So you say you wanna resolution, well you know...

1.  Lose weight & eat healthier

Last August, I quit smoking.  Yay me!   I want to live...that was really the impetus behind my quitting.  Life is awesome, and I want lots of it.  So now I have quit, and I swear I will never, ever, ever pick up another cigarette...{anyone need encouragement to quit, just let me know--I'd be happy to help}

That said, I did replace nicotine with gummy bears.  Lots and lots of gummy bears...the "clear" ones are sheer evil.  I have always had a fondness for the chewy teddies of goodness, but it went into overdrive once I cut out the ole Salem Slim Lights.  In four months I gained 14 lbs.  Ick.


Since the birth of my last child {*Thing 3* born 14 years ago} I've hovered around 128 lbs.  I might break 130 around the holidays, but other than that...not much effort in it.  That weight was were my body was most comfortable, that is the simplest explanation.  Because I was relatively stable in weight, I had accumulated a nice wardrobe over the years.  I love clothes.  And shoes.  But mostly clothes...well, I suppose its a toss up...but I digress.

The biggest problem with my weight gain is that all my fantastic clothes don't fit.   At 5'7", my current weight is technically within the realm of healthy, but the clothing thing really bugs me.   If I can manage to squeeze myself into a pair of my dress slacks {or god forbid, my jeans}, I have to tuck them under my belly.  Which is not good for the ego.  Muffin top *shudder*.  Same problem with my skirts.  Dresses fit, but of course, they hang oddly.  Sad.  Getting dressed isn't fun anymore, it's an endurance challenge.

For my husband, the Europeanist, the problem is mostly cultural.  He is southern.  That doesn't mean southerners are inherently overweight-- but they do tend to have a healthy respect for food.  And the Europeanist is a foodie.  He knows the subtle variations between BBQ techniques in South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.  He knows how to fry a chicken as well as a steak.  He knows gravy.  He cooks like a madman.  And subsequently he struggles with his weight.

Hence resolution 1 on the 12 for 12.

We are going on a non-diet diet.  That is to say, its is less about temporarily changing our diet to lose weight, and more about lifestyle changes.  And while that sounds terribly new agey, it is sincere.  We want to eat healthier, and in a more balanced way.  More vegetables and fruit, a little less breading and potatoes.  We can't give up meat-- vegetarian is not in my husband's vocabulary, and I have to admit I do enjoy a good bison steak.  But we can eat smarter, and that is what we intend to do.

We did some research online and came up with a list of 10 superfoods: foods that have multiple nutritional benefits.  Now this is not an exact science-- every source we used {*.edu sites, reputable medical sites and fitness magazine articles} had variations in what they felt were the best.  This is a compilation of the foods that appeared most regularly:

One of our plans is to eat as much of each food every week-- and every one at least once a week.  We have a dry erase board on the fridge where we record what foods we ate and when we ate them to be sure we don't miss any.  So far, it is working well!

Occasionally I will use this blog to document our progress or share recipes my husband makes up {he really is brilliant as well as handsome and generally lovely}.  It will keep us honest, if nothing else.  And if anyone out there has any suggestions or stories or recipes they'd like to share, please comment--

So now we will embark on a quest for a healthier, more rounded eating lifestyle...

And no gummy bears.  They don't fit in a food group.  Well, maybe just the "clear" ones.