This is How I Diet: A Peek Into My Everyday Nutrition/Fitness Goals + January’s Healthy Eating Challenge
Happy New Year, friends!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! Now it’s back to real life, right?
I’m excited to get back to blogging after a few very sporadic weeks of holiday-ing and vacation-ing and general lazy-ing.
I thought I’d quickly pop in today to talk fitness and nutrition. I mean, it is the first week of January after all.
{Here’s another post I wrote January of last year with a detailed look at some of my favorite healthy meals + a few other tips}.
And before you roll your eyes and go find a new blogger to follow, let me assure you, that this is NOT a show-you-selfies-of-me-in-my-sports-bra kind of post, nor is it an advice dispensing post.
You know as well as I know that I am not a nutrition or fitness expert. Ha! Far from it.
But I am a busy wife, mom, and food blogger who tries pretty hard to figure out a balance with both of those aspects, and I get asked a lot, a lot how that’s going.
I guess my go-to line of “I really just exercise to support my eating habit” doesn’t always cut it.
After starting the Whole30 last year (I made it seven days and I’m still irritated that I’ll never get that week of my life back) and a 10-day sugar detox the year before that (worst experience ever), I’ve found that in terms of nutrition and “dieting,” moderation and small goal setting is key for me.
When I restrict completely, I end up crashing and then binge eating quadruple the calories I was trying to cut.
I totally get that the above programs (and many others!) REALLY DO work for so many people. And I think it’s awesome! Honestly. I do.
But I’ve learned that super extreme changes and routines only lead to failure for me; I’m mostly after a longterm plan that is sustainable (and I know it’s a character flaw, but I can’t exist without a little bit of carbs, cheese, and chocolate).
I think we can all agree that there are a million different ways to approach exercise and nutrition…and there’s no one RIGHT WAY. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa.
But in case it can help anyone (and to help keep myself more accountable!), here are a few of the ins and outs of how I approach fitness and nutrition.
As a quick sidenote, although I don’t do these programs now, I had great success about 7 1/2 years ago joining Weight Watchers and shedding 15-20 pounds after having my 4th baby, and more recently (for several months last year), I used the LoseIt! app for nutrition tracking and really liked it in terms of ease, interface, and success.
And because I know it will come up, no, I’m not planning on adding nutrition labels/facts to my recipes at this time. Sorry! There are tons of free apps and nutrition calculators online to help with that (be watchful and careful as you pull recipes from online sources; I’ve found that many blogs and websites greatly exaggerate the serving size to make the nutrition facts seem much better than they really are).
My Ongoing Fitness/Nutrition Rules to Live By:
MAKING EXERCISE A PRIORITY (WITHOUT BEING INSANE)
I joked about it above, but not only do I exercise to support my eating habit, but I do it largely for my mental health.
It’s amazing the difference in my attitude, confidence, productivity when I am exercising regularly.
I also totally understand that phases of life can suck you dry in terms of exercise.
When I had four kids, ages four and under, exercise wasn’t happening as regularly. Work, family life, health – all of that needs to be a balancing act in how exercise can be part of life.
For me right now in this current phase of life (kids ages 13 to 5), exercise is getting a little easier to fit in. Read: I don’t have as many excuses as I used to.
{And yes, shoveling rocks counts as exercise, in my book!}
For the last decade, I’ve been an exercise video junkie. That’s been my main form of exercise: P90X, T25, FitnessBlender.com, and many, many others, because I really like working out in the comfort and privacy of my own home.
Last July, for the first time ever, Brian and I joined a crossfit gym in our area (for locals, it is great for beginners AND longterm exercisers; I was always scared about crossfit, but I really have loved the experience so far).
Brian and I have been working out at the 5 a.m. class three or four mornings a week (and my friend Bethany comes most mornings with us, too!).
I’m not going to lie, the early morning wake up call has been killer for me (staying up late is in my blood…and it’s when I get a lot of my blogging tasks done), and I am ALWAYS tired.
As in, I can fall asleep at a moment’s notice and have fallen asleep more times than I care to admit in the middle of reading books to my kids.
But ultimately, it’s been so rewarding to a) exercise with Brian and champion each other as we conquer hard stuff (box jumps, I’m looking at you!)…
…and b) see some fitness goals really start to come to pass. I was so intimidated to exercise in public with other real, live humans, but I haven’t regretted it for a second (except that one time I pretty much peed my pants trying to attempt double unders – that was a pretty special moment) <–sorry for the TMI, keeping it pretty real here.
I also have the Sweat app (by Kayla Itsines), and lately, I’ve been doing a BBG workout on non-crossfit mornings (the workouts are short and sweet, which I love).
