I’ve been trying to overhaul my eating plan as of late. I had a couple of weeks when I wasn’t making the best choices and the pounds were starting to pile on. I’m trying to stick with REAL, unprocessed foods for the most part. Or what I consider to be wholesome foods. And lots and lots of water. I have been a big diet soda drinker as well as Crystal Light Iced tea. I would usually drink water after my coffee at work in the morning but that would be it. I’ve recently started drinking water first thing in the morning. A trick I stole from my girl, Rachel Hollis….she drinks a glass of water while waiting for her coffee to brew in the morning. Now I do the same. It really does me feel better first thing in the morning because it is re hydrating you like coffee can’t. Rachel also says you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water per day. She said she gets the question all the time; “but doesn’t that make you have to pee all day?” I love her response of; “yes, of course! That’s the whole point. To flush out the toxins.” Well, duh people….lol. I have accepted the having to go to the restroom every half hour and I feel like the water is making me feel so much better. And I’m really enjoying drinking it. I love it super cold and it tastes so good going down in these hot summer months.
Once you get on board with the water (and it really isn’t that much) it’s time to tackle food choices that will help your body feel good and perform at its optimum. This is such a great time of year for fresh, natural foods. The tomatoes are nearing peak season as well as fresh corn on the cob. Through September, I typically eat tomatoes and a piece of corn on the cob as my side dishes with dinner every night. (if you are on Weight Watchers these are zero point foods, people!) I usually have a piece of chicken for dinner during the week so it’s a nice mix of healthy options.
For breakfast I typically have a banana at some point. Egg whites with some mushrooms. If we have strawberries, I will throw them on my plate as well. If I work out I usually have a peanut butter sandwich on one piece of whole grain break and a smidge of strawberry preserves, fold it up and enjoy. I always have a pretty big salad for lunch. I buy the hearts of romaine and cut up a whole head as my base. I put in some carrots, an egg and a tiny bit of croutons. I do like my creamy dressing so I splurge on some lite ranch dressing but I measure it to make sure I’m not going overboard.
I’ve already covered dinner and then I will often have a snack at night of some pretzel rods. The weekends are tough for me. We typically get food that isn’t necessarily healthy. I’ve been trying to change that. I do love my burgers and dogs in the summer and I’m definitely not giving them up but maybe limit those dinners a little more. Over the weekend I wanted to stay on a good track and seafood is always considered a good, low fat option. It’s pricey though. I reasoned that it would be less money to buy fresh seafood than for the two of us to go out to dinner so we got some cocktail shrimp to dip in cocktail sauce and fresh scallops that we pan fried. Joe made some potatoes on the grill and everything was amazing. Nutritious, good for you food that doesn’t make you too full, weigh you down or bloat you up. We also went to an outdoor bar in the area over the weekend and instead of loading up on the fried foods they had to offer I got some shrimp taco’s. Not my favorite but the healthiest choice among the options. I didn’t feel like I was missing out because I concentrated on tasting all the fresh ingredients.
I’m not saying I won’t ever have brownies, ice cream, pizza or McDonald’s again….but maybe not as often. I’m loving the taste of these fresh, wholesome foods and I’m focusing on how good they are for my body. It’s working for me so far. Don’t get me wrong…I want to look good, but I’m learning that even more important than that is I want to feel good. Especially as we get older. It’s so important.
Find some healthy, whole foods that are not processed that you love and dig in. They taste so good and are so good for you. It’s the freshest time of year…take advantage!
And since it’s taco Tuesday make yourself some homemade tacos! They are a healthy choice! Chicken, shrimp, fish….lettuce, tomato and a little shredded cheese. Yum, right?
Now, go make it your best day yet!
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