Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes

Change begins with DETERMINATION. You have to WANT to change for change to happen. Change also does not happen over night. Baby steps is key. Don't bite off more than you can chew. You will not succeed. Make a change, let yourself adapt, and then make more changes. I have made many small changes over time. 

Here is a list of some of the changes I have made in order to be a healthier me. 

• Switch to 100% whole grains! Be sure that you look for the 100% whole grains stamp. Many food labels say "whole grain" or "whole wheat", but only contain small amounts of whole grains. You may notice that the nutrition facts on white bread and wheat bread is almost identical. So why are whole grains better for you, you ask? Whole grains are loaded with nutrients that your body loves, to keep it simple. Because they are loaded with nutrients, you feel full    quicker, so you eat less.

• Avocado is my new best friend! Literally. I eat it almost every day. Avocado is the best replacement for mayonnaise! I will never put mayo on a sandwich or burger again, because avocados satisfy that texture and moistness of mayo. I also love avocado on pizza, salads, tacos, you name it! Not only is it so delicious, it is SOOOO good for you. Avocado is classified as a super food and is known by some nutrition experts as "the perfect food". Avocado lowers bad cholesterol, controls blood pressure, regulates blood sugar, promotes eye care, is so good for your skin, has anti-aging properties, protects against caner, and aids in digestion/absorption to name a few. So go avocrazy!!

• One of my favorite snacks to satisfy my salt tooth is Whole Grain Goldfish. While it's not the best thing for you, it is much better than munching on a bag of Doritos. I love the fishes 'cause they're soooo deliciousss! 
• To satisfy my sweet tooth, I love belVita cookies. This is another GREAT brand. All natural, healthy brand. Other favorites are Kashi's brownies and cookies. Frozen yogurt with some blueberries and dark chocolate chips is another favorite as well. Just remember,   everything in moderation!

• Eating sandwiches without a bun. You will discover how good the inside of it REALLY is. I have noticed that the bun takes away from all of the flavors of the meat, vegetables, or whatever it is you put in between your bread. Not only that, but you are saving LOTS of calories. 

• Dip your salad bites into the dressing, instead of drenching your salad with it. You are much more likely to use less dressing. 
• Give up fried foods. Allow yourself to indulge from time to time though. I do! :)
• Water water water. Drink water and nothing else! I used to drink at least 3-4 diet cokes/ day. I have now given up soda completely (except for an occasional whiskey-diet). I started by drinking a water with every diet coke, so that I was at least drinking MORE water. Then, I started only having a diet coke when I went out to eat. Eventually I just stopped drinking them.
• Avoid fast food, unless it's an emergency! No, seriously.
• TO. GO. BOXES. Portions in restaurants are WAY too big! We are not supposed to eat that much!! Control yourself. It will also save you $. Two meals in one.
• Force yourself to eat breakfast. I never used to eat breakfast and now I make myself eat SOMETHING. Even if it's just a granola bar. My breakfast usually consists of a fruit and a grain. 
• Eat lean meats like turkey and chicken and lots of fish! 
• Don't go to the grocery hungry. 
• Talk to yourself as you reach for the snickers bar at the gas station or the Flamin Hot Cheetos at the grocery. That might sound kind of weird, but I really do have conversations with myself in my head abut food. "No Leigha, you REALLY don't want those Sriracha Lay's!"
• Eat what you want sometimes. Completely depriving yourself of the foods you love will prevent you from succeeding long term. Reward yourself. It's ok!

Is Special K good for you?

 SPECIAL K :

     I see and hear about people eating Special K products in an effort to lose weight. Why wouldn't they? 90 calories in one serving. That's it? Special K even has it's own diet plan. It is one of many brands that sucks us in with their brilliant advertising. Special K grasps our attention with words like PROTEIN, MEAL bar, FIBER, and FAT Free. 

     What most people don't realize is that Special K's entire "weight loss" line is terrible for you! To begin, they all contain trans fats even though the nutrition label says 0g. This is legal because the FDA states that if a product contains <1g of a substance, the industries can list it as 0g. Lets say that you have 2 Special K granola bars containing .5g of trans fats. You just consumed 1g of trans fat unknowingly. The problem is, ALL trans fats are bad for you. In short/simple terms, they raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. You can avoid consuming trans fats by checking the ingredients. Partially hydrogenated oils or hydrogenated oils is what you should look for. Aside from trans fats, Special K is highly processed, loaded with sugar and tons of other chemicals to give it the color and taste (none of which are good for your waistline).

     I know that today's society is extremely fast paced and on-the-go. That is why products like Special K appeal to us. But do not be discouraged! There are other brands out there that are actually healthy for you and taste just as good, if not better.  My favorite is KASHI!!! This brand blows Special K out of the water. Actually, it blows most (if not all) brands out of the water. There are Kashi breakfast bars, cereal, oatmeal, snack bars, cookies, pizzas, waffles, crisps, pilaf, and even entrees. Most Kashi products receive a B or B+ on fooducate. 

     I don't touch Special K products anymore and I suggest you don't either. You're better off eating a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (no, I'm not kidding).