I get a surprising amount of email asking me how I 'can eat all of the stuff I bake.' I've never taken the time to answer those emails because I couldn't decide if they were asked in curiosity or maliciousness. (There were one or two that were written rather meanly). But today I've decided I'll answer in three parts.
ONE
I don't buy a lot of pre-made things. This means that I bake all of our bread items (bread, rolls, english muffins, bagels, etc.). I bake/make almost all of snacks that and this ranges from cookies to muffins to ice cream and juice popsicles to pretzels to popcorn. The only snacks I don't bake/make are fruit, veggies, nuts and crackers. I can't find a satisfying cracker recipe. I do think homemade items from wholefoods are by far more healthy than over processed foods even when it might be the 'same thing.'
TWO
I count every. single. calorie. I use Spark People to keep track of everything I eat. I eat between 1200-1500 calories a day and YES, that is using real butter, whole milk and full fat yogurt among other things. When I roast veggies I drizzle them in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle them with fresh ground pepper and coarse sea salt. When I toast an English muffin I baked, I spread softened butter all over the top of it and if the butter is dripping off that piping hot muffin all the better.
Now that sounds like I'm all about the olive oil and butter. But, when I eat that English muffin for lunch, I'll also have raw carrots on the side. I'll have a banana for a snack later. When I'm eating those roasted veggies I'm also having a small portion of rosemary grilled chicken.
I'd rather eat a slightly smaller portion of something delicious that is a whole food or made from whole foods rather than an overprocessed 'low fat' tasteless item. And since I've started eating this way (the last two years) my already good cholesterol went down another 20 points. My already good blood pressure went down too. So for me, this way seems to work--and taste good!--very well.
THREE
I exercise. EVERY day. A minimum of thirty minutes. I realized some time ago, that if I made sure to find the time every day, that 30 minutes of exercise is actually less time than the time I'd spend feeling negative towards my body if I didn't do anything at all. I try to get my workout in in the morning. Sometimes, things crop up and I have to move it to the afternoon or the evening but I always fit it in. Rare are the things that crop up that can't wait 30 minutes. I put a priority on my workout. To me, it's just as important as brushing my teeth or washing my face. It's part of my routine--it's getting done.
I've found that making it a priority and trying to incorporate it into 'extracurricular' activities makes it easy. I thought I'd share the last ten days of what I did:
5/23 --Bike ride with Rick, 60 minutes
5/24--Bike ride with Rick, 120 minutes (with a nice stop for a quick 'picnic' lunch!)
5/25--Treadmill, incline setting, 35 minutes (Watched the Tudors while using)
5/26--Treadmill, incline setting, 30 minutes
5/27--Treadmill, incline setting, 30 minutes AND Trail Running at the park, 30 minutes (hills, yikes!)
5/28--Treadmill, incline setting, 35 minutes (Watched part of Casablanca while using)
5/30--Treadmill, incline setting, 30 minutes
5/30--Bike ride with Rick & the kids, 50 minutes
5/31--Bike ride with Rick & the kids, 100 minutes (and 13 miles!! not bad for the kids!)
6/1--Rollerblade, 76 minutes
To some (certainly not to all), this might seem like a lot of exercise, but it's what I've been able to build up to. When I first started, I coudn't jog for 5 minutes and I hadn't biked or bladed in years. I just started slowly and built up to a level where I was comfortable with. It's a level that I'm comfortable with that keeps me healthy and fit but is not so much that it overwhelms or consumes me.
Now, sure, I have 'mess ups.' There are times when I go over my calorie level by a little bit but it doesn't happen as often as it used to. If I know we are going out to dinner later, I try to eat lighter meals earlier in the day and/or plan ahead of time what I'll have at the restaurant. Or once in awhile, time will escape me and I can't seem to manage to drag myself on the treadmill (not often, I'll use it at 10pm if I have to but it DOES sometimes happen) and I don't get a workout in. And if any of these things happen, I'll try to be a little more careful the next day with what I eat or add on a little extra time to my workouts.
But most of all, I forgive myself and don't let my mistakes make me give up.
....and if I'm working out and wanting to quit before I'm finished, I remind myself how good 'x' will taste guilt free...because who can have guilt when you are being mindful of what you eat the majority of the time and are exercising?
So that, my curious email senders, is how I can 'eat what I bake.' =) And for the record, in no way do I claim to have a fitness model body--I'm far, far FAR from it. But, I'm 25lbs lighter than I was 2 years ago and I consider myself fit and healthy and happy.