On The Doctor's Orders

So Scott and I have decided to go low-carb. My doctor told me to, so before any of you start in about diets being bad, blah blah blah, just know that it was my doctor's suggestion in the first place. Besides, we intend to gradually add good carbs back in, and we're trying overall to be healthier. Doing this is forcing us to cook at home for every meal and really think about what we're putting into our bodies. We're also eating more vegetables. More vegetables never hurt anyone!

We'll do this for a few weeks (or maybe longer) to get a jump start on weight loss, and then we can add some fruits in for a few more weeks, and then some lentils and nuts (except Scott can't because he's allergic), and eventually we'll get to where we're adding in whole grain sorts of things. We want to do this for life. We want to get to where we're eating healthy foods out of habit, instead of eating out out of habit like we've been doing. I'm learning cooking skills, too! Like yesterday I cooked some chicken and nothing got burnt. It was AMAZING.

Tonight we cooked up a spaghetti squash, sauteed some mushrooms, and had a steak. We cooked extra of everything so that we would have some for lunches tomorrow (except the mushrooms...those don't reheat well, I'm guessing).

I had forgotten how much I did like fresh foods. We're very fortunate that we can afford to buy all of our vegetables (and eventually, fruits) fresh instead of canned. When I was growing up we were so poor that canned fruits and vegetables were all we could afford. No wonder I didn't like them!

I really hope that by giving up processed sugars, white breads, rice, and potatoes, and sugary drinks I can break some of these deeply ingrained food addictions. I don't know if I can. I tried once before, and I failed miserably. But this time Scott is doing it with me, so I think with the extra support from him it's going to be a lot easier than trying to do it alone.

The cool thing is, Mim is doing it too, so we're going to have a low-carb Thanksgiving dinner. If you think about it, mostly what we'll be giving up is the mashed potatoes. I can live without those.

I'll have to take a few days off when I go to Boston for Li's wedding, because it's hardly fair to ask someone to accommodate a weird diet while they're having a wedding, but after that I'll get right back on track.

I'm trying not to think of this as a temporary "diet", but more of stepping stones on the path to healthy eating for life. There seem to be so many social events with food that it seems overwhelming to have to start saying "no" to things, but I'm hoping that with time it will get easier. I think I've been using these social events as an excuse to eat poorly.

Also, as I learn to cook things so they are actually delicious and not burnt or weird or disgusting I'm hoping that will make it easier, as well. The internet is full of recipes, and I intend to use them!