I had a conversation with one of my students the other day, one that is a reoccurring conversation amongst my students.
It went something like this.
Student: “I’m tired of trying to lose weight.”
Me: “Tell me about it.”
This woman was ready to give up trying to lose weight. The process seemed too slow, too demanding.
I understand, I get it. I’m currently in the thick of it. Weight loss ain’t easy. Our bodies are biologically adapted to survive, to withstand all the wiles of an unforgiving environment, one in which famine, drought, and other environmental factors play a role. We are wired to eat, to drink, to sleep. It’s part of basic, instinctual survival. If we don’t get food, water, sleep, our bodies let us know, and it’s not pleasant.
But what if we have excess fat stores, stores meant to get us through times of famine? And further, what if the famine, the kind that used to exist on a somewhat regular basis, rarely occurs, at least in industrialized nations like the United States? Then were stuck with fat, and it doesn’t go away easily. This is just how nature has intended it. I’m afraid I’m guilty of occasionally cursing nature for this highly efficient protective mechanism. But once I realize that I need to work with nature, and not against it, things become easier. Not easy, but easier.
Jeff Novick, R.D., and others in the plant-based diet movement, emphasize understanding the importance of calorie density as it relates to weight management.
Simply put, the more processed a food is=more calorie dense, less processed=less calorie dense. If you were to make a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least calorie dense, 10 being the most calorie dense, here’s roughly what it would look like:
1-5, in order of least to most, these are just a few examples: celery, mushrooms, cabbage, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cooked oatmeal, vegetable soups, bananas, apples, grapes, most other fruits, broth based soups, potatoes, peas, Lima beans, whole corn, squash, pasta, beans, cooked grains.
6-10 range: breads, crackers, juice, milk, granola bars, meat, cheeses, nuts, ice cream, fried foods, oils, butter, lard.
After nearly a month of using Weight Watcher’s point system, it has become glaringly obvious that it is SO much easier for me to stay within my allotted points if vegetables and fruits provide the foundation of my diet. I am not one who can eat less. Some people can, and they lose weight. Not I. Blame it on my hunger drive, which is usually in full gear and says, “eat, eat, eat!”
Here are a few things that have been working for me:
1) I try to practice mindfulness. Am I really hungry? Or am I just eating to eat? Pause, savor, reflect.
2) I try to stick to a pretty predictable eating schedule. Nothing too extraordinary here. Just eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with snacks as needed. If I skip meals, I generally end up making up for it at the next meal, so it’s not really worth it to skip meals.
3) Heavy on the veggies. Vegetable soups, steamed vegetables, raw salads.
4) Fruit for dessert (but sometimes I do indulge in more elaborate desserts, see #6. Bananas tend to hit the spot. For snacks I like apples, any kind of berry, or pears.
5) I allow myself dessert. I’ve decided I don’t enjoy life as much without the occasional chocolate chip cookie, piece of cake with ice cream, or cinnamon roll (my husband made some AMAZING vegan cinnamon rolls yesterday, I will share his recipe in the next post). There’s room enough for dessert, even when trying to lose weight, you just have to be smart about it. One cookie, not 6, one serving (1/2 cup) of ice cream not 5. What’s life without dessert?
6) Light on the snacking between meals. If I’m really hungry between meals, I try to stick with fruits or raw veggies.
Here are some of the meals I’ve been eating lately. But first, another picture of Sal (almost 8 weeks old!). J was taking care of her while I was at work. When I came home, I found her here:
Apparently the swing calmed her right down.
On to the food.
As you will see, I try to keep things fairly basic, and don’t use a lot of recipes just because I’m usually short on time, but rather just put ingredients together. None of these meals took more than 15 minutes to make.
Meal #1: Raw carrot sticks, steamed veggies (out of the big Normandy Blend frozen vegetable bags available at Sam’s Club or Costco), kidney beans, sauteed chard (sauteed in a little water, seasoned with Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb blend, a little fresh lemon juice & some salt), shirataki fettuccine noodles (they are the best! gluten free and made from tofu, only 40 calories for 8 oz.) seasoned with plain soy yogurt and Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb blend with a little salt.
Meal #2: My birthday breakfast. My favorite whole-grain (oats, millet, and flax) waffles. The recipe comes from the Seven Secrets Cookbook (check it out in my Amazon store). These waffles are pretty spectacular. Topped with Silk’s plain soy yogurt (I added some stevia to the yogurt to make it a bit more sweet), fresh berries, with a side of steamed asparagus.
Meal #3:Coleslaw (I buy the bagged shredded cabbage/carrot mix from Sam’s Club–LOVE this stuff! I add it to everything!) seasoned with white balsamic vinegar, brown rice, black beans, chopped tomato, sprouts, and plain soy yogurt for “sour cream.” Doused generously with Tabasco sauce, I can’t help myself, I like it spicy.
Meal #4:Fiesta salad. This salad was HUGE! I ate the whole thing. Lots and lots of greens (romaine lettuce, mixed greens (again, I buy mine pre-washed from Sam’s Club), sliced mini-peppers, green beans (defrosted frozen green beans, bought in bulk in the frozen section at Sam’s, geeze, I swear I’m NOT a spokesperson for Sam’s Club!), celery chunks (I love the texture and crunch that small pieces of chopped celery add to a salad), about 1/3 cup of vegan Cheddar rice cheeze shreds, lots of salsa, a bit of vegan ranch (I made myself), AND forgive me purists, because this is not a whole food, but a tablespoon of imitation bacon bits.
Meal #5:Sauteed rainbow chard, onions, red peppers. Slices of avocado and red pepper strips. Toasted corn tortillas (warmed up on a cast iron skillet). Jicama slices with a side of salsa.
Stayed tuned for J’s amazing vegan cinnamon rolls, coming up, next post.
Stayed tuned for J’s amazing vegan cinnamon rolls, coming up, next post.
Comments