THE FOODZZZ:
It's embarrassing to say, but I used to eat fast food for just about every meal. So of course, I stopped that! I started eating 5 smaller meals a day. Typically it goes something like this:
Breakfast: Healthy cereal (5g.+ fiber, less than 5g. sugar, low cal/fat.) or oatmeal or poached egg on toast
Snack: Fruit or Light yogurt or High fiber granola bar
Lunch: Lean Cuisine or Smart One or Healthy Choice Soup or low cal sandwich
Snack: Fruit or Light yogurt or High fiber granola bar
Dinner: Lean Cuisine or Smart One or Low fat recipe
When I tell people I eat Lean cuisines they normally say something like "How does that feel you up?!" Sometimes it does, most of the time it doesn't, but knowing I will have a snack a few hours after eating one, makes it a lot easier. I'm a very busy mom, so lean cuisines are just very convenient for me. However, I LOVE finding great new recipes, so if you have any please DO share!
I eat healthy Mon-Fri and splurge on the weekends. I think giving myself a break on the weekends was key for me! Before when I would try to diet I would go extreme and limit myself from everything bad. Completely depriving myself of something I like has never worked for me. Having the weekends to eat what I want doesn't sike me out in thinking that I will NEVER get to eat something good again. And yes, I will gain 2-3 lbs. over the weekend, but typically after my Monday workout it will all fall off.
EXERCISE:
I joined a gym right by my work. This is very important. Don't join a gym across town or somewhere that is inconvenient...this will just be used in your list of excuses why not to go to the gym. I got into a ROUTINE (again VERY important). I went straight from work to the gym. After a couple of months, this became habit...I didn't contemplate going to the gym, I just went...cause it was my routine...kind of like getting up every morning and jumping in the shower.
I try to go to the gym 4-5 days/week. I worked myself up to doing an hour of cardio (treadmill walk/run, elliptical machine, and sometimes the stationary bike) every time I'm in the gym. 3 days a week I add about 30 mins of arm and ab workouts. And when the weather is nice I LOVE to run outside! I've been wanting to try a few classes to get a little variety in my workouts. So we shall see where that goes...
*I know I could still workout more and not splurge as much, but I'm not in a rush...I'm taking my time and doing what works for me, whether it takes a few months or a few years.
