Well its no shocker but I really like food. Have a bit of obsession with yummy treats. So it seems fitting to start my charity giving with a food cupboard donation. We actually just dropped off the food today but I honestly pulled it out of our cupboards January 31st. I am so lucky to have a person in my life who completes me. I am a dreamer with lots of ideas. LOTS! Not all winners but some good ones. However, I tend to get bogged down with the gazillions of details needed to complete these numerous tasks. God blessed me with a hubby who can sift through the clutter of tedious details and help me complete a few of the projects while sometimes quashing a few of my dreams in a wonderful loving way so that we can merely function. I say all of these compliments because with his assistance we got the food to the right people: Harvest Hope Food Bank. We dropped off a box full of twenty-two items. And sadly, our pantry is still bulging with goods. A great way to gather goods/food for other people while still keeping within your own budget is to shop the buy one get one free sales. You aren't truly overspending for the item and are sharing with the food pantry what you consider a good purchase. You are feeding the same item to your family that you would give away. That's truly a way to love your neighbor as you love yourself.
The food pantry idea came from a show my hubby Corey and I watched on the Food Network several weeks ago titled The Big Waste with several TV chefs. The goal was to cater a large event with food that would be considered waste (about to be thrown away and has no sale value). It was heartbreaking what was considered waste. Watching produce be thrown away because of blemished. And I have to confess I am a produce snob. If you aren't shiny enough, blemish free, or look questionable I won't choose it. After this show I am buying a little more practical. Blemishes for the most part can be cut away. Too much of our produce buys have been trashed because of little inconveniences. Sadly I am not alone in this country with my snobbish ways. Perfectly edible tasty food is thrown away because of our need and search of perfection. So many people in our country are going hungry and I refuse to cut away a bruise a centimeter in diameter on an apple. And with all of us handling the produce like a jeweler with a loupe we are creating most of those bruises in the first place. Another big waste we have in our country are chickens' eggs. If they come out slightly a different color or the size is too small or big they get trashed because of no resale value. The size affects packaging and most of us freak out if our eggs aren't white. We have been taught they are white - therefor our logic if the egg isn't white it isn't good for us to eat. Admit it - if you saw a blue tinged egg in a carton you aren't buying that carton of eggs.
We have enough food in this country to feed our people we just aren't connecting all of the dots. We have safety guidelines which is good to keep most of us safe from foodbourne illnesses. We recognize food is usually perishable (and for the most part what isn't perishable we shouldn't be eating a ton of anyway). And even today my hubby who is a good sport and listens to my rants and soapbox appeals quietly reminded me to not be such a hypocrite. We bought cucumbers semi-recently and they both felt waterlogged with a bad spot. I was ready to throw them they cost a total of a dollar I believe on sale. I have shared my enthusiasm and passion about cucumbers. But I was ready to throw them as they weren't ideal. We didn't eat them in the best time frame. Corey asked if we could salvage them and make a quick salad with the good parts. I shook my head felt the produce and said I don't think there is much to save but we can try. Yeah one and half inches is all that we didn't use. As the blemish was quite a hole. Otherwise by making a quick cucumber salad we had an easy and tasty side for dinner with our delicious cod and turnip greens (new post tomorrow about the greens :) And I am proud of myself for using apples with bruises as a snack for today without a second motivation speech from my dear husband.
It's easy to hold onto old values and teachings. But its no secret that our world, especially our country is not doing too well. Our old ways are quite destructive so slowly we need to work together to establish new protocols that benefit us all. Let's scale back on our waste so that we have more to share with our neighbors.
May your HealthFULL Journey open your eyes and hearts to new viewpoints and causes that matter and that will in turn mold you into a better version of yourself. 'Til we meet again. . .
Showing posts with label real food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label real food. Show all posts
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Nothing Like a Sweet Date
Oh have I got a fancy snack for you when you are looking forward to a romantic nibble. Or just a snack that will impress your friends. It can be a bit pricey but oh so worth it. Have you ever tried a fresh date? They are delicious pieces of fruit, especially if you have a sweet tooth. And once you take a bite you'll have a hard time believing these little treasures actually have a lot of health benefits.
