This is my explanatory post for my 3-month commitment to "recasting" as Mireille Guiliano phrased it. She's the author of French Women Don't Get Fat, a book on the French secret to eating well and still keeping slim. From reading the book, I've noticed a few things about myself.A few things about my views on diet & exercise:
- I hate diets. I've never tried them but I know they don't work cuz they advocate short-term solutions.
- I hate exercise. I don't own any exercising shoes, I don't plan on buying them, and it's just not fun, pour moi.
- I love food. I adore cooking. But that also makes me a compulsive, obsessive eater.
Some of my bad eating habits:
- I tend to overeat in social settings, or when there's food in front of me yet I'm still full.
- I like baked goods a little too much.
- I don't eat 3 meals a day, and when I do, they're at insanely irregular times.
Some of my good eating habits:
- I'm a pescetarian so I eat mostly vegetables, some seafood, & some fruits.
- I drink at least 2 Sigg bottles worth of water everyday.
- I eat my own cooked meals 5 out of 7 days
The book presents a new approach in preparing meals, in eating, and in one's relationship with food in general. Guiliano describes the French as a people who take pleasure in eating and savoring their meal. Their portions are smaller, but the food is infinitely more delicious. They cook & eat in season. They compensate to balance out their pleasures. These are habits I want to develop, not just to lose weight but to apply balanced views on healthy living to my life, forever.
I'm sure all girls my age have some sort of body image problem - if not their weight, then their face, their height, hair, skin, etc. I believe if I take an active approach in developing a healthy relationship with food, I will also start to develop a healthier relationship with myself, mentally.
So what I have to do in these 3 months:
- Ward off key "offenders" in my diet e.g. baked goods, most sweets - and save it only for weekends.
- Eat 3 meals a day, at regular times
- Practice mindful eating: sitting down, real tableware, chewing slowly & savoring the first few bites
- Not let myself get hungry: carry emergency snack around [I'm going for รด mai - dried Vietnamese plums?]
- Avoid overeating at social events. Remember: quality over quantity. Be a food snob if I must.
There is another laundry list, but I'll keep these 5 in mind for now.
QUESTION: What are some of your good & bad eating habits and how do you deal with the bad ones?
3 heys!:
Good food habits: many small meals with small portions; generally don't indulge in super-terrible bad-for-you-things. Everything in moderation.
Bad food habits: more wine and coffee (separately) than necessary.
To combat the coffee thing, I just consciously cut down. I think having a non-compulsive personality helps me say "no" to things easily.
Co Chung - how much wine or coffee do you drink a day? I want to try some good [but cheap] wine & coffee for breakfasts & dinners some times (^^) But I dono how well some wines would go with Asian food... Red wine with fried rice... mmm..
Hey Thoa!
I'm going to go get this book soon :)
I didn't think I eat so badly now considering that before I came to LA, I thought that snacks were from boxes, such as Little Debbie or Hostess. They were just cheaper. Idahoans could buy a big package of sweets for a dollar compared to buying a bag of apple for $3. So I grew up eating very unhealthy, even though my mom tried to incorporate some fresh things from our single Asian market.
Anyways, my bad eating habits are now: eating late at night because I sleep at funky hours. Not drinking enough water (maybe I make up for it in tea). Eating too much rice or pasta tehehe.
Good habits:I cook a lot now so I throw in tons of veggies. I lean to fruits as snacks. I eat until I am full (unless I am at a restaurant I dunno why, I feel like I need to finish my food). I stay away from buffets.
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