Veggies are fun!!

This is Jason:
Christine said you guys wanted to know about how I ate 30 servings of veggies a day.

Here is a basic rundown:

I ate fruit for breakfast and then after my exercise. (fructose does not spike your insulin levels the same as sugar)
Eating fruit just before exercise in the morning gives you quick energy for your workout. Also, the 30 minute window immediately following exercise is critical for muscle recovery. If you consume glucose (preferably fructose) during that 30 mins after you exercise, your muscles will recover quicker and will not be as fatigued. As an added bonus, the calories consumed (within reason) during this 30 minute window after exercise are used instantly by the body to rebuild muscle so they won't go to fat.

So, breakfast was usually a banana, strawberries, and almonds (unsalted, these provide protein and mono unsaturated fats or mufas, these fats are proven to be healthy and actually help with weight loss! Mufa's are found in nuts, avocados, olive oil, and some dark chocolate)

After exercise I had 2 oranges (for muscle recovery and they quench my thirst better than water or Gatorade). Then a sliced apple with all natural peanut butter (more protein and mufa fats).

I usually had one more serving of fruit in the morning, either peach, apricots, watermelon, or grapes.

So I averaged 6 servings of fresh fruits.
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Then I would get out the baggies and prepare for the day. I put 4 servings of baby carrots in a bag, 4 servings of cucumbers, 4 servings of bean sprouts, 4 servings of celery sticks (usually with a thin layer of natural peanut butter for protein and mufas fats), then a bag with 2 servings of organic grape tomatoes and 2 servings of fresh sweet pea pods.

This gave me 20 servings of snacks that I carried with me everywhere in a bag. Watching TV, at my desk, driving in the car; I always had it with me and slowly munched the day away.

I had no idea how much water is in fruits and vegetables, I drank very little water all week and had to go potty all the time!

For lunch I had a wrap, one of these three:
1. Whole grain wheat tortilla, sometimes I would put on Dijon mustard, turkey, avocado slices(healthy mufa fat), grape tomatoes (halved), fresh spinach. This can be good with some Swiss cheese or red peppers for variety. Roll it up, yum!

2. Whole grain wheat tortilla, one can drained tuna (put the tuna down the middle of the tortilla, drizzle on one cap full of lemon juice and sprinkle with pepper if desired). Cut a dozen grape or cherry tomatoes in half and put them on, sprinkle with low fat mozzarella cheese, Nuke it for 35 seconds, roll up, super yum!! I like it even better with diced celery also, but I am to lazy to cut it up sometimes.

3. No carb option: Thick slice of turkey, lay on: thin slices of avocado (healthy mufas fat), tomatoes, and fresh spinach. Roll it up, yum!
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Dinner: One night we had grilled chicken breast and corn on the cob, one night was a salad, sometimes I skipped dinner and just finished off all my veggie baggies. Several times I had a big bowl (4 cups) of steamed broccoli and cauliflower sprinkled with low fat mozzarella cheese.
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When I started getting bored of veggies, I would add some green olives to the mix, this gave me some zesty flavor between bites as well as some more mufa fats.

I found that I really like fresh bean sprouts! They are fun to munch on and help satisfy my craving to munch on something late at night when watching TV. They are super healthy and almost zero calories!

Anyway, I had fun with this diet for a week. Eating so many veggies got me over the "its too much work to chop up veggies" attitude. Now it is second nature and I am eating them more than normal this week, not crazy, just a healthy 8-10 servings a day.

That is the cool thing about these weekly challenges, each one has really helped me shape new healthy habits. After the challenge was over, I didn't keep up the same volume, but I increased from what I was doing before.

The water challenge got me in the mode of drinking water all the time, now I drink more every day then I have in the past.

The TV challenge reminded me that there is life without TV, I have been reading more since then and I am really taking the time to turn off the TV early so I can read my scriptures for a full 30 mins.

The steps challenge got me up and moving, it helped me realize that each step counts. Parking at the far end of the parking lot, walking to the bathroom on the far side of the house, pacing my office while thinking; every little bit helps. I am still trying to move more, even if it is just something stupid like standing up while watching TV. Be active.

No eating after 7 really helped me break my habit of late night snacking. We all know that eating after 7pm, almost all the calories are stored as fat. Except for sprouts, I have been very diligent at not eating at night. If you are going to cheat and eat something bad, do it in the morning or just after you exercise and it won't do as much damage, Eating at night = weight gain.

The no chocolate was easy for me as I have been dieting for almost 1.5 years now and I am in healthy mode.

I haven't been able to lose weight for the last 6 months, I even tried Atkins phase 1, I didn't lose a pound. It is frustrating. I am gaining muscle mass as I lift weights, but I can't seem to get my body fat to decrease even 1 more %. Oh well, for now I am just trying to get stronger and healthier.

I won't win the most exercising minutes challenge, that's for sure. I just got the Epstein Barr Virus and that is kicking my rear, it is terrible. The only exercise I have been able to do for 2 weeks is slow walking and that takes every ounce of energy and motivation to do. I am really having a hard time dealing with this right now. Life happens, we just keep going.

Anyway, I knew going into this contest I wouldn't win, I just had no idea that I would get so much out of it! Thanks again everyone for putting it together and participating!! You guys (girls) are a great family and I love you all.

Jason