I’m doing to improve my diet.

1.  Drink more water.  This is a goal I always have in mind, but I’m not always good about it.  I want to keep a water bottle with me at all times so I always have the option.  It will keep me hydrated and make me less hungry throughout the day.

2.  Minimize sugar.  I used to be a salty rather than sweet girl, but for some reason when I went on a serious (and effective) diet a few years ago, my cravings switched from salty to sweet.  But I know that sugar is addictive, and it’s not doing much for me in terms of nutrition.  My goal is to eat things to fuel my body, and too much sugar slows me down.  I’m cutting back on baking in my house to minimize temptation, and keeping an eye on the grams of sugar in the packaged foods I eat like yogurt, snack bars, and cereal.

3. Focus on protein.  I work out every day, so I need protein to help build and maintain my muscles.  Plus protein is supposed to keep your stomach satisfied for longer than carbs.  As I build and tone muscle, my hope is that the fat will burn off.  I want to be a lean mean fitness machine again!

4. Fill up on vegetables.  I love vegetables and we all know they’re healthy, but sometimes they’re problematic for me because they aren’t always as quick and easy as a packaged snack, or they go bad in my fridge before I can enjoy them.  The great thing about veggies is that they’re so low in calories, so there’s minimal guilt.  I just need to remember to put in the extra effort to keep them available and ready to eat in my house, and grab them first before I move onto other less nutritional options.

5.  Stop rationalizing bad choices!  This is probably my biggest challenge when it comes to my diet. I need to be able to eat a correct portion rather than always cleaning my plate.  If I go out to eat with my brothers I can’t go course for course with them, we do not have the same metabolism or nutritional needs.  If I have a good day or a bad day, I don’t need a cookie!

I’m no expert but these are just some of my goals based on the large array of reading I’ve done about nutrition.  Last year was a bad year for me when it came to my weight.  I rapidly gained back the large amount of weight I was previously so proud of losing.  I am not happy to be back to the drawing board, but my recent mantra is: progress, not perfection.  I loved the confidence boost of losing weight and getting in shape when I did it the first time, so hopefully I will experience that again, and maintain it!