Be Prepared and Be Early

Always be prepared.  Isn't that the Boy Scout motto?  Most of the time I am...prepared.  I'm a planner by nature.  I like to make lists and check things off.  I like to know what is going to happen and how.  Yes, I know.  I'm a bit of a control freak, but it helps me stay on task and get things done ( 5 kids and a dog keep my life BUSY. )  My preparedness doesn't always translate to food though.  Which is a problem because if I don't know what my next meal is I am likely to eat a frozen waffle with butter and syrup.  A carb and sugar nightmare.

A good nutritional program takes some organization.  It takes some planning.  You have to go to the grocery store.  You have to spend some time in the kitchen.  You have to know what's coming.  At Total Family Healthcare and Wellness, our nutritional program revolves around eating lean protein, vegetables, and fruit...which is saddly in short supply at the 7-11!  So I have to hit the produce department and the meat counter at the grocery store if I want to succeed.  And I want to succeed...and keep succeeding, at eating right.  Having a good supply of the right foods in my kitchen is imperative!

Having the good stuff ready is half of my battle.  The second half is to eat it!  I've heard people say "Only eat when you are hungry."  This is their weight loss advise.  "They," being those naturally thin people we love to hate.  If I waited until I was hungry to eat, I would succumb to my hot dog and onion ring addiction regularly.  And I would still weigh 200 pounds!  My trick is to eat BEFORE I get hungry.  If my hunger passes my stomach and makes it to my head, then I'm in trouble.  I start thinking about what sounds good...pizza, cheeseburgers, ONION RINGS!  But if I eat 10 minutes before I get hungry...the grilled chicken breast and broccoli I planned on sounds just fine!  I refuel and I'm ready to go.

Now that I've been doing this for years, it has gotten easier.  I have a fridge and pantry stocked with good food.  And by good food I don't mean frozen White Castle Burgers.  I mean eggs, chicken breasts, raw almonds, blueberries, and my favorite...frozen steam in the bag veggies!!!  lol.  I really do love steam in the bag veggies.  So easy.  And always in the freezer.  How can you beat that?  Plus, it keeps my refridgerator crisper drawer (which I call the rotter) free of slimey old vegetables.  It's a win win :)