Since it's been about year since I started my blog, I guess it's appropriate that I am where I am. Starting over...but not exactly from the beginning. It took the first 6 months to lose 14 pounds. Then I spent the next 6 months experimenting with different approaches to nutrition and exercise - putting some weight back on, taking it back off, and now here I am...4 pounds up from my lowest weight after my Clean Eating experiment and determined to lose that, another 10 pounds, and call it a day!
I'm hoping I'm up four pounds due to water weight...I've kind of gone off the green, clean wagon and I can really feel it in every part of my being. Physically, I feel puffy and bloated (salt?). Emotionally, I feel kind of down and moody (sugar?). And generally, just sort of tired and..."off". Taking all of the garbage out of my diet made me feel so good, and now that I've put some of it back in, well, let me just tell you...the difference is crazy! I will totally take the former over the latter any...day...of....the...week!
Speaking of which - today is my weigh in day and the first day of my official START (over) week! I'll probably do better after the corned beef is gone. We're having Reuben Sandwiches tonight (what are ya gonna do, right?), then tomorrow I'm off to the farmer's market and grocery store with a long list of fresh, local, wholesome ingredients from which I'll make a week's worth of (hopefully) wonderful meals. We're going to do a Cioppino one or two nights. Then there's a Greek themed night with Dolmas & Pita Bread w/Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, and I'm going to try something totally new and exotic; Bobotie (South American Meat Pie) with a Honey Dew and Cucumber salad!
Hopefully with the return to my natural, greener eating ways, I'll find the energy to do something a little more strenuous than the walking and yoga which have become my fitness "staples". A hike when the weather clears, perhaps?
Wish me luck!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Where's My Tracker? WHERE IS MY TRACKER????!!!!
It's time to do it.
I've been maintaining my weight for 9 months now, with a little blip up and then a little blip back down, and then a little farther down. Then...NO! Yes..a little blip back up!
I'm getting confused. And a little car sick with all these ups and downs. I am ready to embark on the 2nd leg of my journey. Let's finish this thing once and (please God!) for all!
Blogging the progress (or lack thereof) seems to help. I feel like it holds me more accountable, so to speak. I don't want it to read: Week One: I'm a loser. Week Two: I'm a loser. Week Three: I'm a loser. Know what I mean? So I try harder because I know that my sister in law, Nancy, will be reading it! Ha ha ha (Hi, Nancy!)
I've lost three 5 lb bags of potatoes worth of weight (as you saw from my "high tech graphic" on a previous post), now I'm ready to rid myself of the last two or three bags of potatoes.
First - I had a FANTASTIC "girls only" weekend for a friend's 40th at a fabulous beach house on the coast, where myself and (wow, it's hard to count right now, I want to say 10 or 11 other women?) ate and drank ourselves silly. Crab feed, cake, booze, cheese, cheese, caviar, booze, cheese, cheese, chocolate, and more cheese.... This was my view for the weekend (yes, that's a hot tub out there):
What was I supposed to do? DIET??
I got one walk on the beach in, busted a few moves on the dance floor (enough to be slightly sore the next day. Who knew the Roger Rabbit was such a great workout?),
and a very wobbly, slightly hungover, probably shouldn't be doing this, yoga session on the gorgeous deck over looking the beach. But the rest of the time. Yeah. Ate and drank.
Now it's time to get back on track. Just as soon as I'm done with this bag of veggie chips (only 5 ingredients.....thumbs up, right? Not when I can't...put...the...bag...away!).
I'll be a Clean, Green, Weight Watchers Machine starting in 5...4...3...2...NOW!
My goal - get more active (again), and lose the last 12 pounds by Memorial Day! (Rob asked "Why Memorial Day? Is that when we remember pounds lost?" Yes....why yes it is).
I've been maintaining my weight for 9 months now, with a little blip up and then a little blip back down, and then a little farther down. Then...NO! Yes..a little blip back up!
I'm getting confused. And a little car sick with all these ups and downs. I am ready to embark on the 2nd leg of my journey. Let's finish this thing once and (please God!) for all!
Blogging the progress (or lack thereof) seems to help. I feel like it holds me more accountable, so to speak. I don't want it to read: Week One: I'm a loser. Week Two: I'm a loser. Week Three: I'm a loser. Know what I mean? So I try harder because I know that my sister in law, Nancy, will be reading it! Ha ha ha (Hi, Nancy!)
I've lost three 5 lb bags of potatoes worth of weight (as you saw from my "high tech graphic" on a previous post), now I'm ready to rid myself of the last two or three bags of potatoes.
First - I had a FANTASTIC "girls only" weekend for a friend's 40th at a fabulous beach house on the coast, where myself and (wow, it's hard to count right now, I want to say 10 or 11 other women?) ate and drank ourselves silly. Crab feed, cake, booze, cheese, cheese, caviar, booze, cheese, cheese, chocolate, and more cheese.... This was my view for the weekend (yes, that's a hot tub out there):
I got one walk on the beach in, busted a few moves on the dance floor (enough to be slightly sore the next day. Who knew the Roger Rabbit was such a great workout?),
("inside joke" from "the secret weekend")
and a very wobbly, slightly hungover, probably shouldn't be doing this, yoga session on the gorgeous deck over looking the beach. But the rest of the time. Yeah. Ate and drank.
Now it's time to get back on track. Just as soon as I'm done with this bag of veggie chips (only 5 ingredients.....thumbs up, right? Not when I can't...put...the...bag...away!).
I'll be a Clean, Green, Weight Watchers Machine starting in 5...4...3...2...NOW!
My goal - get more active (again), and lose the last 12 pounds by Memorial Day! (Rob asked "Why Memorial Day? Is that when we remember pounds lost?" Yes....why yes it is).
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Happy Anniversary, Bloggy Blog!
Wow! Has it really been a year already? For my blog's one year anniversary, I decided to take a little walk down memory lane. I've (cleverly) inserted hyper links through out this post in case you want to stroll along with me!
