A Goal Post

Well, even though the scales struggle to register any significant changes, and even though I know I have a long way to go to reach my goals, I am still excited that I am living a healthier life now. It's really quite ironic. For years I was this on-again-off-again type of person, knowing that I needed to exercise and eat properly and yet doing the exact opposite. I remember weeks when I would literally have a stash of junk food in my bedroom and I would steadily work my way through the items, alternating sweet and salty so the "high" would last longer. I had a box of brownie bites once and finished it in less than a week. All 48 bites. I shudder to think of the calories and the coating of my arteries!

When I entered the store, whether it was Walmart or a grocery store, I would pull processed foods off the shelves and place them directly into my grocery cart without a second thought about what I had just done. I would pretty much zone out, grabbing everything that "looked good" and was filled with fat, sugar and grease, while meanwhile muttering to myself that "I deserved it." Well, I didn't. What I deserved was something completely different.

What I deserved was health. Real health.

Now I eat at least two servings of fruit a day whereas before, I would count myself lucky if I had two fruit in a month. I eat plenty of raw vegetables with my sandwiches and at lunchtime, along with lots of cooked leafy green vegetables. We eat cooked beets in a delicious cold salad that includes layers of shredded potatoes and carrots, along with fried onions, all covered with a thick layer of vegenaise. I indulge in a dessert once a week and appease my sweet tooth with fruit or a slice of toast with honey and vegan cream cheese on other days. I'm doing my best to eat as many whole grains as possible (I'm probably at about 50/50 right now). I exercise for about an hour early in the morning, five times a week. Religiously. Even if I only slept 6 hours the night before. (my eyes are usually opening after I've finished the first mile and a half!)

Of course there are many ways I can still improve and am working on. I need to incorporate some sort of strength training or interval training into my exercise routine. I need to cut down on my salt intake and experiment with other seasoning ingredients. I need to prioritize my sleep. I need to remember that one serving is enough, or two small servings, but not two large ones.

I am also struggling with the meals and the timing aspect of it. I eat breakfast at 7:15, lunch at 12:15, and supper at 6. I am usually not as hungry at breakfast or lunch but between 4:30 and 6, I am ravenous. Which means I end up eating too much at supper and then suffering from a very full stomach. Not a good idea late at night! I really really don't want to snack, though, and water doesn't do the trick either. So I shall just have to keep experimenting, to see whether it is only time for my stomach to adjust, or whether I should have a little more fat earlier in the day when I don't feel like eating as much (ie. a spoonful of peanut butter).