And the rut has begun...

Something we've all faced is a rut...With me it's been getting my butt to the gym!  It's a given that I work twelve hour shifts and afterwards the last thing I wanna do after walking up and down halls, running into rooms, bagging that last patient....the list goes on...is walk/run (running in my dreams) on a treadmill.  So, what's a overworked nurse to do?  

Change it up, of course.  

I walk plenty on a daily basis during a shift.  Don't believe me ask my tennis shoes.  So, the last thing I want to do is walk another couple of miles on the treadmill.

I think this week I'm going to try the cycle.  It looks pretty fun.  And then I'm going to do some dancing.  Dancing is fun and gets your whole body moving.  Phew!  I almost allowed myself to fall into a rut!

Here's the thing about ruts, it doesn't have to be exercise, though that is what Fridays are now about.  You can have a rut in your diet.  Variety is how we stay healthy, unless you have the perfect diet, that is.  We crave different foods to get the nutrients that we need from day to day.  I don't want string cheese every day just like last night I wanted tomato soup and not broccoli and cheese!  So don't be afraid to spice up your workout, your dinner, and dare I say it...your love life!

Water! Water! Water!

I know you're supposed to drink six to eight glasses of water per day...but water tastes so...watery!  I struggle with this and can't seem to break it.  I'd like to be able to drink just water, but I find myself mixing packets of flavor with it or choosing a juice or diet soda instead.

So, why do I not drink water?  I thought about this for a bit and I must say it is a complex issue.  Firstly, I crave flavor.  So, taste is an issue.  Secondly, even though it is accessible-it's not.   (HUH?)  Yeah, confusing!

When I say it is accessible but not I mean that I can turn on just any faucet and life giving liquid pours freely...but I still reach for the soda/juice.  

So, here is my action plan...

Drink a 16 ounce bottle of water with each meal!  That'll take care of six glasses of water.  Then I'll keep a cup of water nearby to sip on throughout the day.  It doesn't solve the taste issue, but I can learn to love it..Right?

When Cravings take you over!

Cravings...we've all had them and they've ruined many a diet-thank goodness I'm not dieting but making better choices.  So does that mean I'll never eat another Reese's cup?  Heck to the no!!
Chocolate, sodas, and cake...oh my!
The thing is I've spent my whole life eating terribly, so I can't expect myself to just be perfect!  So, I eat a piece of candy instead of the whole candy bar!!  Probably the biggest hurdle of any craving is stopping when you've fulfilled that craving.
I am glutinous when it comes to food.  I love the smells, textures and tastes of a variety of food.  Add to that my need to eat every bit of something is a bad choice.
We live in a world of enormous portion sizes and I've not learned to say no!  But I am working on it!
New aspect of my lifestyle...Don't fret that you ate the cookie, instead celebrate that there is still most of the package left!  
So, don't dismiss your cravings, because if you're like me then you'll end up overeating that little craving when you finally just can't take it anymore!

So, this week I've learned:

• Listen to your cravings, and listen hard.  Did I really want that piece of chocolate bar?  Yes, I did, but I didn't want the entire bar and it is perfectly okay to put it in a ziploc bag for later!
• Portions aren't meant to be bigger than one's stomach!  When you're full you can quit eating and I'll donate some money to a hunger-relief charity so I won't feel so bad about feeding the leftovers to the dogs.
• Am I hungry or am I thirsty?  I am notorious for not drinking...pretty much not much at all!  I need to increase the fluids in my diet and maybe just maybe...I'm thirsty and not hungry!
• And last but not least...that damn chocolate bar was way more delicious when it is eaten sparingly instead of whenever I see the blasted thing!

So, what are you craving???

Astrid's Healthy Choices

Okay, so on this journey to eat more healthy and get into better cardiovascular health, I've stumbled on a few favorites!  I really love quick things to fix.  As the queen of the drive-thru my life has always been...fast-paced!  Given that, this list is full of really quick side dishes!

These are my top 5:

Number 5:  Lightly Sauced Broccoli with cheese sauce by Birdseye (website link)
-When they say lightly sauced I was really skeptical.  I mean what's broccoli without loads of cheese?  This was really awesome and for a four to five minute microwave wait it was super really awesome.  I really liked it and stocked my freezer with more!  They also have a carrot, cauliflower and broccoli variety, but I'm not that into cauliflower...so maybe I'll give it a try!

Number 4: Lightly Sauced Tuscan Vegetables with Marinara Sauce by Birdseye (website link)

-A melody of squashes, red bell peppers and carrots with a marinara sauce.  This was a really good blend and I tend to like my veggies a little on the mushy side, but if you cook them less they are less mushy.  For a five minute microwave you can't beat it!  This went really good with chicken, baked with Italian seasoning...mmmmm!  My mouth is watering!

Number 3: Allen's tomatoes and okra! (website link)

-I love tomatoes and okra, but I especially love Allen's.  Sure there are other varieties but this is my fav!

Number 2: Jasmine Rice

-There are many kinds of rice and I never appreciated the differences between them until I ate some steamed Jasmine Rice.  It has a better flavor and I love to eat it with just chicken.

Number 1: Lightly Sauced Roasted Red Potatoes & Green Beans with Parmesan Olive Oil Sauce by Birdseye

-I absolutely love this one!   I could eat it with almost every meal.  And it still has that five minute microwave time!

Dieting...

I've always said that I would never diet...I don't want to do something that has the word die in it!  But, as I weighed during some precious free time in the ER last week I was aghast at the 260 pounds that stared back at me...All those cupcakes and fast food meals laughed at my dismay!  (I heard them)  Which, honestly I could care less about the weight, but my physical condition is less than it used to be...let me put this in perspective:
Approx. 6 years ago I could:

• Run a mile (not quickly, but I did it without feeling as though my heart would explode!)
• I was very flexible, despite my curves, and could do the splits, among other feats of flexibility.  I'm still pretty flexible, but I tried the splits a few days ago and it was quite embarrassing!  Thank goodness I was alone.

Now, I refuse to diet, but I will modify my current eating habits!  Which led me to lose five pounds this week!  While that's not typical I do know that when you change eating habits the first few weeks go really well...for example...I cut out sugary beverages and sodas from my daily routine (except sweet tea, I'm from the South and that's just not feasible).  I've also added more vegetables and fruits to my meals.  I'm not a veggie hater, just never got the option to add broccoli and cheese to my cheeseburger at Sonic or McDonald's. 

So with just those little changes I've decreased from 260 to 255!  Now every Friday will be devoted to my progress!  Maybe you can share some of your tips and tricks!

Also, just a (I'm not sure what this is) as a health care professional I will say that I consulted my Doc on these changes.  I got a weird look, but mostly I asked can I begin an exercise regimen?  Well, yes I can, but each person's health is unique and should be evaluated per their physician!  So, today I'm going to get my assessment for the gym and get to moving these luscious curves!