I remember when I first started this blog in March of 2010. I decided that I would track my fitness and weight loss goals for my upcoming wedding. What better way to track my journey than with a blog, right? And of course, as most journeys go, I didn’t always anticipate the little detours I would take. Or where I would end up.
I wrote about calories ingested and workouts accomplished, of course. But reading through the past year's blog entries, I realize that I wrote about lots of other things as well.
One of my earliest posts was about a sweet little baby cow (or steer) called #431. Many times, when my friend and I hiked the hills above Pleasanton, we would run into our #431. Every time I gazed into those big beautiful, curious eyes, I grew increasingly aware of my disconnected relationship with food and the responsibility I have, or felt that I should have, toward the source of my food.
Over the course of the past year, I continued my food "RESEARCH", growing increasingly dissatisfied with the role that I felt I have played in the food industry. It all culminated; my love of food and cooking, my desire to make a difference (as small as it may be), my timely meeting with #431, my goal to be healthier and to cultivate a healthier relationship with food, etc. into a more CONSCIOUS WAY OF EATING.
Sadly, #431 is long gone. He and his buddies have been “harvested” and replaced by a new crop of cattle. But none have been so sweet and curious as that little guy. Thank you #431... I bet you were REALLY tasty (sniffle...sob...sniffle).
In my early blog entries, I wrote about my favorite “Champion of Food”, Michael Pollan. I blogged a few times about my passion for yoga, my small TRIUMPHS and big TRAIN WRECKS, my crazy obsession with the SCALE and all things FRITOLAY.
I blogged about my absolute frustration with PLATEAUS and the clothing industry, as well as my complete obsession with the ever-illusive “perfect” pair of jeans (seriously, I have not ONE, not TWO, but THREE blog entries dedicated to jeans!).
I blogged about my insecurities, but also about how (more often than not) I am completely at peace with myself, IMPERFECTIONS and all.
I’ve waxed poetic about BACON (hidden in a blog post I wrote when I was feeling particularly self-absorbed and didn't like it!), about the WOMEN who have inspired me, (to do something CRAZY) and about STARTING OVER. And over. And over.
I blogged quite a bit while training for the San Jose Rock & Roll Half Marathon. And then I blogged about the HALF MARATHON afterward!
I blogged a brief entry about our WEDDING, and then I posted our BUDDHIST WEDDING VOWS! (Which has gotten hundreds of hits from all over the world, by the way! I'm so glad it might be helpful to some!)
I’ve blogged about the importance of a SUPPORT SYSTEM, about HONESTY AND EFFORT, and touched on a few of my LIFE PHILOSOPHIES, as well as my FOOD PHILOSOPHIES.
Looking back through my blog, I am more aware than ever, that what may appear to be a simple blog about weight loss, food and fitness to others, has really been much more for me. It’s where I could express my FRUSTRATION, and go "public" with my GOALS and RESOLUTIONS (3 of the 4 I have kept!).
I don’t know that I can say I’ve learned anything new about myself. I’ve always had a pretty good amount of “self-knowledge”. But the blog has been a fun outlet to express myself and share some of my "personality quirks". Like my obsessive nature, my super hero ability to whine, and my tendency toward self-deprecation to the point where some people, who don’t know me, might mistake my humor for flat out low self esteem. Oh, and my tenacity (I can beat a dead horse. And even though it's dead, I'll saddle it up and try to ride it again). Nice!
The blog has kept me honest and held me accountable. I put it out there for anyone (or no one) to read.
Basically, what I mean to say by all of this is this: hidden in between all of the statistical weight/workout/food entries are little gems. And it’s these little gems that define who I am and what this journey has been about for me. I am the little gems, not to be confused with the number on the scale or the calories on my plate.
I just used that as an excuse to write. So, thanks for reading! : )
So, where am I now and have I accomplished what I set out to do? That is a tough question. Looking back, I imagined that I would have lost a little more weight by now (by last June, to be precise!). But what I've accomplished and gained in the past year has proven to be a trade off that I'll take gladly. And I've lost this much:
And I can tell you this - I don't care if you have 10, 20, 50, or 100 pounds to lose. It's fucking hard!
I remember when I first started this blog in March of 2010. I decided that I would track my fitness and weight loss goals for my upcoming wedding. What better way to track my journey than with a blog, right? And of course, as most journeys go, I didn’t always anticipate the little detours I would take. Or where I would end up.
I wrote about calories ingested and workouts accomplished, of course. But reading through the past year's blog entries, I realize that I wrote about lots of other things as well.
One of my earliest posts was about a sweet little baby cow (or steer) called #431. Many times, when my friend and I hiked the hills above Pleasanton, we would run into our #431. Every time I gazed into those big beautiful, curious eyes, I grew increasingly aware of my disconnected relationship with food and the responsibility I have, or felt that I should have, toward the source of my food.
Over the course of the past year, I continued my food "RESEARCH", growing increasingly dissatisfied with the role that I felt I have played in the food industry. It all culminated; my love of food and cooking, my desire to make a difference (as small as it may be), my timely meeting with #431, my goal to be healthier and to cultivate a healthier relationship with food, etc. into a more CONSCIOUS WAY OF EATING.
Sadly, #431 is long gone. He and his buddies have been “harvested” and replaced by a new crop of cattle. But none have been so sweet and curious as that little guy. Thank you #431... I bet you were REALLY tasty (sniffle...sob...sniffle).
In my early blog entries, I wrote about my favorite “Champion of Food”, Michael Pollan. I blogged a few times about my passion for yoga, my small TRIUMPHS and big TRAIN WRECKS, my crazy obsession with the SCALE and all things FRITOLAY.
I blogged about my absolute frustration with PLATEAUS and the clothing industry, as well as my complete obsession with the ever-illusive “perfect” pair of jeans (seriously, I have not ONE, not TWO, but THREE blog entries dedicated to jeans!).
I blogged about my insecurities, but also about how (more often than not) I am completely at peace with myself, IMPERFECTIONS and all.
