When I saw Alex Cavanaugh and friends were hosting a Get Healthy Bloghop, my first thought was that it wasn't something I should sign up for. I mean, come on - I'm no health nut or exercise guru. I am the crying, wheezing, sweaty lump in the road that the real athletes have to run around on the way to the finish line.
But the whole point of the bloghop is to share something we've done that has affected our health in a positive way. And you know what? I can actually do that!
Over the last year, I've lost a chunk of weight and one of the reasons for this is portion control. Yes, I know, ho-hum, boring. That's what I thought, too. What difference does an extra spoonful - or a second helping of potatoes, another bowl of pasta, a third slice of pizza - make? Once in awhile - not much. But when that becomes your usual way of eating, it makes a big difference in more ways than one. Learning about and focusing on portions really opened my eyes to how much more food I really was eating. Cutting back was hard at first, but I got used to it, and it's now pretty much my default.
One other tip that worked for me - not so much with losing weight but just feeling better - was cutting out soda. Every once in awhile, I'll have some Classic Coca Cola - I enjoy it with certain foods and I occasionally "treat" myself - but for the most part, I've replaced soda with water and unsweetened iced teas - black, green or other flavors with no added sugars. And, like with the portion control, it was hard at first but I got used to it...and feel better for it.
I'm looking forward to visiting the other participants in the Get Healthy Bloghop, and I'd love to hear more tips from you all here in the comments.
