There's an expression, "You can't trust a skinny chef! "I do a lot of cooking at home, does that make me a chef? Does that give me license to have a little extra weight? I wish!
I have a little extra weight, as do most people. Mine is mostly due to being pregnant twice. It really takes a toll on the body. Even if I were to get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight, my body still has stretch marks that probably won't ever fully fade away. Women's bodies go through such an extreme change during pregnancy that to go back to a flat stomach is very unrealistic. We all know women who have had a couple kids and still look like they are teenagers, but that's not the usual case.
I told my husband, if I ever gain a lot of weight, at least I'll be more comfortable to lean against! He just laughed.
Everybody's body shapes are different, so it's not just about being at a certain weight, it's about living a healthy and happy lifestyle.
I don't think eating pizza is bad, but eating only pizza every day for every meal would be bad. I don't think eating broccoli is bad, but eating only broccoli every day for every meal would be bad. Life's all about balance, especially as far as being healthy is concerned.
It's okay to eat chips and cookies and pizza, as long as it's in moderation. Would it be better to never eat those foods, probably, but it's also unrealistic and undesirable to ban them from your life.
The food pyramid, which has changed slightly over time, and now the plate portions are good guides to eating a balanced diet, the second pyramid adding exercise also.
It's all a personal choice. It's also about what you offer to your family. If all that's in the pantry is chips, cookies, candy, and soda pop, then that's all your family will eat. If there's a bag of chips behind the wheat crackers, then there's better variety and choice.
I've always been a big water drinker. When my husband and I first started dating, I ordered water with my meal at the restaurants per usual. About our third date, he said, "You can order a drink, it's okay." He wasn't sure if I really liked water that much or was worried about adding the price of a drink to the meal. I really like water that much. I had a roommate tell me, "I didn't think it was possible to actually drink eight glasses of water a day, but now I know you can because you do it!" I keep a cup handy in the kitchen, next to the fridge that I use all day to drink water.
A couple other things I'm doing to be more healthy is to try and have a fruit with breakfast and for a snack. It helps that my daughter loves fruit, so we share it together. Also, I'm trying to make sure and have a vegetable with lunch and dinner. It seems like it should be easy, but sometimes I get dinner all ready and forget to add a vegetable until we are putting the food on the table. Cooking vegetables into the main dish is the easiest way to add veggies to a meal.
I've also been buying pasta made with veggies or whole wheat pasta. If you have a nice sauce, you don't notice the whole wheat pasta as much. We also buy whole wheat bread about half the time. There are just some thing that taste better with white bread like garlic bread and French toast. But we've still used whole wheat bread for those and it works fine. I also buy whole wheat tortillas for me, and white tortillas for my husband or when I use them to make a big dish like enchiladas.
Being healthy is a work in progress, and it's a lifestyle. It's a lifestyle that my husband and I want to have along with the pizza and cookies. We want a mix of everything, a nice balance, and we're working together to achieve that.
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