New Beginnings

At the center of your being you have the answer; 

you know who you are 

and you know what you want.

~Lao Tzu

This post represents a new beginning for this blog.  Lately I have been caught up in the worry of what "should" I be writing about.  I worry that no-one wants to hear about me falling off the band-wagon and struggling to figure things out again.  Then I thought - wait a sec, this is not Chicken Soup for the Dieter's Soul where everything gets resolved in 2.5 pages.  This is my life.  This is a tool to help me and I have lost sight of that.  Plus there are probably people out there reading this (if anyone is reading this) who are going through the exact same thing.


So, Shyla and I started a new point program which we are really excited about (details in the next paragraph) and as part of it, we are going to be posting short, daily (0r almost daily) thoughts on our road to our healthier, more energized more glorious selves.  Fair warning, it may be a bumpy ride.  And I hereby claim it as my privilege to try on as many theories and mind-sets as it takes to make one stick.  I also reserve the right to fail abismally and try again as often as I need to.


So, here are the rules of the point system.  It's like golf - you don't want points.  This is loosely based on Weight Watchers, only there is no calorie counting (that drives me batty) and this is more about health than calories.  I never could support a program that rewards you for eating Wonder bread over whole wheat bread.  So here it is:


All fruits and vegetables are free.  Even if you put some butter and salt on top.  Salad dressing is at your discretion, but basically, all fruits and veggies are no-point foods.


All whole grains are basically free.  This means brown rice, whole oats (not quick oats), whole wheat, quinoah, chia, etc.  Shyla and I have decided that we can have one serving (serving size being determined by us) per meal or snack.  That way, a sandwich on w.w. bread doesn't give us any points, but finishing off all of our children's sandwiches would give us points.  One bowl of oatmeal would not count, but eating an extra half bowl just so we don't have leftovers would count.


White/Refined grains are a point per serving.


You get three free bites of anything.  If you are at a wedding and eat three bites of cake, then there are no points.  This is to encourage portion control while allowing us to experience anything we want to.  Now this does not mean that at a chocolate fountain you get three bites of every dish on the smorgasbord.  These are guidelines for people with a modicum of self control or at least a healthy dose of honesty.  If you need a pharasaical point police, this may not be for you.


Meat.  We're steering clear of this one.  Do what feels right for you and your family.  I once knew a cowboy whose grandfather figured that a little steak three times a day was moderation because he was exercising the will to eat something more than just steak.  He lived to a very healthy 85 by the way.  My family eats red meat about once or twice a month and chicken about once a week and fish any time I can find a good sale.  You know when you've eaten to excess, so give points accordingly.


Dairy.  Basically one serving per meal is free.  I do a lot of homemade kefir shakes.  Those are free for me.  I don't like all the sugars and artificial stuff in commercial yogurt, so a cup of Yoplait would be a point for me.  Any milk on my morning oatmeal is free, but a cup of low fat chocolate milk would be a point.  So basically, figure out what feels right for you.


One point per serving of treats.


Homemade Goodies.  We believe there is a big difference in home-made treats and in store-bought treats.  Not only in food quality, cleanliness and nutritional value, but also in the family memories and experiences making treats can provide.  That is why, once a week, we can have three servings of a home-made treat, point free.  That means that if you make cookies with your kids on Sunday, you can have one spoon of cookie dough, one cookie warm out of the oven and one on Monday night for Family Home Evening.


Bottom Line:  Listen to your body and tally up points accordingly.


Erasing Points:  20 minutes of exercise erases one point.  Five posts on the blog (or comments on the blog or entries in a health journal etc.) erases a point.


Good Luck!