Lately I've been pondering motivation. Like why is it such an easy concept to understand and so difficult to actually implement. I know I need to lose weight. I want to lose weight. No, I mean I REALLY want to lose weight. Not like "my diet starts first thing Monday morning." More like "I am losing weight because I am sick of living like this."
For some people motivation to lose weight comes when they see a picture of themselves and it forces them to see themselves as others do. Or worse, someone actually makes a hurtful comment. Or maybe they get an earful from their doctor, or their clothes just simply don't fit anymore.
When I first started on this journey my motivation was more of an epiphany. I simply realized that I would be turning 30 soon and I didn't want to waste any more time "going to" lose weight. Maybe the weight wouldn't come off right away, but at least I would be doing something about it.
And for me the biggest motivation is success. For every pound I lose it motivates me to lose another one. It's a good feeling to see the number on the scale going down. And like most things in life, when something feels good we want more of it.
But what happens when the scale just stops moving. True, it's not going up - and that is a very good thing. But neither is it going down. While that's not very good in and of itself, it's down right catastrophic for my motivation.
Finally, though, progress. I finally decided to buckle down and get down to business. You know what? It worked. Surprise! Surprise! I cut calories to 1200/day and upped they exercise. Way upped. I've been putting in hard circuits at the gym - pushing myself a little more each session. Also I've reintroduced walking, not just on the treadmill (which as you know is the most boring thing in the world), but outside with actual fresh air and crap.
Isn't it funny how we know the right things to do, but somehow never get around to doing them. Why is that. do you suppose? They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. If that is true, then perhaps the opposite is true as well. The road to paradise must be paved with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Showing posts with label clean eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean eating. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Back to School and I'm the Fool
My babies went back to school yesterday and yes, it is ridiculously early. I would so much rather them go to school all through May and then not go back until the end of August. Like so many other things, it would be so much better if I ran the world. So I am sad that the summer, at least for this family, is officially over. On the other hand, I will be glad to get back on some sort of schedule. My healthy lifestyle has gone woefully off course this summer and it would seem that while my kids pack up their little pencils and crayons, I will be packing up my protein bars and free weights.
Seems like there are a few lessons I need to brush up on. Like, how to get motivated to workout every morning. No choice, no options, just routine. Oh, it's a weekday? Then it's a workout day. (Weekends are still optional/light days)
I also need to relearn how to order off of a menu. . .and enjoy it. I have admittedly eaten some stuff this summer that probably won't be gracing the pages of Clean Eating magazine. Yes, that food was delicious. And I know that they strategically place such things on the menu, usually with big glossy pictures, just to lure you in. But I also know that the same restaurant that offers the delicious chicken Parmesan with all the ooey gooey melty cheesy goodness, also offers a really fresh and tasty salad with crunchy greens, juicy tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, and other vegis, all topped by a really savory piece of lemon grilled salmon. I just forget about it because it's buried at the bottom of the menu. So I guess I'll be spending more time at the bottom of the menu.
Likewise, a lesson I have never learned, is how to dine out with friends without feeling like the weirdo dieter friend. My friends are amateur foodies in the sense that maybe we don't have our own food network show, but we can definitely compete in the food Olympics. So when we go to a restaurant and I order a salad or some version of grilled chicken for the umpteenth time, they notice. "Oh, she's being good," they coo. Not sure if they are trying to be supportive, but the effect is the opposite in fact. I wind up feeling conspicuous and judged.
I guess I have my work cut out for me. I guess, like most things, that I will just have to knuckle down and do it. I am much better at avoiding, but that is no longer an option. Now maybe my daughter can explain long division to me so I will have a better time of dividing the calories in a restaurant dish.
Seems like there are a few lessons I need to brush up on. Like, how to get motivated to workout every morning. No choice, no options, just routine. Oh, it's a weekday? Then it's a workout day. (Weekends are still optional/light days)
I also need to relearn how to order off of a menu. . .and enjoy it. I have admittedly eaten some stuff this summer that probably won't be gracing the pages of Clean Eating magazine. Yes, that food was delicious. And I know that they strategically place such things on the menu, usually with big glossy pictures, just to lure you in. But I also know that the same restaurant that offers the delicious chicken Parmesan with all the ooey gooey melty cheesy goodness, also offers a really fresh and tasty salad with crunchy greens, juicy tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, and other vegis, all topped by a really savory piece of lemon grilled salmon. I just forget about it because it's buried at the bottom of the menu. So I guess I'll be spending more time at the bottom of the menu.
