Just an Author Trying to Get Healthy in a Fast Food World

Yeah, I'm convinced that intermittent fasting is not for me. It works great for some people, but just like the keto diet, it isn't for me. Next week I'll go back to what I was doing before the Pandemic hit. My goal will be 2lbs a week, and in about a year I will hit my long term goal. I enjoyed what I was doing before. Fasting just confused me, since I was used to a couple small meals spaced out. It is great for some people, just not for me. (plus coffee on an empty stomach didn't work so well for me) If you have any lower carb and lower calorie recipes you love, send them my way! I am always looking for something to make for dinner and love a good muffin or cupcake that won't wreck my calorie count for the day! I'll update you next week as to how getting back at it is going...

Week One, Weigh In Day! I was eager to do it yesterday but held off until today. And I lost 4.5lbs! YAY!! I am sure it was all water weight, but I'll take it! Every pound lost gives me more incentive to keep going. And if I keep going I will get back to pre-pandemic weight and I will really feel good about that. Of course pre-pandemic weight means figuring out how to get past that nasty plateau that I had hit. That might mean adding more veggies to my life and less carbs, or adding more exercise. The first week back at it started off rough. I knew the choices that I needed to make, I just wanted the bad choices, lol. But I pushed through, and drank my water. Even tried to get some steps in. I added my protein shakes back as my lunch. I now need to find some other recipes. I have one that I like and drink it every time. It's the Elvis Shake, Peanut Butter and Banana! Salty and sweet - best of both worlds! But if I'm going back to a shake everyday, I think it will benefit me ...

I'm stuck... The scale has not moved in the last 3 weeks. I mean, it's good it didn't go up, but it just stayed the same. And that is disheartening. I can't pinpoint what I need to change. I've been doing my shakes, watching the junk (depriving myself of things I want and making better choices), and eating more salads. The only things I can think of is I'm not exercising and some nights I've been breaking my own rule and eating a snack after 8pm. Granted, I did eat some lunchmeat yesterday. Maybe I'm retaining water from that. I wish I could go to the gym, but I'm not comfortable yet due to COVID. Yes, I'm over cautious about it (and that's my choice) but I wish things were back to normal. I liked using the treadmill and then a few machines like the Ab thingy. I try not to let the scale own me, but watching numbers drop is more motivation then numbers staying the same. I need to get outside and walking. Motivation is key - right...

Eating in 2020 - in other words, the Pandemic Diet? I don't know about you, but in this house, we got real comfortable eating junk again. Before this virus crashed all of our lives, I was refusing to bring boxed, frozen, and preservative packed foods into our house. But, then the virus reigned havoc down on the grocery aisles. Typical things I was so used to buying were nowhere to be found. And even now, have you noticed how everything is so much more expensive then it was last year? I can spend $100 and have no idea what I really bought, and still only have 1 or 2 dinners out of all that food. And even Sam's Club. I always counted on them for chicken and ground meat. Over the past few months it's been a guessing game on if they will even have any. (and the last time we bought their chicken it was really gross. It was tough and chewy no matter how you cooked it - ew) Are you able to find the things you want from the grocery stores? Has your eating habits changed? ...

Hi, and happy Friday (I think it's Friday at least...) I am in a holding pattern with my weight loss and it sucks. (sorry, but I'm being honest) I didn't do GREAT this past week, but I tried not to eat too many snacks either. I did grab a few snack bags of chips, and I think I need to STOP that. With Easter coming, I did buy candy for our little family. And I will let myself eat chocolate on Sunday. (Because I have been looking forward to it) BUT, I did learn something about myself during this #StayAtHomeOrder, something that I already knew, but never realized how important it actually was... I need something to look forward to. I always planned once a week or once every two weeks (depending on our budget) a dinner out. Nothing fancy, order pizza (which we are very picky about) or go out for a burger at a local bar and grill. Now we can't "go out" anywhere, but you can still order. (and we are very picky about take out, 99% or it doesn't taste go...

I jumped on the bandwagon and ordered Goli Apple Cider Vinegar gummies. I have tried to use AVC in the past, but couldn't stand the taste. (I tried it in tea, apple juice, and water, and nope, nope, and nope) I've recently run out of my daily supplement of Green Coffee Bean (GCB) and shipping is taking forever unfortunately. Well, over the last week I have noticed that I can't eat enough; I am so snacky and so hungry (more than usual). By Wednesday, I had had enough. I was eating too much for no reason. And just like my Nunna used to say, at night when I was watching tv, I wasn't hungry, but I was craving to "chew on something". Granted, stress has been a huge factor this past week, and it will stay a factor, and let's face it, stress is always around us. I have to react better to it. And if ACV can help me not stress eat, I'll take it!  I talked to a few folks who say this ACV works and tastes good. I won't say it is "yummy" (my prob...

I don't know about you, but I don't exercise. I should. But I don't. Maybe I'm just lazy, (and I do have a gym membership) but I am in the middle of two books with another one in the works, and am trying to do some graphic design side jobs. All sitting jobs. Along with planning and making dinner, I just feel like there's not enough hours in the day... And they all sound like excuses. Well, they are. But it's how I've always been. I am not an outdoor person, and I hate sweating, lol. So I concentrate on the food aspect. I do my best to watch what I am eating and count calories. Drink my water. And careful not to drink my calories or eat my emotions/stress eat. (Ever wonder what happened to my quest to cut the unhealthy flavored coffee creamers out of my diet? Well, I found out that the ingredient that supposedly is bad for you is in almost everything we eat - granted I buy as little boxed, processed, and frozen processed foods as possible - but there are...

I am the first stop when it comes to how and what we eat in the Gatto house. I plan the meals, I do the shopping, then I cook the meals. (and I really don't enjoy any of it, lol) Some weeks I really enjoy making the menu. Other weeks (like now) it just feels like work. I get tired of making and eating the same things over and over, but my idea of cooking is limited to only a few ingredients. If the recipe is too long, not only do I immediately get uninterested, but it will cost too much money to shop for that one meal. I need to plan a week so I can stay within my budgeted amount. And that can be difficult when trying to eat healthy. Why in the world is it cheaper to buy frozen meals and chips then to buy fresh veggies and fresh lean meats? You know I'm right. I cut out frozen/processed foods two years ago. I do buy frozen veggies (not with sauce or flavoring, just plain frozen veggies). I do occasionally buy frozen french fries, but I have attempted to make my own from fre...