Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Save Your Life, Eat In

Seven years ago, almost to the day, I stopped eating out completely.  And considering that I ate 99% of my meals from fast food chains that is quite an incredible change....talk about cold turkey (funny I'm thawing out a turkey right now to roast later...lol).  It did not seem like a hardship at all, more than likely because I was ready.  I had spent the previous 8 or 9 years acting on my growing interest in learning how to cook.  Funny enough though it was gourmet cooking that I found as the focus of my new hobby....using real butter, cream, the highest quality ingredients none of which would be considered "diet" foods!  I had been living a double life so to speak.  Eating quick, salty, fatty, carb filled, low, low quality foods daily, while honing my skills as a wanne be gourmet cook.  Finally my desire to "wanne be" was so much greater than my fear to "not to be", as it also coincided with many health issues I was starting to experience, and it became obvious to me that this had to be part of the first step, a first huge step, as the key to losing weight and saving my life.

I know it's been trendy for at least a decade now to take an interest in food. The label "foodie" is one that many wear proudly, maybe even acting a bit snobby about it. Especially as the trend took a big turn towards health with the addition of labels like "organic" free range", "pature fed" etc. to describe foods and ingredients.  And then we have vegetarianism and veganism gaining popularity, reaching an all time high, with no end in sight.  But in my opinion if you don't make the priority of being intimately involved with the preparation of most of your own meals and foods then all of those labels are simply an act.  They are not a part of you or who you are.  In my opinion, being spoon fed by purchasing ready made foods is not the same as establishing the habits you need to feed yourself.  Is it that hard to grill up your own pasture fed beef hamburger?

It's also amazing to me how many people snack instead of eat in order to maintain these "standards of snobbery".  A handful of almonds? Sure I'm guilty of reaching for them when I can't quite get to a meal, but I don't make them my meal.  A bagful of veggies chips? A high protein, low carb "bar" of some sort should never regularly replace a meal.  A vegan donut is still a donut.

"Eating in" is not a punishment, it's a gift.  Your life is a gift, your health is not!

I could go on and on about this subject...and I will, but right now I've got to get ready for an 8:00am yoga class....to be continued....


6 comments:

Nadine said...

Hallalujah sister! LOL

I was a vegetarian for years, went vegan 2 years ago,and at that point pretty much stopped eating out. Why eat out when the food I make at home is better?

I think my son (15 now, but at the time 3...) said it best:
we went out to eat with my in-laws and after dinner my mother in law asked my son how he enjoyed his dinner. His answer: "it was okay, not as good as moms" .

We eat out 4X a year- once for everyones birthday.
Which is a treat for me only because I don't have to clean up! LOL

Nadine

guy said...

What gets me is that the people who say "It's too expensive to buy and prepare fresh and or organic fruit and veg are the same people who eat at restaurants.
Which by the way includes driving, spending the extra gas money, tipping if appropriate, maybe even paying to park etc. There is a lot less hassle involved in staying home and cooking my own meals, it's kind of meditative, and I know that I'm eating according to "The Primal Blueprint if I did all myself.

Maribel said...

I'm all over the map on this one...but I think it's ok. It's the experiences of being all over the map that help me figure out where I'm at...and even where I'm at changes.

I put on 5lbs in the last 3 weeks...not on purpose, but definitely a conscious decision. It was a little experiment I conducted that led me to the same conclusion you just wrote about. Eating out isn't that great. The idea, the concept is appealing, but not worth it at all.

Tracy Reifkind said...

Nadine,

I understand the clean up part since I've never owned a dishwasher. I don't mind doing dishes, but I dislike very much having to use 50% of the counter space in my tiny kitchen for a dish drainer...and always having drying dishes out!

My boys, one out of the house, and one still here would gobble up every bite of food I make, but like the big boys that they are they would rather buy food than make it themselves...I started my habit too late to have rubbed off on them :(

Although my oldest, now on a tight budget does in fact prepare more and more food at home.

If I could get away with it I would never eat out....but I'd eat at Fawn's anyday!

Tracy Reifkind said...

Guy,

Why don't some people realize that it takes as long, or longer to GO and get ready made foods as it does to stay home and make it?

And one huge positive...leftovers! I rely on leftovers!

Tracy Reifkind said...

Maribel,

when you say all over the map, do you mean about organic and the such versus non "designer" foods?

I'm almost over it! Yes, there is something inside of me that feels more "pure" when I buy "designer" foods...but that's if you trust the designer foods!

Oraganic only means that they can use certain pesticides...not NO pesticides! As far as hormone and antibiotic treated animal proteins...you heard me talk about growing up on those foods and it hasn't killed me yet. Of course I was making light of it, but as you mentioned you've got to figure it all out for yourself.

The stress of being perfect and pure is for who? If you don't brag about it then no one knows how perfect and pure you are...or are not! I'll save the bragging for things worth bragging about!