The Art of Eating

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas." - Author Unknown

I took the weight box off the side of my blog.  

Not because I'm not losing weight, or don't want to be accountable for my weight issues.  

I took it off because, while I don't want to ignore that weight and health are a big part of my life right now, it is not the ONLY thing in my life.  I don't want my weight to be my only focus of my blog.  

It is, of course, ironic that just as I decided to take it down, I've actually started to see my weight dropping.

I guess the adage is true.  "You can't out exercise a bad diet."

I just didn't think my diet was all that bad.  I cut out most soda and sugar.  I didn't eat huge portions.  A restaurant meal usually required a doggie bag for at least half of it.

But when I came home from Atlanta, I became what I call "mostly veg."

My main foods consist of fresh fruits and vegetables and grains.  I still eat eggs, fish and dairy (except cheese) regularly.

What I have all but removed is meat and cheese.  Cheese for obvious reasons.  High fat.  And, like soda, for me it is an addiction.  I haven't completely stopped eating meat.  My goal is to only eat meat occasionally.  Basically, just enough to keep from getting sick when I do eat it.  Dinner at a friend's house, restaurants, the rare Italian deli sandwich.  Treats.

That seems to be what my body needs.  I've lost 7 pounds since I started, and took down my weight box.

I even started using my calorie counter app again.  Not to count calories, per se, but I wanted to see exactly what my new diet looked like.

When I first used the app, my own competitiveness made it a truly unhealthy endeavor.  I ate less and less always trying to "beat" my calories from the day before.

Now, to quiet the competitive voice, I try to get as close to the recommended calories as possible.

What I am actually finding, with my new food choices, is that I am having a hard time eating ENOUGH.  My veggie stir-frys served over rice or barley are so low in calories, I find myself eating handfuls of nuts at the end of the day just to boost the number a little.  It also allows me a few treats.  The occasional piece of chocolate or bit of cheese.

The best part?  I'm dropping weight.  Without feeling hungry or deprived.  I've lost 7 pounds in the last 5 weeks.  A respectable AND healthy weight loss.

Of course, this is not a weight cure-all.  I'm sure I will hit plateaus and find times where it doesn't work.  But for now, I'm going to learn to enjoy fresh, healthy food, loosing weight and feeling successful.  I'll cross other  bridges when I come to them.