Simple Accomplishments

By now, our New Year goals for 2011, for many of us busy women, may seem a little too unrealistic.  I have been guilty of making my  “to do” list so long that I became overwhelmed and accomplished nothing.   I have recently discovered a simple way to organize all of my family photos and kid’s events.  I have been haunted over the past few years trying to keep them all together with a system that works.  Simplicity is my new favorite friend.  I have a few steps that work and make me feel good about myself and well organized. SIMPLICITY is also the key to eating healthier and can make a difference in managing your weight.  See if any of these can work for you.

1. Switch from Regular Soda to diet.

Think about it, a 12 oz can of coke is 140 calories.  Do you really want your calories going to drinks that have no nutritional value?  If you take out 2 cokes a day or an equivalent of 300 calories in drinks and walk 2 miles which burns approximately 200 calories, you have decreased your calories by 500 a day, which leads to weight loss of 1 lb a week. If you can’t stand the thought of a diet drink, get a fountain drink and have half real and half diet until you gradually acquire the taste of a diet soda.

2. Never skip breakfast.

Eating breakfast kick starts our metabolism and gives energy for the activities that face us throughout the day.  You may think you are saving calories by skipping breakfast, but we tend to overeat in our other meals.  Choose a breakfast that is full of protein and fiber that will assist to control your appetite for the day.  One of my new favorites is Nature’s Grain Bagel at only 150 calories and a whopping 19 grams of fiber (75% of recommended daily fiber allowance). Pair this with 1 TBS of peanut butter and a banana and you have a great tasting nutritional breakfast for 320 calories, 5 grams of Protein and 21 grams of fiber.  That is a deal. Not only is it delicious; but because it is loaded with fiber and nutrients, you will notice how satisfied you are with less cravings for sugary foods.

3. Chew your food slowly and always sit down when you eat.

We can be in such a hurry while we eat, we do not even realize how much we are consuming.  Enjoy every bite of your food along with the company and conversation.  Make sure you are sitting down and looking at your food before you get started instead of running around doing multiple projects.  Pay attention to your food and get to know it before getting started

4. Substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes.

A sweet potato contains twice the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, almost half of the recommend daily amount of vitamin C, and, if you eat the skin, even more fiber than oatmeal. Make a habit of replacing a sweet potato for white potatoes and white rice. It gives you more bang for your buck and can fill a sweet tooth.

5. Ask for salad dressing on the side and choose lower cal dressing.

Never allow someone else to be in charge of your salad dressing.  Unforeseen calories can easily add up.

Make your healthy plan simple for you in 2011.  Simplicity can get things accomplished.