How I keep my sanity with food

Routine is key (for me, at least).  I’m a type A, super routine focused.  Food has not always been my friend, but in order to stay true to who I am, and keep my sanity, I food prep.  Sundays are my day!  I cut up my veggies, wash my fruits, grill my meats, and package what I need for the week.  It doesn’t always go smooth, but what I have learned is having my food prepped and ready to go for the week, keeps my routine, AND keeps my entire family on track.

Some tips to help start food prepping:

1     Pick a day that you know you can take a couple hours to prep your food choices for the week.

2.       Make sure you have all your containers washed, and/or enough Ziploc bags ready to go.  Doing dishes or running to the store really blows when you’re in your groove of prepping.

3.       Let your kids help!  My kids love to wash the fruits, and peel veggies, like carrots.

4.       If you are working with portion control, measure once, then mark your containers for the appropriate cup size (I use the 21 day fix portion containers, but you can do it yourself too).  For example, 1 cup of pasta.  You can mark a container that you will re-use each week with a sharpie, writing 1 cup pasta on the side.  This eliminates measuring everything, every week. 

5.       Start small, if all you get done the first week is your meats grilled or cooked, then that’s all you get done.  Don’t stress if all your food isn’t prepped.  In time you’ll get down your routine!

Have a healthy week!

Pssst! You’re over 40, you can’t have sweets….

At the ripe ol’ age of 27, I once had a fit friend (in the fitness industry) tell me “You’re lucky, you know when you turn 40, you won’t be able to touch sugar, won’t even be able to smell it….it goes right to your butt!)  Now, we both knew that was an exaggeration, but comical.  So, was she right????  I turn 40 in less than 6 months…EEEEK!  Do I eat sugar, and carbs?  Yes, yes I do.  Has my nutrition changed since I was 27?  ABSOLUTELY!  As we age, we’re more aware of our nutritional choices.  We may have learned some new foods along the way, we may have ditched some foods.  Metabolism does change, as we age.  (great article on menopause) http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/wellness/healthy-aging/eating-right-during-menopause

The important thing is, don't use age as a crutch (when working out and eating.)  What I mean by that is, just because you have heard you will gain weight, doesn’t make it the case for everyone.  I will be happy to introduce you to people in their 50’s, 60’s who look better than I did in my 20’s.

                

****If you find your body changing drastically, seek medical advice.  I love visiting a registered dietician every so often.  He/she can dial in my nutrition and teach me new things about ingredients, and how my body responds to those ingredients.  Get to know your body and journal.  That sugar might be going to your butt because you didn’t realize how much you were truly eating.