Guest Post!! Heather from Heather Eats Almond Butter

Hello Smoothie Girl Readers. :)

My name is Heather from Heather Eats Almond Butter, but you can call me HEAB. First off, I'd like to thank sweet Deb for allowing me to do a guest post on her amazing blog. Smoothie Girl is one of my favs!

So, a little about me. After discovering diet and exercise blogs, I decided to start a blog of my own as I noticed there weren't many out there written by women who had lost an extreme amount of weight. I wanted others to know that it is possible to lose weight through diet and exercise alone as well as maintain the weight loss. During my senior year of college, I changed my diet, got active, and lost over 100 pounds. That was 10 years ago, and although my weight does fluctuate a bit, I've never regained more than about 10 pounds. So, there you go, the story behind HEAB.

Deb asked me to share 3 pieces of advice that have helped me the most, and below are my favorite tips I share with others when they ask me about losing weight.

1. .You do not have to spend hours in the gym to lose or maintain. The majority of my weight came off with nothing but walking and at-home workouts, and 90% of my weight loss can be attributed to changes in my diet. Once I lost the weight, I started running, my appetite increased, and I started eating more, including a lot more carbs. I stayed slim, but became a total cardio addict to balance out my overeating. I was exercising to eat, and became trapped in this horrible cycle for years. Something finally clicked, and I realized I was miserable. So, I stopped running, and although I'm still quite active, I stick to mostly walking and yoga these days. I'm able to maintain my weight, and my appetite is no longer out of control. Overeating/over training - not good! Eat real food, move when you can, do some cardio if you enjoy it, focus on building muscle, and LISTEN to your body. It was made for balance, not for carbo-loading and 2+ hour runs on the weekends.
2. FIBER is your friend. I refuse to go hungry. In fact, if my belly is growling, watch out. Ask my husband, I am not a nice person if my blood sugar crashes, and I love feeling satiated after a good meal. Therefore, I rely on low calorie, but filling foods high in fiber. For instance, instead of using salad greens, I'll add salad toppings to some roasted cauliflower, steamed broccoli, or stir-fried veggies. As much as I love my greens, I find that fibrous veggies are more filling than a plate of spinach, romaine, etc. I also add chia or flax seeds to my smoothies and oatmeal, anything to up the fiber content. Fiber makes me happy. ;)
   
3. After 10 years of maintaining my weight loss and reading almost every diet book out there, I have learned there is no perfect diet, no magic pill, and no quick-fix. YOU have to find what works for YOU. You are going to have to work. You are going to have to change your eating habits, and you are going to have to exercise. For me, it's lots of veggies, little to no sugar, complex carbs, protein, and a good dose of fat. That is what works for me. Some people can eat fruit all day and lose weight. I can't - too much sugar for my bod, but that's me. My plan won't work for everyone, it does my body good. Now, it may take some trial and error, but you can find what works for you. It's possible my friends - never give up!

OK, enough advice from HEAB. Time for some yummy eats. Below is a typical veggie-filled HEAB friendly meal.

Roasted Veggies

The base of all my meals are vegetables. Although I do eat grains and meat, they are never the centerpiece, but more of a side-item. This bowl contained roasted mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, corn, and onions tossed in a sauce made with hummus, mustard, stevia, and a little water. Add some grilled chicken or salmon if you're in need of some protein, or perhaps some chopped avocado for a little fat. The perfect meal all in one bowl. Mmmm.

Anyone else eat all their meals out of bowls? I really don't know why my husband and I even own plates. ;)

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