An Apple a Day...

I have to admit, I feel very guilty blogging about weight-loss and eating right efforts when it will be at least six weeks before I’m up and walking again (thanks to my knee injury). But that just drives home the point I want to make today – watch what you put into your mouth.

I was looking around the internet today and found a study reported by CBS News that stated that only one in seven adults eat healthy and exercise regularly. And then we wonder why we can’t lose weight.

“U.S. dietary guidelines call for adults to get five or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day. Government health recommendations also urge at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days per week or vigorous-intensity exercise at for least 20 minutes three days per week.”

What I’ve found interesting, at least in my case, is that I’m generally pretty good about getting in the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. Before my injury, I’d get out on walks 4-6 days a week. Even during the school year my roommate and I were in the habit of going to the gym at least 4 or 5 times a week. And for some reason, I still wasn’t seeing results. It really bothered me, but then I found the culprit – my eating habits.

I reread the guidelines and did a double take on the five or more servings of fresh fruits and veggies per day. I’m definitely not getting that. Or what even feels like close to that. In my head I’m eating balanced meals, but in reality, I think it’s a very different case. (Isn't it funny how you can justify things you eat and fool yourself into thinking it's healthy?) I’m lucky if I get in 2 servings of fruits and veggies a day, which is sad.

I started to think about why I wasn’t eating them. Is it because they don’t keep as long and therefore aren’t around the house as much? Are they more expensive? Do I just not crave them? What’s weird is that I would rather have a fruit salad than a poptart or some other sugar-induced food. And yet here I am, still falling short on the requirement.

Maybe that should be my goal for next week – striving to get in my five servings of fruits and veggies everyday. After all, Wednesday marks the first day of my official Eat Right Challenge.