DIET!!

I want to let you know that where I am has come from years of tweaking things and small changes here and there. I did NONE of this overnight and you would probably go crazy trying to cut everything out at once. But what you have to do is make a decision in your mind that this is NOT a short-term diet, this is a life-style change. I know that you may hear people say that over and over, but it is so true.

First of all, make sure that you are eating real food, not laboratory created food that really gives you empty calories. For example, go to McD's website and just look at all the ingredients that are in its eggs or chicken nuggets. You would think that there should only be eggs and chicken, right? Not so much, in fast foods they use a lot of artificial flavors and preservatives.

Second, you have to plan your week of eating in order to be successful. If have kids and you work, plan accordingly otherwise, you will fall back into what is easiest and what will get your kids fed as quickly as possible.

Third, do NOT buy tempting things for your house. I know as a parent, you probably want to give your kids snacks and such, but don't buy that. You gotta train them to like fruits and real stuff, just like you gotta train yourself. It will easier to avoid temptation if you just don't even have it at home. Examples, I haven't bought bread in a couple of months. I never have cookies or snack foods. And it isn't that I don't eat sandwiches or chocolate, it is just that I make it a lil hard on myself to get to so that it is more of a treat.

Fourth, just eating an orange or bagel is not acceptable for a breakfast. Eat! Trust me when I say that I eat all throughout the day. I just make sure that it is good fuel for my body. I do cheat every now and then, but that is more the exception than the rule.

Example of a few things that I always have on hand:

1. Oatmeal. I buy whole, quick oats in the big container, not the little packages. (Those are full of sugar and artificial flavors.) I hook up my oatmeal with a banana and some pure maple syrup or whatever else I like to make it taste good...and it takes just as long to cook as the packages. Oatmeal will keep you full for a long time, and it isn't as loaded with calories as other breakfast foods.

2. Eggs. I eat real eggs almost everyday. But I do a lot of weight training, so I need the protein.

3. Tons of fruits and veggies. When I go grocery shopping I will buy a bunch of frozen veggies, not cans because they have a bunch of preservatives. If you have frozen veggies, you will always be prepared for quick and easy meals. Fruit doesn't store for very long, so you will have to buy it once a week. But I personally have at least two pieces of fruit a day...if not more.

4. Brown rice. This is a good, slow burning starch. Try to ween yourself off of white stuff, (white rice, sugar, flour.) Think brown...it is a process. I usually hook mine up with some chicken broth or some chicken bouillon to give it some extra flavor.

5. Chicken breast, ground turkey, and fish. I personally don't eat pork or beef anymore, so I keep the freezer stocked with other stuff. And with your frozen veggies and rice, you should always be able to come up with a quick meal.

I will warn you, buying real food will cost you more. But at the same time, you will be sustained for longer. And if you are not used to cooking, just start getting used to it. Cook up a bunch of food on Sunday or put veggies in ziplock bags for snacks. Buy a lunch bag and containers from Target and use them.

STAY AWAY FROM HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!!! It is in almost everything these days. It is a lab-created "sugar" that keeps your body craving more sugar. If you need sugar, buy pure cane sugar or raw sugar. You really gotta read labels. If the ingredients looks like a science experiment DON'T BUY IT!

Ok, I think I have typed a novel...pick and choose what is helpful. But like I said, don't try and do everything at once, because you may get frustrated and just quit. And if you do stop for a lil while...just start back up the next day. All of us have those days where we slip.

LaQuesha