I’ve waxed poetic about BACON (hidden in a blog post I wrote when I was feeling particularly self-absorbed and didn't like it!), about the WOMEN who have inspired me, (to do something CRAZY) and about STARTING OVER. And over. And over.
I blogged quite a bit while training for the San Jose Rock & Roll Half Marathon. And then I blogged about the HALF MARATHON afterward!
I blogged a brief entry about our WEDDING, and then I posted our BUDDHIST WEDDING VOWS! (Which has gotten hundreds of hits from all over the world, by the way! I'm so glad it might be helpful to some!)
I’ve blogged about the importance of a SUPPORT SYSTEM, about HONESTY AND EFFORT, and touched on a few of my LIFE PHILOSOPHIES, as well as my FOOD PHILOSOPHIES.
Looking back through my blog, I am more aware than ever, that what may appear to be a simple blog about weight loss, food and fitness to others, has really been much more for me. It’s where I could express my FRUSTRATION, and go "public" with my GOALS and RESOLUTIONS (3 of the 4 I have kept!).
I don’t know that I can say I’ve learned anything new about myself. I’ve always had a pretty good amount of “self-knowledge”. But the blog has been a fun outlet to express myself and share some of my "personality quirks". Like my obsessive nature, my super hero ability to whine, and my tendency toward self-deprecation to the point where some people, who don’t know me, might mistake my humor for flat out low self esteem. Oh, and my tenacity (I can beat a dead horse. And even though it's dead, I'll saddle it up and try to ride it again). Nice!
The blog has kept me honest and held me accountable. I put it out there for anyone (or no one) to read.
Basically, what I mean to say by all of this is this: hidden in between all of the statistical weight/workout/food entries are little gems. And it’s these little gems that define who I am and what this journey has been about for me. I am the little gems, not to be confused with the number on the scale or the calories on my plate.
I just used that as an excuse to write. So, thanks for reading! : )
So, where am I now and have I accomplished what I set out to do? That is a tough question. Looking back, I imagined that I would have lost a little more weight by now (by last June, to be precise!). But what I've accomplished and gained in the past year has proven to be a trade off that I'll take gladly. And I've lost this much:
And I can tell you this - I don't care if you have 10, 20, 50, or 100 pounds to lose. It's fucking hard!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Betcha' Didn't Know....
Today, I was reminded of a story...
Before I met the love of my life, I did actually do a bit of dating. One of the more colorful characters I dated (who shall remain nameless), was a Native Plant Restoration Biologist by day, and a Fire Poi Spinning/Dumpster Diving/Burning Man Earth Guardian most nights, weekends, and for 7 solid days in late summer.
What is Poi Spinning, you ask? Well, Poi is a performance art in which a ball or balls suspended from a length of flexible material, usually a plaited cord, or chain, are held in the hand and swung in circular patterns. Poi is one of the traditional performing arts of the Māori people of New Zealand, and has developed into many forms used worldwide.
If you light the Poi on fire, for example, you are spinning "Fire Poi".....like this:
Fire Poi Spinners are the people you will generally see on the outskirts of free concerts in city parks (or literally outside concerts that you have to pay to get in to) or at art festivals like Burning Man. They are usually found together in groups with your didgeridoo players, traditional jugglers, gyroscopic jugglers (devil sticks), ribbon dancers, the odd Mime or two, etc. (hacky sack games will sometimes spontaneously sprout up in and around the performing artists, because there is room, but should not be confused with a "performing art". Hacky sack is a legitimate sport.)
Anyway. Yeah. He was "that" guy (not literally THAT guy in the picture, but "that" guy).
I'm trying really hard not to be derisive, but fear that I'm failing miserably. For this, I do apologize. And yet I go on....
So, one day he shows me these beautifully hand crafted "fish", made with emerald and blue satin fabric, stuffed with batting, looking quite remarkably like beautiful...um..."stuffed animal fish" (replete with sequins...lots and lots of sequins), that he had designed and sewn himself. Because, as we all know, any hippie worth his sea-salt sews his own clothing, costumes, poi, and shoes (yes, shoes).
He attached them to his poi chains and off he went, spinning into the night!
The reason I'm telling this story is that a) it just cracks me up in that smug "judgemental-semi-conformist-person-laughing-at-people-who-I-don't-understand" kind of way, and 2) I want some sort of record claiming (most probably pointlessly) intellectual property for what I dubbed his creation. Are you ready?
Wait for it.....wait....for....it....
KOI POI!
Good, right?
Before I met the love of my life, I did actually do a bit of dating. One of the more colorful characters I dated (who shall remain nameless), was a Native Plant Restoration Biologist by day, and a Fire Poi Spinning/Dumpster Diving/Burning Man Earth Guardian most nights, weekends, and for 7 solid days in late summer.
What is Poi Spinning, you ask? Well, Poi is a performance art in which a ball or balls suspended from a length of flexible material, usually a plaited cord, or chain, are held in the hand and swung in circular patterns. Poi is one of the traditional performing arts of the Māori people of New Zealand, and has developed into many forms used worldwide.
If you light the Poi on fire, for example, you are spinning "Fire Poi".....like this:
Anyway. Yeah. He was "that" guy (not literally THAT guy in the picture, but "that" guy).
I'm trying really hard not to be derisive, but fear that I'm failing miserably. For this, I do apologize. And yet I go on....
So, one day he shows me these beautifully hand crafted "fish", made with emerald and blue satin fabric, stuffed with batting, looking quite remarkably like beautiful...um..."stuffed animal fish" (replete with sequins...lots and lots of sequins), that he had designed and sewn himself. Because, as we all know, any hippie worth his sea-salt sews his own clothing, costumes, poi, and shoes (yes, shoes).
He attached them to his poi chains and off he went, spinning into the night!
The reason I'm telling this story is that a) it just cracks me up in that smug "judgemental-semi-conformist-person-laughing-at-people-who-I-don't-understand" kind of way, and 2) I want some sort of record claiming (most probably pointlessly) intellectual property for what I dubbed his creation. Are you ready?
Wait for it.....wait....for....it....
KOI POI!
