Lifestyle Changes

I'm on this new diet. And before you start jumping all over me because diets are the devil and all that, let me explain:

It's called the Conscious Diet.

Ever heard of it?



Well, that's because it doesn't exist. Technically.

Although the basis of it is well documented and is preached by all dietitians and doctors who really give a rat's ass about their patients' health.

Basically, you just have to be conscious about what you eat. Reading the labels, approximating calorie counts and ensuring you get enough exercise to be running a caloric deficit on a daily basis. It also means paying attention to the things your body tells you. If things aren't digesting well, you should not be consuming them. After years of ignoring what my body is telling me in regards to dairy, I've finally decided to stop just dabbling in soy and give up (most of) my beloved dairy and Lactaid pills in favor of it. And my body is thanking me. When I say most of, things like cheese (in moderation) and yogurt have never been an issue for me. Plus yogurt is extremely beneficial and vegan cheese is disgusting.

You have to make smarter choices. You have to think about everything that passes between your lips. I used to be under the impression that the 1-3 steeped teas (with 3 creams and sugars) I consumed daily with friends at Timmy's weren't doing me THAT much harm. They were. Since giving those up, I have not only lost weight, but feel more energetic without and know that I can depend on caffeine as a pick-me-up when I desperately need it.

Yes, this diet is part of the reason that I've given up meat. It had more to do with me finally realizing I needed to start respecting my body than it did with any sort of heartache for the suffering animals in slaughterhouses.

Although I can't deny that it played a role, too. Being friends with someone who works on the 'kill floor' of the biggest slaughterhouse in town means I was often subjected to long stories about running out of ammo and needing to slaughter pigs with dull knives (yes, this is actually not legal, but you are naive if you believe it doesn't happen). Or having to endure the stench of bloody boots in the car on a hot day for after-work coffee.

Since I was young, red meat has been pretty well indigestible for me. However, I grew up in a very meat-and-potatoes household, and not eating meat as a child was not an option. My parents did the best they could by trying to provide poultry options whenever available, but ours was a household where money was often tight and other options were often not available due to budgetary constraints.

By the time I'd moved out on my own, I'd just grown accustomed to the cramps and other digestion problems, consuming red meat resulted in. Plus having to cook a meal for one on an even tighter budget than I'd grown up with, often meant that I would buy whatever was on sale -- usually ground beef.

In my early twenties I started developing a plethora of digestion and gastro-intestinal problems -- irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, a gastric ulcer and several other things. For one year I followed the strictest diet I could muster in order to heal my stomach and GI tracts, and afterward felt better than I had in a long time.

Old habits die hard, though.

Although I avoided heavy meats like steak, roast and chops, I still liked burgers, sandwich meat, sausage, ground beef and chicken. Even though the majority of those things made me pay the price later.

I've since replaced them with super affordable vegetarian-friendly options like tofu, faux meats (Yves makes an awesome ground beef sub called Veggie Ground Round which works great) and just plain old vegetables. Cooking has become something of a passion for me again. Tonight's dinner is whole wheat lasagna with spinach, the aforementioned Veggie Ground Round, Grilled Eggplant, peppers and cottage cheese. And it's fantastic. And cheap. It takes me probably twice the time to shop (reading labels, even when just skimming for pertinent details, is time consuming) and costs me half of what it used to.

But if you're pressed for time, nothing beats some sliced cucumber, celery, red peppers and carrots as a snack. If you think it's not filling, I beg to differ. It's a lunchtime standby for me when I'm pressed for time on my break.

Just in case you still have your doubts, I just did my daily weigh-in, and I have dropped...


11 pounds in a month.

No kidding.

This in addition to increased energy, clearer skin and a more positive outlook on life. Plus, the kicker -- no more stomach pain. I could also tell you about the ease with which I... But I won't. Use your imagination.

But I'm not telling you to do as I've done. If you can stomach dairy and meat, and enjoy them both, continue enjoying, but in moderation.

Like everything in life, eating should be done in moderation. You can still enjoy pizza, but enjoy a SLICE of pizza, as opposed to HALF the pizza (as I've been guilty of doing in the past).

Contemplate and enjoy your food.

I know many people tell you to stop eating in front of the TV and if I have learned anything, it's that they're right. If you have to focus on your food instead of on the pictures flashing on the screen in front of you, it takes longer to eat, and consequently you fill fuller faster than if you were eating like a madman while catching old Fresh Prince reruns. As someone who HAS been guilty of eating half (or more) of a pizza while watching a movie, I've now realized that one piece is perfectly sufficient if I eat it while standing in my kitchen, or sitting at my table.

Get outside. All across Canada we're experiencing this wonderful season known as SUMMER. It's a great time of year and only lasts for a few short months. Go for a jog. Walk to the store to get groceries. Take your dog outside for a romp in the park and a game of frisbee.

I am extremely fortunate (and a lot of you are going to snicker at this, but it's TRUE) that I've never owned a car and despise driving with a passion I normally only reserve for slow moving Japanese tourists with big cameras, so I've ALWAYS had to walk anywhere I want to go. Except where a friend could drive me. And in a town this size, driving usually meant going for dinner/coffee/drinks or groceries. Because I don't have my own wheels, I've never been dependent on them (unless I need to go to my parents' place, since 40 minutes by car would mean about 2.5 hours on foot), so I AM fortunate that I can't just decide to drive for groceries instead of walking and getting 15-20 minutes of exercise that way.

One of the only things I'll miss when I leave is the relatively short distances almost anywhere I need to go in this town. 15 minutes of a moderate walk can put me at the library, grocery store, post office, bar or (unfortunately) Tim Hortons. Finding a place that is central enough to walk to get groceries in the city might be a little easier said than done.

Don't let you get away with anything! If you think that your body is unaware of that piece of cake you're cramming down your gullet, think again. But adversely, don't worry so much about it that you turn to food to feel good about the world again. Food is a wonderful, wonderful thing, that should be treasured and enjoyed, not viewed as an enemy. A piece of cake if you are CONSCIOUS about it can still be enjoyed. Just remember that you had it. Walk a little longer tomorrow.

In any case, I'm far from perfect, too, otherwise I wouldn't have found myself in the pickle I did a month ago when I weighed myself and discovered I had packed on *gulp* 30 pounds since this time last year. View this entry not as a lecture, but motivation that really simple changes CAN change your life and how you view yourself.