Days Sixteen- Eighteen

Raisins are a high concentration of sugar, and if you put on weight easily with sugar like I do, go lightly with the dried fruits. I was just adding a tablespoon or so to my oatmeal, which was fine, but then earlier in the week I must admit the sugar cravings got me. I snacked a bit too freely on some raisins, and my weight went up. Once I stopped eating them (because I ran out!), my weight went back down. 

OK, so I was not being entirely truthful when I said the numbers on the scale did not mean as much as the feeling of eating healthier. I do want to be healthy, and being overweight does not feel healthy to me. The numbers went up mid-week (thanks a lot, raisins!), and I did start to freak out. After all, I was not eating cookies, candy, fried foods, or anything "fun." I mean, hey, if I am going to gain weight, I want to have at least enjoyed some french fries or a candy bar, not raisins! 

After an honest look at what I was eating and a video ("How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind") featuring Dr. Lisle from the McDougall Program, I realized my vegetable consumption had gone down a little in favor of what Dr. Lisle calls "concentrated" foods. I was eating more grains and legumes (and raisins), which are not bad foods, but for a body like mine (curvy/burly, not naturally thin), I need to eat more fiber and water rich foods to fill up my stomach and shed those pounds.

I realized that I was no longer eating a salad every day, and in fact I had gone many days without one. So, I am back on the salad train, and my weight is going down again. I love salads, but I will admit that I can get lazy when it comes to washing and chopping so many vegetables--for salads or cooking. 

Dr. Lisle explains in the video that as animals we are naturally wired to seek pleasure and to conserve energy. And it seems to me that many foods, sadly not watery, fiber-rich vegetables, can be highly addictive even when they are not chalked full of preservatives or harmful chemicals. I would gladly take a toasted slice of Ezekiel bread with apple butter over the washing and chopping of just about any vegetable any day. The bread is oil and sugar free, simply made from sprouted grains, yet it is more appealing to my brain than a cold, wet salad. Unfortunately, the calories from the toast and apple butter add up faster. 

My diet is a work in progress. Eating vegan is as easy as breathing air for me, but always eating healthy is the work part. There are tons of non-animal foods to eat, the problem is that even something as natural as a walnut can be too rich if eaten in too large quantity. 

Now on to Day Nineteen....