ch-ch-changes...

I've read Christy's post this morning, and that got me thinking...

In the past two years, I had made significant changes to my diet. I have to admit, though, that it was my DH's initiative, not mine. We started reading labels on all kinds of foods that we were eating, and with that, eliminating and substituting some of our staples. It started simple enough - we looked for hydrogenated oils and other yucky stuff that shouldn't be consumed (like trans fats, etc). And then, it was anything artificial in the ingredients list that would turn us off from any particular item: artificial flavours, colours, added sugar, glucose, fructose... you get the idea.

And then I realized that I have to give up eating sweeteners. Mind you, I wasn't even eating that much, just one with my one cup of coffee a day. But I learned to love coffee with just milk. That's it, just milk. I really didn't want to go back to adding sugar.

Since we moved to Ottawa a year and a half ago, we started eating more organic food as well. And fish. (We live close to downtown, so we are very close to the Byward Market, where we go to a fish store to buy fresh fish, and veggies from the farmer's market, when they are in season).

So we are eating fairly well overall, I think. (If you're wondering why I'm not stick thin.... well, it's because my sweet tooth doesn't give me a break, but I'm dealing with is as best as I can). And my husband is in a very good physical shape - he is actually always worried that he's loosing weight! I wish I had that problem...

Anyways, since we decided to try and get pregnant some time in the future, I decided to give up a couple of other things that I know are not doing my body any good. Alcohol. It's been about three weeks. I know that I could have it in small quantities (I only had a glass of wine on Fridays, really), but I now choose not to. I figure, it will be easier later. And caffeine. Buy buy my one cup a day of coffee! I've been coffee-free for two weeks... and I'm actually okay! I drink a bit of green tea in the morning, and that's it. My latest drink of choice had been a piece of lemon and hot water... it actually tastes good, I get to drink something hot, and it's good for me!

In the next post, I'll write about my next challenge - re-thinking animal products.... :)

It's raining... yay!

No, I'm not actually happy about the rain per se, but I'm happy it's getting warmer and I can smell the spring in the air! (any other time I actually hate rain).

So I've been feeling quite happy lately. You know, the kind of quiet 'happy' feeling, when you're just smiling to yourself, and everything in your life is going okay... Like on Monday I've tried to "throw" a pot (a funny expression in ceramics world used for building a pot using the wheel... you know, like in the movie "Ghost"?). I've made two small bowls, and it was hard, but rewarding. I don't know why, but I felt so good afterwards. Like I've acomplished something important (it was my first time, mind you).

It must be spring.

Although getting up in the morning is a bit of a challenge since the time change on Sunday, but I've been doing great so far. I've made it to the gym on Monday and today, and I've walked everyday to work.

I've decided not to weigh myself anymore. It just sets of the cycle of "oh, I'm doing so good I can't screw it up now," and "oh crap, now I've scewed up!". I'm trying to just feel and look. And feel good about myself. It's hard; getting on the scale was so much easier. But I will not let it control my self-worth anymore. I keep telling myself - if I do some physical activity every day, my four days a week of weights, and eat as well as I can - it cannot get that bad!

I also find the support group (eating disorders) quite helpfull. I feel that my feelings towards food are valid, the love and hate relationship and such... I'm not the only one. I can talk about my weird ways without people judging me. I know that I don't have a full-blown e.d., but it's not a competition of who's sicker... lol I actually find the meetings to be quite similar to meetings at WW, only we talk much more in depth about our feelings towards food, coping strategies and really trying to understand why we eat the way we eat. I know "how" to eat healthy, but it's the will that's lacking sometimes. I need to understand why. Why does a seemingly rational and healthy eater continue to eat after they are full? Questions like this I need the answers to.

So all in all, I'm doing okay. :)

Singles?

I'm talking about chocolate of course... what else? Lately there seems to be an abundance of chocolate bars in a"single" serving format that is usually about 100cal.

The conclusion that I came to today - don't buy the pack, it's not worth it! After eating three (3!) Kit-kat singles, I'm vowing not to buy anymore packs of these. What works for me is going to the convenience store and buying ONE. I'm not great at controlling myself when it comes to food (well, obviously...), especially chocolate.

Lesson learned.