Never Say Never

I am doing one thing I said I would never do. One thing I always thought was ridiculous when I heard it was something other people actually did.  I am making one dinner for myself and another dinner for the rest of my family.  Is it a pain?  YES!  Do I enjoy making two different meals at the same time?  NO!  Do I want to lose weight?  YES!

 

Before I met and married Hubs, Blueberry and I were pretty much fish and chicken girls.  I very rarely ever bought red meat.  Cooking with canned soups, tons of cheese and lots of pasta was not my way of cooking.  We ate chicken all kinds of ways, grilled, baked, broiled, and slow cooked (otherwise known as the crock pot).  Hubs would say we ate very bland food, but it was pretty healthy and I was able to maintain a decent weight. 

 

My husband does not really like chicken and fish.  He is definitely a meat and potatoes kind of guy.  We eat a lot of pasta dishes, lots of gooey cheese and far too much canned soup.  We also buy a quarter of a cow every so often, therefore, there is no shortage of beef on hand.  Obviously I can't blame my weight gain (roughly 40 lbs.!!!) all on my husband.  He does complain if we have chicken more than a couple times a week and he's made it known he's not a huge fan of fish, however, the overeating is completely on me.  I love cheese.  I love pasta.  I love cheese and pasta together.  I love the comfort foods of beef stroganoff (lots of sour cream), tacos (lots of cheese and sour cream), tator tot hot dish (canned soups), you get the picture.  Even when I sit down with the best of intentions to have just one serving, it is never enough.  One serving of cheese and pasta barely fits on my fork!!  (Yes, I admit I have a problem.  That's the first step, right?)

 

I have been wanting to lose weight for a long time now, however, there is a cycle I have created that I desperately need to break.  I do okay in the morning for breakfast and do okay at lunch, however, when I get home from work I'm usually hungry.  Sometimes I'll grab something good like fruit, or veggies, but more often than not I'm tired and fighting a cranky baby and just grab whatever is within reach.  After I eat it I feel guilty and try to justify my poor choice by telling myself I will work out later, after Peanut goes to bed.  Dinner time comes and I overeat.  After dishes, baths and baby to bed, I'm usually exhausted and the thought of working out makes me even more tired.  So I don't do it, and I justify that choice by saying it won't matter anyway because there's no way I can work off all of the calories from dinner, so why bother trying.  I've also told myself that good sleep helps with weight loss and it's more important to sleep.  HA! 

 

Needless to say, there's a problem.  Tonight I decided I can't eat that way anymore.  If I had my way the freezer would be full of chicken, turkey, and fish rather than beef.  The canned soups would stay on the grocery store shelves and cheese would be bought in very small quantities.  But, I have a family to think about and I know that Hubs and Blueberry aren't going to like my salads and fish for dinner every night.  Sooo, I will make dinner I know they will like and I will make dinner that is a healthier option for me.  I'm hoping some of my changes will rub off on them but I'm not going to force the issue.  I know what I need and what I need to do to get there, and if making two meals is what it takes then making two meals is what I'll do. 

 

Bring on the white meat and greens!  :)