Being Healthier: Eating Better

First of all, I am nobody's health nut. I still eat and drink just about everything I like to eat and drink. On the other hand, I want to model a healthy lifestyle for my kids, want to be able to play with them, and want to be around for years to come. I'm on the old side, so this takes work. The result of eating better and exercising is that I can play more actively with the kids and feel much, much healthier.

Here are the highlights of the better eating routine:

1. Start the day with some exercise at least 5 days a week (more on that in a separate entry).
2. Eat breakfast every day and have that breakfast be raisin bran or frosted mini wheats (FMW) and a glass of juice 6 days a week.
3. Try to snack before lunch (preferably dry FMW, but maybe not). This happens maybe half the time.
   
4. Normal lunch (avoid fries and greasy chips)
   
5. Snack between lunch and dinner (FMW or pretzels or fruit or yogurt, fruit, and granola).
6. Normal dinner, but usually no seconds and generally end with a big salad. Cut back on french fries.
7. Drink water throughout the day.
8. Drink Arnold Palmers (iced tea and lemonade mix) instead of soda when eating out.
9. Cut back on dessert after dinner. In the summer, this is usually Fla-Vor-Ice Plus (33% juice and 25 calories each). I need a cold weather option for dessert.
   

That's pretty much it. When I go out to dinner, I often get a buffalo chicken salad or steak salad, but not always. Notice that I still eat desert, drink the occasional beer, and enjoy waffles with strawberries and whipped cream every once in a while. This isn't about starving myself; it's about moderation.

I started this about a year ago and am feeling much healthier. As you might imagine, I violated every one of these just about every day before that for years and years.

If I think of something else I am or am not doing with my diet, I will edit this entry, but the other side of this is the exercising I have been doing. I am a big believer in the demand side of things (burning calories), but the supply side (diet) is important as well.

The Day

• Workout: Herndon Turkey Trot 5K Run
• Music: Cake