I’ve been practicing CR for over a year now. I’ve started with a very different diet than I eat now, and I’ve fluctuated a bit with my mindset. It’s easy sometimes to get discouraged by setbacks, mistakes, and life changes. The goal is to keep the big picture in your mind so the little things don’t drag you down, and when life throws you a curve ball you can bounce back.
Since I started CR, I have learned a lot about nutrition and food, I have decided to return to a vegan diet, and I have also been diagnosed with a chronic illness that requires me to take several medications daily. A lot can happen over a year, and instead of letting it dull my motivation, it’s time for me to freshen up my perspective.
There’s a time and place for self motivation talk. If I over do it, it doesn’t work for me, but I realized that I was seriously lacking any at all. So, I’m putting some pep in my food planning step. I’m being more confident in my decisions to I can live how I want to live instead of feeling trapped by the negatives and potential for failure and mistakes.
Everyone has issues and problems that would make practicing a CR lifestyle difficult. Everyone struggles with making mistakes. I don’t expect other people to be perfect, and I don’t expect other people not to have problems. However, with determination and belief in what you are doing, you can plan around those problems and compensate for mistakes.
I began to struggle MORE when I didn’t fully believe in the food decisions I was making. I was non-committal about my veganism. I was the reluctant vegan. It became easier to make little mistakes, or not try harder to eat something better. When I was vegan the first time around, I really believed in what I was doing. And you know what? Being vegan then was so easy!
Well, I’m not only applying that mindset to my vegan diet, but I am applying that to processed carbs, sugary treats, AGE rich snacks, etc!!
When I reach for a food item, I want to be able to ask myself, “Is this food a food I can believe in for great health, and does it fit my CR lifestyle?”. If I can’t say “yes”, then I don’t need to be eating that food. The mental effects of giving here and there will pull down my believe in my goals! If I really believe in what I am doing, then why I am I making all these compromises?
Almost everything I eat I make at home. Sometimes I get a snack when I grocery shop, and QB and I occasionally go out to eat. Lately, we’ve been eating Thai food. You don’t have to give up eating out; you can make better choices at restaurants! Believe in what you are doing and your choices will be easier.
Doubt creeps in like a slow moving storm, and before you realize, the sun is gone and it’s raining. Figure out how you want to live. Make decisions, then believe in them! Once you believe in what you are doing, the choices that help you live how you want become easy.
Even with the dark gray drizzling skies today, I feel energized and ready to go! I feel renewed. I feel motivated.
Let’s take a look at my food for today. I’m not going to claim it’s perfect, but it’s low calorie (although I would eventually like to go lower…keep in mind that I am 5’8″ tall), it’s vegan, and I reached all my nutrition goals! And look at my wonderful fiber intake. Today I ate in a way I can believe in, and that means I am living how I want to live. I made healthy choices. I made very tasty choices. Tomorrow will probably look a lot like today since I am on shift. Make sure your food choices make you feel good about yourself!
Food for November 4, 2010.
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Brazil Nut (24)
Hempilicious Berry Sorbet (352)
* 120g Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
* 300g Unsweetened Vanilla Hemp Milk
* 240g Strawberries, Frozen
* 120g Blueberries, Frozen
* 15g Hemp Protein Powder
* 4g Flax Oil
* Stevia
Beet Lemon Carrot Kale Juice (163)
Thai Red Curry & Vegetables (254)
Simple Balsamic Salad (128)
* 100g Escarole Lettuce
* 45g Spinach
* 60g Balsamic Vinaigrette (low cal->10 cals)
* 12g Olive Oil
Seasoned Scrambled Tofu (240)
Peach & Pumpkin Chia Pudding (234)
Supplements:
3 Bone-Up Capsules
5000IU Vit D
1/8 Tablet Vit B5
500mg each L-Carnosine/Tyrosine (I alternate these each day)
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Nutrition Summary for November 4, 2010
Report generated by CRON-o-Meter v0.9.7
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General (89%)
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Energy | 1403.2 kcal 105%
Protein | 56.5 g 99%
Carbs | 175.8 g 97%
Fiber | 49.2 g 197%
Starch | 4.3 g 29%
Sugars | 72.9 g 146%
Fat | 60.2 g 114%
Vitamins (100%)
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Vitamin A | 88734.2 IU 1775%
Lutein+Zeaxanthin | 42102.0 µg 842%
Folate | 675.8 µg 375%
B1 (Thiamine) | 1.8 mg 161%
B2 (Riboflavin) | 11.0 mg 843%
B3 (Niacin) | 19.7 mg 131%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid)| 17.1 mg 341%
B6 (Pyridoxine) | 19.4 mg 1211%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) | 52.7 µg 2633%
Vitamin C | 546.9 mg 911%
Vitamin D | 3761.0 IU 1881%
Vitamin E | 25.2 mg 210%
Vitamin K | 1162.1 µg 1291%
Minerals (100%)
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Calcium | 2044.7 mg 204%
Copper | 2.1 mg 106%
Iron | 17.8 mg 119%
Magnesium | 764.5 mg 239%
Manganese | 5.9 mg 147%
Phosphorus | 1206.6 mg 172%
Potassium | 4244.2 mg 121%
Selenium | 97.7 µg 178%
Sodium | 1619.3 mg 324%
Zinc | 13.7 mg 114%
Amino Acids (100%)
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CYS | 0.7 g 313%
ILE | 2.5 g 216%
LEU | 3.9 g 175%
LYS | 2.9 g 167%
MET | 0.7 g 125%
PHE | 2.5 g 264%
THR | 2.7 g 315%
TRP | 0.8 g 343%
TYR | 1.8 g 386%
VAL | 2.7 g 159%
Lipids (70%)
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Saturated | 14.3 g 71%
Monounsaturated | 14.3 g 57%
Polyunsaturated | 24.3 g 97%
Omega-3 | 8.3 g 752%
Omega-6 | 10.6 g 96%
Cholesterol | 0.0 mg 0%
