Change Is A Good Thing

You will never hear me tell you that I am on a diet. Those words won't leave my mouth because I am NOT on a diet. I have made a choice to change my lifestyle. A healthy change makes the biggest difference in your life, and it isn't as hard as you might think.

Simple Steps Make Big Results

1. CUT OUT SUGAR

It's that simple-say goodbye to sugar.

Buy sugar free foods. There are tasty foods that are sugar free.
Change from sugar to Splenda or Truvia. They are much better choices.

Have a sweet tooth??

Try this:

**Sugar Free Chocolate Pie**

-Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding
-Fat Free Cool Whip
-Pie Shell

It has all the sweetness of a treat packed with calories and sugar, but it is actually good for you.


                                              

Some of my snacks

                                                         

2. TURN BACK THAT H20

We all need 64 oz. of water every day. This is so very important. I have noticed if I slack off on my water intake I feel slugish and I also stop loosing weight.

I have Rubbermade water bottles that are 20 oz each. You can purchase them at Walmart for around $2.50. You also might try keeping water bottles like Dasani with you if you don't want to keep something refilled.

"Cori, I don't like water". 
My response... "Oh, well do you like diabetes? If you don't learn to cut the sodas and sip the water you will have to learn to live with diabetes.....and....ain't no body got time for that. ;)

If you ARE one of the many people that tell me they can't stand the taste of water try these tips:

-Lemon Juice & Lime Juice: I keep bottles of each around and add it to my water when I want a flavor kick.

-Fresh or Frozen Fruits: Cut up a peach or kiwi and toss it right into a glass of cold ice water! You might even try cucumber if you aren't big on fruits. So many possibilities.

-Crystal Light Pure: The pure ones are aspartame FREE!!! Aspartame is that sneaky little ingredient that gives SOME people headaches...me being one of them.

-Crystal Light & Crystal Light Lemonade

-Dasani Drops

-MIO drops

All these things are ways to get some flavor without the sugar and calories.

3. PROTEIN IS POWER

Protein is one of the things that has really helped me! I aim for 60-70 grams of protein every day.

"Cori, how in the world do you get all your protein in every day?"

-Eat foods that are high in protein!

 Fish (Salmon & Tilapia are good)

 Shrimp (Wal-mart sells bags of shrimp for $5.00-4 oz. of this shrimp is 26 g of protein!!) I can also cook this shrimp within ten minutes....everyone has time for this!

 Turkey meat (Turkey burgers with ranch seasoning is very yummy)

 Lean pork chops

 Chicken salad, Weight Watchers String Cheese, Beans, etc.

~I also have a protein shake some mornings. I use Whey Protein at Walmart, it's around $15.97. One scoop and 6-8 oz of milk (I use SILK) is all you do. I literally make my shake before I walk out the door every day. The great plus to this protein mix is that one scoop is 26g.


                                    


                                     

4. BAKE DON'T FRY

I am from the south and understand all the amazing foods our families can cook. Many of those foods are fried. I don't fry anything EVER! It is not only bad for you, but it makes you feel so yucky. I bake or stir fry everything I cook. It is actually quite simple. Season it and pop it in the oven. I keep olive oil on stand by so that I am ready to start cooking when I walk into my kitchen. You might find that cooking different ways other than frying is actually tastier.

5. VEGGIES ARE YOUR ROCK

When I shop I go around the outer walls of the store....produce, dairy, meat. This way I get all of the good foods first:
A. Filling my buggy
B. It makes it so much easier to choose the better choices.

When I walk into the produce section I just walk around. I get all the veggies I know I like to cook first. Then I start looking at things I haven't cooked before. I get a few new things to try and move on. I don't eat too many fruits because some are packed with sugar, but occassionally I will grab a couple things to give myself more choices.

6. WATCH OUT FOR BREAD

I don't eat bread. Cut that out and watch your clothes start getting bigger! Some people really have to have bread in their life. If that is you try this:

Take your shopping list you made from my last post and jot down some of these ideas if you think they are choices you would like to try. I'll show you how I bring all these foods together soon with some of my own meals!

Until next time, be the best you can be!


XOXO

Cori