Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Intuitive Eating...

So June has been an interesting month, diet-wise. I've celebrated my birthday, our anniversary, Jeff's birthday, had houseguests for a week - oh, and dealt with a pesky gallbladder.

Early on in the month, I had to let go of being so stringent on tallying my daily calories...I mean, it's not exactly like I could figure out how many calories were in three bottles of banana-flavored barium! I was busy doing things with Barbara and Theresa, and while we cooked most of our meals, we did eat out for several breakfasts and lunches at a local healthy cafe, where I tried to make good choices. I was motivated by two things - eating well so I could continue to lose weight, and eating well so I would hopefully avoid triggering another gallbladder attack.

I wasn't measuring exact amounts of most foods - in fact, I think the only things I consciously measured were salad dressing, almonds, and Kashi Golean Crunch cereal. I ate a ton of fruit - cherries, mangoes, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries...it was great to feel free to eat fruit when I wanted to, as opposed to last summer, when my doctor recommended that I didn't eat "juicy" fruits due to their sugar content.

Even though I recently discovered that I am now in size 12 pants, I really didn't have any idea of where I stood, weight-wise. Today I hooked up the Wii Fit to do my weigh-in for Ang's Get Fit After 40 summer challenge, and to my utter shock, discovered that I have lost nine - yes, nine - pounds for the month of June! Not only am I really, really happy, but I'm relieved to realize that I have learned WHAT to eat and HOW MUCH to feed myself! This gives me such hope for the future when I will be maintaining my weight loss - I think I'm *getting* it, this whole "healthy-eating-and-portion-control" thing!

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Several of you asked what was in my strawberry/walnut salad - I made it again tonight (and took a better picture of it with my new camera):
Strawberry/Walnut Salad
Romaine lettuce
Mushrooms, thinly sliced
Strawberries, thinly sliced
Green onions
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Avocado, cubed
Walnuts, toasted
Gorgonzola cheese
Chicken breast, thinly sliced
Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (this is the BEST dressing!!!)

Seriously, I didn't measure anything except the dressing (2 Tbsp. = 45 calories). I just sprinkled on everything until it looked good. As an FYI, I was really hungry when I made the salad pictured on the plate so of course it's huge...and I stopped eating about 2/3 of the way through. Don't worry, nothing went to waste, as my human garbage disposal husband was there to finish it.

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Don't forget to enter my Oh! Nuts giveaway - you have until Thursday to leave me a comment on this post! Good luck to everyone who has entered so far!

14 comments:

  1. My sister is a huge fan of the Newman's salad dressings!! I'll have to tr the Balsamic Vinaigrette one. That salad looks delicious!

    Oh, and I feel for you. I've heard gallbladder attacks can be the worst pain ever!

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  2. Yay for intuitive eating! 9 pounds down in a month is absolutely terrific, especially given all that you've had going on. Well done, Shelley!

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  3. (1) Your salad looked delicious! I'm definitely going to have to try it.. at least, my version! (2) Good for you for listening to your bod. My experience with fresh raw fruit is that it processes through quickly. Er, you know, good in, garbage out-type of thing. Congrats on the weight loss. Good job! Vee at www.veegettinghealthy.blogspot.com

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  4. YES!!!

    Great job with the intuitive eating.
    I have to add that it took me a lot longer to get into the intuitive groove.

    GREAT JOB.

    (and giggle at the husband remark :))

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  5. Love your blog! Will have to try the salad? Can I ask why your doctor said no juicy fruit? Also, your cats are named from Bosom Buddies, right? Too cute!

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  6. Shelley that's AWESOME!!! Great job!! You're right that learning this stuff is the key to maintaining all of your hard work. Your salad looks delicious! I'll have to try it! (sans walnuts so my throat won't close up!)

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  7. I guess that's how I've been eating. I don't count points or calories. In fact when I try do that I mess myself up. I am psych myself out with the "I must be perfect within the points or I am a failure" mentality. This way is so much easier. Of course you have do know what works for you. It's trial and error....like life, right?!

    You have made me think, my friend, thank you

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  8. Shelley, this is what it's all about. Losing the weight is one thing, but learning how to eat like this--AMAZING. This is SO inspiring to me! Way to go!

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  9. Fantastic news! You've been doing it right for so long that it seems to have become second nature. Good for you, Shelley. You've really worked hard to get to this point.

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  10. Wow! That salad looks delicious! And gluten-free, too! Glad to hear this week is better than last.

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  11. Love Paul Newman's dressings!

    Congrats on the 9 pounds! I believe you've turned the corner into full lifestyle mode - congrats!!

    I keep thinking about you when I tally up my calories and I am around 1200 calories a day - I believe I gave you crap about not eating enough calories once or twice before!

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  12. That is really wonderful Shelley! You are where we all want to be with the intuitive eating. I can't imagine how good that must feel!

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  13. Yay to weight loss!!!!

    That salad looks so delicious, I think I am going to venture to the store in a few minutes to get the fixings!!

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  14. Okay, it is only breakfast time as I read this, but I want that salad NOW!! Oh my, it looks ssssooooo good!

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