Health-Wise Wednesdays

I'm pleased to say that this morning I weighed in at 132.4 lbs, right where I like to be. It's a pound more than last week, but that's just fine. The idea is to be healthy, not skinny.

I was driving my mother-in-law home the other day and she asked what it was that J and I were doing because we are sooo skinny. I kind of chuckled. No, we are NOT skinny. Yes, we've lost alot of weight (12 lbs for me, 23 for J) but we certainly don't look like skin and bones. The recipe for our weight loss is simple: Eat less junk. We cut out fast foods almost entirely (once in a while a pizza, but that's about it), and we've reduced our salt intake enormously. We both drink lots of water, and are careful what we snack on.

Does this mean we deprive ourselves? Not at all. As a matter of fact, we typically have ice cream for dessert everyday. Now when I say ice cream, I don't mean a huge bowl full with whipped cream, sprinkles, hot fudge and a cherry on top. I mean we have a small bowl, about 1/2 cup, after our meal. I'm against deprivation. It's harder to resist temptation when we deprive ourselves of the foods we love. I do believe in moderation. I also believe in making wise choices. There are so many options in the stores now for people who want to eat lower in fat and calories. Take ice cream for instance. I like Breyers Smooth and Dreamy, with 1/2 the fat. The velvety dark chocolate flavor is delicious, and it's only 110 calories in a 1/2 cup. Compare that to some of the other ice creams that are over 250 calories and you get the idea.

It's all about being informed and making the right choice. Yes, it means spending more time in the store checking labels and verifying nutritional values. But hey, it's my body we're talking about here. Isn't the extra work worth it?