who'd have thought

So I've basically only been writing about excursions I've taken around New England so far, but that's not the only way I've been trying to "live deliberately", as it were. So I'm going to broaden the focus a bit.

I literally have the worst eating habits of anyone. If left to my own devices I will eat like a five year old which, I'm going to be honest, I do feel a bit entitled to do as SURPRISE! I'm a leap year baby and therefore technically only 5. So burgers, grilled cheese, apple sauce, and soul food could pretty much make up my diet with some cliff bars thrown in for good measure and the occasional mac from panera when I'm feeling extravagant.

BUT THEN I MOVED IN WITH PHOEBE. And the girl knows how to eat healthy. After a summer in California full of eating and low on exercising (because most of the day is spent in a car), I found myself in need of a eating adjustment - if you know what I mean. And lo and behold, posted on our fridge, was the solution!

It's called the "Reduction Menu Plan", which is pretty on point with my whole "simplify" kick. Forgive me if I mess this up, but its a low-carb, protein-centric plan (we don't like the "d" word) that doesn't have as much to do with denying yourself food as reducing the amount of unnecessary stuff you eat during the day. Its about balancing what foods you eat and when. Instead of having a burger, fries, and a milkshake - or something on the opposite end of the spectrum like a concoction of lemon and hot sauce - for dinner, you're allowed to have anything on the sheet in certain amounts. So a 3oz piece of chicken, veggies, and a piece of fruit; or a veggie burger, salad, and a smoothie. It's extremely reasonable, extremely manageable, and actually not that hard to stick to - and this coming from the pickiest person I know.  I've been buying a lot of those Morning Star Veggie Burgers, which are delicious.  And I LOVE burgers. (I could probably literally just blog about burgers, but that would be dangerous.) It's also super easy to whip up delicious green beans, chicken, anything. They say its 90% what we eat and only 10% how we exercise so this is my attempt to eat better, and it's worked! Even if I'm not completely on every day, I've started paying more attention. And that really makes a difference!

If you're "diet-phobic" like me, but want to get healthy and, yeah, shed some extra, this is actually a great way to do it. There's tons of stuff on the list you can eat, just no junk food and limited dairy. (I do miss having more sandwiches though).  Besides, if you're good all week, it makes Sunday Funday (aka cheat yourself to death day) that much more legitimized and worthwhile. Enough Domino's to feed five people and fresh-baked Insomnia cookies with vanilla icecream in the middle after a week of eating healthy? Priceless.

I think I'll start posting meal/recipe ideas if I have any good ones that work with this plan. I'm a terrible cook but hey! Now's as good a time as any to learn. Stay tuned for my feeble attempts to cook, should be amusing.

Em+