interesting reading

I've been reading a blog about a girl who lost 135 pounds, half her body weight.  It is very interesting that at the end when she finally reaches her goal, she then realizes she has to deal with the emotional side of eating- the why.  Read here if interseted.  This part really hit me:

 "Her book, “Women, Food, and God,” deals in part with this “inclination to bolt” as it refers to the intense desire to leave yourself, to flee, when life becomes difficult. It is the wanting to be anywhere but where you are. To escape boredom, anxiety, sadness, fear, and loneliness. Food is the place I go to escape. Many people do this. Obsession, in any form- be it with food, with schedules, with the future, with alcohol or drugs, is an avoidance of the present. It is a way of passing time, a way to “get through” life. Not to live life, but survive it."

She has to come to grips with having a regular life and being comfortable and not living in fear of gaining weight.  If interested read here

She then came to grips with the fact that she had to set her goal weight at something that was reasonable enough for her to attain without missing out on what was important to her with food and socializing. If interested read here.  She urges the reader to eat more and gain weight if they have to slave away more than they want to to maintain.  I thought it was really great.

Some of the best most real writing on the topic. 

Healthy Eating is Yummy!

This is sliced bananas with raisins.  There is a delicious peanut buter sauce on top.

to make sauce one part peanut butter, one part honey, three parts coconut milk---

SO DELICIOUS! 

(Yes, the kids should have washed their faces before this picture!)

My lunch of roasted veggies with a serving of ground turkey on top-

delicious!  310 calories- yes thank you!

I went out to lunch/coffee with some new friends today.  I knew they only served paninis there so I ate this at home and had a sugar free latte with the girls.  

Realization

Something I'm learning from PRISM:    I really feel ripped off when I have to eat a normal portion of food.  I really believe I should be able to eat a huge portion with no health consequences. 

It's not particuarly about the type of food like cake/sweets-  It's about really thinking I should be able to eat a HUGE portion.  Truly like I deserve it.  As if a normal portion is a punishment of some kind.

So with my dieting this year, I have replaced the huge portion need with vegetables.  I understand this is a strategy, but it is tiring to make that much food and expensive to buy that many vegetables.  I would like to still have a diet that is heavy on the veggies/lean meats, but in a normal portion ranges. I would like to learn that a normal amount of food is good and a blessing.

Stats:
I have lost about 8 pounds in two and a half weeks.  I was already extremely bloated from eating poorly for two months.
Within one week, I stopped having headaches and ache.
I'm comfortably back into my pants (whew, I didn't want to buy a new wardrobe, unless it was a smaller size! ;)

Sorry the pic is blurry- I got new cool boots in brown to match my new winter coat.



I won't be weighing anymore, per PRISM's guidelines.   I think I'll size down in pants by the end of this six week phase 1 (Dec 6.)  I have four pairs of 10s I found when I went through all my storage at my mom's house.  These are the pants from when Peter and I were first married.  One pair are the slacks I wore in our engagement pictures!   

I want to complete all 4 phases, regardless of my weight, to continue to learn how to measure success (not by a scale,) how to combat emotional eating and how to use these tools for life to be healthy.

great day shopping

I went to Storm Lake where they had a holiday shopping time.  Each store had cookies, candies and treats. 

I did some pre-planning and made a stevia sweetened mocha here before I left.  I made one for my friend as well so that there was no need to stop at a coffee shop. 

I passed up all the treats.  We went to the health food store they had raw nuts and dried fruit out. So I took 3-4 nuts and 4 raisin/cranberries.  I wrote it on my calorie sheet-- 37 calories ( i love caloriecount.com-- easy calculations)  I also bought a Zevia pop (that's what they say here not "coke.") Zevia is a stevia sweetened soda that this health food store has.  They also had wine tasting.  I got to try some Iowa wines.  They were good.  1/4 cup- 25 calories- in the journal.  No big deal.

I walked and talked with my new friend.  I didn't feel bad that I wasn't joining in with the treats, as I once would have.  It's just a fact-  I can't eat those types of foods.  (I was eating junky while we moved, I had headahces every day and a zit every minute and I gained 10 pounds) So I just had a nice time resolving to not feel that I was rejecting anyone, just being responsible for myself and not drawing attention to my not eating.  Fun times.  I got some cute clothes for Sierra at the consignment shop- Gap pants and a couple of really cute tunic shirts. 

I had my 62 calorie snacks and deepened a new friendship. :) Then I had my "supper" that was in my crockpot when I got home- veggies, roast, acorn squash- yummy!

Healthy Eating--

I don't have Sierra on a gluten free diet anymore. It didn't have much effect on her speech after six months of strict adherence.  So we've moved on.

I have moved us to a healthier lower bread/snack food diet.  We have all benefited.  We eat lots more veggies and fruits and whole grains and lean meats.

I'm on a discovery-  I've lost 56 pounds since last year.  However, I still needed to learn about emotional eating and how to break decade long habits. 

Since I lost weight with an extreme diet (which I am thankful for and forever will be) I still needed tools for real life eating.

So I've decided to commit to PRISM.  It deals each of my concerns.  It's not too extreme.  Basically to record what I eat, count calories and do a study to learn how to break habits.  I'm done eight days so far and I really like it. 

The family is benefiting because I'm cooking healthfully again and being careful about ingredients. 

I have a goal to lose 17 more pounds.  :) 

I thought I'd write about that journey here.

pie crust

This tastes just like gram cracker crust...

1 cup almond meal, 2 T butter, 2 T sugar- mix and press into pie plate with oiled hands. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes until brown and crisp.

Add filling.

I used strawberries. For a healthy glaze I cooked and mashed strawberries and sugar to taste and drizzled this over whole strawberries to make the filling.

YUM!

Raw Eating-- I love my mom!

I'm incorporating more raw food into our diet for my mom. I'm searching for some great options for a special meal together.

These options must be delicious and easy.

Here are some cool recipes I've found.
Kebabs and Nutty Cole Slaw
Avocado Lime Soup
Nori Rolls with Red Sauce I would try other veggies in the roll as well and incorporate brown rice.
Wilted Kale Salad with Creamy Chipolte Dressing
Pink "Pasta" with Walnut Pesto and Brocolli
Lasagna
Stuffed Grape Leaves with Cashew Mint Dip---- YUMMO! I'm making this FOR SURE! You have the grape leaves in your yard.
Tomato and Macadamia Mozzarella Linguine- see tomato substitutions below



Substitutions for tomatoes:
Salsa Recips:

1 can of kidney beans
1 large mango diced
1/4 cup green onions
1/4 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup diced green pepper (or onion)
1 tsp dill
Fresh chopped cilantro (however much you prefer)
1 fresh lime..squeeze the hell out of it into the pot
1 tsp of fresh cracked pepper (or however much you prefer)
1/2 tsp salt

Add franks red hot or some banana peppers, even jalepeneo peppers if you want!

Cook it all together for an hour. Pour it over rice or serve it with a cucumber sandwich with sprouts and cheese.

Serves two! Double, quadruple for company!

Tomato Sauce Replacement:

Blend: It is made with beetroot, carrot, celery, onion, and a bunch of other natural ingredients and tastes fantastic!