Peppers, Paradise and Porcelain

So I was naughty. (Time to get confessions out of the way.)  I wasn't going to tell you but since this is a learning platform, I might as well admit when I fall.
I went out of the house empty handed and 6 hours later, I was hungry! So I stopped...that's right...at Carl's Jr. It's embarrassing to admit. BUT, the good news is, I got sick! In fact, as I write this, my stomach is popping and fizzzing. It's not at all pleasant. The thought of the food again makes me nauseous. I've already visited the Porcelain Throne twice since eating. Maybe this is God's way of helping the weak-willed?  I'm not a fan but whatever it takes!

But the whole day wasn't lost. Lunch was all about the peppers! Let me tell you about the bliss of bell peppers! Red, orange, yellow and green: they are the delightful colors of the rainbow! And put together, it was like better than...than...PIZZA! And do you know how much I LOOOVVVEEEE Pizza? This is a big deal!

So I took a whole wheat pita, baked it in the broiler for a few minutes, then took it out and added tomato sauce, basil and all the types of bell peppers and a little chopped tomato. I sprinkled a little garlic salt and more basil on top and put it in the broiler for another few minutes.

I never knew veggies were soooo goood! Finger-lickin' good! Pepper PARADISE for your mouth!

That got me excited. It gives me hope that I can do this.

Kale has Ruffels

What is kale? Apparently, it's a green leafy vegetable. Apparently, it is also at the top of the list for health foods: it’s high in nutrients including protein and simply “life giving.” I knew it was green and leafy but I actually had to read all the labels in the produce isle to find it.  I can pick it out now becuase I think of green "ruffels" when I see it. Designers on project runway could use it for dresses!

  I tore off a small piece and popped it in my mouth. Man...did I feel like my bunny rabbit. Seems bland...but no surprises...just like other lettuce I have had. But I just couldn't see myself chewing a whole salad of this or even know how else to eat it. Since it’s new to me and I have to warm up to it, I’m mixing it with fruit. That’s right. 5 leaves of kale, stripped from the stem, 1 banana, 1 apple, some ginger root and 2 cups of water in the Vita Mix for a creamy, GREEN breakfast.

No, I didn't think of this all on my own. Dr. Furhamn suggested blending greens to get higher quantities and I happened to pick up a book on making salads in a cup. I had a teacher in college once tell me, "Your body will crave what you feed it. Feed it snickers and it will want snickers. Feed it vegetables and it will want vegetables." Her suggestion was to "add to" our diets, not take away and she said something about the healthier food we add, the body will naturally gravitate towards and crave higher nutrient filled foods. So in therapy, the more veggies I choke down, the more I will like them? Lets find out shall we?

Going to my mom’s today. Better take snacks with me...need a plan of attack. It’s a cruel test of willpower over at her house: she loves to feed me and rub in cookies, cakes, chips and hamburgers. She's just not happy until I'm sinning blissfully with her. Oh boy…maybe I will cancel…

The Life-Changing Challenge Determined...

I have been struggling' with being overweight for as long as I can remember. In 2008, I made little changes in my life that allowed me to lose about 50 lbs. I discovered confidence, a greater freedom to live my life and the drive to live healthier. But, two years later, I still would not call myself healthy and "fit" is definitly not on my resume. But I want it to be...

I just finished watching the Julie and Julia Project (love this movie). What I loved about the character Julie was that she took a good look at herself realizing she has to have a new approach. She knew her own character to know enough that this would have to be something different in order to finish it. So she set a deadline for herself. She had a very measurable, CLEAR goal with a deadline. In summary, she made herself accountable.

I have tried everything in the book. Well, alright...maybe not EVERYTHING. But sometimes, it feels like it. Although I have recently reached mild success (50 lbs is a lot of weight), I'm still not where I want to be. Like Julie, I need a new approach combined with accountability.

Enter in, "Angela's Veggie Tales."

So here are my goals: (oh man…I have to get specific! This is tough!)
I don’t have a goal weight…I have a goal size. And because I have no idea what is just right FOR ME, I’m going to start with what I think is reasonable and reachable yet far enough way that I'm going to really, really have to reach.

Current size, 16. (OMG, I can't believe I just posted this on the worldwide web!)
GOAL size, 12.

Plan of Action:  Eat mostly veggies and exercise.

This may sound like the governments "Eat five a day" cliché, but for me, this is a big deal.
I never ate fresh or raw vegetables growing up. Couldn’t stand them. I have never purchased or ate a Brussels sprout. Chances are, I couldn't pick them out of a line up at the grocery store.

Today, I can only eat a handful that I have become comfortable with. But I'm learning about the potentially life changing health benefits of veggies and I'm ready to get "RADICAL". So tomatos and Brussels sprouts, here I come!

I want my food pyramid to have the bottom and biggest section available for vegetables, predominately, green leaf veggies. Then fruits. Then beans and whole grains. And at the top, in the smallest tip, oils/nuts/seeds.
This is and will be a dramatic switch from my current taste buds (you will notice the absence of meat).

There will be no restriction of how much of the above I can eat. When I’m hungry, I eat. But I think I will allow for at least one day of the week as treat day…to allow for friends, family, eating out or something of the like.

I will do my best in this blog to keep you well informed of my veggie adventures...because they are, for me, scary adventures!