Thursday, February 24, 2011

What has happened since...

So I wrote a really long blog about food, and got some great feedback (thanks Josh and Kelli!). I didn't actually start to implement many of these thoughts until a few days later. Here's the story of what happened:

Sunday morning I made baked oatmeal. I don't think this particular recipe had any flour in it, but it was still major carbs in the morning. Not a terrible problem, but still. Anyways, Alex had never had it before, and thought it was great! Then he had two + bowls of it and decided that he felt sick and really wanted to go back on the Primal/low carb plan. Since I had already put some thoughts about needing more veggies, we agreed to do something different. He still wants to do 75 carbs or less/per day for now, so that's what I'm meal planning for. I have pretty much replaced grains with veggies. We do still eat beans sometimes, but just in moderation. Also, we decided that dairy was a no-go, since it makes us not feel so great. It's not a "never have", but it is a "avoid almost always".

Tuesday I had more training and a terrible headache. We also had cut out sugar for the week (kind of a detox) so my body was kind of freaking out without the usual sugar-overload. By the end of the week, I felt WAY better and actually wanted to keep eating this way.

Satuday I made a noodle casserole to bring to a friend's house. I ate some of it. Also some sugary lemonade&tea and other "ish" foods for dinner. Not bad, but the next day I started feeling sick again.

So far this week we've been on track. I still add some dairy to things (like when I attempted chili) but for the most part I stick to our plan. "Plants, animals, and things you can gather (like nuts and seeds)" are the food for this plan. It definitely is taking some adjustment, but I really do love the way I feel.

From a Biblical perspective, I do think that this honors what God's plan is-eating foods in a mostly original form without a lot of processing.

What is working now is that I've learned A LOT more about portions, and about eating more veggies and a normal amount of meat. I still put the Splenda sweetened creamer in my coffee-even the book specific to this way of eating suggests aiming for 100% but reality will probably be 80%. I can definitely do 80%.

So that's an update on our food life. I keep meaning to take pictures of our food so that I can post it on my food blog, but keep forgetting.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Food thoughts/a reflection on this year.

This is me on my day off. I'm taking some time to reflect on our food plans, since this is a primary role in my new married life. I love it. Sometimes it's a little overwhelming, but I look forward to times when I can peruse recipe sites, other blogs, recipe books, and people's success stories with various eating habits.

Confession: my biggest weakness is bread, or bread like foods-pancakes, waffles, bagels, pizza, noodles, and then the sweeter versions like cakes and cookies. I can very easily eat a large amount of any of these options without a second thought. Well, maybe a second thought, but definitely not a third thought.

Alex and I attempted to "go primal" or low carb a while back, and I got very frustrated because I wanted my chocolate chip cookies and ice cream (which isn't a bread but is equally enticing). We did this before we got married, right after Valentines day last year. He suggested the idea because I was afraid that I wouldn't fit into my wedding dressing, and he lovingly wanted to help. He lost 20 lbs, and I maybe lost five, but I didn't stick to the plan as well as I should have. Plus, stress with school and wedding was not conducive to my plan because I still ate when I wasn't hugry-low carb only works when you eat until you are full. Also, I really enjoy eating legumes (black beans, chili, certain nuts) and the paleo diet was not a fan as far as I could tell. Sometime I don't feel like eating meat.

When I started tracking my food on sparkpeople, I became increasingly successful. It ultimately didn't matter what I ate, as long as I stayed within the parameters of the sparkpeople website. I still feel that this is an effective way to lose weight or at least maintain. The process of admitting everything that I consumed helped me to limit myself. They encourage consuming fruits and veggies, but ultimately the numbers don't reflect a big difference between an apple and a pancake. Actually, I have problems getting enough protein, and sometimes a whole wheat pancake has enough protein to help me reach my goal.

The biggest problem with this plan is that I would eat a large portion of my calories in pancakes, bagels, breads, and other indulgences. Once I decided I had "reached my limit for the day" I had no room for the  friendly fruits and veggies that I should have been eating in the first place. This is my present predicament.

