I Eat Real Food

For as long as I can remember I have been on a diet.  It has been a whole lot of counting, measuring, weighing, and good and bad foods.  It has been a lot of restricting and worrying about what I can and cannot eat.

To be honest, it has been a whole lot of needless misery and anxiety.

One of the hardest things about Intuitive Eating has been changing my long standing mindset of good and bad foods, of attaching a moral value to food.  It has been very difficult to change.  For so long I have been constantly worried about what I am eating.  In that diet mentality life, I cannot even remember the last time I had butter on my toast!

Intuitive Eating has brought so much freedom into my life.

I have toast with butter...and jam!  The anxiety surrounding food and meal times has slowly decreased.  I cannot describe what a HUGE blessing that has been.  Shopping is so much easier.  I buy food I enjoy.  I no longer hang out in the reduced fat, reduced calorie, health food junkie aisle.

I eat real food.

I am not caught up in the latest health food trend.  If that is what you are looking for, sorry.  After all, they will change next week anyway.  I eat what I like.  Usually that is fresh fruits and vegetables, but I eat pie and ice cream too!  (Lest you think I ONLY eat fruits and veggies, I assure you, I do not.)  And I don't feel guilty!

These days there is more variety in what I eat.  I ENJOY eating!  I eat food that tastes good!  At first I thought it was too good to be true.  Is it possible to eat food, real food, that tastes good and lose weight?  Is it possible to lose weight without really focusing on losing weight?  Yet, that is what is happening for me.   My body is feeling so good!

It has been very hard work, but it has been so worth it. 

Below are some of the meals and things I eat.  Yes, there is butter on my toast, I had syrup with my french toast, and I eat rice and bread.  I love it!  I love that this is working for me.  I am grateful for the people in my life who help and support me in this.  What an incredible journey this has been.

I Am Losing Weight...Eating Anything I Want

I recognize I have not been incredibly on-the-ball in updating the blog as of late.  What can I say?  It's been busy.  This changing your life stuff is hard work!

In a previous post  I talked about a book called "Intuitive Eating."  I loved the book.  For the first time something finally felt right on my journey to a physically and mentally healthier me.  No more gimmicks.  No more fad diets.  No more restricting.  No quick-fix.

This is all about changing my relationship with food.  

I eat what I want, when I am hungry, and I stop when I am satisfied.  Yup, it's that simple.  I know what you are thinking.  I was skeptical too.  Let's be honest, I cannot remember a time I was not on a diet, so no bad foods?  No rules?  No counting - something!  Everything is allowed?  That is crazy talk, right?  But, the whole thing resonated with something inside of me and I decided to give it a chance, despite my fears.

The tricky part is this approach is not about weight and numbers.  No stepping on the scale, no counting calories and carbs.  Everything really is OK.  This approach has to be all about you and your health.

This is about how you feel and how your body feels.

It sounds simple, but for me it has been incredibly difficult.  I had forgotten what it feels like to be hungry and full.  My satiety cues have been messed up for a quite some time.  How do you decide, in the middle of a meal, that you are "satisfied?"  (I'll post the answer to this later)    How do you tell if you are really hungry and not just tired and/or emotional?  It is hard.  Really hard.  If you decide to read the book and try this approach I recommend you surround yourself with a great support system whether that is family members, friends, or professionals.  (Preferably all of the above!)  I have some amazing people in my life right now that have helped me and taught me so much as I have struggled through this experience.  I also pray every single day (more than once) for help as I fight this battle.

Without God and the great people in my life this would not be possible.

This is not an overnight, lose-10-pounds-in-a-week, quick-fix.  I cannot begin to tell you how many people have approached with some diet or weight loss product they want to sell me.  I am sure it works great for them, but I am on a different journey.  This is MY journey and I am doing what feels right for ME.  This is a slow, arduous, uphill process.  I am learning to listen to my body.  I am starting to feel hunger and fullness again.  My mindset is shifting away from having off-limits foods.  Food is just food.  It is not good nor bad.  It is just food and it gives my body the energy it needs to function.  With everything being OK I have found I no longer crave the foods I used to crave like chocolate, pizza, and ice cream.  I know they are there and I can have them if I want.  I no longer clean my plate.  I find I am usually satisfied long before all the food on my plate is gone.  I do eat a lot of fruits and vegetables because that is usually what sounds good to me.  Don't worry, I eat ice cream too.  I exercise because it makes me feel good.

My body feels good.

Yes, I am losing weight.  Someone else weighs me every so often.  I never see the number.  They tell me my average weight loss is about one pound per week, sometimes a little more.  I think that is great, but it is not about the numbers for me.  It is about how I feel.

And I feel better than I have in a long time.

