I realized today that many of my friends have been asking me how I am eating in my weight loss journey. I'm not a nutritionist. I'm not a dietician. I don't have the use of one, nor do I pretend to be any of those to get through this.
Am I a magician? Sometimes I feel like it. There are so many days that I just want to say, hey I'm sorry I want to eat out. But Wade is right there and what does he say? No Babe, what did we plan so that I can get in there and work on it. Then I feel like dessert and I mean a LOT of dessert and a friend steps up and asks me on Facebook how I'm doing or what I'm doing or how I manage to eat well, and that talks me off yet another ledge.
After one question, I thought it was definitely time to share and to be encouraged by that sharing. First of all, let me tell you that I am FAR from perfect!! Oh, heavens am I far from perfect. And guess what! I ate ice cream last night. No joke. But what did I do different this time that I didn't 6 months ago? I measured out 67g of ice cream. Yes, just a measly 67 g. But I also made some green tea to go with it to help fill me up when I think that is just not enough. It really is.
Little tips that have helped me, and I hope help those friends struggling.
*Portion. Portion. Portion. People say it all the time. I mean, until they are blue in the face. Do not use a regular size plate. They are too big. I went out and bought several kid's size plates to use. I try not to use regular size plates when I can help it. I find myself more full when I see this plate that is so full. It's a mental thing. ;-)
*Meal Plan. I know that I'm repeating things you probably already know, but if you don't plan it, you won't eat it! You have to come in with a plan and go with it. Plan for those busy nights with crockpot meals or leftover nights. Don't have time to meal plan? Well suck it up, Sister (or Brother)! It does take time, but it is worth it. I also cheat. I use e-mealz.com and love it. I don't use all of their meals, but they help us to have a plan and go with it.
*Snack. 3 meals a day doesn't work. You have to have healthy snack options that will help you get to your next meal without hunger. Come in not hungry to eat less. Below are some of the snacks that are my favorite.
mini rice cakes (caramel and cheddar cheese are my favorites)
carrot sticks (you can use ranch)
beef or turkey jerky
cottage cheese
greek yogurt
protein bars
granola bars (working on my own recipe that is allergen friendly, check back for that)
fresh fruit (but I try to do those in the afternoon only)
cheese sticks
*Track Calories. Keep track of what you eat. I am finding that I don't eat enough food some days to continue losing weight. It surprises me sometimes how little I am eating. I have to work hard to make my calories.
*Get an accountability partner or two or three or four or a dozen!! Get as many people surrounding you as you need. And use them! When they ask you how you are doing, be honest. When you are having a tough day, you need to tell your accountability partner. I send pictures of my meals to my sweet hubby, especially on days that I feel like I want to eat more. It keeps me accountable for what I am putting into my body.
*Get active. Do not park in the front parking spot. Park in the back and walk farther and don't mosey! Pretend like it is raining and you don't want to get wet. Working out is not something I considered fun before, but let me tell you what, I plug in my music (which is normally Praise and Worship music) and make my fat cry (sweat). It is beautiful to go and workout and feel each and every milestone success.
And guess what, when you mess up, just get back on track the next day and keep moving! Do I feel guilty about dessert? Nope, I ate consciously and I had plenty of calories to spare. Focus on each day and know that you can be a success. I wake each morning praising the Lord that I have another day to try to make things right. I get moving no matter if it hurts. I fight through and I do what I can to succeed. And each day, I show up. I just show up and live my life. Don't stop living and don't stop fighting :-)
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