It has come to my attention that I have not (recently or possibly ever) explained my current food goals. I know I have mentioned them in detail (see my last post about cookbooks) but I have not explained WHY these are my choices. This is that explanation.
To begin, this method of eating is described by a lot of fitness folks (at least Blogilates' Cassey Ho) as "eating clean." I'm not quite following all of the rules, but this is the basis. Eating clean involves eating whole grains, lean proteins, lots and lots of fruits and vegetables, low fat (if any) dairy and no chemicals from food processing if avoidable.The idea is to cut out all the gross stuff that gets put into processed food and eat as if you are fueling a high class engine. I use this as a basis for my food philosophy of the moment (it is ever changing) but there are details that I adjust/ have more to say about.
Let's go into whole grains a bit more, as for me this is a lynch-pin. Most people would say that if you are trying to lose weight, you should cut carbs. Get rid of them almost completely. Well, as people who have been following this blog from its inception know, I did that. It ended in disaster. Cutting one thing out of my diet (or anyone's diet for that matter) is extremely detrimental, if not physically, mentally. I like pasta, rice dishes and bread. Cutting them out made me crave them, and so I cheated and ate them, which slowed down my weight loss to the point of me giving up, loading them back on and gaining back everything I'd lost, plus half again. Now part of my problem may have been the degree to which I cut carbs, but it is safe to say I will never do that again. Instead, I have chosen to move my carbs to whole grains. How is this better? Whole grains are less straining on the body to process, they don't cause dramatic leaps in insulin levels like their refined siblings. Dramatic leaps in insulin lead to fat generation, as insulin is the molecule that helps mark excess glucose for storage. Whole grains, because of their fiber content, don't get marked this way and therefore don't get stored as fat as easily. It's exactly like eating a lean steak instead of a hamburger, only in grain form. It's just plain better for you.
Now, in my last post I made mention of a low-fat sort of goal. The reasoning for this choice is less than straightforward. I have not chosen low-fats because fat is bad. It's not! I know that fat is not more likely to become fat once it's inside me (in fact it is less so). I have chosen low fats because of calories. When it comes down to it, calories are the ONLY thing that matter in weight loss. It's all about what goes in and what goes out. Marathon runners can eat 6 hamburgers a day and not gain weight (though they will probably feel awful). I am not a marathon runner, and so I need to be more careful. By eating lower fat foods, I give myself a little extra room calorically. The higher my ratio of output to input, the better any given day is. Low fat dairy in particular is important for this, as well as the use of EVOO instead of butter when cooking.
Some of you may now say: calories? But Kiersten, you aren't even counting right now! And it's true, I'm not counting. But that doesn't mean they don't matter. Calories are the only thing that matters. I don't count anymore because it is a massive drain on my psyche. I have enough to feel guilty about without also needing that extra kick when I inevitably cross the max calorie line. I know what I should and should not be eating, and I know how many calories I'm burning (roughly) each day. I am no longer eating out everyday for lunch (heck, I rarely even have a meal I can call "lunch") and I don't usually eat much until most of my day is over and I know how many calories I have earned. It works because I never feel like I have a deficit of calories eaten compared to calories put out. As long as I have gotten off my butt and moved that day, I know that most of my hunger is justified.
The end goal of each day is more calories out than in and a balanced endocrine system without the highs and lows of refined carbs. These are the goals, following them is another post. Next week I'll fill you all in on my new exercise routine.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Cookbook Adventures
I have recently started going to the library a lot. As a result, I have been picking up a lot of books. The majority of these books are from my goodreads list of books to read, but I have been making a point of each time I go to get a new slew of books, I also must get at least one cookbook.
Now, I have some pretty high standards for cookbooks. I have to, given my goal of healthy eating and all. Sometimes, these standards are difficult to meet. Here's what they are:
1) Book must declare itself to be healthy food, favoring vegetables, whole grains and low fats.
2) Book must include dishes made with red meat and or dairy.
On my first round, it took me 20 minutes to find a book that met both of these criteria. The vast majority of books that have number 1 do not have number 2 because they are vegan or vegetarian. Don't get me wrong, I like vegan and vegetarian food just fine. In fact, I end up eating vegetarian or mostly vegetarian most days. The boy, however, is not usually happy with strictly vegetarian meals. He needs his meat. And so, both criteria exist.
So, thus far I have picked up 4 cookbooks. Here's what I liked and didn't like about each.
