It's all about me

What would happen if you ate the same amount of calories but say, slacked hard-core on the veggies, or ate too much protein? Would it affect your energy, your complexion, weight, strength, or nothing? I've never thought in terms of macros really until a few months ago so I'm still trying to get it.
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Sara, you just asked the million dollar question. HA....this is my favorite subject...and now that I've bored friends/family/co-workers to death with it I get to bore you as well!

My weight might, or might not stay the same. But weight management has very little to do with my food choices because some of them are very, very calorie dense (i.e. avocado, milled flax, buckwheat, bananas, legumes, nuts). Obviously, I could eat a heck of a lot more food if I just stuck to the "low calorie" side of the menu.

But, If I slacked "hard-core" on getting in my fruits/veggies, or just chose to eat a lot of protein dense foods (say meat/eggs/dairy) instead of a diet balanced with more plant food (including nuts/seeds/legumes), my energy level, mood, mental functioning and general health would suffer greatly. I 100% believe this. I first started off on hard-core Atkins...20 grams of carbs a day...to break my sugar addiction. When I started reintroducing carbs by way of veggies and then fruits, then legumes, etc., it was on a limited, progressive basis (an increase of roughly 20 grams a week) and, because I wanted to get the most "bang" for my buck, I started looking hard at the nutritional values of individual fruits/veggies in order to select which ones got reintroduced each week.

And I gotta tell you I was stunned, shocked and amazed at how important they are. It was a major, an ongoing learning process for me. I learned (and am still learning) a crapload of "stuff" I never knew. Stuff like the fact that fruit like blueberries, raspberries, and cherries help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol which is as important, if not more important than the amount of cholesterol itself. Stuff like the fact that about 70% of the immune system lies in the digestive system and the foods that provide the greatest support to a healthy digestive tract - fruits and veggies. And the foods containing the most powerful disease preventative polynutrients? Yep, all found in the plant family. And here's a good one: quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals...it's sold as an expensive supplement....or cheap in the produce aisle (red apples & onions).
 
Dude. Thanks! It's amazing to me that all of the things that are the BEST for you are the foods that taste amazing. When I think about it peripherally I feel overwhelmed about all of this information, however when I really think about it, and try to apply what I've learned so far to formulate my own diet plan, it isn't so difficult, it's rather fun-if time consuming. Run-on sentences are distracting, I apologize. Basically I'm saying that this whole balanced diet thing is interesting and thank you for explaining ;)
 
I've been absolutely hooked on berries lately. I've been eating up to 4 cups per day of blueberries, and sometimes I've added raspberries and yesterday I bought a big carton of yummy cherries. Glad you reminded me how healthy they are. When I feel bingy, then I'll eat a whole bunch of this stuff with a bit of whipped cream. I know I should avoid the cream but the combination is so comparable to ice cream :), yet about 80 calories per cup which aint bad. And I do feel good when I see how much fiber I clock when I eat my berries.
 
So, this is one of my long, meandering walks through my own mind. Until fairly recently I've felt almost obsessed with food....what, when, why, how much, how little. For as long as I can remember, my body has been whispering "food" 24/7. When I was overweight I said "yea, okay, whatever you want", and when I was losing weight I said "yea, but only this type and in this amount" and when I've been maintaining I've said " please, please shut up already".

And it's finally gone away, but it's taken me a litle while to get used to it's absence. It still feels odd..like a newly missing limb. I pretty much just eat because it's "time" to eat - not because I'm hungry because I seldom am, at least not in the form I'm used to. And, while I totally enjoy the process of cooking, savor the taste while I'm eating, I can seldom finish the entire portion before getting full, and have a total disinerest in food in between times. I know (because I journal every random twist and turn of my little mind) pretty much when this started - it was back when I had my "cookie moment"...and has just increased in leaps and bounds since then. And I think this is how I'm supposed to feel...but I wouldn't really know from experience.

