More Healthy Eating Life Style
I have come up with my own healthy living eating plan. I do not want to use the word “diet” since this creates a sudden reaction of pounds gained. I also don’t like the idea of being told what I CAN’T eat. So, I have decided to develop my own “more” healthy eating life style (MHELS)!
Every week, you do something “more” than before. For instance, in week one you eat more raw veggies. In week two, you do more exercise. In week three, you get more education, and so on.
The idea is that becoming a healthy eater can’t be about what you have to “give up.” When we give up stuff, we want it more, and we feel like we are depriving ourselves of the fun stuff of life. As such, I don’t plan on saying I’m getting rid of anything. I’m adding in more. Naturally, when you add in more stuff, there is less room for other things in the long run. But that’s all later.
In addition, becoming a healthy eater is about changing habits. It takes about 90 days to change your habits. This means that I am not focusing on losing weight. I am focusing on changing habits.
The first thing I want you to do is throw out your scale. As a pro dieter, the scale becomes an obsession that I can’t beat. I gave it up long ago and have been much better for it. I also don’t say to measure yourself. What I do want you to do is eventually reflect on yourself. Think about how you feel in your clothes and about things like attitude, energy levels, productivity and such. Over time, how you feel is a much better indicator of your changing healthy lifestyle than the scale.
I am starting this blog as my measure to see how it works. I am starting right where any of you will, with week one. Below I outline each week that I have planned in MHELS. I then blog my own progress each week. I hope this helps others out there find a healthy eating lifestyle of their own!
Week One: More Vegetables
In this week, you will work to put more raw vegetables into your meals each day. This includes carrots, broccoli, red peppers (or any other color), spinach, lettuce, snow peas, green beans, tomatoes and any other kind of vegitable you can eat without cooking.
Yes, you can have any salad dressing you would like to use as a dipping sauce! The key here is to get used to eating raw vegitables. You want to put 2 cups of raw vegitables into your food plan every day. That’s it. That is week one. More raw veggies!
Week Two: More Exercise
This week is all about burning the food we eat. Eating healthy is awesome, but we have to add in how that food is consumed by our bodies. Here’s an analogy. If you are out camping and build a fire, but it just can’t seem to burn, and you bad logs on it, like damp ones, it will just smolder. However, if you can get a good raging fire going, but still have to put some damp logs on, the fire will be able to handle the logs. This is like your body and working out. Exercise helps your body burn what you eat, and when you eat those things that you love, but aren’t so great, your body will burn them better if you have been improving your metabolism with excercise!
This week, all you have to do is add 30 minutes each day of exercise. What kind of exercise you do depends on your physical fitness level. If you have not been exercising at all for several months or more, start with walking, dancing around the house, bicycling, or other low level activities. If you are fairly active, then you should know what you can and can’t do. Only work out to a level that fits you. Do not over work out this week. The point is to make working out a habit, not a chore. If you go too hard, then you will get sore and stop, or hate working out. So keep it easy, but do it everyday!
PS: Keep eating the 2 cups of raw vegitables everyday from week one!!!
Week Three: More Fruit
Fruit is your friend! Week three is all about adding more fruit to your daily food intake. Whether it is strawberries, apples, bananas or avocados, add two servings of fruit each day. I have found that fruit is great breakfast addition, and it also makes a great dessert.
So, at this point, you are adding 2 cups of raw vegetables, 2 servings of fruit, and exercising for 30 minutes each day.
Don’t you feel great!!
If you aren’t perfect each week, don’t worry. As long as you are striving to do your best, and each week you are doing more, then you are a success!
Jocelyn’s Blogs on MHELS
In this section I detail my own thoughts each week. I hope this helps you find your own way of healthy living!
- MHELS Week One Blog
— The first week was a good one! BTW, Don’t forget to drink lots of water!
- MHELS Week Two Blog
— Week Two was a little more difficult, but I got it in!
“>MHELS Week One Blog
— The first week was a good one! BTW, Don’t forget to drink lots of water!