Getting Healthy : Meals to Kick Start Your Plan for Healthy Eating and Weight Loss
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Getting Healthy: Meals to kick start your plan for healthy eating
This week I was on IndyStyle and for my regularly scheduled monthly appearance I decided to address an issue that has been weighing on me, literally, lately- weight. Specifically, my personal struggle (because THAT struggle is real), how I manage to eat in a balanced way, addressing what I KNOW my downfall is and the feedback (both good AND bad) that I get from the general public.
Remember- I only had two four minute segments to get this all in as well as prepare the two recipes I had brought to share. I think the segments went well and based off of all of the calls, texts, emails, Facebook comments and retweets on Twitter- this is a topic that resonates with many of you.
Get the farro chopped salad recipe HERE and the coconut chicken over ginger soy soba noodles recipe HERE
Years ago I was suddenly hovering around 320 pounds and through very hard work (no magic potion) I got down to about 170 pounds. I have now gained about 75-85 back.
Before I address my segments, getting healthy and staying healthy I think I should give you a quick recap of the high, highs (weight) and the low, lows (comments, gaining weight back). Remember, I am not a doctor and I don’t pretend to be an expert. I am using the help of my doctor to regain control of my weight because if I can’t do this with her help, or my own motivation, then I am going to fail. Please contact your doctor before starting any new lifestyle change that involves changing your eating habits or exercise regimen. There may be an underlying cause for your weight. Guess what- that’s not an excuse. There are really conditions that cause you to hold onto those pounds.
This is a story I have shared on this site before but I feel like it bears repeating. I hope this helps to put my story into perspective that this isn’t’ about vanity. This isn’t about wanting to be perfect (what is that anyway??) or to please anyone. This is a story about getting healthy.
Several years ago, after a lot of work, I lost 165 pounds. It took a long time and I went from a maybe size 26 to a 10/12 ish. I had no health reason to do it- but I had something happen that was so humiliating that I had to do it- cold turkey.
We were at Holiday World and I was in line with Jacob for almost 2 hours to ride a ride and he was SO excited. My husband and other son were behind us. We finally got up to our turn Jacob hopped on. I got to the seat and knew already what was going to happen. I sat down and the seat was too small for me- rather, I was too big for the seat. I could not fit. The ride attendant suggested I sit sideways just a bit and they brought a belt extender- and I did it. It would have been too awful to get off and it was a safe enough ride to do this so I did it. My husband never mentioned it and neither did my kids. But my son Jacob held my hand the whole time.
It was awful.
3 years after losing I had a series of surgeries and medical issues that gave me the “excuse” to stop working so hard, eat foods that made me feel better (comfort foods), and I started drinking more high calorie beverages like Coke and wine. Through this I have gained 75 pounds back.
So now I am here, working to lose those pounds and get back on track. But I am not using fad diets, weird food, or gym memberships I won’t use. I am not spending money I don’t have on trends, supplements or mumbo-jumbo. What works for me, and remember lifestyle changes are not one size fits all, is eating whole foods, keeping my calories to under 1500 a day and moderation. I needed to get this down, make it a habit, before I integrate adding that 45 minutes a day of exercise back into my routine. I needed to get my hunger in check before I started working out. Because what happens when I exercise? I get really, really hungry. Flushing out my cravings and keeping plenty of food in my house I can snack on are key.
Juice cleanse from Natural Born Juicers in Indianapolis. Visit their website for more information.
How did I get started? I spent a weekend after the holidays hunkering down and ‘flushing my system’ so to speak. I used a juice cleanse (on the advice of my doctor) and whereas it wasn’t easy, it was effective. Not interested in that? Spend a few days of cutting back to very basic foods- similar to the BRAT diet we give our kids when they are ill. Bananas, rice, toast, applesauce. Sounds crazy but sometimes when you overindulge for long periods of time you need to get down to a basic state. Oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, simple toast and yogurt or applesauce for lunch and a dinner filled with a lean meat and lots of veggies and a grain. I need to point out that other than one of their juices, I was very happy with them. I am just not a fan of grapefruit. A juice cleanse is not easy and you need to be prepared and supported when you are doing it. I did sip on warm veggie broth and have bits of plain brown rice cakes here and there but otherwise I just added lots of water. Afterwards I felt great and it certainly did it’s job if you know what I mean. Do this on a slow weekend at home.
Why did I choose to share my story on television?
