How Many of These Habits Are You Guilty Of?

I have to admit, I do have a few of these bad habits...

20 Habits That Make You Fat

My biggest mistake is the #1 thing that can make you fat; eating "fat-free" and "low-fat."  Who would have thought that those two purchases could lead to obesity?  It seems ironic! I've been on a fat-free kick ever since I started Weight Watchers nearly 10 years ago.  It seems like a great idea. Don't want to get fat? Eat fat-free!  Not so much.  I can tell you one thing,  I will definitely be comparing the sugars, carbs, and additives of regular and "fat-free" foods when I shop now!

This reminds me, I've joined Andrew Wilder's "Unprocessed October Challenge" and have pledged to not eat any processed foods for the entire month of October.  Talk about reading labels!  I feel like our family eats pretty well anyway, but I admit that goldfish crackers and Cheez-its do come in handy as quick snacks for my kids.  So, we will be doing our best to eliminate our dependency on processed foods for just one month and see how it goes. It could end up being one of the greatest changes we'll make in our lives.  Or we could go mad trying to get creative with it.  We'll see. I'll keep you posted, but I encourage you to try it out for yourself as well.  For more information on what constitutes "processed" or for information on the challenge itself please click the link above.

Ok, let's get back on track! I also am guilty of not getting enough sleep at night.  I'm a light sleeper and a restless sleeper.  It's the worst kind, really.  And once my kids were born it became even worse!  However, I have attempted to improve the quality of sleep am I getting by wearing ear-plugs at night.  You would be amazed at how much noise is eliminated by wearing these simple things, and for a light sleeper like myself, it's priceless!

Eating free restaurant food is a killer.  How can you pass up "free" chips and salsa, or bread sticks or those amazing biscuits with apple butter at Lucille's?  This might be why in our house we limit our eating out to only a couple times a month.  It would be too easy to fill up and fill out on these free, much-while-you-wait-on-your-meal foods.  By the time your meal comes, you're already full from the freebies.  And what was intended to be one night of indulgence now becomes two nights of indulgence because you end up taking home your original meal to eat as leftovers the next day.  These freebies are diet busting!!

The last thing I am guilty of is eating too late.  For some reason, right after the kids are down for the night, usually around 9 pm I get the munchies.  So, I go to the cupboard and open and close it about 10 times looking for the healthiest option.  What I want and what I know is best for me are two different things.  What I want is a salty, unhealthy snack.  What is best for me is to just close the cupboard and walk away.  And who do you think wins that argument? My stomach!  So here I am, at 9 o'clock at night eating the worst thing I've eaten all day and it's usually just because I'm bored.  I know that if I refrained from snacking after dinner I would not starve.  In fact, I don't even think my stomach would notice.  It's a matter of convincing myself that yes, even that small bite of cookie or that single Pringle is not worth it in the long run.

Take a look at the other 16 things that are bad for your diet and most likely bad for your health and see how you fare.  What you thought you were doing right, much like I did, could end up being what's holding you back from your fitness goals.  Making changes in our bad habits, however small they may be, could be life-changing.  With so many factors in the world beyond our control, why not take advantage of the things you do have control over, and that is how you treat yourself and your body.

Until next time...

Summer Snack Packing

With temperatures rising this summer, if you're like me, you'll want to be near the beach or poolside to beat the heat.  However, choosing snacks to bring along that will also help you maintain your beach body can be difficult.  It's easy to stash a box of crackers or bag of chips in your tote.  It's easy to throw an apple or or string cheese into the bottom of your purse. It's even easier to stop and get fast food along the way or stop at the snack bar. But, if you're like me, you either leave the beach feeling bloated from all the salty, carb-filled snacks or completely hungry from your apple-string cheese teaser.  So why not do a little pre-beach preparation and plan on taking some of these healthy snacks with you to the beach?  For 150 calories or less per snack, you can feel satisfied that you a) aren't starving, b) aren't bloated and c) will still be able to pull off that bikini tomorrow!

Grilled Fish on Cilantro-Chili Slaw

grilled mahi-mahi with cilantro chili slaw

Light, clean, and crisp; a great summer recipe!

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Great, light dinner recipe.  Lots of flavor and filling too! Click on the caption above for full recipe.

Eating Healthy Doesn't Necessarily Mean Boring Foods

Healthy Summer Grilling doesn't need to be boring.  If you're hosting a night of summer grilling, think outside the box.  You don't need to limit your selection to celery sticks just because you're trying to "eat healthy."  There are lots of alternatives if you just get a little creative with it.  Make healthy choices to ensure all your efforts to slim down your waistline don't get lost in the bowl of potato chips and barbecue sauce.  If you provide a healthy alternative to the hot dogs and hamburgers I guarantee you someone will eat it!

Sweet and Spicy Pork Chops

Spiced Chops with Mango-Mint Salsa

This recipe had the perfect amount of sweetness to offset the kick in the mango salsa.  Use the leanest cut of boneless pork chop you can find and serve along side steamed vegetables for a delicious low-fat meal.

Another Use for Quinoa

Greek-Style Quinoa Burger with Grilled Vegetables

Are you still stumped on how to incorporate quinoa into your daily diet?  Well, try this quinoa burger; patty made with quinoa, beans and carrots, and infused with Greek flavors.  Top it with Greek tzatziki for added flavor and pair it with grilled vegetables. How can you go wrong?