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Health & Fitness

Fast Food From Your Fridge!

I am often told that it is impossible to eat healthy or exercise because 1)"I work full time." 2)"I work far away." 3)"It is too expensive or many other excuses.  However, until recently, I lived in NYC and worked long hours in Central Park, traveled to work via the subway system and lived on a tight budget. I took a bag with me to work everyday with a change of clothes for the gym after work, 6 meals to eat throughout the day and a gallon jug of water. Now, not everyone needs to be that intense, but that was the extreme and I still made it happen.

Most people associate healthy food being 'expensive' but fail to realize that the amount of painkillers purchased, fast food eaten and doctors visits adds up faster than a few healthy meals a day packed into tupperware. Another stereotype for healthy eating is that everything has to be 'organic', 'free range', etc. and even though that would be ideal, that isn't always necessary in order to lose weight. Sure, if we all had that in our budget, that is definitely the better route to take but the biggest benefit is eliminating the junk we eat on a daily basis. That $6 vanilla latte could be replaced with a home brewed cup of coffee. That $5 footlong from subway can be replaced with a packed lunch of chicken and sweet potato. That large salad drenched in ranch dressing at your favorite restaurant can be replaced with a home cooked meal of quinoa and baked tilapia. Also, that coke and rum on your weekend girls or guys night out that turns into 10 coke and rums can be replaced with 1 (ONE, I SAID!!!) alcoholic drink and then the rest of the night a sparkling water with lime. My grocery shopping list during my competitive and strict diet would usually round out to $100 a week. That may seem like a lot for one girl living on her own but keep in mind, I was also on NYC prices. I also was not eating out, I was brewing my own morning coffee and taking it black, I was cooking all my own food and very rarely did I splurge and get myself a Starbucks Venti Unsweetened Passion fruit iced tea. (hehe) I thought it was HEAVEN!

Another benefit of keeping your eating out to a minimum, you will appreciate the food SOO much more! When you constantly taste sugar, grease and fast food, you end up taking it all for granted. When you switch over to eating similar healthy foods day in and day out, the next time you treat yourself to a meal out on the town, it will taste better than you ever would've imagined!

The hardest part for people when switching over to healthy eating is that they feel too restricted. That should not be the case! Schedule a treat meal for once a week and prep all your meals for the week on a set day such as Saturday or Sunday. That way all your food is cooked and ready to go in your fast paced lifestyle and you can look forward to the treat meal at the end of the week!

When prepping your meals, get creative! Incorporate spices, low calorie/calorie free sauces, vegetables and more! Healthy food does NOT need to be boring! Mrs. Dash and walden farms have tons of different options. Some of the meals that I ate during prep honestly tasted better than any restaurant meal I've eaten.

Follow me on Instagram at @torilifts_49 and make sure to check out www.getfitrv.com

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