And some mornings, all I do is walk on the treadmill.
Or pull the covers over my head and throw daggers at all forms of exercise (also, I hardly ever exercise on vacation unless it’s hiking or something like that where I can throw on some socks and tennis shoes and call it good, because life’s too short and so is vacation).
Truly though, for me, exercising first thing in the morning is key. You get me past 10 a.m. and my willpower to exercise is flat out gone.
NUTRITION/DIET “RULES” I TRY TO LIVE BY ALL THE TIME
1) Water, water, water. My hydroflask is always there waiting for me on the counter, and I take it wherever I go (yes, I’m one of those people).
I try to get at least 48 ounces in a day (64 ounces is my goal, but it can get a little uncomfortable at that level…ahem, if you know what I mean).
2) Dinner Cutoff. My go-to rule for lots of years has been not to eat after dinner. It’s amazing how such a simple, little guideline can really help the ol’ metabolism.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have fallen off the bandwagon big time the last few months with this (see the following January 2018 goals as a result). But when I follow it, man, it makes a world of difference.
Late night eating is fun, but not so good on my aging metabolism and waistline, and I’m recommitting to shutting off the eating after dinner is over!
3) Don’t Double Dip. Into dinner, that is! Again, I’m not perfect at this, but I really, really try to serve myself up a moderate helping of dinner and resist getting seconds and thirds (and/or picking at the leftovers as I clean up – dang it! all my weaknesses are coming out).
4) Breakfast Counts. I added this one late after the post went live; it’s one of my most important “rules” but I forgot to add it late last night when writing the post.
Breakfast! I try for protein-rich breakfasts that are also simple and easy. Like, a couple hard-boiled or fried eggs (love the organic butter-flavored coconut oil for this) and a kefir smoothie. Sometimes Greek yogurt with granola or a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter.
Mostly, I know that when I DON’T eat breakfast, I’m a ravenous, dangerous monster by 10 am and will eat anything in sight, chocolate cake or not which derails me for the whole day.
January 2018 Goals
*To get a jump start on the year, I’m committing myself to a few stricter goals for January; we’ll see how long I last!*
-No sweets: Notice, I’m not saying “no sugar” – I’m simply trying to cut out blatant sweets (cookies, cake, brownies, ice cream, etc) for January with the caveat that I can have five (yes, five!) dark chocolate chips every day.
A girl’s still gotta live somehow.
I’m still eating fruit, honey, dates, etc. – all in moderation. And I’m not going crazy if there’s a pinch of sugar in dinner’s spaghetti sauce.
I’m not going after a full-on detox, just trying to be a little more sensible and intentional about what sweets I’m eating.
Considering I have two kids that are going on ten months of not eating sweets (their goal is to go a whole year!), I *think* I can do this.
{See you in February, beloved chocolate molten lava cake}
-Limited flour/grains: While I’m not eliminating these completely, for January, I’m trying to stick to one serving of whole grains a day (eating them for breakfast or lunch) with a lot of lean protein, vegetables, fruit and some dairy to fill in the rest.
A couple days in and so far, so good. I actually feel energized about eating fairly “clean” and focusing on healthy protein and lots of vegetables.
I think after the holidays, my body was ready for a Mel-style cleanse (meaning, nothing too dramatic!).
I’m probably stating the obvious here but preparation and planning for healthy eating is key.
If I have a fridge and pantry stocked with healthy options that are immediately available, I am less likely to start palming Doritos, twinkies, and white bread into my mouth when I’m hungry.
For breakfast, it’s going to be mostly a two egg + kefir smoothie kind of deal most mornings. I can feel it, and I’m ok with that lineup.
Lunch is looking like cottage cheese, deli meat rollups with some cheese, celery + peanut butter, quinoa patties, leftover healthy dinner, or whatever else I can conjure up before I accidentally eat the kids mac and cheese.
Dinner will be whatever I’m making for the family – but if they eat it over rice or pasta, I’ll opt for quinoa or spaghetti squash or maybe zucchini noodles?
This is my go-to list of healthy recipes I’ll be referencing and using often this month!
Well, thanks for sticking with me (if you made it this far!). I think all this mumbo jumbo may be simply to keep me accountable with nutrition AND exercising!
{PS: bringing a book on a family hike and parking it while everyone else continues to burn calories exploring and hiking is totally acceptable, too}
I can promise you some healthy, amazing meals and snacks coming up this month that I promise don’t taste like garbage. So keep an eye out for those recipes!
And don’t worry, I have some yummy sweets coming at you, too! Like, I said, moderation in all things!
