Life is Healthy

Sunday morning, I ate a few edamame while I steamed three cups of broccoli, made a Swiss cheese omelet, and threw some PB2 together and spread it on an Arnold’s Sandwich Thin. I packed it all up (Yes, I ate everything on the road, including the broccoli. I had a fork…) and headed back to NYC to pick up my husband and daughter. On the way home, I ate some plain Greek yogurt and raspberries, one peach, and a Subway veggie sandwich toasted with no cheese and only a smidgeon of lite mayo and mustard. Once home, Larry ran to the store and picked up a bag of spinach and grape tomatoes and I had a salad for dinner. I went to bed feeling a little better, but man, a weekend of high carbs really do a number on my insides.

Today’s post over at MizFit (Big Dietary Changes One Small Step At A Time) is all about cleaning up your eating without a formal “diet plan.” I especially loved this part of her acronym:

“Intuitive eating. Start this one today. Slowly. Listen to what your body is saying. Pay attention to how you feel after eating certain foods. JOURNAL. For me this isn’t journaling *caloric intake* but feelings. Noting how, when I crave sweets, it’s mainly AFTER I’ve had a high processed carbohydrate meal.”

Amen, Miz. It wasn’t until recently (as in the last year) that I actually paid attention to how my body responds to overdoses of carbs. I just thought everyone got bloaty at the end of the day. Umm…no. They don’t. Everyone’s bodies are different in how they respond to carbs, and mine just happens to be very sensitive.

Armed with this awareness, I (usually) limit my bread/pasta/stuff-like-that and fruit intake to no more than two of each every day. I’ll add a starchy veggie once in awhile (regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob), but not every day. Doing this has kept my weight steady for a year. I don’t see the same kind of 2- and 3-pound swings I used to see. Now, day to day, the scale goes up and down in much smaller increments. Most of all, I feel it in my gut. I’m not loosening the belt after 3 p.m. anymore.

This morning, the scale was up 1.6 from last Monday, but it’s all good. No scale freakouts, just getting back on my game. Starting with a typical breakfast and an exercise plan.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and this morning I invented what I think is my new favorite smoothie.

I didn’t buy anything last week that we couldn’t eat before we left or could take along with us because there’s nothing worse than coming home to rotting food. Because Larry’s only mission at the grocery store last night was to get a few veggies, the fridge is pretty bare except for some Greek yogurt and lite soy milk, a handful of frozen berries and a peach: a hearty little soldier that rolled around in the back of the Jeep all weekend. I tossed them all (along with a little stevia) in my smoothie container and turned on the hand mixer. It was a little runny, but the peach added such an awesome flavor I think I’ll ripen all peaches from now on in the back of the Jeep.

I’ll hit the store after my workout (please, elliptical, be kind) and buy stuff for tomato sauce. I have a lovely little butternut squash just waiting to be smothered in tomatoey goodness.