I did pretty well yesterday, considering that it was St Paddy's Day and I was lonely and depressed a good part of the day. I'm not saying that to garner sympathy, just noting my state of mind, which is how I can assess my eating patterns and what triggers my desire to eat crap.
BREAKFAST
1/3 c. baked beans (to finish off the can... still too much Dora's daughter to throw food away)
2 slices Wasa multigrain crispbread (0 fat, 0 sugar, 10g carbs, 2g fiber per slice)
1 1/2 oz lowfat cream cheese (6g fat - 0 trans fats, 2g carbs, 1g sugar, 2g protein per oz)
LUNCH
Thanks to Rachel's helpful suggestions, I was able to use food on hand to eat a healthy lunch:
fettuccine with broccoli and green beans, cooked in water, then tossed with chicken broth instead of oil or butter! Delicious, AND I limited myself to one serving! My SOP used to be to consume whatever I had cooked... 2, sometimes 3 helpings. Now I have leftovers for today!
1 6oz container Dannon yogurt
DINNER
OK, it's St Patrick's Day, remember.
2 slices corned beef
1 1/2 potatoes
2 carrots
wedge of cabbage (about 1/6 of a small head)
2 slices homemade soda bread (whole wheat)
about 1 T Irish butter (my usual dose is about thrice that amount)
4 pcs. Hershey's chocolate
(I don't know if it was from all the salt in my dinner, but I had a hellacious craving for chocolate last night... I was fortunate to be able to stop at 4 pcs, quite honestly)
So, I did pretty well. I am paying attention to portion sizes, and also try to do a hunger-check while I'm considering having seconds. That was how I stopped at lunchtime from eating all the pasta and veggies; I stopped and thought about whether I was actually hungry enough to have seconds. I wasn't, so I didn't.
So that was a victory, of sorts. And even though I had chocolate - and more than one piece of chocolate - I did not just mow through the pieces and eat until I felt like my teeth were going to fall out from the sugar. I thought and considered each piece, and allowed myself to eat them. Kind of a fine distinction, I suppose, but I think if I am just more aware of what I'm eating, and making conscious decisions about it, it will get easier to make better decisions. At least that's my theory. Cutting something out of my diet entirely has worked in the past - but only temporarily, in the first throes of passionate zeal. Eventually I start feeling deprived and resentful and then I end up saying 'f this' and gorge on the forbidden delight. Obviously, not an effective strategy.
My focus today is going to be on getting appropriate foods into my fridge and cupboards... things that I can munch on that are good for me. I've read (and it makes sense to me) that eating every three hours, not full-size meals, but little healthy snacks, helps to keep your metabolism burning up calories. And if they're just little snacks, I will be hungry when it's time for another one three hours later. Deepak Chopra suggests assessing your hunger level before you eat, every time. He says that if you are actually feeling hungry, then your body is telling you that it's ready to metabolize food, and your digestion will work more efficiently to process the nutrients and give you energy. If you eat when you are not hungry, your metabolism is not going to work as effectively. In my head, I liken this concept to a car engine's transmission. If you try to start moving the car with it in 3rd gear, the engine is going to lurch and be really sluggish. OK, that sounded better in my head, which I guess is where it should stay; if it makes sense to me, that's good enough. ;)
Rachel made a good suggestion about cottage cheese and Laughing Cow cheese wedges, both of which I'm going to lay in a supply; also, she and Sarah both have suggested natural, organic peanut butter, and Sarah gave me a brand of yogurt that's not filled with nasty stuff like Dannon. My word, have you ever READ the ingredients listed on that stuff?? It's horrifying!
"Nonfat yogurt (cultured grade A nonfat milk, modified food starch, fructose, kosher gelatin, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D), water, strawberries, fructose - YES, AGAIN, less than 1% modified corn starch, banana puree, natural and artificial flavors, aspartame, potassium stearate (to maintain freshness), sodium citrate, annatto extract (for color), malic acid, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, red 40"
Yikes. I found a web site that tells you the nitty-gritty about artificial sweeteners... I'm not sure if the woman herself is legit, but she cites sources with the information, and I've read a lot of it in other places, so I think it's fairly accurate. Anyway, if you want to read about aspartame and acesulfame K, click here.
Now, it's off to the store for me. Sorry, Sarah, the store within walking distance doesn't have natural food options, so I'm heading for Trader Joe's... in the car. :)
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a great improvement over Day 1! Well done. Of course it wasn't a perfect day, but just the fact that you're thinking about what you're eating and why you're eating, is so awesome. It's quite a mental/emotional struggle to change the way you approach food. You don't want to lose all joy of eating, but you don't want your only joy in life to be from food. It's tough!
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's is a good option for a lot of things, especially produce, but you'll want to do some price checking because some things there are overpriced because they're "all natural." Just don't assume that everything all natural and organic is actually good for you. it might not be full of chemicals but that doesn't mean it's not high in fat, sodium or sugar. Just because artificial sweeteners are "bad" for you, doesn't mean honey or any other kind of natural sweetener is actually good. I'm not exactly a proponent of artificial sweetener, but a little bit here and there isn't going to kill you, and it's better than wasting your calories on honey or cane sugar or whatever (Sarah is probably shaking her fist at me right now haha).
Little snacks that are good for you don't have to be some special all-natural "snack food." I have to say again - fruit! with a few nuts, maybe a piece of whole grain toast. bake your corn tortillas into little chips, as you already suggested. celery sticks with laughing cow cheese. etc.
