What an actor! Smoldering, funny and that voice! Mmm, don't get me started! Have I ever mentioned my love of the Spanish language? Yeah. I like it. A lot. Raul Julia. Gone too soon. Too many cigars and a weak heart, but, a fine (and I do mean FINE) actor.
He's on my mind because we watched Addams Family Values for the umpteenth time this past weekend and he makes the movie for me. I love watching movies with the kids that we can all enjoy. A movie with The Rock? Yes, please! What's the story? I don't care! Just don't interrupt me during the part where he takes off his shirt!!! Whose idea was it to get Dwayne Johnson to do Disney movies? I want to kiss them on the mouth.
I'm also thinking about my friends at the Engine 2 Immersion (part two!) in Austin this week. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to have that experience last March at the inaugural immersion. It has truly changed my life and I've made friends that I will cherish forever. I wish them well!
I'm eating a homemade lentil burger (with way too many onions in it...no one will be speaking ANY language in my ear today; my ear is too close to my mouth!) and already thinking about the giant salad that I want to eat next. It's amazing how in just six months, my mindset is completely different when it comes to food. Except, that maybe it's not. I still crave things like crazy; only now they are things like vegan pesto and artichoke hearts. The really crazy thing is that I am cooking...like, A LOT. I have to if I want to eat plant strong (trademark :) ), because my sweet husband still cooks around the meat. It's okay. He's a grownup and he is entitled to eat what he wants and cook what he wants. Thankfully, I am mostly happy with large salads containing things I can either slice or dump from a can and toasted sprouted grain bread covered with either hummus or refried beans. I'm easy that way. But, when I get sick of that, I need to cook. I was proud of myself yesterday for making a double batch of cauliflower soup and those ridiculously onion - filled lentil burgers for everyone's dinner...even though I had to go to work and couldn't enjoy them with the family.
I'm getting there. It takes time.
Sugar is next to go, especially cookies. Like some men I've known, they are delicious, but dangerous and addicting(and they don't even speak Spanish!). I really need to break it off for good. I've banished Newman's (vegan) chocolate, chocolate sandwich cookies from my life as well as regular Oreo's. I still have coconut ice (not)cream in the freezer, but, I'll let the kids finish that. Ice cream is not as much of a trigger for me. It takes too much effort. By the time I pry the lid off the frozen treat and manage to scoop out a serving, I could have eaten six cookies. Damned efficiency!!!
So, yes. Cookies, you are gone! Candy: meh. Don't really care. The thing that is holding me back is that I know I will have to give up the coconut creamer for my coffee. And, I'm not sure if I can truly break my addiction (and oh yes, it IS and addiction) and keep that in my life. It's sweet, delicious, it makes me happy...and probably that is the problem. It makes me too happy and then I crash or want something else sweet, or a salt bagel, etc., etc.
I'm screwed.
The rational part of me knows that if I just stay strong for three days, then a week and then two weeks, it will be over. Cravings gone, I will be happy to eat my salads and veggies and oniony lentil burgers sans sucre. But, the fat devil on my shoulder is eating a vegan doughnut and shouting things like "You deserve it!" "You need that creamer!" "Why are you torturing yourself?" and spitting crumbs all over me. I hate that guy.
I read an article about Drew Carey, in the Parade magazine over the weekend, about how he lost all this weight and blah, blah, blah...but, the thing that stuck out at me was when he talked about celebrating. And one day he ate some pizza and cake and the next day he did the same thing and it made him feel like crap. He realized that it wasn't a reward; it was a punishment. Those were his words. It's true. That momentary pleasure of taste on tongue leads to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, low energy...on and on. Is it worth it? No, of course not.
Why do we see sugar and fat as a reward when it hurts us? Because it's what we learned from infancy. Breast milk is basically sugar and fat. When we went to grandma's did she give us candy or kale? Did we have to finish our desserts? Nope, but we sure had to eat our vegetables under threat of violence or never leaving the table: ever ... no wonder we hated those things! We've got so much misplaced value on things that are terrible for us. Something to consider for the next blog post...
