What I Eat in a Week- Making Healthy Lifestyle Changes

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A few months ago, my husband and I decided to make a few healthy lifestyle changes. We are both turning 40 this year and while I don’t feel that 40 is that old, I do feel that it’s the age when you start to realize that you aren’t getting any younger. We decided that we wanted to take control of our health, by making healthier choices. Today I want to tell you all about it and share what I eat in a week, what my exercise routine looks like, and how I’ve been able to maintain this healthy lifestyle for the last few months!

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Why I Made a Healthy Lifestyle Change?

I’ve always been on the smaller side, so when it came to having a healthy diet and exercise routine it was something I knew I should do for my health, but wasn’t overly eager about making the change. I didn’t think that my diet and lifestyle were that bad and didn’t see any reason to change.

It wasn’t until Kevin came to me and told me he wanted to seriously make some lifestyle changes. He’s always been on the smaller side as well, but he has high cholesterol and his health has always been a big concern for him, especially since his job relies on his health. As an airline pilot, you have to hold an FAA first-class medical certificate. Without it, you lose your job.

His health and career are important to me and the stability of our family. We have worked so hard together to meet our goals in life and I’d like to maintain this lifestyle. Health seems like the one thing that could take everything away from us.

When I first started this health journey with Kevin, my main concern was that I was supporting him. But now after eating healthy and exercising consistently over the last few months, I have seen some major changes in myself and I am really liking it. I’m almost 39 and a half and I have never felt healthier in my life.

Aging is something that you can’t stop from happening, but as I get older I want to embrace it the best that I can. I want to age gracefully and live out my older years enjoying life to its fullest. Taking care of my body and mind with a healthy diet and exercise routine is one way that I can embrace the aging process. It’s not just for me, but it’s for my family too. A healthy happy mom is key to a healthy happy family.

My Exercise Routine

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I have been loving my new exercise routine! Instead of focusing on exercise as a way to lose weight or get toned, I have been focusing on it as just a way to keep my body feeling healthy. When Kevin and I decided that we would start working out at our local rec center, he decided to start following the Air Force physical fitness test (Find link below) . Years ago he had interviewed for a pilot position at the Air National Guard and he had to pass the physical fitness test. I joined in as well because It seemed like the perfect way to measure our health

The military fitness tests remind me of middle school gym class. It’s just your basic exercises. Run a mile and a half, do 1 minute of push-ups and 1 minute of sit-ups. That’s it, simple and super basic. I find it a great starting point for anyone who is interested in getting started in a healthy fitness routine and doesn’t know where to start.

I’m not a runner at all, and the idea of running used to make me want to cry, but I have felt so good running this short mile and a half. When I first started my routine, I was walking most of the way, then added in running every other lap of the track, but now I am running the mile and a half every time under 12 minutes. Now I look forward to my run! It’s my time to put on an audiobook or podcast and just zone out.

After my run, I usually go to the weight room. There I will work on my arms and abs. I get most of my exercise routines from Pinterest (check out my Fitness board HERE!) or I just make them up as I go. From there I will do my sit-ups and push-ups. Push-ups have been my biggest challenge. I have always done my push-ups on my knees, but I’ve been challenging myself to stay in a plank position.

I don’t have a set amount of days that I need to work out each week. It can be hard when the kids are home from school and the rec center is closed on the weekends. This is why I just try to go as often as I can Monday-Friday. I still try to do push-ups and sit-ups almost every day at home as a bare minimum.

*Read related post: 5 Tips for Getting Your Body Back After Baby

Favorite workout clothes

What I Eat

Since the beginning of December, Kevin and I have been eating a mostly clean diet. By clean, I mean we have cut out as many highly processed foods as we can and only focus on eating whole, natural foods or foods with low ingredients.  I don’t limit how much I can eat a day and I don’t count calories. As long as it’s real food, I eat it.

Because Kevin is watching his cholesterol, we have cut out a lot of saturated fats as well. Dairy products, refined oils, and red meat are the main things. We are just cutting out the bad fats and focusing on eating healthy monounsaturated fats. I still eat gluten, but l do avoid white flour and white rice. I also avoid white sugar.

The biggest diet change has been cutting alcohol out of my daily routine. I have always enjoyed drinking and because I drink in moderation, I have never felt there was anything wrong with that.  I don’t get drunk and I don’t wake up with a hangover.

What I wasn’t thinking about was how bad alcohol is for your body.  My question to myself was why do I feel like I need to drink every day?  The answer was that I don’t need to drink every day.  It had become a habit over the years.  An unhealthy habit that I decided I needed to break.