*shakes her fist* :)
ReplyDeleteYes, Rachel's right, I do avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague, but that's a personal choice. She is right that honey is not good for you, it's still sugar. The only thing that sweeteners like honey, real maple syrup, black strap molasses, and less processed sugars have going for them is that there are usually trace amounts of nutrients/minerals that are retained, so it's not completely empty calories like you'd get with white sugar.
I think the eating lightly every 3 hours is a good idea. I essentially do that too. Basically I still keep the three meals a day ~ every 6 hours, but I make sure I eat small portions. Then, I try and have snacks on hand so that if I do get hungry I can snack in between meals. Again, I agree with Rachel. A lot of 'healthy' snacks aren't really that good for you, and just because it's all natural or organic doesn't mean its good for you it just means there's nothing artificial in it. I keep my drawer at school stocked with fruit, nuts, peanut butter, and dark chocolate, and usually have yogurt or cottage cheese and celery or carrots in the fridge.
Oh, and ewww I've never read the label on Dannon, wtf do they need all that crap in there for? Also, where's the live cultures? Thankfully I don't eat Dannon :)
OK ladies, there'll be no fisticuffs on my blog! :)
ReplyDeleteMy only concern with sweeteners is what is found in things like that nasty yogurt and other 'prepared' foods. The only time I use sweeteners myself is when I'm baking (scones, etc.), so I don't really have an issue with what kind to use. (I think next time I'm called upon to make scones, though, I'm going to try whole wheat flour - or a white/wheat blend - and raw sugar... see how that turns out!)
Anyway, I think the answer to 'healthy' snacking is not buying anything that somebody else concocted. I don't buy prepared foods if I can help it, so nuts and fruit and oh yeah dark chocolate (pref organic, or at least not with a bunch of preservatives, wax, or other additives) should do the trick nicely. And the lovely chuckling bovine, that is. :)
You guys are so awesome to share your thoughts on this stuff... it really helps me, getting this kind of feedback... keeps me focused. Thank you again.
Your friends who are addressing the nasty Dannon yogurt are correct. I eat Greek yogurt (various brands) and LOVE it! Not only does it have all the active cultures that we need and are more healthy, but it doesn't have that unpleasant after effect that live cultures usually do (excess gas). It's so creamy, light and yummy - you'll think you're eating a dessert! elaine
ReplyDeleteOOOooh, Elaine! Thanks for the tip! I have recently run across a reference to Greek yogurt (of course I can't remember where), but I'm so glad to know that it's good! I'll definitely check that out! :) :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Greek yogurt! but it's a LITTLE bit too expensive for mi budget at the moment... I like to buy the plain stuff and spruce it up with fruit myself. (I really mean I would like to, because at the moment I am finishing off my nonfat vanilla variety that I'm just not going to read the label until I'm done because I don't want to waste it... ;)
ReplyDeleteOne thing I'm super excited about is that this new natural grocery store called "Newflower Farmer's Market: serious food - silly prices" just opened up less than a mile from my house, and it's basically like a whole foods, but less yuppy and WAY less expensive. :-) How much do you pay for the fresh ground PB, does anybody know? It's 2.99/lb at this new market which seems like a good deal to me...? 6.99/lb for fresh almond butter, which is my fave to eat on dates (the fruit, not the event).
i'll just piggy-back my food confessions on your site Mom, and say I had an epic fail last night when I ate 3 sugar cookies and 3 almond roca's when I determinedly told myself I was only going to have one of each. Whoops. But doing a bit better today. just ate a fresh kiwi which was on sale 5/$1, and which I think I recall that you disdain? but it was YUM. In terms of the major sweet craving after a meal, sometimes a mug of hot milk (can be nonfat or whatever you like) with some cinnamon and nutmeg added hits the spot for me, and it's great to have in the evening, comforting, relaxing, etc.
Random, but my favorite way to eat veggies is to roast them with teeny bit of olive oil and s&p, brings out this roasty rich flavor, Cauliflower is especially good this way. I know you do it with brussel sprouts which are also yummy...
Hey, that new grocery store sounds great! There are several markets around here, WF, Trader Joe's, and My Organic Market, but they are all rather pricey for me at the moment. Sorry I can't tell you what the going rate is on fresh-ground peanut butter is; I took Rachel's suggestion and bought Smucker's Natural (ingredients: peanuts, salt), which is yummy! I didn't save the receipt, but I think it was $2.89 for a 16 oz jar... so your $2.99 IS a great deal for the fresh stuff!!
ReplyDeleteMust be something in the air regarding slippages; my journal entry for yesterday's consumption will explain. :( And you're very welcome to confess here, my child. :)
I don't *disdain* kiwis, I just don't go out of my way to eat them. They're too smushy, I think, and a pain to peel; and yes, I know that's lame. :) I certainly don't mind eating them in combination with other fruits, especially if someone else has had the pleasure of preparing it! And your idea for warm milk in the evening actually sounds good, and I'm not much of a milk drinker. (In fact, I had to dump the milk that W bought while he was here - untouched by me. But I have heard that there is something in warm milk at bedtime that helps sleep, so maybe I'll give it a try.
And YES! I LOVE roasted veggies! I haven't tried cauliflower, except once I attempted to roast a medley of frozen veggies, including cauliflower, but the moisture content as they defrosted in the roasting process just made them mushy and nasty. I will definitely try it with fresh, though!
Thanks for the tips and suggestions, Marnie! Keep those cards and letters coming, folks! :)
ok, so the best way to eat a kiwi:
ReplyDeletecut in half, scoop out with a spoon (like an avocado). enjoy.