That June of 2018, I had no idea just how much this would change me. Not just weight-wise, but really make me think about what I was putting in my mouth. I never cared about calories, or fat, or any other of that “crap.” If I was hungry, I ate and didn’t care what.

Step by step, day by day, month by month, I was on the road to teaching myself. The first few months honestly seemed so good! I didn’t feel deprived at all. I started out slow, making small changes. Breakfast was the first thing I worked on. Making sure I ate something. Honestly, guys, this was tough at first. Ugh, now I had to take the time to make breakfast for myself. Plus, I was never really hungry, so it was hard to make myself eat to get my metabolism started for the day.

But I did it. A banana, sugar-free oatmeal, eggs, turkey bacon/sausage, multigrain English muffins with a little peanut butter, or a protein shake in the morning quickly became a part of my morning routine. Guys, I wake up hungry now!! I seriously could NOT go without breakfast now. It’s crazy.

Going into lunch then quickly changed too, since I wasn’t starving myself till 1:00 p.m. now. I had fueled my body early. I knew taking the whole bag of chips wouldn’t do, but I couldn’t just not eat chips. This, of everything, is my weakness. Chips. Crunchy delicious chips. My favorite! I started out by just putting a handful on my plate for the first few months. Then, I started looking for a healthier version that I could do. Anything baked was obviously a better option, so things like popcorn, goldfish, and pretzels soon became my new habit. Instead of a half bag of chips, I now help myself to a Pyrex dish of something like that. I can have 1/3 cup of my flavored pretzels for 150 calories, and it satisfies me. I need that crunch in my life. I could still have it, but I had to be smarter about it!

Once I got the chip thing figured out, I taught myself that instead of a mayo and turkey sandwich, I could get 100 calorie slim bread and do mustard instead of mayo. Another thing that killed me. MAYO. It had to go from my everyday habit. (And I didn’t need to be dunkin’ my fries in mayochup either!) Thin sandwiches then turned into grilled chicken, chicken sausage, shrimp, and turkey roll-ups! I would prep chicken and have it in my freezer, ready to throw on my lean, mean grilling machine at lunch time. Put it on a nice bed of greens, or make a sheet pan of roasted veggies to go with the chicken all week. A delicious piece of grilled chicken that was fresh, veggies, my 1/3 cup of pretzels, and fruit. This is my typical lunch each week now, and let me tell you what, I do not miss my old lunches one bit! Every week I change it up, so I never get bored. I never dreamed I could love healthy lunches like this.

I eat in moderation for dinner and cut out the bowl of ice cream/chips at night altogether. I knew that had to be the next thing I stopped. Five nights out of seven, we were snacking in bed while we watched our shows. At first, I slowed it down to only three or so nights instead of five. Then it turned into two nights, but just a Pyrex dish! Not a huge bowl. Now, it’s maybe once every two or three weeks!? I really don’t get the night munchies anymore. Once in a while, if we are out in our hot tub till later in the evening and had an early dinner, I may grab a little handful of popcorn or ½ cup of ice cream, but it’s nowhere near how I used to do my night snacking! I could have it, just not every night.

I bet you are wondering about them Sunday night “double-deckers!” That was another thing I had to change. I am proud to say we only go through a 2 lb. block of Cabot cheese about once a month! I now use Tostitos Scoops Multigrain Nachos, and I love them more than the regular! I count out my twelve chips (sometimes I will add 3 or 4 more if I was a good girl that day, haha.) At 140 calories and using the thin side of the cheese grater instead of the thick side, it has changed the way we eat nachos on Sundays now.

Folks, if I can do this, you can do this! It’s small changes that make a big difference over a period of time. Start with one bad habit. Just ONE and work on it. It may take you a week. It may take you a month, or it may take you a year! But it will change over time, I promise! Then you will want to jump to the next step, and the next step, and so on. I honestly only wanted these chapters to last four weeks, and it went on longer than I thought. My final chapter on this will be next week, telling you what the past two years of living like this has taught me and little extra things that really helped me through the process. I could go on and on telling you more things I changed and what I did. Start your own journey. Even if I helped just one of you these past few weeks, it was worth me sharing. I’m excited to share my final chapter with you next week. It’s not my final chapter in a lifestyle change that never ends. Remember, this is not a quick fix; it’s a permanent change.

I am no nutritionist, but these are lunch ideas that really helped me get rid of those mayo sandwiches and junk food, then learn how to eat good food in another way. Sundays I even love to lunch prep, so I am ready for the week. Come on; you got this.
Andrea’s Lunch Go-To’s:
• Egg, Ham and Cheese on Tumaro’s Whole Grain Shell (pressed on a grill)
• Grilled Seasoned Chicken
• Chicken Salad made with a little Olive Oil mayo
• Grilled Chicken Sausage
• Turkey Roll Ups wrapped in Romaine Lettuce
• Shrimp (cooked or cold)
• Veggies with Hummus
• Roasted Veggies
• Fresh Fruits
• String Cheese
• Couscous
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Pretzels, Baked Crackers or Skinny Pop Popcorn