There are many excuses why you can't eat a healthy lifestyle. Maybe your life is hectic and crazy. Lots of family events. Work long hours. Too many client meetings. Whatever your reason, they aren't good enough. If you are serious about your health then those are just your way of rationalizing why you still eat the way you do. When you are truly serious about your health, those life happenings won't matter.
I have three kids, my hubs often works late and long hours, I'm a hockey mom and a babysitter. I have family that loves to get together and hang out. I have friends who like to meet for coffee dates. I get all the reasons why. I get them. In my quest for optimal health, I too had many reasons why I wasn't succeeding as well as I should. I'm a new mom, I'm tired, I'm busy with little ones, I'm sad hubs isn't home, I'm supposed to be a big girl and my favorite, food makes the experience. Well food does make the experience, but it's not the experience.
I don't want you to think that just because you're taking charge of your health you can't have fun anymore. The truth is, food does make up a big part of our life enjoyment. And so it should! Food is fun, it's delicious, it brings people together and it's nice to cook for those you love. I'm saying, pizza night shouldn't be every night. When you go out to eat, don't count on food to make the experience. Make who you're with, what's going on, the restaurant, the sounds, the smells, and the fact that you aren't cooking should be the experience. If you go to a casual restaurant with the kids, their food is not going to be out of this world cooked by twice trained French master chef. You're going to get big mike from your neighborhood back there! So these restaurants, don't be afraid to make your own menu. I'm famous for ordering a steak/burger no bread, on salad, dressing on the side. Doesn't really sound exciting. But I would rather save up a great meal for when I'm at one of these awesome food restaurants. When you go to pick more upscale restaurants, look for those with food you are going to be blow away from. Food that had thought and love and attention put into it. Food you can't get from big mike! I had the honor of eating at Jacobs Steakhouse recently. These are the type of places that the food is defiantly part of the experience. That's okay, make good food choices and enjoy. You don't eat there everyday (thank God or we'd have to mortgage the house!)
I get that there is hockey practices and work commitments. I get busy lives and busy houses. I get that life is now working at a pace that is crazy!
When you take charge of your health, you are going to have to do some work. Prep work. Know your schedule, know the week ahead, and then be prepared for those moments when everything goes out the window. I make sure I have good food items for toss together meals (salad, fast fry steak, fruit, cut up veg, spinach, and soups in the freezer) I always have lara bars floating around for those we gotta run around crazy days. Nuts are easy to grab as your running around too. Being a step ahead will stop crazy right in it's tracks.
What about family gatherings? Bring food! Who cares what nona says, you don't need to eat! If you're not supposed to bring food (I get that family too!) then make smart choices. Even big crazy Portuguese families eat veggies! Start there and then pick a meat. Skip dessert (unless this is a once in blue moon occasion! If this is once a year gathering, feel free to eat vovo's custard tarts!)
Don't let life be the reason why you can't eat well. Prepare yourself and educate yourself. Do research on great restaurants you want to eat at for date night or girls night out. Don't be afraid to make your own meal at the more casual places. Make pizza night once a month, so you can eat too. Think of those family gatherings as gatherings of support. Once you tell your family that you are taking charge of your health, they will want to be there for you (well maybe except nona who might keep saying 'you need to eat, you so skinny')
I have three kids, my hubs often works late and long hours, I'm a hockey mom and a babysitter. I have family that loves to get together and hang out. I have friends who like to meet for coffee dates. I get all the reasons why. I get them. In my quest for optimal health, I too had many reasons why I wasn't succeeding as well as I should. I'm a new mom, I'm tired, I'm busy with little ones, I'm sad hubs isn't home, I'm supposed to be a big girl and my favorite, food makes the experience. Well food does make the experience, but it's not the experience.
I don't want you to think that just because you're taking charge of your health you can't have fun anymore. The truth is, food does make up a big part of our life enjoyment. And so it should! Food is fun, it's delicious, it brings people together and it's nice to cook for those you love. I'm saying, pizza night shouldn't be every night. When you go out to eat, don't count on food to make the experience. Make who you're with, what's going on, the restaurant, the sounds, the smells, and the fact that you aren't cooking should be the experience. If you go to a casual restaurant with the kids, their food is not going to be out of this world cooked by twice trained French master chef. You're going to get big mike from your neighborhood back there! So these restaurants, don't be afraid to make your own menu. I'm famous for ordering a steak/burger no bread, on salad, dressing on the side. Doesn't really sound exciting. But I would rather save up a great meal for when I'm at one of these awesome food restaurants. When you go to pick more upscale restaurants, look for those with food you are going to be blow away from. Food that had thought and love and attention put into it. Food you can't get from big mike! I had the honor of eating at Jacobs Steakhouse recently. These are the type of places that the food is defiantly part of the experience. That's okay, make good food choices and enjoy. You don't eat there everyday (thank God or we'd have to mortgage the house!)
I get that there is hockey practices and work commitments. I get busy lives and busy houses. I get that life is now working at a pace that is crazy!
When you take charge of your health, you are going to have to do some work. Prep work. Know your schedule, know the week ahead, and then be prepared for those moments when everything goes out the window. I make sure I have good food items for toss together meals (salad, fast fry steak, fruit, cut up veg, spinach, and soups in the freezer) I always have lara bars floating around for those we gotta run around crazy days. Nuts are easy to grab as your running around too. Being a step ahead will stop crazy right in it's tracks.
What about family gatherings? Bring food! Who cares what nona says, you don't need to eat! If you're not supposed to bring food (I get that family too!) then make smart choices. Even big crazy Portuguese families eat veggies! Start there and then pick a meat. Skip dessert (unless this is a once in blue moon occasion! If this is once a year gathering, feel free to eat vovo's custard tarts!)
Don't let life be the reason why you can't eat well. Prepare yourself and educate yourself. Do research on great restaurants you want to eat at for date night or girls night out. Don't be afraid to make your own meal at the more casual places. Make pizza night once a month, so you can eat too. Think of those family gatherings as gatherings of support. Once you tell your family that you are taking charge of your health, they will want to be there for you (well maybe except nona who might keep saying 'you need to eat, you so skinny')