My Philosophy on Food
Every bite counts! Make it a good bite!
I’m all about good food and always have been. I live to eat! Even as a little girl, I remember asking my mom in the morning what was for dinner. If it was something I loved, I was excited, if not it dampened my mood for the day. Food is what I live for!
When I opened my tea room back in 2003, my philosophy was, “Every bite counts! So make it a good bite!” When preparing tea trays, most everything is little-small portions of salad and soup, little tea sandwiches and tiny desserts. Every bite counts because there isn’t a lot of it. I wanted my customers to enjoy every tiny bite so everything we made was homemade- from the salad dressing and croutons to our famous tea sandwiches, desserts and scones. The same thing goes for losing and maintaining weight, every bite counts so make it a good one! If it’s not “point worthy,” then don’t eat it.
Diet food?
The first time I joined Weight Watchers I was under the impression I had to eat “diet” food. However, I quickly realized that with their plan, I could have anything I wanted. I just had to fit it in and, “work the plan,” as they say. I made some of their recipes but nothing was as satisfying as my own high point meals so I was discouraged at first, but then I discovered Skinnytaste.com. Gina’s recipes are so delicious. I realized then and there that good food can be healthy-even the foods I love. I just needed to learn how to “skinny” them up.
Staying true to my tastes
I’m not about fat free, sugar free, and processed food. I use fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs, real butter, sugar and flour. Moderation is the key. You won’t find sugar substitutes in my recipes as they give me migraines. Over the years I’ve slowly figured out that processed foods only make me hungrier and feel bad. I don’t think they are good for you. To tell you the truth, I don’t really even like the taste of them now that I’ve cut most of them out. I’m even making my own crackers. They are high in calories and points but I only have a few instead of a lot of the low fat kind. I’d rather have a little of something I really love versus a lot of something that is just ok. Again, it goes back to making every bite count for me. I’m not judging others who eat those foods, but for me I feel better if I stick to fresh and homemade. Of course you’ll see a few items I use such as non-fat greek yogurt and light sour cream. I may use a bit of reduced fat cheese but never totally fat free cheese. I don’t like it, it’s yuck to me so I’d rather not eat cheese if that’s all there is. Taste is very important to me.
During one point in my weight loss journey, I thought I needed to be the other kind of person, a person who eats to live. But now I’ve discovered I can still be the live to eat person, I just need to choose wisely and make every bite count and stick to my new philosophy, “Don’t eat when you’re not hungry and only eat until you are lightly satisfied.”
My Food Philosophy and Eating Redesigned
I’ve adapted my food philosophy and eating habits a bit over the last few years. I’ve moved away from “dieting” and “counting calories and points,” to being a natural eater. To read more about my redesigned philosophy check out this more recent post.
