Are you ready for more health questions?

Potatoes -

What potatoes are "healthier" to eat?  I know people say Sweet potatoes, but what about Red potatoes, and Idaho potatoes.  In what order do they fall in?  I have read that if you eat the potato, you should eat it with fats (cheese, sour cream etc) to slow down the speed in which the carbs turn to sugar (or something like that). 

When do you exercise?

I am really struggling with finding the time to exercise.  The morning is crazy, besides I'm not really a morning person, then my day gets filled up with work, and volunteer commitments, and kids stuff.  The evenings, we are so busy running from one place to the next I tend to lose the hours of 5pm - 9pm on a daily basis as if they didn't even exist.  By the time 9pm rolls around, I'm setting up my next day, figuring out what didn't get done in the current day that will now fill up tomorrow.  I'm just really having a hard time fitting it in. 

How often should you really exercise?

I have heard 3 times a week for an hour, some say 5 days for 30 minutes, is there a target to shoot for?  I know lots of people work out daily, and I don't know if that is truly possible for me right now.  I know that no matter the answer I need to do more.  Last week I managed to squeeze in a 40 minute walk, and a one hour step class followed by 30 minutes on the stair stepper.  Luckily I wasn't as sore as I expected to be.  So I'm looking for tricks, ways to squeak in a workout, etc.

Top Tips -

Alright, I am really trying to get healthy, lose weight, be more aware of my food and what I ingest, and do it all the right way.  I'm not looking for a 3 month get skinny quick type of thing.  I'm in this for the long haul.  I have no dilutions that I have birthday cakes, and pizza party's in my future, but if I make better choices, daily, those (in theory) should not throw me to out of whack for my goals.  I don't want to feel deprived either, because I know myself well enough to know that if I deprive myself I will sabotage myself into cheating, or gorging on whatever it is I've deprived myself of. 

So give me your tips, tricks, and secrets.  If you had to tell someone like me who is really trying to do it right, what would you say?  Would it be drink lots of water?  Or never eat after 6pm?  I'm sure there are lots I've never thought of, thus the reason for the question. 

Thanks for listening to my questions, thanks for your ongoing support, and thanks in advance for your answers :):):)

To snack or not to snack???

Today's question is this...to snack or not to snack?

I realize that you are supposed to eat several times a day vs. 3 times a day.  Of course my body and brain would be happy with 1-2 times a day if I could eat a giant meal.  However I am really trying to do this the right way.  So I have been having an afternoon snack everyday, which is great cuz I'm trying to eat a small lunch, and it helps me get through.  However I am occasionally also eating an evening snack.  Not always, but more often then not.  I don't however, ever eat a morning snack.  Let me lay out my daily meal times for you, and you can see what I'm talking about, then maybe you can help.

8-9am - Breakfast (depends on how kids are doing and the morning routine if I eat before or after they go to school)

Lunch - 11:30am ish

Snack - 3pm ish (I try to have something before kids get home from school, otherwise it gets hectic)

Dinner - 5-6pm - I know this is early for some people, but I try to have dinner on the table between 5 - 5:30 since most of our evening activities start at 6pm.  Sometimes though, we eat at 4:30 but not often.

Evening Snack - 9pm ish - after kids are in bed

I have a couple of trains of thought I am pondering, and am looking for a consensus to adapt :)  So please weigh in if you have any input on this subject at all.

I hear you should eat 6 times a day, which means I am not eating enough, but where do I add food, and what do I take out cuz I'm not really hungry?

I hear you should NOT eat 2 hours before bed, which I am close to since I go to bed around 11pm.  But what if it's later than 9pm, do I eat a snack anyway, or do I go to bed later to keep the window, or do I not snack and skip a "meal" so to speak???

What if I'm not hungry by 9pm?  Do I not snack?

How big of a snack is really required to count as eating if I'm not hungry?  Could a slice of cheddar be enough, or do I need 1/2 cup size? 

Do I need a protein with every eating time?  Or would veggies or fruits be enough?

Does a smoothie count as eating?  If I were to make a fruit smoothie for a snack does that count?

