Getting Back on the Wagon Baby Step 1

I have to admit, I’ve been struggling with staying on the wagon. I know what to do, but I just can’t quite get fully there. So I’m taking babysteps to get back up on the exercise and diet wagon.

The first step is getting out of the fast food habit I developed over the course of the hurricane and it’s aftermath. So I’m focusing on making sure I prep my own food. While I’m not counting every single calorie that goes into my mouth (babysteps remember!), I am making sure that  I focus on the following things every day when I prep my food:

• Eating 2-3 servings of whole grain/legumes/dried beans. Seriously you get lots of fiber and can add some protein to your diet by doing this. Not to mention that it fills you up and keeps things moving from all the fiber.
• Eating 5 servings of fruit. This one was eaiser to achieve than I thought. A banana added to my oatmeal; berries in my plain yogurt; an apple, orange or tangerine here and there to help curb my hunger. The sugar from the fruit definitely helps curb my sweet tooth.
• Eating 5 Servings of veggies – and I’m not talking about huge bowls of salad (there’s only so much salad a girl can take!). I’m talking sweet potatoes, corn, turnips, beets, peas, green beans and broccoli just to name a few. I try and eat at least two servings of veggies with my main meals. Although I am finding that a small salad before I fix my main dinner is a good way to stop me from gnoshing while I cook.

The best thing is that by eating this way I can eat more volume without packing in a ton of calories and I feel fuller longer.