Yummy Big Breakfast The Day After Organic Co-op Pick-Up & Learning To Eat Less, bit by bit, cause I'm a Diet Marathoner, not a Sprinter

I woke up feeling no hunger, so I did email and some dishwashing (the dinner soakers) and listened to radio (a program about showing love to gay teens to prevent suicides, etc, another on the stuff going on in France).

Finally got hungry around 3pm. For some reason, the hunger came on fast, so I did a quickie breakfast, one of my faves: veggie omelette. I had really fresh spinach and scallions and baby bella mushrooms, and a few days' old cubanelle pepper, and a half an heirloom tomato leftover from Tuesday's breakfast. In they went to the pan with some garlic powder and pepper anda  pinch of sea salt. I added lowfat cheese on top. I cut up a beautiful papaya and sprinkled TrueLime on it (it really makes the flavor pop, more than even the liquid, real, organic limes). I had half a small organic grapefruit. Fresh coffee (this time George Howell's Terroir in the Select Custom Blend, which has this crazy good dark chocolate vibe in it). I sipped a bit of a protein fruit drink to bring the protein closer to 30 grams (what I aim for at breakfast, as I found that keeps the hunger at bay longest. Over 30 is not considered good, or so I read--and that may be unscientific and erroneous, so let me know if that's so-- so I do tally as I add ingredients.

Soooo good. The papaya is not just nice for one's digestion (due to papain), for those of use who are prone to congestion/phlegm/goo in the bronchii and nasal passages/sinusitis, it's a good thing. AND...it's good for those with high BP due to the potassium. It's my fave breakfast fruit. I try to have one ripening on the table at all times (ie, one ripe to eat, one waiting to ripen, eat half of first, refrigerate, eat that next day, then the other one is ready to go, buy new one, etc). It's a Superfood, and it's alkaline rich,  so I'm glad I love the stuff.

Some folks suggest eating it alone, on an empty tummy, for maximum benefit.

Due to insulin resistance, I won't eat any carb alone (not fruit, not bread, not pasta). I'll only eat fruit if I can team with protein and a bit of fat. :D That worked to get my sugar down sans meds, and I'll stick to that.

For about 500 calories, I got a very filling, anti-oxidant packed, satisfying, mouth-happy-making breakfast. Lots of protein. Anti-nose-goo goodness. :D

And today the scale was 252.0. So, another widdle-bitty downtick. I'll take it.

I find it interesting that I haven't had such a hard time anymore staying under not just 2000 cals--which I was finding a struggle, nearly impossible, in the decade plus--but that I'm now settling into a more comfortable "under 1850" pattern. This is good, and I hope I can find the inner resolve and dietary changes to maintain this. To keep my weight in the "low overweight" range --since I'm not even aiming for "thin" or "just normal"--I'd have to eat consistently UNDER 1800--unless I plan to start marathoning. (Don't hold your collective breaths on that. My knees and R ankle shudder at the idea.)

All the talk about "lifestyle change" is not bullshit (pardon my Etruscan). It's the Lord's truth. You have to start eating the way you'll always eat, because the reason for yo-yoing is that we eat in "diet mode" and then the "I"m done and off diet mode" and guess what? Off diet mode means "stuff I used to eat I'll eat again." Which means you get to the size you were...again.

I have had a very, very slow weight-loss trajectory. But I haven't regained what I started losing in 2004. I may have only lost about 10 lbs a year, but the pounds have stayed off (with small bobbles).

If it takes me two years (as this blog's Header states as the overarching goal), then that's a FIVE TIMES MORE a year loss than I've done so far. It may seem really slow to a lot of folks, but it's REALLY FAST rate to me. Mrs. 10 lbs a year (more or less).

I've already lost more than 10 lbs this year. I'd love to end the year with a total loss of 20+ pounds. That would double the average rate of my previous loss.

But most importantly, I want to learn to happily, full-tummy-fillingly learn to live on 1700 calories (more if I find my inner athlete). That's how it has to go down. And as I get older, I'll probably need to eat 1600, then 1500. That's just how the math goes. You age, you need less food unless you're Jack LaLanne maybe.

I tell myself even now: This is how it is. Forever. You have to find a way to make satisfying meals that are around 500 calories or fewer. You need to find nutrition optimizing combos and snacks. You have to learn to say no a lot to urges and cravings. You sometimes have to go to bed hungry.

I don't fool myself that this will be easy. I'm still struggling some days not to go over 2000...cause my brain and body still want to eat MORE MORE MORE. But I do find a certain calmness I didn't have last year, the year before, the year before that. Maybe it's just that I'm really sloooooooow to adapt to new habits. And it just takes me a long time to switch grooves.

It took me a while to be able to eat fewer than 2500.

It took me a while to be able to eat fewer than 2200.

It's taken me some months to be able to have consecutive days under 2000.

I'm not gonna win any weight-loss sprints. I'm a tortoise, not a hare.

That's okay. I just want to win my race and I'm only running against...me.

Hope Thursday finds you healthier and happier than yesterday and further along in your race--whether you walk, jog, or sprint....
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