MILESTONE!

I finally reached the first ten pound mark!!! It was truly awesome, seeing the number on the scale this morning.

Yes, I am truly moving slower than a snail at this point, but...

• I reached a milestone
• I am feeling good about food these days. Intuitive eating, baby! I've actually found I need less food than I presumed, and that if I actually wait 20 minutes after eating, before cramming more food down my throat, I am often satisfied with the smaller amount I started with. Often, but not always. And I'm eating foods I enjoy.
• I'm not tracking calories, or nutrients at the moment. But I feel good, and the scale is shifting in the right direction!

I've come to the realization, with the smaller plates/amounts of food, that I can always eat more if I am still hungry, but I can never eat less when I am already overfull.

How's that for a brilliant insight?

I do want to up my exercise, and get The Girl moving more. The rain, while great for the drought here, is not as helpful for exercise, but I think today I'll make us both toughen up and get out there for our two mile walk. And push-ups and squats always make me feel good too. The problem with using the treadmill is that it disrupts the internet or something, and no one can watch TV (streaming because we don't have cable or a satellite dish) while I'm walking/jogging on the darn thing!

And yes, I still focus on eating healthy foods... real ones. Lots of veggies, both because I love them, and because they are filling. Whole grain products, not bleached white stuff, partly because I really don't care for the white stuff...I prefer my breads and grains on the chewy side. Some fruit, because it's yummy. Good proteins, like eggs, beans, Greek yogurt, and some meat. I drink a lot of water currently, especially since I changed my "rules", and I don't get that second cup of coffee until I've downed my first water bottle (18 oz) of the day. And a little chocolate, but it has to be the good, dark stuff!

Sort of a My Plate approach, but more the Harvard version than the government's version, since the Harvard one has water more than dairy and mentions healthy fats. However, I don't do veggie oils much (which is what they mention), instead focusing on olive oil, avocados, nuts, and coconut oil. And I do love butter (which is not bad for you, by the way!)

This week, I used the kids, and myself, as guinea pigs, for a new breakfast recipe: Baked Oatmeal Cups. They were a big hit! The kids had theirs with honey (whole fat) Greek yogurt, and [defrosted] blueberries, and I had mine with plain (whole fat) Greek yogurt, and [defrosted] raspberries, and blueberries. Definitely going on the regular breakfast rotation, since they are filling, delicious, and easy. [Note: I used a whole egg, and reduced the honey to two tablespoons]

Have a good rest of your week! As always, here's some inspiration....