Fitness Friday: Food

Things are going well. I have been taking it easy the last couple of days as far as exercising because two nights ago when I showered at the end of the day, I felt a little pain on the inside arch part of my right foot. It wasn't terrible, but I hoped that if I just slowed down (I've done some form of exercise every day for the last month and a half) then it would repair and not get worse. I don't want to damage my feet so that I have to stop altogether! 

Tonight I thought I would share something that has surprised me. Pleasantly! I have been eating almost whatever I want during this time, especially the last month, after my initial all-in hard core efforts. Some of the things I have made recently are:

-Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice (this one is going in Recipe for Disaster...just wait) (not because the recipe is a disaster, but because I am, of course)

-Korean Beef in the crock pot

-Spicy Barbacoa Soft Tacos in the crock pot

-Pasta Carbonara

These have all been great recipes. I even ate some of the Carbonara, which is made with whipping cream and bacon. I just had smaller portions than I normally would. I have found that dinner calories are the hardest to keep track of. 

And for all you grammar nerds out there, I would have written "the hardest of which to keep track" but that sounds so unbelievably weird and pretentious that I just couldn't do it. 

It's easy to measure out (roughly) a serving of Greek yogurt or to know how many calories are in a cheese stick and a handful of crackers. Knowing how many calories are in dinner dishes? Forget it. I just eat small portions and drink a lot of water. So far, that seems to be working well enough. 

Here are some other things that I have enjoyed:

-Smoothies made with yogurt and frozen fruit

-Dried cherries and a few dark chocolate morsels (like Hershey's or Ghirardelli's)

-A slice of bread with Nutella and a small glass of milk (A serving of Nutella is 2 tablespoons...do you know how big that is?! A little dollop [much less than 2 tablespoons] spread on one slice of bread is plenty for a chocolate fix.)

-Strawberries with a teaspoon of Nutella

-A teaspoon of Nutella

Do you sense a pattern? I discovered Nutella recently, and found that it doesn't have hydrogenated oils, it isn't outrageously high in fat (if you eat a small amount, which is plenty) (Did I seriously just say that?), and it is DELICIOUS. What is Very Exciting is that I have not used store-bought frosting for a long time because of the Bad Ingredients...well, I see no problem with using Nutella to frost a cupcake or seven.

Of course, I would never eat all seven. Not now, no sir.

Maybe just three. 

For real, though, I have had little treats here and there, and this time, for whatever reason, I have been able to keep them small, and to stay on track. For me, the treats are not "getting off track." Just once did I have a melt-down kind of night, after a day of emotinal ups and downs (mostly downs), and I very deliberately made a giant milkshake and very deliberately ate every bit of it. With only a smidgeon of remorse. Much later, I was mad at myself, but I just had to move on. 

I wanted to share something that a blog friend, Kara, shared with me in a very encouraging email. She said,"What you're doing is such a far cry from who you were, but it's who you're becoming! And the longer you make healthier choices, the more the old Christina will be a far cry from who you are. Your transformation is such a testimony to the power of God because that change doesn't just happen. It's taking a heck of a lot of work from you and intervention from God. Puts real life persepctive to 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'!"

This was such an amazing reminder! I love how she put it..."it's who you're becoming! And the longer you make healthier choices, the more the old Christina will be a far cry from who you are." Isn't that just what we are promised?! 

Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

I needed that reminder. I have also been thinking a lot about how much better I would be doing, in general, if I put as much effort into my spiritual health as I have put into my physical health. I have seen what a big difference such an effort can make, even in a relatively short period of time, for my body. How much more so would that be with my heart and spirit? I know the answer! 

So, there is some food for thought...I can enjoy my meals and even some desserts, and I need to feed my soul just as much as I do my body. I'm looking forward to the next leg of this journey. Thank you for letting me share it with you.

Comments

[Mindee@ourfrontdoor]

So proud of you! And yes - nutella is heaven in a jar.

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

You rock - seriously!

And I am totally pinning the recipes for barbacoa and Korean beef. YUM.

[Missy]

Right. There. With ya! And LOVE Nutella. Sadly...