Alright homies, I'm back.
I've been gone for a while, with not so favorable results (aka a ridiculous plethera of sugar-filled treats), so I'm back! Hopefully it will last this time.
We begin
TOMORROW!
Monday, March 2, 2015
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Breakfast
- scrambled eggs with peppers, 1/3 of a banana with a hecka-lot of peanut butter
Lunch
- PB sandwich on gluten free bread, one large carrot peeled and sliced, one large apple, handful and a half of gluten free pretzels
Dinner 1/snack (4:00)
- PB and chocolate moo'd from Jamba Juice, tortilla chips
Dinner 2 (11:00)
- pizza mentioned in prior post (gluten-free pie crust with peppers, onion, tomatoes, cheese, "rocket")
Nooooot super great, but not terrible.
- scrambled eggs with peppers, 1/3 of a banana with a hecka-lot of peanut butter
Lunch
- PB sandwich on gluten free bread, one large carrot peeled and sliced, one large apple, handful and a half of gluten free pretzels
Dinner 1/snack (4:00)
- PB and chocolate moo'd from Jamba Juice, tortilla chips
Dinner 2 (11:00)
- pizza mentioned in prior post (gluten-free pie crust with peppers, onion, tomatoes, cheese, "rocket")
Nooooot super great, but not terrible.
Monday, February 9, 2015
And so it begins... with a "whaaaaat?"
Today was an interesting day. I'd say it was moderately successful.
Breakfast
- None
Now, before you become concerned, this was a conscious decision. I recognize that makes it sound even more worse, but in truth, I was trying to listen to my body. I'd eaten so much this weekend and snacked and snacked and snacked that I was not even close to being hungry when I woke up. I didn't end up being hungry until around noon. Therefore, I feel justified. I believe that healthy eating includes not overeating. So there.
Lunch
- One PB sandwich on Udi's gluten free bread, one whole avocado eaten with a handful and a half of tortilla chips, one orange.
This was a lovely meal for a number of reasons. I appreciated it's variety in textures and tastes. The creamy avocado with the crunchy chips; the tongue squishing peanut butter with the dry, chewy texture of the bread; the juicy, pulpy orange. Love, love, love. It definitely didn't hurt that I ate it outside in Brigham's Square with the sun shining and a pleasant breeze blowing. Let me tell you, I was a happy girl for the half hour or so it took to eat my food. Simple pleasures are a real thing.
Success? I'd say, yes.
Was it pleasing to eat? Oh yeah!
Did it have a good variety of foods? Uh-huh!
Did it keep me full for a number of hours? You betcha.
[This may have been influenced by the lingering fullness from this weekend, but I am still well pleased.]
Dinner
- None (Two chocolate chip cookies?)
I just never got hungry. I mean, I was starting to get the tiniest bit rumbly in my tumbly as I was about to leave for FHE (Family Home Evening), but after I ate a cookie or two there, I wasn't hungry at all. This was a bit disappointing for me since I'd gotten everything ready to make a delicious pizza made with peppers, onions, tomatoes and a gluten-free pizza crust my sweet mother bought me. Maybe tomorrow?
Today truly has been odd. I only ate one meal! I guess we'll have to see what tomorrow brings.
Breakfast
- None
Now, before you become concerned, this was a conscious decision. I recognize that makes it sound even more worse, but in truth, I was trying to listen to my body. I'd eaten so much this weekend and snacked and snacked and snacked that I was not even close to being hungry when I woke up. I didn't end up being hungry until around noon. Therefore, I feel justified. I believe that healthy eating includes not overeating. So there.
Lunch
- One PB sandwich on Udi's gluten free bread, one whole avocado eaten with a handful and a half of tortilla chips, one orange.
