Fat - Be - Gone

[Atlanticmike]

Okay ceebs, I'm gettin real here. I have to pick up groceries tomorrow, right? I'm out of salad stuff, out of most produce, out of my wheat crackers. This is what I am eating for lunch. Yup, I took a pic of it for you. The paper plate is the size you would put a slice of pie on, okay? This is me making something out of nothing based on slim pickin's. A glass of water with this. That's my studio table I am eating on and have the computer in front of me. So no, our table doesn't look like a cutting mat.

So...rock bottom ain't got much else to eat lunch today...



If you notice, the cheese is the least of it, but it's still there. Five crackers (the only kind I have left because I rarely eat saltines but we have them) are the label portion. The rest is half of an apple that is basically the largest portion. Yes, folks, this is how weird I have gotten compared to the old me and what I used to eat. The old me, would have taken the cheese and made a grilled cheese out of this, fried it with margarine, and I would have never eaten the fruit or drank the water.

I'll be making the meatless pumpkin chili for dinner tonight because that is what I have left right now.

What are you tryin to do, scare ceeboo into not eating healthy! If I tried to live on what you had on your plate I would starve to death. Here's what I am eating today. Breakfast was half a rabbit mixed with garlic cloves, marinated mushrooms, three different types of olives, capers, onion, marinated broccoli, marinated cauliflower. Then for lunch I had a can of sardines in olive oil, half an avocado. Then 2 hours later I had an orange and a banana. In an hour or so I'll have a big handful of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Then for dinner I'll have 4 hard boiled eggs and a skinless quail I'll fry in olive oil. Throughout the day all I drink is water and more water. I only allow my self one meal that has more than two ingredients a day and that's usually always for breakfast. If I stay away from bread, any kind of flour products and also sugar products, I can basically eat whatever I want and not gain weight. I don't know what you would call my diet, but it works. Staying away from bread and Sugaree foods will help you feel great all day.

[Jersey Girl]

Going to blather here before I get on with in real life. I never in my life thought I would eat the way I do now or that one day it would be so natural to me. I don't really even think about it any more. I just do it...which is kind of a miracle to me when I think about it. ceeboo is kicking off a new journey, I can relate. I can hardly believe that I am something like 8 years down the road talking about something I personally set out to do and...I have done it.

That is why I have no doubt that ceeboo can do it, too. It takes a strong desire to change and a long time to change up the way we live and the way we eat. That is a fact. If we start off all gung ho, in my experience, it's just too much all at one time and that is how we fail. Or at least that is what personally sets me up to fail. So I went at it one little thing at a time with no overall big plan in place and one thing led to the next thing. I mean I'm bagging my own dried mint tea, making household cleaners and like I said previously, living my best granola life over here--you don't know where the journey is going to take you.

And I have to say that if you are the only one in the family, the lone wolf, you can be concerned that you are going to offend someone else or even feel embarrassed that you're not having the same full plate of all the foods that everyone else is or the dessert afterwards. Sometimes you will find that another person in the family will try something that you make and they like it, so they'll sort of get on board with it. Then, you've got a bit of a partnership going on there if that is something you would like. One of my kids who is a foodie, now offers me child sized portions of what they cook like it's natural to them now...so I and everyone have adjusted and respects what I do, or at least makes provisions for it.

If I go to Jersey you can bet your ass I am eating breakfast in a diner. If someone orders a tomato pie, am I eating a slice? Hell to the yes, I am. I'm talking a big plate of 2 eggs over easy, 4 slices of crispy bacon, home fries (usually the diners serve home fries) and rye bread on the side with butter. A slice of pizza with cheese that has never ending mozzarella with oily greasy crap dripping off it that is slightly sweet and salty at the same time--thin crust. Lay that on me. And to that every single day!

Food is, above all else, a sensory experience. But I have learned over time that what used to satisfy me on a daily basis, no longer does and has been replace by other tastes, textures, and practices. Anyway...long introduction to...I'm going to list what has become important or mattered to me, 8 years down the road. What replaced the chips or the microwave meals when I was too tired after work to cook, the sandwiches, the stuffing myself stupid.

