I am going to be honest and that I am copying goals, why reinvent the wheel, that another has posted but adding my own take on them:
- reduce empty calories (sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol)
- reduce the white (i.e., pasta, rice, bread) and increase the color (whole wheat, rye, seeds)
- increase fruits and vegetables, STRIVE for FIVE
- 40 ounces of water to every 10 ounces of coffee
- drink water first thing in the morning and last thing at night
- 10,000 steps a day, including no tv until goal is met . . . walk during every commecial
- decrease carbs, increase proteins
- journal about food, attitude, goals, achievements and failures
- update recipes to reduce refined products and increase healthier ingredients (no one will notice)
- reduce salt
Seems simple, right. Well, lets break this down:
- Reducing empty calories and "white foods" only works if you read labels and make a concentrated effort to do this. The best way is to not eat processed foods. Even eating whole wheat and rye breads/ pastas doesn't necessarily mean that you will be doing much if the thing is loaded with other processed ingredients.
- increase fruits and vegetables, STRIVE for FIVE . . . I could eat five servings of fruits and vegetables for lunch, in a salad. But the idea is to spread this out during the day. Banana for breakfast, salad WITH lunch and/or dinner plus good vegetables with dinner. It can work. But eating a large salad at lunch isn't necessarily the key, if you have to load it with dressing to make the entire thing palatable.
- 40 ounces of water to every 10 ounces of coffee . . . I hold my coffee hostage! No water . . . no coffee. I love playing mind games with myself.
- drink water first thing in the morning and last thing at night. This is easy, except that I am already getting up at 4:00 a.m. to go to the bathroom . . . this might make it that I get up at 3:00.
- 10,000 steps a day, including no tv until goal is met . . . walk during every commecial. This is the tough one. Back pain and sciatica make walking, at times, very painful. But walking around the house during commercials might be more doable than going for a 30 minute walk.
- decrease carbs, increase proteins. I need to break out my carb book. I know I am always surprised at where I find my carbs.
- journal about food, attitude, goals, achievements and failures. Using My Fitness Pal on my phone.
- update recipes to reduce refined products and increase healthier ingredients (no one will notice).