Awareness

You just won't BELIEVE what I found out yesterday.... I forgot my lunch on Tuesday, and instead of prioritizing eating, I went shopping.  (Yes, I am not exempt from bad choices. LOL)  I didn't eat lunch until almost 2:00pm and it was an Asiago Chicken Sandwich from Picklemans, Baked Lays, and water.  I was starving by that point and downed the whole thing, no problem, completely ignoring the sigh.(I'll tell you about the sigh, I promise.)  Sounds reasonably healthy, right?  WRONG!!  Yesterday, I looked up the nutritional information online and that sandwich BY ITSELF was 918 calories and 56 grams of fat.  I could have just passed OUT!  I had over half of my daily caloric allowance in one 6 inch sub.

Task 1:  Find Nutritional Info on Favorite Restaurants
Most restaurants nowadays have online menus with nutritional information available on their websites.  Today, I challenge you to pick a few of your favorite restaurants, Google them, and see if you can find the nutritional information on your favorite dishes.  I can tell you right now, it will shock you. Especially when you discover that delicious salad you had in lieu of a sandwich had more calories than the sandwich and side combined... that's pretty sobering.   (who knew the "little calories" added up so much?)  It's good to educate yourself, too, so you know if you go to Ruby Tuesdays for a lunch date, you will know the Asian Dumplings are only 114 calories per serving (4 dumplings), and the Turkey Burger Wrap is higher in calories than the grilled chicken wrap (by over 200 calories, actually.)  A LITTLE research goes a long way.  And, a little knowledge will prevent you from having the TRAIN WRECK meal I did on Tuesday.

I plan to blow holes all over the idea that healthy eating is more expensive than "normal" eating, but that will come another day.  For today, we're going to continue to look at labels, and now I want you to look at serving sizes and notice portions.  A regular portion of meat is about the size of a deck of cards or the back of your hand (fingers, thumbs, wrists not included...lol)  So now you can see how portion control is WAY OUT OF balance in restaurants and in a lot of our households.  For me, a steak should have covered AT LEAST half my plate, lest I felt cheated. :) 

Task 2: Grab your measuring cups and play with your food. I promise I won't tell Mama.  Get a feel for what a 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes looks like... see how much 2 Tbsp of dressing really is.

 

Task 3:  Exercise today!   Lace up those shoes, fill your water jug, and do a repeat of yesterday's performance.  Crank up some happy tunes!!
3 minute warm up (cardio of choice)
5 minutes of stretching
10 more minutes of cardio  (Add some waist twisting today.... get your "ab" on.)
10 toning
5 minutes of stretching
2 minute cool down.
** One GREAT WAY to get through a workout in the beginning is DISTRACTION.  March in place while you're watching TV or on Facebook.  You'll be shocked at how quickly 5 minutes will pass.  Have your child count your stretches. 
Keep in mind...this does NOT have to be done all at once, so if you're at work, do some upper body stretches and "jump" your feet up and down in thirty second intervals.  No one has to know you're working out. LOL

Task 4:  Drink water. 

Task 5:  Pat yourself on the back!   I am so proud of you for all you're doing, and I hope you are, as well.  Today write ten reasons in your journal that you are proud of yourself.  It's all about you-- not your kids, not your job... things you are proud of. (Three consecutive days of motivation.  Meeting a goal.  Drinking 8 more ounces of water yesterday...) This is ALL ABOUT YOU... and don't it feel GOOD!

Recap:  Educate yourself, practice portions, exercise, hydrate.