healthy mission- progress report

I've been doing food and exercise tracking on Twitter for ten days and I thought it would be helpful to look back on what I've logged and give a little progress report to share what I've learned.

thumbs up:
- I ate way way way more fresh vegetables than usual. My normal diet is bread, fruit and cheese so it was a big change to have a helping of vegetables at least two meals a day.
- I avoided a few impulse snacks in favor of real meals because I was ashamed to spill the truth on Twitter (aka- it's working!)
- I walked to(& from) work every day this week which is about 2 miles.
- I spent a lot of time in the kitchen but started getting better about making extra servings and creatively reinventing leftovers.
- I tried new things! I'd never eaten beet greens before because I always just gave them to the bunnies. I also made an experimental cake using leftover quinoa (above photo). I prepared brussel sprouts that I got right off the stalk. I reduced my sugar intake by stirring homemade jam into plain yogurt instead of buying flavored yogurt. I used fresh fennel too.
- I'm not sure if this is fact or feeling but I think I spent less money on food. I'm doing a solid 75% of my grocery shopping at the farmer's market and I'm less inclined to go out to eat because of the limited healthy options.

Thumbs down:
- Although I walked to work, I meant to do real exercise. I didn't get on my stationary bike even once.
- In trying to reduce my white sugar and white flour consumption, I think I may have upped my salt intake a pinch to make up for it.
- I ate much healthier but it is very likely that I ate just as many calories as I normally would. At this rate, I would probably live longer but not lose any weight.
- I love dessert! I still find dessert to be completely mandatory after both lunch and dinner. I made some healthy whole grain versions of my favorite desserts (banana bread, chocolate zucchini bread, peach kuchen) but I still think I ate too many quick bread type things.

As much of a drag it is to report on every little thing I eat, I feel like it is motivating me to make the right choices. The bunnies are loving all the extra vegetable scraps coming their way too. My big goal for the next ten days is to stay eating like this but add some serious exercising to my daily routine. I'm planning on going in to work an hour later every day to see if I can become one of those incredible morning exercisers I've always been impressed by.

Foodstuffs

For the zillionth time since forever, I'm attempting to become a slimmer and stronger version of my currently squishy self. This is hard work for someone who can get misty eyed talking about the taste of real maple syrup and pancakes and who loves nothing more than an evening spent watching movies on the couch while petting a bunny.

I'm newly reinvigorated to the cause of making myself healthier because I know so many sick people right now. I can't take my health for granted. I also am curious to see what it would feel like to walk the earth in the body of a total hotass (purely a scientific curiosity of course).

I have to remind myself that I have managed to make big changes in the past (going on 7 years as a vegetarian) and this is just another one of those long term self-improvement missions.

The biggest change so far has been the sheer amount of time spent in the kitchen. I'm trying to make cooking a fun and creative way to spend my time instead of the cumbersome necessity food preparation has always been. I actually started tracking all my meals and snacks on twitter (@EliseAte) so I would be more aware of what I'm eating. I feel like I'll make much better food choices at home if I think there are people paying attention and furrowing their brows when I submit to a sleeve of cider doughnuts.

The photo above is of me headed to a pot luck this past weekend. I brought brussel sprouts instead of my usual sweet and buttery specialties. To my surprise, they disappeared. Score one point for team vegetable!

survey time: I'm wondering, is anyone interested in my experience with this topic (food and health)? Or should I stick to what I know best (bunnies and drawings of bunnies)?