Following routines and being in a healthy environment can really help us stick
to "clean eating" and regular exercise but getting away from your "zone" can be a
true test of willpower and resolve!
Vacations, traveling and other summer activities can make it difficult and downright impossible at times to maintain our healthy lifestyles. If you are like me,
I try to eliminate unhealthy foods from my surroundings and just don't have any junkfood at home anymore. Even though I prefer eating whole foods now and eat well most of the time, it doesn't mean that I don't have moments of weakness and cravings for sugary, fatty "goodies". Those weak moments always occur in the evening when I am extremely tired and/or had a stressful day. And if there is a drop of ice cream in the frig or leftover Halloween candy still lurking in the pantry, I will find it!
So, when my daughter moved in with us for a few weeks while between houses, along with the contents of her refrigerator, I realized that I don't have as much willpower as I thought! With the chaos and stress of her move, her animals visiting as well and disruption to our normally peaceful abode, I could not stay away from her ice cream sandwiches every night!
I did have a little more resolve a few weeks later at the family beach vacation in a house of 5 families that had cabinets stocked with chips, munchies and sweets.
Instead of giving into a junkfood feast all week, I really tried to stay away for the most part....but it wasn't easy! Greg and I did exercise almost every morning, which helped keep me more mindful of how I was eating.
This weekend Greg and I are taking a road trip to Ohio and I will be prepared with some of my regular foods like nuts, protein bars & fruit so I'm not tempted to eat crazily when we stop for meals. Eating good carbs and protein every few hours helps to keep blood sugar levels stable, which is key to fight cravings, mindless eating and fatigue.
Because it is so easy to be faced with food temptations and situations where it is hard to eat properly, I believe that the first rule of healthy eating is to clean
up your kitchen and day to day meals. Starting with a good breakfast, packing a lunch and snacks for work, and planning/preparing lean dinners at home during the week should get to be habit if done long enough. Then you can enjoy richer food and
calories for the weekend, evenings out, social events or traveling without gaining
weight or jeopardizing your health.
Happy Summer!!
