Tag: healthy eating

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How One Healthy Decision Creates Three Amazing Outcomes

How One Healthy Decision Creates Three Amazing Outcomes

If you haven’t been here long, you may not know that I believe that life is all about choices. The decisions we make are a direct result of those choices. And our lives are a reflection of those choices. I recently discovered how one healthy decision creates three amazing outcomes.

I’ll explain what I mean when I say “healthy decision” because those words could mean different things to different people. I’m pretty sure that all of us know what it means to make a decision However, it’s the word “healthy” that may be a bit confusing or ambiguous.

In short, when I use the word “healthy”, I’m referring to anything that has to do with your personal health. It could be financial health, mental health, physical health or nutritional health.

So when I say “healthy decision”, I mean an intentional choice to do something that will positively impact your health. However, it could also be an intentional choice to stop doing something that negatively impacts your health.

The Background

In October of 2022, I made a decision to drink more water. At the time, I had a half gallon jug that I carried pretty much everywhere. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I hadn’t consumed much water. I felt like such a hypocrite. I was ALWAYS talking about drinking more water. But I wasn’t doing what I told others to do.

I won’t get too deep into the steps I took, but I figured it out. I can’t say that I drink half a gallon of water every day, but I do drink way more water than I did last fall.

That one healthy decision – to drink more water – has created three outcomes that I didn’t expect. First, I’ll tell you what I looked like for me. Then I’ll explain how it could look for you.

Fitness background with bottle of water, apple, dumbbells, nuts, and tape measure on pink table

More Movement

Initially, the idea of drinking half a gallon of water each day was intimidating, but now it’s extremely attainable. Since I met that goal, I looked for more ways to challenge myself. I decided on a movement goal: 45 minutes of personal exercise each day.

I’m a fitness instructor who teaches six to eight classes, but when I’m teaching I’m not exercising. That’s not my time.

Finding time to get my personal workout done is impossible. I have to MAKE the time, to wake up early or move things around in my schedule to get it done. There are times when it doesn’t happen, but most of the time, it does.

More Rest

When I decided to get more exercise, I realized that would only happen if I woke up earlier eat day. That meant I would have to go to bed a little earlier, so I could wake and exercise at the beginning of the day.

Sleeping in means I won’t have time to work out early. If I don’t make time in the morning, I can almost guarantee that it won’t happen for me later in the day.

Because I know what time I need to get up in order to get to the gym in time for my swim or get out the door for my run, I know that I have to be in bed by a certain time in order for me to get the amount of sleep that I need. So I’m actually getting more rest than I did this time a year ago, even a few months ago.

Better Food Choices

Since I’m exercising more, I’m actually a lot hungrier than I have been, and that makes sense. I’m burning more calories, so my body needs more fuel to sustain itself. I find that I’m gravitating toward foods that are rich in fiber, anti-inflammatory and full of nutrients.

I want foods that are going to stick with me not bring my energy levels up way high before sending them crashing down. I’m not saying that I never eat junk food, but I’m more interested in the good stuff nowadays.

Will It Work For You?

If you had sat me down a few back in November and told me that I come mid-February, I’d be experiencing a snowball effect healthy outcomes based on my decision to drink more water, I wouldn’t have believed you. I think it will work for you to.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that if you decide to drink more water, you will have the exact same three positive outcomes that I have.

I am saying that positive healthy choices propel you forward and provide stepping stones that snowball into other things.

For example, suppose your healthy decision is to spend one less hour scrolling through social media each night. Maybe you use the extra time to pick up a hobby that you put down . That could lead to a clearer mind and better self-awareness.

The outcomes aren’t the focus; it’s the healthy decision that starts the ball rolling.

So figure it out. What’s that one healthy decision you’ve been putting off? Take care of that. Focus on that decision and only that decision. Before long, you’ll find yourself surrounded by more positive outcomes than you can count.

As always, I’m here to help if you need me.

Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s success!

Follow Get Fit with Charity on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!

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Can I Eat After 8:00 pm?

Is it okay to eat after 8:00 pm?

I was always that if you eat after 8:00 pm, you’ll gain weight. Your body simply won’t have time to burn off the calories before you go to sleep.

As a result, I went to bed without eating quite often. However, I’d wake up between 11 pm and 2 pm, ravenously hungry. Then head to the kitchen to get something to eat, not caring where the calories went. I should note that eating after 8:00 pm didn’t cause me to gain weight.

Who Placed Deadlines on Daily Meals?

I’m not sure who came up with the magical time of 8:00 pm for evening meals to cease. I’m guessing it was a dietician or doctor who conducted a study. I would bet that the findings were for a specific group of people. It probably also had something to do with when people went to bed.

Someone probably took those results and applied them to the general population. Because the statement was backed by science, people assumed it had to be true for all people. But I would counter that.

As I’ve mentioned before, every exercise isn’t for everybody. In like manner, every bit of nutrition advice isn’t for every one either.

Why Am I So Hungry At Night?

Before we go any further, let’s discuss a few reasons that you may be hungry when you’re winding down for the day. There are two many reasons.

You’re actually thirsty.

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but the body doesn’t have a clear signal to let you know that you’re thirsty. Sometimes your stomach growls when you’re in need of liquids, but you think you’re hungry.

