I had a three resolutions this year (at least that’s all I can remember right now – HA). One was limiting the time I spent on facebook, another was stopping to smell the roses (slow down Erica), and the other was CHANGING MY EATING HABITS. This resolution was a hard one for me because I was scared of change. I was scared that if I changed ONE thing about my eating habits that I would gain weight and spiral backwards into destructive behaviors. All I knew is that I wanted to be strong, look strong, and feel good about myself. It was time to stop being scared and just take a leap of faith by trying something new.
So, what did my day look like before the new year? Well, I NEVER ate breakfast, but typically loaded up on coffee w/ flavored creamers or should I say I put al little coffee in my cream 😛 No joke. I would basically starve my body in the morning and then eat foods that had no nutritional value later in the day.
Here is a list of my favorite foods at the time:
- fries w/ ranch,
- nachos
- cereal (MMM CEREAL)
- cheez-itz/ goldfish
- ice cream
- smoothies (not homemade)
- cookies
- chips & dip
- candy
- We will just say anything fried and/or processed
Some days I did substitute a salad or sandwich, but that was on occasion. In my head having a few cookies was far better than eating an entire sandwich. I guess I though less food meant less fat. Oh and don’t get me started on what I was drinking. Let’s see –
- coffee
- coffee
- diet coke
- coffee
- diet coke
- diet coke
- I’ll throw in a cherry diet coke just for kicks.
I NEVER ever drank water! Well ,I take that back. If I had those flavor packets I would dump those in a water bottle.
This was a typical day (changed a little from day-to-day)….
6:30 am – Wake up
7:30 am – Have a Coffee with about 1/4 cup of cream (I miss you Bailey’s Irish Creamer)
8:00 am – Perhaps have another cup of coffee with that good ol creamer
11am-2pm – A plate of fries w/ some melted cheese on top dipped in ranch w/ a diet coke
6pm-8pm – A few chocolate chip cookies in the bottom of a mug (heat them up) put some ice cream on top
**Yep, this is coming from a person that helped others with their nutrition and wellness. Talk about teaching not doing.
Now, I don’t know what I was thinking, but I do know that I knew that eating in this way was not healthy and I couldn’t keep eating like this forever. Many people asked if I was eating at all. Yes, I was eating but I was so embarrassed of WHAT I was eating that I didn’t want to eat in front of other people. I wanted my fries and would sacrifice an entire day of nutritious foods just to have them.
What did I do about it? I had to become my own coach and friend. I created my very own nutrition and fitness plan (I will share more and more details of my plan in the future) .
Here’s what a typically day looks like now…
6:20 am Wake up
6:20-7:20 Eat breakfast within one hour of waking (this was a tough for me until my metabolism kicked in-now I wake up hungry)
10:30 Mid-Morning snack
1:30 Lunch
4:30 Afternoon snack
6:30-7:30 Dinner
HUGE DIFFERENCE! I’m eating about every 3 hours. Life is life though and sometimes I’m hungry a little earlier or can’t get food on time. I try to have something like nuts and string cheese in my purse at all times. At first it’s hard. It was hard for me to eat every three hours because I wasn’t starving. It was SUPER hard for me to eat breakfast when I felt like I was still half asleep. After time my body got into a rhythm and eventually my body knew it had been about 3 hours on its own.
How did I start eating more and not gain weight? Well, I don’t eat the same foods. I don’t eat processed or fried foods. I have protein at every meal. A ton of veggies each day. One to two servings of fruit a day. I also have at least one serving of nuts/or peanut butter each day. I try to find healthy alternatives. If I am craving fries I chop up some turnips of red potatoes, season them and bake them. Dip them in homemade ranch dressing or reduced sugar ketchup. It’s actually fun finding healthier versions of things and that’s why I enjoy www.ohsheglows.com and www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com so much. In addition, I drink water all day long. Sometimes I get crazy and add lemon 😛 I don’t drink soda any more. I do have decaffeinated herbal tea every evening. Sometimes during the day I may have a cup of green tea. I don’t really drink wine, margaritas or beer anymore. I just don’t want it. Every once in a while I may have a glass of wine, but I could definitely live without. Lastly, I have added in more strength training. I love love love it now. I was afraid of bulking up, but that hasn’t happened. That is now my main source of exercise. In my opinion it cuts time when I strength train multiple muscle groups. My work outs are between 30 min to an hour 5 days a week. Give or take. Less is more!
I told myself I would give this new lifestyle a month, but if I was gaining weight and was feeling anxious that I would stop (not the best mind frame, but it helped me cope with my worries). Well, a month later I felt stronger, looked stronger, my clothes actually fit looser. I didn’t need to lose weight in the first place, but I wasn’t losing weight instead my body was transforming. I could see more definition. Best of all I felt good, no I felt great. It is the end of April and I feel like my body and mind are still changing in a positive way.
All it took was faith, a plan, a goal and dedication and now I don’t want to EVER go back.
everchangingbutterfly 