Making the switch to healthy eating and healthy lifestyle is going to be a challenge. So lets make this a bullet point project. Take it slow. More than just eat right and exercise! (What does that mean anyway?) Maybe this will help others along the way. I will mention the resources I have used other than simple common sense. I have broken the steps down into weeks but work at your own pace. You might need 2 or 3 weeks to the 1 week mentioned here. After all, we are making life changes a little at a time.
- I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN
- Acknowledging regrets
- Weight gain and bad food habits are regretful but this is one regret you can change.
- Search for motivation
- Not enough to just want to lose weight or get into shape. Figure out why? Make the why matter.
- Make small changes.
- Its easier to stick with something if the change is small and not dramatic
- Eat with purpose.
- Think about what it is you are eating and why you are eating it.
- Exercise on purpose.
- Take time to walk even it is up and down your hall way 10 times.
- Week 1:
- ADD WATER: Add water each day to your routine until you are at your desired amount. Mayo Clinic suggest men drink 15.5 cups daily and women drink 11.5 cups daily. I have bottled water on hand always but also have a thermos cup that is 20 0z. I keep refilling with ice and water.
- KEEP TRACK: Write it down in a note book each time you drink a glass or bottle of water. Us an app to keep track.
- PERSONAL NOTES: I have a Fitbit. I have set an alarm for when I should drink water. I take pills a 5 am so that is the start. Then every two hours. 6(20oz) bottles a day. 120 oz's. Really hard. Dont always make it but I give it a good try. I also have a thermos that I keep adding to all day. Cold water taste better to me so I add ice and water every two hours.
- Week 2:
- GOOD BREAKFAST: What is a good breakfast? Protein to start the day. Reppell Diabetes Learning Center suggest having a carb, fat, and protein at each meal. Here I have a list of some good breakfast meals.
- Piece of whole wheat bread with peanut butter.
- Half a banana with 1/4 cup of walnuts
- 2 eggs scrambled
- Poached egg on whole wheat toast
- 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal
- PERSONAL NOTES: If I make scrambled eggs, I add spinach and tomatoes and a slice of ready bacon to them. I make a big batch and same the rest for other days heat in microwave.
- Week 3:
- EAT 5 SMALL SNACK SIZE MEALS A DAY: Sounds easy but what is a snack size meal. healthline.com suggest that following.
- A hard boiled egg
- An apple with peanut butter (a tablespoon of peanut butter)
- Baby carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, or cauliflower with ranch dressing for dipping (all the veggies you want but no more than 2 tablespoons of dressing)
- Raw nuts, walnuts and almonds especially (1/4 of a cup...no mixed nuts in a can with lots of salt)
- Red bell pepper with guacamole (1 red pepper and 3 oz of guac)
- Plain Greek yogurt with fresh mixed berries (3.5 oz of yogurt and 1/2 cup of berries)
- Celery sticks with cream cheese (2 oz of cream cheese)
- Cucumber slices with hummus (1 cup of cucumber slices, 3.5 oz of hummus)
- A piece of fruit
- Cherry tomatoes with mozzarella (1/2 to 1 cup of tomatoes and a cheese stick)
- Beef sticks or slices with cheese (2-3 oz of cheese please)
- Salmon or tuna or sardines (3.5 - 4 oz)
- Spicy avocado (slices with some salt and cayenne pepper or what ever spice)
- Cantaloupe slices wrapped in prosciutto (one slice of prosciutto and melon)
- PERSONAL NOTES: I try to keep things handy. I bag up grapes and nuts and put them in baskets that fit nicely in my fridge. I have a veggie tray in the fridge and a basket of fruit (small halo oranges and small apples). I buy snack size beef and cheese sticks. I also slice a salami stick with some cheese and bag it for easy snacking. Have to make it easy.
- Week 4:
- EATING ON A SCHEDULE: Eating at the same time each day with a main meal earlier in the day. And intermittent fasting.
- PERSONAL NOTES: Since I have a schedule to drink water at a certain time I also eat at these times. Your times might differ.
- Water at 9:00 with pills.
- I break my fast (breakfast) at 11:00.
- Snack at 1:00.
- Lunch or dinner (we call it Linner) at 3:00.
- Snack at 5:00.
- Snack at 7:00. (stop drinking water and eating at this time)
- PERSONAL NOTES: I have found that after a few weeks of eating on a schedule, I am hungry on schedule too. I am told that is my metabolism working. But I have also found that I dont need to eat so much. I have to ask, am I full. And quit before I get full. I am ok with eating just one Sargento snack instead of three!
- Week 5:
- EXERCISE: Adding exercise
- Walking is by far the best exercise
- Cubii is a wonderful elliptical peddle contraption
- Upper body using weights
- Follow a plan on line
- PERSONAL NOTES: I have had to understand that the most important thing I have to do today is exercise. Not dishes or laundry. Not dusting or sweeping the floor. EXERCISE! I use my Cubii each morning now and have increased my time spent each day. Walking up and down the hall with my walker for safety adding one trip each day until I reach a comfortable goal. Grow Young Fitness is a wonderful workout group of videos and is a one time pay of only 20 bucks! While I cant keep up just yet I still can use the different exercises in my own routine and it is easier to make up my own as to follow.
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