Evolution of Eating

Our eating started out as a eat whatever you want, however much you want, whenever you want.  There have been several small steps to where we are now.

1.   We focused mainly on the glycemic index.  The reason why carbs have a bad rep, is because of the way they react in the body, and certain carbs make your blood sugar levels go way high, so then your body releases insulin and it quickly changes into fat so that it can be absorbed by the body.  Complex carbs that don't increase your blood sugar level so drastically are not going to affect your body the same way as simple carbs.  Most people forget that veggies are actually carbs.  Low glycemic foods also make you feel full longer.

2.   Calorie counting + low glycemic index.  I was shocked when I found out how many calories I was actually consuming, especially when going out places.  One tiny crisp bean burrito from Taco Time is about 350 calories, and I would easily eat three, and a taco.

3.   Planning snacks and Cooking once a week - It gets really hard to make smart choices when you get so hungry.  So I started planning out meals and snacks for the week, and cooking them all on Mondays.      One of the things I really like about this is that I actually look forward to dinner, instead of dreading going home after a long day of work to make dinner.  Different books say different things about eating through out the day, but most of them do recommend it.  At first I did the biggest loser thing with 3 meals at 300 calories each, and three 200 calorie snacks.  I then switched to what Chi Running recommends, and I'm in love with it!  You eat a large breakfast and dinner - like 400-500 calories each, and then eat small calorie snacks a few times during the day.

4.    The last thing has to due with the documentary "Forks over Knives".  The documentary explains that a diet with large amounts of animal food (butter, milk, meat, etc) and oil raises the chances of cancer and heart disease.  The documentary is very much about being a strict vegan that also doesn't consume any oil. While I agree with the main point, I still believe the most important thing about eating is to be balanced.  So that is my very long way of saying that we have switched to almond milk, and do eat butter, milk, and meat, but sparingly.  Can I tell you, that I feel great!  I have so much energy nowadays. Even on the days when I only get 4 hours of sleep, I still feel like I can get through the day.

So that is what we do.  We also have Friday night date night that we use as kind of a free night.  We eat whatever we want, and then get dessert.  One of the books that I read said that one of the keys to losing weight and keeping it off, is to find what works for you.  So while this is what works for us, I encourage everyone to find what works for them.