EatingWell: Comfort Foods made Healthy by Jessie Price
This book worked really well for me. I actually made one of the recipes and have saved a bunch of the others to make later. I found that some of the better dishes are made vegetarian, but I just added or substituted chicken. My favorite was the Spicy Peanut Ginger Noodles, made with whole grain spaghetti and frozen vegetables. Plus, I learned how to make a spicy peanut sauce! Good, easy recipes that are fast and healthy!
The Everything Healthy College Cookbook by Nicole Cormier
I have yet to actually try anything out of this one, but I saved a bunch. There are a lot of good ideas in here for food on the go and very easy healthy dinners. One thing that is true is that it tends towards cooking for one (which makes sense but isn't super useful for me). Mostly, this was a good meal idea builder than anything else.
The New American Plate (American Institute for Cancer Research and University of California Press)
I have this book right now. I like its philosophy: Americans eat too much meat, but the solution isn't to get rid of it, it's just to make it take up less plate and fill the space with more vegetables and whole grains. There are lots of tasty looking recipes in here. The only issue I have is that they tend to be filled with Whole Foods Market kinds of ingredients, which will break the bank if I buy them all the time. I'm also not sure how adventurous the boy is willing to be. He has an assignment to take a look at it and get back to me. Lots of pretty pictures too!
400 Best Ever Recipes: Non-Fat/ Low-Fat by Anne Sheasby
This book is... interesting. It's big, filled with pictures, basic instructions and European names for things (sometimes I'm not sure what vegetable they're talking about). The food looks good and it is definitely low fat. I haven't gone through the whole thing yet so I'm not sure if I'm enthusiastic about anything, and there are a whole lot of very french techniques, which I can only barely imagine make the crossover from "BUTTER EVERYWHERE" to "itty bitty bit of safflower oil" very well. It will take some more investigation and possibly some balance finding, but I think this might work well for me, especially given my experimental nature in the kitchen.
What are your favorite healthy foods cookbooks? I know I'm going to grab whichever one of Alton Brown's cookbooks falls soonest into my field of vision (Alton Brown is the Good Eats guy), but what others do you like? Send them my way!
Now, I have some pretty high standards for cookbooks. I have to, given my goal of healthy eating and all. Sometimes, these standards are difficult to meet. Here's what they are:
1) Book must declare itself to be healthy food, favoring vegetables, whole grains and low fats.
2) Book must include dishes made with red meat and or dairy.
On my first round, it took me 20 minutes to find a book that met both of these criteria. The vast majority of books that have number 1 do not have number 2 because they are vegan or vegetarian. Don't get me wrong, I like vegan and vegetarian food just fine. In fact, I end up eating vegetarian or mostly vegetarian most days. The boy, however, is not usually happy with strictly vegetarian meals. He needs his meat. And so, both criteria exist.
So, thus far I have picked up 4 cookbooks. Here's what I liked and didn't like about each.
EatingWell: Comfort Foods made Healthy by Jessie Price
This book worked really well for me. I actually made one of the recipes and have saved a bunch of the others to make later. I found that some of the better dishes are made vegetarian, but I just added or substituted chicken. My favorite was the Spicy Peanut Ginger Noodles, made with whole grain spaghetti and frozen vegetables. Plus, I learned how to make a spicy peanut sauce! Good, easy recipes that are fast and healthy!
The Everything Healthy College Cookbook by Nicole Cormier
I have yet to actually try anything out of this one, but I saved a bunch. There are a lot of good ideas in here for food on the go and very easy healthy dinners. One thing that is true is that it tends towards cooking for one (which makes sense but isn't super useful for me). Mostly, this was a good meal idea builder than anything else.
The New American Plate (American Institute for Cancer Research and University of California Press)
I have this book right now. I like its philosophy: Americans eat too much meat, but the solution isn't to get rid of it, it's just to make it take up less plate and fill the space with more vegetables and whole grains. There are lots of tasty looking recipes in here. The only issue I have is that they tend to be filled with Whole Foods Market kinds of ingredients, which will break the bank if I buy them all the time. I'm also not sure how adventurous the boy is willing to be. He has an assignment to take a look at it and get back to me. Lots of pretty pictures too!
400 Best Ever Recipes: Non-Fat/ Low-Fat by Anne Sheasby
This book is... interesting. It's big, filled with pictures, basic instructions and European names for things (sometimes I'm not sure what vegetable they're talking about). The food looks good and it is definitely low fat. I haven't gone through the whole thing yet so I'm not sure if I'm enthusiastic about anything, and there are a whole lot of very french techniques, which I can only barely imagine make the crossover from "BUTTER EVERYWHERE" to "itty bitty bit of safflower oil" very well. It will take some more investigation and possibly some balance finding, but I think this might work well for me, especially given my experimental nature in the kitchen.
