My Top 10 Tips to a Healthy Lifestyle

I recently threw my diet and exercise program into high gear and have received some great results. It took me years of fine tuning to make this lifestyle change happen, but it has finally all come together.

Several people have asked me what I did to finally get the scale to move and the simple answer is that I counted every calorie and worked my butt off in the gym. In thinking about it, I realized that the answer is really not that simple. Isn't that always the way? And what works for me may not work for everyone. So with that in mind, here are ten of the things I've learned along the way.

1.  Being healthy is a part-time job.  Yes, you read that right; and unfortunately there isn't any other way around it. Being healthy takes time. I literally spend 20 hours per week (at least) on my new healthy lifestyle. Between meal prep time, time at the gym, and time spent pounding the pavement getting my steps in, I spend an enormous amount of time making sure I stay on track. That means I have to say "no" to a lot of other activities.

Now while I don't have kids at home taking up my time, I also don't have a spouse at home to help me around the house. I have to take care of everything all on my own. Quite frankly, some people don't understand why you can't volunteer for yet another committee at church or spend a couple of week nights on something "fun".  I don't have the time.  If I want to do this I need to keep focused. And since I already have a full-time job, adding another part-time job to that can be stressful. You can relax a bit after you reach your goals, but we are looking for a lifestyle change here, are we not?

2.  If you don't recognize what it's made of, don't eat it.  In today's world, this is one of the hardest rules to follow. I've been preaching this for a while: eat more whole foods. Convenience has it's price and that price is processed food. For example, salsa is a great addition to your meal. In addition to being darn tasty and having almost no calories, it's packed full of vitamins and minerals. However, if you're not making it yourself you never know what's hidden in it. Watch out for added sugars -- we don't need them. Best packaged foods have five ingredients or less, and you shouldn't need a degree in chemistry to pronounce any of them.

Now we all can't be perfect all the time, and sometimes you just need to go out to lunch with your Bestie, so have a backup plan. Pick a few eating establishments, do your research on their website, use the nutrition calculators, find out how they source their ingredients, and then watch how they prepare their food (do they measure?). Know what you are going to order before you get there. You'll be happy you did your homework.

3.  Make friends with your supermarket salad bar.  Fresh produce is expensive. Add the cost of someone else chopping it up, and it's even more expensive. However, when you're at a loss and don't have a meal planned for a day, a salad bar can be your best friend.

I am fortunate that the grocery store near my house has a great salad bar. Everything is always fresh and well-stocked. I recently commented about that to the woman who was restocking it and she let me know she takes great pride in everything looking fresh and neat for her salad bar.

One other benefit: did I mention everything there is fresh? I don't know about you but I throw out more food than I eat. I always have good intentions but somehow life gets in the way and I don't end up having time to make that roasted cauliflower that's supposed to taste like popcorn. So it ends up going bad in my fridge. Food just doesn't keep as long as it used to, unless you're buying it at the farmer's market, so a salad bar can actually save me money in the long run. Just one warning, keep your selections to the veggies and fruit and forget about the nuts and pre-made salads.

I've also stopped using bottled salad dressings. I now only use vinegar and oil. There are a lot of great vinegars out there! One of my favorites is from Trader Joe's and it's called "Orange Muscat Vinegar". I do half and half, vinegar to olive oil, and it tastes great.

4.  Eat your eggs. I don't like eggs. I never have. It's just something about their texture that wiggs me out.  However, they are self-contained protein powerhouses! And at only 74 calories for a large egg they are a dieter's best friend. So,
I have "taught" myself to eat eggs. I eat a frittata every morning for breakfast. I make them ahead-of-time in muffin tins, wrap them up individually, freeze them, and then heat them up in the microwave when I'm ready to eat them. One frittata with a glass of milk can keep me satisfied all morning long. If you're worried about eggs raising your cholesterol, think about this. During a six month period of time I ate an egg frittata every week day, an egg sandwich on the weekends (buttered toast, fried egg whites in butter, and bacon), and my cholesterol ratio vastly improved. Add a glass of milk to it to get in part of your daily calcium and you have an amazing meal.

5. Count your calories. I know ... I know ... you don't want to hear this. But the old adage remains true: calories in verses calories out is how you lose weight--at least it's one of the main factors.  There are 3500 calories in a pound. Want to lose a pound? You have to burn 3500 more calories than you consume. Two pounds is 7000 whopping calories! That's a lot of steps, and sit-ups, and, well, you get the picture. There are some great calorie counting apps out there. Use them. They're free. It just takes time, but once you get a few things set up they get easier and easier to use.

