WBI Weekly Lifestyle Challenge!

“The road to success is always under construction.”

Several months ago I challenged myself to eat as many foods as possible with a fork instead of my hand. Take a minute to think about the foods you eat with your hands and you’ll understand why I did this. I cut up string cheese and ate the little pieces with a fork. I cut up all my fruit and vegetables and used a fork. I even chased my soy pretzels around the plate with my fork. This was a great challenge for me and at the end of the week I noticed I ate more mindfully, I ate slower, I enjoyed my food more, and it cut down on those little bites that find their way into my mouth while I am cooking.
Based on the success of this challenge, I decided to create more challenges for myself. We can all find things to do to improve our food choices, eating behaviors, and exercise. We are always a work in progress. Did you know that working on goals creates more positivity in your life than actually reaching the goals?
Support is also important for success so I have enlisted participation from my husband. Bill is maintaining a 30 pound weight loss and he quickly jumped on the challenge bandwagon. He has his own eating demons and we figured together we could buddy up to provide encouragement and accountability.
Our challenge list is ongoing. When I think of something or read recent research findings to explore, I jot it down. Some of the challenges are more difficult for me than for Bill and vice versa. Our list includes eating behaviors, exercise, and following governmental nutritional recommendations. Some of the items on the list are going to be downright difficult but we won’t save them for the end.
I’ll be writing about each of our challenges, the successes and the failures. Yes, I expect to have some failures but they will be learning experiences and in the end Bill and I will both be better off for learning from our mistakes.
So follow along and accept the challenges for yourself because we can all do better. I can promise you that you will gain more awareness of your lifestyle behaviors and you will become more mindful. And isn’t that what it’s all about to make lasting lifestyle changes?
Eat Smart…
Vicki Bovee, MS, RDN, LD

Stay tuned for week one challenge, starting Tuesday, July 29th.

Vicki Bovee, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian with over 25 years experience in weight loss and weight management. Vicki works with both weight loss surgery patients and nonsurgical weight loss patients. Prior to joining Western Bariatric Institute, Vicki spent 11 years at the University of Nevada School of Medicine working in the areas of weight management and women’s health. She has also authored several cookbooks with Chef Dave Fouts. Vicki received her master’s degree in nutrition from Montana State University and her Bachelor of Science degree in home economics from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.