I am excited to share all the little things I've been doing to be healthy instead of my usual Friday highlights post. Think of this as a healthy highlight post instead.
Skinny isn't my goal. I'll never be a size zero like I was my junior year of high school and that is just fine. I want to feel good in my own skin. I want to be active, eat well and feel good. I want to be comfortable in my clothes and confident.
At the beginning of 2018, I posted that I reached my first major healthy goal: Losing 50lbs! I'm still super proud of that accomplishment and want to keep going. I don't have a major weight loss to report today. Just lots of non scale victories - comfier in my clothes, feeling good, etc.
I want to be the mom who's happy to put on a swim suit when Summer arrives.
The wife that makes delicious, healthy food for her family.
The girl who eats everything in moderation.
Maybe you've noticed more healthy, veggie packed recipes from me this year and maybe you haven't. Either way, I have found that I'm excited to prepare healthy meals and take better care of myself than ever before. I have been cooking a lot. Trying new recipes has been fun. I've ended up with lots of favorites to pass on to you.
My healthy highlights:
1. Eat lots of salads/veggies
I've always been a salad lover. I don't mind chopping up veggies and would like to get the point where I either have a salad for lunch or for dinner. Right now I have several salads a week. I buy the ingredients for one salad and eat it several times.
2. Meal Prep
I am much more conscious of what I'm buying. I love sweets - candy, cookies, everything - so I have quit buying a lot of that on a regular basis and saving it for holidays. My kids love to snack on anything I am snacking on. That's convicting when you know they'd be eating an apple with you, but instead you're all eating Oreos. We still eat Oreos. I just try to reach for a healthy snack first. I was all the fruits and chop all the veggies one day a week and then stock my fridge with healthy options. I always frame it for the kids like this: Good foods make you feed good. Treats are fine, but you don't want to fill up on treats. Your body needs good food to help you grow big and strong.
3. Be active
Going on long walks while pushing a heavy stroller is still my #1 form of exercise. I love to go on bike rides when I get the chance and play with my kids. I've been slacking on activity this winter since most of my activities are outdoors. Here's to hoping Spring brings plenty of nice weather our way.
4. Intermittent Fasting
This is a new thing for me that I started at the beginning of the year. I'm sure you've heard about this. I have been focusing on a 12 hour window of eating. For me, that means only eating during those 12 hours. I try to eat a later breakfast instead of eating when I first wake up. Then I give myself 12 hours to eat for the day. I'm a terrible late night snacker. I love staying up late, watching shows, getting stuff done and snacking. I realize that's not the healthiest habit so intermittent fasting has been helping with that.
5. Drink water
I don't drink carbonated drinks so my beverage favorites are: Ice water, Lemonade, iced coffee or a latte. I'm trying to focus on drinking plenty of water every day and making water my first drink choice. Same for my kids - instead of offering them lemonade or juice at home, I always offer water and leave the sugary drinks for special times.
Tell me some of the things you do to stay healthy!
A few of the healthy recipes I've shared this year:
Low Sugar Banana Muffins - I have probably made this recipe 6 times! They're so good!
Healthy Egg Muffins
Healthy Nachos & Homemade Guac
Sweet Potato Chicken Chili
Do you have a healthy dressing recipe that you love?? I've been trying to make my own dressings and would love some new recipes. I made a lemon vinaigrette for the salad below and loved it.
Becky @ By BMG Blog
Della @ Della Devoted
Tif @ Bright on a Budget
Whitney P @ Come Home for Comfort
Love your tips! You are very motivating! I too have been doing IF since August, and I can’t say that I have seen much of a difference. I try and go from 8 PM until noon the next day. I read the book called “delay, don’t deny”. (SO INFORMATIVE) I know there’s a lot of other things that happen with intermittent fasting, like internal healing. So I know it’s a good habit to form, even if I am not seeing any weight loss. Wish we could sit down together and discuss! Have a great weekend :)
ReplyDeleteYour food posts are always such an inspiration for healthy eating. I love your realistic approach to eating and exercise. Keep on keepin' on! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteYou look great! I've been trying to eat better lunches and not snack so much!
ReplyDeleteI too make a huge salad a few times a week and it lasts us for days so I can eat salad for lunch and with dinner. I like to prep all the fruit as soon as I get home from the grocery store so no one has any excuses to not eat it.
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud of and excited for you!!! Way to go on setting those healthy goals and for working hard to achieve them! Eating healthy lunches has always been pivotal in my success/failure when it comes to overall healthy goals.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! So proud of you. You look amazing and I know you feel great!
ReplyDeleteYou always have the prettiest salads.
You're doing a great job! I'm such a picky eater that I'm afraid to try things. I've gotten better as I've gotten older, but there is still a lot I won't eat. I totally kicked my caffeine crave, but baby has been sucking all of my energy. I'm trying to just have my one cup of coffee in the morning, but it's been hard in the afternoon. I just want to crash after work. I can't wait until it gets warmer so I can start walking again!
ReplyDeleteYou look so great! One thing I've been trying lately is more intuitive eating. I'm looking at this as eating when I'm actually hungry instead of when it's a meal time. I realized that I was eating a lot just because it was lunch time and not because I was actually hungry.
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