Back In Black - Day 30 (Tuesday) & Something About Why French Women Don't Get Fat...

Remember that book French Women Don't Get Fat?

I'm reminded of it often these days because I get asked from time to time how it is that the Man and I aren't behemoths given all the food we eat, none of it particularly "light" or "diet." Real butter, real cream, real sugar, real pork fat, real mayo, real bread, real pasta, no PAM, no Splenda (well, except my two or three Diet Cokes a month), no Primal, no Atkins... You get the picture.

Because notwithstanding the fact that I am trying to get back into my little black dress and that Dean would like to get back into better shape, neither one of us is remotely approaching what most people think of when they think "fat".

But I understand their thinking because it's the way I used to think once upon a time before I discovered that it really is much easier to maintain my weight by keeping a balanced and holistic approach to eating (and by holistic, I mean big picture, not new agery) than it is to attack a single aspect (e.g., cutting out fat, cutting out sugar, cutting out meat, cutting out carbs...) and suffer the repercussions of withdrawal and/or deprivation.

When I started conscientiously eating to feed, and feed well, both my body and my psyche, without overindulging either, everything changed. And I found that I could actually eat more of what I like and obsess less about dieting and working out, and still look and feel good.

So instead of eating 2 cups of a bland and anemic lowfat pasta dish made with a spritz of PAM, I'd eat 1 cup of a properly prepared one, using just as much olive oil as was needed to properly saute the garlic, caramelize that veg, impart that deliciously fruity note of good olive oil, and give a good sear to whatever protein was being added to it. 

Instead of choking down a little salad with a storebought bottle of the processed glop that Kraft or Wishbone call "dressing", I started making my own dressings at home with a healthy amount of oil and even a little bit of sugar to get the rounded flavor and body that make a salad dressing satisfying and delicious. And I found that the right fresh produce (and lots of it) paired with just enough of the right dressing was a pleasure to eat and not some obligatory dietary checkbox to make myself feel as though I hadn't been entirely delinquent in my eating habits.

Instead of having several of those godawful Snackwells (Remember those? Be glad if you don't.) and still feeling cheated of dessert, I learned to have, and be sated with, 2 or 3 spoonfuls of real vanilla ice cream, or a third of one of my fave dark chocolate bars with fleur de sel, or a couple of bites of a real eclair...

And I was much happier and just about as thin as when I was obsessing over fat, sugar, carbs, and calories. I'd learned to feed the body for nutrients and the soul for satisfaction, and it was the best thing I'd ever done for both my body (exercise included) and body image.

Without going into a discussion of exercise, where I've faltered over the past couple of years is not in the kind and variety of foods I've been eating, but in being mindful to have just enough. And it's not so much a matter of being disciplined as present. Present enough to recognize that the body has taken in enough food to no longer feel hunger. Present enough to recognize that the psyche, by way of the senses, has also had its fill, which usually requires far fewer bites of a thing than we are inclined to consume when we're eating mindlessly.

And that's what this little black dress is all about, really.

It's not about getting into a certain size or under a certain weight, or, ultimately, even about vanity (though I admit to my fair share). It's about having a mindful, pleasurable, efficient, and balanced relationship with food. And once I get that back, the little black dress is almost certain to follow.

BREAKFAST

was another boring bowl of Cheerios I neglected to photograph.

LUNCH

was Panfried Whole Pompano with Chili Lime "Ponzu" Shoyu. 

With a side of Soy Chili Ginger Noodle Salad.

DINNER

was Sweet & Spicy Thai Style Peel & Eat Shrimp...

...followed by a little Asian fusion dessert experiment.

Soft Tofu W. Coconut Caramel Sauce
aka
ToFlan :P

EXERCISE

I've been very good at exercising my right not to.

This, too, shall pass.

Lots to do today. We're preparing for Izzy's baek il (a Korean 100th day celebration) this weekend and also taking Joe and his friend out to dinner tonight. Both firsts for us, and I'm pretty excited about the opportunities to celebrate and connect with my family.

Happy Friday!

shinae