I'm terrible at follow through. At least with some things. My diet is one of them. I have the best intentions and will even be successful for short periods of time. And then life happens and I get off the course so I take the easy path; the path of least resistance; the path of just eating whatever I want whenever I want it. Then my pants start to fit tight. And I'm tired. And I have no motivation. And I wonder why.
Well, lately my GI system has been acting up again. I just never feel 100%. So it dawned on me, get back on track. Get back to basics.
So I am keeping track of everything I eat. I'm measuring to make sure my portion sizes are what they are supposed to be. I'm making notes of things that seem to irritate my stomach (sadly, dark chocolate is one of them). I'm only 3 days in and I've noticed that the aforementioned dark chocolate, and too much dairy seem to be big culprits. I love chocolate and dairy. Oh well.
I've also been forcing myself to do some form of stretching routine or yoga every day - even if only for 15 minutes. My back just aches. Always. That ache has definitely improved with just keeping my body loose.
So if I can sense some improvement after just 3 days, why can't I keep on this path? Because life happens. Because I bowl 2-3 days a week and their food offerings are far from the healthiest choices. Because we go to hockey games and Disney World and places where the bad stuff is just too available and too tempting. Because we travel and I don't have 100% control over how my food is prepared or what is available. But I try not to beat myself up. I'm at my worst when I'm too limiting on myself. As soon as I say to myself "you can't have _____", it's all I think about. I just have to get back to basics. Journaling and exercise are helping keep me centered. I hope I can keep myself centered on the right path.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Friday, September 13, 2013
Nothing is Easy...Except Excuses
Nine months ago I started on a journey to clean up my diet. Three months ago my journey was derailed...or rather, I jumped on the wrong track.
We were in Reno for a bowling tournament/vacation and we decided we would treat ourselves. Eat whatever we wanted for just a week. Then a week turned into a month, then three months. And all the while I had excuse after excuse after excuse. "It's hard to eat clean when you're eating out all three meals". "One week of potatoes and rice and cheese won't hurt". "The good foods are too expensive." I could go on and on. But in the end, when I really looked back, not one excuse was a true VALID excuse.
Sure, it is hard to eat "clean" when you're not preparing the foods. But that didn't mean I had to order french fries and mashed potatoes. I could have substituted a salad where at least I had a little more control and nutritional value. I could have bypassed the danishes and the buffet and loaded up on fresh fruit.
Sure an occasional potato or serving of cheese won't hurt. Problem is, I can't stop at the occasional serving. Food is like my cigarette or beer. I love to eat! And I love to eat good food! And I can't always filter my brain when one side says "choose this healthy option" and the other side says "no you really want that unhealthy option". It's like the devil and the angel sitting on each shoulder and the devil drowns out the angel.
However, the last few days I have reached a point where eating ANYTHING gives me a stomach ache. I know I have to start ignoring the devil and listening to the angel. And so I'm developing my plan.
1st - I must start blogging regularly again. Maybe no one will read it, but it will help hold me accountable to put the thoughts out there in the cyber world knowing someone might read them.
2nd - I'm going to start journaling - whatever is on my mind, diet related or not. I'm hoping this will help me drill down as to what causes me to make the poor decisions. What moods or events affect my choices? How am I feeling physically, emotionally and spiritually by the end of the day?
3rd - Get back on track with exercise. Yoga is so restorative to me even if it does make me sweat. And just stretching and working my muscles make me feel good - and help with my chronic low back pain.
The hardest thing of this plan is going to be getting over the excuses and disciplining myself. But this stomachache has got to stop so no time like the present!
We were in Reno for a bowling tournament/vacation and we decided we would treat ourselves. Eat whatever we wanted for just a week. Then a week turned into a month, then three months. And all the while I had excuse after excuse after excuse. "It's hard to eat clean when you're eating out all three meals". "One week of potatoes and rice and cheese won't hurt". "The good foods are too expensive." I could go on and on. But in the end, when I really looked back, not one excuse was a true VALID excuse.
