As I get older, I know I cannot eat like I used too. My days of fast food are pretty limited at best. Loosing weight has become a priority for me. I am not as young as I used to be. I need to be more thoughtful about what I eat or I could end up on pills to regulate my blood pressure. Change your eating habits and loose the weight now, is a hard conversation that many of us will face as adults. I am a person who likes to eat but extreme diets have never been my thing. I could do Keto and loose weight quickly, but after a few weeks of eating that way, I feel horrible. Everyone’s body is not going to respond the same way to the same diet. Talk with your doctor, do some research, work with a nutritionist if you have the funds.
Processed foods are not my friend. That means, I needed to cook for myself. I am talking breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I work full-time, commute to work, practice daily adulting activities, pursue various interests, date, hang out with friends and family. There really is not a enough time to cook every day and clean up. So I had to look into meal prepping on a serious basis. Each Sunday, I am carving out a good four to five hours to prepare various meals that I can eat throughout the week. I personally don’t want to eat the same thing every day, so I might make five different dishes that I can mix and match to make different meals. Most of the time, the recipes I make might feed four to six people. I will put half of each dish in the freezer and keep the other half to enjoy the rest of the week.
When I have a craving for something sweet, I will make a smoothie, eat a piece of fruit, or freeze a Greek yogurt. I have gotten rid of cookies, candies, and chips. My snacks are now various nuts, a few cubes of cheese, or sunflower seeds. I have started to make my own hummus and use it as a spread or eat with carrots. I have also been more aware of where I buy my food. Government agencies which are supposed to regulate and inspect our food are now saying a percentage of a product is okay to sell to consumers. If I am buying chicken, beef, or fish, I want it to be 100% chicken, beef, or fish. I have taken to buying those items from Whole Foods. In order to make Whole Foods more affordable I have reduced my meat intake from three times a day, to once per day. Other items like fresh vegetables, beans, rice, and canned goods, I get from a local grocery store. Fruit, I will buy in bulk from a Sam’s Club or Costco. I found that buying fruit in bulk is much cheaper than going to your regular grocery store.
So now I practice making meals that are with meat, vegetarian, and vegan. My lifestyle change is eating healthier. For me, eating healthier does not mean giving up a particular food. I am focused on reducing portion sizes and getting more exercise. So far, I have lost twenty pounds. It has been a slow twenty, but it has stayed off. So I must continue the good fight. I invest in recipe books, different spices, and even follow a various YouTubers for cooking styles I did not grow up with. I was able to finally start incorporating more vegan recipes because I started following Youtubers that season their food. I am opening new foods and experiences in my weight-loss journey.
Enjoy by Michele 