Likewise, a lesson I have never learned, is how to dine out with friends without feeling like the weirdo dieter friend. My friends are amateur foodies in the sense that maybe we don't have our own food network show, but we can definitely compete in the food Olympics. So when we go to a restaurant and I order a salad or some version of grilled chicken for the umpteenth time, they notice. "Oh, she's being good," they coo. Not sure if they are trying to be supportive, but the effect is the opposite in fact. I wind up feeling conspicuous and judged.
I guess I have my work cut out for me. I guess, like most things, that I will just have to knuckle down and do it. I am much better at avoiding, but that is no longer an option. Now maybe my daughter can explain long division to me so I will have a better time of dividing the calories in a restaurant dish.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Maybe Baby???
No, don't pass out. I said that I was not having any more children and I meant it. The two I have, the wonderful little weirdos, are quite enough - thank you very much. No, I was actually thinking of starting my own from-home business. BabyCakes Custom Cupcakes. Whadaya think?
Yes, I know cupcakes are not by any stretch of the imagination diet food. But I'm not on a diet, anyways. And as far as I'm concerned a cupcake free existance is not a life I'm willing to contemplate. Woman cannot live by lettuce alone! Believe me, I've tried.
Now, hear me out. I want to use all natural and organic ingredients and show that while cupcakes may never be called health food, they don't have to be toxic either. No one should feel guilty about eating a sweet every now and then. After all, kids aren't going to quite having birthday parties, graduations,and school parties. And unfortunately well-meaning friends of brides and new moms are not going to stop throwing showers. I do hate a shower, but that's another story. Suffice it to say that I am all for celebrating milestones, but I will buy you a much nicer gift if I don't have to guess the new babies name and drink flat punch from a paper cup. Just sayin'
So my new business would consist of custom cupcake orders. People could pick them up at my house, meet me in town, or I would even be willing to deliver them to local schools and/or businesses. I don't like to brag, but I can make a cupcake taste or look like just about anything. I can make the cutest baby shower cupcakes that look like a big nursery full of sleeping babies - ironic, I know. I have versions for every major holiday. And if you have a favorite flavor, I can do that too. A particular favorite is mint julep. Another is root beer float. Just think of the possibilities.
And as for killing my weight loss goals. I don't think so. I'm one of those people that can't look at something the same way after I've worked with it. I once worked at Fazolli's Italian Restaraunt. Yum!, right. Well, it was my job to make the breadsticks. Their famous garlic butter breadsticks. I don't think I have to tell you that it didn't take me very long to become heartily sick of breadsticks. I still can't eat them.
That's not to say that I'm likely to forever swear off cupcakes. It's just that if I am going to spend all day making 3 dozen basketball cupcakes for a local team, I'm not going to be likely to nosh on them.
I'm still not sure. But after much consideration, I think I'm gonna go for it. It has very little investment, virtually no overhead, and it's something that I'm not only good at, but that I actually enjoy.
I'll offer more info as it comes. For now keep your eyes peeled for BabyCakes!
Yes, I know cupcakes are not by any stretch of the imagination diet food. But I'm not on a diet, anyways. And as far as I'm concerned a cupcake free existance is not a life I'm willing to contemplate. Woman cannot live by lettuce alone! Believe me, I've tried.
Now, hear me out. I want to use all natural and organic ingredients and show that while cupcakes may never be called health food, they don't have to be toxic either. No one should feel guilty about eating a sweet every now and then. After all, kids aren't going to quite having birthday parties, graduations,and school parties. And unfortunately well-meaning friends of brides and new moms are not going to stop throwing showers. I do hate a shower, but that's another story. Suffice it to say that I am all for celebrating milestones, but I will buy you a much nicer gift if I don't have to guess the new babies name and drink flat punch from a paper cup. Just sayin'
So my new business would consist of custom cupcake orders. People could pick them up at my house, meet me in town, or I would even be willing to deliver them to local schools and/or businesses. I don't like to brag, but I can make a cupcake taste or look like just about anything. I can make the cutest baby shower cupcakes that look like a big nursery full of sleeping babies - ironic, I know. I have versions for every major holiday. And if you have a favorite flavor, I can do that too. A particular favorite is mint julep. Another is root beer float. Just think of the possibilities.
