Showing posts with label Eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eating. Show all posts
Monday, July 9, 2012
Time to Get Back on Track
I saw this poster this morning and loved it! Despite my best effort, there are weekends where I struggle to maintain my eating habits and come Monday morning I am often feeling sick about it. This, however, put it all in perspective for me and gave me the boost I needed to just forget all of that nonsense and get back to work!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
My Contentious Relationship With Food
My love affair with food is a contentious one. Some days I wake up craving something sinful—like a bleu cheese burger with bacon and grilled mushrooms—while others I find that I am quite happy shying away from all things high fat, high cholesterol, and high trouble in favor of no meat at all.
The thing about feeding the body is it's always sending you messages about what you want, not necessarily what you need, and how you respond to those cues is paramount to how well your lifestyle of healthy living will be tolerated by it and you.
On a daily basis I'm trying to make choices as to how I can not only continue to stay on track, but how I can find more foods that will stimulate my palate and excite me when I'm at the dinner table. It's something that I've found to be a struggle at times—particularly as a mommy-on-a-budget.
Every two weeks I sit down and plan all of my meals individually, deciding my menu based on what's both cost efficient and convenient and, despite my desire to be creative, I still end up with the same basic items from the grocery store—tofo, soy, and beans. And while I've been able to be creative with those ingredients, it's still a grind because I've gone from offering myself a world of options (options that included as much meat, dairy, and sugar as I liked) to a much more limited one.
That said, I don't regret the decision to make those changes one bit. I feel and look better than I ever have and the increases in energy, stamina, and confidence are a definite plus. But, even with all of those positives, I have to continually find ways to be well-disciplined so that bad habits don't overwhelm my good senses.
For instance, there are days where I don't have time to prepare breakfast or lunch prior to the start of the day. That often leads to incessant snacking, at least in my case, because I am, literally, hungry all the time. That hunger, I know, is as a result of the calories I'm burning even while sitting completely still. So, to appease that hunger, I might take a bite of a muffin here, a piece of chocolate there, or pile on the carbs in hopes that I will find satiation in a hurry—and I often don't.
Sugar and carbs simply doesn't cut it for me and eventually, at least in my case, I cave to doing what I should have done at the start—prepare a wholesome meal to eat.
Being healthy has a lot to do with being disciplined and the one isn't truly possible without the other.
The thing about feeding the body is it's always sending you messages about what you want, not necessarily what you need, and how you respond to those cues is paramount to how well your lifestyle of healthy living will be tolerated by it and you.
On a daily basis I'm trying to make choices as to how I can not only continue to stay on track, but how I can find more foods that will stimulate my palate and excite me when I'm at the dinner table. It's something that I've found to be a struggle at times—particularly as a mommy-on-a-budget.
Every two weeks I sit down and plan all of my meals individually, deciding my menu based on what's both cost efficient and convenient and, despite my desire to be creative, I still end up with the same basic items from the grocery store—tofo, soy, and beans. And while I've been able to be creative with those ingredients, it's still a grind because I've gone from offering myself a world of options (options that included as much meat, dairy, and sugar as I liked) to a much more limited one.
That said, I don't regret the decision to make those changes one bit. I feel and look better than I ever have and the increases in energy, stamina, and confidence are a definite plus. But, even with all of those positives, I have to continually find ways to be well-disciplined so that bad habits don't overwhelm my good senses.
For instance, there are days where I don't have time to prepare breakfast or lunch prior to the start of the day. That often leads to incessant snacking, at least in my case, because I am, literally, hungry all the time. That hunger, I know, is as a result of the calories I'm burning even while sitting completely still. So, to appease that hunger, I might take a bite of a muffin here, a piece of chocolate there, or pile on the carbs in hopes that I will find satiation in a hurry—and I often don't.
Sugar and carbs simply doesn't cut it for me and eventually, at least in my case, I cave to doing what I should have done at the start—prepare a wholesome meal to eat.
