Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Sometimes I realize that I need to take a step back and think of all the things that make me happy.

Here are a few…

Watching Mallard do what he does best. 

 I have never seen anyone be a better father than he has been.

Playing outside with Snuffy on hot summer days …

My collection of hippy mama dresses…

 

Sobe Life Water in fuji apple pear…yum

UPDATE!  I just realized this has no calories or artificial sweetener.  But, it has 6 grams of carbs per serving.  That means 15 grams of carbs per bottle!!

….cross that off my favorites…I am now angry with Sobe lol

 

My handheld blender from cookware.com. 

 I love this thing almost as much as my pink KitchenAid stand mixer

Best. Gift. Ever.

 

My Dyson..best. vacuem. ever.  All the attachments are on the vacuem.  It’s so easy to use.  Trust me.  I use it at least 4 times a day.

 

T-shirts that say it so I don’t have to    So nice I bought it twice.

 

Barnes and Noble.  I love the atmosphere, the people …ahem…

the Starbucks

 

I have been there (BN) a few times recently…thanks Lindsay    …

for introducing me to my new favorite author

I finished these two books in a week!  That’s saying a lot for someone who reads hours worth of nursing literature for school

I was sad to be finished with them, so I picked up two more of Jen’s books

 

I have been using my reciepts for bookmarks…reduce, re-use, recycle and repurpose?? Anyone ??

However, I found  a bookmark with my new favorite quote.

 ”It is never too late to be what you might have been.”   -George Elliot

Naturally…

my favorite nut butter.

This is my favorite pic of Snuffy and Pedro

My favorite picture of my little sister and I.  We’re at my “Nan’s” house.  She always makes me feel good when I visit.

 

MGN Cake Batter flavored isolate…yum.  Unfortunately, I made a mistake and ordered “protein blend”  the last time. 

It’s not the same.  It does not mix well and it does not taste as good

 Another thing that makes me feel good is blogging.  I receive so much support from bloggers and readers. 

I have “met” so many incredible women.  So many of your blogs make me smile everyday. 

 So, what makes you happy?  What are a few of your favorite things?

The definition of insanity is

 ” doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

(not this type of insanity)

I have been counting calories for a very, very long time.  I have lowered my caloric intake. I have cycled calories.  I have cycled carbs.  I have not lost weight. 

The last time I was trying to lose weight was after I had my daughter.  I counted calories roughly and worked out with cardio only ( I’ve come a long way with my workouts   ) 

I lost weight until I got to my happy weight and then stopped worrying so much about it.  When I stopped worrying about it, I actually lost more weight due to stress at school

I’m not trying to go that low again.

  But, something occured to me while reading Intuitive Eating:

I tend to ignor my body’s signals and do what I think I should be doing to lose this weight.  Sometimes I eat when I’m not really hungry because I know I have “that many calories left” and I don’t want to wake up starving.  Sometimes, I don’t eat when I am hungry because I don’t want to go over my alotted calories.

I didn’t realize that putting on this weight has really messed with my head.  I really have to squash the fat talk

So, maybe, after all of this counting and calculating, cycling and refeeding…what I really need to do is listen to my body. 

It’s hard at first.  I asked myself what I wanted to eat today and I realized that I have no idea what I really want most of the time!  I am so used to eating according to health guidelines.  But I have noticed that I tend to crave healthy foods.  My body doesn’t want junk all the time but it doesn’t want to live on the same 10 foods either. 

What do you think? Are you a calorie counter?

I am challenging myself to stop counting!  It’s going to be hard since I have a pretty good idea of how many calories are in almost everything.  But, it’s driving me insane.  It has not been working for me , so why do I continue to count?!  Craziness. 

It’s been soooooo long… or at least that’s what it feels like.  

Let’s start where we left off.  Shall we?

I started reading Intuitive Eating last week and I could have easily finished the book.  If you are unfamiliar with the book ,(which most of you aren’t because I have seen this book all over health blog world), it is set up in steps.  The whole idea is that once you really truly give yourself permission to have whatever you want and you don’t feel guilty, your mind and body will find balance. 

Well, I got stuck on the step called “Honor Your Hunger”. 

I though I did honor my hunger until I really paid attention.  When I am working out  5-6 days a week, I do get hungry mid-morning but I have ignored it!  I’m usually at school or work or Whole Foods (I swear I don’t live there I just tend to be there mid-morning on Sundays). 

  So, I made an effort to honor my hunger and I feel fantastic about it.  I don’t get the lethargic feeling that I sometimes had.  I always attributed it to lack of sleep but who knew?! 

The book suggests making a list of food that I like and highlighting the things I don’t eat because of their nutritional profile or ingredient list.

  Holy guacamole (mmm…guacamole) that list was long! 

Let me be clear:  it’s not that I want these things so badly that I can’t stop thinking about them.  In fact, I enjoy many of these healthy substitutions just as much as the real thing.

Although there may be some snarky comments from “anonymous” people, I have decided to share the list with all of you.

