This is my lunch today:
It’s very happy. But where is the peanut butter? The bacon? The exorbitant amounts of salt and butter?
I’ve decided to break with my Southern heritage. At least when it comes to eating.
You know those silly little quizzes that are splattered all over Facebook?
I took one called, “Which Food Network Personality Are You?”
You know what the result was?
I know Facebook quizzes are not to be taken seriously. But there was truth in it! I DO use four pounds of butter a month. And I DO go through an entire bag of white flour in weeks.
And while I adore Paula Deen and her pie crust and her gentility, I don’t want my cooking or my eating habits to be associated with someone who wraps macaroni and cheese in bacon and deep fries it.
I just don’t.
So I finally reached a turning point, and made the decision to get off the road to heart failure. Which is easier said than done, of course.
I joined SparkPeople.com for support, and after reading a lot of articles from their site, I’ve come up with the following plan, subject to modification as needed.
1. Keep track of my calories and nutrition daily. (They have a nutrition tracking program on the site.) This prevents me from telling myself I still have room for that half-pint of Haagen Dazs.
2. Walk, yoga, or play outside daily.
3. Measure progress weekly.
4. Journal and watch for perfectionistic/fatalistic attitudes. (I tend to convince myself that anything I can’t do perfectly shouldn’t be done at all. I’m fun!)
The SparkPeople site is also for those who have already established healthy lifestyles and would like to work on smaller health goals. But their biggest success has been with those who want to establish healthy routines for the first time, which leads to weight loss, but doesn’t end in weight loss.
It combines social networking, blogging, and help from fitness/nutrition/psychology experts. Pretty helpful so far.
If anyone wants to join me, I’ll email a link to my page. We can make our own group!
You can tell me what to make with blackberries, besides cobbler.
That lunch looks so absolutely delicious, it’s killing me. Sounds awesome, all that you’re doing, and it sounds like a wonderfully healthy, not out-of-control crazy approach. So yeah for you!! Just don’t completely lose the “Paula Deen” in you, because you are an amazing baker, so you’ll just have to save her methods for special occasions.
P.S. How is hubby taking the change? =)
Wow, that looks soooooo….Healthy! Bet you’re getting hungry! We are having Taco Salad tonight…I’m sure there will be something green in it. Love you lots. I’m having grandkid withdrawals.
So I guess you don’t want to chocolate pie I made tonight…
I particularly love the happy plate you put it all on.
I’m with you on the road to heart disease (AND diabetes) as I weigh as much as I did the night I delivered my second child. . .and he weighed 10 1/2 pounds and birth. . .and is almost 8.
I have 9 school days left. . .and though I’m not over eating right now, the stress has turned into water retention–lots of stress–not enough sleep OR water. I will jump on board here soon.
Good for you! I think that’s awesome and am here to offer any encouragement you might need.
Holy crap! You can wrap macaroni and cheese in bacon and deep fry it????!!!! Of course I’ve lost 32 lbs since last July and darn if that doesn’t fit in my menu now. Sheesh, I miss all the good ones.
That’s awesome that you are doing this! You’re going to feel so much better, I know I do. And seriously…. If I can do it, you can do it! I am such an emotional eater, it’s a struggle, but I think it’s getting easier. Life style change is what it is.
So, WAY TO GO!!!!
That’s great! I’m so proud of you! Sign me up with that group and I’ll do it with you for sure. I just got back on the wagon again, and I’m off the bread and sugar once again, and back to smaller portions. It does make me feel so much better. This will be fun!!
I love the colors on that plate!
More colors on plates!
Yes, please, sign me up. I want to do this too.
I’m ready. I’m soooo ready.
Thanks, guys!
Steph and Madre, emails are out with the team address!