4th of July Accountability Check and TIPS

There is nothing like starting of your 4th of July with a great sweat inducing workout and a Chocolate Shakeology Milkshake!  I'm absolutely soaking this one up!  I was up at 8 am this morning to squeeze in my workout before my family wakes up! Dripping sweat by the end of the workout but loving it!  After my workout I felt that I earned that big 4th of July Shakeology Milkshake and then start my day.

Today is a holiday and of course there will be snacks, cake, cookies, hot dogs and hamburgers.  Your typical barbeque foods.  So I always like to plan out my strategy ahead of time.  Since I felt the need to indulge in some desserts earlier this week I have chosen to keep today clean.  So I am having grilled chicken and some veggies to munch on for the rest of the day.  1 glass of water for every alcoholic drink that I consume and I usually choose drinks that are lower in calories.  I typically stay away from pre-mixed margarita's or beer.  Margarita mix has the dreaded high fructose corn syrup that is the WORST for your body!

Your best drink options are:

Soda water/vodka (boring but add a squeeze of lemon, lime or oranges to the mix and give it some flavor) 

Rum & Diet Coke
Serving size: 6 oz..Calories: 65
Ingredients: 1 oz.. rum, 5 oz.. Diet Coke 
This may seem too good to be true, and to some degree, it is. Even the stingiest bartender will probably give you more than one fluid oz.. of alcohol, since just one shot is 1.5 oz... But if you feel like taking it easy and enjoying the springtime weather without going in too hard, this mix should work for you.  As much as I DO NOT endorse diet soda's this is a better option than most!  

Anheuser Busch, Natural Light
Serving size: 12 oz..
Calories: 95 
We bet you had no idea that all the time you spent practicing your Beirut technique, you were actually being health-conscious—good for you! One 12 oz.. serving of Natty Light contains just 95 calories, while the same serving of Bud Light contains 112 calories. The difference is pretty negligible so feel free to go for whichever beer you like more.   

Gin & Diet Tonic
Serving size: 7.5 oz..
Calories: 115 calories
Ingredients: 1.5 oz.. gin, 6 oz.. Diet Tonic 
Like any beverage containing extra sugars, this simple and straightforward drink can be brought down a notch by picking a diet option, rather than the standard one. Gin and tonics have a slightly bitter taste, but it’s nothing a wedge of lime can’t cure.

Cosmopolitan
Serving size: 3 oz..
Calories: 150
Ingredients: 1.5 oz.. vodka, ½ oz.. triple sec, ½ oz.. lime juice, ½ oz.. cranberry juice
Cosmos are excellent low-calorie cocktail options. While they vary in size and alcohol content (a 4 oz.. Cosmo might go up to 200 calories, while another with 5 fluid oz.. could go up to 320), these drinks generally stay in the range of drinks that aren’t too bad for you. (And might even make you look pretty classy.)

Mojito
Serving size: 6 oz..
Content: 160 calories
Ingredients: 2.5 oz.. light rum, club soda, 1 tsp. limejuice, 2 tsp. sugar, fresh mint sprigs

 

Also for a special 4th of July treat I found some amazing recipes that are clean and full of flavor for you to try!  You have to check it out!!!

 

Tequilla Spiked Marinade

Pair this marinade with anything from steak to fish to chicken to veggies. It's incredibly versatile and full of fresh summer flavor. We used our marinade on a couple of skirt steaks we bought for $10 - it fed 4 comfortably. The rest of the ingredients ran us $8 as we had olive oil, salt and pepper on hand!

Ingredients

1 cup of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup white tequila
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 - 4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions
Combine all your ingredients together in a large bowl. Add in your meat and cover. Marinate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.

Clean Eating Corn Salad
(Makes 14 servings)  Salad Ingredients
2 lbs. sweet corn
1 red bell pepper
1 package cherry or other small tomatoes
1/2 red onion
1 package edamame beans (shelled)
1 package tofu

Dressing Ingredients
4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. garlic powder
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small bunch fresh basil (about 1-2 cups depending on your tastes)
Directions



Step 1 – Start your corn on the stove, and gather all your ingredients.
Step 2 – Chop everything except the edamame beans and tomatoes (and corn, obviously) into bite size pieces. The smaller you chop the pieces, the better texture your salad will have.
Step 4 – When the corn is done cooking, add that and all the veggies (do not add the basil) to a large mixing bowl. Toss well.



Step 5 – Make your dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to a bowl and mixing well.
It’s best to add the dressing once you have served the salad. If you add the dressing to the entire salad, the leftovers won’t keep as long in the fridge. That said, eat up. Corn can sour quickly in the fridge.
If you are a meat eater, add some baked chicken to this salad for protein.
Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1 cup
Calories: 146
Total Fat: 6 gm
Saturated Fats: 1 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 gm
Sodium: 177 mg
Carbohydrates: 20 gm
Dietary fiber: 3 gm
Sugars: 6 gm
Protein: 6 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 8
Nutritional Information estimated at Nutritiondata.com. Data may not be accurate.

 (from the gracious pantry site)

 

So I hope you all have a festive 4th of July and keep it clean and lean!!!  

 

Remember that your entire efforts can be lost in one day of poor choices!  It's your life so you choose your destiny!

 

 

Renee Smith

Independent Diamond BeachBody Coach