Jack In The Box

at 3:23 PM

I have read emails and listened to friends tell me about their daily diets.  Most think that they are eating pretty well and they cheat only occasionally.  The example of the daily diet that I read about or hear is usually pretty good and healthy.  But is that a true representation of their diet? 

If you are trying to lose a few pounds, you must be brutally honest with yourself.  Only when you really think about what you are eating can you figure out the pitfalls and start tweaking your diet.  Are you having the occasional Jack in the Box breakfast sandwich in the morning?  Are you going to lunch with your friends to the Mexican joint and finishing off the chips basket before your lunch arrives?  Do you finish off your kids' plates before you put them in the dishwasher? 

If your kids are doing sports, then on weeknights you maybe too busy to cook.   Are you stopping by KFC for dinner?  If the answer to many of these questions is yes, then your healthy diet is not so healthy.  You may be eating the wrong types of food and/or too much food.  If you are eating whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce that is OK but if you are having 3 servings then it becomes a problem.  If you are having a 'handful' of nuts,that's wonderful but if every time you go by the pantry you are having a handful, then you are having 300 to 400 calories in just nuts.

The fast food problem from the people I have talked to stems from lack of planning.  Grill, broil or bake chicken then divide it into several servings for the coming week.  Grilled sliced chicken comes already cooked in big packages that you can purchase, all you need to do is warm it up.  You can also cook fish or shrimp in this way and have some for the entire week.  Make sure you have fresh fruits and vegetables and you can always put some thing healthy together in a matter of minutes.

Plan ahead!  If are driving and you know you will be hungry at some point, take something with you from home so you can easily ignore those golden arches!