Soooo.....any change starts with contemplation...considering where we are, considering where we'd like to be, considering the steps we need to take to get there and the tools we might need along the way....
In that vein....I have been talking to a co-worker (who sits at a desk in AZ but she's my closest work buddy) who has been steadily losing weight and getting healthier over the last few months. She's started working out now, and is really proud of herself (for good reason). Altogether, she's lost about 80 lbs since her journey started.
We were talking about her eating plan....not diet. This is just how she now eats...and she shared it with me. I'm contemplating. Not starting it yet, but contemplating hard, because I know that (particularly as a diabetic) this style of eating would be ideal for me.
Here's what she eats in a day....and she says she feels like she is always chewing
- 6 servings of concentrated protein (lean meat, chicken or fish preferably baked, grilled or roasted rather than fried) with each serivng 3 or 4 oz.
- 3 servings of legumes with each serving 1/2 cup cooked
- 2 servings of dairy with each serving about 6 oz. of low fat milk or yogurt
- 2 servings of nuts and seeds...a serving is 10 or 12 almonds, 1 tblsp of nut butter...like that
- at least 4 servings of non-starchy veggies, and the more the better...this is a minimum
- 2 servings of starchy veggies - such as 1/2 a potato or 1/2 cup of carrot
- 3 servings of fruit....1 cup of berries, 1 medium apple or 2 small plums are servings
- 2 servings of grains - 1 slice of bread is a serving or 3/4 cup of oatmeal
- 6 servings of healthy oils - a serving is 1 tsp of good oils, 8 or 10 olives or 1/8 an avocado
She must eat all of the required servings.....so she's eating a lot of food, all day long. And she's eating a lot more of the healthy fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts and oils than she normally would.
Anyway....I know this would be a big change....but a good one....and I'm contemplating.....