And as for killing my weight loss goals. I don't think so. I'm one of those people that can't look at something the same way after I've worked with it. I once worked at Fazolli's Italian Restaraunt. Yum!, right. Well, it was my job to make the breadsticks. Their famous garlic butter breadsticks. I don't think I have to tell you that it didn't take me very long to become heartily sick of breadsticks. I still can't eat them.
That's not to say that I'm likely to forever swear off cupcakes. It's just that if I am going to spend all day making 3 dozen basketball cupcakes for a local team, I'm not going to be likely to nosh on them.
I'm still not sure. But after much consideration, I think I'm gonna go for it. It has very little investment, virtually no overhead, and it's something that I'm not only good at, but that I actually enjoy.
I'll offer more info as it comes. For now keep your eyes peeled for BabyCakes!
Friday, February 19, 2010
FOOD, INC. (why everyone who eats should see this film)
"Oh, the cow in the meadow goes 'MOO'
Oh, the cow in the meadow goes 'MOO'
'till the farmer hits it on the head with a hammer
and that's how we get hamburger."
Oh, if only that's how we got hamburger. That's a line from a song sung on an episode of Friends by the quasi-hippy Phoebe, played by Lisa Kudrow. In the show Phoebe has been hired to sing songs to kids at story time at a library. All the parents are, of course, upset by her songs lyrics. But the kids love her and seek her out at her coffee shop hang out, dubbing her, "the lady who tells the truth."
Turns out though that Phoebe's hammer - to - head hitting method of getting hamburger is just wishful thinking. We all know, of course, that hamburger comes from cows. That's just elementary. But did you know that that hamburger you're eating could contain meat from hundreds or even thousands of cows? It's true.
And did you know that McDonald's is the countries largest purchaser of beef? And potatoes? And pork? And even one of the largest purchasers of apples? Also true. And by being the largest consumer of these goods, McDonald's in effect controls the way that cows and pigs and chickens (had an Egg McMuffin, lately?) are raised and the way potatoes and apples are grown.
I learned all of this from the jaw dropping documentary FOOD, INC., a Robert Kenner Film. This isn't one of those boring, over-hyper narrator, documentaries from high school about how many days it takes a chicken egg to grow into a chicken. It's more like an investigative journalism film about how farmers are being controlled by mafia-like big business. Did you know that the average chicken farmer has had to take out oans of $30,000+ to build each chicken house? (Most have more than 3 chicken houses.) Yet, that same farmer makes less than $17,000/year. And those same chicken houses are controlled by the companies that buy his chickens and/or eggs. Farmer John has to do things the way Big Brother tells him or else they won't buy his product. Considering that in this case there is really only two chicken companies that matter - Tyson and Purdue, if Farmer John doesn't cooperate he's pretty much up to his neck in a bunch of chicken waste. And as my grandpappy always said, "You can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit."
I won't even mention the conditions that these chickens, pigs, and cows live in. I'm not exactly a bleeding heart. And I'm certainly no vegitarian. I like a big juicy steak just like the next guy. But when I see pictures of these factory farms where cows are standing knee-deep in their own manure for 90% of their lives, well, it makes me want to reconsider how much I'm willing to pay for my steak.
Did you know that beef is so cheap because McDonald's says so. That's right. McDonald's again. Because Americans want their dollar menu, McDonalds dictates how much it's willing to pay for beef. And since they are the countries largest buyer of beef their word is pretty much law. And since their are only so many ways to cut corners when raising and actual living breathing animal, farmers are forced to feed their beef cows corn - a grain that cows aren't even equipped to digest. Therefore, farmers are also forced to feed their cows large numbers of antibiotics and artificial growth hormones just to keep up with the demand at the price that McDonalds dictates. That's why that hamburger that you just bought at the grocery store was only $1.99/pound. Good deal, no?
I could go on and on about this subject, but I won't. Obviously I believe that there needs to be better laws in this counrty to ensure that people can afford to buy good healthy food. I don't understand why people will organize marches and protests to complain about having to pay for health care all the while embracing their Dollar Menu Double Cheeseburger like it was a life raft.
And before it starts, let me just say - I get it. I do. I'm a mother. I know how hard it is to feed a family, how expensive it can be. But isn't it worth it to spend a little more money at the grocery store than spend exponentially more money on medications to treat preventable diseases like diabetes and heart disease? So for my part, my family will now be spending more money for grass-fed beef and organic local-raised eggs and organic in-season produce, even if it means going meatless a few nights a week. I don't think it will be that difficult. And I think that if we all were smarter consumers then more of these products would be available at out local grocery stores, not just Whole Foods.
