Week 11: Eat real food

I am sitting in my house with the gravitating smell of sautéed onions and shiitake mushrooms that I baked into a farm egg crustless quiche.  I used cashew milk instead of cream and sprinkled it with cayenne pepper and nutmeg to boost the flavor.  To top the quiche is an avocado cream (avocado, fat-free Greek yogurt, and lime juice).  I am serving it aside a salad of over-roasted carrots and red beets that are tossed with organic red quinoa, spinach, and a lemon basil Greek yogurt.

My place smells divine.  I needed to cook.  I have felt so insatiated with a pent up need to release my inner artist.  I am a trained chef after all and I love the beauty of food and flavors.  

You might be wondering why I am writing about food in my fitness blog.  Well you see, I have had a really hard time taking to the general rules of fitness and all the diet fads.  Drink this powder, take this pill, and eat only boneless skinless chicken breasts and green vegetables.  

Since I have avoided diets like Atkins or Paleo I have not lost weight as quickly as others in this competition.  I also have found that I don't gain all of the weight I am losing when I have a glass of wine or piece of bread.  I am also rarely hungry as I have fed well with nutrients. So I go on eating whole foods.  

I have drawn a wild fascination with wanting to know what I can eat to continue to my fitness goal while being able to eating chef driven recipes. It will not be powder.  And I will continue to lose weight.  So I have decided to spend this summer researching and eating for weight loss but through beautiful flavors and diverse foods.  I value the earth and finding locally sourced, seasonal foods that supports farmers who grow to improve the land. I have to believe that processed & packaged foods, even if they are "diet" foods, are not going to make me healthy and keep me healthy.  I also know that fat is essential in the body as are complex carbohydrates which goes against everything you read about weight loss.

So I have decided to take my time at losing weight, cooking healthy fruits and vegetables, whole grains, farm eggs and dairy and lean meat cuts from pastured animals.  The most exciting part about teaching myself to cook this way is that I can continue my challenge into a sustainable life change. One that will keep me pointed in the right health direction. And I get to benefit weight loss through eating delicious food!

Week 11: 180