"Diet" Program

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been working with a Diet Manager at Curves to come up with a healthy diet that could work for Jeff and I. I've never been one for "dieting", per say, because I don't believe that they work. Sure, if you cut carbs out completely for six weeks you're going to lose weight. However, you'll be sure to gain it back once you reintroduce carbs in to your diet sooooo what's the point?

One of my biggest struggles has been finding a healthy eating balance when I have a very hungry husband with a high metabolism. Jeff likes his steak and potato (so do I) and he loves his pasta (so do I) and he can get away with eating those things regularly (no can do). Now that we see each other every evening, we needed to come up with some decent dinner ideas that would satisfy both of us without putting the pounds on me and without causing him to go hungry.

Here's what we (with some help from Diet Manager, Amy) came up with:

Rule #1 - Eat 5 meals a day. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Two Snacks. This equal out to eating something about every 3 hours. Seems simple but can be difficult for those of you with busy schedules. The neat part about this diet is that you eat plenty of food, you're just changing the quality versus the quantity.

Rule #2 - Every meal, including snacks, should include a fruit or vegetable (or both). This rule will definitely expand your veggie vocabulary because you'll get tired of baby carrots if that's all you "think" you like. I've found that raw broccoli is delicious - believe it. PLAN AHEAD! Put together snack bags of veggies or fruits on Sunday night so you can grab them and go in the mornings!

Rule #3 - Each larger meal (B, L, D) should include a Protein, Fruit/Veggie, Starch, and a Fat. This is hard, I'm not going to lie. However, we've learned that this is all about habit and if you really try to stop and think about what you're eating, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. PLAN AHEAD! Plan your menu on Sunday evening and buy everything at once.

Rule #4 - Avoid processed foods and do as much organic eating as possible! Also avoid any "white" foods (i.e. white bread, white pasta) and stick with whole wheat/grain. Processed foods are LOADED with hidden sugars. What really shocked me with this one was Yogurt! I thought yogurt was supposed to be one of the best foods you could eat! Not true! It's loaded with sugar! Even worse, artificial sugar! You may think that your sugar-free snack packs are food for you, but they're just filled with artificial sugar and Darlin', our bodies aren't designed to process that stuff. It will kill you. No joke. It will tear your organs to pieces and lead to numerous diseases. Don't believe me? Google it.

Rule #5 - If you fall off the band wagon, don't beat yourself up. Get back on it!

So all of this is MUCH easier said (er, blogged?) then done. Jeff and I have already cheated here and there. The fact is - it's all about habit, planning, and common sense. Back in the 1800's, what did people eat? THEY EAT WHATEVER CAME OFF OF THEIR FARMS! (Slight exagerration but not far from the truth).

Final thought - stick to the outside aisles of the grocery store. Think about it.