The Summer of ME had to include food…….Who was the smart person that added that healthy eating thing into their first post. Oh yeah, it was me……stupid…..
Here is the deal, I love food. LOVE FOOD. I love to try to new foods, I love to eat, I love to indulge. Who doesn’t? When Jason and I travel, we are constantly planning our days around where we should go for the food. New restaurants all of the time……Oh I love it. So again who was the smart person that added healthy eating into The Summer of ME……stupid…..
Sorry rant over. This is supposed to be a happy, positive blog.
During the school year, I am good throughout the day. My students keep me occupied so I don’t think about food a lot. I don’t snack and I eat small for lunch. Usually it is leftovers from the night before or a peanut butter sandwich. Exciting right? But when I get home, look out!! I am starving. So, while making supper, I might have chips and salsa (a staple in our house) or dry cereal or veggie straws or carrots and ranch or goldfish or…..you get my point. After supper (or dinner, whatever you call it), we might have popcorn. If we make cookies, I might eat 6 of them. If the girls don’t finish something, I might eat it. I mean, you don’t want to waste food…….
During the summer months, I am home more. Plain and simple. At our house, when you are home, you are usually in the kitchen. What is in the kitchen? The pantry! What is in the pantry? The food! So I will snack. It is more out of boredom or a slower pace to my life, making me think about food more often, than actually being hungry. Apparently, I need to drive the girls around to more activities and not be in the house.
This presents a problem…….Where to start? The tricky part for sure. My healthy eating is not going to be protein shakes. If you were thinking about those, you were on a different page than me. I will not give up food. I am not ready. But I do want to regain balance during the Summer of ME. Food will be the most difficult part of the Summer of ME. Walking….got it…..Decluttering…..we are doing so great over here. Food…..scares me….So, here is what I am starting with…..
#1: Food Journal. I know, much like this blog, I will be more accountable if I know I have people out there, checking up on me. Now again, the Summer of ME is not about a number, so I am not counting calories and all of that. Maybe later, but not now. I am simply going to keep track of what I consume in a day and where I might be able to make some healthy changes. If you are an online guru, MyFitnessPal is probably one of the best online apps to track food. However, I am not an online guru. I am a paper/pencil kind of girl. Plus, if I have to reach for pen and paper each time I eat something, maybe it will make me eat less.
#2: Portion Control. As I said, I am not currently willing to give things up. In Minnesota, during the summer, you go to the lake. My family is blessed to rent a lake cabin for the summer. The cabin itself is not nice, but the people around us have become our “lake family”. Our “lake family” loves to cook and make and eat. Someone is always bringing out a snack or treats, making dessert, creating cocktails and I love them all for it. However, it makes it difficult to eat healthy or lose weight. So here is the second place to focus on; portion control. I am still going to allow myself to eat these wonderful things the summer gives us. But instead of having ten chocolate covered strawberries, maybe I only have 5. Harper will eat the other five, trust me, they won’t get wasted. I can have much smaller portions of everything and still be okay.
Here is where you come in. This time, I don’t have a challenge for you. I need help!! Tell me what your tips and tricks are for eating healthier during the summer months. (We will deal with the school year later.) If you have a quick, healthy recipe, let’s hear it. I can’t be the only one struggling with this, right? Right? (please).
Like, share and follow this blog. Then leave your comments for everyone to read. You can also go to the Facebook page, Speaking Jelinese, if it is easier to comment there. Liking and following on Facebook, is another place where I update the progress of the Summer of Me. Let’s help each other gain balance this summer!!
Speaking Jelinese 
Oh this is so my life! The only difference is I’m still working in the summer months so at least my work days help me to balance things a little! Summer is the hardest! Sunflower seeds and beer, brats on the fire at midnight and maybe a smore or 2 for dessert! I could go on and on! Here’s to having one smore instead of 2 and drinking lighter beer! 🍺 We got this!
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I am so glad I am not the only one!!!! So many good things to eat by the fire!! None of them healthy!! 1 s’more not 2 I love it!!!
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Lots of water! Which seems obvious but I’m about the last one that should suggest it since I hate drinking water but even if you chug a bottle of water once a day before you want to eat a bunch it might help to not eat or drink quite as much plus you’ll be a little more hydrated 🙂 Any amount before eating or drinking something else might help. I’ve found for the boredom going back and forth to a drink like sparkling water or iced coffee drinks instead of snacks and pop have helped too since plain water doesn’t quite do the trick!
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I am working on the water thing!!! Adding flavor helps, but man I am not a good water drinker!!!
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You described me!! LOL I love the idea of a food journal..its a great way to not only track what you ate but also allows you to see what possibly triggers you and if you were really hungry or just eating out of habit!!
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Ha!! I knew there was more of us out there!! You are correct on the eating out of habit or boredom, I find I do that when I am just not busy enough. I should probably drink water instead!!
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I feel you! Eating healthy is so hard! Why does yummy food have to be so bad for you? 😭
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Exactly!! And why is it so much harder to lose weight as opposed to gaining it?
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Every time I try to work out and eat healthy, I get pregnant. So gaining the weight can’t be helped. 😂
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Ha!! One of the many good things about pregnancy!! Weight gain is expected!!
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I totally understand! I need to work on journaling my food and portion control. Easy to add to much to my plate, or a little snack here or there.
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Yes, I am still struggling with the food journaling thing. I can’t remember to do it, especially at the lake. Maybe when school starts.
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You definitely aren’t the only once struggling with this. I have been eating SO bad lately, but sometimes I feel like I won’t snack AS bad if I drink extra water or brush my teeth right after dinner. It’s so hard not to snack at night though!
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I am not a very good water drinker, but the brushing the teeth thing totally helps me when I feel like snacking. Good tip!!!
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I use to hate food then one day I woke up and now I love it! It’s to the point where I binge eat when I’m bored, stressed, or anxious. Which is pretty much all the time.
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I really found smaller portions is effective for me because I don’t like to deny myself anything. So if I need to eat if I am stressed out, then it is still okay overall.
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Great tips. I also do really well during the school year and fall off the rails in the summer!
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That is why I did not try to lose any weight this summer. It would have been very unsuccessful. Maybe when school starts…..
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This is so me. Food is just too good. 🙂
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