Re: Marla's CRON-o-meter Chronicle
Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:40 pm
Chile - Thank you for your comment. You are right - when it comes to getting your veggies in, there's more than one way to approach it. I think that the compromise you have worked out with your hubby sounds like a smart way to deal with your different preferences. I nearly always include veggies in the stews, soups, chilies, curries, and casseroles I make, but I can't get the volume that I need by that method alone. I'd rather eat a big salad or pile of steamed veggies (I always eat them first) and then enjoy my main entree, which might have a bunch more veggies in it or might be mostly starch. I often think of Pinkrose's advice to "eat your vegetables as your entree, and then eat your starch for dessert!" I still get the bulk of my calories and satiety from starch, so my diet is absolutely starch centered, but veggies are my secret weapon for slimming down.
Nancy - I am relieved that I am not the only one who gets pathetic and weepy about how hard this seems at times. Let's both climb out of that mental trap and empower ourselves to be our best. In my first years on this forum (and the one that came before it), when I would read posts by Star McDougallers who explained that they had to follow MWL strictly in order to maintain a low BMI, I didn't really want to hear it. I wanted this to be the plan where I could eat all the pancakes I wanted for breakfast, all the burritos, pizza, and lasagna I wanted for lunch and dinner, muffins and crackers for snacks, and Mary's brownies for dessert every night And I stubbornly clung to that notion for a very long time, struggling all the while, because I wanted it to be true. Only in the last couple of years have I really come to accept that I am one of those people who needs to be extra mindful of caloric density if I am going to reach, and maintain, the BMI I want. So, brownies every night are out. Brownies on my birthday, sure thing!
Those freshly made corn tortillas are like heaven. I am not kidding. So soft and light, they just melt in your mouth. If you have a Mexican market near you, or a carniceria, they often have a hot food counter/taqueria where you can buy fresh, warm tortillas (but no guarantee that they are made on site). For an actual tortilleria, I go to La Esperanza on Franklin Blvd (http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-esperanza-me ... sacramento). Apparently La Esperanza supplies a lot of local restaurants with tortillas. I don't live in the area, but I am there about once a week to get my Japanese sweet potatoes from the Asian supermarket at Franklin and Florin. So on those trips, I make a point of picking up a few dozen tortillas each time. They come in stacks, wrapped in foil, hot off the press, two dozen for $1.30. The pico de gallo is made fresh every day too and is delicious. Let me know if you try some!
Nancy - I am relieved that I am not the only one who gets pathetic and weepy about how hard this seems at times. Let's both climb out of that mental trap and empower ourselves to be our best. In my first years on this forum (and the one that came before it), when I would read posts by Star McDougallers who explained that they had to follow MWL strictly in order to maintain a low BMI, I didn't really want to hear it. I wanted this to be the plan where I could eat all the pancakes I wanted for breakfast, all the burritos, pizza, and lasagna I wanted for lunch and dinner, muffins and crackers for snacks, and Mary's brownies for dessert every night And I stubbornly clung to that notion for a very long time, struggling all the while, because I wanted it to be true. Only in the last couple of years have I really come to accept that I am one of those people who needs to be extra mindful of caloric density if I am going to reach, and maintain, the BMI I want. So, brownies every night are out. Brownies on my birthday, sure thing!
Those freshly made corn tortillas are like heaven. I am not kidding. So soft and light, they just melt in your mouth. If you have a Mexican market near you, or a carniceria, they often have a hot food counter/taqueria where you can buy fresh, warm tortillas (but no guarantee that they are made on site). For an actual tortilleria, I go to La Esperanza on Franklin Blvd (http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-esperanza-me ... sacramento). Apparently La Esperanza supplies a lot of local restaurants with tortillas. I don't live in the area, but I am there about once a week to get my Japanese sweet potatoes from the Asian supermarket at Franklin and Florin. So on those trips, I make a point of picking up a few dozen tortillas each time. They come in stacks, wrapped in foil, hot off the press, two dozen for $1.30. The pico de gallo is made fresh every day too and is delicious. Let me know if you try some!