A couple nights ago, Kev and I were watching the news and they were talking about the latest obesity trends for the United States, which was sobering to say the least. They said that Utah had the 5th lowest obesity rate, but that our state was still climbing at an alarming rate.
For Utah, the obesity rate for adults was 24.1% in 2013, but in 2004 it was 19.6% and in 1990 it was only 9%. Frightening! Here’s the map that was shared on the news,
Ya know, when I was growing up (in the 80’s and 90’s) I really didn’t know or see too many overweight people. Nowadays, it seems like MOST people are overweight, including teenagers and kids. In fact, it seems like fit and healthy people are a rarity these days.
I think the majority of the obesity problem stems from the foods our society considers to be part of a “normal diet.” It seems like fast food, take-out and processed foods have become the “staple” of many people’s diets. Families don’t seem to take the time to make home-cooked, “real” meals anymore.
I also think people are SO busy these days. Kids are in 8 million different after-school activities and parents are involved in so many extra things. Soooo, fast, easy, convenient foods help people/families free up some time and accomplish more things!
And, let’s be honest, fast foods, take-out, processed foods and junk food taste pretty darn good! However, these highly processed foods, full of “who knows what” ingredients will jack with our hormones and metabolism. They actually mess with the blood sugar, make people more tired, MORE hungry, and make people CRAVE more!
It’s no wonder we have an obesity problem.
However, lest I be a hypocrite, I must mention that I really love crappy food too! I have a SERIOUS love of cookies, french fries and donuts. I feed my children less than stellar food choices at times and the kids LOVE to get pizza on Friday nights. I also have a couple of picky eaters that I battle all the time!
With all that being said, that news segment really motivated me! It made me want to “buck the trend,” work hard, take control of my health and get my butt in gear.
I know life’s a little insane right now with a new baby in the house and I’m tired, sleep deprived, can’t exercise and basically stay at home all the time, but I know I can still do a lot of things to improve my health!
Lately, I’ve been justifying WAY too many food indulgences and have been going to bed later than I should. AND, because I’m so darn tired all the time, I CRAVE crappy food A LOT.
Soooo, yesterday I decided that I’m going to eat as well as I can until the end of the month! I’m going to load up on fruits and veggies and stay away from processed, sugary, fried, fake food. I’m not going to count calories; I’m just going to listen to my body and eat when I’m hungry! I’m also going to try to go to bed around 10-ish. It’s so hard to go to bed early because I have teenagers, homework and baby stuff going on, but I will do my best!
Oh and I plan to continue my healthy efforts after the end of the month too, but I like to plan shorter-term goals with an end date in mind. It helps to keep me motivated. 🙂 I’m also planning on eating a lot of the same foods in an effort to simplify things.
Soooo, I’ve been having my beloved warm lemon/lime water first thing in the morning. It’s such a great way to start the day and is so soothing. Love it.
I had this for breakfast yesterday…
1 egg, a bunch of egg whites with peppers, onion, turkey, olives, tomatoes, avocado and cheese. YUM! I also had some fresh fruit on the side.
This breakfast tasted so good, fresh and real to me! In fact, I’m planning on having eggs for breakfast every morning if I can. I’m sure I’ll get sick of them, but I love that they’re a lean, complete protein and that I can mix them with a bunch of veggies!
I had this for breakfast today…
Pretty much the same thing except with different fruit.
Oh, and to simplify things, I cut up a bunch of “egg fixin’s” and put them in containers in the fridge. It definitely makes the process so much simpler!
I haven’t really had a “real” lunch; I’ve just been having lots of snacks throughout the day. I had some protein pancakes yesterday (don’t mind the munched pancake; it got stuck in the toaster. Hee hee)…
I topped them with a little peanut butter, blueberries and a drizzle of sugar-free syrup. Oh, and BTW, I’m not going to use sugar-free syrup anymore. 🙁 Once this bottle is gone, that is it. I really don’t consume artificial sweeteners too often, but I want to cut them out as much as I can.
I had this as a snack today…
A Black Cherry Skotidakis Greek yogurt with a peach. Super yum. I bought a case of that yogurt at Costco recently and I LOVE it! I’m usually a Chobani or Fage yogurt girl, but this may be my new fav.
I’ve also been snacking on things like string cheese, bananas with peanut butter, nuts and fruit leather. I also cut up a bunch of lettuce and hard boiled some eggs to give me some more options…
I know in order to be successful at staying with a healthy diet, I have to be prepared. It’s vital that I fill my kitchen full of healthy, easy and convenient options. Otherwise, it’s just too tempting to give in/give up.
I made this for dinner last night…
I made zucchini noodles, veggies and grilled chicken and topped it all with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. I also had some apple slices on the side.
I also had the leftovers for dinner tonight. YUM! I made homemade pizza for the kids tonight, FYI.
That pretty much sums it up. I know it’s only been two days, but I already feel better. I love feeling disciplined too.
Oh, and I have my 3 weeks Postpartum picture to share (brace yourselves)….
I’m still feeling very, very poofy and I haven’t lost any more weight (I’m down about 18-19 pounds.) In fact, my face feels chubbier than when I was 9 months pregnant!
I must say that I am a very hormonal lady and my weight/bloatedness is very sensitive to hormones. I always poof up the minute I find out I’m pregnant, gain weight during the PMS time and poof WAY up when I’m nursing. In fact, I usually cling onto 5-10 pounds of weight until I wean my babies.
So weird. I’m hoping a healthy diet and soon-to-be exercise regimen will help to regulate things a bit. I’m really hoping to de-poof sometime in the near future.
Anyway, that’s all for now folks. I need to hit the hay! Have a great night.