Eat Better, Feel Better

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my husband and I began changing our poor and unhealthy eating habits to more of a whole foods based diet.  I realize that "whole foods" means different things to different people, but for us, it means eating as healthy as possible and reducing if not eliminating all processed foods.  We cannot afford to eat strictly organic for everything, but we do for a lot of things. Today is Day 11. I am happy to say that it has been a success so far.

There are 2 main reasons why we chose to do this. 
#1 - We want to set a good example for our son (and future children).  I believe that if he is raised early on to crave the right kind of foods, he will be healthier, happier, and have more energy to do whatever he sets his mind on.

#2 - We need to lose weight.  Both of us are "stocky" by nature, and I battle with Hypothroidism (slow to non-existant metabolism).  Plus, we both love, and I mean LOVE, desserts.  I know for me, mentally, my desire for sugary things was getting out of control.  I can't do the things that I want to do if I'm sucking all my energy out of my body with processed sugar.  Eating the right things (lean protein, low GI fruits and veggies, salads, and Greek yogurt) has given me more energy and actually makes me happier.


///One of the best things about this way of eating is I don't have to count calories or points!! I'm free of that!! And weight is steadily coming off. Hallelujah!!///
 
Here is an example of what I will eat during the day:
Breakfast: Nonfat Greek yogurt with raw unprocessed honey and sliced almonds.
Snack: Energy protein bar
Lunch: Spring mix salad loaded with veggies, steamed veggies, and either tuna or chicken
Snack: Apples and Peanut Butter
Dinner: Spaghetti with turkey meat and extra veggies on top of either spaghetti squash or quinoa pasta.

I do drink a lot of water, and have limited myself to 2 cups of coffee in the morning.  I don't drink diet sodas because of the sodium content, and I don't drink alcohol for the sugar content.  I will admittedly have a glass of either maybe once every 6 months or so, but that will only be on a "cheat" day. 

Tips I have learned so far:
1. It's all MENTAL! If you are not ready to make this change, you won't succeed.  You really do have to set your mind to it and commit.  I tend to be stubborn so that works out good. And I pray A LOT for strength to deny sweets and unhealthy foods (yes, you can pray for that).
2. Do your research! Not all fruits and veggies are the same.  For example, pick an apple over a banana, and a sweet potato over a white potato.  Both the apple and sweet potato are lower on the Glycemic Index and will give you longer, more sustained energy.
3. Allow yourself a "cheat" day ONCE A MONTH. On that day, eat whatever you want.  Jared and I are going to switch to 2x a month when we have BOTH reached 50% of our weight loss goal.  Cheat day once a week will come when we have reached our weight loss goal.

If this is something that you want to do as well, feel free to message me.  I'd be happy to offer all kinds of encourgament!

Jessica