Good, right?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Changes, Decisions...Oh How I Hate Those!
I am a creature of habit, a champion of balance. I love routine. I need to know what I'm doing next. It makes me happy. A Tuesday after a holiday weekend, such as this last one, sees me pulled over on the side of the road trying to figure out where to go. Should I go to the office that I usually go to on Monday? Or do I go to the one I go to on Tuesday? Is today my Monday? Or should I treat it as a normal Tuesday? Perhaps I should work from home? I'm a mess.
This example is just a small one, but clearly illustrates my "issues". An even stranger phenomenon occurs when I start to think that there may be a big change coming. I completely freeze. I pull over to the figurative side of the road and wait there....indefinitely. Until whatever change is likely to occur, actually happens.
Right now, we're contemplating a move. My son lives with his dad part time in Fremont, and part time with us here in Pleasanton. He started Kindergarten in Fremont and is now in the 6th grade at the same cute, little old-timey school. We love that school. When I moved out to Pleasanton 10 years ago, the intention was to have Jacob (eventually, maybe?) go to school out here. We are within walking distance of some of the highest ranked elementary, middle, and high schools in Northern California (Amador Valley High in Pleasanton is ranked 100-something, while Washington High School in Fremont is 861st).
But alas, things have not (as they rarely do) gone as planned.
We live in a great neighborhood. Tons of kids. He doesn't know a single one of them. But he has thrived in his school. He has loved every teacher he's had and is really excited to start Junior High next year with all of his friends. And he has a lot of friends...there. He's athletic. He plays basketball and baseball and begs every year to also play football (it's still a "no."). The coaches all know him. He was an All Star last year! I just can't see taking that all away. No way. It's too late.
Once I realized he most likely wasn't going to go to school out here in Pleasanton, I thought; "Well, we'll just stay out here in case he starts to slack off, or get in trouble. We can threaten him with the Pleasanton School System like it's Military or Reform School!" But that's kind of a lame, negative, and quite possibly, a self- fulfilling-prophecy type of thing to lord over a kid.
But we've stayed out here anyway. We do love Pleasanton. I love it enough to do a LOT of driving to Fremont and back (it's about 25-30 minutes each way). But the charm is wearing off a bit. Especially since next year, he has to be at school earlier and the Junior High is 45 minutes from here. Imagine an early day, I pick him up at 1, drive 45 minutes home because there is nothing to do in Fremont for three hours and he should work on his homework, then take him 45 minutes back down to practice some sport or another, wait in my car or go grocery shopping for two hours because it's not enough time to come home and go back, then come back...'nother 45 minutes. That's what my Wednesdays are like now, and sometimes other days. And weekends for sure. Thank God his dad takes him to practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
My fear is that, if we stay here, I may eventually lose my measly little half of the parenting role. The older he gets, the longer and more often he'll have practices. He might get a girlfriend one day. He might drive a car. Oh god. I'll never see him again!
His dad is great. He's safe there. He has friends and has fun. But I'm not ready for an empty nest yet. He's 11 for crying out loud.
So, I'm selling myself on Niles (again...although I always did love that quirky little town), and I think Rob (thinks he) might like it too (he's just taking my word for it thus far). Niles is one of those neighborhoods where everyone knows everyone else, kids run around wild like they did in the 50's and 60's (although you might see a comment on the Niles Yahoo! User Group to keep your kids quiet if they're out rabble rousing past dark). You can walk to the neighborhood market, Mr. Mikey's, for candy and soda, there are fishing holes, a swimming lagoon, an "un-official and slightly illegal" dog park that has pot lucks every weekend for the dog owners, biking/hiking trails along the Alameda Creek that go 13 miles out to Coyote Hills and the bay, neighborhood tennis courts, and on Saturday nights, you can even walk over to the silent film museum (Niles is where Charlie Chaplin made some of his first movies) and watch a silent film with live piano accompaniment. Really. They have a 2nd Saturday Art Walk that they have had for years. Pleasanton is just trying to start one of those. Just now trying to start it. Humph. Rob calls it "the land that time forgot." How cute, right?
If that's where Jacob belongs for now, I think that might be where we belong for now too. But I'm still conflicted and in that "mulling things over" stage. It's quite an emotional decision for me. I used to actually have nightmares that I moved back to my hometown. I was SO over it 10 years ago. Am I over that? I think for Jacob's sake, I can be. And it doesn't have to be permanent (one of the many joys of home rentership - we can pack up and move whenever and wherever we want).
So what does any of that have to do with my blog?
Well, because I don't know where I'll be living a year from now, I'm slightly depressed, or maybe confused is a better word, eating poorly and not exercising. Yes. I need to know. The thing is, it could be another YEAR or more before we move. Houses in the old town district of Niles don't come available very often. And when they do, they are most likely to be 2 bedroom tiny homes built in 1926....which we would love, I'm sure...but we need a bit more room. This could take a while!
In the meantime - I really need to get off this "contemplation wagon" and get back into my routine; eating healthy, yoga, walking, hiking, whatever I need to do to feel relaxed and happy. Because this is not working!
That's what's up with my world. CrAzY!!!! (not really that crazy...but it doesn't take much I'm afraid). I'm going to just have to trust that things will work out as they should. And whatever we do, it won't be a mistake. Yikes!
I'm up three pounds due to "waffle weight" (waffling back and forth with this decision, not to be confused with eating waffles).
You've heard the saying "Fake it 'til you make it." I do not feel like doing yoga right now. I feel like perusing the Internet in case a house has been posted in the last, oh, 25 minutes. What if I miss the "message from the Universe" by being inattentive?
But I'm gonna fake my way through it anyway. I must.
This example is just a small one, but clearly illustrates my "issues". An even stranger phenomenon occurs when I start to think that there may be a big change coming. I completely freeze. I pull over to the figurative side of the road and wait there....indefinitely. Until whatever change is likely to occur, actually happens.
