You know what’s a pain? Pulling grapes off the stems. I mean, a bunch of grapes just has so many stems! And sometimes, I try to be a hero and pull off three at once . . . and you know what happens? I get grapes with tiny stems in my mouth.
The good news is I’ve never said those words out loud. The bad news? That rant has run through my head more than once. In the past week.
I’ve finished four days of eating low carb, and I’ve only been hangry (you know, hungry + angry = hangry) once. I’ve been starving a few times but, shockingly, full a few times, too. My fridge is full of produce, and surprise! I’ve stayed within my Weight Watchers points every single day.
It turns out those pesky carbs were pretty heavy on the points.
So it’s been going pretty well, this attempt at a low-carb diet. But it’s not easy.
I don’t really like vegetables.
Who knew beans have carbs?
Eating carrots without dip makes me gag.
Oreos are on sale this week.
Washing and chopping fruits and veggies takes so long.
I really wanted a Rice Krispy treat at small group this morning.
My husband made spaghetti and I wanted some.
Buying healthy food is expensive.
My daughter keeps eating my yogurt. And my spinach.
Olive oil and vinegar isn’t as tasty as ranch dressing.
My fridge is too full.
Scrambling an egg takes way longer than nuking a packet of oatmeal.
I’m a little tired of grilled chicken.
Did I mention the Oreos?
It’s true. Eating healthy, being healthy is hard. But you know what else is hard? Cramming yourself into an airplane seat and hoping the seat belt fits. Never painting your toenails because it’s just too awkward to bend over that long. Not finding your size in “normal” stores. Being sweaty the entire weekend of Blissdom because walking around the Opryland is more exercise than you’ve gotten in months.
After my friend Jill hosted a Twitter party about healthy eating last night, she told me one of the participants said, “Being fat is hard. Being healthy is hard. Choose your hard.“
She may or may not have chosen to share that with me because I texted her the night before from the grocery store saying, “I’m spending a million dollars on poultry and veggies. Ahh! Potatoes are so cheap!!”
[That quote was from Jamie VanEaton of YourLighterSide.com.]
So I’m going to stick with this healthy thing for a while. It’s hard. And I will probably [definitely] whine along the way. But I’m not ready to quit just yet. And, oh yeah, I’m giving asparagus a try tonight.
What hard are you choosing?
You are rocking, Mary! Hang in there! (and don’t freak out at the color of your pee tomorrow :)
Haha! And thank you. :)
I’m super impressed with your will power not to eat a Rice Krispy treat! Wow! And, yes, the Oreo 100 year birthday has made them explode everywhere. Bad timing for you as well. Way to keep at your goal. I like asparagus by the way. Make sure to cut off more of the bottoms than you’d think…it feels so wasteful, but tastes so chewy if you don’t.
Good for Annalyn in creating a first-world problem for you of eating your spinach!
When my husband starting having major health issues with his pancreas, we had to eat very healthy meals at home (low fat and low carb) and it definitely costs more. But, over time, we realized that cutting all the junk snack food meant that we actually bought less food and so it wasn’t that bad. Luckily, he is doing better and we are weaning ourselves back into the middle of the road diet speaking.
Oh, and peeling “ALL” of the little white strands off of an orange is so annoying!
True. That’s why I don’t eat oranges. :)
I made the asparagus on Friday and it was pretty good! Good enough that I asked Smitty (who technically made it, as she was over for dinner and did all the actual work for that part of our meal) about “the next time” we make it!
I hear ya, girl! (And did you see the Oreo’s coupon too? Seriously, not buying the Oreo’s has been so hard for me this week!!) I’ve got to add my secret to making asparagus good. I just discovered it recently, actually made some last night. Like Sarah L. said, you have to break off more than you will think is financially savy. (I bend each piece till it breaks on its own.) But, I discovered if I PEEL each piece (like with a vegi peeler) – just a bit to get off those little barb-like things that look kind of like rose thorn/barbs – it makes all the difference in the world. ~And yes, you will be fussing about how much trouble it is to peel each of those little skinny little asparagus the whole time… Toss with a little olive oil, salt & pepper, and bake on a cookie sheet at 400 for about 25 mins. Seriously, almost as good as french fries. (Ok, not really, but it helps to say stuff like that when I’m on a diet… ) ~Keep on through the desert, and God will lead you to your “promised land”. And don’t grumble too much about the manna and how good the food was back in slavery… Trust God’s plan, and you will soon see miraculous things.