Go to the farmers market where a farmer keeps 80-90% of every dollar spent there. (poverty among farmers is more than double that of all other employees) Know where your food comes from. . . and BUY LOCAL! ( the average meal travels over 1,500 miles from the "farm" to your plate.) And buy organic whenever you can, even if it costs a little more. I promise it makes a difference. (70% of all antibiotics used in the US are given to farm animals. and according to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the US)
And last, but not least watch FOOD, INC. for more. Like Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, I believe FOOD, INC. has the power to change the way Americans eat. Visit http://www.foodincmovie.com/ to find out more. If you want to do more go to www.takepart.com/foodinc .
Oh, the cow in the meadow goes 'MOO'
'till the farmer hits it on the head with a hammer
and that's how we get hamburger."
Oh, if only that's how we got hamburger. That's a line from a song sung on an episode of Friends by the quasi-hippy Phoebe, played by Lisa Kudrow. In the show Phoebe has been hired to sing songs to kids at story time at a library. All the parents are, of course, upset by her songs lyrics. But the kids love her and seek her out at her coffee shop hang out, dubbing her, "the lady who tells the truth."
Turns out though that Phoebe's hammer - to - head hitting method of getting hamburger is just wishful thinking. We all know, of course, that hamburger comes from cows. That's just elementary. But did you know that that hamburger you're eating could contain meat from hundreds or even thousands of cows? It's true.
And did you know that McDonald's is the countries largest purchaser of beef? And potatoes? And pork? And even one of the largest purchasers of apples? Also true. And by being the largest consumer of these goods, McDonald's in effect controls the way that cows and pigs and chickens (had an Egg McMuffin, lately?) are raised and the way potatoes and apples are grown.
I learned all of this from the jaw dropping documentary FOOD, INC., a Robert Kenner Film. This isn't one of those boring, over-hyper narrator, documentaries from high school about how many days it takes a chicken egg to grow into a chicken. It's more like an investigative journalism film about how farmers are being controlled by mafia-like big business. Did you know that the average chicken farmer has had to take out oans of $30,000+ to build each chicken house? (Most have more than 3 chicken houses.) Yet, that same farmer makes less than $17,000/year. And those same chicken houses are controlled by the companies that buy his chickens and/or eggs. Farmer John has to do things the way Big Brother tells him or else they won't buy his product. Considering that in this case there is really only two chicken companies that matter - Tyson and Purdue, if Farmer John doesn't cooperate he's pretty much up to his neck in a bunch of chicken waste. And as my grandpappy always said, "You can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit."
I won't even mention the conditions that these chickens, pigs, and cows live in. I'm not exactly a bleeding heart. And I'm certainly no vegitarian. I like a big juicy steak just like the next guy. But when I see pictures of these factory farms where cows are standing knee-deep in their own manure for 90% of their lives, well, it makes me want to reconsider how much I'm willing to pay for my steak.
Did you know that beef is so cheap because McDonald's says so. That's right. McDonald's again. Because Americans want their dollar menu, McDonalds dictates how much it's willing to pay for beef. And since they are the countries largest buyer of beef their word is pretty much law. And since their are only so many ways to cut corners when raising and actual living breathing animal, farmers are forced to feed their beef cows corn - a grain that cows aren't even equipped to digest. Therefore, farmers are also forced to feed their cows large numbers of antibiotics and artificial growth hormones just to keep up with the demand at the price that McDonalds dictates. That's why that hamburger that you just bought at the grocery store was only $1.99/pound. Good deal, no?
I could go on and on about this subject, but I won't. Obviously I believe that there needs to be better laws in this counrty to ensure that people can afford to buy good healthy food. I don't understand why people will organize marches and protests to complain about having to pay for health care all the while embracing their Dollar Menu Double Cheeseburger like it was a life raft.
And before it starts, let me just say - I get it. I do. I'm a mother. I know how hard it is to feed a family, how expensive it can be. But isn't it worth it to spend a little more money at the grocery store than spend exponentially more money on medications to treat preventable diseases like diabetes and heart disease? So for my part, my family will now be spending more money for grass-fed beef and organic local-raised eggs and organic in-season produce, even if it means going meatless a few nights a week. I don't think it will be that difficult. And I think that if we all were smarter consumers then more of these products would be available at out local grocery stores, not just Whole Foods.