First what is a date? They are fruits from certain palm trees that look like an oversized raisin with some plumpness. At least the Medjool kind do. The dates tend to run a bit expensive. I usually have found them close to eight dollars for a pound or a little over a pound (Roughly thirty - forty dates). However, on one of shopping trips in search of our new produce we found I believe the package is 18 oz for 4.99. Well for that price we had to try these sweet jewels. Yum!
Now a lot of sites on the web recommended eating them raw. As long as you remove the pit. You can keep the dates in a cupboard but if you store them in your fridge they last quite a bit longer. Don't be scared of depitting these fruits. Just start to slit the tip as if you were slicing lengthwise. But just starting to slice. And you can open the slit far enough to slip out the pit. The pit looks like a piece of a pecan. Don't be tempted to taste it though. They are inedible. Most recipes recommending slipping in a nut or a cheese. As dates are awfully sweet it is good to have a salty component. Also dates by themselves contain NO sodium. So if you like your snacks to have some salt you'll have to add that component.
However, being it was New Year's Day yesterday and our favorite team was playing we opted for a fancier snack. Since you already have to remove the pit, you might as well stuff the date. We bought some Brie cheese. Just a little dab into each date. Then we chose to wrap the dates with a little prosciutto. Oh so good! Prosciutto is an Italian ham. But not just deli ham. There is a special process of curing/drying meat depending on the region and the slices are usually pretty delicate we have found. Just a little bit of that rich fattiness to cover this sweet date filled with a smooth delicate cheese. Italy meets the tropics meets France; what a beautiful world. We put them in the oven on 375 degree F for roughly fifteen minutes. This allowed the date to gooey its sweetness and allowed the meat to release its saltiness and the cheese to soften. So delicious for a romantic game snack. I liked the warmth to allow the flavors to blend and to soften the date. Just handling the date to pit them you can feel the stickiness. By wrapping the date, the sweet wasn't overpowering and yet had a luxurious texture.
Some great benefits of the date include extremely small amounts of fat, obviously no cholesterol, some protein and yes it is mainly carbohydrates but a lot of that is fiber. Because of other vitamins and minerals it includes dates are actually low on the glycemic index as they help regulate blood sugar. So for those out there who have a sweet tooth but are worried about blood sugars this might be a snack to try, especially if you stuff the date fruit with a nut. Also a date is a good source of potassium, calcium, iron, and copper. (See http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/dates.html and http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/natural-foods/natural-weight-loss-food-dates-ga.htm for more nutritional information.)
This was definitely a thumbs up pick for my hubby and me. I have a sweet tooth and I was a little worried for how sweet the fruit may be. But with the way we prepared it, even my hubby who prefers spicy or salty over sweet enjoyed this find.
May your HealthFULL Journey include fun discoveries and moments worth repeating. 'Til we meet again. . .
First what is a date? They are fruits from certain palm trees that look like an oversized raisin with some plumpness. At least the Medjool kind do. The dates tend to run a bit expensive. I usually have found them close to eight dollars for a pound or a little over a pound (Roughly thirty - forty dates). However, on one of shopping trips in search of our new produce we found I believe the package is 18 oz for 4.99. Well for that price we had to try these sweet jewels. Yum!
Now a lot of sites on the web recommended eating them raw. As long as you remove the pit. You can keep the dates in a cupboard but if you store them in your fridge they last quite a bit longer. Don't be scared of depitting these fruits. Just start to slit the tip as if you were slicing lengthwise. But just starting to slice. And you can open the slit far enough to slip out the pit. The pit looks like a piece of a pecan. Don't be tempted to taste it though. They are inedible. Most recipes recommending slipping in a nut or a cheese. As dates are awfully sweet it is good to have a salty component. Also dates by themselves contain NO sodium. So if you like your snacks to have some salt you'll have to add that component.