Ooooh, good reminder about the desert and the manna! Thank you. And I made the asparagus the way you described and it WAS pretty good! (Well, I didn’t peel anything extra off, but it was still good!)
I hear you! It is especially hard to lose weight when your children (meaning MY children) need EXTRA calories according to the doctor–I hate my husband’s metabolism! So while they eat similar food to me, THEIR chicken is smothered in ranch or some other fattening sauce, I have to bake rolls for dinner, load them with butter…and not eat any…things like that. But it is worth it. Whenever I feel like giving up, I remember that I am doing this so that I can be healthy enough to actually play with my kids as they get older. I don’t want to be on the sidelines. Exercise isn’t enough for me to lose weight, and eating healthy will SAVE money in the long run (despite being more expensive…I totally agree…it’s like the junk food people have it in for the poor!)–healthier lifestyles mean less chances of long-term health problems that require expensive medicine (high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.) So keep up the good work! It will get easier…some days :-D. One thing that can act as a good motivator for some is while they are walking for exercise, carry around a jug of sand that weighs the same as the weight you’ve lost. Put it in a backpack as a reminder of what you don’t have to carry around anymore. It will burn even more calories and you’ll be reminded of all the good you’ve done so far….even a pound will be noticeable after an hour :-D.
Enjoy your Asparagus! I really like mine wrapped up in foil with chicken broth and baked at 450 for 15 minutes or so…
Oh, and I really like red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar without even the olive oil. :-D.
Yes, trying to lose weight when the other people in your house aren’t is HARD. I can’t imagine how much harder it is with kids who need extra calories! At least I can console myself with the knowledge that I’m helping Annalyn learn to eat healthier (and being a better example for her, really, since I’ve always made her eat healthy stuff even when I don’t!). I like the idea of carrying around the sand. I hope I have pounds lost to do that soon! :)
Yah! You are doing great Mary! Keep up the good work!
Way to go! You’ll like the asparagus, I think (but be warned that it does make your pee smell — sorry if TMI!;). As far as the effort involved for eating healthy and all that, I completely understand. But I also think that anything worth doing is worth some effort. And things that take time and effort to do result in more lasting changes and make you feel good and empowered because you conquered (are conquering) a challenge! As for the cost, again I agree. Very frustrating! Especially when you can’t “stock up” because fresh food goes bad. However, if you are faithful with this, it may be cheaper in the long run because health care could cost less. Good job, keep up the good work! :)
OK, I just read all the other comments and it seems that I’m just repeating a lot. Oh well! (It must be true then, right?;)
It’s okay to repeat. I (obviously) need to hear these things over and over and over again!
Congrats Mary on your positive food choices! You are doing great!
Thanks, Maria. :)
Oh I hear ya! Seriously, Oreo’s are everywhere…taunting me, calling me! Birthday, schmirthday!
My husband and I started eating low-carb/Paleo at the beginning of the year and exercising moderately (~ 3 times a week)…..and we’ve each lost 15 pounds and feel much better! There have definitely been some struggles when I just don’t know what to eat, but I’ve found Pinterest to be a great source of info for new recipes so I don’t go crazy, lol. Here’s my low-carb board (http://pinterest.com/Marebare/delish-low-carb/) and some of those things we’ve tried and have loved! Good luck in your quest for health!! =)
~ Mara
Mara, thank you for the Pinterest board link! That’s a great collection and I’m following now!!
Cheering you on as you choose your hard, friend!
Thank you! I need all the cheering I can get!
Keep trying! Acknowledging that it is hard can be so helpful in dealing with the hard. So worth it though!
Thanks, Nicole!
I’ve got a deal for you. I’ll write a book for you if you’ll keep trying to lose the weight you want to lose. xoxo
Best. Deal. Ever.
I love the quote — it’s so true. Being healthy is hard. I really need to work on being better. Good luck!
Thanks!