This year has been a year of change. I quit smoking, I drink less alcohol, I got engaged, and now I'm eating better. I'd add that I started an exercise regiment, but, to be honest, I only stuck with it for about a week. I'm preparing for a lot of other life changes as well, like buying a home. Like I said, a lot of change! It feels good.
Now, I've never been overweight or anything, so that wasn't really my main reason for eating better. It's really just a health issue. I mean, I am/was known for my obsession with McDonald's Happy Meals. I still love them, I just love them less often. I also lived off of preservative rich foods: pizza rolls, pasta using canned pasta sauce, frozen dinners, gas station food, lunchables, etc. If it was easy, I probably ate it for dinner. If I continued this way, I was probably going to die at age 45 with a Hot Pocket in hand.
It started with Tyler taking on the cooking responsibilities. He uses all fresh ingredients, and so I started to really get used to eating better at home. Then, I quit smoking, and in an effort to save even more money, I decided to start bringing my lunch to work. I started bringing frozen dinners, which wasn't overly healthy, but I tried to choose dinners with less calories at first. Then I started reading more into the labels. Eventually, I realized the frozen dinners were not much healthier, just less fattening, and I started making lunches. Typically a spinach salad and a sandwich, or some variation. It's gotten to the point that I'm not sure I am going to be able to get any healthier in the ways of food. I'm considering converting to a pescetarian diet, but, with Tyler doing all of the cooking at home, I think I'll need to have a little leeway. As it stands, I probably am about...70% pescetarian. I'm going to shoot for 80% and leave well enough alone. I like sandwiches, and I can only eat tuna fish so often. I may start with some black bean or veggie patties or something in the future, but then I run into preservatives again, and I want to avoid that.
I really only have two major weaknesses. One, is lunchmeat. I like to buy fresh from the deli, but it starts to go bad way too quickly. I'd buy less, but then I run out after just a few days, and I hate going to the grocery store that often. So, I buy the prepackaged stuff with ingredients that are a mystery.
Then, there's the biggie. Sugar. I cannot for the life of me give it up or cut down. In fact, I don't even want to. It's not like I sit there, eating my cookies, hating myself. No way, I'm PUMPED for that ice cream cone, or cake, or candy bar. IDGAF. Gimme candy! I've read a few places that fruit can be a great substitute. Fuck. That. No way, fruit is not chocolate. Fruit sucks. It's slimy, sour, and gross. The only acceptable fruits, in my opinion, are apples and bananas (I'll eat the occasional couple of grapes mixed in with a chicken or turkey salad, too). And those are morning snacks. Not treats. Thinking about replacing chocolate with fruits actually makes me a little angry. Which is why no one I know personally has ever suggested the transition. I also have to drink 1 diet cola a day. At least while I'm working. Which also has sugar. This, I think I may actually be able to phase out once I get a carbonated water system. I started brewing my own iced tea, so that's where I will get my caffeine. I'll get my carbonation (I don't know why I need carbonation, it's just something I like) from my homemade carbonated water, I suppose.
I'm not having major drastic physical changes, which is fine, since my goal wasn't to lose weight. But, I do feel a lot better. I went from being nauseated pretty much half of the time to almost never. Unless I eat something weird, or I'm really hungover. So, that was a huge bonus. I also have been getting sick much less often, but that could be attributed to my vitamin regiment. Either way, it's all working to my advantage.
I have no idea why anyone might find this blog interesting. I just like to talk about food. Especially candy. So I did. Sorry, dude.
By the way, the food pyramid changed. It's a plate, now.
It's supposed to represent what your plate should look like at any given meal. I call it ruining my childhood memories. Bring back the pyramid!
Posts
You know why they changed the food pyramid to a plate? Because people are stupid.
ReplyDeleteMy sister is a pescatarian and she eats a lot of fresh veggies and stuff, but also the processed vegetarian foods (morningstar farms, etc), but it's probably an overall healthier lifestyle than a lot of Americans.
The last year or so, I've tried to start eating better too. It's difficult when you live with and cook for someone who is very meat and potatoes. Some days I also just DO NOT want to cook when I've had a long day at work, so those times are challenging. I also find that if I go through the entire week without eating any fast food, by the time the weekend comes, I'm craving cheese fries and jack in the box tacos LOL
I love that they think because they practically drew out a meal plan that people will actually follow it. People are dumb, and it may help them visualize what their meal SHOULD look like, but people want what they want. Not to mention, who the hell is going to eat that much variety in one meal? That is just way too much work.
ReplyDeleteI typically eat the worst when Tyler and I are feeling lazy and don't want to cook, as well. Tyler is more of a meat and veggies guy (potatoes included) so we get a lot of variety with veggies, but there's almost always meat. He's probably the sole reason I couldn't go 100% pescetarian. That, and sandwiches.
I only crave fast food when someone else is eating it, but it passes quickly, like a cigarette craving. haha