Right now, we're contemplating a move. My son lives with his dad part time in Fremont, and part time with us here in Pleasanton. He started Kindergarten in Fremont and is now in the 6th grade at the same cute, little old-timey school. We love that school. When I moved out to Pleasanton 10 years ago, the intention was to have Jacob (eventually, maybe?) go to school out here. We are within walking distance of some of the highest ranked elementary, middle, and high schools in Northern California (Amador Valley High in Pleasanton is ranked 100-something, while Washington High School in Fremont is 861st).
But alas, things have not (as they rarely do) gone as planned.
We live in a great neighborhood. Tons of kids. He doesn't know a single one of them. But he has thrived in his school. He has loved every teacher he's had and is really excited to start Junior High next year with all of his friends. And he has a lot of friends...there. He's athletic. He plays basketball and baseball and begs every year to also play football (it's still a "no."). The coaches all know him. He was an All Star last year! I just can't see taking that all away. No way. It's too late.
Once I realized he most likely wasn't going to go to school out here in Pleasanton, I thought; "Well, we'll just stay out here in case he starts to slack off, or get in trouble. We can threaten him with the Pleasanton School System like it's Military or Reform School!" But that's kind of a lame, negative, and quite possibly, a self- fulfilling-prophecy type of thing to lord over a kid.
But we've stayed out here anyway. We do love Pleasanton. I love it enough to do a LOT of driving to Fremont and back (it's about 25-30 minutes each way). But the charm is wearing off a bit. Especially since next year, he has to be at school earlier and the Junior High is 45 minutes from here. Imagine an early day, I pick him up at 1, drive 45 minutes home because there is nothing to do in Fremont for three hours and he should work on his homework, then take him 45 minutes back down to practice some sport or another, wait in my car or go grocery shopping for two hours because it's not enough time to come home and go back, then come back...'nother 45 minutes. That's what my Wednesdays are like now, and sometimes other days. And weekends for sure. Thank God his dad takes him to practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
My fear is that, if we stay here, I may eventually lose my measly little half of the parenting role. The older he gets, the longer and more often he'll have practices. He might get a girlfriend one day. He might drive a car. Oh god. I'll never see him again!
His dad is great. He's safe there. He has friends and has fun. But I'm not ready for an empty nest yet. He's 11 for crying out loud.
So, I'm selling myself on Niles (again...although I always did love that quirky little town), and I think Rob (thinks he) might like it too (he's just taking my word for it thus far). Niles is one of those neighborhoods where everyone knows everyone else, kids run around wild like they did in the 50's and 60's (although you might see a comment on the Niles Yahoo! User Group to keep your kids quiet if they're out rabble rousing past dark). You can walk to the neighborhood market, Mr. Mikey's, for candy and soda, there are fishing holes, a swimming lagoon, an "un-official and slightly illegal" dog park that has pot lucks every weekend for the dog owners, biking/hiking trails along the Alameda Creek that go 13 miles out to Coyote Hills and the bay, neighborhood tennis courts, and on Saturday nights, you can even walk over to the silent film museum (Niles is where Charlie Chaplin made some of his first movies) and watch a silent film with live piano accompaniment. Really. They have a 2nd Saturday Art Walk that they have had for years. Pleasanton is just trying to start one of those. Just now trying to start it. Humph. Rob calls it "the land that time forgot." How cute, right?
If that's where Jacob belongs for now, I think that might be where we belong for now too. But I'm still conflicted and in that "mulling things over" stage. It's quite an emotional decision for me. I used to actually have nightmares that I moved back to my hometown. I was SO over it 10 years ago. Am I over that? I think for Jacob's sake, I can be. And it doesn't have to be permanent (one of the many joys of home rentership - we can pack up and move whenever and wherever we want).
So what does any of that have to do with my blog?
Well, because I don't know where I'll be living a year from now, I'm slightly depressed, or maybe confused is a better word, eating poorly and not exercising. Yes. I need to know. The thing is, it could be another YEAR or more before we move. Houses in the old town district of Niles don't come available very often. And when they do, they are most likely to be 2 bedroom tiny homes built in 1926....which we would love, I'm sure...but we need a bit more room. This could take a while!
In the meantime - I really need to get off this "contemplation wagon" and get back into my routine; eating healthy, yoga, walking, hiking, whatever I need to do to feel relaxed and happy. Because this is not working!
That's what's up with my world. CrAzY!!!! (not really that crazy...but it doesn't take much I'm afraid). I'm going to just have to trust that things will work out as they should. And whatever we do, it won't be a mistake. Yikes!
I'm up three pounds due to "waffle weight" (waffling back and forth with this decision, not to be confused with eating waffles).
You've heard the saying "Fake it 'til you make it." I do not feel like doing yoga right now. I feel like perusing the Internet in case a house has been posted in the last, oh, 25 minutes. What if I miss the "message from the Universe" by being inattentive?
But I'm gonna fake my way through it anyway. I must.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Look Who's Older!
Yes, I celebrated my blahblahblah birthday on Friday...and Saturday....and Sunday. But still managed to stay fairly true to the "program".
I realized that I should call this food-lifestyle something other than "Clean Eating" because, in addition to eating unrefined and unprocessed foods in a form that’s as close as possible to how the foods appear in nature, etc., etc., I've also incorporated local and organic as a rule of thumb. Plus we're eating way less meat (pork, chicken, beef) than before - maybe one or two meals per week rather than four or five.
Local and organic are not necessarily required of a "Clean Eater", nor is eating less meat. After doing some additional research, I discovered that there already is a name for eating as I do, and it's called "Green Eating", or "Eating Green". Well, I was close.
For my birthday, my mom treated me to lunch at Strizzi's and Rob took me out for dinner, drinks, and music at the local brewery. I sat down to each meal happily determined to "go wild!". I scanned the menu at Strizzi's searching for the most decadent and heavy Italian pasta dish. Cream sauce was a must! At the brewery, I joyfully perused the menu, trying to decide between philly cheese steak, burger and garlic fries, or fish and chips. You know what I did? Both times? Despite my sincerest efforts to go crazy, I ended up with salads; A delicious Crab Cobb from Strizzi's and a Thai Chicken salad from the brewery. How and why did that happen? I'm the queen of over-indulgance! It appears that I've become my food lifestyle. It's officially habit.