This was a lovely meal for a number of reasons. I appreciated it's variety in textures and tastes. The creamy avocado with the crunchy chips; the tongue squishing peanut butter with the dry, chewy texture of the bread; the juicy, pulpy orange. Love, love, love. It definitely didn't hurt that I ate it outside in Brigham's Square with the sun shining and a pleasant breeze blowing. Let me tell you, I was a happy girl for the half hour or so it took to eat my food. Simple pleasures are a real thing.
Success? I'd say, yes.
Was it pleasing to eat? Oh yeah!
Did it have a good variety of foods? Uh-huh!
Did it keep me full for a number of hours? You betcha.
[This may have been influenced by the lingering fullness from this weekend, but I am still well pleased.]
Dinner
- None (Two chocolate chip cookies?)
I just never got hungry. I mean, I was starting to get the tiniest bit rumbly in my tumbly as I was about to leave for FHE (Family Home Evening), but after I ate a cookie or two there, I wasn't hungry at all. This was a bit disappointing for me since I'd gotten everything ready to make a delicious pizza made with peppers, onions, tomatoes and a gluten-free pizza crust my sweet mother bought me. Maybe tomorrow?
Today truly has been odd. I only ate one meal! I guess we'll have to see what tomorrow brings.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
So... Why?
Healthy eating has been a mystery to me ever since I moved away from home to begin my independent life.
Freshman year, I was terrified of spending an excess of money and in turn gaining an excess in weight. I also couldn't seem to justify leaving the library to eat food, so more often than not, I just wouldn't eat. The results of this lifestyle were a diet centered on rice and a 5 pound loss in weight. Not. Good.
Sophomore year, I swore never to submit myself to that again, recognizing that food is an important factor when it comes to general well-being. It started well, but the year ended in a dizzying stockpile of Cadbury chocolate eggs. (Too many people discovered my fondness for them).
This past summer, as a young performing missionary in Nauvoo, I had one of my most extreme transformations in my food habits. For the first half of my mission, I ate whatever I pleased. Ice cream, candy, overflowing plates of food, rolls upon rolls upon rolls... the list goes on. Treats were available, so I ate them. After the first month, I experienced my first anxiety attack. It threw me off guard. For the first time in my life, I felt I had no control of my body as emotion surged through it. I felt completely helpless. All I could do was sob and wish that I could breath enough to speak. A week or two later, a similar experience happened again. Then it happened again. I was miserable. Those around me suggested taking medicine for this anxiety, but I felt uncomfortable doing so without discussing it with my parents first. I was at a loss. One morning, I woke up earlier than usual. The house was quiet. As I stood in the steam and water of the shower, the realization hit me: Careful eating = happy Anna. Thus began my transformation.
A senior sister in my mission suggested a diet of just fruits and vegetables, so that is where I began. Let me tell you, with the rigorous schedule we were expected to maintain, that sort of food consumption just wasn't going cut it. I went through each step prayerfully and I slowly added food to my diet. Nuts came next, then meat, then rice, etc. By the end of the summer, I'd decided that gluten, milk and sugar were not for me. Everything else was fair game. Eating this way kept the anxiety at bay and allowed me to serve in the way I desired.
Starting my junior year, trying to maintain this diet was difficult. Feeding myself was hard enough when I was able to fall back on "poor college student" staples like PB and honey sandwiches and pasta. Now I had to fare with a restricted diet that didn't allow for most cereals, breads, or yogurt. Just look at what you eat and tell me that a majority of it doesn't have wheat, milk or sugar in it.
A semester and a half later, I've gotten pretty good at staying within my bounds... relatively. I've become familiar with a multitude of "safe" options, but at the same time, "binge" episodes have become a regular occurrence. I'll crack and spend a whole weekend eating any and all the "things" that are considered unacceptable normally. It's not the healthiest way of going about things, I know.
