The Taste of Food

My husband and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and decided that each month on the anniversary date we were going to do something "different."  It could even be something that we would normally have done, as long as it was not the "same old, same old."  In April we went to a restaurant that we only visit once a year.  In May we played cards with friends.  In June I simply showed up to watch my husband shoot pool (he plays every week, but I never go to watch.)  On Friday, our anniversary date, we were invited to go out to dinner with our lake neighbors (we have an RV at a campground).  The invitation was totally unexpected - our original plans for the weekend fell through, and we had stopped for breakfast on the way up to the camper just to say we had done something "different."  I was now faced with a second temptation to succumb and eat all sorts of unhealthy food items.  I glanced through the menu, immediately deleting any item that began with the word "fried."  As we ordered, I heard this surreal voice speaking "I'll have the shrimp platter, grilled please, and for my two sides: baked potato with butter and sour cream on the side and the vegetable medley."

WHAT?  That voice...that sounded so much like my own, actually said "vegetable medley!"  Who is this woman?  What alien life form has taken over my brain?  Grilled?  Butter on the side?  VEGETABLE MEDLEY?  Less than 2 months ago I would have ordered the fish and chips without giving it a second thought! 

But an amazing thing happened that night as I began to eat.  EVERYTHING tasted wonderful.  I noticed for the first time the intricate taste of each item.  The shrimp, a naked potato - even I commented that the veggies were the best I had eaten in a long time.  The meal was really good and I raved about the restaurant on the way back to the camper.

Interesting thing though...everything I have eaten since then suddenly tastes better.  Eggs, peas, even cereal and milk suddenly has more flavor than it had in the past.  Each flavor is more pronounced, more refined.  Suddenly I'm enjoying eating again because the healthy stuff tastes great.  I've read before that when you drastically cut down on sodium it takes awhile for your taste buds to recover - but they do and you begin to really taste food the way it was meant to be eaten.  I'd go as far as to say not only the salt, but the sugar, sugar substitutes and the fat all mask the true flavor and deaden your own sense of taste.  On Friday it was as if someone had thrown a switch - and a whole new world has opened up!

Weight Lost This Week - 1.0 lbs.
Total Weight Lost -          9.2 lbs.

Eating with Stress

Last week I had written about trying to focus more on portion size.  That all went out the window.  It was a tough week.  On the fun side, we went to a party and I got together with friends another night.  I made some great food choices, and some not so great ones.  The hard part though was that life threw another curve ball, and just when I thought things on the home front were in a really good place, everything fell apart.  Again.  When my husband begged for ice cream to deal with the stress, I caved and bought some.  Yes, it was "no sugar added", but full of fat.  I ate it.  I felt like crap for eating it.  I was mad at myself for not being stronger, aggravated at him for also "needing" a food item I absolutely should not be eating in order to deal with his own stress.  We were eating it for all the wrong reasons.  There should be joy and laughter when one is going to eat badly, and this was clearly the opposite.

I went out to lunch three times during the week, when I only had planned on going out once.  My husband and I visited two wineries, tasting several varieties and sampling cheese and crackers as well.  I polished off the rest of the ice cream one night, thinking I was going to get it out of the house before the week ended so I could begin again on Wednesday...my weigh in day...with that evil thing is the freezer no longer tempting me.  Wine, cheese, crackers, ice cream, M&M's, Dove Chocolate, ranch dressing, even a CHEESEBURGER for goodness sake (and let me tell you, that burger was the best thing I've eaten in a month).  Getting on that scale was going to be brutal.  But it had to be done.

What did I see?  That I had lost weight.  In fact, I had lost more than I had in any of the last few weeks.  (In my book, every 2/10's counts)  What the heck?  But in reality, I STILL had eaten better than I had pre-liver diagnosis.  No fries with any of the lunches...vinegar based slaw or a salad instead...dressing on the side please.  Not an entire bag of M&M's - just a few.  Buying "no sugar added" ice cream in the first place.  Small steps, but obviously they made a huge difference.  I'm still headed in the right direction.

Weight Lost This Week - 0.8 lbs.
Total Weight Lost -          8.2 lbs.

Portion Control

I believe one of the main reasons I've been able to stick with eating healthier is that for the first month I tossed any ideas of restricting the amount of food I ate to the sidelines.  It was all about WHAT I ate, not HOW MUCH.  If I was hungry, I ate.  Worse, even if I was no longer hungry, I still finished the meal.  For example, last night my husband and I stopped for dinner after shopping for new eyeglasses for him.  (Smart man - knows that he probably should get his wife's approval for new frames - especially since I'm the one who has to look at them!)  But that meant leaving the house as soon as I got home from work.  By the time we were done it was fairly late so we stopped for dinner.  I ordered a grilled chicken and spinach wrap...no fries, just some cole slaw.  It was a good size, and I have to admit that one half of it would have been plenty.  I was satisfied halfway through the meal.  Did I stop?  Of course not.   And why not - I ask myself.  I could have easily asked for a box and taken the rest home.  Could have used it for lunch today.  But I find myself in this "I'm depriving myself" frame of mind, so gosh darn it, I'm going to eat as much as I want and then some.  I know I'm falling into a trap.  Even though I am still losing weight, eventually just eating healthy is only going to go so far.  Calories are still calories.  So this week's goal is to really watch that volume, and see if I can step up the amount of weight loss a bit. 

