A "bottom ten" list to work on...

I had lunch with a friend this week and told him about my diet and my plan so far. He mentioned he was frustrated with not being in as great a shape as he used to be, and asked me how I was managing to focus on the changes. He mentioned a few things about his eating that he knew was standing in his way - work day and lunches, eating with a family that doesn't face the same concerns about weight, still drinking soda (diet, but still...)

I encouraged him that one easy way to start was to think of all things he might think aren't great about his eating habits, and write them down. Come up with 10 things. Pick 3 he could do something about.

Even I'm already 3 months into my own journey, I thought it would make some sense for me to do a retro snapshot of what I would have listed had someone asked me to do the same things. And I also thought it would be good to think about what I would do about any or all of them. So here's my list (circa July):

1. I'm bad at eating breakfasts
2. I don't get enough protein
3. I don't get enough fiber
4. I eat too much in terms of fatty foods (especially the fried stuff and the chips)
5. I don't snack well
6. I need to work on portion control, especially the large Sebastians lunches, which are healthier but big
7. I probably have too much candy... my Chewy Spree break most afternoons probably isn't good.
8. I like baked goods for a breakfast or snack (doughnuts, muffins, bagels, etc)
9. I don't drink enough water
10. Did I mention the chips?

So, if that's the list (and it's a fair one) here is my plan for a few of them:

1. Breakfast: Doing much better at this, and using it as an opportunity for protein rather than carbs.
2. Protein: Focusing on lean protein, getting it at breakfast and at lunch, making sure i get it before being forced into a dinner choice.
3. Fiber: This was a big one. FiberOne yogurt and FiberOne bars are a big help!
4. Fatty Foods: much better at this, but still an occasional indulgence...
5. Better Snacking: The FiberOne bars are a go to snack at this point. This kills 2 birds with one stone.
6. Portion control, especially lunch: I'm much better at making and bringing lunch, and making better choices on smaller lunches when I don't.
7. Candy: Two things: a) I haven't had any chewy sprees since this started b) I realized this week that I didn't have ANY CANDY this Halloween candy this year. Not one piece. I wasn't even trying to achieve that goal... I've just had that much less candy, and much less of a craving or a taste for it.
8. Baked goods: I haven't had a single doughnut since this diet started.
9. Water: Um.... I drink more water when I go to the gym, but, yeah.... not so good on this one.
10. Did I mention the chips? They're still an issue. Not as bad as they were, but still there. I love the chips. Dammit.

So, not so bad, all around. Some big progress on a few, and some challenges still linger. Weight Watchers really helped to get things kick started, but things like the candy and the fiber and some other things have just naturally worked their way into my cravings and tastes. That's a great thing, and I'm happy it took less than 3 months to be more of a natural shift, rather than still feeling like an exercise in learning and practicing what good would look like. It's just ACTUALLY good, rather than trying to be good.

I hope my friend can find a few things that work for him. I bet he'd be able to take on much more... in a good way! And I'm happy that he's inspired me to think about my own situation, which I know I need to keep doing, every step of the way.

Thanks for reading!