Busy Day? It’s OK to Stray!

When you are running around trying to deal with whatever life throws at you, sometimes the last thing you are thinking about is the quality of food you grab on the go.  Your choice may not be the healthiest of options, but it may be the only thing available a midst the chaos of your life.  You wouldn’t be the first person to finish your kid’s plate of chicken nuggets and french fries. And guess what?  It’s ok!  If you forgot to pack your healthy lunch for the day and you only have time to wolf down a high caloric meal because it’s cheap and easily accessible, you can wipe the slate clean tomorrow!

Grabbing a quick bite on the go!

In the past, I’ve felt that a momentary set back in my diet means I should give up in fear of “falling off the wagon”.  Not all of us make perfect food choices every day, and some days we crave that big fat juicy burger or delicious cheesy pizza.  Giving into temptation every now and then doesn’t make you a failure.   The key to success is getting back up once you fall.  The strength is in moving forward after you’ve had a day when healthy food was not on the top of your list.

My primary care doctor has to remind me that it’s all about the big picture, so I’m here to remind you.  I feared that my year long battle with food would show very unhealthy lab results at my physical the other week, but surprisingly my labs were within normal range and extremely improved over the past year.   I owe my healthier lifestyle not only to the health care professionals, but to myself for remembering to continue forward on this journey and not give up.  It’s been a wellness journey that is full of ups and downs and will be a constant ebb and flow for the rest of my life.

I try to eat my best daily and stay away from fast food, but when life gets in the way I remind myself it’s OK to stray.  The important part is getting back on track the next day.

 

 

Perfectly Imperfect

This past year has not been without it’s challenges.  I went through a heart-wrenching breakup and my dietary self-discipline was touch and go.  The thing that kept me moving towards a positive goal was finally focusing on myself.  What did I need?  What did I want?  Health, yes.  Happiness, of course.  But overall, I wanted to accept myself as I was: perfectly imperfect.

I admire those who lead a strict disciplined life of impeccable health and physique, but I know that is not in my DNA, and that’s ok.  Recently learning from my physician that my metabolic blood tests were within a healthy range despite my being “obese” makes me want to share that it’s possible to reach that healthy balance without being perceived as perfect.  You can lead a healthy lifestyle without making the right choices all the time.

The Smart Ones© message of wiping the slate clean has been a running theme on my blog and it’s one that resonates strongly with me.     Giving in to unhealthy food choices at events, family gatherings, and any sort of environment you find yourself within reach of food temptations doesn’t make you weak.  It makes you human.  If you are able to say no to the extra slice of cake, that’s great!  But in my experience, deprivation of certain foods can lead me down a slippery slope of gluttony.  I’ve learned to take desserts home if I am full, wrap up half of my plate of excessively portioned restaurant food before I start eating, and most importantly I listen to my stomach.

Occasional food slip ups are part of your journey to wellness, and it may be difficult but not impossible to keep from starting at square one.  Schedules get busy and unhealthy food makes it past our lips.  As much as I wish I had the money for a personal trainer and private chef, that’s just not the case.  Try not to let momentary set backs become permanent by realizing that it’s not the end of the world if you aren’t making the best food choices for a day or even weeks.  It may seem impossible if you are in a viscous unhealthy food cycle, but with a little help and inspiration you can get back on track.

Time is not always on my side.

 

The Importance of Support

I make the healthiest food choices every day.

Wouldn’t that be nice if that statement was 100% accurate!?

I am guilty of having a “fake it until you make it” approach to life.  I am constantly at battle with myself over food and image and I try my best not to show it.  Since I started working with Smart Ones®  by appearing in the “Clean Slate” video filmed last November, I’ve felt empowered.  Learning that I was not alone in my food struggles and that there are a number of women who share similar stories was comforting.  I was honored to be a part of the Smart Ones® video and I proudly support the “Clean Slate” project. The project’s simple yet powerful message helps women lead a realistic healthy lifestyle.   I truly feel that Smart Ones®  cares about our wants & needs as women.

Behind the Scenes of the Clean Slate Project video

Recently my struggles with food have been less thanks to the support of the “Clean Slate” community.  Connecting with other women about their healthy set backs has been reassuring and has kept me from going back to square one.  This non-judgmental community gets it.  I will never underestimate the power of support and how it’s OK to ask for help and share your struggles with those who get it.

The “Clean Slate” mentality is one I’ve talked about for years but found it difficult to actually practice until I discovered the Smart Ones® project.  Accept your dietary set backs as temporary, be kind to yourself, and focus on the big picture.  You are human.  You will make mistakes as we all have our moments of weakness.  Wipe the slate clean and move on.  You have a long, happy and healthy life ahead of you!