Sure, it is hard to eat "clean" when you're not preparing the foods. But that didn't mean I had to order french fries and mashed potatoes. I could have substituted a salad where at least I had a little more control and nutritional value. I could have bypassed the danishes and the buffet and loaded up on fresh fruit.
Sure an occasional potato or serving of cheese won't hurt. Problem is, I can't stop at the occasional serving. Food is like my cigarette or beer. I love to eat! And I love to eat good food! And I can't always filter my brain when one side says "choose this healthy option" and the other side says "no you really want that unhealthy option". It's like the devil and the angel sitting on each shoulder and the devil drowns out the angel.
However, the last few days I have reached a point where eating ANYTHING gives me a stomach ache. I know I have to start ignoring the devil and listening to the angel. And so I'm developing my plan.
1st - I must start blogging regularly again. Maybe no one will read it, but it will help hold me accountable to put the thoughts out there in the cyber world knowing someone might read them.
2nd - I'm going to start journaling - whatever is on my mind, diet related or not. I'm hoping this will help me drill down as to what causes me to make the poor decisions. What moods or events affect my choices? How am I feeling physically, emotionally and spiritually by the end of the day?
3rd - Get back on track with exercise. Yoga is so restorative to me even if it does make me sweat. And just stretching and working my muscles make me feel good - and help with my chronic low back pain.
The hardest thing of this plan is going to be getting over the excuses and disciplining myself. But this stomachache has got to stop so no time like the present!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Diets, Diets Everywhere!
There are a plethora of diet plans out there. I think you could spend 1 month on each diet plan and "diet" for a lifetime...never settling on just one. So how do you know what's right?
The more I research the more I decide there is no right or wrong for everyone. It's what YOU can stick to and what makes YOU feel good. For some that's the ready made meals a plan like Jenny Craig offers. For others is the calorie counting and measuring of a plan like Weight Watchers. For others it's no carbs. You get the idea. What concerns me is many of these plans encourage low fat, no fat, sugar free foods. These are exactly the kinds of foods that contain MORE artificial ingredients. Especially sugar free foods. I am convinced there is nothing healthy about sugar substitutes. They are chemically created (except things like Truvia), have no nutritional value, and our bodies don't know what to do with them.
I am looking for an eating plan that doesn't require measuring and counting and weighing and charting. I'm too lazy to do all of that. I don't like to cook as it is, let alone have the act of making dinner take twice as long while I'm surrounded by measuring cups, kitchen scales and point counter books. I want something that encourages less artificial and more natural. More like "living off the land" as well as we can in society today. Obviously we can't all live on farms and raise our own vegetables and cattle.
I have been reading up on the Paleo diet. It's something my sister and I have been discussing off and on. For those who may not know, it's basically going way back to our roots and eating more like our "hunter-gatherer" ancestors did. Primarily protein, vegetables, some fruits. It's very limiting on grains and dairy - which admittedly, as a carb and cheese lover, that will be difficult for me. But what I like about it is it emphasizes "clean" foods. NO artificial anything. NO low fat anything. NO sugar substitutes. For me that's logical. Our bodies are not wired for processing artificial anything. It's a big reason why food today lacks nutrition. They process the good stuff right out and then try to add it back in. Next time you're at the grocery store, try picking up anything you can get in both organic and non-organic forms. Then compare the labels side by side. I guarantee you will be surprised at how much longer the list of ingredients is on the non-organic label. Scary, right?
I saw a posting on Facebook the other day that demonstrated what a food label would look like if food distributors were required to list all the pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, etc used on crops. An organic strawberry was listed with one ingredient. Strawberry. A strawberry from a non-organic farm must have had 20 chemicals it was exposed to before it was picked and sent off to your grocery store.
Why are human beings getting sicker every year? I can't help but think it's partially due to the chemicals in our foods. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think it's working for me.
The more I research the more I decide there is no right or wrong for everyone. It's what YOU can stick to and what makes YOU feel good. For some that's the ready made meals a plan like Jenny Craig offers. For others is the calorie counting and measuring of a plan like Weight Watchers. For others it's no carbs. You get the idea. What concerns me is many of these plans encourage low fat, no fat, sugar free foods. These are exactly the kinds of foods that contain MORE artificial ingredients. Especially sugar free foods. I am convinced there is nothing healthy about sugar substitutes. They are chemically created (except things like Truvia), have no nutritional value, and our bodies don't know what to do with them.