80/20 Eating

I don’t eat clean 100% of the time. I follow more of an 80/20 eating rule. This means that 80% of the time I eat clean and healthy, and 20% of the time I eat what I want. On average, I would say I have about one or maybe 2 cheat meals per week. I have found that this style of eating has helped me maintain this healthy lifestyle. Knowing that I can still go out to eat or get pizza from time to time makes me look forward to a splurge, but in my normal day-to-day routine, I will continue to eat clean.

I also still drink alcohol, but now instead of lots of little drinks throughout the week, I might have a few drinks on the weekends or at a get-together and that’s it.  For me, I don’t feel the need to completely restrict myself from drinking, I just don’t want it to be a daily unhealthy habit anymore.

You might think that having cheat days would make me want to give up on the healthy clean diet, but I always feel like I’m ready to get back to clean eating after taking a day off. I look forward to eating healthy because it makes me feel good. I feel so satisfied with the nutritious foods I’m eating, that I don’t crave the bad food anymore.

Do Your Kids Eat Clean?

As much as I would love to have my children eat all the same food we are eating, I know that’s just not realistic at this moment. They still eat kid foods, but I have been making an effort to make healthier choices when shopping for their foods. 

I’ve been buying more organic products and reading the labels on the back of their food. What I look for when I read labels are ingredients that I can read and recognize. If I need to google what guar gum or butylated hydroxyanisole is, then I know I’m not going to like what I find. It’s tough for me to avoid all those ingredients, but just making an effort to limit them and buy less of the highly processed food is better than nothing.

I also have been trying to make more of an effort to make the kids homemade snacks at home. I follow Yummy Toddler Food on Instagram and have gotten so many great ideas from her.

The good thing is that because Kevin and I are eating so healthy in front of the children, they have been making healthier choices on their own. They have been asking me to snack on fruit more often than crackers. I think that being a positive example for your children is the best way to help them make good healthy food choices as they get older.

What are my food staples? 

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One thing that I have learned about clean eating is that it’s a lot easier than I thought it would be. Because I am cooking with fewer ingredients it has simplified recipes. I keep the same food staples in my house, so it makes it easy when it’s time to grocery shop. Here are my go-to food staples.

• Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt– You can use Greek yogurt in so many different ways. Eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I use it as a replacement for mayonnaise, sour cream, butter, and oil in lots of recipes.
• Jar Garlic– I use garlic to flavor my food and the jar garlic is my go-to when I don’t want to chop up fresh garlic. 
• Olive Oil and Avocado Oil– These are the two go-to oils I use for cooking.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables– I buy a lot of produce because our whole family eats a lot of it.  
• Lean meats– Ground turkey/ chicken breast are my go-to meats.
• Salmon– I have been buying a large filet of salmon and then I cut it into smaller proportions and freeze it. This makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
• My spice cabinet– I have been getting a lot of use out of a lot of all my spices. Natural herbs and spices are a great way to season your food.
• Nut butters– Almond butter and peanut butter are always in my house. I eat them with apples or bananas. I use them to flavor smoothies and my yogurt.
• Nuts– We eat a lot of raw nuts. I find a handful of nuts to be so filling as a quick snack when I am hungry.
• Honey and maple syrup– I use these as my sweeteners.
• Oatmeal– Oatmeal is a great starch to have on hand. It’s perfect for baking or just eating for breakfast!

Kitchen Must Haves!

What I eat in a week

Here’s a glimpse at what I eat in a week. I don’t always follow recipes exactly. Most of the meals I make are modified versions of some of my favorite meals I’ve always made. I’ve been having fun with my food and finding new ways to flavor it. I’ve found that clean eating isn’t boring at all! It’s actually very delicious!

Breakfast:

I start my morning with black coffee. I have been adding Collagen peptide powder to my coffee every morning. It’s only been a couple of months since I started using it, but I have already noticed a huge difference in my skin and hair.

After I work out, I eat breakfast. I usually eat overnight oats (almond milk, oatmeal, maple syrup, chia seeds, and fruit) or Greek yogurt with honey, walnuts, and fruit.  I find that eating the same thing for breakfast every day makes eating healthy easy.

Lunch:

For lunch, I typically keep it simple and eat leftovers from the night before. If we don’t have any leftovers, I go for a smoothie. I add spinach, bananas, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, and almond milk.  I have been making homemade almond milk and it is delicious!

Snacks

• Fruit– I eat a lot of fruit! My whole family does. Grapes, oranges, berries, and watermelon are our favorites!
• Raw nuts– I find nuts to be a quick filling option on the go. A handful of Almonds or cashews is usually my favorite!
• Banana Oatmeal muffins– These muffins are so easy to make and they only need 3 ingredients! You can also add fruit or chocolate chips to them. I eat these as a snack or a quick breakfast.
• Chia Seed Pudding– I love chia seed pudding as a sweet after-dinner snack!

Dinner:

Here are some of my favorite weeknight dinners. All can be made in 30 minutes or less.

