Motivational Thought

Still no menu this week, you will just have to be as surprised as I will be at what I manage to pull out of the cupboards *wink*. I think I have some pork chops in the freezer and ingredients for minestrone soup...

Today is more about renewing my motivation to eat healthier and do it in a way that actually works for me. I'm too busy to have to put too much thought into it, and I think I'm a little bit lazy too. So here are the things that I am going to work on in February.

1. Change your definitions of full. After most meals, you should feel as if you could get up, go outside and take a brisk walk. Stop eating when you get to that point. Comfortably full, or just not hungry anymore. Remember that it takes a while for you to feel "full" and it you keep eating you will soon feel like you ate WAY too much.

2. Make a plan. Think about where you will be, who you will be with, what foods will be available, what foods are really special to you vs. those that you could probably do without, what are your personal triggers to overeat and how you can minimize them. Once you've thought about all of these things, make a plan of action.

3. Quit judging yourself by the foods you eat. You're not necessarily "good" if you eat a salad or "bad" if you eat fudge. They're both just food. And all foods are allowed – it's the amount you eat that you have to watch. Don't rush through the experience.

4. Forget "all or nothing." If you're feeling that you've already "blown it" with a doughnut in the morning, don't use that feeling as an excuse to raid the cookie jar at night. Instead, think of ways to be physically active 30 minutes a day.

5. Get a move on. In addition to burning calories, exercise is a great way to deal with stress. Exercise is the fountain of youth and one of the best investments you can make for your health.
The important thing to keep in mind is balance and moderation. Source: Linda Nye, RD MPH

Some great quotes:
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. John Quincy Adams

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. Lou Holtz

It is never too late to be what you might have been. George Eliot