Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Wednesday Check-In

I haven't felt much like checking in lately, especially since I've just been maintaining, but I thought I'd at least document the journey that I've been on the past month or so. I'm still about 45 pounds to goal (down 36 from my starting point), but I'm thrilled that I haven't been gaining.

I've been on a big reading binge this summer. First I started with Good Calories, Bad Calories, which led me to The Omnivore's Dilemma, followed by In Defense of Food, Nourishing Traditions, The Maker's Diet, and Wild Fermentation. Next up is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle--I can't wait.

I've been spending a lot of time reading and researching, and I've recently been experimenting with a lot of recipes which, for me, is a Very Big Deal. I feel proud that the food that I'm feeding my family at home has no chemicals or preservatives--not even a single ingredient that I can't pronounce or purchase myself at the co-op.

We haven't had fast food since the end of June, except for one stop on the way to Duluth--it used to be every day, sometimes even twice a day for me. I can't remember the last time I felt guilty about what I was handing my kids to eat--which is saying a lot since it used to be several times a day that I'd beat myself up for feeding them so much crap.

I've been able to stop my sugar binging and have found that even if I slip and go a little crazy at an event away from home, I've been able to get right back on the wagon with my food at home.

I've stayed firm in my resolve to avoid relying on running to lose weight. I want to get solid in my food and add running later when I feel like it--not because I have to. I've been walking the dog each day now that it's cooler just to get out and connect with nature--cheesy, I know, but totally awesome. I'd been feeling depressed for a few weeks and one day when I took the dog down by the river, I realized it was because I was missing that connection (with the outdoors and with myself) that I had previously gotten by running. Now I try to get out with the dog, by myself if possible, at least once a day. I discovered I have a craving to walk on the grass--not just a cement sidewalk or asphalt path--so I've been making sure to get down by the river where I can indulge myself that way. It has been making a huge difference (along with the food) in my mood and my outlook.

Now that I'm feeling steady with the quality of my food, I feel ready to move forward and work with the quantity of it. For the next week, I'm going to commit to myself that I will not eat after 7:30 p.m., and I won't snack between meals.