I had a great Mother's Day; excluding baby being hit on the side of her noggin by her brother's after swing of his bat (yes, a real bat). We sat outside after a nice breakfast of pecan waffles with syrup, bacon and one egg with a small glass of orange juice. I chased that with lunch of leftover Chinese fried rice and fried chicken wings. And capped that off with a hefty serving of roasted chicken, bread stuffing, rice, and peas. I was stuffed. Outside, we blew bubbles. I looked over to the window and saw my reflection. Thankfully, I had my camera in hand documenting the bubble fun, and took this pic of myself; in all my glory.
Sitting is never a lovely angle for me. I have the gut that impending motherhood of 3 pregnancies left me with. I do not love my arms. I love long, lean and defined arms. Worst of all, I feel like a stuffed turkey. I am bloated and flabby; plain 'ole uncomfortable in my shell. I literally feel the anxiety of wanting to zip open my outer shell and step out as a thinner and comfortable woman; just like we feel when we have had a far too long winter, and we don't want to put on our winter coats ever again. The thought of putting on that coat makes us shiver in disgust. I feel like shivering every time I put on jeans that cut into my flesh or wear a shirt that makes my arms feel like sausage in a casing.
I just feel stuffed. Filled physically, to the point where I am uncomfortable. I decided I needed to step back from the eating of real food. Well, tonight is my birthday dinner with friends. Hubby arranged for us to sit at the Chef's table and have a 6 course meal with wine pairings (I abstain from alcohol) to eat myself into oblivion. A meal prepared just for me and my likes. I've been waiting for this meal since February when we went to a friend's Chef's meal. But now, I am dreading it. Simply dreading it.
Today, I am doing a liquid diet. I am eating my green monsters with protein powder. At lunch, I will have a small serving of leftover cannellini bean and shrimp soup that I made a few days ago. I have considered doing a liquid diet when I get back from a conference at the end of the week. I even thought of taking my blender.
My mind tells me that those "quick fix" diets and fasting or juicing don't work. That they wreck your metabolism and do more harm than good. My thought is more of re-balancing my intake and being more mindful of what I am consuming without gorging. I will gorge on actual food. I will not gorge on a green monster.
I am hoping to see Fat Sick and Nearly Dead when it is available on Netflix. It is about a man who goes on a liquid diet for 60 days with the goal of better health. He travels around the US promoting his plan, and "recruits" a truck driver to do the program with him. There are health and fitness bloggers who often drink a combination of fruits, veggies, and protein powders as a supplement; not so much a replacement of meals. They've gone as far as packing their suitcase with a blender to create healthy drinks while traveling.
It is a thought. What do you think?
Have you ever considered a liquid diet of fresh fruits, veggies, and protein powders?
My thought is food is fuel and liquid diets only set one up for a binge of real food once the body has figured out it can't be sustained on liquids alone. Well, it can be, if you are lying in bed with a feeding tube, but even then those are typically near death or extremely ill situations.
ReplyDeleteI also know from my nutrition classes for medical professionals that vitamins and nutrients in powders and processed foods are NOT easily absorbed and certainly not as optimal as those we get in natural, whole foods.
I wish you absolute success, but I would be leery of liquid diets, fasts, cleanses and supplements, as my education tells me nothing is as good as a well balanced, healthy diet of actual foods.
Sorry you are feeling so "stuffed". I can totally understand that. I am often in that same same place.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Fat Girl Fights Back, and also with what you said. Quick fixes are just a band aid. I keep hearing again and again eat less, move more..that's how it works.
Thinking about you.