"What are you doing to get fit?"

So, a lot of people have asked me what I'm doing to lose weight and "get fit" and I guess now is as good of a time as any to explain my choices. I am simply making better choices. Eating smaller portions...Right now, at the start of this journey, I don't really have a plan. I have found that I dont do well with plans. If I'm told "you can only have 1200 calories and you have to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day" I'll FAIL. So, I decided to start this journey out slow... I didn't get fat overnight and I know I'm not going to lose it overnight but the difference is THIS ISN'T A DIET. Its a lifestyle change. Once the weight gone, I NEVER want to see it again. EVER.

Basically, I am eating as clean and organic as possible. If it came from the earth or was grown locally then I eat it. If its packaged in a factory with additives and preservatives then its a no no. Luckily for me, I love fresh fruits and veggies... Sadly, I could eat my weight in bread... ah Logan's Roadhouse Rolls, Red Lobsters Cheesy Garlic Biscuits, PIZZA HUTS PAN PIZZA CRUST... sigh...

see what I mean... ack!

BUT I haven't cut everything out just yet... I'm taking it slow. I still eat cheese (fresh if possible and REAL cheese, not processed) and yogurt (low fat or greek) and REAL butter (actual butter, not vegetable spread) I did switch up my bread to whole grain (totally not the same as Captain John Derst's butter bread or Sara Lee's Raisin Bread with a crap load of butter but I try not to think about that too much. I do like the 15 grain whole wheat by Pepperidge Farms if I have to have bread but I am trying to cut that out as much as possible.

And WATER as much as possible. (No more sweet tea, DAMNIT) No sugar or FAKE SUGAR (like Splenda) but I do use real honey to sweeten stuff. I have a honey obsession and I seriously LOVE the stuff.... I think part of my fattness is attributed to yeast rolls and honey butter. Seriously gonna miss that shit. But its okay. :) I can still have my honey!

I like green tea too. a lot. I started buying diet green tea but I noticed it was sweetened with splenda... for now, I will have one every now and then, but I'll eventually cut that out since I dont like the effects that splenda is said to have on the body.  My goal is to eventually be 100% organic/clean. We will see...

Oh and did you know its so awful to your body to NOT EAT? (my reasons for not really knowing this will be explained in a later, more personal blog) I'm sure you all knew this but I didn't even pay attention. My schedule is so wacky that it was completely normal for me to just eat once a day and to be starving or for my boyfriend to take me out to dinner and I realize I haven't eaten all day and I eat the entire basket of bread brought to the table by myself! I have to train myself to eat more often. I've actually set alarms on my phone to eat. I'll get up from editing (my 18 hours-a-day-sometimes-more job) and grab a bottle of water (or Lipton's diet green tea for now.... I'll probably be very sad when I cut this out because I really love this stuff) and a handful of almonds or some carrots and Greek yogurt ranch mix... I have to eat like 5 times a day now... but SMALLER meals...

I still have so much to learn. I'm getting there. I don't claim to be an expert, I just know what's working for me right now...

Oh yeah, and I'm walking. I'm trying to get up every morning and walk... so far, I suck at that but I promise to get better. I want to go to the gym but with the kids out of school, thats NOT possible right now. So, I have been making plans to meet a friend at a park by my house to walk in the mornings (again, NOT good with plans) but the other day, I literally walked my driveway 5 times (its a long driveway and my dogs looked at me like I was crazy but, hey, it worked) I know I'm going to have to incorporate workouts and I'd LOVE to have a trainer one day... I do hope to train for a marathon eventually but baby steps... don't wanna get burnt out! (or be the fat chick making the ugly hyperventilating face, holding her rib cage because she bit off more than her fat ass could chew! ;) haha

Here are some of my choices for meals and snacks. Maybe they will help someone else.Of course, I eat other things, other healthy choices but these are a few of my favorites. :)

Roasted Cabbage (i can seriously eat the entire head of cabbage by myself. I LOVE THIS STUFF)
I take a head of cabbage and cut it into either thick rounds or wedges and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt and pepper (sometimes a little Worcestershire sauce) put it on a pan and bake it in the oven at like 400F for 30 minutes or so... its probably best if you google it, I suck at recipes... one version says to fry bacon and crumble it and add it but I want to gut punch the person who came up with that idea. (its AWESOME but I can't have it now so blah...) so, for the healthier version, omit the damn bacon... its still really good and I like the crispy brown almost burnt pieces SO much. my fav!

Roasted Bell pepper, squash, zucchini and broccoli (oh this is so good) same as above- NO BACON, olive oil and salt and pepper... I do like lemon juice on mine but its good without it too.

tomatoes, fresh mozzarella topped with fresh basil (yummy)

hummus! (up until last week, I never had it... I tried it and I LOVE IT) I dip pita chips in mine or carrots or a SPOON! :) it really is good.

oatmeal with fresh blueberries and organic granola and organic pecans and/or walnuts and HONEY! :)

apple slices and hazelnut butter. (hazelnut butter is SO awesome! so is almond butter)

guacamole (i make mine fresh and homemade and its so dang good! I use avocado, homemade fresh salsa, plain greek yogurt and sometimes pine nuts.... blend it all up and VIOLA, SO AWESOME! and I've found black bean chips in the organic section of Publix and i LOVE them. REALLY AWESOME SNACK)

fresh pineapple (again, a personal favorite but I can eat the whole thing. I have to stop myself lol)
fresh watermelon, cantaloupe and other fresh fruits

almonds

sweet potatoes peeled, cut into spears (like fries) or rounds and drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper and honey roasted. and as weird as it sounds, i'll dip it in a scoop of vanilla greek yogurt YUMMY (I sometimes eat this for dinner and nothing else)    

Edemame (ack! I LOVE THIS STUFF!!! but I have yet to make it myself... I will order it when I go to Cheddar's and its so awesome)

smoothies with fresh fruit and skim milk and HONEY ;)

lettuce wraps http://www.southerngirleatsclean.com/?p=608 <<< that's the recipe I use :)

so, I have a few other things I like eating but I'll save that for another date... My "non plan" is probably going to change but right now, this is what I'm doing. It's a start, right? It beats grabbing a bag of doritos and a Dr. Pepper, right? :)

I took some "Before" pictures but I haven't gotten the nerve to post those yet... I'll work on that soon. I actually think I might be posting a whole blog on my before... my clothing size, weight, everything. YIKES. That's scary...

Anyway, thanks for reading. I've got to get back to work! <3