Monday, May 20, 2013

I'm not a big Monday person

This Monday morning, the scale was up two pounds since last Friday, and I didn't do anything to earn it, which is really disappointing.  I should have at least had beer and brats to add two pounds. What I have learned is this:  The scale seems to go up and down for no good reason, eventually stabilizes, and then goes back to going down, also often with no apparent reason, so I just need to get a grip and continue doing what I have been doing for the past four months and not beat myself up about it. Losing weight is such a metaphor for life.

Last Friday was carry out night, as has every Friday that we have been home for the last 28 years. Creatures of habit.  In the early days, with little ones, it was Chinese because they loved Chinese takeout. Chopsticks and the whole thing.  Now we may have an adult child with us or it may be just my husband and I, and carryout may be Greek, Indian, Korean, Mexican, Thai....We eat everything, with some of the dishes vegetarian and some not. One thing the world cuisines do well is vegetarian food. So last Friday was a mix of Indian dishes, some with meat and some not, all wonderful.  The challenge was to keep the portions small, save lots for left overs. And Sunday was the usual, too   -  soup, salad, good rosemary bread and dipping oil. And portion control.

I have to say I make good salads. They are designed for weight loss, and certainly not the only kind to eat. Again, this formula is just what I have worked out over these months. Take your biggest mixing bowl and fill it about 1/3 to 1/2 full with lettuce, such as Boston , Romain - in fact just about anything but iceberg, which is without any nutritional value.  Fill the bowl to the top with baby spinach, kale (strip the ruffly part off the stems,) endive, if you like it, and broccoli slaw. If you don't have a food processer to shred broccoli, you can be forgiven for buying it in bagged salad form. Add edamame (green soybeans,) sliced green beans, a few small chunks of ripe avacado, snow peas and a few sliced mini sweet peppers. You can also toss in a hand full of slivered almonds, sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds (as long as they aren't seasoned or salted), for texture.

That is a super easy salad that will fill you up, give you your veggie quota and can be a full meal. For salad dressing, olive oil (real olive oil) and balsamic vinegar is OK, or just about anything in small amounts that will get you to eat your greens

This is definitely not a cooking blog.  I just jot down what has worked for me.  I am not crediting all my "health food" for improving my eyes, but my eye appointment this a.m. showed that signs of cataracts (they run in my family) have disappeared and my macarative degeneration appears to have reversed its self. Interesting.

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