Here comes a bit of a self reflective journal like on the Score thread...sort of an inventory here. I'm actually doing this for myself so don't bother reading it if it comes off stupid. This is just one of my practices.

1. Mindfulness: Not about what I eat but what I am doing at any given time.

Example, two evenings a week I have the house to myself for a few hours, guaranteed. I use the time to bake or cook something. I might make a pot of soup or bake a loaf of tea bread. Afterwards, I clean the kitchen with my homemade cleaners and sometimes I make more. It's become a ritual. Everything smells good...the food, the tea breads, the cleaners.

Example, when I clean I start with turning on a soy wax warmer. I make cleaning a pleasant experience, another type of ritual.

Example, I do one thing at a time. No electronics, no sound, just do the one thing.

2. Cooking and preparing food: Another example of mindfulness...after I modified all of my recipes towards the more heart healthier goal, I discovered new and other things I like to make now. Like I mentioned the home baked tortilla chips or dehydrating herbs, dehydrating fruit for decor (the oranges are ready!), and roasting nuts for some type of snack concoction with pure maple syrup. They've become more rituals in my life.

3. Reducing waste: I took more steps forward in reducing waste, not zero perfect, but I have taken steps forward and I don't mean throwing all the food out the back door to the deer. I freeze banana peels and either direct compost them (fresh or frozen) or make banana tea to use as plant food outdoors. I save the stupid coffee grounds from the k-cups that the big guy goes through, freeze them and direct compost. Take the ridiculous plastic bags back to Walmart and put them into their recycle bin. (I carry reusable bags in the car and I still haven't managed to actually bring them into the store when shopping) Devoting myself to donating objects and clothing, reducing inventory throughout this house--perfectly? No, still have a few areas, but I have significantly reduced inventory, made more usable space, reduced stress and hopefully offered new treasures to others who are interested. I've also given away decor/craft items in our local Facebook group...I have come to love doing it! I listed (don't judge me) recently, over 25 little ceramic and wood pumpkins and a nice lady scarfed them all up at once within 15 minutes! That's just one example from the past few weeks alone. The benefit to me is that I can see my best stuff and only my best stuff when I get to decorating for a season. Makes it easy and more pleasant for me, the folks who took my free stuff were tickled about it (one lady is making a charity quilt from 2 yds of fabric I gave away, another lady is giving her depressed daughter my candle holder set and she took my outdoor decor for herself!), and I got to meet new neighbors!

Over the past 5 years or so, I've reduced my clothing collection. One thing comes in, at least 3 things go out...it's worked out well and I didn't miss anything I donated! Plus, when I open the closets and drawers, it's all good stuff...this matters to me a lot.

Okay I am stopping right here. What I am noticing is creating meaningful and intentional rituals and practices. None of this has much of anything to do with food and yet...I swear to you that it all started with a doctor putting me on a statin med and making sandwiches into salads.

How does that happen? I think your thinking changes over time. Something becomes more pleasant or more important than the food that you used to think made everything better in your life. And then you are taking frozen banana peels, digging a hole in the dirt and putting them in there, and giving away almost all the stuff you own. Something like that...

(If anyone read this hope you enjoyed me putting my self reflective crazy on the screen! )

[Jersey Girl]

What are you tryin to do, scare ceeboo into not eating healthy! If I tried to live on what you had on your plate I would starve to death. Here's what I am eating today. Breakfast was half a rabbit mixed with garlic cloves, marinated mushrooms, three different types of olives, capers, onion, marinated broccoli, marinated cauliflower. Then for lunch I had a can of sardines in olive oil, half an avocado. Then 2 hours later I had an orange and a banana. In an hour or so I'll have a big handful of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Then for dinner I'll have 4 hard boiled eggs and a skinless quail I'll fry in olive oil. Throughout the day all I drink is water and more water. I only allow my self one meal that has more than two ingredients a day and that's usually always for breakfast. If I stay away from bread, any kind of flour products and also sugar products, I can basically eat whatever I want and not gain weight. I don't know what you would call my diet, but it works. Staying away from bread and Sugaree foods will help you feel great all day.

