A Year of Diet and Exercise

I'm always hesitant to use the word "diet" because what comes to mind is depriving yourself of food, watching the scales, and trying to lose wait. When I say diet, I'm talking about ditching the scales and making healthy choices.

As most of you know, I began working out at 5:30am (2xs/week) last January and I'm happy to say that I've stuck with it an entire year. It's not been easy! During one of my first workouts, I walked out in tears and was ready to give up. Now after 12 months, I'm ready to move on to year #2.

Look at those skinny arms in the picture from my first workout last January. I think I'm making a little progress. I'm at least confident enough now to wear a tank top! :)

It's never been about weight loss for me (although that would be nice.) I've actually gained weight this year which is why I had to get rid of the bathroom scales. It's all about being healthy -- not only by exercising but also by eating better. Like many people, organic has taken over my kitchen. Why? Because I like to know what's in my food. I don't want all the added preservatives, chemicals, and whatever else they put in there and call it edible.

Things I've given up this year include:

• White bread - This was a big change for me and now I can't believe I ever ate the 99 cent loaf of bread you buy at Walmart. After trying several types of bread, even organic white, I've settled on the bread pictured. Oatmeal bread is my new discovery and I love it. It makes a great PP&J sandwich.
• Jif Peanut Butter - My new favorite thing is Organic Peanut Butter from Trader Joe's. If you look at the ingredients, you see that the organic peanut butter is made of nothing but peanuts. Unlike Jif, there's no sugar, no molasses, no veg. oil, no mono and diglycerides (whatever that is), and no salt. 
• White rice - I finally made the switch to brown rice. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I now prefer the brown rice over white. 
• Quaker oatmeal - It's either Organic Oats or Steel Cut Oats at our house. Quaker is not as healthy as you think it is. If you're eating oatmeal, it should be the good stuff. 
• Pancakes - No more Bisquick or Aunt Jemina. Oatmeal pancakes with fresh blueberries are awesome! No more cheap syrup, only pure maple syrup. Sometimes I cheat and add a little whip cream. Mike's not on board with me yet regarding the pure maple syrup. We compared the ingredients this morning and he's not willing to give it up but he'll come around when I stop buying the cheap stuff and he has no other choice. 
• Cheese - We've gotten rid of those horrible Kraft cheese slices and started buying real cheese, you know, the kind you shred yourself. 
• Fruit juices - I've tried a few expensive organic juices and drink them occasionally but like anything else, you have to be careful about the amount of sugar in these juices. Fruit juices are not as healthy as you think they are.
• Microwave Popcorn - That stuff is just gross! Have you ever looked at those microwave bags . . . talk about chemicals. We now have an air popper and make our own (organic popcorn, of course). 
• Margarine - We now buy real butter (sticks only). We've not found any kind of soft butter that's healthy so we only use stick butter (with or without salt). We keep one butter dish in the pantry instead of the refrigerator to keep it soft. Look at the ingredient in margarine, I doubt you can even pronounce half the words. Have you ever noticed that if you melt a margarine stick too long, it turns to water. What is that stuff anyway? 
• Sweet tea - I'm all about green tea and I'm still looking for good sweetener options when I make my own. I've tried coconut sugar and a few other things but haven't really settled on anything yet.
• Sodas - Please don't even get me started on how nasty those are. I've never drank sodas much so it wasn't something I really had to give up. I use to drink Mt. Dew occasionally but now I buy Hansens (Root Beer) made with cane sugar (at Trader Joe's). We only drink it when we make popcorn and feel like it's a better option than Coke or Pepsi products. 
• Store packaged meat - I now buy all my meat from the meat counter at EarthFare or I buy it at the Farmer's Market (4-Corners Ranch). It's funny because the first time we grilled hamburgers made from grass-fed meat, we hated it. Now, we've learned where to buy it and a few tricks like adding a little olive oil to the ground beef before cooking it. All the meat I buy is free from antibiotics and hormones. Yes, I've gotten really picky about our meat. I'm not willing to give it up (Mike would divorce me if I suggested going vegetarian and I hate vegetables so I would starve) but I will spend more money for the good stuff. 

These are not things I've given up but a list of a few of my favorite things.

• Greek yogurt - Anyone who works with me knows, 10am is my yogurt break. I eat it every day at work and have for many years. I switched to greek yogurt about 6 years ago when a friend suggested I add granola to it. I hated greek yogurt the first time I tried it and now I would never go back to eating regular yogurt. I'm a firm believer in the health benefits of eating yogurt and its a great mid-morning snack. 
• Coconut oil - Love it!!!! Use it in the kitchen and in the bathroom. If I fry something, I normally use coconut oil. I mix a little in my scrambled eggs, I put it in smoothies, and Mike puts it in his coffee. Studies show that coconut oil prevents alzheimer's so we try to get it any way we can. 
• Chia seeds - I have to be careful with chia seeds because although I love them and I believe in the health benefits of chia seeds, they've caused me to have headaches if I eat too many. I like to add a few to yogurt and to smoothies. 
• Flax seeds - I use them in smoothies and in oatmeal. 
• Dark chocolate - Love dark chocolate! I buy dark chocolate covered cranberries, almonds, blueberries, cherries, and anything else I can find. I probably eat more dark chocolate than I should because afterall, it's good for you, right!?!?!?
• Cookie Butter Cookies - If you've not tried these from Trader Joe's, don't! They are so addicting and cost $4/box. I try to limit it to one box a week. :) 
• Cage Free Brown Eggs - it's just worth it to pay more for good eggs. 
• Coconut Water - I use it instead of fruit juices in a smoothie. I wish I could just drink coconut water but I've tried and I don't like it. Maybe I'll try some different flavors this year and find something I like.

So as you can see, 2015 has been all about the food. I'm thankful we have so many great food options now with more grocery stores selling organic. As I think about the new year, my goals are the same as they've been every year.

• To grow stronger in my relationship with the Lord. My plan for the new year is to pray more, serve more, and to give more. I've reached that place in my walk with the Lord where I'm tired of absorbing information, tired of sitting on a church pew listening and not doing. I still have a lot to learn but more importantly, I have a lot to do. I really feel like my main focus this year needs to be on prayer as I continue to seek the Lord and what He has for my life.  
• To grow stronger physically. My plan is to eat healthy and to continue to exercise even on those days when I really don't want to. I also know I need to drink more water -- I'm constantly struggling with this but hope it becomes a habit for me by the end of 2016. 

I hope something I've shared has been a help or encouragement to someone. This life is so temporary and as my mom says, "You're not as young as you use to be." I just want to live life and to live it well until the day when my Lord and Savior calls me home to be with Him for eternity . . . then I won't have to worry about diet or exercise. Praise the Lord!!!

Prayers for a Happy and Healthy New Year! 

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own."  ~1 Cor. 6:19