Lol, Mel, when my kids ask me what famous person I would meet, I say you! And then I tell them it would probably be horribly awkward with me grinning but having nothing to say. But if we were at book club together and I could just have a fun chat with you about kids, eating healthy, and life in general, I think we’d have a great time. Except I probably still wouldn’t have a lot to say except “ditto!” This is my same diet policy, more or less. Moderation that still includes chocolate! Thanks for all the fun posts (I know you posted this years ago, but I enjoy new ones too) and all the fun recipes. Whenever someone asks me where I this or that favorite recipe, 9 times out of 10 it’s from you!
I realize that this post is 4 years old but I loved it. Everything written here is all very sound, logical advice which I plan on trying to work into my life as well.
I’m wondering how many of these guidelines you still maintain in normal circumstances?
Thank you for all your recipes, stories, etc. I have enjoyed your site immensely the past few years starting with that glorious Sticky Toffee Pudding cake. We loved it all over again at Christmas. God bless!
so inspirational Mel, thank you for sharing.
One of my favorite authors is Gretchen Rubin and she talks a lot about how some people are abstainers and some are moderators. Abstainers are in the all-or-nothing camp (either eat all the sugar they want, or never ever have sugar), while moderators do just that — moderate. I’ve tried several times to have no-sugar months, or no-carb months, and every single time I’ve failed; one time I went 4 days into a no-sugar month, then caved and ate half a pan of brownies. I finally realized that I’m more of a moderator and that I am totally fine eating a brownie every once in a while and leaving it at that. It sounds like you’re a moderator too, which is why all the abstainer type diets never worked for you either.
I realize this post is like a year old but I just wanted to thank you for posting it! I have been following your blog since I was really young due to my love if cooking your recipes and now as a 30 year old mom of two little girls ages 1 and 2 and a semi full time job it is HARD to fit in working out mainly because of exhaustion but also because I’m just busy, and I am THE world’s worst dieter. Anyway you look amazing an you’ve had 4 kids and still get to enjoy food so you give me hope! I’m going to take some of your tips and see if they help my loose this baby weight any faster.
Thank you so much, Jessie! You are amazing! I bet those cute little girls keep you busy…hang in there! The early years of motherhood is so exhausting, but it goes by fast. 🙂
I appreciate this post SO much because it truly sounds like you’ve read my mind. While I haven’t tried much dieting in the past, I turn 30 this year and have put on a bit of weight with marriage and two kids and more than anything I just want to feel healthy. These goals sound nearly identical to my own: focus on breakfast, increase veggies and lean protein and cut out some carbs, drink 48+ oz water, and exercise like I mean it. I also plan to enjoy desserts all year long, so keep both the healthy and sweet recipes coming! Thanks for sharing!
Mel I have a folder of your recipes that i just love love love. it is labeled “Mels Trashy Yummy desserts” ha. i did 23 days of the whole 30 in January. Would have finished but left for Kauai and it was just too hard to not have sushi, lava cake, hula pie, and shaved ice. but for the most part i tried to eat healthy. I am not sure what to do after coming home. the whole 30 again? or something else? and i think i will try and follow what you are doing. Moderation in everything and limited sweets. I do have a very big sugar dragon so i don’t know if it will work. How do you avoid going over board when you make your cinnamon rolls, or cookies, or cake? i just love all your desserts SO MUCH!!! Do you ever count calories? Also thanks so much for sharing all your wonderful food! It is always a win at our house. You are very appreciated. Loves.
Good job making it 23 days on Whole 30! That’s about 22 days longer than me! 🙂 I hope you find a plan that works for you – keep me posted! I don’t always avoid going overboard, unfortunately, but my biggest tactic is to have a taste of what I want and then give the rest away (neighbors, Brian’s coworkers, freeze the leftover treats, etc). If it’s out of sight…it’s out of temptation’s way! I don’t count calories. It’s bad for my mental health (makes me super obsessive) so I just try to stick with the moderation approach. Good luck!
I loved this article. My mom introduced me to you as a teenager, and I really enjoy cooking and baking (and dark chocolate!) so I’ve enjoyed making food along with you. Now I’m in college, and your article really got me thinking. Now that I have to support myself and feed myself and pay for my own food, I’ll go through days where my entire body suddenly craves healthy vegetables. I’m seriously not eating well. I was just wondering if you have any suggestions for me on how to involve some more nutrition in my diet. (currently it’s 70% white rice, 10% chips, and 20% butter, fat, and salt.) Hopefully some not terribly expensive ways to be more nutritious… When I lived at home I did both a sugar cleanse and whole 30 (at different times) and I actually really enjoyed them. However, given my current situation as a poor college student, those options aren’t really viable. So, any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated. 😀 Thanks!