Because I can accept nothing in life without picking it apart:confused: - I'm dead curious about the underlying reason: possibly (knock wood, spit twice, toss salt over my shoulder) my hormone levels have finally stablized to something approaching normal. Possibly it's the shift from calorie counting which (thank God) kept me focused on every bite that went into my mouth. I don't know...

I remember going to movies/dinner with a bunch of co-workers exactly two months before I "cleaned up my act". I was sitting there with my giant box of buttered popcorn, right beside a girl sipping bottled water and wondering "how can she do that?", then there I was scarfing down the bread and butter and fried onion thingy (all before the actual meal) watching her happily chatting away and waiting for her entree and again thinking "how can she do that?"....I just couldn't comprehend being in the presence of delicious food and not eating it. Then, I learned "how not to do it" but inside I still wanted to...a lot. I thought that was the "secret"...that I would always be able to say "no" but inside would have a little voice going "but I wannna".

I was wrong. I'm newly learning that it's possible to really, really just...not want to....but it feels weird. Like running into an old boyfriend and thinking "how funny, I used to be in love with him and now I could care less".

I've been absolutely hooked on berries lately. I've been eating up to 4 cups per day of blueberries, and sometimes I've added raspberries and yesterday I bought a big carton of yummy cherries.
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Ohh, you know what's really, really good, if you get take cherries (any berry works but cherries just feel more decadent:) ) and pop em in the freezer 'til not quite frozen, them pour a little vanilla soy milk on top and stir in either some sugar free pudding (any flavor works but cheesecake is awesome) or unsweetened baker's cocoa powder.

Monday's food:

fruits: 4-5 daily servings chosen from
apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, canteloupe, cherries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, papaya, pineapple, prunes, raisins, strawberries, watermelon

veggies: 5-6 daily servings chosen from
artichokes, avocado, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, califlower, chili pepper, daikon, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, onions, spinach, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes
***cabbage type: napa
***squash type: zucchini
***additional: recaito

grain/nuts/seeds/legumes: 4-6 daily servings chosen from
almonds, black beans, black eye peas, buckwheat, bulgar, lentils, flax, oats, pumpkin seeds, rice, walnuts, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole wheat
*** substitued soy flour and masa for whole wheat grain
***additional: soy beans, saltines

dairy 3 daily servings chosen from:
yogurt, whole, skim/2% milk, cheese (any type)
***cheese types: cottage cheese & 4 cheese blend

meat: 3 daily servings chosen from
chicken, turkey, fish
fish type:shrimp & talapia
***additional: eggs

other: 1 daily serving each
olive oil
green tea
echitacea tea

optional:
sugar free cookie
sugar free pudding
 
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Well I'm happy you have arrived at this point. I am masquerading as the girl sipping bottled water at the movies, but I still am the girl scarfing popcorn and candy. I know what you mean when you describe that analogy, I can't wait to be in the place you're at ;)
 
Jeeze, I guess this is gonna be my 999th entry saying basically the same thing: nothing to change or complain about:). Seriously, I lift, I run, I rest, I work, I play, I eat when I'm hungry, weight is back to pre-TOM, I like what I see in the mirror and life is just being lived....sans preoccupation with food or weight or body image issues. It's not that I feel complacent, just content...what can I say, this was kinda the point all along. I just need to keep working on improving my overall nutrition.

Still no bulgar or lentils:mad: I think (excuses, excuses) it's just so hot I don't want to boil anything...guess I'll just have to suck it up, boil a big pot of each so it'll be available the rest of the week...in other words, just friggin do it!...such a stupid thing to keep slacking on!

