Cream of Wheat....Breakfast of Champions?

The night before last I had a nice hot bowl of Cream of Wheat I made with homemade chicken stock.  Nothing else.  I thought about putting some parmesan reggiano cheese on top...I thought about some cream, and then at least some milk, but no, it was really tasty just the way it was.

There was a time I would have thought that Cream of Wheat was an inferior product, kind of like the "junk food" version of Old Fashioned Oats.  But now, these days, simple oatmeal gets a bad rap because it's a "carb"....oh and a "white" carb at that, lol!  It may feel difficult, at times, to not jump on the various diet and nutrition bandwagons that come and go, looking for the answer to life long health, which includes weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight.

I've felt myself wanting to believe that it was certain foods that I was victim to, instead of recognizing that it wasn't food that was the enemy, it was me.  I was the one consuming too much of it...I've never experienced food leaping from the table, forcing my jaw open and shoving itself down my throat.  Why was I choosing to over consume food?  Well, I don't really care "why" I did, (although I pretty much know why) I only care that I don't now.....or I should say, I do less and less all the time, and I can imagine the day when I never do....and that day could be today!  I feel so lucky to think this way.

I've had days in the past that I was afraid to add too much carrot to my salad because of the natural sugar in carrots is too high....same with mango.  I've had years when I did not eat corn because it's a grain....carb...same with black beans (all beans).  I've measured out 1 1/2 tbl of PNB instead of 2 full tbl in fear of those extra 50 calories, or only "allowed" myself 1/2 can of tuna (90 cal) instead of a whole can (180 cal).  It's been a solid two years since I've had pasta (and I make great pasta!), three or more years since I've had risotto or polenta....and if you know how to use a pressure cooker, those dishes take 5-10 minutes to make and they rock!  The funny thing about this mindset is that it's not 50 calories worth of peanut butter, or a bowl of risotto making anybody fat!  It's the candy dish on your coworkers desk, it's the bag of cookies you tear open while grocery shopping or friend's birthday dinner at the Cheesecake Factory!

This past year I've relaxed a great deal about corn, beans, cheese, wine, carrots, winter squash, to name a few, and oh my God, I think I'm going to make pasta this week! I happen to know a number of people that have never worried about their bodyweight or their health as it relates to bodyweight. I take notice to their relationship with food...and it's not a big deal!  We make things so much more difficult than they need to be, and then we try and defend ourselves for failing because of this fabricated difficulty.

I know there are many books written with many theories about why we are fat and overweight, but without fail, without fail, 100% of the time, for me, when I want to drop some bodyweight I cut back on portions/calories, which may include a rebalance of certain nutrients I eat, and I lose weight.  Maybe I'm the only one?

A nice big hot bowl of Cream of Wheat is not going to make me fat and/or unhealthy....it's just not.

PS "Back in the day Cream of Wheat was a bodybuilding staple and part of their formula for getting lean.....remember rice cakes? Oatmeal, brown rice, yams, baked potato  The original "slow carb" diet was invented by the sport of bodybuilding!  6 meals a day, each meal 1/2 protein, 1/2 complex carbs.  Only later did the glycemic index come into play,  The only counter was low/no fat. You can get plenty lean, very lean, eating carbs...if your calories are low enough!"--as quoted my Mark Reifkind.  Coach, training partner, friend and business partner for 9 years in World Gym Campbell, to Mr America Scott Wilson (pictured above), and 5 time Ms Olympia finalist Sue Ann McKean.(pictured below)

PPS My son Gabe purchased the Cream of Wheat that has been in the pantry for a few months now.  Although I would not buy this product in favor of some other type of hot cereal product I don't have anything against it when eaten as part of a balanced diet.