Go to the farmers market where a farmer keeps 80-90% of every dollar spent there. (poverty among farmers is more than double that of all other employees) Know where your food comes from. . . and BUY LOCAL! ( the average meal travels over 1,500 miles from the "farm" to your plate.) And buy organic whenever you can, even if it costs a little more. I promise it makes a difference. (70% of all antibiotics used in the US are given to farm animals. and according to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the US)
And last, but not least watch FOOD, INC. for more. Like Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, I believe FOOD, INC. has the power to change the way Americans eat. Visit http://www.foodincmovie.com/ to find out more. If you want to do more go to www.takepart.com/foodinc .
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Oh, For Shame!
Had a relatively busy morning this morning culminating in a run-by trip to the Wal-Mart. Which as you know, you can never quite just run in and get anything at the Wal-Mart. It always turns into an hour long "Oh yeah, and I need to pick up . . . " trip and a big fat chunk out of my checking account. And yes, I always refer to it as 'The Wal-Mart'. I know it's hick as hell, but I do so hate that place. I hate it more because I need it. I know that they are socially corrupt and I really shouldn't patron 'The Wal-Mart' but when you live in super small town Eastern Kentucky like I do, sometimes you just have no choice. I would love to fight the power, so to speak. But I can't, I'm just too hungry.
Which brings me back to my original point. I finished up my shopping and pulled my semi-cart into the lane. Sadly not the express lane. Only at 'The Wal-Mart' would they recognize the futility of anyone getting out of there with less than 20 items. I think it's only a myth. But I digress. Again.
So I'm in line. And I'm feeling kind of hungry. I get my usual Diet Mt. Dew, which I know is still horrible for me, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made. But I'm still thinking I'm hungry. Danger! Danger, Will Robinson! But do I listen? Do I make the smart choice and head to the conveniently connected SubWay for a Jared approved healthy lunch? Nooooo, I do not.
I grab . . . (wait for it) . . . the Combos.
That most hateful of all junk foods. Oh, I am helpless to resist them. Which is, I suspect why they are located right next to the Slim Jims and National Enquirer. There must be so many out there like me. But even then, I don't realize that I am making a poor decision. It is only later when I am halfway down the road and almost all the way through the bag, that I realize what a truly stupid stupid thing I have done.
True, it does not rate up there with the buffalo chicken wing-fest I had the day after New Years. Or even the fine German restaurant located temptingly close to my brother's new house. On the everyday bone-head move scale though, it certainly rates right up there.
I indulged in about an hours worth of self-loathing, before I realized what a slippery slope that was and snapped out of it. I will just have to do better next time. I will have to make smarter choices for the rest of the week. Hummus and baked pita chips are just as delicious as Combos. They are. They really are, I swear.
I will chalk it up to just one more reason why I should avoid 'The Wal-Mart'. Along with the ridiculously low priced cheesy poufs and the lure of the take and bake pizza. I will just have to burn a little extra gas and haul my ass to the nearest Target, where I know there will still be Combos, but at least I will already be feeling a little more socially responsible. It is easy to avoid the cheesy pretzel goodness when I am not already hovering a Pig Pen like cloud of shame.
Which brings me back to my original point. I finished up my shopping and pulled my semi-cart into the lane. Sadly not the express lane. Only at 'The Wal-Mart' would they recognize the futility of anyone getting out of there with less than 20 items. I think it's only a myth. But I digress. Again.
So I'm in line. And I'm feeling kind of hungry. I get my usual Diet Mt. Dew, which I know is still horrible for me, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made. But I'm still thinking I'm hungry. Danger! Danger, Will Robinson! But do I listen? Do I make the smart choice and head to the conveniently connected SubWay for a Jared approved healthy lunch? Nooooo, I do not.
I grab . . . (wait for it) . . . the Combos.
That most hateful of all junk foods. Oh, I am helpless to resist them. Which is, I suspect why they are located right next to the Slim Jims and National Enquirer. There must be so many out there like me. But even then, I don't realize that I am making a poor decision. It is only later when I am halfway down the road and almost all the way through the bag, that I realize what a truly stupid stupid thing I have done.
True, it does not rate up there with the buffalo chicken wing-fest I had the day after New Years. Or even the fine German restaurant located temptingly close to my brother's new house. On the everyday bone-head move scale though, it certainly rates right up there.