With the help and guidance of my sister, Phoebe, I've decided to reevaluate my relationship with food. Instead of leaning on extremes, I'm beginning to see the light in embarking on a more general quest for healthy eating. This blog will be the vehicle with which I explore the oft-times confusing world of food. Each day I will keep a record of what I've eaten and how those meals have helped or hindered. Maybe lunch didn't prove to be as sustaining as I'd hoped. Maybe I discovered the perfect snack for combating the "mid-afternoon slump." A certain dinner hit the spot, providing a diversity in nutrients, textures, and colors. It will all be here. Some days will be more disappointing than others, with crude meals and unsatisfactory results, but I guess that's the whole point. I'm creating a record of my successes and failures so I can better learn the way to go. As I embark on this journey of culinary discovery, feel free to leave comments, suggestions, recipes, encouragement... whatever your heart desires.
And so we begin!
Freshman year, I was terrified of spending an excess of money and in turn gaining an excess in weight. I also couldn't seem to justify leaving the library to eat food, so more often than not, I just wouldn't eat. The results of this lifestyle were a diet centered on rice and a 5 pound loss in weight. Not. Good.
Sophomore year, I swore never to submit myself to that again, recognizing that food is an important factor when it comes to general well-being. It started well, but the year ended in a dizzying stockpile of Cadbury chocolate eggs. (Too many people discovered my fondness for them).
This past summer, as a young performing missionary in Nauvoo, I had one of my most extreme transformations in my food habits. For the first half of my mission, I ate whatever I pleased. Ice cream, candy, overflowing plates of food, rolls upon rolls upon rolls... the list goes on. Treats were available, so I ate them. After the first month, I experienced my first anxiety attack. It threw me off guard. For the first time in my life, I felt I had no control of my body as emotion surged through it. I felt completely helpless. All I could do was sob and wish that I could breath enough to speak. A week or two later, a similar experience happened again. Then it happened again. I was miserable. Those around me suggested taking medicine for this anxiety, but I felt uncomfortable doing so without discussing it with my parents first. I was at a loss. One morning, I woke up earlier than usual. The house was quiet. As I stood in the steam and water of the shower, the realization hit me: Careful eating = happy Anna. Thus began my transformation.
A senior sister in my mission suggested a diet of just fruits and vegetables, so that is where I began. Let me tell you, with the rigorous schedule we were expected to maintain, that sort of food consumption just wasn't going cut it. I went through each step prayerfully and I slowly added food to my diet. Nuts came next, then meat, then rice, etc. By the end of the summer, I'd decided that gluten, milk and sugar were not for me. Everything else was fair game. Eating this way kept the anxiety at bay and allowed me to serve in the way I desired.
Starting my junior year, trying to maintain this diet was difficult. Feeding myself was hard enough when I was able to fall back on "poor college student" staples like PB and honey sandwiches and pasta. Now I had to fare with a restricted diet that didn't allow for most cereals, breads, or yogurt. Just look at what you eat and tell me that a majority of it doesn't have wheat, milk or sugar in it.
A semester and a half later, I've gotten pretty good at staying within my bounds... relatively. I've become familiar with a multitude of "safe" options, but at the same time, "binge" episodes have become a regular occurrence. I'll crack and spend a whole weekend eating any and all the "things" that are considered unacceptable normally. It's not the healthiest way of going about things, I know.
With the help and guidance of my sister, Phoebe, I've decided to reevaluate my relationship with food. Instead of leaning on extremes, I'm beginning to see the light in embarking on a more general quest for healthy eating. This blog will be the vehicle with which I explore the oft-times confusing world of food. Each day I will keep a record of what I've eaten and how those meals have helped or hindered. Maybe lunch didn't prove to be as sustaining as I'd hoped. Maybe I discovered the perfect snack for combating the "mid-afternoon slump." A certain dinner hit the spot, providing a diversity in nutrients, textures, and colors. It will all be here. Some days will be more disappointing than others, with crude meals and unsatisfactory results, but I guess that's the whole point. I'm creating a record of my successes and failures so I can better learn the way to go. As I embark on this journey of culinary discovery, feel free to leave comments, suggestions, recipes, encouragement... whatever your heart desires.
And so we begin!
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