If you have read any of my posts on this thread, you wouldn't have to ask what I am doing. Why must you be such an obtuse freak of nature? Of course you would starve if you ate that for lunch, so would ceeboo. But ceeboo, having read my posts here which you have not because you're so freaking egocentric you can't manage it, knows that I eat much smaller portions than he would because I am not his size or his age. My dietary and nutritional needs are far different than his. I am not promoting eating on a snack size plate. I am promoting concepts that lead to change.

Do yourself and everyone else a favor and re-read the OP. This isn't a debate thread. It's a self help thread. Try reading ceeboo's posts, pull your own head out of your ass, and try getting into his head. What are his desires? What are his methods? What is important to him and respond to that instead of using the words of others as a prop to spout your personally held BS that contains no nuanced thinking whatsoever.

Because whatever changes ceeboo finds that work for him, will start in his own head and he will pick and choose from whatever resonates with him over time.

This isn't a competition, it's an extended dialogue. Try developing some depth of thought. Or, I dunno, take a class in adjustment psychology. Just a suggestion.

That said, I'm off to clean out the last earth box, hack saw a few trees, lay new mulch, and pumpkin up the flower beds. More decorating with food.

[Jersey Girl]

… a slice of the raisin cinnamon bread I get sometimes--toasted with a bit of butter. That's an example of a treat I'd save for cold weather. It's just cozy and smells great.

This.

Bread has moved from an every-meal staple to ‘tasty treat’ status, for us. We enjoy toasted buttered cinnamon bread as such.

And we’ll never give up our occasional French toast weekends, made with fat slices of soft brioche. Or blueberry pancake weekends.

Yes, exactly. I still eat most of the foods I used to eat I just use them differently and/or sparingly. I actually think the big guy has one of those little loaves of raisin/cinnamon bread on the counter... that's what got me thinking about it.

I do make french toast in winter, I forgot all about that, but I don't do it often. I do like steel cut oats, blueberries and cinnamon together.

I'm wondering about the pure maple syrup that I just bought...I haven't done much research but my hunch is that it's better for me than the usual pancake type syrup. I dunno...it sounded like a good idea when I saw someone add it to their roasted walnuts on youtube and she's someone who eats a healthy diet in my opinion.

[Atlanticmike]

This.

Bread has moved from an every-meal staple to ‘tasty treat’ status, for us. We enjoy toasted buttered cinnamon bread as such.

And we’ll never give up our occasional French toast weekends, made with fat slices of soft brioche. Or blueberry pancake weekends.

Yes, exactly. I still eat most of the foods I used to eat I just use them differently and/or sparingly. I actually think the big guy has one of those little loaves of raisin/cinnamon bread on the counter... that's what got me thinking about it.

I do make french toast in winter, I forgot all about that, but I don't do it often. I do like steel cut oats, blueberries and cinnamon together.

I'm wondering about the pure maple syrup that I just bought...I haven't done much research but my hunch is that it's better for me than the usual pancake type syrup. I dunno...it sounded like a good idea when I saw someone add it to their roasted walnuts on youtube and she's someone who eats a healthy diet in my opinion.

Terrible food choices. You'll die Young.

[canpakes]

Terrible food choices. You'll die Young.

My family is filled with folks who ate rich, fatty Italian foods, and drank wine at every dinner, who finally died at some point in their nineties simply because they were old.

They made it a habit to eat in moderation, and to get some activity in every day.

Everyone’s genetics will have a say in the matter.

[Xenophon]

canpakes I see that a lot of the youtubers I watch who eat healthy, have avocado toast? Do you do that and if so, how do you prepare it and do you really like it? Sometimes they put an egg on top of the toast?

Your thoughts on this?

Avocados, while the calories might be higher, are considered a source of healthy fats. So...again, trade offs and look at the total picture.

Not directed at me but I absolutely LOVE avocado on my morning toast. I just do a standard piece of toasted bread, no butter (I'm big on Dave's Power Seed thin-sliced right now) then I add half of a small avocado to it and some "everything bagel" seasoning to that. I eat mine with two medium eggs that I don't necessarily put over the top but the yolk does get all up in there. Like canpakes was saying it isn't low calorie per se (unless you are used to eating sugary ceral) but that is some serious fuel to power through the rest of your day. I generally think people don't get nearly enough healthy fats in their diets which is why the feel so sluggish all the time.

