Things I have changed since starting my new healthier lifestyle:
1. I drink skim milk instead of regular milk.
2. I gave up sodas and drink water instead.
3. I eat brown rice instead of white rice.
4. I use whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta.
5. I snack on fruits instead of junk food.
6. I eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
7. Everything I cook is baked, broiled or boiled instead of fried.
8. I feel my plate up with mostly vegetables instead of carbs and meats.
9. When I eat out I pick the healthiest thing on the menu.
10. I watch my portion sizes.
11. I walk 30 minutes, 5-6 times a week.
12. I stop eating when I'm full.
13. I've learned to say no.
14. I don't put myself in situations where I won't be able to control my eating.
15. I've learned there is no such thing as a perfect day.
16. I forgive myself for mistakes and move on.
17. I write down what I eat and when I exercise so I can see what I need to change.
Things I still need to change to be healthier:
1. I need to eat less carbs and eat more vegetables, fruits and protein.
2. I need to drink at least 96 oz of water a day.
3. I need to stop eating after 6 PM.
4. I need to start strength training.
5. I need to learn patience, this process takes time.
As you can see I have made plenty of changes and each day gives me a chance to improve on the last. I still have things I need to work on such as my carb addiction. I've always been one to pile my plate full of things like macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes and its hard to give up those comfort foods. I'm trying to learn to replace those carbs with vegetables I love. Tonight for dinner I ate a whole plate of veggies but I still had some macaroni and cheese but only a spoon full and I saved it for last so by the time I got to it I was already full from all the vegetables. Making little changes at a time are going to keep me from becoming overwhelmed with this process. These are changes I have to sustain for a lifetime or I will gain the weight right back if I go back to my old way of eating. I'm still working on getting all my water in, I don't know why its so hard it just seems like bedtime gets here and I realize I haven't drank enough. I guess I need to plan to drink it at certain times throughout the day. It's the same problem with not eating after 6 PM, sometimes the day just flies by and I don't even realize its so late then I have to eat. As far as strength training my husband does strength training so I will eventually add that to my workout. My last goal is patience which I have struggled with my whole life, that's going to be a hard one for me but I don't guess I have any choice since the weights only going to come off so fast.
Great post, Christina! Fantastic changes, too. Each of them is great and will bring positive changes to your life. Not to speak of how great the impact is when you put them all together.
ReplyDeleteMy trick for drinking a lot of water each day is to carry a 0.5l bottle of water with me at almost all times. As soon as the bottle is empty I refill it. I find that if there is water and arms length available I'll drink it way more then I would if I had to go get some water. Sometimes I drink it without even noticing.
I have to ask, why not eat after 6pm? When do you go to sleep? It's OK to eat your last meal 2-3 hours before bedtime. I eat about 2 hours before bedtime most days and I have no trouble losing weight.
As for the patience... I have no advice. I could use some, too :)
I go to sleep about 9:30 because that's when my husband goes to sleep because he has bad insomnia and has to take medicine to sleep. I just decided on 6 because I didn't want to eat to close to bedtime and maybe that would help me lose more weight. As for water I'm going to start trying to keep a couple bottles with me at all times. I buy 20 oz bottles of water so if I can drink 5 a day thats 100 oz, so I figure one at breakfast, 2 at lunch and 2 at dinner. I might even be able to fit in an extra one when I exercise.
ReplyDeleteLast meal at 6 is good if your bedtime is 9:30, I think, but even if you eat a little bit later on some evenings that wouldn't be that bad either.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't drink 5 bottles in one day yet, just make it your goal to drink say 3 day and then gradually increase that. It takes some getting used to. I started with 3 bottles a day, when I felt I could take more I added another bottle, then another and now I can drink as much as 8 or more. My body adjusted over time, so even my bladder can hold more and I don't have to run to the bathroom all the time as I used to.