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| The haul from our latest Trader Joe's trip |
When we decided we were going to get healthy and change our eating habits it was a family decision. It was a necessary change. But we still wanted to be able to eat food we enjoy. We wanted to have pizza and still eat ice cream. The nice thing about counting your own calories and not following a food program is if you want pizza, you can have pizza, if you want ice cream, you can have ice cream. So we started slowly, we decided we were going to start eating more fruits and vegetables. And if we were going to be eating lots of it we wanted it to be good. So we changed our grocery store. We shopped at Trader Joe's on occasion prior to all of this, but now it is our main grocery store. We make our weekly trips and get lots of our fresh fruits and vegetables there. They have affordable fresh fruits and veggies and we have found tons of other foods that we like there. And the bonus is most of their food does not use artificial flavors or coloring and I feel that is better is for the girls. Don't get me wrong though, I still go to our regular grocery stores and use my coupons to get good deals on other foods we eat that are too expensive at Trader Joe's (meats), taste better elsewhere, or you just can't find at Trader Joe's.
So enough about the grocery store, what we eat now. Like I said we make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables. It seemed like a natural thing to do, since I was counting calories. I know that I can have a whole apple for around 60 calories, where as a handful of chips may be 150 calories. It seems obvious, but until you actual start looking at the calories in food and really paying attention to how much you eat, it may not click. So I include fruit in breakfast and lunch now and the girls love it. They are turning into fruit addicts. I also make sure we have plenty of vegetables available for dinners and other meals. I even am willing to hide vegetables to get the girls to eat them. I prefer they just eat them, but if I have to grate some zucchini into pasta sauce, so be it. It is amazing how filled up you can get from vegetables and good for you food. We have even decreased out meat intake. We still eat meat, but instead of a whole huge chicken breast, I will cut it in half.
One big thing that we have noticed is the amount of food we are able to eat now has gone down. This became apparent on our anniversary. We decided to order out Outback (it was where we had our first off-base date), so Steven picked it up after the girls were in bed. When we got it out I think we were both a bit overwhelmed. It was a lot of food. A whole lot. Neither of us were able to finish our dinners. A problem we did not have just a few months ago. Counting calories has made me take a hard look at the amount of food I eat. I am a quantity eater, so making sure I have the appropriate serving size is key for me. Yes when I first started eating less I was hungry at times. But I was never starving. And when I get hungry now, I make sure to drink a glass of water before I eat. I can then make sure I am actually hungry and not just needing water. I have actually found that if I do not drink enough water in a day I will eat more. Which is not exactly what I want to do.
Changing what and how we eat has helped me understand a lot more about what I eat and how I eat. I think everyone can benefit from taking a hard look at the foods they are eating and if they actually enjoy them. We rarely get fast food, aside from Subway, anymore and neither of us really misses it. Oh and I still eat all the things I enjoyed before, pizza, ice cream, cookies, and such, but I make sure to only have a little, or buy a lower calorie option. 2 pieces of pizza really is good, I don't need 4, and just 1 cookie is okay.
Like i have said before, this is what has worked for me. And I would love to tell you that exactly what I do would work for you. But the truth is I believe that each person has to find what works for them. Find fruits and vegetables you enjoy and then branch out. Try new things. Enjoy food that comes straight from the ground. Do make sure you are getting at least 1200 calories a day though. Less than that and your body will actually start holding onto your food more. Starving yourself is not the way to go.
Hopefully the next post will include a little more fun stuff.
So enough about the grocery store, what we eat now. Like I said we make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables. It seemed like a natural thing to do, since I was counting calories. I know that I can have a whole apple for around 60 calories, where as a handful of chips may be 150 calories. It seems obvious, but until you actual start looking at the calories in food and really paying attention to how much you eat, it may not click. So I include fruit in breakfast and lunch now and the girls love it. They are turning into fruit addicts. I also make sure we have plenty of vegetables available for dinners and other meals. I even am willing to hide vegetables to get the girls to eat them. I prefer they just eat them, but if I have to grate some zucchini into pasta sauce, so be it. It is amazing how filled up you can get from vegetables and good for you food. We have even decreased out meat intake. We still eat meat, but instead of a whole huge chicken breast, I will cut it in half.
One big thing that we have noticed is the amount of food we are able to eat now has gone down. This became apparent on our anniversary. We decided to order out Outback (it was where we had our first off-base date), so Steven picked it up after the girls were in bed. When we got it out I think we were both a bit overwhelmed. It was a lot of food. A whole lot. Neither of us were able to finish our dinners. A problem we did not have just a few months ago. Counting calories has made me take a hard look at the amount of food I eat. I am a quantity eater, so making sure I have the appropriate serving size is key for me. Yes when I first started eating less I was hungry at times. But I was never starving. And when I get hungry now, I make sure to drink a glass of water before I eat. I can then make sure I am actually hungry and not just needing water. I have actually found that if I do not drink enough water in a day I will eat more. Which is not exactly what I want to do.
Changing what and how we eat has helped me understand a lot more about what I eat and how I eat. I think everyone can benefit from taking a hard look at the foods they are eating and if they actually enjoy them. We rarely get fast food, aside from Subway, anymore and neither of us really misses it. Oh and I still eat all the things I enjoyed before, pizza, ice cream, cookies, and such, but I make sure to only have a little, or buy a lower calorie option. 2 pieces of pizza really is good, I don't need 4, and just 1 cookie is okay.
Like i have said before, this is what has worked for me. And I would love to tell you that exactly what I do would work for you. But the truth is I believe that each person has to find what works for them. Find fruits and vegetables you enjoy and then branch out. Try new things. Enjoy food that comes straight from the ground. Do make sure you are getting at least 1200 calories a day though. Less than that and your body will actually start holding onto your food more. Starving yourself is not the way to go.
Hopefully the next post will include a little more fun stuff.
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