I am looking for an eating plan that doesn't require measuring and counting and weighing and charting. I'm too lazy to do all of that. I don't like to cook as it is, let alone have the act of making dinner take twice as long while I'm surrounded by measuring cups, kitchen scales and point counter books. I want something that encourages less artificial and more natural. More like "living off the land" as well as we can in society today. Obviously we can't all live on farms and raise our own vegetables and cattle.
I have been reading up on the Paleo diet. It's something my sister and I have been discussing off and on. For those who may not know, it's basically going way back to our roots and eating more like our "hunter-gatherer" ancestors did. Primarily protein, vegetables, some fruits. It's very limiting on grains and dairy - which admittedly, as a carb and cheese lover, that will be difficult for me. But what I like about it is it emphasizes "clean" foods. NO artificial anything. NO low fat anything. NO sugar substitutes. For me that's logical. Our bodies are not wired for processing artificial anything. It's a big reason why food today lacks nutrition. They process the good stuff right out and then try to add it back in. Next time you're at the grocery store, try picking up anything you can get in both organic and non-organic forms. Then compare the labels side by side. I guarantee you will be surprised at how much longer the list of ingredients is on the non-organic label. Scary, right?
I saw a posting on Facebook the other day that demonstrated what a food label would look like if food distributors were required to list all the pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, etc used on crops. An organic strawberry was listed with one ingredient. Strawberry. A strawberry from a non-organic farm must have had 20 chemicals it was exposed to before it was picked and sent off to your grocery store.
Why are human beings getting sicker every year? I can't help but think it's partially due to the chemicals in our foods. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think it's working for me.
Monday, May 6, 2013
When You Fall Off the Horse, You've Got to Get Back On
I'm an emotional eater. There's no denying it. I eat when I'm stressed. I eat when I'm depressed. I eat when I'm bored. Food is my comfort.
My other problem is that I hate to cook. And I REALLY hate to cook when it's just for one. My husband had done quite a bit of traveling for a few weeks and that's when I really fell off the wagon. I found myself going for convenient foods (read processed foods) before I even really realized I was doing it.
I had been doing really well for a while with my healthy changes and better choices. Then one thing led to another and life happened. It's not an excuse, or at least not a valid one, but I think it shows how easy it is to slip back into bad habits. I'm still soda free since January 8, so that's one positive. But sweets and carbs and processed foods have crept back into my diet. And I can tell. I'm more lethargic. I have more cravings again. I'm getting headaches more often - which I equate directly to my sugar intake. And naturally a few pounds have crept back on.
I haven't been blogging either, as I'm sure you've noticed. And I think even that helps me stay on track. It keeps me thinking about my choices because I want to share my successes (and failures) in hopes that I will inspire others. So, now I am admitting that we all have our failures. It's what we do with them that counts.
So, I'm getting back on track. Out with the processed and in with the organic, raw and natural. And I've decided something else I'm going to do is journal every night before I go to bed. Even if it has nothing at all to do with food choices. I think writing down how I'm feeling physically and mentally can only help me see how my diet, exercise and lifestyle help or hurt my overall feeling of well-being.
I'm dusting myself off and climbing back on the horse.
My other problem is that I hate to cook. And I REALLY hate to cook when it's just for one. My husband had done quite a bit of traveling for a few weeks and that's when I really fell off the wagon. I found myself going for convenient foods (read processed foods) before I even really realized I was doing it.
I had been doing really well for a while with my healthy changes and better choices. Then one thing led to another and life happened. It's not an excuse, or at least not a valid one, but I think it shows how easy it is to slip back into bad habits. I'm still soda free since January 8, so that's one positive. But sweets and carbs and processed foods have crept back into my diet. And I can tell. I'm more lethargic. I have more cravings again. I'm getting headaches more often - which I equate directly to my sugar intake. And naturally a few pounds have crept back on.