One of the tricks used in portion control is the old adage to use a smaller plate.  I have to admit that I hate that one.  It reminds me of having to sit at the kiddie table at family gatherings when you are 16 years old.  Nothing screams "diet" more than a small plate.  Better to learn what size constitutes a single serving and fill the empty spaces with lettuce if you have to. 

Weight Lost This Week - 0.6 lbs.
Total Weight Lost -          7.4 lbs.

Holiday Tests

Last week I was on vacation - and it was 4th of July.  I had the opportunity to raid the kitchen continuously.  My husband and I went out for lunch and dinner a few times.  I indulged in some food items that should have never made it to my plate. (Can we all picture golden brown...as in FRIED...onion rings?  Gosh, they were so GOOD!)   For the most part though, I have to be proud of myself.  Ordering a salad.  Sticking with multi-grain items.  Leaving some of the bread behind.  Having just a little taste of the dip that was still in our refrigerator at the lake...and then tossing the rest of it.  Drinking that water.  Sending back the ice tea that accidentally was delivered "sweetened" instead of just shrugging and drinking it anyway.  I found out there was vodka in a drink given to me...and down the sink it went.  Having corn on the cob without any butter.  All I can say is thank goodness that corn was so gosh darn good - it didn't need butter.

I would hardly say we exercised, but we did somehow manage to keep some semblance of moving.  We spent 3 hours at Historic Halifax enjoying the building tours and walking around the site.  We walked around a small flea market, an antique mall, the farmer's market.  We worked on cleaning out the garage.  I think it made a huge difference.  For despite onion rings and chocolate chip cookies and three slices of cheese pizza at one meal (hey, there was no pepperoni on that pizza...I take credit for having SOME willpower) I managed to get on the scale today and found I at least had lost something!  The first thing I thought?  Wow, can you imagine what it might have been if I had stayed on track?  That thought alone is the encouragement I need to do better - AND if I do mess up along the way, it doesn't mean it's the end of the world. 

Weight Lost This Week - 0.4 lbs
Total Weight Lost -          6.8 lbs

Real Food and More

I read recently that if your grandparents could not recognize a food item, it has no business being in your shopping cart.  I am going to assume that lard does not count.  I also found myself reaching for the mouse to google Twinkies once I heard that they will shortly be back on the shelves...were they invented in time for any of my grandparents to have known what they were?  Unfortunately for me, they were invented in 1930...which TECHNICALLY means I COULD eat them....

The point here is not about Twinkies or lard, it's about eating real food.  Staying away from overly processed  food - and items with preservatives, artificial sweeteners and other weird sounding ingredients is actually one of the easiest ways to loose weight - and to help your liver too.  Flashback story - many years ago a bunch of us were sitting around and discussing additives placed in what we ate.  Someone picked up a package of some kind of pre-made dessert cake, and the ONLY ingredient we could pronounce was water.  Not even flour and sugar were listed as "flour" and "sugar".  It was pretty disgusting.  Keep your foods real.  I've read of several folks who lost weight by making that one simple change.  Shop the perimeter of the grocery store - where the real food lies - and make your meals from the items you find there.  Better yet, head to your local farmer's market.  Not only is the food fresh, but you can keep your money local as well.  It's amazing how better vegetables taste when purchased directly from the farm.

Slowly I've been doing better, still focusing on drinking mainly water (tea and coffee allowed, but I limit the caffeine.)  I have only had 2 or 3 glasses of club soda in the last 3 weeks, and 4 lite beers and 1 glass of wine in the same time frame.  And that one tiny bit of butterscotch schnapps fireside.

I am also eating real food more and more.  Again, there have been a few sugary treats now and then (key lime cookies straight from Key West, FL being the most recent) but they have been few and far between.  I subscribe to a local farm co-op if you will, that weekly delivers a box of fresh produce to my door.  I also recently re-visited the state farmer's market and found I really enjoy purchasing items I need directly from the person who grew it.  I purchased a Nutribullet - a handy little gadget that takes leafy greens, fruit, nuts and seeds and along with water creates a very tasty beverage.  I've also cut back on all white flour products and white rice, aiming for the whole grains instead.

Now for the true test -- this week is the first holiday I will face since being diagnosed.  I will blog about that next week.  But for now...

Weight lost this week:    0.4 lbs.
Total weight lost:           6.4 lbs.