I love food. Plain and simple. And I think acknowledging this was important. There was 
no way I was going to skip meals to lose weight; instead I had to learn to make the right choices so I could genuinely enjoy and be satisfied by the foods I was putting in my body.
In those first few weeks, I focused on two things: 1) cutting out foods that were obviously bad (e.g. pop, sweets, chips, fast food, etc.) and 2) finding healthier alternatives to foods I loved. I think it’s important to note that I said healthier, not just healthy. My substitutions were not necessarily for “health foods”, but all were better alternatives. I didn’t have the money to completely overhaul my pantry; as I said before, the changes I made had to be attainable and sustainable. But all of those healthier choices, even if only incrementally healthier, added up to a substantial change in my overall diet.
Let me put it into perspective for you: instead of drinking a can of Coke everyday (as I had
for years), I started drinking water. Simple enough, right? Well this simple change meant that I was consuming 39 g (or 9 1/3 tsps) less sugar every single day! Over the course of a year that translated to 35 1/2 lbs of sugar that I wasn’t putting into my body! There is no denying that this healthier choice had a significant impact on my body. As did every choice I made to make a substitution. They weren’t drastic changes, but they allowed me to eat without guilt, and to see positive changes as time progressed.
So what else did I change, you ask?
- I cut out sugary cereals – Instead of Raisin Bran (with its sugar coated bran flakes), I added raisins and unsalted almonds to All Bran Flakes;
- I cut out muffins too – Muffins are not healthy! In fact, they’re the exact opposite. Even a “Fruit & Fibre” muffin packs 380 calories, 14g fat, and 28g sugar;
- I made note of portion sizes – As it turns out, a serving of Whole Grain Wheat Thins is 7 crackers… not half the box;
- I chose “whole grains” instead of “multigrain” – Whole grain breads, crackers, cereals, etc. are made with all parts of the grain, meaning more nutrients. Multigrain simply means parts of multiple grains are included. Multigrain is a health misnomer;
- I said “so long, Double Double” – At 264 calories, 14g fat, and 30g sugar, my Large Double Double had to go. But a Large with 2 Milk weighs in at only 60 calories, 2g fat, and 6g sugar;
- I chose quinoa instead of prepackaged rice – It tastes the same, but is far healthier and I controlled the salt; and (perhaps most importantly…)
- I chose dark chocolate instead of other sweets – Rather than depriving myself, I kept small pieces of dark chocolate in my freezer. If I had a craving after dinner, I avoiding cookies and cake, and enjoyed one piece of dark chocolate instead.
Remember: I tracked every single thing I ate on my WebMD Food and Fitness Planner. By doing so I was able to see how my choices compared day-to-day. If I consumed too much sugar one day, or didn’t eat enough protein the next, I could see what I ate that made me do so, and keep that in mind moving forward. Learning to make healthy choices was, and still is, an ongoing process, but it’s a lesson that has proven its value time and time again.
~ Court
Hello, health! 