I feel like the blog has been focused on writing a lot, so I thought I'd made a post about the other half of this blog's inspiration -- health.
Lately, I've been making a real effort to squeeze in time for the things that I love, i.e., writing and reading. And at the same time, I've been making excuse after excuse when it comes to health and fitness: I'm still nursing so I can't diet. That doesn't, however, mean that I need to eat everything I see. I can't take my walks at lunch time, which was always my preferred exercise, since I'm pumping -- but that doesn't mean that I have to give up all physical activity. I'll swear I'm giving up all sweets and processed foods after [The Annual Clam Steam/Nick and Melissa's Wedding/The Garlic Festival/et cetera ad nauseum]. I need to freaking STOP lying to myself and make some real commitments.
We all know that it comes down to diet and exercise. Which one is more important is something that I see debated frequently, but personally, I feel like diet is going to be the angle that's easier for me to tackle at this point in my life, although I'd like to have a game plan for both. I think I'll dedicate this blog to diet and then later this week talk about exercise.
So. What I'd like to be eating:
Breakfast:
My morning smoothie (non-fat yogurt, skim milk, a banana, frozen raspberries and flax seeds)
Healthy cereals with skim milk (making sure to exercise portion control)
Oatmeal with raspberries and raw honey
Homemade Granola with skim milk or non-fat yogurt
Fruit
Eggs, turkey bacon and whole grain toast with Burmmel and Brown.
LESS: muffins, second helpings of cereal, morning sweet tooth fixes, Dunkin Donuts
Lunch:
Healthy Leftovers
Amy's Organic Burritos
Broth-based low-sodium Soups
Kashi Frozen Entrees
Salads with protein
LESS: Processed frozen entrees, fast food, lunching in downtown Albany
Snacks:
Nuts
Fresh Fruits
Cut up Veggies
String Cheese
Hard Boiled Eggs
Air-Popped Popcorn
LESS: processed snacks, sweets, carby crap
Dinner:
Home-cooked healthy meals with whole grains, lean proteins and lots of veggies, especially ones that I can make big batches of for lunches and leftovers.
Less: Take-out, processed frozen dinners, seconds.
On the surface, this looks deceptively easy. I love all the things that I should be eating! I know they fill me and make me feel good. I have two big problems that I need to figure out solutions to:
1. Since grade school, I have a time of day that I have serious binging issues -- the "After School" period, from when I get home from work until dinner time, I feel like my stomach is a cavernous pit that cannot be satiated. Oftentimes by the time I am done snacking during that period, I'm too full for dinner, but since I cook for Frank, I usually wind up eating with him anyway because I feel guilty. How can I stop wanting to eat everything in sight when I get home from work?
2. I feel like, while all the food I listed is delicious and good for me, I'm missing something. Specifically after lunch, I get cravings for something sweet and/or carby like cookies or pretzels. What can I eat to fulfill these cravings while still staying on track? Or should I try to hold out and kill the cravings?
Let me know if you have any suggestions for solutions to my problems or any good dinner recipes to share!
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I have the same "danger zone" time and the same after lunch sweet cravings. Though I haven't found a fail proof solution to either...it helps that I work in an isolated place (and despite having ready access to bread and jam which can be hard, there is no place for me to go to immediately satisfy the sweet craving) However my solution to after lunch sugar craving is to make a cup of Stash licorice tea...it has really sweet notes without having to add sugar, another solution is to make Chai with a little milk and honey. It seems to make the cravings settle down without totally blowing the calorie budget. For that afterwork time I have a stash of Dark Chocolate chips that i treat myself to 5 and really make myself sit and enjoy them. I also get myself out of the house, either to the library to work on homework or out for a walk...if i'm nowhere near the kitchen I can't eat it clean. This solution works better in the summer then in the winter, so in the winter I try to purge my house of any readily snack able things. If it takes effort, I am less likely to eat it and in the winter I tend to go into hibernation mode and want to consume anything in sight. It is nice to know that these issues are not mine alone, but that other people struggle with them. I wish I lived closer, then we could motivate each other to maintain healthy habits and exercise. Good Luck!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Vick! Here are some of my solutions:
ReplyDelete1. I used to be ravenous when I got home from work too, and I found something that works. I structure my daily meals differently. In the morning I have a whole juice smoothie, and that usually fills me up enough that I can last until about 11. Then I eat a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, which fills me for a few hours. Then I have my lunch around 2 or 3. Which in turn keeps me full until I can get home, sometimes get a work out in, and then make dinner.
2. Maybe at the end of your lunch, you can have some whole wheat honey pretzels, or whole wheat crackers, or maybe croutons on your salad. If you want carbs, give yourself some, just a healthier option and smaller portion.
Also, I've noticed that if I just don't have it in the house, it makes it easier not to snack on crap. I know Frank likes his junk food, so if he HAS to have it, maybe you can literally padlock a cabinet and give him the only key. It sounds drastic, but its an option. ;)