Welcome Back!
If you are like me, you’ve seen a lot of commercials for gyms and weight loss programs in the past few weeks. They seem to appear in droves in January, don’t they? <sigh>
No matter.
One thing I have noticed a lot this year is the propensity of the idea of Easing Into The New Year from various bloggers and vloggers. Have you seen it, too?
Frankly, I think it is a welcome respite from the frantic urging to lose more, spend more, do more, ad infinitum that’s more exhausting than just going about life, right?
Last week I talked about getting ready to make changes. I’ll bet you were surprised to discover that I did not, and do not, propose to jump into the deep end. Let’s just say that a few too many years of experience has taught me that, for most of us, that might not be a good idea…
If you took my suggestion and inventoried your pantry, etc., you now have an idea what you already have and can now start to build on that.
One of the things I always found overwhelming when starting a weight loss program was all the stuff I already had. I was raised to be frugal, so tossing out good food just wasn’t an option. Give it away? Possible, but unlikely as what I had on hand wasn’t what food pantries looked for.
When given the inevitable food list, I found myself at a loss because what came with the food list were recipes I wasn’t all that excited to try (I’d have to go out and buy more stuff rather than use what I had), not to mention the foods on the list that didn’t exactly entice me to begin with.
Have you been there, too? Are you there now?
Here’s a thought: Take out that list and give it a good look over. Note those things you already eat. Here are a few items on my list:
- Chicken
- Pork
- Vegetables
- Fruit
Here are a few of my eating options:
Chicken – baked, broiled, boiled, oven fried, grilled
Pork – roasted
Vegetables – broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, snap peas, potatoes (baked, boiled, roasted)
Fruit – fresh, frozen, canned
What I’ve discovered is that I love simple food as much, if not more, than the fancy stuff.
So, I can steam a veg to add to a piece of chicken cooked pretty much any way I want and add a salad and some fruit to the meal.
I can also make a simple casserole using most of the foods on my list along with a low fat version of a cream soup.
I can also gussie it up a bit by adding a bread alongside or on top.
Now, take a look at your food list and compare it to your pantry inventory and see how much overlap you find.
For this next week, take it one step at a time. Cook simply. Find meal ideas that appeal without requiring a lot of effort (unless, of course, you would like to make a bit of effort). Ease into the week by not making it an Olympic event. 🙂
Now, take a deep breath and let it out slowly. This might not be as difficult as you thought, right?
Let me know what you discover by commenting or emailing.
Have a great week!
