Today is really the first day of my new adventure. Household goals for this month include cooking at home more, exercising regularly, and forming a healthy food plan.
I've started trying to come up with a list of personal guidelines for myself and my hubby to follow. Simple things like teaching him to eat something for breakfast (preferably not 2 packs of pop-tarts or something, though), less trips through the drive-thru, more water, etc.
My big things for DH is for him to learn his limit. He has a habit of eating more than his brain thinks he needs which is already twice what his belly really needs. Smaller portions are a big thing for me, too. Also, he needs to learn to slow down while he eats. Somehow, he's learned to be a food vacuum which is part of why he eats 2 to 3 times what he needs and winds up complaining about being over-full! Silly monkey!
While I don't have a current food list/plan, I am looking toward ideas from SB and low GI while also limiting portion sizes and increasing things like water, fiber and fruit. Since we were out of town for the holiday and didn't get paid until we were out of town, we had very little in the house on our return yesterday which resulted in not having a lunch at work today. It would have been nice just to avoid the cold today, too, but instead I went to lunch with my boss and other coworker. I didn't let this get me down, though! I put some good plans into action.
We went to a Chinese place where the guys like to get soup, but about all I eat from Chinese is fried rice plus lots of salt. First, instead of a coke, I had water with lunch. They have HUGE glasses, probably 32 oz. First, I decided I didn't need an egg roll like I normally would. Plus I made a conscious decision NOT to add ANY salt, which really changes the taste of the fried rice at this place. It's actually a bit sweet on its own. Normally, I eat about half of the head-sized portion plus the remaining meats, but today I ate slowly. I made sure to keep a slow pace, chew everything completely and swallow before getting another bite, and after every 4 or 5 bites, I put my fork down and drank some water. I probably only ate about 1/4 of the food on my plate, and I even left a decent amount of meat pieces. And I only had one fingernail sized taste of my fortune cookie before calling it a day! I'm really proud of myself for making these choices about my food. These are small steps that can be incorporated into any eating plan and make huge differences in how we feel.
Another huge thing for me today, and I don't know if it's from trying to eat smaller portions or because one of my medicines really is helping my energy or that there's some amount of pain relief in my sinus meds right now, but I actually bounded up the stairs after lunch. Normally, I wait behind my coworkers and practically drag myself up the stairs. Part of this is energy, part of it is pain. Most of my normal pains are absent today, but I'm suffering with a shoulder/neck crick on my left side to make up for them. Still, I made it all the way up the stairs. The last 3 were more of a struggle, but nothing like normal when I almost have to stop 3 from the top to catch my breath. It doesn't mean running up the stairs will stick, but it's still a point to be proud of.
I have a tendency to ramble at times, so feel free to ignore me or tell me to shut up if I start posting too much.
Making Little Changes
I don't think these are little steps at all!! It's a huge step to switch to water after drinking soda all the time, and to leave food on your plate is soooooo hard!! you are doing great! It's good to want to support your hubby, and for you guys to do it together would be a plus, but focus on your eating and activity first and foremost. He will hopefully see you doing good and start making steps to better his health too! good luck, and keep up the good work
on those changes, Glutio!
