Eating Tips

The following is from one of the great articles available on SparkPeople.com. I have a hard time eating healthy and thinking healthy, and these are some good tips:

Small Changes Mean Big Rewards
If you can't stand the taste of broccoli, then vowing to eat it more often is pretty unrealistic. But if increasing the number of vegetables you eat each day is one of your goals, start by finding a few different ones that you can painlessly work into your diet. Make sure you select a variety of colors (dark green, red, orange, etc.) to get the most nutrients per bite. Add some shredded carrots to your muffin batter or top your pizza with fresh tomatoes, for example.

If you know you need to eat more fruit, start by adding some sliced bananas to your cereal in the morning or bake an apple with a bit of brown sugar for a yummy, low-cal dessert. Fresh berries and yogurt make a nice, light breakfast or snack too.

As you adopt this new style of eating, you will find that your food preferences will gradually change—when you cut out high-sugar, high-fat goodies, your cravings will actually go away in time. Your body wants healthy food!

One of the biggest challenges to eating healthier is finding substitutions for existing foods in your diet. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:

* Use mustard instead of mayo on your sandwiches. You’ll get lots of flavor with much fewer calories and fat.

* Select whole wheat bread over white bread. Be sure to read the label to ensure you’re getting whole grains, not just colored white bread.

* Eat the white meat of turkey or chicken, which is lower in fat than dark meat, red meat and pork. Animal fat is the number one dietary source of unhealthy saturated fat.

* Start using lean ground beef, pork tenderloin or fish instead of high-fat cuts of meat.

* Change your cooking methods. Bake, grill or broil your meals instead of frying. Use non-stick sprays—or better yet, non-stick pans—instead of oil.

* Drink more water. Slowly reduce the amount of soda you drink and replace it with herbal tea or water. Aim for eight cups of pure water each day.

* Don't drink your calories. Eat a whole orange instead of drinking a glass of juice, for example. Real food is usually more filling and more nutritious than juices, fruit drinks, and other high-calorie beverages.

* Serve sauces and dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce, then dip your fork into the food. You’ll still have the flavor but with fewer calories.

* Gradually switch to skim milk. Milk commonly comes in four varieties: whole (4% fat), 2%, 1% and skim (0% fat). Gradually wean yourself from the higher-fat varieties to the lower fat milk every two weeks. For example: continue drinking your normal 2% milk for two weeks, then move to 1% for two weeks, and then your palate will be ready for the consistency of skim milk.

* Switch from full-fat cheeses to reduced-fat or fat-free cheeses the same way you would with milk (see tip above).

* Order vegetables on the side instead of fries. Flavor them with lemon juice or herbs instead of butter.

* Snack on fruit and nuts instead of sugary treats. The fiber, protein and healthy fats in this combo will sustain you to your next meal and you won’t have the energy slump that comes after eating candy.

* Reduce your portion size. Most people will eat whatever amount of food is in front of them, so start putting your meals on smaller plates. You will be just as satisfied because your mind "sees" that you’re eating a full plate of food.

Eating a healthier diet doesn’t have to mean deprivation. You don’t have to cut out your favorite foods completely—you just have to make a few changes. Treat yourself to a mini chocolate bar instead of a full-sized one, for example. By trying to eat the most nutritious foods possible, you are creating a healthy lifestyle that will help you reach your best weight. You deserve the very best!


My body does deserve the very best! Maybe it's possible that one day I will actually crave vegetables instead of potato chips! Speed the day!

First Weigh-In

After 1 week: 1.5 pounds lost. If I count the weigh-in I did on Friday, it would actually be 2 pounds, but I'm going by what the scale said this morning. I guess 1.5 is better than nothing, but I'd like to see more. I didn't eat fantastically over the weekend, but if Spark People is right, then I haven't exceeded my calorie limit. Oh well. Go me! I'm a little lighter!

Hunger

I feel like I'm hungrier a lot more. Any other time, if I felt the slightest twinge of hunger, I'd immediately go and get something to eat, usually nothing healthy. Now I eat a piece of fruit or just let my stomach rumble. Truthfully, I've probably never known real hunger. I live in America, after all. It's just hard not to think about all of the yummy things I could be eating. I've really been craving Lay's potato chips, which is odd because I didn't eat them on a regular basis before, but now all of a sudden I really want them. And Swiss Cake Rolls. I love Swiss Cake Rolls. I wish I could say I loved vegetables, but I really can't. I don't get excited about eating vegetables, but then maybe that's the point. Is food something I should get excited about, or should I just regard it as a necessity that is void of any kind of emotional association?

I definitely think I am an emotional eater, and I am trying to figure out how best to deal with that. When I feel stressed, I want to eat. When I feel sad, I want to eat. Even when I feel happy, I want to eat. How did food become a way to satisfy those emotions? And how do I reverse that? I think perhaps one way is to stop and think about why I'm feeling what I'm feeling, and rather than use food to numb it or encourage it, I should turn it over to God. I am impulsive when it comes to eating, so maybe I just need to be more thoughtful. When I'm standing in front of the fridge, I should stop and think, "Am I really hungry, or just bored? Do I really need to eat right now?"

