New year, new year you yadda yadda ya. Tis the season for starting fresh, making lifestyle changes and setting goals. If you read my New Year’s resolutions, you know that mine weren’t the typical “eat healthier” or “exercise more” type of resolutions. One of the reasons I felt like those didn’t need to be included is because I already generally live a healthy lifestyle and maintain a weight that I am happy with without having to diet or exercise like crazy. And you might be thinking, “Yeah well you’re just thin to begin with”. And yes, genetics might play a role, but I weighed as much in college as I typically do 9 months pregnant, so the potential for me to gain weight is definitley there. I’m not one of those people who can eat whatever I want without repercussions. I truly believe that I got back to a body that I am happy with by ditching the diets and just eating real, whole, minimally processed foods, and indulging in moderation. I never say no to baked goods or a a glass of cabernet (when I’m not pregnant, that is). In honor of new beginnings, I figured I would share a few of the healthy eating habits that work for me.

I don’t…

• count calories
• read labels
• weigh myself

I do…

• buy foods with whole ingredients
• buy mostly organic
• avoid processed foods (for the most part)

Eating Habits that Work for Me….

• I believe that the first thing I eat in the morning sets the tone for the day. If I start with a bite of left over brownie, my day is doomed, but if I start with a protein, i.e. an egg on a whole wheat english muffin, I tend to make better choices all day.
• I eat slowly. (Just ask my sister. It drives her nuts)
• I’m a grazer – I’d much rather eat 6 small meals than 3 big ones.
• If I have wine, I don’t have dessert and vise versa. (So, yes, you can bet that when I’m pregnant I definitely eat more ice cream)
• I eat whatever I want, I just don’t eat a lot if it. I’m of the mindset that nothing is off limits. Life is short, eat the cake, just don’t eat so much that you’ll feel like crap in 5 minutes. Savor. Each. Bite.
• I’d rather eat my calories than drink them – water is my beverage of choice. (except when pregnant – I’m craving juice these days!)
• I snack smart. Cheese sticks, apples, and greek yogurt are my BFFs.
• We eat pasta once per week (generally) and pizza every Friday night. Dinners every other night are typically a protein (chicken, sausage, pork, ground turkey etc…) and a vegetable.
• I HATE the feeling of being full. Before going back for seconds, I usually wait a few minutes for my belly to catch up to my mind.
• I don’t beat myself up if I indulge… which is pretty much every weekend. My mom and my mother in law both make THE best cheese plates in the world and have the best appetizers for our Sunday dinners. I park my butt in front of them and don’t hold back. And there is no “but”. I don’t tell myself I should exercise the next day. I don’t get mad at myself. I know that these occasional indulgences are okay so I just enjoy them.
• I live loosely by the 90/10 rule – 90% healthy foods, 10% whatever I want.

What I ate today….

8am – I always start my day with one cup of regular coffee with organic, raw sugar (2 spoonfuls) and half and half. I don’t believe in fake sweeteners.

9am – I was scrambling this morning to get out of the door because I did a photoshoot for the blog and had to spend more time getting myself ready than usual (ya know…. shower ;)). I grabbed a Fig Bar and ate it in the car.

12:30pm – I don’t like having a big lunch so I usually break it into smaller meals. I started with a yogurt while I made lunch for my kids.

12:45 – I joined my son in a little Joe-Joe’s cookie party, because they are too good to pass up. I only eat the side with the cream (and give the other half to my dog;). Not to save calories, I just don’t think they are that good without the cream!

1:45pm – Lunch part 2 was toasted bread (with a little butter) and melted cheddar with a handful of fresh spinach and a dash of salt and pepper. This was pretty fancy for me – most times is pb&j or my kids’ leftover mac and cheese straight from the pot.

3:00pm – Starbucks unsweetened black tea lemonade. I needed a little pick me up (and bribed my son to come the the grocery store by promising a stop at the Starbucks drive thru for a hot chocolate).

4:00pm – I’m majorly craving pineapple and grapefruit these days so my fridge is always stocked with both.

5:30 – Sausage, Kale Pasta Bake (super easy dinner that went over really well with my kids and my husband). The picture above is my portion. I would have gone back for seconds but was distracted with feeding my youngest. By the time he was done, I realized I was full enough.

8:30 – I haven’t had this yet, but as soon as my kids are asleep, I will definitely be having a scoop or three.

So there you have it. I have absolutely no clue how many calories I ate, I just know that the food I ate (for the most part) was healthy, and I listened to my sweet tooth without going overboard. When I was hungry, I ate, and when I was full, I stopped.

Any dietitians out there? How did I do?

What are your tips for staying healthy??