Healthy Eating Habits
In my journey to eating healthy over the past few years, I have noticed that there are times when it is easier to eat healthy and times when it is much more challenging. For example, it's easier to eat healthy in the spring and summer, but harder in the fall and winter. It's easier to follow my diet during the week, especially when I have prepared by planning, shopping, and prepping ahead of time. Weekends are harder, because my daily routine gets thrown off. Vacations are also a challenge, because of the change in routine, as well as the fact that food is sometimes a part of the vacation. Seriously, try going to Italy and not eating the gelato. (Not that I've been to Italy, but you get the idea). Holidays tend to be focused around food, and eating as much as possible. Which is why I am super excited that this year we have decided to throw the traditional Thanksgiving menu out the window, and are coming up with our own unique menu, completely vegetarian, for our Thanksgiving holiday with our dear friends/beloved family, Scott MK and Lyon Mercaeant! Seriously, I can't wait. We may do something a little more traditional for our winter holiday meal (Yule/Xmas), or we may not. We'll decide closer to that date. I also find that my monthly cycle effects my eating habits - for a week or so out of the month, my body craves carbs like crazy. I think this is both a physical need for a few more calories and an emotional need for comfort food. (This also happens sometimes when I am sick, although at other times illness reduces my appetite to almost nothing). Interestingly enough, though, I don't have a problem with eating healthy on days that I have done a lot of exercise. I do, however, note when MyFitnessPal thinks that I should eat more than my daily allotted 1260 calories because I have burned more calories than that times two. In cases like that, I try to eat a little more, maybe eat closer to 1500 or 1600 calories, mostly protein based, if I can help it. It's all a learning experience, really. Today I ate both donuts and pizza. You guess which one (or more) of the factors above led to that. ;-)