I'm sure I have skeptics wondering how I managed a 40 pound loss in 90 days without the use of "magic pills", wraps, shakes, etc. My answer is simple. Hard work and dedication!
This week, I will share with you what I learned about food and drink.
Before I began this journey (again), I ate and drank whatever I wanted, in whatever portion I desired. I gained 50 pounds in the matter of a few short months. I saw the scale tip 300 pounds and had to pick my jaw up off the floor. That's when I decided to do something about it.
The first thing I did was get on MyFitnessPal and started logging what I ate. The first day was a HUGE eye opener. The things I was putting in my were outrageous. Calories, sodium, sugar, carbs, everything was off the charts and at the end of the day, it made me realize how the weight piled on so fast.
I could lie and said I talked to a nutritionist or others and got their takes on nutrition, but that simply wasn't the case. It's common knowledge that fruits and vegetables are good for you. That was a no brainer. Add more fruits and veggies to my diet. I did research on produce to find which were more nutritionally sound. After that I researched different sources of protein. Again, pretty common knowledge there. Eat meat, beans, or peanut butter. BUT, I did begin to research the leanest meats. I began to read labels, religiously, like it was my job. I always wanted to get the biggest bang for my calorie buck, especially since I was on a calorie budget.
A HUGE PART of eating healthier is PORTION CONTROL!!! This was such a challenge for me. I had the "fat girl" mentality and wanted to eat an entire chicken breast or half a box of macaroni and cheese in one meal. I couldn't have been more wrong. Reading your labels can help you with this too. Always read the serving size!
Best advice I can give you is as follows:
- Try to limit your intake of sugary drinks.
- Do most of your shopping around the perimeter of the store. It has the freshest products. If you can't do fresh veggies, use frozen. Steam in a bag frozen veggies are super convenient and the next best thing to fresh. In my house, we use half fresh, half frozen. There are 7 of us in the house and it can get costly.
- Read the label of everything you consume or put into a recipe. NEVER be afraid to swap for something healthier.
- Research portion sizes on things that aren't labeled such as fresh meat and produce.
- The less ingredients something has, the best it is for you, closer to natural.
Personal changes I made to my diet:
- Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurt is my stuff! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
- Swapped out cow's milk. Swapped in almond/coconut milk.
- Drink water all day long. I will have a soda or tea every now and again.
- No white rice, bread, pasta. I swapped it all for whole wheat or brown rice.
- Experimented with new veggies and ways to prepare them.
- Researched food/ingredient swaps. Asking "How can I make this healthier?"
- I always compare labels to see how I can get the biggest bang for my calorie buck.
I am sure there will be a part 2 to this blog. It's late and my brain is beginning to shut down. LOL
I am excited to pass this along to all of you in my challenge group. Let's kick so much ass our feet hurt!
Fat2FitMama
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