Weigh in is Monday

Saturday, January 9, 2010

I had a friend tell me this week that they just can't eat like this. That's what I thought, too. Honestly, the first two weeks were excruciating! Without support, I would never have been able to do this. But, to my surprise, after purging my body of unhealthy foods, I started feeling so much better and had a great deal more energy. After about a month of counting points, it became like second nature to me, and I didn't feel like I was putting extra thought and effort into my eating plan anymore. Hang in there, folks! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

As we get ready to weigh in on Monday, I keep reminding myself that this is all about being healthier. The scales are NOT the focus of my efforts. They are just the icing on the cake.

Remember, a balanced diet of whole, natural (not processed) foods, and an ample amount of water are essential to good health. We should be eating more servings of whole grains, vegetables and fruits than anything else. We should be limiting the amount of meat we get each day to a couple of 3 ounce servings a day), and these should be very lean cuts. Ladies, we must get our daily intake of dairy products for our bone health. This is especially important for those of us over 30. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk products (milk, yogurt, cheese). Fats and oils are on the bottom of the totem pole. We only need a little healthy oil each day, and the best sources are canola oil and olive oil. You can get these in your low-fat salad dressings and stir-fried vegetables. The best source of healthy oils is salmon. If you like salmon, try to incorporate it into your diet a couple of times a week.

Dining requires planning ahead. Check out your favorite restaurants at www.dwlz.com to see what are the healthier choices BEFORE you head out to eat. A good tip for dining out is to take a piece of your favorite fruit with you to the restaurant. Then ask for a "to go" box with your meal, and go ahead and box half of what you ordered. Eat slowly, and you may find that you don't even want the other half. If you're still hungry, eat the fruit that you brought with you.

Whether you are counting calories, counting points, counting carbs, counting fat grams, or simply cutting back, remember that eating more frequently throughout the day keeps your metabolism revved up and burning more calories. Don't forget those healthy between meal snacks. Getting 6 to 8 servings of water (or non-caffeinated liquids) is imperative.

Happy, healthy eating to you all, and I hope to hear from you Monday as we weigh in!!!