Time for a little spring cleaning!!

 

By Erica Gray- Skinny Gene Healthy Momma

 

With spring, I’m always brought to a sense of renewal.

I think it’s important to not only clean out my closets, but my pantry and refrigerator too!! I also, like to do some re-evaluating. Am I eating the way I should be consistently? Am I as active as I should be? Well, no one is perfect and although I’m a mile from where I used to be in the health department, there is always work to be done.

I’m not going to lie, in the winter I tend to get a little lazier. I mean who wants to  bundle up to go for a walk or let alone get out from underneath those warm covers and face the cold. Not me!!!

I do but not as much as I probably should. Plus with all the holidays, birthdays, school parties you just get so busy. Why does it feel like the busier I get the harder it is to eat right? Why does “junk” food have to be so convenient!

Well… its time stop with the excuses and get it together! Time to make commitments and taking steps toward change. They say it takes 28 times of doing something to make it a habit. So, I will try to make good habits by choosing things I feel confident I can change for 1 month.

 

Step One: Clean out my pantry and fridge

Goodbye clutter, hello organized!! (I like to put the snacks and foods I
want to be eating front and center in easy to get to and labeled
containers!) Treats and such I put out of eye level and usually on the
highest shelf. If I am super hungry and I have to dig behind some potato
chips (my weakness) and cookies to get to the dried fruits and nuts, you
know what I’ll eat.

Same goes for the fridge. I put what I should be eating front and center.
Plus, keeping it organized and clean make it easier and more enjoyable to cook.

 

Step Two: Take steps now to make it more convenient to eat in later

– Prepare and freeze a couple of slow-cooker meals for those days that I
don’t have the time to cook.

-Precut, wash, and store fruits and veggies. I put my celery in a plastic jar
with a little water at the bottom to keep it fresh. I will put grapes, baby
carrots, etc in individual bags for a quick grab and go snack.

-I prep and bag and freeze ingredients for my green smoothies.

-Plan out meals for the next two weeks before going to the store so I only
have to make one big trip.

-If I make and easily freezable meal (soups, chili, etc) I will make a lot
more and freeze the extra in individual servings. They make great
lunches or dinner if I don’t feel like cooking.

I know this seems like a lot of prep, but sometimes if I don’t have one big
chunk of time to do this I will do it as I go. For instance, while I’m
already making a smoothie I will clean and chop ingredients for 2 more
and put them in freezer bags. If I am making dinner, while its cooking I
will prep a slow-cooker meal or chop some celery. When I clean
grapes for my daughters lunch I clean and pick all of them and store them
for later. It’s all about making new habits.

 

Step Three: Time to make some commitments and set some goals for at
least the next month (because that’s totally doable)

– I commit to always have at least one pre-made meal in my freezer.

– I commit to keep my fridge and pantry organized (always have at least
two “healthy” options in each that are easy to get to)

-I commit to plan out meals 2 weeks at a time and stick to the program!-I won’t beat myself up if I slip! Just start over and try again.

-I have also made some big goals on the activity front (you’ll hear about those soon!)

This is how I’m spring cleaning. How are you? What commitments are you making?