What all of this requires, of course, is willpower, which I lack in large quantities but am sometimes able to muster in small doses. Yesterday it was really hard to wake up early because we went to Memphis to see the Grizzlies play and didn't get back home until 11:15 and in bed at 11:30, which is about an hour later than usual. Plus, it was bitterly cold outside and dark, and the bed felt so comfortable. It is at those times when I am most thankful for my husband, who will pull the covers off me and turn on a light so I don't fall asleep. (Tough love, that.) I truly believe that having a buddy, someone to go through this with, is essential. Doing it alone certainly hasn't worked for me in the past, and on those days when I didn't feel like working out or eating right, I just didn't because no one was there to keep me accountable. I am not sure what that says about me, but I am okay with admitting that I need someone to help me. Don't we all need help? Isn't that what relationships are for? Praise God for my husband! (I love you, honey!)

Feeling Stronger

Today is day 2, and I'm feeling good, which is of course nice but also to be expected. In the past when I've attempted to lose weight I'm always really excited about it for about a week, and then reality sets in: I get stressed or frustrated, I stop working out, and before I know it, my workout DVDs are covered in dust.

I want to make this time different, and I really feel like one of the ways I can do that is by telling myself that I am going to have to make exercise a part of my life, just like spending time with my husband and with God, just like sleeping and reading and watching TV. I'd love it if losing weight was as easy as snapping my fingers. However, losing weight isn't like performing a magic trick; it requires diligence and commitment and hard work. I get so envious of people who eat junk like I do but weight oodles less, but I am not one of those people, and it's time for me to stop asking God why and wishing I were someone else. After all, how can the clay question the Potter? Who am I to doubt God's wisdom, doubt who He's made me to be? And it's not as though I came out of the womb weighing this much; while I do think my metabolism plays a part in this, my unhealthy choices probably have a bigger role, so the only finger-pointing should be aimed at me. I'm through playing the blame game, comparing myself to everyone else, and wallowing in pity and negativity. I think that's how I defeat myself, and I will not be defeated.

How can I lose, when I have God's power to access, my husband's hand to hold, and a dream to achieve?

No More "Maybe Tomorrows"

The Facts:

1. I'm obese. I was going to type "overweight," but the truth of the matter is that I am far past being overweight.

2. Diabetes runs in my family, on both sides. With my weight and eating habits, I am just asking to get it, and that's the last thing I want.

3. I love my husband. I don't want to die at 40 of heart disease and leave him alone.

4. I have lost a substantial amount of weight (60 pounds) before, so I know it's possible.

5. I have gained back all of that weight (plus some) over the past 8 years. That's disgusting.

6. I am sick of hating who I see in the mirror.

7. I am sick of not finding cute clothes that aren't exorbitantly overprice or designed with a 60-year-old in mind.

8. I am sick of avoiding shopping trips with friends because I know I won't be able to try on any of the clothes in the "normal" stores.

9. Food has too much power over me. I'm a glutton.

10. My body is God's temple, and it's in sad disrepair.

The Solution:

1. I'm going to lose 100 pounds. I'd like to lose it in a year, but I'm realistic enough to know that 100 pounds is quite a lofty goal, so I'm not going to put a strict time limit on it. I actually could stand to lose more than that if I go by the ideal body weight charts I've seen, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

2. Because my husband loves me and wants me to be with him until we're both old and gray, he is going to wake up every morning with me at 6 and exercise with me at the school's wellness center. He's a morning person, and I definitely am not, so I am relying on him to drag me out of bed, especially when it's still cold and dark outside. I know that having someone to work out with will make me more likely to follow through with my plans to exercise.

3. I'm not going to be overly restrictive with my eating because diets are temporary solutions. I'm going to make lifestyle changes by eliminating soda (with the exception of 1 Diet Coke every now and then) and eating smaller portions. I think if I would just stop eating when I'm full, I could improve my body a lot. I want to make smart choices when eating and become used to choosing fruits and veggies more than chips and chocolate, and I am going to have to be very diligent about that because I adore junk food.

4. I'm going to bathe this effort in prayer. I truly believe that God wants me to be healthy, and I know He can equip me to accomplish this task.

5. I'm going to be positive. I won't beat myself up for failures but will celebrate my victories. I will remember that change doesn't happen overnight and that often what is most worthwhile in life requires a lot of effort and sacrifice.

I am putting this out there as a sort of pledge to myself, to God, and to my husband, that I might be happy and healthy. I don't know how often I'll blog on here, but I will use this place to document my progress, record my fears and frustrations and successes, and to keep myself accountable. I know that with God all things are possible, so I venture into this journey with a hopeful heart and willing feet and pray that God grants me His favor.