eat healthy

How I did it:

• Patience.  I indicated that it took me 90 days to complete this goal, because I felt that it took me that long to re-learn how to eat in a more healthful manner.
• I became a vegetarian.  Not a necessity for this goal, but I always crash out after eating meat, so this was a natural transition that I felt could be considered towards healthful eating.
• Portion-sizing.  Eating healthy is not just content, but how much.  I learned a LOT about what a true portion was via this article.  Knowledge, however, is one thing.  Applying it was another feat in itself!
• I ate a LOT slower.  One of my SparkTeams in SparkPeople reminded me of what I learned in A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle about savoring flavor with every bite.  That helped me build an entirely new relationship and appreciation with food!  I also try to put down my fork between every bite and grab only one helping at a time.
• I took out real-time thought process.  To resist fast food and other things that aren't healthy, I planned my meals and stuffed my refrigerator with nothing but good food.  I also did some light prep work in the kitchen like cutting up fruit and put them in Tupperware for easy grabbings so that I could just grab and eat.
• I experimented.  Using a combination of SparksPeople to track nutritional intake and my own trial and error on the time of day I ate certain foods, I restructured my entire meal plan for my personal optimum performance.  Aiming for cleanest possible energy, this is what's working for me:
    
  Total Calories/Day (as recommended by SP):
  
  1200-1550
    
  Breakfast:
  High fiber, potassium, calcium, one fruit
  
    
  Mid-morning snack:
  Protein and/or fruit
    
  Lunch:
  Carb-lunch typically around 50g plus two vegetables/fruit
    
  After Workout Snack:
  Fruit or small bran muffin
    
  Dinner:
  Gourmet salad with cheese (calcium) or shrimp (protein)
  
  Dessert:
  One to two servings of fruit
    
• I focused on me only.  My fiance is opposite of me: he eats meat and potatoes ONLY and opposes anything healthy like veggies.  I happen to be the cook in the house and it did take me a little while to figure out how to manage for the both of us, but now I'm used to making two different meals.  I still make the same amount for him, but I just pack up half of it for his lunch the next day before I serve it.  Not a problem!
• I ask restaurants to pack up half my entree before it's served.  This was a trick I learned form SP!  I love love LOVE pasta and what restaurant serves whole grain pasta and at a regular portion size?  This helps me not only not to over-eat, but saves a delicious lunch for the next day.  Mmm.
• I keep a health journal.  I record what food I ate during the day and how I felt during my workouts and such.  It's helped me tailor my meal program, which is now second nature to me.
• I didn't deprive myself.  If I plan on eating lava cake later, I just adjust what I eat during the day to accommodate it.  Also, if I wanted to eat a slice of pizza, I'd stuff myself with salad first so I wouldn't eat the entire pie.
• I looked for delicious foods that are healthy.  This is the key to resisting junk food and the like.  When you have a plate of steaming delicious veggies prepared the way YOU like it, mac n cheese looks like a snooze! This also ignited my love for cooking once again.
• Each day is a new day.  I learned not to dwell on past failures.  Nobody learns to ride a bike without a few good falls!

Lessons & tips:

1. Commit to one month at a time.  This may be a lifestyle overhaul for you, but breaking your lifetime up one month at a time makes this goal much less daunting!  The first month is the most work with establishing routines and experimenting to see what works best for you.  The second month should be easier and by the third month, it will probably become "part" of you.
2. Change one thing a month.  Got a soft drink habit?  For the first month, concentrate on replacing soda with water.  Love fast food?  Spend the second month eliminating that from your diet.  As humans we are impatient and want change NOW, but if you concentrate on changing ONE lifestyle change per month, you'd change 12 habits in a year!  Doesn't sound like a lot?  Try listing 12 things.  You'll see how plenty that is.  :):):)
3. Knowledge is power.  Reading a lot on this topic is a great way to nurture your commitment to eating healthy.
4. Take control of your diet.  Spending time in your kitchen (even just a few minutes!) may be the most powerful way to do this.  Even if you're not a cook, there's always something you can do to help you on this path i.e. cutting and storing fruits and veggies for easy grabs later. 
5. Plan your meals.  This may seem like a ton of effort, but not only will this help you along, it will save $$$ in your wallet!  Taking the real-time thought process out of eating makes it so much easier.
6. Batch cook.  This is great for busy individuals.  Cook your meals for the week in big batches and then store them in the fridge in serving sizes.  One of the best things I love about this is how easy a dinner becomes when you come home after a super busy and exhausting day.
7. Look at nutritional labels.  You don't have to read and understand the entire label, but understanding what the food considers a serving size is and the first main ingredients will be an eye opener.
8. Use a food diary, if only for a little while.  Eating healthy is also about making sure you meet your nutritional goals (i.e. calcium, protein, carbs, fats, sodium, etc.).  Logging your food into a website like SparkPeople - even if it's for a week - will show you immediately where your levels are lacking using a recommended level for body.  (I don't salt my food but because I log in my food, I found out I would go over my sodium levels due to the delicious artichokes and hearts of palm I add to my evening salad, thus having me wake up with heartburn!  Eye opener.)

Resources:

• A quiz to test your knowledge on portions
• SparkPeople.com
• A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
• 85 Tips & Strategies for Dining Out
• Eating Healthy on a Budget
• 7 Comfort Foods that are Good for You
  

Sep 11, 2008, 10:39AM PDT | 12 comments | 31 cheers