by Court Fuller
My life before GPP...
I have taught dance for about 16 years, I have always been active and have 2 years towards a degree in Exercise and Sports Science before I changed to Business...So I always thought I knew everything about this industry. I was blind.
My typical day 6 years ago(Worked Full-time plus Part Time)
6 a.m.- Wake up, Do a 30 min. aerobic dance video(low impact)
8 a.m.- Stop by Einsteins and get a Ham/egg/cheese bagel on Wheat 490 Calories
10 a.m.- Jamba or Great Harvest for a “snack” 480 Calories(OH MY GOSH)
NOON- Lunch with my Dad everyday- Either Best Burger or Empire Chinese 800-1200 Calories
4 p.m.- Left one job to go teach, would stop and get either 2 bagels because “the carbs would give me energy” or a couple Snickers because “the ingredients were the same as most protein bars” -500-600 Cal
8 p.m.- Stop and get dinner on the way home, Wendys Spicy Chicken 490 Cal
I was averaging 2800-3000 Calories a day, and they were crap calories!
and I thought I was healthy.
Current Typical Day
5 a.m.- Wake up, GPP 6 days a week unless it’s summer than 5 days a week ;)
9 a.m.- Chai Tea 40 Cal
11 a.m.- Protein Shake 200 Cal or greek yogurt with granola and fruit
1:30 p.m.- Leftover Lunch(I plan these) Veggies/Quinoa or Squash/Chicken or Wraps never over 400 Cal
3:25 p.m.- Planned snack(always when I go to pick up my kids from school) Apple or one of my snack sacks of Seeds or Nuts(These are pre-packed once a week so there is no thinking about it) 150 Cal
6:15 p.m.- Dinner of 75% Veggies 25% Meat...Pick it or Kill it. Usually around 650 Calories
Sometimes at night I have cinnamon tea or ice cream or jelly beans(My weakness)
I try to stay 1400-1600 Calories Daily, sometimes I fail, but each day is a new day.
I have learned a ton of tiny tricks and tips from opening my mouth and talking to people,
knowledge is everywhere.
Tips and Tricks I Have Learned
1 - Abandon everything that was drilled into as a child- i.e.- You have to finish everything on your plate. A balanced meal is a starch, a veggie and a meat, I was raised in a house that only ate 3 vegetables ever...Potatoes, Green Beans and Carrots, yet every single meal had noodles of some kind involved.
2 - Food is not a luxury, not something you deserve, it’s just food...View it more as fuel to get your body through to the next time it needs to refuel.
3 - Eat your meals on your salad plates.
4 - Change the Order of which you eat to the 3 F’s Fluid first, Fillers next, then Feast.
5 - Turkey Fillets are an awesome change up from Chicken, but they are hard to find, buy a whole turkey breast with the bones, thaw in fridge, cut the meat off and grill or cook in oven for 35 min.
6 - Make a sleep routine, the better I sleep the more control I have over food choice.
7 - Plan your leftovers for lunches- Cook too much of the good things(veggies, chicken) I roast a pan full of veggies and 6 chickens breasts on Sundays to use with Quinoa or wraps or Salads for the upcoming weeks lunches.
8 - Make pre-counted 100-150 calorie snack packs of seeds/nuts/dried fruits to have in your cupboard so you don’t over snack.
9 - Keep some of these snacks in your car so you are tempted to stop for a candybar.10 - Use your grill more, We use ours about 5 nights a week even in the winter.
11 - Don’t be afraid of veggies, Don’t think of veggies as seasonal..We had corn on the cob last night(in Feb.) that was amazing.
12- Decide what you are ordering if you are eating out in the car on the way to the restaurant, not when looking at the menu.
13 - Always share a dessert.
14 - We still eat ice cream, we never eat it in a bowl, we use the Harmon’s gelato kids cups, it’s just enough to kill the sweet tooth.
15 - Buy a mini muffin pan, never make full size muffins or cupcakes again.
Only make box cake/muffin/brownie mixes ⅓ at a time. THIS HAS SAVED ME!
16 - Substitute Greek yogurt instead of Oils, Use only egg whites, look into and research coconut oils.
17 - I hate water, Dasani drops have changed my life. Pineapple coconut. Amazing! 
18 - Order off the kids menu.
19 - Brush your teeth before making your kids breakfast( I always used to have a bite of their waffles/poptart/cereal) You won’t with minty breath.
20 - Make your own nut butters- food processor and nuts...so simple. Delicious.
21 - Supplements- I cannot say enough good things about Nuskin Lifepac- We take them everyday, I really think they make a huge difference in my health and performance.
22 - Don’t give up everything you love, you won’t last...We still have Pizza night, try Zeponies, they make an awesome thin crust ask for light cheese.
I definitely don’t feel like I am expert in anyway shape or form, These are just some of the things I have learned from others over the last three years and have added into my life and seen a difference, I feel like I owe it to our community to pass it along.