My artwork has been derailed by my quest to have a healthier life and lose, (cough, cough) lbs.
In the immortal words of Canyon, I have found the eating plan I've been waiting my whole life for. Four meals a day are planned according to meal timing, portions, combinations of foods and food quality. It's a lot how we're eating already except I won't be eating ALL the leftover cake, pie, dessert or any other sugary thing I can get my hands on... and yikes, I have even given up my diet coke and most processed foods... I was partially eating the right foods, just not in the right combinations or portions.
The 1st meal is eaten within an hour of waking up and the rest are spaced 3-5 hrs. apart.
Each meal is constructed from 5 pieces: 1. Produce 2. a whole grain 3. lean protein 4. plant-based fat 5. seasonings It sounds like tons of work but the format of the book makes it easy to understand and put together. It does help to do a bit of preparation so Sunday morning is our time to go to the grocery store (with a well-planned list) & then we come home & cut up all the veges we'll be using that week. Knowing what I'll make each day, and having it already partially prepared totally cuts out all the binge eating I do before I can get the meal made.
It goes like this:
Stuffed Red or Green Bell Peppers
Produce: 1 whole red or green pepper, 1/4 c. chopped red onion, 3/4 c. diced zuchinni
Whole grain: 1/2 cup cooked wild rice
Lean protein: 1/3 cup Quorn crumbles (extra lean turkey if you're not a vegetarian)
Plant-based fat: 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Seasonings: 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon herb seasoning
Cut the top off the pepper and remove the seeds & membranes. Saute the onions, zuchinni, and seasonings in the olive oil until tender. Mix in the rice and crumbles. Fill the peppers and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 25 min. or 45 minutes to an hour if you're cooking more than one.
I started this 2 weeks ago and I'm happy to say I've practically lost all of my sweet cravings and no longer raid the refrigerator at midnight of every possible leftover that Andrea hasn't eaten already AND I've lost 4 lbs. I'm having a lot of fun with it by putting all my foods in an online calorie counter (although you don't count calories... but it also keeps track of all the foods nutrients.... fats, sugars, protein, etc.)
http://www.everydayhealth.com After each meal I eat I can see how my nutrients break down & how much over & under I am on my daily allowance. I don't think of this as a big time waster, but more of educating myself on how to maximize my ability to make healthier choices.
