A Fresh Start, Part 3- When a Control Freak Has No Control

So...getting the food under control.

I am insanely jealous of people who find it so easy to eat to live rather than live to eat. I fall into the live to eat category. Some of the best memories of my whole life involve sitting around a dining room table or in a restaurant with family and/or friends. I don't know what it is like in other places, but in the South, we show how much we love you by feeding you and vice versa.

My nutritionist and I spent the first 30 minutes of my first visit with her just talking. I am confident that her first impressions were:

1. This woman is crazy.
2. This woman is lazy.

Then we talked about water. Not sure why exactly, but I can drink my coffee in the morning and not drink another drop all day. I just don't get thirsty. I can eat an entire meal and not take a sip of any sort of liquid.  I liked juice alright. And Pepsi. And sweet tea. Not a fan of water. Crazy, right?  I agreed that I could drink 40 oz of water a day for a month.  And I almost did.  Just not quite.  BUT, four months later I am still almost doing that. Weekdays are easy but weekends not so much. I'm a work in progress.

And then...THEN...there is sugar. If sugar was alcohol or drugs I would be a falling down out of my mind sugarholic. Again, I am far from perfect but have gotten a whole lot better. The water helps with everything. And a lot of prayer which helped me summon up uncommon willpower. I get sort of sad on the rare occasion that I decide to "treat myself" to a Pepsi.  It doesn't taste good to me anymore. I shouldn't be sad about that, but I am.

A lot has changed about what I enjoy. Things I used to like a lot, salmon for instance, just don't do it for me anymore. Fried food?  Nope. Not to mention that my body will turn on me in an instant when I eat something I shouldn't. Not sick...just lethargic. Hank asks me every morning...what do you want for supper?  I just don't care that much anymore. COULD IT BE?  Could it POSSIBLY be that I'm evolving into a person who Eats to Live??

A few strategies we are employing at home during the work week...and yes, Hank is getting on board with me:

1. Fresh lean meats and fresh vegetables only for dinner during the week. Baked, broiled, pan-seared, sauteed or roasted. Olive oil as needed...sparingly.

2. Wasa crackers are the best things ever.  Put a small smear of Smuckers All Natural Peanut Butter and some all fruit type orange marmalade or other of your choice on top and munch munch munch.

3. Smart Pop 100 calorie bags of microwave popcorn. Eat one kernel at the time while watching TV at night. Wash it down with a bottle of water with Motts Apple Singles To Go added.

4. Breakfast every single day. A Kind bar or a Special K To Go shake. Plain fat free yogurt with a touch of honey, homemade granola and fresh berries was a big hit during berry season.

Next time:  I have to exercise?????  Just kill me now.