Tuesday's food:

fruits: 4-5 daily servings chosen from
apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, canteloupe, cherries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, papaya, pineapple, prunes, raisins, strawberries, watermelon

veggies: 5-6 daily servings chosen from
artichokes, avocado, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, califlower, chili pepper, daikon, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, onions, spinach, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes
***cabbage type: napa
***squash type: pumpkin
***additional: recaito

grain/nuts/seeds/legumes: 4-6 daily servings chosen from
almonds, black beans, black eye peas, buckwheat, bulgar, lentils, flax, oats, pumpkin seeds, rice, walnuts, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole wheat
*** substitued oat bran for wheat bran
*** whole wheat grain: flat out wrap

dairy 3 daily servings chosen from:
yogurt, whole, skim/2% milk, cheese (any type)
***cheese types: cottage cheese & 4 cheese blend

meat: 3 daily servings chosen from
chicken, turkey, fish
fish type: scallops & talapia
***additional: eggs

other: 1 daily serving each
olive oil
green tea
echitacea tea

optional:
mix honey & organic molasass
sugar free pudding
 
Still no bulgar or lentils I think (excuses, excuses) it's just so hot I don't want to boil anything...guess I'll just have to suck it up, boil a big pot of each so it'll be available the rest of the week...in other words, just friggin do it!...such a stupid thing to keep slacking on!
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the bulgur is pretty easy = put a pot of water on to boil in the morning when you're in the shower - dump the bulgur into a bowl - come out of the shower - dump the water on the bulgur - cover with a towel - and when your day is done the bulgur has absorbed all the water and no heat...
 
cym said:
Jeeze, I guess this is gonna be my 999th entry saying basically the same thing: nothing to change or complain about:). Seriously, I lift, I run, I rest, I work, I play, I eat when I'm hungry, weight is back to pre-TOM, I like what I see in the mirror and life is just being lived....sans preoccupation with food or weight or body image issues. It's not that I feel complacent, just content...what can I say, this was kinda the point all along. I just need to keep working on improving my overall nutrition.
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And proof that if you keep a close watch, you CAN maintain!
Kudos to you!
 
Mal: Well heck Mal, you just took away my last rational excuse for that box sitting in my fridge, unopened for two months LOL. Just so you know, I just finished pouring boiling water over them and covering with a towel per instructions. And the ten year old inside me is protesting "but they look like...groats!"

Tom: having never, ever actually done it before it still feels a bit odd....you know when you fight (and I do mean fight) weight issues for such a long, long time, it feels just a wee bit....off center?....to feel like your opponent has finally declared, if not total surrender, at least a truce.
 
Just so you know, I just finished pouring boiling water over them and covering with a towel per instructions. And the ten year old inside me is protesting "but they look like...groats!"
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they really do don't they :) but when mixed with the lemon juice and tomatoes and stuff they're tasty -I love the texture of them -
 
cym said:
having never, ever actually done it before it still feels a bit odd....you know when you fight (and I do mean fight) weight issues for such a long, long time, it feels just a wee bit....off center?....to feel like your opponent has finally declared, if not total surrender, at least a truce.
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Yes, I can totally believe it feels odd. It feels odd to me just thinking about it! :)
 
in the winter, I've used it as a hot cereal too - with some dried fruits or chopped up apples and just a bit of honey for sweetness and it's delicious :)

glad you tried something new and enjoyed it too :)
 
As usual, reading your last few posts, I'm loving it. Cym, nutrition is such a great journey of learning and endless too. I had to laugh about your comment about bulgar and then Mal extinguishing your last stand against it. Geez, I don't even know what the shit bulgar IS, girlfriend! LOL Please enlighten. I know what lentils are and I have yet to make the leap to these also. In fact, one of my dreams is to become vegetarian, but I would hang on to open water fish. I just learned they're called Pesce-Vegetarians. I don't think I could become a Vegan because they don't have dairy & eggs. I love cheese, yogurt & eggs. Well, everything in steps when it comes to nutrition. Let me know what the heck bulgar is and what the heck you put in it to make it taste GOOD okay? lol
 
^I'm following you around tonight Anna. I know, I scarcely recognize half of the stuff Cym eats. Daikon? Bulgar? You just know it's ridiculously healthy though from the name.
 
