the constant hunger

What I Learned about Food, Diet and Myself

Since May of this year, I've focused on improving my health. I've completely overhauled my diet and have made a real effort to make exercise part of my daily life. Six months later, I'm still going strong. My day to day has improved so much I can't imagine going back to how I lived my life before. I wanted to outline what I learned about diet and exercise. Most importantly, through this process, I ended up learning a lot about myself. I am not a health professional so you need to do what works for you. 

There is no magic solution

The diet industry pushes this idea that this one pill, book, 5 min workout etc is finally THE THING you've been searching for to give you the results you've wanted your whole life. That's bullshit. I'm sorry to break it to you, but unless you are willing to do the (hard work), nothing will change. 

Consistency is key 

It doesn't matter if you take a Zumba class or run. At the end of the day, the only that that matters is consistency. Whatever activity you decide to do, you must be ready to do it 5 times a week to see any real results. 

Motivation is a fantasy

I've heard people say, "I just lack the motivation. Once I get it, I'll be able to exercise." I was one of those people. I would get super pumped about a workout and then...lose motivation. News flash. You can have all the motivation in the world but unless you take action on a daily basis, nothing will change. Get out of your head and get moving day after day. 

Exercise is like brushing your teeth

Thinking of exercise as something I need to do every day like brushing my teeth really helped me. This simple mind shift made me think of exercise as a "need" versus a "nice to have."

Sustainability is another key

Whatever change I made, I made sure it was something I could sustain for the foreseeable future. No juice cleanses for me. I slowly eliminated refined sugar and most animal products from my diet. I know that I can sustain this diet for a really long time. 

Focus on the gains

Oftentimes we get into this mindset where we think about all the things we need to give up to achieve a better body and/or better health. Chocolate, butter, free time, whatever... Instead, I chose to focus on all the things that I was adding to my life. More nutritious food, more energy, more strength. 

Slow and steady wins the race

I made small changes over a long period of time. I had time to get used to each change and therefore didn't reject it completely and fall back into old habits. 

I'm stronger than I think

This is the most valuable and surprising thing I learned. This is the first time in my life where I changed my eating habits and incorporated exercise and kept at it. There was never a moment where I felt like giving up. Something clicked inside the deepest part of me and pushed me through the daily workouts. Once I started seeing results, it became even easier to continue. 

For now, I eat mostly plants and exercise for an hour a day 6 days a week. This may seem really drastic but I didn't get here overnight. Life will inevitably throw me a curve ball and I may need to readjust my diet and workout schedule as I go. This feeling of vitality that I feel every day is just too good so I know I will always come back to this healthy lifestyle. 

 

Health Habits

I'll preface this post by saying 1) I've never had any major health issues (knock on wood) 2) I have always been at an average weight for my height 3) I am NOT a health professional 4) This is just what works for me and my lifestyle. Also, this is not a sponsored post.

Over the course of the last decade or so, I've gone through periods of activity and inactivity. I've also gone through periods of eating well and eating not so well. And funny enough, with every change of city, I became more and more unhealthy. Living in New York, I'd walk everywhere and practiced yoga 3-4 times a week. Then we moved to San Francisco where we needed to have a car. I'd go through periods of healthy eating and exercise. And finally, LA, the land of green juices and the latest fitness craze, my health habits were non-existent. 

When I'd go shopping for new clothes, nothing fit right. I felt tired all the time. I suffered from insomnia. I just didn't feel good in my skin. I knew I had to make some changes but sudden, drastic changes never stick with me. I needed to be realistic and strategic about my approach. 

I didn't necessarily have a plan. I knew I had to make some changes but I didn't really plan anything or write things down. I just made small changes over time because that's what works for me. I also made a promise to myself that any change I made had to be something i could maintain for the rest of my life or for a very significant period of time (years, not months). 

Phase One

The first change I made was eliminating refined sugar. I have a sweet tooth. Correction: I have sweet teeth. I love ice cream, cupcakes, candy. I would eat sweets every day. But after watching Fed Up,  I knew refined sugar needed to go. Sad. 

Of all the changes I made, this was by far the toughest. The first three days without sugar were awful. I've never been a smoker but I imagine this is what it felt like to quit smoking. I was agitated and had severe cravings. I'd try to offset these cravings with a piece of fruit or a cup of herbal tea. After three weeks of no processed sugar, the cravings were gone.

