Healthful Habit

{granny smith snack}

I will be the first to admit that my sweet tooth is out of this world.  I could literally eat ice cream, preferably Rocky Road, everyday of the week and not get sick of it.  And honestly I would if I had the metabolism like some lucky ducks out there do, where they can eat anything and everything and still be a teeny little twig.


For me, though, it takes hard work, commitment, and self control to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  I can workout everyday; that's not really the problem.  See, for me, running, yoga, resistance training, or really anything else that gets my blood pumping is what keeps me functioning in the rest of my life.  Exercise, sweating buckets with music pumping full blast into my ears and body, this acts as my de-stresser.


My main struggle is commitment to healthy food choices.  Does this happen to anyone else?  So you go through your day, eat balanced and nutritious snacks and meals, get home after a long one, and you just grab anything/everything in sight to devour.  It's like, why don't we just get a bulldozer to make this food-in-mouth-shovel-fest a little easier?  I think I have these days more than I care to admit; it's so disappointing to know that all those good choices from my day just went right down the drain my throat!


I've discovered, though, a method that seriously has made a difference in my eating habits.  I'm a big to-do list person;  I love the satisfaction of being able to cross off items on my lists, not to mention the utter elation of finishing an entire day's list.  I've found making a sort of food to-eat list for my next day is extremely helpful.  I create well-balanced meals and snacks at night and follow that list exactly to par the next day.  Having things pre-planned out eliminates the whole refrigerator scan that we all know and love: searching through the fridge frantic and hungry and ending up choosing maybe not the healthiest option.  My kryptonite happens to be quesadillas, high in both fat and carbs; but if I write down salad with a side of rice, beans, and veggies, then I've found the fridge scan the next day will be much less tempting to grab the cheese and tortillas.  I promise it's just as easy to do and follow as it sounds.


I'm curious, what are some health habits you live and swear by?  I would love to give them a shot!

{a divine lunch of fresh spring greens, sauteed asparagus, apple, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, & strawberry vinaigrette}