Eat More Weigh Less??

I remember seeing this book title and immediately rushing out to purchase it. I was looking for a magical formula that would help me eat as much food as I wanted and not have to worry about my weight. The book was amazing, but I was not ready to make a change. Ahhh - that is the key. You must WANT to make a change.

What happened to me? I finally got tired of counting calories, starving myself so I could eat my favorite treat or splurge at a tailgate. One day, I decided to eat for optimum health and see what would happen to my weight. 

This meant I had to get rid of all processed food - the protein bar I craved, the chips that were "healthy," and the ice cream that I loved. I began an adventure to see if I could find new foods to love - foods that would love me back.

WOW! As soon as I gave up the last processed "health food" bar and traded it for my now famous chocolate chip cookies, all of my cravings went away. I was shocked! Did this actually work? Turns out it did, and it does, and it has for the past five years. 

I can now eat as much as I want and not worry about my weight.  I still love snacking. I still eat ice cream (now called nice cream). I eat more food that ever before (about 5lbs per day), and my doctors are shocked at my bloodwork (they rarely see anyone who is healthy anymore).

What is the secret? The secret is to eat real food as close to how it was created as possible. 

• Potatoes not potato chips
• Olives not olive oil
• Vegetables not cheese sauce with a little broccoli on the side
• Ezekiel bread not Wonderbread
• Old Fashioned Oats not instant Oatmeal
• Black beans not Jelly Beans :-)

There are also foods to avoid.

• All processed foods - fast food, chips, candy, etc. If it has lots of ingredients you cannot pronounce and comes in a wrapper, it is most likely a processed food.
• Dairy - you are not a baby cow! The estrogen in dairy is fuel for cancer, and that is just one of its many dangers. 
• Alcohol - sorry to be a buzz kill but it is toxic to every cell in the body. The occasional celebration glass of red wine is OK. Now, that's on special occasions, and not every day when it is 5:00pm somewhere :-).
• Animals - unfortunately, animals are some of the least healthy things you can eat. Our ancestors ate wild game on special occasions not factory farmed animals full or antibiotics and hormones three times per day. 

Strive for progress, not perfection! Every time you choose the healthy list over the list of things to avoid, you improve your health and the health of our planet! We can all be healthy and make a difference. Start today!