I'd Rather Take 5 Seconds to Read the Label than Pad My Booty

I never used to want to take the time to read labels. I figured if I exercised enough and ate moderately healthy that was enough. Well, that probably worked ok when I was 25, 30...well now I'm 40 and...not so much. Gone are the days when I'd buy frozen Healthy Choice meals on a regular basis because they were under 300 calories, and well after all the word "Healthy" was right there in the title!! Pay no mind that the sodium milligrams would be enough to keep your tropical fish going in a fresh water tank!

My latest favorite thing to eat as my mid morning snack at work is Greek yogurt. When comparing labels I was shocked to find that across several brands, any "flavor" that had fruit on the bottom were at least 16 grams of sugar. Maybe everyone has a little different threshold for sugar grams, but in all honesty when I tried these yogurts I felt that they were too sweet. Rather than immediately stirring the fruit into the yogurt before eating it, I would dip my spoon in vertically and take just a little dab of the fruit to slightly flavor the yogurt. After the fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt supply that I had purchased was gone, I went back to the store. This time I came back with a very large container of  Fage plain Greek yogurt.  I actually took it to work and put it in the refrigerator, so I don't have to worry about having to bring an individual serving size yogurt with me every day. I just bring a hand full of fresh blueberries or strawberries in a container with me to the office in the morning. Now I don't have to worry about over indulging in some fake-tasting high fructose corn syrup soaked fruit. The fresh stuff isn't just better for you, it tastes better! The 20 grams of protein per serving will keep you going until lunch time too. You also gotta love the fact its 100% natural.

Support Our Troops: A Few Good Girl Scout Cookies

I have got to say that I have radically changed my normal every day eating habits of late, eschewing white flower and refined sugar for whole wheat products and only natural sugars. I have eaten meat all of my life, and won't ever quit - but have incorporated more vegan meals into my repertoire. Its been great...I feel better, leaner and healthier!

Unfortunately, the last couple weeks my willpower has failed me. I am trying not to view what I am doing as a "diet" per se (since I hate counting calories and weighing myself compulsively), but merely a change in the way I eat. Typically not much willpower is required to eat good, healthy, clean foods. But then some really sweet little girl came to my door selling Girl Scout cookies and naturally I couldn't say no. I love what they do and what they stand for and am all about supporting them. Just a couple boxes, I said. I figured I would take them over to my weekly family dinner at my Grandpa's house and let everyone else eat them.

It had been a year since I had a Samoa, Tagalong, or Dosi-do. I wondered if they still tasted like I remembered them. The boxes sat staring at me from the counter and I figured, "What is the harm in one? Ok, two?" I think I drew the line at 4, which really wasn't bad. I did as I said and that night took the cookies to my Grandpa's and fortunately was free of them, after eating a few more to make sure I had no regrets.

Then a couple days later my husband comes home after running errands. The troops got to him too. He was at the store and bought another box or two. I even bought a couple boxes from my co-worker who's daughter is a Girl Scout. It would be several days before we went to Gramp's again. In a moment of weakness I opened a box. By the time Sunday dinner rolled around again there were 2 boxes left to bring over. Its a good thing we have a lot of people in and out of our house because I can safely convince myself that I was not the only one who ate them. (I hope).

I just had the last 3 Dosi-dos in the house. I happily enjoyed my little afternoon sweet treat with no regrets. I am going running tomorrow and am ready to start with a clean slate! Summer is coming, which means bathing suits...step away from the cookies! ;)