I still love the idea of splurging on a big, giant, greasy burger and some garlic or cheese fries from Bob's Giant Burgers some day. But perhaps it just sounds good in theory, and wouldn't be nearly as good in practice. I find that hard to believe. I think it's the feeling after that has me resisting temptation so easily. Now that I've eaten green for so long, and feel so good, the alternative is not nearly as appealing as it once was.
Back to last Friday. My one indulgance, since I don't care for cake (Really, I don't! I didn't even have one at my wedding. Pie though....I love a good pie.), is an order (ok, two orders, we were sharing with friends) of fried calamari at the brewery as an appetizer. Oh, and the cocktails. Lot's of cocktails. My hope is that I danced it all off.
Here's what we ate for the past week when it wasn't my birthday!
Apricot Glazed Scallops over Bean Thread Noodles: (I realize I need to practice my "searing". These are not seared. Not at all.)
The Spicy Thai Pork Soup was delightful, just like from a Thai restaurant! I was impressed....with myself. Next time I think I'll try it with seafood or chicken instead of pork. I cut up a whole wheat tortilla, sprinkled it with cumin and sea salt and baked it for a "chip" to go with:
One of my favorites, (and used as "comfort food" the day after my birthday, even though it's a Weight Watcher's recipe), Shrimp Po'boy. O....M....G.
I realized that I should call this food-lifestyle something other than "Clean Eating" because, in addition to eating unrefined and unprocessed foods in a form that’s as close as possible to how the foods appear in nature, etc., etc., I've also incorporated local and organic as a rule of thumb. Plus we're eating way less meat (pork, chicken, beef) than before - maybe one or two meals per week rather than four or five.
Local and organic are not necessarily required of a "Clean Eater", nor is eating less meat. After doing some additional research, I discovered that there already is a name for eating as I do, and it's called "Green Eating", or "Eating Green". Well, I was close.
For my birthday, my mom treated me to lunch at Strizzi's and Rob took me out for dinner, drinks, and music at the local brewery. I sat down to each meal happily determined to "go wild!". I scanned the menu at Strizzi's searching for the most decadent and heavy Italian pasta dish. Cream sauce was a must! At the brewery, I joyfully perused the menu, trying to decide between philly cheese steak, burger and garlic fries, or fish and chips. You know what I did? Both times? Despite my sincerest efforts to go crazy, I ended up with salads; A delicious Crab Cobb from Strizzi's and a Thai Chicken salad from the brewery. How and why did that happen? I'm the queen of over-indulgance! It appears that I've become my food lifestyle. It's officially habit.
I still love the idea of splurging on a big, giant, greasy burger and some garlic or cheese fries from Bob's Giant Burgers some day. But perhaps it just sounds good in theory, and wouldn't be nearly as good in practice. I find that hard to believe. I think it's the feeling after that has me resisting temptation so easily. Now that I've eaten green for so long, and feel so good, the alternative is not nearly as appealing as it once was.
Back to last Friday. My one indulgance, since I don't care for cake (Really, I don't! I didn't even have one at my wedding. Pie though....I love a good pie.), is an order (ok, two orders, we were sharing with friends) of fried calamari at the brewery as an appetizer. Oh, and the cocktails. Lot's of cocktails. My hope is that I danced it all off.
Here's what we ate for the past week when it wasn't my birthday!
Apricot Glazed Scallops over Bean Thread Noodles: (I realize I need to practice my "searing". These are not seared. Not at all.)
The Spicy Thai Pork Soup was delightful, just like from a Thai restaurant! I was impressed....with myself. Next time I think I'll try it with seafood or chicken instead of pork. I cut up a whole wheat tortilla, sprinkled it with cumin and sea salt and baked it for a "chip" to go with:
Then there was the Lobster Risotto. It looks a bit colorless. I think I will add more parsley and maybe some asparagus next time. But it was yummy:
One of my favorites, (and used as "comfort food" the day after my birthday, even though it's a Weight Watcher's recipe), Shrimp Po'boy. O....M....G.
And last, but certainly not least, a new favorite that I will be making more often - Jambalaya (also WW):
While it looks like I'm lacking in the "green stuff", we have a salad with almost every meal, I just don't photograph it. You've seen one salad.....
And for my antioxidants, vitamins and minerals:
Hit me up via email if you would like any of these recipes!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Boy, I'm Glad This Experiment is OVER!
(just kidding)
It’s been 30 days and this concludes my experiment.
I would like to share some of my thoughts and observations, what I have learned, as well as some of the reasons why I've decided to make this a permanent change!
1) Perhaps the most significant and gratifying result of my experiment: Removing the food industry’s most powerful weapon from my diet has liberated me from cravings! This has allowed me to return to a way of eating that is natural. I eat when hungry, I stop when full. I’ve taken the power away from corporate food, and have returned it to its rightful owner; Moi! I can now say that I’m finally living my previously only pined-for credo of “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” (Thank you, Michael Pollan).
*If you are interested in reading more about this secret, powerful weapon, please scroll to the bottom of this blog post.
2) It’s easier than I thought! I can still make just about every recipe that I already love, and plenty of new ones, it’s just a matter of recognizing the zip code from whence the ingredients came (for the most part, more on that later!), aiming for a little more organic, and a little less animal. Our great grandparents knew exactly where their food came from and what was in it. These days it’s a crap shoot. I just feel better knowing.
3) I can’t afford to buy a hybrid car right now. But this is one way that I can make a slightly smaller carbon foot print, even as I drive my big ol’ wagon around! (sorry) In addition, I am supporting local farmers and responsible ranchers. I'm practically an activist!
4) Knowledge is power and I feel empowered. There are so many things we can’t control, but it’s nice to be able to control something. And something as vital as the stuff that keeps us alive? I think that’s pretty awesome. It’s unfortunate that it takes nothing short of a Herculean effort to decipher the truth behind nutrition and ingredients labels, as well as finding out if the product was grown/made, or just distributed through a local company, but it can be done, and practice makes perfect.
