A word or three about food

I love to eat. It is one of my greatest pleasures to eat good tasting food. It makes me happy to feel full. I like to watch other people enjoy the food that I've created. I love sweet, savory, sweet/salty, meaty, vegetable-y. I'm not picky at all and I'll try anything (I've eaten chocolate covered bugs, snails and offal and I've kindof liked everything in one way or another). I love going to fancy restaurants and taco dives and sandwich carts. Food brings up good memories and makes my life better.

This hasn't changed since I started eating healthier. It's not like there is a switch in my head that tells me that I will totally enjoy this salad as much as a stuffed crust pizza with garlic-butter dipping sauce. I've just been really motivated to stay on the plan and that means a lot less cheese and bread and a lot more lettuce. It also means saying "no" to dessert a lot. Surprisingly, this hasn't been the toughest part about this weight-loss journey. I feel rather empowered when I see a bunch of chocolate frosted chocolate cupcakes and say "no, I've already eaten enough today." The toughest part about eating the way I'm eating is not getting the flavor that fat and salt and crunchy seem to provide my palate. You better believe that anything fatty, salty or crunchy is not good for weight loss, and while I can plan my day around eating anything I want, most days I want meals that I know will hold me for at least four or five hours without my stomach grumbling.

So, I've learned some tricks.

Water. I drink a lot of it. My doctor says I shouldn't be drinking more than 64 ounces a day, but I've been known to drink up to a gallon (128 ounces) if I work out heavily or if it is so hot that I feel sweat dripping down my back. I love the way water makes me feel. It makes me feel full and I know that I'm hungry if I have just drank a bunch of water and I'm still hungry. Sometimes thirst masks as hunger and I always like to make sure I've quenched my thirst before I move onto a meal.


Onions. I know - there are people who just can't stomach them - and you do end up with perpetual onion breath if you eat a lot of them - but they are the best boost of flavor on the planet. I buy the purple onions (I think they have less heat and more flavor) and slice one up and put it on sandwiches and in salads for the next few days. If you cook them, they release a lot of their sugars and they end up being more calories, but if you eat them raw they are a dieters saving grace.

Indulge carefully. When the Dunkin Donuts opened up around the corner from my house, many people brought the fried dough to the school that I'm working at and told me to have one or five. I knew that if I had one of their donuts, it would not be as satisfying as the masterpieces that I had growing up (Los Angeles has the worlds best donuts - nothing else even compares). I knew that it would be yummy, just not worth the points. So I just said "no thanks." Guess what? - the world kept on turning. I don't have to have the donut or the cookie or the cupcake or hamburger in order to fit in. A Sprinkles cupcake? A piece of homemade blackberry pie? A plate of macarons from a friend? A pile of cookies that Annie made herself? Those are things to indulge and savor. Those are worth points and a couple extra miles of walking/running.

Learn to find joy in the little things. I get giddy when the beautiful purple grapes that come out this time of year go on sale for $.77 a pound. I buy two bags of baby spinach and figure out ways to use it before it goes bad. I look for ways to be creative with the mounds of boneless/skinless chicken I am eating so I don't get bored with eating the same thing every day. It's not always easy to find excitement in food that doesn't taste as good as a Double Double with extra sauce with a side of Monster Style Fries and a chocolate milkshake, but it's doable, especially when I look at how my body is changing and when I hear compliments and encouragement from other people.

Those are just a few things I've learned this last five months. I'm down over 30 pounds now - about halfway there. I need a belt to hold up my clothes but I'm too much of a cheapskate to buy new stuff when I know I'm not where I need to be yet. So you may have to put up with my bagginess for a little while. It will be worth it. I'm hoping the last 30 come off as nicely as the first did. I'm hoping by the time I graduate I will be within spitting distance of my goal (May 12 for anyone whose keeping track).

I'm totally getting a new outfit for graduation - so underneath the awful robes I will look smokin' hot! At least for a 35 year old mama.