What are your favorite healthy foods cookbooks? I know I'm going to grab whichever one of Alton Brown's cookbooks falls soonest into my field of vision (Alton Brown is the Good Eats guy), but what others do you like? Send them my way!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Let's get moving here
It was not my intention a month ago to fail completely to write here, but it seems that happened anyway! I apologize!
Regardless, after a full month of unemployment and infinite free time (plus the stress and self-guilting that goes on when you're busy trying to motivate yourself), there has been some progress.
Firstly, I have lost a little bit of weight. It comes and goes, but my average is a bit lower. Mostly, I have procrastinated horribly on getting myself moving. I tend to blame busy, but really I have no excuse at this point. I need to make a new, manageable goal for myself.
So, the idea is the following:
I am going to either go on a walk or go to yoga every day that I do not have a big event. I don't have events very often, so I won't often have an excuse. Today I do, I am going to the baseball game this evening (go A's!), but tomorrow I won't, and so I will either have to go on a hike, walk into town or go to a yoga class. I have been intending to go to yoga for something like 3 weeks now, so I should really really do that. In fact, I will declare it right now: I will go to yoga tomorrow. At 4:30.
Beyond my failure to move, I have actually been eating fairly well for the most part, and financially, all is well! I'm vaguely surprised by this, but also not surprised. Eating well means making your own food which means less eating out. But in the end, the actual difference for me has been that I am having only one big meal a day, just like I did in High School. I'm eating dinner, and occasionally an actual lunch, but mostly I am snacking for the rest of the day (mostly on healthy things, but sometimes not). My snacks are usually small and I'm certainly not eating all day long. I have a snack about 4 times during the day and then dinner in the late evening. It works out in terms of my fooding, and I can, for the most part, eat whatever I want.
Otherwise, I am still looking for work. Specifically I am looking for a job doing community/content management for a gaming company, a tech company or a nonprofit. I am looking anywhere in the Bay or in the Sacramento/ Davis area. A good job for me would be in an open, fun casual office environment. I imagine the search for this job is going to last a while, so I am also open to anyone who may have connections for part time, fun work. In the Davis area would be best, and with regular hiring. There is a possibility that boyfriend and I will be moving to Davis at some point in the next several months for him to go to school.
In the mean time, I am working on my skills with Coursera courses (which all of you people should check out, they're free! coursera.org ) and reading.
Regardless, after a full month of unemployment and infinite free time (plus the stress and self-guilting that goes on when you're busy trying to motivate yourself), there has been some progress.
Firstly, I have lost a little bit of weight. It comes and goes, but my average is a bit lower. Mostly, I have procrastinated horribly on getting myself moving. I tend to blame busy, but really I have no excuse at this point. I need to make a new, manageable goal for myself.
So, the idea is the following:
I am going to either go on a walk or go to yoga every day that I do not have a big event. I don't have events very often, so I won't often have an excuse. Today I do, I am going to the baseball game this evening (go A's!), but tomorrow I won't, and so I will either have to go on a hike, walk into town or go to a yoga class. I have been intending to go to yoga for something like 3 weeks now, so I should really really do that. In fact, I will declare it right now: I will go to yoga tomorrow. At 4:30.
Beyond my failure to move, I have actually been eating fairly well for the most part, and financially, all is well! I'm vaguely surprised by this, but also not surprised. Eating well means making your own food which means less eating out. But in the end, the actual difference for me has been that I am having only one big meal a day, just like I did in High School. I'm eating dinner, and occasionally an actual lunch, but mostly I am snacking for the rest of the day (mostly on healthy things, but sometimes not). My snacks are usually small and I'm certainly not eating all day long. I have a snack about 4 times during the day and then dinner in the late evening. It works out in terms of my fooding, and I can, for the most part, eat whatever I want.
Otherwise, I am still looking for work. Specifically I am looking for a job doing community/content management for a gaming company, a tech company or a nonprofit. I am looking anywhere in the Bay or in the Sacramento/ Davis area. A good job for me would be in an open, fun casual office environment. I imagine the search for this job is going to last a while, so I am also open to anyone who may have connections for part time, fun work. In the Davis area would be best, and with regular hiring. There is a possibility that boyfriend and I will be moving to Davis at some point in the next several months for him to go to school.
In the mean time, I am working on my skills with Coursera courses (which all of you people should check out, they're free! coursera.org ) and reading.
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