OK, so today's challenge is where the going starts to get tough for me. You see, I'm a seslf-professed foodie. My hubby is contantly making fun of me, as in "Oh, Mari is cooking? Better grab a snack cause it's gonna be a few hours!"
Why? Well, because I love cooking up incredibly complicated, international meals. I've tried my hand at Thai, Italian, French, Greek, Spanish (of course)…the list goes on and on!
Making sure these meals are healthy is definitely on my mind, but so is using the yummiest ingredients and sometimes the two don't line up. But that is no excuse to let myself gorge on a calorie-laden meal!
Read more ¿Qué más? Weight Loss Challenge Day 5: The most important meal of the day
Basically my favorite foods, in no particular order are: wine, chocolate, avocado, cheese and bread. See the common theme there? Basically, it's fat with some sugar and extra calories on the side!
So this week, I'm going to be extra careful about making sure to eat a healthy breakfast and keep the focus on getting enough fruits and veggies in for each of my other meals. I actually ate a delicious salad for lunch today and bought a super healthy whole grain salad mixed with apples and cranberries to eat with some roasted chicken for dinner tonight.
I'm DEFINITELY cutting down on my wine intake as well, plus trying to replace my regular late night sweet with either an apple, oranges or mixed berries.
Here are a few of my fool-proof (sort of) methods for swapping out unhealthy foods for healthy foods and staying on a healthy diet:
- Drink up! My nutritionist once told me that whenever I feel like I need to cheat or eat something naughty, I should chug a glass of water instead. Apparently, a ton of times we think we're hungry, we're actually thirsty! Go for super flavorful herbal teas if you're jonesing for some flavors.
- Pre-plan as much as possible. It's so much easier to make healthier decision when you take the guess work out. So tonight, chop up a bunch of veggies, stock up on fresh or frozen fruits and yogurts and plan out your meals through the weekend.
- Get everyone involved. Cooking a separate meal for yourself while your whole family chows down on a traditional favorite really sucks. So tell you hubby and the kids to get on board with your new healthier life-style. Share your goals and before you know it, you'll have your own personal cheerleading team!
- Don't deprive yourself. Just because you are on a diet doesn't mean you should be miserable and cranky all the time. Feel like something sweet? Indulge in a little square of dark chocolate! Want a drink? Have a glass of red wine. Just know what your eating and make sure not to overdo it!
- Keep a food diary. Think you know everything you that passes through your lips? Think again! Keep a food journal for even just one or two days and you will see how much invisible snacking and liquid calories you consume on a daily basis.
Image via Martin Cathrae/flickr
