Hungry for Change

Jon and I cancelled our monthly Netflix account a few weeks ago, so we're trying to watch as many movies/shows that interest us we can before the end of the month. Last week, I watched the following:

Vegucated

Forks Over Knives

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

Hungry for Change

 

Food Matters

 Obviously, there is a theme here. After watching these five documentaries, I feel like I really need/needed a change in my eating and the way I look at food. I should probably back up a little. A few weeks ago, I created a Word document that has 5 columns per page. Each column reads: Day 1: Day 2: Day 3:, etc, all the way up to Day 365:. I have been tracking my weight every morning now for the past 17 days, and I have 2 clear glasses on the shelf above the scale - one empty glass, and one overflowing with 100 marbles. With each pound I lose, I add a marble to the empty glass. So far I have been able to move 5 marbles over to the that glass. I hope to lose 100 pounds in one year, but I would be happy to stay on track and lose 10 pounds per month. (I would be happy to lose ANY amount of pounds...) Five pounds doesn't mean much to me, because I have been 'up and down' within those same five pounds for the past two years...So I am not getting too excited about the five marbles, yet.

Anyway, I told Jon all about the shows I watched, what I want to change in my/our diet (since I do the cooking). He seems on board, but only time will really tell how we both do. I have messed up and 'started over' so many times that I don't want to psych myself out or get overexcited.

I think some of the biggest 'wake-up' calls I had watching the shows were these:
- those poor animals. Watching 'Vegucated' really woke me up and it showed how a lot of animals - chickens, cows, and pigs mostly - are raised and treated before slaughter. I am now totally turned off towards meat and dairy products. I haven't had any milk or eggs or meat for a week now. Although for some reason, I don't feel too bad eating a little cheese. My thinking is flawed, I know.
- I only know what two ingredients are on a diet soda's nutrition label, and I don't recognize a lot of ingredients on MANY labels
- I don't eat nearly enough vegetables or fruits or grains
- Sugar is pretty much in everything, and A LOT more than I thought
- You can reverse a lot of your bodily ailments/diseases when you adopt a healthy diet

So Jon and I went to the grocery store and loaded up on healthy foods - zucchini, squash, tomatoes, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, apples, salad greens, peaches, grapes, peppers, blueberries, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, onions, oats, etc. A lot of GOOD stuff.

I've grown up eating animals, and I like chicken and beef and steak and eggs and pork and bacon and ham and yogurt, etc. But I feel so willing to give the whole idea of grains/veggies/fruits a try! I feel like I just had an awakening or something.

I am so grateful for Pinterest, where I can find HUNDREDS of excellent recipes and ideas. I still 'pin' desserts, though. They just look so darn good! I don't think I will/can limit sweets, but I will be more aware of what I am eating and how much.

I found a website called budgetbytes.com that has a lot of good, inexpensive recipes I can use. I made this Honey Sunflower Bread yesterday from that website:

Instead of making grilled cheese, I have been making grilled

peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

 

 Overnight steel cut outs with blueberries

 

 This is my new favorite vegetable dish. It was so good!

I got it from the same website as the bread.

 

 Salad with pecans, blueberries, peaches, feta, and some craisins.

I am doing my best to also recognize when I am hungry/full. That is one of my biggest challenges. I just like to eat! And when Jon eats, even if I am not hungry, I will still eat more with him. So I need to be careful with that...

 Hippocrates said "Let thy food be they medicine and they medicine be thy food." It is amazing how many people were able to stop taking a lot of their medicine and pills after changing their diets. I know that not everyone can quit taking pills, but a lot of health problems can be reversed. It's just amazing to me!

Anyway, wish me luck!