I haven't been blogging either, as I'm sure you've noticed. And I think even that helps me stay on track. It keeps me thinking about my choices because I want to share my successes (and failures) in hopes that I will inspire others. So, now I am admitting that we all have our failures. It's what we do with them that counts.
So, I'm getting back on track. Out with the processed and in with the organic, raw and natural. And I've decided something else I'm going to do is journal every night before I go to bed. Even if it has nothing at all to do with food choices. I think writing down how I'm feeling physically and mentally can only help me see how my diet, exercise and lifestyle help or hurt my overall feeling of well-being.
I'm dusting myself off and climbing back on the horse.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Suero Viv Cleanse - take 2
So my husband was so impressed with my results after my cleanse in January he decided he wanted to try it as well. I told him I would do it with him for moral support - because I know it's hard enough without people eating around you. So here we go....Day 1.
It wasn't my original intention to do a cleanse again so soon. However, I had been slipping in my habits, a few pounds had crept back on and I noticed I was starting to feel more lethargic. So I figure now is as good a time as any to nip those bad habits before I completely slip back into them forever. I'm hoping this cleanse will be a little easier for me than the first one.
We spent the last two days at Walt Disney World and really didn't take a lot of care about what we ate. I did notice, however, that sweets are far more sweeter than they used to be. Before my first cleanse, I could have eaten a chocolate covered rice krispie treat and not thought twice about it. This time, I could only eat a couple of bites and it was SO sweet! I hadn't let myself get back to eating sweets and I have still been free of soda since my first cleanse so obviously my body is not craving the sugar like it used to. A very good thing. That alone should make this cleanse easier!
So, here's to three days of nothing but Suero Viv beverages and water. Seems a bit like deja vu....
It wasn't my original intention to do a cleanse again so soon. However, I had been slipping in my habits, a few pounds had crept back on and I noticed I was starting to feel more lethargic. So I figure now is as good a time as any to nip those bad habits before I completely slip back into them forever. I'm hoping this cleanse will be a little easier for me than the first one.
We spent the last two days at Walt Disney World and really didn't take a lot of care about what we ate. I did notice, however, that sweets are far more sweeter than they used to be. Before my first cleanse, I could have eaten a chocolate covered rice krispie treat and not thought twice about it. This time, I could only eat a couple of bites and it was SO sweet! I hadn't let myself get back to eating sweets and I have still been free of soda since my first cleanse so obviously my body is not craving the sugar like it used to. A very good thing. That alone should make this cleanse easier!
So, here's to three days of nothing but Suero Viv beverages and water. Seems a bit like deja vu....
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Heading toward the left
I read an interesting article yesterday about how to cut processed foods from our diets. The first tip discussed how quitting cold turkey may not be the easiest for everyone. That's me for sure. I've done well heading in that direction but processed foods still make it into my diet. For example, I have not yet been able to give up my Bailey's coffee creamer. I just LOVE it! But, I did purchase a bottle of the Coffeemate Natural vanilla. So once I open it we'll see if I find it to be just as good. The list of ingredients is definitely shorter!
But I digress. Back to the article. One thing it said for helping to move in the direction of cutting processed foods is to look at your foods and decide which ones are "real", "almost real", "barely real" and "not real". More specifically, they used orange juice as an example: freshly squeezed being "real", juice not made from concentrate "almost real", juice made from concentrate as "barely real" and orange flavored drinks and sodas as "not real". Then, when you are shopping, try taking one step to the "left" in your decisions to head toward better foods and away from processed foods.
So I'm going to start using that tip in my menu planning and shopping. Maybe I can find myself heading to the left and improving my diet even more!
There were 4 tips in the article, but I really liked this first one. If you'd like to read the entire article, here is the link: http://www.naturalnews.com/039249_processed_foods_diet_tips.html
But I digress. Back to the article. One thing it said for helping to move in the direction of cutting processed foods is to look at your foods and decide which ones are "real", "almost real", "barely real" and "not real". More specifically, they used orange juice as an example: freshly squeezed being "real", juice not made from concentrate "almost real", juice made from concentrate as "barely real" and orange flavored drinks and sodas as "not real". Then, when you are shopping, try taking one step to the "left" in your decisions to head toward better foods and away from processed foods.