Avoided FoodMy Background With This FoodNumber Of Years Since I’ve Eaten It	Substitution Food
Hot Fudge SundaeSome people are banana split people.  I have never been one of those people.   At least 4 Years	Instead I add pure vanilla extract, cocoa powder and Nustevia to Plain Oikos Greek Yogurt
Baked Russet (Idaho)  PotatoBaked potatoes were a part of many meals in my home when I was young.  I used to love mine with margarine and cottage cheese About  2 Years	Sweet potatoes have more fiber and vitamin A….I like sweet potatoes just as well so I usually eat them instead.
Real Pancakes …left gooey in the middle with margarine and light syrup…mmmm 3 Years	I make protein pancakes with Cake Batter flavored protein powder, Nustevia, free-range egg whites and I serve them with sugar-free syrup and spray butter.  I know the spray butter and sugar-free syrup is not exactly healthy…
Quaker Oatmeal Squares This was my fave cereal when I was young because my grandma always stocked it.   2.5 Years	I eat cereals that have less ingredients and no preservatives.  Plus Quaker has so many misleading advertisements that I hate to support the company.  Plus, Quaker Oatmeal Squares have double the calories of other cereals
Glazed Donuts (only if they are very fresh Krispy Cremes)2.5 Years
Powdered DonutsI used to love to eat soft powdered donuts with chocolate milk when I was pregnant.  But, I haven’t had them since childbirth.2.5 Years
Kashi Chewy Bars  (Chocolate Toffee or PB Chocolate)I used to have one everyday!  Then I realized how much sugar was in them…even if it is brown rice syrup 2 years
Supreme Protein BarsMallard loves these.  They taste like candy…for a reason!  The ingredient list is questionable and they have sugar alcohols LI ate on a few days ago J	I eat Pure Protein Bars instead.  They have a better ingredient list but they don’t taste as good
Pizza Hut CheesesticksThese were my one vice for a while after I gave birth.  I soon realized that they weren’t helping with my weightloss… 2 Years
Swiss Rolls and Fudge RoundsThese were my fave when I was young but my mom rarely bought snack cakes.  I don’t eat them now because Little Debbie uses so much partially hydrogenated oils and preservatives that the sugar is the least of my concern! 4 Years?
Cinnamon RollsI’m talking soft and gooey and sweet!  Not something in my diet.  Hello saturated fat and sugahhhh! 4 Years
Olive Garden Chicken Fettuccini AlfredoMallard and I use to split this meal once a week!  Lord knows what is in Olive Garden’s recipe.   3 Years	I have had Amy’s version and it’s pretty tasty but no Olive Garden lol
S’moresMmmmm…graham, chocolate, marshmallow.  I have seen graham crackers and marshmallows at WF that have a decent ingredient list.  I just can’t bring myself to eat so damn much sugar! 3 Years?	I have a s’more  Pure Protein Bar instead…not too bad.
Jell-O No Bake  Cherry CheesecakeThis is possibly my fave dessert ever!  I know that’s weird.  I now realize that it’s chock full of franken-food.  That ingredient list is appalling.   5 years…or more?

 

Now I’m wondering if the authors of Intiuitive Eating have got something here…  Am I 10-15 pounds over my “happy weight”  because I don’t indulge?

Am I hurting my cause by substituting with healthier alternatives?

What do you think?

Another portion of the book guides the reader in getting in touch with signals of fullness during meals and feelings and emotions before and during eating. 

I discovered that sometimes I did eat past my full point at dinner because I was afraid I would wake up in the middle of the night hungry.  Not good.  I also realized that my love of protein pancakes slathered in spray butter and smothered in sugar-free syrup (also not good, I know) is due to a need for comfort.  I have been medicating with fake comfort food…nice.

…and just maybe I have been eating so late because then my daughter is sleeping and I have me time. 

Knowing all of this takes the fun out of my me time meals….thank God.

So, I needed a new form of me time…

I saw this post (love this blog!) and I found great way to unwind.

I started the first one and I have almost finished it already.  Jen Lancaster may be the funniest woman alive.  Witty, smart….I can’t wait to buy her other books as well.

Last week was my first “meeting” with Alyson (my new health coach). 

I think she is going to be extremely helpful.

What she didn’t do was hand me a meal plan and workout routine and send my on my way.

She emphasized that we are creating a lifestyle now not just dieting down for some kind of event. 

I had been eating no carbs from grains or fruit.  The only carbs I was eating were those in my yogurt, natural PB and carrots in my bags of veggies. (Hey I was desperate to fit into my clothes!)

She told me that nixing carbs isn’t necessary.  So I have happily had some delicious carbs in small amounts during the day.

One of my goals was to eat within 2 hours of rising.  This coincided nicely with my quest to honor my hunger

UPDATE:  I received my first package from Alyson today!  It’s like Christmas in June!  So much great info.  I will post pics soon

I have come to realize that all of this is going to be a process.  My clothes aren’t going to fit next week or the week after

So, I bought a few “hippy mama dresses” (yes, I have dubbed them with that name).

This is my favorite.  I have 2 more and I am still adding to the collection

My other new purple fave:

I have seen April’s cooked cabbage meals for months now.  So I decided to give it a try! 

 I had forgotten how much I love cabbage!   I try to cook it when Mallard is out of town as he is (understandably) not fond of the smell

I also made kale chips for the first time in months.  For some reason red kale is cheaper than regular kale…?

Anyway, it tastes the same to me and the purple color is a fun change

You know your life is boring when you get excited about purple kale

I realized I never posted pics of the Mother’s Day gift that Snuffy made for me!

(You can see part of Snuffy’s real name on the pink hand.  Can you guess what it is?)

It’s a flower pot with her hand print and I love it!  However, the baby-sitter told me that she accidentally used washable crayola paints!  So, I have had to keep it away from water. 

Anyone know how I would go about sealing it with some sort of “clear coat”?

Mallard has been out of town all week and he will be gone the first half of next week too  

He was out for a few days 2 weeks ago and he really felt bad leaving Snuffy…

So he bought her the biggest inflatable pool I have ever seen in my life! 

Luckily, Mallard had  just built our huge deck a few weeks earlier…

Anyway… What is your opinion on Intuitive Eating? 

Have you ever considerding utilizing the services of a health coach?