So it's definitely well into February by this point (and I'm chilling on my couch watching the Superbowl - Go Saints!) and I'm thinking about my New Years Resolution for this year - get in shape! And we've been doing - exercising for at least an hour every day with either yoga, cardio, and weight training. And it's working out GREAT! I used to be sluggish but now I have so much more energy. And it's only been about 30 days but I have been noticing some minor changes body-wise for the better -- while I only weigh about 122, I've got some big ol' thighs and hips, and the dreaded stomach pooch. Not so much anymore!
I think the hardest thing in this regimen is to EAT BETTER. Ooohhh today I had a MAJOR cheeseburger craving when we were out at lunch! But I did the good girl thing and ordered the grilled chicken wrap. (And it was DARN yummy!) Here are some of the things I've been doing lately, and some I've been doing for a while, that are little changes that are definitely helping!
- Cheese. Oooohhh mommy do I love cheese. (At lunch sometimes, years ago, I used to just go to the grocery store and buy slices of mozzarella and eat them... oh so bad!) But yeah, I haven't met a cheese I don't like. It's tough to not eat cheese, but the Laughing Cow makes some absolutely AMAZING 80 calorie cheese wedges. I was skeptical at first. 80 calorie cheese? Yeah, probably tastes like mulch. Not so, my friends - this cheese has BIG taste with little calories. Love to spread it on some low fat Ritz and go to town!
- Cream cheese. Sort of on the cheese bandwagon; there was a time where I was having a bagel LOADED with cream cheese every morning for breakfast. (That must be where those thighs came from...) Unlike the Laughing Cow, low calorie cream cheese just tastes like poop to me, so I won't eat it. Thusly I haven't had ANY bagels and cream cheese at all this year! I've actually been making a lot of fruit smoothies for breakfast with bananas or mangoes, nonfat yogurt, and nonfat milk. They're surprisingly filling! And fruit is yum!
- No soda. I stopped drinking soda a few years ago actually and I remember when I did; within weeks I felt SO much better and had actually lost a few pounds! Very very rarely will I have a soda, and it's always when we're out somewhere. But I remember when I used to stock the fridge with that stuff weekly... ugghh...
- No fast food. This isn't really tough for me because I don't really eat a lot of it to start with, but sometimes the Burger King down the street just smells too good to pass up. If we get a fast food craving we'll usually hop down to Chik-Fil-A, they have some major yummy chicken wraps!
- Starbucks. Oh white chocolate mocha. (And all of those tastily evil holiday mochas!) SO yummy. This is a REALLY HARD ONE!!! Starbucks used to be a staple for us. It still is, but not as much; I'll go maybe once a week, if that, and when I do I usually get a hot tea or a light tea latte. Their Awake latte is amazing, and a tall nonfat is only 120 calories!
- Sodium. My mom actually got on my case about this; what in the world?! ;) Anyway this is a toughie too, there seems to be a decent amount of sodium in EVERYTHING. :( A lot of the frozen healthy meals I get are packed with sodium unfortunately, so I can't always rely on that for lunch. It seems the only way to really do this one is to eat a lot of fresh, organic ingredients every day and that can get a smidge more pricey than a Smart Ones out of the freezer section.
Okay, enough babbling out of me. :) Any tips that you find work well? Let us all know! And if I hear either that Jay-Z/Rihanna song OR any more out of Daughtry *barf* on this Superbowl anymore, I'm turnin' it off!
6 comments:
I noticed a change when I changed my starbucks diet too! I started only getting non-fat milk in my lattes and I swear I lost weight simply from doing that! I have these same problems you do- only weigh about 120 but gotta some booty in the pants! Cheese is hard to cut from my diet, but soda I try to drink less of and more water! I'm still working on the goin to the gym part though! So kudos to you for doing that!
Cute blog! Saw you on 20sb
I'm so glad you're doing well with your new year's resolution - I know it feels so amazing when you actually see your hard work paying off! Good for you for sticking with it!!
I avoid cheese, white bread, mayonnaise, anything fried and most importantly: SUGAR. Sugar is so bad in so many ways, and is unfortunately in just about everything! I only eat things that are low in sugar and/or are natural sugar (no high fructose corn syrup!)
I also love the book "Eat This, Not That." It shows you the healthier options for the restaurants we all eat at most frequently, so you can still make healthy choices when Whole Foods or some healthy place isn't an option.
Again, good for you!!!
Good job lady! I really need to start working on eating better. It's just so hard to give up cookies and cupcakes, ya know?
Eating good is sooo hard!! All the junk food is so much cheaper. Good job on working out!! Good luck with it all!
I got a on a health kick recently as well, joined a gym about 4 months ago mostly because I was sick of having the arms of a 12 year old girl :)
It's so hard to change your diet especially here where everything is fried :(
But the soda thing is so true, I stopped when I was about 17 and what was surprising is how much I do not miss it. From a can a day to about once every 6 months when I'm out.
I think the soda one is a biggie. Besides the fact that sometimes it can be pricey, we usually only have soda when we go out, which isn't that often. We do keep a few in our pantry, but it's usually 2 Liters in case we have a family get together and we need to bring drinks.
We also stay away from a lot of juices, because they do have a lot of sugar. We usually drink the Crystal Light (or generic store brand) -- we make several gallons worth and they taste pretty good.
I am bad about cheese! I love it.
I really need to work out, but either my back or knees will start to hurt. I wish we had a pool that was closer so I could do laps. Yes, I would feel really self conscious about being in a bathing suit, but I do love swimming! ^_^
OH, and my healthy tip. I love ranch, but highly dislike light or fat-free ranch. I discovered though, that Kraft has a Light 3-Cheese ranch that is absolutely delicious! We get that ranch almost exclusively. So, that's my healthy tip. ^_^
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