If it’s later in the evening and you feel hungry, drink 12 to 16 ounces of water and then wait 20 minutes. If the hunger returns, follow the guidelines listed later in this post. If if doesn’t, head to bed. You were just thirsty.

You’re under your calorie count for the day.

If you count your calories, then you know precisely how much you can eat at any point in the day. However, if you’re not a calorie counter, you may be surprised that you’re hungry at an odd time.

If you’re significantly under your calorie consumption for the day, your body will let you know. But you shouldn’t just eat anything.

Balance is the Key

I think everyone knows that they key to a healthy lifestyle is balance. Whether we’re discussing your work/life balance, a balanced diet or making time for both friends and family. Too much of one thing – good or bad – simply isn’t healthy.

If you’re wondering, “Can I eat after 8:00 pm?” The answer is, “Yes.”

If your next question is, “Won’t that make me gain weight?” The answer is, “It depends?”

What you choose to eat after 8:00 pm is just as important as what you chose to eat at 1:30 pm.

When choosing something to eat later at night, consider the foods that you’ve eaten through out the day. You may also opt for something healthy, like fruits or nuts.

Choosing What to Eat After 8:00 pm

If you’ve determined that you need to eat something after 8:00 pm, choose wisely.

If you have left over chicken fried rice or lobster ravioli, those might be a little too heavy if you’re going straight to bed. However, if that’s what you have a taste for, perhaps you could take a couple of bites and drink 8 ounces of water.

The best options for eating later at night are fresh fruits and vegetables along with some thing light.

Gaining weight if you eat after 8:00 pm doesn’t have to happen. If you make healthy eating choices for those late night cravings, you’ll be just fine!

Hopping on the Scale! Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s success!

Follow Get Fit with Charity on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!

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Meal Prep vs Meal Planning

Meal prep vs Meal planning. What in the world do either of them have to do with getting fit?!?!?

In a word: everything!

Eating properly is crucial if we intend to be successful in our fitness journeys. But eating properly is time-consuming.  Despite that fact, we still do our best to eat healthily. We head to the grocery store and buy fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains. But we still don’t eat differently. Why? Because either there’s no plan or we didn’t prepare anything.

Incorporating meal planning and meal prep into your daily schedule will allow you to revolutionize your eating habits. But a lot of people tend to ask, “Which one should I do? What’s right for me: Meal Planning or Meal Prep? What’s the difference?”

We’ll tackle all of that today.

What is Meal Planning?

Meal planning is simply planning what you’re going to eat during a specific amount of time. This could be done for a family or an individual. 

The benefits of meal planning are that it decreases the chances of overeating because you can log your meals into your calorie count as you plan them so that you know precisely where are you are on a given day. 

The drawback is that some people think it is too restrictive, but it’s not. Nothing is set in stone. As long as you switch foods with similar calorie counts you’ll be perfectly fine. Especially if you maintain the nutritional content. 

What is Meal Prep?

Meal prep is simply preparing your meals in advance. It could occur in different forms. 

  • You could actually take one day a week as a single person to cook large meals. Then place those meals in food storage containers. You’ll have lunch and dinner prepared for the remainder of the week. 
  • You could prep ingredients for different meals. Suppose you want to eat a fresh veggie salad for dinner every day. However, you have no interest in chopping up vegetables before work each morning. You could take one day to chop all of your vegetables. Then place them in individual airtight containers in the fridge. When it’s time for you to assemble the salad, just take out those containers. 
  • You could take some time on Sunday afternoon to assemble a week’s worth of breakfast and lunch for the members of your household. Simply make sure that everything is clearly labeled so picky eaters and folks with food sensitivities don’t get the wrong lunch.

The benefits are that it saves a great deal of time. Plus it helps you maintain proper eating habits by allowing you to control your portions. 

A major drawback is that it can be very time-consuming.

Which Works Best?

Here’s where we tackle the question of Meal prep vs Meal planning.

There are those who think meal planning is the way to go. They’re the type of people who feel that a solid plan is all they need to be successful.

Other all but swear by meal prep. They consider it a lifesaver and feel that they lead much more productive lives because of it. 

I firmly believe that meal prep and meal planning work best in concert with one another. Both are essential for your fitness journey. In fact, they are opposite sides of the same coin. Ideally, one would plan the meals and snacks prior to preparing those meals and snacks.

Prepping meals without planning when those meals will be consumed results in a lot of wasted food. You know what you’re going to eat, but you just don’t know when. As a result, you forget the food is in the fridge, and it just ends up getting tossed. 

Planning meals without prepping means you’ll be spending a whole lot of time in the kitchen. That may be okay for some folks, but I don’t have that kind of time.

Next Steps

If this is new to you, it might be a little intimidating. The idea of sitting down and organizing what are you going to eat and when you’re going to eat it can be very overwhelming, but that’s why I’m here. I have created some amazing free resources to help you get this all figured. I’ll walk you through that next week!

Hopping on the Scale! 

Don’t forget to hop on the scale and see where you are this week. Remember: if you were able to maintain and not gain, that’s still a win!

Follow Get Fit with Charity on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!

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