Mel, thanks for sharing. I am a Dietitian and Diabetes Educator, so I have a lot of people ask me about all kinds of diets and restrictions.. and mostly I’m trying to get people to have healthy relationships with food like you’re advocating. When people often go on a “diet” and don’t change their thoughts and feelings toward food, the results don’t hold for very long.
I’m also constantly working with people who feel guilty for not eating “clean” (I hate that word so much as a Dietitian), or for those who struggle with extra pounds. We need to not assign moral/value terms to food and body weight. When we feel guilty, either we turn the corner and make it better, or sometimes we make it worse when we can’t deal with the guilt. Anyways, I’m just getting on my nutrition soapbox. All I want is for simplicity: eating less processed foods, eating home-cooked meals, eating more vegetables and fruit, and eating mindfully. It’s easier said than done, right?
I love posts like this at the beginning of the year 🙂 And definitely the reasonable, achievable goals!
I used to eat REALLY healthily, but looking at others comments (and I’m a Gretchen Rubin fan), I am an abstainer, not a moderator, and have majorly fallen off the bandwagon (into a lot of emotional eating sweets….even too many healthy sweets!). I use an online exercise program that I love, called Fit2b. I have a wide diastasis from my pregnancies, which is abdominal separation and usually goes along with pelvic floor issues. Fit2b has intense workouts too, but it starts with trying to gently heal those muscles that a lot of women have overtaxed….like honestly reversing the exercise/laughing induced pee! I need to be WAY more consistent to see results, both in my tummy and in core strength, but it’s the most amazing program and I can’t recommend it enough. Beth, the founder, is so passionate about helping women heal and be strong and also gracious with themselves in all stages….and definitely moderation 😉 I’d like to do one video every weekday for a month or something measurable like that – ‘exercise more’ doesn’t do anything for me!
I was born in Caldwell and lived there until I was 14. I know you have your roots elsewhere, but it did my heart good today to know you live in the vicinity of my old neck of the woods.
Oh my goodness, Mel, I feel like we might lead parallel lives on the fitness front! I swear I could have written this post, except I joined a Burn Boot Camp in July, not a CrossFit. It was terrifying, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, finally hit some of my goals, and it’s fun working out with people! I too almost pee my pants with double unders (which I FINALLY just got the hang of a couple weeks ago). I get up for the 5:30 am class and have fallen asleep more than once reading my kids books mid sentence. I had been doing home workouts with Fitnessblender forever and added in BBG last year. And all the food stuff. Same! Anyway, I have to tell you I’ve been following you for years and years and love you! You’re my favorite! And my whole family, including sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins thank you! Everything I ever make of yours they love!
(I responded to your comment below but I don’t think it posted?)
Thanks Mel! Its been a change getting my brain back in “school” mode! 😉 haha!
I’ll share one of the most helpful tools I’ve learned so far, since you share so much with me and my family!!
The HUNGER SCALE … think of a scale from -10(I’m starving!) .. 0(neutral/not hungry) .. +10(Stuffed to gills/very uncomfortable) It is best to eat when we are about at -2 or so. When we wait until we are a -5 or more… we are so ravenous we often make poor food choices and usually end up eating much, much more food than we normally would have if we had honored our initial hunger. Also… we can aim to stop eating around about +2 when we are just satisfied, knowing we can always eat again when we are hungry. We watch our bodies signal that we are full and we stop (like toddlers do and like a gas pump that automatically stops when the car’s tank is full) It takes some experimenting with this.. but after a while it becomes 2nd nature. I have discovered I actually need less food to make me satisfied than thought! Shocker, I know! LOL! I encourage people to be super kind and patient with themselves while they are beginning to change their eating. Most of us have learned to ignore our innate “full” signals for many, many years (hence a lot of us are carrying more weight on us than we would like)… and remember that any change takes PATIENCE. I also recommend just taking a week and observe our eating before trying to change anything! Just notice *without judgement* how we have been eating. This is mindfulness. Just be CURIOUS about what, how much, and why we are eating. We all need to love ourselves and treat ourselves like we treat others… with grace and compassion when we screw up…. and know that at the very next meal we can honor our hunger and our fullness… When we overeat… the next time we feel hungry will not be for many hours and that is ok. There is an EMOTIONAL scale as well… for the times when we have cravings to eat, but physically we know are not hungry. Many of us eat to cover up emotions… when we can instead feel the emotion, acknowledge it, name it (frustration, anger, boredom, anxiety, and not EAT it! 🙂 Incidentally, many emotions are felt in the gut/stomach… so we sometimes confuse strong emotions with hunger. Huh? Who would’ve thought! 🙂
The scale has helped me a lot around dinner time. I would often eat a late lunch after running errands or a good workout.. and then at 5:00 make dinner for my family (often snacking on the food) and then since it was “dinner time”, I’d eat with my family without even realizing that I truly wasn’t even hungry… Now I have no problem just eating a couple bites of the food, or telling my family that I’m not feeling hungry and I’ll eat it in an hour or so.. and I now try to time my meals better so I can usually feel hungry and be ready to eat with my family. 🙂
Whoa… that was much longer than I intended!!! haha! I have learned so much about this and I have had some good “aha” moments!! Anyway I love your guts and truly, truly appreciate all the work you put in for all us moms out there!!!!
