Thursday, December 27, 2012

Eating.


It's a good thing I'm not really a calorie-counter because I am pretty sure we ate a week's worth in just a few days.  There was made-from-scratch clam chowder, a cheese plate, wine, beer, slices of egg nog coffee cake and, of course, egg nog spiked with amaretto.  And that was just the food on Christmas Eve!  Christmas day started with egg nog lattes and mimosas and then a late lunch with what will become our annual Christmas tradition... some sort of dish served with hollandaise sauce.  Last year, it was traditional eggs benedict.  This year, to mix it up but continue on with the tradition, we had sweet potato-chicken hash with green chile hollandaise.  It was rich and creamy and delicious.  There was also talk of making homemade pasta for a dish to be had with Christmas dinner but, after that late lunch and all the snacking done in between, we decided to shelve that idea for another day.  And then there was a bourbon pecan pie for dessert from my favorite place, Treats on Washington.  So good.

Her favorite toy?! My Shrinkx Hips plastic measuring tape!

As a younger woman, say... in my 20's... I was much more concerned (obsessed?!) with the number of calories I ate and how many calories I burned.  Running an insane number of miles.  Eating diet-like foods.  Drinking sugar-free diet sodas.  Standing in front of the mirror and squeezing and pinching and sucking in various parts of my body (living in LA certainly didn't help).  I think my exercise-and-food focused self managed to stay in the healthy realm of living as I never starved, binged, or purged.  But, man, was it exhausting thinking about all that stuff!  And then, around the time I turned 30, those thoughts and all that obsessing about food and exercise just became less important.  That constant conversation in my brain quieted.  I started to feel more confident and comfortable in my own skin.  I stopped focusing on calories in food or miles run in a week.  Moderation in all things became my mantra.  Eating when I was hungry.  Stopping when I was full.  Working out most days of the week.  Listening to my body if it asked for a rest day.  And then not beating myself up over taking that rest day!  Putting away the scale because, really... it's only a number.  Being nicer to myself, both inside and out. 

A few years ago I remember asking my Dad what he felt was the best time of his life.  He stopped, thought about it for a quick second and said, "Right now.  Because I'm alive and healthy."

Totally.  Thanks, Dad.

Was there a milestone age you were afraid of turning?  30 was so daunting to me for some reason!  And then it came and went and it wasn't a big deal at all.  Now 40 or 50?!  Hmmmm.... I'm glad I have a few years before those big milestones!

4 comments:

  1. That breakfast looks fantastic, what a way to send Christmas Day. I'm going to have to make the sweet potato chicken hash.

    Your thirties certainly is the time to stop obsessing about food & exercise. Make sure you do the exercise & eat well & live well. I really don't want my daughter growing up to count calories & worry about burning off food. I want her to eat healthily & enjoy exercise. So I need to set the example for her. The responsibility is quite daunting.

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  2. Every single dish you mentioned sounds so incredible. I hope if/when Devon and I start doing our own family holiday celebrations that we veer outside the realm of the standard ham - broccoli casserole - mac n cheese fare. I love celebrating with family - both Christmas Eve at my parents and Christmas day at Devon's mom's with all their kids in tow, but call me a hermit... a low key Christmas at home sounds just as nice! [Especially with all that amazing cooking going on!]

    "Struggling" is far too strong of a word, but after spending the first 7 months of the year hyper focused on getting healthy and fit, getting engaged and kicking it into high gear to be wedding fit, and then maybe going to the gym once a month for the remainder of the year I've since had a hard time finding that balance. I'm starting to realize in just about everything I do I have an "all or nothing" approach... I just need to figure out how to enjoy exercise and realize you can do it consistently without that meaning 2+ hours or 6 visits a week ;)

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  3. Looks like a wonderful Christmas feast! That clam chowder, yum. I cam smell it from here. Glad you had a great time.

    You have always been very fit and healthy. Weight is just a number. I believe it's how you act and feel about yourself. That is the key to a healthy lifestyle, not the number. xoxo Mom

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  4. I never liked my body, like most women. Pregnancy actually made me check myself. After I had Nolan, I looked at pictures of myself in my first trimester and longed to get those abs back.

    The point being, I am so much happier with my body now than I was in my 20's, or even pre-baby. I am not toned or nearly as fit as I need to be or want to be, but I am not overweight, I eat well, and I am healthy. So I am happy with that for now. Someday (hopefully soon) I will be able to work out on a regular basis, and feel healthier, but I love my body a lot more now.

    As for age, I don't like getting older, but after 30 I don't mind 40, etc. I am ALL for cosmetic procedures such as lasers, Botox, etc, to fight age, though ;)

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