Friday Favorites – Healthy Eating Challenge

Happy Friday friends!  Some weeks after a holiday seem to drag but this week has flown for me.  It’s amazing how fast the days fly when work is busier than usual.  Of course by Friday the last thing I’m usually wanting to think about is healthy eating and more often than not we end up out to dinner or splurging on something like a bottle of wine and an easy cheese & charcuterie board! Next thing I know one weekend turned into the next weekend and then girls night out on Wednesday and I mean summer in itself just seems like a big free for all.  I don’t mean to change my living habits but I do and next thing I know it’s summer again!

I saw this during the week and thought it was so funny and so fitting for how I feel right now!

So when Sarah at Meet the Shaneyfelts mentioned a Whole 30 and wanting some accountability I knew it was the perfect time to buckle down.  Sarah is so adorable and energetic and I knew she would make a great partner.  A few others shared a desire for some accountability as well and we would love to have more of you join!  We decided the best way to help motivate each other, share recipes, daily struggles, etc would be to create a Facebook group.  If you are interested in some accountability, even if you don’t want to do Whole 30 with Sarah, please message me and request to be added!

I’m sure most of you have heard about Whole 30.  It is an amazing program that really does work to help you identify foods that may be causing issues in your body as well as show which foods increase your energy level and mood.  I have participated in Whole 30 twice and it truly is about learning how foods work with your body and not about losing weight.  All this being said, it is a very strict program.  My biggest advice is not to jump into a Whole 30 without being completely educated as to what is compliant and what is not or there is really no point.  While I saw a huge change in my body (mainly inches) 30 days is a long time especially in the summer with lots of traveling.  So what is my plan while Sarah is moving through Whole 30?  Good question!

Clean eating means cutting the crap!  Getting rid of processed foods is a huge game changer.  I grabbed Cassie Joy Garcia’s cookbook, Fed & Fit about 4 months ago and it is so much more than recipes.  My favorite part is it is all about finding the perfect plan for you!  In her book she notes there should be no “cheat meal” because all meals should just be you living  your life.  Cutting the crap and eating clean food will lead you to choosing these clean foods more often than the heavy, sugar laden foods you think you love now.  Really, I promise!

Here are my 5 foolproof tips that always work for me!

1. Get your mind right!  If you are not ready to commit to making a positive change towards healthy living you will not be successful.  Be ready to give yourself some grace when you need to but then get right back at it.  Don’t let one bad day become a week and then a year.
2. Have a plan.  Do not be left without a food.  It’s been said many times but failure to plan is a plan to fail. For me this means going to the store once a week and making a ton of food at once.  Breakfast casseroles to last all week and huge pans of roasted veggies are some of my favorite things to have on hand.  It also means if I know there is a girls night or work lunch during the week I create a plan ahead of time and stick to it.
3. Write it down.  I know this seems like a huge pain but there is no better way to stay accountable than to journal not only your food but also how you feel each day.  Identifying your triggers for bad food while recognizing how the clean food makes you feel will really give you great information.
4. Read the labels.  The biggest surprise for me when I participated in a Whole 30 was realizing how much sugar is in everything!  Looking to find “real” ingredients listed first in things like spaghetti sauce was a big deal.
5. Keep it simple.  Yes, I love making food that is delicious but I quickly found it did not have to be complicated.  A little healthy oil in a pan + some seasoning (I love garlic and red pepper flakes)+protein of choice+veggies and you have an easy stir fry.  So many times I literally take the protein we had for dinner and eat with my eggs in the morning.  I also learned to love throwing roasted veggies from the night before into a salad with some chicken or tuna.

Do you want to make a positive change?  Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me has definitely been an inspiration on her journey and I hope Sarah and I can help to inspire a few of you as we share our journey.  We will be starting on Tuesday, June 6th and would love to have you join!

Linking up with all my faves!