The Incredible, Edible Egg

I eat eggs for breakfast, lot of eggs. Michael eats eggs for breakfast. Between the two of us, each morning we go through a whole dozen. Yep, you read that right... a whole dozen! When I first heard from our trainers that this was how we'd start each day, two things went through my mind. First, wow, that's a lot of eggs. Second, I am going to get so sick of that.

Well, we are three weeks in and the only thing I can say is that if I don't have my egg whites, I sure crave them! I do switch it up on the weekends, but during the week it's pretty much hard boiled eggs every morning. We boil them the night before and get them all ready to go so that we can just grab our breakfast on the way out the door. On the weekends, we get creative with omelets and scrambled eggs filled with spinach, onions, bell peppers and sometimes mushrooms (for me). If we really feel like being spoiled, we'll add ham and cheese.

So here's why they are so good for Michael and I:

Egg Whites

Calories: 17 (only 17 calories per egg!!)

Protein: 3.6 g

Carbohydrates: 0.21g

Total fat: 0.06 g

Whole egg

Calories: 75

Protein: 6.29 g

Carbohydrates: 0.39 g

Total fat: 4.97 g

We mostly eat egg whites which keeps the calories and fat low and the protein high. So, my egg breakfast is 143 calories, 20.60 g of protein, 1.23 g of carbs and 5.21 g of fat. Plus all the vitamins! On the weekends, these numbers go up depending on which vegetables I add, but mostly that just adds more vitamins and minerals!

Michael's egg breakfast is 177 calores, 27.89 g of protein, 1.65 g of carbs and 5.33 g of fat.

The high-quality protein in eggs helps you to feel full longer and stay energized, which contributes to maintaing a healthy weight. In fact, research* shows that eggs eaten at the start of the day can reduce daily calorie intake, prevent snacking between meals and keep you satisfied on those busy days when mealtime is delayed. I personally have to set reminders for myself to make sure I don't skip meals, because I really do feel satisfied longer and the urge to snack just isn't there.

Research indicates that high-quality protein may help active adults build muscle strength and middle-aged and aging adults prevent muscle loss. Why is this good for me? Lean muscle burns more energy (calories) than fat does so the more lean muscle mass, the more of a burning machine I'll be. Eggs are just part of equation, but I'm all for anything thats helping me.

For more information check out the offical home of the incredible edible egg!

* Vander Wal JS et al. 2005. Short-Term Effect of Eggs on Satiety in Overweight and Obese Subjects. J Am Coll Nutr. 24(6):510-515.

Week Two Results

This just keeps getting better and better! Following week two, Michael has lost a total of 10 pounds and 6.5 inches!!! Michael felt like he hadn’t followed his diet and exercise plan as closely as he would have liked, but kept on top of the Dub Nutritional Supplements and as you can see he is still seeing great results. I did marginally well with the diet and exercise plan that was outlined for us and I can somewhat happily report that I’m still maintaining my weight and have lost another 1 ½ inches (from the weight lifting). I am still struggling with giving up soda and this week was a bad week for sugar cravings!! I’m pushing hard this week to eat better and make sure that I get to the gym, even when I’m tired and have a million things left on my to-do list. I definitely have to work a lot harder than Michael to see the results I want, but I’d like to push past this plateau and see at least another 2 lbs off me by the end of the week. Given the results of the past two weeks, that will be a cakewalk for Michael and he will likely double that number.

On the way into the office this morning, I kept noticing that Michael was repeatedly flicking his wrist to move his watch back into place. I pointed this out to him and asked if his watch was fitting too loosely. Sure enough, after just two weeks we already need to take a link out of his watch. His workout shirts that were fitted are hanging loosely off of him, his brand new jeans are extra baggy, and essentially everything in his wardrobe is fitting differently. Fortunately for my pocketbook, Michael likes his clothes loose (that Bronx upbringing I’m guessing) so I’ve got a few weeks I think before we have to go shopping. But this is money I’d happily spend because I know it’s an outward sign that… health is happening!

Week One Results....

I have been itching to share the results of week one with Michael on the Dub Nutritional supplements. He has lost 7 lbs and 3.75 inches!! Yes, in one week!! Now, for me, I actually started on this journey about 5 months ago. Although in the first week of tracking our results as a family I was “only” able to maintain my weight and lose ½ an inch, during the past 5 months I have lost 16 lbs and 2.5 inches. For both comparative and monetary reasons, only Michael has been in the supplements, but after one week I’m already trying to figure out what I don’t need to be buying in order to do the supplements as well… we don’t really need to buy food right? Oh wait, yeah, food is fuel and therefore important (as long as it’s the right fuel).

The products I have been using over the past 5 months have been fabulous and I obviously have seen some great results. But, I’d also love to see the kinds of results Michael is seeing so I’ll probably add or replace something I’m already doing with the supplements; I will for sure write an update when that awesome day comes.

With the kids… well I spoke too soon in my last post about them not even asking for McDonald’s. Literally the day after I posted that, they begged for me to take them and given that it was the end of a hectic week, I gave in… I did get them the apple slices and made a compromise with chocolate milk. My giving in wasn’t necessarily born of laziness following a hectic week however; I did actually put thought into this decision and what I came up with is that I want them to know there is moderation in all things. They can have the unhealthy as long as it is only every once in a while and you balance it out. I’ve heard the stories of children who grow up to overindulge or go to their friends houses to eat crap and end up eating too much of it simply because they can’t get it at home. I want my children to grow up with a healthy relationship with food and activity. I want them to have as much fun with this as I am!