Beef Roast

2 lbs of Beef, Eye of Round - Steak
1 6 oz can of Tomato Paste
1 15 oz can of beef broth
710 g of red potatoes (approx. 16 small potatoes)
16 oz of bay carrots
2 cups diced celery
salt,pepper, garlic powder to taste

Split all of the ingredients between 2 gallon size bags, mix, lay flat and freeze

Cooking instructions:
cook on low in crock pot for 6-8 hours

Serves 2 people

Nutrition Value:

This is the nutrition value for 1 of the entire bags so hubbie and I split it 60/40 so my meal would be 

419 calories, 40g carbs, 4.8g fat, 45g protein.  I do it this way though cause maybe we want to split it 50/50 one night or 70/30 another, or maybe we ate too much during the day so we are splitting it 40/30/30 for left overs the next day too.  It makes it versatile for whomever is cooking and how they want to divide.  

10 on the Go Snacks

If there is one excuse I hear often on why people don't eat healthy, it's TRAVEL.

"I travel a lot."

"I drive a lot for my job."

"I'm always on the go."

Believe me, these are very valid reasons why it can be harder to eat healthy, but just adding a few smart, portable staples to your diet can help you maintain your physique and even lose weight, even on the road!

I travel a lot for work so I have to be prepared.  Here are a ten healthy snacks I bring with me that you may consider adding to your own on-the-go lifestyle!

1. Tuna Pouches: portable and with a plastic spoon or fork, you can have protein right where you are. I don't always recommend doing this one on a plane though; some people don't appreciate the smell.

2. Protein Bars: This is actually the one time when I really love to have a protein bar as a meal or snack. Seems like when I'm traveling, I feel like I have a "pass" to eat bad. With yummy quest protein bars, I feel like I'm having a candy bar, but I'm getting healthy protein with little sugar or guilt (and no one in the seat next to me minds the smell, LOL).

3. Dried Fruit: dried cranberries, mangoes, apples, blueberries, etc. These are other treats that make me feel like I am having candy. How about REAL FRUIT snacks instead of fruit "shaped" snacks. More fiber and antioxidants. Just take a look at the package ingredients first, to make sure you're selecting brands that don't sneak in extra sugar. Blueberries and strawberries are my favorite.

4. Beef, Chicken or Turkey Jerky: have you noticed the "protein theme" here yet? Protein helps keep you satiated, so I love dried meat snacks, and they don't need any refrigeration.

5. Canned Fruit: I pack a few small cans of pineapple (skip the "pineapple in syrup" options), because I don't need to worry about leakage from cans and sometimes the juice helps with dehydration of flying. Make sure the cans are small, because you cannot have more than 3 oz. of liquid on a plane. These are great for road trips!

6. Protein Shakes: another great option, you can get water on the plan and have your protein powder in your carry on or for road trips. These are also great if you don't like the tuna pouch or jerky options.

7. Granola: I personally love me some nice paleo, grain-free granola. It's basically a lot of nuts and coconut — full of healthy fats. This is high in calories, but it's nice, healthy fats and calories, and oh so yum!

8. Chopped Fruits & Veggies: Sturdy fruits like apple slices can be put in baggies to munch on, and veggies such as baby carrots and snap peas are my two faves. These are also full of fiber and water, and can help with both satiety and dehydration.

9. Nuts: Nuts are so easy, portable and if you forgot to bring snacks, you can usually find these in the airport right next to all the tempting candy! Definitely a healthier bet than a snickers bar. Almonds and cashews are my top two picks! Look for the raw, non-salted versions to keep dehydration at bay. 

10. Chicken & Salad: Last but not least-- if you have forgotten to pack ALL of these things, you can usually find a grilled chicken salad somewhere in an airport. It may cost you $10 and taste like $2, but... perhaps that will be a little reminder to remember to pack some healthy protein snacks next time!

What is my BMR and how many calories do I burn in a day?

Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your heart beating.

An easy way to calculate your BMR is by using an online calculator.  A friend of mine showed me THIS ONE that I really like or if you are interested in the exact formula here it is:

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

Ok great so I know my BMR…now what?  Well know that we know your BMR we can figure out how much food you can consume based on the calories you expend every day to figure out how many calories you need to eat to lose weight.

To figure this out we now use the Harris Benedict Equation You get to pick between five choices, Sedentary, Lightly Active, Moderately Active, Very active, or Extra Active.  You can also use an online calculator to figure this out.  I suggest THIS ONE.

Now to put all of it together!  Using these two sites my BMR is 1485.  I chose very active and multiplied my BMR by 1.725.  1485 x 1.725=2,561.  2,561 is the number of calories I need to consume in a day to maintain my weight.

However, as you know I am trying to lose weight.

It is better to lose weight slowly.  The faster you lose it the more likely you are to gain it all back.  I suggest only shooting for 1-2 lbs a week.  There are 3,500 calories in one pound so to lose 1-2 lbs a week we need to create a deficit of 3,500-7,000 calories a week.  That deficit can be created by working out more, eating less or a combination of both.

So, how do you figure out calories consumed & calories burned?  You can use an app like My Fitness Pal or Sparkpeople, or you can do it the good old fashion way of writing it all down.  I recommend an app or website because they do all the calculations for you and you can scan barcodes for fast tracking.

How do you determine how many calories you burn?  The above mentioned fitness apps can tell you an educated guess on how many calories you burned by tracking your activity with them too.   To have a much more exact measurement wear a heart rate monitor.   SparkPeople it gives you a range of cardio minutes you need to get in each week, to reach your weight goal and you can enter in 45 minutes of spinning, 22 minutes of walking at a 3.0 mph pace, 29 minutes of house work, etc…

I know this can be frustrating and annoying to get started.  But which is more annoying…setting this up and tracking or not getting results?!