October 15
I have continued to work on my eating habits this week. I have been doing some research and am glad I have moved towards a less processed diet. What I have learned:
You can have some ultra processed foods in your diet. I keep it minimal so the unprocessed foods control how fast the processed food is digested. Slower absorption into your system means less of a sugar spike.
Ultra processed foods are also called pre-digested foods. They don't trigger your brain to say you are full hence causing you to eat more food and/or more often. I noticed how I feel full after eating a less processed meal. I have actually skipped having my fruit as I was feeling full.
I have noticed that when I need to have a meal at a fast food place the staff ask if I want a meal deal, upgrade to a larger size, or simply asking if I want anything else. I have learned to say "no thank you" without feeling guilty. I am now buying one item at fast food places and if I take it home to eat, I add my own beverage and fruit.
When I look at ads for grocery stores, I have noticed that a lot of the food on sale is ultra processed foods. There are whole foods on sale but the first thing that is flashed at you is the ultra processed foods. I have a loyalty card at one of the grocery stores. You get a list of foods which you can earn points that convert to dollars off your food. My list used to be 50% ultra processed foods. Now it is 75% whole foods or household items. Changing my eating habits has changed what I get points on.
Though eating my food in a specific order has been challenging, it is working for me. What I have noticed more is eating unprocessed foods has made my system feeling better. I feel satisfied rather than hungry all the time. I have no cravings for sweet foods unless I am having low blood sugar. I am doing self talk to get me through that so I can get something healthier to eat.
I had osteopathy on Monday and have had very low pain since then. My SI joint is in place and my muscles are not tight. I am being careful not to do things I know will trigger a flare up. I am walking better and more. That will strengthen the muscles as they adjust to supporting my body.
I am working on less political noise in my life. I have also stopped being stressed over a lot of things that I use to stress over. I am slowly getting this under control though it is hard to do.
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October 11
I have been busy working on my eating habits this past week. It was an eye opener for sure. I realized that I was eating too big of portions and I needed to scale back a lot. Though I was looking at one way of eating, I actually decided on another way. Is it the correct way? For now it is. I can adjust it as time goes on.
I have wanted to eat a diet that has less processed foods in it. It can be hard but I am working on eating 80% or more unprocessed foods. That meant rummaging through the pantry and getting rid of those foods I knew were highly processed. I knew that I could have frozen fruits and vegetables as they are nutritionally good sources of food. I also wanted to have fresh food on the days after I go shopping. I wanted to explore with flavours using seasonings and spices. I am in the process of learning and trying.
I chose to eat my meals in a specific order. I have two vegetables and protein first. I am enjoying quick pickled cucumbers and onions and will try carrots and cauliflower next. The other vegetable is usually mixed in with my protein. I eat my carbohydrates last. For now it is rice and some fruit.
I have also focused on portion size. As I am eating a variety of foods at each meal, each portion is smaller. I measure what I eat and so far I have been satisfied after each meal.
Can I eat something like spaghetti and meat sauce? Yes as long as it is portion out carefully. I know I will add vegetables to the sauce (mushrooms and grated carrots are my favourite). The recommended way to serve it is pasta with the sauce on top and you mix it yourself.
How well has this method worked for me? I have lost 3.7 lbs since October 1. I haven't been hungry at all. I am getting everything I need; protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates. I am watching how much I eat at a meal. It is back to where I was when I started my weight loss journey in February 2023. I am telling myself if I could do it then, I can do it now.
This past week I have accomplished the following
Less processed food in the house. What I kept I am using sparingly. That means using measuring spoons or cups when adding them to my meal.
Portion control is back to what the Canadian food guide recommends. I am eating a wider variety of foods at lunch and dinner. I feel satisfied and haven't noticed low glucose levels.
Eating out is okay as long as it fits into what I can eat. I can deviate some if I do it once in a long while. I need to remember that.
I have been working on keeping my pain levels low. High pain levels make me want to eat comfort food. I am doing my exercises more often to help reduce the pain I am having. I know having so much pain in September was one of the reasons I ate the wrong foods.
This coming week I will work on food and pain control. I will also work on political noise and stress as much as I can. I am making some progress on these and hope to continue working on it.
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October 8
A quick update. I have been thinking about my eating habits and realize that I have been eating more than I should at a meal and I may be eating the foods in the wrong order. I am in research mode.
I am eating a healthy breakfast for me. What I have chosen has enough fibre and protein in it. What I need to do is eat the protein first and then the carbohydrate last. This will help keep my glucose levels more level.
Lunch is a bit harder for me. I am still figuring out what I want to eat. It is starting to be soup season and I will have to eat the crackers last.