PS. I made a couple hundred caramels for neighbor gifts at Christmas and I was literally singing your praises as my kids and I wrapped them in the precut cellophane wrappers! THE BEST EVER!! 🙂
This is perfection Mel, thanks for the realistic goals!
Hi, it was so cool to read your post because I’m feeling similarly about it. I spent 2016 on an extreme metabolism makeover and restricted my diet to vegetables and protein. No seeds or nuts of any kind and absolutely no sugar or other added sweetness. I felt great and lost 65 lbs. The next year 2017 I had some reconstructive surgery done which put me down to bed rest for many weeks. I also had surgeries to remove skin cancer and skin grafts to cover up the hole. I’m thankful that I was able to have all that done and that there is now NOTHING wrong with me. as in no more excuses. It did mean that all that laying around and being taken care of meant goodbye to my very strict diet and hello to all sorts of very bad for me comforting foods and and some not technically food at all and also hello to half that weight back on. So here I am in the New Year and really not wanting to go the very strict route, my plan is very similar to yours. I’m looking forward to seeing how it works out for you and for me. I just completed a series of physical therapy so I have the knowledge of what I need to do and just have to get to it. Checking it off on a chart seems to help some. (does shopping count as exercise?) jk but sometimes I think it might. Your family is beautiful. Loved reading this. Hanna
Good luck, Hanna!
There is a salad picture about half way through the post. Could you tell me what it is? Do you have the recipe on your site?
It’s one of these!
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/santa-rosa-chicken-and-rice-salad/
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/chopped-thai-salad-honey-garlic-dressing/
Love this post, Mel!! I haven’t chimed in for a while… but we are very much aligned in our thinking on eating and exercise! 🙂 I heard a podcast awhile ago about change…. focus on what you want to DO instead of NOT DO. I decided as well to eat more veggies and protein so I won’t need/want other non-nutritious foods. Its been a couple months now and it has really made a big difference. I’m going back to college for Health/Nutrition and what I’ve studied so far has been really helpful! Mindful eating and not emotional or distracted eating is huge and can really help people lose weight. And my husband and I are doing another triathlon this coming summer up in Burley (Spudman) if you want to come join in the fun!! 🙂 Hears to a healthy year to you!! Thanks for all your hard work and awesome recipes!!
Wow … “focus on what you want to DO instead of NOT DO” … or even “CAN do instead of CANNOT DO”. Great perspective changer for eating as well as life. Thanks for the reminder Tanya M. I have a circumstance in my life which is restrictive and yet a great blessing as well. Blessing when I focus on what I CAN do.
Awesome, Liz! Yes, challenges can be blessings with the right attitude… and sounds like you have a great attitude! Happy new year to you!!
Love the “mindful eating” – I’ve definitely been trying to be more intentional about when and why I eat, but it’s a learning process for sure! Proud of you for going back to school, Tanya!
You have two kids who are trying to go a whole year without sweets?? Good for them! Would love to know more, specifically their ages and reasons.
Also, I LOVE Fitness Blender- free workout videos on YouTube, can’t beat that! You can also go to their website and sign up for a free account and schedule your workouts for a certain day, and use their search function to filter for certain workouts. My husband got me adjustable dumbbells for Christmas last year (the kind Kelli uses!) and I don’t need to leave the house to workout, it’s awesome! Though, I will say that they have TONS of workouts where you do not need any equipment!
Hey Julie – all four of my boys (ages 13, 12, 10, 8) started out a year without sweets, but the 13- and 8-year old caved after a couple of months. My 12- and 10-year old are going strong! They initially did it because I had offhandedly told them a story at dinner about a friend of mine whose daughter did the same thing and her mom (my friend) took her to Harry Potter World after the year. The next morning, my boys woke up and apparently had gathered for an icognito meeting late that night and decided they, too, were going to do a year without sweets. I told them that was great but I wasn’t taking them to Harry Potter world (haha, that was their motivation, I think). But they insisted they still wanted to do it. And now these two long-lasting boys only have two more months! I’ve been really impressed with their resolve.
