A Way of Healthy Life

Last month was absolutely crazy!  I got sick with an upper respiratory infection and a sinus infection, knocked me on my butt for at least a week. I admit, while in bed I didn't really eat more than Cheerios. Yup, you heard me correct I ate cheerios. I know my paleo, no grains, gluten-free readers are in shock and disbelief right now, but as I mentioned in my last post, I reached a point where what I had been doing wasn't working and I was miserable. Time for a change.

After a year with no results and being unhappy
I knew it was time to take action for my future

I was searching for a way of eating that would allow me to eat a more balanced way of life. Something that would hold me accountable for how much I eat. Something that would allow me to have the occasional indulgence. Most importantly, I wanted something I could do forever. I know there will never come a time I don't have to watch how much or what I eat, but maybe there is a way to have it all and enjoy it and be healthy and lose weight.

I admit I am guilty of this when I deprive myself

That way of thinking lead me back to my original weight loss time, years ago... Weight Watchers!! I did some googling and found that the program changed since I did it last and now the points weren't just about calories, but also took into consideration protein, fiber, and fat and the roles they play. I was still debating to spend the money or not and saw they were running a promotion, no registration fee and a neat little starter package if I signed up for 3 months. I decided with my time being all over the place I would sign up for online only to make it work with my life. I was feeling truly excited for the first time in a LONG time!

This is what my food selection for today looks like.
So may delicious foods I can eat and enjoy
And I still have 5 points left for dessert later if I want

That was a little over a week ago, so how was the first week you are wondering... AMAZING! The phone app has made it so easy to track and check food points. Grocery shopping became more like a game, I walked around the aisles with the app and scanned bar codes to see how many points the food item was. The last week I have enjoyed, Morningstar Farms Chik patties, Sara Lee bread, Fiber One bars for dessert, and ground chicken in my delicious salads.

This was delicious! Eggo, chicken sausage, and egg whites

So easy to make delicious and filling foods

I had my first weigh-in this past Wednesday. I didn't think I lost anything with the yummy food I was eating, lack of exercise, and stressful weekend (more to come on that), but I did indeed have a loss of .6.  I know it doesn't seem like much, but for someone who hasn't seen a loss in a long time and just spent the week enjoying food and not stressing, that loss was very exciting for me.

I will keep you updated of my Weight Watchers fun and promise to post all my yummy food finds.

This is a way of life, not a temporary diet!! 

It's Not a Diet It's My Future

I have black hair and brown eyes, my sister has brown hair and hazel eyes, my coworker has blond hair and blue eyes. We are a mix of tall, short, big, skinny. We are all uniquely different inside and out; so why should we all follow the same advice to lose weight and be healthy? There are tons of articles, diets, and books out there telling us how we must only eat a certain way to achieve maximum weight loss and healthy results and that all the other diets are wrong. I have read so many over them years I could probably write a combined book. It got me so confused at one point I starting thing....if we are all different inside and out why will the same diet and eating habits work for everyone equally?

Be unique and be true to yourself inside and out

A few years ago I did Weight Watchers, I gained weight. My friend Debbie did it and lost a ton of weight and continues to lose weight and love the program. We did it exactly the same. So why did she drop weight and I gained and felt sluggish? Because we are different. Our bodies are hardwired (that is my scientific term) different. Over the years my mom and I have realized that carbs and sugar are our kryptonite. Eating those can mess up our bodies pretty quick and the recovery time is very very slow. I am talking sugar coma for days just from a small intake, stomach that gets bloated and puffy and overall feeling of yuck. We stick to a low carbohydrate, low sugar, healthy fat eating routine, similar to primal eating/paleo/Atkins. I also now read labels and get pretty grossed out seeing what is in some processed foods. Now on the other hand, my dad and sister can eat pretty much whatever they desire, no problem, and as long as they watch their calories they lose weight and feel good. They are slowly learning about reading labels as well.

No cookies for me...
I am going to leave the cookies to Cookie Monster

So what is my point? My point is we are all uniquely designed inside and out. I don't recommend cutting out all food groups, but I do recommend being in touch with your body. Take notice how you feel after eating certain foods. It's a trial and error sort of thing and of course balance. Too much of anything, no matter how healthy or wonderful is not always a good thing. Be patient with yourself and be willing to learn. Maybe your body just needs a limitation in calories, but maybe you need more than that, maybe less sugar or carbs or dairy. Being open to finding out what my body needs and wants has showed me a whole new world. I still have ups and downs, and thanks to being a girl I get those crazy hormone cravings, but I have learned a lot about my body and when those moments creep up on me I feel like I handle them a little better each time. The conclusion I came to is that taking the time to learn about my body, explore foods, read research and invest in myself is more important than just a diet and weight loss, this is about my health and my future.

I hope I can teach my nieces all that I have learned from my
health journey while they are young.

No Meal..Go Fish

The biggest thing I have learned about eating healthy is that it requires you to be prepared as much as possible with meals. When it comes to weekdays I usually try to go grocery shopping and make some meals on Sunday to last me the week. Then there are those weekends that get away from me; next thing I know it's Monday and I get home from a busy day of work with no dinner pre-prepared. When this happens there are a few options.. order in food, throw together a quick something you aren't even sure what it is, eat Doritos (fill in your favorite food) or my favorite new option...fish!

Two of my coworkers told me about bags of fish they bought at Shoprite (most grocery stores carry them). The fish are individually packaged giving you the option of cooking 1 or 4 and nothing will go bad because you didn't make it right away, plus it makes it easy to store them in the freezer for the next time you need a quick meal. I figured I would give it a shot and tried the salmon. Wow was I pleasantly surprised!! It came out mouthwatering delicious, and even better it was quick and easy! I didn't even have to defrost the fish first (who has time for that after work). 

Frozen salmon, seasoning of choice, butter and you have a healthy meal in minutes

Ingredients: 

Fish of your choice (I've used salmon and tilapia with these ingredients)

Fresh cut garlic 

Seasoning of your choice...I prefer Mrs. Dash herb and garlic 

Parmesan cheese

Butter

Preheat the over to 350F. Spray a pan or baking sheet with PAM, this is so the fish doesn't stick. In an effort to have less clean-up, because admit it who likes to clean, I like to use disposable pans. Once your fillet(s) are placed in the pan or baking sheet sprinkle the seasoning on the top and bottom, then the parmesan cheese on top, finish by adding the garlic pieces on top and around the fillet and place about a teaspoon of butter on each filet. Tada ready cook. Place in the oven for approximately 15 min. Cooking times vary on filet sizes and ovens. 

Salmon is prepared and  ready to cook

After about 15 minutes or when the fish is mostly cooked I put the oven on broil. I love the parmesan cheese and garlic to get a little crispy. After about a minute (again depends on oven) I take it out and drool at my latest creation. 

L: salmon fresh out of the oven, see little crispy outside.
R: A complete and healthy meal in less than 30 minutes

Hope this helps you, like it did me, get through some hungry meals. Salmon can be a meal for almost any time of the day. Have leftovers for breakfast or lunch too! Oh and stay tuned for some side dish ideas including the zucchini one above.