Healthy & Tasty...Does it Really Exist?

"I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage"

- Erma Bombeck    

So I've (Renae) began a new "healthy" eating regime.  It sucks!  Ok, not all the time, but geeze, ugh!  Why does most of the stuff that is considered healthy, like eating dirt.  It's put me on a new endeavor.  I am going to start looking for recipes that taste delicious, not just ok, but really good tasting healthy food.  The truth is if I have to keep eating like this, I'm going to stay fat!  It's like they (the health nuts of the world) have decided that if it's healthy it has to taste like cardboard.  If you are a health food nut, you will not convince me that you actually think the food tastes good.

The Chinese & Japanese believe that food is like a medicine.  When the people in these cultures get sick they don't seek out the doctors first, they first seek out a nutritionist.  They believe in balance in every area of your life.  Now I know eating right can make a huge difference in how you feel.  But come one, at least the Chinese & Japanese have good tasting food.  They also believe that hot foods & beverages help with digestion.  This is one reason they drink hot tea at the end of their meals.

What spurred this endeavor, on this day?  Oatmeal!  Yep, I had oatmeal this morning.  I realize a lot of people actually like oatmeal.  I don't, I try and I just don't like the texture (mushy) or the flavor.  I even tried the "flavored" oatmeal. 

...So begins my new endeavor...

GREAT tasting food that is lower in calories but also healthy.  

My first goal is to look for breakfast foods that don't make me want to gag.  These seem to be the most difficult, at least for me.  I do LOVE smoothies, but sometimes you want something to eat, not drink.  I mean, I'm a chef, I like food.   I don't want to drink all of my calories. 

As I find or create new recipes I will share with everyone.  I am hoping that some of you will also try them and tell me what you think.  I do want honest opinions.  Because I would also like to create a cookbook with all of this information in it.  I am looking to create recipes that don't call for the highly expensive "health foods" that you often find.  I want to be able to create delicious, savory meals with regular items, not a bunch of specialty items.  I want to loose weight, but I don't want to have to sell my arm to do it.  This may require some serious creativity...we will see how I do.

So check back, you never know when the first recipe may appear.

"You better cut the pizza in four pieces because 

I'm not hungry enough to eat six"

- Yogi Berra                  

Failure or Success?

"Success is most often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable"

- Coco Chanel

Wow...have I really stepped away since the middle of October?!?!  YES, yes I have.  For that I am sorry.  I knew when Tiffiny and I started this journey it wouldn't be easy breezy lemon squeezy, but man, I was hoping for some divine inspiration...by inspiration I mean a divine move that would push past my procrastinating tendencies and excuse making abilities.  I realize, that means stomping all over my...will!   

I have to make a choice.  I am apparently going to have to make this choice on a daily basis...no, probably a minute by minute basis.  At least until it becomes habit, then a lifestyle.

"I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work"

 - Thomas A. Edison

What can you learn from my public failure to complete my goals in my allotted time?  YOU ARE NOT ALONE!  Don't give up! I'm not giving up.  Anytime I slack or completely stop working toward my intended goal.  I have to re-direct myself.  This may happen a lot before it clicks and sticks.  I have to give myself a pep talk.  Make sure it's a positive pep talk.  Don't get down on yourself, you'll only feel worse.  Just tell  yourself what's done is done, you can't go back and change it.  Just start fresh right now, today, this very moment, and move on.  You may have to tell yourself this everyday for awhile...it will sink in.

“You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It wont happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.” 

- Joel Osteen

So how have I picked myself up this time.  I have started a new diet. Let me clarify, I'm not saying diet as in loosing weight diet, although I'm hoping it does that.  I say diet as in the way I eat, a lifestyle.  This lifestyle has me eating 5 small meals a day. Now, this takes planning on my part.  I am planning my meals for the week and by each day.  Then I have to actually prepare them so they are ready to go when I need them.  I have calculated the number of calories I could consume to maintain my current weight.  Seriously? why would I change anything if that was my purpose...but I digress.  From that I can calculate what I need to consume to loose weight, along with working out.  Tonight starts a new workout for me...INSANITY.  Yes, I dare!  I am a little bit afraid and a lot excited.  I need something that is going to jump start my weight loss.  That is what will motivate me.

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

-Winston Churchill

Just one last thing to remind you of before I go....

YOU ARE ALREADY FABULOUS!!!!!