Usually, I have a lot of trouble with the weekends. My life isn't quite as structured -- and I am not as diligent with my eating times as I should be. I also struggle with the exercise, because I tend to get more lazy on the weekends. But this weekend has actually been pretty good. I have come across some great ideas to share that I have found to be helpful.
First, since I have been at my parents house for the extended long, Memorial Day weekend, I have had to make sure that the food was available -- so it wasn't as easy to reach for the junk. Making sure that any home where you are staying is sufficiently stocked with the good foods -- makes it much easier to stay with the eating program. Fortunately, Mom and Dad have been very supportive in this process -- and they make it much easier to make sure I have the kind of foods that I can, or rather I should say I prefer to eat, available. This is a must. If the good food is easy to get to, and the junk isn't available -- then the diet becomes much easier.
One way that I came across that really makes this work well is that Mom always carries a cooler in the back of her car. This is for her drinks, because this is a less expensive way to have your drinks available, than stopping at every quickie stop for refills. But this also works great for me. She kept ice in there to keep the drinks cold, so it made it possible for me to carry the foods that I needed for my snack meals. Beef or chicken jerky, string cheese, and either fruit, or fruit drinks. Just make sure the fruit drinks are not loaded with sugar, but that they are all natural. This made eating healthy on the go, much easier -- and helped me to maintain the eating times.
We were in the store as well, this weekend, and I happened to pick up one of the advertisement brochures that was posted in the store. They frequently have interesting tips, and suggestions, so I took it along. This particular one came from Kashi -- and was an advertisement for their cereals, and products, with some coupons inside. But it also had a little suggestion list inside, that I though I would share with you.
"Seven Little Steps to a healthy happy you.
1. Set a weekly goal. Once a week, write down a goal (e.g. running for 5 more minutes, losing a pound, getting to the gym) and make a plan for the next seven days for getting there.
2. Give rowing a go! Instead of running on a treadmill, try something new -- spend at least 10 minutes at the gym trying out the rowing machine or even try it outdoors.
3. Mind your omega-3's. Challenge yourself to make at least 3 meals that are high in omega-3s (salmon, tuna, soybeans). Once you see how easy it is, you might do it more often.
4. Eat fruit every day. Eating fruit increases the nutrition in your diet and may make you less likely to eat less healthy options. Try to eat one whole fruit every day.
5. Grow an organic garden. Before you dig, learn about organic gardening options and use them instead of conventional ones.
6. Inspire positive change. Be a leader in healthy living by volunteering, community organizing, writing an article for a publication or just connecting with others.
7. We heart whole grains! Grains are your ally in health. They're full of nutrients and they help keep your digestive system running smoothly. Make your mamma proud. . . incorporate grains in every meal."
These are some great ideas, and they are all simple -- but they help keep you motivated, if nothing else! Also, the Kashi website has a lot of other suggestions for healthy living. They provide challenges, and a wellness center, in order to provide more information on changing over to a more healthy lifestyle. It is a website that offers lots of good ideas, and I would recommend some time there: http://www.kashi.com/challenges.
There is one thing I have learned also, that I thought I would share -- more for comedy relief. Memorial Day weekend is not a very good time to choose for walking -- if your favorite walking spot is in a cemetery! :)
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