Starting Over (again)

I've been learning more about self-control and will power via my class on Stress and Well-Being.

I'm ready to tackle this again.

I mean, seriously... you'd think it would be enough that I'm SOOOOO depressed about being overweight, tired, and fed up with limited clothing choices.

When I have to carry something heavy (15-30 pounds) for any length of time, I just say to myself, "You are carrying around 50 extra pounds at all times!!!  Why don't you see if you feel any different WITHOUT doing that?!"

So here goes... again.

It's December 1st.  The research I did to prepare for this re-start is that I looked up a lot of articles on the subject of eating for a healthy brain.

They all had the following suggested foods in common:

• Blueberries (Berries)
• Wild salmon (mackerel, tuna, and other fish are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids)
• Nuts and seeds (Sunflower seeds)
• Avocados
• Whole grains
• Beans
• Pomegranate juice 
• Freshly brewed tea
• Bananas
• Oil-based salad dressings
• Peanuts and peanut butter
• Dark green leafy vegetables (Kale, collard greens, spinach, and broccoli)
• Red wine

As well as adding "regular physical exercise" and "lowering  sodium intake".

I can do this.  

After my eye appt yesterday, I stopped at the grocery store and got some of these items.  One of my biggest slipping opportunities is when I am not prepared.  Another is having tempting things around me.

So I started my day with a cup of green tea.  Then I ate 1/2 cup of peanuts (1/2 cup in the shell).

I've plotted out what I can eat today and it comes in under 1600 calories (I do not want to start out in deprivation mode... 1500-1600 calories a day is good for me as I started hiking again this week and don't want to risk feeling run-down, dizzy, or out of energy (any moreso than usual).

I also looked at the fat content, wanting to keep it between 35-65 per day.  It was in the 70's so I swapped things around... reduced some cheese while opting for more fruit instead.

If today goes as planned, I can show you what I ended up eating.  No point in showing you now 'cause I don't know if it will change or not.

Lowering my sodium intake will be interesting for this salt-aholic, but I think a lot of the foods in my plan are already salted so I just have to start off my not adding additional salt.  Once I get used to that I can start opting for lower sodium choices altogether.