Diet Watch: My Favorite Type of "diet"....it has cheat meals!

Diets... we have all heard of the strangest diets from shots of grapefruit juice before eating fattening  foods to eating an all fat diet with low carbs. They all sound pretty stupid to me, yet I have to admit I have tried some stupid things in my life, diets being one of them. Some of them sound good in theory, they also sound too good to be true-which they are!

The key to me about the "diet" is a lifestyle, a nutritional and healthy way of living. It should not be an 8 week thing or even a year of being mindful. Diets should be a life long commitment to your body and your health. I have to admit that aesthetics was the main reason for me to both watch my diet and exercise. Now, things are a little different. I am inevitably getting older, and although I have hopefully a very very long way to go, I cant help thinking, am I treating my body in a way that it is going to last for decades and decades to come? With all the threats of heart disease, cancers and all types of scary diseases, we ALL need to eat better. I have to say that working with the elderly population has also opened my eyes to body and health changes and challenges as we age. If I can take care of myself the best way I can to prolong the effects aging has on us, why the heck wouldn't I do it?

So I have started a new way of eating (notice I did NOT say the "d" word). I hope that some of you try this with me. It is pretty simple in theory. I am allowing myself to be a human being. I have no intention on being perfect, I have no intention of never getting sick again or looking like Halle Berry. I am just going to be me and treat my body with honor and respect. Along with this comes an attitude. Respecting our bodies is immensely important if we want to change. If we don't respect ourselves, who will? Not being hard on myself is a big part of this change.

Here are just a few guidelines of my nutrition

-eating 10 servings of fruit and veggies a day (if I cant get all of that in, Im going to take a dose of powdered greens, but I will try hard to get the "real thing")


-eat breakfast within 20minutes of me getting up which includes a protein and a fruit or veggie; like a protein smoothie with fruit or greens, or an omelet with veggies


-NO sugar!!! (sooooo tough, if I have cravings I eat an orange or strawberries, and believe me I always have fruit on hand just for this reason)


-eating lean meats like fish, chicken, turkey breast and some lean red meats (in moderation) and also trying to add soy into my diet more for protein


-instead of white breads, using whole grains or quinoa (I love quinoa!)


-instead of white rice, using brown...or quinoa ;)


-exercising at least 20min a day 5-6 days a week; sometimes squeezing in exercise is tough but 20min is an acceptable time for me to aim for, if I do mess up and eat something unhealthy (which happens, I'm human) I will be sure to get my exercise in-no excuses!


-eating a snack of cottage cheese or plain yogurt in between breakfast and lunch


-eating a small handful of nuts, protein water or peanut butter in between lunch and dinner (this one is tough for me I always forget)


-drinking tons of water through the day; 8, 8oz glasses or more (this one is tough for me too especially at work)


-and the best one; having 3 cheat meals!!! YAY! I usually save these for the weekend, like eating a healthy dinner and an awesome dessert or some boneless chicken wings Scotty makes and watching what I ate for lunch that day. Some people like a whole cheat day, but I prefer to spread it over Fridays and Saturdays, going overboard one day gives me a stomach ache!

That is about it, I feel these are super simple tricks for anyone and anyone can do it with a little encouragement, will power and most importantly family/friends support. If you have a family not on board, this will be tough. Find a friend that will try it with you and make it work, get a neighbor, use emails or phone calls or find a supportive website.
The most important part is eat healthy for you out of respect for your health and your body-you only have one!!  If weight loss is your goal, let that be an added side effect. Saying "I am going to be healthier in my eating" is a lot less stressful than saying, "I am going to lose 30 pounds".

Good luck everyone! Cheers!!