No Bad Food

No bad food.  Sounds too good to be true, right?  Turns out, that may be the case.  This is a new concept for me.  How many times have you eaten a decadent brownie, rich cheesecake, or any other high calorie, sugary treat, and felt guilty or even rebellious?  Any of these sound familiar?

"I am going to be bad and eat this brownie."

"I am going to sneak another piece of chocolate."

"Good thing I had a salad so I can eat this cookie."

"I better eat vegetables the rest of the day so I can eat this piece of cheesecake."

Many times we make up our own rules and decide what  SHOULD be off limits.  What if we quit "should'n" ourselves?  What if all foods were really okay to eat?  What if there were NO bad foods?  Kind of hard to wrap your brain around, huh?

This concept was introduced to me this week and I have put it to the test.  This is what I have found:

First, it is extremely hard to change my mindset and let all foods be available and okay to eat, with no moral value attached.  It is a struggle and I am still working on this one.

Second, I find that I enjoy my food much more when I allow myself to have what I want.  It is quite amazing.

Third, I am finding that cravings for "bad foods" have actually decreased.  I do not crave and eat nearly as much "junk" when I do not make it off limits and do not assign it a moral value such as "good" or "bad."

It is a work in progress.  All in all, I like this change.

Life Without My Scale

It has been about 5 months since I gave up my bathroom scale.  At the time I thought I would never make it without my scale.  After all, I religiously weighed myself every. single. day.  I found comfort in the number on the scale and a sense of euphoria watching it go down.  On the flip-side I was also devastated when the number would go up.

This was the game I played every. single. day.  I was in a literal battle with my bathroom scale.  It was a love/hate relationship, really.  I loved my scale.  I also hated it.  Somehow, that number started to represent more than my relationship with gravity.  It started to represent ME.  If the number went down, I somehow had more worth as an individual.  If it went up, my worth went down.  I did not realize how much power I had given that scale until I got rid of it.

For months I thought I would relish the day I got my scale back.  This week was the week I got my scale back!  I was so excited!....at first.  The euphoria quickly wore off.  Though I was excited to be able to measure my progress with a number, the idea of starting the bathroom scale battle again was less than appealing.

Getting rid of my scale was extremely difficult for me.  (Just ask those closest to me!)  I missed my scale.  However, it has been one of the best things I have done.  I do not need a scale to tell me my worth.  My worth is not tied to a scale or anything else.  My worth is intrinsic.  I do not wake up in the morning with anxiety, wondering if that number will go down.

I do not have to fight a battle with a bathroom scale every. single. day.

There is an incredible sense of freedom in that.  I do not need a scale to tell me anything but my relationship with gravity.  I do not need a number to tell me if I am progressing.  My progress is measured by how I feel, not by a number....and I feel better than I have in a long time!  Getting rid of my scale has helped me experience a whole new type of freedom and allowed me to really focus on how my body is feeling. I eat better because it makes me feel good, not because it will make that number go down.  I exercise because it makes my body strong, not because it will affect that number.  Life without my scale - is great!

5 Ways I Cope With Stress

Stress is inevitable.  There is no getting away from stress.  It seems to be part of the human experience.  Some of us have more stress than others.  It can also depend on the season of life we are in at the moment.  Lately I have been thinking of things I do to cope with stress.  Here are 5 things I came up with that help me.  I think it is definitely worth it to find out what works for you.

Get Moving
I don't know if there is enough room in this post to explain how much this helps me!  There is something about moving my body and the release of endorphins that seems to make the stress in my life seem more manageable.  Going for a walk, riding my bike, hiking, heading to the gym...whatever it is, it always seems to help when I experience stress.

Sleep
Sometimes I think I create my own stress simply by not getting enough sleep.  I cannot overstate how getting enough rest makes HUGE stressors in my life diminish to a normal size.  Sleep is crucial for me in managing stress.

Create
Making something with my hands - drawing, painting, taking pictures, crafting - finding a creative outlet helps me focus on something besides the stressors in my life.  It also helps me release excess tension and use it to create something beautiful.

Nature
I love being among God's beautiful creations.  It helps me foster mindfulness.  Being outdoors and in nature helps to clear my mind.  There is something soothing to me about being in nature and taking in all of its beauty.

Laughter
Nothing alleviates my stress like a good laugh.  Take time to smile every single day!  I know it helps me.  Find a funny video on YouTube or a silly meme on Pinterest.  Talk to a friend and reminisce about the hilarious adventures of days gone by.  Laughter always lifts my spirits.


While not an exhaustive list, these are a few things that help me.  Perhaps they can help you too.  What are some things you do to cope with stress?


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I am not a doctor or licensed professional.  This is only a list of things that help me.  If you are experiencing extreme amounts of stress, seek help from a professional, and/or follow the advice of your doctor.