Dinner is the hardest for me. This is the meal where I will eat more than I should. I am trying to adjust my portion control which is hard. I did it when I first lost weight and I keep telling myself I can do it again. The other thing I did when I lost weight was to have my food separate on a plate. Now I do more rice bowl foods which mixes it all together. I now need to eat the vegetable/meat part first and the rice last.
And where did I get this idea? I have been watching videos of an Asian lady who lives in Halifax. She shows how she prepares her meals. I did a google search and using it to help me change my eating habits. I will go back and watch her videos for recipe ideas.
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October 6
October started off with a lot of prepping and making sandwiches. It wasn't what I expected or wanted. I was tired and sore. I am hoping we don't have to make sandwiches this week as we all need a break from it.
I have been quite good eating but I am trying to figure out a better plan. I don't know exactly what I want to do. I have a couple of ideas in my head. One is to shop twice a week and one is to make my meals so I can have one in the fridge for the next day. Doing this will allow me to use up what I have in the fridge quickly and to eat more fresh foods. I am moving away from more processed foods also.
I had one take out this past week. It fit into my eating plan and I did enjoy it. I may do it again mid month.
I haven't done much in the way of house cleaning due to the fact I have spent so much time prepping for sandwiches. When home, I spent a lot of time keeping areas clean, doing my exercise and relaxing with my sewing and knitting.
I have been working on shutting out political noise in my life. I am also moving away from video titles that say to do something right now. I don't need to be told what to do or what to buy. These titles upset me so I am scrolling past them.
I have stopped stressing about family situations. I can't do anything but provide support and empathy when needed. I can give suggestions that can be accepted or rejected.
I watched a video that talked about how Scandinavian people prepare for a good night's sleep. The routine they talked about was one I was told about when I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 16 years ago. I follow it very carefully.
No caffeine after breakfast for me. I do drink herbal tea during the day in the winter as it doesn't keep me awake.
Eating dinner and trying not to eat in the evening unless it is something small (a cookie or two). If I eat a lot I don't sleep as well. I know this from experience.
I knit in the evening to relax. It is a routine that works for me. I do watch videos and save my favourite ones to watch then. All of these are relaxing and some even give me a good laugh or two.
My bedroom is quite basic. No TV. My phone is on my bedside table and I may look at it during the night when I get up. I try to look only at the weather. I should stop that also. I have very little clutter in the room and I try to keep it that way. What I have in there keeps me calm. I do not use any candles or scents in there as they can trigger allergies. I also try to keep it quite cool in there as I sleep better.
The only thing I don't do is go outside in the mornings unless it is warm and light. I do open all the blinds and let in the light even on dreary days. My lights are daylight which is great for the day but not as good for night. One thing I dislike is to sit in a poorly lit room at night.
I am hoping that the changes I make this month will help me sleep and eat better. I am trying to loose weight and have dropped 2 pounds to date.
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October 1
Though I was busy on the last day of September, I kept feeling like I was a failure. The last few months have been tough and it has shown on me. I have been tired, lethargic, and cranky. I have had a lot of pain which has joined the circle of doom. I turned to eating comfort foods to help ease the situation but it didn't work. I turned myself into feeling like I was a mess and a failure.
I had two wake up calls that are making me come out of the doom and gloom. One is how much weight I have gained and the second is my blood sugar is creeping up a bit. Not to where I will need medication but if I don't take control of it, I will have to. And I don't want to.
There have been other things that have caused me undue worry and stress. Daughter's and grandson's situations has kept me on edge. They have been stressful and I am hoping that the stress will ease off as I step away from it.
I know I have been cranky. I have been critical of what people are doing when I watch videos. It has been creeping in slowly the past two months. I need to stop being negative and critical and start being positive. I need to adjust my attitude.
My plans for October are less than usual with the focus more on me.
Eat healthy. This means less eating out, having more healthy foods in the house, prepping meals in advance, and not allowing myself to comfort eat. Use measuring spoons, scale, cups, and track, track, track.
Track my weight and blood sugar daily so I can make sure I am on track. I need to be much healthier when I see the doctor in February. I know I am not healthy when I see him in November.
Try to move more each day. I will start off small and add a bit each day. Work on stairs as they are hard for me to go down.
Shut out the political noise as it stresses me. What is happening is out of my control. I can do what is within my control and that is it.
Enjoy my sewing without putting undue pressure on myself. I did that for August and September and it was really hard on me mentally. I need to do projects I enjoy more than I need to do projects that give me high levels of stress.
Continue cleaning my house. Focus on small areas at a time.
I need to remember that I can focus on myself and not feel guilty about it. I can slow down and enjoy the scenery as the trees are turning. I can enjoy a day out and I can take time to prepare meals. I can say no when I have to. I need to remember that I am the only person who can take care of myself.
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