Recently Alex showed me an email linked to a MDA (Mark's Daily Apple) success story. Today I again have reviewed a number of stories and articles on this website. One of the suggestions was to reflect and write about what worked and what didn't. Thus, this blog. Next, he suggested writing out three goals and  what I will do today, this week, and this quarter to accomplish this goal. Goals may come in another blog, but for now I will end with these thoughts on the topic:

1. One major focus is avoiding processed foods.

For the most part, we don't eat pre-packaged meals, but we do enjoy veggies that are canned and frozen. This is the reality, and I'm OK  with this part of the plan. They are more affordable, and much easier to prepare.

2. One suggested goal is to "completely eliminate grains from diet"

I have an eerie feeling that if I eliminate grains, I will actually replace them with the fruits and veggies I am supposed to be eating. Eerie, because I know that would most likely be a struggle. Also, I still have plenty of bread and noodles. Not a ton, but enough that I think "I don't want to waste it!"

This is a silly thought. Most of our grains are either in the freezer, or in uncooked noodle/rice/flour/cornmeal form, which means they will keep for sometime. If I want to make them for company or to bring to a friend's house, I can still use them in the future. However, I don't have to eat them right away.

3. Although the results of the primal diet are clearly effective, I do not agree with their over-arching believe about the origins of human life.

This may be silly, but I like to be "all or nothing" when following a plan. I like to participate in blogs, conversations, and be able to promote an idea as a whole. This may not be realistic, but it's how I feel. The thought behind "grok" and the primal way of eating is basic evolution, and that grains did not come into the picture for thousands of years. The "hunting and gathering" principle is key, and even exercise should be practical.

But I don't believe in evolution. I believe that God created us in His image. I believe that His creation was "good" and late corrupted by sin. I believe in the story of Cain and Abel where Cain harvested crops-so it seems grains have been around for an equal amount of time.

This really may be a silly, minor, insignificant detail, but I still feel uneasy about following the plan to perfection.

I do, however, think that
1. Many processed foods are not how God originally intended.
2. Cutting any number of grains out of our diet would increase our consumption of fruits and veggies.
3. Protein is important, but I'm not about to cut out the legumes in order to cut down carbs.

Seems like I've come up with some type of "goals" after all.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Savoring time

This is my last week before I start working full time. This is my last week (well, really only a half of a week now) to chill at the house, take my time getting ready, watch TV and let the clothes pile up because I still have time to fold them.

The past two nights Alex and I have gone to karate and then had people over. I loved it-great learning, workout, and time together with friends. I've loved it. I won't get to go to karate next week because I'll be in Nashville training.

I'm trying to think of what I would like to get done before a lot of my time is dedicated to work. Folding laundry is always an admirable plan, but a never ending ambition I'm afraid. Honestly I think I have kept up with most of our necessities. I'll probably realize what I should have done once I start working. I think learning to adjust will be my biggest challenge. I'm excited about the training though.

I'm eating my lunch early. I found mini bagels at the day-old bread store, and bananas and peanut butter. yum :)

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Getting back on track

I have found that if I start my day by reading my Bible and making myself a list of things to do, I am much more productive than if I start my day in from of the computer watching ANTM reruns and having a bit of "second breakfast." The latter is what happened yesterday. When I used to work at Hobby Lobby, I had a much better attitude when I took enough time to reflect on God's word before heading into work.

I have been watching TV while exercising on my elliptical. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but I realized that I have the Bible on my iPod, and could listen to it while exercising. I think this may be a better way to spend my time. We'll see-it's easy to go for a long time on the elliptical if I'm distracted by TV drama.

Loving the weather these past few days. Not freezing when I walk outside has been nice. However, I think it ends tonight.

Tasks for today: cleaning the house and studying for the driver's knowledge test for my new job that starts next Monday! So after this post I'm going to clean like crazy and then study so that I can get it all done before Alex comes home after work.

When I get my "F" endorsement, I will have completed everything I need to start my job. Then I can just enjoy the rest of the week before starting full time!

I have already decided next week will mostly consist of crock pot meals. Easy and ready when I get home!