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| Do you see why I finally decided to get my act together?? Only 417 days- nooooooo! |
These changes were not made in an effort to lose weight, so much as to ensure that I can maintain my current weight as age changes my metabolism. Please note that I did not make these changes all at once, nor did I make them spontaneously. They reflect things that I have learned over the past couple of years, and considered carefully in terms of my realistic ability to sustain them as habits. Also note that these are not necessarily recommendations (as I am not qualified to make those), but rather choices that have worked for me. I am sharing them now because they have culminated in a lifestyle that I am becoming proud of, and feel that they might be helpful to some.
1. Limit ALL white grains. Man, did it take me a while to implement this one. Most of us know by now that white grains are not good for us. In fact, one of my friends recently told me that her nutritionist said they basically convert straight to sugar in your body. I had little trouble switching out bread and pasta for whole grains. No, the killer for me was rice. Soft, fluffy, buttery, delicious white rice that I have been eating and loving my whole life- it was a real crusher when I found out that this would have to go. Earlier this year, I decided to stop buying my ubiquitous side dish at the grocery store, so I cannot cook it anymore. I still have it when my mom makes her legendary Mexican rice, or when I go to a Mexican or Asian restaurant, but aside from that, no more white rice for me. Here are some substitutes that I frequently use now to take the place of rice and pasta:
Red lentils
Quinoa
Bulgur wheat
Brown rice (Frozen, from Trader Joe's. I don't mess with trying to cook that stuff.)
Spaghetti Squash
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| Cooked bulgur wheat. If you're a wonderful Middle Eastern chef like my friend Rita, you can make it from scratch. I make the instant 10-minute kind from TJ's. I don't love it on its own, but it adds heartiness when mixed with vegetables and proteins. Coincidentally , this plate is also the size I usually eat dinner off of (see: Portions, Portions, Portions). |
2. Replace coffee with green tea. Another one I had to consider for a while. I knew that coffee was a source of cholesterol, fat (because of the half and half I love to add) and sugar. I tried swapping those out for almond milk and agave nectar, but it wasn't as good, and I realized that, if coffee is not delicious, I don't really need it. I still drink it on the weekends (the delicious, half-and-half-and-sugar version, guilt free), but on the week days, I now prefer some Trader Joe's Organic Green Tea.
3. Eat mostly fish, soy, and legumes for protein. This actually started with Israel deciding that he wanted to be a pescatarian. We started grocery shopping only for fish and soy products (which, I'll admit, makes cooking less fun); the only poultry we still eat at home is my turkey chili, because, well, yum (note: it can also be made with tofu or double the amount of beans). We eat salmon, tilapia, tuna, tofu, tempeh, and veggie burgers. We also supplement with more black beans and lentils- low/no cholesterol protein, essentially.
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| Lentils: surprisingly delicious. Tofu: either you love it or you hate it, and I love it. Black beans: I could eat every day. I make a large batch of beans like this one (some has already been used for chili) by simmering 3 cups of dry beans with some salt, cumin, crushed garlic cloves, and bay leaves, until the beans are tender. |
4. Limit dairy consumption. This is more about the way dairy makes me feel. I tend to feel kinda bloated and (let's be honest) gassy when I eat dairy. I still love the way it tastes, but mainly the full-fat variety; unfortunately, with all of the saturated fat and cholesterol, it's just not something I can have in my daily diet. And no, low/no-fat is not an option for me, as I find its existence an almost pointless oxymoron. My dairy consumption is generally limited to two slices of cheese per week, and maybe an egg or two on the weekends. I use almond milk for smoothies and cereal.
5. Choose "healthy" take-out options. Because, of course, life gets busy and cooking isn't always an option, I have some stand-by, relatively harmless takeout go-to options that I can eat guilt-free, other than the possible presence of chemical preservatives and high sodium levels (though I do try to eat at places that make natural ingredients a priority). Some favorites: Salmon or tuna roll from my favorite sushi place (one roll is enough, and not the ones with cream cheese, fried and drenched in sauce- fresh is best); Chipotle bowl with brown rice, black beans, grilled veggies, pico de gallo, medium salsa, and guacamole; and Sharky's Fresh Mexican Grill's Santa Fe Lite Burrito.
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| I don't really keep track of my sodium intake, so I couldn't tell you about that, but otherwise the stats looks pretty good for yummy takeout! |
6. Portions, Portions, Portions. There is no mystery here. There is not a single person with the level of activity most of us have who should be eating a large, heaping plate of food. My friend Tara said she has learned that your should eat until you are 80% full, then stop and see how you feel. I am still trying to learn to gauge that, so, for now, I am using my visual perception and trying to only eat meals that are equivalent in volume to (what I estimate is) the size of my stomach. My cousin said she heard that this is about the volume of your two hands cupped together (see how we all share info to help each other out?). For most, this should be able to fit on a small plate. You may have to eat more often, so it is important to pack snacks like fruit and nuts. Also: chew, swallow, and breathe before taking another bite. You'll be surprised how much less you eat when you eat more slowly, sometimes because you run out of time to eat or you just get bored of eating.
7. Exercise most days of the week. I would say a number, and it would probable be 5-6 days a week, but I know that sometimes that is not realistic for everyone (including me). But I think that most of us can commit to at least 30 minutes of exercise, 4 days a week. My love of running is well-documented in this blog, but I have recently added some light weight training and occasional cross-training to my repertoire. And I don't do it all in one day. This is not the exercise of your early 20s, where it's been so long since you went to the gym that you feel like you have to stay at least an hour and a half to make up for lost time, and then burn out after 2 weeks. No, I run 3-4 days a week for 30-50 minutes (depending on the length of my run) and go to the gym twice a week for 45 minutes (an hour if I am there with a friend, just because it's more fun!). Some days I like to try at-home workouts that look interesting from Pinterest or things people post of Facebook. It really is just about finding a way to stay active.
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| This is an example of an at-home workout I do. You wouldn't think that a routine that could be summed up in so few words, with such simple instructions and no equipment could kick your butt as much as this kicks mine! Source: fitsugar |
8. A couple more randoms...
I sort of count calories- not in any exact way, but I have enough knowledge of the foods I eat to keep a rough estimate, which helps me keep how much I eat in check. I subtract calories I burned during workouts to make sure I am eating enough.
I pay attention to how many grams of sugar and fat I eat (again, a rough estimate). I've read that neither should exceed 30 grams for women. Sugar is still an issue for me, because, again, yum.
Phew. Feels like that was a lot. Again, this is all information that I have learned and implemented over a course of time, and it has been effective at helping me reach my personal health goals. It brought my cholesterol down (it was a little high last year), has strengthened my body, improved my digestion, and yes, I did lose a couple of pounds. However, I do caution that I have been doing all of this for a few months now, and I just barely lost about 4 pounds, so, really, these changes are not likely to result in rapid weight loss. They are likely to result in feeling generally healthier. I'd like to also add that this is not a regimen, but rather a list of ways I have incorporated healthier options into my already existing routine. Finally, none of these practices (except maybe #6 and 7) applies on the weekends. Little Melissa has to have her fun ;-).
I sincerely hope that some of this information might be helpful to anyone who is considering making some lifestyle changes. I know it can be daunting, but keep in mind that a small change can make a big difference when it snowballs, as small changes often do. Good luck!
