Getting to Know You

“Getting to know you, getting to know all about you…" (movie, anyone?)

I was a guest speaker this week at a local university to talk about becoming a Registered Dietitian.  I so enjoyed my visit and it gave me my topic for this week.  After my planned presentation, I held an open forum of sorts for nutrition questions.  I received great questions and several pertaining to what exactly I do on a daily basis.

I love these questions because it gives me an opportunity to describe how healthy does not have to be complicated…because, believe me you, that is not my style.

I think the expectation is often that I eat gourmet meals with all organic foods and never falter from my healthy path.  Au contraire.  I simply take a couple simple steps to set myself up for success throughout the week, live balance and moderation daily, and don’t beat myself up over some off-days. 

Setting myself up for success:

1.     Plan  (Know what lunches and dinners look like for the coming week and base your grocery list off of that.  If the healthier options are available you will be more likely to eat them).

2.     Pack (Packing lunch can be more convenient and tastier than constantly trying to find somewhere to eat out, not to mention cheaper).

3.     Eat frequently (Eating more like 5-6 times a day instead of twice makes a big difference.  If you eat 3 balanced meals and 2-3 small snacks, you’ll be satisfied and have so many more opportunities to get great nutrition).

Balance and Moderation:

Eat all food groups, choose moderate portions, eat mindfully, and indulge with grace on occasion. 

For more about eating mindfully see my post from January “Picture This” at http://rdseattoo.blogspot.com/2015/01/picture-this.html.

For more about “indulging with grace” see my post from May “The Perfect Diet” at http://rdseattoo.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-perfect-diet.html).

Don’t beat yourself up:

You’re going to have tough days, rough days, and days you just don’t eat like usual.  Don’t let that bring you down and curtail your healthy eating efforts.  Accept it, live through it, and cheer up, it happens to everyone!  One bad day does not ruin a lifestyle of healthy habits (even if you’re working your way to get here).

I also got a question about measuring portions.  The questions was "Do [I] always measure everything?"  To be honest, there are about 3 things that I do always measure.  Nuts, peanut butter, and ice cream.  Why?  Not because I’m a dietitian, but because I know me.  Nuts, peanut butter, and ice cream would contribute way too many extra calories to my intake if I didn’t take care to monitor my serving.

Should you measure everything, always?  No.  Measuring your portions is a great way to start building awareness of what and how much you are actually putting in your body.  It is a good exercise to get you moving in the right direction and to help you better understand what recommended serving sizes look like, but overtime you’re going to get the hang of things, I promise.

The key is to get to know YOU.  When you better understand what triggers cravings and overindulgences, you will be better able to work with them and make improved decisions.  You may very well end up with a couple particular items that you need to measure routinely too.  

Plan, pack, don't beat yourself up, and get to know YOU.  

Hot Now

Alrighty y’all…well, it’s been a little while.  Wonderful life has been happening and has forced my hand into taking a hiatus from blogging.  While I haven’t been writing every week, believe me you, there is something weekly I could write about…food, food, food, good recipes, sweet temptations, mind challenges, exercise wins and shlumps (for more about shlumps see my post “Feeling Shlumpy” from November 2, 2014), big events, rainy days, and more food, food, food!

Today I had a moment that inspired me to hop back into the blogger's seat.  We were on the way home from church and as we sat patiently at an intersection I saw the famous glowing bright red sign --- Hot Now.  Yes, you guessed it, Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  Well, I had been awake since before sun rise and it had been plenty of time since breakfast that I was just hungry enough to be tempted.

I wasn’t in the drivers seat, and didn’t mention anything to the hubby, so soon we were off and way beyond those sweets, that tempting red sign, and a moment that very clearly reminded me that self-control is such an important piece to avoiding the, maybe all too familiar to you, fall off of the wagon.

In that Hot Now moment, I felt like it would have been so easy to roll through the drive through and grab a couple classic glazed doughnuts without a second thought.  “I never have them anyways,” “it’s such a perfect lazy rainy weekend for doughnuts,” it’s been a while (a long while),” and the justifications could go on.  In reality today, I just had this feeling that I could have grabbed those treats without being phased…weird.  But then I could see that continue…if I ‘don’t care’ whether I give in today, what does it matter if I give in to every little food temptation that I have.  This thought process would not be good for a sweet tooth like me…that extra scoop of ice cream I want, the candy corn I, never fail, stop and consider buying from September 1 to October 31, and those lovely hot, too expensive, lattes from the coffee shop…I would quite quickly have way too much sugar and be replacing important protective nutrients in my diet with it.  Having moments when you practice self-control and say “no” are important to keep you confident that you can, confident that you remain the driver’s seat, not food.

I relate this to a mom and dad saying “no” to the frequent request of their kid’s ‘need’ for all the new cool toys and games.  We must hear “no” from time to time, even if it’s from ourselves, to be reminded that we do not ‘need’ everything that we want.

Self-control requires practice…practice in tempting food situations, practice in our tempers, practice in our words, practice in our faith, practice, practice, practice…practice makes permanent.

I encourage you to practice self-control and avoid making rash “I don’t care” food decisions.  Will treats be had?  Of course, but with control and without letting it be a first step into a path of  “yes” to every want. 

Feels good to be back this week.  Stay well and be joyful!

2 Peter 1:5-8 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”