, let's get our LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, GOODNESS, KINDNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and SELF CONTROL on!

(Do you think it's a coincidence that God refers to these as "FRUIT"? Kind of ironic huh?!)