5) I feel really healthy. I mean, really healthy. Vital. Vibrant. Energized. Peaceful. Perhaps it’s simply a return to my normal physiological/psychological constitution minus the chemicals, additives, excessive salt, sugar, and fat. I compare it to how I felt a few months after I quit smoking. Or perhaps it’s just all the Kale I’ve been eating. Whatever it is, I like it.
6) I finally feel like my “food lifestyle” is a little more in accordance with my personal values. I’ve been bothered by my own hypocrisy; having the desire and some of the knowledge, but not giving the proper effort or attention to my choices. These changes have created a much more harmonious relationship between my values and my palette.
7) Feed lot and industrialized animal harvesting practices aren’t going to go away, but there is one less person in the world taking part in it (and sometimes as many as 3 people in my household, or more if we have dinner guests!).
8) I lost 7 pounds. That was a surprise. It must be due to my #1 observation above. Plus, removing processed foods from my diet obviously makes my choices a bit limited. Am I really hungry? Like hungry enough to eat yet another apple? Nah. *sigh* I guess I was bored. I went through this for the first week or so until I re-learned what real hunger felt like, and also what real satiety felt like (unlike that weird sense of hunger I would still have after eating processed foods).
9) I’m happy to report that my relationship with food is a much healthier one. I love to cook and I love food…passionately! But no longer in that “good food, bad food” way. Everything I eat is good. Even the square of organic dark chocolate I have in the evening. I don’t beat myself up for eating too many chips…they’re kale. And if we do go out to eat once in a while (rather than once a week like we used to!), I don’t freak out. I enjoy it and move on.
10) We’re saving a ton of money! That was also a surprise. But everything I buy is used until it’s gone. My fridge starts full, and by the end of the week, it’s empty. There is far less waste. Also, because the meals are so wholesome and tasty, I don’t crave restaurant food. We used to go out to eat at least once a week. That can run $50 - $75 (with cocktails, of course). If we go out just once a month instead, we’re saving roughly $200.
11) Even if it did cost more, I think I would still try to find it in my budget to eat this way. Americans spend the lowest percentage of their income on food than in any other country. Our food is DIRT cheap, thanks to the industrial revolution. But just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean it’s good for us. Spend a bit more, splurge! It’s what keeps us alive! We’re so worth it!
I would like to say this; I’ve never been hyper vigilant or super militant while on ANY kind of diet, and this one is no exception. I can’t always find a local Greek variety of yogurt in stock (and this is a food staple in my house) so I have to buy Fage, which is from New York (gasp!). Sometimes we use bread that isn’t made super-locally, like the Hawaiian rolls I use for sliders. They’re not from as far away as Hawaii, by the way, they’re from Torrance, Ca. But my condiments, oh my condiments; olive oil, balsamic vinegar, etc. come from Italy! And I do enjoy the odd meal out without an obnoxious amount of concern. But for the most part, if I can try to eat as close to the earth and as close to my zip code as possible, at least 80% - 90% of the time, that’s good enough.
I also want to point out that my enthusiasm for this food-lifestyle choice is in no way meant to be a judgment on anyone else’s food-lifestyle choices. We are all responsible for ourselves and for doing what’s best for each of us and our families. What feels right to one person, may not feel right to another. I get that. I hate it when people "preach at me". So my intention is not to be preachy, but to share my personal views, experiences, and what I have learned. If I happen to encourage anyone, who isn’t already on the localvore bandwagon (sometimes it seems like everyone already has been, and I was late to get the memo!) to make a change, I think that’s fantastic, but it’s not my sole purpose.
Bon Appetit!
SECRET POWERFUL WEAPON!
What is this powerful weapon I speak of? The food industry has a major problem. Their target demographic, the human stomach, is “fixed”, and just because something might be a great bargain, we are physically unable to eat more of it. So how do they sell more food? They have figured out a way to make Americans consume more - roughly twice the amount of calories needed (caloric consumption has roughly doubled in the past 50 years from approximately 2,000 per day for the average American to approximately 4,000). This increase in caloric consumption is not just because food is cheap and plentiful in this country, although that’s one reason. It’s common knowledge that all of the major food companies, and I’ll lump franchised restaurants in with them, have “Food Scientists” on staff whose sole purpose is to formulate food for optimal “mouth feel” (requiring less chewing), and finding the perfect combination of fat, sugar, and salt that will literally “hijack our brains”, as Dr. David Kessler states in his book “The End of Overeating”.
Kessler was the Commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration from 1990 - 1997. He left the FDA to join Yale School of Medicine as the Dean until 2003. In his book, Kessler exploits the food industry and explains how they train us to overeat by creating “foods” (aka processed foods) specifically designed to trigger the “pleasure points” in the human brain, in very much the same way that drugs trigger them. This makes it extremely difficult for even the most conscientious consumer to make the healthiest choices. We literally aren't thinking clearly while eating this stuff.
Kessler stresses that “the problem is not only the behavior of profit-driven food companies, but also the daily choices that each one of us makes." By removing processed foods from my diet, I’ve leveled the playing field and am better equipped to make healthier choices. I’ve taken my power back.
It’s been 30 days and this concludes my experiment.
I would like to share some of my thoughts and observations, what I have learned, as well as some of the reasons why I've decided to make this a permanent change!
1) Perhaps the most significant and gratifying result of my experiment: Removing the food industry’s most powerful weapon from my diet has liberated me from cravings! This has allowed me to return to a way of eating that is natural. I eat when hungry, I stop when full. I’ve taken the power away from corporate food, and have returned it to its rightful owner; Moi! I can now say that I’m finally living my previously only pined-for credo of “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” (Thank you, Michael Pollan).
*If you are interested in reading more about this secret, powerful weapon, please scroll to the bottom of this blog post.