Hi there, Mel! Hope that you enjoyed a magical Christmas and that your new year is starting off with a bang! We love your site – your clever writing and fantastic recipes are a staple in our home. You’ve even hooked my amazing gourmet cook of a mother whom just emailed me that your Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls (with half whole wheat flour) were an amazing use for the homemade pumpkin puree that was languishing in her freezer. We sooo appreciate you and all that you do. THANK YOU! I also appreciate this post and need to get going on my personal fitness resolutions. The idea of some in-home work outs is appealing to me. I was wondering, do you happen to have some input on equipment needed in order for an out of shape beginner to get started? I’m also pressing the big 4-0 this year and need to hit the ground running. God bless you and yours in 2018!
I feel ya, Andrea! I turn 40 in February and am determined to hit that big birthday feeling great! That’s a great question about equipment. For years and years (like over a decade) I’ve exercised with: a set of 5, 10, 12 dumbbells, a yoga-type mat, a step (it’s old, I got it when I bought some Firm workouts probably 9 years ago), an exercise band and DVD’s (or streaming videos online). Last year, I bought a set of kettlebells (hardly use them, so I don’t think they are necessary) and a set of adjustable dumbbells (Bowflex – super pricey but awesome to get anywhere from 5 to 50 pounds on one dumbbell so you don’t need a ton of different weights – I obviously don’t use the 50 pound option, haha). I think the adjustable weights are awesome but not necessary until you really sink into an exercise routine that’s working for you. Hope that helps!
Mel, your raw honesty is beautiful and welcomed. Be good to yourself.
Thanks, Amy. 🙂
Hi Mel,
Happy. New Year! Great post. I want to share one of my favorite breakfast foods you may want to try.
2 % plain Fage Greek yogurt with about 3/4 cup no sugar added frozen blueberries , (I defrost in microwave for 32 sec.) and then I add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon . Stir and enjoy. It’s so yummy and so healthy! ( I add one equal for my sweet tooth but probably doesn’t need it because the blueberries and cinnamon add a natural sweetness.
Thanks for the breakfast idea, Linda!
Mel, this may sound cliché, but YOU GO, GIRL!!! Making goals and working toward something we see as worthwhile is a valuable experience. We’re always moving in one direction- forward is the way to go! (The sugar withdrawals go away after 4 or 5 days- sometimes up to a week. 7 days and you’re golden!) YOU’VE GOT THIS!!! Can’t wait to hear how things are going!
I am w u, Mel. Sensible, balanced eating all the way here. Slacking off some from my near daily exercise during the holiday season, I’d like to get back to a solid 5 day per week exercise plan. Thx for b ing here Year in & year out. I gifted myself the red fondue pot for Christmas; it & u were God send when I wanted to cap off the holidays this year. I whipped up your recommended recipe & pulled out a myriad of dippers, including broc, small potatoes & sausage, from the fridge. It was delicious & heartwarming to see my husband’s smile & hear his positivity about the fun post Christmas meal after several sad losses in 2017. Thx, Mel. I ❤️ U!
Thank you, Lauren!!
My cousin posted her new favorite snack on FB: celery sticks with cream cheese down the middle sprinkled with Trader Joe’s “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning. I was by a TJ the next week and snatched a couple bottles ($1.99 for 2.3oz). I fixed it for a teacher luncheon and they were going crazy planning trips to Trader Joe’s (2 hrs away). My daughter reported that her teacher now has it for lunch everyday. So yummy!
I saw this and immediately made it for lunch…and oh my goodness, BEST SNACK EVER! I think my life is forever changed.
Ack! I was just at TJs earlier this week! Now I need to make another trip… Thanks for the tip, Alisha. I’m going to try this!
For anyone not near a Trader Joe’s … King Arthur Flour (www.kingarthurflour.com) has and “Everything Bagel Topping” which has the same ingredients. You do have to buy 8 ounces for 9.99 and possibly shipping unless you are set up with KAF. I sprinkle it on various things as well as in and on breads and rolls.
OK, I made a special trip to TJs! Tried this and loved it! Thanks again, Alisha!
So, when i first saw this post, there were only 2 responses. I kept the tab open with intentions of writing. Of course, life happens, so only now i can sit and do that. But i forgot to hit refresh, and i got bugged that you had still only received 2 comments on such an awesome post. Dummy.
Now seeing what i expected from all of us, your cult followers (haha), I am happy to see how great everyones comments are. The downside is of course, that they have taken my words already.