'til then, don't come too close. I really reek of onions.
He's on my mind because we watched Addams Family Values for the umpteenth time this past weekend and he makes the movie for me. I love watching movies with the kids that we can all enjoy. A movie with The Rock? Yes, please! What's the story? I don't care! Just don't interrupt me during the part where he takes off his shirt!!! Whose idea was it to get Dwayne Johnson to do Disney movies? I want to kiss them on the mouth.
I'm also thinking about my friends at the Engine 2 Immersion (part two!) in Austin this week. I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to have that experience last March at the inaugural immersion. It has truly changed my life and I've made friends that I will cherish forever. I wish them well!
I'm eating a homemade lentil burger (with way too many onions in it...no one will be speaking ANY language in my ear today; my ear is too close to my mouth!) and already thinking about the giant salad that I want to eat next. It's amazing how in just six months, my mindset is completely different when it comes to food. Except, that maybe it's not. I still crave things like crazy; only now they are things like vegan pesto and artichoke hearts. The really crazy thing is that I am cooking...like, A LOT. I have to if I want to eat plant strong (trademark :) ), because my sweet husband still cooks around the meat. It's okay. He's a grownup and he is entitled to eat what he wants and cook what he wants. Thankfully, I am mostly happy with large salads containing things I can either slice or dump from a can and toasted sprouted grain bread covered with either hummus or refried beans. I'm easy that way. But, when I get sick of that, I need to cook. I was proud of myself yesterday for making a double batch of cauliflower soup and those ridiculously onion - filled lentil burgers for everyone's dinner...even though I had to go to work and couldn't enjoy them with the family.
I'm getting there. It takes time.
Sugar is next to go, especially cookies. Like some men I've known, they are delicious, but dangerous and addicting(and they don't even speak Spanish!). I really need to break it off for good. I've banished Newman's (vegan) chocolate, chocolate sandwich cookies from my life as well as regular Oreo's. I still have coconut ice (not)cream in the freezer, but, I'll let the kids finish that. Ice cream is not as much of a trigger for me. It takes too much effort. By the time I pry the lid off the frozen treat and manage to scoop out a serving, I could have eaten six cookies. Damned efficiency!!!
So, yes. Cookies, you are gone! Candy: meh. Don't really care. The thing that is holding me back is that I know I will have to give up the coconut creamer for my coffee. And, I'm not sure if I can truly break my addiction (and oh yes, it IS and addiction) and keep that in my life. It's sweet, delicious, it makes me happy...and probably that is the problem. It makes me too happy and then I crash or want something else sweet, or a salt bagel, etc., etc.
I'm screwed.
The rational part of me knows that if I just stay strong for three days, then a week and then two weeks, it will be over. Cravings gone, I will be happy to eat my salads and veggies and oniony lentil burgers sans sucre. But, the fat devil on my shoulder is eating a vegan doughnut and shouting things like "You deserve it!" "You need that creamer!" "Why are you torturing yourself?" and spitting crumbs all over me. I hate that guy.
I read an article about Drew Carey, in the Parade magazine over the weekend, about how he lost all this weight and blah, blah, blah...but, the thing that stuck out at me was when he talked about celebrating. And one day he ate some pizza and cake and the next day he did the same thing and it made him feel like crap. He realized that it wasn't a reward; it was a punishment. Those were his words. It's true. That momentary pleasure of taste on tongue leads to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, low energy...on and on. Is it worth it? No, of course not.
Why do we see sugar and fat as a reward when it hurts us? Because it's what we learned from infancy. Breast milk is basically sugar and fat. When we went to grandma's did she give us candy or kale? Did we have to finish our desserts? Nope, but we sure had to eat our vegetables under threat of violence or never leaving the table: ever ... no wonder we hated those things! We've got so much misplaced value on things that are terrible for us. Something to consider for the next blog post...
'til then, don't come too close. I really reek of onions.