Bulgar At Last!

Anna: bulgar is basically the whole wheat "berry"...probably as close to the non-refined form of wheat you can get without chomping on a stalk in the field.:) I don't even entertain the thought of being a vegetarian - even the fish and dairy eating kind - I happily gave up sugar (okay, there was some kicking and screaming involved)...but can't imagine life without chicken or beef.

Sara: Honestly girl, the amount of truly delicious food, that also good for you, is like a vast, unexplored territory...there is so much stuff that I now eat fairly often and love that I'd never even heard of before...one of the things that saved my sanity when I was got sick and tired and bored to death of being in "diet mode" was "playing" with new food.

Trusylver: Thanks for asking!:) It's way too soon for me to increase the weight load, but I can already tell that it's just around the corner...my personal goal is 100# by end of summer...not exactly earth shattering...but for some reason I get excited about it:confused:

Tom: You are soooo close to being at your goal weight that I'm sure maintenance is starting to take on a bigger role in your thoughts/planning. I know it was scary for me as I got closer...after you lose weight a couple times you pretty much know you can do that...but keeping it off...alll off...for weeks, months, years....uncharted territory my friend....cause the only personal experience we have is what didn't work....on second thought though, maybe the "scary" feeling is a good thing - leads to taking it seriously...cause a big part of my regression in the past was a kind of overconfidence like: weight gone=weight issues gone. NOT


Wens. food:

Soooo darn happy to finally be able to highlight bulgar!!!!!!!!!

fruits: 4-5 daily servings chosen from
apples, apricots, bananas, blueberries, canteloupe, cherries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, papaya, pineapple, prunes, raisins, strawberries, watermelon

veggies: 5-6 daily servings chosen from
artichokes, avocado, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, califlower, chili pepper, daikon, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, onions, spinach, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes
***cabbage type: napa***squash type: pumpkin & zucchini

grain/nuts/seeds/legumes: 4-6 daily servings chosen from
almonds, black beans, black eye peas, buckwheat, bulgar, lentils, flax, oats, pumpkin seeds, rice, walnuts, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole wheat
*** note: only 3 servings from this cat. because the bulgar is crazily filling...could not have fit in another bite of anything


dairy 3 daily servings chosen from:
yogurt, whole, skim/2% milk, cheese (any type)
***cheese types: cottage cheese
***substituted soy milk for 2% milk

meat: 3 daily servings chosen from
chicken, turkey, fish
fish type: no fish today

other: 1 daily serving each
olive oil
green tea
echitacea tea

optional:
honey
***note: the daily honey &/or molassas is as a replacement for artificial sugar in my morning coffee...just a couple weeks ago decided that I'm not gonna give up my sf pudding but want to keep the artificial stuff at a bare min.
sugar free pudding
 
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Tom: You are soooo close to being at your goal weight that I'm sure maintenance is starting to take on a bigger role in your thoughts/planning. I know it was scary for me as I got closer...after you lose weight a couple times you pretty much know you can do that...but keeping it off...alll off...for weeks, months, years....uncharted territory my friend....cause the only personal experience we have is what didn't work....on second thought though, maybe the "scary" feeling is a good thing - leads to taking it seriously...cause a big part of my regression in the past was a kind of overconfidence like: weight gone=weight issues gone. NOT
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Well, I can't say I'm thinking about maintenance YET, but you're right, it is scary. And the fear is a good thing, I think, because I've been here 8 or so times before. This time I know I MUST not go back, and that puts a bit of a lump in my throat. I guess part of the reason I'm not overconfident this time is that I've had to work so damned hard for every pound and I've had so many plateaus that it's been hard to get very cocky about it.
 
No fish today?? WOW, I'm quite amazed. :) I love stopping by just to see all your yummy food. If I could only clone you to come over to my place and grocery shop for me I would be in better shape!! You do such a great job on food choices and trying new stuff. Way to go!!
 
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