Caffeine...with Protein

Ah, caffeine.  So many think it's bad for the human body, but I will choose to read the studies and believe them to be true...that a daily dose of caffeine, in moderation, actually has some health benefits.  Like what, you ask?  Like increased physical performance, increased muscle recovery, decreased risk of liver disease, increased memory performance, decreased risk of heart disease, increased attention.

In my opinion...

If I were on death row and it came time for the warden to ask me what I wanted my last meal to be, it wouldn't be food.  It would be a coffee from Starbucks by an experienced Barista.  With or without ice.  With or without soy milk.  Definitely with flavoring.

Luckily, a visit to my local Starbucks is only a "treat" for me in my new lifestyle.  I now get my daily caffeine fix from several different sources, depending on my daily activities.

On most days, I do cardio and/or strength training, so I get my caffeine from my Octane sports energy drink.  Gone are the days of taking 8-week cycles of fat burner pills, amino acids and multi-vitamins all separately!  I realized that these supplements had too many fillers in them.  My body couldn't recognize and digest the fillers, which then lead me to taking probiotics and adding yet another bottle to my collection of supplements.  It's a vicious cycle and extremely expensive!  With Octane, I get the active ingredients for fat burning, muscle recovery AND my daily vitamins, all in a drink without fillers.  Octane is like my cell phone, I don't know how I ever survived without it!

On my workout-free days, I love to have coffee!  I wanted to share my delicious, no carb, no sugar, no dairy concoction of basic coffee with protein.  While brewing one single cup of coffee, mix a tablespoon of your favorite chocolate protein powder and a few tablespoons of hot water in your coffee mug, along with 5-6 drops of Stevia.  Add your coffee and...voila!  If you're like me, you will feel like you're getting a treat without adding to your waist line.

Last but certainly not least, I always track my drinks and supplements on myFit5.com!  My trackers hold me accountable by relying on me to track my foods and workouts so they can copy what I do.  I can't let them down!

Got any healthy secrets for caffeine lovers?  Share 'em!

Starting Tomorrow, Maybe.

We all say it. "I'll do better tomorrow" or "I'll start my diet tomorrow". The problem is this; tomorrow rolls around and you are tempted in the line at Starbucks.  All you wanted was your Americano or your skinny latte, but the glass case full of pastries has won you over, once again.

Has this happened to you in some form or fashion, whether it's Starbucks or your own pantry full of food? What can you do?

In my opinion:

• Don't skip breakfast! However, be sure to start the day off with something ultra healthy to jump start your metabolism and get your day going on the right path. I recommend egg whites with a tablespoon of your favorite salsa and some oatmeal made with plain oats, water, a little bit of cinnamon and a natural sweetener like Stevia.
  
• Start an online calorie counting journal. Plan out your day and you'll be way more successful in sticking with your healthy routine.  Track others that have been successful to make it a lot easier on you.
• Wear a rubber band around your wrist. Each time you are tempted to go to the freezer and pull out that tub of ice cream, snap your wrist and grab a bottle of water instead.
• Don't cheat yourself. You might have thoughts of popping a few bites of this or that into your mouth while you are cooking dinner. How about going to your closet instead and getting out those really cute jeans that you still can't fit into?  Put them in sight of your oven or stove top while cooking!
• Sip on water ALL day. If you don't like to recycle your water bottles too often, just use one water bottle per day and keep filling it up. You can throw it out and get a new one the next day. If it's a 20 oz bottle, fill it up and drink it all AT LEAST 3 times.
• Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day.  We're not talking Texas-sized meals either.

One day at a time, folks! Falling off the wagon doesn't mean that you have to stay off.  What's your opinion?