Can you believe we are a quarter of the way through 2014? Yikes! Time is speeding by, so it seemed like a good time to update you on how I was doing with eating right. The short answer is—not too shabby. 🙂
As I shared with you earlier this year, I’m finally getting healthy and committed to eating better and moving my body regularly. There have been some stumbles and successes. My biggest win is that I am much more conscious of my emotional eating tendencies. And boy howdy—I am ever an emotional eater!
Finding Positive Outlets for My Emotions
I never realized how quickly I turned to food whenever I felt upset, stressed or bored. The good news is that I am regularly catching myself before I dive into a bag of potato chips or a dish of Espresso Chocolate ice cream. Instead I try to figure out how to satisfy my emotions in a more constructive manner.
If I am bored, then I do something other than eat! Read a book, play with MaxE, watch a movie or go for a walk. If I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, I try to figure out how to lessen that stress. And then do something that makes relaxes me (besides of eating, of course!)
In fairness, I’m not perfect. 🙂 There are definitely times when I have satisfied that emotional eating urge. But I’m not letting little slip-ups derail me either. The Old Tanya would have used them as an excuse to quit, but not Courageous Tanya. Instead I am proud of how far I’ve come while recognizing my journey is just beginning.
Adjustments to My Eating Healthy Plan
Looking at my meals, they are probably still a little too carb heavy. They are getting better, and I’m definitely trying to balance them with veggies and non-carb meals, but I just LOVE carbs. Plus they are cheap eats, which makes them very budget friendly. Almost too friendly, ya know!
Even better, I have definitely lost weight, although I have no idea how much; I don’t have a scale. So I’m judging by how my clothes fit, which feels a bit more accurate anyway. And guess what? The pants are looser and my “fat” pants are humongous on me. In all honesty, those pants were already too big but now they fall off me. YIPEE! And pants that were a little too tight to wear without feeling like I was going to be cut in half are now wearable.
Getting Ready to Add Exercise to the Mix
This definitely keeps me motivated to keep going. To continue balancing my meals and to start exercising more regularly. Right now, I’m just trying to talk walks every day by running errands to the grocery store. Yup, instead of buying everything in one haul, I walk almost every day to Vons and pick up a needed item or two. Some of you probably think I’m crazy, but I can talk myself out of exercising so easily. Since I need the grocery item, I have to go to the store. Plus, it’s actually a nice mid-day break for me too.
However, I do know that I have to create a more formal and robust plan, especially adding in some strength exercises. But at least I’m moving and seeing such positive results already is good motivation to start exercising more religiously. I know exercise will have a huge impact.
So for those of you who made a resolution to get healthy this year. How are you doing?