I’ve been battling some weight issues for the past couple of years. On my wedding day, I was 201 pounds, which to this day makes me sad. I look at some of my pictures and I don’t like them because I’m the biggest I’ve ever been. When I posted the pictures on my Facebook, one of my former classmates asked if I was expecting. Embarrassing! But since then, I’ve lost 25 pounds, and I’m so proud of myself.
One of the biggest obstacles when it came to losing the weight was eating better. I knew my eating was awful. There was nothing clean about my eating. Hubby and I are self proclaimed foodies. We rely on Yelp to tell us where the delicious foods are within driving distance, and we ordered pizza faithfully when we lived together. Our diet heavily consisted of all the wrong things: burgers, pizzas, french fries, cookies, ice cream, soda, and more unhealthy things. Whenever I would say “I’m going to eat healthy” it’d be rough because hubby didn’t want to. I’d be cooking for myself, and he’d get the bad food that smelled so good. I’d eventually cave in.
That’s one of the pros I’ve seen about us living apart. I don’t always have to succumb to the peer pressure of eating all the wrong things. When we’re together, sure, sometimes we pig out. On Sunday, we got In N Out and went right to sleep afterwards. But when I’m at home, I can cook what I want/need to eat and not have as much pressure to eat bad things. I can cook my salmon fillets. I’m fine with eating my mixed veggies. Water is the way to go, and oh yeah, I’m definitely not going to miss my run days.
Today, hubby told me it was his last day pigging out. He said he couldn’t fit his clothes. His weight has fluctuated since we’ve been together. When we first met, he was about 220 pounds at 6’2. When he started working 12 hour shifts and was constantly on his feet, he quickly dropped down to 170. But since being laid off, eating habits have continued and he hasn’t gotten the activity he used to get, so his weight has crept back up. I, honestly, like a little more weight on him. When he was 170 he looked sick haha. But I know how it feels to not be comfortable in your body, so I support him.
So he said that he’d work out with me. I could’ve jumped for joy! We’re going to run, bike, and do P90X together. Also, we’re going to have to reevaluate our menu choices. We can still be foodies, but in a healthier manner, cooking the right things. Chicken is his favorite thing to eat, and there’s so many different ways to cook it, we can probably never get tired of it. Experimenting with different seasonings and side dishes. I’m just happy he’s open to getting healthier with me.
What are some healthy dishes that you and your family love to cook? Have any awesome recipes?
It’s definitely hard to stay on the healthy band wagon. I feel that as long as I regularly buy fruits and vegetables, I eat them! The hardest part is making the time to grocery shop for healthy food.
-Nurse Frugal
Yes, going to grocery shop and having the time to actually comb through the aisles for the good stuff can be time consuming. Fruits and veggies are the way to go!
I haven’t had fast food in months. I don’t have a taste for it — I don’t even know how anyone does, it’s so salty and oily. It’s disgusting. Occassionally I’ll go for some french fries, but I haven’t had a fast food burger in… years. I cook a lot with spinach, chick peas, corn, red peppers, mushrooms. I make most recipes from scratch. It’s not as time consuming or as difficult as I expected it to be — like last night I made a white wine sauce & pasta and it took about 20 mins total and tasted better than what I order in restaurants! (mushrooms, spinach, 1/2 block of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of vegetable or chicken broth, 1/3 cup of wine if you’re interested!). I keep fresh food in my house instead of ice cream or cookies (unless I make the cookies — I let myself have sweets if I bake them from scratch because then at least I control what goes into them and obviously I don’t add any poisonous perservatives or dyes).
Eating well not only makes you slim, it makes your liver healthier, your hair and nails stronger, your skin clearer. It boosts immunity and lets you sleep better.
I think it also helps to introduce yourself to new foods. You say you’re a foodie so you should love to try new vegetables and fruits and cheeses. I think food is one of the great pleasures in life, but I’m sorry, In-N-Out is not food. It’s starch flavored with salt and fat. Try some new things like goat feta or elk sausages. That’s food!
Woah all that you named sounds really tasty, especially the white wine sauce & pasta. I’m a pasta lover for sure, so I’d love to try that out. You’re right, fast food is really salty and oily and I think we’re just conditioned to love it. It’s funny, when I eat a healthy meal, I feel amazing after and crave it the next day. Never get that feeling with fast food. So I think my body is ready for better things. I absolutely love cheese and would be willing to try goat feta. Elk sausage, hmm, I’m open to it. I just have to open my mind and try a bunch of new and different things. And like you said, at least when you cook at home, you control what’s in your food. Thanks for the suggestions!
I try to add a bunch of vegetables to my food to fill up on those because they are healthier. Stir fry is one of my healthy dishes I like to make.
I hear a lot of good things about stir fry, just haven’t tried it. I’ll definitely add that to my list. What are some of your favorite veggies?
incorporate green smoothies – it removes alot of the guilt if you dont get the veggies on your plate; and of course there’s other benefits also.
any blender will do – add water (that’s my prefered liquid) then spinach or kale, cucumber, tomato, then banana and apple – add a spoonful of spirulina…blend and drink