If you're like me, you really don't realize how many calories you truly eat until you count every ounce of cheese, every craisin, or every nut. Those calories add up. I've also found that exercise doesn't burn as many calories as I would like it to burn so counting calories is even more important.

Know your portion sizes, too. I weigh and measure everything. I know which glass to grab for 1 cup and which to grab for 1-1/2 cups. I use the same bowl for my soups, etc. so I know exactly how big one portion is.

Have your go-to snacks close at hand. Some times you're just hungry, so make sure you know what will fit in your calorie allotment and what won't.  Nuts are great snacks but they are loaded with calories.

The only calories I'm not OCD about counting is vegetable calories. I don't measure out my celery, or onions, or carrots, or spinach or lettuce. By the time you've entered it into your app you've already burned the 17 calories from the veggies. Don't sweat it.

6. Get used to eating the same meal several days in a row.  Especially if you work a full-time job. I do meal prep on the weekends. I pick one day, usually Sunday afternoons, and use that time to get my meals set for the week so I don't have to think about what I'm going to eat on any given day. Eventually, you'll get in a routine. Want to see me stressed out? Take away my meal prep time.

For instance, I will make a big batch of my tuna salad so I can eat tuna melts for lunch every day for the week (Monday through Thursday). I will also grill a split turkey breast and two chicken breasts on Sunday which gives me dinner on Sunday night and enough meat for sandwiches and salads all week long. I'll alternate those meals with another set of meals for another week.

Also, eat an apple every day. They are available all year round, are good for you and they are only about 80 calories for a medium apple. I have learned to substitute an apple for chips with a sandwich. Sometimes you just want to eat something crunchy and an apple is great crunchy snack.

7. Drink your water.  One hundred ounces a day. That's a lot of trips to the bathroom. However, it flushes out your system and keeps your skin looking fabulous. I drink two glasses in the morning after I get up and before I leave for work. Four more before lunch. Two with lunch. At least four more between lunch and going to bed. I also have one to two glasses of milk throughout my day, too. It's a lot of fluid, but our bodies need it to function.

Remember, any caffeinated beverages take away from your water count. If you don't like drinking just plain water, put ice cubes in it (IMHO, almost everything tastes better with ice cubes in it). You can also add some lemon or cucumber to it to change the taste (and add vitamins). Try strawberry basil infused water -- it's scrumptious!!

Also, if you think you are hungry between meals, drink a glass of water. Chances are you're probably thirsty, not hungry, and the craving will go away.

8. Eat that piece of chocolate. Yep, I do. I'm one of those people who likes a bite of something sweet after a meal. I've tried and tried and I can't seem to break that habit. While fruit does it most of the time, sometimes you just have to have a piece of chocolate.

9. Move your arse! Sorry, but there's just no other way to put it. Invest in an exercise program whether it's a gym membership or renting a video from the library. Specifically, do some kind of weight resistance training. This can be accomplished without any special equipment at all by just using your body weight. Squats, sit-ups, lunges, jumping jacks, planks, push-ups, mountain climbers, and the dreaded burpee can all be done using body weight alone. Add a couple of pieces of inexpensive equipment, and you add more weight resistance.

Get out and walk! I have a desk job so I don't get very many steps in during the day. In order for me to get in 10,000 steps I have to walk before work, during lunch, and then again after work. If in the course of your job you can easily get 10,000 steps in, then set your goal at 15,000. You have to push your body. You can't get fit by doing the "status quo."

Find something you like to do and do it. I've spent many years in a gym with a personal trainer and recently came to the realization that I hate training in a gym. However, when I put all that training knowledge into use in a boot camp class, I absolutely love it. It's hard, but it's fun, I see results, and that keeps me coming back for more.

10. Have a cheat meal. No matter how hard I try to change my taste buds, their favorite meal will always be a hamburger, fries and a Pepsi. I can only go so long before I find myself at the drive-thru at Culver's. So I allow myself one meal a week where I can go nuts. It's like a little mini vacation from the dieting.

Well, there you have it. Use some of it ... or all of it ... or none of it, but this is what has worked for me and what I have learned over years of research and trial-by-error.  There are a bunch of other little things, but I think ten is enough for now.

Needless to say, I could never do all these things without the strength of Jesus behind me. In those days when I want to quit, when I'm so stressed out because I'm trying to fit 28 hours in a 24 hour day, or when I just can't seem to get off the couch, I always turn to Jesus for help and guidance. He is part of my support system.

Good luck!