Holly and Kelly: Order of who goes first doesn't matter in today's post. Over the last few weeks, Holly and I have implemented some healthy habits that have actually been easy for us to stick with. No, we're not trying to lose weight or "go on a diet"; these are just small changes that we have implemented into our daily lives and eating habits.
* Read things: No. Seriously. You will be amazed at what you discover about the hidden things in food. For years I would eat these crackers (the cheesy crackers with the cheese inside. YUMMO!) Upon discovering one day, I found out that a package of 6 crackers had 210 calories and 10 grams of fat! YIKES!!! Not to mention other ingredients that I didn't even know how to pronounce. Probably safe to skip. Read your labels!!!!!
* Portion control: Easier said than done, right? Not necessarily. Some things we have done have been not going back for seconds, eating on smaller plates and trying to mix things up in terms of what we serve. Also, this relates to serving sizes; stick to those as well.
* Whole grains and other things: This one by far has been the most difficult. We've switched over to whole grain...pretty much everything; waffles, bagels, pasta, etc. In addition, instead of regular ground beef, a tasty alternative has been lean ground beef, turkey and...ground chicken! This goes back on reading; a package of regular ground beef has 31 grams of fat, while lean ground beef or turkey had about 8-10 grams of fat. Simple. Really really simple. Also, Holly and I have been watching out for the "enriched" flour and reducing processed foods, which has been a lot simpler than we thought it would be.
* More is better...in terms of water: Yes. Don't really need to go into detail.
* Walk it out: For the last few weeks now, Holly and I have been walking every evening/night, probably about a mile round trip. I have found that by doing this just every night, I feel better during the next day. I'm not as tired, I have more stamina and my ankle doesn't hurt as often. I will say this as a future healthcare provider; exercise doesn't have to be complicated. You don't have to join a gym, do Zumba and P90X or Insanity every day. If you're a beginner, then exercise like a beginner.
* Say no to salt and sugar: Well....not completely. But seriously. Salt and sugar are so super sneaky. Pretty much everything we consume has salt or sugar in it. For Holly and I, we don't leave salt on the table and on a rare occasion do I cook with it. Most of the time I don't even do that. Also, we've cut out snacking during the day, since I know I often snack on icky things instead of something healthy. As for sugar, again, it's something we've just been watching and paying attention to. Starting this week, we're switching over to sugar free coffee creamer.
* Limiting caffeine: Because too much is not a good thing. Now my definition of too much and your definition of too much differ. For me, I can't drink more than 2 cups of coffee...and that's really pushing it. And also, since Holly and I don't drink pop as much, we see it more now as a "treat" to indulge on every now and then. But if we have a pop one day then we don't have coffee on the same day and vice versa.
* Good night computer: Last semester, sometimes I would have trouble sleeping and "shutting off" at night. About a week ago, I noticed I was having the same problem. So I tried and tried to find a common denominator, and I did; the computer. For the past week, I've been shutting off my computer about 30 minutes before I want to go to bed, and let me tell you. I have not slept this well in a long time. Give it a try. See what happens.
* Splurge...in moderation. Any of these changes are not going to happen overnight. Be patient. And when starting something, DO NOT CUT BACK COLD TURKEY. You have to REDUCE first, otherwise frustration and possible setbacks always occur...at least they have for me. Be positive, and remember; you have to want these changes for yourself. It may take time, but you'll be amazed at how better you feel and the impact you're making on yourself in the long run. Feel free to share your own suggestions or comment on ours. Good luck :]
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