Less Stress, Less Eating ....We'll See!

Well, clearly I am not all into blogging though I do find it helpful and cathartic, I just can't stay on top of it. Just a little update, I am still eating well (somewhat) and eating smaller portions however there have been lots of bumps in the road. Pretty much stress is my trigger to emotional eating which in turn leads to those bumps. I need to tackle my stress! So, I will continue this blog (to myself) but may not be here as often as I would like because I will be blogging (hopefully) about keeping my life stress free ...hmm, maybe not stress free but at the very least less stressed. I am taking a 21 day meditation challenge! Less stress could lead to less binge/emotional eating ...I like that.

Stress & Your Spirit

I'm just going to say it, stress and eating right don't go together very well. I have been a basket case lately with stress surrounding me and of course I fell off the wagon but this time I didn't waste my time & energy on making myself feel bad I just said to myself, "it's OK, tomorrow is another day" and you know what ...tomorrow was another day. I found my spirit and it was feeling good because I had not judged it, I had not made it feel bad. I learned something vital for this journey and that is, be kind to yourself, your spirit will love you for this and be there for you instead of hiding! When you lose a part of yourself it is hard to function so I am glad my spirit has decided to reemerge. Now, let's get out there and have some fun!

Farm Fresh Foods

This weekend I decided that I would try to get all my fresh fruits & veggies from the farmers market, for two reasons. One, I like to support the local farmers if possible and two, I want to try to eat seasonal fruits & veggies.  I figure this way I can mix it up through my journey so I don't get tired of eating the same old veggies all the time, that being said I will of course always get my faves like, tomato's, avocado's, spring mix lettuce, asparagus ... mmmm, I think I'm craving a salad now. I know of one or two local farmers markets but seeing as I drive all over Long Beach & South Bay areas I thought why not see where else I could go if needed. Lucky me, I found some along my driving route on multiple days so now there is no excuse! I'm looking forward to what new fruit or veggie I might find at each market ...like today at one of the veggie stands the local farmer threw in green garlic, I had never heard of it but boy did it smell wonderful. What will I find next!

Splurge a Little

I had a great weekend with family & friends but I discovered how hard it can be to make the right choices when you are out. I also realized I should not deprive myself of a little treat now and then. When I am at my moms it is not so hard as she stocks lots of organic fruits, veggies and whole grains and I usually bring a little munchy with me to be safe but when I am out with my friends ...that is when choices become harder! 

Sunday I went to a charity event (LunaFest; by,for, about women) with my girlfriends and of course at the event you have the little appetizers to chose from, and you want to try each one. What to do? I have been doing pretty well at eating better, lots of bad scenarios were running ram-pet through my brain and then I stopped. What am I doing? I'm not on a diet, I am just eating better, making better choices but I was thinking like I was on a diet, like I was doing something wrong, like I should feel guilty. Wrong thinking! 

I am eating better and I can splurge a little if I want. So I had a few appetizers, they were delicious! Instead of bowing out of dinner after the event (so I would not eat to much, or eat the wrong things) I went to dinner with my girlfriends, had a wonderful time and really enjoyed my meal. I savored every bite. Once I let go of these negative thoughts surrounding the word DIET I was able to relax and the eating smaller portions came with ease. I do not want to hide because I think I might eat badly or eat to much when I go out and even if I did I am not going to beat myself up about it.  

I splurged a little this weekend and nothing went wrong, in fact everything went right plus I had a fabulous time with my friends. So, lessen learned. I suspect I will continue to learn on this journey and I welcome it! Stopping, taking a moment to breathe, smile and enjoy the moment gets me back into the now, that keeps me on track. 

I'm going to end with this amazing quote: "Don't be too hard on yourself. There are plenty of people willing to do that for you. Love yourself and be proud of everything that you do. Even mistakes mean you're trying."  Susan Gale

Making Time

It's been a few days (OK more than that) since my last post but I'm new at this and I am finding out it is difficult to make time for blogging but especially for good eating habits. If I don't plan ahead ...well, I tend NOT to eat the best. I don't mean I completely fall off the wagon I just end up eating more meat & grains instead of veggies & fruits. I have decided to plan a simple menu each Sunday and anything that can be done ahead of time must be done the night before, like making a salad (veggie or fruit) or weighing/bagging nuts & seeds so I can just grab and go if needed. Some days I like to get extra sleep, what can I say. PS photos & stats of me before will be coming soon ...I hope!

Baby Steps

Well, the weekend has come and is almost gone. It was a rough one but I did alright. I managed to eat more veggies and fruits but my animal product intake was a little more than I wanted ...baby steps. I start a pet sitting job next week that will take me away from my apt, my safe zone, this will be a challenge but I have faith in myself. I believe in the power of the mind and I believe in myself, those two will be my allies next week. Meanwhile I will take a mental photo of Dr. Fuhrman's food pyramid so it is ingrained into my brain!

Easing into Better Eating Habits

Today I was thinking ...where do I start my journey. Should I start cold turkey or ease into better eating habits? I chose easing into it. I have maintained my overweightness (not a word, I know) for over 5 years, no gaining and no losing so I know how to maintain but I want to lose this weight! Both my jobs are physical jobs that burn calories, I should be losing, right ...but I'm not! It's frustrating when you think you are eating the correct calories for the day but in reality you aren't. 

So, this is what I am going to do; start using the Lose It app again (this app is awesome and easy to use, plus it's FREE), start REALLY eating smaller portions, you know, the actual serving size, and for the next couple of weeks slowly start to remove animal products, dairy, sugar, oils and fruit juice from my diet. I would like to end with this wonderful quote by Susan Gale that I will be using through out my journey. "Never forget where you've been. Never lose sight of where you're going. And never take for granted the people who travel the journey with you."

Becoming a Healthier Me

Wow, I'm actually going to do this. No more dieting, I really don't like that word ..DIET! For me it means something negative, so instead I will make it simple ...Eat to Live. Yes, I got this phrase from Dr. Fuhrman's book and yes, I have read it. Something really resonated in me when I read his book, the more I read the more I learned and the more I realized there is no need to diet only to eat healthy foods and move a little each day, can't get anymore simple than that. 

I have decided to weigh myself, take measurements, get blood work done, get a before photo taken and post this for everyone to see. I must be crazy, do I really want my fat self all over the web? Once it's done I can't be undone but I think it will be a great motivator ...no, it WILL be! So, I begin my journey to becoming a healthier me.