The Weight Loss Chronicles

image by Valeria Boltneva @ Pexels

back to The Weight Loss Chronicles. In a more internally serious way

I've been doing a sort of food prepping. To tidy up my physical health. Seeing as I can't go rushing off to healer friends to get sorted health-wise (sigh - I miss them all).

I've been doing food preparation slightly differently from the social media people who prepare their food in batches then have food in containers for up to a week. Gosh, no. That leaves me cold. As do many of the foods used. 

Because it's lockdown in Auckland, I realised that I can't be too precious about having exactly what I want to eat. Seeing as I can't go to the supermarket. I'd like to be "special" and only eat what I like, but instead I am being practical.

I gathered up all of my bits and pieces lurking in the pantry that I could throw together for some muesli to soak each morning. I've finished it now, but really enjoyed this breakfast.

I'm making vegetable soup today, using up last weeks's unused vegetables. I'll freeze containers of it. This is something that I have done for years. This and muesli or granola. 

I made yoghurt again. Cooked up some mince and vegetables and froze several meals. 

it's all about what's in between my ears.... (my thoughts)

But the main thing that I've done as far as food prepping goes, is to actually decide what I'll be having. In other words, prepping in my head. Depending on what I have available. Then I write it into my diary. And I've only ordered good, real food from the supermarket. This might sound like ordinary logic to you, but for a triple air sign (sun, moon and rising), in many areas I can be very disorganised. Scattered. Due to having too much swirling in my head. (despite being a meditator!!) Or, too spaced out to think straight. These are very important reasons why I do the same things over and over. And have routines. They stop me from forgetting that the fridge or pantry is empty. Something which can and does normally happen a lot, if I'm not careful.

So, to bump up my physical health, and use what is available until things are used up, I'm having porridge of oats, and chia seeds, with yoghurt and fruit, for breakfast. Vegetable soup for lunch with cottage cheese for extra protein. I want to eat more vegetables at lunch, and it's too cold for me to have salad. That means that I only have to put some thought into dinner. I'm really pleased with this, it's all easy and doable. Especially for someone who is so over cooking.

I realise that compared to most people, I am really slack. It's okay, though. I'm working on it. Amazingly, when I'm feeding others, I'm really diligent about meals and food. 

so why be careful about diet, now?

The truth is, that my health went downhill over the past couple of years, for various and often unavoidable reasons. And I truly do believe that diet really can make a difference in restoring our well-being. So, what I'm looking at specifically is:

• nutrients. Thinking of what we eat and drink as sustaining me with vitamins, minerals, and such. When we're lacking in nutrients, we can crave some weird things
• H2O. I know that I can easily forget to drink enough water. Coffee? Yep, I can remember that, but it's water that I'm working on. Before sleep, as soon as I wake up - which, incidentally seems to have reduced my desire for too much coffee, and before food, as well as whenever.
• eating enough. Would you believe that when I don't eat enough, and I am quite a small eater, probably because I'm rather short, then I find that at nights I'm really hungry after dinner. So I'm aiming to eat more during the day, so that in the evenings, my body doesn't say: "Oi! You didn't give me enough food!!
• energy. What is making me tired in the food area? I'm watching the after effects of what I eat. Definitely starchy carbs at lunchtime do this, so I'm gradually cutting them out at this time period

There is another thing about energy: when we have it, we want to move more. For me, I have found that these go hand in hand: diet that gives me energy, and exercise that gives me energy too. 

I quite likely will make a few dietary changes to get it right for myself. I always think that we need to be open to change and growth. I also have to be really stern with myself that I don't fall for all of the latest and greatest to do with food. I don't want to be always "dieting". I want a good, sustainable diet. 

So... here goes!!!

what has worked for you? Any hints?

** an older post on food and diets here

** a food post with muesli recipes here

** post about why to have food routines here