I am a junk food junkie....having been raised by a father that worked in a chocolate factory, its amazing I am not overweight. I adore junk food. Lucky for me, I have a pretty good metabolism. Our parents worked a lot of hours and we fended for ourselves when it came to eating...and some choices, like making cake batter for the sole purpose to eat the bowl of batter wasn't always the most wise choice, but we were teenagers.
Don't get me wrong, I am very active, (I walk on average, 18,000 steps a day just at work), and I love to exercise and play (most days). You only grow old when you stop playing.
I also love healthy food...naturally...I don't force anything I don't like...but I pretty much like anything healthy. My family is all on board too....my kids have been caught cooking a bag of brussels sprouts for a midnight snack.
One thing that keeps me motivated is reading up on healthy eating. Yes, I love the new Rocky Road Snickers bar...wow, that is good...and the occasional Big Mac is still an indulgence (please don't tell me its not real food, I know and I don't care)
Reading is one of the best motivations for eating healthy (and being fit). I promise you. Buy a health/fitness/nutrition book, check one out at the library..but read up. It will inspire you to make a change.
Marion Nestle is one of my favorite nutritional food authors...(I love Michael Pollan too) I have written about them both several times on my blog.
I just ordered her book, Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics. The reviews on this book are fantastic...of course, there are a few naysayers..but they are just making excuses for themselves.
Just a few reviews, go to Amazon to read more.
"If you want to understand what's wrong with our eating habits, you must understand the central role that calories play. Nestle and Nesheim are two of America's finest nutritionists–and this book explains, clearly and succinctly, why calories count. It is essential reading not only for people interested in food policy, but for everyone who wants to eat well and be well." –Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
I was prepared to spend most of my time skimming this book for useful information while avoiding the boring parts that often encumber these kinds of texts, but I read this one cover to cover in just a few days. In fact, as I was reading it and nearing the end I tweeted:
"Sad that I'm almost done reading 'Why Calories Count.' It's so good that I don't want it to end. Really." (@weighthacker)
That's because Why Calories Count is the fascinating story of what calories are, how they were discovered, how they're measured (my favorite way: using 'double labeled water' calorimeters), how our bodies use them, why they're important to us, how they affect our weight, and how our society views them. If you're at all interested in the calorie, I don't think you'll find a better book.
What I especially appreciate about Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim's approach is that they don't (ahem) sugar coat anything. When information about certain aspects of calories is unclear, they say that. If there are conflicting points of view on a topic, they raise them. If food companies are employing deceitful practices (they are), they're pointed out. They also explain how the regulations around calories came into being and how politics often plays more of a role than science when it comes to our nutrition labels. It's not as dry as it sounds.
All of the information is put into the context of why we're experiencing record levels of obesity and being overweight, and what we can actually do about it. This isn't a diet book, but it does look at many of the popular diets out there and explains why they work and which one is for you. (Why: You eat fewer calories. Which One: Any one that helps you eat fewer calories.) If you're trying to lose weight or know someone who is, this is a must read.
Once I heard Jillian Michaels say, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie...if you eat 3500 calories of oreos or apples, you'll gain a pound. Its true...but I am working toward getting mine from the good stuff. Jillian is another great motivating author...she motives me to eat right and move.
So go ahead, eat that Snickers bar...but keep diet your ratio 80:20, healthy being the 80%.
Some will criticize that ratio is bad..but you can't do 100%. No one can! And some will criticize that counting calories is wrong....its not...whole foods are the way to go always...but count the calories of the things you eat for a few weeks...you will be surprised at how much more you eat, than you think you do.
Anyway, I challenge you to read, and read books from authors who are educated, fitness and nutritionists..not facebook posts that tell you that you can eat motor oil on a Saturday because it will make you live longer..just being silly but some of those posts on there are just as silly.
Some books in my libarary that I will never loan out or part with:
