Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Diets and Identity Crises



I'm sipping my favorite smoothie from this 21-day EatFatGetThin challenge:  Dr. Hyman's Green Breakfast smoothie.  (Recipe at the end of this post.)  The button on my jeans is unbuttoned as I sit here, which tells you something about how thin I'm getting.

A lot of folks on this challenge are complaining noticing little weight loss.  Granted, Dr. Mark Hyman doesn't promise weight loss, but thin is in the title.  Because I lost only 3 pounds, then gained one back, I decided to measure my waist, hips and thighs this morning.   In 17 days: Waist -1" smaller.  Hips - no change.  Thighs - 1 1/2" smaller.  Truth be told, I am wearing my smallest jeans.  But still, what's with this muffin top?  Another 30, 60, 90 days to take care of that?  I won't bore you with the list of no-no's I'm enduring.   I'm trying to forget they exist, but I did list them last post.

There's no denying that some of the recipes on this plan are delicious.  Most, actually.  I've prepared dozens.  However, I want it known that I do not believe a single word written in EatFatGetThin about prep time.  5 minutes prep for a 10 ingredient smoothie?  So, I am adjusting.  Multiply prep time by 6.  Chill out.  I have finally adjusted to the fact that meals are 60% prep time, 15% eating, and 25% clean-up. 

My fridge is having an identity crisis.  Mexican take-out and pizza boxes and cartons of milk once filled it.   Now frilly green things are spilling out.  And my poor kitchen!  A food processor sits where my coffee machine used to be.  A cutting board sits where my cat's bowls and food used to be.   A blender sits where my stereo speaker used to be.  Two new bottle brushes sit next to the sink.  They clean the bottles I store my homemade nut milk in.   Nut milkEasy!  Soak nuts overnight, blend with plain water, drink within four days.  DIY coconut milk:  Dig pulp out (thought I was going to say out of a coconut?), blend with plain water, keep several days.   If you actually want taste in your milk, pour in unsweetened vanilla and pretend.  Oh, dear. Morning coffee just isn't the same.  Last week I snuck into Starbucks and treated myself to a latte with coconut milk.  My God, the coconut milk Starbucks uses is like drinking pure cotton candy.  I tried valiantly, but I could not choke my $4.75 latte down.  On Easter, I treated myself to a glass of red wine.  Or tried to.  Pure syrup.  Two sips and I was through.  Add taste bud crisis to the list.

The only appreciative participant in all this is my body.  It feels like it's just rolled off the assembly line.  It feels like it is over its own very long identity crisis.  Crap.  I have tons of zip.  I exercise at least an hour a day and don't ache a bit afterwards.  I've even met my indoor cycling goal:  5 minutes cycling standing up x 3 for a total of 15 minutes per workout session.   Maybe...Next week, weather permitting, this babe is going out for the local club's 28 mile bike ride down to Long Island Sound and back.

Weird.  Weird.  Weird.  Happy and clear headed is my new normal.  Even around family.  You know, if you've been following me at all, that I can take my family only in very small doses.  I visited my family at Easter and felt the family love.  Good Lord.  They hadn't changed.  I had Between this PTSD recovery and this diet,  a new leaf has flipped over.  Will the real GowitheFlow please stand up?

Memo to body: I'm sneaking off my diet on Day 19 for my birthday.  What better time to load up on syrup and cotton candy?

Seriously, would you stay on this diet? 

Green Breakfast Smoothie   5 minutes prep time

1 lemon, quartered (washed and unpeeled)  No way am I going to eat a lemon with its rind and seeds, so peeling takes 5 minutes.
1 whole avocado, peeled and pitted
2 stalks celery
2 cups spinach
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 bunch cilantro  I remove stems
1 organic cucumber (washed and unpeeled)  I don't buy organic cukes, so I peel.
1 teaspoon organic extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt
filtered water (as needed for desired consistency)

Blend until smooth.  Nutritional analysis: calories 420, fat 30 grams, saturated fat 5 g, cholesterol - mg, fiber 23 g, protein 12 g, carbohydrate 36 g, sodium 180 mg.

Sip smoothie like fine wine. 

9 comments:

  1. It sounds like a healthy brain diet and very good for you BUT I could not/did not stick with something like that with all the prep-work involved. More power to you for doing it!

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  2. Sticking with it - ah, there's the rub, the lonely rub. All that prep time all by my lonesome. (cue the violins..) I guess with some finesse I could cut prep time down some. Any cooks out there with an opinion?

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  3. Good for you! Feeling healthy and strong should be the goal, not weight. But honestly, no I could not drink that alone for every meal. Three of those would be over my calorie requirements, since in my dotage I seem to only require 3 calories per day to not gain fat! I do more of a clean eating diet and hoping to one day get back to my 3 miles per day of power walking. I'm just not there yet. I am ever so happy to hear this is making you feel so much better.

    **blows kisses**
    Deborah

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    1. Hi Deborah! Yeah, it's how we feel inside that counts. It's so hard to get my head around calories. Maybe everything falls into place with clean eating. Clean eating is so perfect. I wish you the best and brightest spring!

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  4. OHMYGOSH!!! If it makes you feel that great, you gotta keep it up! Probably by the time your birthday comes around and you eat "regular" food, you will feel very sick the next day. I applaud you for your tenacity!!!

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  5. I guess I should continue this :-P The Facebook community, 877 members strong, plus the coaching conference calls, are responsible for my tenacity. Me, myself, and I are not nearly as tenacious!

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  6. Good for you! Whatever works to keep you on track.

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  7. YOU are amazing. I (obviously) couldn't do it. AND you are doing this the right way ... intake and exercise. As I sit here and type ....

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  8. LOL as I sit here and type back, AW...drinking my green "breakfast" smoothie at 4:35pm.

    I admit I wished my inner kiddo Happy Birthday this weekend with scones, fudge, and wine. purrrrfect

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