Carbs Challenge

 

Cutting carbs is a phrase we hear all the time when it comes to dieting and healthy eating.  The truth is, though, that I love carbs.  I love potatoes and rice and bread.  All the good stuff!  So, when I went to see my doctor yesterday for my yearly check up, I talked to her about that.  I want to eat healthier because I have gained weight over the past year....wonder why lol...and I just need get my body into better shape than it currently is.  

One of the dangers of carbs is they are comparatively cheap and when you're shopping on a tight budget buying a 5lb bag of potatoes for $3 is a better buy than a 16oz bag of spinach for $5.  And that bag of potatoes is going to stretch much farther than the spinach.  So, I talked to my doctor about wanting to change my eating habits but not go on a "diet".  For one, a diet sets you up for failure even when they work because that's a lot of pressure.  And frankly, I enjoy cooking way too much to limit myself that way.  I have asked her advice before on things like this before and she's never steered me in the wrong direction, so I wanted to talk to her about it.

Anyway, she talked to me about how she handles it.  She limits herself to carbs at only one meal a day.  And she makes sure that she has a healthy snack in between meals.  She also talked about the importance of breakfast...something I've never been good at doing for myself.  All of these things sound very doable to me.  It's going to be a matter of meal planning.  Oddly enough, I've never been too great at meal planning but am getting better.  I have read up on it a lot and think it's something I can get in to.  I even fixed up some meal planning sheets that I intend to start using next week.  I also need to do some research into carbs and make a list of foods I didn't realize were carbs to help me keep track!

So, my challenge for next week and moving forward is going to be planning my meals out and limiting my carbs to once a day.  She did tell me that it's ok to change things around sometimes because circumstances sometimes dictate that.  I think this will also help with my grocery shopping habits.  I've been good about sticking to my grocery list and not doing much impulse shopping and having meals planned is going to help with that.  It's a win win.  We'll see how it goes and I will keep you updated!