• Salmon– Salmon is such a great quick healthy meal. I usually bake it in the oven and serve it with rice and or veggies. Sometimes I make a healthy dill sauce to go with it with Baked Salmon and Asparagus Foil, Baked Salmon with Garlic and Dijon, and Honey Dijon Salmon.
• Chicken Gyro Bowls– I loosely follow a similar recipe to this one linked. The chicken always comes out so flavorful. I top it with cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, and black olives. For sauce, I make my own tzatziki sauce with fat-free Greek yogurt, minced cucumber, olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Avocado and Turkey Sweet Potato– I’ve been loving sweet potatoes! They are so flavorful on their own. This recipe is delicious if you want to switch things up!
• Burrito Bowl– For my burrito bowls I use ground turkey, black beans, and sometimes bell pepper. I season them with homemade taco seasoning and top them with mashed avocado, low-fat plain Greek yogurt, cilantro, tomatoes, or any other veggies that sound good to me that day. I serve it over brown rice or quinoa.
• Whole wheat pasta with salmon and veggies– This is a got-to-easy pasta meal. I will bake some salmon in the oven with garlic and Italian seasoning. While that cooks I make my pasta. After I drain the pasta I use the same pan and drizzle some olive oil in the pot. Then add garlic and cherry tomatoes. I cook these until the tomatoes are soft then I will add in some spinach and a little bit of vegetable broth. Once the veggies are cooked I will add the pasta back into the pan and mix it all up. I also make this recipe with zucchini and mushrooms or any other vegetable I feel like cooking up. I will often leave out the salmon as well if I want to make it easier.
• Avocado pasta– This is a recipe that I have been making for years and my whole family loves it, even the kids. I use my hand blender to mix it all up. Lately, I have been adding basil to the avocado for some extra flavor.
• Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken with Tomatoes and Basil– I was missing my crockpot and this recipe did the trick! I served it over whole wheat pasta.

For more healthy clean recipe ideas you can check out my Pinterest Recipe board HERE! The most recent pins are what I am currently making!

Benefits of a Healthy lifestyle

I’m not an expert when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. I’m not a doctor or nutritionist. I am simply using common sense and trying to make healthy choices in my everyday life. With that said I have seen so many benefits already from this lifestyle change.

After only a couple of months of living this way, I feel healthier than ever. Physically, my body is in the best shape it’s ever been in. Losing weight was never my motivation, but eating less processed foods and adding physical exercise into my life has caused me to tone up in a very short amount of time. Any clothes that were slightly tight on me before feel great and anything that was on the big side now doesn’t fit anymore.

I’ve also noticed a huge difference in my skin as well. It feels smoother to me and I have fewer breakouts. I have a pretty good skincare routine, but I truly think that what you put into your body can make a huge difference in your complexion.

It’s not just my physical health that I have seen a change, but it’s also my mental health as well. I often struggle with anxiety, especially when I feel overwhelmed with too many tasks. Ever since I have made some changes, I have noticed that I feel less anxious and I’ve had a clearer head. I’ve also felt more energetic and just overall more positive. With it being winter, I often fall into seasonal depression feeling low motivation. Although I have still felt some winter blues this year, overall I feel better than I usually do this time of the year.

I think that when you are doing something positive for yourself, it makes you happy. You feel good and you want to keep going! I don’t want to lose this feeling that I have. It’s a form of self-care and I feel that maintaining self-care as we age is so important.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

When it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, I think 2 important factors play a part. First off is your mindset. Having a healthy mindset, rather than a diet mindset will help you be successful. To me, a diet mindset means you are setting limits for yourself. It’s focusing on restrictions of calories and foods in your diet and it’s often weight loss motivated.

When you focus on a healthy mindset, you focus on your overall health. It’s not a physical thing, it’s inside you. Making smart healthy choices because you want to live longer, and prevent heart disease, cancer, and other diseases is more motivating to me than weight loss.

Another factor that makes maintaining this lifestyle easier is having a partner who supports you. The fact that Kevin and I are working together to improve our health has helped both of us tremendously! It’s brought us closer together as a couple and made us stronger. This healthy lifestyle would not work if it was just me or him. It works because we are a team. It’s very similar to the way that we handle our finances. It’s a team effort and if one person is overspending or mismanaging money, then it’s going to affect the other.

I understand that everyone’s lifestyle is different and starting something new can be intimidating. Cooking healthy meals at home, and reading the ingredients on the back of foods you buy are both ways that you can start to make small changes in your everyday life. Even if you can only do a minute of pushups a day or sit-ups, it’s better than nothing.

All I can say is that it’s never too late to make a healthy lifestyle change. Aging doesn’t need to be a scary thing if you take care of yourself. When you prioritize your health, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish!