Peer Pressure part 1,000

Like I said yesterday, I've noticed that my friends don't care what I eat, and are generally supportive of what they term my "strange" foods. However, I still fall back to my social binging habits, and let it happen again tonight. We went to Jamba Juice, and the rest of the clan ordered pumpkin smoothies. I passed because it had dairy in it (frozen yoghurt), but then Beth didn't want the rest of hers and I had just realized that I was getting a cold sore, which yoghurt is supposed to help heal, so I ate the rest of her smoothie, plus cookies, caramel popcorn and then more cookies when I got home!

Tomorrow is the beginning of a new month. I haven't eaten meat this month (since starting this journey), and next month my goal is no sugar. I think that will help with the cold sore more than the yoghurt will!

Today's stats:

W: 138.8

E: yoga + roller-skating with my students, and running around campus in a HP costume tonight!

B: green smoothie

L: spinach, chili, tomatoes, mushrooms

D: leftovers, pb and banana

S: pumpkin smoothie, animal cookies, marshmellow popcorn, more cookies, two pieces of bread with pb and honey.

Sunday, blessed Sunday

Sundays are spiritually and physically strengthening for me. It's a day to take a break from the day to day things in life and focus on my relationship with God and on helping others.

I was sad because we didn't eat the dal fast enough, and it went bad, but my chickens loved it!

Today's stats:

139.6

yoga

B and L: fasting

D: bread and tortilla with peanut butter and honey, 2 bananas, few bites of chili and spinach, pasta with tomato sauce, two pieces of garlic bread (not strictly ETL because it had margarine or butter on it).

en camino...

I'm learning (again!) that none of my friends really care what I eat and if they know about my diet, then they try to provide foods that fit within the plan. I, however, have been a social binger for years. Eat to Live has helped to cure that in large part, but tonight at a Halloween party, I ate non-vegan (still vegetarian) food, and a lot of it, because that was all that was available. I don't think anyone would have noticed or cared if I hadn't eaten anything!! Estamos en camino!!

Today's stats:

140.6 lbs (even vegan burgers and sweet potato fries can cause weight gain!)

E: yoga and 6 hours of painting a map of the US on the playground with my school students!

B: green smoothie

L: bread with peanut butter and honey, green smoothie

S: banana, cheese bread, cornmeal, caramel popcorn, bite of cake, caramels.

Eating Out

Eating out is harder and easier than I thought it would be. I went out to a burger joint tonight with my sister and cousin. All of the salads had some sort of meat and/or cheese, and I wasn't in the mood to make specifications while living in the fear that they wouldn't listen, so I opted for a Boca burger and sweet potato fries. Dinner was easy in that I wasn't at all tempted by the meaty, cheesy burgers or the key lime shakes (used to be a HUGE favorite of mine) of my dinner companions. It was difficult in that I didn't love the food that I was eating...my home-made-tossed-together Eat to Live food tastes so much better than the fat-laden fries or the processed vegan burger. Next time I'll vote for Indian or Thai!

Today's stats:

Weight: 138.2 (yes, that's over a lb and a half since yesterday!)

Exercise: yoga

Food:

B: Green smoothie (made one for my roommate...she calls it "sludge," but likes it!:)

L: Spinach, chili, mushroom, tomato, and palta (it just adds the finishing touch!)

Snacks: 3 bananas, 2 pieces of bread with honey and peanut butter.

D: Boca burger with bun, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ketchup, and sweet potato fries.

Gentle

I've had a sore throat for the past couple of days. I was a little afraid of how my cold green smoothie in the morning would feel on it. It was surprisingly comforting, and the word that came to mind was "gentle." Eating to live is gentle and nurturing.

I teach 5th grade and have some students that deal with really rough things at home. Every day I learn more and more that the key to their hearts, and to their good behavior is being gentle and patient. And that's what my body needs too...gentleness and patience.

Today's stats:

Weight: 139.8

Exercise: yoga and a short walk

Food:

B: gentle green smoothie :)

Snack: banana

Lunch: spinach, tomato, chili, mushrooms, avocado (LOVED the avocado addition!)

Snack: banana and 2 peanut butter and honey sandwiches

Dinner: 2 palta, 2 pieces of toast, one with peanut butter and honey

planning makes...almost perfect

It's that time of the month, and my body has just been sore and tired, but less so than when I'm not eating to live! Planning ahead helped with food dilemmas. I have class every Wednesday from 4:30-10pm after a full day of teaching a class full of high-energy fifth graders. Last week I ate non-vegan chips because I didn't have anything else to eat. I find that if I give in to one thing I tend to rationalize other things. So packing meals for the whole day helped me out tremendously...and I didn't even finish all the food that I packed!

Today's stats:

weight: 140.2

exercise: yoga

food:

B: smoothie, few bites of stuffed pepper

Snack: bread with peanut butter and honey

L: banana, a few bites of salad (chili, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms)

D: dal, brown rice, grapes

Snack: rest of the stuffed pepper, banana

Success!

Today I did well with not eating the non-ETL food available. I even made non-vegan pumpkin muffins for friends and wasn't even tempted to eat them. It's amazing what you can do (or not do!) when you make up your mind! (I need to practice making vegan pumpkin muffins so that I'm comfortable enough to make them quickly and share the love!)

Another success: my sister, roommate, and I went to Walmart tonight and ran into a couple of friends. One of them said "Are you thinner? You've always been thin, but you're smaller!" She asked what I was doing and Beth said that I'm not eating meat, which I agreed with. When she asked why, I said that I feel better when I don't. Then later, when we hugged good-bye she said "There's nothing to you!" So someone else noticed my success, and I didn't tell a convenience lie about what I'm doing! ETL works! The best part about living this way is that I KNOW it's so good for me. I feel so blessed with energy and strength.

Today's stats:

Weight: 140.2 (using roommate's scale still...mine is -.2 off from hers. I'm going to keep using hers until December, when she moves.)

Exercise: yoga, 45 minute walk with Beth enjoying the beautiful fall leaves!!

Food:

B: a delicious meat-free stuffed pepper made by my roommate (couldn't wait til lunch!) and a green smoothie

L: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, black beans, grapes

D: banana(s?) and left over salad and grapes from lunch.