Some things that work

A lot of times I (and other people) write about the obstacles we face in achieving our goals. Which is perfectly normal and a great way to solicit ideas! But sometimes it’s good to write about success as well – it helps you remember what works so you can continue and reinforces that you can succeed!

Some recent successes and things that work:

Hub bought a new pair of walking shoes. I sat down and talked to him about my plans to actively turn my health into a “hobby” and I asked him to participate – specifically, I asked him to walk with me. His old walking shoes were worn out. Our son had a $25 gift certificate to a local show shop which hub used to buy new walking shoes. He thought up the idea himself – I didn’t have to prod him!

I made great strides this past year in decreasing my consumption of animal products and increasing my consumption of vegetables. One thing I read somewhere really stuck with me – “Instead of eliminating foods from your diet, crowd them out with new ones.” What a simple yet profound concept! Once I started basing a lot of my lunch ideas around beans with some grains thrown in, there really was no need for meat. Add avocado or olives (both yummy, decadent treats in my world!) to a meal and who needs cheese?

Spinach in my morning smoothie, wilted spinach as a side or in something (like spaghetti sauce), tossing a box of Green Giant vegetables into my lunch box (I stock up when they go on sale) have all been easy ways to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. Also, a snack I’ve enjoyed this past year was either hummus (I went on a kick with the single serving packs from Costco there for a while) or baba ganoush as a dip for vegetables - a great mid morning snack, not to mention cheap, easy, and majorly nutritious!

All in all, great strides in terms of nutrition in 2009!

So keep that going and focus on the exercise side of the equation now!