This is a big week for the Gustin family. My management consulting days are dwindling into single digits, we celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary as well as the fall equinox, and a new moon graced the sky. What a great time to reset intentions and set goals for the next few months!
One thing I've been struggling with this summer is the ability to cross something off my list and be done with it. I have gotten really good at procrastinating - I can fabricate a valid reason to justify putting off doing anything I am not 100% inspired by. Lately it's been hitting the send button, figuratively and literally. I'm not sure if it's my internal pursuit of "perfection" that is holding me back, but there are a lot of things I have been transferring from one list onto another each week. I work on it, but it's not quite ready, or I just don't feel like it's the exact message I want to send, or I get nervous about how others are going to perceive something - so I just put it on the back burner and expect that I will have an epiphany and find the right words. I know this is slowing me down, so I am making a concerted effort to dial back my expectations and be content with "good enough."
There are only so many times I can read a press release and find ways to improve it before the editing becomes a marginal use of my time. First impressions are critically important, but if it's just an email I should find a way to keep it simple and send a clear but concise introductory message. Letting an idea marinate for another 24 hours will not provide enough additional creative content to justify putting off the phone call another day.
Any time I waver about getting something accomplished enough that I could cross it off my list, I am going to give myself another 15 minutes to agonize over it and then let it go and move on to other things. We'll see how this goes...
September 25, 2014
September 6, 2014
How Sweet It Is
Back in May I made a commitment, along with Mom and Brian, to give up sugar for the summer. Anything with sugar in it, as well as anything the body processes as sugar - all carbohydrates, including grains, fruit, various high-glycemic vegetables like corn and beets and carrots, and alcohol. It was very challenging, but it had a huge positive impact on my fitness and my energy levels, and my waistline. A few weeks ago I started adding in foods that I have been avoiding, and there are several unexpected changes in my tastes that I have noticed.
First of all, eating anything that is remotely sweet feels extremely indulgent. I can't deny that I decided to start phasing sugars back in when I did because during this time of the year you can't walk into a produce department without being assaulted by the sweet smell of ripe peaches and cantaloupe. I have been gorging myself on grapes, berries, stone fruits and melons, and it has been amazing! Another thing that I never really craved before that I have become addicted to is nut butter. I will eat chunky peanut butter on just about anything now - toast, bananas, oatmeal, or sometimes just by the spoonful. I have also discovered a cocoa-almond butter that is smooth and creamy and just as satisfying.
I also have a much higher tolerance for plain and simple veggies. I don't need much(if any) dressing on my salads anymore, and don't need much seasoning to enjoy broccoli fresh out of the steamer or zucchini straight off the grill. Most of the snacks we made all summer were just chopped bell pepper or cucumbers or jicama, and I find myself craving those tastes and textures now.
As I have again tried foods I denied myself for a few months, there are several things I used to crave that don't do anything for me now. For example, breakfast burritos were a staple in my nuke-it-and-eat-on-the-way-to-work morning routine, and now the potatoes and tortilla just seem bland and unnecessary - I'd much prefer the eggs, sausage, cheese and green chile on its own, even though it's not a commute-friendly dish outside of its handy wrap. I get very full quickly when I eat carbs now, too. I have been trying to eat 1 carb, 1 protein, 1 fat and 1 fruit with breakfast - which is actually quite a lot of food. When I used to be ready for lunch by 11:30, now I don't even think about food until at least 1.
This whole exercise has promoted healthy changes in our habits - but is definitely has not been cheap. Good produce is expensive! We've been going through hearts of romaine lettuce like you would not believe, and every time I stop at a grocery store to get more lettuce I end up shopping for auxiliary vegetables and proteins. It's no wonder that people with fixed incomes are reliant on frozen dinners and processed meals - they're crazy cheap when you compare that to how much it would cost to purchase the whole ingredients to cook similar menus. We are blessed that we live in a community where CSA's are readily available, healthy lifestyles are supported by the local economy, and we can select fresh foods anytime we visit a store.
First of all, eating anything that is remotely sweet feels extremely indulgent. I can't deny that I decided to start phasing sugars back in when I did because during this time of the year you can't walk into a produce department without being assaulted by the sweet smell of ripe peaches and cantaloupe. I have been gorging myself on grapes, berries, stone fruits and melons, and it has been amazing! Another thing that I never really craved before that I have become addicted to is nut butter. I will eat chunky peanut butter on just about anything now - toast, bananas, oatmeal, or sometimes just by the spoonful. I have also discovered a cocoa-almond butter that is smooth and creamy and just as satisfying.
I also have a much higher tolerance for plain and simple veggies. I don't need much(if any) dressing on my salads anymore, and don't need much seasoning to enjoy broccoli fresh out of the steamer or zucchini straight off the grill. Most of the snacks we made all summer were just chopped bell pepper or cucumbers or jicama, and I find myself craving those tastes and textures now.
As I have again tried foods I denied myself for a few months, there are several things I used to crave that don't do anything for me now. For example, breakfast burritos were a staple in my nuke-it-and-eat-on-the-way-to-work morning routine, and now the potatoes and tortilla just seem bland and unnecessary - I'd much prefer the eggs, sausage, cheese and green chile on its own, even though it's not a commute-friendly dish outside of its handy wrap. I get very full quickly when I eat carbs now, too. I have been trying to eat 1 carb, 1 protein, 1 fat and 1 fruit with breakfast - which is actually quite a lot of food. When I used to be ready for lunch by 11:30, now I don't even think about food until at least 1.
This whole exercise has promoted healthy changes in our habits - but is definitely has not been cheap. Good produce is expensive! We've been going through hearts of romaine lettuce like you would not believe, and every time I stop at a grocery store to get more lettuce I end up shopping for auxiliary vegetables and proteins. It's no wonder that people with fixed incomes are reliant on frozen dinners and processed meals - they're crazy cheap when you compare that to how much it would cost to purchase the whole ingredients to cook similar menus. We are blessed that we live in a community where CSA's are readily available, healthy lifestyles are supported by the local economy, and we can select fresh foods anytime we visit a store.
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