Diet.
I seriously hate the word. It sounds so discouraging and limiting. I guess it can mean more than “losing weight” though. I’m not overweight, and I don’t need to lose any extra poundage. The DIET I’m talking about is eating healthy and gaining energy, which is something I need. Ok, I’m going to say it, but you KNOW what I mean:
I need to go on a diet.
Crap, I said it. I hate it already. But here I go…
1. I’m a carb-o-holic, and I love me some bread/bagels/etc, but that’s the first thing I need to cut back on.
GOAL #1: Less useless carbs, more whole grains and “good” carbs
2. Next, I need to be sure to up my daily water intake. I’m doing pretty well with this so far, but I think I could do better. Always room for improvement, of course!
GOAL #2: More H2O
3. I don’t eat a lot of meat usually, and I’m not much of a cook, so my protein intake is next to nothing. I have been drinking shakes in the morning that have 10g of protein though, and they’re yummy, but then again, I’m a runner…and I need my muscles to be in tiptop shape.
GOAL #3: More protein
4. I’ll be the first to admit: I have a SERIOUS sweet tooth, especially for candy (M&M’s, Skittles, Chewy Runts, 3 Muskateers, etc). This is even harder for me to say but…
GOAL #4: Less sugar/candy
5. I already take my vitamins everyday (with a few mishaps every so often), but I would like to maintain this schedule (Multivitamin, Fish Oil, Calcium/Vitamin D).
GOAL #5: Vitamins everyday
6. I’m not that great at eating my veggies. Plus, I'm a horribly picky eater
GOAL #6: More fruits and veggies
Healthy Habits Currently In Progress:
- Stretching/Sit-Up breaks at work 11am and 2pm everyday
- Stairs at work
- Walking from work to Trav’s car (about .9 miles)
- Running as much as possible (woot!)
Yes I can!
My tips and tricks:
ReplyDeleteSwitch everything to whole wheat - don't even have the other option in the house. Spend the extra money and go for the better brands because they taste better. Whole wheat has come a long way, seriously, there is no difference between white-whole-wheat and white bread - just made with processed whole grains.
Try to set water goals - like drink 8 oz after every potty break, and load up before bed. (I generally drink about 24-32 oz with my vitamins before bed).
More protein... this is a huge weak point for me, obviously. But understand that you can make complete proteins out of non-meat source. Check this out: http://www.bodyforlife2.com/incompletprotein.htm
Try adding one yogurt and 15-30 almonds every day to your diet. This will give you great protein, amino acids and a lot of other great health benefits. Beef (or turkey) jerky is awesome as is turkey bacon. :)
There are a ton of great 100 calorie snacks available now. I just saw 100 calorie twinkies the other day! So, you can have your sweets, just pay attention to the portion size. I crave sweets far less than I did before and, when I do, I reach for a 100 cal pack or nonfat fro yo. Try adding a bowl of cut strawberries with splenda where you normally would be snacking on candy. After your off real sugar for a while, your cravings tend to change. Last night I had a bowl of blue berries instead of my previous ice cream or cake.
As for the vitamins, the best way to do this is to create a habit. Put them somewhere obvious where you'll see them every night. It takes something like 60 days to create a habit but only 3 days to break it, so keep that in mind.
I think most people would be surprised at how many veggies and fruits they can fit into a day if they make a little effort. Proper eating tells us to eat 5-6 meals per day. If each of these had a fist sized serving of fruits or veggies, we'd be golden. Try to hide it from yourself - add blue berries to your oatmeal in the morning, pack a few carrot sticks for a snack, add extra lettuce to your burger, double your dinner salad and have fruit before bed.
Remember that good habits aren't formed over night but they can shape over time. You don't have to be a cook, just make wise decisions. You will find yourself eating a lot more than you were previously and you'll be in the kitchen a lot more too... This is a great blog that I aspire to be like: http://tryingforatri.com/ She gives some great advice on eating right and being an athlete.