Healthy eating doesn’t happen by accident.

 

by Jeni Tackett – Registered Dietitian, Trinity Medical Center

Healthy eating doesn’t happen on accident.  You probably won’t stumble upon fruit in vending machines or have healthy meals forced on you at restaurants.  You have to plan to eat healthy.  I was told that once I had children I would find that it’s impossible to eat healthy.  When you work all day and come home just to turn around leave for a basketball game, it is easy to fall into the trap of drive thru eating.  When your schedule is hectic, planning is even more important.

Plan to Succeed:
You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight.  If you cut calories too much then you will end up feeling deprived.  Make sure your plan is realistic. I recommend around 1500 calories for most women and 1800 calories for most men. Log what you eat every day on a free website such as www.sparkpeople.com or www.fitday.com and see what you normally take in. Reduce your calories by 500 daily for an average of one pound weight loss each week. The key is consistency!  You will not lose weight if you cut your calories for 4 days and then overeat from Friday through Sunday.

Plan your day from start to finish:

Breakfast:
Eating a healthy, high fiber breakfast is essential to get your metabolism going and help to satisfy you so that you do not overeat later in the day.  Many people think it’s better to drink coffee and skip breakfast, but if you do that ask yourself if it’s working for you.  Do you feel fueled during the day?  Do you overeat around 3 pm and then in the evening?  If so, try eating breakfast each day and limit eating in the evening.  You will start waking up hungry and feeling better in the evening.

Lunch:
If you work, bring your lunch to work most days.  Sure it’s more fun to eat out, but the portions are too big, plant foods are rare, and the fats are plentiful.  By bringing your lunch you are guaranteeing a controlled amount of healthy foods for your mid-day meal.  I have a friend who is a stay at home Mom and makes herself a healthy lunch when she makes her childrens’ sack lunches.  That way she knows she won’t reach for something unhealthy at lunchtime.

Dinner and Snacks:
Fill your refrigerator and pantry with healthy foods and plan for healthy meals at home with your family.  If you work late, spend the weekends making homemade soups and other meals you can freeze for the rest of the week.  Low fat crock pot meals are also good options for healthy choices in the evening.  Try to limit your dining out to 1-2x/week which will save you money and oh so many calories.

When we go through the day without planning, we are susceptible to so many unhealthy foods.  If you go to work hungry in the morning and someone brings in donuts, you’re probably going to eat one…or two…or even three.  If you do not plan for a healthy meal for your family and it’s 6:00 p.m. and everyone is hungry, ordering pizza is an easy option.  Jen suggested putting sticky notes on the refrigerator reminding you to exercise.  You can also put sticky notes with your planned meals for the week as a reminder to stick with you plan.  Take the time to plan your menu for the week every weekend and set yourself and your family up right!

A quote for planning your week ahead:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

- Mark Twain

Jeni Tackett is a registered dietitian at Trinity Medical Center and the Two Rivers YMCA. Jeni majored in Nutrition and Dietetics at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Caroline. She lives East Moline with her husband, Nathan and their two children, Noah and Lily and two dogs. Jack and Lola.For a listing of all of Jeni’s blog posts on MVHNews, click here.