We were all out of bread this morning, so I decided to drive to Great Harvest bakery and pick up some goodies.
Maggie drove.
Cinnamonnnn buns smelled so good.
However, since I apparently have no self-control around Great Harvest cinnachip bread, I opted for the Honey Whole Wheat instead. Ingredients: Freshly Stone-Milled Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Honey, Yeast, Salt. I can get behind that!
Breakfast:
Two over-easy eggs with a big slice of Honey Whole Wheat.
And local, organic blueberries from the farmer’s market.
Your Tips for Getting Over an Healthy Eating Slump
Last week, I asked for tips on getting over an eating or exercise slump. Here are my personal favorites from this post (there are more than 520 other suggestions, too!):
Morgan at Life After Bagels wrote: “Starting to read all of these lovely blogs is what tipped me into my routine healthy eating. It was so easy when you knew lots of people were doing it and succeeding, plus it was easier to find new and delicious meals.â€
Jessica wrote, “I had a major health scare a few years ago. I was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the young age of 27. I was shocked, upset, bewildered, and stunned. Throughout this experience, I have realized how important it is to treat your body well. You must be mindful what you put in your body and you must, must, must exercise!! I finally stopped drinking diet coke (after all these years), realized that I should eat a healthy, filling breakfast, and to sometimes splurge on treats because life is WAY too short!!
Maryann wrote, “This is going to sound completely ridiculous, but my turning point was the moment I vowed to myself that I’d eat something a little decadent EVERY day. I’ve always attempted the intuitive eating thing, but i noticed that when I would crave all things healthy one day, the opposite extreme would still inevitably catch up with me. When I promise to have a little something decadent or naughty, my healthy eating is so much more consistent throughout the whole year! I think its so empowering to realize that you MUST feed both you mind, body, soul to live not only a long and healthy life, but one that provides nourishment to your heart and happiness. By incorporating this into your eating, the concept seems to spread into other areas of life and you treat yourself so much more compassionately and respectfully.†\
Erika wrote: “One of my biggest turning points in balanced eating was recognizing the importance of a big, filling breakfast. I’ve always been a breakfast eater, but it used to be sugary cereal or toast with jam, and it was probably 300 cal or less. I gradually amped up breakfast to 500-600 calories of oatmeal with fruit, nut butters, and milk, and it sets the tone for a whole day of healthy eating!â€
Nicole wrote, “My turning point was just recently…after years of always thinking I needed to be on a “diet†to be healthy I just sat here one day and realized…NO! I can eat amazing food and be healthy without having to follow some diet book!( I used to think peanut butter and avocado were “bad†– crazy, I know!) Now when I see a certain amount of fat or calories in something I don’t freak out over the number. I simply ask myself, “Is it healthy natural ingredients that are good for me or should I pass because it’s something processed and won’t leave me feeling as good or satisfied as I should?†I have to also say that I think by reading this blog and others it has opened my eyes to see that being healthy is about a balance… something I really never had until recently!â€
Nikee wrote, “My turning point was when I noticed that my children really do look up to me as a role model in what foods they eat. If I have healthy choices available and am I myself eating healthy they do the same. I find if I involve the 2 older ones in the process of cooking foods and shopping for them they seem to feel better about what they are eating and want to make healthier choices. We swapped out soda for seltzer or water flavored with orange or lemon. Also, we make sure to watch portions. I want them to know it is definitely to have treats, but just to limit them.â€
Jen wrote, “I’d been eating fairly healthy (slowly switched from college food to diet food to real food over a period of years) for a while when my son was diagnosed with food allergies. When I started really reading ingredient lists and not just scanning fat and fiber and calories stats, I was a bit horrified at how many unnecessary and unpronouncable ingredients are in foods we consider healthy. I guess that was my turning point – I now aim for as simple a list as possible – or no list!â€
Kate wrote, “I stopped drinking soda and started drinking tons of water – made a huge difference! I also focused on adding fruits and veggies and trying new fresh foods rather than mourning the fact that I was eating less processed food. The switches made me feel so much better!â€
Katie wrote, “The healthiest eating habit that I still work with every day is MODERATION. Being a healthy “freak†when it came to food only led to bad choices as my body and mind rebelled against myself for being so restrictive. But mastering the art of moderation allows me to maintain a healthy balance while not depriving myself of what my body sometimes truly needs and wants.â€
Tyler wrote, “I try to incorporate the less is more philosophy. I’ll get a caramel latte but get skim milk, no whip, less caramel. I’ll use a full flavor dressing on my salad, but use less. Same with cheese, even though it’s realllly hard! Staying on track can be tricky, but it’s so worth it in the end!â€
Maria wrote, “My Healthy Tipping Point is almost difficult to admit. When I finally woke up after years of working out and trying to “eat healthy†(you know, 100 calorie packs and turkey jerky), and obsessing over my scale weight, it hit me. One morning, I stepped on the scale and got really, really excited over a half pound loss. I repeat, I was oh so happy over A HALF POUND LOSS. Definitely some unhealthy thinking there. After I did my little “I just lost a half pound danceâ€, it occurred to me just how silly/crazy/ridiculous that was! The next day I hid the scale, looked up some food/health blogs and started a new chapter. My life is now filled with positive thinking (my legs aren’t short and stubby, they are petite and strong), Green Monsters, eating whole unprocessed foods, and doing workouts I enjoy, not dread. I can’t tell you how happy I am with myself and my new outlook on healthy living.â€
To check out my favorite exercise hump-busters, check out this post.
Is “balance†something you strive to achieve in your eating habits? What does it mean to you? Why is it important to you physically and mentally?
SO many good tips there, I agree with them all!!
I believe in balance – for eg, chocolate on a whole isn’t good for you. If you ate it all the time, you’d be very unhealthy. But a little bit is SO important for mental wellbeing, which is just as important as physical IMHO! And if you can’t treat yourself, then what’s the point? We all need breaks and treats 🙂
I always aim for balance every day with eating – I have chocolate evyr day, I also have nut butters, LOADS of fruit and veggies, no processed stuff…so I can have chocolate and still be balanced and healthy 🙂