However, being it was New Year's Day yesterday and our favorite team was playing we opted for a fancier snack. Since you already have to remove the pit, you might as well stuff the date. We bought some Brie cheese. Just a little dab into each date. Then we chose to wrap the dates with a little prosciutto. Oh so good! Prosciutto is an Italian ham. But not just deli ham. There is a special process of curing/drying meat depending on the region and the slices are usually pretty delicate we have found. Just a little bit of that rich fattiness to cover this sweet date filled with a smooth delicate cheese. Italy meets the tropics meets France; what a beautiful world. We put them in the oven on 375 degree F for roughly fifteen minutes. This allowed the date to gooey its sweetness and allowed the meat to release its saltiness and the cheese to soften. So delicious for a romantic game snack. I liked the warmth to allow the flavors to blend and to soften the date. Just handling the date to pit them you can feel the stickiness. By wrapping the date, the sweet wasn't overpowering and yet had a luxurious texture.
Some great benefits of the date include extremely small amounts of fat, obviously no cholesterol, some protein and yes it is mainly carbohydrates but a lot of that is fiber. Because of other vitamins and minerals it includes dates are actually low on the glycemic index as they help regulate blood sugar. So for those out there who have a sweet tooth but are worried about blood sugars this might be a snack to try, especially if you stuff the date fruit with a nut. Also a date is a good source of potassium, calcium, iron, and copper. (See http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/dates.html and http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/natural-foods/natural-weight-loss-food-dates-ga.htm for more nutritional information.)
This was definitely a thumbs up pick for my hubby and me. I have a sweet tooth and I was a little worried for how sweet the fruit may be. But with the way we prepared it, even my hubby who prefers spicy or salty over sweet enjoyed this find.
May your HealthFULL Journey include fun discoveries and moments worth repeating. 'Til we meet again. . .
Friday, May 6, 2011
"Real"ly finished
Wow ten days are signed, sealed, and delivered. There were moments I thought this ten day challenge of real food was going to break me (standing overwhelmed in the supermarket after reading label after label, no morning soda, and my go to snacks had but vanished). I'll do this challenge again as I keep trying to modify my real life on this real food challenge. It was a huge eye opener. I don't need three snacks a day, I don't have to have a dessert to fall asleep, and no chips, soda, or ice cream is okay. I became acutely aware of the difference between overstuffed and full, and felt actual hunger. That to eat real food takes some prep time and requires actual cooking. But this is not a bad thing. The food tastes better (and looks better). Also it helps discourage those heapings of calories that come from mindless eating. If you have to cook and do the dishes to have an extra snack, it cuts down those bored munchings. Also I have become reacquainted with water. Your body is seventy percent water and it needs to be replenished to filter through the organs and keep everything in the body working properly. I can feel the difference. It's like certain parts of my body are waking up and letting me know when things are in balance or out of whack. I have had a couple more headaches than I've had in the past several years but again I don't think this is horrible. Its my body saying, "I need more water and more sleep (I'm in the heart of finals which have included several late nights after the lil' one catches his shut eye and mommy can think without interruption.) and also I believe it is my body's way of saying good bye to the build up of toxins.
Overall this challenge of real food helped in ways that I could have only hoped. It made me more aware of my choices, reminded me some tricks to keep my choices on the healthier side, and inspired me to cook more. Which is a plus in my book as well as my hubby's.
New DVD from the library finally. I enjoyed Hula so much that I found a DVD from the same instructor and fumbled my way through "Tahitian Hip Hop". Ummm, my hips don't lie, because they don't shimmy. But I am trying to reacquaint myself with my hips that are in their own way shaking the answer "NO!" I think part of the benefit of picking out new exercises to follow it keeps things interesting but also keeps me involved. I pay attention because I don't know what is coming next. One minute I am thinking will I make it to the end and the next minute it is cool-down and I am another movement checked off the to do list. This Tahitian Hip Hop was a lot more challenging than the Hula. What I feel in my movements doesn't feel close to what I see the girls on the DVD leading. But the good thing is an attempt in exercise still burns calories. So I continue to attempt, fumble, and dance my way to cheery success in saying good-bye to the excess. I FULLy am on board this HealthFULL Journey and am Fully Understanding Life by Living. It feels good to be part of the living once again.
May your Healthfull Journey engage you, surprise you, and soothe your weary spirit. "Til we meet again. . .
Overall this challenge of real food helped in ways that I could have only hoped. It made me more aware of my choices, reminded me some tricks to keep my choices on the healthier side, and inspired me to cook more. Which is a plus in my book as well as my hubby's.
