Weekend of good and bad

I had some wonderful friends from college come stay with my husband and me this weekend. I hadn't seen one for a WHOLE year and the other a couple of months. It was such a fabulous weekend. My good friend has some interesting dietary restrictions basically she is vegan. It was so fun having her over after I had been trying out some vegan and vegetarian recipes I had things she could eat and I also got info on things I should try. I didn't take any photos but the best best best thing she introduced me to were plantains. Obviously this is a fruit that we all know and several have tried but not me. I had never tried a plantain and she loves them and brought one with her. We grilled by the pool on Saturday and she had the bright idea to put it on the grill. It was seriously the best thing IN THE WORLD!

The nutritional value of plantain makes it stand out as a very important addition to any healthy living diet plan. Believe it or not, plantain is one of the healthiest foods in the world in terms of its nutrient content. It is low in carbohydrate, and high in dietary fibre, and vitamins and minerals. The nutritional value of plantain is even greater than that of its closest relation banana. When cooked, the fruit is extremely low in fat, high in fibre and starch. It is very low in cholesterol and salt too. Obviously cooking it this way is better than the typical Cuban fried chip but even without trying the fried version I have to imagine this is the BEST way. It was seriously awesome. The other things she showed me that was pretty interesting was nutritional yeast. Yellow in color and with a nutty cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that is a favorite amongst many vegans because of its unique flavor and similarity to cheese when added to foods. Sprinkle some on hot popcorn or garlic bread, or add a generous spoonful to stir fry or pasta sauce. Nutritional yeast is also the only reliable food source of vitamin B12, so if you're vegan, it's a good idea to add some to your food regularly. Nutritional yeast can be found in the bulk foods or supplement section of your health food store.

We also had healthy avocado, sweet potatoes, and really lean ground buffalo burgers I was saying how healthy I felt and how delicious it was because we were good and healthy and somehow eating healthy makes you feel better about your food because you don’t regret eating it, it actually tasted better. AND THEN I went and ruined it. My best friend had a birthday party this weekend and at said party was a ton of drinking and a ton of potato chips, dips, cake, etc. AND I decided to indulge DANG.

I felt really bad about myself for consuming so many calories that I didn’t need. My friend said “You may die in a car wreck tomorrow do you want to live your life unhappy because you tell yourself you can’t eat things like a potato chip…” DANG YOU ARE RIGHT. Mostly right about the fact that I don’t want to be unhappy about my decisions. I don’t want to give myself a strict list of DON’Ts . Indulging every once in a while is going to happen this is life. I know I will eat potato chips again in my life its learning how to do that and also be healthy.

I know that I want to make healthy choices but when you are hungry and all you have to eat is potato chips... I am eating the potato chips. SO NOW WHAT? I was reading some info at the mayo clinic website about overcoming setbacks or in my case a bad night of binge eating/drinking. They were really helpful. Take charge. Accept responsibility for your own behavior. Only you can help yourself lose weight. You can get yourself back on track. Buy time. If you're tempted to keep indulging, tell yourself you just need a short break. Stopping the downward cycle for even two minutes can help get you back on track. Try distracting yourself from your urge to eat — call a friend or take the dog for a walk. If the craving still doesn't pass, review your goals and engage in a fun, mood-elevating activity. Be gentle with yourself. Practice self-forgiveness. Think "OK. I've slipped, but I'm going to get on track with eating and exercise now." Try not to think of your slip-up as a catastrophe or blame yourself for being weak. Remember that mistakes happen, and each mistake gives you an opportunity to start anew. Ask for and accept help. Accepting help from others isn't a sign of weakness, nor does it mean that you're failing. Asking for help is a sign of good judgment. You need support from others to keep you on track when you have difficult days. Venting to a friend or walking with a friend can help you reclaim your goals. Work out your guilt and frustration with exercise. Take a walk or go for a swim. But keep your exercise and activity upbeat. Use it to elevate your mood and recommit to your goals. Never use it as punishment for a lapse. Problem-solve as you go. Instead of criticizing yourself, clearly identify the problem, and then create a list of possible solutions. If you binged on sweets, think about why. Stress? Boredom? Social pressure? Once you identify the cause, think of a solution you can try next time. This accomplishes two things. First, it shifts your thinking from negative thoughts about yourself to positive problem-solving. Second, it gives you a clear strategy for preventing another lapse in the future. Recommit to your goals. Review your weight-loss goals and make sure they're still realistic. Continue to focus on healthy goals such as having a healthy breakfast, going for a walk or bringing a healthy snack to work.

Did I eat too many calories last night? YES Did I gain back 35 pounds? NO Do I plan on doing that again for a long time? NO Did I have fun? YES Do I forgive myself, love my body, and know how to move forward? YES