So I'm going to start using that tip in my menu planning and shopping. Maybe I can find myself heading to the left and improving my diet even more!
There were 4 tips in the article, but I really liked this first one. If you'd like to read the entire article, here is the link: http://www.naturalnews.com/039249_processed_foods_diet_tips.html
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Cleaning up all aspects of my life
About a month ago, after hearing about my goal to clean up my diet, my sister asked me if I had ever heard of Melaleuca. This is a company that for 25 years has been selling green cleaning products, cleaner skin and hair care and nutritional supplements. They sell direct to consumers (not in stores) so I imagined why I hadn't heard of it. They had been trying the Melaleuca products to rid their house of the harsh chemicals in cleaning products. Apparently my brother-in-law didn't like that he felt like he had to take his kids outside to avoid fumes just because he had cleaned the stove.
My husband and I heard their pitch and were intrigued so we signed up. We too want to rid our house of nasty chemicals which can only be bad for us. Now I don't mean this to sound like a commercial for Melaleuca (although we have been very happy with their products and would love to help anyone else become a preferred customer of Melaleuca)... I bring this up because one of the leaders above us in Melaleuca sent us a book called The Melaleuca Wellness Guide. I just started reading the book this week. What I'm reading is astounding.
I had long suspected that the environment was a huge contributor to increasing health problems. When I first found out 17 years ago that I suffered from a condition which made it difficult if not impossible to have children, I had never heard of this disorder. Now I'm shocked at how frequently I hear it mentioned. In this book I am reading that conditions such as Alzheimers, Multiple Sclerosis, miscarriages, infertility, asthma and ADD increase each year. The frequency with which people are diagnosed with cancer is astounding. At this rate of growth, it seems every person in the world could eventually be diagnosed with some form of cancer. Studies have been published of children ending up critically ill or even died from exposure to the chemicals in regular household cleaners. Clearly this is something that needs attention.
I have been using organic hair products for years - and my hair has never been healthier. We have tried adding more and more organic foods into our diet, as financially feasible and we are feeling better. Now we are adding green cleaning products to our household. I can clean the shower without my eyes burning. I can eat off my dishes without wondering what chemical residue is left behind from our dishwashing soap. I'm feeling very positive about the changes we are making and we still have a long way to go. But hey - baby steps, right?
Oh, and I'm down another pound...1 more and I will have lost 20 pounds since January 8th!
My husband and I heard their pitch and were intrigued so we signed up. We too want to rid our house of nasty chemicals which can only be bad for us. Now I don't mean this to sound like a commercial for Melaleuca (although we have been very happy with their products and would love to help anyone else become a preferred customer of Melaleuca)... I bring this up because one of the leaders above us in Melaleuca sent us a book called The Melaleuca Wellness Guide. I just started reading the book this week. What I'm reading is astounding.
I had long suspected that the environment was a huge contributor to increasing health problems. When I first found out 17 years ago that I suffered from a condition which made it difficult if not impossible to have children, I had never heard of this disorder. Now I'm shocked at how frequently I hear it mentioned. In this book I am reading that conditions such as Alzheimers, Multiple Sclerosis, miscarriages, infertility, asthma and ADD increase each year. The frequency with which people are diagnosed with cancer is astounding. At this rate of growth, it seems every person in the world could eventually be diagnosed with some form of cancer. Studies have been published of children ending up critically ill or even died from exposure to the chemicals in regular household cleaners. Clearly this is something that needs attention.
I have been using organic hair products for years - and my hair has never been healthier. We have tried adding more and more organic foods into our diet, as financially feasible and we are feeling better. Now we are adding green cleaning products to our household. I can clean the shower without my eyes burning. I can eat off my dishes without wondering what chemical residue is left behind from our dishwashing soap. I'm feeling very positive about the changes we are making and we still have a long way to go. But hey - baby steps, right?
Oh, and I'm down another pound...1 more and I will have lost 20 pounds since January 8th!
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