New DVD from the library finally. I enjoyed Hula so much that I found a DVD from the same instructor and fumbled my way through "Tahitian Hip Hop". Ummm, my hips don't lie, because they don't shimmy. But I am trying to reacquaint myself with my hips that are in their own way shaking the answer "NO!" I think part of the benefit of picking out new exercises to follow it keeps things interesting but also keeps me involved. I pay attention because I don't know what is coming next. One minute I am thinking will I make it to the end and the next minute it is cool-down and I am another movement checked off the to do list. This Tahitian Hip Hop was a lot more challenging than the Hula. What I feel in my movements doesn't feel close to what I see the girls on the DVD leading. But the good thing is an attempt in exercise still burns calories. So I continue to attempt, fumble, and dance my way to cheery success in saying good-bye to the excess. I FULLy am on board this HealthFULL Journey and am Fully Understanding Life by Living. It feels good to be part of the living once again.
May your Healthfull Journey engage you, surprise you, and soothe your weary spirit. "Til we meet again. . .
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Difference of a week
I am a week into my ten day challenge of real food. Maybe I should say the household is seven days into this journey because I certainly am not the only one experiencing the changes. I was calm this morning and afternoon. The first couple of days I was feeling deprived because I was avoiding chemicals and packages and packages of preservatives. I was anxious of what would I eat, what could I eat? I was tense and frenetic because my easy go to comforts were to be forgotten. And this morning I wasn't consumed by thoughts of food. There is none of my soda in the house nor has been for a week. And here I still breathe and yes even function. There has been moments I have driven to the store close to midnight to stock my fridge or in the middle of the storm to avoid living through the storm without my safety net of soda.
That's an interesting thought - how many times do I charge into the storm to avoid simply letting the storm pass. Storms make us nervous, they are unpredictable, can cause damage, and usually change our surroundings. I do this a lot in my life - if an uncomfortable situation is on the horizon I feel I have to shape the storm; Loved ones fighting - soothe ruffled feathers, events not happening (monotonous ruts) have to stir things up - sometimes take on the planning, Friends struggling -cheer them on or advise away from the pain. Some of this sounds good but sometimes we need the storm and have to pray the destruction isn't horrible. We need the rain to wash away the dust and our messes. We might need the flash of lightning to see and sometimes we need to hear the thunder to help us find safety in new locations.
So once again I ran into the storm with this ten day challenge of real food. And at first I was scared, I was nervous if I could reach it to the end. But by going through the process for seven days I have a base of knowledge - what's okay to eat, I know my downfalls, and I feel accomplished. I made an eggplant casserole with chicken and it gave me confidence. Not only do we have quite a few more meals. But I did it. I cooked with real ingredients, came out with a real winner of a meal (eggplant even my husband enjoyed as I have learned a couple tricks how to prepare it.) And this morning I woke up not all of my thoughts consumed by food. Actually very little thought about food. My son went down for a nap and I didn't obsess what I could consume before he awoke. This is an eerily peaceful feeling. It's kind of nice and soothing. It's like I woke up without a sliver in my foot. That I have had this nagging feeling and was so used to that feeling I was almost numb. But without this "sliver" I am oddly aware of what is missing. Kind of strange, but soothing at the same time.
Today's exercise was another run with the Hula DVD. I realize I really like switching up the DVDs weekly. I renewed my choices last week as I didn't make it to the library last week and I am ready for something new that will motivate me to get moving.
May your healthfull journey prepare you for the storms in your life. 'Til we meet again. . .
That's an interesting thought - how many times do I charge into the storm to avoid simply letting the storm pass. Storms make us nervous, they are unpredictable, can cause damage, and usually change our surroundings. I do this a lot in my life - if an uncomfortable situation is on the horizon I feel I have to shape the storm; Loved ones fighting - soothe ruffled feathers, events not happening (monotonous ruts) have to stir things up - sometimes take on the planning, Friends struggling -cheer them on or advise away from the pain. Some of this sounds good but sometimes we need the storm and have to pray the destruction isn't horrible. We need the rain to wash away the dust and our messes. We might need the flash of lightning to see and sometimes we need to hear the thunder to help us find safety in new locations.
