75% diet 25% exercise

Here are some things that I don't like to tell people to their face, but since this is my blog and my soap box here is goes. By the way this is just my opinion, but It works for me.
This is totally my un-expert opinion, but I hate it when people start exercising to lose weight and then don't get the results they are looking for. I hate to say it but exercise doesn't burn that many calories:

*Examples: calories burned/ half hour for a 150lb person
Walking, brisk pace: 150
Running, 6 miles/hour : 320
Swimming: 144.
aerobics: 250
*source: http://exercise.about.com/cs/fitnesstools/l/blcalorieburn.htm

It is very easy to eat an extra 200-300 calories. Just cutting calories isn't going to help us either, unless you have amazing self-control. We are told that losing weight is a simple equation of less calories in and more calories out. The problem is we are still hungry after eating too many empty calories. We are overfed and undernourished. We cannot use self control when the body is starving to death.

Here is what I try to do: I never count calories. I eat 3 healthy satisfying meals per day. I try to eat until I am 80% full. I try to eat enough so that I am not hungry until the next meal. If I am eating junk, I can never make it to the next meal . I eat healthy snacks whenever I want them although it's not that often. I eat when I am hungry, not when I am bored or tired. Right now I am not trying to lose weight, I just want to maintain my weight, and be as healthy as I can. oh and I drink a full glass of water with every meal.

Here is what I ate yesterday: (it was a pretty good day, but I have been having awesome days after starting this blog) oh and I don't worry about portion sizes, I just eat until 80% full.

Breakfast:6oz Kale green drink glass of water, 1-chia-flax muffin, 1-banana, 1/2 nectarine that Christian started.

Lunch: Spinach salad with apples, strawberries, chia seeds, and bean sprouts. 1/2 Apple, Piece of whole wheat bread, glass of water

Dinner: Big Salad with spinach, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes and lettuce. small plate of spaghetti, 5 broccoli pieces (or so), glass of water

Snack: I ate about 2 handfuls of air-popped popcorn with light butter and salt before bed. Christian wanted it and so it was a fun treat. I ate an Apple sometime yesterday too.

Think of exercise as the icing on the cake. There are so many benefits to exercise including increased cardiac function, increased mobility, increased flexibility, increased lung capacity, increased cell function.