Thursday, September 22, 2011

Day 21

Hi everyone, I know some of you are doing well, others not so well, on the 6-week challenge.   I feel for the strugglers.  I made some mistakes today and will try to learn from them.  Here's today's lunch at "Cafe Glacier Point" (we're sitting on very comfortable rocks, not in a real cafe).    

I couldn't finish it because I was full, because....we stopped at this fruit stand, and got some really good fruit.  and some fresh brazil nuts, and some dates!   uh-oh!   Here I am already digging into the grapes, which were yummy.  

So were the peaches.   Unfortunately I ate too many brazil nuts and dates.  I rationalized the nuts saying I don't eat as much nuts as Dr. Fuhrman recommends so it's okay to eat more today, and they are fresh and not rancid like the ones I often get in Wisconsin.  Okay, that actually made some sense (I'm a clever girl).  Dr. Fuhrman recommends at least 1 oz of nuts per day.  I usually prefer eating less most of the time and then more on occasions.  For the dates, I was rationalizing that they might be fresher in California.   As it turned out, the nuts were better than the ones I get in Wisconsin and the dates were pretty much the same, as they are dried fruit after all.   Anyway, once I started eating them, it was hard to stop.

So what should I have done differently?  hmmm.  The nuts were great, I don't regret eating them but I ate too many, past fullness.  One or two dates would have been enough but I ate several more.  I'm not that huge a date fan because they are almost too sweet for my tastes.  On the other hand, eating them makes me feel like I got a treat and that's a nice feeling.  So how do I prevent myself from overeating them next time?   Maybe I should decide how much I will eat before I start eating them, dole them out, and put the rest away.  And maybe I should wait until mealtime to eat them.  Then it's more of a ritual.  I do like Dr. Fuhrman's idea of eating only at meal times.  Well, I'd like to think I'll do better next time so I'll give it a try!

6 comments:

Ginger said...

During this challenge, I've had quite a health challenge. I couldn't figure out why I was so sick after eating to live for such a long time. Celiacs is the verdict. That cuts my food choices but not as much as I thought it would. I had already given up wheat, because it seemed to give me a tummy ache and my homemade pasta, tortillas, and bread were too hard to resist. Now oats are out, which I never really ate much of. And the occasional bread stick or cracker are definitely no-nos. And I've finally broken the plateau. DF says at my height I should weigh about 95-98, and now I do. This challenge has been a real blessing to me. Thanks...I think CA is such a beautiful place....out in the country.

kneecap said...

wow, Ginger, that is fantastic. Maybe it's bad news that you have Celiacs but great news that you discovered it, and have solved your health problems! Yeah, it's pretty easy to go grain-free on this diet. I like to eat cooked grains in soup like barley and wheatberries and wild rice, but I find that starchy vegetables, beans, and fruit are all more desirable that the more processed grains. It's a change of habit and makes you different from everyone else but the food itself tastes quite good.

TejasJJain said...

I am doing well (except my night time snack issue).
I have not lost a single pound since I started and I woudl attribuet it to my night time snack. I am very good till 9 but then...

ttujill said...

Ginger,

Just curious why you can't eat oats. I am able to buy gluten free oats with no sensitivity. I am so happy for you that you found out. I found out I was gluten sensative a year and half ago after going to doctors for 13 years and finally one told me he thought it might be gluten and that I should try an elimination diet. It changed my life, all my symptoms went away, I had more energy and finally I was able to lose weight. It made me realize how much gluten was in processed food and made me really start to think about everything I was eating and how it was affecting my body and eventually led me to E2L eventually. I weighed 220 when I found out, now I am down to 155 and finally have a "normal bmi". I am so excited you found out and are feeling better. Not sure how long ago you found out or if you have discovered lots of gluten free resources yet, but wanted to offer to help if you have not because I made a ton of mistakes during my first 3 months or so .

-Jill

kneecap said...

TejasJJain, how are you doing on the snacking? Maybe try just tonight not snacking and see how it goes?

Jay le Fay said...

I love the picture!! absolutely gorgeous!!