Processed foods was something else I tackled. We don't really eat processed foods at home. We make our pasta sauces and salad dressings from scratch. We don't drink soda (I don't think I've ever actually tasted Coke) and we never keep any kind of processed snack foods at home for the most part. I just made it a point to continue this habit of no processed food. 

Phase Two

I increased my daily intake of fruits and vegetables. For breakfast, my plate had to be mainly fruit. For lunch and dinner, mainly vegetables with a healthy dose of grains and a very small portion of lean meat. By increasing my veggie portion, I actually felt fuller longer. More vitamins and more satisfied. Win-win. 

I also had to begin moving my body. Nothing drastic. I decided to move for about 20-30 min every day. If you really think about it, it's totally doable.

I needed to do something that I actually enjoyed, otherwise, I'd stop doing it after a week or two. There's really only two activities that I enjoy: dance and yoga. I needed something that was convenient and affordable. It had to be a workout I could do after work and the idea of going to a studio or the gym was really unappealing. Some people need to be working out with others or around others to get and stay motivated. I am not one of those people. I knew a home workout was the way to go. I could do it on my time, not waste time commuting to a studio or gym and could jump into my shower right after. 

I did a little research and discovered a ton of free fitness videos on YouTube. I did a mix of yoga and cardio-ish workouts. 

In addition to exercising, I also started reading about health and watching some interesting documentaries (here, here and here). 

Phase Three

Though I had made some positive changes for my health, I wasn't thrilled with how I looked. I wasn't my "best self," so to speak. I know that makes me sound completely vain, but that's honestly how I felt. I didn't look quite right in my clothes, I felt tired and sluggish. I knew I had to up my exercise game to get more dramatic results. 

I started looking around for a home workout, something big and something that was really tailored to my particular shape. I remembered a friend mentioning Tracy Anderson to me years and years ago so I decided to research her and her programs. I watched reviews of her program on YouTube and it seemed positive. 

The one thing I had to accept was the fact that if I wanted dramatic results to my body, I had to work out frequently and consistently. The idea that a 10 min workout every few days is going to give me a "killer bod" is ridiculous. There is no secret formula, no magic pill. I had to get used to the idea that I had to exercise. And that I did. I opted for her Metamorphosis program.

I knew it was going to be a huge time commitment (1 hour workouts, 6 days a week for 3 months) but I was motivated. Before I ordered it, I wanted to up my workout a little in preparation for Tracy, just so that I wasn't a total beginner and lose confidence. I started running a few days a week for about 2 weeks prior to starting the program. Honestly, I think it set me up for success because Metamorphosis is HARD.

Phase Four

Every article, book or documentary I read and watched about healthy diets all came to the same conclusion: a plant-based diet is the way to go. You can roll your eyes here. 

I love the occasional cheeseburger and can't eat enough seafood (especially salmon and oysters), but there were too many things about a diet rich in animal products I couldn't ignore. Though I wouldn't call myself a vegetarian, I have mostly stopped eating meat and seafood. I've also switched to almond milk. Maybe one day eliminate eggs, cheese and butter from my diet, but today is not that day. 

Conclusion 

Because I've made soo many changes to my life, it's hard to pinpoint specifically what's responsible for how I feel today. Honestly, it's probably all of it. I feel stronger, lighter on my feet, more energetic. Though I'm only one month into Tracy's 3-month program, I'm seeing some big changes to my body. I don't know how many pounds I lost because I choose not to weigh myself but instead rely on the mirror, how I look in clothes and just how I feel. I know I've lost inches around my waist, hips and thighs and that's enough motivation for me to continue. 

Eating more plant-based has reignited my passion for food. I'm finding new recipes through YouTube and bloggers.  Also, not sure if this is just me but I find it soooo much easier to cook without meat. 

I'm hoping I can sustain these changes long-term. The benefits are just too amazing to go back to how I was. But I'm also realistic about things. It is inevitable that I will miss a workout or there might be a burger in my future. If it happens, that's ok. I will do better next time. 

 

Value and Self-Confidence

I was promoted at work a couple of weeks ago. And it was well-deserved if I do say so myself. Years of designing and executing complex projects, going above and beyond to dramatically improve operations, etc,, etc., etc. So why after being recognized for the work I've done did I spend last Sunday feeling like I'd never be "good enough" at work?