Weekly Meal Plan

Here it is!  The weekly meal plan.  I really like not having to guess what I am having for dinner and lunch each night.  It helps me stay me stay on track.  I hope that it can help!

Some Days and a Daily Meal Plan

Some days are better than others.  Some weeks are better than others.  Some months are better than others.  Setbacks happen.  It has been a crazy few weeks for me with ups and downs.  It is just an opportunity to rise up and get back on track.

With that, I made this daily meal plan sheet to help me.  I am working on a weekly one...hopefully coming soon.  I made this for myself, but perhaps it can help someone else as well.

Good luck!

Stuffed Avocados

Avocados are amazing.  Not only are they a good source of fiber and heart healthy fat, they are delicious!  I found a recipe HERE and made some modifications.  Here is the recipe I came up with:

Ingredients

1 large ripe avocado

1/2 cup bread crumbs (mind happened to be Italian style)

1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder (to taste)

1/4 tsp basil

1 T lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

1 T red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Pepper, to taste

2 roma tomatoes, diced

Directions

Mix tomatoes, garlic powder, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add bread crumbs and continue to mix.  

Cut avocado in half and throw away the pit.  Place half of the tomato mixture in each half of the avocado.  Place filled avocado halves on a baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 6 minutes.  Then turn your oven to broil on high.  Cook an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned.  

Avocados will be hot when get them out of the oven, so be careful!  You might want to wait a few minutes for them to cool before you dig in!

Roasted Lemon Thyme Asparagus with Sea Salt and Black Peppercorn

I never knew I liked asparagus until I was in my 20's.  I had never even tried asparagus until then.  The first time I tried it I thought, What is this amazing vegetable and why have I not discovered it until now!  From that moment I decided to learn how to cook it and make it as delicious as the first time I tried it.  This is my favorite way to eat it.  (And it is super easy)  I hope you enjoy!

What is your favorite way to eat asparagus?

Ingredients
Fresh asparagus
2 lemons
Fresh thyme (you can also use dried if you don't have fresh, but I like it better with fresh thyme.  You don't need to use as much if you are using dried spices.)
Sea salt
Black peppercorn, ground
Olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Wash asparagus and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spritz asparagus with olive oil.  Cut one lemon in half.  Squeeze the juice of both halves of the lemon over the asparagus.  Sprinkle sea salt and black peppercorn over the asparagus.  Places 4-5 twigs of fresh thyme on the asparagus.  Cut the second lime into slices.  Place slices on top of asparagus.  Bake for 9 minutes or until roasted, but not burned.

Intuitive Eating

Have you ever heard of the book, Intuitive Eating?  It has been around for a while, but I just barely heard about it.  I decided to give it a look.

I loved it.

The premise seems to be that your body knows what it needs to stay at a healthy weight.  It talks about being in tune with your body, eating when you start to feel hungry, and stopping when you are satisfied.

The thing that is unique about this is that there are no "restricted" or "off-limits" foods.  It talks about throwing out the "diet mentality."  That is scary concept for someone who has been dieting ever since they can remember!  No off-limits foods?  Seriously?  I can eat anything I want?  Crazy, right?  Sounds like a one way ticket to dramatic weight gain.

I decided to give it a try - as in I actually made a concerted effort to follow the principles outlined in this book.  It has been 2 months.  Remember that I do not have a scale.  Nor do you count calories and worry about weight with this program.  Miraculously, it seems to be working!  I cannot quite understand it, but it does.  I am losing an average of a pound a week.  (Don't worry, I didn't get my scale back.)

The great thing is that the anxiety is leaving in regards to food.  In the beginning I could not think of anything except how what I was eating was going to affect my weight.  However, as I have continued to work on it, the intrusive food thoughts have decreased.  In the beginning I could not tell when I was hungry or full.  Now, my satiety signals are returning.  I am able to stop eating before I am completely sick to my stomach.  It is a great feeling!

I love the freedom to eat what I want.  I find that my body actually loves and leans toward healthy food, with some play foods.  I am also remembering how much I love to move and get regular physical exercise.  It just makes me feel better.

I still have a long journey ahead.  But, I am excited to see where this takes me.

Have you read this book?  What were your thoughts?

Living Life

Have you seen The Secret Life of Walter Mitty yet?  I enjoyed it.  Such a fun, clean movie.  I loved the idea of this guy taking a risk and living the life he always wanted. 

What is your dream?  What do you want to accomplish in life?  Are you doing it? 

This weekend I decided to do something spontaneous.  I ended up on the front row of the Freestyle Ski World Cup.  I basically had to climb a mountain to get there, but it was so worth it!  Awesome.  What figurative mountains are you climbing?

Have you done anything spontaneous lately?  Are you living your dream?  If so, what did you do?