A day in the Country

I had a wonderful walk in the country today. 10 miles or so on the trails of the Rockefeller Preserve. I really recommend the Preserve. A wonderful place to spend a day and then a visit to one of the many small towns in the area for a nice bite to eat at a quiet café where you can enjoy the local color and have a pleasant meal. Such was my day today.

I came home and made a vegan squash soup. This link will take you to the recipe.….

Easy and tasty and low in calories.

These days are the type of day I wanted to have in my life again as I started this Journey.

Tomorrow I will hike again, this time a more difficult trail at the local county park. Maybe 5 or so miles on more technical trail, up steeper hills.

Then again a nice dinner, time with the family, the sense that all is right….. This Journey of mine has delivered to me in multitudes the benefits’ I had hoped for.

I really don’t Give Advice

I was asked for advice yesterday. A friend at work who is a good 50 pounds overweight by his estimation asked me what to do. I told him to just do it. Do not look for an ideal time, a right set of circumstances. DO it. DO IT. See the Doctor, get the Doctors advice, but DO IT. Pass on the doughnuts, the pizza, the fourth and fifth meals of the day… The big thing for me was I decided that NOW was the time. Not tomorrow, not after the holidays, NOW.

Where this came From

Can you imagine? I started this journey right between Christmas and New Year?

That is what it was for me. I decided to do it. I wanted my life to be better. I wanted to hike, and walk, and cycle. I wanted to cook healthy and delicious meals. I wanted to like who I was.

I saw a picture taken of me at a restaurant a week or so ago. I was truly surprised by what I saw. I saw a thin face and neck and a leaner body. I have seen other pictures taken recently, some of which I have posted here. Something about this picture though really struck me. I was so happy looking at that picture…. It shows the results of that dedication, that decision 4+ months ago to DO IT. I had to change my approach to food and to fitness and to live a better life.

No fad diet of lima beans and hot peppers, washed down with lemon juice was going to change my life. I had to do that.

That is my advice. DO it. DO IT. DO IT NOW. There will never be a more right time. There will never be a better opportunity. NOW. NOW is when.

Now I am 55 pounds in on my plan to lose 95. I am leaner, more fit, happier… All because I decided to do it. Now I can hike. Now I can cycle. Now I can walk with my family, my friends. I can enjoy life. I can experience what life can be…

And one more little Suggestion…

I have cooked with so many vegetables… I am eating foods that a few months ago I didn’t know existed… I cannot imagine being closed-minded about food and trying to lose weight. That might seem counterintuitive. A person that loves the variety of food that I enjoy would have trouble losing weight because there are so many good things to eat.. But I think it is just the opposite. I think it is MUCH easier to lose weight if your tastes are wide-ranging. It allows you to enjoy more low calories selections. My love of vegetables allows me to eat a large quantity of food but at a low-calorie penalty. I prepare them well, I experiment and I try strange combinations… and all of it results in a satisfied palette and a full stomach. If your tastes are narrow you do not have the opportunity to find the more filling, lower calories foods. Your comfort zone is too confined. You might be a person that eats eggs, bacon, burgers…. Where do you go from there when trying to lose weight? Your only option is to significantly reduce the quantity of food you eat, rather than lowering the calories while maintaining the volume.. Make any sense? SO the little suggestion? Expand your culinary horizons.. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things….

Peace