What to eat? Isn't there a cheeseburger on the menu?

What to eat?  What do I eat?  Recently I was asked what my nutrition plan was called.  I didn’t have a medical answer as it is fitted to me and my body type.  My smart mouth answer was, “Fat girl with bad knees needs to lose weight and keep it off to avoid knee surgery Plan”.  Kind of long for a plan name but pretty much on point as to what I’m doing.

So what do I eat?  That seems to be the big question.  When you eliminate pasta, potatoes, sweets, soda, and alcohol, what is left for an Iowa girl to eat besides Iowa’s basic food groups (pork, beef, chicken, and corn).

This is a basic day (actually this is my every day, I don’t really deviate from this with the exception of what protein (meat) I have at lunch and supper.  May sound boring, but food should be fuel not entertainment in my case.

Breakfast:  1 egg/tortilla (made from cauliflower)

Snack:  Nuts/raisins

Lunch:  Chicken and veggies

Snack:  Protein bar

Supper:  Whatever my hubby grills

Water:  60 ounces or more each day (with Crystal Light)

This has basically been my daily food intake for 9 months.  I range around 40-60 grams of protein and stay at about 1000 calories a day.  Low carbs and low fat.  Not a lot of sugar and try to exercise 30-60 minutes which ranges from 250 calories to 400 calories burned each time.  I don’t drink anything or very little when I eat.  This way I get more protein and less filler before I become full, plus with the working out I need protein for muscle development.  I always eat my protein first and if I’m still hungry I eat whatever happens to be on the menu which is usually veggies or cottage cheese on occasion.  I take a multivitiman in addition to Vitamin D, Vitamin B, Vitamin A, Calcium, and biotin (for my hair and nails) as supplements.  Plus from my test I seem to be low in these things even with the multivitmin.

This is all with a doctor’s supervision and believe it or not, I’m not hungry, sometimes I have to make myself eat because I really don’t feel  hungry.   There are certain days of the month where I feel like I’m Godzilla descending on Toyko and could destroy any food in my path.  Those days are a little harder to maintain.  It’s also a good time to keep your distance and run away as I do get a bit of King Kong’s attitude after the planes are buzzing around his head at this time.

I tried Weight Watchers, which is a fine program for most.  I just didn’t “fit” in to this program.(Plus I found myself competing with others or feeling bad because someone else lost more, I know this isn’t the way they planned it but it was the way my thought process worked)  As I’ve gotten older, carbs seem to be my weakness but also seem to be harder for my body to process and turn into energy instead of fat on my backside, my front side and well every side.  Atkins is very restrictive and I know after looking at my daily food intake you are saying it looks like Atkins, well yes it does “look” like it, but looks can be deceiving.   I can have anything I want, just have to watch my portions, with Atkins you CAN’T have, which is more of a mental thing for me I suppose.  South Beach is similar, I tried taking vitamins galore and different programs that always sounded like the solution but when it came to reality, no matter how dedicated I was, there wasn’t enough guidance or motivation to be successful. I guess a looming double knee surgery and the possibility of not being able to walk well at 70 was enough motivation for me.

I need daily reminders to be positive.  Sometimes the smallest step into the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life.  Small steps take you to your end goal, it may not be as fast as running those steps but the distance to get there is the same, time is relative!

I find that I am generally happy most of the time.  I’m not dancing at my desk everyday (well, ok, you got me there, I like a good chair dance to a rockin tune to inject a little fun into my day and I’m also very well known for my drum solos at red lights in downtown Clarion, I believe I should start printing T-shirts to hand to the car next to me to promote my amazing musical talent), but I find I am more joyful.  Things don’t bother me as much as they used to. 

What seems to be my wall I have to climb is my reaction to those around me.  Sometimes I have to work a little to maintain my joy.  And I’m not trying to force feed happiness on the world, but I also think,(and I was one of these people at one time so I know what I’m talking about)  that if you are in such an unhappy place no one can change that situation but you.  Someone can come around and make you smile and brighten a bit of your day but if your heart is unhappy that is only a temporary fix.  And I’m the Queen of Temporary Fixes, or at least I was.

The person that was stopping me from being happy was me.  It wasn’t the people I worked with, wasn’t my family or friends, wasn’t the world in general, because they couldn’t fix the problem I had. 

Attitude is something we have and sometimes do not realize the impact it has on others.  On the rare occasion that I am quiet (yes, this is not something that is overly common and seems to illicit many a joke and giggle that it is even possible for me be such) I notice a complete change in those around me and how they approach or communicate with me.  No I’m not the piped piper of happiness nor am I the bringer of sorrow, but my quiet attitude within the first crossing of paths in a day does predetermine subconsciously how my day and perhaps theirs will go.  I don’t realize I’m doing it until after the fact but I do see how when my attitude changes effects those around me.  And when I’m joyful, joking, funny, and bubbly, this too also has an effect but a much brighter one that seems to lighten people faces if only for that moment I cross their path.  ( I wonder if I get extra steps on my FitBit for all this path crossing, I think I should at least get 10 extra calories knocked off my FitnessPal app for a bubbly day, but then again maybe I should be added 50 calories for one of my quiet days, thank goodness they don’t happen that often.  Now wouldn’t that be an app to create, something similar to a mood ring, but you get points or gummy bears or something for a positive and happy outlook and maybe a little zap of electricity for when you are being a big poop.  Ok it’s only in the idea stage but you get my drift).

So look for your happy.  Take a minute and look around at all that you have, not what you don’t have.  Are you better now than you were 10, 5, or even 1 year ago? I know I am, and I strive to make each day count.  I really think most of my journey has been 40% effort, 60% mental, because once you make up your mind to do it and decide that is just the way it will be, the actual effort of doing it doesn't seem as hard.

So have a peachy month of July for the year is going quickly and this month is the start of the 2nd half of the year.  Before we know it we will see school supplies, Halloween decorations, Thanksgiving turkeys, and Christmas trees all over.  So until next week my friends, choose to be happy, that's half the battle.

Have a peachy 4th of July Holiday to All!