Healthier Eating Habits

I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions. Probably because I'm not one for sticking with them. However, I have been trying to implement some healthier eating habits, even if they're small changes. They could yield positive results. I'll be the first to admit, I like food and I like to indulge. I have a hard time saying "no" to desserts and I definitely stopped counting how many cookies, slices of pie and helpings of ice cream I've enjoyed between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Yikes! As my coworker Todd likes to remind everyone in the office, the 4th of July is just around the corner.

I'll also be the first to admit that I avoid exercise like the plague. Unless it's something fun like soccer, a bike ride, or an occasional game of tennis in the summer (who am I kidding?), I live a fairly docile life. Does rigorously cleaning the house count? Laps at the mall? Exercise is SO boring, inconvenient and tiresome. Right now I'm focusing on my diet and pretending that exercise doesn't exist. You probably shouldn't listen to me.


The following are 5 small things that I have been trying to do (although not terribly successfully). I'm hoping that putting it out there for people to read and maybe even hold me accountable might help. And seeing as it's the last day of January, I might just make the new year's resolution deadline! 

1. Drink more water
Sounds easy enough, but I don't know how people actually drink 8 glasses a day. I keep a water bottle on my desk and it takes me the whole day to even come close to drinking one.

2. Dilute juice with water
What I do love to drink is fruit juice. And lots of it. Orange, cranberry, grape, you name it. But that's a lot of sugar. So, I've been trying to cut my juice with part water or ice. It's actually not bad and I like that ice keeps it chilled.

3. Less bread

This is a difficult one if you're a bread-lover like me. A fresh loaf of crusty Italian bread is like water to my soul (or in my case, juice to my soul). I'm not planning on eliminating it from my diet, just eating fewer slices. As in, not ripping off the heal of a fresh loaf while driving home from the deli. 

 4. More salads and vegetables
I really do like salads and vegetables. It's more a matter of keeping veggies on hand and incorporating them into my daily meals. I love fruit too. I blame winter for making fresh fruit and veggies not as readily available or affordable. I'm going to need to get creative with my salad making and try to plan ahead more.

5. Fewer sweets
This. One. Is. The. Killer. I don't just have a sweet tooth, I have a whole set of sweet teeth. Brownies, cake, candy, gum, muffins - they all call my name. They are dear comforting friends. I want to make a more conscious effort to limit my sugar intake and eat fewer sweets. We'll see how this goes. Those 100 calorie packs are pretty satisfying during that afternoon junk food craving. So are caramel rice cakes. 


How about you? Any healthful eating suggestions or new year's resolutions you'd like to share?