2) It’s easier than I thought! I can still make just about every recipe that I already love, and plenty of new ones, it’s just a matter of recognizing the zip code from whence the ingredients came (for the most part, more on that later!), aiming for a little more organic, and a little less animal. Our great grandparents knew exactly where their food came from and what was in it. These days it’s a crap shoot. I just feel better knowing.
3) I can’t afford to buy a hybrid car right now. But this is one way that I can make a slightly smaller carbon foot print, even as I drive my big ol’ wagon around! (sorry) In addition, I am supporting local farmers and responsible ranchers. I'm practically an activist!
4) Knowledge is power and I feel empowered. There are so many things we can’t control, but it’s nice to be able to control something. And something as vital as the stuff that keeps us alive? I think that’s pretty awesome. It’s unfortunate that it takes nothing short of a Herculean effort to decipher the truth behind nutrition and ingredients labels, as well as finding out if the product was grown/made, or just distributed through a local company, but it can be done, and practice makes perfect.
5) I feel really healthy. I mean, really healthy. Vital. Vibrant. Energized. Peaceful. Perhaps it’s simply a return to my normal physiological/psychological constitution minus the chemicals, additives, excessive salt, sugar, and fat. I compare it to how I felt a few months after I quit smoking. Or perhaps it’s just all the Kale I’ve been eating. Whatever it is, I like it.
6) I finally feel like my “food lifestyle” is a little more in accordance with my personal values. I’ve been bothered by my own hypocrisy; having the desire and some of the knowledge, but not giving the proper effort or attention to my choices. These changes have created a much more harmonious relationship between my values and my palette.
7) Feed lot and industrialized animal harvesting practices aren’t going to go away, but there is one less person in the world taking part in it (and sometimes as many as 3 people in my household, or more if we have dinner guests!).
8) I lost 7 pounds. That was a surprise. It must be due to my #1 observation above. Plus, removing processed foods from my diet obviously makes my choices a bit limited. Am I really hungry? Like hungry enough to eat yet another apple? Nah. *sigh* I guess I was bored. I went through this for the first week or so until I re-learned what real hunger felt like, and also what real satiety felt like (unlike that weird sense of hunger I would still have after eating processed foods).
9) I’m happy to report that my relationship with food is a much healthier one. I love to cook and I love food…passionately! But no longer in that “good food, bad food” way. Everything I eat is good. Even the square of organic dark chocolate I have in the evening. I don’t beat myself up for eating too many chips…they’re kale. And if we do go out to eat once in a while (rather than once a week like we used to!), I don’t freak out. I enjoy it and move on.
10) We’re saving a ton of money! That was also a surprise. But everything I buy is used until it’s gone. My fridge starts full, and by the end of the week, it’s empty. There is far less waste. Also, because the meals are so wholesome and tasty, I don’t crave restaurant food. We used to go out to eat at least once a week. That can run $50 - $75 (with cocktails, of course). If we go out just once a month instead, we’re saving roughly $200.
11) Even if it did cost more, I think I would still try to find it in my budget to eat this way. Americans spend the lowest percentage of their income on food than in any other country. Our food is DIRT cheap, thanks to the industrial revolution. But just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean it’s good for us. Spend a bit more, splurge! It’s what keeps us alive! We’re so worth it!
I would like to say this; I’ve never been hyper vigilant or super militant while on ANY kind of diet, and this one is no exception. I can’t always find a local Greek variety of yogurt in stock (and this is a food staple in my house) so I have to buy Fage, which is from New York (gasp!). Sometimes we use bread that isn’t made super-locally, like the Hawaiian rolls I use for sliders. They’re not from as far away as Hawaii, by the way, they’re from Torrance, Ca. But my condiments, oh my condiments; olive oil, balsamic vinegar, etc. come from Italy! And I do enjoy the odd meal out without an obnoxious amount of concern. But for the most part, if I can try to eat as close to the earth and as close to my zip code as possible, at least 80% - 90% of the time, that’s good enough.
I also want to point out that my enthusiasm for this food-lifestyle choice is in no way meant to be a judgment on anyone else’s food-lifestyle choices. We are all responsible for ourselves and for doing what’s best for each of us and our families. What feels right to one person, may not feel right to another. I get that. I hate it when people "preach at me". So my intention is not to be preachy, but to share my personal views, experiences, and what I have learned. If I happen to encourage anyone, who isn’t already on the localvore bandwagon (sometimes it seems like everyone already has been, and I was late to get the memo!) to make a change, I think that’s fantastic, but it’s not my sole purpose.
Bon Appetit!
SECRET POWERFUL WEAPON!
What is this powerful weapon I speak of? The food industry has a major problem. Their target demographic, the human stomach, is “fixed”, and just because something might be a great bargain, we are physically unable to eat more of it. So how do they sell more food? They have figured out a way to make Americans consume more - roughly twice the amount of calories needed (caloric consumption has roughly doubled in the past 50 years from approximately 2,000 per day for the average American to approximately 4,000). This increase in caloric consumption is not just because food is cheap and plentiful in this country, although that’s one reason. It’s common knowledge that all of the major food companies, and I’ll lump franchised restaurants in with them, have “Food Scientists” on staff whose sole purpose is to formulate food for optimal “mouth feel” (requiring less chewing), and finding the perfect combination of fat, sugar, and salt that will literally “hijack our brains”, as Dr. David Kessler states in his book “The End of Overeating”.
Kessler was the Commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration from 1990 - 1997. He left the FDA to join Yale School of Medicine as the Dean until 2003. In his book, Kessler exploits the food industry and explains how they train us to overeat by creating “foods” (aka processed foods) specifically designed to trigger the “pleasure points” in the human brain, in very much the same way that drugs trigger them. This makes it extremely difficult for even the most conscientious consumer to make the healthiest choices. We literally aren't thinking clearly while eating this stuff.
Kessler stresses that “the problem is not only the behavior of profit-driven food companies, but also the daily choices that each one of us makes." By removing processed foods from my diet, I’ve leveled the playing field and am better equipped to make healthier choices. I’ve taken my power back.
