(Un)Healthier Me: February Vacation
From 2004-2007, T and I spent every February vacation with his parents in sunny St. Maarten. His parents have a timeshare there, and it was because of their incredible generosity that we were able to enjoy such a heavenly tropical vacation in the middle of winter. For one week each year, we sat on the beach, sipping tropical drinks and enjoying the sun, sand, and water. We fell asleep to the sound of the ocean and woke to the warm breeze blowing through the balcony screen door. They were truly the most relaxing vacations ever.
But as you can see, that trend stopped the year I gave birth to Tiny and Buba. T’s parents continue to go and enjoy their timeshare (who could blame them?), while we stay home with our kids. It’s not that we haven’t been invited back. We have. But each year we’ve declined, feeling that we’d rather wait until it won’t feel like so much work to take a vacation.
But last week (which was this year’s February vacation week), we sure did eat as though we were on vacation. I can probably count on one hand the number of times we cooked a meal for ourselves. Instead we dined on take-out and left-overs. And my healthier me goals flew out the window. I did not make it to the gym 5 times, and I won’t even disgust you by listing all the non-healthy food choices I made.
While it seemed like fun at the time, I’m not realizing that I’ve got to find a way to get back on that healthy living horse again. Slapped in the face with the reality of gaining weight as a result of not eating right, I need to stop this downward spiral quickly before it gets completely out of control.
I tried getting right back to it on Monday, but there were still too many temptations around. And I felt sooooo hungry. I’m pretty good at sticking to healthy meals, but it’s the snacks that get me. I can only eat so many apples and yogurts.
So please, help me jump-start my healthier me plan by telling me some of your favorite healthy snacks. Perhaps if I can get the food part back under control, I can get back on the other tracks too.
Lentils! My problem is that I don’t get enough protein, so a bowl of lentils before bed gets me up to snuff. I tend to make daal, since I’m South Asian, but throw in any veggie and any seasoning, and you have deliciousness. They’re excellent for fibre too.
Egg whites are also good for you (16 calories, no fat, 4g protein a piece). I tend to keep only one yolk when I make scrambled eggs, and beef up the flavour with a dash of worcestershire sauce and a sprinkle of dry mustard. I use olive oil, because you do need SOME fat!
Prunes, apricots, apples and bananas are good at taking the edge of sweet cravings. There’s nothing better than a carrot or stick of celery to give you something to chew on.
Have you tried Sparkpeople’s food journal? It has reasonable guidelines for your daily food balance, and has zillions of food items already in its inventory. It’s also easy to add new ones.
i like grapes, yogurt (the greek style with a little honey or sugar, or just fruit added), pita and hummus.
Right there with ya! With Josh being home, and us being sick its hard! I haven’t been working out, and not eating good too. 
I say we don’t eat healthy, and take a trip to that timeshare…I love me some fruity drinks! 
Shockingly, I have actually come to really like oatmeal for a quick snack. The instant kind is the perfect size, and with raisins it’s pretty darn good. Plus helps keep your cholesterol numbers good!
Popcorn with light butter seems to work for me. I’ll usually pop a bag and then eat a handful or two. The rest goes in one of those big ziploc bags for later.
Have you tried dressing up yogurt with fresh fruit and granola? I started making yogurt parfaits for the girls and found out I really like them myself.
I also make a big bowl of popcorn once a week. The girls love pouring the kernels into the air popper and watching the pop corn pour out into the big bowl as they pop. A small portion of cheese and crackers along side a little fruit is good, too. Even a 1/2 sandwich made from a small portion of leftover chicken and 1 slice of bread.
I found a snack “stick” better and leave me more satisfied if I have a mix of carbs and protein and I have more options if I avoid the idea that snacks have to be “snack” food.
I’ve missed about 4 of your posts … I’m not sure what how I’ve messed up my reader this time …
Anyway … I love edamame (they have individual serving size bags in the freezer section at Target … it’s for kids in a Dora bag). They are really easy to throw in your purse for later and my kids love them, too.
If I’m home, I put 1/2 cup eggs whites and a handful of spinach in pan with some olive oil, cook it and top it with a tablespoon of salsa.
Or, I nuke a sweet potato for 6 minutes, take 1/2 a cup of it (w/skin) and in a bowl I add cinnamon and one or two tablespoons of fat free vanilla yogurt.
Or, I get a cup of Fiber One cereal in a bowl and top it with 2 tablespoons of the same yogurt and top it with blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries.
The berries and vanilla yogurt always seem to knock down any sweet craving I may have.
I love this post … would you mind if I did a similar one on my blog ?
I’ll be following what people write. I have little advice for you. I need to get back to the healthier me too.