Let's talk about food....

First off, allow to me to affirm my love of food.  I looooove food.  I may have a misunderstanding, make a mistake, or be misled, but I NEVER missameal  (Get it-HA!  I crack myself up.)  Aaaaaanyway, often times when people talk about losing weight they talk about dieting...boo to dieting.  First off, as soon as you say the word diet you immediately feel deprived...and that sucks.  Secondly, by dieting you are now becoming hyperfocused on food, and while I firmly believe we should enjoy food, we also shouldn't spend all day thinking about food, what we ate, what we are going to eat, or what we can't eat, want to eat...etc.  You'll inevitably end up eating too much or too little this way, so quit it.  I firmly believe that you will have the most success if you make gradual changes to your habits.  No, you won't see huge results initially, but if you make these changes a little at a time and allow yourself to make these changes into habits, you stand a much greater chance of long term success.  I don't want you to look back at a time when you WERE in great shape, I want you to look back at the time when you BECAME in great shape...meaning you are still there--in a year, in five years, in 20 years when you are chasing around your grandchildren in the backyard.  

So, this week, I want you to make one change.  We all have different bad food habits, pick whichever one applies to you and start RIGHT NOW.  Here are a few of the big offenders--

Skipping Breakfast--I know, I know, you have been preached to about breakfast since you were 5, "It's the most important meal, blah, blah, blah, blah".  Well, guess what??  It is.  The fact is that even though people have drilled that into your head for as long as you can remember, an astonishing number of you choose to disregard this little tidbit.  Listen, I can give you a 20 minute lecture on metabolism and 'starvation mode' and use all kinds of fun buzzwords to impress you with my vast knowledge.  But, I have a feeling you've already heard it all.  So I'm going to cut to the chase. EAT BREAKFAST.  EVERY DAY.  STARTING RIGHT NOW.  Eat as soon as you can after waking up.  You do not have to prepare a feast of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, but please do not eat a doughnut.  An english muffin or whole wheat toast with peanut butter, a bowl of cereal (please no Lucky Charms or Cocoa Puffs) with skim milk, yogurt with a little lowfat granola, a nutri-grain bar if you must, whatever...just EAT.  We can talk more about specific food choices later, but the reality is that you most likely already know how to make reasonably good food choices, you just don't do it.  How's that for the harsh kick of reality in the booty??  You know it's true, I'm not in the business of blowing smoke up your butt, I'm in the business of making your butt look smoking hawwwwt...so get over it.  For now, just get into the habit of eating something first thing in the morning.  This is the meal that gives you the most caloric margin for error because you have all day to burn it off, so eat!!!!

Okay, so let's assume that you DO eat breakfast every day, well then perhaps you are guilty of sin #2

SODA/POP/COLA/TONIC/WHATEVERYOUCALLIT-   For the record (Southern folks, I'm talking to you), sweet tea counts as soda as far as this is concerned ,so wipe that smug "I don't drink soda" grin off yo' face right now.  NO, I don't care if it's diet either.  YES, I know there are no calories in diet, I don't care.  Diet soda is loaded with sodium that will bloat you, and filled with chemicals that may or may not kill you, and even if they won't kill you they certainly aren't doing you any good either--so there.  Lay off the soda.  If you drink a lot of caffeinated soda you are going to want to cut back gradually or you will be suffering from some serious withdrawal headaches.  Work on substituting water for soda, fill a pitcher with water and add slices of fruit (orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit all work well, or use a combination of fruits)  If you don't already drink a lot of milk (and you aren't allergic to dairy), work on adding in a glass of skim milk somewhere during the day.  Milk has calcium that is hugely important for women and protein which helps you feel full and feeds your muscles.  If tea is your thing, try to develop a taste for unsweetened tea, add lemon or other fruit.  It can be done, trust me, I've had hard core sweet tea drinkers make the switch, it just takes some time getting used to.  Do not start substituting fruit juice, it is generally either loaded with calories or chemicals, and neither of those are good options.

Okay, you with the snotty look on your face, what??  You don't drink soda and you always eat breakfast, well LA-DI-DAH.  Then think of a bad food habit you DO have.  Do you drink a lot of booze??  Are you a late-night snacker??  Do you skip lunch and eat a huge dinner??  Do you clean your toddler's plate when they are done??  Get seconds when you don't need them??  Eat a lot of fast food??  There's something, you know there is, so identify it, then post it below because it's all about accountability, people!  Remember, we are talking about ONE thing, if you are guilty of all of this (Say it isn't so!), pick one to start with (I'd go with breakfast, but maybe you don't care what I think).  Decide what you are going to change, and embrace it from the moment your feet hit the floor tomorrow!  Oh, and while your feet are on the floor, why don't you go ahead and do 50 squats?  I don't care when you do them, but get them done, all at once, and tell me about that too...did it suck??  Was it easier than the last time??  If you don't know what all this squat talk is about go back one post and read about squats and how to do them. 

Now talk to me, I'm sick of listening to myself....