I was so excited about this lunch because not only did it suit my palate, but I ended the meal with a happy feeling of contentment because I knew so many of the foods were from the SuperFoods list:
Sweet potato, red pepper, cinnamon, green tea, honey, orange, green pepper, broccoli, almonds
In the early stages of my weight loss, I had the mentality of “How can I maximize the number of desserts and snacks I eat and still lose weight.” I am sure that many people who start out on a “diet” think this way as well. We don’t know any better! Did I lose weight with that mentality? Sure. Was it optimal for my body? Probably not.
I’m not quite sure how long it look me to make the mental change from “calories and diet foods” to “what would satisfy my palate and my heart, lungs, skin and stomach?” but the book SuperFoods HealthStyle by Dr. Steven Pratt was a HUGE lightbulb read for me. Pratt puts the emphasis on eating for health, which means excess weight drops off naturally and eventually settles in where your body wants the number to stay. I LOVE this book!!!
When faced with the surprisingly complicated question: “What should I eat today?” try to think more about what would be the best choice for both your mind and body and less about the quick-fix your tongue wants to savor for 10 seconds before it’s gone.
Lunch
A cup of leftover sweet potato soup (half of what’s left)
Salad with broccoli, green pepper, orange sections, toasted sliced almonds, and a drizzle of honey and raspberry blush vinegar –
Toasted whole wheat pita with a laughing cow wedge –
and Constant Comment Green Tea –
Lunch kcal ~529
I’m outta here to run some errands!
Cocoa says
Hi – I just had a cup of spicy pumpkin (vegan) soup… and it was delicious. When I ate it, I thought of YOU!! 🙂
Karen L. says
Superfoods is one of my all-time favorite nutrition books too, Kath. It’s one of those that I’m always thinking about when shopping and planning my menus. There are a few similar books by other authors that highlight a more/less exhaustive list of food superstars too–all of them are good in that the focus is on nourishment vs. deprivation/diet. In my experience too, when you focus on quality of food, everything else (i.e. weight, appetite) falls into place naturally!
I hope you can get some relaxation time in this weekend, Kath (and everyone else!)
Courtney says
Hey everyone!
I keep reading comments about people looking for good nutrition books to read and I thought I’d give a tip: http://eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/nutrition_4927_ENU_HTML.htm
This is a link to the “Good Nutrition Reading List” on the ADAs website. It is a list of books in various nutrition subjects that the American Dietetic Association recommends for “nutrition information you can trust”. So in case you’ve already read all of the great suggestions that Kath has on her site, you can check this out! Happy reading!
B_healthy says
Congrats on finishing Stats early! Hooray
Lauren says
You have such a healthy relationship with food. I’m an 18-year-old high school senior, and after having struggled with disordered eating for years, it’s so refreshing to read the thoughts of someone who has lost weight, kept it off, and treats her body right. Thanks for sharing! You have no idea how much I appreciate it. 🙂
Lauren
Ange says
That book seems a bit similar to ‘Foods that Fight Cancer’….it is my ALL TIME favorite nutrition book and is great for everyone.
It talks about not just superfoods, but the components in superfoods that are good for us.
It also breaks down over 100 types of green tea. Not many people know that Japanese Sencha green tea can have 500 times the amount of antioxidants than some Chinese green teas. This book is truly amazing and life changing!
Foods featured in this book: cabbage, garlic, onions, soy, tumeric (Curry), green tea, berries, omega 3’s, tomatoes (Cooked), citrus fruit, red wine, dark chocolate.
🙂
stephanie says
i had this feeling when i started out too! how much can i get away with? at a certain point that mentality gets a little old- perhaps at the moment at which your body is no longer losing weight because in shock thanks to the new regimen and really starts keeping an eye on what you’re putting in. now i don’t miss things i never believed i could give up. of course, other days it’s an uphill battle against the pinot noir/chocolate cake/ soft serve stand…. 🙂
Julia says
Not trying to be rude (or maybe I misunderstood you), but isn’t your focus still on calories though? I’m not saying it is necessarily a bad thing, but do you think a complete picture of sound health is one that includes exact calorie counting, net calculations, and weighing food?