….. Mel, in all seriousness, you are a great blogger. not only because you have great recipes, but because of how honest your comments come across (now, don’t disappoint us and turn out to be some dude in a basement, ok? hahaha). I am VERY glad to hear that you have kept going with CrossFit (I shared before with you on FB (along the other thousands) that it really changed my life), and I am even happier to hear that you also believe on moderation. My coaches say: “You can’t out train a bad diet”, and they are right. But I also say: “Food is like budgeting; If you make it too tight, you will stop doing it”. So yes, budget for a small daily sin (stupid veggie straws, ugh), be realistic, be consistent but don’t punish your self, cook homemade stuff from Mel’s site (duh), find joy in new TASTY foods (sorry tofu), …AND enforce this rule: “You don’t punish yourself by working out because of whatever treats you ate!! Instead you eat as a REWARD for all the work you’ve put in the gym”.
Keep up the work, both in the gym and here and have a happy 2018!!! (PS: I hate not being able to hit Enter in this comment…hopefully you read it all)
Love all your wisdom SO much! And I promise, I’m not a weird dude living in his mom’s basement terrorizing the internet. 🙂 My life is far more boring than that.
I feel the same way you feel about Whole30 & extreme diets. Pretty sure I lose more health recovering from the torture. My nutrition goals are very similar to yours: water, veggies & fruit, no late night snacking. I’m looking forward to your recipes and would love tips on how to find time to prepare healthy foods. Sometimes eating healthy feels like a big time commitment that can make it hard to keep things up, especially when you are also trying to feed (and sometimes literally spoon feed) your family. Thanks for your awesome blog! We are all well fed thanks to you!
Hiking is an easy way to teach your children to enjoy exercise while having family fun. Shoveling rocks, helping with a project, not only counts as exercise but includes instant gratification and you look really cute in that hat.
Thanks, Suzanne!
Perfect, similar to my own plan, especially the sugar. Having healed from serious stomach issues, I am needing to get busy being busy. Thank you for sharing your plan, it helped me “size” up my own.
I’m in a whole different place than most of the MKC readers… I think… 62, single and work from a home office, i.e. none of the strains on schedule and family dinner. BUT, I have the “menopause 40” (this is akin to the freshman ) to work on despite being warned!!
Over the last 15 years and particularly the last 10, I have gradually transitioned to no processed foods. I buy mustard and ketchup but make everything else. I’ve had an instant pot for 2 years and that makes so many things easier. I love all varieties of beans so keep those and use in place of or with meat. Beans and things like squash, beets, sweet potatoes are now able to be made without a lot of forethought.
I keep in mind the Michael Pollan quote: Eat food (meaning non processed stuff), not too much, mostly plants.
I have more of a savory tooth, than a sweet tooth but cheese and my own sourdough breads… that’s where I have the “not too much” difficulty and those were my holiday splurges. So, like Mel and others, key for me is portion control. And I keep some non bread/cheese things for snacking: hard boiled eggs, canned salmon, sardines, small apples (I like those kid sized lil snaps), hummus, carrot/celery sticks/sliced cucumber.
Moving – I have a yoga dvd that has 10-20 minute routines and I set my phone alarm to just do one midday. Recently added a mini-trampoline which is both fun and easy to add another 10 minutes when I’ve been sitting too long. Then – dog and cat and 8 acres and get myself outside for walking/snowshoeing/firewood getting, etc.
I do jot down what I eat and when/how I move/exercise. I don’t keep a log, just a daily note which helps me stay on track as in: I’ve already had 2 servings of cheese so I need to think of something else 🙂
Love your input, Liz! And like I’ve told you before, I also love the idea of that mini tramp! Right now ours only gets used for obstacle courses in the bonus room, but I can see how it would be a great exercise option, too.
I just love your “keepin’ it real” posts! Thumb up for the early morning workouts and crossfit! I hope to get back into crossfit once my kiddos are all in school. I’ve never been so strong!
Thank you for the motivation. I’ve got to get some weight off and I’m looking forward to your healthy recipes this month!
Great post, Mel! January is a new start for a lot of us and it’s nice seeing that we’re not alone (and that I’m not alone in having to have chocolate at least once a day!). I was wondering, since you like P90X and T25, if you had tried Beachbody on Demand. I got it late last year and I’ve been loving it! It gives me access to ALL the Beachbody workouts, so I can pick an choose what workout I want to do. Plus, it makes it super easy to workout on days that the kids are sick, there’s a snow day (like today, thanks bomb cyclone ) or I simply don’t feel like going to the gym. Best of luck with your January goals!
Yes, I actually had Beachbody on demand all last year until I started crossfit! It really is a great option to change up workouts all the time (and I agree, SO nice to have the option to work out at home).
You have inspired me! I’m a Three C’s girl too (carbs, cheese, and chocolate) but I just had our 4th (and last) baby 4 days ago and now I’m ready to lose the baby weight my past 3 pregnancies have loaded on. This time it won’t seem pointless since I won’t (or shouldn’t!) be getting pregnant again! Now I just need to break the late night sweets habit this last pregnancy brought on! I look forward to some new healthy meal inspiration this month!
