I'm talking, of course, about my previous relationship with food, and dieting.
In high school, I was naturally small because I was always so involved in sports, busy with friends, etc. The college years brought a new set of challenges (read: beer), and after gaining the Freshman 15 (20? 25? Anyone?), I spent a lot of time pursuing solutions. Pretty safe to say I tried 'em all, folks. Calorie counting, Weight Watchers, those tricky little obsessive logging apps on the iPhone, running as much as possible.
And while some of those tricks worked in the short term (lost many of the college lbs), my eating patterns continued to stay about as stable as Charlie Sheen's mental state.
I was totally going about it the wrong way.
The trouble was, I hadn't found a plan that would revolutionize my lifestyle. I hadn't yet truly embraced healthy living, and better yet, found a way to truly enjoy it. Ever read those articles in fitness magazines that say things like, "Eat this, Not that", and they recommend trading your evening bowl of ice cream for an apple, totally non-chalant? Like "Oh, that's easy, I totally just wanted an apple this whole time. Thanks for the tip!" Hello, these two things are NOT the same, and depriving ourselves just isn't sustainable.
Bottom line, I don't believe I ever realized it was possible to enjoy some of the alternatives that exist out there. I DEFINITELY never dreamed I would PREFER some of the doctored-up versions of the treats I used to crave.
Enter the lady whose authorship has changed my daily chewage, and thus changed my body. That sounds silly dramatic and whacky, but I assure you, it is actually totes accurate.
Homegirl knows how to make whole & clean foods delish and normal. And understandable. Like, for regular people.
In the first chapter, Cynthia promises "freedom from diet chaos." She goes on to describe "diet chaos" as our erratic eating patterns - like how somedays we eat half a bowl of cereal because we get so busy, and the next day we're shoveling food like Takeru Kobeyashi vs. 53 hot dogs.
Cynthia elaborates on food's ability to become a drug-like substance - ever reach for that pint of Ben & Jerry's when you're stressed, sad or hating dudes? I know I have (pass the Chubby Hubby please.)
I've been Cinch-ing for over 4 weeks now, and I sometimes feel like I traded in my body for a newer model. Everything's just working better for me. Here are some of the most noticeable changes:
- Diet soda slave, no longer
- 5 pounds down and staying down
- Goodbye, cookie candy ice cream greasy meat cravings, Hello, dark chocolate chips and froyo piled with fruit induglences
- My tummy tells me when to eat, not my brainwaves
- Meal assembly from scratch & I are newfound buddies
Can I get an upgrade?!
Cynthia's plan is not hard to follow, and it doesn't feel like a diet. The main phase of the plan, called "core", simply implements 5 key food groups, or puzzle pieces, at every meal.
I think this is best illustrated with an example, so I'd like to introduce a recipe I have been enjoying for breakfast every day this week. And I plan to keep this tastiness coming, because I really can't get enough. This recipe is courtesy of Fitnessista, who rocks by the way.
Fitnessista's Breakfast Cookie
1/2 a large banana (Produce)
1/3 cup whole oats (whole grain)
1/4 cup chocolate organic hemp protein powder (protein)
1 T almond butter (plant-based fat)
Cinnamon (SASS - slimmming & satiating spice)
1/8 cup almond milk (also little bit of protein group)
In a bowl, mix up oats, protein powder, and almond butter, breaking up the butter as best as possible until it's nice and crumbly-lookin'. Add the almond milk, make sure the mix is well-moistoned and workable. Mash up the banana and mix in, along with cinnamon to taste.
Spoon onto a small plate and spread it around, flattening into a cookie-like shape. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Wake up, eat with a spoon, and love your life, and come here to thank me. BTDubs, you're welcome.
Have an incredulous weekend, see you Monday!!
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