~J
Megan says
I like the calorie counting! It reminds me that yes there is a limit to how much i can eat even if they are all healthy foods before I would start to put on the weight. I think the calorie counting is for her readers more for us than for herself, as a learning tool before you can just “eyeball” something and know how many calories it contains.
Grace says
Thought I would just share my opinion: I think calorie counting and weighing food can be very important to sound health. Some people have a hard time eyeballing portions and a measuring cup or food scale helps a lot. A few wrong guesstimates can end up in hundreds of extra calories or even too few calories. I know people who haven’t changed the food the ate, just started measuring portions, and lost a significant amount of weight and improved their overall health. Plus, some people just enjoy numbers. It’s all about balance! As for myself, I typically calorie count two to three times a week, just to keep it in check. I pretty much eat the same most days. The trick for weight is calories in/calories out, so for people that need the extra help, Kath’s techniques are fantastic.
Kath says
Thanks so much Lauren!
Ange,
It’s on my list now!!
Steph,
“Now I don’t miss things that I never believed I could give up” = so true!!!
Julia,
Thanks for being polite 🙂 I don’t see a reason why eating healthy, focusing on whole foods, eating raw foods, eating organic or any other positive food goal can not go hand in hand with calorie counting. It is simply a method of portion control, and I agree with Megan that it is often hard to judge portions. No, an extra half cup of grapefruit is not going to make you gain weight, but I think it’s responsible to know estimates of your intake both to keep yourself from eating to much AND to make sure you’re eating enough, especially for people who exercise a lot.
Megan is also right that you see a lot of calorie amounts on the blog, but I post the amounts mostly for the readers to get an idea of what 500 kcal of healthy food looks like. What you don’t see a whole lot of (because it’s hard to quantify) are all the other thoughts that go through my head that have nothing to do with calories as I’m planning meals and recipes, such as the proportions of food groups, how a meal fits into the balance of my whole day and simply what to eat.
And as Grace said, some of us just love numbers 8)
Kath
katherine says
Thanks for the calorie counting Kath!
At first I thought it didn’t make sense to count calories (i didn’t want to become obsessed with the numbers) – I would simply make sure my meal was well balanced and i might guess the amount of calories on my plate. By seeing how many calories are in the dishes that you make (which are often similar types of foods to what I eat) it made me realize that i was overestimating the calories on my plate – i was guessing 500 calories for my dinner tonight and when i added everything up by weight and all it turned out to be only 350 calories). When i began eating healthy, not drinking as much alcohol, and exercising more often i was not focused on weight loss, but on overall health. Then I lost weight (i was not considered overweight in the first place). By reading your blog I have realized that not only is eating healthy important but that calorie counting may be important in order to eat enough to maintain my weight and most importantly muscle mass so that i can continue to do the activities that i love! And also that it is good to have some chocolate or dessert when I want it!
Julia says
I really appreciate everyone’s outlook on it. Everyone is different in their approach to health, so what works for some may not be the best for others. Kath- I really appreciate when you say that we don’t see what goes on in your head about things OTHER than calories–that really made it more clear to me.
Do you think you will stop counting calories once you feel like you can eyeball portion sizes and what is a good amount of food for your body each day?
Kath says
Katherine,
Glad you find knowing calorie amounts somewhat liberating – I certainly do.
Julia,
I think I probably would do a LOT more eyeballing if it weren’t for the blog. I’m good at eyeballing a lot of things, but other portions, not so much (I still can’t get “a tablespoon” of something accurate. For chopped cucumber, who cares, but for something like olive oil or peanut butter, it’s a much bigger difference of +/- 50 kcal.)
I think for a long time I will continue to keep at least a general calorie tally – but whether it’s online or simply in my head I don’t know. I stand behind calorie counting as a method of portion control and feel that since I don’t live in a bubble of fresh produce, some form of portion control is necessary for me.
Kath
Charlotte says
Haha, I live in Europe, and now I finally figured out what brand you meant when you say ´laughing cow´, in Europe that´s ; La vache qui rit! ( Which means ; the laughing cow! ) Haha, lol.