Thanks to all for your help, and for listening today :):):)

To eat, or not to eat? That is the question of today :)

Okay, here is my dilema of the day.  Is it better to eat an unhealthy breakfast (say an egg McMuffin from McD's) or not eat?

I ran into this problem today where I have someplace to be at a certain time, and I have a hubby who threw out his back, and a vomiting child, and the clock is ticking to get out the door and get a shower, and clothes on, and sheets in the laundry, and so on and so on.  Needless to say I did not have the time to make a healthy breakfast for myself (I actually even microwaved leftover coffee from yesterday because I didn't have time to brew a fresh pot).  I almost stopped at McD's for a something, but didn't really have time for that.  I was still 5 minutes late to my appointment as it was. 

This is not the first time I've encountered this issue in my struggles over the years to eat better, and in most cases the time ends up being the priority, and I skip breakfast.  I can't do simply a doughnut, or cinnamon roll either as it sends my sugar levels into chaos and without the protein I will end up with the shakes, and dizzy, and ultimately my eyes go wonky and I can't see.  So I'm better for those purposes to not eat if it's only a sugar something, even if it kick starts my metabolism for the day. 

So which is it?  Eat an unhealthy, fast, whatever I can get my hands on breakfast, or skip until I can eat something healthy later in the morning, maybe even until lunch?  I am really curious to hear the answers to this question.  I'd also like solutions for a fast and healthy option to have available in a pinch.

Can't stop thinking about food!

I can't stop thinking about food!  I think about it all day, what I can, and shouldn't eat.  What I'm going to make, when I'm going to make it, what I need to shop for to be healthy etc. 

The big problem is that it is making me feel hungry all the time!  I am beginning to feel a bit deprived, and I don't want that.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to cheat either, but I would like to know when the food will just be a way of life, and not controlling my brain. 

I am trying to drink water whenever I'm hungry, and I try to wait 30 minutes before I eat to see if I'm still "hungry" or just fooling myself.  I find that I am not really "hungry" it is just my new obsession with doing it right and trying not to give that has it on my mind CONSTANTLY!!!  I have my menu plan layed out (at least dinner and what is available in my house), so I was hoping that it wouldn't be on the forefront of my brain all the time. 

Hopefully this will pass before to long, and I won't have to have the think about so much it will just be a way of life.

Butter vs. Margerine???

Okay, so I have been using the natural sea salt.  Actually, I can say I've purchased it, and used it only the once on the Sweet Potato Fries and haven't touched any type of salt since either in cooking or eating (unless it was there when I started, but I have added none).  I appriciate all the input on the salt issue, and am going with the less is more theory and so my new salt only has one ingredient, SALT :):):)

Now onto another dilema.  Real butter (no salt of course) or the gazillion types of margerine, diet butters, kinda like butter but not, and anything of the sort. 

Years ago when I did South Beach (which really worked for me, I just have kids, and low resistance for a long period of time) I was using the diet butter.  I am now using whatever is on sale with my eyes on Trans Fat, and low sodium.  I also use real butter for cooking and such, but the no trans fat stuff in the tub for soft butter.  I think I'm doing okay, but I'm not sure.  I like the idea of real butter, and all that, but I like the low fat part of the margarine as well.  HELP is greatly appreciated.  I think about it and remember my grandma used to cook with LARD and lived into her early 90's, so maybe there is something to be said about "the old fashioned" way.

Salt epidemic

Okay, so here is my dilemma -

Salt vs. Sea Salt vs. Salt Substitute vs. Kosher Salt

Everything I read lately when its a "healthy" recipe, or better for you stuff they use or have sea salt.  I compared labels yesterday at the store.  The Sodium intake is the same with the sea salt and table salt per tsp.  the kosher salt had less sodium per tsp (but the ingredients were the same as the sea salt).  Then the salt substitute has WAY less sodium, but a bunch of stuff I can't pronounce.  So what is better for you?  I don't know!  Please weigh in with opinions, or facts, because I am truly at a loss.  I bought Natural Sea Salt yesterday because that was the only one with one ingredient.  But I don't know if that is truly the way to go (not that I use a lot of salt anyway).