Wellness

Eating Healthier

I have always struggled with my weight. I was always taller and at least 2 inches wider than all of my girl friends. Even when I was a size 4 or size 6, I have always had hips and a stomach.

It wasn’t until recently where I’ve decided to really start making healthier decisions. I attended a series of webinars hosted by one of the board-certified doctors that I work for that was very insightful and only had evidence-based information as well as realistic approaches to eating healthier. Which is where I really learned (and let it resonate) that you don’t have to do everything all at once and that it’s not all about elimination, it’s more about balance.

I am by no means an expert, I am just sharing everything that I’ve learned and have done.

A few things that helped get me motivated and to keep in mind:
  • Mindset. Sam and I have been eating out nonstop lately and it’s to the point where I just don’t feel good and feel very unmotivated. I’m also getting close to not being able to fit into my fat pants (you know you have a pair). All of that really helped me get into a mindset of wanting to do this. Without the right mindset, it won’t last so making sure that you have your mind set to making changes that will actually last because it is going to be hard to break habits, not give into cravings, and not see result right away. So you will need the right mindset to stick with it.
  • Learning the facts. Specific diets tell you what to eat or what not to eat. Everyone knows to stay away from alcohol, soda fast food, sugars, junk food, etc when you want to lose weight. But realistically, you are going to want to eventually eat fast food or a cookie or something and that’s okay. That’s why diets don’t work and why it’s important and so much better to just choose to make healthier choices.
  • It doesn’t really cost more overall.You don’t have to spend a lot of money or shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s to eat healthier. I personally like the selection at Whole Foods, but I also shop at Target or HEB (Texas grocery store) for groceries. There are items that I started purchasing such as Siete Grain Fee Tortillas and Taco Shells that are definitely more than store brand, but I also stopped buying snacks and junk that made our grocery bill balance out and I think that’s something to keep in mind if you start looking at whole wheat foods or grain free foods. It may be more but its healthier and if you are eliminating other items out of your diet, especially eating out, then you eventually come out ahead.
  • Know yourself. I HATE cooking and so does my boyfriend. I would much rather eat out everyday and I keep that in mind when I meal plan. We loved the meals when doing Hello Fresh and Every Plate but we both hate cooking so we would have at least one or two meals we wouldn’t cook in the fridge. We also tried premade meals at our grocery store and Freshly, but again just ended up eating out because the recipes are limited or we wanted something else. So I found recipes that I could make a big batch of and meal prep or than quick and easy to make.
  • Know who you live with. My boyfriend has no motivation to eat healthy and I’m not going to force him. He likes snacking and junk. Prior to us living together, I never had snacks in my apartment and it can be very tempting to eat badly. Which is where having the mindset is important because you can easily be tempted and pick up your bad habits.
  • Find healthy recipes for foods your crave/love. I know that I am going to crave certain foods throughout the week so I look on Pinterest for a healthy version or healthier swaps.
  • Finding variety. You don’t have to eat what you don’t like and you don’t have to eat the same thing repetitively. Doing both of those will just make you want to quit trying to form healthy habits. Instead, try seasoning things differently, try something new, etc. Also, when you do find recipes that you like or are excited about then spread them out. That way you have something to look forward to throughout the week!
What I’ve started doing & what I haven’t stopped doing:
  • Drinking more water. I know this is one of the most obvious things you can do to eat healthier/lost weight but I still want to mention it. I’ve been trying to drink at LEAST 60 ounces of water a day. As well drink a glass of water before eating so your digests better.
  • Eliminating white flour & sugar at home. I’ve switched to only having whole wheat or grain free items at home. So in our pantry, we only have grain free tortillas, whole wheat bagels, whole wheat breadcrumbs, and whole wheat noodles. When shopping, I look for “Whole 30 Approved” or “Keto” or “Paleo” items because that indicates that there’s no added sugars or flour.
  • Eating healthy at home. “Out of sight, out of mind.” It really helps to only have healthy items available at home including snacks so that the only time I don’t healthy (or as healthy) is when we eat out.
  • I’m still eating out. There are days where I don’t want to cook, can’t break away for lunch at work so I eat out, or just want to eat out with my boyfriend or friends. I just plan for that now and make sure that I balance out my diet for that day if I do. For instance, having a salad at lunch if we’re going out to dinner. But I also choose healthier options when I do eat out. For example: side salad instead of fires, no soda, etc.
  • Incorporating greens. I try to make sure that there is something green on my plate even if that means I need to make a green smoothie in addition to what I’m eating.
  • I’m not cutting out red meat. I reduced the amount of red meat that I eat, but I love steak, tacos, and just beef in general.
  • I’m not cutting out alcohol. I like to drink. One of the best things that I learned is that people that live longer actually have one glass of red wine in the evening!

Healthy Favourites

I don’t stick to recipes, I generally throw things together. So here are some of my favourites that I’ve been eating and what I use to make them (also seen in the video).

Breakfast

Breakfast Bacon Tacos

Banana Oat Pancakes

  • Banana
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream or Almond Milk
  • 1 Cup of Oats
  • Topping: Maple Syrup
  • Optional: Strawberries & Blueberries

Whole Wheat Bagel

  • Whole Wheat Bagel
  • Cream Cheese or Avocado
  • Everything Bagel Seasoning

Lunch

Siete Soft Tacos

Chicken Fajita Bake

  • Chicken Breast
  • Red Pepper
  • Green Pepper
  • Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
  • Optional: Cauli Flower Rice (Side)

Dinner

Siete Enchiladas

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Chicken Parmesan

  • Chicken Breast
  • Whole Wheat Spaghetti
  • 1 Egg
  • Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
  • 1 Jar of Pasta Sauce
  • Parmesan Cheese

Smoothies

Green Smoothie

  • Banana
  • 2 Celery Sticks
  • Lemon Juice
  • 1 Cup of Spinach
  • 1 Cup of Pineapple Chunks

Berry Acai Smoothie

Snacks

Guac + Chips

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Granola + Yogurt

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