I'm not sure what triggered the blues but it was powerful. I fell into a deep, dark hole of low self-esteem and self-doubt. I was thinking about some of my colleagues that were working on exciting projects that had the attention of our manager and thought, "They're doing such great work. What do I have to offer?" 

Thinking back on that, I know how ridiculous that was. Here I was, freshly promoted and feeling like I had nothing to add, that I didn't bring value to the team. I thought about this all week, doing some deep inner work to push out the negative thoughts and build myself back up. I was so focused on others and their skills, skills which do not come naturally to me, that I failed to see the skills that I bring to the table. And these are skills that don't come naturally to others! 

At the end of this week, I felt much better about things. I realize that no one else has the unique set of skills, talents and ideas I do and that there are unlimited opportunities to push them forward. 

 

Banishing the Concept of "Guilty" Pleasure

Lately I've been challenging myself to eliminate doing things I "should" do and instead do things that make me feel good. Simple enough in theory but I sometimes struggle to apply this to my life in a practical sense. When I don't do things I "should", I feel guilty.

I thought I would start eliminating feelings of guilt when I want to indulge in guilty pleasures. I hate that phrase. Guilty pleasure. Why should anyone feel guilty about experiencing pleasure? Aren't we all trying to maximize pleasurable experiences here on Earth? 

Nowadays, I find pleasure in things that may seem trivial or substandard to some. I'm not ashamed to say that I'd rather watch reruns of The Golden Girls over an art documentary, that I'd rather read cozy mysteries over Austen or Flaubert.

I challenge you to do the same. Fully enjoy the activities that bring you joy, regardless of what others might think. Do what feels good and don't feel ashamed.  

My Approach to Cooking These Days

These days, my approach to cooking is simple and easy. Gone are the days of experimenting with complex cooking techniques and hard-to-find ingredients. Enter a few tried-and-true recipes that I enjoy making (and eating) over and over. I mainly stick to soups and stews during cold months and salads with grilled chicken or fish during warmer months. 

The main reason I began opting for easier recipes was I was spending longer and longer hours at work and didn't have the time nor energy to go grocery shopping and prepare a three-course meal after a long day. Also, in general, I prefer dishes with a few good quality ingredients. 

I share the responsibility of grocery shopping and cooking with my husband. He's much more adventurous with his meals, though I think we both prefer a bowl of simple pasta. He makes the most incredible pasta dishes to the point where we never go out to eat at Italian restaurants. What's the point when we eat better pasta at home?

I started to develop a routine on my weeks when I was on kitchen "duty." It usually goes something like this. Wake up Saturday morning and look online for some recipe inspiration while drinking good, hot coffee. Identify a couple recipes, create a shopping list and head out to the store. I'm out the door no later than 10:00 a.m. (when you wake up at 6:00 a.m., that's already pretty late). 

Where I live today, I'm surrounded by several grocery stores but I always opt to go one a little further away. It's never crowded, they are well stocked and the staff is incredibly kind and helpful. Plus, I never have to fight for parking.

I'm pretty good at sticking to my list. We eat relatively healthily. Though we don't follow any particular diet, my shopping cart is filled with whole foods. There is rarely any processed/packaged food. My vice is sugar and I go through periods of cutting refined sugar out but I do indulge occasionally. Sometimes I can go crazy but I do my best to balance things out the next day. I'm getting off track here. 

Once I'm done buying ingredients, I'm back home and begin my prep work. I usually make two dishes and make enough to last the week. I simply cannot be bothered to cook during the week. I always listen to music while I cook. 

The key thing for me is one-pot cooking. Throwing ingredients into one pot and simmering on the stove-top or in the oven was a game-changer for me. Not only are there endless one-pot cooking recipes so your taste buds never get bored, but clean up is a breeze.  

Here are some of my favorite, go-to recipes:

• Chickpea stew with spinach and sausage - This may not look like much but it's incredibly flavorful. I usually substitute the chorizo with hot, Italian sausage. 
• Turkey and bean chili - A lighter take on a classic. 
• Braised chicken thighs with carrots and potatoes - I swap out the red-skinned potatoes for slightly healthier sweet potatoes.