For me the answer is simple. Accountability. I needed to start taking my own advice. I preach about making healthy yet simple meals for your (my) family and I needed to put that into action. Just because I am overweight doesn’t mean I am unqualified to talk about healthy eating! Let me repeat this- I am heavy but I am not just a talking head. Feeding my family as well as I can, for less, is my real life. Working on my weight and loving my imperfect self- this is a daily struggle. If my story even helps one person to feel like they are not alone in their own struggle then I have done my job. I thank the entire staff of IndyStyle for encouraging me and giving me the green light to share my truth.
I had a lot of responses to my transparent segments yesterday as well as a lot of questions. I want to address those now:
*I am the only one to blame for my situation. Society didn’t do this, french fries didn’t do this and neither did wine. I did this. I own my health.
*I had to make the choice to make sure everything I eat and drink is a conscious choice.Read labels and be sure that drink or bite is really worth it to you.Does this mean going without? Well, maybe sometimes. I prefer to make sure I get every drop of goodness in a small package. That takes effort and education. Read your labels, plan ahead, look at menus online before you eat out and keep a healthy snack on hand at all times. My current fave is a simple banana and a plain brown rice cake. Sometimes you just need that crunch!
*Don’t drink all of your calories away. That means get rid of pop, even diet pop, and limit your alcohol intake. Even those fancy coffee drinks can really bog you down. I still drink coffee as we are BFF’s- but I add just a bit of real sugar.That’s my splurge.
*Ditch the fake stuff. Yes, that low cal, fat free, sugar free stuff, in my opinion, does more harm than good.Sorry Diet Coke and Snackwell fans. Just don’t.
*Yes, I do this with my crazy schedule, busy kids, a working husband and with my limited budget. I am not buying extra at the grocery, rather, I make an extra effort at making meals/snacks that are nutrient rich and in smaller portions (for me). That is all. I drink real milk, eat whole grains, buy as much fresh ingredients as I can and use frozen when I can’t. There is NO shame in frozen fruits and veggies. It is fresh- just flash frozen. Not to mention a real time saver.
*I am a fairly confident person. I think you have to be when you are working in a competitive business (yes, food blogging is whether bloggers want to admit it or not) and you do work in the public eye. I generally have thick skin and to tell you the truth I am happy with my appearance. I am imperfectly-perfect! Aren’t we all? But it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t sting when I hear things like-
“Do you eat the healthy foods you cook”
“Maybe you should take your own advice”
“Can I get a more recent head shot? This one doesn’t look like you”
“Seeing how heavy you are does not make me want to watch you cook”
“Based off of how heavy you are I cannot imagine you a good source of information on how to feed a family in a healthy way”
That last zinger came from another person in my line of work.
So when you start to feel that little voice start to blurt something out like this- don’t. When you think about sending that tweet, leaving that comment or sending an email about someone that they might later see- just don’t. You don’t know what struggles that person is facing- their marriage, their kids, their health, work stress of just general LIFE.
*Find support. Not only is this something that my husband and I are doing together (hey- this kind of bonding is good for a marriage and it’s quite sexy, btw) I am on this journey with a few close friends. They get it. I can be honest with them and we share each others highs and lows. I do understand that not everyone has a support system and frankly- some of the people in your circle may NOT be supportive. I find that when this happens it is because maybe THEY feel it is a personal slight against them. If they themselves are heavy or have unhealthy habits they make take this as a judgement. The choice is up to you but I suggest you explain that you want to make the best choices for YOU and everyone is different. The ball is then in their court.
*Don’t break the bank doing this. With so many free workouts online you can even get them on your phone! Other than 45 minutes on the elliptical (which we bought last year after saving for months) I do good, old fashioned push-ups, sit-ups and squats.Simple and free.
*Don’t fall prey to myths, memes or marketing. I eat Indiana Dairy, Indiana meat and what I buy at the grocery store. The only thing making me fat and unhealthy is me. I choose what I eat and where I buy it from and I buy with confidence.
*Lastly, don’t be SO hard on yourself! You might hit some roadblocks and this might take a while. It took me years to lose 165 pounds and I was not patient. Celebrate little victories like losing segments of weight (break your loss into little chunks) 10 pounds here or 20 pounds there. Set up little rewards, don’t deprive yourself (1 square of chocolate in the afternoon works wonders for your state of mind), and be your best advocate. Your friends are going out to your favorite bar for half priced martini’s? Then be prepared to be tempted. Eat a good meal before you leave and be sure to have a full glass of water with that one drink you allow yourself. Be strong! It’s hard but YOU CAN DO IT!
Please, please reach out to me anytime. You need support? Well guess what- I do too. You need to vent or have your successes and failures acknowledged? I am in the same boat. We can do this together.
Remember we are all a work in progress.
Please reach out anytime at @Basilmomma on Twitter, my Facebook page or even email at Heather@Basilmomma.com