 

 

Social Events and Food Temptation

I recently attended a wonderful baby shower full of friends and family at a restaurant donned with a brunch buffet of french toast, fresh bagels, and more delicious breakfast items.  Most of all, let’s not forget the huge piece of pudding filled cake and real whipped cream icing for dessert.  Cake is my downfall but I was able to eat only half then make sure to have the remainder taken away so it was not tempting me on the plate.  I realized in keeping with my calorie logging I had already gone over my daily allotted allowance by 3pm and I would not have time to go to the gym that day.  At home that evening, I had a grumbling tummy but I just wanted a light meal.  I chose to eat a Smart Ones® South West Style soup for dinner at only 120 calories. Once again, Smart Ones® meals saves the day in helping balance out my meal choices.

Whether it’s a baby shower, wedding, or another holiday celebration booking up your calendar, there will always be the temptation of high caloric foods at a party.  Most social engagements include an array of rich food  that you may not normally eat so your eyes may become bigger than your stomach.   I go to a social event with the attitude that “I will choose to eat the right amounts of foods and I will stop eating when I am full.”  This does not always go as planned.  I plan ahead if I know there will be the types of food I tend to to avoid.  Sometimes you get caught up in the party atmosphere and you end up overeating.  If a party has carbs and cake, I am like a kid in a candy store!  That’s why the day before a party I eat clean and exercise as normal, and the day after I plan to do the same.   I don’t starve myself, I don’t beat myself up for overindulging on the day of the event, and I don’t overexercise.  I just do my best to get back on track the next day.

Get Up and Go!

We all have our own unique ups and downs while paving our path to wellness.  It could be a setback because you are momentarily unwell or other time vortexes (work, family, travel) may derail you from your typical health regiment.

For the past 2 weeks I’ve been sick with an Upper Respiratory Infection and unable to get to the gym. After a week of rest and drinking enough water to cause a drought in my state, I finally got my appetite back but my energy was still missing. I realized I was overindulging in food with the awakening of my taste buds where EVERYTHING TASTED DELICIOUS and I had no energy to burn off the extra calories.  I’ve been tracking my calories regularly and finally after a few days of reassessing my meal choices I was able to stay within my daily weight loss goal of 1400 calories thanks to the decision of choosing Smart Ones® as one of my daily meal choices.

If you’re unable to balance life and your calories on a daily basis, it’s empowering to know that you can start fresh with a clean slate the next day, or next week, and not feel you have to go all the way back to square one.  Occasional slip ups are part of any health journey, whether it be overindulging in calories or physical set backs, and tomorrow you can choose to get up and go!  Move forward from the crappy day or weeks you’ve been having and start fresh! Just be sure you are not overdoing it with physical activity after being sick and try not to limit your calorie intake in the extreme in order to to make up for a recent overindulgence in food. My advice would be to try and choose the right foods next time.  Life is all about finding that healthy balance, and some days the scale may be tipped against you but there is always a way to even the scale over time.

Out for a short brisk walk after being sick for 2 weeks!

 

It’s A Veg Head Life

Being a (picky) vegetarian, having options while grocery shopping will always be a plus.  When I first became meat free in 1996, the easy and cheap food options for my very selective personality were also not the healthiest. I lived on pizza and pasta.  Over the years I have noticed that grocery stores and food companies have embraced vegetarian culture and provided more well rounded nutritious meatless meal options.  Today, if I realize I haven’t been eating the best by going back to my old ways of carbohydrate overindulgence, I know I can always get back on track and wipe the slate clean with the help of portion controlled vegetarian frozen meals like Smart Ones®.

If you read my blog post earlier this week about couponing to save money, you know I try to shop for healthy items that also provide coupons.   Just the other week the Smart Ones® meals were on sale at ShopRite for $1.77 each.  After printing two $2 off 7  Smart Ones® frozen meals, I was able to get 14 Frozen meals for $1.48 each!  The best thing is that they weren’t 14 of the same meal!  Smart Ones® provides variety not only for carnivores, but for those who prefer meatless options.  They also often have coupons available on their website which is music to my penny pinching ears.  My freezer is consistently packed with their signature red boxes:

As you can see from my hoard of frozen meals, I am a big fan of practically all Smart Ones® vegetarian dinner options.   Italian, Asian, Mexican, I will take it!   After popping one of these in the microwave after a day of caloric overindulgence, I can mentally prepare to get back on the road to wellness the following day.  I have learned to not waste time lambasting myself for making poor food choices and instead aiming to make better choices next time around.

All in all, I am definitely someone who appreciates a second chance as well as any financial assistance when trying to eat well while on a budget.  Bonus points to Smart Ones® for including such affordable and delicious selections of healthy vegetarian meals for the picky veg heads like myself.