I Love Food.
I love food. Good food. Tasty food. Not all foods, but many. My husband's love language is cooking. He loves to see the smile on my face when I enjoy that first bite. Our daughter now shares the kitchen. She delights in watching people eat, knowing she has provided them with edible happiness and the camaraderie around the table.
Food has never let me down. Creamy cheesy yumness; oooey, gooey, fudgy delights; rich dessert treats; cinnamon sugar breakfast wake-up calls; flavored coffees that warm the body and soul; sweet & salty snacks that got me to the next meal time as I ran through my day...they always came through. Some of them even fell into nutrition categories; similar to Bill Cosby's "Nutritious Chocolate Cake".
Christmas has been a favorite of mine for all the goodies we create. I love making candies, cookies, dreaming up new recipes of treats that can bless others. It's a joke that our home becomes a candy shop.
For most of my adult life, I have been the same size. It has varied only a little from the form that appeared after my kids were born. I tried many diets, diet pills, fasts...looking for that 'miracle' product that would make me the person I see in my mind, as oppose to the mirror. I ate fairly healthy meals. It was not that I ate the whole box of cookies or whole carton of ice cream. Since I didn't have the eating problems I read about in women's magazines, I figured I was doing alright. This was just my size. Embrace it.
Migraines, frustration, and unrealistic goals kept me from succeeding with the products. When the weight wouldn't come off as fast as advertised, I would throw it all away. Sabotage. "What's the use?" I would say to myself. Then, revert to my own eating plan. Sugar treats, chocolate, salty nuts-they were calling me back to the pantry. Why beat myself up with eating plans, deprivation diets and waste all that mental energy; when I had children to raise and a homestead to work on?
What I do like, I like to have in the quantities I desire. I do not like to feel restricted, deprived, or left out.Who likes being told: "No"? Or going out with friends and watch them eat with abandon while you munch on celery and lettuce leaves? Or (the worst yet) you can't go out to eat because the place doesn't serve anything you can have. Diets have always felt like a life sentence of deprivation, drab eating plans that would never end.
Then there's the economics of healthy eating. If you add organic foods to your already SAD (Standard American Diet) eating style, it can become very expensive. Well, not many people have the funds for that! It does not help to be in a 'multi-food plan' home. The grocery bill will only go up when another meal plan is added.
I went back to school and became a Natural Health Consultant by earning a Master's Degree in Holistic Nutrition. I was fascinated by how the foods work in our bodies to stave off disease or heal itself. Yet, economics and lifestyle prohibited some changes that I was not willing to make on my own. So, although I had all the information, I stayed in the safety of the familiar.
I am my kids' biggest fan. Whatever they like or is important to them, I do my best to help them succeed.
So, what do you do when your child grows up and becomes a personal trainer? That's right-you sign up.
It has been an adventure. Thankfully, we are eating tasty, healthy foods and I get one free meal a week. That has taken the pressure off, for the most part. Exercise has been included in our daily routine. I have done two 21-day challenges, so far, and have lost a total of 11 pounds!
I still love food. I'm still rebellious and spoiled; but I'm making better choices and retraining my taste buds. I will eat healthier but I still want to enjoy life: the fellowship over a meal, the delightful taste of quality foods, the satisfaction in the belly when the meal is over. Yet, I have discovered that I can overlook the generic treat to hold out for the best.
I am learning a healthier eating lifestyle. I am learning I am strong enough to do this. I am worth caring for. These are stepping stones on my wellness journey. What are stones on your path?
Food has never let me down. Creamy cheesy yumness; oooey, gooey, fudgy delights; rich dessert treats; cinnamon sugar breakfast wake-up calls; flavored coffees that warm the body and soul; sweet & salty snacks that got me to the next meal time as I ran through my day...they always came through. Some of them even fell into nutrition categories; similar to Bill Cosby's "Nutritious Chocolate Cake".
Christmas has been a favorite of mine for all the goodies we create. I love making candies, cookies, dreaming up new recipes of treats that can bless others. It's a joke that our home becomes a candy shop.
For most of my adult life, I have been the same size. It has varied only a little from the form that appeared after my kids were born. I tried many diets, diet pills, fasts...looking for that 'miracle' product that would make me the person I see in my mind, as oppose to the mirror. I ate fairly healthy meals. It was not that I ate the whole box of cookies or whole carton of ice cream. Since I didn't have the eating problems I read about in women's magazines, I figured I was doing alright. This was just my size. Embrace it.
Migraines, frustration, and unrealistic goals kept me from succeeding with the products. When the weight wouldn't come off as fast as advertised, I would throw it all away. Sabotage. "What's the use?" I would say to myself. Then, revert to my own eating plan. Sugar treats, chocolate, salty nuts-they were calling me back to the pantry. Why beat myself up with eating plans, deprivation diets and waste all that mental energy; when I had children to raise and a homestead to work on?
What I do like, I like to have in the quantities I desire. I do not like to feel restricted, deprived, or left out.Who likes being told: "No"? Or going out with friends and watch them eat with abandon while you munch on celery and lettuce leaves? Or (the worst yet) you can't go out to eat because the place doesn't serve anything you can have. Diets have always felt like a life sentence of deprivation, drab eating plans that would never end.
Then there's the economics of healthy eating. If you add organic foods to your already SAD (Standard American Diet) eating style, it can become very expensive. Well, not many people have the funds for that! It does not help to be in a 'multi-food plan' home. The grocery bill will only go up when another meal plan is added.
I went back to school and became a Natural Health Consultant by earning a Master's Degree in Holistic Nutrition. I was fascinated by how the foods work in our bodies to stave off disease or heal itself. Yet, economics and lifestyle prohibited some changes that I was not willing to make on my own. So, although I had all the information, I stayed in the safety of the familiar.
I am my kids' biggest fan. Whatever they like or is important to them, I do my best to help them succeed.
So, what do you do when your child grows up and becomes a personal trainer? That's right-you sign up.
It has been an adventure. Thankfully, we are eating tasty, healthy foods and I get one free meal a week. That has taken the pressure off, for the most part. Exercise has been included in our daily routine. I have done two 21-day challenges, so far, and have lost a total of 11 pounds!
I still love food. I'm still rebellious and spoiled; but I'm making better choices and retraining my taste buds. I will eat healthier but I still want to enjoy life: the fellowship over a meal, the delightful taste of quality foods, the satisfaction in the belly when the meal is over. Yet, I have discovered that I can overlook the generic treat to hold out for the best.
I am learning a healthier eating lifestyle. I am learning I am strong enough to do this. I am worth caring for. These are stepping stones on my wellness journey. What are stones on your path?
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