So once again I ran into the storm with this ten day challenge of real food. And at first I was scared, I was nervous if I could reach it to the end. But by going through the process for seven days I have a base of knowledge - what's okay to eat, I know my downfalls, and I feel accomplished. I made an eggplant casserole with chicken and it gave me confidence. Not only do we have quite a few more meals. But I did it. I cooked with real ingredients, came out with a real winner of a meal (eggplant even my husband enjoyed as I have learned a couple tricks how to prepare it.) And this morning I woke up not all of my thoughts consumed by food. Actually very little thought about food. My son went down for a nap and I didn't obsess what I could consume before he awoke. This is an eerily peaceful feeling. It's kind of nice and soothing. It's like I woke up without a sliver in my foot. That I have had this nagging feeling and was so used to that feeling I was almost numb. But without this "sliver" I am oddly aware of what is missing. Kind of strange, but soothing at the same time.
Today's exercise was another run with the Hula DVD. I realize I really like switching up the DVDs weekly. I renewed my choices last week as I didn't make it to the library last week and I am ready for something new that will motivate me to get moving.
May your healthfull journey prepare you for the storms in your life. 'Til we meet again. . .
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
And the band plays on. . .
I fell asleep before I got yesterday's blog out and it was interesting thought that I feel I must muse and remember out loud.
The eating for Monday and Tuesday has had very little victory and if you can have food hangovers than I have had two back to back. This eating real food has got me climbing the walls with anxiety. I am excited but chewing nails (like starting a new school or a job kind of anxiety). Where you are so excited about the possibilities but queasy in the stomach because you just don't know if everything will be okay. (99 % everything will be okay 99 % of the time but that 1 % can take over your whole being and just make one unfunctionable). As I prepare to truly examine what I eat I feel like I am cramming my guilty pleasures for one last hurrah! (Although my challenge is for only ten days and most of this food I haven't eaten in weeks or even months!) But Monday I stopped off for the fried fish sandwich and cheeseburger. Of course it wasn't the flavors I have been craving which I have made heavenly in my thoughts. It tasted like old grease with two much "sauce". Then for dinner I stuffed my face with pizza (no thin crust here!) And then Tuesday bring on the Chinese delivery (fifty percent fried and 100% sauced). Have I lost my mind? And both mornings after I have been not feeling great, Gee, I can't imagine why? When you put gunk in the tank you are going to feel like junk. So no food victories here but I feel optimistic about the next ten days.
So onto the band moment. I was working out with the Wii. Remember me mentioning that in three days I gained 7 1/2 pounds according to the Wii Fit (or maybe I didn't mention it, so of a bummer.) Well in a day it told me I lost 11.9 pounds. Yeah baby! (Again not the most reliable tool - but losing close to twelve pounds according the scale vs gaining almost eight - Feels way cooler!) And in my upbeat mood (Again I know not to put all my eggs in this basket but its like your best friend soothing you with what you want to hear but might not be the most accurate.) I felt gung ho and went for the Rhythm Parade. I sorely lack rhythm but felt so confident I moved off Beginner and went for Advanced. Bring on the band I am ready to lead my charge. And one, two, left, right, slap slap blip blip. And as I am watching my icon on the screen I was brought back to when I was fourteen. I played the flute in band. I was okay and was fine with that. No big dreams to play in an orchestra, just another thing to do while I was in school. However why did I go back to that specific year in my life in band (I played for seven years)? Because every year our band would march in a local parade. It was exciting to finally be in high school and get to march in the Potato Bowl Parade. It was a rite of passage. But wait, there is a glitch. I didn't fit in the uniform. Or more accurately one that was available. (There were some big guys in the band who were seniors and had first chance at the "bigger" uniforms.) I am fourteen and not allowed to march because I was too fat. How humiliating! Oh there was no way when this was happening I would admit the truth. My band direction came up with a solution though and that was to have me hold the banner and march at the front of the parade. Great! Just Great! Put the pretty girls in their leotards and little skirts for flags and pom poms right behind me and my big ol' butt. Can't wait! So I put on my jeans, borrowed a letterman's jacket (because I am fourteen and my tushie imagine this had not lettered!) And marched like it wasn't weird for a freshman to hold the banner. I don't remember the lies I spun (too many flutes? wanted a younger and older person representing the band? I've got such a killer smile?) Anything but the truth at all costs! I remember vowing to myself by the following year or two I would be wearing that pretty girl outfit. So much time I spent vowing my revenge on the world by getting skinny (not healthy because that tends to be an older concern) but in the teenage world it is looks. I like to think I am not that self conscious fourteen year old. But I still pretend that my sweater can hide an extra pound or two (or honestly more like a hundred pounds :) And though my focus is health and the thought of boundfuls of energy. But yeah there is still a teenage girl inside me who wants to go shopping and not worry if I can find ANYTHING that fits but actually buy something because it looks pretty and makes me feel sexy. I never did reach my revenge look in high school (I swung between 190 pounds to 255 pounds throughout the entire four years). Besides the occasional "sad" / embarassing moment (uniforms and costumes were always an awkward event) I didn't worry too much about my weight. It just was. And now I know I do have control (or more like that I should have control and say in my choices that affect both my health and my weight.)
