How strict are we going to be?

Ok, some friends asked us yesterday about how strict we are going to be in this diet. Well at home it is easier, at home we can know whats is in our food. At home we know what we have bought. It is hard though. We have two kids who are picky, they want mac n' cheese, they want sandwiches. So how do we do this and keep to our diet?

I think at home it is fairly simple, we do our best, we eat what we make, we eat what is available. We will cater to the kids a bit, they are picky. One more than the other. We try to get them to follow our diet, but only to an extent. They eat salad, they eat experiments sometimes...so over time I think they will be more open to a big diet change. I know that making separate meals is not efficient, fun or teaching them to be more adaptable....so I do my best there. Limiting the bad foods is number one. We will try and not offer or buy the big offenders often. Or find a choice in the store that is more of a healthy choice. Sprouted bread, gluten free bread.

Going out to eat poses problems...especially where we live. We love to eat out in restaurants. We love to eat and socialize with friends and family. So we do our best again, and stick to the simple choices and more fresh options, less heavy meats and sauces. We can do that. We are limited on restaurants. So, we do our best to stick to our diet. Maybe not...maybe a little cheating is good. It can sometimes be a treat, sometimes letting you get a bit of what you may be missing or craving. A Caesar salad for example.....mmmm. Ok, so we are not militant.  I think there are ways to do this. Sushi- easy to do raw, and simple- but there is the rice. Ok, so rice every now and then wont kill us. So we choose brown rice, a better choice. We ask a lot of questions when we eat out. Where did this meat come from? Who is the farmer? Is it organic? What is in the salad dressing? What is in the soup?

Where do we draw the line though?  Well, there is trial and error in an experiment. It is part of it. When you eat purely and you know whats going in your body then you feel good. When you blow it, cheat or eat what you are trying not to you may actually learn something or be reminded why you cut it out in the first place. You may get gas, a stomach or headache from the wheat. Your kids may get aggressive, sleepy from that sugar, red dye. You get the idea. It can help you stay on track. It is a lesson in self control...at the birthday party. So wanting a piece of the cake. But, hmmmm not a good idea. Have a glass of water instead. Ha! And then turn to the person next to you and tell them about it.

I feel like justifying my cheats and mess ups somehow. But I think making up for it, doing extra good things, adding in a few more exercises is not something to feel guilty about. So I wont.