Self-preservation amongst the Unhealthy…

The internet has been on the blink lately, so this week has been a bit sporadic post wise.  In the future, however, I’m aiming for new posts every Tuesday and Thursday!

I’m dedicating this week’s second entry to my friend Ashley who is attempting to live a healthier lifestyle amidst her treat-loving husband and kids.  Getting healthy is definitely an easier task to accomplish when you only have to look out for yourself—you don’t have to worry about cooking for other people, you don’t have to worry about other people bringing unhealthy foods into your home, and you can set your own schedule for eating and exercise that works for you.  If only life were so simple, right?  For most of us, however, it’s not.

I too have a special someone who makes bad food choices; in fact, he vehemently stands against healthy eating and eats at all hours of the day (and night!)  So, I’m right there with you Ashley.  It can be twice as hard, especially when you’re fist starting out, to make the right choice when your spouse always goes for the wrong one.  Since this is a truthful blog about my own personal story, I will tell you, there were many arguments between the two of us about dinner choices and exercise those first few couple of months.

Here’s the thing, you’re probably not going to be able to change your spouse’s eating or exercise habits.  Just as time and again we all hear that certain things aren’t good for us—greasy foods, smoking, drinking, etc.—I don’t see

McDonald's, R.J. Reynolds, or Anheuser-Busch going out of business anytime soon.  People do what they want.  Save yourself the arguments, and do what you want.  Yes, you will be angry that he gets to eat a piece of pizza and you’ve ordered yourself a garden salad—but eventually, the anger (or jealousy?) disappears and you’ll lose weight, feel better, and forget all about that pizza.  Likewise, healthier choices will start to come naturally. 

Secondarily, if you continue to make smart choices and try to get daily exercise, it stands as an example to those who live with and around you.  Without trying, which can lead to arguments, you might just make your family think twice about what they’re eating too.  Or if you’re starting to look damn good, you just might make your husband think he better get his act together as well! Also, if you do the cooking, as I do in our household—what you make, is what they eat.  Make your meals healthier because that’s what you want to do, and they’ll have to go along with you or suffer the consequences!  If you can’t deal with snacks and sweets in the house, get rid of them!  I still try not to keep too many quick fix sweets in the house—if I want a cookie, I have to make cookies…is it worth the effort?  Seldom.

I usually grocery shop alone as well.  At first, I preferred to have company, and took hubby along for the ride, but I found things I wouldn’t normally eat—M & Ms, chips—somehow ending up in my cart.  And if they’re sitting around at home, they’re all too easy to snack on alongside your spouse.  Tell your spouse to keep his treats elsewhere, if you can’t control yourself (though control gets easier the longer you stick to healthy living, trust me).  Tell him to keep a snack at work, in his car, or stop before he gets home if he just has to get a cookie or a doughnut—and to NOT bring you one.  Likewise, a “treat” for doing a great job being healthy is a slippery slope.  Why not tell your spouse you’d rather have a gift card to a spa? Or maybe a date night, instead?  Reinforcing good behavior with bad food, just doesn’t work for people—for Fido, maybe. 

Finally, as I’ve eluded to before, all things in moderation.  This is not a diet--it's a lifestyle.  If you can’t live without a taste of key lime pie, or even a whole slice, every now and again, then have one, but make this treat few and far between.  Or try to find a healthier version of your favorite treat, then you won't feel so bad when you indulge.  Try out my version of key lime pie below!  Since I don’t like to keep sweets in the house either (my downfall, as well), I find that if I make something, I give at least half of it to someone else.  Cookies? Send half to the office with the husband.  Cake? Have your in-laws over for dessert too.  The key here is not to completely eliminate those things you enjoy from your life, but to limit their intake.  Additionally, if I really want a cookie, but don’t want to risk making a whole batch (and eating like 20 cookies—hey, it happens…) I go somewhere, like Tim Hortons, and get a cookie.  Just one.  That way, you don’t have a dozen more left at home to eat.  Yes, they’re more expensive than making your own, and usually not as good, but again, it’s a method of limiting your access to such things, when you might not be able to control yourself.  

Another example, and I'll be the first to admit it, tonight I went out to Buffalo Wild Wings with the FSARC crew after running.  Dessert sounded like a good plan--and hey, I just ran five miles in 80-plus degree weather and humidity!  So, I ordered the chocolate cake.  No doubt, it was delicious, and I ate about half of it--but only  half.  Then I pushed it toward my friends and let them finish the rest.  If you deny yourself everything, you might gorge--then you'd really fall off the wagon!  So my advice is to take it easy--this is a gradual adjustment to a new lifestyle, which hopefully includes your family as well, but just keep plugging along and eventually, you'll get there too!

No Need to Deny (Yourself) Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

2/3 C. boiling water

1 pkg. (.3 oz) Jello sugar free lime flavor gelatin

Ice cubes

1/2 C. cold water

1 tub (8 oz) Cool Whip Lite whipped topping, thawed

8 full sheets low fat honey graham crackers, crushed

4 T. Land O'Lakes Light  Butter and Canola Oil, melted

1/3 C. Stevia in the Raw

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400' F.  Combine Stevia, graham cracker crumbs, and butter in a small bowl, mix until ingredients are evenly distributed.  Press moistened crumbs into bottom and up sides of a 9" pie plate.  Bake in preheated oven ten minutes--do not let brown.  Let crust cool completely.

In a large bowl, add boiling water to gelatin; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Whisk in Cool Whip until blended. Refrigerate 15 to 20 min. or until mixture is thick enough to mound. 

Poor jello mixture into cooled crust.  Refrigerate at least four hours.  

per slice (1/8 of pie) = 147 calories