Being healthy has a lot to do with being disciplined and the one isn't truly possible without the other.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Make A Resolution to Live Healthy, Not Lose Weight
Diets aren't my thing. I mean, living healthy can seem a bit like dieting but, when you're talking about making a lifestyle change, it's not exactly the same as someone who has signed up for Jenny or Weight Watchers for as long as they can pay the fees and afford the foods. No, a lifestyle change is simply a decision to "eat this, not that" and that's as simple as I can put it for those who like simplicity.
That said, every day can be a challenge for even the healthy minded because there is always new information about food and some new definition of "healthy". It's a challenge that I have trouble facing up to, from time to time, I must admit. But, eating healthy and preserving this God-given body of mine is something I am so passionate about that I am willing to make the effort to do what I can to remain informed and not succumb to whatever information is force fed to me through less reliable sources with an agenda.
Even so, I am not perfect.
I enjoy a slice of cake every now and then, and it can be difficult to turn down a piece of chocolate when the craving hits me but, for the most part, the mantra for me remains to "eat this, not that" and keep up my regular exercise/stretching regimen and that is something that has always worked for me.
Many people, I feel—and if this sounds arrogant or short-sighted, please trust that is not my intention—complicate the process too much by subscribing to one dietary plan for some random extent of time. The only plan that has ever worked, consistently, is to eat right and exercise. It's not now, nor has it ever been, rocket science. That's the tried and true way to remain healthy and lose weight—if losing weight is your goal.
You have to commit to this not for 30, 60, or 90-days, but for a lifetime, anything less is futile.
That said, every day can be a challenge for even the healthy minded because there is always new information about food and some new definition of "healthy". It's a challenge that I have trouble facing up to, from time to time, I must admit. But, eating healthy and preserving this God-given body of mine is something I am so passionate about that I am willing to make the effort to do what I can to remain informed and not succumb to whatever information is force fed to me through less reliable sources with an agenda.
Even so, I am not perfect.
I enjoy a slice of cake every now and then, and it can be difficult to turn down a piece of chocolate when the craving hits me but, for the most part, the mantra for me remains to "eat this, not that" and keep up my regular exercise/stretching regimen and that is something that has always worked for me.
Many people, I feel—and if this sounds arrogant or short-sighted, please trust that is not my intention—complicate the process too much by subscribing to one dietary plan for some random extent of time. The only plan that has ever worked, consistently, is to eat right and exercise. It's not now, nor has it ever been, rocket science. That's the tried and true way to remain healthy and lose weight—if losing weight is your goal.
You have to commit to this not for 30, 60, or 90-days, but for a lifetime, anything less is futile.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Being Healthy Isn't The Same Thing As Being "On A Diet"
I cannot tell you the number of times I have made this statement since I embarked on my quest to become healthier.People often misinterpret my decision to not partake in the potato salad at a barbeque, or eat a slice of pizza at a party, as a sign that I am "on a diet". So, when I respond that I've simply made a decision to not allow those foods into my body on a regular basis—if it can be helped—they respond in a perplexed manner.
Some say, "good for you, but there's no way I could do it", or the more flattering version, "if I had you're figure, I wouldn't worry about a slice or two of this or that". Well, as nice as the latter statement is to hear, it belies a common misconception about living a healthy lifestyle—that it's a temporary fad, and not a life decision.
It's easy to latch on to a fad diet, a miracle pill, or a detoxification program and say that you're making a move towards losing weight, but being healthy is not about weight-loss, it's about choosing to make your body into something more sustainable over the long haul.
Personally, I stay away from red meat, eschew caffeine and coffee, and eat a diet that is as plant-based as possible (meaning lots of fruits and veggies, and very little—if any—processed foods). That's how I've chosen to live my life at this point—that works for me.
Is that a diet? No...it's my lifestyle choice.
The one thing I always hope to do when someone honors me with a question about what I do to stay fit is try to educate them with the things I've learned along the way first. And while I am by no means an expert, I try to give the most accurate information I can. In the end, however, it's about what works for you.
My family isn't forced to eat what I eat—mostly because they still don't dig soy as a substitute for chicken or almond milk as a better option than a cow's—but I do make sure they get the best of my world and theirs by offering them whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, and the healthiest snack options available—with a few treats here and there.
In time, as they are introduced to more and more of the foods that pepper and sustain me, they come to enjoy them as much as I do—albeit accompanied by what they call "real food" as well.
It all goes back to making choices.
Diets are temporary. They're great for looking good at your class reunion or fitting into a great outfit for a special occasion but, in the end, to live healthy you have to be committed to something bigger. And once you are, your life will change—hopefully for the better.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Breaking Down The Wall
Living a healthy lifestyle is a change I undertook a while ago—only getting serious about it in the last year—by educating myself on good nutritional habits and making proper food choices at the grocery store. As a person who shunned the reading of nutritional labels, it was amazing for me to come to the realization that I wasn't nearly as healthy as I thought I was. I ate far too many processed foods and was much too lenient where indulging in fast food was concerned.
Those realizations led to the setting of two goals: 1) change my eating habits (less meat, more whole grains, and little, if any, fast food) and 2) make more of an effort to maximize and diversify my workout regimen (yoga, pilates, and cross-training were all added to the menu).
I started down the road of better living and, for a time, felt better about myself mentally, spiritually, and physically.
However, what I didn't account for is what happens when you hit the healthy living wall and suddenly, either through circumstance or frustration, decide you don't want to do it anymore. What are you supposed to do then?
In my case, a familial obligation led to my "fall off the wagon". I made commitments that wreaked havoc on my fitness schedule and made room for some uncharacteristic eating behaviors on my part.
I indulged myself in several slices of cake, as well as a few trips to Chick-fil-A (that Spicy Chicken Sandwich is sinful) and Burger King and, although I felt an immense amount of guilt each time I broke ranks with what I knew was the right thing to do, I still managed to rationalize the behavior.
However, the problem with rationalization is that it allows you to start down a slippery slope of acceptance that can eventually lead to your returning to old, familiar, behaviors again, and that has its own set of problems.
So, how do you break through the rut?
Well, I have to tell you, for me, it starts with reaffirming my original goals—eating better and maintaining my workout regimen. I have made a lot of progress over the last 9-months and I don't want to allow a few days of regression to set me permanently off track. So, I've resolved to find my groove again.
We are all human—capable of making mistakes—but that does not mean you can't get back on track. Perhaps that wall is just your subconscious' way of telling you to take a break. It is possible to get burned out if you don't take the time to reset.
Do you have to go on a binge to do so? Of course not, but don't forget to allow a little room to indulge yourself every once in a while.
Those realizations led to the setting of two goals: 1) change my eating habits (less meat, more whole grains, and little, if any, fast food) and 2) make more of an effort to maximize and diversify my workout regimen (yoga, pilates, and cross-training were all added to the menu).
I started down the road of better living and, for a time, felt better about myself mentally, spiritually, and physically.
However, what I didn't account for is what happens when you hit the healthy living wall and suddenly, either through circumstance or frustration, decide you don't want to do it anymore. What are you supposed to do then?
In my case, a familial obligation led to my "fall off the wagon". I made commitments that wreaked havoc on my fitness schedule and made room for some uncharacteristic eating behaviors on my part.
I indulged myself in several slices of cake, as well as a few trips to Chick-fil-A (that Spicy Chicken Sandwich is sinful) and Burger King and, although I felt an immense amount of guilt each time I broke ranks with what I knew was the right thing to do, I still managed to rationalize the behavior.
However, the problem with rationalization is that it allows you to start down a slippery slope of acceptance that can eventually lead to your returning to old, familiar, behaviors again, and that has its own set of problems.
So, how do you break through the rut?
Well, I have to tell you, for me, it starts with reaffirming my original goals—eating better and maintaining my workout regimen. I have made a lot of progress over the last 9-months and I don't want to allow a few days of regression to set me permanently off track. So, I've resolved to find my groove again.
We are all human—capable of making mistakes—but that does not mean you can't get back on track. Perhaps that wall is just your subconscious' way of telling you to take a break. It is possible to get burned out if you don't take the time to reset.
Do you have to go on a binge to do so? Of course not, but don't forget to allow a little room to indulge yourself every once in a while.
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