Things I Love (That Make Working Out/Being Healthy Easier)

Here's a quicky list of some things I love. Things that make eating right (which I hate doing) and working out (which I hate doing) almost tolerable!


Things That Help Me Stick to My Eating Lifestyle (it's an eating lifestyle, not a diet)

• Jell-o Sugar Free Pudding Cups. The Activia type are the best. These are only 60 calories, but still give you that dessert fix.
  
• Yoplait Light. You've GOT to try the pomegranate/blackberry flavor. It's 100 calories of heaven in a cup.
• All-Bran Original. I take a whole cup (160 calories), add a cup of almond milk (40-60 calories, depending on which kind you get) and top with sliced strawberries (I just keep a bag of the frozen, sliced variety thawing in the fridge). It's a quick, filling breakfast for my work week. It's great for my digestive system, too.
• Arnold Sandwich Thins. My friend Mary Kate first turned me on to these. They're even better than a roll, seriously, and only 100 calories! Matt (my husband) discovered that these make great grilled cheese sandwiches, too.
• Snickers Marathon Nutrition Bars. In general I stay away from anything that promises energy or power or performance. These nutrition bars, though, are what I eat before my heavy workout nights (2 hours of intense exercise). I can't stomach exercising on food, and I get super hungry if I don't eat. These bars solved that problem. They keep me satisfied and don't make me vomit. Oh, and they're only 150 calories.
• Fiber One Bars. These things are the shiznet! LOVE THEM! Matt and I probably go through 1-2 boxes of the oats and peanut butter variety a week. They're a great snack to keep you full. They clock in at 150 calories.
• Birds Eye Steamfresh Vegetables. Matt and I've tried a lot of the steamed vegetable varieties, and this is the brand we like best. We split a bag every night with our dinner. It's great for when you're cooking for two. Though it has four servings in it, when we split it, we can go as low as 60 calories each for the broccoli (and I like their broccoli because it's not full of the stems!). Our favorite is mixed vegetables , though, and that is 120 calories for half. Just be sure to avoid the kind that has sauce added to it.
  
• Musselman's Lite Applesauce. 50 calories for a cup of yummy applesauce. Plus, it's sweetened with Splenda.
• Gum. I've heard sugar-free gum makes you gassy. At least it cures the munchies.
• Calorie King. This is by far the best calorie-counting site out there. I don't have to use it that much anymore because I've memorized most of the numbers I need. However, when it doubt, Calorie King it!
  

Things That Make Exercising Tolerable

• Lebanon Isshinryu Karate. It's easier for me to workout -- and workout hard -- when I do it here. Plus, it's introduced me to some great butt-kicking ladies (and guys, too).
  
• My Husband. But you can't have him, so moving along...
• My Philips iPod Case and Armband. When mixed with downloads from iTunes U (where I get all my writing-related research), I feel like I'm killing two birds with one stone.