If you read THIS recent post of mine then you know that one of my goals for 2012 is to get back in shape and eat healthier. I have no excuse. I've done it before. I once was a
workout-aholic, super healthy eater, lost 20lbs, in the best shape of my life kinda lady. But what was missing and why did I go back to my old ways? I was lacking...
BALANCE
that and I also just became lazy. I went from one extreme to the next...working out 6 days a week to zero. Eating super healthy and counting calories to stuffing my face with Jack in the Box tacos and every treat imaginable on Pinterest {don't worry Pinterest, I still love you}. I know better. I've beaten myself up over it. And now I'm ready to change. Eating right and exercising has to become my lifestyle...not just a last minute rush to get in shape before summer comes.
Since I know that many of you have the same "get healthy" goal as I do I thought I'd share my knowledge with you. Now I am not a nutritionist, fitness trainer, or doctor...I'm just your average girl who wants to share with you what has worked for me in the past and what my plan is for the future. Hopefully you'll find some of this useful, but ultimately you have to find what will work best for you.
So in part 1 of this little mini series I thought I'd share with you how I plan to change my eating habits and how I prepare to do so. I think that changing your eating habits is the most important thing to do. Not that working out isn't, but if you continue to throw back Big Mac's everyday...working out is really going to be pointless.
Part 1
Preparing to Eat Healthy
***Shopping on a budget. I think one of the biggest misconceptions/excuses {I even thought this way at one point} is that you can't eat healthy on a budget. This is so not true! What I've come to learn in my situation is that it costs me about the same. My weekly grocery budget is around $140 a week for the three of us. This not only includes our food but also household items, pet care, and health and beauty products. It can be done! It just takes a lot of preparation and planning {you're probably going to hear me say those words a lot}.
I grocery shop every Sunday. I feel like it's the perfect day for me to get everything prepared for the week. Since hubby is home and can watch Carter I get to shop ALONE. This helps me tremendously! I'm less likely to impulse buy without someone begging me to buy Oreos and I can get it done in about half the time! I know exactly how much I can spend for the week but I make sure to use a calculator to keep me on track. Knowing that I only have a certain amout of money to spend helps me to make better choices about what I put in my cart. How do I know what to put in my cart you ask? Well that brings me to my next point...
***Make healthy choices. After all, we are trying to get healthy right? Here are a few examples of the foods I eat and try to have on hand...
*Lean protein {chicken, fish, turkey...we eat a lot of Jennie-O ground turkey in this house!}
*LOTS of fruits and veggies {think a variety of color and what's in season. I also plan on planting a garden in the spring. I've done this in the past and it helps cut costs on our favorite veggies tremendously.}
*Whole grains {whole grain bread, brown rice, multi grain cheerios...think brown not white haha}
*Healthy fats {avocados, olive oil, nuts}
*Dairy {low fat cottage cheese, skim milk, low fat yogurt}
*WATER {the least amount of your calories should come from what you drink. Don't drink your calories!}
*Green Tea {It's a great alternative if you are a soda drinker. The caffeine will give you that extra boost you need and you can either drink it hot or cold. Lipton makes little flavored green tea packets with zero calories that I sometimes use}
I might be forgetting some stuff but at least you get the general idea. Stay away from processed food as much as possible. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store...if it grows out of the ground, eat it! Now that you know what kind of food to look for the next step is...
***Create a menu for the week and never leave home without your grocery list! Again, these both help out in the impulse buy department. I create a menu for the entire week {breakfast, lunch and dinner}, make up my list according to it, then shop. Have you ever gone grocery shopping without a list? I have, and let me tell you I always come out with things I don't need and things I needed but forgot. It's almost the same as going to the store hungry which is a big no-no too. Having a menu also takes the guess work out of what I'm going to eat at any given time. Since I know what we are having and my fridge is stocked with everything I need to make it, I'm less likely to choose fast food or an unhealthy alternative. Once you prepare your menu and list you are ready to hit the store!
***Stay focused and DON'T BUY BAD FOOD! Like I said, grocery shopping alone is key for me. I whip out my list, turn on my calculator and get in my grocery shopping zone. If you are tempted to add something to your cart that is not on your list, stop and think about whether or not it is a good choice before you throw it in. Will it help you reach your goal? Will having it in the house tempt you? Trust me, if there is bad food in your house you are going to eat it. I know I do! That package of cookies you bought thinking you'd only eat ONE will come back to haunt you and keep calling your name from the pantry {eeeeeeat meeeeeee *insert name here*!}. Why even bother tempting yourself like that? Stay focused and be determined to make good choices.
***Get everybody in the house on board. It is SO much easier to eat healthy when the whole family is on board. Get everyone involved in eating healthy. Get your hubby on board and talk about reaching your fitness goals together. Talk to your children about how important it is and make it fun. Planting a garden together is a such a great experience and will often get kids to try new things because they grew it themselves! Work together as a team and encourage one another to eat well and try new things. I really do believe it is our responsibility as parents to teach our kids how to eat healthy and make good choices. I am so inspired by Jamie Oliver when it comes to this...I heart him, like big pink fluffy heart him ;)
Will others in the house throw a fit because you stopped buying their favorite Ho-Ho's and Ding Dongs? Heck ya they will! Expect it. Learn to say NO. In the past, before we started eating healthy, Carter was hooked on chocolate milk {totally my fault}. He wouldn't even drink regular milk. Well, one day I just stopped buying it. I gave him regular milk to drink and he threw a fit! He flat out refused. I explained to him the reason we wouldn't be having chocolate milk anymore. That it was a treat and not something we should have everyday. He didn't care, but I stuck to my guns and said NO. It took days of endless whining and crying but I knew he'd get thirsty enough and drink it eventually, and ya know what? HE DID.
So the point of my little story is that it's not always going to be easy, but change IS possible, for you and everyone else in your house. Remember, if you're the one that does the shopping YOU have the power to decide what you bring back into your home. Don't buy it and they won't eat it. The best thing you can do is set a good example!
So there you have it! You're now prepared to get some healthy food in the house! But now what will you do with it once you get it all home? In part 2 I'll share some tips on how I prepare food for the week and I'll even share an example or two of what I would eat on a typical day....ohhh the excitement ;) So stay tuned...part 2 will be coming soon!
Have any shopping tips or advice to add on what I mentioned above? Have you written a recent blog post about it? Feel free to share it in the comment section below so everyone can benefit!
xoxo,
Lacee
Linking up here