So I marched proudly on my Wii Fit because I am no longer that teenager who's like "whatever" but an adult who is marching off some true baggage - 16.5 pounds in six weeks, but also some of the emotional baggage that has been hanging around way too long creating too much havoc.
May your healthfull journey be full of good-byes to the moments that caused pain and hellos to an energetic uplifting future. ' Til we meet again. . .
The eating for Monday and Tuesday has had very little victory and if you can have food hangovers than I have had two back to back. This eating real food has got me climbing the walls with anxiety. I am excited but chewing nails (like starting a new school or a job kind of anxiety). Where you are so excited about the possibilities but queasy in the stomach because you just don't know if everything will be okay. (99 % everything will be okay 99 % of the time but that 1 % can take over your whole being and just make one unfunctionable). As I prepare to truly examine what I eat I feel like I am cramming my guilty pleasures for one last hurrah! (Although my challenge is for only ten days and most of this food I haven't eaten in weeks or even months!) But Monday I stopped off for the fried fish sandwich and cheeseburger. Of course it wasn't the flavors I have been craving which I have made heavenly in my thoughts. It tasted like old grease with two much "sauce". Then for dinner I stuffed my face with pizza (no thin crust here!) And then Tuesday bring on the Chinese delivery (fifty percent fried and 100% sauced). Have I lost my mind? And both mornings after I have been not feeling great, Gee, I can't imagine why? When you put gunk in the tank you are going to feel like junk. So no food victories here but I feel optimistic about the next ten days.
So onto the band moment. I was working out with the Wii. Remember me mentioning that in three days I gained 7 1/2 pounds according to the Wii Fit (or maybe I didn't mention it, so of a bummer.) Well in a day it told me I lost 11.9 pounds. Yeah baby! (Again not the most reliable tool - but losing close to twelve pounds according the scale vs gaining almost eight - Feels way cooler!) And in my upbeat mood (Again I know not to put all my eggs in this basket but its like your best friend soothing you with what you want to hear but might not be the most accurate.) I felt gung ho and went for the Rhythm Parade. I sorely lack rhythm but felt so confident I moved off Beginner and went for Advanced. Bring on the band I am ready to lead my charge. And one, two, left, right, slap slap blip blip. And as I am watching my icon on the screen I was brought back to when I was fourteen. I played the flute in band. I was okay and was fine with that. No big dreams to play in an orchestra, just another thing to do while I was in school. However why did I go back to that specific year in my life in band (I played for seven years)? Because every year our band would march in a local parade. It was exciting to finally be in high school and get to march in the Potato Bowl Parade. It was a rite of passage. But wait, there is a glitch. I didn't fit in the uniform. Or more accurately one that was available. (There were some big guys in the band who were seniors and had first chance at the "bigger" uniforms.) I am fourteen and not allowed to march because I was too fat. How humiliating! Oh there was no way when this was happening I would admit the truth. My band direction came up with a solution though and that was to have me hold the banner and march at the front of the parade. Great! Just Great! Put the pretty girls in their leotards and little skirts for flags and pom poms right behind me and my big ol' butt. Can't wait! So I put on my jeans, borrowed a letterman's jacket (because I am fourteen and my tushie imagine this had not lettered!) And marched like it wasn't weird for a freshman to hold the banner. I don't remember the lies I spun (too many flutes? wanted a younger and older person representing the band? I've got such a killer smile?) Anything but the truth at all costs! I remember vowing to myself by the following year or two I would be wearing that pretty girl outfit. So much time I spent vowing my revenge on the world by getting skinny (not healthy because that tends to be an older concern) but in the teenage world it is looks. I like to think I am not that self conscious fourteen year old. But I still pretend that my sweater can hide an extra pound or two (or honestly more like a hundred pounds :) And though my focus is health and the thought of boundfuls of energy. But yeah there is still a teenage girl inside me who wants to go shopping and not worry if I can find ANYTHING that fits but actually buy something because it looks pretty and makes me feel sexy. I never did reach my revenge look in high school (I swung between 190 pounds to 255 pounds throughout the entire four years). Besides the occasional "sad" / embarassing moment (uniforms and costumes were always an awkward event) I didn't worry too much about my weight. It just was. And now I know I do have control (or more like that I should have control and say in my choices that affect both my health and my weight.)
