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The very first day of the Fab Fall Challenge starts with this question: Why do we feel like a big fat failure when can’t get the following together all at once?
- Buying groceries at the lowest possible cost
- Cooking healthy, wholesome meals that actually taste good
- Planning meals ahead of time with your full arsenal of amazing meals
- Cooking, serving, and eating healthy most of the time
- Exercising now and then
- Getting plenty of rest each night
I mean, are you are doing OK at one or two of these pieces of the puzzle but struggling to get a good grasp or system without stress. I hear ya, Sista! I was in the same boat, but wow, I have come so far ~ and I want the same for you.
The “help me!” cries of other women have prompted me to not only write an ebook with simple hacks to take care of your home without stress {working on it}, but to also begin a fall challenge for you, that starts today ~ which focuses on just one area of our crazy: food. Saving money on it, making it healthier most of the time, and how to get it on the table as quickly as possible.
Fab Fall Challenge Hack #1: Finding what’s missing
We always read about what our bodies need and how many servings we need of proteins, fruit, and blah blah blah. How does this practically happen on a BUSY, daily basis and what does it have to do with what’s missing in your daily food choices?
When your body doesn’t get what it needs, then it will crave {and I’m talking about the good stuff}. When you fill it with substance-lacking foods {picture: Lay’s potato chips}, it is still craving, so you want more junk because the satisfaction isn’t fulfilled. On the flipside, if you fill your well {so to speak} with what your body really wants {the good stuff} and consistently, you are less likely to crave the junk so that you can enjoy a goody now and then without guilt.
Here’s the simplistic version of the solution:
As far as foods go, we need protein, good carbs, and good fats, and food should be fueling your body every 2-3 hours. For most of us, this would look like breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, and dinner. Not rocket science, right? You pretty much knew that ~ I’m just reminding you.
We won’t focus on what ingredients are “less than healthy” in each of your meals but rather what good stuff you have in your meals…..
- Are you eating 5 meals a day?
- Are you getting protein in each of your 5 meals?
- Are you eating a good, complex carb at lunch and/or dinner? Here’s an article I wrote about complex carbs last fall.
- Are you eating fresh fruit once or twice a day and mixing the variety?
- Are you eating vegetables with lunch and dinner?
- Are you enjoying some good fat {nuts, nut butter, avocado, coconut, etc} in your two snacks?
If you are not doing one of the six items listed, I’m convinced that you are missing a lot that would fuel you and help you stop grabbing for those chips. If you are missing more than one of these steps, you can probably see how huge the gaps may be. Adding plenty of H2O and vitamin supplementation is vital for women but those are topics of other posts. 😉
We’ll spend more time later in the challenge with specific recipes for your 5 meals, but for now, will you spend some time thinking about your current meals you ate over the last couple of weeks. Were there at least 5 of them each day? Did they contain the nutrients I listed?
If you answered no to these two questions, here’s my free advice for baby steps to healthier choices on what’s missing: Start with #1 on the list and master it in a few days. Then move on to #2, and do the same. Skip the ones you already do. Work at doing this every single day this week.
I’ll be sharing how to get the protein, good carbs, and good fats easily in your simple meals. So do your homework and keep checking in while doing your best. Be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already so you can join the community of women joining you!
What was missing for you in the 6 steps?
Well, I am missing 3/6! Thanks for posting.
I’m actually doing pretty well with these things, but it has been a process. It has taken some time, but I’m feeling better about my food choices and the food I feed my family. You are right. Baby steps. Thank you for linking up to Tips and Tricks. I hope you will link up again this week. Pinning this.
Author
Thank you Kathleen! Congrats on the progress…. that’s what matters – that we are making a change. 😉
blessings,
Shan