Tara! Congrats on your baby!!!
This is an awesome post! I love how real your blog is. It helps to know that even food bloggers have a conscience and deal with everything we non-celebrity people deal with. lol you’re my fav celebrity Mel!! Curious what your “dinner cutoff” rule looks like when you have family dessert. Do you eat dessert soon after dinner and just have a small serving?
Hey Kate – good question! If I’m going to eat a sweet/dessert after dinner, I do it RIGHT after dinner or else I don’t let myself. Once we clear the dinner table and clean up dishes is when I *try* to implement the dinner cutoff. We usually don’t have many after-dinner sweets throughout the week…but they do happen more frequently on Saturdays and Sundays.
We also don’t do dessert often- usually just on Sunday unless it’s a special occasion. It has helped a lot to just have a certain day everyone knows is dessert day & no one even asks the rest of the time.
Cool idea! Thank you!
Heeeey. I’m pretty much in the same shoes as you… Minus blogging. And CrossFit. And loads of other stuff I’m sure. You continue to amaze me with how much you fit in your schedule and it sounds like you always keep family your #1 priority. It’s beyond awesome! Have you heard of the Whole Life Challenge? I’ll try to not sound like an infomercial for this but seriously.. It’s the best challenge I’ve ever did. It’s not a diet, but a “game” . Look it up. http://www.wholelifechallenge.com. Maybe you’ve already heard of this at CrossFit? There are loads of CrossFit teams playing and that’s where I heard about it first as well. It’s been by far the best way for me to stick to a plan because they don’t demand perfection, and it gives you somewhere to be accountable at the end of the day. Anyway… Something you might be interested in:)
Cool, Ellen! I’ll definitely check that out!
And that’s thats why my kids do the dinner dishes:) I’m actually doing a running program and planning on doing a few 5ks, maybe a 10k if I can hack it:)
Thanks for the post! I love to see a moderation approach to nutrition because that works best for me too :). For exercise, I joined a kids and family karate class with my kids a couple years ago. That’s an easy way to show yourself how not in shape you are!! But it’s been fun learning new things, even when the next day hurts. It motivates me to have the kids, and a friend with her kids, there with me, meaning it is hard to quit when they are watching! I will be doing a similar cut back on sweets once the kids are back in school next week, and I am also working to cut out the between meals grazing I unfortunately do, especially during holiday baking season. Good luck with your goals! Karate starts again on a Monday, so I will be back at it then too 🙂
Mel,
We just finished up our dinner of leftovers (chicken pot pie crumble) and after picking at the extra crumbles while cleaning up dinner, I told myself I really needed to stop doing that!
I haven’t done Crossfit, but I’ve been working out at 5am as well and lift weights which makes a big difference! I’m going to try to stick with you and eat healthy and be aware of portion control. I think we can still splurge now and then, but I’m going to take your advice with the 5 dark chocolate chips a day….that will help my ‘hangry’ mood swings that I’ll have for the first few weeks. 🙂
Tiff! I’ll think of you on the hard days this month knowing you are right there with me. And way to go on the early am workouts and lifting weights! You are awesome!!
My hubs and I have actually done the W30 a few times. The 3rd time was damn near perfect. For us- it showed us how eating cleaner affected everything like energy and sleep quality, the weight loss was a bonus. Of course my husband always loses waaaay more weight than me. I think it’s a great way to get your eating back on track and a dose of reality on portion control and structured food intake. But aside from a few recipes- we find that we’ve cleaned up our eating overall and the restrictions of the w30 (like rice and beans and oatmeal) is just overkill and feels to restrictive. I love my hot steel cut oats on a cold winter morning. Thanks to my Instant Pot, quinoa and other grains is hassle free and so easy! Neither of us show any reactions to them. I think the only reason I embrace the W30 on some level is that I love to cook and experiment and there are some good recipes out there, it definitely opened the world of home made salad dressings, and the value a good quality oil and vinegar can go a long way. I know it changed the way I buy groceries, not that we bought a lot of processed foods, but I try to buy the best quality I can stomach being a cheapskate., but more of- will I eat a normal portion if I pay more for it? lol
For 2018, we are going to get more physical. I feel once the holidays are over we eat healthier anyhow. But we can always benefit from more physical activity. We have a gym opening up closer to us and hopefully that will help. But I want to get bikes! We live in an area with miles of walking trails we can also bike on.
I can totally see the how those benefits of the Whole30 would be beneficial! Good luck with your physical fitness goals this year!