Make better food choices — one decision at a time

I wonder if you are among the millions who will wake on New Year’s Day saying, “This is the year I get healthy! The year I eat right, exercise and, finally, shed those pesky pounds.” Will you lace up those walking shoes that have been collecting dust in the back of the closet? Will you choose something loaded with fiber and protein for breakfast?

Maybe you and your new resolve will roll out of bed, stumble into the kitchen, and on your way to the coffee pot, drain half a bottle of now-flat New Year’s Eve champagne and polish off the last of the Christmas cookies.

It happens.

Sure, there are better choices that could be made on the way to the coffee pot. However, becoming healthier is not about tallying the times we take our eyes off the prize. The most successful people stumble many times on the way to their goals. The difference between people who reach their goals, and those who just keep wishing, is simple: Successful people survey their mistakes, learn a lesson and adjust their course of action accordingly.

Life-long good health doesn’t happen because one day we wake up and start doing everything we ought to. I am a firm believer that we all get to make new choices, learn new lessons, and change direction on a daily basis.

Back to our hypothetical story. You’re standing in the kitchen, coffee-less, licking cookie crumbs from your fingers. You might already be beating yourself up, thinking about how you blew your chance to make 2015 the healthiest year ever. Then a friend calls with an invitation to meet for brunch. Go to brunch — avoiding temptation is not a good way to cultivate sustainable healthy habits.

Now you have an opportunity to make new choices. Order the Denver omelet you love, but ask for it with egg whites, a “teeny-tiny” bit of cheese, and opt for fruit instead of hashbrowns. You had your champagne fix while still wearing your bathrobe, so skip the mimosa and enjoy some light and crisp sparkling water with lime.

Now, how does that feel? Hopefully, not bad. Thoughtful swaps like egg whites and sparkling water are how I, slowly but surely, shed 145 pounds over 3 1/2 years. The details are more involved, but, ultimately my weight loss was based on simple, and sustainable, choices. By making a solid plan, and thinking ahead about what I would do in a variety of situations, I felt uplifted and empowered throughout my weight-loss journey.

Let me reiterate: This was a slow and purposeful change. One of the most important parts of cultivating a lasting life change was to take things slowly. I replaced the foods in the pantry to more healthful choices. I started reading the labels on packages to better understand the food I was eating. I measured foods to learn what a healthy portion looks like. I bought some smaller dishes so my carefully measured breakfast cereal didn’t look like a tiny deserted island dwarfed by the South Pacific Ocean of my oversized bowl. It is less rigid in practice than it reads.

As I grew comfortable with my new routines my self confidence grew and the future looked bright. It sounds strange but I really did eat myself out of obesity. I’m not talking cottage cheese and poached chicken breast either. As my portions size decreased, I resolved not to waste a mouthful on bland, or boring food. Learning how to replace added fat and sugar with spices, fruits, and wonderful whole foods has brought me joy — and smaller clothes.

Remember that plate of Christmas cookies? Well, let’s say you ate them. Forgive yourself for your mis-step and move on. The good news is they are gone. Acknowledge that you have only just begun your journey, and you have already identified a specific area to improve. Find a way to draw the positive out of each stumble — call them learning experiences. The load will be much easier to shoulder with a smile on your face.

This year, take each day as it comes. The past that brought you to the point of change may be painful, but the future is unwritten and you have the power to set your own course. In 2015, embrace each chance you have to make a healthier choice, treat yourself with care and kindness, and never eat boring food. By this time next year, you can simply resolve to stay the course.

Rose McAvoy blogs at Light for Life at www.heraldnet.com/lightforlife and also at halfhersize.com. Email her at rose@halfhersize.com or find her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halfhersize.