Walk it off!

I did have pic's, but I misplaced my camera somewhere. With the cooler weather coming on I've been walking more and swimming less. I'd rather be swimming. There must be around 30 people who walk around the same loop I do, and you won't see them all at once, b/c some walk earlier than others. I timed my miles and figured out it takes me 15 minutes to walk 1 mile, but I think I could do it in 10, if I left diggy at home, b/c she pulls alot at the sight of another car or dog. This wouldn't be so bad if she was pulling in the right direction..lol After my walk, I eat breakfast, which Chris has inspired me to stir fry fresh cut up vegetables with a spray of Olive oil and some water. You think this would take alot of time, but Chris taught me to cut up most of my vegetables after I've put the groceries away and store them in a container or zip lock bag. She also advised me to cook up a large amount of brown rice or beans that would also last most of the week, so that I spend less time in the kitchen cooking.

Cutting back on my wheat as I've learned from Cindy has also cut out most of the stomach bloating. I've lived with it so long that I had become use to it as my norm, but oh, it feels so good not having to fight the gas all day long. I'm now a big fan of brown rice and spelt or oats to replace most of the wheat ingredients found in bread, noodles,...etc. I also cut down on alot of meat and now we have meat maybe three times a week. Interesting that after I started walking on a regular basis, I felt emotionally better, and I forgot about being depressed. I use to feel guilty for walking when I was supposed to be home doing chores, but since I've learned that walking was really my first priority for my: mental health, exercise, weight maintenance. I think really the walking has done more for my mental health than it has for me weight wise; although, yes I have lost weight, but I now enjoy life more, and my day to day events are less of a chore to wane through.

While walking through Costco one day, I found a new cookbook with just the kind of recipes that I've been looking for. When I saw the title I laughed, and said to myself, "Oh yeah right...like I'm going to go for that." This "Flat belly diet," book, has wonderful satisfying recipes that will replace my dull meals and give David and I some interesting favors...
Liz Vaccariello, has sure inspired me to look beyond those usual foods in my dishes to mixing more fruits, vegetables, and especially small amount of "Nuts, Avocados, Seeds, and Olives." Using these added ingredients in my dishes to replace my bad fats to good fats, that she calls her
MUFA's foods ( foods high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids).

Hey, it gets better yet, b/c these dishes actually zap my taste buds with favor, texture etc.. which make eating more enjoyable all around. This cookbook is based on Mediterranean diet, which is one that David and I prefer, and it helps reduce those between meal cravings to help control my hunger with replacing a small amount of the good fats into my diet. In order to do this right...I have to have one kind of MUFA in each meal. And I'm still allowed my dark chocolate too!! This diet also cuts out the bloating; hence, it fits the name of the book.....lol

Well, I've got to go now....it's time to eat my pouched egg, which by the way is another favorite of mine. When I'm in a hurry, I just boil a several at a time so I can eat and run....