So I marched proudly on my Wii Fit because I am no longer that teenager who's like "whatever" but an adult who is marching off some true baggage - 16.5 pounds in six weeks, but also some of the emotional baggage that has been hanging around way too long creating too much havoc.
May your healthfull journey be full of good-byes to the moments that caused pain and hellos to an energetic uplifting future. ' Til we meet again. . .
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Havin' a weak week
*Pat on the back* Exercise has officially became an everyday habit and I am super excited and somewhat proud of the fact. I even added a little weight training today with Miss Jillian Michaels. I completed 22 minutes. And was pouring sweat (Sorry if that was TMI). I still had another three full circuits but I had reached my limit. Better to not overdo and risk injury.
*Pat on the belly* Eating healthy however has been going downhill since our trip. Slowly I let my watchful eye become drowsy, downright sleepy, and then squeezed shut. I like junk food. At least in the moment of weak resolve I think it is worth millions of dollars. But then I eat it and go "ehh" it was okay and hours later I am upset and feel quilty for stuffing my face with something I didn't enjoy, didn't really want, and most definitely didn't need. It's the hindsight of a bad love connection. In the moment you believe you are with the man of your dreams. And the next day you are embarassed to tell your friends that you went on a date and instead shrug your shoulders "ehh he's okay. . . as a friend." For awile I remember this about potato chips and pastries. But then I get a little overtired, a little overstressed, and a little down and the thoughts of greasy crunchy chips and sweet fatty pastries sound "nice". Well as this urge hit Friday (I tell you I need to skip this day all together) I craved doughnuts. And the reasons and excuses list for me was a mile long why I was justified and almost my duty to purchase and consume doughnuts until my heart's content. But it was as if the world said "You really don't want a doughnut nor do you need them after I creeped my car through rush hour traffic and pulled into the doughnut shop. I could taste the frosting on my tongue and the filling dripping down my chin. I love that creamy custard or sweet gloppy fruit topping (I am rereading the adjectives and with a full stomach am questioning myself, "Really this is what I crave?" But in the moment I confess, I do! I am all ready to place my order for a variety of tasty treats and in the doughnut shop there are maybe ten varieties and not filled donut. What?!?? I love doughnuts for their filling. And I could have just left. But did I? No! I knew that they didn't have any of the doughnuts that I truly enjoy and yet I still placed my order. Still brought them home and ate two immediately. One was okay and one was eh. But neither ricocheted me to utter bliss. Neither made my problems go away. And neither left me feeling like that was worth the trip, money, or extra calories. And yet I ate them. No one forced me but I still felt compelled to shovel them in my mouth. A part of me wants to keep this "indescretion" hidden and yet I know in my heart to move past these episodes. I must own these bad days and not blank them out. That's when I look in the mirror and go "whoa! How did this happen?" Well it happens when I eat two doughnuts that I didn't want. That's a good place to start. So if my exercise is holding steady it is time to tighten my belt (soon I hope!) if I can address better eating habits. I believe I found my foundation. Starting Wednesday I am beginning the 10 day sprinting journey to eat more "real" food. I came across this site today due to a friend liking it and began my own investigation at http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/ . She has a ten day challenge for people to sign up and all day I have had that nervous bubble in my stomach. That feeling, can I really do this? It makes me uncomfortable and nervous, but yet feel the conviction in my heart that this is the start I have been searching. I have to let go of my comfort foods that for the most part are just packages of chemicals and little to no nutrition. So after talking with my hubby we excitedly await to allow ourselves a little time to plan. Real food takes foresight to prepare. You can't just open the pantry, open a box, pour out contents maybe add water and cook. Buon Appetit, but not really because what are we really eating? Also I tend to follow instanteously without really weighing the pros and cons. So I tentatively step up to the plate and hope for a home run but would be ecstatic with my shaking knees not to strike out.
