Holiday Thoughts

November and December are tricky times to be working on your health and staying focused on healthy eating. With all the holidays there are constant cookies, cakes, and get togethers that offer the opportunity to eat far beyond your calorie limit. There's days off with your family that you may not have had in months, which beg for sleeping in and doing things that aren't working out and you cannot forget the addition of nearly constant family dynamics for two months. It's very hard to work out how to visit all the family members, deal with the special blend of personality each family group has, and try to keep yourself focused and dedicated to a health plan and lifestyle change. 

Thankfully Noom has given me some good insight in to the way I eat, some of the triggers that lead me to overeat, and a better handle on giving myself permission to indulge without eating the whole pumpkin pie. 

My biggest struggle right now is staying focused on the now, the moment we're in right now. My mind is very happy to wander off and think about the next thing I'm going to do, instead of paying attention to how the food I'm eating is tasting, feeling, smelling, etc. 

And since I am trying to get back into a workout habit I've joined an accountability group/bootcamp for December and I'm starting the BeachBody program TurboFire. I've already done the first workout a few times, and let me tell you this workout is intense. 

This time however, instead of trying to follow the calendar for the program religiously, I am going to take my time to get down the basic moves and understand the fundamentals of the program before I move forward. 

So far the only area of "conflict" between doing Noom and adding in a BeachBody workout plan, is the difference in caloric intake the two programs recommend. That said I am going to work with my Noom Coach to help balance that out, and I am sure I can blend the two programs pretty seamlessly. 

So this weeks goals:

1. Be more mindful - eating, listening, just being in the world stay in the Now
2. Create the workout habit - I'm working out in the morning, I've put it on the calendar and made it a date with myself. 
3. Kept working towards work/life balance - it's time to set boundaries and make sure I am taking care of myself.

What are your goals for the week? 

The Journey Still Continues

Hello it is me! I am still around and still wrestling with achieving health, wellbeing, and finding a sustainable method of feeding and nourishing myself for the long haul.

I'm doing a few things towards these goals:

1. I've joined Noom to work on the psychological side of my food demons. I'm only a week in but I already am liking the program. I've lost 4lbs this week - which is awesome, however I am trying not to focus on the scale but instead on sustainable life changes.
2. I've been subscribed to Beach Body on Demand for just over a year. BOD provides access to workouts, nutrition, recipes, etc. 
3. I'm avoiding dairy as much as I can. This is tough and involves a lot of label reading and investigation as I travel for work and end up eating a restaurants a lot. However it's been going well. 

I'm hoping that by combining all these aspects and focusing on the other dietary restrictions/concerns we have in our house (gluten intolerance, vegetarian, and working through a low FODmap experiment) I will be able to find harmony with food and stop seeing it as such an integral part of everything in life. 

Think about it, have you ever noticed that nearly everything links back to food? 

Bad day? Treat yourself with a nice dinner, cookies, or ice cream. 

Good day? Celebrate with a meal!

Seeing friends you haven't caught up with in a long time? Go to dinner! Everyone has to eat. 

Somehow food has ingrained its' way into every single social undertaking of the day. Now don't get me wrong, I understand where this comes from. The origin of our species and how we have adapted to survive made food some of the earliest glue that held groups together. 

I think really what we are facing is an incredible trial of evolution versus human ingenuity. We've overcome so much of what our base needs are as a creature to survive that we've gone right passed equilibrium to the opposite end of the spectrum. 

So, for my accountability and to perhaps help someone else out there in the world, I will be updating this blog at least weekly with my progress. 

I'll also be posting recipes of new dishes I've been making. 

Today's recipe doesn't have a picture but is for Steel Cut Oat Coconut Porridge. 

Steel Cut Oat Coconut Porridge

1 cup quick cook steel cut oats

1 can full fat coconut milk combined with water to make 3 cups total liquid

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla extract

1.       Place the coconut milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in a heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent the milk from scalding.

2.       Add the oats and whisk together to break up any clumps. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook for seven minutes stirring frequently.

3.       Top with nuts, chopped ginger, or other toppings as desired.

This will keep in the fridge for a day or two.

Here's to another week!