Fast Food Friday!!!

When it comes to fast food, eating healthy can be a little bit tricky. That's why I came up with these three simple rules to help you out. Although I may not consider fast food "healthy eating" these rules will definitely help you make healthier choices.

1. Little or no sauce

2. Grilled not fried

3. No bun please

When it comes to the sauce they put on foods these days they can be loaded with calories. The best thing to do is ask them to please hold the sauce. If you absolutely can't live without it, try asking them for light sauce. Another idea is to put the sauce on the side so you can physically see how much you are eating. 

Grilled not fried. This is probably something you have heard a million times. But trust me when I say it is almost always healthier to reach for the grilled chicken instead of the fried. Just make sure to watch out for cheese! Although cheese may add flavor, cheese can be loaded with unwanted fat and calories!

No bun please! Avoiding bread can be one of the simplest ways to stay away from those dreaded carbs. Simply so "no bun please!" Another option is to try my personal favorite way which is wrapped in lettuce instead of bread. 

I will be doing a post on healthier options for specific fast food restaurants in the future. So stay tuned! Have a great weekend everyone!

Until next time,

Janelle 

Healthy Snacking!

Snacking is my favorite. I've been told that I eat all the time and I believe it! I work a desk job and it can be very repetitious. Adding variety to my eating habits is one of the best things I have ever done! Here are a few tips for healthy snacking. 

1. Drink a glass of water before reaching for a snack. 

2. Make healthy substitutes. 

3. Reach for fruits and veggies.

4. Eat your favorite nuts! 

5. Divide and conquer. 

It is so important to drink water before reaching for a snack. Water has so many health benefits and can taste good too. If you aren't a water person, try adding a piece of fruit to add flavor. There are also many different flavored waters out there you can try!

Substituting your usual potato chips for a tray of veggies and hummus may not sound appealing at first. But try it and find out what you like the best! (My personal favorite is celery and almond butter). 

Apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper! There are so many fruits and veggies out there that taste amazing. Try picking out a few you wouldn't normally eat and snack on them throughout the day. 

Nuts! If you live in the Wichita Kansas area the Nifty Nut House is the perfect place to find many different types of nuts. However this place can be very overwhelming if you don't know what you want. I suggest visiting their website before you go and make a list of what sounds appealing. 

Dividing your snacks the week before can be very helpful. Especially for those of us with busy lives. Try going to the dollar store and buying a bunch of ziplock bags. Cut and prepare your snacks before hand so they will be ready for the week! 

I hope this healthy snacking post was helpful. If you have any questions please let me know. I would love to help you! 

Until next time,

Janelle 

The 80/20 Rule

Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule aka the anti diet? I hadn't either before I started making healthier choices. The way I explain the 80/20 rule is this. Every time you make 8 healthy choices you can make 2 unhealthy choices. Basically it is a way to mentally keep your diet on track. Soon it will be a complete lifestyle change and you won't even think about it anymore! 

Today's post is short and sweet. I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday! Stay strong everyone! Friday is right around the corner!

If you have any additional questions about the 80/20 rule feel free to ask!

Until next time,

Janelle 

Getting Started

Getting started on your fitness journey can be frustrating. Knowing where to start can be one of the toughest things to figure out. Here are a few ideas that I found helpful when getting started!

1. Set realistic goals. 

2. Take pictures and measurements. 

3. Make an exercise and eating plan. 

4. Reward yourself.

5. Have an accountability partner. 

The importance of setting realistic goals is very high. The reason being if your goals are not realistic you can become frustrated very quickly causing you to quit. 

Taking pictures and measurements may not be fun. But a few months down the road they can be very encouraging to see the progress that you have made. 

Have a plan! This is so important! You don't have to "diet" necessarily in order to have a plan. But having a list of guidelines you stick to is extremely helpful. 

Reward yourself! Who doesn't love presents?! I had a reward system where i had a jar and every time I went to the gym I gave myself a quarter. Then each time I lost a pound I got a dollar. When the jar was full I rewarded myself. It can be anything from a new dress to a spa day! 

Accountability partners are great for so many reasons! One of the reasons they are so great is they can help keep you focused. When you are meeting someone every day at the gym this can be a fun part of your day! Who said working out had to be boring?! Take a class with someone that you enjoy hanging out with! 

I hope these five tips were helpful! Feel free to ask me any questions you may have! Good luck!

Until next time,

Janelle 

Introducing Running With Janelle

Hello All!

First of all, words can't describe how excited I am to share my journey with you! But I will have to try...

The idea behind RunningWithJanelle began a few months ago when a friend asked for advice on how I became so healthy and fit. I realized that while I was working towards losing weight at first I had a few health and fitness blogs that I religiously followed. These were so inspiring to me especially in my beginning stages!

My official weight loss journey began in November 2013 when I ran my first race in wichita ks. It was the two mile turkey trot and it was 18 degrees out. I'm not gonna lie, the main reason I did it was for the free turkey I got at the end! But that day something crazy happened. After the race I felt accomplished and inspired. That day began my passion for running. I couldn't get enough of it!

I will explain more about my running and weight loss in future posts so you will have to stay tuned! Fast forward about 15 months and I have met many goals. I have learned that it's not about perfection but about consistency. But most of all its about loving yourself just how God made you and living a healthy lifestyle. Here is a little inspirational photos for those of you who are visual people.

This was my transformation in less than a year! If you have any questions for me feel free to message me and I will be happy to answer them as best as I can. If not, please continue to follow my blog for tips on heathy living! 

Until next time, 

Janelle