May your HealthFull Journey excite you in unexpected ways but that fill you with hope, peace, and joy. 'Til we meet again. . .
*Pat on the belly* Eating healthy however has been going downhill since our trip. Slowly I let my watchful eye become drowsy, downright sleepy, and then squeezed shut. I like junk food. At least in the moment of weak resolve I think it is worth millions of dollars. But then I eat it and go "ehh" it was okay and hours later I am upset and feel quilty for stuffing my face with something I didn't enjoy, didn't really want, and most definitely didn't need. It's the hindsight of a bad love connection. In the moment you believe you are with the man of your dreams. And the next day you are embarassed to tell your friends that you went on a date and instead shrug your shoulders "ehh he's okay. . . as a friend." For awile I remember this about potato chips and pastries. But then I get a little overtired, a little overstressed, and a little down and the thoughts of greasy crunchy chips and sweet fatty pastries sound "nice". Well as this urge hit Friday (I tell you I need to skip this day all together) I craved doughnuts. And the reasons and excuses list for me was a mile long why I was justified and almost my duty to purchase and consume doughnuts until my heart's content. But it was as if the world said "You really don't want a doughnut nor do you need them after I creeped my car through rush hour traffic and pulled into the doughnut shop. I could taste the frosting on my tongue and the filling dripping down my chin. I love that creamy custard or sweet gloppy fruit topping (I am rereading the adjectives and with a full stomach am questioning myself, "Really this is what I crave?" But in the moment I confess, I do! I am all ready to place my order for a variety of tasty treats and in the doughnut shop there are maybe ten varieties and not filled donut. What?!?? I love doughnuts for their filling. And I could have just left. But did I? No! I knew that they didn't have any of the doughnuts that I truly enjoy and yet I still placed my order. Still brought them home and ate two immediately. One was okay and one was eh. But neither ricocheted me to utter bliss. Neither made my problems go away. And neither left me feeling like that was worth the trip, money, or extra calories. And yet I ate them. No one forced me but I still felt compelled to shovel them in my mouth. A part of me wants to keep this "indescretion" hidden and yet I know in my heart to move past these episodes. I must own these bad days and not blank them out. That's when I look in the mirror and go "whoa! How did this happen?" Well it happens when I eat two doughnuts that I didn't want. That's a good place to start. So if my exercise is holding steady it is time to tighten my belt (soon I hope!) if I can address better eating habits. I believe I found my foundation. Starting Wednesday I am beginning the 10 day sprinting journey to eat more "real" food. I came across this site today due to a friend liking it and began my own investigation at http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/ . She has a ten day challenge for people to sign up and all day I have had that nervous bubble in my stomach. That feeling, can I really do this? It makes me uncomfortable and nervous, but yet feel the conviction in my heart that this is the start I have been searching. I have to let go of my comfort foods that for the most part are just packages of chemicals and little to no nutrition. So after talking with my hubby we excitedly await to allow ourselves a little time to plan. Real food takes foresight to prepare. You can't just open the pantry, open a box, pour out contents maybe add water and cook. Buon Appetit, but not really because what are we really eating? Also I tend to follow instanteously without really weighing the pros and cons. So I tentatively step up to the plate and hope for a home run but would be ecstatic with my shaking knees not to strike out.
May your HealthFull Journey excite you in unexpected ways but that fill you with hope, peace, and joy. 'Til we meet again. . .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)