[Jersey Girl]

canpakes I see that a lot of the youtubers I watch who eat healthy, have avocado toast? Do you do that and if so, how do you prepare it and do you really like it? Sometimes they put an egg on top of the toast?

Your thoughts on this?

Avocados, while the calories might be higher, are considered a source of healthy fats. So...again, trade offs and look at the total picture.

Not directed at me but I absolutely LOVE avocado on my morning toast. I just do a standard piece of toasted bread, no butter (I'm big on Dave's Power Seed thin-sliced right now) then I add half of a small avocado to it and some "everything bagel" seasoning to that. I eat mine with two medium eggs that I don't necessarily put over the top but the yolk does get all up in there. Like canpakes was saying it isn't low calorie per se (unless you are used to eating sugary ceral) but that is some serious fuel to power through the rest of your day. I generally think people don't get nearly enough healthy fats in their diets which is why the feel so sluggish all the time.

Pffft! It doesn't matter who it was directed to. I can't have the everything bagel seasoning (I think it's probably high sodium, I could check that) but maybe I can do something with Mrs. Dash...I'm not really into seasonings but I have it for stews/soups and I could try it. I've gotten to the point where I'm very open to trying new foods.

I'm not into sugary cereal so no problem there. If I eat breakfast, it's usually something like a small omelet stuffed with peppers and tomatoes. I do think I've looked up that type of bread before and I think I can get that locally. AND... I have seeded bread saved on one of my pin boards to try making! See? I'm really close to making that all work! I will try this out...I do have a small container of butter so if I think I want to add some, I can do that, too.

Thanks, Xeno!!!!

[Xenophon]

Pffft! It doesn't matter who it was directed to. I can't have the everything bagel seasoning (I think it's probably high sodium, I could check that) but maybe I can do something with Mrs. Dash...I'm not really into seasonings but I have it for stews/soups and I could try it. I've gotten to the point where I'm very open to trying new foods.

I'm not into sugary cereal so no problem there. If I eat breakfast, it's usually something like a small omelet stuffed with peppers and tomatoes. I do think I've looked up that type of bread before and I think I can get that locally. AND... I have seeded bread saved on one of my pin boards to try making! See? I'm really close to making that all work! I will try this out...I do have a small container of butter so if I think I want to add some, I can do that, too.

Thanks, Xeno!!!!

No problemo! yeah you can season with whatever you like or it is fine plain as well. Before the Dave's bread came around I used Food for Life 7 sprouted grains asgo to. It is not as delicious as the Dave's but it is hard to argue with the nutrition profile.

Your breakfast of choice sounds like a pretty good one though.

ETA it does look like they make saltless everything seasoning (is it really "everything" then?!?): https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Seaso ... B07YSX49PY

[Jersey Girl]

Pffft! It doesn't matter who it was directed to. I can't have the everything bagel seasoning (I think it's probably high sodium, I could check that) but maybe I can do something with Mrs. Dash...I'm not really into seasonings but I have it for stews/soups and I could try it. I've gotten to the point where I'm very open to trying new foods.

I'm not into sugary cereal so no problem there. If I eat breakfast, it's usually something like a small omelet stuffed with peppers and tomatoes. I do think I've looked up that type of bread before and I think I can get that locally. AND... I have seeded bread saved on one of my pin boards to try making! See? I'm really close to making that all work! I will try this out...I do have a small container of butter so if I think I want to add some, I can do that, too.

Thanks, Xeno!!!!

No problemo! yeah you can season with whatever you like or it is fine plain as well. Before the Dave's bread came around I used Food for Life 7 sprouted grains asgo to. It is not as delicious as the Dave's but it is hard to argue with the nutrition profile.

Your breakfast of choice sounds like a pretty good one though.

ETA it does look like they make saltless everything seasoning (is it really "everything" then?!?): https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Seaso ... B07YSX49PY

Yeah, see? You can get tons of stuff in low sodium and no salt added! Of course, eating clean really solves everything but a person has to live, right? Thanks again!