Like many people, I’ve always struggled with my weight. It wasn’t so much the number on the scale that bothered me but the way my body felt when I gained too much. Tiredness, shortness of breath, acne, increased blood pressure, the works. Recognizing when I need to shed some pounds isn’t the issue, my body usually lets me know. My problem is losing the weight itself because I love food.
In this article, I’ll be letting you guys in on a few tricks and tips I use to help stay healthy in a world full of beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes… you name it.
SUBSTITUTION, SUBSTITUTION, SUBSTITUTION.
I can not stress this enough. Substituting not-so-healthy things with more nutritious options has changed the way I see dieting. You don’t even have to go to extremes (I surely didn’t) and most of the time it stays within my ever-dwindling budget. Here are some things I’ve swapped out:
- Potatoes for Sweet Potatoes
You can’t do this with everything but you’d be surprised how many meals you can do this with.
- White Bread for Whole Wheat Bread.
This was probably the least complicated switch out for me. It tastes the same.
- I’m thinking about cutting wheat bread and eating whole-wheat tortillas instead. I’ll update you guys on that later.
- Ritz Crackers instead of Chips.
I still can’t go crazy on the crackers but they do make as a healthier option that I can still eat with my favorite chip dips.
- Chicken.
I still eat red meat (in moderation) so there won’t be any substitution here on my end but you can! I just eat a lot more chicken breast than I used to. Pair it with some steamed vegetables and you should be good to go.
- Water for Pop
This is a no brainer but it works wonders! I also try limiting my juice consumption as well but when I do drink it, it’s always 100% with no added preservatives.
- Fruit/Veggies for Snacks!
I used to eat snacks like crazy and I still eat the occasional PopTart of three for breakfast. The key isn’t perfection, it’s moderation.
I loath exercise so I'll recommend that too, in moderation.
