Loving “Healthy”

My motivation for exercise has changed as I have gotten (ahem) a bit older. I used to want to be skinny. Skinny was very popular when I was in high school. I was born not-skinny. This picture is from the seventies…notice how my crib looks like a jail here, right? 

Here’s another pic.  Check out the old school playpen and tile floors! I kept my chubby cheeks through high school, but those pics are for another post.

When I entered dental hygiene school, the stress and all that walking trimmed me up quite a bit and I didn’t really struggle with my weight again until after Josh was born, but I shed those after-baby pounds quickly with the Slimfast diet. These days I can’t bring myself to go there anymore. It is effective for weight loss, but I just don’t feel like it is a healthy option.

Plus, as my daughter has grown, I see I need to model healthier choices and healthier ways of thinking about eating right and exercise. And lately, I have realized that I want to live a #MoreAbundantLife, enjoying things that are good for me instead alternating between crash dieting and overeating.

Eating right/Exercise

Eating right and exercise…these things have always been on the no-fun list for me. So I have a few hacks for you, if you’re like me:

• Keep in mind that your body belongs to God. Think of it as a loaner. [tweetthis]Keep in mind that your body belongs to God. Think of it as a loaner. [/tweetthis] Remembering this helps me, because my constant temptation is to look for shortcuts to help me fit into my jeans.
• Drink Shakeology. This Beachbody product is like “5 trips to the salad bar” and it tastes much better than most meal replacement drinks. The carb to protein ratio curbs cravings. It’s quick and easy!
• PiYo! Another Beachbody product, this exercise program is strengthening and stretching, cardio and core. That’s pretty much everything I like to do! Most of the videos are 35 minutes or less. That’s about all I like to do, time wise.
• Theratears Nutrition – I have dry eye syndrome but this has really turned things around for me! It is a 1200mg Omega-3 daily supplement, so it is good for your heart too.
• Lemon-Honey Water. Juice from 1/2 of a lemon, 1 tsp honey, hot water, first thing in the morning. I read about it first on my friend Eryn’s blog.
• Cook healthy, delicious food. Healthy food tastes great! I love salads. I love Aidell’s Chicken Apple Sausage for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I like grilled romaine, sautéed kale (will share this recipe soon!), and fresh veggies and fruits.
• Make smart choices. At out house, we eat organic when we can afford it, and we don’t stress about the rest. We believe that calories and fats count. We use healthy oils like avocado and olive. We buy low-fat milk (I know…that’s a health controversy, but that’s where we land) and low-fat meats like ground turkey, 90% or 93% lean beef, and chicken.

I need some help in the exercise department, finding alternatives that are 30 minutes or less. What programs do you like? Also, we never eat fish. I hate cooking it!  Any great fish recipes you have would be greatly appreciated!