I indulged in about an hours worth of self-loathing, before I realized what a slippery slope that was and snapped out of it. I will just have to do better next time. I will have to make smarter choices for the rest of the week. Hummus and baked pita chips are just as delicious as Combos. They are. They really are, I swear.
I will chalk it up to just one more reason why I should avoid 'The Wal-Mart'. Along with the ridiculously low priced cheesy poufs and the lure of the take and bake pizza. I will just have to burn a little extra gas and haul my ass to the nearest Target, where I know there will still be Combos, but at least I will already be feeling a little more socially responsible. It is easy to avoid the cheesy pretzel goodness when I am not already hovering a Pig Pen like cloud of shame.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Clean Eating or Clean Off My Rocker?
It happened like this. I was cruising the magazine rack at my local Target because it would appear that I have replaced my addiction to food with an addiction to glossy magazines. And since I just got back from a 2 week trip in which I traveled over 3300 miles, I had fully exhausted my stash. So there I am looking for something new and I find Vogue Decor (didn't care for it), National Geographic Travel (always on the lookout for the next great destination), and Clean Eating (Loved it!) I wasn't really expecting to, like it - that is, but turns out it's not totally for sandal wearing, granola eating, tree huggers. I will own to two out of the three, but let it be known that I love my fashion too much to wear sandals, at least of the Jesus Creeper variety. And since I am stuck in a dieting rut and my energy has bottomed out I was open to trying anything.
I like it. So far. Clean Eating is not really a diet, which I like. It's more of a way of eating. Pay attention to what you eat. Eat whole unprocessed foods, organic when possible. And learn how to prepare healthy meals for yourself instead of relying on restaurants where you don't really have control over what your eating.
I love that I get to eat yogurt, which I have been doing already. And I was skeptical about substituting honey and/or agave nectar for sugar, but I like it. I don't know if I can completely cut out the white sugar but I have definately cut it down drastically. I have switched from white flour products to whole grains and the best part is that my kids haven't bitched about it. Amazing! I'm not so sure about the quoina and bulgar (exotic grains) not so much because I'm afraid to try something new, but because I'm just not sure how practical it will be to find it in my tiny tiny town. And eating locally is a big factor. I have made friends at the farmer's market.
I've been doing this for about a week now and while I haven't really dropped any pounds (I haven't actually lowered my calorie intake) I have already noticed the energy going up and my mood improving as well. That was an unexpected but totally welcome bonus.
So, the bottom line, after a week of clean eating is this. I don't know if I can stick to it 100% of the time, but I have resolved to try to stick to an 80%/20% type of thing. The 20% allows for life and other crap that gets in the way and as long as I don't go crazy and start snorting Pixie Sticks it should be OK. I liked the grilled pork with peaches, but the raw hummus - not so much. So check it out, if you're looking for something new. Or even if you're not, it's totally worth the effort. Besides who can say no to an eating plan that includes lemon shortcakes with strawberries, blueberries, and fresh cream?
I like it. So far. Clean Eating is not really a diet, which I like. It's more of a way of eating. Pay attention to what you eat. Eat whole unprocessed foods, organic when possible. And learn how to prepare healthy meals for yourself instead of relying on restaurants where you don't really have control over what your eating.
I love that I get to eat yogurt, which I have been doing already. And I was skeptical about substituting honey and/or agave nectar for sugar, but I like it. I don't know if I can completely cut out the white sugar but I have definately cut it down drastically. I have switched from white flour products to whole grains and the best part is that my kids haven't bitched about it. Amazing! I'm not so sure about the quoina and bulgar (exotic grains) not so much because I'm afraid to try something new, but because I'm just not sure how practical it will be to find it in my tiny tiny town. And eating locally is a big factor. I have made friends at the farmer's market.
I've been doing this for about a week now and while I haven't really dropped any pounds (I haven't actually lowered my calorie intake) I have already noticed the energy going up and my mood improving as well. That was an unexpected but totally welcome bonus.
So, the bottom line, after a week of clean eating is this. I don't know if I can stick to it 100% of the time, but I have resolved to try to stick to an 80%/20% type of thing. The 20% allows for life and other crap that gets in the way and as long as I don't go crazy and start snorting Pixie Sticks it should be OK. I liked the grilled pork with peaches, but the raw hummus - not so much. So check it out, if you're looking for something new. Or even if you're not, it's totally worth the effort. Besides who can say no to an eating plan that includes lemon shortcakes with strawberries, blueberries, and fresh cream?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)