A Life Edit: Eating
Spring is a wonderful time to reflect and edit on the various components of our lives. Our wardrobes. Our daily schedules. Our morning routine. Our night routines. Our eating plans. Our skin care rituals. Our relationships. Our entertainment choices. So many possibilities, really! But small steps, everyone. I like to go with one at a time--and proceed according to my energy level. I do find that a good life edit does bring me joy! I must confess that I do edit regularly. Curious as to how an edit really works? I am here for you!
MY LAST EDIT? MY WORKOUT ROUTINE
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I recently took action with an edit to my workout routine. My strength building component was just not working for me. The process of simply taking a moment to pause and reflect allowed me to make changes that have lead to a better choice— and thus, to a higher quality of life. What did I do? I replaced my routine of lifting weights (which was causing me frequent bouts of muscle pain and headaches) with attending my local Bar Method studio to sculpt and burn out my muscles in a way that feels amazing (though it is tough, I tell you!). I have had to adjust my workout schedule a bit but it has been well worth the effort.
NEXT UP? MY EATING STRATEGY
First off, I don’t diet so I won’t be talking about that. At most, I am a whole foods advocate with a slight bend toward vegetarianism (I eat meat a couple of times a week). I find that whenever I try to eliminate anything from my life (sugar, dairy, grains etc..), it just doesn’t go well. That said, I do love the idea of adding healthy, whole foods to my every day. At the beginning of the year, I decided to add greens, nuts, and berries to my daily. It has worked fabulously, I must say! Most days, I manage to enjoy some form of greens, nuts, and berries. Not all together, mind you! But wait— it could be all together! My challenge lately is that while I have largely automated my breakfast meal to include a large bowl of steel cut oats with berries— or as another option, a slice of grainy toast with avocado mash and an egg on top (both entrees served with a piping hot cup of coffee!)— I am completely lost when it comes to lunch. I buy salad ingredients for lunch but never actually want to one (I tend to serve most dinners with a salad). Anyway, I need two automated lunches that meet my nutritional needs but are easy to prepare and are also fairly enticing. There! You have witnessed my pause and reflect.
Now onto my actual edit. After some thought, I have decided to implement a couple of options for lunch. The first will be a serving of cottage cheese with avocado Triscuits on the side, various chopped veggies that I have on hand (peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, etc…), and a V8. My second option will be a pasta meal from Trader Joes that I add a bunch of greens to. The frozen pasta meal is wonderful for my coaching days when I have less time to prepare a meal and eat it. Just keeping my expectations realistic! I realize for many of you, having two options might feel too limiting. For me, automating my first two meals of the day allows for me to function without unwanted complexity. I get plenty of that elsewhere!
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE LIFE EDIT? WHAT ARE SOME AREAS IN YOUR LIFE THAT MAY BENEFIT FROM A REFLECT AND EDIT PROCESS? I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR!
